Outsider

Just so were 100% clear..... Lids is the highest paid player on the Team.

Dabura, I'm gonna disagree. I'm gonna disagree so loudly that they'll probably hear me all the way in Detroit. Again.... Whatever they were showing on TELEVISION, was NOT was I was seeing on the ice. I had my eyes GLUED to #81, waiting, hoping, PRAYING, for the spark. It never came. In fact, I watched him, literally, turn away from chasing the puck down on COUNTLESS occasions, when the puck was a mere 10-15 feet away from him and he was the ONLY player close to it, and skate back to the bench. It was HEART WRENCHING! God! I am so ANGRY right now!

If they can review a goal to determine whether a player makes a "distinct kicking motion" to put the puck into HIS OWN GOAL, they can SURE AS F*(K review a play like that! Oh.... And the Ducks 2nd goal shouldn't have counted, either.

LOL.... Carlyle is going to ***** about an UNINTENTIONAL elbow the head when his scumbag players are punching Osgood in the back of the head every time they get close to the net? AHAHAHAHA!! That is RICH!

Gospel truth here, HRW. Gospel truth.

You are FARKIN' A RIGHT ABOUT THAT! What a joke. All of this talking up a guy who faced NOTHING all game. From the Top Offensive Team in the NHL. Again. I was afraid of this. God DAMNIT!

With all due respect, MrSandMan: I don't know what they're showing on TV, but if it looked like the Wings were "sharp" for 40 minutes, then what you saw on TV is not remotely close to what I saw from my seats. The Wings were beat to every loose puck. They were terrible on face-offs. Their passing was ATROCIOUS. They were turning the puck over, left and right. One player in particular, (I'm NOT gonna mention any name/number), looked like he was REALLY hurting or DOGGIN' IT. And for those who are wondering.... There is NO FARKING WAY the Wings fired 45 shots on Hiller. They are PADDING HIS STATS! Period. I personally counted at least 10 shots that were either going WAY wide, high, or hit something in front and never got through that they IMMEDIATELY put up on the scoreboard. It was a running joke amongst some folks in the section I was sitting in. "THAT was a shot on goal? That wasn't even CLOSE to the net." Don't let the number of alleged shots fool you. They are not even remotely accurate.

Just got back from the Game. I'm rather......speechless. I was afraid this would happen. Yes. The officiating was bad. Yes. The Wings were outright robbed of the GTG. But the fact of the matter is, the didn't even show up until about midway through the 2nd period, anyway. They may be able to get away with that against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but they are NOT going to get away with it against the Ducks. And all that scrumming at the end of the Game? Was juuuuuuuuust what the Duckies wanted. Now they know, for certain, that they have the Wings RIGHT where they want them. Gut check time, folks. <sigh>

Pavel Datsyuk and Chris Osgood are TIED in points for this Series.... C'mon Pavel! We need you!

You mean to tell me that Osgood wears a black, longsleeved turtleneck type of thing.... At the BEACH?

I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate, (again), and state the obvious: The Ducks are NOT the Penguins. They, too, are a Cup Champ. And they, too, know how to respond like Champions do. I do NOT want our boys to lose this Series. And if they don't wake up, that is exactly what they will do.

Ya know.....that is just scary. You must be some kinda lunatic, for sure. I should know. Because that sounds just like my place on game night. "Hey, can I...." "No. Don't touch it." "But I was gonna...." "DON'T TOUCH IT!!! "But I just wanted....." "Do NOT touch it!!!" "Sheesh.....fine, I'll just g....." "The other way around the table. The OTHER WAY! And NO stepping on the blue rug while the puck's in play! I mean it! Hop over....HOP OVER!" ..... .............. ".....I didn't hear you tap both doorposts on your way out...!"

That was my point, YoungGuns..... While everyone on the planet can state that this Ducks Team is not as good at the 2007 version, THIS DUCKS TEAM does NOT believe that. And sometimes that belief is ALL it takes. Wings better WAKE UP!

Now..... Now that the doom and gloom is out of the way.... While I'm stiiiiiiill wary, I'm ALSO still confident. I like the Wings chances of taking this Series. The Wings ARE the better Team. Beyond Getzlaf, Perry Ryan, the Ducks don't have much. Hiller has NOT been very good. If the Wings can get to the rebounds he's popping out like a Pez dispenser, they'll be able to pot a few. I belive the Wings are SMARTER than they were the last couple of times they faced the Duckies. And I think they've learned a thing or two about how easy it is for the "better" Team to lose a Series. They need to come out full bore from the opening face off. They need to NOT play the Ducks game. Hits are nice. Goals are better. They need to DRIVE the net. They need to battle for loose pucks. They need to get Z and Pavs and Hoss going....NOW. They NEED to play RED WINGS Hockey. If they do, they've got this. Go Wings, Go!

Alright! There ya go, let's talk about this..... Mason posted some of the worst stats for an NHL goalie in the last 1 1/2 months of the Season. His stats for that timeframe were about the same as Ozzie's stats on the year. He went into the Play Offs.....COLD. Ice cold. And Calder Trophy? Raycroft who? He's currently posting a .939 SVP against Detroit which, (as you guessed), isn't quite as good as his .957 SVP against San Jose. Getzlaf has a point in every goal against Detroit this Series but one. The game winner last night. Yes. I think you're right. The Ducks DO fear the Wings. And they are playing with an urgency and a desperation worthy of that fear. It's working. With all due respect, the Wings are playing a real playoff team now, too, not a bunch of playoff virgins who are shaking in their skates.

More importantly, how does our Home record against the DUCKS look? W - 1 L - 1 GF - 6 GA - 6 Not quite what I'd like to see, to be honest.

Okay....after having read the thread.... Coming into this Series, I was confident. But I was also wary. It's difficult to compare this Series being tied 1-1 with the Pens/Caps Series being tied 1-1, or the Bruins/Canes Series being tied 1-1. This is Wings vs Ducks. You can go ahead and believe that the Ducks are a "one line Team", because they are. But you know what? THEY don't believe that. Not for a second. THEY believe that they are the guys who just knocked off the President's Trophy Winners and one of the "favorites" to contend for the Cup going into the Post Season. You can go ahead and believe that the Wings have a huge advantage in depth. But you know what? THEY don't believe that. Not for a second. THEY believe that they can hang with any Team in the League, and even outlast them. You can go ahead and believe that they're an 8th seed who barely backed into the Play Offs based on a 10-2-1 run to close out the year. But you know what? THEY don't believe that. Not for a second. THEY believe that they're "the best 8th seed in the history of the NHL", and that they simply underachieved all year long. And you can certainly go ahead and believe that the Wings are the Defending Stanley Cup Champs, and the superior Team, and the their Leaders "know what to do." But you know what? THEY don't believe that. Nope. Not for ONE second. THEY believe that they are the Team with the best Post Season record in the NHL since 2003. THEY believe that they've stepped over the bodies of the 'superior' Red Wings, not once, but TWICE, and ONCE against a Cup Defending Wings Team, on their way to the Cup Finals. THEY believe that they are the Team that has DOMINATED Detroit both at home, and on the road, during their past two post-season match-ups. THEY believe that they are the Team which is ONE YEAR removed from winning the Cup themselves, having stepped over the Wings to get there. THEY believe that their #1 scorer and best player not only leads the Team, but leads the LEAGUE, in post season scoring, while their current opponents #1, #2 and #3 scorers haven't even gotten on the board against in two home games. All year we have watched in frustration as the Wings have taken the first 40 or 50 minutes off in countless games, only to turn it on in the last 10 or 20, and let their skill carry them to victory. Sometimes it's worked. Sometimes it hasn't. They're doing it again. In both games 1 and 2. The Wings believe that they are the better Team. That their superior skill and depth will prevail. And they are playing like they are waiting for their beliefs to become reality. The Ducks are playing in a manner to MAKE their beliefs become reality. The "best" Team does NOT always Win. 2003 should have taught them that. 2007 should have reinforced that lesson a thousandfold. The Wings didn't Win the Cup last year because they were the most skilled, most talented, deepest Team in the League. They Won the Cup because they were the HARDEST WORKING Team in the League. If they don't get back to that hard work, they will not prevail in this Series. Because the guys on the other side of the ice believe that THEY are a favorite to Win the Cup. And THEIR Leaders "know what to do", too. And they don't just "believe" it. They are WORKING for it. The Wings can TAKE this Series. No doubt about it. But they've gotta WANT it. And more... They've gotta WORK for it. Go Wings, GO!!!!!!

Okay.... I'm gonna post some ugly facts here, folks. Please don't lynch me. Yet..... Firstly, the above quoted post: That's not exactly true, MrSandMan. During this years Play-Offs, (which is all that matters right now), the Ducks have 3 wins on the road, (including last nights 3OT), and two wins at home. Counting the only completed Series, it breaks down like this: Road GF - 7 GA - 5 Home GF - 11 GA - 5 So, as you can see, the Ducks are better at home than they are on the road.

No offense, but these are not the Sharks. They're a dirty scumbag team who will just keep hitting and cheap-shotting until they've taken out or damaged enough players to bring the skill level down to where they can compete. Hopefully the guys can get at least one of the next two.

Go Wings, Go!!!!!!

Hiller has looked suspect and the Wings have put ZERO pressure on him. You can talk about the crappy officiating all you like, but the Wings best Players have done nothing. They have failed to show up this afternoon. Hopefully that changes in the 3rd.

Un-freakin'-fortunately, their top line appears to be more than enough right now...

Jeez.... What's happened to the Wings? They are getting OWNED out there!

Wrong again. By court writ, the New York Islanders must stay on Long Island until the year 2015. And furthermore, if he'd just sell the Team to an Owner who cared as much about hockey as he does about real estate development, the Isles would be fine. Look at the player personnel and management moves he's made. He's systematically and surgically removed ANYONE from both the roster AND the management team who would dare to speak out about how HE runs the Team. Neil Smith was fired because he didn't think the 15 year deal for DiPietro was a "good idea". In his place, Wang pulled back-up goaltender Garth Snow off the roster and gave HIM the GM job. "Yes, Mr. Wang. Whatever you say, Mr. Wang. You're a genius, Mr. Wang." Nolan was fired for the same reason, because he questioned how the Team was run, from the top down, and the frequent "quirky" decisions that were made. He also became quite vocal in his displeasure over the fact that he had NO SAY in who played, and who didn't. He decision to play Wade Dubielewiscz when Rick was struggling so badly did NOT sit well with Charles Wang, who phoned Garth Snow to "take care" of the situation. Nolan was lambasted in the Press the next day, and when he defended himself, things got ugly. Within weeks the Islanders cited "philosophical differences" with the Coach who'd gotten blood out of a turnip during his tenure with the Franchise and fired him. They hired Scott Gordon in his place. The Isles are 30th in the League under his watch BUT, he keeps his freakin' mouth closed and does what Uncle Charlie says, so everything is fine. Read testimony from countless former C.A. / Wang employees who state that he PURPOSELY hires people with 1.) no backbone and 2.) no experience in order to cultivate a "culture of fear", so that his authority is never questioned, and his decisions, (no matter how questionable), are never second guessed. With Wirtz dead, there ARE no worse Owners in hockey.

That's a lie. Work on a the Arena itself was approved LONG AGO. It's a done deal. He can begin work on it immediately, if he so chooses. Wang refuses to move forward with the Arena until he has the entire multi-Billion dollar project approved. He won't begin work on the Arena until he gets approval for the Luxury hotel, condos, restaurants, business complex, sports complex, and the rest of the eyesore he's "planned". His attitude is "all or nothing". If they don't give him the land, and approval, for everything he's got planned, then he's not interested in a new Arena. Many think the man built his fortune via Computer Associates. Wrong. He's a real estate developer. That's where he's made his billions. When he bought the Isles, it was with the same idea that every other owner has had for decades. To get that land! Like I said, this is not about the Isles. It's not about a new Arena. It's not even really about the money. Not so much as it is about the power it will give him. Research the village of Oyster Bay, NY, and what those poor folks are dealing with, on a monthly basis, in order to block mad business scheme after mad business scheme dreamed up by the little despot since he purchased most of the land in their sleepy little village. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the man is evil.