[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth]
No such thing as too late for a hockey playoff game.
[/QUOTE]
There is when you have to be functional in the morning 
So, did anyone else notice in the Tampa/Ottawa game that the song they played after Dany Heatley scored was “You wreck me” by Tom Petty? :dubious:
I was wrong about Osgood. He’s out with a “lower body injury.” Rookie tender Jimmy Howard is warming the bench and Legace is still in net. Yzerman is out which puts Mowers in. Hope the D comes out strong for Legace.
[QUOTE=Harborwolf]
So, did anyone else notice in the Tampa/Ottawa game that the song they played after Dany Heatley scored was “You wreck me” by Tom Petty? :dubious:
[/QUOTE]
Classy.
Didn’t notice that, though, too busy marvelling at that beauty of a goal. Ottawa’s taken control of this series, and now should finish it off at home.
Groovy. The wings are still in the series. The defense is coming on. The offense is regaining form. Legace is…there.
I’m still down on Legace. Two five hole goals? Not good. The second was because he was way out in the paint and had to slide back to get into position. The victory is getting him another game that he has not earned.
The refs were really fun last night. They made some good calls. Then they’d make a bad call. They’d realize that they made a bad call, so they’d try to balance it out with a cluster of non-calls. That makes for a rough night for Alias, who has given up trying to convince me that the refs cannot hear me through the television.
Well, the Ducks got their retirement plans in order on game 3 and then proceeded to take game 4 from the Flames in OT. Odie is a killer…what a sweet slappie!
Watching Sens-Lightning. Should be a great finish! I was pretty down on Tampa when it was 2-0 and the Sens shot one in that didn’t count–but they’ve really hung in there. Here’s hoping frustrated Grahame finally gets some satisfaction. I really think the Lightning can stave 'em off–we’ll see!
I would’ve thought the Rangers would put up a real fight. I was impressed the two times I saw them on NBC during the regular season. Oh well.
I was a bit surprised at the Rangers demise myself. New Jersey started playing like New Jersey and the Rangers just gave up. Game two of the series is one of the worst hockey games I have ever seen. The rangers didn’t even look like they wanted to play.
Congrats to the Sens as well. Nice little scoring machine going on there.
The wings are down again in the series. Legace is the difference. At the end of the second he had allowed three goals on fifteen shots. That is not the save percentage of a goalie that you want in the playoffs. This may be because I’m a raving psychotic, but I’d throw Jimmy Howard in for the next and possibly last game. It could shake up the team and he really can’t play any worse than Legace has been.
The offense has been good at getting shots. The defense has been good at keeping the shots against down. The wings need saves to keep whatever dim chances they have going.
[QUOTE=fetus]
Watching Sens-Lightning. Should be a great finish! I was pretty down on Tampa when it was 2-0 and the Sens shot one in that didn’t count–but they’ve really hung in there. Here’s hoping frustrated Grahame finally gets some satisfaction. I really think the Lightning can stave 'em off–we’ll see!
[/QUOTE]
Sadly, we didn’t shoot that one in – it was clearly kicked, and properly disallowed. Burke had a great game tonight; He really kept his team in this one. I was getting worried that Tampa was going to get a lucky one to seal it, but our defence finally stood up and shut them down. Awesome win for Ottawa.
I concur, great game. Great game all-around, really, but man did the Sens really show they deserved their #1 seed!
More first round endings today.
The Avs beat the Stars. I’m glad to see it. There was just something about the way that Dallas played. They just didn’t look like they played well as a team. If it weren’t for Turco, they wouldn’t have finished second in the west.
Nashville bows out to the Cinderella Sharks. Now they get to look at Mason and wonder if things would’ve been different with Vokoun in net.
Elsewhere, Buffalo and Carolina are one game away from closing out their series. I’m kind of surprised that Carolina has come back. Montreal looked dominant in games one and two. Amazing what a change of netminders can do (I’m looking at you Detroit).
Detroit needs to win tomorrow or things will be shaken up in Hockeytown.
[QUOTE=Danja]
Detroit needs to win tomorrow or things will be shaken up in Hockeytown.
[/QUOTE]
Would that really be such a bad thing?
It’s been the same thing the last few seasons. The Wings come in with the same core of veterans and a sprinkling of new players. They look befuddled in the playoffs and bow out early. Next season, the cycle begins anew.
Thankfully we have the players in the farm team to do a good job of shaking things up. Jimmy Howard has been stellar for Grand Rapids all year. He’ll make the big club next year. Igor Grigorenko should be over next season from Russia. I’d be surprised if he didn’t crack the lineup in camp. Hudler, Filppula, and Kopecky are all ready to make the team. It might not be a bad idea to bring up Jakub Kindl depending how the defense shakes out. I wouldn’t even mind if the team slid down the standings a bit or missed the playoffs altogether. Wings fans have been spoiled by success. We could use a bit of a shake up as well.
As for tonight, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens. The goalie needs to changed. I don’t care if it’s Howard, Osgood, or someone out of the stands. Legace hasn’t been getting it done and from the mewling noises he’s making in the press, he doesn’t want to get it done. I think Howard should get the nod myself. He’ll be with the Wings next season. Let’s give him a look and let him get a playoff under his belt. If we lose, we would’ve done that anyways. If we win, we’ve got a rookie goalie who’s gotten a huge shot of confidence.
The usual noises are being made in the papers about the Wings “big guns” not scoring. I hate stuff like that in the first round. A five game scoring drought would be a minor occasion in the regular season, but because it’s the playoffs… :rolleyes: . What’s worse is that if they had one goal each, they’d be getting it for not scoring enough. It doesn’t help that we’ve been spending a good chunk of every game behind by a goal or few. That feeds the Edmonton trap, let’s them just shut things down. Would it help to have them score? Sure. It’d help to have anyone score an extra goal or two at this point. Let’s not make it about the big guns.
If the Wings want to win tonight, they need someone to make the saves and they need to get a lead and hold it. Make Edmonton press and open the ice up a bit. If they can’t get that done, it’s another short post season. I’m not sure that’s such a bad thing.
[QUOTE=Harborwolf]
I’m kind of surprised that Carolina has come back. Montreal looked dominant in games one and two.
[/QUOTE]
Well, see, that’s what happens when you get your captain’s eye poked out with a high stick. Sort of leaves the team in bad shape.
[QUOTE=Harborwolf]
Would that really be such a bad thing?
It’s been the same thing the last few seasons. The Wings come in with the same core of veterans and a sprinkling of new players. They look befuddled in the playoffs and bow out early. Next season, the cycle begins anew.
Thankfully we have the players in the farm team to do a good job of shaking things up. Jimmy Howard has been stellar for Grand Rapids all year. He’ll make the big club next year. Igor Grigorenko should be over next season from Russia. I’d be surprised if he didn’t crack the lineup in camp. Hudler, Filppula, and Kopecky are all ready to make the team. It might not be a bad idea to bring up Jakub Kindl depending how the defense shakes out. I wouldn’t even mind if the team slid down the standings a bit or missed the playoffs altogether. Wings fans have been spoiled by success. We could use a bit of a shake up as well.
As for tonight, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens. The goalie needs to changed. I don’t care if it’s Howard, Osgood, or someone out of the stands. Legace hasn’t been getting it done and from the mewling noises he’s making in the press, he doesn’t want to get it done. I think Howard should get the nod myself. He’ll be with the Wings next season. Let’s give him a look and let him get a playoff under his belt. If we lose, we would’ve done that anyways. If we win, we’ve got a rookie goalie who’s gotten a huge shot of confidence.
The usual noises are being made in the papers about the Wings “big guns” not scoring. I hate stuff like that in the first round. A five game scoring drought would be a minor occasion in the regular season, but because it’s the playoffs… :rolleyes: . What’s worse is that if they had one goal each, they’d be getting it for not scoring enough. It doesn’t help that we’ve been spending a good chunk of every game behind by a goal or few. That feeds the Edmonton trap, let’s them just shut things down. Would it help to have them score? Sure. It’d help to have anyone score an extra goal or two at this point. Let’s not make it about the big guns.
If the Wings want to win tonight, they need someone to make the saves and they need to get a lead and hold it. Make Edmonton press and open the ice up a bit. If they can’t get that done, it’s another short post season. I’m not sure that’s such a bad thing.
[/QUOTE]
I agree. I personally would like to see a complete overhaul of the team. Here is my personal wishlist (never gonna happen but it can’t hurt to dream).
Keep the core of Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Yzerman (if he wants to/can stay), Kronwall, and Maltby).
Let go of anyone else that they need to.
Trade chelli or Land to SJ for Nabokov
Call up Filpulla, Hudler, Kopecky, Grigorenko, and Mowers and let them replace the low line forwards such as Williams, Sumuelsson, Draper, Franzen, etc.
Use the money saved on those players to try to sign a superstar (See my post on another board:
The way the team is built: We have a bunch of guys that pitch in for a combined effort that overwhelms the opponents in the regular season. However, this doesn’t work in the intensity of the playoffs. Our team has a bunch of helpers, but no go to guy along the lines of Jagr or Thornton or Ovechkin. The teams that are winning right now have a guy that is good enough to fight through the defense and out think the goalie (see Elias and Gomez on NJ, Sakic on COL, Havlat on OTT). Detroit has many stars but no superstars. Datsyuk and Zetterberg both seem to be on the verge, but Zetterberg is producing like a star and not a superstar and while Datsyuk is visible in games, he is invisible on the scoresheet, which is what matters on the end of the day. It has been my firm belief since the start of the season that the wings can’t win without a superstar. I think that this offseason will be a good time to bring in a youthful guy to the Wings.
I’d try to bring in a guy like Kovalchuk, Hossa, Ovechkin (not likely to happen but…) or Elias. If teams wont trade for a star, bring in a UFA. But get a player that is a consistant GOAL scoring threat every day. If the wings do this, I believe they’ll drop in standings but will have a better shot in the post season.
So watching the Calgary game the other night, they showed a bit of their practise. I thought “Man, it must be awful to have to practise against Kiprusoff all the time. You’d think you SUCK.”
. . . this damned itching at the back of my thro ::scratch::
GO DEVILS!! WOOOO! [sub]::cough cough::[/sub]
Whoa! Sorry about that. ::ahem:: 
Yeah, I just found out. News travels fairly slowly here.
Tripler
Must be due to the time zones and jet lag.
I think what the Red Wings have to accept is that Manny Legace is not a big-time goalie. Time to shuck some of the older talent. Stevie Y probably has about run his string out. Chelios is long in the tooth. What we’re seeing is that beating Columbus regularly is different from beating Edmonton.
What a disappoint that Montreal may not survive the first round after all. But they’d get Ottawa if they did so it would only prolong the season by one series. Former Spartan Brind’Amour certainly has come into his own for this series.
The officials deserve a tip of the hat. Not swallowing the whistle like they used to has made for what I think is better hockey. No more goon stuff knowing you won’t get called. Still, there have been some stinkers, notably the early whistle from the far referee that negated a Carolina goal against Montreal.
[QUOTE=Danja]
3. Trade chelli or Land to SJ for Nabokov
[/quote]
I don’t think they’ll trade Cheli any time soon. He plays high minutes, is dependable on defense, and plays for cheap due to his age. He’s also good with the youngins. Trading Lang wouldn’t be a bad idea, but his contract may be up. If it is, they’re better off just releasing him and saving the money.
Unfortunately, Samuelsson will only move via trade as they just signed him to an extension. Draper may have stone hands, but he’s still great on the penalty kill and has good wheels. Defensive players like him are few and far between. Williams is just now getting minutes and imho has proven worthy of a roster spot and good minutes. He also plays cheap. Franzen I can see, but he’s another mule of a player that can dependably anchor a pk or a fourth line spot.
I see your point, but the wings have done best in recent years with the non-super star approach. A good parallel would be the Detroit Pistons. No flashy superstars but they play well together and get the job done. Not that I’d complain if we were able to get Kovalchuk, Hossa, etc. I’d dearly love to see Rick Nash wear the winged wheel.
Personally, I’d rather lose some of the spare parts (Lang, Franzen, Samuelsson, Yzerman to retirement of course, Osgood or Legace unless we can clearly upgrade) to make room for the crop we’ve got in the farm. Hudler will be a wing next year and I think his speed and grit would play well with Draper/Maltby. If they do bring Grigorenko over, he’ll make the team and could do well on first or second line with Zetterberg or Datsyuk. Mowers I can take or leave. He’s like a slightly less skilled version of Williams. The big move for me is Jimmy Howard. Get him up and let him play. With the big four on defense (Lidstrom, Schneider, Kronwall, and Chelios who at this rate could play well well into his nineties), Howard won’t have too much to worry about unlike the young goalie of the penguins. He could be a great goalie. He deserves the chance.
If there’s extra moneys about and the right player becomes available, sign him. Just don’t rush into signing a name and stats. The Wings have a great core. Wait for a truly great player to free up.
Tripler, don’t get too excited. New Jersey looked great, but they looked great against the Rangers who played as if they were late for a tee time. 
Gingerofthenorth, I never thought of that. Maybe that’s why they were such a low scoring team. Practicing against Kiprusoff has to be rough on the confidence.
[QUOTE=Harborwolf]
I see your point, but the wings have done best in recent years with the non-super star approach. A good parallel would be the Detroit Pistons. No flashy superstars but they play well together and get the job done. Not that I’d complain if we were able to get Kovalchuk, Hossa, etc. I’d dearly love to see Rick Nash wear the winged wheel.
[/QUOTE]
Good points everywhere else, but I have to disagree with you here. In recent years, Detroit has struggled in the playoffs because they have no game breaking player to beat a hot goalie. The last time detroit got a cup, or indeed advanced past round 2, they had 3 players who could be classified as superstars: Fedorov, a 2 way gamebreaker who could completely change the momentum of the game, Hull, a player much like Kovalchuk is now who can just slam a one-timer past a goalie, and Robataille, who just somehow made the puck go in the net. Detroit needs a player much like Fedorov, who can single-handedly turn a game in their favor. They’re missing him now, and missing him bad.
About 3 minutes to go in game 6, Det and Edm. Score tied 3-3. I don’t think Detroit can pull through, much as I love the team. They don’t have it in them. No one has stepped up.