Wings still strong, but other West foes could get in way

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/stor...&id=3597643

[Superman54 91]

I still see Minnesota making it even though they lost some of their key players. Wild>Coyotes

[Dabura 12,232]

Watch out Wings -- HERE COME THE COYOTES!!

[b.shanafan14 733]

So the argument posed in this article is that the Red Wings shouldn't be so sure of themselves because two non-playoff teams from last season have gotten better?

Edited September 21, 2008 by b.shanafan14

[dallas27 7]

Chicago has 36:1 odds to go all the way. Me and a buddy are going to go halfsies for 100 bucks on it. Stupid not to, damn good odds for that team.

Other than that semi-related bit of information, Frei has no idea what he is talking about. I don't think he could have written a worse article hammered.

[Dabura 12,232]

I'll probably be hammered tonight. I'll tell you guys if the article makes any more sense in that state.

[lets go pavel 2]

Could it be that nobody will read an article about the Blackhawks and Coyotes unless they disguise it in red and white and slap a picture of Lidstrom on the front?

[Yzerfan1999 81]

I think Dallas is going to be a really good team again this year. They proved they were good in the playoffs last year, and adding Avery helps their cause. I wouldn't be suprised if we had a rematch in this years WCF. San Jose is going to be good again this year - but I have a hard time seriously seeing them as contenders, they always seem to mess it up.

[Dabura 12,232]

Everyone seems big on the Avery acquisition. Honestly, if anything, he's going to do more harm than good for the Stars over the course of a best-of-seven with the Wings -- specifically, in putting his offense-challenged team on the PK. Either that or he'd be a complete non-factor. Tootoo's a better, more effective pest, and the Wings have seen quite a lot of that guy. And let's not forget: Avery was a Wing. They know all about him.

[Dabura 12,232]

...That said, the Stars are still a threat.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Why would he not talk about San Jose or Dallas? They are the only threats. The Hawks, Yotes, nor the Oilers poise any threat to this team. They will finish the easy teams quickly, because they learned this year that they can. In the past they'd think they had the free pass and would get upset by the lower teams, no more.

[Earthhuman 8]

Everyone seems big on the Avery acquisition. Honestly, if anything, he's going to do more harm than good for the Stars over the course of a best-of-seven with the Wings -- specifically, in putting his offense-challenged team on the PK. Either that or he'd be a complete non-factor. Tootoo's a better, more effective pest, and the Wings have seen quite a lot of that guy. And let's not forget: Avery was a Wing. They know all about him.

7 points (4 goals) in 8 games last year, +3, only three minor penalties in the playoffs. I would think he was an even better pest than Tootoo for two reasons: A) Avery took NJ off their game, Tootoo didn't impact the Wings very dramatically (in fact, his 2 goals were his only real contribution), and, B) Avery played against division rivals that had despised him all year.

[Dabura 12,232]

7 points (4 goals) in 8 games last year, +3, only three minor penalties in the playoffs. I would think he was an even better pest than Tootoo for two reasons: A) Avery took NJ off their game, Tootoo didn't impact the Wings very dramatically (in fact, his 2 goals were his only real contribution), and, B) Avery played against division rivals that had despised him all year.

*

1. In the East...against the Devils.

2A) Avery waved his stick in front of Brodeur's face and talked s*** in the media. It rattled the Devils to their fragile little core. I can't say he would have had the same impact against the Wings.

2B) Avery's boneheaded tactics wouldn't cut it against the Wings in a best of seven, and his stats would be considerably lower than the numbers he put up against NJ. Tootoo has never forced the Wings to implode, but every time he plays the Wings -- who are generally extremely difficult to rattle. Certainly mentally tougher than the Devils -- he makes his presence felt, hitting anything that moves, taking runs at players, skating his ass off, chipping in with a point here and there, and generally pissing people off. Pound-for-pound, the only thing Avery's better at is running his mouth in the media.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I wouldn't be suprised to see the Oil or Yotes sneak into the playoffs. I'd be suprised if Vancouver makes it. Luongo can only do so much, and the offense was already terrible last season with Naslund and Morrison, who are both gone now. Demietra/Bernier aren't an upgrade; they're going to be even more hard-pressed for goals this year.

[VM1138 1,921]

THe West has gotten better. San Jose now has a competent coach and Dallas has only improved. We need to step it up tos tay ahead of the curve. Luckily, it seems we've done that by signing Conklin and Hossa.

[Opie 308]

THe West has gotten better. San Jose now has a competent coach and Dallas has only improved. We need to step it up tos tay ahead of the curve. Luckily, it seems we've done that by signing Conklin and Hossa.

Competency is proven, what has McClellan proven, he has proven to be a competent Assistant coach, and shown he has hockey intellect. Wilson as crappy as he was in the playoffs was/is way more competent and way more proven than McClellan. So before we go giving San Jose credit for having a competent coach, lets have him prove it!

[eva unit zero 271]

I wouldn't be suprised to see the Oil or Yotes sneak into the playoffs. I'd be suprised if Vancouver makes it. Luongo can only do so much, and the offense was already terrible last season with Naslund and Morrison, who are both gone now. Demietra/Bernier aren't an upgrade; they're going to be even more hard-pressed for goals this year.

Either Luongo is hugely overrated, or Hasek's buffalo teammates were hugely underrated.

People talk about how Luongo is always the best goalie or one of the best goalies in the league. Hasek was always the best goalie or one of the best goalies in the league as a Sabre. Hasek made the playoffs most years in Buffalo. Luongo has what, one playoff appearance? People talk about how Hasek had nobody to play with. Luongo has had some pretty darn good individual teammates in Florida and Vancouver.

I don't know...I guess I am just sick of the massive love-fest for a guy who has proven nothing and done nothing, while other guys behind comparable or worse teams in the past have done better. Hell, Chris Osgood has never missed the playoffs and has started on worse teams than some of Luongo's teams.

[hockey&beer 16]

Competency is proven, what has McClellan proven, he has proven to be a competent Assistant coach, and shown he has hockey intellect. Wilson as crappy as he was in the playoffs was/is way more competent and way more proven than McClellan. So before we go giving San Jose credit for having a competent coach, lets have him prove it!

Wilson has kept his job because for years in the NHL you NEVER saw a head coach that was not "proven". Meaning he had not spent numerous years as an assistant or worked his way through the lesser leagues. The past couple seasons there have been more "unproven" coaches brought into the league and most have succeeded. Wilson will end up going the way of the Quennvile... without a job.

The interesting part is, McClellan has proven himself more than Wilson has. Todd has championships in 2 leagues as a head coach and another as an assistant in the big show. The only thing I see may be a problem for McClellan is the higher ups dictating some of his decisions and not allowing him to put the most effective squad on the ice.

[Heaton 1]

The only team the Wings need to "worry" about is the Ducks and that's because of Giguere, nothing else. Every team in the playoffs has a chance to beat every other team but Giguere has our number.

[dobbles 252]

as has been mentioned, the title of this article is really dumb. it has nothing to do with the western conference elites such as detroit, dallas, or san jose. rather it just talks about who might sneak into the playoffs and quickly exit. personally, i think the blackhawks are really the only of the 3 with a decent chance of making it. edmonton got a ton of their points off of shootouts, and winning that many will be hard to replicate. additionally, they had lots of young players and its just not realistic to expect all of them to contribute the same level. the coyotes will be better, but i see them a year away from the playoffs.

the interesting part will be if the hawks are better, can nashville still squeak in? i think minnesota will still make it as they always find a way to win without a roster that looks like it can. so i think either the hawks and preds will swap, or the hawks will push out the avalanche and the central will have 3 teams in the playoffs.

[Guest Four]

espn? I'm not reading that.

[Dabura 12,232]

The only team the Wings need to "worry" about is the Ducks and that's because of Giguere, nothing else. Every team in the playoffs has a chance to beat every other team but Giguere has our number.

I don't buy that. The Wings were moments away from eliminating the Ducks 4-2 in '07 (does no one remember the 5-0 rout?) -- and that was a better Ducks team and worse Wings team than what we're looking at this season. I'm confident that if this Wings team faced the current Ducks in the playoffs, they'd light Giggy's ass up.

If the Wings should be worried about anyone, it's the Stars and Sharks. And hell, why not: the Preds.

But wait, what am I saying? The Blackhawks are on the rise!!!

[Guest LivingtheDream]

That was a very poorly written article. I don't mean the grammar, it was just so disjointed and without a real point. It was all over the place. Makes you wonder how some people get into journalism.