Pang: Avs in 6

[Sherwood5030 0]

Nobody can deny that the Avs top six are far better than ours:

Wolski-Sakic-Hejduk

Forsberg-Stastny-Smyth

Dats-Zetts-Homer

Franzen-Filpulla-Cleary

That's not even close. Our 2nd line looks like most peoples 3rd or 4th lines. In fact, it's probably equal to OUR 3rd and 4th lines.

The key to the Wings winning will be special teams. If we can kill their powerplays and score on ours, we'll probably win.

Osgood has been very good but Theodore was absolutely unconscious against Minnesota.

If the Wings end up losing I won't be shocked in the least. The Avs are a very good team.

What the Wings have is the best #1 line and best defensive core left in the playoffs. Will it be enough to beat the Avs? I hope so.

But in my mind the Avs clearly have more depth up front and a slight nod in goaltending. And their defense is no slouch either.

This will be a tough series. No two ways about it.

Yeah their top 6 is pretty solid but Franzenstein is clutch and in my opinion Cleary is starting to look better every time he skates and its only a matter of time before he breaks loose and starts lookin like his old playoff self.

[2probert4 8]

Nobody can deny that the Avs top six are far better than ours:

Wolski-Sakic-Hejduk

Forsberg-Stastny-Smyth

Dats-Zetts-Homer

Franzen-Filpulla-Cleary

That's not even close. Our 2nd line looks like most peoples 3rd or 4th lines. In fact, it's probably equal to OUR 3rd and 4th lines.

The key to the Wings winning will be special teams. If we can kill their powerplays and score on ours, we'll probably win.

Osgood has been very good but Theodore was absolutely unconscious against Minnesota.

If the Wings end up losing I won't be shocked in the least. The Avs are a very good team.

What the Wings have is the best #1 line and best defensive core left in the playoffs. Will it be enough to beat the Avs? I hope so.

But in my mind the Avs clearly have more depth up front and a slight nod in goaltending. And their defense is no slouch either.

This will be a tough series. No two ways about it.

Theodore had a good series against Minnesota, but Minnesota can't put the pressure on offensively as the Wings can, and Minnesota doesn't have the defenseman that can push the puck up the ice as the Wings can. It remains to be seen if Stastny is as good in his own zone as he is offensively.....Hejduk is a joke defensively IMO, guy is a cherry picker who disappears when it gets physical. Theodore will have to be great for them to win. Foote and Salei will cause trouble for sure, but Sakic will be the difference.

[Echolalia 2,961]

The first two lines of either team aren't going to win the series for either team. Sakic and Forsberg are sick offensively, especially come playoffs, but Dats and Z are sick defensively (and if that fails, we still have defensemen). I'm predicting the first two lines to cancel each other out, and leave the scoring to unusual sources (who, oddly enough, have been scoring regularly this postseason for us): people like Hudler and Draper we will have to rely on to take that extra step in getting pucks in the net.

[PapaFunk 0]

Theodore had a good series against Minnesota, but Minnesota can't put the pressure on offensively as the Wings can, and Minnesota doesn't have the defenseman that can push the puck up the ice as the Wings can. It remains to be seen if Stastny is as good in his own zone as he is offensively.....Hejduk is a joke defensively IMO, guy is a cherry picker who disappears when it gets physical. Theodore will have to be great for them to win. Foote and Salei will cause trouble for sure, but Sakic will be the difference.

Please tell me you are joking.

Edited April 24, 2008 by PapaFunk

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Honestly? Who cares what experts or anyone for that matter thinks. It's their opinion and they have a right to it.

[hillbillywingsfan 794]

Which I'll be seeing live.

have i ever told you that you suck?

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

The more I think about this match up, the more I'm thinking this might be a 7 game series. Should be a good match up. Time is moving sooooooooooo slow right now!!

[Frozen-Man 144]

The more I think about this match up, the more I'm thinking this might be a 7 game series. Should be a good match up. Time is moving sooooooooooo slow right now!!

HaHaHaHaHaHaHa - I know I keep looking and the clock. It reminds me of that movie What About Bob where he keeps staring at the clock saying "Baby steps to 4 o' clock." I can't hardly wait for the puck to drop.

[servo 15]

Please tell me you are joking.

Please answer me a couple of questions so we can clarify the validity of your posts:

1) Who do you consider the greatest Goalie of all time?

2) True or False:

The NHL began in 1996

3) Who is the greatest Captain of the past 15 years

-Rick Nash

-Chris Pronger

-Joe Sakic

-None of the above

[Sergeiwasmyfav 0]

Please tell me you are joking.

I'm not the one who wrote that, and I don't think Hejduk is a "joke" defensively, but I have to agree with the guy who said that to the extent that I don't think Hejduk is in the same category defensively as say a Joe Sakic or Datsyuk. Not a joke, but not wonderful. Just my two cents.

As for the series overall, I don't think this will be easy for the Wings at all, but I think ultimately they will come out on top and move on. I actually think these two teams match up fairly well, and it's going to come down to the intangibles such as who just works harder, who wins the battles on the boards more often, who is willing to take the punishment to make the play. I hope the Wings have it in them, and I think they do, but the Avs will not be easy. This should be a great series.

[WingFanInStarLand 0]

Colorado certainly has an advantage in 2nd line talent/experience over the Wings. No question there, but our 2nd line guys are all capable defensively and will not wilt under the pressure. I think they will be fine.

Colorado has an impressive array of forwards, but whoever said their defense is better/ more physical than Nashville's is out of their mind.

The Preds D is so underrated around the league and on this boards it isn't funny. We all know that Foote was once great, but Nashville's collection of stud Dmen just entering their prime is legit...I would take Hamhuis, Weber and Suter over any Av blueliner with the possible exception of Foote. DeVries and Zanon are comparable to Salei and Sauer, and I would still give Nash the edge there. I don't care too much for either Zidlicky or Liles. Their D is not going to be overly-punishing, unless you buy the hype that Ruslan Salei and Scott Hannan are punishing forces, which they are not. The Avs D core is just ok, and we can exploit that.

[Behind Enemy Lines in CO 11]

Well, for someone that is forced to watch the Avs all year here is my 2 cents.

Wolski is non-existant and has been under alot of pressure to step it up. Smyth has been streaky all year despite his injury time. Hejduk has also been non-existant at many times during the season. Brunette can be a beast and probably will be in the playoffs (think Tanguay/Drury in the past). Statsny needs a body on him at all times or he will steal a few goals.

Captain Saint Joe is a question mark; sure he will show up although he does not bring the firepower that he did in the past. Same for Floppa; if the Wings let him be a factor then he will be.

Foote was brought in to shore up a very shaky defense, and again, he will be a force to reckon with although not a potent as in the past. The rest of the defense is very suspect and if the Wings press them continuously then they should see many power play opportunities. No question the Wings defense is far superior.

Goaltending is definitely a question mark. Jose is playing better however we all saw what the Wings did to Kipper last year. And look at Kipper this year - good game, then bad game.

I see the key to this series being the pressure that the Wings can CONSISTENTLY bring to the Avs. If they are consistent then I do not believe the Avs will keep up. If the Wings slack off then the Avs are capable of making it a series.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I can't believe nobody is picking us to win. We're not playing some big, physical team that we usually struggle against. We're playing against a team that essentially plays the same style of hockey as us, except they're not as good at it.

Oh well, I'd love for us to sweep this series, to see the look on the experts faces then.

[Frozen-Man 144]

I can't believe nobody is picking us to win. We're not playing some big, physical team that we usually struggle against. We're playing against a team that essentially plays the same style of hockey as us, except they're not as good at it.

Oh well, I'd love for us to sweep this series, to see the look on the experts faces then.

:clap:

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Panger is like Brutus. I never expected him to stab us too. I always thought he was a Wings fan.

[Ontario Wingsfan 0]

I can't believe nobody is picking us to win. We're not playing some big, physical team that we usually struggle against. We're playing against a team that essentially plays the same style of hockey as us, except they're not as good at it.

Oh well, I'd love for us to sweep this series, to see the look on the experts faces then.

lol Totally agree. I personally don't care who picks us or who does'nt but the way some of these "experts" are talking you'd swear we were going up against the '76 Canadiens.

[RusDRW 155]

I do not know how all of you guys forget one thing... Coaching. This is what can decide the series. And I would say Babs is way better than Counneville (I'm pretty sure I wrote his name incorrectly )

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

I cannot wait to see how we match up with both teams sporting relatively healthy rosters. I still think the Wings have the edge, but I am not as confident as some people on here. 6-7 games, maybe all 7 for us to take it.

I am surprised at Panger though.

[Frozen-Man 144]

I do not know how all of you guys forget one thing... Coaching. This is what can decide the series. And I would say Babs is way better than Counneville (I'm pretty sure I wrote his name incorrectly )

Excellent point! It is always so hard to consider all of the contingecies that affect the games but I think most of those swing in our favor (although I may be a little biased ) including home ice.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Frozen-Man

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I was listening to home ice on XM radio, and both of the guys chose wings in 6. Don't know their names, but who cares.

In fact they both picked the Wings to win the Cup.

[Frozen-Man 144]

They just announced that Forsberg will be scratched because of a sore groin. So much of the analysis of top lines and top two lines get thrown out and changed by circumstances from game to game.

[eva unit zero 271]

Nobody can deny that the Avs top six are far better than ours:

Wolski-Sakic-Hejduk

Forsberg-Stastny-Smyth

Dats-Zetts-Homer

Franzen-Filpulla-Cleary

That's not even close. Our 2nd line looks like most peoples 3rd or 4th lines. In fact, it's probably equal to OUR 3rd and 4th lines.

The Wings have eight forwards who are top-six forwards based on points per game with 20+ games. All of them except Holmstrom and Hudler are well above average defensively for forwards who are that offensively skilled, and none are liabilities.

So the statement that the Wings' second line looks like most peoples' third and fourth lines is absolutely incorrect.

I would argue that the Wings' top eight forwards are generally equal to or better than their Avs counterpart...the only exceptions to this rule being Filppula vs Stastny and Samuelsson vs Brunette.

And even if the Avs do have a minor advantage up front AND in goal (both of which I disagree with) Detroit has the top three defensemen in the series.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Brunette and Jones looked good tonight, fantastic secondary scoring. Oh wait, Franzen and Cleary were.

[Icteria virens 11]

I can't believe nobody is picking us to win. We're not playing some big, physical team that we usually struggle against. We're playing against a team that essentially plays the same style of hockey as us, except they're not as good at it.

Oh well, I'd love for us to sweep this series, to see the look on the experts faces then.

sometimes simplicity is best

I don't care if their top 6 are more talented, we consistently roll 4 lines as much as any team in the league and cert. more than the Dives.

when they make a rule that you can only play 6 forwards that becomes valid.

Theodore is an unproven quantity in the PO's

everybody just hates the Wings, it's ok. we're under the radar

[RedLightGoesOn 81]

There is a reason Pang is the commentator for the Coyotes.