Learn2LuvIt

That's sports in 2016. It will only get worse with increased sponsorship involvement (e.g. sponsor logos on jerseys, etc.). I guess i don't really care. If this helps our ownership continue to remain financially solid and able to provide this team with all the financial backing/resources needed to continue to run one of the best organizations in all of sports....then I'm okay with it. I do like the above suggestion of just calling it the Caesars Center though.

because he tries to sound like Mike Babcock when he talks

Terrible and sad news. Yeah, he's pretty much a ...planet Earth legend as well.
Someone queue up "Baby, I'm A Star" for all of the young Wings pregame. See if that gets anything going. For any of the younger LGW peeps who weren't around when Prince was in his prime...move on...You might not get it...it's music with artists who play musical instruments.
Let's do this tonight Wings...come back home and take it "game by game"!!

WIN IT FOR PRINCE
I went to his concert last year at the Fox theater. Was totally blown away. My friends and I woke up the next morning and all we could remember was a vague purple fog. We got Prince'd.

IF....IF....we lose on Friday, I'd say it's time to give all of the young guys that we played at times during the regular season but now are refusing the play them, a shot. Significant minutes. Give Tampa a different look, give the young guys a chance to turn this around, and most importantly, get them some playoff experience which will be valuable down the road.
I'm thinking we'll win on Friday, but IF we lose it's time to start getting long term value out of this series. I realize we'd be coming back to home ice, only down 0-2, "lots of hockey left", "it takes 4 games to win a series"', "anything can happen", etc... Although much stranger things have happened, I just don't see this team (the team that was on the ice last night) pulling out of a 0-2 hole to go on and win this series.
I hope like hell we win, but being realistic.

IF....IF....we lose on Friday, I'd say it's time to give all of the young guys that we played at times during the regular season but now are refusing the play them, a shot. Significant minutes. Give Tampa a different look, give the young guys a chance to turn this around, and most importantly, get them some playoff experience which will be valuable down the road.
I'm thinking we'll win on Friday, but IF we lose it's time to start getting long term value out of this series. I realize we'd be coming back to home ice, only down 0-2, "lots of hockey left", "it takes 4 games to win a series"', "anything can happen", etc... Although much stranger things have happened, I just don't see this team (the team that was on the ice last night) pulling out of a 0-2 hole to go on and win this series.
I hope like hell we win, but being realistic.

IF....IF....we lose on Friday, I'd say it's time to give all of the young guys that we played at times during the regular season but now are refusing the play them, a shot. Significant minutes. Give Tampa a different look, give the young guys a chance to turn this around, and most importantly, get them some playoff experience which will be valuable down the road.
I'm thinking we'll win on Friday, but IF we lose it's time to start getting long term value out of this series. I realize we'd be coming back to home ice, only down 0-2, "lots of hockey left", "it takes 4 games to win a series"', "anything can happen", etc... Although much stranger things have happened, I just don't see this team (the team that was on the ice last night) pulling out of a 0-2 hole to go on and win this series.
I hope like hell we win, but being realistic.

Our defense doesn't have an identity. They're not good offensively or defensively. They don't move the puck well. Even if we traded Kronwall for Suter tomorrow, we'd still have 5 other defenseman who are suspect at times.

Do yourself a favor while in Grand Rapids area....remain (or become) a fan of awesome beer and breweries, and you'll be in heaven. Ohhh my are they spoiled in that regard.

As Babs would say, "we need to start on time tonight". I want to see physical, intense Wings. In front of their net. No 30 foot wristers from low percentage angles..
Also, Blash has got to be in sort of a panic....right? I mean, first year here as coach, first year coaching in NHL, and he's in jeopardy of breaking our playoff streak. Got to be some sleeplessness going on.
Let's do this!!

Petr didn't have a very strong game last night. IMO...I thought Seabrooks goal and Kane's goal were stoppable. For the life of me, i don't understand why Petr played last night. There were reports that he's had/has a sore groin. If that's the case, why wouldn't you play Jimmy who has been really, really good as of late?? Give Petr time to heal properly. I don't get it.

Petr didn't have a very strong game last night. IMO...I thought Seabrooks goal and Kane's goal were stoppable. For the life of me, i don't understand why Petr played last night. There were reports that he's had/has a sore groin. If that's the case, why wouldn't you play Jimmy who has been really, really good as of late?? Give Petr time to heal properly. I don't get it.

Do yourself a favor while in Grand Rapids area....remain (or become) a fan of awesome beer and breweries, and you'll be in heaven. Ohhh my are they spoiled in that regard.

^ the double OT goal was what made Stevie my fav player- his popularity skyrocketted.

This D group is working through issues. No one in the group has been great. In fact, just a few that have been good. I'd say Mike Green is one of those guys that has been good. He'll get better as the season rolls on. Not even at the half way point of his first season with a new coach to him, and new coach to the team.
Fact is, we need him. His cap hit isn't crazy, and we've been screaming about a RH D man for years.
He's the type of veteran player that is a difference maker in big games (playoff's, etc...).

This D group is working through issues. No one in the group has been great. In fact, just a few that have been good. I'd say Mike Green is one of those guys that has been good. He'll get better as the season rolls on. Not even at the half way point of his first season with a new coach to him, and new coach to the team.
Fact is, we need him. His cap hit isn't crazy, and we've been screaming about a RH D man for years.
He's the type of veteran player that is a difference maker in big games (playoff's, etc...).

We have to get bigger. I don't mean big like height, but we need a player or two that plays big. We all know E has size, but he pays like he's 5'9". We need a player who plays 6'5". Whether he actually be 6'5 or if he is 6' and plays bigger, we need him now. Everyone is tired of hearing trade scenarios or players that can be traded, but its time, we went from winning ROW's to losing OT, to losing. It was a slow pregression, but it got there. It's time for Holland to make that deal that gets us the top line defender (if one is available) and/or a bigtime legit scoring threat.
I still maintain that E, Smith, K, Helm, Andersson, Jurco, Pulkkinen and Howard are ALL expendable/replaceable, and I am a fan of Jurco and Pulk, but any of these guys can be replaced within the system or with whomever is acqured. Throw the 1st round pick out there and a prospect or two in order to get what we need. Of our 4 D kids, we aren't going to be able to keep all of them, there's just no room, especially if we get that top guy in a trade, so throw one of them in a deal. I know the goalie tandem is doing fine, but trade Howard now while he still has #1 value. It's time for Mrazek to take over playing 8 out of 10 games now. We cannot just sit back anymore and hope things turn for the better, they have gotten worse. The only reason we are anywhere near MTL is because Price is hurt.
I suppose if things don't get any worse, we could wait until the deadline, but I really wish they wouldn't, they seem to be going downhill a bit, I hope they trend up very soon. I don't know what it would take to get that #1 defenseman, but I am sure, even with the names I listed, Holland could offer a package of any combo of them and get what he needs.

I remember on several occasions when we'd sign a guy that could drop the gloves (Tootoo, Comodore) Babs would seem to commit to some value of having this type of player on the team by stating his usual term of ..... "someone to keep the flies away". Almost like clockwork, that said player would play game 1 of the regular season and get into a fight (of course...right??). As Wings fans we'd be pumped that we have a player who will stand up and throw down....then all of a sudden, that player would play less and less and eventually not get any ice time. I never understood this. Why'd Babs seem to support this type of player/grit signing (he and Kenny assuredly conferred on player acquisition) then when they played like they've ALWAYS played, he'd rarely use them. People have always claimed that some of these guys got into Babs "dog house", but it seemed like more of a pattern and bias against their style of play. I mean, part of Tootoo's value is his toughness...not all, but if you were going for a pure point producer there were other options (in this particular case, especially considering some perceived off-ice baggage that Tootoo carried - Not my opinion, but he does come with a stigma of some things that have happened in his past). Just never got that about Babs.

I remember on several occasions when we'd sign a guy that could drop the gloves (Tootoo, Comodore) Babs would seem to commit to some value of having this type of player on the team by stating his usual term of ..... "someone to keep the flies away". Almost like clockwork, that said player would play game 1 of the regular season and get into a fight (of course...right??). As Wings fans we'd be pumped that we have a player who will stand up and throw down....then all of a sudden, that player would play less and less and eventually not get any ice time. I never understood this. Why'd Babs seem to support this type of player/grit signing (he and Kenny assuredly conferred on player acquisition) then when they played like they've ALWAYS played, he'd rarely use them. People have always claimed that some of these guys got into Babs "dog house", but it seemed like more of a pattern and bias against their style of play. I mean, part of Tootoo's value is his toughness...not all, but if you were going for a pure point producer there were other options (in this particular case, especially considering some perceived off-ice baggage that Tootoo carried - Not my opinion, but he does come with a stigma of some things that have happened in his past). Just never got that about Babs.

I remember on several occasions when we'd sign a guy that could drop the gloves (Tootoo, Comodore) Babs would seem to commit to some value of having this type of player on the team by stating his usual term of ..... "someone to keep the flies away". Almost like clockwork, that said player would play game 1 of the regular season and get into a fight (of course...right??). As Wings fans we'd be pumped that we have a player who will stand up and throw down....then all of a sudden, that player would play less and less and eventually not get any ice time. I never understood this. Why'd Babs seem to support this type of player/grit signing (he and Kenny assuredly conferred on player acquisition) then when they played like they've ALWAYS played, he'd rarely use them. People have always claimed that some of these guys got into Babs "dog house", but it seemed like more of a pattern and bias against their style of play. I mean, part of Tootoo's value is his toughness...not all, but if you were going for a pure point producer there were other options (in this particular case, especially considering some perceived off-ice baggage that Tootoo carried - Not my opinion, but he does come with a stigma of some things that have happened in his past). Just never got that about Babs.

This is nothing new. He's big and not physical, thus everyone sees him as lacking heart/intensity. He's a good pylon to place in front of the net and clear the crease, but that's about it.

I'll dedicate my loyalty as a consumer for life...to any company that buys all the Wings jersey sponsorship slots and makes them blank, and matches the same color jersey as they are wearing on any given night. Unless feminine/lady products, I will swear my financial alliance to this company. God help me if the company that did this is a horrible tasting beer...I guess I'd be drinking many for the "the team".

I realize he doesn't average over two goals a game. I was exaggerating for effect.
However, I'm not sure that we made a strategic decision to leave Ovechkin uncontested. And if we did, it worked. At least for now. So I'm not sure what else we should have done. Played him the way everybody else does? Everybody else he scores on regularly, that is.
There's no good way to cover him. But I don't think that means Blashill specifically chose NOT to cover him. He's just really really really good. And his whole team was feeding him, so get got a bunch of shots. Won't happen again I'm sure.

We got lucky that he didn't have at least two goals...that's what's wrong with it. PM stood on his head and that's the only reason he didn't score...that was an unbelievable performance by PM the other night. PM is really, really good...but expecting him to play like that every night is unrealistic. Most goalies on most nights, don't stop all of those. I would have like to have seen a body on him. I'll risk putting a shadow on him and take my chances on their other players beating us. He's that good. Also, notice that's a pretty common strategy for teams who play against Pav. They'd rather take their chances on e.g. Abby beating them than on letting Pav roam free or go uncontested.
No one could ever convince me letting Ovie take 8+ uncontested shots from 20 feet away is a good strategy. 40 footers, 60 footers (blue line)....maybe??. Not from the middle of the face-off circle!!! Ask Brett Hull or Shanahan if that's a good strategy...they'd kill teams....they made a living off of getting open at 20 feet out.

Maybe. But if the strategy is to let one of the most deadly shooters in the game take 8+ uncontested one-timers from 20 feet away....your strategy is broken. I get giving the goalie a good look at shots, but let's be real, on most normal nights when Ovie has that many shots, he usually has two goals.