StevieY9802

04 isn't what makes me scared. Its 03, 04 and 06 and the fact that Calgary is a good team. Yzerman was a loss and his leadership will be missed but Shanny? yeah his one goal from last year will be missed. I loved Shanny when he was here but it was time to move on.

I agree with what you say Bert would do. But the main reason they got him was to help out the second line. I mean I could say them starting off the playoffs with them split up, like I said before, but I don't see it happening. Try it the way everyone thinks, which is 40 13 96 and 17 20 44.

Sakic had 100 points his year. If he was retiring I woud be very very surprsied.

Why does everyone still think the Wings are so old? Outside of Chelios and Hasek, who still play very well, the Wings aren't that old. They only have 5 guys over the age of 35 and their average age is about 29.5 while the Flames is just over 29. What are they going to need to do to get rid of the old label? Make sure no one is over the age of 30 on their team? Now I will agree Kipper is a better goalie but more reliable? I don't consider Hasek unreliable in net. Blue line I will give you for sure and offense is about even. But I wouldn't write off Datsyuk yet. Yeah he didn't do much last year but he wasn't 100% in his first game. So I want to see him this year before passing any complete judgment on him. With that being said I am still lacking confidence in the wings because of past years. But like we have all been saying, any one team in the west can beat another team. There is no clear cut #1.

You can say Bert is hurt with the concusion thingy he has. People have said Lidstrom and Schneider but I don't think they are that serious honestly. Zetterberg is really the only one of concern imo.

It's not just the last 3 years that are making me think the Flames will win its the fact that it's so close now in, well both conferences, but more so the west. I mean the Wings losses in 99 and 2000 were to a good team. In 01 they didn't have Shanny or Stevie and without them LA was a better team. But in 03, 04 and 06 the wings were pretty healthy and the other teams just played better and the playing field is much more level now then before. So losing to the Flames wouldn't shock me because I could see them being able to beat anyone in the west. The same goes pretty much to all 8 teams.

it changes every year. In 97 & 98 it was the same spot on the floor infront of the tv and my dad was on the couch. In 02 it was the same chair while my dad on the couch with my friend next to him. We started that during game 6 of the west finals. and the only time the three of us weren't sittingin those spots, game 1 of the finals, they lost. Its so stupid but whatever works....

Season series doesn't mean anything during the playofffs. Thats all I really have to say.

I wouldn't really call it an upset if the Sharks win. A 5 beating a 4 isn't a big deal. And its not an upset if everyone is picking that team to win anyway.

I agree. Obviously you want good in both columns but if the Wings only gave up 10 shots and Dom gave up two goals his save % isn't good at all but giving up 2 goals isn't that bad. I think Dom is gonna have to come up big. These games are going to be close. And lets face it Manny didn't exactly make the big saves when needed. And all of those games were close.

The Ducks don't scare me but the Sharks do. Not saying the Ducks couldn't beat the Wings but the Sharks just scare me more. I mean any team can beat any other team. To say you know one team will come out of the west you really don't. I think any team could come out of it. you can't say that about the East.

I agree totally. If they can get out of the first round it, as funny has it sounds, becomes easier. You start getting into a flow by then and get confidence. And look what they have done since 97 when they get out of round 2 they win int all. Haven't lost in a later round since 96 to the avs. I hope they can pull it off. The one thing I have to say about them losing early the last few years is that you appreciate a series win now more than we used to I think.

I agree SJ in 6, maybe 7. Nashville couldn't get it done down the stretch, yes I know there were hurt but that only makes it that much more in the Sharks favor.

I can't say I am confident with the wings winning, actually I am probably the opposite. But I agree about game 3. Lost game 3 to the preds in 04, even though they won the series, did they lost game 3 to the flames that year too? I think they did. And then last year lost game 3 to the oilers. Game three is the most important game of every series. If you are tied 1-1 you go up in the series, if you are down 2-0 you are back in it and if you are up 2-0 you are one game away from the sweep. I am always a believer that you are doing yourself no favors by dropping either game one or game three of a series. granted game one is very early but that puts pressure on you to almost have to win game 2. As of right now being the optomist that I am, I pick the Flames in 6.

I wouldn't be surprsied if they are split up at least every now and then. I would consider putting Dats with Homer and Bert and then Hank with Calder and Langer just to try something different. But I wtill think this is it: Zetterberg/Dats/Homer Calder/Lang/Bert Mule/Drapes/Malts Cleary/Filpulla/Samuelson Someone said they thought Samuleson would be the odd man out. I think Hudler is because of the reason you said, size. If Hulder was gonna stay playing with Lang and Calder I would say keep him in there, but he won't with Hank coming back. I think Franzen with Drapes and Malts is good because they were together for a little while and played great together. I would like to see Franzen on a line where his size would help create more offense but its hard to arge with chemistry sometimes.

I am with you they need to prove me wrong. But they haven't done anything to prove me wrong yet. Thats why I said I want to see the first two games to kinda judge it. I could tell last year after two games that it could very well be the oilers winning. And the same with the first two games against this very team 3 years ago. I think if Zertterberg was healthy all the way through till the end of the season it would be different. With him not being 100% it could be just like Dats last year where it took him a few games to get his game legs and by then it didn't matter any more. I hope to god I am wrong though.

I hate to say it but as of now calgary scares me. I don't have any confidence in the Wings come playoff time anymore. They have won only one playoff series in three seasons and even in that one they struggled until Dave Lewis starting messing with the lines. And with guys not being 100% I am just not sure. So until I watch the first two games, cause I want to see how the wings play I am leaning towards calgary right now.

The shootout win for the isles doesn't bug me that much. If they won in ot no one would be saying anything and if they ended up tying people would be saying, see if there was a shootout it would be different. the worst thing would have been if Calgary/Colorado game would have been the game deciding who got #8 in the west and it went to a shootout. The shootout was good last season but it has lost its excitment now I think. Maybe they go back to ties but make it 10 minutes of OT instead? I always thought that should have been the first step before trying the shootouts. Like I said the isles game didn't bug as much as if the flames and avs would have come down to it.

You will have to keep dreaming about the Pistons moving downtown. Davidson owns that land. He's got the best setup in the world out there. And I actually like it out there. so much easier than having to try and go downtown. Seating wise it will be around 20,000 just like everyone else. Playoffs tickets aren't going as fast as they once were so do they really need even more seats? Granted if they got to the finals they could pull it off but that doesn't happen every year. I agree with most people that it would be a very difficult situation with 3 of the teams only blocks away. And parking would be a pain if there was more than one event going on. But we'll see. The Joe needs to go sadly. Its old and they can bring in more money with more suites. Only one ring of suites at the joe unlike the palace which has 3. The best thing I have to say about the joe though is that there is not one bad seat in the house. But we must say goodbye eventually.

I wouldn't have a problem with the Wings going east. Imagine most games at 7pm or 7:30? And playing all but 1 orginal 6 team. And the Hawks are the biggest disgrace to the 6 anyway so I wouldn't really care. I don't want the Pens to move but I like the idea of them ouf the West.

I like the trade that happened better. I doubt they would have been able to get both Nolan and Bert here. The Wings have to be right at the cap or damn close.

It cost a first round pick and two guys who were 1st rounders. The wings wouldn't have done that. not even for him unless they could make sure he was signed but I think they want to make sure Dats is signed before they give 5.5M to someone else.

It is for sure. They just said it on TSN. 1st round pick two prospects Robert Nilson(sp?) and another prospect. Couldn't get a contract done is why.

I was just thinking. Thank god he went east.

holy crap if this happened. fans will be crying on Mark Messier night and not cause of Messier.