Serratoni

Remember folks, Steve Yzerman became famous when he scored the double OT winner against St Louis. That wasn't till almost over 10 seasons after he was in the league.

 

Not quite.

 

Won the Lester B. Pearson in 1988-89 season.

All rookie team in 1984.

Second in Calder voting.

First 18-year-old to play in the All-Star game.

In 1989, I had an NHL stars poster in my dorm room which included Chelios, Savard, Gretz, Lemieux, and Yzerman, among others.

 

All this was long before Yzerman scored that winner against St. Louis.

 

EDIT: Fixed a typo

Oh, man. I had hoped that a sports forum would save us from the internet's tinfoil hat crowd.

I unintentionally caught a playoffs game against the Blues in 1989 on channel 50. The Wings won and moved on to face the Oilers. Two games later, Yzerman returned from his awful knee injury and no one on Detroit skated like her did. I was sold.

Regardless of whether he stays or leaves, he will always remain a Red Wings legend. People still wear Howe and Yzerman jerseys. They'll be wearing Datsyuk jerseys for decades to come too.

Who cares about embarrassing?  Since Holland is FINALLY suggesting that we're in a rebuild (only after missing out on Jagr I might add) we might as well think about the long term.  And in the long term missing the playoffs and getting the higher pick is probably better than making it, losing early, and getting the 20th overall or whatever it would be.  They don't play for bragging rights, they play to win the cup, and even if me make the playoffs we're likely not winning anything. 

 

Also, the fact that we're having this discussion is embarrassing no matter what happens with the playoffs.

 

First, I was responding to the poster (I quoted) who claimed it was embarrassing to make the playoffs and lose early. If you're offended by the term, take it up with him.

 

Second, I have confidence in the organization. The Wings don't need top 5 picks to find future stars or diamonds in the rough. They've proven this time and again for years.

 

Third, I just cannot support rooting against one's team. The players want to win. The ownership wants to win (and deserves the extra revenue from playoff games). The folks who work at the stadium want to win. *I* want them to win.

 

Fourth, I think the playoff streak is a bigger deal than many give it credit for. It would be sweet if the Wings could beat the Bruins record.

I'd hate for the streak to come to an end, but what really is gained by making the playoffs and embarrasingly being booted in the first round?  Maybe missing the playoffs would serve as an eye opener to Holland that his team really isn't all that good?  Maybe missing the playoffs lights a fire under his butt to make some real improvements to this team in the future?

 

"What is gained by making the playoff and embarrassingly being booted in the first round?" you ask.

Answer: Not being embarrassed by being booted BEFORE the playoffs begin.

 

I can't believe people actually think it's more embarrassing to make the playoffs and lose than to MISS the playoffs. Crazy!

I am strongly in favor of the hard salary cap that the NHL runs.

 

I loathe the salary cap. Not only because it supposedly prevents the "buying championships" either. That tactic doesn't always or even usually work. The Wings didn't win every year and neither do the Yankees. To this point, neither have the Tigers.

 

The salary cap in hockey is a method to ensure competitiveness among teams that really should fold. It's a way to dictate to incompetent owners/front offices, to tell them how much they should spend on a team, on players, and how much to invest. The league has expanded into small/bad markets. The salary cap keeps those teams on the ice.

 

I don't want to see the NHL turn into the NBA where 2-3 players surrounded by scrubs can bring home a championship. But that seems like the way of the future. Teams will continue to pay top dollar for stars (Minnesota) and then fill their rosters with 3rd and 4th liners playing on the 2nd.

Rooting for one's team to lose says more about the fan than the team.

The Wings are at least two top tier players--a top 6 forward and a top 4 (or 2!) defenseman--away from advancing deep into the playoffs this year. What do people seriously think the team has to offer to acquire those kinds of players?

 

I would hate to see the team mortgage the future for rental players.

Holland admitted at the start of the season that the team might not make the playoffs. Of course this is a rebuilding year. The GM brass just won't come right out and say it because the team has so many fans who would balk at the idea. A lot of posters call Wings fans spoiled. I'm not one of them. Instead, I think Wings fans are impatient. Many have been watching the team since 2000 or so and think they're veteran fans. They've never experienced a rebuild. They've never developed the patience it can sometimes take to follow a franchise. As a result, the organization is rebuilding on the fly while never publicly admitting to it.

 

The Wings are quietly (and not-so-quietly last week) building a nice young defense. The team also has a variety of forward prospects in GR and elsewhere, along with veteran leadership (Zetterberg) that won't be going anywhere for a number of years.

 

Have faith, fans, and be patient. Enjoy the magic of Datsyuk and the emergence of young stars over the next few seasons.

Unreliable be damned:
 
Anon Rumors ‏@TheRumorWire  10m
As I reported today at 12:52 PM EST, Danny DeKeyser has signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Big congrats, and the best of luck.

I think the Wings probably asked him to wait, if for no other reason than because nobody in the organization would be available to field questions, make remarks, etc. while they are in the air. 

 

Do we know if KH was with the team for last night's game or no?

I thought someone said he was NOT at the game elsewhere in this thread (which is too long for me to check. Because. Lazy.)

The Rumor Wire ‏@TheRumorWire  49s

I'm being told Danny DeKeyser has signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Stay tuned, more to come.

I'm hoping it's his agent (Meehan) trying to drum up as much attention as possible. Otherwise I don't understand the delay if he is in fact choosing Detroit.

 

Why?!

 

Wishful thinking on Son of a Wing's part, I'm afraid. I seriously hope I'm wrong though and will be happy to eat crow.

 

Bring on Dekeyser in the red and white!

I'm hearing on twitter that his decision will come within yet another 30 minutes (12:20 pm as I write this).

 

I can't believe that the wait is a good sign for Detroit. Not buying the "Iginla hoopla" excuse.

 

Why so conflicted Danny?

social media has ruined sports. 

Says the guy posting on a sports forum on teh interwebs.