How much doubt compared to 98?

[hardcoretom21 71]

What's up everyone?

I was reading some previous of the upcoming series against the BJ's..... How much doubt do you think there is for this year's Red Wings playoffs compared to, say 1998?

I remember the Wings weren't as high in the standings that year, and I know there are a lot of differences with this year, as the Wings flirted with the Presidents' trophy for a while..

I know there are going to be a LOT of mentions on goaltending, but I'd rather not turn this into an Ozzy sux/rulz thread!

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

While I'm not going to be a downright homer and say the Wings are going to win it all 100%, you gotta be confident and optimistic. Yeah I've seen the games, yeah I've seen shady goaltending and shady defense from the Wings. However this team still knows how to win, and if they can play as consistent as possible for 60+ minutes, not many teams will beat them at minimum they'll make a deep playoff run. I'm very confident in them but also would not be shocked if they bow out early considering some troubles this year as well as it not being all that unusual for a high seed or two to be eliminated early.

[mjlegend 155]

Funny that in 98, the Wings also had some guy named "Osgood" between the pipes and a wicked fast offense. After Phoenix went up 2-1 in the first round, I really didn't think the Wings had a chance.

So I wasn't very confident at all until the end of the Dallas series. Washington was going to be a piece of cake.

[theman19 47]

To be honest, we're facing some of the same problems.

It's the motivation that will determine who wins this year.

Remember that series against dallas when they were scoring at ozzie from center ice? Everyone said we were done.

We weren't, we arn't, and until someone beats us in a 7 game series we're the stanley cup champs.

[hardcoretom21 71]

That's a pretty optimistic, AND REALISTIC point you make. But a the same time, I hate to use the stereotype, but I do believe they can be able to "turn it on" come playoff time... We've seen it last year with the grinders, and this roster is overflowing with experience... Who knew Brett Hull would be so dead-on when he said "I'd rather be old and wise rather then young and stupid any day"

[Louisville 112]

Biggest difference between '98 and '09?

Vladimir Konstantinov

Can't get much more motivation to win for somebody than that

[Wings_Toledo 233]

Biggest difference between '98 and '09?

Vladimir Konstantinov

Can't get much more motivation to win for somebody than that

Agreed. And last year there was the motivation to win it for Dallas Drake, but who really will give them that same drive this year? Hossa is the only one that comes to mind, but he hasn't been in the league quite long enough to warrant the "pity Cup," so to speak.

Regardless, I think and hope they make a good run. I just really want to see a Wings vs. Sharks conference finals. That would probably be more exciting than the Cup finals.

[Echolalia 2,961]

There are only two things that can prevent the Wings from winning the Cup this year: motivation and the sequence of teams they verse.

Motivation has been an issue for the team since day 1, despite so many articles saying the Wings managed to avoid Cup-hangover. Goaltending and defense are the most obvious, with the offense seeming to either boom or be completely absent. A couple points to relax about concerning this is the fact that, despite the horrible last 10 games played, Osgood seems to be, for the most part, stopping the ones he should stop. Defense and offense are still choppy, but hopefully we can attribute that to a bunch of old guys playing in games they know don't matter, verse teams fighting for playoff spots. Additionally, if any team can suddenly turn it on for the playoffs, its the Red Wings.

And as for the sequence of teams: I like to stress my point by going back two years. I'm 95% confident that if the Wings versed a single opponent differently, they would've won the cup. Flying out to Calgary for a gritty series, followed by San Jose for another gritty series, then to Anaheim for another gritty series was way too much. Especially if you compare that to the roads that Anaheim and Ottawa faced. Last year the Wings were more fortunate. All the teams that frightened most of us the most (Anaheim, Dallas, San Jose) beat up on eachother and the wounded victor, Dallas, was picked off by the Wings. This year, so far by matching up against Columbus instead of Anaheim, I'm more comfortable, but who knows what will end up happening over the next couple series.

Anyway, I'm more confident this year about winning the cup than I was a decade ago.

[eva unit zero 271]

Remember that series against dallas when they were scoring at ozzie from center ice? Everyone said we were done.

You say that like they scored 5 or 6 center ice goals. Remember that shutout Ozzie had against Dallas to win the series when the Wings were being outplayed in the last game? People always seem to forget that part of it.

[Louisville 112]

You say that like they scored 5 or 6 center ice goals. Remember that shutout Ozzie had against Dallas to win the series when the Wings were being outplayed in the last game? People always seem to forget that part of it.

Actually, he let in 3 center ice goals in that cup run. Every round except the finals.

Besides that, I do remember that shutout to win the series, he was amazing.

[thedisappearer 291]

Agreed. And last year there was the motivation to win it for Dallas Drake, but who really will give them that same drive this year?

OK, stop this s*** right now. We didn't win last year because of Dallas Drake. He didn't put us of "the edge", he didn't show us "what the playoffs mean"... he was a 4th line winger. If you really buy into the "we need some dude who has never won a Cup to win a Cup", you are an idiot. Wanting to win means s***. EVERYONE wants to win it. Show me the player who doesn't.

Dallas ******* Drake.

If Zetterberg ever said to Holland he wanted that Cup for Drake, Holland would have bitched slapped him twice. Then, never resigned him.

For Drake. Whatever.

[Superman54 91]

The only thing that fears me is 2003

[mjlegend 155]

EVERYONE wants to win it. Show me the player who doesn't.

[thedisappearer 291]

I'll go with exception to the rule, thanks.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

I am nervous - the odds are against the Wings, but hey - they are still a great hockey team and if anyone has a chance to repeat, its them.

I just keep thinking about what Lidstrom said a couple months ago - that he thought the current locker room is even more focused on their goal then they were last year.

Motivation will be key...I hope they already forgot about last year and go out hungry.

[55fan 5,133]

OK, stop this s*** right now. We didn't win last year because of Dallas Drake. He didn't put us of "the edge", he didn't show us "what the playoffs mean"... he was a 4th line winger. If you really buy into the "we need some dude who has never won a Cup to win a Cup", you are an idiot. Wanting to win means s***. EVERYONE wants to win it. Show me the player who doesn't.

Dallas ******* Drake.

If Zetterberg ever said to Holland he wanted that Cup for Drake, Holland would have bitched slapped him twice. Then, never resigned him.

For Drake. Whatever.

So Ozzie lied? Drapes lied? Mac lied? Lids lied?

All those guys who went on record as saying they had wanted it so bad for Dally lied? The guys who said they had won it before and wanted to share that with someone they had known and that, in Ozzie and Lids' cases, they had played with ...they lied?

When they talked about how he had almost thought of giving up because he missed his family in TC when he didn't get home as much as he had hoped, missing a good chunk of the first year of his youngest child's life, and how moved they were by Mrs. Drake urging her husband not to give up, that was all lies?

I get all teary-eyed when I see Lids hand Dally that Cup. Please don't tell me it was all a sham. I'm emotionally vested.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

So Ozzie lied? Drapes lied? Mac lied? Lids lied?

All those guys who went on record as saying they had wanted it so bad for Dally lied? The guys who said they had won it before and wanted to share that with someone they had known and that, in Ozzie and Lids' cases, they had played with ...they lied?

When they talked about how he had almost thought of giving up because he missed his family in TC when he didn't get home as much as he had hoped, missing a good chunk of the first year of his youngest child's life, and how moved they were by Mrs. Drake urging her husband not to give up, that was all lies?

I get all teary-eyed when I see Lids hand Dally that Cup. Please don't tell me it was all a sham. I'm emotionally vested.

Saying they wanted it for Dallas doesn't mean they didn't want it just as much for themselves. Keep in mind that you listed players that have all won Cups before. Zetterberg hadn't, and that was the example thedisappearer gave. I agree with him.

Of course they wanted to win it for Dallas, but it wasn't Drake that *made* it happen.

[betterREDthandead 58]

What's up everyone?

I was reading some previous of the upcoming series against the BJ's..... How much doubt do you think there is for this year's Red Wings playoffs compared to, say 1998?

I remember the Wings weren't as high in the standings that year, and I know there are a lot of differences with this year, as the Wings flirted with the Presidents' trophy for a while..

I know there are going to be a LOT of mentions on goaltending, but I'd rather not turn this into an Ozzy sux/rulz thread!

Much more doubt this year. In '98 we had the whole Vladdy thing going and I considered it practically a birthright for the Wings to win. The playoffs weren't especially arduous either. We did have the Cup to defend, but I don't think the Wings were a target any more than someone like Dallas or New Jersey, which were also considered just as much the league's elite as the Wings were. A decade later the Wings have had so much success there's a target on their back no matter what happened last year.

[55fan 5,133]

Saying they wanted it for Dallas doesn't mean they didn't want it just as much for themselves. Keep in mind that you listed players that have all won Cups before. Zetterberg hadn't, and that was the example thedisappearer gave. I agree with him.

Of course they wanted to win it for Dallas, but it wasn;t Drake that *made* it happen.

I felt his reply was over-the-top and responded in like fashion.

Of course the each Wing wanted it for himself. That's true no matter how many times a guy wins it- he still wants another. However, many did credit Drake as an incentive to go beyond themselves. Every team has players who want to win it for themselves. Dallas gave us an extra incentive.

I believe what they guys said: They wanted to win it for Drake. It wasn't the only reason, but it was a reason.

One of the announcers (I think it was Daniels, but I could be wrong) said that the players "to a man" said they wanted to win it for Drake.

So, thedisappearer can disparage "Dallas ******* Drake" all he wants. I think he was a great motivating factor for our team. Not like Vladdie was in '98. Not by any means. But it was there nonetheless.

I don't think that not having a guy on his last chance for the Cup will diminish the individual motivation of any of our team to want to win it for himself, but I do think that it was what made a great thing even better. Kind of like finding out that Playboy Bunny you've been dating can cook.

[Guest Shoreline]

The Wings will face adversity, for sure. It's just a matter of how the team deals with it, and how many fans get s*** for jumping off the bandwagon when the team faces it. Will be damn interesting to see if our team can do back to backs.

Edited April 14, 2009 by Shoreline

[C-TownWing 0]

That is freaking hilarious. Well played.

To answer the question, it's hard for me to compare the two, because in 1998, I was still in high school and arrogant enough to think that because we won in 1997 that the Cup was our birthright until the end of time. The Colorado series in 1999 really rocked my worldview on that one. And actually, adding Hossa to the champs reminded me of what we did at the deadline that year, adding Cheli, Samuelsson, Clark and Ranford to the back-to-back champs.

11 years later, I'm pretty much the exact opposite. The guy you all hate because I was convinced we'd blow it against Dallas and Pittsburgh after losing game 5s at home. I think we're probably in better shape to repeat than just about any winner since we did it, but still think it's somewhat unlikely. So I guess my answer's 1998 with an asterisk.

Like someone else said, the biggest question then, as now, was Osgood. I like what I've seen from him lately and think he'll be there for us. If we lose, I don't think it'll be because of him, but more just because it's damn hard to win once, let alone twice.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I felt his reply was over-the-top and responded in like fashion.

Of course the each Wing wanted it for himself. That's true no matter how many times a guy wins it- he still wants another. However, many did credit Drake as an incentive to go beyond themselves. Every team has players who want to win it for themselves. Dallas gave us an extra incentive.

I believe what they guys said: They wanted to win it for Drake. It wasn't the only reason, but it was a reason.

One of the announcers (I think it was Daniels, but I could be wrong) said that the players "to a man" said they wanted to win it for Drake.

So, thedisappearer can disparage "Dallas ******* Drake" all he wants. I think he was a great motivating factor for our team. Not like Vladdie was in '98. Not by any means. But it was there nonetheless.

I don't think that not having a guy on his last chance for the Cup will diminish the individual motivation of any of our team to want to win it for himself, but I do think that it was what made a great thing even better. Kind of like finding out that Playboy Bunny you've been dating can cook.

This post I can get on board with. While I can understand you taking offense to the way thedisappearer came off in his post, I think his reply (and mine for that matter) was in regards to people claiming that Drake is *what* put the Wings over the top. I completely agree with you that Drake was a solid motivating factor for the Wings, but I also feel that the Wings would've won the Cup with or without Drake.

That being said, I completely agree that Drake's presence made a great thing even better.

[thedisappearer 291]

So Ozzie lied? Drapes lied? Mac lied? Lids lied?

No, they gave the "right" interview. They said the "right" thing. Lids could have also said "I cash over $7 million in paychecks, of course I want the damn Cup" but that's not as warm and fuzzy.

[thedisappearer 291]

So, thedisappearer can disparage "Dallas ******* Drake" all he wants. I think he was a great motivating factor for our team. Not like Vladdie was in '98. Not by any means. But it was there nonetheless.

I'm not disparaging the man, but if you think he was a prime motivator to win the Cup, either you have some glorified idea of professional athletes or the Wings *really* needed some help self-motivating. Since they won, I don't think they needed help self-motivating...

[StevieY9802 6]

When they were down 2-1 to the Yotes, and then trailed 1-0 early in game 4, I was scared and thought it was over.

Pretty much after they went up 2-1 on the Blues I had no doubt. Just had this feeling they could overcome anything after the Yotes and early on the Blues.