Heroes of Hockeytown

Of being human.

Not to continue the D-hole train, but they made it past the first round of the playoffs four times before winning the Cup in '89, and then of course their run in '04 makes six seasons in Calgary where they at least won a playoff series. It's fair and true to say that the Hawks have considerably more depth than the Ducks. There's really no comparison there at all. The one main difference, in my eyes, is that the Hawks don't have a player even close to being as totally dominant as Ryan Getzlaf; he was virtually guaranteed to score or directly set up two goals a game, minimum. The two games where he didn't, the Ducks weren't even in the same league as the Wings. Maybe it's just my Getzlaf-phobia speaking, but I think it's going to be a load off to defend against the Hawks very good but more containable depth, than the Ducks' totally unstoppable first line. We'll see.

Cleary knocked the puck out of the air. In real time I assumed as much but it could have been Getzlaf, but in watching the replays there's no doubt that Cleary bats it down, it falls between Hiller's pads, and as Hiller dropped down and curled his legs he pushed it in himself.

It certainly was, and he took a big hit to make the play as well. But credit all around; Flip's diving play to corral the puck and get it to Pavel in a shooting position as well as Sammy standing around like a dummy and being in the right place at the right time.

You're a far better man than I, DG. I would have had nothing nice to say to you if the Wings had lost that game.

You said it. He's up there with Crosby and Ovechkin in terms of his ability to dominate and impact the game.

I'm disappointed in his scoring, even with the Ducks' stifling defense. With that said, he was very good defensively. The PKing he did tonight was practically worth $7M.

I'll miss having Mick to rage with about s***ty calls, because the neutral Versus and NBC announcers sure as hell won't.

Mike's stubborness with his lines was just about to get the Wings in trouble when he changed it up in Game 4. After a tough Game 6 he put just went with some hunches and it worked out. I tip my hat to him; he did what needed to be done.

I was dead wrong about him staying in the line up over Abdelkader, as it turned out. I'm genuinely surprised that Babcock made such an un-Babcock-like move, and while I feel bad for Maltby, I'm happy with the concept of the move just because Mike has been so stubborn about making changes before. I'm sure he'll hang around until at least next year after Mike decides what his starting line up is going to be. Not everyone is going to be back, there might be room for him again.

For the first time this season -- after that incredibly tense hockey game I just watched -- I'm glad for some time off between games.

No kidding. That thing went down with the Sharks in '07. It wasn't even valid before then and somehow it's stuck around for all these years. What a joke. As for the Hawks, their style is much different from Anaheim's. The Ducks were defense first, pray Getzlaf scores 2-3 goals, hang on for dear life, and be unbelievably, infuriatingly lucky. That kind of stuff has killed the Wings in previous years, and they just managed to get over the hump of the best defense in the league. The Hawks play run and gun hockey. I don't know if the Wings play it better than the Hawks do, but it's definitely more up their alley.

There's no other goalie I'd want back there than Oz, and that's a fact. He has been massive all postseason long. He makes the big saves at big times.

Just got back from the party, and all I've gotta say is "GO WINGS!" Actually, I got a bit more to say. f*** the Anaheim Lucks. They have got to be the luckiest goddamn team in the ******* NHL. The NHL should be embarrassed for the two non-calls on Hossa in the first and the absolutely posif***ingtively horses*** call on Hudler that got them a goal, and the goalie interference on Oz for the Selanne goal. Then that goddamn broken stick; no other team in the world would have gotten a goal out of that play except the Ducks. I was basically livid watching this game, from top to bottom. Thank god they pulled it out. And you know what Pavel? For that kind of PKing, you're still worth seven million dollars!

I have a hard time believing Babcock would bench Maltby for a Game 7 over a rookie. If Draper is in, I'm with you folks that say Abdelkader is out.

All aboard the stress train! It's now or never, gang.

I only watched til it got to 5-0, but the Caps really didn't do anything to get a call or anything else in that time. The Pens completely demolished them, and Sid was a friggin' beast. It's tough not to see them making it back to the SCF after a series like that.

That's not fair criticism of the penalty. It is much, much, much easier to put the puck into the benches than over the glass. I don't and have never liked the puck over the glass call since they implemented it. The concept is noble, but the execution is poor in my opinion. An icing isn't a penalty, and is essentially the same thing. I realize that players undoubtedly put the puck over the glass to get a whistle before the lockout and that they obviously don't do it intentionally now because of the penalty, but it's still just too easy for a puck that's on edge to go up and over at the wrong time (like a PK) and completely screw a team over that doesn't deserve it. Well, there you go. That would be a much more elegant and consistent way to handle that.

Without throwing my hat behind any player in particular, you guys are taking the +/- of Maltby way too seriously. The guy is on a line that literally never scores goals (with emphasis on 'literally' and 'never') and isn't even a minus player in the Anaheim series. He's even.

The defense has been better in the playoffs, for sure, but take a look at the Anaheim roster and who's scoring. The only real threat they have is coming from their top line, and the Wings are completely incapable of slowing that line down. The Ducks game plan from Game 1 has been to pray that Getzlaf and Perry get them a couple goals and then hang on for dear life. No one else on that roster is a good scorer (except Selanne, who's playing with scrubs) so there's no one else to defend. Their first and only priority has run roughshod over them so far. With all that said, if they can just get a win tomorrow, I think they'll be in much better shape. The Hawks are good, but they don't have anyone as dominant as Getzlaf on their roster (himself a natural Wings-killer) to give them fits.

I like Pronger about as far as I can throw him, but he's been on his best behavior this time around.

He's certainly deserving of one, as are all these sore losers (and winners, as it turns out) but nothing is going to happen. There's no way the NHL would discipline players of Getzlaf/Perry/Niedermayer caliber for this type of altercation before a Game 7.

The depth players have done a nice job in my eyes. Hudler's got 3 points in this series, so does Sammy, Cleary, and Flip. Hank and Mule have scored every night. The now deposed top-line of Datsyuk, Hossa, and Homer are the only top-9 forwards in this series to record two points or less.

There weren't any instigators handed out, so no dice. Games 6 and 7 versus Colorado. I'm not too sure about some of the other vets like Rafalski or Stuart, but Nick has played in five Game 7s.

Nothing is going to happen, I'll guarantee that. I don't think there's really anything there to suspend a guy with in the first place, but even if there was something borderline there's no way the NHL would go and take the Ducks' best players out of a Game 7.