I agree that in general most Wing fans are pretty decent and also generally are pretty knowledgeable. I disagree that they are as rabid as Chicago fans. I believe that comes from the last decade and a half of the Wings being one of the powerhouses in the NHL. They have come to expect it (which isn't a bad thing) and I think that when the Wings are not near the top of the league, the fans become "less interested".

In other words I think they have taken winning for granted and really don't know how to handle this temporary dip in the Wing's dominance. I say "temporary" because I have a lot of respect for Ken Holland as a GM and also Mike Babcock as a coach.

I have said, this year's Wings team that almost eliminated the 'Hawks reminds me of the 'Hawks team that the Wings eliminated in the '09 WCF. That 'Hawks team had a few veterans along with a lot of youth that had no playoff experience. That 'Hawks team got a taste of the playoffs and what it means to face a talented elite team. This year's Wings team was a bit more successful in the WCF compared to the '09 'Hawks (more wins), but in the end they got the same lesson (thankfully).

So if this was a "down year" for them, what many here (Detroit) don't realize is that most teams wouldn't mind having what is a bad year for the Wings.

I predict that the Wings will do very well in the East, although I will miss the rivalry.

Having said all that, enough talk about the Wings. Go Hawks!!!
- GoHawks63

Other than Brendan Smith, bumhole-skater, and Cory Emmerton they don't have a single player under the age of 27. bumhole-skater is 26, as well.

Four of us.
- DarthKane

Five. Luckily, my job revolves around the internet, so it's easier to hide.

Fixed

- philco28

Kucera......my god.

Patrick Poulin, Adam Creighton, Sergei Krivokrasov gets a nod, but no carving into the stone...as he scored 2 big OT goals vs Colorado.

Joceyln Thibault.......

The main "star" i couldn't stand? Eric Daze....Saw him at a bar in Naperville on black Wednesday, 2000, he was trolling for chicks as the Hawks were getting smoked by San Jose. His agent was a royal d-bag. He also was shocked I recognized him, but how do you miss a crater face like that?

Eric Daze...the man who rode in a car from Montreal to Chicago, with a horrible back, and wondered why it flared up......

Yeah, that's what I get for believing online math in a newsarticle. Hahaha.

The most amazing/pathetic part is, the deal is limited to first 500 customers. Announced last night and still available today. Wow.

The Panther's landing page has the details.

http://panthers.nhl.com/
- Hemingways

If that was ever available in an actual hockey town, the 500 would be sold out in literally a minute or two...let alone the following day.
$7gm x 41gms is $287...you can barely get a pair of tickets for one Leaf games for that price.

On the PP, what is wrong with the Denis Savard method? Get Kane the puck. Tell him to go fast and avoid the other players until something really cool happens? I'm serious, too. If that guy would move with the puck they would score on the power play.
- DirkGraham

Todays coaching may not stop it the first time but it would every time after that. Though you do have an point. The current Hawk powerplay looks to cheoreographed, maybe all it needs once in a while is to jam the front of the net hammer the puck at it.

No Savard?
- DirkGraham

And no Magnuson or Doug Wilson?

Saw them live, so yes - that would be my Mt. Rushmore.

Anybody here see Gardner, Mosienko, the Bentleys?
- StLBravesFan

Only saw Makita live a the end of his career and Hull on TV as a youth. Hall and Pilote I was just too young to remember.
Alot of great players over the years including ones mentioned, but I just went by the "whole organ-I-zation". Thought about alot of the guys from 80's on till now, but that "Cup" thing kept getting in the way.

....Just hoping for a troll free topic!

They need quick percise passes. Park Bickell's @ss in front of the net, and fire away....I'm done with them acting like it's the all star game. Are pretty/sexy goals nice? Sure....but as long as the red light goes on...I don't care if they fire 10 off Chara's @s and in...
- SteveRain

I think their biggest problem is establishing possession or entering the zone. We are either dumping or trying to skate through 2 guys. Sometimes that works. But I feel we need to make an extra pass skating to the blue line. Canucks do this extremely well.

We also don't have the right players at the point. Why is Hossa playing the point? Or Kane? These are guys I want playing the sides. Our blue line is solid. But we do lack a guy or two who can really shoot. If we had that... I don't think we would see Bolland Kane and Hossa up top.

Kucera......my god.

Patrick Poulin, Adam Creighton, Sergei Krivokrasov gets a nod, but no carving into the stone...as he scored 2 big OT goals vs Colorado.

Joceyln Thibault.......

The main "star" i couldn't stand? Eric Daze....Saw him at a bar in Naperville on black Wednesday, 2000, he was trolling for chicks as the Hawks were getting smoked by San Jose. His agent was a royal d-bag. He also was shocked I recognized him, but how do you miss a crater face like that?

Eric Daze...the man who rode in a car from Montreal to Chicago, with a horrible back, and wondered why it flared up......
- SteveRain

See 55 all the time. His kid skates with mine...

Didn't have the patience for a full on playoff beard...but the Cup attempt is well underway

- philco28

I've had a trimmed beard all playoffs, but there's no trimming for the final!

Five. Luckily, my job revolves around the internet, so it's easier to hide.
- Lash8

Does surfing the internet for porn pay well?

No Savard?
- DirkGraham

It was Savard vs. Larmer for me and I loved Larmer.

Does surfing the internet for porn pay well?
- DarthKane

You'd be amazed.

Kucera......my god.

Patrick Poulin, Adam Creighton, Sergei Krivokrasov gets a nod, but no carving into the stone...as he scored 2 big OT goals vs Colorado.

Joceyln Thibault.......

The main "star" i couldn't stand? Eric Daze....Saw him at a bar in Naperville on black Wednesday, 2000, he was trolling for chicks as the Hawks were getting smoked by San Jose. His agent was a royal d-bag. He also was shocked I recognized him, but how do you miss a crater face like that?

Eric Daze...the man who rode in a car from Montreal to Chicago, with a horrible back, and wondered why it flared up......
- SteveRain

Krivo...those o/t goals vs Roy carry a lot of weight in my memory

Nice tale about Daze...

The T-Blow era for me was part of that Black Hole decade...he won some games, but overall was a LOSER.

For those wanting something to do to pass the time, AMC channel is showing sixteen candles which is about to end and then Breakfast Club. I know people like to bring those movies up around here

I think their biggest problem is establishing possession or entering the zone. We are either dumping or trying to skate through 2 guys. Sometimes that works. But I feel we need to make an extra pass skating to the blue line. Canucks do this extremely well.

We also don't have the right players at the point. Why is Hossa playing the point? Or Kane? These are guys I want playing the sides. Our blue line is solid. But we do lack a guy or two who can really shoot. If we had that... I don't think we would see Bolland Kane and Hossa up top.
- ilinkhawk

Without claiming to know, I think they're overthinking the PP, most likely because Kompon is overthinking it, which causes them to freeze up. We're not seeing a fluid, natural skating/passing game with people in motion like we see 5 on 5. Instead, we're seeing a tentative, uptight execution, like someone who's stepping into a swimming pool but is afraid the water's too cold... As has been discussed ad nauseum, there is too much talent on this team for the PP to be so anemic. Get bodies in front of the net, attack and shoot. It's just basic Hockey really.

They need quick percise passes. Park Bickell's @ss in front of the net, and fire away....I'm done with them acting like it's the all star game. Are pretty/sexy goals nice? Sure....but as long as the red light goes on...I don't care if they fire 10 off Chara's @s and in...
- SteveRain

I don't care if they go off my @ss, just get them in the net.

I did it from Game 5 of the Detroit series until they lost game 3 in LA. I hadn't shaved since Monday but did today and my wife of all people was shocked that I was doing so. If they lost, blame me although my other good luck charms have worked since Game 5 of Det series - switched drink of choice to Woodford, navy blue addidas pants, and some random Holiday Inn t-shirt (former client of mine).
- golfbard

Nice


I can't grow a mustache or beard to save my life...so i'll be looking like Joe Dirt by the end anyway

For those wanting something to do to pass the time, AMC channel is showing sixteen candles which is about to end and then Breakfast Club. I know people like to bring those movies up around here
- tomcat24

From Long Duck Dong to John Bender....PRICELESS

I've had a trimmed beard all playoffs, but there's no trimming for the final!
- DarthKane

Don't how the boyz do it....gets itchy as heck.

Anti Rushmore:

Bolland, Mirinov, Jimmy Waite, Billy Gardner

Rushmore:

Toews, Roenick, Savard, Larmer
- SteveRain

That is just wrong. Billy Gardner was a great PK man. Very underrated player in my eyes. Very valuable player to a team, much like Frolik is today. May not get all the press, but sure does things that winning teams need.

That is just wrong. Billy Gardner was a great PK man. Very underrated player in my eyes. Very valuable player to a team, much like Frolik is today. May not get all the press, but sure does things that winning teams need.
- powerenforcer

Agreed...he and Rick Paterson were a great pk tandem.

Other than Brendan Smith, bumhole-skater, and Cory Emmerton they don't have a single player under the age of 27. bumhole-skater is 26, as well.
- CaptainBlackhawk

Nyquist and Dekayser are younger. They have Tatar coming up but this entire "youth movement" crap Wings fans and the media morons are selling is just propaganda.

And all of this "the Wings season their prospects and keep them in the minors longer than most"..... Maybe true but don't tell me if they had a Saad type he wouldn't be in the NHL with that team's performance the last 2 years.

Agreed...he and Rick Paterson were a great pk tandem.
- philco28

Yes, RP and BG were great to watch. I remember seeing over half the PK played in the defensive zone. Forechecking at it's best.

What is interesting......is that Hammer has pretty much moved himself into the 2nd position on defensemen depth, in regards to consistency and dependency.

Now....I think Seabrook is either have post concussion effects as his inability to skate and being wobbling would explain that...He looks eerily familiar to when he came back in game 6 vs Vancouver.

So with that said, how do keep Hammer and pay him top D man money (5-6 million+), absorb at least another 2-2.5+ million increase in cap hits for Kane and Toews for max deals, and keep Sharp, Hossa, and have to pony up for Leddy and Saad who should see high increases.

I heard Bowman on the score and when talking about the "core" he only spoke about Sharp, Kane, Toews, Seabrook, and Keith. No mention of Hammer or Hossa....for what it's worth.

I'm not advocating buying out Hossa, but IF they win a 2nd cup...have to wonder if that little ceremony they had for him earlier this year, was a tell of where they are moving.....
- SteveRain

Not that we would trade either, but maybe we should think about trading one? Top-4 d-men are really in demand now. I might lean more towards trading seabrook over hammer now. I heard a rumor Carolina is dangling their #5 pick for a top 4 d-man. Plus I'm sure we would have to add something else