If we lose in the Finals, is '08-'09 season a failure?

[SFwingsfan 23]

Let's say they win 50 some odd games again, way over 100pts. If not another President's trophy, they are right up there. Zatta, Dats, Hossa all get 40+ goals and close to 100pts each. The Wings make it to the finals and lose a tough 7 game series to (fill in Eastern Conf champion). If this scenario played out would you consider the entire 2008-09 season a failure?

[Cicada 4]

no..

i'd be bitterly dissapointed though...

i'd consider the season a failure if we didn't make the conference finals, but you can't really consider a final 4 position a failure

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I'll consider it a failure if we don't win the presidents trophy. Theres no reason this team shouldnt steamroll through the regular season. Best top 4. Best Top 3. Best system coached by a Top 3 coach.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

no..

i'd be bitterly dissapointed though...

i'd consider the season a failure if we didn't make the conference finals, but you can't really consider a final 4 position a failure

You can if you lost to a team that you thought you were better than

[Cicada 4]

You can if you lost to a team that you thought you were better than

thats every team though..

were the best team in the NHL. so by that reckoning not winning the cup will be a failure, which i don't necessarily believe

[Doggy 130]

How I view the loss depends on how we lose it so I can't really answer this question properly.

[norrisnick 1]

A loss in the WCF would be easier to swallow. No way we shouldn't steamroll whoever comes from the East. Barring massive injuries of course.

[stormboy 47]

while it might be a little early to be talking about the finals of next year (although it seems everyone has already put us there), mine is definitely not a cup-or-nothing mentality. the wings are going to win a lot of games next season, and more than that, they're going to play at least 82. obviously, winning is way more fun than losing, but the fact is that i get to watch all my favorite players play a whole ton of games next year. since i love hockey and i love the wings, it's a win-win situation. sure, i'll be dissapointed, and will probably be depressed for a few days afterwards if they lose at any point in the postseason (since, let's be honest).

bottom line: are the wings playing hockey next year? then i won't be that disappointed.

[Yemack 1]

hey, don't worry we won't lose in final

obviously if such scenario plays out, I would be devastated. probably more devastated than 1-2 round exit. However I wouldn't really say it is an utter failure. Sure Wings not winning Stanley Cup is always a failure in my book, but to reach the final is quite a feat.

[Guest Dump-N-Thump]

I'am prepared for for a collapse actualy

edit

- Before anyone jumps down my thraot, i said im PREPARED.. not HOPING..

Edited July 16, 2008 by Dump-N-Thump

[detroitdan 0]

One of my favourite sports quotes was something I saw on a hat that the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls wore after they set the NBA record with 72 wins in the regular season:

"Don't mean a thing without the ring"

No quote in sports has stuck with me as much as that one. There are going to be a lot of great moments for the Wings this upcoming season, and I can't wait for it to start. But if they don't win the Cup, it's going to feel like a failure. I feel that way every year they don't win the Cup.

[djohns74 3]

I just can't help thinking about the Tigers at times like this. After their offseason, they were obviously expected to steamroll through everyone this year. And that, ah, hasn't exactly happened. Now, the difference there is that they had a glaring flaw that people were willing to overlook, and that is pitching. I think everyone just assumed that since we were going to score 10 or 12 runs a game, giving up 8 wouldn't be that big of a deal.

The situation may be similar for the Wings in a sense. As great as he was last year, and as much as I'm a newly converted fan of his, Chris Osgood is still a potential question mark for me. I think the Wings' success in the regular and post season hinges largely on how he reacts to once again being the number 1 guy in net. If he plays as he did last year, there's clearly no issue, but will he? I mean, as good as the forwards will likely be, we're not going to get a ton of goals every single game, to expect otherwise is to set yourself up for disappointment. As such, the goalie has to step up and steal a game now and then, especially in the playoffs where the Wings inevitably run into at least one hot goalie.

All that being said, I have to believe that the regular season is likely to be smooth sailing, but then again, it usually is when taken as a whole. I mean, the Wings' February in '08 was almost a total loss and yet they still coasted to a league-best record with only one team even within 10 points of them! And can anyone deny that the team is better on paper this coming season than they were last year?

I agree with others that any loss prior to the Conference Finals would certainly be considered a failure, no doubt about it. But here's another spin on it. Let's say we make the Cup Finals again. I don't see a team in the East that should be remotely capable of beating the Wings in a 7 game series. Sure, Pittsburgh is likely to be a good team again despite their roster changes, but we already beat them once and the talent gap between the two teams is growing, not shrinking. As such, I'd have to say it would be a failure to lose to any Eastern Conference team.

[FLWINGSFAN4013 5]

I would be more upset if we did not make the playoffs, remember that everybody always wants a piece of any champ out there and that it is hard in any sport to repeat.

[egroen 384]

I strongly feel it is incredibly hard to repeat... it just does not happen too often, no matter how good the team is. I do think Hossa will be a man on fire this year, especially in the playoffs, and that should have a big influence. I'd be disappointed with losing in the WCF, but that is still a success in the scheme of things. What I really hope does not happen is a 1st or 2nd round loss, and for the term "Choke" to be thrown around again.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Losing in the Finals would suck. Hard. But most teams would LOVE to be able to say they lost in the Finals.

[Guest mindfly]

Let's face it, It's always a failure unless you win it all

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I would be more upset if we did not make the playoffs, remember that everybody always wants a piece of any champ out there and that it is hard in any sport to repeat.

As much as I don't care for being cocky, I will say that if the Wings were going to miss the playoffs for the first time in (what would be) 18 years, it most certainly won't be with this roster.

[Opie 308]

Let's face it, It's always a failure unless you win it all

To quote KG from this year (before they playoffs started)

There is only one winner, and the whole rest are losers!

His version of English not mine!

[irishtemper14+25 11]

no anything out of the regular season is out of our hands......if we dont get presidents trophy ill be dissapointed

[henrik40 76]

Maybe I'm a little hard on them, but I'm disappointed and call the season a failure any time they don't win the cup (except for MAYBE 06-07 since they moved on past the second round).

[vangvace 12]

Yes. Esp with the additions the Wings have made this year.

(Then again, I agree with Dump-N-Thump too)

[Slave 31]

yup, but i say the same thing every year before the season starts

[servo 15]

while it might be a little early to be talking about the finals of next year (although it seems everyone has already put us there), mine is definitely not a cup-or-nothing mentality. the wings are going to win a lot of games next season, and more than that, they're going to play at least 82. obviously, winning is way more fun than losing, but the fact is that i get to watch all my favorite players play a whole ton of games next year. since i love hockey and i love the wings, it's a win-win situation. sure, i'll be dissapointed, and will probably be depressed for a few days afterwards if they lose at any point in the postseason (since, let's be honest).

bottom line: are the wings playing hockey next year? then i won't be that disappointed.

[Doc Holiday 0]

As long as they don't get swept in the first round like last time I'll be content.

[redwings1914 18]

Massive. Failure.