Detroit Who?

[MrBug708]

Down 3 games to 0

[TLK]

I really dislike the Wings..... that's why I think if anyone can come back..... it'll be them.....

TLK

[Lathum]

It just shows that a hot goalie can carry you deep into the playoffs

[sterlingice]

As one of the few remaining Blackhawks fans in the known world, I have to say: GO "Anyone-But-The-Wings". Playing the part of "Anyone-But-The-Wings" this week are the Ducks.

SI

[Honolulu_Blue]

Screw youse, anti-Red Wings people. Screw youse all!

[Schmidty]

Originally posted by MrBug708
Down 3 games to 0

It's not over.

[Ksyrup]

Wow. I watched the first period, but fell asleep and woke up at 1:30. I was too tired to check the score, I just shut the TV off. I'm glad, or else I wouldn't have slept as well.

Oh well, go Tig...oh crap. Go Lio...double crap.

Go Pistons?

[MizzouRah]

I won't feel safe until Anaheim wins that fourth game.



Todd

[sachmo71]

I don't like the Wings either, and I love seeing them down 3-0, but even if they are swept by Anaheim, they are still the best team in the last 10 years.

[Draft Dodger]

as an Avs fan, it makes me happy.

at the WORST, the Wings will win but have to go 7 games.
and the Stars and Canucks to advance, they will have to go 6 (at least) in a tough series.

hopefully, the Avs make quick work of the Wild and have some rest before their next opponent limps into town.

[klayman]

or even better, the Wild steal 3 more games from the Avs

[sterlingice]

NA NA NA NA. NA NA NA NA. HEY HEY HEY. GOODBYE!

And please don't try to put this on CuJo- like I keep hearing Detroit fans doing. You scored 6 goals the entire series. No goalie wins a series like that.

SI

[Travis]

Originally posted by sterlingice
NA NA NA NA. NA NA NA NA. HEY HEY HEY. GOODBYE!

And please don't try to put this on CuJo- like I keep hearing Detroit fans doing. You scored 6 goals the entire series. No goalie wins a series like that.

SI

Who would have thought the anybody, let alone the Ducks against Detroit, would win a series with just 10 goals? Poor Button, what were you thinking? Way to go Giguere!

[WSUCougar]

Un-befrikkin'-lievable!

Methinks the Quackers need to be christened with a new name after that shellacking.

The Anaheim Mighty Squids?
The Anaheim Colossal Squids?
The Anaheim Formidable Squids?

[Schmidty]

Oh well.

Time to watch the Pistons.

[MizzouRah]

Bye Bye Detroit! See ya on the Links!!


Todd

[Marmel]

Schmidty says "Oh Well" like he doesn't even care.

[Ksyrup]

Bring back Scotty!

Guess I'll be rooting for Dallas now, although that could be short-lived as well.

Thankfully, the baseball season is in full swing.

[Ksyrup]

Dola.

Giguere was QUITE formidable!

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
Dola.

Giguere was QUITE formidable!

and, similarly, CuJo was not.

I may be unfair, because I didn't see much of the series - but it sure seemed that most of the goals he allowed were pretty weak; not what I would have expected from the guy I think is the 3rd best goalie playing in the NHL (after Roy and Brodeur).

of course, if someone just saw the highlights of G4 of leafs and Flyers, they'd think Belfour was soft after that sloppy game-winning goal he allowed. this after making 70+ saves, many being extraordinary.

[JPhillips]

Nobody beats a goalie with a .965 save percentage!

[MrBug708]

Giguere put up the best defense by any Frenchie ever

[korme]

Detroit Red, Malcolm.

[henry296]

For all well as Giguere played, the tying goal he gave up last night was kind of soft too.

Todd

[TroyF]

Originally posted by sachmo71
I don't like the Wings either, and I love seeing them down 3-0, but even if they are swept by Anaheim, they are still the best team in the last 10 years.

Quite debateable. The Avs, Devils and Red Wings all have 2 titles in that span. The Wings have been bumped from the first round a couple of times during that run, while the Avs have usually went to the conference finals. (One bump by Edmonten in the first round, I think it's 6 conference finals in the past 7 years) The Avs also own the playoff advantage in head to head with them during that time if memory serves.

9 straight division titles for the Avs, an NHL record.

All in all, I'd give the nod to New Jersey for the best team in the past 10. Doing what they've done with their payroll is impressive. Had they beat the Avs in game 6 a couple of years ago, there would be no question.

TroyF

[Ksyrup]

Haven't the Wings won 3?

[DataKing]

I wonder if the Red Wings will be able to get tee times, seeing as how the Black Hawks had a bit of head start on them this off-season.

[Schmidty]

Originally posted by TroyF
The Avs, Devils and Red Wings all have 2 titles in that span.
TroyF

Wrong. The Wings have won 3 times in the past 6 seasons. I think that that qualifies them as the best team of recent times.

[MrBug708]

The Wings have also been knocked out by two LA bsaed Hockey teams in the past 6 years, in the first round when seeded higher. Thats bad enough

[ice4277]

Originally posted by Schmidty
Wrong. The Wings have won 3 times in the past 6 seasons. I think that that qualifies them as the best team of recent times.

Not only that, a lot of those division titles for the Avalanche came when every other team in their division was, frankly, pathetic. But the number of Cups sets the Wings apart from everyone else.

[Coder]

Look who I found outside the arena!!

[Maple Leafs]

Originally posted by Coder
Look who I found outside the arena!!

That is beautiful.

[ice4277]

Originally posted by Coder
Look who I found outside the arena!!

I still think Glenn Sather gives him a run for his money.

[Vince]

You want to know what's unfair? My professor for History 138A: The Vietnam Wars is a huge Red Wings fan. Today, unanounced, there was a pop-quiz. Coincidence? I think not. He was in a crappy mood all day.

[TroyF]

That's right, I forgot the repeat year. Still, I don't think it's a walk by any stretch. You can say what you want about the Avs division during that span if you want, but it doesn't change the fact they've been more consistent in the playoffs, getting to the conference finals more than the Wings in the same time period.

One quick word of note here. . . I don't get into the Avs vs. Red Wings rivalry. Before the Avs came to town, Detroit was one of my favorite teams. Stevie Y one of my favorite players. Nothing has changed. Rivalries can indeed be created, but I doubt I'll ever hate the Wings with the same passion I dislike the Raiders or the Huskers.

TroyF

[sachmo71]

Vince, next time pass me the questions...I'll do what I can, but I'm pretty good with Vietnam!


About the Wings being the best team in the last 10 years...it's not just about the cups. They have been a powerhouse in the league and have sustained a level of excellence that I believe surpasses that of all other teams, including Colorado and New Jersey. Of course it's just my opinion. *SHRUG***

[klayman]

Wings, Avs, Stars...Bah, I think they all suck

The most dominate team of the last decade is with out a doubt the Women's Canadian National Hockey team.

[ACStrider]

...even though the US women's team won the initial gold in the olympics.

[ISiddiqui]

and, similarly, CuJo was not.

Actually CuJo was pretty good. I mean, he didn't really give up many goals... it is just that his team couldn't score any.

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by DataKing
I wonder if the Red Wings will be able to get tee times, seeing as how the Black Hawks had a bit of head start on them this off-season.

I think some tee times opened up on the courses after Theoren got mistaken for being the course whino again.

Nothing like the worst management in sports to ruin a 28 year playoff streak. Will someone shoot everyone in our front office? Please?!? And then move back to old Chicago Stadium.

SI

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally posted by Vince
You want to know what's unfair? My professor for History 138A: The Vietnam Wars is a huge Red Wings fan. Today, unanounced, there was a pop-quiz. Coincidence? I think not. He was in a crappy mood all day.

Good lad! He's done well there.

[Honolulu_Blue]

As for the debate for who is the best team in the last 10 years. There have been many great teams over that span. New Jersey, Detroit, Dallas, and Colorado are tops. Toronto and Philly have been solid over that span too, though have faltered more than the others.

That being said the Red Wings have won 3 Cups and have the best winning percentage of all the teams (in the regular season). They were the winningest team of the nineties (opposite of say, the Detroit Tigers) and have a number of Cups to show for it. It was a sad day and painful to see them go out like that, but it's been a great era over all.

As for not getting into the Avalance/Detroit rivalry, good for you TroyF. A good man indeed. You have shown great wisdom and reason. You are, of course, right to love Steve Yzerman and find it very, very hard to hate the Red Wings. That is simply because the Red Wings represent all that is good and right in the universe and the Avs are the Forces of Darkness(tm). Once down that dark path... forever will it dominante your destiny.

That all being said, I love Joe Sakic and always have. A true class act and a great player. Apparently he wears #19 in honor of Stevie Y. Can't go wrong with that. It's just all the rest of 'em that we hates... Roy, Forsberg, Foote, etc, etc.

[Karim]

So, do the Red Wings reload or rebuild?

The gave too much future away for Schneider and outside of Datsyuk and Zetterberg, there aren't a lot of young faces. Bykov and Chelios looked awful in this series getting burned on several occasions.

Fedorov turned down $50 million... I wonder what kind of offer Detroit will give him now, with a first round exit? The need him more than he needs Detroit I think, since Yzerman's on his last legs. Hull has been resigned, if I'm not mistaken. I'm not sure of Shanahan's status. How old is the Draper-McCarty-Maltby line? Still the best grind-line in hockey IMO.

Lidstrom and Schneider on the back-end make a great duo and Cujo is still a good goalie.

Funny that this should happen 1 A.S. (After Scotty). I wonder if he would have made any difference?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Difficult to see is the future... Always clouded with emotion.

Thoughts on what's next for the Winged Wheel:

The unrestricted free agents appear to be: Fedorov,
Yzerman, Wooley, McCarty, Larionov, and Robitaille.
From what I can gather from poking around on the
internet at some not-so-up-to-date 2003 NHL free agent
lists the pickings will be slim this year. I think
there is a chance Selanne will be an unrestricted free
agent, but beyond that I think our beloved Wings have
the most interesting choices.

Yzerman will re-sign. That's a given. Unless he
retires which is unlikely. I can't see the Wings
re-signing Wooley or Robitaille. Larionov is a
possibility and McCarty is likely. Fedorov, of
course, is the big question. 2004 murks up the waters
so much it's hard to tell whether or not a team will
make a big splash in free agency this year. And, if
so, who? New York's "budget" is likely near its
limit. It would be hard to imagine the Rangers going
after Fedorov, but they have exhibited insanity in the
not-too-distant pass. Dallas seems pretty cozy and
made their splash last year. Philly loaded-up as
well. Outside of a dark horse like the Kings (Sergei
always seems like a movie star), I think the one team
who could make a serious run at Fedorov is the Maple
Leafs. They've played bridesmaid to a number of big
time players. They loaded up with vets for this run,
but with many of them going the way of the Dodo at the
end of the season, Toronto just may have enough in the
bank to make a run at Sergei. Ilitch can't be happy
with the early exit and may control the budget a
little more tightly.

This being said, does losing Robitaille (even though
he was crap pretty much all-season long), Larionov,
Wooley, and Fedorov and not having much in the way of
replacement make the Wings a better team? Not likely.
I don't know of anyone in the minors or any
Zetterberg/Datsyuk's waiting in the wings. Hulder and
Grigenko (sp?) are definitely very hot prospects, but
I gather they are at least a year or two away from the
NHL. Grigenko may be closer, but not Hulder.

Tough way to end the season...

[Ksyrup]

With Krause and Jordan quitting within weeks of each other, and then this happening to my Wings, I started to think if maybe this would have happened to the Bulls had they kept them together one more year. The Bulls decided to go out on top and pre-emptively rebuilt, while the Red Wings kept it together and got swept out of the 1st round. In hindsight, both decisions look bad...or good.