is it possible that was truly all the wings had left?

[Kronthewall55 14]

after the game i imediately felt the wings just didn't play with the passion it takes to win the cup in game 7. they just didn't want it as badly as the other team. but... it just didn't make sense. so i watched the game again. after that, i reflected on how the season has gone, with osgood playing like the future hall of famer he now in my mind deserves to be, stuart stepping up for injured D, the amazing game 7 against anaheim by the whole team, and many other great things. and that's when it hit me.

i really believe that in game 7 the wings played their god damn hearts out. i believe that everyone wanted the cup. i beileve they mentally were prepared as a returning championship team can be. i also believe, they just were out of steam.

the wings didn't overachieve, they just ran out of gas. they were hurt, they were injured, they were physically overwelmed over the playoff stretch. why this year? why not the same result last year? because this year we played all the teams the nhl didn't want us to beat. this year we played all the teams that we were "supposed" to beat. that is why from round 1 to the finals, the refs let the opposing team get away with murder, with what ever it took to be competitive with us. that is why physically we couldn't do it anymore. datsyuk can only take so many baseball swings to his foot, osgood can only take so many slashes and run ins, the fowards can only take so many cross checks to the face, while the defense can only take so many late head checks in the corners. the wings did not lose to just the penguins. they lost to the whole underdog advantage system the playoffs consist of. they lost to bettmen/pens/refs. and only because their human.

i want to say god bless you boys for sticking it through and giving your 110% this season, it was hell of a ride, and you only delay the enievitable fix for so long.

maybe next year it will be different.

Get em next year wings!!

[maltbymaniac 13]

i can see maltbymaniac agreeing to this.

Edited June 14, 2009 by maltbymaniac

[PDX Wingman 0]

Believe what you want. It doesn't change the fact that they played like crap last night and on Tuesday. You can't just goof around for 50 minutes then slam your foot on the gas for the last bit of a game and expect to win the Cup. I guess all that nonsense about an "on/off switch" for the playoffs finally caught up with them.

[Kronthewall55 14]

adrenaline only takes you so far, and with the cheapshots allowed by every team we played you know half the team wasn't 100% healthy. datsyuk and zetterburg going to the bench last night looked like they were about to keel over they were completely drained.

[Outsider 42]

I'm sorry. I LOVE this Team. But I'm not buyin' it.

If they had "nothing left", they would have gotten WORSE as the Game(s), (both Game 6 and Game 7), wore on.

Instead?

They DOMINATED in the 3rd of BOTH Games.

The FACT of the matter is that they fell back to the pattern they'd been successful will ALL SEASON LONG.

Take the first 40-50 minutes off, then turn it WAY UP for the final 10 and let "talent" and "skill" take over.

They pulled a Hossa. Plain and simple.

It COST them the Cup.

And Kirk Maltby all but came RIGHT OUT AND SAID IT in his Post Game interview.

[Kronthewall55 14]

I'm sorry. I LOVE this Team. But I'm not buyin' it.

If they had "nothing left", they would have gotten WORSE as the Game(s), (both Game 6 and Game 7), wore on.

Instead?

They DOMINATED in the 3rd of BOTH Games.

The FACT of the matter is that they fell back to the pattern they'd been successful will ALL SEASON LONG.

Take the first 40-50 minutes off, then turn it WAY UP for the final 10 and let "talent" and "skill" take over.

They pulled a Hossa. Plain and simple.

It COST them the Cup.

And Kirk Maltby all but came RIGHT OUT AND SAID IT in his Post Game interview.

a good point. maltby on channel 4 was emphasizing how lack of effort was the last thing their problem was though, i didn't see any other interviews though due to my denial of watching the pens hoist stanley.

Edited June 14, 2009 by Kronthewall55

[Guest Shoreline]

Injuries, tiredness.. it hurt the Wings. In a few games you can see it was taking a toll on the Penguins too, but they were also healthy throughout the series. I mean it's a legitimate excuse, but the Wings were outmatched, certain Wings players did not step up, and their game was simply off, especially later in the series in games 6/7. People need to stop hunting for people to blame and just accept the fact that this team simply lost to a better one. Good teams get their breaks, and the Penguins just got more. A few bounces different and the Wings win this series. It was very close. Nothing to hang one's head low about or find reasons to tear this team to shreds.

[Kronthewall55 14]

Injuries, tiredness.. it hurt the Wings. In a few games you can see it was taking a toll on the Penguins too, but they were also healthy throughout the series. I mean it's a legitimate excuse, but the Wings were outmatched, certain Wings players did not step up, and their game was simply off, especially later in the series in games 6/7. People need to stop hunting for people to blame and just accept the fact that this team simply lost to a better one. Good teams get their breaks, and the Penguins just got more. A few bounces different and the Wings win this series. It was very close. Nothing to hang one's head low about or find reasons to tear this team to shreds.

the scape goating is driving me nuts. i work part time at dunhams and the nonsense i had to listen to customers say about the game and who they blamed were ridiculous

[Outsider 42]

Injuries, tiredness.. it hurt the Wings. In a few games you can see it was taking a toll on the Penguins too, but they were also healthy throughout the series. I mean it's a legitimate excuse, but the Wings were outmatched, certain Wings players did not step up, and their game was simply off, especially later in the series in games 6/7. People need to stop hunting for people to blame and just accept the fact that this team simply lost to a better one. Good teams get their breaks, and the Penguins just got more. A few bounces different and the Wings win this series. It was very close. Nothing to hang one's head low about or find reasons to tear this team to shreds.

No. I refuse to accept that. And I refuse to accept that because it's BS.

They didn't lose to the "better" Team. They lost it to themselves with lack of CONSISTENT effort, and a cavalier attitude.

[T.OWingsFan 7]

Fact is an inferior roster who comes out and PLAYS for 60 minutes (or at least the first 40) can be better than a better roster who only plays for the last 20 like Detroit did the last 2 games.

Yes they were injured. Yes they were tired. But.

This team is still built to win the cup. We need some minor tweeks and a couple of additions like big body down low on defence, God I can't believe I'm saying it but we missed Lilja.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

If this team was gassed, how come they always played hard in the 3rd periods?

I don't buy this s***. They just didn't play urgent enough and then woke up at the end of games with plenty of energy. Energy wasn't the problem, it was effort at the beginning and for a full 60 minutes.

I'm not making any excuses for a team that jost lost game 7 of the SCF at home. Excuses are for teams that are used to losing.

[Guest Shoreline]

No. I refuse to accept that. And I refuse to accept that because it's BS.

They didn't lose to the "better" Team. They lost it to themselves with lack of CONSISTENT effort, and a cavalier attitude.

I don't mind finding the reasoning behind why the Wings lost. However, the Wings were not better -- they lost. The team that loses is NOT better. Ever. They could have done better, but the could's, would's, should's.. all cop-outs. Wings lost to a better team. They executed, they won. It's happened the other way around too. It's unfortunate that a handful of Wings fans have way too much pride to admit it.

[Outsider 42]

I don't mind finding the reasoning behind why the Wings lost. However, the Wings were not better -- they lost. The team that loses is NOT better. Ever. They could have done better, but the could's, would's, should's.. all cop-outs. Wings lost to a better team. They executed, they won. It's happened the other way around too. It's unfortunate that a handful of Wings fans have way too much pride to admit it.

Again.....Bulls***.

The better Team does NOT always Win.

Are you telling me that the 2005 Oilers were "better"? No. No they were NOT.

Nor were the 2003 Ducks. Not by a long shot.

Again, the better Team dosn't always Win. The Team who WANTS it more Wins. The Team who puts forth maximum effort, and gets the most contributions from the most available sources, Wins.

That's not "pride" talking. That's the truth.

There are "upsets" in EVERY sport for a reason. And they're not called "upsets" because the fans have too much pride to admit that they're just "upset" that their Team got beat by a better Team.

The better Team LOST this Series. They've no one to blame but themselves, and THEY will have to LIVE with that fact all summer long.

As Maltby said last night:

"That's why you have to get off to a good start. You can't rely on your star players. You've got to have a whole group out there. You can't rely on the power play. You've got to go out and can't just assume they're going to get that goal or get us going."

Read between the lines:

Unlike last year, where they were balls-to-the-wall on EVERY SHIFT. It WON them the Cup.

This year they were "waiting" for stars who couldn't, or just plain wouldn't, show up. It COST them the Cup.

Edited June 14, 2009 by Outsider

[Guest Shoreline]

All that theoretical mumbojumbo means what? There's no Cup for the team that loses or for what one believes is better but didn't win. The team that's better is the one that wins, even if we agree that the Wings should have been the winners. The team that slacks off or loses because of being tired or makes crucial mistakes that cost them goals and thus loses for any reason is not the better team. Nope. Sorry. Not the case. Wings fans have lots of realizations to come to over the summer, one of them being getting over the denial that there are better teams, which, btw, this denial issue is a byproduct of being spoiled-rotten. Aren't we lucky.

Surely the Penguins were the underdog coming into the series but they proved all the naysayers wrong, including myself. I counted them out during the Caps series. It would be nice if fans would start eating some humble pie, but as mentioned earlier some have just way too much pride. Too bad.

Edited June 14, 2009 by Shoreline

[Outsider 42]

All that theoretical mumbojumbo means what? There's no Cup for the team that loses or for what one believes is better but didn't win. The team that's better is the one that wins, even if we agree that the Wings should have been the winners. The team that slacks off or loses because of being tired or makes crucial mistakes that cost them goals and thus loses for any reason is not the better team. Nope. Sorry. Not the case. Wings fans have lots of realizations to come to over the summer, one of them being getting over the denial that there are better teams, which, btw, this denial issue is a byproduct of being spoiled-rotten. Aren't we lucky.

Surely the Penguins were the underdog coming into the series but they proved all the naysayers wrong, including myself. I counted them out during the Caps series. It would be nice if fans would start eating some humble pie, but as mentioned earlier some have just way too much pride. Too bad.

Whoa there!

I never said that I believed that the Wings should have been the Winners. No sir. I most certainly did not.

I stated in the Game 6 GDT that their effort in THAT Game is the reason that "better" Teams LOSE Championships.

You can't SPIT on the Hockey Gods and then expect to skate the Cup. HELL NO!

And that's EXACTLY what the Wings did.

They took a 2-0 Series lead, and then played "meh....we got this....we can turn it on whenever we want to" hockey in FOUR of the remaining FIVE Games.

They played sloppy AND arrogant hockey.

And as I stated in the Game 6 GDT, if there is ONE thing that Providence cannot STAND, it is arrogance.

They made it back to the Finals, despite all the crappy officiating, despite all the injuries, despite the targets on their backs....

And then they COAST?

No. You don't Win the Stanley Cup by COASTING! Uh uh. No sir.

They WERE the better Team. And, again.....I LOVE this Team....But:

They did NOT deserve to Win.

Not this year. Not with the effort they put out specifically in Games 6 and 7.

No way. No how.

Edited June 14, 2009 by Outsider

[Guest Shoreline]

*scratches head*

[IceMunkee 15]

Injuries, tiredness.. it hurt the Wings. In a few games you can see it was taking a toll on the Penguins too, but they were also healthy throughout the series. I mean it's a legitimate excuse, but the Wings were outmatched, certain Wings players did not step up, and their game was simply off, especially later in the series in games 6/7. People need to stop hunting for people to blame and just accept the fact that this team simply lost to a better one. Good teams get their breaks, and the Penguins just got more. A few bounces different and the Wings win this series. It was very close. Nothing to hang one's head low about or find reasons to tear this team to shreds.

I agree 90%. I would just change the words a little, they lost to better team at the time they lost. Does that make sense? The Wings are a better team then the Pens. Just did not play like it. And you said it at the end, the "bounces". Something uncontrollable, karma's menacing henchmen. The bounces. They just did not go our way when we needed them most. I realize to some this is a cop out and makes me a homer. There are guys you can blame for things but at one point or time everyone on this team played well and made a differance. I hated Stewie last night. Hated him. I have excepted that he was off but not enough to consider losing him. I won't even bring up the "H" word.