They not only have signed the Dominator Hasek, they now have Brett Hull. With Yzerman, Lindstrom, Federov and the whole team, you might as well hand the cup over to the Wings right now and get the season over with. St. Louis, Colorado and the whole Eastern conference don’t have a chance. I can’t wait for the season to start. Woo Hoo!!!
As a citizen of St. Louis and a Blues fan, I just have to ask you:
Were we ever a threat? Oh sure, we’ll make the playoffs (again!) but we’ll be knocked out in the 1st or 2nd round, which is about par for this franchise.
Isn’t that team kind of old, though? I mean, Chelios, Hull, Hasek, the red army all stars? That team must get great rates at hotels and restaraunts on the road though, what with their AARP memberships and all.
I will happily give it to the Wings (my hometown) if the Sharks can just lose to them in the final.
Sue…Who can’t wait for the season opener (Oct 4) here in San Jose against the Wings. Now do I wear red or teal?
Yes, but remember that any team is only subject to the team as a whole…granted my Colorado Avs took the title this last year, they coulda really suck…so could your Red Wings, oh and they did – well according to the stats. But then again my fellow Colorado Avs fans and I HATE the Red Wings so accept that and give it back if you choose.
So, even though this aint The Pit, you brought it up…to Hell with the Red Wings and go Colorado…
So there, how’s that, we will have many months to know what happens. For all you know it will be the Anaheim Ducks that take the title. Get off it and live for the fact that even the veterans and even the best don’t make the team, it’s the team as a whole that makes a team.
Oh and I know this from being a Broncos fan for all my damn life.
Any game, any team could win the title and Yes of course, I would rather see my Avs kick some ass again.
So there! 
Oh and I quit smoking so be a booger and I will be one back, I guarantee it!
< hey I forwarned you all I might be a bitch in a previous thread, if you didn’t read it then kiss my arse! >
Give the Wings the Cup? I think not. I always here the media saying that the Stars are getting too old, but the Wings are downright ancient in comparison.
You do also realize that Hull hated playing for Hitchcock don’t you? Hitchcock is a coach from the Scotty Bowman mold. Hull will have some sort of issue with ice time or something before the end of November. Hull may have scored 39 goals last season, but he probably coughed up the puck 80% of the time he handled it. He also made a bad pass that was intercepted and led to the Blues series winning goal against the Stars.
Bowman says that he is going to introduce the Torpedo offence system (designed by a coach in Sweden to break the trap). Unfortunately, it involves lots of forechecking, something that Hull lost last season, and that Robitaille (never a strong skater) will have problems with.
Stars and Vas will be facing each other in the Western Conference finals for the 3rd time in 4 years.
Yes the Wings are old, but those “old” players are still productive. They don’t have missing spleens to worry about. This is a 2 year run now.
If the Wings need a late goal to tie it up? Well they could pull the goalie and put these six skaters out there: Shanahan, Fedorov, Hull, Robitaille, Yzerman, Lidstrom. They can put 2 power play units on the ice where each player has the potential to score when he touches the puck.
Sure they are old, but they are all GOOD. Not were good, either. Right now these are all very good players, and the Wings are not married to any of them for a long time, so they shouldn’t be hurting too bad.
What is the only thing harder than winning the lottery? Well, that would be getting past Nicklas Lidstrom and then putting the puck past Dominik Hasek on the same play.
The Western Conference is very tough though! Last year I said Colorado all the way through the season and they did indeed win it. It’s a long season and there’s no point in making a prediction until the season is 1/4 over.
This year, I’m praying for a Avs/Wings conf. final. Roy/Hasek!
You kids in the west have fun beating each other up. The Flyers will be waiting for you in June. 
Waiting on the golf course, you mean.
As the boards unquestioned biggest Red Wings fan*, I’d like to agree with you, Lady Ice. I’d also like to marry you.
I am a bit concerned about how our favorite geriatrics will hold up in the playoffs, where the teams with a good interjection of youth and speed seem to be going the farthest lately. I think Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk have had as much to do with the Avs’ recent success as have Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
The Wings have had a tendency lately to build 2-games-to-0 leads in the playoffs, then have the roof cave in. I think that’s attributable to age.
But clearly the Wings brass is saying let’s try to win now, before the core group fades away. They also figure that with Hasek in the pipes, they can accommodate a sniper like Hull who isn’t particularly fond of playing defense.
Want these guys on your power play?: Yzerman, Shanahan, Fedorov, Robitaille, Hull, Lidstrom, Chelios.
A-woo-hoo!
(*Until you have a framed, autographed Steve Yzerman jersey in the middle of your living room wall, please, don’t question it. :D)
I wonder if I’m the first to notice the irony of Hull and Hasek finally being on the same team, given the finale of the 1999 Stanley Cup.
I’ll admit that anything is better than osgood in net, but I’m not sure that Hasek is the answer. Come on, he wrote the book on ugly goaltending made easy. Its no mistake that the two goaltenders in the finals were the two most technically proficent netminders in the league. Add all the old men the red wings have on the bench – I don’t think they will be able to keep up with the younger teams.
Give the cup to the Wings…yeah right!!! How can you say that, when the core of your teams, including your top d and offensive guys, are over 35 years old?! The Kings really showed the age of the Wings when they ousted them in the playoffs this year. You can say all you want about how age contributes to experience and clutch preformances, but when it comes down to it, you need a balance of young talent and veteran leadership, right now the Wings have an abundance of latter. Sure, you guys have some young guys, but they’re by no means studs( Fisher, Holstorm, etc). Compared to the Avs with their Hejduks, Tangays, and Drurys and the Blues, who have Demitra, Pronger, Corso, JOhnson, Salvador, the Wings are in desperate need of some youth. I’m not sayin that the Wings have no shot at the Cup, because every team has a shot(unless they don’t make the playoffs…;)), I just think that the media is making too large of deal of how good these “new” Wings will be. Oh, and Crunchy, I do belive that the Blues got knocked out of the playoffs in the 3rd round this time around, that’s quite an improvment, and something i’ve never seen as a young Blues fan. Hopefully this will be the year, may Dougie Weight lead the way…
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by HalberMensch242 *
Oh, and Crunchy, I do belive that the Blues got knocked out of the playoffs in the 3rd round this time around, that’s quite an improvment, and something i’ve never seen as a young Blues fan.
[quote]
Yeah, they hung in there a little longer than the year before, but last year’s 3rd round loss averaged with the year before’s 1st round knockout puts them right on average. Of course, I’m still a little bitter from a couple of years ago, when the Blues won the Presidents Cup and then got knocked out in the first round by San Jose. What the hell was that, Blues?
**
Ah, young Blues fan, prepare thyself to say these words often. I said it when we won the President’s Cup two years ago. For the past 22 years (it is 22 right? Or is it 23 now?) the Blues have made the playoffs - have even made the finals - but have never brought the Cup home. I may be a little jaded after all this time, but I find it increasingly difficult to get excited about the Blues at the start of the season anymore. I’ll wait until the playoff contenders start to stand out, then see how the Blues look to fair against them.