OT - Red Wings - preffered next opponent?

I think the Wings match up better against the Ducks than the Canucks.

Playing the ducks would give me terrible flashbacks to 2003. I'd rather play vancouver.

I'm not sure, Luongo scares me. He's got a .962 save % and 1.15 GAA in the playoffs so far, plus a shutout in the last regular season game (against the avalanche). I know it is only the blues, but he had to stop 47 shots out of 49 in the elimination game. I definitely agree with you about the Ducks however, they are not a team I would like to play right now at all. The Ducks have the physical players (Pronger) to protect their young goalie, and he is brimming with confidence right now. I am not convinced that the Canucks can beat Detroit in a playoff series if Luongo goes cold or injures his groin again, especially if their skaters aren't more well rested than Detroit's. The Canucks have already wrapped up their series. I'll say, should the Wings pull it out tomorrow (the Jackets looked dangerous the last 10 minutes of the last game) and not need any more games this series, I would want to play Vancouver. Otherwise send us the Ducks. Deep down I am hoping we meet San Jose in the conference finals so Claude Lemiux can get beat down when he tries to add to his 5:00 of playing time in the playoffs so far. I wish we could play Chicago next round, then I could make my way down there for an away game, and it would be easier travel for the team.

Summary: Luongo is big scary guy. If we win tomorrow, give us Vancouver. If not, give us the Ducks

The past two times we've played the Anaheim Ducks, they've beaten us. Following our Stanley Cup in 2001-2002, we ran into a red hot Jean Sebastien-Gigure who, single handidly, won them the series. Although he still plays for the Ducks, he's been riding the pine the past half of the season for this Hiller kid. Luongo, IMO, is the best tender in the entire league right now, and has the capability to have the same success Gigure did in '02 against us. Although the Ducks have underperformed this year and are very talented, I would much rather play them than the Canucks. It's hard to win on the road in a Canadian city as well.

Gimme the Ducks everytime. I want revenge.

Further than that though, the Wings were the better team two years ago and got done in by injuries on the blueline and some really bad luck (and Hasek flopping like a fish in Game 6). Let the Ducks be their typical, stupid, goonish selves. They'll play themselves right out of the series with their parades to the box.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to point out that the BJ's coach is a huge prick. First he made all the fuss about "cheating" and then he said his team was "the better team" during the first half of the first game.

I think without a doubt that playing the Ducks is a much better option. Luongo is a better goalie than Hiller or Giguere, and it's really not that close. Neither team, in my opinion, has the depth on either offense or defense to beat Detroit in a 7-game series without masterful goaltending, and Luongo seems far more likely to catch fire than either Anaheim goalie. Also, Anaheim tends to take a lot of penalties, which is death against Detroit (though admittedly Vancouver also had some problems of their own against St. Louis). So give me the Ducks any day.

there isn't a team out there that can beat the Wings in a 7 game series, unless one of our major key players is lost.

I admit I did not want the Ducks in the first round and was happy as hell the Blues moved up, but then again, the Jackets, while maybe a primer, they are really not testing the Wings.

I'm thinking the Wings win tonight and then whoever they play next round, they'll drop the first game and then go on to roll the rest of the series

I think that I might feel a little better about a series against Anaheim. Vancouver seems to have a tight defense in addition to a great goaltender, unlike Anaheim, who has been giving up shots and scoring chances to San Jose by the dozens. SJ had 20 shots on goal in the first period the other day. With that said, neither team would be easy at all, and I can see the Wings getting upset in either case.

I think everyone is over looking the San Jose effect in that series. Their team is stacked with guys who've never had playoff success and it seems like the calendar turns over to april and they pucker up tighter than a snare drum. Yes, the ducks have been good in this series, but have they been outstanding? No. Hiller has been good, not out of his mind, and the Sharks have had the most disgusting power play I've ever seen (hyperbole) through three games. They lack the ability to get to the net and give Hiller some obstacles to seeing the puck.

We want the Ducks. They are not as they appear.

Luongo is the type of goalie that can put a team on his shoulders and just take over a series.

Our forwards/defense have been playing extremely well.

From a Canucks point of view, I'd much rather play Chicago than Detroit...

If I were a big Wings fan, I'd rather play Anaheim than Vancouver...

Vancouver is much better than people think.

are playing great hockey right now, but so was Osgood until last nights game. Going into last nights game his gaa was .67.

Hillers got two shutouts now against the Sharks, which rolls its lines and has a lot of offense. I'd say right now Hiller looks like the better goalie, but then again, so did Mason before he faced the playoff Wings.

Detroit's biggest weakness is their penalty killing which Columbus was the least capable of exploiting. Anaheim, on the other hand, has a strong power play unit while Vancouver's is pretty meh. We match up with Vancouver better, but it looks like it may be Anaheim anyway.