Wings V. Hawks. Early predictions

[Gutierrez 7]

Khabibulin> Osgood

and Offense is tied between the two teams while Datsyuk is invisable.

great analysis.

lol at Khabi > Osgood. Did you not see the series against Columbus or Anaheim? Khabibulins' save % is at .896, has allowed 33 goals and has a GAA of 2.76. Compare that to Osgood who has a save % of .921, has allowed 24 goals and a GAA of 2.06. There is no way Khabi is better than Osgood. Come on, The anemic Canucks offense and the underachieving Flames offense did a solid number oh him, imagine what the wings are going to do? Both the Hawks and Wings offense is close but the fact we have been rolling without Datsyuk is bad news for you guys, especially if Datsyuk wakes up and starts producing offensively.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Gutierrez

[Lidstrom for life 20]

A lot of posts mentioned intimidation, I don't really think intimidation is as important as actual style of play. Teams that are built around defense (Anaheim, Nashville) are the teams that give the wings the most trouble. More skilled offensive teams (Chicago, Pittsburgh) do not worry me as much because the wings benefit from playing an up tempo high scoring game. What was that stat they mentioned on FSD? The wings have won some crazy ridiculous number of playoff games in a row (30?) when scoring at least 5 times. Chicago has a very good team but this should be a high scoring series which I have to believe favors the wings. Wings in 5.

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

A lot of posts mentioned intimidation, I don't really think intimidation is as important as actual style of play. Teams that are built around defense (Anaheim, Nashville) are the teams that give the wings the most trouble. More skilled offensive teams (Chicago, Pittsburgh) do not worry me as much because the wings benefit from playing an up tempo high scoring game. What was that stat they mentioned on FSD? The wings have won some crazy ridiculous number of playoff games in a row (30?) when scoring at least 5 times. Chicago has a very good team but this should be a high scoring series which I have to believe favors the wings. Wings in 5.

Agreed. We match up well against teams that are more offensively centric. I think what worries me most though is that we seemed to really be dragging more often than I would've liked to see during the last series. I don't know if we were tired or just holding back but that will not fly well against Chicago. Those guys will skate circles around us if we don't match their speed. Not to mention I was just reading about all of the comebacks they've had over the past couple series. We can't afford to let up at all. I'm nervous thinking about tomorrow...

[Dabura 12,232]

I think it is safe to say that the Hawks are a better team than the Ducks and it took the Wings 7 games to knock them out.

Again, while the 'hawks may be pound-for-pound the better team, the Ducks are built as the anti-Wings. I saw someone knocking the notion that playing style makes a difference. Well, it absolutely does. The Ducks play a big, mean, nasty, physical, defensively smothering game. They can neutralize the Wings like no other team can. They can physically punish the Wings like no other team can. They can get in the Wings' heads like no other team can. They have hands-down the most dominant forward line in hockey and one of the best snipers in the league playing on the second line. They arguably have the best top defensive pairing in the league. Their goalie -- though overrated -- showed he could singlehandedly steal games.

The 'hawks are a good young team with a bright future. But in terms of being able to really dish it out to the Wings, they're not on the same level as the Ducks.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Dabura

[SDavis35 140]

Here's what I've seen:

the Hawks play the Wings regular season game - they come out slow and get forced into coming out of a hole. They usually do this really well and seem to get stronger as the game goes on. Goaltending isn't much of an issue for them, they haven't allowed all that many shots I don't think, and Khabibulin is definitely like Osgood. They both play well when they need to, don't forget Bulin has won before.

If the Hawks want to win, they're going to put on HUGE pressure in the second half, unfortunately, as we saw in the Wings series we do that too. It'll be boring first periods, great second periods and heartbreaking third periods, unless the Wings find their shutdown game like they have several times in the playoffs already. This is another series that will be decided by how hard the Wings are able to play. The Ducks series likely took a lot out of our boys, and so if we still have that extra gear, we're going to need it.

It's a battle between the Master and the Student. Wings win in 6.

[clutchngrab 12]

If its a run and gun game then Detroit in 6 or 7 - however I think the beauty of the wings is that they can play different styles of games and be successful. If I were Mike, I would try to slow the tempo of the game ala' the ducks series and limit the chances. I just think if the Wings play physical and win the neutral ice, they will win in 5.

[Motown4013 350]

Wings in 6..and I hope we win it in front of the indignent Chicago fans!

[dicksmack 33]

Wings in Five. The Wings can play any kind of game and succeed. Our depth is the best in the NHL. Wings have very balanced scoring: good luck defending us. This deep in the playoffs, the experience of the Wings will dominate. Khabibulin will face a constant barrage every game.

[Dabura 12,232]

Again, while the 'hawks may be pound-for-pound the better team, the Ducks are built as the anti-Wings. I saw someone knocking the notion that playing style makes a difference. Well, it absolutely does. The Ducks play a big, mean, nasty, physical, defensively smothering game. They can neutralize the Wings like no other team can. They can physically punish the Wings like no other team can. They can get in the Wings' heads like no other team can. They have hands-down the most dominant forward line in hockey and one of the best snipers in the league playing on the second line. They arguably have the best top defensive pairing in the league. Their goalie -- though overrated -- showed he could singlehandedly steal games.

The 'hawks are a good young team with a bright future. But in terms of being able to really dish it out to the Wings, they're not on the same level as the Ducks.

Wanted to drive home another point:

Our stars will have MUCH more breathing room in this series compared to what they had against the Ducks. People are talking up Dats' disappearing act. Make no mistake: that owes largely to what he was up against -- that is, an utterly stifling D. I expect him and Hossa to really pick it up in this series.

[dat's sick 1,002]

The Ducks series likely took a lot out of our boys, and so if we still have that extra gear, we're going to need it.

That's my biggest concern. How emptied are their mental and physical tanks?

I think the Hawks big chance is come out hard in game 1 and 2 and try to take atleast one of them. I could see the Wings being a bit sluggish atleast the first game.

[chrisdetroit 189]

Nope, just saying that the Hawks can play the physical game, & have done it better than their competition in the playoffs.

As for the goaltending, Khabibulin has been up to the task when it counted. If you were to rank Osgood, Hiller, Khabibulin, & Louongo in order of being able to stand out in a playoff game, I'd put Khabibulin right with Hiller (behind Osgood), with perhaps a slight edge going to Bulin concidering he has won a Cup. Louongo is dog s*** in the playoffs.

Sorry but you are wrong. Past performances mean nothing. If you want to rank goaltenders you look at the save % this year in the playoffs.

1 Jonas Hiller ANA 13 494 .943 7 6 0 30 2.23 524 2 0 0 0 806:43

2 Tim Thomas BOS 11 302 .935 7 4 0 21 1.85 323 1 0 1 0 679:44

3 Martin Brodeur NJD 7 222 .929 3 4 0 17 2.39 239 1 0 0 4 426:41

4 Cam Ward CAR 14 409 .927 8 6 0 32 2.22 441 2 0 0 0 865:14

5 Chris Osgood DET 11 279 .921 8 3 0 24 2.06 303 1 0 1 0 698:29

6 Simeon Varlamov WSH 13 357 .918 7 6 0 32 2.53 389 2 0 0 2 758:52

7 Roberto Luongo VAN 10 278 .914 6 4 0 26 2.52 304 1 0 0 0 617:57

8 Marc-Andre Fleury PIT 13 336 .901 8 5 0 37 2.72 373 0 0 0 2 815:10

9 Nikolai Khabibulin CHI 12 284 .896 8 4 0 33 2.76 317 0 0 0 0 716:5

That's your boy 'bulin down there at #9 with an .896 save percentage.

[KronwallCRUNCH 5]

Wings in 4. Bust out the brooms.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

The Hawks may be talented, but they play much to much like us to actually beat us. Grinding, physical, slow, tough teams give the Wings problems, teams like Dallas, Colorado, Nashville, Columbus and Chicago cannot beat us in the playoffs. Teams like old Calgary, Anaheim, and dirtbag teams like that can handle us.

[bigbill12 0]

The wings will win in 5. I think we win our 2 at home and then we will drop 1 in chi town and win out.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

The Hawks may be talented, but they play much to much like us to actually beat us. Grinding, physical, slow, tough teams give the Wings problems, teams like Dallas, Colorado, Nashville, Columbus and Chicago cannot beat us in the playoffs. Teams like old Calgary, Anaheim, and dirtbag teams like that can handle us.

Chicago can play a grinding style. Look what they did to Calgary. Also, the series against Vancouver got pretty scrappy and they handled themselves well.

Like I've told people already, they're just as physical and gritty as Anaheim is, and I see them resorting to some of the same tactics.

So bottom line is that they're just as good at fighting and goonery as the Ducks are. Maybe even better when you size up each team's rosters. The only difference is that the top line isn't as big as Anaheim's top line was. But the other lines, especially the defense can make up for that.

[Dabura 12,232]

Chicago can play a grinding style. Look what they did to Calgary. Also, the series against Vancouver got pretty scrappy and they handled themselves well.

Like I've told people already, they're just as physical and gritty as Anaheim is, and I see them resorting to some of the same tactics.

So bottom line is that they're just as good at fighting and goonery as the Ducks are. Maybe even better when you size up each team's rosters. The only difference is that the top line isn't as big as Anaheim's top line was. But the other lines, especially the defense can make up for that.

The Ducks made a system out of it. Actually, forget the team's system -- the entire organization is built around it. And it shows: they play it phenomenally well, and it works against the Wings, the best team in the league.

The 'hawks' can play a rough game. That's great. But they don't organize themselves around that style of play and dedicate themselves to it the way the Ducks do. Really, the fact that the statement is "can play" instead of "do play" speaks volumes. The Ducks are able to really take it to the Wings because they're all about that kind of play. They embody it. Unless a team is all about that style of play in the way the Ducks are, that team is not going to be able to take it to the Wings the way the Ducks do.

Edited May 17, 2009 by Dabura

[Dabura 12,232]

And like I've said, the 'hawks' lack of a line on par with the Ducks' first line is a huge difference -- ultimately in the Wings' favor. It allows the Wings to go back to playing a line-for-line, man-for-man, battle-for-battle series, as opposed to pouring half their resources into shutting down three guys.

[anthonyn66 89]

wooooo Detroit faces Joe Quenneville YET AGAIN!!!! They won the cup every single time, hopefully this year is no different!!!

[hankzet40 233]

Wings in 6 but Pierre will still orally service Keith and Seabrook no matter what.

[Jwo 7]

7 Games with Red Wings winning the series.

1997 playoffs: The Wings play the St. Louis Blues Joel Quenneville is the coach. Wings beat Blues and go on that year to win the Cup

1998 playoffs: Same thing happens and that year the Wings go on to win the Cup

2002 Playoffs: Same thing happens and that year the Wings go on to win the Cup

2008 Playoffs: Wings play the Colorado Avalanche and Joel Quenneville is the coach. Wings Beat the Avalanche and that year the Wings go on to win the Cup

2009 Playoffs: Wings play the Chicago Blackhawks and Joel Quenneville is the coach. What will happen?

[boomer 0]

Detroit had a cake walk against against Columbus. With the series against the Ducks face it they just squeeked through, they weren't too impressive. Had the Ducks got any secondary scoring from their other lines they would have been gone. After watching the Hawks beat Calgary and then dispose of Vancouver convincingly and with scoring coming from all over thier line-up and Kabibulin being rock solid I see Detroit gone in 6. Detroit's defense along with its goaltending will not be able to contain those dynamic young Blackhawks.

[rbk9k 0]

wings in 5

[8 Legged RedWing 367]

wings in 5