what is the biggest deciding factor in our victories?

[Guest drwings1]

vote!

[Guest drwings1]

feel free to add why you voted!

i picked all three, because we didnt neccesarily go into the PO without secondary scoring, but it had been an issue in the past. also our goaltending wasnt all solid as it could be...hence ozzie coming in for hasek. our defense was the only prominent part of the game coming in. i think all three areas have rounded off, and feed off each other each night

[Vincanni 1]

Combo of all three is the obvious answer, in fact it's so conspicuous it shouldn't be included in the vote and serves as a detriment to this polls accuracy.

I chose defense though since of the singular aspects of our team it is easily the most paramount. Just look at what happened to us when our D-men fell in the regular season or what happened last year in the playoffs. Furthermore, our offense is sparked by defensive play whether it be our smooth passing D-men or the relentless back-checking of our forwards. Defense also limits our shots against so that the burden carried by our goaltending is severely lessened and in some cases a non-factor as long as soft goals aren't forfeit.

[Jasper84 333]

You need all 3 if you want to make it far in the playoffs

[Guest drwings1]

Combo of all three is the obvious answer, in fact it's so conspicuous it shouldn't be included in the vote and serves as a detriment to this polls accuracy.

I chose defense though since of the singular aspects of our team it is easily the most paramount. Just look at what happened to us when our D-men fell in the regular season or what happened last year in the playoffs. Furthermore, our offense is sparked by defensive play whether it be our smooth passing D-men or the relentless back-checking of our forwards. Defense also limits our shots against so that the burden carried by our goaltending is severely lessened and in some cases a non-factor as long as soft goals aren't forfeit.

why cant there be no right answer?? what if we only put up 2 or 3 goals a game, but had outstanding shut down defense to back up??

[Copenhagen848 58]

Bwahahahaha, love the Sammy choice!

I chose goaltending. Haven't lost a get since putting Ozzie in net.

The only thing that worries me about this team is the tendency to allow teams back in the game after being down 4-1, etc.

[Izzy24 44]

Goal differential.

[betterREDthandead 58]

why cant there be no right answer?? what if we only put up 2 or 3 goals a game, but had outstanding shut down defense to back up??

And what if chris chelios started meowing like a cat and braying like a mule while simultaneously pulling a Ned Braden?

First off three goals a game is pretty damn good. Only seven teams in the league managed that this season.

Second, if the offense was suckin', we wouldn't be looking at eight wins now. No team that ever makes it to the conference finals is missing any one of those three components.

The Wings are where they are because they out-everythinged Nashville and Colorado, not just because of defense or offense or goaltending.

[Guest drwings1]

And what if chris chelios started meowing like a cat and braying like a mule while simultaneously pulling a Ned Braden?

First off three goals a game is pretty damn good. Only seven teams in the league managed that this season.

Second, if the offense was suckin', we wouldn't be looking at eight wins now. No team that ever makes it to the conference finals is missing any one of those three components.

The Wings are where they are because they out-everythinged Nashville and Colorado, not just because of defense or offense or goaltending.

fair enough

[ZETTERBERGPWN 2]

all three because they need to play together if we wanna have the cup ! we have great defense great offense and osgood the great ! .... lol @ sammy choice and one more thing ... GO WINGS GO !!

Edited May 4, 2008 by ZETTERBERGPWN

[Z and D for the C 712]

I am firmly under the belief that if Sammy didn't score two goals last night, that we would have lost that series.

[Vladiator 116]

Voted for D. The Wings have just been shutting off the middle and moving the puck almost perfectly through the transition zone. Anybody who watched all 82 games would vote the same.

[Guest drwings1]

Voted for D. The Wings have just been shutting off the middle and moving the puck almost perfectly through the transition zone. Anybody who watched all 82 games would vote the same.

good vote, i like hearing peoples reasons why they chose ONE aspect, as the title says BIGGEST factor. i think the shutting down of the middle is so aggravating to other teams, and i hope we keep it up

[skacore 2]

our offense... our great defense is a given but what seperates this run from runs in the past is that we're able to bury a few after 40 shots a game

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Yes all three of them ... but goaltending is the most important ... you need a good goaltending to keep your confidence running ... example ... nashville games were hard as hell ... defense was playing good but probably nervous due to reason as they didn't have alot of confidence in hasek ... and offense was trying to hard to score goals due to the reason that they also probably thought that their goalie wouldn't be saving alot of shots * when hasek got scored like apart 20 seconds on each game ... that's a killer for the offense and defense mentaly wise it just kills you

[Frozen-Man 144]

why cant there be no right answer?? what if we only put up 2 or 3 goals a game, but had outstanding shut down defense to back up??

Three goals a game would be pretty good offensively in the WCF. Last year the Ducks beat us only scoring 2.66 goals per game and we scored 2.83 goals per game (in the east Buffalo scored 2.6 goals per game and Ottawa scored 3 goals per game). My point being that in hockey, especially the further you go into the playoffs you have to have it all. I mean there is not that much difference between the goals per game between these teams and in fact in our case we scored more goals than the Ducks did, but it is the timing that really matters and so much of that comes from your defense and especially your goalie. When most games will be decided by a goal or two at the most it becomes crutial that (1) your offense can get enough goals, (2) your defense keeps the other team from getting good scoring chances, (3) when the defense fails or your offence can't get going your goalie can make the timely saves and keep you in the game.

Therefore although we need them all, and that was the best answer to the poll, if you have to pick only one of the three options I pick the goalie - I think he has the most oppertunity to compensate for the other two when they are off (although admittedly sometimes your O or D will have to do that for the goalie).

[puckbags 863]

Lets be honest here, the biggest and deciding factor in all our victories is that we score more goals than the other team!!

[Never_Retire_Steve 35]

Johan Franzen

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Well I was going to be a not-funny smart-allec and say because they've eaten too much Wheaties for breakfast lately, but since that wasn't one of the choices, I'd take the easy route and say a combo.

(1) More of the contributing combo is offense I think. The top line is doing their thing, and everybody's worries about "secondary scoring" have been answered so far. Franzen has taken a leap to be a primary scorer I think, his current second line with Filppula and Samuelsson has been rivaling the top line with being the best of recent games, and the team has gotten important offensive contributions from Flipper, Hudler, Samuelsson, Draper etc. through different parts of the first two rounds.

(2) Goaltending - Not as important as the first I think but Osgood has gotten the job done this winning streak. Not really having to steal games or face too much action (although game 1 VS Colorado he was probably the most important guy on the ice to preserve the victory, "stealing" a game in some type of fashion), but making big important saves when he's had to help preserve a lead.

(3) Surprisingly to me, the least important of this combination. It obviously hasn't been terrible, but there have been breakdowns after scoring or giving up the quick goal so far these playoffs, in both series. That being said, the defense has had it's bright moments though during the 6-game winning streak, playing well in "shutdown" mode for the final game of the Nashville series, and games 2 and 4 of this past round.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Lets be honest here, the biggest and deciding factor in all our victories is that we score more goals than the other team!!

Touche.

[Dawgs 0]

I said Sammy. Hes been tremendous in these playoffs. If youd take the blinders off youd see it too. Hes made a couple blunders and his shot accuracy leaves something to be desired, but hes been a horse on the forecheck. He should have 4 or 5 more assists if Hudler and others had buried his passes into wide open nets in the first round. To me hes been instrumental in Franzens streak. Hes been the key to the second line and the second power play. Hes worked well with Hudler on that unit.

This is the best 10 games Ive ever seen him play for the Wings. By far the best. Him stepping up has been one of the keys to this run so far.

[chrisdetroit 189]

I said Sammy. Hes been tremendous in these playoffs. If youd take the blinders off youd see it too. Hes made a couple blunders and his shot accuracy leaves something to be desired, but hes been a horse on the forecheck. He should have 4 or 5 more assists if Hudler and others had buried his passes into wide open nets in the first round. To me hes been instrumental in Franzens streak. Hes been the key to the second line and the second power play. Hes worked well with Hudler on that unit.

This is the best 10 games Ive ever seen him play for the Wings. By far the best. Him stepping up has been one of the keys to this run so far.

Secondary scoring. Last year the opposition was able to key on the DZH line and Babs was forced to split them up at times. Now he can keep them together and the opposition has to worry about the SFF line. Can you image being the opposition having to put your best D in against a line with 2 Selke finalists (on the same line!) and still have to worry about a line with the highest playoff scorer in the league. Holy s***!

[Jasper84 333]

I've got used to ignoring Sammy on the ice. The only time I've really bothered to notice him on the ice this post season has been when he gets wrecked by the opposing team (just because he's looked like a gump waddling around), when he misses a check, or does something stupid with the puck. But, if you're not being sarcastic, then I guess I should start paying more attention to him.

[RedRockit 0]

Secondary scoring. Last year the opposition was able to key on the DZH line and Babs was forced to split them up at times. Now he can keep them together and the opposition has to worry about the SFF line. Can you image being the opposition having to put your best D in against a line with 2 Selke finalists (on the same line!) and still have to worry about a line with the highest playoff scorer in the league. Holy s***!

Well put! I got a chill up my spine reading that. Damn we're deep this year.

Last year's line-split really bothered me-- it smacked to me of, if not exactly desperation, at the very least experimentation, and I don't think the playoffs are the best time for that. And it didn't work, anyway.

I'm SOO glad we don't have to worry about that this year, thanks to SuperMule.

[dallas27 7]

The Detroit Red Wings look unbeatable as a team. So I voted combo of all 3.

Edited May 4, 2008 by dallas27