The Wings' biggest obstacle

[Echolalia 2,961]

What team do you think is going to give the wings the most trouble this year? I think Anaheim is a shoe-in, for obvious reasons, but I'm willing to bet the Blues are going to give us some trouble this year, also. I believe we split the season with them last year (plus or minus a game or so), and they've only gotten better since then. Thats not to say we aren't the better team overall, but I think they're in a position to fight some victories out of us if we don't take them seriously.

[Zion 93]

The Blues will be the toughest team in the division. That isn't saying much, however.

Anaheim and San Jose will win every game against the Wings this year, unless Bob Probert comes out of retirement.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Anaheim and San Jose will win every game against the Wings this year, unless Bob Probert comes out of retirement.

I expect this is going to cause alot of debate.

Perhaps you didn't see the playoffs last year

[OsGOD 3]

Hands down... Scoring BIG goals between April 7th and June 20th

ba da bing!

[Guest DetroitIan]

I expect this is going to cause alot of debate.

Perhaps you didn't see the playoffs last year

Exactly. We heard this same s*** last year. And what did we do? Well, we kicked the Sharks ass in 6. And who knows, if not for that horrible tip off of the middle of Lidstrom's stick, we could have been a hell of alot closer than just 2 games away from the Stanley Cup Finals. I really hope everyone discounts us again. I loved having a huge smile on my face after disproving all the "experts" that said the Wings wouldnt get passed the first round.

Edited September 2, 2007 by DetroitIan

[lfd250 1]

Any time we fly west of the MIssissippi. Except for our "home games" in Phoenix

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Anaheim and St Louis will give us trouble. We'll wipe the floor with every other team.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I think the Hawks will give us trouble.

I don't think the Ducks are going to be anywhere near as good this upcoming season compared to last season. That's just what I think though..

Avs will be pretty good once again. Adding Smyth and Hannan is big upgrades for them.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I think the Hawks will give us trouble.

The Hawks? Really? They haven't given us "trouble" in 2 years. If anything, they bail us outof trouble.

I don't think the Ducks are going to be anywhere near as good this upcoming season compared to last season. That's just what I think though..

Avs will be pretty good once again. Adding Smyth and Hannan is big upgrades for them.

I'm interested to see how the Avs will play this year. They were the hottest team to close the regular season last year, and they have gotten much better since then.

[T-Ruff 47]

I expect the Wings to take the Ducks to the cleaners and back this season... series sweep

[OsGOD 3]

I sure hope so!!! I expected the same last playoffs also

[Wingsfan4life19 26]

Perhaps the Injury Bug... if we stay healthy, I honestly dont think theres a team with our mix of skill and grit. Yes some teams have more grit, but few can put the skill wiht it.

[Rob the Badger 0]

I could see the Canucks giving the Wings some trouble when they play out in VC. Big time zone difference, gritty team, and one of the best goalies in the league could spell fits for the Wings.

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

I clicked this topic thinking it would be about how the boards at the Joe had been replaced and were now dead, therefore making it tougher for the wings to bounce shots/passes off of them this season.

[Guest nutz2u]

It's possible the Ducks could be a problem but it's also possible they'll be so full of themselves that they piss away half of the season preening their feathers.

[Production Line 1]

Staying healthy, and having more then 10 fighting majors...

[Izzy24 44]

I clicked this topic thinking it would be about how the boards at the Joe had been replaced and were now dead, therefore making it tougher for the wings to bounce shots/passes off of them this season.

I, for some reason, thought that too. It's one of Chelios' favorite tricks, especially when he gets some PP time.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I, for some reason, thought that too. It's one of Chelios' favorite tricks, especially when he gets some PP time.

He says that but its really that he can't aim

[Izzy24 44]

He says that but its really that he can't aim

I'd believe either explanation.

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

I have a gut feeling that tells me that the ducks will pull a tampa bay or carolina post-cup season. However we'll see what happens. I do think that injuries could potentially have the greatest impact on our team, we don't exactly have the depth to lose a few players and still be one of the top teams.

[WINGS TILL DEATH 9]

All I want is the wings to rocks and the ducks to crash and burn!!! I won't be mad if we don't win it all this year if we BEAT THE S#!^ out of the DUCKS in every game this year. I'm still pissed about how lucky they got.

[hockey&beer 16]

I have a gut feeling that tells me that the ducks will pull a tampa bay or carolina post-cup season. However we'll see what happens. I do think that injuries could potentially have the greatest impact on our team, we don't exactly have the depth to lose a few players and still be one of the top teams.

Although key injuries could spell doom, I think that with the youger guys getting some more TOI (esp. PP time that was getting wasted by our buddy Lang) and some of the skill that is developing in GR the Wings are sitting pretty in the depth charts.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Injuries and lack of 2nd line scoring is what I'm most afraid of. Also, when the playoffs begin, we've got to be a clutch team. We did that against Calgary and San Jose, but against Anaheim, we were horrible in the clutch.

[Opie 308]

As for teams same old story San Jose, Calgary, Anaheim and St. Louis will play the wings tough and they will be great games.

As for internal struggles, getting the young guys into the flow of the game, there is the sophomore slumps, plus grigs being a rookie.

But my biggest fear for this team is similar to want GMRwings is saying, 2nd line scoring!

[jerm8352 3]

All you people who say look to last years playoffs as evidence of our grit need to wake up. We lost our two most physical defenseman in Schneider and Markov. We replaced them with nobody and a smallish playmaking defenceman (Rafalski). We lost two of our biggest bodies in Lang and Bertuzzi. While Lang was by no means a physical player, he was hard for opposing teams to move. We replaced them with an injury prone player in the twilight of his career (Drake) and nobody. We are hurting in the grit department and this team will not be the same one as in last year's playoffs. Don't think that it was just coincidence that once Bertuzzi started playing regularly that the team started to play more physical.

Edited September 4, 2007 by jerm8352