StevieY9802

I don't think you blow them up. That's not fair to the team or the fans and I think it's just a suckers way out. Management is gonna have to think long and hard about what they will do. There needs to be changes for sure but as c-townwing said they are a very good team, playoff losses not withstanding. Blowing them up would have been like blowing up the Wings in 94. Marleau needs to be gone and cheecho as well I think. i'm not sure on Thornton yet if I would do that. he's got so much talent do you really get rid of him? It will be an interesting summer for the Sharks no doubt.

I want: WAS and CAR I think: NYR and NJ. I think the rangers will somehow pull it off because the Caps need to prove they can win the big game. They weren't able to do it last year so we'll see now. I just think NJ will get it done tonight. No team has won 2 straight in this series and it'll be hard for the Canes to do it in Jersey.

yeah that was pretty f'in gross.

Yup. Unless your enforcer is lke McCarty was back in the late 90's, an enforcer who also can play two way hockey, the guys just take up a roster spot. A guy like Downey isn't a good skater, doesn't add anything on offense or defense so why have him in the lineup. Fights only happen in the playoffs when teams like Calgary or Montreal start acting like little kids who don't get the toy from Toys R Us so they try to hurt the other team. So having a guy in the lineup for that is dumb and for the other stuff the Wings do a good job of sticking up for themselves. Actually Chicago is... That would add probably 3mil more to the cap with those two guys next year so wouldn't happen. Plus would take up spots of Leino and Helm.

yeah I'm a little worried. Shades of 99 in my head when he got hurt after a great first round sweep of the Ducks and then he was gone and Ranford imploaded in games 3 & 4 against the Avs. But the fact that he did come back out made me feel better and makes me think it wasn't too bad and a week to rest will make it better. I would think if it was real bad and could have cost him longer term he wouldn't have come back out. he looked better in the 3rd even though he didn't have to make too many tough saves in that period.

I've got one going but it'll be a goatee cause I just can't stand the full thing.

I'm anxious for this series to get underway. I want to see how the Wings react. They need to play a lot smarter and a lot harder than they have. I believe this will be their toughest test. Always is for the top teams with those lower teams playing so hard the last month of the season.

When they were down 2-1 to the Yotes, and then trailed 1-0 early in game 4, I was scared and thought it was over. Pretty much after they went up 2-1 on the Blues I had no doubt. Just had this feeling they could overcome anything after the Yotes and early on the Blues.

oh sorry didn't even notice. so this is a dumber move then. does Eric have any experience? And he alrady tried to have his son on the team when he was the GM and that didn't work out so well.

he really shouldn't. He was the one that left the cupboard bare for Giguere to begin with trading away all those picks and drafting crap for those years they were trying to stay on top.

Boston/Habs - Bruins in 5, maybe 6. The Habs are pretty banged up and the Bruins are pretty good. I think they will finally beat Montreal this year. in saying that I can't say I would be surprised if somehow Montreal pulls the upset just cause they are playing the Bruins. Washington/NYR - Caps get this one...I will say in 6. I'm not sold on them 100% yet. They are good enough to get it done in 5 but I don't know. Same time I could see NYR getting it but they just were not playing well down the stretch. Devils/Canes - This is a tough one. Even though the Canes lost their last 2 they won 9 in a row before that. Devils have been going down since Marty got the record but I think they pull it off in 7. Battle of PA - Gonna go with the Pens in 6, maybe it goes 7, but the Flyers just seem to be a lost team at times. They can be good one night and play flat the next. Now onto to the run and gun West. Sharks/Ducks - This is a tough one. Even though the Ducks are 8 they have been playing well and still have the cup experience so they could pull it off and the Sharks tend to choke. I'm gonna go with San Jose getting it one though in 6 games. Wings/Jackets - This one hurts me to say. I picked the Jackets about a month ago to possibly pull an upset of one of the top teams and I still have to go with it even though they haven't been as hot as they were a month ago. The Wings can't seem to get on the same page. Goaltending is good one night but then the D or the offense let them down. Or when the offense is there the goaltending lets them down. They give up way too many quality chance and you can't do that in the playoffs. Mason is a very good young goalie and I think he steals this one. Jackets in 6. Now saying that if the Wings can find their legs and get going and get out of round one anything is possible after that. I really think this will be their toughest test. I pray I am wrong with my prediction. Canucks/Blues - A rematch of 2003 first round when the Blues blew a 3-1 lead. Blues have been good down the stretch but so have the Canucks. I think the Canucks get this one in either 5 or 6. Blues are a pretty young team so I think this will be a learning experience for them. Finally Hawks/Flames - Hawks are a real young team, leagues youngest, but have a Cup winning goalie. Flames have played terrible down the stretch and are pretty banged up. Pretty much had the 3 seed locked up at the deadline and then their defense imploaded and so did Kipper really. I think this is perfect for the young Hawks to have a team reeling like this. Flames will still be stiff competition but I think the Hawks get to round 2 for the first time since 96, taking the series 4-3.

I think you are right on. The last two spots will be to two of the following: Malts, Kopecky and Helm imo.

I hope you're right but I picked the Jackets to pull a first round upset about a month ago and I still have that feeling in my gut. Granted they are not as hot as they were a month ago but the Wings lazy play at times worries me. Right now I'll stick with my orginaly prediction, Jackets in 6... :-/

If anything locally gets blacked out here in Detroit it'll be VS.

My stupid cable company, Broadstripe, doesn't have it in HD either. It really sucks. Now that I've seen it in HD it sucks when it's not..

The FSN part wasn't on there earlier. There is always a chance that VS gets coverage over FSN if they want it exclusively, that doesn't usually happen until round 2. Happened it games 1 & 4 against the Avs last year and games 1 & 4 against the Sharks the year before. Sorry for all the out of towners not getting the games but I'm actually happey I don't have to deal with Milbury and Maguire.

I'm sorry but that makes no sense. So if you couldn't have both you would say no to a guy who is a 30+ goal scorer for guys who haven't proven it yet? Why? You say to bring up guys from GR but keeping both would hinder you from bringing up guys. So why not keep one if you can and then bring up the guys rather than keeping both and watching a bunch stay down there? Saying you want both or nothing is like saying if someone had $2000 on the table and said you can have half of it but saying no thanks if I can't have all of it.

While I would take Hossa first too this by no means sucks if it happens.

I think they meant 01 for starters cause that was the year he was traded to the Blues and I'm sure the Blues wouldn't have traded him to the Wings the in 02. Anyways I am also curious to what they were offering. Wonder if he was option 1 and Hasek option 2? or maybe a 1a and 1b they would take whatever trade happened first. The Hasek deal worked out great so I'm not complaining but I would take him now for a cheap salary.

I would take Hossa over Franzen probably but one is better than none if they only sign Franzen. Hossa just creates offense by himself. the plus side is if they only sign Franzen they have more money to work with to fill holes this summer.

It goes the other way too though. Fedorov went down hill and his teams didn't make the playoffs before last year, which he was traded to so if he wasn't traded he wouldn't have made it. Lapointe was way over valued on the market in 01 and now hes not even in the league. Speaking of which where are all those people here saying holland HAD to pick him up last year? And then Bert and Schneider go to the Ducks are now both on different teams, Schneider on his 3rd team since leaving the Wings not even two years ago.

Thats what I thought they were saying. I didn't see any whinning really from them really.

I was just gonna say it was cool that Conklin was around too to let the kid shoot on him. What an experience that must have been.

Yes they do.

Two of the three guys you mentioned are UFA's so they won't be part of a trade and I don't think Cleary will waive his no trade clause. McCollum might be the future but he's just that right now... the future. There is no way they'll bring him up anytime soon. It'll be Ozzie and Howard next year imo. They just don't have the money to go out and get a bigger upgrade, not if they want to sign Hossa and/or Franzen. Khabibulin will a FA but the Hawks might not let him go since Huet has been somewhat of a disappointment. I'm just gonna let this offseason play out. I can't even begin to imagine all the possible moves or changes. I have faith in Holland.