Gizmo 21 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) Correcting a brain-fart: The title should read Rocky Mountain News, not The Denver Post... my error. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008...-for-avalanche/ The Red Wings seemed to gather around the Avs' net as if Jose Theodore was giving away free samples, which he was in a way. But this time, after four goals allowed, he was permitted to remain in the game. It does no good now to replace Theodore with Peter Budaj because it would be like closing the body after the autopsy. Ouch!!! Edited April 30, 2008 by Gizmo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Opie 308 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) For the Avs to blame injuries or health as they might is of no use because the games are played with those who can play them. And if the flu that caught Theodore early, or if at all, and the recurring ailments of Peter Forsberg, seem so much bad luck, what is also true is that even at full strength, the Avs would need extraordinary good fortune to beat a team that is, man for man, vastly superior. "It's still a rivalry," insisted Detroit winger Darren McCarty. "It's still a competition. We've got a lot of respect for those guys. They've got a lot of talent." Nice of him to say, but compared to the Red Wings, the Avs' top talent is a bit beyond the sell date, and Detroit's is just coming ripe. Henrik Zetterberg, 27, is a star ready to shine for a long time, as is center Datsyuk, 29. Franzen, 30, has become the star of the series. EDIT: I read the game summary that is linked off of the initial link and found these pieces of gold from OZZIE!! "We played great," Osgood said. "We scored some beautiful goals, goals that were unstoppable for their goalie. We did a lot of good things. We took too many penalties and allowed them to get some momentum, but we managed to get through it. Have to agree with Ozzie here, I can think of 2-3 goals this series that I would blame on Theodore, the rest I blame on Alvin and Simon, uh I mean the wings ability to find the open man. "We really played good the last four minutes - getting pucks deep, making sure that we took the guy high and didn't give the puck away. The last three minutes of the game were our best three minutes of the entire game defensively." Edited April 30, 2008 by Opie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeverForgetMac25 483 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 If only the Wings didn't suck as much as they did last Wednesday the 23rd! Denver columnist bashes Detroit, picks Avalanche to beat Red Wings Rocky Mountain News Columnist Bernie Lincicome, on Detroit: And, so, back to Hockeytown. Well, there are worse places, though the list is short. An active landfill. Reality television. Inside Dick Cheney's head. Advertisement How, exactly, this became Hockeytown is unclear except the notion goes unchallenged, possibly because everyone else thinks the name is a practical joke that only Detroit does not get. It is not like being called Titletown, as Green Bay refers to itself, or the Windy City, a measure of toughness for Chicago, or our own Mile High City, which can be used to intimidate visitors, but rather more like the Mistake on the Lake (Cleveland) Cowtown (Kansas City) or The Big Guava (Tampa). There is just not a lot of competition for the names, and tying your identity to hockey is like tying your dog to a fire hydrant. Think about it. Odder still than pride in being the so-called headquarters for the fifth major sport — maybe four, now that stock-car racing is slipping — is the tradition of throwing octopi onto the ice, there being no natural habitat for such creatures near Detroit. Apparently, the throwing is still not prohibited but twirling is strictly against the rules. The Zamboni driver, Al Sobotka, had the habit of twirling the slimy gastropods around his head, like some sort of crazed Jules Verne character. Again, for odd appeal, this would be akin to someone from Fiji, say Vijay Singh, throwing a cow patty like a discus after making a birdie, and who would care why? Because tiny bits of octopi tended to fly away, the twirling is now subject to $10,000 fine although folding the legs up like origami is still allowed. Into this bizarre world go the Avs, not strangers, of course, having won and lost here before, having involved themselves in one of the great hockey fights of all time, enough to sustain a rivalry long after the teams themselves were worthy. But there are enough players left from those days to keep an edge on things. Joe Sakic, Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg remain for the Avalanche and Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty are still around for the Wings. Chris Chelios is, of course, older than hockey itself. In addition, there is the residue of an earlier chippiness, on the part of the Avs, that might cause some concern. In their final regular-season meeting, in Denver, Avs instigator Ian Laperriere threw a dubious forearm at star Nicklas Lidstrom's head. The Red Wings captain sprained his knee but did not suffer any real serious injury. Still, this caused Red Wing Aaron Downey to take a crack at Laperriere, and coach Mike Babcock got into a shouting match with Avalanche assistant coach Tony Granato along the bench. Because it is the playoffs, the normal payback might be withheld. On the other hand, check the first time Laperriere takes a shift. The Red Wings shut out the Avalanche in three of four meetings and won the other, doing something unfamiliar to the cleaning crew at Joe Louis Arena, which is to sweep. This was before the late-season additions of Forsberg and defensemen Foote and Ruslan Salei, not to mention the growing competency of goalie Jose Theodore. Plus, Colorado was without Sakic in all four games against the Red Wings, and Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny each appeared in only two. This is a whole new challenge for Detroit, and the top-seeded Red Wings had more trouble in the first round with the last seed, Nashville, than the Avs did with higher-seeded Minnesota. The reason for each is the goaltending. The great relic, Dominik Hasek, wobbled for the Red Wings in goal and has been replaced by the imperfect Chris Osgood since. Had the Wings lost, it would clearly have been the goaltending, just as the reason the Avs won is the revival of Theodore. Foote, who smothered the Wilds' best scorer, Marian Gaborik, might have the same task against the Wings' Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsyuk. Frustration by the Wild over Foote's competence showed itself in one game full of penalties, and if he does the same against the Wings' scorers, well, the pot is just under boiling as it is. There might still be a sense that the Avs are playing beyond their station, especially with Theodore, but that would be the feeling from a place that calls itself Hockeytown. After the Avs win the thing in six, a new name might be Loserville. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HenrikRules40 14 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Loserville. Good call buddy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kcjacoby 10 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 I want this bastard to write an apology for being such a bigoted ass. Shove that loserville right up his ass... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedFX 48 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 LET'S GO LOSERVILLE!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawings 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 For the Avs to blame injuries or health as they might is of no use because the games are played with those who can play them. And if the flu that caught Theodore early, or if at all, and the recurring ailments of Peter Forsberg, seem so much bad luck, what is also true is that even at full strength, the Avs would need extraordinary good fortune to beat a team that is, man for man, vastly superior. I love this one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shanny is the man 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Minor correction: Blowhard Bernie writes for the Rocky Mountain News,not the Denver Post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeverForgetMac25 483 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 For the Avs to blame injuries or health as they might is of no use because the games are played with those who can play them. And if the flu that caught Theodore early, or if at all, and the recurring ailments of Peter Forsberg, seem so much bad luck, what is also true is that even at full strength, the Avs would need extraordinary good fortune to beat a team that is, man for man, vastly superior. I love this one! It's funny how a week ago today the Wings were Loserville and about to be destroyed by the Avalanche, only to hear a week later that "man for man, (the Wings are) vastly superior." How does that work? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pjgj13 30 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 When actions speak louder than words..... GO WINGS!!! ALMOST HALFWAY TO GLORY!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
va Winger 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Yeah initially this moron said when the Av's win in six ? What happen dude? You got spanked ! vastly superior is an understatement. Even though the Wings didn't play there best game, they ere still able to beat the pitiful Av's....................... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redwing_sparty 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 the imperfect osgood is 5-0! suck on that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hank 0 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) If only the Wings didn't suck as much as they did last Wednesday the 23rd! Thanks for posting that NFM. I was floored by that article. Never have I read an article without any hint of subjectivity. The guy might as well take a picture with Avs pom-pom's. Since I read mainly Detroit papers and online publications like SI, CNN and ESPN, I have no idea if columnists in other cities are similar to this. But in my mind, how can anyone hold a job where they write as if they are a teenage drama-queen jealous of the new girl in school. If this guy can be a professional journalist then surely anyone else can be too. I'm a big Wings slappy and yet even I don't go onto message boards slamming other teams with such unbiased venom let alone a major newspaper. Furthermore, I like how quickly he's selling out his team. They have some very good talent there. Guys like Wolski and Stastny aren't even close to their prime yet. And guys Smyth, Hejduk and Liles still have a lot of hockey left in them. When healthy it wouldn't be an insane comment to make that the Avs have just as much chance to win the Cup as 9 or 10 other teams in the West do. This guy needs to take a Midol and find a new job. He's far too emotional to be taken seriously. Edited April 30, 2008 by Hank Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gizmo 21 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 Minor correction: Blowhard Bernie writes for the Rocky Mountain News,not the Denver Post. I hate that when that happens! I've noted that mistake in the OP. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Izzy24 44 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 RED WINGS SUCK! Oh wait, nevermind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T.Low 1,011 Report post Posted April 30, 2008 LET'S GO LOSERVILLE!!!!!! A sweep is nice, but I'd like to beat em' once more this year at the Zsa (Short for Louzsa instead of the Joe Louis Arena) Thanks for the post those are good reads. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
