Round 1: Wings vs. Predators

[superstarsingh 23]

I have not read the whole thread but when do the Wings play on the 12th? Is it an afternoon affair because of NBC or will it be at 7? I am not too sure if the Wings even know this yet but hey, just wonderin...

My prediction as biased as it is, could well be true. Wings in 4 or 5 max.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I'm not understanding the lack of confidence in the Wings either. Yeah the last two months haven't been all that well, but how can you honestly completely pin that on them with the injuries they have gone through? Take out that many KEY players from any team and I can almost guarantee they'd not fair very well either. It happens. Also as far as the last couple weeks are concerned *which they've done pretty well* you can't blame them for not being up for games against teams like the Jackets, Hawks, Blues..etc.. they pretty much had everything in the bag and most teams are just waiting for the playoffs to start and could care less about the meaningless games remaining. Not saying that's the way they should go about it, but you gotta think that's a reason for their sluggish starts recently.

Anyways, we are talking about the Red Wings here. This team is even better than last years and we saw what they could do last post season. I have no doubt in my mind that come Thursday night they'll be the powerhouse Red Wings team that we know and love. They'll make great plays, they'll score beautiful timely goals, they'll go to the net, they'll crash and bang, they'll get great goaltending, and most importantly they will win. Not sure about the rest of you, but I sure as hell have confidence and faith in our Wings and I don't see why anyone wouldn't.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I have not read the whole thread but when do the Wings play on the 12th? Is it an afternoon affair because of NBC or will it be at 7? I am not too sure if the Wings even know this yet but hey, just wonderin...

My prediction as biased as it is, could well be true. Wings in 4 or 5 max.

Game 2 is at night. 7 or 7:30

[hamip1998 3]

As much as I hate to admit it, I have gained some respect for the Preds after they way that they have fought through all of the adversity this season.

The Wings should take this team, but it could be a tight series. Even if we (God forbid) get bounced, I can't conceive that the Preds would make it past either the Sharks or the Ducks if it came down to it.

I honestly, at this point if it wouldn't screw so much with team chemistry, would like to see some of the kids dress rather than Hudler or McCarty. I love D-Mac as much as anyone, but I haven't been impressed. This is about winning, not nostalgia.

If we are strong between the pipes, we take it in 5.

Edited April 5, 2008 by hamip1998

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

If you are afraid of the Preds, you must be afraid of the other 6 WC teams. Of the 7 other playoff teams, the Preds are easily the weakest.

1 & 2 would be Sharks and ducks

3 would be Stars

4-6 would be Avs, Wild and Flames

7 would be Preds

Who exactly AREN'T you afraid of? The Kings?

Our record against the rest of those teams is better in comparison to the preds.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Wait a minute. In a goaltending war you are picking Ellis over Hasek/Osgood. You aren't serious are you?

I'm sure thats what everyone said about Roloson in 2006 too...And Giguere in 2004...And Ward in 2005..Ellis definitely has the potential to be the best goaltender in this series.

[2probert4 8]

GAME ON!

hello folks, you were wondering when the preds fans would show up.. and here I am. I could scream "IM NOT A TROLL" all day and you wouldnt believe me so I will just have to let my posts do the talking. I am a regular poster on the Preds boards under the same name, so i am not just some noob getting on the boards at playoff time..

anyway, I wanted to give you my perspective on the upcoming series..

Wings should of course be heavy favorites, but we have played you guys close all year, so it shouldnt be a cake walk. Lots of Preds fans are just happy to be in the playoffs at all after all that happened this last year but there is also almost a feeling of destiny about this team so we'll see..

Several things will determine whether the preds make a competitive series out of it or not.

First and foremost is goaltending. Trotz has finally settled on Ellis as our starter.. the thing is, it appears he is either unbeatable or a complete seive, with no middle ground. In the last eight games he played he had 3 shutouts, and was pulled in the first period three times. If we consistently get the "good" Ellis, we will be in decent shape.

Second is discipline. We actually owned the Wings 5-on-5 this year. I forget the ridiculous number of PP goals you guys scored on us but needless to say if we make our usual playoff parade to the box, we're hosed. Our own PP is crap so we will have limited ability to recover from deficits if we give you guys PP chances early.

David Legwand still hasnt returned from a deep bone bruise to the foot. If he is back in time for the series, it will make our forecheck and our PK much more effective, plus make it harder to defend just one line of ours by making our second line more of ascoring threat.

lastly, all the Tootoo hate is a little outdated. He plays a much different game this season, actually being responsible and scoring a little, and most games only going for the big hit if the game situation calls for it. And whoever said he wont fight is just wrong. toots will fight anyone.. but of course he'd rather goad you into taking a penalty.. I know you dont like him, but if the Wings focus on him as much as the fans do, he will have done his job splendidly.

Here's to a good series, and good hockey talk rather than a trollfest.

Tootoo only fights people he thinks he can beat. This "Tootoo fights anyone" is crap. Downey has tried 3 times to get him to dance, with Tootoo having nothing to do with it. Ive seen Brashear tap the back of his legs with the stick (yeah thats a mismatch) but Tootoo said no. Bernier from Buffalo tried to get him to go, no dice. I've seen Jody Shelley try his luck at it, same thing. But he is not a heavyweight and shouldn't be fighting those guys unless he wants pounded. I think Downey and Tootoo would be a good fight.

[Jwo 7]

I have not read the whole thread but when do the Wings play on the 12th? Is it an afternoon affair because of NBC or will it be at 7? I am not too sure if the Wings even know this yet but hey, just wonderin...

My prediction as biased as it is, could well be true. Wings in 4 or 5 max.

NBC announced the Game is at 2pm on NBC.

[kylee 727]

Nashville does seem to be a sleeper team. no disrespect to them or their fans but A LOT would have to go wrong for the Wings and a lot must go right for the Preds for them to bounce us.

i dont know what to expect from this series, but i feel i am confident in saying that the Wings will take it regardless. my reasoning is this:

last year 1st round the Wings played the Flames and many people predicted an upset simply because calgary was the big beast from the Canadian west and they forechecked hard and had a very talented goalie in Kipper and a big time scorer in Iginla.

The Wings took care of business in that series and bounced them in 6 games. in my opinion, the Red Wings are much better than the team that bounced the Flames just last year and i believe that the Flames are better than the Predators we're up against. with this in mind, i do however think that the Preds are capable of stealing a game because of Ellis, but if Hasek goes into the playoffs the way he has left the regular season, i think its very possible the Preds get steamrolled.

thats the beauty of the playoffs... well see.

[voldemort82 0]

A message to Nashville fans that are going be posting here.

We are not carpetbaggers. So please do not call us that.

Thanks.

- The State of Michigan residents and all of Red Wings Nation.

trust me we know what carpetbaggers are... those of you still IN Michigan arent the issue... the ones who now live in TN and show up at the Sommet Center in RW garb, are most definitely carpetbaggers

[voldemort82 0]

BRING IT ON, NASHVILLE!!!!

It makes me sick to see their stupid fans clapping and pointing their fingers to Rock n' Roll - Part 2 (which should never be played, you pedophile supporters) and chanting "Hey! You suck", when they score a goal or win a game.

This franchise simply should not exist. The Detroit Red Wings need to end their season and keep what little dignity the NHL has left thanks to the failed experiment that is the Sunbelt Expansion.

see its ****wads like you that ruin good hockey talk. The pedophile support thing is just stupid, and a whole lot of other venues play it as well.

just be glad when your team sucked for year after year nobody decided to move or contract you..

[voldemort82 0]

Tootoo only fights people he thinks he can beat. This "Tootoo fights anyone" is crap. Downey has tried 3 times to get him to dance, with Tootoo having nothing to do with it. Ive seen Brashear tap the back of his legs with the stick (yeah thats a mismatch) but Tootoo said no. Bernier from Buffalo tried to get him to go, no dice. I've seen Jody Shelley try his luck at it, same thing. But he is not a heavyweight and shouldn't be fighting those guys unless he wants pounded. I think Downey and Tootoo would be a good fight.

Im telling you if toots doesnt go its most often because Trotz has told him not to. Trotz only turns toots and hordichuk loose in situations where it will help.. otherwise they are muzzled... much to our dismay.

[Shaman 713]

I like the wings chances...So long as we play a good defensive game limit Nashville's chances to score, and hasek doesn't get bored we can easily take this series in 5. That being said, we play a disjointed game or hasek does what he does best and decide hes bored and wants to make some excitement, this could go 6 or 7 games easily. Heres to a good series, and to 16 more Ws this season.

[WingFanInStarLand 0]

I think alot of the people who watch Nashville know that they are better than most people think...Their blueline flies under the radar, but its one of the most balanced in the league. Weber is the guy that gets all the headlines, and deservedly so, but I really love Dan Hamhuis (sp). He's very solid defensively, and I think D/Z will see alot of him and the steady Greg Zanon (also underrated). Round those guys out with the solid De Vries, Suter and either Zidlicky or Koistonen...not a bad top 6.

JP Dumont has had a great year, but without Legwand, the Predators offensive depth will be tested. I'm sure Trotz wants to keep the series low scoring and will play alot like he did on the 30th...

Here are my keys to the series:

1. Score First-This means more to them than to us, but they cant afford to try to come from behind. If they have to open it up, our counter attack and transition game will kill them. If they score first, it certainly isn't a death knell, but it will make it more difficult for our skill guys.

2. GO.To.The.Net-This was incredibly frustrating on the 30th (last Sunday)...we had chances to take shots from the slot but we passed them up to pass to an open player on the wing who then tried to force a pass through a bevy of sticks into the middle (which were intercepted and turned the other way) or took a low percentage shot that was easily stopped. The number of times Flip (even tho I love him) passes the puck out of the slot for a perimeter shots makes me angry. The same with Z and his tendency to be so patient that he outwaits himself. I know thats our game sometimes, but try to diversify.

3. I think this strategy will expose Ellis. In the limited number of times i've seen him, he seems more like a puck blocker than a puck stopper...there will be rebounds, and some high shots will go thru him..as we saw on the 20th. However, he appears to be pretty good on the side to side action and covered the bottom of the net well...(damn you Hudler). The more we crash the net and score early in the series, the more his confidence will wilt. This is the recipe for ending the series quickly.

4. Dman-watch behind you. Nashville has been able to get several breakaways against us this year, moreso than others, so always be aware of where you are on the ice.

Let Dom be Dom-The league is already proclaiming we can't win with our two goaltenders and I couldn't disagree more. Yes, I wish Hasek would close his 5 hole quicker than he has in some games and yes there will be the ocassional soft goal he gives up...but he will also make some clutch saves. He's a nutcase, but his demeanor works so well under playoff pressure that I believe in him, and after last year's playoffs the team did to. They still do. That intangible will prove invaluable as we move forward, and I think Hasek will be just fine. If not...I have confidence in Ozzy too.

Bottom line, I say the Wings win a hard series in 6 games.

*end Book*

Edited April 6, 2008 by WingFanInStarLand

[Nicholonio 9]

LOL Predators.

Seriously you guys, we're going to sweep or win in 5. Les be serious already, c'mon...

[2probert4 8]

Im telling you if toots doesnt go its most often because Trotz has told him not to. Trotz only turns toots and hordichuk loose in situations where it will help.. otherwise they are muzzled... much to our dismay.

I know Count Trotzula has kept the leash on him, but he still picks his spots. He has cost you guys in the past series with SJ with some bad penalties. Hordichuk has been around long enough to know when its a good time to throw down. If someone takes liberties with his teammates though, he gets the green light , so does 22.

[Aki 0]

When is Game 1 anyways?

[ilmickeyli 40]

When is Game 1 anyways?

April 10

[theman19 47]

trust me we know what carpetbaggers are... those of you still IN Michigan arent the issue... the ones who now live in TN and show up at the Sommet Center in RW garb, are most definitely carpetbaggers

You can't seriously be angry at the fact that red wings fans show up to your arena can you? Seriously, out of the 30 NHL teams, this happens to a good 30% of them. Just be glad you're not a yotes fan. When we play them it's like a home game.

[IceMunkee 15]

If you are afraid of the Preds, you must be afraid of the other 6 WC teams. Of the 7 other playoff teams, the Preds are easily the weakest.

1 & 2 would be Sharks and ducks

3 would be Stars

4-6 would be Avs, Wild and Flames

7 would be Preds

Who exactly AREN'T you afraid of? The Kings?

I think he is trying to say that the situation, hype and the positioning definitly sets the tone for an upset. Just to point out, I think he is partially right. How many times in sports history do fans have to see upsets until the find it happens... Alot. More so in hockey then any other sport.

I definitly am not saying that the wings will lose. I am cautious.

Example: Washington is the worse team in the East to grace the playoff's and everyone is on thier g-strings....

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

I think he is trying to say that the situation, hype and the positioning definitly sets the tone for an upset. Just to point out, I think he is partially right. How many times in sports history do fans have to see upsets until the find it happens... Alot. More so in hockey then any other sport.

I definitly am not saying that the wings will lose. I am cautious.

Example: Washington is the worse team in the East to grace the playoff's and everyone is on thier g-strings....

Yeah, for the record, I picked the Wings to win in 7. I honestly think it's going to be a close series, and if the Preds win it won't surprise me at all.

[Rivalred 630]

It should be a good series...... I think the Wings will win the series in 6, but the games will be close.

[IceMunkee 15]

trust me we know what carpetbaggers are... those of you still IN Michigan arent the issue... the ones who now live in TN and show up at the Sommet Center in RW garb, are most definitely carpetbaggers

Haha. This is amusing. You hate that for the first couple of years other teams fans made your teams money. I go to the Gaylord, oh sorry you had to rename your arena already, Sommet Center probably more times then most of the fans in the building. I would go in my Wings "garb" and see everyone's mint condition, brand new jersey's strutting around barely knowing what a blueline is. The fans have come along way but I remember going to games and half the arena was empty and the half that filled it half of them were wings fans. I did not move down to TN when the Michigan auto companies decided to move plants down there to stimulate the economy for TN. Believe me we wish they would shut down plants and move back. I was stationed at Ft Campbell and went down every chance I could for a game. I used to take a trip to a game once or twice a season until last year. My wife and I were treated so badily that I am not sure she would go back. Then some punks tried to fight us on the street next to broadway for having wings jersey's on and I asked them to name three players on the Preds and they were stuck...

[IceMunkee 15]

I think alot of the people who watch Nashville know that they are better than most people think...Their blueline flies under the radar, but its one of the most balanced in the league. Weber is the guy that gets all the headlines, and deservedly so, but I really love Dan Hamhuis (sp). He's very solid defensively, and I think D/Z will see alot of him and the steady Greg Zanon (also underrated). Round those guys out with the solid De Vries, Suter and either Zidlicky or Koistonen...not a bad top 6.

JP Dumont has had a great year, but without Legwand, the Predators offensive depth will be tested. I'm sure Trotz wants to keep the series low scoring and will play alot like he did on the 30th...

Here are my keys to the series:

1. Score First-This means more to them than to us, but they cant afford to try to come from behind. If they have to open it up, our counter attack and transition game will kill them. If they score first, it certainly isn't a death knell, but it will make it more difficult for our skill guys.

2. GO.To.The.Net-This was incredibly frustrating on the 30th (last Sunday)...we had chances to take shots from the slot but we passed them up to pass to an open player on the wing who then tried to force a pass through a bevy of sticks into the middle (which were intercepted and turned the other way) or took a low percentage shot that was easily stopped. The number of times Flip (even tho I love him) passes the puck out of the slot for a perimeter shots makes me angry. The same with Z and his tendency to be so patient that he outwaits himself. I know thats our game sometimes, but try to diversify.

3. I think this strategy will expose Ellis. In the limited number of times i've seen him, he seems more like a puck blocker than a puck stopper...there will be rebounds, and some high shots will go thru him..as we saw on the 20th. However, he appears to be pretty good on the side to side action and covered the bottom of the net well...(damn you Hudler). The more we crash the net and score early in the series, the more his confidence will wilt. This is the recipe for ending the series quickly.

4. Dman-watch behind you. Nashville has been able to get several breakaways against us this year, moreso than others, so always be aware of where you are on the ice.

Let Dom be Dom-The league is already proclaiming we can't win with our two goaltenders and I couldn't disagree more. Yes, I wish Hasek would close his 5 hole quicker than he has in some games and yes there will be the ocassional soft goal he gives up...but he will also make some clutch saves. He's a nutcase, but his demeanor works so well under playoff pressure that I believe in him, and after last year's playoffs the team did to. They still do. That intangible will prove invaluable as we move forward, and I think Hasek will be just fine. If not...I have confidence in Ozzy too.

Bottom line, I say the Wings win a hard series in 6 games.

*end Book*

Good point... I was going to read the rest after seeing the start then saw it was as long as the Bible and got scared.

[puckloo39 5,686]

I can't believe Nashville fans call Tootoo "Toots"