2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Exactly. One of the NHL Network analysts mentioned the Wings looked too tentative and didn't force the play during many stretches of the game. I wanted to slap him and tell 'em the Wings played tired last night. Anyway, I expect the Wings will come out flying after a couple days of rest and a short trip to Chicago. Those trips out to the west coast are brutal...on players and fans alike. How nice will it be having an 8pm starting time for an away game?

I though the same thing going into this series...but I recorded an episode of NHL on the Fly on NHL Network prior to the series and one of their senile older analysts couldn't shutup about why he felt the Blackhawks should take the series in 6-games. I was absolutely "stunned" at how a "professional analyst" could completely dismiss all the Wings favorable qualities, while crowing the Blackhawks as Champions of All Time when they youngsters really haven't done anything outside of beating a mediocre Calgary team and an aging Vancouver team. Anyway, I noticed this knucleheaded analyst hasn't been seen on the NHL Network after Detroit's wins.

I agree! I would love to see the Blackhawks mature and become an annual rival (especially since we all hate staying-up for those 1am West Coast games) but they are still a couple years away from possibly dethrowning the Wings. PLUS, there is always that pesky Salary Cap and keeping their young players together when they are offered the "Big Bucks" to go elsewhere won't be easy.

Maybe it's easier for us to see what is going on with the Wing's. We probably have seen them play more times than the so-called experts. I can count on one hand how many games I miss in any season. Nice post, and not because you agree with me, but because it is the right assessment. I thought your comment about the salary cap to be something to take into consideration. I'm not sure what the free agent rules are anymore. It used to be that you couldn't become a unrestricted FA until your career was pretty much over. (An exaggeration, but not by much).

Sometimes teams that rise this fast are flashes in the pan, but I don't think that is the case with this impressive team from Chicago. I too would like to see this rivalry take on meaning again. I hate those 10PM games on the West coast.
 
Dad goes in to the hospital.... Check.... Get cannned Check.... Detroit beats Chicago... Check....

Being down in the dumps to scrap your way back just to get knocked back down.. Priceless

Visa, where Chicago fans want to be. :D

Wow chicago just cant catch a break..
I'm in your corner GB. I hope somebody knocks those damn Wings out before they meet my Pens in the finals. ;)
 
I'm in your corner GB. I hope somebody knocks those damn Wings out before they meet my Pens in the finals. ;)
Don't worry...even if the Wings and Pens were to meet in the Finals, the "media" will crown the Pens with the Championship so there will be no need to play the series. In fact, I do believe the media will strip the Penguins of the Cup and give it to directly to Lord Crosby himself:

Stanley Cup Champions:
2007 - Anaheim Ducks
2008 - Detroit Red Wings
2009 - Lord Crosby

OK, perhaps I am exaggerating...just a little bit. :rolleyes:
 
Don't worry...even if the Wings and Pens were to meet in the Finals, the "media" will crown the Pens with the Championship so there will be no need to play the series. In fact, I do believe the media will strip the Penguins of the Cup and give it to directly to Lord Crosby himself:

Stanley Cup Champions:
2007 - Anaheim Ducks
2008 - Detroit Red Wings
2009 - Lord Crosby

OK, perhaps I am exaggerating...just a little bit. :rolleyes:

What...According to NBC, I thought the Pens won last year....lol
 
Don't worry...even if the Wings and Pens were to meet in the Finals, the "media" will crown the Pens with the Championship so there will be no need to play the series. In fact, I do believe the media will strip the Penguins of the Cup and give it to directly to Lord Crosby himself:

Stanley Cup Champions:
2007 - Anaheim Ducks
2008 - Detroit Red Wings
2009 - Lord Crosby

Carolina could still win their series.
 
Don't worry...even if the Wings and Pens were to meet in the Finals, the "media" will crown the Pens with the Championship so there will be no need to play the series. In fact, I do believe the media will strip the Penguins of the Cup and give it to directly to Lord Crosby himself:

Stanley Cup Champions:
2007 - Anaheim Ducks
2008 - Detroit Red Wings
2009 - Lord Crosby

OK, perhaps I am exaggerating...just a little bit. :rolleyes:

Not by much .... :confused:

The media made the Pens out to be champs last year before hand as well.
 
Not by much .... :confused:

The media made the Pens out to be champs last year before hand as well.
Yeah, I recall those 5-minute "A Day in the Life of Crosby" snippets presented by NBC last year...nothing against Crosby, but the bias at NBC was nauseating and only matched by NBC's bias toward the Notre Dame football team. From a hockey standpoint I would love to see a rematch between the Wings vs. Pens, but I don't think my gag-reflex could handle a bunch of middle-aged men once again drooling and gazing lustfully at young Mr. Crosby. :eek:

Just the hockey, please!:)
 
Yeah, I recall those 5-minute "A Day in the Life of Crosby" snippets presented by NBC last year...nothing against Crosby, but the bias at NBC was nauseating and only matched by NBC's bias toward the Notre Dame football team. From a hockey standpoint I would love to see a rematch between the Wings vs. Pens, but I don't think my gag-reflex could handle a bunch of middle-aged men once again drooling and gazing lustfully at young Mr. Crosby. :eek:

Just the hockey, please!:)

Like I said before, I'd rather play the Devil we know. And that devil is the Pen's.
 
Interesting Stats...

...for the remaining goalies in this years Stanley Cup Playoffs. I am sorry, but in this era there is no way a team can afford to pay its goalie 10% or more of the Salary Cap. I think we'll see a lot more teams look for veteran old-timers, like future Hall of Famer Chris Osgood, with a couple more good years left in them, or a "right priced" solid but not spectacular netminders, and use some of the money to keep everyone else happy.

Current Salary:
Nikolai Khabibulin - 7 million (final year of contract)
Marc-Andre Fleury - 5 million
Cam Ward - 2.5 million
Chris Osgood - 1.42 million

Goals Against Average:
Chris Osgood 2.04
Cam Ward 2.27
M. Fleury 2.67
N. Khabibulin 2.85

References:
Red Wings' Chris Osgood a salary-cap MVP | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/statistics?stat=nhlgoalies&sort=gaa&season=2009&seasontype=3"]Moved Permanently[/ame]
 

NBA Finals

Ryan Leaf - at least SOMEBODY wants him

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