stlwing14

1. The Red Wings can win ten Cups in a row and the League still would put forth the Pens, Sharks, Capitals, anyone, before the Wings, even though they are the most dominant and popular team in the US and are known worldwide. 2. Pens have a bad commercial; we have Lord Stanley. 3. It all makes me wish for the finals to be a repeat of the Wings and Pens and this time we sweep them. 4. As long as the Red Wings continue to dominate the better part of two decades, the hatred will only grow. Some teams actually try to craft systems and bring about success such as Ottawa, Buffalo, etc while many will just yell "Wings suck" (like the Blues) as they wallow in the lower depths of the standings. If such annoyance is a small price for victory, so be it.

Shanny needs to start playing for the Devils ASAP.

Cujo has long dominated the league in having the best mask. And it continues....

And the "Great One' cried about the Wings running up the score. Lord knows the river of tears he would have had if he lead the Bulgarian team.

God bless him.

Grew up watching the Blues and playing youth hockey (all the way up to the college level) but didn't have a real favorite player until Brendan Shanahan came to Saint Louis. I would grow to play in a very similar fashion as Shanny (just left handed instead of right) and to this day he remains my hockey idol. I don't know what it will be like when he retires; if I'll ever idolize another player again to the same level who knows. And there's no clear replacement in view. Has the power forward gone extinct?

Shanahan became my favorite player the minute he came and played for the Blues. My father has said he should return to Saint Louis since, well, since he was traded out to Hartford for a penalty loaded ego. As much as I would love Shanny back in my hometown, I don't want him to have to finish with an organization that has no real direction, standards, or remote chance of putting anything decent out on the ice. I don't see anyone on the Blues right now that could serve up Shanahan with one timers on the power play or regular five on five. Again, the Blues have no real system or direction. The whole team is a weird collection of has-beens and never was with a promising young defenseman in Erik Johnson. Shanny would instantly return to the huge love he was given in the Gateway to the West but I rather see him enjoy a few more wins versus being out of the playoff race come New Year's. I think it would be best if remained in New York for his last year or finish with his first team, the Devils. BTW, I'm I the only one that loves that Christmas themed Devils' sweater?

I'm the guy a lot of people hate. I'm several pounds under my ideal weight. So I have some freedom room. Course I would figure at twenty-two my metabolism should start crashing in a year or two. If one wants to get in shape, I recommend fourteen weeks of Infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was fun when I went through it. PT twice a day does a growing boy good.

I always hate playing San Jose and Dallas, and thrown in road trips to western Canada. So they are always on watch. St. Louis is probably getting worse. The organization is still playing games with turning that team around. The Blues have a dancing Polar Bear now but still such pitiful scoring output. It was great that Dallas Drake left them, came to Detroit and won the Cup. It really gets under Blues' fans' skins when a former Blue heads off to Red Wing Nation to win something. Chicago will be improved but nothing the Wings can't handle. Preds are always a good play. Jackets are worthless. No one in the East really is favored. Maybe the Rangers can put something better on ice. The Pens will be good, more educated, thus tougher to beat. Now the Pens will practice beating the Wings which means they will be much improved over their Eastern competitors. With the Wings adding Hossa and keeping this great system intact and running on all clinders there is no reason that the expectation of Lord Stanley shouldn't be there. But who knows what will really happen. I can be assured the Great One will cry about something the Red Wings did to his Desert Dogs at some point. That always makes me happy.

And he will never let the people of Saint Louis forget it. Every single broadcast and before and after every commercial break "Hall of Famer" Bernie Federko is sounded off. Course his commentary is some of the worst, homer based garbage I've ever heard. What the people of Saint Louis and Blues fans in general wouldn't do to have Ken Wilson back and anybody but Bernie as the color guy. Not only does the team suck, but the broadcast is ever worse. As for Sundin, I agree with the reasons. For one, the standards of the Hall of Fame seem to have fallen considerably (i.e. Federko) which makes me think Sundin has a decent shot at being included, BUT Sundin just isn't Yzerman or Sakic or insert leader that can carry a team to championships.

It's not why is Detroit Hockeytown; it's how in the bloody hell is Detroit not Hockeytown? What are the other options? North of the border, Toronto and Montreal will run for the money but they have little to show for such a title in the last twenty or so years, esp Toronto. In the US.....who is there? New York Rangers could be number two, but a very distant one. Saint Louis is a very good hockey town but more for youth hockey and certainly the Blues have not been better than average since, well 1967 and there is a complete lack of high standards applied to the team like in Detroit or Montreal. Chicago and Boston just don't have it anymore; Pitt is a joke considering they were a breath away from Kansas City. I see better hockey fans in Dallas and San Jose than many of the traditional northern cities. Detroit is it. And it's basically the Wings with their national fanbase that are a prime carrier for the league. Twenty dollars says the Winged Wheel is the most recognizable hockey logo in the world thanks to our Swede and Russian influence and overall domination of the NHL.

Same here. McGuire is just oh so bad. In fact, many in the hockey media are bad, tired, and bland. Shanny would be good in the media, or perhaps, more importantly in the offices of the NHL. Either way, I would trust him over many of the suits that have never played the game in their lives. Shanahan has been my favorite player since he first arrived in Saint Louis. But he does not fit on the Red Wings anymore, hence why he is in New York. With that said, I would love for him to have one more strong season in New York and retire, and from there to better the game in other ways. Best of luck Shanny!

I hear Burke is on the list to be VP list for Obama and McCain so perhaps they figured Burke has had enough of the greatness claims for a bit. Who knows, Burke just might be a bad signing away from becoming Pope. After that, first man on Mars, Noble Peace prize, but yet still suffers another first round exit for the Ducks.

The state of Missouri (and the city of Saint Louis esp) is a bigger hockey state than most people would think. Youth and college hockey is a constant hit in the state. I went to university in the southern part of Missouri where one would think it's all Bible Belt NASCAR Land. It was college hockey that was the main draw and who was the city's favorite team. Kansas City isn't a horrible choice, but the limited size of the town is the problem. Winnipeg may be more passionate but again small city. They won't be hosting the Packers of hockey but a bottom of the barrel team. Halifax, Hartford, Seattle are also no go's. A second team in Toronto area would work best. Maybe, maybe Quebec but I doubt there too. Perhaps the NHL has just run out of cities. Either stay where we are and improve the product (ideal), relocate some but don't contract, or contract the size of the league. Contracting, though, just isn't going to happen. No matter how much people think southern Americans don't care about hockey. They do. But they also like quality hockey, not the garbage that passes for this sport in so many locations.

Toronto could use Darrly Sittler and Doug Gilmore again. Otherwise, tear it down, salt the ground, start over. Or if Gary B is reading, move the team to San Antonio.

Where's Ray Emery?

Wings 4 Hawks 0 Four Datsyukian dekes put away the Hawks tonight.

I don't know. As much as I like Sundin and all, the rental price seems to high. But then I'm not the GM. I wouldn't mind throwing early round draft picks knowing how deep we've been able to find quality players before. Just the fact of what Lebda, Hudler, and Howard could do in the future makes it too steep for my blood. What in the world would Toronto fans do with Sundin going to all places, Detroit? Just curious.

What a joke that whole situation has been.

I don't see him ever getting back to NHL form, much less Babcock NHL form. Nor do I see him fitting in with this team playing style wise. That's not to take anything away from D-Mac and what he did for the Red Wings, but it's the reality.

The Red Wings for years (and especially this one) have been THE team to learn how to excell in hockey. From on ice play to scouting and coaching. We've become a Babcock team and what we are seeing is simply fantastic. Keep up the great work guys!

Saint Louis is simply annoying. Wings can be leading 10-0, in first place, etc, etc (hey just like the other day) and as Blues fans leave with most of a period still to go they all walk out saying "Red Wings suck!" It's pretty sad. The "greatest fans in the world" attitude coming over from the baseball crowd infects hockey too. A little class now and then would make them good fans, but never the greatest fans. Meanwhile at the recent Blues-Wings game, the fellow Wings fans around me simply applauded when the Wings scored and we all gave a little hand wave to Legace when he was pulled. Never said "Blues suck" or any profanity filled rant around kids. Wish the Blues crowd could do the same.

I'll be there and if Coach Mike needs me, I can fill in on right wing and power play. Wings - 4 Blues - 1 "Let's go Wings" - 6 times "Let's go Blues" - 3 times Make the Scottrade a home arena.

I'll be there. Born and raised in Saint Louis, but love hockey too much to be a Blues fan. I love it when we get the "Let's go Red Wings" chant louder than the Blues fans. It's also great when the Wings would knock the Blues out of the playoffs and they still yell "Wings suck" at you when leaving the rink. Such ignorant hatred. Put half that energy to properly building a team and they could put together a dynasty.

Out of those choices I would take Chelios, but the next one is going to be Shanahan once he retires after this season. Or so we hockey nuts hope. Brian Burke? Seriously, that was a choice?