Sorry, Red Wings fans...

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Detroit Red Wings

1997 - Stanley Cup Champs
1998 - Stanley Cup Champs
2002 - Stanley Cup Champs

An end to an era has come. No excuses they just got out worked by a younger, hungrier team. Proof is youth, hard work and desire can beat talent and experience. You have to want it and have to work for it. I think Cujo did redeem himself, he can't score...neither could the Red Wings in front of him. Lot of the geezers will have to retire and free agents will have to accept less green. It will be a different team when play does resume...whether next year or the following year.

I'm so looking forward to a Tampa Bay and Calgary final...wow...what a television rating nightmare (no disrespect for those two clubs as they both are deserving if they make it)

With a lock-out and a new CBA the NHL will be less popular than ping-pong [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Lets go Pistons
Lets go Tigers
[img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

colorado is not out of it yet. i'd say they have the momentum now, but if there is a game 7 it's in san jose i believe. winning game 7 on the road
is a tough one to ask for, if the sharks lose, they are the biggest chokers of all.

[Accept2]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Toronto beats Colorado in the finals............

[markb]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Originally posted by Black Mariah:
You can't blame any one thing for the state of hockey.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I didn't. I blamed the owners, the players union, the referees, the trap (which is related to expansion and refereeing), NHL marketing tactics, the lame commissioner etc.

Every winter olympics, people stare longingly at the fast, skilled hockey being played and wonder why the NHL ain't like that anymore. Olympic hockey could use more toughness, but it's a better model for the game.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Originally posted by TEKKY:
Really? Here in Chicago during the first round, there was a game on each channel every night.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">ESPN and ESPN 2 always have playoff games...I watch one every day/night since the playoffs started. ABC coverage sucks as it is regional so the 3pm day games the Wings had I didn't get to see here in the Dallas area. I hate day games...Hockey is a night sport. I also don't like the schedules being tweaked for national TV coverage. Playoffs should be a game every other day, some of these series got out of whack..2-3 days off or back to back games all courtesy of ABC's coverage.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Originally posted by Black Mariah:
You can't blame any one thing for the state of hockey. Saying the trap is killing hockey is stupid because, well, the trap is dying. This is the lowest scoring playoffs in 50 years or so, but it's also been one of the most exciting in a decade or more. Right now, forwards that are responsible defensively are where the game is won and lost. In Gretzky's day the game was won and lost on simply outscoring your opponent. Things change. It'll go back to scoring soon enough. Check Tampa and Calgary. Both of them have a core of players that will be going for another decade or more. That's where the NHL is headed.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">i think hockey is just like baseball. yeah, you have to outscore your opponent, but the games are won with great pitching and great goaltending.

[clifffclaven]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Part of the reason scoring was so high when gretsky played for edmonton was, A) they had a great team, and B) they played 4 on 4 (no instigator rule) so many times it was rediculous. If they needed a goal, they just sent out mcsorley to fight someone, and they could beat anyone 4 on 4. I agree, too the trap sucks the life out of games. Dump, grind, and hope you get the puck befor the other team just ices it. Alot of free agents are gonna get a wake up call with the new CBA. Alot of guys will be playing for half what theyre getting now...

[Black Mariah]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Originally posted by markpb:
I didn't. I blamed the owners, the players union, the referees, the trap (which is related to expansion and refereeing), NHL marketing tactics, the lame commissioner etc.

Every winter olympics, people stare longingly at the fast, skilled hockey being played and wonder why the NHL ain't like that anymore. Olympic hockey could use more toughness, but it's a better model for the game.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just so you know, I wan't talking about anyone in particular. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I hate Olympic hockey. Sure, it's fast and has a lot of scoring, but there's practically no checking. I like the NHL All-Star game, but once a year is enough, thanks. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[markb]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Well, like I said, Olympic hockey could use more toughness. But hockey is like any other sport: the stars sell the game. If they get clutched and grabbed to death, interest will suffer. These days the top player in the reg season doesn't even break 100 points.

The current ABC/ESPN (Disney) contract ends this year.They were getting 120 mil/year. ABC is dropping out, and there is no other real network interest. TV revenue could drop to the 50 mil range. That will change the game. The NHL actually could collapse, to some degree.

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

I like Olympic hockey too. When I was a teen playing in Detroit, we went to Sweden for 3 weeks and played on the bigger sheets. We had a great team of talented players but we ended up getting killed the first couple of games. We started playing physical and hitting anything that moved. We actually could compete if we were physical, they didn't like getting hit nor did they hit very well either. Aggressive fore checking and physical play can win and will win over talent and speed if executed properly.

The NHL is in for some troubled times the next couple years. Its really sad that they focused on expansion, diluted talent and then can't keep the ship afloat..

[xenophobe]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Hahaha FUCK all that Avs in 7 bullshit.

[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

SJ in 6. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Ah... now to eliminate Calgary... who has our old head coach and our ex-backup goalie...

Sweet! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[skidd]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

Originally posted by xenophobe:
Hahaha FUCK all that Avs in 7 bullshit.

[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

SJ in 6. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Ah... now to eliminate Calgary... who has our old head coach and our ex-backup goalie...

Sweet! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That hurt! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Calgary and SJ should be a hell of a series.

[Black Mariah]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

I think Calgary takes it. SJ has one of very few D corps that can handle guys like Iginla speed-wise. This will come down to which goalie gives out first, and I think it will be Nabokov.

Either way, I don't care who wins. It's going to be a fucking great series. [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Sorry, Red Wings fans...

SJ/Calgary is going to be a great series or at least you'd expect it to be. It could be a 7 gamer.

The TB/Philly series I dunno what to think. TB resting up while the Flyers get banged up, should know more by game 3 of that one.

Definitely some good hockey to be played in these conference finals that's for sure. I'm jonesin for a game...hell 3 days with out a playoff game...