Will You Be Surprised If We Lose?

[FedorovGurl 2]

Yes, I would be surprised. And horrified. And very, very sad.

We have the BEST team in the league.

And, yes, I am a "homer"!! Proud of it.

GO WINGS!!

[RedFX 48]

No.

DISCLAIMER: I am not being a Negative Nancy or a doom-and-gloomer, just trying to keep things in perspective here.

1999: 2nd round, led 2-0 against Colorado, lost 4-2

2001: 1st round, led 2-0 against LA, lost 4-2

2002: 1st round, trailed 2-0 against Vancouver, won 4-2

2004: 1st round, led 2-0 against Nashville, won 4-2

2008: 1st round, led 2-0 against Nashville, series tied

From above, my three points are this:

(1) A series is not even remotely close to being over if a team has gone up 2-0

(2) We've seen Red Wings defense et al completely melt down in the playoffs before and blow series leads or big leads on the scoreboard

(3) We've seen the Red WIngs rebound from such adversity as well

Last year,

Up 2-0 on Calgary. Calgary tied it 2-2. Wings advance 4-2

Down 2-1 to San Jose. Series was tied 2-2. Wings advance 4-2

We did it twice last year. Calgary dominated us at their home last year, their defense shut them down and their offense scored timely goals. When Calgary tied it up, did the Wings panic? No. They came out motivated and we absolutely beat the crap out of them in Game 5. San Jose had a series lead on their home ice. After seemingly being dominated the entire series, the Wings score two quick goals and completely shift the momentum.

Trotz is one of the best in the league at using home ice advantage. I honestly saw Detroit losing at least one of these games and I wasn't suprised when they lost both. That being said, he's TERRIBLE at making adjustments on the road. This time, we'll have the matchups that we want, and I think we'll be able to shut their big guns down.

This is no time to panic. This is a time to rally around the troops.

[sinbin 3]

Surprised...no.

Disappointed....most definitely. Also very depressed!

If I've come to learn one thing being a wings fan over the past few years (and an Atlanta Braves fan from back in the day when they couldn't make it to the world series or would make it and lose) its that sometimes the better team doesn't win. I think we saw that last year with the wings losing to the ducks...i definitely think we were the better team, but we just weren't able to get things going our way.

So I won't be surprised if we lose, but I'll be extremely disappointed because its another great regular season followed by a greatly underachieving playoff run. I'm realistic enough to know that we can't win the cup every year, but I like to see the Wings play into May every now and then.......

My same thoughts exactly!

[WINGS TILL DEATH 9]

So evidently nashville doesnt suck or is not the worst team since yall are bashing us and we just took back our 2 games, yes i will admit you have better players but all the whining and moaning on this site is horrible, what ever happened to sticking by your team (Hasek), the guy played great all season then loses a couple and now he is washed up. If Detroit fans hate him so much why dont you trade him to nashville, im sure will be willing to take him.

Take him please. I want someone realizable. I've always said that. Top tier tenders don't give up undeflected point shots within eleven seconds and thirty second spans. When you see your team get beat and you know you're the better. You can talk.

Edited April 17, 2008 by WINGS TILL DEATH

[VM1138 1,921]

Take him please. I want someone realiable. I always have. When you see your team get beat and you know you're the better. You can talk.

No goalie's are reliable anymore, except for maybe Brodeur, Kiprusoff and Luongo. Any hockey fan knows that each year brings a bevy of "the next best goalie" who only disappear the next year. So getting a goalie is an EXTREMELY risky endeavor. Ozzie is solid, and when Hasek retires should take the number one spot UNLESS we can get a proven, consistent goalie like Kipper or Luongo. Anyone else, be they Price, Huet, etc., is extremely risky and will probably disappear.

[OsGOD 3]

No goalie's are reliable anymore, except for maybe Brodeur, Kiprusoff and Luongo. Any hockey fan knows that each year brings a bevy of "the next best goalie" who only disappear the next year. So getting a goalie is an EXTREMELY risky endeavor. Ozzie is solid, and when Hasek retires should take the number one spot UNLESS we can get a proven, consistent goalie like Kipper or Luongo. Anyone else, be they Price, Huet, etc., is extremely risky and will probably disappear.

i giggle every time his Playoff commercial comes on... what is wrong with that picture? oh Bobby Luo and the Playoffs don't play well together!

[Hank 0]

So evidently nashville doesnt suck or is not the worst team since yall are bashing us and we just took back our 2 games, yes i will admit you have better players but all the whining and moaning on this site is horrible, what ever happened to sticking by your team (Hasek), the guy played great all season then loses a couple and now he is washed up. If Detroit fans hate him so much why dont you trade him to nashville, im sure will be willing to take him.

Have you even watched any of the games? He's been bad the entire series thus far. And hes progressively gotten worse.

BTW, I love how you call us out for not standing by our guy. It wasn't too long ago ya'll were about to lose your team because ya'll were getting under 10,000 fans per game.

But wait! Ya'll made the playoffs! Now ya'll make sure to come to the rink. Talk about fair weather fans.

Edited April 17, 2008 by Hank

[Winged Scooter 0]

Have you even watched any of the games? He's been bad the entire series thus far. And hes progressively gotten worse.

BTW, I love how you call us out for not standing by our guy. It wasn't too long ago ya'll were about to lose your team because ya'll were getting under 10,000 fans per game.

But wait! Ya'll made the playoffs! Now ya'll make sure to come to the rink. Talk about fair weather fans.

That's a great point Hank!

I am not giving up on the Wings, or Hasek or anyone, I DO think it will take 7 games now though. Last night was not all Hasek's fault, if anyone watched the last 8 minutes of that game, it was clear to me the Wings almost, flat-out panicked. They were sloppy, undisciplined, and utterly un-coordinated. At times it looked like they could have 10 guys on the ice and STILL not scored.

The only reason I view this series as frustrating is because I have to admit over the years I've become a bit "jaded" when it comes to the Wings in the playoffs. The Wings have made the playoffs every year since 1991. In those 18 years, only 6 times (95,96,97,98,02 & 07) have the Wings made it past the 2nd round. That's only 35% of the time you can count the RedWings even making it to the WCF's at the LEAST. I love Wings hockey, and will always root for them to do well, ALWAYS. But when we struggle in the 1st round, year in and year out, I do not bemoan ANY Wings fan for complaining, griping, or even getting down right P.O.'d. 'Tis the nature of Wings fan to partially lose their mind this time of year!

Edited April 17, 2008 by Winged Scooter

[calfan 0]

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?!?!?!

Technically yes, realistically know. The Wings played with more desperation after they went down 3-2 and spent more time in Nashville's end. Wings outshot the Preds badly after the goalie change. I didn't see all of Ozzie's time in net, but what I did see didn't suggest he stood on his head repelling wave after wave of Nashville scoring chances. A number of his "shots" were little more than dump-ins.

[OsGOD 3]

Technically yes, realistically know. The Wings played with more desperation after they went down 3-2 and spent more time in Nashville's end. Wings outshot the Preds badly after the goalie change. I didn't see all of Ozzie's time in net, but what I did see didn't suggest he stood on his head repelling wave after wave of Nashville scoring chances. A number of his "shots" were little more than dump-ins.

Orly... you mean the same dump ins that kinda snuck by Dom?

[Hank 0]

No goalie's are reliable anymore, except for maybe Brodeur, Kiprusoff and Luongo. Any hockey fan knows that each year brings a bevy of "the next best goalie" who only disappear the next year. So getting a goalie is an EXTREMELY risky endeavor. Ozzie is solid, and when Hasek retires should take the number one spot UNLESS we can get a proven, consistent goalie like Kipper or Luongo. Anyone else, be they Price, Huet, etc., is extremely risky and will probably disappear.

Good points. But I'd still rather take a chance on Huet who's been great the past two seasons over a 100 year old goalie who's groin could snap at any second.

Especially if Huet could have been had for a 2nd rounder. That's no gamble at all.

[Winged Scooter 0]

Good points. But I'd still rather take a chance on Huet who's been great the past two seasons over a 100 year old goalie who's groin could snap at any second.

Especially if Huet could have been had for a 2nd rounder. That's no gamble at all.

Is that true? Huet could have been had for a 2nd round pick????

[swansoccer13 1]

No he hasn't, far from it.

I've wanted Ozzie to be the no. 1 guy all season. When Hasek has a bad game, it's REALLY bad. Ozzie, like every goalie, will let in a soft goal every now and then. Hasek however does it often and and they usually result in huge, momentum changing goals.

Thats exactly how I feel and im not bashing Hasek because he has made some enormous save in this series to keep us in there. I feel that Ozzie will be more consistent while he is in the net.

Wings at the Joe with there "back against the wall", i feel a strong performance

Go Wings!

[Memphisfire 0]

Take him please. I want someone realizable. I've always said that. Top tier tenders don't give up undeflected point shots within eleven seconds and thirty second spans. When you see your team get beat and you know you're the better. You can talk.

So if your the better team and get beat by a lesser team doesnt that mean you dont want it as bad as we do, even if you got rid of hasek, the next game when osgood let a soft one in you would be bashing him and looking to get rid of him too??

[Hank 0]

Is that true? Huet could have been had for a 2nd round pick????

That's what he was dealt for. And to a conference rival. The price could have been cheaper for a cross Conference team.

Who know's if Monteal would have gotten or asked for the same thing from Detroit? But seeing as how cheap he was had for, who's to say Holland couldn't have made a deal?

My guess is that he didn't want to upset the apple cart with Ozzie and Hasek in the same barn.

Holland is fiercly loyal. That's a great quality but sometimes it can be a fault of his.

[Memphisfire 0]

Have you even watched any of the games? He's been bad the entire series thus far. And hes progressively gotten worse.

BTW, I love how you call us out for not standing by our guy. It wasn't too long ago ya'll were about to lose your team because ya'll were getting under 10,000 fans per game.

But wait! Ya'll made the playoffs! Now ya'll make sure to come to the rink. Talk about fair weather fans.

yea i have watched Hasek play well and not so good but it just seems as soon as things dont go Detroits way everyone falls apart and starts whining and blaming everyone instead of stepping up and wanting it more than the other team, Yea we had a fire sale and almost lost our team (granted were in the south and hockey just isnt a sport most people care about down here) but we stepped up and now after a fire sale and almost losing the team find our way to playoffs and tied 2-2. Ill be sure and be at the rink which in my opinion for a team that was about to go a more energetic, fun place to watch a hockey game than JLA, and yes i have been to the Joe in my Mustard jersey so i know the atmosphere in both

[Hank 0]

So if your the better team and get beat by a lesser team doesnt that mean you dont want it as bad as we do, even if you got rid of hasek, the next game when osgood let a soft one in you would be bashing him and looking to get rid of him too??

I can almost guarentee that Ozzie wouldn't have let those in.

And letting in bad goals has nothing to do with who wants it more.

In '99 the Wings faced Colorado and beat them handily to go up 2 games to 0. But then Bill Ranford performed his best Tim Chevaldae impersonation letting in goals from everywhere on the ice.

Did that mean Detroit wasn't doing their best to win those games? Absolutely not. But it deflates an entire team when they play sound defensively only to have floater or soft goals go in seconds apart.

I would also put money down that if we had any of the other 15 playoff goalies, including Ozzie in the first 4 games, we'd have swept this series already.

Nashville has outplayed us a total of 30 minutes over the past 120 and yet they have 2 wins for it.

In game 3 your crowd resembled a funeral for almost the entire game. If not for Hasek's disappearing act, everyone in Nashville would be whistling dixie at the nearest fishin' hole by now.

[Memphisfire 0]

I can almost guarentee that Ozzie wouldn't have let those in.

And letting in bad goals has nothing to do with who wants it more.

In '99 the Wings faced Colorado and beat them handily to go up 2 games to 0. But then Bill Ranford performed his best Tim Chevaldae impersonation letting in goals from everywhere on the ice.

Did that mean Detroit wasn't doing their best to win those games? Absolutely not. But it deflates an entire team when they play sound defensively only to have floater or soft goals go in seconds apart.

I would also put money down that if we had any of the other 15 playoff goalies, including Ozzie in the first 4 games, we'd have swept this series already.

Nashville has outplayed us a total of 30 minutes over the past 120 and yet they have 2 wins for it.

In game 3 your crowd resembled a funeral for almost the entire game. If not for Hasek's disappearing act, everyone in Nashville would be whistling dixie at the nearest fishin' hole by now.

ok everyone has their own opinion but i was at game 3 and we were on our feet when we were down when we were tied and when we won starting 2nd period and throughout the rest of the game.

[Bluedevils_13 0]

False. When the Preds were down you could hear a pin drop in that place. It'll be the same way in game 6 after they get eliminated.

[RWfansince67 0]

Will You Be Surprised If We Lose?

Yes! According to the stats we are the best team in the NHL. We have the best record, and we have the best team. I expect the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup this year. It will be a long and grueling playoff season but we will come out on top again. Keep the faith!!

[Skiing - Puck 0]

If they continue to play like they have in games 3 and 4 then no, not at all.

[12Newf 0]

damn hell ass (@ *(@&$@(*_ @()&@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ill be surprised!

[sergei_is_still_a_wing 1]

surprised?

i agree with the "if we play like we did in games 3/4 then f*** NO" response.

we need the sense of urgency that we had in the third period last night ALL GAME LONG. not just when we're already screwed being down multiple goals with 20 to play.

BUT, if we put in a good honest effort and even play at 80% of the way were capable of, then yes i would be SHOCKED.

but that won't happen. ozzie and zetts step up BIG in game 5 and we rout em 5-1.

[puckloo39 5,686]

yes, I would be surprised. They will step up in front of Ozzie and win the next two.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

I would be surprised, annoyed, and disgusted.