OT: Red Wings - Hawks Open Thread
The last day of the season is upon us, yet so much left to be decided today throughout hockey.
Red Wings scenarios:
Win and a Nashville loss in regulation means we host Nashville in the 4-5 matchup. (probably not going to happen).
Win and Nashville gets any point and we are the 5 seed travelling to Nashville.
Lose and the Wings head West to face the Pacific Division winner (a whole other story to be played out today) as the 6 seed.
Personally, I wouldn't mind if we tanked it today. I don't think we stand a chance against Nashville - especially on the road. But I think we could take Los Angeles or Phoenix in a best of 7 and perhaps build up some momentum in that series to carry us into the second round.
Would way rather end with the 4th seed. Traveling out West round 1 obviously doesn't work well for us.
Agreed. But with Nashville playing Colorado today, I think it's unlikely they don't win that game. But I guess anything can happen in hockey.
Just win, baby. I don't ever want to see the Wings lose to the Blackhawks.
Seconded. Go Wings!
I grew up outside Chicago, and it was much better being a Wings fan when everyone wasn't a "lifelong Hawks fan".
I can deal with the shit talking from old hockey buddies just fine, but seeing "lol NEVER seen the Hawks lose to the Wings...Ears ringing from the Madhouse on Madison!!!" makes me want to do things I would regret when I woke up the next morning in a jail cell.
Either way, we just need Nashville to lose. I would take 4th or 6th. Prefarably the 4 for home ice. Let's go Wings!
A simple flow chart showing who the wings will play first round depending on the outcomes:
As the standings sit now, Phoenix is ahead of the San Jose/LA Kings by one point. The Kings play the Sharks today, so one of those two teams will be guaranteed 2 points to jump Phoenix.
Phoenix is in the driver seat to win the Pacific division. They play Minnesota, and with a win (or getting 1 point in an overtime/shootout loss due to the tiebreaker [wins - shoot out wins] depending on how the other game goes) they will win the division.
I said this in a thread a from few games ago and got 'flamebaited' real quick, but I don't mind the Wings losing this game and taking on the winner of the Pacific because I think any of those 3 teams would be a better match-up than playing Nashville as a 5 seed (despite San Jose taking us out the past few years).
Making all 30 teams play today may be one of the smartest moves the NHL has made in recent memory. There are so many possibilities that can occur today and it insures diehard hockey fans will be tuning in all day.
Doesn't make up for the other dumbass moves they have made though.
Valid point. And the Yotes looked really good last night against St. Louis. They should beat Minnesota tonight, and clinch the Pacific.
I'm not saying a matchup with Phoenix would be easy, just that I think we have a better shot against them in a best of 7 than against Nashville. I just can't see us beating Nashville the way we're playing.
That is the type of shit that will doom us in the playoffs.
Big rebound turns into a goal. C'mon Wings!
It's almost as if there are too many games going on for me today. I'm watching Wolverhampton take on Stoke, got the Wings on, The Masters starts in a couple hours and the Tigers play today as well. Life could be worse though.
Curse of the injuries continues...Also, 0 shots on the PP. If that doesn't get fixed it may be another early exit for the Wings.
Phew. He's back.
I don't think it's an excuse...just a reality. You don't get a break when you have injuries. But Franzen, Datsyuk, Helm, Cleary and Howard are not 100% right now. And those are some big players when looking at the Wings playoff chances. Detroit expects to go deep in the playoffs every year, injuries don't change that, but they certainly don't help the cause.
The Wings by far have the highest expectations every season for any major US sports franchise.
By far his best season with the Wings, but just like the play a second ago, so many missed chances.
Where did I say otherwise? We do have some young fowards that can fill in on our 3rd and 4th lines. But nobody in the league has the depth to fill in for a Datsyuk, Franzen and Cleary and Howard (McDonald is even injured right now). If we had players good enough to fill in for them, they'd already be on the team. Just a fact of life for the Wings right now. I won't blame a playoff exit on injuries. But I also won't deny that they played a factor.
Chicago is just taking it to us right now
Pav is by far my favorite player, but sometimes i think he is too creative for the players on his line. He does something that no one expects and it just leads to a turnover becuase no one is expecting the pass. I guess this is a good problem to have though.
I am sad to say that he is also a alumni of BGSU
Seriously they are really bad on the PP
Atrocious play today.
Hello West Coast. The way the Wings are playing right now they are the probably the worst team in the playoffs momentum-wise, not really sure we're going to beat anyone in round 1.
I've never had such low expections heading into the playoffs with the Wings. Even the season they finished 5th or 6 they were playing out of their minds to get there.They worry the shit out of me. I guess it'd be better to play LA/SJ than Nashville on the road?
Haha. Why the hell are there like 100+ Nordiques fans at the Joe today?
I'm a diehard Wings fan, but I have to hope they tank this one...NO points, please. Any series against Nashville, home ice or not, will be a major problem. Lets take our chances out west, hoping that San Jose does not weasel into the third spot--our record against San Jose in the playoffs speaks for itself. At least with LA or Phoenix we have a puncher's chance.
In ANY event, I simply do not see any way this team goes deep into the playoffs.
Goal.