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[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

People keep thinking Anaheim is this rough and tough team like two years ago, when its not. Has anyone even watched the Anaheim - San Jose series? It's nothing like it was hyped up to be by other people, and on here. Calgary - Chicago, Vancouver - St. Louis was much more physical.

The answer is easy, you want Anaheim next round because the Canucks are better AND San Jose will be out of the picture.

[Guest mindfly]

I wanna beat Luongo so he also goes the Hossa way.. "If you can't beat them, join them", he's been stating several times he wanna sign longterm with a team that always have a chance at the cup.. wishful thinking but oh well

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Any of you guys crying about a thread being started before the series is over want to place any bets? I'll bet you my house and my vehicle Wings win this series. Any takers? K now thats what i thought, now go find a different thread to cry about something in.

Nobody's crying. Don't be so melodramatic.

[puertoricanWingsfan 5]

As far as I'm concerned, our next opponent is Columbus... let's finish them off tonight!

[betterREDthandead 58]

I wanna beat Luongo so he also goes the Hossa way.. "If you can't beat them, join them", he's been stating several times he wanna sign longterm with a team that always have a chance at the cup.. wishful thinking but oh well

Cap space doesn't grow on trees, ya know.

[egroen 384]

I have no problem speculating who the Wings play next round, or even in the SCFs for that matter. It's just idle chat.

I want to play Anaheim because not only do I think the Wings match up well with them, but I do not want to later see a San Jose team that has dealt with adversity and triumphed.

Edited April 23, 2009 by egroen

[yzefan 2]

Personally i would prefer to play against Vancouver. Yes Luongo is playing well but vancouver has yet to find any BIG bodies in front like they would with homer and Franzen. Hiller for ANAHIEM is playing extremely well aswell. Big difference in first round match ups, St Louis is no where near as physical as San Jose is and Hillier is doing just find with some of San Jose blocking a view.

As for depth .. Well ANAHEIM is deeper by far. We have seen the affects that the Neidermeyer and pronger on the blue can do not to mention perry, selanne, neidermeyer ,ketzlaf and Ryan. Anaheim is a much hotter and MUCH more physical team then Vancouver is or would ever be.

Our biggest problem is gonna be waiting on which HOT HOT goalie to play against. Both Luongo and Hillier are playing extremely well and that sucks for us. Not that we cant turn them into swiss cheese , but we have seen first hand the affects of a hot goalie in past years ( Guiggy and kipper in 03 and 04 ) Hopefully we dont see a return performance this year

As for tonights game i know columbus isn't coming back in the series.. i just want the boys to close it out tonight to let some bodies rest. No point in dragging this series out and longer than we have too.

GO Wings

[Shaman 713]

I respect both of the teams we could face in round 2, that being said:

Neither team can beat the wings, if they keep playing the way they are now. Hiller is playing, at best decently, hes been good when hes had to be in the first two games, and not so great in game 3, and with this series going atleast 5 games (im still betting 6 or 7), I don't see Anaheim coming to Detroit with the same jump and vigor as they did against San Jose. Also, the problem San Jose is having is they aren't capitalizing on the PP, they are at 11% currently, you cant beat the quacks without making them pay for their dumb penalties. Keys to the wings winning are pretty simple, they average the most penalties of any team in the league over the last couple seasons, and I am sure they won't change that if the wings play them, so pretty simple, if the wings score on the PP on the same clip they did in this series and regular season, it should end with 4 wings wins.

As for Vancouver, this is pretty simple, they are cocky because they played a St Louis team that honestly, while good, did overachieve this season. St Louis just didn't want to win till game 4 in the second period, alittle late.... Louie didn't have to steal one game, and while he did play a great series, from what i saw on the games I watched, he was never really challenged (correct me if my assessment is wrong). Vancouver hasnt faced a team that can put as many shots on them as the wings can, and they only scored 2.75 goals a game against the blues. I believe that with the D the wings have that number could easily go down to 2.25 or lower, If the wings even with Louies best play, get 35+ shots a game would average over 3 goals a game. The big if in the series is Ozzie, he plays at a similar level as he is now, and the D limits the shots to around 20-25 a game, I really believe that we shouldn't have too hard of time in a series with the 'nucks.

Edited April 23, 2009 by Shaman464

[Guest mindfly]

Cap space doesn't grow on trees, ya know.

Trade a few players, replace with already NHL-ready GR players, luongo goes with the red wing trademark hometown discount with a 5M caphit

[hillbillywingsfan 794]

Any of you guys crying about a thread being started before the series is over want to place any bets? I'll bet you my house and my vehicle Wings win this series. Any takers? K now thats what i thought, now go find a different thread to cry about something in.

wtf dude...with a post like that your car is probably a match box car and your house...well its your parents house.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I want to play Anaheim because not only do I think the Wings match up well with them, but I do not want to later see a San Jose team that has dealt with adversity and triumphed.

Agreed... If the Sharks come back from this series against the Ducks they'll be very, very, very hard to stop.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Trade a few players, replace with already NHL-ready GR players, luongo goes with the red wing trademark hometown discount with a 5M caphit

So basically what you're saying is screw with the nucleus just to bring in a goaltender that is paid almost 4 times what our current goaltender is when its been proven that this team doesn't need an "elite" tender to be successful.

Sounds like a plan to me!

[Grim 5]

can't pick your spots once in the Playoffs. Really should assume (if at all) that it will be Vancouver... they've looked the most impressive thusfar. the Nucks absolutely stymied a hot Blues team entering the playoffs. The Nucks also have a freakin good goaltender named Luongo. and worst of all, them Nucks will have plenty of time to rest!

A Wingnut can only hope the dogfight between the Sharks and Ducks goes 7!

[Guest mindfly]

So basically what you're saying is screw with the nucleus just to bring in a goaltender that is paid almost 4 times what our current goaltender is when its been proven that this team doesn't need an "elite" tender to be successful.

Sounds like a plan to me!

Always good to have a goalie that can win games when facing more than 30shots, it's easy to be a goalie and make 20saves

Edited April 23, 2009 by mindfly

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

can't pick your spots once in the Playoffs. Really should assume (if at all) that it will be Vancouver... they've looked the most impressive thusfar. the Nucks absolutely stymied a hot Blues team entering the playoffs. The Nucks also have a freakin good goaltender named Luongo. and worst of all, them Nucks will have plenty of time to rest!

A Wingnut can only hope the dogfight between the Sharks and Ducks goes 7!

So will the Wings if they win tonight.

I realize how hot the Blues were heading into the playoffs, but they're not exactly what you'd call a tough opponent. They had injury problems before the season even began and all it took was solid defensive play and goaltending to frustrate and shut them down. The Wings' goaltending and defense have been playing the exact same type of hockey, but the Wings' depth up front blows Vancouvers' out of the water.

I'm not saying Vancouver would/will be an easy match-up, just that they won't be as difficult as the Blues made them seem.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

Always good to have a goalie that can win games when facing more than 30shots, it's easy to be a goalie and make 20saves

It's good to have that when you NEED it. We don't need it.. so we get by without it.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Always good to have a goalie that can win games when facing more than 30shots, it's easy to be a goalie and make 20saves

Funny, Ozzie faced 31 shots last game and he won the game. On top of that we'll certainly need a goalie to win games when facing more than 30 shots if you start dumping the Wings' nucleus.

Bottom line:

Wings with depth & solid goaltending > Wings with holes & great goaltending

Why are you so hell bent on turning the Wings into something they are not? Better yet, something that a good amount of teams already are, yet they haven't had the success the Wings have had? This model has worked for the Wings for the past 18 years and has brought home 4 Cups in the past 11. No one in their right mind would should want to change it?

[Guest mindfly]

It's good to have that when you NEED it. We don't need it.. so we get by without it.

They probably will need it when facing more skilled offensive teams

[Guest mindfly]

Funny, Ozzie faced 31 shots last game and he won the game. On top of that we'll certainly need a goalie to win games when facing more than 30 shots if you start dumping the Wings' nucleus.

Bottom line:

Wings with depth & solid goaltending > Wings with holes & great goaltending

Why are you so hell bent on turning the Wings into something they are not? This model has worked for the Wings for the past 18 years and has brought home 4 Cups in the past 11. No one in their right mind would should want to change it?

I'll eat the crow if he continues with a 1goal against, shutout, 1goal against etc through out the playoffs for sure. I still think that it's the team defense that has stepped up (all 5 players on the ice) that makes it so much easier for Osgood. If it remains like this when facing San Jose, Boston etc I will be surprised

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I still think that it's the team defense that has stepped up (all 5 players on the ice) that makes it so much easier for Osgood.

To put it succinctly: Duh.

Is it easier to play behind one of the bottom defenses in the league or the best? Everyone helps everyone when you play well; everyone hurts everyone when you play poorly. Ozzie has stepped up in goal, the skaters have stepped up on defense, this much is obvious through observation and comments from the players themselves.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I'll eat the crow if he continues with a 1goal against, shutout, 1goal against etc through out the playoffs for sure. I still think that it's the team defense that has stepped up (all 5 players on the ice) that makes it so much easier for Osgood. If it remains like this when facing San Jose, Boston etc I will be surprised

So Ozzie needs to finish the playoffs with a 0.67 GAA for you to eat crow? You've got to be kidding me. Name one goaltender in the history of the NHL that's done that.

I'll eat the crow if he continues with a 1goal against, shutout, 1goal against etc through out the playoffs for sure. I still think that it's the team defense that has stepped up (all 5 players on the ice) that makes it so much easier for Osgood. If it remains like this when facing San Jose, Boston etc I will be surprised

Of course they have, but you don't think Ozzie has as well? What games have you been watching?

I'll eat the crow if he continues with a 1goal against, shutout, 1goal against etc through out the playoffs for sure. I still think that it's the team defense that has stepped up (all 5 players on the ice) that makes it so much easier for Osgood. If it remains like this when facing San Jose, Boston etc I will be surprised

Logic says he probably won't, but that doesn't diminsh what he's done thus far. I'm all for the Wings continuing to play stronger and stronger hockey as it goes on, but nothing is ever enough for you.

I don't know why I continue to debate with you. It's always the same...."the Wings aren't good enough, and if they win they're still not good enough, and if they win the Cup they got lucky." Life must suck to be that pissed off and pessimistic all the time.

[Chairman Maouth 97]

I wanna beat Luongo so he also goes the Hossa way.. "If you can't beat them, join them", he's been stating several times he wanna sign longterm with a team that always have a chance at the cup.. wishful thinking but oh well

He's already done that.

[Shaman 713]

Sounds like you are the one who is angry. lol. Like you, I'm just "giving my opinion"...if you don't like it, don't read my posts sally sulks-a-lot. I said I wasn't mad and didn't want to stop the thread. And yes I have a right to tell you my opinion, since it's the "interweb" and all. Maybe you should chill out and take your own advice??

HYPOCRITE: . a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements

My point, which you missed is that you shouldn't attack people on a message board....

[Grim 5]

well, looks like a matchup with the Ducks is inevitable... damn Sharks, at least try to drag this thing to 7. those Ducks look awefully confident and healthy.

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

I am honestly not scarred by any team in the NHL right now. Sure they cant be overconfident but us as fans can be. When they flipped that switch, i dont see a team stopping them. Vancouver or Anaheim will have to be gone through anyways so it really doesn't matter. Im ready to pay Anaheim back for two years ago though so that will be nice. Hopefully...