March 26th, Bloodbath at the Joe

[Broken 16 381]

Many believe that the March 26th game against the Colorado Avalanche was instrumental in helping the Red Wings 'get over the hump' to become Stanley Cup Champions.

For those that weren't fans at the time... a quick rundown of events leading up to and after that amazing night.

Playoffs 95/96

We draw the Colorado Avalanche. Fresh from an relocation from Quebec. They have a stacked team. Joe Sakic, Peter Forseberg, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote to name a few. All kinds of character. Mike Ricci leading the way in that department. And, of course, Claude. The Avs bounced the Wings from the playoffs, dashing any hopes for a Cup. We had a new Western Conference rival standing in our way.

This happens during the series... Scroll to about the 0:55 mark. By the way, observe Joe Sakic standing over Draper trying to keep everyone from piling up on top of him. That's why I always had a soft spot for Joe.

Drapers face was destroyed and required surgery.

Fast forward to the following year. The Wings aquired Brendan Shanahan in an attempt to 'get tougher'. After much build up, the final regular season meeting between the two teams took place on March 26th, 1997. Retribution was had:

Still feel bad for Mickey. He was stuck in the elevator. Hehe. By the way... the Wings went on to win the Cup, on top of bouncing the Avs from the playoffs that year.

So my question to you is this. Was this brawl important to the Red Wings in terms of getting them over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Finals? Or was this just a small footnote and not really that important?

Edited May 13, 2009 by Broken 16

[Broken 16 381]

By the way... the only reason I'm asking this is because I'm being told by more than one person that the brawl was basically insignificant in the big picture and I just want to make sure I'm not losing my mind.

[kidish 0]

Pfft, in hockey, a brawl can change a series or even a game. Why have fighters been sent out to start scraps when a team is down? Why does a big hit get fans alive again even if their team is behind? The physical aspects of this sport can bond teammates together like nothing else.

I think that brawl set the tone for what was to come.

[esteef 2,679]

By the way... the only reason I'm asking this is because I'm being told by more than one person that the brawl was basically insignificant in the big picture and I just want to make sure I'm not losing my mind.

Think about the people telling you that though, do you really give a s*** what they think? Next thing they'll be recommending our players drop and turtle when challenged or something...Oh Wait!

esteef

[Broken 16 381]

Think about the people telling you that though, do you really give a s*** what they think? Next thing they'll be recommending our players drop and turtle when challenged or something...Oh Wait!

esteef

I don't really give a s***, I guess. But it's just driving me crazy that anyone could be so short sighted.

[esteef 2,679]

Pfft, in hockey, a brawl can change a series or even a game. Why have fighters been sent out to start scraps when a team is down? Why does a big hit get fans alive again even if their team is behind? The physical aspects of this sport can bond teammates together like nothing else.

I think that brawl set the tone for what was to come.

Agree 100%, unfortunately things like physical presence, intimidation and momentum don't have stats so your comments will fall on deaf ears around here.

esteef

[Green Wing 26]

I think the fact that people may have thought that the Avs could get away with what they wanted to do on Detroit and not suffer the consequences. Didn't they play a few times after the Draper hit without much incident? For sure, the Avs were probably laughing at the Wings and the lack of the much talked about 'revenge'. A statement had to be made to the Avs, and after that, well, it showed that the Wings weren't going to be out-fought, even in the literal sense.

Great watching those videos again, always enjoyable.

[Wombat 26]

The Wings do not win the Cup without that game. Colorado was renting the penthouse in the collective heads of the Red Wings. The Wings were "too soft" and not good enough to compete with them. This game proved to the Wings themselves that they could play with Colorado, and they proved the world that they could win afterward.

[norrisnick 1]

The Wings do not win the Cup without that game. Colorado was renting the penthouse in the collective heads of the Red Wings. The Wings were "too soft" and not good enough to compete with them. This game proved to the Wings themselves that they could play with Colorado, and they proved the world that they could win afterward.

Exactly. And the bolded part is the key here. If the Wings don't win the game they get swept in the season series the year after they get ousted by the Avs in the playoffs. They had to WIN that game. They had to score on Roy. They did both.

[Wombat 26]

Exactly. And the bolded part is the key here. If the Wings don't win the game they get swept in the season series the year after they get ousted by the Avs in the playoffs. They had to WIN that game. They had to score on Roy. They did both.

Even though that 97 WCF started with Roy stifling them, they knew they could get him, and the team, because of that March 26th game. They would not be pushed around and they would find a way to crack Roy.

To those answering that it meant nothing, show and explain yourselves!

Edited May 13, 2009 by Wombat

[norrisnick 1]

Even though that 97 WCF started with Roy stifling them, they knew they could get him, and the team, because of that March 26th game. They would not be pushed around and they would find a way to crack Roy.

To those answering that it meant nothing, show and explain yourselves!

o/

People are equating the brawl in the 1st period with the furious comeback in the 3rd. After the fights the Wings still allowed 4 more goals and fell behind 5-3 in the 3rd. It was the goals that won the game, and planted that seed of optimism that the Wings could beat Roy. Lemieux was insignificant. Patrick Roy was always the central figure of the rivalry.

[Broken 16 381]

o/

People are equating the brawl in the 1st period with the furious comeback in the 3rd. After the fights the Wings still allowed 4 more goals and fell behind 5-3 in the 3rd. It was the goals that won the game, and planted that seed of optimism that the Wings could beat Roy. Lemieux was insignificant. Patrick Roy was always the central figure of the rivalry.

I can't believe you're NOT equating the furious comeback with the brawl. Seriously. Wow.

[norrisnick 1]

I can't believe you're NOT equating the furious comeback with the brawl. Seriously. Wow.

If the brawl was so integral, how and why did the Wings allow themselves to fall in that hole to begin with? It's not like the Avs were up 5-0 and then the fights happened and the Wings stormed back.

[Doc Holiday 0]

Was this poll necessary?

No?

Is it going to go on and on for multiple pages?

Yes?

Carry on then. Hopefully we can interject Downey in the thread before page 20.

[Broken 16 381]

Was this poll necessary?

No?

Is it going to go on and on for multiple pages?

Yes?

Carry on then. Hopefully we can interject Downey in the thread before page 20.

Was this post necessary?

No?

Is it going to go on for multiple pages?

Maybe?

Will Doc Holiday spam it with whining about what other posters are discussing?

Most definately?

[Doc Holiday 0]

Was this post necessary?

No?

Is it going to go on for multiple pages?

Maybe?

Will Doc Holiday spam it with whining about what other posters are discussing?

Most definately?

I'm not whining here. You are upset because you are upset that one or two people (maybe I'm underestimating) don't think the March 26th brawl had significance in that game.

I'm not spamming. I'm making a comment about how this poll didn't need to be made simply to make a point and puff out your chest at the "anti-fighters" on the board. And when you make a new thread not everyone is going to think it is a great topic of discussion. Doesn't mean you have to mock them and call them out with falsehoods and personal attacks.

Edited May 14, 2009 by Doc Holiday

[Broken 16 381]

I'm not whining here. You are upset because you are upset that one or two people (maybe I'm underestimating) don't think the March 26th brawl had significance in that game.

I'm not spamming. I'm making a comment about how this poll didn't need to be made simply to make a point and puff out your chest at the "anti-fighters" on the board. And when you make a new thread not everyone is going to think it is a great topic of discussion. Doesn't mean you have to mock them and call them out with falsehoods and personal attacks.

So, come in and mock the thread... then complain for getting mocked. Hehe.

[Doc Holiday 0]

So, come in and mock the thread... then complain for getting mocked. Hehe.

I never mocked the thread. That wasn't the intention of my opening post here.

[Broken 16 381]

I never mocked the thread. That wasn't the intention of my opening post here.

I see... so what was the intention of your initial post? If you wouldn't mind indulging me.

[ben_usmc 253]

according to DMac it was the turning point, in the book about the rivalry they state it showed the Wings no longer were just going to be pushed around and they learned that going into the playoffs. They were tougher and meaner and better.

[Konnan511 1,736]

I never mocked the thread. That wasn't the intention of my opening post here.

Come on Doc, it was completely mocking this thread.

But to the OP, I agree with NN on this one to be honest. That brawl was nothing more than payback and the boiling point of an eqpic rivalry. That Wings' team was built Ford tough with all their additions and that brawl just proved it. Was that brawl a rallying cry? Maybe, but it was certainly a bonding experience for the Wings. But again, it wasn't the end all be all that got us over the hump, there was just a lot of hate that needed to be released.

[55fan 5,133]

Revenge was needed. Revenge was called for all year. How many players are on record as pointing to that as the turning point?

Wings fans called for retribution, but Lemieux missed the first two match-ups between the Wings and Avs in the 96-97 season. In the next game, Draper and Lemieux were both given 10 minute misconducts for what amounted to an exchange of words. We all know what happened after that.

After The Game, Vernon said, "We tested each other, relied on each other, and we rose to the occasion. It made us all believers that we can do this, we can battle. The confidence within the dressing room after that for the rest of the season was different. Detroit fans, they like their fighters, the Joey Kocurs and Bob Proberts..."

During the post-season match-up between the Avs and Wings, McCarty said (referring to Mar 26), "We just didn't feel like a pretty team anymore. We felt like a bunch of hardasses now. We felt we could pound Colorado on the boards now, where I'm sure they felt that way about us the year before."

After The Game, Konstantinov was asked if he thought Colorado was tough enough to play dirty. He responded by chuckling for a full five seconds.

That's what I could find after a quick perusal of Blood Feud, but I know there are more quotes out there. That game made the team what it was. The fights made them what they were.

I won't say that fighting is a magical cure for all team problems, but when revenge is needed, when redemption is called for, a good fight like this night gives the team the lift they need to stand up straight in their skates and play with heart. Neither games nor Cups are won by fists, but a team that is afraid of its enemy has already lost.

[Dominator2005 558]

Sometimes you have to make a statement...

[mjlegend 155]

Do any of the Wings currently look like Draper did moments after the Le-turtle hit, meaning that retribution is necessary?

No.

Are they losing an occasional fight right now when the game's over or decided?

Yes.

Does this poll have anything to do with 2009?

Nope.

[55fan 5,133]

Do any of the Wings currently look like Draper did moments after the Le-turtle hit, meaning that retribution is necessary?

No.

Are they losing an occasional fight right now when the game's over or decided?

Yes.

Does this poll have anything to do with 2009?

Nope.

You're right! No one put 1997 in the title of the thread, therefore we must not discuss March 26th as though any other year contained such a date.

Bloody Wednesday was needed in 1997.

As far as 2009 goes, we shall see tomorrow, and there are plenty of topics discussing 2009.

The tie-in is the fighting. Will Tuesday night spark the Wings like 3/26/97 did? Probably not. There was a lot more riding on that fight back then. The fact that 2009 is different from 1997 doesn't mean that we can't discuss 1997.