C-TownWing

Good point...when this stuff was around, I didn't really understand the whole animated image thing, and I was always like "how come the puck's not moving at all--they're hacking away at it!" Reading Wikipedia on it, it's kind of surprising how short-lived the thing actually was--1996 All-Star game through the end of the 1997-98 season. So basically two seasons plus a couple months. With the amount of discussion/ridicule during it's life and since, it seems like it was around for more like five years.

I didn't mind it, just because I knew its purpose--to draw new fans to the game. With that considered, I was willing to put up with the annoyance for the greater good of the sport. Although I have to say, I thought the x-ray vision thing when the puck was along the near boards was kind of cool, since the only way to know where it is normally is through deductive reasoning ("there's two guys battling for the puck, therefore it must be down there somewhere").

My onetime favorite Cleveland Baron owns Tootoo dropping the gloves and in the papers. I love it! Tootoo definitely has a rep, and it extends well beyond Wings fans, officials and Stephane Robidas.

How do you know if you like the trade or not unless you know both sides of it? Glad to see him doing well, I always thought his rep wasn't entirely deserved. Yeah, he'll spout off every now and then, but I'm not French-Canadian, so that doesn't bother me that much. He's one of the more skilled sandpaper-types out there, and him and Shanny make the Rangers my #2 Eastern Conference team right now after the Pens.

Nope. I was firmly entrenched by then. I was a little upset that another city in Ohio ended up with the NHL team, and the clincher was when the hideous name/logo/unis were introduced, I was just like "no way in hell." Then there's my alma mater. As a proud Nittany Lion, I despise Ohio State and the city of Columbus. Why doesn't this logic extend to Michigan? a) I hate OSU way more than UM, and b) I actually like MSU, so that balances it out a little. So it's kind of funny how it worked out--besides important games against good teams and whatever, I probably want to beat the Jackets more than anyone else.

Here's mine. When I first got into hockey (early 90s), I was a Hartford Whalers fan. I had family in CT, they got me a Whalers hat for Christmas, and figuring that was as good of a reason as any, they became my favorite team. I also liked the Pens around that time, since they were the parent club of the IHL's Cleveland Lumberjacks, but the Whalers were my favorite. So in 1993-94, an NHL team moving to Cleveland was the rumor du jour. The Whalers were a likely candidate, and I guess as a way to test the market, four neutral-site games were played at the old Richfield Coliseum that season. Anyway, my parents got me tickets to one--Whalers vs. Red Wings. It was in February, 1994 (I think, the ticket stub's at home, I'm at work). The way I remember the game, the Wings won 3-0, pretty sure Yzerman had one of the goals, and the Wings outshot the Whale something like the way we outshot Calgary last night. Burke was actually pretty great, but he was a sitting duck. Me being an impressionable 13-year-old, I thought it was pretty freaking cool how good the Wings were. The other thing that absolutely blew me away were the fans--there were something like 12,000 people there, all Wings fans, and probably 98% of them made the three-hour drive to this barn in the middle of nowhere to see their team. And they were LOUD too. So pretty much from that point on, the Wings and Whalers were kind of my co-favorite teams. Then 1996-97 came along, the Whalers moved and the Wings won the Cup, and the rest is history.

Agree, dude's been through so much, and even though it's been largely self-inflicted, until you walk a mile in his shoes, etc...he was a great Red Wing and regardless of where his life goes from here, I will always hope for the best and remember him fondly. You do have to wonder if he'd still be playing if it weren't for his financial problems. I don't think Grinder's going multi-platinum anytime soon.

Just thought I'd point out that that sells out every building in the league except maybe 3 or 4 (ours, Montreal, one or two others). This with the cheapest tickets being $60+. You won't see me going Chicken Little on this one, and we only helped ticket sales Sunday and after with our play tonight.

Yeah, it makes sense, I know. I'm a commercial panic guy though, after about 15 seconds, I'm always like "PUT IT BACK, I'M GOING TO MISS IT!!!" After 30 seconds, the seizures start. So then we end up going back watching 2:00 more of commercials to placate me...eventually I just gave it up and don't bother flipping when something I really care about is on (Wings playoff game, top 5 TV shows, etc.) Really quite a sad story.

Didn't pay any attention to the other games while ours was on, but tonight in general seems like kind of a dog compared to last night...no OT likely, higher seeds holding serve, except for the Thrashers, who everyone look at as a lame-duck #3 anyway. I really wish they'd stagger the west coast games on different days. Constant playoffs from 7pm-at least 1am (or 4am last night) kicks ass, but now we're going to be all done by 10:30ish. Guess I'll have to fire up the X-Box and play game 2...

Here's a name from playoff failures of the past: Jamie Baker is the analyst on the Sharks radio broadcast.

Welcome to the Cheli avatar club! Figured I'd make a gratuitous post here just to pimp mine and show some support.

This should be all that needs to be said about it. Anyone remember the last time we brought Dom to the playoffs with us? And like Roenick has any room to talk about someone getting thrown off their game. Dude's taken more than a few dumb retaliation penalties in his time.

Good point, I'm planning a final shave for tomorrow in that case. I cut corners last year, tried to grow a classy-looking beard and it didn't work obviously. Not touching anything with a razor, period. Good news is that I outdress everyone at work, so I'll probably be given some slack on the whole looking like a Geico caveman thing.

Agree with this...that line was too good to not at least give it a shot, at least initially. That said, it's crucial to have at least two lines contributing in the playoffs...there was a stretch there where it seemed like 90% of our goals were coming from 40-13-96 (although this was before our deadline acquisitions). If we find that we're not getting the kind of balance we need, I'm perfectly okay splitting them. But you have to give that line a chance first. Honestly though, I am so in love with our forward depth right now that I'm thinking you really can't go wrong either way.

Easy solution: let's end it before game 6!

Exactly...I think there's room for a middle ground somewhere between "best goalie ever" and "overrated product of the system." I left him off my top 10 players since 1980 list (Hasek and Roy were my two Gs), but there's absolutely no doubt that Brodeur would've been my next choice--and I would put him in my top 10 all time, but probably not top 5 and definitely not #1. If I had one must-win game and could pick any goalie from my lifetime to drop in the crease (I'm 27), no doubt in my mind it'd be mid-90s Hasek. In his prime, he was the best I ever saw. But if my opponent in this hypothetical game went with Brodeur, I wouldn't laugh.

I have to admit, seeing Colorado miss the playoffs would be a nice consolation for not getting the team I want in the first round.

IMO, Dom's been the best goalie in the league this year not named Brodeur or Luongo. I don't expect that to change in the playoffs, and I really can't figure out what everyone's been complaining about.

What a great hockey day. We pound the Hawks in a meaningless game, great NCAA championship game won by the team I was rooting for, the Toronto-Montreal game, and now the two games that decide our first-round opponent. Only problem is, the Oilers are the worst team in the league right now, so I'm not keeping my hopes up too much. At least it's a rivalry game, that's something to hang my hat on. Avs just scored... EDIT: Forgot about the Avs and Flames playing each other tomorrow. That one's kind of important too.

As true as that is, I think the radio guys are great. Their banter over the trivia question always cracks me up. I think a lot of it is that you're partial to what you're exposed to first. I've been listening to Ken and Paul almost since they got together, and much more frequently than I've been able to watch a game done by Ken and Mick.

...and count this Penn State alumnus as thrilled. Hate O$U, hate the Big Ten, wish we had joined the ACC 15 years ago. I thought Tennesseeans hated Florida though.

I was raised on whites at home, so I have to say I'm partial to that. Not even just the idea of white at home, but I like our whites, particularly the way the upper arms are red with the white numbers just below the shoulder. The reds don't match that design aspect. I'm actually kind of sad to see 3rd jerseys go. I don't want one for us, but I like some of them around the league, especially the throwbacks (Toronto, Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Vancouver). Chicago and Minnesota are ones that work for me too. I won't miss Nashville's Grey Poupon look or trying to figure out what the hell that is on Edmonton's or any of the others really.

Ironically, Gordie Howe only hit the hat trick that bears his name once in his entire career. Source

You HAVE to admit that circumstances being what they were, it was a lot easier to become captain of the Wings in the mid 80s vs. the early 50s. If Howe, Lindsay and Abel played for the Wings in 1986, Yzerman probably would've had to wait a couple years. I also did a little homework... Complete list of NHL captains with tenure longer than Alex Delvecchio, one team: Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Scott Stevens, Ray Bourque, George Armstrong. If you want to count non-consecutive service, tack on Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier (Rangers). Either way, that's pretty exclusive company. Basically, Delvecchio was #2 ever in this category when he retired behind Armstrong. Call him the Joe Sakic of his day. Even if Sakic were to retire (or the unthinkable happens and he leaves) before catching Stevie's 21 years, would you blame the Avs for tacking a C on his banner just because he wasn't the longest-serving ever? I sure wouldn't. If he were to pass Yzerman, should we go up and rip the C off ours? Hell no.