Red Wings vs Predators Game 1 Pregame Thoughts and Concerns

The wings should take this series in 5 or 6. They have so much veteran playoff experience, they have the ability to elevate their game come playoff-time. Unlike previous years, they should be getting healthy in time for a deep run too. I'm planning on another 2 months of hockey.

is playing so ... very nice, great success.

Everyone stay healthy and we should win this series.

Helm or Cleary is still pretty effin fast of a skater.  They will bust their ass if they are out there, I am not worried about that.  If they think, or Babs thinks they wont help the team they wont play, the young guys will have to step up and learn from the mass amounts of veterans on this team on how to win a playoff game.

Why? Because 11 out of 12 ESPN "analysts" (including Barry Melrose) picked Nashville. So Nashville is DOOMED!

If we play well on the penalty kill and take advantage of power plays we will win the series. Bottom line. 

If we (Wings) had home ice, I'd be a lot less concerned, but Nashville has been insane at home this year and we have not been so great on the road.  That being said its the playoffs and Helm will be back, so hopefully, that will give us a jump.

My biggest areas of concern are two-fold: scoring early, and powerplay.  If we can get those clicking, I think we can win this series pretty handily. 

Go Wings!

nobody's 100% this time of year. pumped to have Helm back.

maybe it's arrogance, but I trust babcock and the team's experience, and barring a catastrophic injury, I think the wings take this in 5 or 6.

The Preds home ice is tough. Bridgestone can get loud. However, I don't like teams that can't rely on two goalies in the playoffs. Even the Wings usually had two (Vernon-Osgood, Hasek-Osgood, Osgood-Howard, etc.). Pekka is a beast, but his backups are unproven. I think the Suter-Weber line is crazy good, but they will get tired when they play a lot of minutes and by game 3 or 4 should probably be split. I like the Datsyuk line to score well against only one of Weber and Suter.

The key will be to avoid penalties, which we're usually good about anyway. Let's go Wings! 

I don't think tonight is a must-win, but they do need to win one of the first two.  If they don't, this series could be over quick.  

If they leave Nashville with one win, I'll be very happy and confident.

The preds are to the Wings what msu is to Michigan.

Everything they do is consciously in concern for the Wings. They've set their bar to the Wings. The one opponent they get up for is the Wings.

Living in Nashville you get a major sense of little brother coming from them and their fans towards the Red Wings.

Yes Nashville has been hot as of late and they have made some roster impacts at the deadline. Detroit is nearly back to full health...like when they were in (if not leading) the hunt fir the presidents trophy. We played with Nashville the last time they were in Nashville and Detroit had their B team out there. Tonight we get basically our A team back out there and we turn it up a notch from having the boatloads of playoff experience.

Detroit is way better than a 5 seed. They'll be playing as such tonight.

We win. 'nough said.

because that was more fun.  I think this series is a tossup.  This year might be our last legit shot at a cup before blowing it up.  Win one for the... homer?

I think the Wings win in 7, but I'm very nervous about this series. I can see them losing in 5 or 6. Obviously, I'm hoping it all works out, especially if Helm is good to go for the whole series, but more injuries to our key guys would be deadly.

The key: score early and often. Close games are not only bad for my own health, but will wear the old guys out if Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Zetterberg have to be out there for half the third period. We are best when we roll all four lines and don't have to shorten the bench to come back or protect a one-goal lead.

Thoughts: I hope we win!

Concerns: What if we lose?!?!

My concern is dumb penalties that give Nashville the chance to take an early lead at home.Another concern is Kyle Quincey.He's a liability on the backend.

BTW Fuck The Penguins.

Trashville is pretty decent this year they have team depth and the wings have to match their intenseity if they do the wings will win. The past few years the wings have been sluggish to get moving. Helm changes things on several aspects. Hall Gill might be out for the preds he skates like hes stuck in slow motion. 

I am worried we are going to continue to eat turd like we have been lately.

Pretty obvious that the Pens are going to take Philly out in 5, the Flyers look plain awful so far

OMG IT'S HAPPENING!

This is the time of year where we can pick out all of the formerly banned users after one of their meltdowns.  We know who Wolverine318/319 is now.  We figured out who BRCE was and he was banned again.  We're still trying to identify the reincarnation of TheBigHouse500th.  Am I missing any of the other Kneejerk Nancy's?

Yeah that Special Teams stat says it all. Kill the penalties and Detroit should do fine. Give up goals a man down and they will be in trouble.

Good luck to the team.

So, uhhhhh, where da stream at?

Let's Go Red Wings!

Hell yes, let's get it

Offensive zone penalty early in the first period. Not a good sign.

They need to pull the damn trigger, you don't get points for passing and playing keep away for an entire powerplay

Justin started a game thread here.

Are you fucking kidding me?