MJN

I don't know if everyone remembers how we lost to Edmonton in 1988 when a bunch of Wings including Probert and Klima went to Goose Loonies and got drunk before game 5 of the conference finals....that being said they allegedly did. Not that we won't beat the Pens on our own, but it sure would be nice if some friend of the Wings took the young Sidney Crybaby and Evgeni Malkin for a nice night at the strip clubs in Windsor last night, you know, to show our appreciation for how much we hate them. That being said, if for some godforsaken reason there's a game 7, this should be a plan to tire them out for that last gasp.

Even with Bowman and Holland and all those top office dudes around, Stevie Y was conspicuously absent tonight or lowkey. Pretty typical. He obviously reasoned it was the new player's moment and didn't want to upstage anything as he'd clearly be the focus of interviews etc. As the first post Yzerman era cup, I say lets raise a glass to The Captain for one more great move.

Dude, I swear I saw Draper's little daughter drink champagne from the cup on the channel 4 feed earlier tonight. I think that's ok because she's part Canadian.

I'd say people rely too much on the past for the current argument of Ozzie vs Dom. I agree that when you compare Ozzie and Dom in the history of their careers that Dom will be regarded as the better goalie of all time. Likewise as was earlier pointed out, Ozzie used to let in 800 foot shots. Looking at this season so far, and maybe even to the second half of last season, I personally believe that Ozzie's performances have looked much stronger than Dom's. Dom no longer stands on his head like he used to. He let's in chippy goals and seems to get rattled a lot easier. Now that's not to say he can't turn it around and have an incredible season or a playoff. I also feel irrespective of who's behind Dom, one thing I've sensed is that his reaction time and his positioning while far better than the majority of goalies in the league seems slower and wackier than it used to be. I was actually way more impressed and inspired by Bryzgalov's performance the other night. Ozzie of course is no spring chicken, but I think he's more spry at this point. Ozzie probably isn't the answer either, rather I think what some of us are sensing is that Dom, while good, doesn't compare to Giguere or Luongo or even early season Bryzgalov. That head to head, he'll be good for saving us a goal or two when we need it, but that we' may fall to a mightier new young turk like we have in playoffs past. While he's still magical, he's no longer magical in the way that he was.

Anyone catch the bench celebration after the game winner? Whole team jumped over the boards, and Maclean kept his arms folded, while Babcock sipped his water like a southern deb, as if nothing had happened. I like it. I like that Babcock and MacLean didn't feel as if there was anything to celebrate. Instead they realize we we're lucky and that they gotta go back to the board, encourage more shooting, more banging on net, and apparently allowing Lang 30 minutes a game irrespective of his lazy ass, so he can score fluky goals. Definitely a different team from last few years, lots of heart....

Trap or no trap, the biggest problem is we have too much offensive IQ. The wings are too deliberate on offense and they pass more times than the Lion's during the run and shoot years...it's pretty simple, pass less, shoot more, and bang the net with Bertuzzi et al....oh and bench Lang...I'd take a chance with Kopecky in the game, even if it sends a message to Lang by sitting one game that he needs to move his lazy ass...plus he really needs to zip up his pants in the middle...I'm so tired of his "venting" system for his quads...

Regarding Lang...every cow has his day. I can see Cleary now. Thanks so much Dan! Drapes and Maltby still rocking it in the corners and in front of the net doing the unsung work. Chelios really brought it too.

That's why I said they needed to win a Stanley cup...still you can say what you want, but they did knock us out of the playoffs, and they've given us a tough time again. While they don't have anywhere as many pure premier players, they have a grittiness and skillset that deserves respect. Don't get me wrong, I'm a wings fan through and through, but I can't think of any team I hate more, and yet would be thrilled to play anytime. What's more, Calgary is a real hockey town that dies for their team like Detroiters do, unlike those soft hippies in Colorado, who barely make a peep at the Pepsi center....

Despite the fact that Calgary is a team full of thugs....I'm now really excited by this rivalry. Kipper has become the new Patrick Roy, Iginla the new Sakic (though not even remotely as classy) etc etc....despite what happens in the series, I can't wait until next year's first regular season encounter. I envision a bench clearing brawl. If only we had Shanny to lay out Kipper... The only thing that holds this rivalry back from being as good as Colorado is the fact that Calgary hasn't won a Stanley Cup and proven they are worthy of our own skill.

I was at the game in Chicago last night, and I hate what I saw in Lang...dude was totally lazy on almost every shift, under skating, swatting half heartedly on defense...if he can't anchor his line and get hot, we might be looking at another Datsyuk, Lang scoring drought with Zetz shouldering the load,,,which he might not be able to do because he's coming off an injury...