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

[DaKineMaui 8]

If you ain't first, you're last!

Nut up and accept it. If you're going to be a Wings fan you need to be crushed by failure not "ho-hum I don't really care either way so long as we try our best." The District-5 comment speaks volumes. This isn't pee-wee. Anything but the Cup is a failure.

f***inA buhbuh. Dat da troof.

[chrisdetroit 189]

Exactly. It's too soon to tell how this season it going to play out. Granted, where we stand on paper, we have an amazing team that is capable of winning again.

However, it's July. We don't know what's going to happen come October. We don't know who we're going to be up against for the playoffs, how badly they're going to want it and just how badly they're going to fight for it (and how much they're going to literally fight for it). We don't know who's going to stay healthy.

At this point on paper, we're solid. But there's too many factors that go into it that only the season is going to be able to tell.

Although if we just lay down on the ice and let the other teams walk all over us with our roster and give up soft goals and all that, then yes, it will be a failure. But I believe that as long as you try and as long as you work hard for your goal and can honestly say you gave your all, then it wasn't a failure. We'll have to wait and see if they do that.

s*** it's still July! When the #$@^ does October start? I can't take much more of this. Drop the puck for Christ's sake.

[Dabura 12,232]

it is about setting realistic goals given various factors such as your roster, how you finished the year before, injuries throughout the season, and so forth.

Again, this organization operates in accordance with a "Cup or bust" philosophy. It's the cornerstone of "Red Wings culture," from the ownership level right on down to the general expectations of this rabid fanbase.

No offense to anyone, but some random guy saying, "Well look, you can't win every year," doesn't mean anything to the likes of Mike Illitch. He's in the business of doing absolutely everything in his power to Win Big (which, yes, is inextricably linked with making money) every season, and in turn, being crushingly disappointed when the team doesn't Win Big.

That this roster and its extended pipeline practically scream, "DYNASTY," is not a happy accident.

[vangvace 12]

I don't like the season is a complete waste if you don't win the Cup mentality. Do you want to win the Cup every year? Of course, I'm not denying that. However, it is about setting realistic goals given various factors such as your roster, how you finished the year before, injuries throughout the season, and so forth. It is impossible to win the Cup every year.

It's about setting realistic goals and if you lost, putting things in perspective in terms of effort, manpower (or lack thereof), how the other team(s) performed, and so forth.

1) Coming off a cup win.

2) Large net (net net not goalie net) gain of talent with Hossa and Conklin signing plus the resignings thus far.

3) Longer break before the start of the season.

4) Enough unproven talent to prevent "regulars" from getting burned out.

5) Coming off a cup win

I fail to see how anything less than a repeat could not be considered a failure at this point. When catastrophes happen then we can reevaluate if need be.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Again, this organization operates in accordance with a "Cup or bust" philosophy. It's the cornerstone of "Red Wings culture," from the ownership level right on down to the general expectations of this rabid fanbase.

No offense to anyone, but some random guy saying, "Well look, you can't win every year," doesn't mean anything to the likes of Mike Illitch. He's in the business of doing absolutely everything in his power to Win Big (which, yes, is inextricably linked with making money) every season, and in turn, being crushingly disappointed when the team doesn't Win Big.

That this roster and its extended pipeline practically scream, "DYNASTY," is not a happy accident.

That is why I said expectations should be set given your roster makeup, how you have done in the recent past, etc. And for a team coming of the Stanley Cup and in all likelihood looking better on paper next season, the Cup again is a realistic goal, I get it and they should strive for it obviously.

But you still cannot win every year and dents will sometimes prevent you from winning the Cup or a championship both within a team's control and factors outside of their control. They can control their effort and the like. They cannot control injuries or fluke bounces for goals or phantom interference goals against them.

Again I'm not saying do not strive to win it all, but it might not actually happen and it is necessary in a business or a team to set other benchmarks to accomplish as well before that ultimate prize. If too much stuff out of their control happens to prevent them from winning the Cup and they still bust their a**es and give a 100% effort to try to win the Cup in spite of those things, I won't be really that disappointed. All I want is an honest 100% effort and hopefully that will lead to a Cup, and the odds of that happening with this team are better than the other 29.

Edited July 17, 2008 by SouthernWingsFan

[Dabura 12,232]

Well, the idea that "some things are out of your hands" is basically a truism. And with an organization like this one, setting "other goals" isn't really part of The Plan. Everyone's entitled to his own set of expectations -- I'm just saying management's collective expectations and goals are, I can guarantee, not nearly as touchy-feely as some of the ones being put forth here.

[norrisnick 1]

Well, the idea that "some things are out of your hands" is basically a truism. And with an organization like this one, setting "other goals" isn't really part of The Plan. Everyone's entitled to his own set of expectations -- I'm just saying management's collective expectations and goals are, I can guarantee, not nearly as touchy-feely as some of the ones being put forth here.

Mr. I doesn't treat the team to ice cream unless it's spooned out of the Cup!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Bah. I quit in this thread. You guys win.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Yes. It will be a failure. If we had not won last year it would have been a failure too.

Thats the only downside to signing big names like Hossa. Now we are expected to win.

I kind of liked our position last summer. WE knew the Wings had what it took to win a cup, but most of the media went with teams like San Jose, Anahiem or Ottawa to win. Surely the media will be calling for a repeat in the fall.

[WingsFan2008 0]

Basically I'm already handing the 2008-2009 Cup to the Red Wings. It's a done deal.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Basically I'm already handing the 2008-2009 Cup to the Red Wings. It's a done deal.

shuddup yo face! Thats bad luck, don't you know.

[Cruiser008 37]

Yes it will

However I highly doubt we'll lose in the finals. The playoffs for Detroit are usually boom/bust. We're much more likely to lose in the 1st round than in the finals (although next year I see the WCF as our biggest test if we make it that far).

[superdeluxe 0]

If this scenario played out would you consider the entire 2008-09 season a failure?

No its not a failure, not really sure how anyone can think that losing in the championship final game means the entire season is a failure.

[union drone 0]

The mere existence of this thread is proof positive that Detroit hockey fans are spoiled.

Win or lose sit back and enjoy the ride... and be thankful that we aren't Islanders fans.

[Dabura 12,232]

Mr. I doesn't treat the team to ice cream unless it's spooned out of the Cup!

Homer gets paid in cups of butterscotch swirl.

No joke.

[SFwingsfan 23]

I consider this thread a failure.

Ouch!

[Doc Holiday 0]

The mere existence of this thread is proof positive that Detroit hockey fans are spoiled.

Win or lose sit back and enjoy the ride... and be thankful that we aren't Islanders fans.

I was when Ozzie played there. Still a red wing fan, mind you, but also an islanders fan.