Nightfall

My reply was to the person who said that Nick was "f***ed over" by the Wings. When it comes to a professional organization, the Wings are in a class of their own. No one has the grounds to make a claim like that.

Yup, we could have lost against Phoenix instead. I agree you shouldn't have taken crap for it, but unless the Blackhawks just tore through Phoenix, your point isn't valid.

Hell of a post man. + for you.

I suppose 21 straight playoff appearances and four stanley cups in the last 15 years is a hell of a way to be "f***ed over". Heck, I would love to be "f***ed over" like that.

I think the problem he has, and I have for that matter, with the bitching is not that the Wings didn't play well in the first round, but that the people bitching are tearing down every accomplishment the Wings had this season. The home winning streak was an event to remember. It has never, ever been done before. Give the Wings some credit and cherish that record. It may never be broken again in our lifetimes. I am with you 100%. The problem is there isn't. The diarrhea posting from the fans that are upset are going to be ongoing for the next month and a half at least.

He will return for another year. The Wings will reload and retool. The Winter Classic is in Ann Arbor. He has a lot left in the tank. Holland will sign him for another run.

I do understand the frustration and anger towards the coaching staff, ownership, and players, but jeez.... 4 cups in 16 years, and the expectation is the same. Cup or bust. The fans have no tolerance for failure. It was frustrating, I agree. At the same time, this team has come back and competed every season. Kenny will make the right changes and this team will compete again next season.

I have to agree. Nashville didn't blow coverages in their own zone. Nashville's goaltender was awesome Nashville got the puck luck in the series Nashville also had the edge in health The Wings didn't lose this series because of Howard. The Wings offense disappeared, and its hard to win when you only score one goal. Good season Wings. Good luck the rest of the way Nashville. Nick is coming back next season. You heard it here first!

Holmstrom's skate hit the back of Rinne's. Purely accidental, but thats a slewfoot and its a penalty.

This series has come down to three things. 1. The Preds are healthy, while the Wings are not. 2. The Preds are getting lights out goaltending, while the Wings are getting good goaltending, but not lights out. 3. The Preds are not blowing coverage in their defensive zone while the Wings are doing that.

Yup, Chicago is doing so well against them. Every game has been a dominating performance by the Hawks.

+1

I suppose you were saying the same things in 2003 when the Wings lost 16 of their last 18 games and then their first 2 playoff games. As for the bandwagon fan term, I have given up using it here. There are so many fairweather Wings fans that have stuck around for so long that we won't know the amount of bandwagon fans until the team goes into the crapper for 2-5 years. As long as the Wings are winning and making the playoffs, they will be around. Don't feel offended, I feel the same way about the Ferris State Bulldogs. I have been a fan since 1993, and in that time I have seen just a handful of winning seasons and that memorable run to the Frozen Four this year and the Elite Eight in 2003. The bandwagon fans jump on and off that team every few years or so, while the die hards like me have been supporting the team the whole time.

The mods would be better suited to police the former, and not the later.

I think its kind of funny how we are going to count the goal that didn't count against Howard, when we aren't willing to do that against Rinne who was scored on as time expired in Game 3. Those really are the breaks that you have to capitalize on. You can bet the Preds were counting their lucky stars that they didn't get scored on in Game 3, just as the Wings were happy about not being scored on in Game 4 with that puck that went in the net. I really can't fault Jimmy on any of the goals scored last night. First one off of a deflection off our own player to a wide open guy? Thats just crap luck. Second one was blown coverage that resulted in a 2-0 chance where the goalie did what he needed to do which is take the shooter. As for the 3rd, why in the hell is Dan Cleary bringing the puck through the middle like that? If anything, I am not going to say that Jimmy was snoozing, he had the post and his stick down.

After glancing over the comments here in this thread, I am glad about one thing.... That the Red Wings Management is in charge of this team. Does the team need some change? You bet it does, and Holland will make the changes necessary to make them competitive. People soon forget the 4 cups in the last 15 years, which is more than any other team in the NHL has gotten in that time. Wings fans are spoiled, and they expect a championship every season. That kind of thing doesn't happen every year though. People still get all giddy when they think about the team we had in 2002 and how that was a guaranteed cup win, and yet that team was almost eliminated by Colorado in the WCF. Vancouver kept the same team as last season, thinking that they were going to be able to make it to the cup finals again, and that didn't work out. Hell, everyone was banking on Pittsburgh doing some good and look how that series is turning out. Getting through the playoff grind takes more than skill. It takes some puck luck, which the Wings haven't had this series, and health, which the Wings have also not had this series by losing Darren Helm. I am not going to blame Holland or Babs for these losses. The team is just what Holland built. A team that was at the top of the NHL before they hit the injury bug. No depth? You are right about that. The Wings should have signed players in the offseason to address the depth. The cost in draft picks to be active at the trade deadline were ludicrous. I wouldn't have spent that much to give away our futures. In the end, the Wings may be done this series, and if they are Holland and company will go back to work. Next season, we will have new players and make a 23rd consecutive playoff appearance. We may even be #1 in the NHL again which the fans here will be raving about. Then, in the playoffs (1st or 2nd round), we will be out of it again and everyone will be screaming for the heads of the coaching staff and management team. Because here in Detroit, its either cup or failure. Those are pretty lofty standards.

Big difference between mad, like I am, and quitting.

I have to agree here. Not that I think that Rinne hasn't been awesome, because he has. He has had to be great for the Preds to win each of their games. The Wings haven't had the puck luck or a fully healthy squad that is needed to win the cup. Its just too bad that it looks like they will be ousted in the 1st round unless something changes. I have faith in the Wings though.

This forum is full of em. The only way to get rid of them is to have 2-3 completely crap seasons. Course, the problem is that when the Wings get better, the TRUE fans will return. Just ask any Tampa Bay Lightning fan.

I have to agree here. I haven't seen many skilled goals. I have seen more blown coverage by the Wings or lucky bounces by the Preds. Pure s*** ass luck goals.

Well, thats a way to get back at Weber. Just highstick him.

The puck is just bouncing fine for them. Game 1 the bounce off Stuart and into the net for example. Then the bounce off Bert to a wide open player. Just sad that the bounces are not going our way.

Name the softie he let in. The blown coverage play or the deflection off our own player to the guy wide open on the other side? Neither are soft to me.

Play a full 60 minutes. Wings took the first period off and spotted Nashville a 2 goal lead before they decided to start playing hockey. Nashville did the same thing in Game 2 and it costed them. Who will learn this lesson first and play a full 60 minute game will win the series. Otherwise, its been a tight series like we thought it was going to be.

I agree. So far, neither team has played a full 60 minutes of hockey. Look at game 2 and 3 for instance. Game 2: Detroit played really well the first 30 minutes, and then slacked 30 minutes Nashville comes back in the 2nd half and makes it a game. Game 3: Nashville plays solid for 30 minutes and then slacks. Detroit plays solid the 2nd half of the game but can't complete the comeback. I am probably asking the same questions that Barry and Mike are asking of their teams. When is my team going to come out and play a full 60 minute game? This series is going the distance, with the winning team wanting it more. So far, Nashville has wanted it more than Detroit through 3.