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.
Detroit just sealed a first round exit. They were less than a minute away from a respectable 2-1 loss and a CHANCE at a first round win against Phoenix or LA.
Oh, well. Maybe someone didn't get the memo.
Keep those rose colored glasses on, pal...and watch a few WIngs games to get a feel for where this team is at before you start chiming in.
Yeah I would hardly call your outlook pathetic. I'll admit I'm a bit of a cynical fan, but having watched the Wings over the last month, I don't see any chance of us beating Nashville. I would have much preferred the Pacific winner. I'll be cheering my head off against Nashville, but the way we play on the road, and the caliber of team Nashville has, I don't like our chances.
When you have a chance at home ice, you're just supposed to lay down and lose? That's how sports work? Am I missing something here?
I'm not going to debate the morality of this, but for those who just arrived in town by falling off the turnip truck, it happens.
Detroit and Nashville are numerically equal--same number of points. If that tells you these teams are equally matched at this point in the season, I've got a bridge in NYC I can give you a great deal on. Nashville dramatically improved their position at the trade deadline, picking up Andrei Kostitsyn AND getting Alexander Radulov back from the KHL because he had a year left on this contract with Nashville when he defected to play in Russia.
The Wings? We got Kyle Quincey.
This was simply about giving the Red Wings the best possible chance to win in the first round of the playoffs. They do not now have that chance. Chicago came out of this with the best possible situation: Detroit picks up ONE point and locks up the fifth seed, AND the Blackhawks still get a win and get to play the Pacific division winner. If I were the Blackhawks I would be popping champaign in the locker room right now.
the way I see it is that if the team is as bad as the seem right now, and cant "flip that switch," then I don't really care about what matchup they get, because they'll have to play the top talent down the road anyway. Though if they were able to play and beat the Pacific winner, it could have given them momentum, and with that who knows what could've happened in the next round. That's in the past though, and its time to look ahead and pray the team can get it together. I really think having Helm back will help them, even if just a little.
This may be the least happy I've ever been with the Red Wings goal in my life.
In other absurdity, Chicago pulls their goalie in a tie game.
Smart move IMO. A win in regulation was the only thing that was going to help the Blackhawks. Now they are locked into the 6th spot no matter what happens.
Now they will lose in OT or shootout and take away any chance at home ice advantage...not that home ice will mean squadoosh playing against Nashville.
Nashville
Worst possible playoff scenario for the Wings: opening on the road at Nashville.
Final playoff matchup for the Wings: opening on the road at Nashville.
I'm ok right now with our middle and Helm coming back. We got a lot of wingers that are small who lost a step, older ones who also lost a step. Do not be surprsied to see Grover's kid play, smith on D, maybe, Tatar a maybe. I still have not forgot President's Cup and it was first round out of town.
Fielder!! Yes
I'm seriously so sick of the negativity on this blog from some of the fans. "We have no chance against Nashville." Blah. Blah. Blah. What kind of Red Wings fans are you? Seriously? Not the kind that deserve to be cheering for the team. Okay, so we did not play well at the end of the season, but come on. We had half a minor league team playing for us, and we just got all of our guys back. It takes a few games to get the mojo and flow going again. We're back and we're healthy now. We NEVER lose in the first round and we CERTAINLY WON'T lose to Nashville. I'm a realistic fan too. And I've been watching the RED WINGS my WHOLE life and I gurantee we will win this series. If you're one of those fans on here saying we're going to lose to Nashville and we have no chance why don't you not watch. Why waste your time? In fact why don't you go be a fair weather fan for some other team. I'm talking to YOU SNACKYX, AND THE POSTER OF THIS THREAD! Like are you guys kidding me? What kind of fans are you? Some of the posters on this thread fit the generalizations given about MgoBloggers.
I agree with you about the excessive negativity, but to say the Wings "NEVER lose in the first round" is just wrong.
During this twenty-year playoff streak they've been sent home early six times (four when they've won the division, twice as the 1st seed, twice as the 2nd) by the: Blues in '91 (1st year of the streak); Leafs in '93; Sharks in '94; Kings in '01; Ducks in '03; and Oilers in '06.
It wouldn't be that surprising if the Predators won, though I'm not going to count the Wings out before they've actually lost four games.
Go Wings!