dicksmack

Feckin' right, they went at one of our best guys...besides Cleary was sliding on the ice when he hit him...

Iginla and Phanuef are gooning it up after getting schooled. Pathetic, classless.

Datsyuk breakaway=goal, automatic.

Yeah, that slashing call on Huselius was bull too...

Keep up the intensity boys! When I looked at our roster yesterday, I realized that guys like Flip, Cleary and Franzen can play hard and chippy when they want, so I figured we could match 'em for that kind of game and we've got some depth... I say: more, more, more...! Even Hank doled out a few...

Wow, I forgot how nervous you get before playoff games, even as a fan---It must be tough for the players! Especially ones who have struggled only to sign a fat contract right before! Pavel: breathe in, breathe out...

Reasoned points of view are hardly irrational. Why did the CBC commentators say exactly what I did about the goals? Kelly Hrudy: "WOW, Dave Tippet totally has a case there, NasIund left way early" Harry Neal: "It looked like SmoIinski touched it with a highstick" I call out Canucks fans for being silly homers cause they never experienced anything but the bitter taste of defeat in the playoffs. Talk about savoury! hahaha! Talk smack when you've really won something, Jack... As far as Bertuzzi, I was simply trying to make you clowns drop your absurd notions that Bertuzzi "fell on a stick" and the damage occurred due to "piling on of other players" and other vintage gems of logic emanating from Homertown (Van). Bertuzzi clocked him and then drove his head into the ice show me where I said different, canucklehead. GO WINGS!

I thought Dallas was all over them from the third period on--totally outshot them. Luongo stole this one ,end of story.

I feel sorry for Dallas, they kept their composure and tied the score after getting jobbed TWICE on the 3rd and 4th Van goals. Naslund scored a flukey one after jumping on the ice way too early--I thought Dave Tippet was gonna lose it--the commentators between periods agreed. Then Smolinski highsticked a puck off of the glass and then banged in the rebound. Dallas wouldn't have gotten away with that crap in a million years... They so outplayed the Canucks in the 3rd and most of OT. I hope we can similarly deal with what the refs will throw at the wings in Calgary (but win).

Yeah, we'll take that trade-off anyday! The Flames are really hampered without Regehr, he's their Lidstrom.

According to the Windsor Star, the concern about Bert's concussion goes well beyond Game 1. Hindsight is 20/20 but perhaps he should have been pulled out of the game after the collision with Ozzie and before martyboy nailed him. I really felt nervous that he was playing before the playoffs and I figured he'd be much better off a bit rusty and intact come playoff time.

If she's really feeling lucky, I've got some recalled, possibly tainted pet food for her to munch on for the playoffs...

Wings in 6 Well, let’s see… the last three times the Wings were eliminated from the playoffs went like this: our opponents employed the trap, played a physical game, kept them to the perimeter and had their goalie stand on his head. Basically, the word is out on how to beat the Wings in the playoffs. I don’t see why Calgary will want to alter that formula. Sure they have more big guns up front this year, but a run-and-gun approach is much riskier with a team like Detroitâ€â€especially if Zetterberg returns in typical form. They might want to mix up their attack some to keep the Wings guessing, but I don’t think they ‘ll stray much from the aforementioned playoff formula. The Flames can use those offensive weapons for quick counter-attacks: to pounce on (Lilja the turnstile’s) turnovers, I daresay. Realistically, the Wings will likely face a one-two-two of some kind for a good chunk of the 1st round series. I think that Bertuzzi could be a factor in busting the trap. Having the big guy charged with retrieving the puck and pressuringâ€â€i.e. bearing down on---the defenseman going to get it, could finally give the wings a legitimate dump-and-chase option. Even for guys like Regehr and Phaneuf, having Bertuzzi coming at them in the corner might make them make a hastier pass. As well, having known puck stealers like Hank and Pavel on Bert’s coat tails could make it doubly difficult in their end. Hopefully, Bert is back and ready to bang ‘em come Game 1. A lot depends on Babcock. If he can’t counter the trap, or, he has his point men fire pucks into shinpads all series again, were gonna struggle. He should be able to out-maneuvre Playfair though, you’d think. The pressure on Pavel is unbelievable…but the way he’s played all year tell’s me he do great! It’s also up to his teammates to not squander his set –ups, because we know there’ll be plenty of those once again. The Wings have been concerned with preparing for the post-season all year, they’ll be ready.

Having the unique assortment of being 14th in scoring, 5th in +/-, 8th in face off %, 1st in take aways as well as fun as hell to watch sounds pretty elite to me. But hey, someday the wings will return your calls, since you know better. waits for: playoffs playoffs playoffs. NOBODY turned the tide for us the last few years...

It seemed clear from the presser that the entire organization was on board on this one. We knew Greenstin and Pavel wanted top dollar, no question about that... And basically, the Wings brass were prepared to say "do what it takes to sign him, this guy's special." And it seemed to me that in exchange for top dollar, the wings went for the longest term they could get to lock him up (Kenny said term was their big concern). Pavel Datsyuk is hands down the most unique, gifted and fascinating hockey player I have ever seen. He doesn't have to score to rivet you, at the same time, if you've seen him miss a regulation time breakaway, show me the video. I can honestly say that he is the main reason that I'm still a big hockey fan. Pro sports are part of the entertainment industry; if you look at the deal from Pavel's ability to entertain, then it makes perfect sense. I think the Wings understand this "wow factor" of his completely. I went to the last game in Vancouver and all of the people around me were just buzzing when Datsyuk pulled off a few mind-bending plays--that says a lot because trust me, they hate the Wings... To me, the most talented players deserve the big contracts since they bring in revenue for our team and everybody else's while we're on the road. Yzerman said that he feels that Pavel's playoff performance has been an "aberration." I've kinda felt the same way. He's played well but he's hit goal posts instead of lighting the lamp. If the Wings had gone on in one of those years, he might have come through but the opportunity never presented itself. The Wings have run into teams and goalies in the early rounds that went all the to the finals. You might say that if Pavel had stepped up and scored a few, then some of those one-goal losses might went the other way--can't argue that but then again nobody stepped it up enough to turn the tide. I think the big problem was a lack of team grit. Pavel is not a big guy and you can't blame him for that. It took the Wings a number of years to finally score some grit at the trade deadline--you can't have a chance to go all the way without it. It's up to Pavel now, he's gotta prove the detractors wrong--I think he will this year. We've got the goaltending, some grit at last, and if we stay healthy, I like our chances.

Well, now I can go and buy that Datsyuk jersey! I've been putting it off until a decision was made. Whooppee! 7yrs more of my fav. player in the winged wheel! I kinda feel like that scene in Goodfellas when Henry is in the shower and hears about the Luftansa heist over the radio!

Kronwall's too brittle.

Great news. I'm ok with 6m, but that's it. You're really splitting hairs to argue b/w 5.5 and 6m. If you'd let him go for .5m, you're a chump. But I'll guess Kenny got him for 5.8m...thus the delay.

Hey it's good to finally be on the good side of a Mcgoo gaffe... woohoo!

Yeah, I didn't think a neck sprain made sense, lol. Too damn near the back anyhow for a guy returning from that type of injury.

Where was Bertuzzi the last period?

Backstrom will be a star, no doubt: he reminds me of Malkin. But what does he have to do with Datsyuk? We won't get him.

Face it, we are stuck playing the Flames and the stripe-shirts in the first round again...

Another thing to factor in is the fact that more goals are scored in the East--it's no accident that of the top 10 scorers overall, 8 are from the Eastern Conference, and 14 of the top 20. You might take 6-10 pts. off of Savard's numbers proportional to the goal disparity b/w the conferences. Pavel would pot 10 more points in the East, you'd think... We might find out next year if we don't sign him. Also, hockey is a form of entertainment, like all sports; Pavel can entertain like few can in this league--what's that worth. I'm waiting for someone to say "how entertaining is it to see your team bounced from the playoffs". Well it's more than one individual's play that get's a team eliminated.

That's fine, as well you should, but my point was that Eva had totally dismissed a large disparity in +/- as being solely accounted for the team the guy plays for. That's too blind an assumption. Is Savard on the PK? I haven't seen him play much but if he is, that would tend to indicate that he might compare well with Pavel defensively. Pavel also has that high RTSS stat of being good at stealing pucks (take aways). Given similar offensive #'s, the guy who is a better all-around player shoud make more.