Vincanni

I get this feeling Bert's first game is either going to be a 5 minutes of ice time on the third line breaking-in were he gets a shot and maybe a hit. Or he'll hit the ground running and score right away. I'm just hoping babs gives him some powerplay time, heck with the way things have been going for us I'm just hoping we get powerplay time Anyways I refuse to make a prediction since my past 5 have been wrong, and I can't see myself seriously picking the BJ's to top us.

Bert's playing now Zets is coming back for sure before the playoffs? Best day I've had in awhile... it's not at all sad that good news for the Wings is amongst the top prioirties that make me happy in my life is it?

Just for giggles let me post what I'd like to see more than anything. Colorado makes the playoffs at the 8 spot, Wings win the central and the president's trophy. The two teams meet and it's a clean sweep with multiple shutouts for the Wings. Next round we face off against the Preds and handle them in 5, basically a sweep but this time we get to celebrate the final victory at home (ala Carolina 03.) Several fights erupt we somehow manage to win the bulk of them and a rivalry is born for next year. For the Western conference finals we fight Anaheim to 6 in a close back and forth series, no injuries on either side and Lidstrom manages to outperform both Pronger and Neidermayer's combined effort as we parade into the Stanley Cup finals against none other than the Toronto Maple Leafs, coming off an improbably run through the Eastern playoff picture. It's an amazingly close series featuring several overtime wins for both sides that comes down to a triple overtime game 7, preferably on the weekend so I don't stumble into work drunkardly the next day. Bertuzzi scores the game winner and after hoisting the cup is greeted by a friendly Steve Moore who gives him a big hug saying he no longer harnesses any malice towards the big guy and drops his lawsuit entirely. They become best freinds and Bertuzzi agrees to sign a life long deal to the Wings for only 1 million a year stating it's the only place he'll ever call home again. Datsyuk averages 2 points a game and wins the Conn Smythe and following Bertuzzi's selfless example signs a modest 4 million a year agreement for the Wings. It can happen right?

West: San Jose over Anaheim East: Buffalo over New Jersey Finals: San Jose over Buffalo in 7 games. So in theory I'm sticking with my cup prediction from the beginning of the season.

Now that I think about it that's pretty much why I end up watching that show most of the time. Anyways I'm sure if ESPN still played hockey games they'd be more inclined to cover it. Also it might just be me, but this years annual sports coverage line-up seems even stronger with football than it's ever been. It's always been their top priority but since getting Monday Night Football I feel it's increased even beyond it's normal superlative degree.

I actually watch that show on occasion, one of the few things on ESPN I still ever bother to watch. Isn't Kornheiser a big hockey fan, I know I heard that from another source before, just can't confirm anything.

I'm a sucker for games like these, I've had this one marked on my calander for awhile now. As well as the 31st at the end of this month between Dallas and Nashville.

Please lets win this one, I'm sick of losing to Western Canadian teams. I say we take this one 4-2. I know a local Colorado fan who's rooting for us on this one.

Wow! ESPN is a joke to me, aside from some football and some stuff played on ESPN classic I almost never watch it anymore. I'll admit as a joke this is pretty funny but it holds no entertainment value whatsoever, they're just doing it to make a spectacle. Likely hoping to draw the same crowds of people who sardonically rallied around curling.

I want to punch him.

Is there any truth to what he says about the insult Hoser? I feel the need to research this. Anyways excellent film though, very funny. Just Wikipediasized the word Hoser and came up with this... "Like the very similar term hosehead, it originally referred to farmers of the Canadian prairies, who would siphon gas from farming vehicles with a hose during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The expression has since been converted to the verb 'to hose' as in to trick, deceive, or steal - for example: "That card-shark sure hosed me." Hosed has an additional meaning of becoming drunk - for example: "Let's go out and get hosed." Alternatively, the term may orginate as a variation of "loser"; in amateur games of hockey the losing team would have to "hose down" the rink, resurface the ice with a water hose." So it appears to be partially true.

The thing that makes Tootoo worse than Avery in my book is he's such a one dimensional player, Avery at least has some sort of a scoring upside and has toned it done some in recent years. The only use Tootoo has for the puck is it tells him who he can skate 10 strides out of position to hit without an instant interference call.

Jarkko Ruutu was number 2 if I remember correctly, might have been tied with Tootoo, either way this year is his coming out party as of today I'm sure he'd get the number one spot.

I refuse to give Tootoo a nickname, having the name Tootoo is bad enough.

7, they'll wait till OT to bank in the 8th Actually I'm watching the Michigan/Notre Dame on FSN 1-1 in the third.

Almost as exciting as that Boston/NY Rangers game, should be really close going into the thrid. I expect boston to get right back into that one.

Such a thing is common when it's the gaolie carrying the team. When he's on his mark he'll steal a game in a one-two goal victory, if he's off of his game it could end up being a blow out. Only takes one blow-out to wipe out the teams recent overall +/-. Also winning shootouts doesn't give you a GF over your opponent, or at least I don't believe it does.

First off, Dallas we could choke in the 1st round and still beat them since they ussually choke as well (and how.) You didn't mention Minnasota but they'd be my second choice, not really physical and aside from one or two players not a ton of offensive spark, With a guy like Lidstrom I'm not to worried about one-two man offenses, though gaborik can be frightening. Only downside to playing Minnasota is it might tire us out since they go to overtime ALOT. It's a bit of a crapshoot between Calgary and San Jose for me, both are physical teams that'd manhandle us, though taking special teams into account I'd much rather play Calgary, they seem to get in penalty trouble with us alot and San jose's powerplay is nightmare inducing. Of course if the refs swallow their whistles completely I'd actually rather face San jose. Good point, I'd like to see our home ice advantage come in handy. This also makes another good case for Minnasota, also craptacular away from home.

I think this is going to be the biggest test we face left of the schedule for us before the playoffs. We win this and I'm positive we'll win the President's again, barring catastrophic injuries or playing like we did against Boston. I don't expect us to win this one but will by no means be surprised if it happens, our inprobable run right now in spite of injury trouble makes it seem as if we can't lose. We score early and don't end up building any mountains to climb and we'll win this one, we fall behind or allow soft goals and I'm fearful of our chances. I see this one going to OT and though we've been better in our OTs recently Vancouver's one of the best in that department. Still I think we'll somehow pull out a vicotory even if we have to be lucky.

A couple of points to argue for both being some of the best goaltenders ever. Patrick Roy while likely to have most of his records and numbers smashed by Brodeur is a playoff god. Shrugging aside his last playoff game his playoff accolades are tops in the NHL. 3 conn smythes is an amazing feat. Brodeur meanwhile has done something Roy will never be bale to do and that's succeed in post-lockout NHL with pad size restrictions. Look at what it did to Jose Theodore's numbers, just to name one example. Also Brodeur is having arguably his best season this year with a less than impressive team, so it's unfair to soley base his stats on the teams he played for, and it's not like Roy ever had a really bad team i front of him that he entirely carried the way Marty's doing this year. So ultimately I don't think one can pick a definite winner between the two and until Brodeur retires I'm not even going to bother. Not sure how many typoes are ladent through out this post but I'm dead tired, about ready to go to bed and not going to bother checking

I don't get it...

That make me rofl for some reason. Personally I'm sick of all this red crap, can't we play off something concearning wings or flying. I've surrendered all hope to see something spectacular and not corny, so at the very least I'd like something slightly original? How about "Time to earn your wings" seems appropriate for our first season without Stevie.

Lebda wore #13 while playing for Notre Dame... Redundancy is fun

I'm up for the possibility of it, especially adding in the extra glitz of Stastny's amazing point streak. But I don't see it happening. Malkin's addition to the penguins has lifted them into being far and away the most improved team this year were as the Avs aren't even going to make the playoffs despite getting nearly a point per game player who wasn't on the roster last season.

I give it a C+, nothing great but more importantly, nothing bad. Let 'em see red, is and will probably always be my favorite.