Yzerman191

Babcock said in a post game interview last night that Conklin gets the start for sure. Hopefully we see some solid defensive play despite the fact we just played last night. I'm betting we see at least a goal from either Hank or Hossa, maybe both. They've both looked phenomenal thus far.

I can't stand the ASG. This year's Eastern Conference lineup is a testament to why this system is so ridiculously flawed, along with the fact that threads like this exist on every hockey message board in existence (no offense to the OP). I hate hearing someone spout off statistics like "he was named to the ASG nine years in a row!" like it's some sort of accomplishment. With that said, I'd love to see some different combinations. Crosby and Ovechkin together on the same line would be beautiful; premier playmaking meets top notch goal scoring. Hey, and maybe we'll finally get to see that Z-D-Hossa line we've been craving!

I'm still not happy with this game. As Babcock said, the guys still didn't play up to potential and the powerplay bailed us out. My mouth must've been hanging open when Pettinger (I believe) walked in for that last "goal." On another note, I honestly don't know what's going on with the officiating, but it absolutely has to stop. I'm not typically one for conspiracy theories, but it's almost undeniable that something is going on. And I'm not talking about just the Red Wings (although I feel it's hitting us harder than most), but almost every time a team goes up they meet a barrage of penalties. Complete joke.

Cherepanov died of commotio cordis, a disruption in the electrical system of the heart as a result of the accidental contact with Jagr. He drifted in and out of consciousness, and even recognized his teammates, but they couldn't get his heart back on track. That's a tragedy... it should be legally required (heck, maybe it is in the U.S.) for all sports arenas to have a functional, easily accessible defibrillator.

Hmm.. Rolston, Legwand, Grier.. I'm sure there are more.

I'd say Zetterberg. Datsyuk would be an equally good choice, I just think Zetterberg is more likely. On another note (didn't feel like making another topic for a similar post), how many more years does Lidstrom have in the tank? I think he could play a lot longer (IE Chelios), but Lidstrom comes off as a player who would rather retire than slowly deteriorate. Any thoughts?

Just wondering if it's just me or not, but it seems on over half the signings today I couldn't help but think, "Man, they're going to regret that in a year or two." I've been racking my brain comparing this year's first of July to past years, and I honestly can't think of a year where GMs made such vast overpayments of players. I mean, c'mon, what was Toronto thinking with Finger? And the NYR's with Redden's contract? And the Malone signing was just ridiculous! And Sundin rumored to be potentially one of the highest paid NHL players in the league in Vancouver? As an armchair GM, I'm a little puzzled by this year's signings, to say the least... Me thinks if this keeps up we might see another lockout in the near future.

You also have to remember that one must be on a winning team (not necessarily win the Cup, but get pretty close) to be up for the Conn Smythe; Hasek really didn't have as many opportunities. To me, I think the Pearson carries more prestige than the Hart; the thought of your peers voting you to be the league's MVP is really something. The Hart may have more history, but if I had to pick, I'd rather win the respect and vote of my peers than a bunch of journalists.

My favorite was probably the 2002 cup; Hasek and Hull were both two of my favorite players in the league at the time, and it was a dream come true seeing our line up that year. There were so many memorable moments: Patrick Roy's statue of liberty, the game 7 blowout, Larionov's 3OT winner, Stevie leading the team on a blown out leg, etc. I'll never forget Yzerman and Shanahan jumping together when they scored that final goal in game 5 against the 'Canes. This was really the first cup I was old enough to appreciate, being only 7 years old for our first one. This one is definitely a close second as we weren't the clear cut favorite. At the beginning of the season, people were picking the 'Ducks, the Senators, etc. but hardly anyone picked the Red Wings. We certainly can't be accused of buying our team this year, as most of the key components of this cup run were from within the organization. They played extremely hard for it, and even after our Presidents' trophy, nobody was taking us seriously. IMO, this is without a doubt the most underrated cup winning Red Wings team we've seen yet. Maybe they'll take us seriously for our repeat next year!

Datsyuk and Zetterberg are going to go wild tonight and put on a real offensive display! I think Datsyuk especially will break out. I'm also expecting great things from Osgood tonight. Go 'Wings! It's coming home tonight!

Earlier on, I thought adding a seasoned goalie who could step in should our goalies faulter would be a good idea, but I think I'm finally ready to give Osgood the role and Howard the backup spot. I'm not sure if I believe Franzen's streak of brilliance is here to stay yet. Next year will tell, but a little extra boost for our offense couldn't hurt. I really like the idea of Fedorov coming back. He's defensively responsible (to say the least), still offensively talented (though to a lesser extent), and has experience in every imaginable situation. Providing he's looking for a reasonable salary, you can't go wrong. He'd certainly make a great third line center. Put him next to a couple guys on the verge of a breakout (Flip or Cleary) and I think he could be the spark they need. While the idea of Sundin or Hossa is tempting, I really can't see it happening. Hossa is likely looking for something longterm, and the Red Wings just can't afford that once Zetterberg starts getting what he deserves. And I'm still unconvinced that Sundin will go anywhere but Toronto. But hell, he's welcome here; maybe a one year contract for a stab at the cup? As for the blueline, I think Stuart will probably be back. And I love Chelios to death, but it's time to hang 'em up I think. He looked great earlier in the year, but I think 100+ games in 7 months is just too much for him at this point in his career. There was a freepress article around March that had Holland saying he expects Chelios back next year, but it certainly could have changed by now.

This list is laughable. Crosby and Lidstrom are on there, but not Mats Sundin, Jerome Iginla, or Daniel Alfredsson? Heh. And actually, I agree with the Penguins fan about the diving: fans from opposing teams have blown that so far out of proportion it's unreal. Sure, Crosby takes the occasional dive. But honestly, only a select few DON'T. The camera is more focused on him than other players (such as Maltby), and thus catches him more. Then the media grabs ahold of it, blow it up, and people take it as a fact.

I think this thread alone shows how fast tickets are going to go (looking at how many people have already said they're planning to go). Better be fast.

Just as a side note, claiming Crosby to be the "worst diver in the league" is beyond ignorant. He may dive once in a while, but certainly not as much as some others. And this is coming from someone who cannot stand him.

My sister actually counted during the second and third periods, and they said his name 40 times!

"A couple of minutes later, Roberts stuck a fist in Franzen's face, and France went down as if mortally wounded. He was fine. Roberts wasn't penalized and Franzen didn't miss a shift." That's a direct quote from tsn's story on the game. What a load of crap.

Patrick Roy had a .934 save percentage, 4 shutouts, and a 1.70 GAA in their 2001 Stanley Cup win. Giguere had a .945, a 1.96 GAA, and 5 shutouts in the Ducks' 2003 Stanley Cup loss. His numbers are amazing, but not unheard of. I do, however, agree Osgood is the front runner.

I think people are going a little hard on him personally. This is only his second NHL season, and the first time he's made it beyond the first round. And he's what, 19? It's certainly not fair to claim that he's lazy yet, especially considering he's still tied for 3rd in playoff points. I think the solution is simply experience and maturity. Although speaking as a Red Wings fan, that article is great news!

I'm currently majoring in neuroscience, so I may have a slightly better appreciation of the effects of trauma in that area, but I am really surprised at the ignorance of people basically telling Franzen to "man up, it's the finals!" An injury to the head always has to be approached with the utmost sensitivity. This isn't a broken finger or toe (not to say those injuries aren't severe as well), this is a head injury! C'mon people, it's a game. An important game, but still, a game. I'm glad the decision is left up to the doctors instead of the fans. With that said, I don't think the Red Wings have exactly been fully truthful about the whole situation. It seems like they haven't quite pinned down the problem, as Franzen just said today he'd miss game one and he'd be doing some more tests.

But have you seen them play? I'm not going to go as far as evo and say that Detroit has the edge. I'm going to sit down Saturday night, watch the game, and find out! Thus far in these playoffs, Drake has turned into an honest to God beast out there; he's been hitting, he's been forechecking, he's been backchecking, and he's been netting the occasional odd goal. Another thing this line has going for them is Draper's sick ability in the faceoff circle. He's literally in the mid 60% for faceoffs. In fact, I think I could objectively say Draper is probably in the top five in the entire league in his faceoff ability, maybe even top three. Sammy, well, I'd rather not evaluate his play as I'd come off embarrassing myself trying to defend the man (although really, he can play defense). The thing is though, if Malkin and co. don't have the puck, they can't score, and Detroit is the best team in the league at playing keep away. Draper, Drake, and Sammy are all defensively-minded forwards with a little bit of an offensive touch. They're not going to be out there to score (although they're welcomed to); they're going to be out there to make sure you guys don't. Combine our defensive offensemen with our offensive defensemen, and your second line may find themselves playing more D than they thought.

What's so unbelievable about it? I don't think eva is implying that their offensive force is going to overpower the Malkin line. Rather, I think he's indicating that the DDS line is going to be able to shut them down. And if it's really that unfathomable to you, you haven't seen enough of this line yet.

When determining who the best player in the world is, the only statistics you should take into account are goals, assists, and points? Does that mean that Mike Ribeiro, Jason Pominville, Shane Doan, Henrik Sedin, etc. are all better than Nick Lidstrom? They all had more points, and more goals. However we can all clearly see that in asserting any of those players are better than Nick Lidstrom, we would be making a ridiculously asinine statement. I don't know how long you've been watching hockey (and I'm honestly not trying to bash you on a personal level) but points, goals, and assists are certainly NOT the only factors in determining who is or is not the best player. Players have all sorts of things going for them: Jerome Iginla and Joe Thornton are two premier power fowards in the game today, and both among the best offensive talents in the NHL. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are certainly two of the most talented individuals in the NHL, and have remarkable offensive skills. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are also two of the best in the league in the offensive department, yet I think it's safe to say they are the most defensively-capable of any of the forwards listed (check the Selke nominations). And Nick Lidstrom is unarguably the best d-man in the league, and almost a point-per-game as well. He leads our defense-corps, he leads in ice time, he shuts down the top forwards for every opposing team, he's on the point on the PP, he's out there when we're shorthanded, etc. I really can't comprehend why it seems unfathomable to you to call Nick Lidstrom the best player in the world, unless you really are in fact basing your definition off of goals, assists, and points.

I'm not sure I understand what is so amazing about asserting that Lidstrom is the best player in the NHL. You acknowledge he's the best d-man in the NHL, and in the world, but he's not the best player in the NHL? Can a d-man with extremely proficient defensive and offensive capabilities not be the best player in the NHL? It all depends on your definition of "best", I suppose, but I can't think of a more well-rounded player whether it be a d-man or forward.

Just a side note in light of that shooting percentage statistic: thus far these playoffs, the 'Wings are shooting at nearly 10% shooting percentage, whereas the Penguins are shooting at about a 8.6%. Throw in the fact that Detroit typically gets 10+ more shots than their opponent each game. Now I'm not using that as an argument for the Red Wings' sake as I agree with BRTD's original post in saying that the sample size is too small; I'm just using that to invalidate the shooting percentage being in the Pens' favor argument. Also, Fleury and Osgood's save-percentages are roughly the same (.007 off), so that argument should go right out the window as well. Penguin fans can call Osgood a choker all they want, but he's got a cup and the experience in his favor (and the best defense in the league doesn't hurt either). His only two losses thus far in the playoffs have been because of the team in front of him, not due to his lack of performance. But go ahead, keep giving Pittsburgh the nod in goaltending; Theodore and Turco had it too.

To start off, let me first say no, I am not in any way contemplating a loss in the next two games and already looking ahead to the off-season. I'm strictly making an off topic post to see people's thoughts on potential signings this off-season. According to predictions, next year's salary cap is projected in the neighborhood of about 55 million bucks, and the 'Wings have about 40 million locked up. We really don't have too many big signings to make. Up front, Datsyuk, Zetterberg (however keep in mind that he is a free agent in the next off-season, and will be asking for a hefty sum), Holmstrom, Cleary, Franzen, Draper, Maltby, Samuelsson, Kopecky, and Helm are all signed for next year, leaving Filppula, Downey, Drake (who will likely retire), and McCarty as the only guys without a contract. On the back end, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Lebda, and Meech are all signed for next year, leaving Chelios, Lilja, Stuart, Quincey, and Ericsson without contracts. Neither Hasek nor Howard has a contract in place for next season, however I think we all know it is rather unlikely Hasek ever returns in a Red Wings uniform again. With that said, I don't see too many significant contracts regarding our current team. Should we keep Stuart, he'll likely command in the neighborhood of $3-4 million (speculation, but I think a fair estimation). Filppula will probably receive a couple million, but other than that, I really can't see us having to shell out too much. Do you think the Red Wings will have extra room after resigning our own players to add a little spark? Could we use an extra spark, or are things fine the way they are? Among the notable free agents are names like Markus Naslund, Mats Sundin, Brian Rolston, Marian Hossa, Jaromir Jagr, Sergei Fedorov, and Vinny Prospal to name a few (off the top of my head; not necessarily guys I'd like to see in the Winged-wheel). Personally, I'd like to see the 'Wings add a little more offensive flare to the roster. Don't get me wrong, there were many times throughout the season where everything was just clicking and we were unstoppable. However, I couldn't help but feel like other times an extra offensive talent really could've come in handy. I think a top six forward could do nothing but contribute to the already well-oiled machine that is the Detroit Red Wings. On the back end, I don't really think things could get any better. I'd be a happy camper if our defense stayed the exact same as it has been throughout these playoffs (yes, including Chelios). I also think (jeez, I'm gonna get run out of town for this one) Curtis Joseph could come in handy. I know Osgood has been stellar thus far in the playoffs, and Howard deserves a shot, but I think I tend to side with the Detroit management on this one; I take the "better to be safe than sorry" approach. To me, it just feels like such a gamble going into the season with Osgood and only a rookie goaltender to back him up. I think Joseph would be cheap (probably considerably cheaper than Hasek was this year), and splitting the load between Ozzie and Cujo could work just as well as it did this season with Dom and Ozzie. Now whether or not Joseph would want to return after the way we treated him, that's another story. Anyways, I was just curious as to you guys and gals' thoughts. Sorry if this has been posted before!