Will You Be Surprised If We Lose?

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

The Wings, on the other hand, have to pass it 7383 times before shooting into an open net.

actually, i think it's up to 7384 now. babs has got them working overtime.

[RainingBlood 8]

I will be stunned.

Anyone who hates homers can put me on ignore right now.

This is my team, and I believe in them until the bitter end. We have a whole roster of guys that have come through at various times in the season. What we need is for all of them to pull it together and all play like they have when they were hot. We have the talent. We need the drive.

It can be done, and I believe it will.

Thats not a homer, thats believe in the Redwings. Im sure the same person that made this topic was the same person who threw his redwing jersey on the floor in 2002 when the redwings had a rough time with Vancouver, and lost game 1 in ot the the cains. This team will pull through. Im not sweatin till the redwings are down by a goal with 1 minute to the down in the series 3-2. Till then chill the f*** out and watch hockey.

Edited April 17, 2008 by RainingBlood

[Superman54 91]

Suprised............No

Pissed off..........Yes

[OsGOD 3]

Babacock as head coach= No Sergei. But to reply to the topic at hand nothing really suprises me anymore. But when its all said and done Detroit should come out on top. This team was 2 wins from the finals last year, and would have been 1 win away if Lilja didnt hand feed the game to the ducks in game 5. Dont give up on this team yet. If you do, sell your colors on ebay, and start watching the badmitten world championships

I tried nobody wants to buy these colors... damn red and white

[Hank 0]

I will be stunned.

Anyone who hates homers can put me on ignore right now.

This is my team, and I believe in them until the bitter end. We have a whole roster of guys that have come through at various times in the season. What we need is for all of them to pull it together and all play like they have when they were hot. We have the talent. We need the drive.

It can be done, and I believe it will.

I appreciate your loyalty.

But I think you pointed out the issue in your own post:

"We have a whole roster of guys that have come through at various times in the season."

Too many players are playing like it's still the regular season. I think half this roster still hasn't grasped what's needed to win in the playoffs.

With the departure of Lang and Bertuzzi players like Filpulla and Franzen were expected to fill the void. Especially since Holland did absolutely nothing to fill it himself.

Franzen played very well in the first two but I'd have to check the gamelog to see if he even made the trip to Nashville. And Filpulla? Not even an 'Amber Alert' could help locate this kid. He's been a disgrace so far. I know he's inexperienced but so are a lot of other first time players who are performing head and shoulders better than him.

If Holland really believed that Filp was going to help this team in the postseason as a top 6 foward he should be fired on that belief alone. He's been so bad that I would even prefer Sammuelsson on the ice than him.

[Superman54 91]

I also think if we go out first round....Hollland really needs to make a push for a #1 Goalie..........THAT ISNT OVER 35 YEARS OLD

[Superman54 91]

except if its Kolzig.....then im completly fine by that!!!

[RainingBlood 8]

I tried nobody wants to buy these colors... damn red and white

I think they have the best colors in the league

[jvxp 0]

I, honestly, never expect to beat any team in a playoff series. Sure, I think we should beat certain teams, and that we are capable of beating any team in a series, but I NEVER expect it. After the Ducks Debacle in 03, and the Oilers in 06 I learned that the Wings (any version of them) can be beaten by any team over the course of 7 games (or 4).

But if we were to lose to the Preds in this series will you be genuinely surprised?

Nope, it will not suprise me if we lose this series.

We're like the 95 team, all the talent but lack the size and toughness.

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

Suprised............No

Pissed off..........Yes

yeah, that about sums er up.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

I'd be more than surprised, I'd be disgusted. NO way should we lose to Nashville.

[RainingBlood 8]

I also think if we go out first round....Hollland really needs to make a push for a #1 Goalie..........THAT ISNT OVER 35 YEARS OLD

well the cap is going up this year, but they have to worry about resiging some key guys like Zetterberg.

[OsGOD 3]

I think they have the best colors in the league

I also think my baseball card is worth $5000...but if nobody is willing to buy it whats it really worth?

[Hank 0]

well the cap is going up this year, but they have to worry about resiging some key guys like Zetterberg.

That's the problem. Instead of giving Rafalski $6M he should have saved for a goaltender.

Huet will probably want between $5-6M.

Because we have so much money (or will have) invested in Dats, Zetts, Lids and Rafalski, people will have to live with the fact that Osgood (or goalies similar to him) and Howard will be our tandem for many years to come.

As smart as Holland is, he's failed to realise that goalies are the most important position in playoff hockey. And yet, this is just another area Kenny has failed to address successfully time and time again.

[zenway9 1]

The Predators play like they have nothing to lose...that is a driving force for any team. The Red Wings just seem to feel entitled to advance without any kind of challenge in the playoffs. I have been thinking about all the injuries earlier this year and the constant flow of different players in and out of the team during the season.

Another big issue is the uncertainty of who the starting goalie will be all the time. Hasek just doesn't seem to have that hunger he used to. I truly think that goaltending should be the main topic of concern this offseason...big money will have to be dealt to pick up a steady #1 goalie that can be counted on night to night.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk cannot carry this team. Guys like Sammy and Huds HAVE TO START SCORING....PERIOD.

Next season, some hard facts need to be faced...Chelios, Hasek, and Sammy have to go. Oh, and the idea of McCarty being the second F'n coming for this team needs to go.

To answer the question, NO i would not be surprised at all if we lost this series. I am a very very dedicated Wings fan, however the elitist, entitled feeling that the Wings have has got to go.

[RainingBlood 8]

That's the problem. Instead of giving Rafalski $6M he should have saved for a goaltender.

Huet will probably want between $5-6M.

Because we have so much money (or will have) invested in Dats, Zetts, Lids and Rafalski, people will have to live with the fact that Osgood (or goalies similar to him) and Howard will be our tandem for many years to come.

As smart as Holland is, he's failed to realise that goalies are the most important position in playoff hockey. And yet, this is just another area Kenny has failed to address successfully time and time again.

No the real problem is that he gave money to guys like Lilja. After his boner in the WCF game 5 last year, I would have demoted him to janitor at the Joe, and paid him 7.50 an hour.

[OsGOD 3]

No the real problem is that he gave money to guys like Lilja. After his boner in the WCF game 5 last year, I would have demoted him to janitor at the Joe, and paid him 7.50 an hour.

Dude why should he get more than the rest???

[calfan 0]

Long-winded monologue alert

I should probably go with the short answer , but here goes.

Why would you be? Firstly, there's your record in the playoffs since 2002. Secondly, this is (supposedly) the era of parity. Thirdly, the majority here get all bent out of shape when the talking heads don't give the Wings the respect you feel they deserve - don't you think that just maybe they might have some clue what they are talking about? Fourth, didn't the Preds win some of the games against the Wings this season?

Having said that, GIVE YOUR HEADS A SHAKE. YOU'VE LOST TWO GAMES. BIG FLIPPING DEAL! You were in exactly the same position last year in the first round, won the next two and eventually lost in the WCF to the eventual Cup winners. Hardly time to panic. I can't believe the content on the site today - "would you be surprised", "should Holland be fired" "do we need a new captain". Disney couldn't control the queue for this bandwagon.

Some myths that need bebunking:

Despite having a great statistical year, your goaltending is not world-class. Those stats say more about the team than the goaltenders. They are (both - sorry OsGod) weaknesses to be exploited. Most of the teams the Wings are going to face in the playoffs have better goaltending. You're just struggling with Dan Ellis currently. In the wings (no pun intended) are Kipper, Nabby, Giggy, Price, Brodeur, etc. And yes, I mean in the wings because I don't see the Preds moving on.

"we're way more talented" than the Preds/rest of league. Really? Hands down you have the best dman in the league - and then you fall off a cliff. You may have seen these guys all year and have an appreciation for what they can do, but the majority of the fans on other teams in the playoffs would be hard-pressed to name your next 5 let alone concede they are better/more talented than their own team. You have 2 of the top ten scorers in the league, no doubt. Too bad they play best as a single line. You have 4 of the top 100 scorers in the league. Same number as Nashville by the way. Once I get past Zets, Dats and Lids, who is the "talent" how are they way better than say Tanguay, Nolan and Conroy, or the second line for Pittsburg or the Ducks or the Canadiens? Now, put it all together and you have the number 1 team in the league and a team that was top 3 in most of the important categories (except PK). There is no doubt the Wings are one hell of a TEAM.

The fact is that the regular season and the playoffs are completely different games. For most of the regular season teams jockey for position, but with an eye to saving it for the playoffs and playing at a pace that suits 82 games. The playoffs are 4 games. You have to win the next 4 games. After 4 have been played you have to win at most the next 3 games or 2 or 1 and then you have to win 4 games again - or shoot lower than your handicap. As a result, a lot of players and teams step up their game. They're faster, hit harder, etc etc. They do what it takes to win. Other players and teams don't get worse, they just don't elevate their game as much or they don't do what made them successful in the first place. Individual players start trying to do too much (hello Dion Phaneuf) instead of just playing their role on the team. It doesn't take much for one player to negate everyone else on the ice. The confident pass on the tape that is suddenly in the feet, the failure to keep that perfect spacing as a unit going up or coming back. The forward who in his eagerness to thwart the rush goes deep with the puck carrier creating the open slot for that killer pass to the open man.

I think that is what is happening to the Wings. They are not playing that complete team game they did through the regular season. They need to refocus on their individual roles on this team and stick to that role. Calm down, play the killer team game. To me the reason for the Wings success is that their style leads to impatience on the part of the opposition - impatience leads to bad decisions and bad decisions lead to Wings goals.

Stop worrying and just enjoy the game. I don't think the Wings will win the Cup, but I think they'll beat the Preds. There's lots of hockey left to play.

I'm outta here.

:burnout:

Edited April 17, 2008 by calfan

[OsGOD 3]

Long-winded monologue alert

I should probably go with the short answer , but here goes.

Why would you be? Firstly, there's your record in the playoffs since 2002. Secondly, this is (supposedly) the era of parity. Thirdly, the majority here get all bent out of shape when the talking heads don't give the Wings the respect you feel they deserve - don't you think that just maybe they might have some clue what they are talking about? Fourth, didn't the Preds win some of the games against the Wings this season?

Having said that, GIVE YOUR HEADS A SHAKE. YOU'VE LOST TWO GAMES. BIG FLIPPING DEAL! You were in exactly the same position last year in the first round, won the next two and eventually lost in the WCF to the eventual Cup winners. Hardly time to panic. I can't believe the content on the site today - "would you be surprised", "should Holland be fired" "do we need a new captain". Disney couldn't control the queue for this bandwagon.

Some myths that need bebunking:

Despite having a great statistical year, your goaltending is not world-class. Those stats say more about the team than the goaltenders. They are (both - sorry OsGod) weaknesses to be exploited. Most of the teams the Wings are going to face in the playoffs have better goaltending. You're just struggling with Dan Ellis currently. In the wings (no pun intended) are Kipper, Nabby, Giggy, Price, Brodeur, etc. And yes, I mean in the wings because I don't see the Preds moving on.

"we're way more talented" than the Preds/rest of league. Really? Hands down you have the best dman in the league - and then you fall off a cliff. You may have seen these guys all year and have an appreciation for what they can do, but the majority of the fans on other teams in the playoffs would be hard-pressed to name your next 5 let alone concede they are better/more talented than their own team. You have 2 of the top ten scorers in the league, no doubt. Too bad they play best as a single line. You have 4 of the top 100 scorers in the league. Same number as Nashville by the way. Once I get past Zets, Dats and Lids, who is the "talent" how are they way better than say Tanguay, Nolan and Conroy, or the second line for Pittsburg or the Ducks or the Canadiens? Now, put it all together and you have the number 1 team in the league and a team that was top 3 in most of the important categories (except PK). There is no doubt the Wings are one hell of a TEAM.

The fact is that the regular season and the playoffs are completely different games. For most of the regular season teams jockey for position, but with an eye to saving it for the playoffs and playing at a pace that suits 82 games. The playoffs are 4 games. You have to win the next 4 games. After 4 have been played you have to win at most the next 3 games or 2 or 1 and then you have to win 4 games again - or shoot lower than your handicap. As a result, a lot of players and teams step up their game. They're faster, hit harder, etc etc. They do what it takes to win. Other players and teams don't get worse, they just don't elevate their game as much or they don't do what made them successful in the first place. Individual players start trying to do too much (hello Dion Phaneuf) instead of just playing their role on the team. It doesn't take much for one player to negate everyone else on the ice. The confident pass on the tape that is suddenly in the feet, the failure to keep that perfect spacing as a unit going up or coming back. The forward who in his eagerness to thwart the rush goes deep with the puck carrier creating the open slot for that killer pass to the open man.

I think that is what is happening to the Wings. They are not playing that complete team game they did through the regular season. They need to refocus on their individual roles on this team and stick to that role. Calm down, play the killer team game. To me the reason for the Wings success is that their style leads to impatience on the part of the opposition - impatience leads to bad decisions and bad decisions lead to Wings goals.

Stop worrying and just enjoy the game. I don't think the Wings will win the Cup, but I think they'll beat the Preds. There's lots of hockey left to play.

I'm outta here.

:burnout:

Maybe not world class but one of our goalies is the best in the NHL this season... and remained SOLID when playing over half the game he was brought in for... cold... What weakness of Ozzies was exploited in his playoff appearance? i must have blinked.

Edited April 17, 2008 by OsGOD

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I would be shocked.

I fully expect the Red Wings to dominate game five, and end the series in Nashville.

Then again, I could be forcing myself to think that, since every thread I read is trying to convince me the Red Wings are done already.

[calfan 0]

Maybe not world class but one of our goalies is the best in the NHL this season... and remained SOLID when playing over half the game he was brought in for... cold... What weakness of Ozzies was exploited in his playoff appearance? i must have blinked.

He's prone too bad/weak goals at inopportune times. He benefited from a well planned approach to team defence. I didn't see much of him in the regular season, but I think its fair to say he wasn't relied upon to steal many games. My point remains, as the Wings go on, the edge in goaltending will usually lie with the other team.

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

Long-winded monologue alert

I should probably go with the short answer , but here goes.

Why would you be? Firstly, there's your record in the playoffs since 2002. Secondly, this is (supposedly) the era of parity. Thirdly, the majority here get all bent out of shape when the talking heads don't give the Wings the respect you feel they deserve - don't you think that just maybe they might have some clue what they are talking about? Fourth, didn't the Preds win some of the games against the Wings this season?

Having said that, GIVE YOUR HEADS A SHAKE. YOU'VE LOST TWO GAMES. BIG FLIPPING DEAL! You were in exactly the same position last year in the first round, won the next two and eventually lost in the WCF to the eventual Cup winners. Hardly time to panic. I can't believe the content on the site today - "would you be surprised", "should Holland be fired" "do we need a new captain". Disney couldn't control the queue for this bandwagon.

Some myths that need bebunking:

Despite having a great statistical year, your goaltending is not world-class. Those stats say more about the team than the goaltenders. They are (both - sorry OsGod) weaknesses to be exploited. Most of the teams the Wings are going to face in the playoffs have better goaltending. You're just struggling with Dan Ellis currently. In the wings (no pun intended) are Kipper, Nabby, Giggy, Price, Brodeur, etc. And yes, I mean in the wings because I don't see the Preds moving on.

"we're way more talented" than the Preds/rest of league. Really? Hands down you have the best dman in the league - and then you fall off a cliff. You may have seen these guys all year and have an appreciation for what they can do, but the majority of the fans on other teams in the playoffs would be hard-pressed to name your next 5 let alone concede they are better/more talented than their own team. You have 2 of the top ten scorers in the league, no doubt. Too bad they play best as a single line. You have 4 of the top 100 scorers in the league. Same number as Nashville by the way. Once I get past Zets, Dats and Lids, who is the "talent" how are they way better than say Tanguay, Nolan and Conroy, or the second line for Pittsburg or the Ducks or the Canadiens? Now, put it all together and you have the number 1 team in the league and a team that was top 3 in most of the important categories (except PK). There is no doubt the Wings are one hell of a TEAM.

The fact is that the regular season and the playoffs are completely different games. For most of the regular season teams jockey for position, but with an eye to saving it for the playoffs and playing at a pace that suits 82 games. The playoffs are 4 games. You have to win the next 4 games. After 4 have been played you have to win at most the next 3 games or 2 or 1 and then you have to win 4 games again - or shoot lower than your handicap. As a result, a lot of players and teams step up their game. They're faster, hit harder, etc etc. They do what it takes to win. Other players and teams don't get worse, they just don't elevate their game as much or they don't do what made them successful in the first place. Individual players start trying to do too much (hello Dion Phaneuf) instead of just playing their role on the team. It doesn't take much for one player to negate everyone else on the ice. The confident pass on the tape that is suddenly in the feet, the failure to keep that perfect spacing as a unit going up or coming back. The forward who in his eagerness to thwart the rush goes deep with the puck carrier creating the open slot for that killer pass to the open man.

I think that is what is happening to the Wings. They are not playing that complete team game they did through the regular season. They need to refocus on their individual roles on this team and stick to that role. Calm down, play the killer team game. To me the reason for the Wings success is that their style leads to impatience on the part of the opposition - impatience leads to bad decisions and bad decisions lead to Wings goals.

Stop worrying and just enjoy the game. I don't think the Wings will win the Cup, but I think they'll beat the Preds. There's lots of hockey left to play.

I'm outta here.

:burnout:

wow. good post.

[zenway9 1]

All I know is that Friday night I'm gonna get lit, throw on the Pantera "Walk", throw on the Z#40 jersey, and root like F*** for the Red Wings!

[OsGOD 3]

He's prone too bad/weak goals at inopportune times. He benefited from a well planned approach to team defence. I didn't see much of him in the regular season, but I think its fair to say he wasn't relied upon to steal many games. My point remains, as the Wings go on, the edge in goaltending will usually lie with the other team.

I thought the defense is what f***ed dom up last night? Same team for and against when ozzie was put in yet he made more saves on less shots...

Every goalie is PRONE to bad/weak goals its absurd to say other wise

People were creaming over Toskola just a few short months ago... and then look at what he did?!?!?!

Edited April 17, 2008 by OsGOD

[wingsgirl001 983]

Yes, actually, I WOULD be surprised. We can beat this team, I have no doubts about that.