egroen

Cohn and Melrose suck! Cohn: 5/8 1st round 0/4 2nd round Melrose: 4/8 1st round 2/4 2nd round Hradek is doing the best: 6/8 1st round 3/4 2nd round

My heart dropped. But then I noticed he picked us to beat Nashville, so I breathed a sigh of relief! He had the Wild beating the Avs, but the Avs to beat Detroit -- go figure.

I think it's a great topic. Yzerman was taught it... and it stuck. It depends on the person and the team. Concerning Datsyuk and Zetterberg, I always hear they are incredibly hard working. That is one key. Babcock is the other. He came in and alienated a lot of players with his "accountability"... but now that this is his team, and it appears the players have bought into his sytem, I think it will stick. Babcock says it a lot in interviews, when younger players look at not only the veterans, but also the top skill guys and see how hard they work, check, etc... it is contagious. It sets the standard. Zetterberg and Datsyuk (so far) seem like those Lidstrom and Yzerman type guys that lead by example.

I think Dallas will trap, trap, trap. Will the Wings respond by peppering Turco with perimeter shots and not following them up? As they did in years past? If so, this will be a long, frustrating and boring series with Dallas coming out on top. If they can get to the front of the net like they have in the past two series I think the Wings win it handily.

There is a playoffs highlight reel on FSN that shows a Wings player decking another player and I am always amazed... "Holy crap! That was Datsyuk!" whenever I see it. Last year Zetterberg and Datsyuk especially learned to stay on their skates when hit, this year they are both giving it back, and quite effectively. This year, even Hudler seems to be staying on the puck a lot more than in the past. You can't teach natural "skill", but I think you can teach/train "toughness".

It's boring and not very news-worth to predict the #1 seed to win. Chances are, they will lose somewhere over the course of the playoffs and you look like more of a genius if/when they lose for calling the upset, than if you pick them to win each time. Vegas, depite all the media picks, has the Wings as the odds-on champ... I am curious if all these expert analaysts had to put real money down, who they would bet on?

The way they have been playing, I would almost prefer the Wings do not miss a beat and play Dallas as soon as possible. However, a rest could be just what the doctor ordered, giving the injuries you know we do not hear about time to heal and allow them to come out again firing on all cylinders. Let San Jose and Dallas beat up on each other... it takes a toll, which we know from last year. Do you think a long rest right now helps or hinders?

I tend to agree... I am just dreading the words from an announcer, "The Red Wings look to be a little rusty this first game back."

Yup... I think he should play. Before his injury, Maltby was playing *really* good hockey... do you remember? If he can be at that level, he has the ability to make much more of a difference than McCarty or Helm. If not, sit him. This is probably not a game-breaking decision, so I do want to see who is able to play best in this situation.

Just put those poor bastards out of their misery.

Interesting that you southern fans actually get to choose your hockey teams. That must be kinda nice, actually. For the most part, we are born into them and are simply fortunate the Red Wings have been run so well for so long. Though many of us sat and suffered through the Dead Things era as well - that sucked to be born into!

Where has Cleary been? He would have received one of the MVPs from last year's playoff run, but I barely notice him this year in the playoffs. Maybe sharp eyes can inform me otherwise, but I barely notice him out there. Is he helping to create all that room for Franzen??? Could a jaw injury really impede his play this much? Is he still underweight? Just about the only negative thing I can see in this series.

I think part of the reason Shanahan is not booed like Fedorov in Detroit is because we all secretly were happy to see him leave. The writing was on the wall in the last few seasons, especially in the playoffs. Sort of like the relief you feel when a girlfriend you want to dump, but can't, finally dumps you. You still act hurt, but you know you dodged a bullet.

Those are my two largest concerns. Though Q might end up stubbornly sticking with Theodore, which would be great. I was just praying we would score *one* goal against Budaj... definitely made me nervous if he went two games stonewalling the Red Wings. Makes me a bit nervous we could not score on two 5 on 3's -- reminds me of Anaheim. Hopefully we were just conserving and hanging back -- but why? Play different lines on that PP if that is the case.

I'm glad Shanny left before we fans started talking about him like we do Lang... because he is pretty much at that level now. Plus he ******* so much after every call... it's annoying if you like him. He never behaved like that in Detroit. Ah well, I have very fond memories of him in Detroit!

Since when does being the best player have anything to do with being the captain?

Yup... clearly have not watched them play. If they can produce offensively, they are automatically no better than "average" at defense.

I agree... Datsyuk deserves it. But there are a lot of people out there who think this award should not go to someone who can manage over 20 goals and 40 pts. That playing offense effectively somehow negates your defensive skills. So all those people will vote for Madden, while the rest might be splitting votes between the two Red Wings.

I have to think Madden wins it... he is the more traditional option and Datsyuk and Zetterberg will split votes. I think if it was say... Datsyuk, Sharp and Madden - Datsyuk would run away with it.

I think the wings have the tools to sweep the Avs, but I highly doubt it will happen. We beat the Ducks 5-1 last year, and I could not fathom how they would ever come back and beat us in the series after that game, especially losing Pronger for a game. They still seem to have a problem playing at that elite level for three full periods. The way they played that first period... it was beautiful to behold. But then they sit back (I still do not know if that is a Babcock thing or a team thing) after every lead they get and it becomes a game -- in the meantime the other team is gaining confidence and momentum. Colorado feels good about themselves after that game. Away game, missing two top 6 forwards and despite their goalie being pulled they almost come back from a 4-1 defecit. I would have liked to see them walk away crushed! And I feel the Wings have it in them to do so.

Let me just ask you... how is Yzerman better than Lidstrom? Lidstrom will have 6 Norris' after this year, a Conn Smythe, 3 Cups, World Championship, Olympic Gold and is without any argument *the* defenseman of his era.

"All-time" as in the past twenty years??? I can rattle off ten guys Yzerman cannot even come close to competing with, not even counting goalies. Do you have Lidstrom ahead of him? He should be... and Lidstrom is not even in the top ten, all time. Gretzky, Howe, Orr, Lemieux -- The Big 4. Hull, Richard, Shore, Beliveau, Harvey, Bourque -- That makes ten. Mikita, Morenz, LaFleur, Potvin, Esposito, Clarke, Lindsay, Bossy, Jagr, Kelly, Lidstrom, Bossy, Trottier, LaLonde, Robinson, Schmidt -- All these guys dominated the game more than Yzerman. Heck, Chelios will go down as a better hockey player than Yzerman. I love Yzerman -- he is one of my favorite players ever. But you are either completely ignorant of hockey history or are an incredible homer if you have Yzerman in your top ten all-time.

I think most (outside of Detroit and Colorado) would rate them close, but Sakic would have the slight edge. More PPG in regular season and playoffs, despite Yzerman being in the higher scoring era. If you read around a bit, go to hockey history forums, top 100 lists and the like you will see some very compelling arguments for Sakic. It *is* debateable though, so I am not going to spend too much time on it in a Red Wings forum Now Hasek vs. Yzerman and Sakic is not debateable. Hasek wins hands down.

I'll take a dominant defense over a dominant offense any day... and no matter how many offensive tools Colorado has, none of them can control the game the way Zetterberg and Datsyuk can (like Sakic and Forsberg in their primes). Holmstrom and Hudler are the only forwards on the Wings that do not have a high-end defensive skill set. How many forwards on the Avs can say the same thing? Wings will smother Colorado and control the puck 75% of the games. Neverminding the clear advantage in defensemen the Wings have, look at the defense of their forwards: Excellent (Selke worthy) = Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Draper Great (Top PKers on any team) = Maltby, Franzen, Cleary Good (PK role on any team) = Fillpula, Helm, Samuelsson, McCarty, Drake OK (skills to play a PK role but does not) = Hudler Bad (Never see on a PK) = Holmstrom That is tough to match.

Avs may have the better top 6 forwards... but the Wings have the better top two lines at offense (as well as defense, by a ton), when you factor in Lidstrom, Rafalski and Kronwall. The defense drives the offensive bus for Detroit a lot of the time. Obviously the same can not be said for Colorado (I believe Lidstrom and Rafalski alone had more points than the entire Colorado blue line this season).