Will the ducks get their wings clipped?

[clayjoh 3]

As I watch the season winding down and the western playoff picture becoming clearer I'm beginning to wonder if we'll even see the Ducks vs Detroit this playoff season THey will face presumbly a much tougher first round matchup than us and would also have to meet San Jose and/or Dallas before us also so Does anybody else out there think there's a distinct possilblity we might not even see them this year ie they'll get knocked off before any potential rematch with the Wings

They have trouble scoring this year and their talent fallls off pretty badly after line 2

I say SAn Jose is a bigger threat but honestly this year I say bring em all on I'm sure nobody else in the west wants to play Detroit this year.I think our boys are still burnin over the way it ended last year and are itchin for the playoffs already

[sinbin 3]

Hear! Hear! I agree!

[Reds4Life 51]

We can play them in 2nd round too. If our players are healthy, we have fair chance to beat them.

[Cicada 4]

the ducks will be the #4 seed, so if everything goes as expected we'll me them in the 2nd round..

personally i think we'll have to get past Anaheim and San Jose again, just the other way around this time

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Regardless of the Ducks talent after the second line their team is "built" for the playoff grind. They know how to play in the postseason to be effective, and they've got a goalie that absolutely shines onces April comes.

Is there a chance they'll be knocked out before the Wings....absolutely (escpecially if they meet up with the Sharks in round 2), but keep in mind that the 6 seed will have to upset the 3 seed in order for the Wings/Ducks series to be pushed back until the conference finals. If the 3 seed beats the 6, it will be DET/ANA in the second round barring upsets.

Edit: (Kelsey) Grammar

Edited March 27, 2008 by Never Forget Mac #25

[clayjoh 3]

Regardless of the Ducks talent after the second line their team is "built" for the playoff grind. They know how to play in the postseason to be effective, and they've got a goalie that absolutely shines onces April comes.

Is there a chance they'll be knocked out before the Wings....absolutely (escpecially if they meet up with the Sharks in round 2), but keep in mind that the 6 seed will have to upset the 3 seed in order for the Wings/Ducks series to be pushed back until the conference finals. If the 3 seed beats the 6, it will be DET/ANA in the second round barring upsets.

Edit: (Kelsey) Grammar

I wonder what we'll see of Bertuzzi this playoff year HE was largely a slug last year with us,but I think he's in better shape Doubt him and Chi Chelios will get too stupid they're both too old and frail for continuous slamming in the corners.Schneider always plays well but frankly he's getting on in years the Rafalski deal although not ballyhooed too much by the press has been a real good deal as this year has gone on.I suspect that dork Pronger might even be slightly worried that his typical so called "game style" may be under close scrutiny this year also so he I suspect might not be quite the force we've seen -- Just speculating out here in the frozen hinterland /home of Gordie Howe

[GoalieManPat 1,007]

The wings will get it

[FinWing 26]

I would love to see the Ducks ousted early but on the other hand it would be sweet to see the Wings settle the score with them.

[Opie 308]

I would like to see the Ducks go to through CAL, SJS, and Det. Just to see how they fair facing the route the wings did last year.

Then I want to see what people's reactions would be if the Ducks lost to either one of those teamsb efore the wings!

Edit: clarity!

Edited March 27, 2008 by Opie

[Opie 308]

I don't like it at all, winning a division regardless of how tough or easy that division is should be rewarded.

This rewards some one for coming in second in their division because another Division winner had a worse record. Second place is first loser, you want to be a higher seed than the other teams that win their division, it is an easy fix, win your division.

Keep the conferences separate as well, if the league wants a round robin tourney do it over Christmas break like the High Schools in/near my hometown used to do, or in the preseason.

[Opie 308]

This is one of those issues that has only two sides to it, there really isn't much gray area, but I wouldn't think you are in too much of a minority here.

Earlier in the season there was a thread on this and I would say it was close to 50/50

[awingsincebirth 0]

If the playoffs began today the Ducks would face the Flames whom IMHO are probably a tougher opponent in the playoffs when compared to the Stars...Either way the Ducks nor our beloved Red Wings will have it easy this year.

Ya, I absolutely agree that the Flames are a much more physical, stronger, perhaps even more talented opponent than the Stars would be for the Ducks. However, as it has been pointed out numerous times on this forum, the Stars have flat-out had the Ducks number this year, they just know how to beat them (during the regular season at least). On the other hand, I think of the Flames and Ducks to play very similar styles; lots of physical play, lots of grinding, etc.etc.etc. But, IMO, the Ducks are just better at it, and they will probably come out of that series, one way or another.

So I guess its more of a matter of personal preference. If the Ducks play the Stars, I think they have a better chance of being beat, but if they do win the series, they are not going to be all that beaten up. If they play the Flames, they have a better chance of winning, but whether or not they win or lose, they are going to be pretty banged up.

Again, this is just my personal opinion, and, as we all know, anything can happen in April. Either way, our Wings can take on anyone, anytime, anywhere.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

The Stars have fallen off the map, from the pedestal some were placing them on a month ago. I don't think they could beat anyone in the first round right now, especially with Turco's inconsistent goaltending.

I wouldn't want to see the Ducks until the final round. If we were to beat them, we'd then have to face San Jose after a grueling series.

Then again, none of this really matters, because no one 2 years ago thought that Edmonton would be a tough matchup for the Wings, with a young team, and an old goalie who never amounted to anything. I'll be happy to take a 1st round win against anyone right now, whether we play the Ducks in the 2nd round or not.

[eva unit zero 271]

A little off topic:

A few days ago on 'NHL Live' - they talked briefly on the playoff format; hinting maybe the league should have the 16 teams play in the order they finished the regular season ie - 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15, 3 vs 14, etc, etc.

I like it - what do you guys/gals think?

The problem with a 1v16 format is travel. If you match 1v16, 2v15, and so on...sometimes the higher seed will have a horrible travel situation, not unlike what the Wings face every year in the Western Conference.

I had an interesting thought on this topic actually.

The six division winners and two at-large teams are the "Top Eight." The next eight highest teams are the "Bottom eight."

The Top Eight are seeded 1-8 on points, and are then allowed to select their opponent from the Bottom Eight, in seed order. This would provide the teams that finish well the ability to choose a favorable playoff matchup, but allows teams that do well but do not finish first in a strong division to still achieve the same reward. For example, it's conceivable that the top three seeds could be from the same division in a year where that division's teams dominate everyone else.

[Guest F I G H T]

I want to play the ducks, they make for the best games ive seen this year.. The ducks bring the best out of our boys.. I mean come on.. where else can you see Franzen cross checking someone? and Cleary getting pumbled? and Kopecky getting hit with his head down a repeated amount of times?

[wingnut4013 12]

I really wannna face the ducks in the playoffs this year because I want the wings to beat them this time. The ducks got sooooooo lucky last year that it was pathetic. That goal they scored with 47 seconds left in game 5 shouldn't have even went in the net and the wings should have won that game 1-0. In fact, they should have won the cup last year but the ducks got lucky against us and lucked out again in the finals. I really want to face them in the playoffs this year so we can actually beat them this time.

GO WINGS!!!

[FrozenPuck 0]

San Jose has come a LONG way since the Campbell trade. I'd take them as favorites over Anaheim at this point. They really look like a team playing loose and full of confidence.

[therock48880 14]

I believe in a seven game series a team makes its own luck. The "lucky" argument against the Wings is debatable and one that's been discussed several times on here, but there was nothing lucky about the Stanley Cup Finals. Unless you consider it luck when a team physically dominates another team.

[Zion 93]

I really wannna face the ducks in the playoffs this year because I want the wings to beat them this time. The ducks got sooooooo lucky last year that it was pathetic. That goal they scored with 47 seconds left in game 5 shouldn't have even went in the net and the wings should have won that game 1-0. In fact, they should have won the cup last year but the ducks got lucky against us and lucked out again in the finals. I really want to face them in the playoffs this year so we can actually beat them this time.

GO WINGS!!!

The Wings should have scored more than one goal in that game if they wanted to win it. Anytime you carry a one goal lead, you leave yourself open to exactly what happened. Playoffs always seem to work out that way.

And there was NOTHING lucky about the way Anaheim handed Ottawa their asses in the SCF.

[RedWingedKitten 9]

The Wings have the tools to beat the Ducks, which is why I would like to meet them in the playoffs. However, if the Ducks were to be eliminated early I wouldn't be too sad.

Edited March 27, 2008 by RedWingedKitten

[clayjoh 3]

I really wannna face the ducks in the playoffs this year because I want the wings to beat them this time. The ducks got sooooooo lucky last year that it was pathetic. That goal they scored with 47 seconds left in game 5 shouldn't have even went in the net and the wings should have won that game 1-0. In fact, they should have won the cup last year but the ducks got lucky against us and lucked out again in the finals. I really want to face them in the playoffs this year so we can actually beat them this time.

GO WINGS!!!

Yes that game 5 still bugs me cause we had them ! Wasn't it a phantom interference or hooking call to Datsuk that led to the tying goal?I think the whole team remembers that game/incident and have played the whole season largely to get another shot at those plumbers from Anaheim

[Guest nutz2u]

Regardless of which round we play the Sucks, first on the agenda is for Mac or Downey to take chickens*** Pronger out. Too bad it had to be Fischer with the bad heart and not that piece of s***.

[40#1Fan 0]

Duckies injuries are also mounting up:

Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf did not play against the Kings because of injuries as they join forwards Corey Perry and Ryan Carter and defenseman Chris Pronger on the sidelines. Giguere is still bothered by back spasms that flared up Friday night in San Jose before their loss to the Sharks, and Getzlaf strained his shoulder during the third period when he hit San Jose center Joe Pavelski. - LA Times

[heyfolks 8]

Ideally the Wings want short series, with minimal travel (come on Nashville!) AND for the Ducks to play the Sharks before either gets to Detroit.

[BeatDown20 0]

The Ducks may not even get the 4th seed. They have to play Dallas and San Jose a couple more times this year, and are without Pronger, Perry, Giguere and Getzlaf.

As for the playoffs, if were healthy, we can beat anyone in the West.