Wings get no respect

[MidMichSteve 1,115]

Source

By KRISTA JAHNKE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • May 28, 2009

In Detroit, playing the role of jilted underdog suits us. We are practically the Rodney Dangerfield of the country. All bugged-eyed and exasperated, lamenting over our lack of respect.


Whether it is putting up with pot shots about our politicians, our carmakers, our potholes or our weather, we're used to being looked down upon and under estimated.

So now, with the Red Wings, the defending Stanley Cup champions, headed back to defend their trophy, we can assume that familiar position.

It might seem strange to say ... the Red Wings underdogs? The team with the depth, the championship pedigree, the history, the award-winning tradition?

If you read what those around the country are saying today, then yes, that's the way they see it. They see a banged-up champion that is ripe to be over-matched by the game's biggest young star and his talented sidekick.

Instead of focusing on what the Wings have accomplished despite injuries to key players, reporters around the country are predicting that the Wings can't possible keep it up.

Judging from early results of this NBCSports.com interactive poll, many see the Wings as having more advantages in head-to-head matchups, but losing the Cup anyway.

The Penguins are already drawing comparisons to the 1983 Edmonton Oilers, a team with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier that lost the cup that year and then won it the next in a rematch with the Islanders.

There seems to be a lot of focus on how the Penguins have grown, how they have taken a different path to get to the finals this time. The buzz is that this year they did it “the hard way.â€

There's talk about what the Penguins learned from their six-game loss a year ago and about how their stars have matured. One writer says that Evgeni Malkin at his best is better today than the Penguin-turned-Wing Marian Hossa anyway.

There are valid points to consider in those arguments, and perhaps some of them will show up on the ice when the series starts Saturday. I predict a tougher series than last season, a seven-gamer that features plenty of hand-wringing from both sides.

But I sense that people are underestimating the Wings a bit, eager to move on to celebrate a new team and one of the game's hottest stars.

Edited May 28, 2009 by MidMichSteve

[Rivalred 630]

How well the Wings do is hinged on how healthy the players will be...

[DXFlyers 0]

The media coverage on hockey blows about 90% of the time. You wipped a hot young rookie goalie, won a war with the Ducks, and beat a hot goalie/hot young Hawks team. Plus you are the defending champs, what more respect do you want. You know and I know that the NHL and the media is going to blow Crosby/Malkin thinking that this is the year they are going to win.

[Bad Vlad Forever 1]

wings were laregly not favored to win any of their playoff series last year either....i love it

[Chris L 0]

Fine by me, its a tradition really. In the SCF we get dumped on for one reason or another and prove all these Hockey know-it-alls wrong.

I'm cool, with this bulls***... its now really the Finals.

[BewareThePenguin 1]

The media coverage on hockey blows about 90% of the time. You wipped a hot young rookie goalie, won a war with the Ducks, and beat a hot goalie/hot young Hawks team. Plus you are the defending champs, what more respect do you want. You know and I know that the NHL and the media is going to blow Crosby/Malkin thinking that this is the year they are going to win.

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

[Headmanthepuck! 0]

wings were laregly not favored to win any of their playoff series last year either....i love it

I'm pretty sure they were favored by a wide margin over the Av's. Some were saying the Pred's would upset them in the first round, but not that many.

[NHLrules? 32]

Well when the Commis of the league and his band of striped shirt wearing half-wits arent rooting for you, how would you not be the underdog?

[Jake Ryan 1]

The only jerseys I fear on the ice are the striped ones. They are the only ones who can put the Wings defense of the cup in jeopardy.

[NGKEIB 32]

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

I assume that lots of people have you on 'ignore' or else somebody would surely have replied to this. The 'hot young goalie' is a contender for lots of silverware, and Columbus wasn't the lowest seed in the playoffs. The Pens didn't face cripples in wheelchairs, but I think that the West is a lot tougher than the East (toughness, depth, physicality, talent, defense). I think that Anaheim and Detroit could probably have taken on a lot of the high-ranking Eastern teams and schooled them. Pittsburgh may prove to be an exception, but one good team doesn't make a good Conference.

[NHLrules? 32]

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

HAHAHAHAH seriously?

Ypu need to get out more.

[Chris L 0]

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

Dude you forgot the Ducks. Who were, by far, the toughest team in these playoffs. If your Pens were facing Pronger and company you'd all be wetting your pants right now. Plus Hiller was really good for the whole series. Oh and I'd like to point out that the Pens, too, faced some chumps, the 'Canes who were beaten by Boston, but got a lucky bounce in Game 7.

[RedWingsRox 614]

I actually hope that all commentators pick the Penguins and we are the underdogs.

We play better when people don't give us the respect that we deserve.

[MannyK 16]

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

???????? check your facts, buddy! last time i checked, the Wings are a number 2 seed, which makes it impossible for them to play "THE LOWEST SEED IN TEH WHOLE PLAYOFFZZZZ!!!1" because 2 plays a 7 seed, idiot. And if you recall, the Wings beat a "number 8" seed, who, in fact, took down "THE #1 SEED IN THE WHOLE PLAYOFFS!!!!!"

WINGS SUCK! WOOOOOO!!

[reggiedunlop 0]

Dude you forgot the Ducks. Who were, by far, the toughest team in these playoffs. If your Pens were facing Pronger and company you'd all be wetting your pants right now. Plus Hiller was really good for the whole series. Oh and I'd like to point out that the Pens, too, faced some chumps, the 'Canes who were beaten by Boston, but got a lucky bounce in Game 7.

all pants wetting jokes aside, we beat the ducks the only time we played them this year. and the only time we played them last year.........so..... im not thinking they would have us panicking too much :-)

[liloz 0]

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

If the Penguins were in the Western Conference they wouldn't have made it past the 2nd round. None of the teams your flightless birds have faced are anywere near as good as the 3 teams we have put away! Ok Columbus was a walk in the park...

And the hot young goalie referred to was Jonas Hiller who plays for the Ducks! Just over looked that pesky 2nd round did ya?

[Chris L 0]

all pants wetting jokes aside, we beat the ducks the only time we played them this year. and the only time we played them last year.........so..... im not thinking they would have us panicking too much :-)

If the Ducks had ripped up the West and you were facing them Saturday, you would. They destroyed the Sharks, took us to the limit and then some, and would have shattered the Hawks. You beat them in one game, whee... big whoop. They sucked all season long and turned it up at the end and into the first two rounds. Believe me, we did all of hockey a favor putting those monsters down.

[reggiedunlop 0]

If the Ducks had ripped up the West and you were facing them Saturday, you would. They destroyed the Sharks, took us to the limit and then some, and would have shattered the Hawks. You beat them in one game, whee... big whoop. They sucked all season long and turned it up at the end and into the first two rounds. Believe me, we did all of hockey a favor putting those monsters down.

HA HA HA..... well i guess we should thank you.

Edited May 28, 2009 by reggiedunlop

[Theophany 110]

Media coverage isn't the only analysis that blows. Your suck-up commentary is laughable.

"Whipped a hot young goalie"? Yeah who played for COLUMBUS, the LOWEST SEED in the WHOLE PLAYOFFS.

Nice touch pumping up Chicago too. Yeah, they're the second coming of the '80 Islanders. Whoo!

Yes, the Pens faced cripples in wheelchairs, everybody the Wings faced is going to the Hall of Fame.

Hilarious.

Getting taken to 6 and 7 games against teams with no goalie or defense to speak of and getting down on 'how easy the Wings have had it' is laughable at best.

Varlamov was pretty good, yeah, but the Caps have ZERO defense. ZERO.

The Flyers, uh, were the Flyers. 'Nuff said, pretty much.

That you beat the Canes when they were exhausted and Ward was effectively a sieve in front of the net really doesn't prove anything. The Pens might have gotten 3-4 of their goals against the Canes off on the Wings team that was on the ice last night, much less with Lids, Dats, Big Rig, and Cleary on the ice.

It's even more hilarious that you simply don't know your facts.

[esteef 2,679]

HA HA HA..... well i guess we should thank you. this site is fun.

You should thank the Canes for getting rid of Boston for you too. Even though your road to the Cup was apparrently "tough".

esteef

[reggiedunlop 0]

You should thank the Canes for getting rid of Boston for you too. Even though your road to the Cup was apparrently "tough".

esteef

boston would have made me a little nervous. but i do believe we can skate circles around them.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

???????? check your facts, buddy! last time i checked, the Wings are a number 2 seed, which makes it impossible for them to play "THE LOWEST SEED IN TEH WHOLE PLAYOFFZZZZ!!!1" because 2 plays a 7 seed, idiot. And if you recall, the Wings beat a "number 8" seed, who, in fact, took down "THE #1 SEED IN THE WHOLE PLAYOFFS!!!!!"

WINGS SUCK! WOOOOOO!!

priceless!

we all know that the people who come on here and talk s*** don't know s***!

in fact, their research on topics rivals the scouts on their team. let's see, penguins...for 5 years straight the media did their scouting for them. fleury, crosby, malkin...all picked by the media to go to the pens. they sucked for so long i guess... they'll be rebuilding in 5 or 6 years again, just wait. then the wings will be "underdogs" again to another young guns team. there's a HUGE difference between a team that has superstars that win scoring titles and a team that rolls 4 "good" lines and wins cups.

[Theophany 110]

boston would have made me a little nervous. but i do believe we can skate circles around them.

Until Zdeno Chara decided to put Crosby through the glass, sure. Then Lucic would come in and take care of Malkin, and then they'd get suspended for the rest of the playoffs for 'playing hockey'.

The Bruins were (and still will be next year, hopefully) deep like the Pens will never be, with their stars taking huge contracts. Thomas is an absolute beast in the net, and Savard/Kessel/Ryder would make you wish you had lost to the Caps.

The Bruins are essentially the Red Wings of the East, only with a little less talent and depth.

[Nightfall 871]

The only jerseys I fear on the ice are the striped ones. They are the only ones who can put the Wings defense of the cup in jeopardy.

Nevermind the Red and White jerseys. Hell, those same jerseys were the ones that didn't show up for game 3 and game 6 in Anaheim and the first period of game 3 against the Hawks. The reffing will not be a factor in this series unless the Wings make it a factor with lazy uninspired play.

[Trapt1307 81]

???????? check your facts, buddy! last time i checked, the Wings are a number 2 seed, which makes it impossible for them to play "THE LOWEST SEED IN TEH WHOLE PLAYOFFZZZZ!!!1" because 2 plays a 7 seed, idiot. And if you recall, the Wings beat a "number 8" seed, who, in fact, took down "THE #1 SEED IN THE WHOLE PLAYOFFS!!!!!"

WINGS SUCK! WOOOOOO!!

Not to mention, Columbus was in 5th until about the last week of the season. There were a ton of national people picking Columbus as the dark horse team this year, upsetting the Wings.