Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

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Wingnut
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

IIRC, that gesture was originally intended for the French after all.
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Major excitement in game 5 of the Boston/Montreal series. Resulting in a 2-1 win for Boston in double OT. LA also has a 3-1 lead with about 3:00 left to play in the second as of this post.

Edit: And that's a final score too.
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TetraVaal

Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

I can't believe this meltdown from the Vancouver Canucks... it is unbelievable. :shock:
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

That's playoff hockey for ya. I do hope it continues personally as I wouldn't want to have to play Vancouver in a series.
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Wedge14
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

http://video.sharks.nhl.com/videocenter ... &id=111362

Well i couldn't be happier. Don't care who we face either! :mrgreen:
Big buff and bigger Boston need to seal it tonight and i'll be on cloud 9.

I can't believe that thornton slide at the end. I woke up my neighbours everyone after that.
:mrgreen: Good vibes...
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Wingnut
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

That would ultimately end up being me and my Wings, Wedge. Thanks to Vancouver winning in OT last night. The Octopus vs. The Shark. Who will rule the seas?
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

I guess there won't be any repeats of last year's parade...that was such a great morale booster when all I have to look forward to are the Bears and the Cubs (because there really is only one baseball team in Chicago)

Poor Blackhawks...
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Wedge14
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

I gave you gents the game today. 12 o clock start for the sharks? On NBC? "They'll blow it..." I said to myself, dismissing the game as a throw away.
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Down two games to none against the Sharks. "We're gonna need a bigger boat."
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Wedge14
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Wow, who saw Washington getting swept like that? :shock: Nashville seems to be giving the Canucks a lot more of a series then people thought they would see. Philly seems to have dug themselves a hole, and the redwings need to buy a REALLY big boat.
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Tonight's game against San Jose? I think I can sum up the result like this.
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Wedge14
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Devin Setoguchi's hat trick? I can sum it up with this.

Haha, anyways i gotta say i love every time we play. There isn't a team i respect more then the redwings! Ok i lied, the sharks are one!
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

*Notes Wedge's avatar*

Yes, I mad. We could have easily won that game last night.
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TetraVaal

Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Mad? No. Disappointed? Yes. But it is what it is. The Sharks seem to have the mental edge over the Wings, if anything. It's pretty obvious this series is over, but hey, hopefully the Wings can at least avoid the sweep. I think that in the offseason, Holland's gonna have to make this team younger on the second, third, and fourth lines. I'd love to see Lidstrom return, to go with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Homer. Keep Franzen (unless you can move his contract, but ONLY if it can help net a premiere goaltender, which I will touch on later). I'd let Miller, Ericcson, Modano, and Draper all walk. I'd also look into replacing players like Filppula with a stronger, more powerful forward. Bring up the young guns with potential star talent in Jan Mursak, complimentary defenceman like Brenden Smith and Jakub Kindl (to replace Ericcson and Salei). I'd also try to move Rafalski (love the dude, appreciate the years he's spent here, but unlike Lidstrom, this dude's age IS showing). I'd love to retain Patrick Eaves for another season and I think that WILL happen. I also wouldn't mind keeping Bertuzzi for one more season, but again, if you could package him in a deal with someone like Franzen to get yourself a premiere goaltender, I am all for it.

And finally, to address the goaltending issue. Howard had been up and down throughout the regular season, but his good moments were only that, good. While his down moments were down right awful. He's great against teams like the Yotes, who possess almost no offenseive playmakers, but when put up against teams like the Sharks, Canucks, Blackhawks, and others... he folds, quickly. Howard is young and still had upside, but he's a glorified back-up. So going back to who the Wings should move... I'd love to land one of the following goaltenders: Tomas Vokoun (and that is a realistic possibility, seeing as he's a FA), Craig Anderson (EXTREMELY unlikely, as it's the Avs for one, and two, he's a young and established goaltender, but the fact that they're so terrible may be worth a shot at asking). Ilya Bryzgalov, the man the Wings absolutely TORCHED in the first round this season, but hey, the Yotes weren't the same team they were last season... their defense sucked and as I previously mentioned, they have no playmakers to establish a lead for him to play with. If he were on a team like the Wings, he'd be EXPLOSIVE... and he is also a free agent. I would love it if the Wings could some how land one of those guys... 'cause with Howard as a back-up, that'd be the elite 1-2 goaltender combination in all of the NHL (keep in mind, the Wings have $13 mill and change to spend, so it could very well happen).

Ideally, I'd love for the Wings roster to look like this for the 2011/2012 season:

Line 1: Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Homer, with Lidstrom and Kronwall as D.

Line 2: Franzen-Cleary-Bertuzzi, with Stuart and Smith as D.

Line 3: Hudler-Abdelkader-Eaves, with Kindl and Janik as D.

Line 4: Mursak-Helm-Emmerton (I would GUSH like crazy if both Mursak and Emmerton get full time roster spots next season). Hell, I wouldn't even be opposed to Tatar being given a spot over Emmerton, as Tatar has a much higher ceiling for success, but Emmerton is more seasoned at this point. Either way, the Wings have a top 10 developmental system and they now have some young guns ready to step in.

Goalies: Vokoun/Howard.

This is all assuming that free agency goes the way I hope. I could also see Giguere signing a one here deal here to BACK-UP Howard, which would actually not be a bad idea.

All I know is, if any of those lineups happen above, I will feel more than optimistic about the Wings chances of getting back to the Stanley Cup as soon as next season. It's the perfect blend of grizzly vets and playmakers, as well as raw, energetic and speedy complimentary players. Two players in particular (Mursak and Emmerton) have potential to develop into star players like Datsyuk and Zetterberg did, that's how athletically gifted they are... they're just really young and raw, and what better way to gain experience than on a line with Darren Helm? That'd be the best 4th line in all of the NHL.
Last edited by TetraVaal on Fri May 06, 2011 1:21 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Wedge14
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

thats weak man, you pretty much just gave up your team.
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TetraVaal

Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Wedge14 wrote:thats weak man, you pretty much just gave up your team.
No I didn't. I'm a realist.

Philadelphia came back from a 3-0 deficit last season to win the series, and then Chicago coming back from being down 3 - 0 to at least force a game 7 this season. It's not likely for that to happen again (especially in the same postseason), not that it's impossible. And even if the Wings some how miraculously came back to win this series (which they won't), they don't have what it takes to win the Cup this year. Would you like to know why the Sharks are up 3 - 0 right now? It's because they're winning ALL of the battles when it comes to lose pucks, thanks to Fillpula, Miller, Hudler, Abdelkader, Salei, Ericcson, and Rafalski not wanting to get dirty. The Wings are extremely soft this year once you get pass their first line. In past years they had the elite speed and skill to make up for that, but not the past couple seasons. The Wings need to heavily restructure their complimentary lines to Datsyuk and Zetterberg if they want to win a Cup very soon again. Don't worry, the Wings aren't disappearing from contention for a very long time with all the talent they still have, but if they want to be more than just a top 4 seed in the West and actually CONTEND for the Cup itself, they need to trim the herd and get some grit and speed in their lineup.
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Oddly enough, TetraVaal has a good point. It kinda reminds me of when we got rid of a few elements back in the '96-97 season to get some ones with a different style, but not mess with the core nucleus of players. (Coffey for Shanahan comes to mind.) Guess what happened that year?
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

Wingnut wrote:Oddly enough, TetraVaal has a good point. It kinda reminds me of when we got rid of a few elements back in the '96-97 season to get some ones with a different style, but not mess with the core nucleus of players. (Coffey for Shanahan comes to mind.) Guess what happened that year?
Exactly... and who am I exactly giving up on, Salei?! The guy is 36. I mean, why keep one of the top defenceman prospects (Smith) in the minors, strictly for the sake of an experienced defenceman who's been mediocre his entire career? And as for the other players I mentioned, they don't do the things I just cited... battle for lose pucks. They're small, but they don't have the speed and skill of the Datsyuks and the Zetterbergs, they are complimentary players who look gassed. The Wings have a plethora of exciting talent in the minors, who are finally ready to compete for full time roster spots. It's time to turn over the supporting lines and get more skilled players in there. And as for Howard, again, he may have won 60+ games in the last two seasons as a starting goaltender, but that's thanks to the Wings' offensive talents, not his goaltending abilities. The guy is what I said he is, a glorified back-up. Why should the Wings not make these moves I'm suggesting, when it would obviously give them the best shot at being the best team in the Western Conference again? What team in the West could match those potential third and fourth lines I suggested? NONE. Not even those pestering Sharks. Hell, I was advocating sitting Miller for Mursak in THIS year's Playoffs.
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

*steals Wedge's broom and breaks it into several pieces.* 8)
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Re: Any NHL fans on here? Thoughts on the 2011 Playoffs?

That game never should have had to come down to basically a last minute goal, though. Like I've been saying, outside of Lidstrom, Kronwall, and Stuart, the Wings defense have been coughing up too many turnovers and not winning any puck battles. It was nice to see Lidstrom net a couple goals, though... and that spinning backhand by Bertuzzi was glorious. Anyway, Howard deserves some criticism as well... that guy can't protect a lead to save his life, it's frustrating.

As much as it will suck to see the Wings most likely lose this series... at least for now, the Wings can say they didn't let the Sharks celebrate in the Joe. 8)
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