wings1110 184 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 they were good last year. but with the addition of hossa and kane and teows continuing to improve they have a pretty good lineup. will they be able to take over our reign of our division Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
numberthirtynine 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 The D is still the same and the G is worse. That's what will keep them back. That's the backbone of any hockey team. This happens yearly. Whoever goes apes*** in FA and signs huge name forwards, if they already have good scoring, everyone thinks they're a contender. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SDavis35 140 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 It'll be a great battle, but I'm still doubtful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wings1110 184 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 The D is still the same and the G is worse. That's what will keep them back. That's the backbone of any hockey team. This happens yearly. Whoever goes apes*** in FA and signs huge name forwards, if they already have good scoring, everyone thinks they're a contender. we went out and signed a big FA last year in hossa. and I would say we were a contender. We did make it to the SCF Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wings1110 184 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) this may heat up the rivalry. 2 great original 6 clubs that are good and in the same division. there should be some good games between the 2 clubs Edited July 2, 2009 by wings1110 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 They still have to get Barker and Versteeg signed, and that wont be easy. If they lose them, there suddenly not as good as they were last year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hank Dats 'N Homer 81 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 The D is still the same and the G is worse. That's what will keep them back. That's the backbone of any hockey team. This happens yearly. Whoever goes apes*** in FA and signs huge name forwards, if they already have good scoring, everyone thinks they're a contender. To be fair, our Goalie situation is not much better. Osgood will not be able to play all 82 games, and the way he playerd in the regular season last year really scared me. We all know hes a good clutch playoff guy, but man was he bad during the regular season, and now we have to trust the backup department to Howard. Isnt he like 35 yet? the guy has been in the AHL for forever, and every year we hear about how its time for this guy to step up and have a great season, and it never happens. Now we are forced to give him a chance at the NHL level because of cap issues. I know the wings always keep our guys down longer than tehy should, but this guy has seemed like a work in progress for what seems like forever. The orginization obviously doesnt beleive in him anymore since they went and drafted McCollum. Sigh...maybe we will use him quite a bit in the regualr season in the hopes to spark some trade bait, because i just dont see him being able to take on the responsibilities and pressures that are thrown at a goalie in Detroit. I hope that Osgood gets back to his old self and can really shut teams down during the regualr season, if that happens then i think we will fair better than Chicago. They may have more scoring threats, but our D is top knotch so that evens the playing field in my book. Goalie is where the tie breaker is going to come down to. I think Ozzie has the edge over Huet but if he falters and we have to give Howard his shot, i just dont see him succeeding. I hope he proves me wrong, but thats just my opinion. With all that said, there are a few good free agent goalies on the market after next season.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
numberthirtynine 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 I'm not worried about our goalie situation. Osgood has proven he can play, last season only happened once and we've been rock solid defensively every year outside of that one. Our goalie at least proved he can play when it matters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brettq 7 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 I think you're underestimating Havlat here. Hossa is not a big upgrade over Havlat (at least in my mind). Chicago wouldn't have made it past Calgary last year had it not been for Havlat. Havlat had more points than Hossa last season. Havlat had a better +/- last than Hossa last season. Hossa is better in his own end and isnt as fragile though. I agree they're D is largely the same and their goalie is not on the same level as last year. Still should make for some great rivalry games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeverForgetMac25 483 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 Their team and the rivalry should continue to get better, but their goaltending is even more suspect now. They'll be good, but won't overtake Detroit in Central this season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA Report post Posted July 2, 2009 Hmm so lets see, they add a marginally better player then Havlat in Hossa, Trade away their good goalie, sign a washed up 3rd liner in Madden, and take our worst player off our hands, all while putting themselves in a horrible cap trouble for next year, in whcih their whole future (Toews, Keith, Kane) needs to be signed. While it is certaintly a possibility that the Bhawks overtake the divison champ crown from us, I still think we are the better team this year, and if faced in a 7 game series would be able to take them. 10-11 it wont even be close, we will have rebounded and they will be in cap hell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dobbles 252 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 we went out and signed a big FA last year in hossa. and I would say we were a contender. We did make it to the SCF we had also won the stanley cup 3 weeks earlier... i would say thats what caused us to be a contender again this year, not the addition of hossa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jericho613 74 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) I remember last year everyone thought the Wings were gonna be a power house, look how that ended. Wings are better with core players and kids that know the system, not by signing big free agents or well known free agents. Our biggest moves 2 years ago was Raffi and Dallas Drake, and we won the cup. Our biggest move last year was Hossa and we got nothing to show for it ( Well Western Conference Champs, but you know what I mean). We will win the cup next year, bank on it. Chicago is gonna be a fierce team don't get me wrong, but they still have a big weakness in goal. Edited July 2, 2009 by Jericho613 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKWING 8 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 they will certainly be good again and their young guys should only get better. however, hossa is not much of an upgrade over a healthy havlat and madden is a downgrade from pahlsson. plus, their goaltending has got worse and they still need to sign barker and versteeg with very little cap space left. calgary - who now have the best shutdown D in the league - scare me more than chicago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bellarina 1 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 Cago sucks, weak, weak fools muahahahaha! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
numberthirtynine 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) calgary - who now have the best shutdown D in the league - scare me more than chicago. Take it from me, a Calgarian, that they aren't even the best D in the conference. Dion Phaneuf might be the most overrated blue liner playing hockey today. Robyn Regher is overrated as well. He's average. Aucoin's gone bye bye, though Bouwmeester is a top 5 Dman in the league. The CGY defense doesn't scare me. It was God-awful last season and although Bouwmeester will make it better, they're nto a team of defensive forwards, and they're not going to jump into the top 3 D teams out there. Which I think goes Detroit, Boston and Jersey, probably in that order. Edited July 2, 2009 by numberthirtynine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 Take it from me, a Calgarian, that they aren't even the best D in the conference. Dion Phaneuf might be the most overrated blue liner playing hockey today. Robyn Regher is overrated as well. He's average. Aucoin's gone bye bye, though Bouwmeester is a top 5 Dman in the league. The CGY defense doesn't scare me. It was God-awful last season and although Bouwmeester will make it better, they're nto a team of defensive forwards, and they're not going to jump into the top 3 D teams out there. Which I think goes Detroit at 1, Anaheim at 2 and New Jersey/Boston tied at 3. Good to see the non-calgary fan Calgarians actually know whats up. There defence isnt near tops in the league, and Sutter calling Bouwmeester the best 2-way defenceman in hockey was, and this is an understatement, a stretch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cusimano_brothers 1,655 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 From Chicago now: With Nikolai Khabibulin gone to Edmonton in a four-year, $15 million free agent deal, the burden now falls on goaltender Cristobal Huet to put up or shut up in a Chicago uniform. Or, as I like to call him, Crystal Ball Huet. I just wish I could peer more deeply into this crystal ball and see what the future holds. Championship or chaos. Or Crystal Balls that shatter in a pinch. His inconsistent play (plus his wife's comments to the media) drove Montreal to trade him. The pressure he faced in being tagged as "the next great Canadiens' goalie" may serve him well now, but I think the media scrutiny in Chicago will just a bad, maybe worse. 1961.â„¢ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
numberthirtynine 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) Good to see the non-calgary fan Calgarians actually know whats up. There defence isnt near tops in the league, and Sutter calling Bouwmeester the best 2-way defenceman in hockey was, and this is an understatement, a stretch. Sutter's been drinking from the elbow river again. Bouwmeester's an awesome player but best 2-way Dman? Ummm...I think the best 2 way defenseman is wearing 5 for a team in a diff shade of red. Edited July 2, 2009 by numberthirtynine Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKWING 8 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 Take it from me, a Calgarian, that they aren't even the best D in the conference. Dion Phaneuf might be the most overrated blue liner playing hockey today. Robyn Regher is overrated as well. He's average. Aucoin's gone bye bye, though Bouwmeester is a top 5 Dman in the league. The CGY defense doesn't scare me. It was God-awful last season and although Bouwmeester will make it better, they're nto a team of defensive forwards, and they're not going to jump into the top 3 D teams out there. Which I think goes Detroit at 1, Anaheim at 2 and New Jersey/Boston tied at 3. phaneuf has certainly stagnated the past couple of years but i disagree about regehr - IMO he is very under-rated and is one of the best shutdown d-men in the league. sarich is a very good player too. whilst detroit's d corps is the best in the league offensively, they are not the best defensively. and as bad as calgary's defence was last year, they only conceded 4 goals more than the wings last season - and now they have added bouwmeester. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
numberthirtynine 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 phaneuf has certainly stagnated the past couple of years but i disagree about regehr - IMO he is very under-rated and is one of the best shutdown d-men in the league. sarich is a very good player too. whilst detroit's d corps is the best in the league offensively, they are not the best defensively. and as bad as calgary's defence was last year, they only conceded 4 goals more than the wings last season - and now they have added bouwmeester. Let's also take into account the Wings mailed it in and the Flames busted their asses until game number 82 for the division title. When our D clinches up and wants to play, we can shut down anyone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Number19 159 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 I remember last year everyone thought the Wings were gonna be a power house, look how that ended. Wings are better with core players and kids that know the system, not by signing big free agents or well known free agents. Our biggest moves 2 years ago was Raffi and Dallas Drake, and we won the cup. Our biggest move last year was Hossa and we got nothing to show for it ( Well Western Conference Champs, but you know what I mean). We will win the cup next year, bank on it. Chicago is gonna be a fierce team don't get me wrong, but they still have a big weakness in goal.umm the Wings made it to game 7 in the SCFs. I'd say they were a powerhouse. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKWING 8 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 Let's also take into account the Wings mailed it in and the Flames busted their asses until game number 82 for the division title. When our D clinches up and wants to play, we can shut down anyone. more thanks to our excellent defensive forwards than our D. be honest - aside from lidstrom, how good defensively are the rest of the wings d corps? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
titanium2 867 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 umm the Wings made it to game 7 in the SCFs. I'd say they were a powerhouse. Wings have been a powerhouse since 1994 imo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aflac9262 211 Report post Posted July 2, 2009 They're going to be a pretty good team. Certainly the division isn't going to be a gimme. We shall see though. Kopecky has almost certainly put them over the top. I am worried about their goaltending though. They should have went after Conklin instead of signing Kopecky. It would have been a cheap improvement over Huet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
