arnoldbuck

Regardless how many have you won. And the salary cap has been in place for a few years now and we are still at the top of the league. So that buying stuff doesnt even work anymore. Yeah, how about now you bash us getting swept first round last year, then we will remind you where you rank in the playoffs last year ... Keep it coming.

well that sucked. was really hoping detriot could crack roberto. I just want that confidence that even come playoff time if we run into a hot goalie. Who watched the CBC feed. Back Up announcer was Brutal. He is so slow, can't think of what to say fast enough to keep up. How does someone like that get onto the main hockey show in the country?

all I can say is wow, those two shots shoulda been in

Please get it through. Score. 9 mins left. Agghhh!!!!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to agree with you. My girl and I split back in November and Detroit went on that 5 game losing streak. So i stopped hating her, made the effort to be civil, and the skid ended.

This is brutal at the sec. The nucks got the lead, hence they arent push, yet we arent pushing that hard either.

Dont know if it was mentioned already, but the line they used was classic. They said smoething like, "85% of the time Tootoo is on the ice he doesn't even know there is a puck out there!"

I just dont see it happening successfully in Vegas. Too many distractions and too much else for ppl to do than go to 41 hockey games.

Totally agree. The players in the league ar emore talented than ever, and if they expanded there could esily be players to fill those voids. Sure there are only so many Ovechkins and Crosby's but the quality of games for the most part has to do with the style of hockey and not the players on the ice. I have seen many games this year featuring teams with star players, but the games were boring as hell. Not the fault of the stars, but because the game itself jsut had no spark or flair to it.

Why would that be ... pretty sure Detroit has the best home record in the league. But then again, you did blink, sooo ...

Well I can't say I agree with you, but I will say it is going to be a great game. Both teams are playign pretty solid right now. Detroit is a little low of players w/ the guys from Pg.1 out, but we managed to take out Nashville in back to back regulation wins. Am very excited. We'll soon see how she turns out.

Okay, I found what I was looking for, here it is... NHL settles claim over Stanley Cup Last Updated: Tuesday, February 7, 2006 | 12:47 PM ET CBC Sports The NHL has reached a settlement with a group of recreational hockey players over the Stanley Cup. Gard Shelley and David Burt, members of a Toronto pickup hockey league called the Wednesday Nighters, filed a claim against the NHL and the trophy's trustees in Ontario Superior Court last April, seeking clarification of the terms under which Lord Stanley provided the Cup and how it is to be awarded. The group challenged the NHL's claim that it had exclusive control of the Cup and contended that Lord Stanley wanted the best hockey teams to compete for the trophy every year when he donated the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup in 1892. The Stanley Cup is shown here with a young fan and former coach Scotty Bowman. (CP File Photo) The cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season meant the Stanley Cup was not awarded last season, but Shelley and David Burt filed its claim seeking to ensure that the trophy is contested for even in the event of another labour dispute. Shelley and David Burt argued that the Cup's trustees – Ian (Scotty) Morrison, former head of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and former NHL official Brian O'Neill – should be able to award it to someone else if another lockout or strike wipes out an NHL season.. A court hearing on the case was scheduled for Tuesday, but Tim Gilbert, the lawyer for Shelley and Burt, confirmed Tuesday that a settlement has been reached with the NHL. "A David and Goliath story," Gilbert said Tuesday morning. Under the terms of the deal, the NHL acknowledges that the trustees who control the Cup can award it to a non-NHL team in a year where the league doesn't operate. Also, the NHL must donate $100,000 a year into hockey leagues for women and underprivileged children for the next five years. The settlement does not mean the trustees have to award the Cup if there is another work stoppage, only that they now have the option to do so. "In a lot of respects, the litigation was the sole remaining vestige of a year-long labour dispute that was difficult for us and for our fans," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "It was time to turn the page and move on. "We're satisfied that the terms of the settlement adequately protect the league's interests." with files from Canadian Press

^^^ Agreed. He had sooo many amazing clips and highlights from his career, but the 02' Cup run was Steve Yzerman. Nothing flashy or fancy, just pure determination. Everything he did on and off the ice that spring was magic. Robataille summed it up best when intereviewed about Steve in the 02' playoffs, "You could write a book about it."

I am Canadian, but I will agree in part. It pisses me off even more now seeing how s***ty Edmonton really is. Goes to show what a joke last season was. I know the playoffs are a whole new game, but it just doesn't seem right when these teams get a horse shoe shoved so far up their asses they are able to get through competition far better than them, only to lose, then s*** that shoe out the next season. Carolina 02', Anahiem 03', Edmonton 06;. But as far as Canadian teams, well ... its just one of those facts of life. Hockey is life up here. And you can believe every game will be sold out to capacity. Not sure on the exact statistic, but a HUGE portion of the leagues entire revenue comes from the 6 Canadian teams. Personally though, I'm a Red Wing fan, sooo, sure a Canadian team can make it to the West Conference final, as long as we advance to Win the Cup.

It is always easy to pick on the guy on top. And when you are the Detroit Red Wings ... people cant ignore you. This isn't just some team that had one or two good runs, this is a team that everyone in the league new was going to be good for the past ... 12-13 years. We are, and have been for so long the top-dogs. Perhaps not the Stanley Cup Champs, but one of the best teams in hockey. Since the mid-90's, the NHL has undergone some huge changes, players have come and gone, Championships have been decided, but with all the Change, our Logo has remained among the cream-of-the-crop in the league. (gives me that funny feeling in my tummy)

Was just reading this and it made me think. It hasn't just been be the last two years, it has been for at least 5 season, even before our 02' run, that critics and voices from all over said Detroit was done. Too old, not mean enough, etc. and we just keep on winning. We have had our share of playoff upsets, yes, but so do 28 other teams every season, only they don't have the other success to go along with it. I am sure every else here agree's, all that matters from here on out though is getting our team healthy. I have seen several threads pop up over the last few weeks about what our line-up should look like when everyone returns. If/when we do have everyone back, damn we are looking good. Surprise, surprise: Detroit Red Wings again the class of the NHL (CP) - Mike Babcock has seen this scenario play out before. Hockey observers predict at the start of the season that the Detroit Red Wings will finally start to struggle, then coach Babcock's team goes out and proves them wrong. Again. "Every year at the start the experts make predictions, but I don't think people in the game can even make those predictions," Babcock said Friday from Vancouver. "They said the same thing about us last year at the start." And the Red Wings won the Presidents' Trophy. Even without the retired Steve Yzerman and the departed Brendan Shanahan, Detroit is doing it again. The Wings are the class of the NHL with 99 points in 71 games and are in position to finish first overall for the third straight time. That says something to Babcock. "I hear people talk about the President's Trophy not meaning anything," he said. "Well you know what? It means over 82 games you're the best team in the league and it's hard as hell to win. "It's not what we're all interested in winning, but when you have it you still like to have it." They'd also like to again raise the Stanley Cup in June. Before that can happen, the Red Wings need to get some good news from the sick bay. Forwards Henrik Zetterberg, Daniel Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi, Valtteri Filppula and Tomas Kopecky are all currently out with injury. Babcock would take the eighth seed in the Western Conference in exchange for those players being back in his lineup. There aren't any easy opponents in the playoffs and teams need some good fortune to get to the Stanley Cup. Detroit knows that all to well after finishing first overall last year and losing to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs. "If you look at the West last year, the top four seeds fell in the first round and it's even tighter this year," said Babcock. "Where you finish to me is not near as important as how healthy you are. "Our No. 1 goal is to get healthy. There's not one team in the top eight right now, including ourselves, that I'd be all that excited about playing. They're all that good." The Red Wings are getting a taste of that this week. After beating rival Nashville in consecutive games, they flew across North America to Vancouver. They'll face the Canucks on Saturday, travel to Calgary and play the Flames on Tuesday before returning to Detroit and hosting Columbus on Thursday. It's a brutal stretch of schedule that Babcock has embraced as a good test for his team. "It gives us a better dry run (for the playoffs) than we could ever set up," he said. "Good teams with real good goaltending and lots of travel. "That's the challenge. That's the same as it is at playoff time." And ultimately, that's what every year is about in Hockeytown USA. Babcock was pleased with GM Ken Holland's additions of Bertuzzi and Kyle Calder at the trade deadline. The Wings want to wear opponents down with toughness. "I thought Kenny did a good job of getting us more players to play on the inside than the outside," said Babcock. "We're trying to be a harder team to play against." Calder, in particular, has thrived. The 28-year-old was having a miserable season in Philadelphia but has received a new lease on life in Motown. Calder has two goals and eight assists in eight games with the Red Wings. Detroit is also 6-1-1 during that stretch. "I consider him to be a Ryan Smyth-type player," Babcock said of the gritty Calder. "He's tenacious on the puck. He just keeps coming. He works hard. He does the dirty work. "And he's got enough hands around the net to help create some offence. To me, guys like him are contagious." Just like winning seems to be in Detroit. The Red Wings last finished a season with less than 100 points in 1998-'99. They've created a franchise that should serve as a model for almost all others. Personnel changes, injuries, trades, retirements. None of it seems to slow the Red Wings. "The expectation is success," said Babcock. "We don't talk about the Presidents' Trophy. We don't talk about finishing first. We don't talk about any of that. "We talk about getting better. That's the environment and the atmosphere that we have here."

I will search for a link over the coming days ... maybe anyone who recognizes this could help me out. I recall a Ontario based team brought the idea up of the Stanley Cup should go to the best team in hockey, and actually managed to get somewhere with the case. It took place during the lockout of course. And the conclusion was it would be looked at again should the NHL ever not be playing the season. And then it possibly may find another tournament for that year. Now I am not sure if this is fact, or just on eof those urban legends that began during the lockout and passed from one person to another. I will check on it and get back to this. *but commenting on the Pic above. It looks retarded and I hope that is fake. I have no idea why they would bother doing that and not just skip over it and go straight to Carolinas win last year.

Please be Advised? - Did I miss something? Anyway, this is the most excited I have been all season for a game. It is getting down to crunch down, we are facing a hot playoff bound team ... (and I live in BC) so I am ready to go on this one. I don't care how hot Roberto is, Lang-Calder-Rex are gunna find the net. Notch another win down for us. My only wish (along with about a million other Red Wing fans) would have to have been to have Bert a Z in the lineup for this one. I always love to see us take these guys out.

Well, truth is those three, although 3 very different players just mesh together sooo well. For sure they aren't going to be the smae force without Z in the lineup. What is making me curious is with our 2nd line being so strong right now, when Z and Bert finally do hit the lineup ... who's gunna go where? Not a whole lot of time to juggle and play with stuff before the playoffs.

He always sounds like that. Thats the Bertuzzi tone and typical interview. But for all my long standing dislikes for the guy, I sure am excited to see his first game in our jersey. Like finally getting to play with a new toy on Christmas.

I admit, I was one who was devistated to see Fed's leave and I will always miss him. And as good a line as Dats-Hank-Feds would be, I htink that line is perfect with Homer. Perhaps with a more skilled guy, Dats or Z could be up among the top 5-10 in scoring, but I just think with the assets that those three bring to the line, they are perfect together.

I just came across this and thought I would post it for a read for everyone. Though I would like to state that I would like to see a few more games between Detroit and the other Original teams, but I am not a person who is trying to move the Wings back east. Also I thought I would mention I really like the light Detroit comes across in though this article. The slow death of the magic of the Original Six -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jeff Mackie Mediocre teams and changing schedules are sapping the life out of once-great NHL rivalries. It was the best Stanley Cup final that almost happened. The year was 1993. The Montreal Canadiens secured a birth in the final while the Toronto Maple Leafs came within an overtime goal of joining Les Habitants. Montreal vs. Toronto would have been the most compelling final series of a generation. It left fans who appreciate the sport’s history daydreaming about what could have been. Almost 15 years later, those fans would gladly settle for a match-up between any two of the Original Six Teams. That’s because it hasn’t been a good decade-and-a-half for the NHL’s original franchises when it comes to competing for the Stanley Cup. Since the New York Rangers claimed the title in 1994, only the Detroit Red Wings have advanced to the final, and they’ve been victorious three times. As for two Original Six teams playing each other for the Stanley Cup, you have to rewind 28 years to find such an occurrence. It happened in 1979, when the Canadiens defeated the Rangers. If you’re hoping that streak will come to an end in 2007, I’ve got some bad news: it won’t happen. Only the Red Wings are a sure bet to make the playoffs, while the Canadiens, Leafs, Bruins and Rangers are in tough to make the post-season. The Blackhawks have been out of contention since, oh, the Clinton administration (the first one if you’re reading this in the future). There is a decent chance, then, that the 2007 post-season will feature only one Original Six team, marking the first time that has ever happened. This collective mediocrity is why, with each passing year, the rivalries between Original Six franchises weaken. Combine it with the scarcity of inter-conference play, and you have a recipe for the death of traditional rivalries. Northeast Division teams Boston, Montreal, Toronto and the Rangers only play Detroit and Chicago once this season. And under the current schedule, teams visit cities in opposing conferences once every three seasons. So not only do fans in Detroit and Chicago miss out on regular visits from Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, they must also wait impatiently for three of their four traditional rivals to come their way. Perhaps more troubling, however, is the fact that these traditional rivals are playing fewer games of any consequence. You would think that having Toronto and Montreal in the same conference and division would yield a playoff meeting, or at least a regular season game of consequence. But no, these two franchises haven’t played a meaningful game since they met in the playoffs in 1979. Games between the Leafs and the Bruins, moreover, are so utterly uninspiring it makes you wonder if the players have any grasp of the rivalry. Out west, the hot Chicago-Detroit rivalry of the early to mid ‘90s has gone frosty with Hawks struggling through a rough decade. I think the NHL needs to schedule more games between these historic franchises, but I am not sure anyone would care. The Canadiens made a rare visit to Chicago earlier this season and only 11,095 people were impressed enough to show up. The Bruins have hosted a total of seven games against Toronto, Montreal and the Rangers this season and have averaged 14,344 in those games, less than their season average. The only hope of rejuvenating the Original Six rivalries lies in the competitiveness of the teams themselves. Detroit is doing its part. As for the other five, well, they’ve got a bit of work to do. Jeff Mackie is a former editor for The Hockey News. He has written about the NHL for thehockeynews.com and covered the AHL and OHL for Canadian Press.

It is so weird to see this happening. I admit I did not anticipte seeing us on top this season. Especially with how hard the Ducks and Sabres got out of the gate. Then the Preds made, and are still making such a strong push. Then for so long, we got so close to catching them, and finally we took the lead beating them in regulation both nights. I thought for so long we would end up in 4th and having to play San Jose. Not saying that isn't realistic but it does make me wonder who I would rather see in the first round. As wicked of a playoff team Calgary can be, I think I'd rather go against them than San Jose. This trip west especially against Vancouver is going to be huge for me. Van is one of the leagues hottest teams, with a playoff hungry goaltender ... I'm really excited to see if we can beat that. And yes, sure why not capture another Presidents trophy while we are at it.

It would be awesome in the seasons to come (would take a little organization) to have an evetn similar to the Hockey Day in Canada. Except have the Original Six play eachother. Or maybe over the course of the week and have them play multiple teams. But then again, if Detroit really is the only exciting dominant team, the enjoyment of having these traditional teams play eachother might be out-weighed by crappy hockey.