CenterIce

The reason that the offense wasn't scoring was that they were too tired spending too much time in the defensive zone not getting the puck out. I think the team defense was the issue.

I keep hearing that a lot of Buffalo's fans come from that area. So, it might be the Sabres that are at the heart of this issue and not a team in Hamilton.

Sort of just looks like it is coming out on paperback for the first time. I second this book. It was very interesting and informative. I really liked the part about pro hockey starting in Michigan, in the Keweenaw where I went to college. CBC also did a 10 part DVD series off this book: http://www.cbcshop.ca/CBC/shopping/product...〈=en-CA

They are in Fantasy Hockey World, where all you have to do is select release, and the player is gone.

I don't think Lilja or Ericsson are top four material, yet. And I am not understanding how people are highlighting a couple of plays over a number of times in the last two playoffs where Stuart has more than shown his worth.

Of course they are not ready to take this team to the Stanley Cup, but how many goalies out there really are. The Wings eventually have to get a young goalie that they can ride for a while. Osgood was the first repeat Stanley Cup winning goalie that we have really had. Think about that. First Cup was Vernon, second was Osgood, third Hasek, fourth Osgood. You can't continuously rotate goalies in like that. The only way these young guys can show their worth is consistent time at the NHL level. They have to earn that chance, but we can't pass judgment on them, until they get their chance. Look at how many players the Wings would have traded away if Letgowings ran the team.

This and the fact that Osgood doesn't count much against the cap.

Good post. To win the Stanley Cup, you have to be team oriented, know your roles, and execute your roles.

I don't think you are going to see Abdelkader full time just yet. He will probably be a primary call up, but I assume they will want him to play more minutes in Grand Rapids for one more year. Leino may be iffy, depending on who signs and who doesn't.

I would agree with you here, but when you are close to the cap, the only time you can bring some one up is when some one else goes on long-term IR.

When the playoffs are concerned, the league doesn't want to "influence" a series, so they usually go soft on discipline. As you know, this helps out the teams that are less skilled, so they can get away with a lot. The league is hypocritical when they call ever little thing during the regular season, and then let pretty much every thing go the farther the playoffs go. The chalk it up to the players have "learned" what is a penalty or not. I don't agree with all the cheap penalties, but if a call is a call in October, it should be one in June; otherwise, they are just going back to the regular season rule book and the playoff pamphlet.

Rafalski had a back injury. It was amazing he still played.

The first goal never should have counted any way, because Pittsburgh iced the puck. The linesmen totally missed that.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=425369

More from ESPN Insider: Coyotes price tag: $400 million? Jim Balsillie may have to pay more than $400 million to buy the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton, which is almost $200 million more than the $212.5 million he bid on the team. The NHL is threatening to add an indemnity fee on top of the relocation fee, according to the Toronto Star. "Relocation is separate from indemnity," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Star. "There may be indemnity fees owing if a franchise were ever located in Hamilton." About $100 million would be the relocation fee, and about the same amount would be an indemnity fee to the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs for moving in on their market. In comparison, the Anaheim Ducks paid a $25 million relocation fee and a $25 million indemnity fee to the Kings.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=425302

I think they are a little too careful and playing a little too timid. They need to be a little more aggressive but under control. Take the game to them, instead of the other way around.

The Wings are one win away from 2 consecutive Cups, and we are still getting this argument.

The worst rule is that once an NHL official makes a call, it cannot be rescinded. Take the Zetterberg "interference" call last night. The near ref was looking straight at it and called nothing. The back ref called it, when Zetterberg, and the player who pushed him, were blocking his view. If they didn't have this rule, the near official could have waived off the penalty.

He has one year left on his current deal. If the Red Wings want him, he will probably re-sign. He likes it here. He will probably be the transition to Howard/Larsson.

Does any one even know which foot it is, even if it is his foot? The going for the puck excuse is horrible though. As some one said it wasn't any where near him.

NBC doesn't allow it any more, but Versus did, just for publicity. So, since the rest of the series is on NBC, you won't see it.

Supposedly, he signed some things a while back for some kids, and he later saw them on E-bay. So, he really wasn't too happy about that. No proof of that. I ended up just ordering his autograph. It would really cool to get him to sign something in person, though.

Really? If this is true, I am amazed that they could even type out the posts.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=424893