Which playoff opponent do you prefer?

[FunkedUp 29]

I don't think I've ever seen LGW split on a playoff opponent like this. Lot's of good arguments for/against each team. It's really a crapshoot at this point, and our opponent has just as much to do with other teams performances as ours. We probably won't know until the last game of the season.

[titanium2 867]

Winging it in Motown has different results but a lot more votes:

http://www.wingingitinmotown.com/2010/4/5/1405835/who-would-you-want-to-play-in-the

As of right now:

Who would you rather face in the first round?

644 votes

11% San Jose Sharks (75 votes)

29% Chicago Blackhawks (189 votes)

34% Vancouver Canucks (223 votes)

24% Phoenix Coyotes (157 votes)

You should never pick your poison but it is always good to have an opponent where the travel isn't so bad.

[Yzerman191 37]

My vote is for Chicago. The travel would be as minimal as we can hope for all playoffs, and they play a style of hockey that seems to work to our benefit. Rather than a hard-hitting style, which I think takes its toll on a team that has played more hockey than anyone else in the last three years, they play a fast-paced puck possession style similar to our own, but I think we're better at it. They've got questions in net and on the powerplay, as well as a coach that we generally get the best of. I also think it'd be a fun series to watch, win or lose, and would add a spark to an already blooming rivalry.

People keep picking Phoenix and I don't understand why. They're probably the last of the four teams I'd want to play right now. They've got a rock-solid goaltender and literally the best team defense in the west (lowest in goals against). They're the underdog in any given series and have absolutely nothing to lose no matter who they're up against. There's no pressure to succeed; even if they're swept in four games they've still greatly exceeded expectations for this season. A team like that terrifies me.

Realistically, looking at the standings, I think we're least likely to face Phoenix anyways. We'll likely end up with the Sharks or Vancouver, but probably Vancouver.

[Icesurfer 75]

Chicago..... they are hurting on defense and goaltending. Campbell will be out for first round only. My first thoughts are always TRAVEL!

Because Wings don't have home ice advantage it is possible to fly THREE times to West coast if the first round goes 7 games..... that would kill the Wings for later rounds!

[FunkedUp 29]

Teams are so close that it’s difficult to say who they would be better off playing. “You got to pick your poison, and travel is a huge part of that,’’ Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said last week. “I always vote for the shortest trip.’’

Is this a sneaky way of Babcock saying that he wants Chicago, or is this him saying that he doesn't care?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

In the grand scheme of things, doesn't matter to me because the Wings have shown they are capable of beating anybody on a consistent basis if they play as close to a 60-minute game as possible.

Selfishly, Chicago because I'll be going up there around the 3rd weekend of April/this month.

Edited April 6, 2010 by SouthernWingsFan

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

Now that I think about it, if Campbell is only out for a couple more weeks, we might as well get Chicago now instead of later when he's back to take advantage of it. But it's most likely that we get Vancouver so I doubt it.

And plus there's a really cute boy in one of my classes that wears a Blackhawks hat every other day so this way I have an excuse to talk to him.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Lovin Jiri Fischer

[13dangledangle 957]

Bring on the canuks, hey I hear Zetterberg wipes his ass with the copy of Kesslers new contract

[Wings17 1]

I live in Chicago and I'm so sick of these fans all of a sudden wearing Jerseys and all interested now because they have a winning team this year. It would make my year for us to face the Blackhawks 1st round and, Shut this City up!

[VM1138 1,921]

I agree from a strategic sense that Chicago would be the best first round matchup. Hope somebody takes out Vancouver in the 1st Round in what would be a brutal series and hope we can take out Chicago with the benefit of a non-physical team and short travel.

That way we'd get a team out of the way that would only get better as the playoffs went on and they gained confidence and still be relatively healthy and rested for the grind.

But I'm not picking them, I don't pick poison. That's just from a strategic viewpoint.

[FunkedUp 29]

The 8 western conference playoff teams are set and nearly all the seedings are toss ups. Though, I'd say 3. Vancouver and 4. Phoneix are locks. Anyone particularly excited for any potential rounds? A Wings/Chicago matchup is going to be great...I know it will happen at some point. As for the east, I'm hoping Philly and Pit end up meeting again. Maybe Hartnell will bite Crosby.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I think we all just need to take a moment to acknowledge that the Ducks won't be in the playoffs.

Oh how we'll miss watching Perry act like a little *****, or constantly having to hear about Niedermayer's smooooooooth skating. Not to mention watching Getzlaf decide to show up and score at will with 3 Wings players al over him.

[sharkfan20 32]

How Am I not suprised, most of you wants the Sharks. Everyone wants the Sharks.

And about the playoff experience, we have lots of playoff experience. Most of our guys has played in the playoffs.

Boyle- Stanley Cup

Blake- Stanley Cup

Nabokov, Marleau- Conference finals( been in the playoffs since 2000 every year execpt for 1 or 2 years.

Thornton- Playoffs basically every year, thats where he got his nick name- the tin man

Clowe- been in the playoffs since 2004

Wallin- Stanley Cup

Heatley- Stanley Cup finals with the sens

Huskins- Stanley Cup with Anaheim

And if we get Detroit in the first round, we are destined to never win the Stanley Cup with this group.

[deetroit dario 27]

i'm too busy watching the leastern conference, and wondering who we get in the finals!!

go wings!!!!

[T.Low 1,011]

Would you prefer Luongo and the Sedins?

or hungry Sharks with Nabokov or even Chicago, which is a lot better than Phoenix?

Yotes have very little playoff experience, not to mention shorter trips compared to San Jose/Vancouver.

Yes actually, I would prefer the Canucks in the first round. Chances are we will see them in the 2nd if not the first and that seems more dangerous. They are cold streaking right now and we are hot. We can take them down quick before they have a chance to regain their mojo.

If we see them in the 2nd, they will be full of round one winning confidence and thats when they are really tough.

Taking this theory one step further, I would want to face the gest teams first, Chidago or Vancouver. Get either one of them right away before they have a chance to gain playoff confidence. Then hope that someone knocks off whichever one we don't play.

[T.Low 1,011]

i'm too busy watching the leastern conference, and wondering who we get in the finals!!

go wings!!!!

Priceless.

Kind of encouraging that we've played the vast majority of the season with the $32m payroll due to injuries, yet we are right there even with Pittsburgh in points.

[TheCaptain19 49]

careful what you wish for

[T.Low 1,011]

careful what you wish for

Can you imagine what the rest of the west will think as they watch Detroit dismantle Chicago in the first?

And why wait? Why let them get their stride? Why let them get into a groove by winning a series, or even worse, two series? Feck, they'll be no living with them, then.

Go out and whip their ass early before they know what's happened. Win Game 1 in Chicago (or Vancouver) with authority, then OTL in Game 2, then sweep in Detroit and close it out on the road in 5, taking a 3 game streak into round two.

[pockets 9]

I want SJ not Phx like Titanium said the Yotes are exatcly the type of team that gives us trouble and unlike CBJ last year their goalie isnt a rookie.

Id take the Yotes in a later round though when theres more pressure

[titanium2 867]

Doesn't seem like there's all that much agreement like last year. Or at least I think we were all pretty happy to draw CBJ in the first round.

[Guest Trilobite]

I can't believe that people are voting for the Coyotes. That's the last team I want to face.

[Hiei 192]

I'd take Chicago right now. Campbell is out, Seabrook is either out or probably still feeling the after effects of the hit he took. LOOK AT THEIR GAME LAST NIGHT VS THE BLUES, almost choked off a 6-1 lead. When the hawks get momentum against them, Kane and Toews can't break them out. The 2nd half of the game, Chicago skated backward and hardly got a good chance at Conklin. and Q is too much of a pussbag to juggle his lines much...Hell, the fact they're coached by Q is reason enough to want them. Niemi is that team's last grace. Huet might be heroic for a game or two like last year vs Detroit, but that's all. He is still perfectly capable of s***ting the bed.

[pjgj13 30]

I personally would want Phoenix. Wings will probably need to win out for this to happen. This way, at least we would have home ice advantage, and play an inexperienced playoff team. Thoughts?

They are currently in 5th place as I type this. They have 98 points along with the Preds with 1 game in hand. The don't necessarily have to win out but it would lock it up!

[Guest Trilobite]

I'd take Chicago right now. Campbell is out, Seabrook is either out or probably still feeling the after effects of the hit he took. LOOK AT THEIR GAME LAST NIGHT VS THE BLUES, almost choked off a 6-1 lead. When the hawks get momentum against them, Kane and Toews can't break them out. The 2nd half of the game, Chicago skated backward and hardly got a good chance at Conklin. and Q is too much of a pussbag to juggle his lines much...Hell, the fact they're coached by Q is reason enough to want them. Niemi is that team's last grace. Huet might be heroic for a game or two like last year vs Detroit, but that's all. He is still perfectly capable of s***ting the bed.

to be fair, the Hawks were playing their scrubs after the first period, just ook at the ice times. Of course that's no reason to give up 4 unanswered goals.

[Guest DatsyukianDeke13]

Now that I think about it, if Campbell is only out for a couple more weeks, we might as well get Chicago now instead of later when he's back to take advantage of it. But it's most likely that we get Vancouver so I doubt it.

And plus there's a really cute boy in one of my classes that wears a Blackhawks hat every other day so this way I have an excuse to talk to him.

Don't flirt with the enemy!!!!! There is a kid who wears a Toews jersey in one of my classes. He talks to me like the Hawks are the best thing since sliced bread. I want them in the first round just so I can bring him back to reality