evilzyme

Also my jealous side is glad the 8000 bandwagon fans didn't get to see them clinch. Us real fans that were in the 3000 all season long deserve it but not the bandwagoners.

By the way guys. Since you haven't been watching....mrazek has been letting in weak goals all playoffs long...its not just this one game.

A bunch yea. He let's in a lot of weak ones....but then he will turn around and make an amazing save.

I wasn't at Friday or sat game unfortunately( that's why I'm jealous the bandwagon fans got to go...). But when I hear they had four shots and 2 goals to start the game that sums how they went.

Wow man, can you get any more arrogant? Maybe some fans don't have the money to go travel to Grand Rapids? Some require staying the night which can lead to pretty high expenses. Not everyone can attend consistent games. Yes, I know Grand Rapids games are cheap. I've had the luxury of sitting on the glass because of how cheap tickets are, it doesn't mean I can attend every single game though. What you ignore is that fans can still follow a team and cheer for them while not attending games. Social media and online streaming make this very possible. Not every fan has the luxury of attending every game, like you. You really want to call them bandwagoners because they maybe wanted to splurge and spend the extra money to go see them live for once? It was a special occasion. People tend to splurge when the occasion is special. Do you attend every single Red Wings game? Do you watch them on television sometimes because you can't attend games? I suppose you're just a bandwagoner if you don't attend all these games every season and just go to a single playoff game. My god man, get off the high horse. 

The same people call Holland dumb every off season when he makes the same canned statement.

 

"The player has an agent and they may want to test the market, we will make what we think is a fair offer and see how it goes from there. But the player and the agent have to make a decision this probably won't be quick."

 

Go back to last off season or the one before that and tell me the same things weren't said about Abby, Miller, Kronwall etc...

 

Why get upset, it is Holland's canned speech that he gives for all free agent Wings.

 

Do you think behind closed doors he and dats aren't already close to a deal, he was really just letting people know this may not be quick.

 

But the Holland haters are gonna hate no matter what! Look no further than the grief he gets over not getting Suter, even though Suter chose Minnesota for reasons not related to the offer given!

 

 

 

EDIT:

OH look, now he is saying he wants to sign Dats as soon as July 5th!

 

http://sports.yahoo....39700--nhl.html

 

From Article:

Lids is a once in a lifetime player, I love Pavel but he is not Lids or Stevie Y, and neither is Z for that matter.

 

I also said Kronwall which you left out, in his contract discussion Holland said the same thing.

 

He said the same thing when Z was up, it is the canned answer for everyone that is not a once in a lifetime player.

 

My point, that is Holland's canned answer, he gives that answer to the media every June!

I'll try to hit on all of these. Firstly, he didn't just say the player has an agent and may want to test the market. Pasha has already stated if he's playing in the NHL it's going to be Detroit, and he's the one sitting here saying he wants a contract. Different story. Holland says this;

Holland said it was "very important" to re-sign Datsyuk but noted that "he's got options, too.

No, I don't think they are very close because they haven't talked contracts during this whole season. Holland has said all season that he's met with Pasha's agent once and they said they would discuss everyone before he left for Russia during the off season. I think the majority of the hate towards that comment is that you shouldn't have to say, "I got other options" towards one of your alternative captains, none the less a generational talent that has given you everything he has. 

I don't know where you're getting the "It's just the Holland haters finding anything and everything!!!" It's a dumb comment to say, especially publicly to the media. All he should've and could've said was exactly what you stated, "we'll see how everything goes, but obviously this is our main priority in having him around here for more years because of everything he's done. we'll sit down and make sure the contract makes sense for both Pavel and the franchise in the future." And no, i'm the furthest from a Holland hater, i'm normally the one defending him around here, it's just that you don't say that towards a core player and someone whom is regarded as an alternative captain for your team.

As for your article stating he wants a deal done by July 5th, it was published the same day as the freep and MLive articles. It's just a journalist excluding quotes and stating what he believes himself. Every quote from the same day out of Hollands mouth didn't say anything about getting it done asap on July 5th.

Now mind you, all of this can be taken out of context and Holland could be speaking on behalf of Pasha having options. The problem I have with that is; (1) you have your star player asking to get more years with the franchise (2) he's stated that the only NHL team he'll play for is Detroit or he'll go to the KHL.

http://www.freep.com...RTS05/305310080 3:25 PM, May 31, 2013

http://www.mlive.com...e_wants_to.html on May 31, 2013 at 10:45 PM, updated May 31, 2013 at 11:54 PM

http://sports.yahoo....39700--nhl.html The Associated Press – Fri, May 31, 2013 8:06 PM EDT

As for Lidstrom being a generational one of a kind, but Pavel not? It just doesn't make sense to me. Lidstrom played unreal defense and contributed offensively while excelling at both. Pavel is one of the best playmakers in the game, the slickest hands the league has seen, and regarded as one of the best 2-way players to play the game. You can't replace Pavel, he's a one of a kind. They're both generational talents and to say one is while the other isn't just doesn't make sense to me.

I highly doubt we stand pat. We simply have too many pieces to stand pat, and way too many players knocking on the door. Holland has already stated that he knows players are trying to push others for their jobs, and what it comes down to is a numbers game. That doesn't mean we're going to pick up new players, but we're certainly going to be active and moving pieces. With that being said, I see Holland going for the cheaper contracts on the rookies the franchise has the trust in. If anything this season was a wake-up call for Holland that his rookies need to be alongside his veterans so they can get this experience in before we don't have that many veterans. We were already rookie heavy this season, and we couldn't afford to add more inexperience to the line-up. Not to mention, we didn't even have Helmer with us for a full season. I don't think he goes absolutely nuts during free agency, but I think we'll continue to see a fresher, younger, faster Red Wings team. 

In the end, I don't think they're going to go after another D man, even though we need that true #1D. We have Kronner, Big Rig, Smitty, Quincey, Kuba, DeKeyser, and Carlo which is a solid 7 group. Not to mention we have numerous prospects moving into the A and trying to compete for jobs. Not saying they're pushing for them this upcoming season, but we need to look 2-3 years down the road. We already have to move some pieces on the back end, which is going to include some faces we certainly don't want to move but are going to be forced I believe. 

Scoring depth is going to be where we have to look. Unfortunately, we also don't have the space nor do I believe in a roster overhaul at this point. Brunner, I believe, will develop into a good threat, but I think we need that proven goal scorer to alleviate pressure on Brunner. He shouldn't be looked upon to be our main goal scorer, at least not yet. 2/3 line is most likely going to be his beauty spot. We need a true top line scorer who can pot em when needed. Of course, that isn't the easiest to get.

A full off-season with a full prospect camp, training camp, and preseason is going to provide a lot of competition for the roster. It's going to be exciting as hell to watch, and certainly should be fun for Babcock and the coaching staff.

I suppose this should be on another thread, but does anyone think we'll get rid of Tom Renney? I think Bill Peters has cemented himself within the staff nicely, but i'm not so sure we're sold on Renney. I'm not sure if Babcock wants to go around looking for another assistant coach after he just went through changes the past 2 seasons. Anyways, just wanted to bring that up and get some feedback on all of it.

Guide us, will you YFMB? That he shall.

Well, there's all the stories of him being a horrible teammate. He sounds like a complete cancer for the locker room. I'm surprised if that was the case, or atleast maybe it was kept down while Lidstrom was still aboard. Maybe when Lidstrom left he thought he could be that jackass again. Anyways, when you're a horrible teammate, can't make a first pass to save your life, turn the puck over because you're scared of getting hit, molasses can track down the ice faster than you; your head coach normally doesn't want to play you. Not anyone's fault but his own. And to add on top of all of that, when he was a healthy scratch he wanted to make it public how much bulls*** it was. Instead of crying to the public, go hit the weight room and grind out some hours of practice so you're ready when given the opportunity. Even Carlo had a better mindframe than Ian frickin White.

Basically a must win for both teams here with different reasonings. Wings need to win because if they allow Chicago back into this, I believe Chicago will run all the way to the bank with it. We can't afford to give them any momentum. The Hawks need to win because if they go down 3-1 I just don't see them having the emotional make-up to deal with all the adversity. It's simply too big of a hole for them to climb out of, especially when they're already frustrated. Tonight is going to be the game of games between these two. If the Blackhawks don't come out with a win here, I think they simply realize that they can't beat the Wings. Basically, both teams are going to be showcasing their best tonight, especially Chicago. If they bring their best to this game, and it still doesn't measure up to a win; they're going to be deflated and I think the series is lost for them right then and there.

My keys to the game: 

1.) Defense needs to keep their feet moving, can't afford to get caught flat footed against them, especially through the neutral zone. 

2.) Weathering the initial storm. Wings need to either have the game tied or leading at the end of the first. Hawks are going to be coming out of the gate flying.

3.) Keep throwing pucks down range. Crawford can't afford to rest ever in the game. Let him know that he needs to be ready for a shot at any given angle, never dismissing the possibility of a shot being released from afar and at adjacent angles. 

4.) Play the body, but play it smart. The refs are going to have their whistles ready. We can't afford to not continue to finish our checks, but we're going to have to choose our times properly. Allow the Hawks to dig a hole if they want with the diving acts. The refs will start denying them the benefit of doubt.

5.) Continue the smooth and fast transition. Our transition game has been good through the past 2 games. If we got the puck, it's getting moved forwardly and efficiently. Continue this and ensure that we're making their defense stay high.

Did anyone get to hear Micky Redmond on 101WRIF last week? He had brought up that Eddie Olcyzk is the equivalent of him with the Wings, a complete homer color guy. He didn't understand how they would even allow him to be on the broadcast with his absolute bias, and it completely shows. Another funny segment was when they had asked ol Micky if he found himself doing color when he watches the Wings at home. He basically said that he does his own color, which requires him to shut his windows and doors haha. 

Smith has made mistakes, just as any other rookie would. As many have already stated, he's getting thrown into the fire and having to take on responsibilities that normally would've never found their way to him. He's playing in the 2nd pairing, when he should be on the 3rd. He's playing against Anaheim and Chicago, and their two top lines. That's the #1 and #2 seeds in the Western conference gents. Those are top lines, especially Chicago with how deep they are. I'm sitting here pondering if any of you actually watched Smith through his junior(college)/AHL performances. He has never been that defensive guy, ever. His defense has always been brutal. The upside to him was his offensive capability. Unfortunately, he has nothing to show for that during the regular season. He needs to learn from mistakes when he can make his offensive moves. Not to mention, with this season being so hard on all the rookies, he hasn't had the luxury of pushing offensively. Babcock has had to stress defense first because of our teams capability. 

This is on par with the Howard = Average thread, knee-jerk wise. Yes, he makes mistakes. No, we shouldn't trade him. If we're going to allow Kindl and Ericsson to get years for their development, you better give Smitty atleast more than 1 accelerated season(he's played a total of 57 NHL games, including last season, this season, and playoffs. (an NHL season is 82...)) . Absolute knee-jerk here.

Holland didn't believe Nick was going to retire when he did either. 

I really don't remember that being the case this past summer. The previous summers when he started the 1 year deals, Holland was pretty spot on with each one. This last summer, most of them didn't say anything except they felt he could play a few more years but ultimately the decision lays in his hands. I'm not even sure why many are trying to compare Lidstrom's retirement at 42 to Datsyuk at the age of 36. 

This just puts a giant smile on my face if it's true. But wait, KUKLAS KORNER SAID THAT THEY HAVE AN INSIDE SOURCE AND HE'S SCARED OF THE EASTERN CONFERENCE?!!!!! They obviously are a better source than Mike Babcock himself.

Games on tomorrow at 8, correct? I'm excited as ever for this one. Think the boys are going to make many posters start singing different tunes. Most likely the same ones that didn't want us to make the playoffs because "we would've just got spanked."

Still busy, but I was able to make this while I had a few minutes. Graph shows PPG over the course of regular seasons, 05-06 - current season;

Oh, I forgot some of my favorites:

I do believe we didn't spend a frickin dime at the trade deadline, kept all of our prospects, and still have made it this far.

I do believe others overpaid like no other and have zero percent to show for it.

I do believe we won more playoff games than Minnesota.

I do believe we made it to the second round, unlike Minnesota.

I do believe Suter and Parise are enjoying watching Red Wings hockey right now.

I do believe centcougar is enjoying watching Red Wings hockey right now.

I do believe we won't have ~23% of our capspace tied to 2 players.

I do believe we have too many fans that will jump to conclusions and talk badly about this team when they shoudn't.

I do believe we have an outstanding team, and with the leadership group and coaching staff we have at hand, anything is possible.

I do believe we just pissed off Anaheim and made Perry cry. 

I do believe we can beat the Hawks, and have called it all season that we can do damage in the post season. 

I do believe people are too hard on our players, especially when they talk out their ass and don't understand roles.

I do believe Howard can steal a series, and has already proven that.

I do believe Zetterberg is injuried

I do believe Nyquist has improved like no other this season

I do believe we are pretty "deep" and can roll 4 lines.

I don't believe we should be doom and gloom.

I don't believe this team is willing to give up.

I don't believe we should ever give up.

i'll add more later.

The best part, besides the awesome chant, was Palmieri realizing his fate. You see that boy start backtracking as fast as he can, you can almost hear his internal voice screaming, "OH S*** OH S*** REVERSE REVERSE."