Hitchcock favors Detroit

[rick zombo 3,739]

What worries me is that everyone said the exact same thing about the Oilers series. And Calgary is perceived to be a lot better this year than what that Oiler team was.

But the Wings are a better team this year as well. In some very key areas. Mainly, between the pipes.

[Hank 0]

seriously, why shouldn't they? until the wings win a playoff series again the media will rightly view their regular season accomplishments with skepticism.

deal.

Exactly. Until the Wings can beat a good team in the playoffs they'll be ridiculed. Until then, they've earned the crap that's being written and said about them.

Prove 'em all wrong boys!

But the Wings are a better team this year as well. In some very key areas. Mainly, between the pipes.

I agree on both counts. But the Wings are still not very physical. They may be a little more than last year but it's still not enough. If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners all had a good amount of grit. Even the Detroit teams that won had a good amount of sandpaper to their game.

I think we really need to set the tone early on in Game 1. The first 2 lines that go out there MUST hit everything in sight. Or at least show the Flames that they aren't going to be pushed around or effected by physical play themselves.

Bobby Clarke once said that hockey is a lot like prison. If you whack a guy and he doesn't come back at you with anything or show he's going to lay down and take it, you own them.

Cups are won in the alleys and we have to show Calgary we're ready to throw oown.

Edited April 12, 2007 by Hank

[Covenant 0]

wow dude, great attitude.

Exactly, your nick fits your presence here.

[rick zombo 3,739]

I agree on both counts. But the Wings are still not very physical. They may be a little more than last year but it's still not enough. If you look at the last 10 Stanley Cup winners all had a good amount of grit. Even the Detroit teams that won had a good amount of sandpaper to their game.

I think we really need to set the tone early on in Game 1. The first 2 lines that go out there MUST hit everything in sight. Or at least show the Flames that they aren't going to be pushed around or effected by physical play themselves.

Bobby Clarke once said that hockey is a lot like prison. If you whack a guy and he doesn't come back at you with anything or show he's going to lay down and take it, you own them.

Cups are won in the alleys and we have to show Calgary we're ready to throw oown.

I agree with you in general.

BUT, I think the Wings have to play their game. They need to be physical, but they need to control the tempo, and the puck.

What I don't want to happen is for the Flames to suck the Wings into running around trying to match them pysically,

If the Wings can take hits and still make plays, go hard to the net, and win battles down low and along the boards, that will be enough grit to win the series.

Detroit can't play a ***-for-tat physical series with Calgary, but they can do the things I mentioned above, and be successful.

[WingNutt 12]

I'd rather take the opinion of a great coach like Hitchcock, over any of the other doubters anyday.

I bet he will turn The Jackets into a whole different team by next season, He just needs to find a way to get along with Zherdev.

I personally can't stand anyone on the -VS- call team, especially Brian Engblom he is such a tool and his haircut is re-god-damn-diculous. Maybe even worse than Barry's, ok well maybe not that bad, but these guys need to both lose the 1080. Mullets are about as much part of the game now as wood sticks are.

[Hank 0]

I agree with you in general.

BUT, I think the Wings have to play their game. They need to be physical, but they need to control the tempo, and the puck.

What I don't want to happen is for the Flames to suck the Wings into running around trying to match them pysically,

If the Wings can take hits and still make plays, go hard to the net, and win battles down low and along the boards, that will be enough grit to win the series.

Detroit can't play a ***-for-tat physical series with Calgary, but they can do the things I mentioned above, and be successful.

Absolutely. I'm not saying they need to go to dump-and-chase hockey but they do need to be a lot stronger along the boards. Last year we got destroyed in the one-on-one battles along the wall and corners.

And even though we're a puck possession team we can still drive the net and get into danger zones.

I believe it was their last game against the Blues at home that really showed me what Detroit is lacking. In that game, each time the Blues got the puck back to their point there would be 2 forwards in the crease with the third forward hovering around the slot area. The Wings never, ever do this. If they get the puck back to the point all 3 forwards are hovering around the deep edges of the slot, never in it (with Homer being the obvious exception). Our skilled players won't go near the danger zones.

Also, when the Blues played that way the Wings dmen couldn't prevent them from being effective in that area. It's harder for dmen now to do anything with the new rules but we could at the very least take advantage as well.

In the end, I still don't think the Wings match-up well with teams like Calgary, Anaheim, Nashville or San Jose in the trenches. Losing Williams and adding Calder and Bertuzzi was huge. Both those guys will win and engage in a lot of puck battles. Heck, even little Hudler wins his share and always throws his midget body into the fray. But we need our top players doing the same. We need Dats, Zetts and Langer to do it as well. I'm not saying throw their bodies around with wreckless abandon but they need to sacrifice their bodies to make a play and they can't shy away from any puck battles. If everyone can do this, we'll beat the Flames.