STANLEY CUP FINALS BABY!!!!!
Better game than I thought it was going to be.
I am really looking forward the to the finals. Let's hope that everyone comes back healthy and ready for a fight againist Pitt.
That was an INSANE game, I can't believe that Huet made that save on Franzen near the end of the 3rd Period. I think that it will be a close series but the experience and depth of the Wings will prove itself once again. I just hope Datsyuk and Lidstrom will be back in time. GO RED WINGS!!
Nice series Wings fans, the better team won. That definitely was a miraculous save by Huet with about 20 seconds left in the third. My Hawks are making strides though and next year should be great as well. I would wish you well in the finals, but...well, you know.
and here comes the crosby ball washing!
Wings in 6. Hossa will have the series of his career
I personally believe that the Penguins will win the Stanley Cup this year. Everybody has been talking about how the Red Wings defense is really good, but watching the game tonight, i saw a big probvlem that the defense could have. Speed. Yes, speed, fast like Denard Robinson, but on skates, that is basically Crosby and Malkin...and Ovechkin, but he's not in this anymore. while i was watching the game, I really didn't see anybody on the ice in red was that fast, it always seemed to be that the wings for Chicago could get around the sides as swing in behind the net, which is something Crosby loves to do. Which brings me to my next point, Crosby. you either love him or hate him, but wither way you have to admire him for the player he is. one of the knocks on him is that he isn't physical, but in games I've watched, he has played with a passion, and gone out and hit people. so pair Crosby, with Malkin, the leading scorer in the regular season, and you should have an unstoppable force, which they have become, being I think the top to point scorers in the playoffs this year. In the stanley cup finals this year, I feel like the average score will be 4-2, or 4-3, i really don't think either defense is special, like the red wing's was last year, but i do think that the offenses will be fun to watch. So my prediction is Penguins in 6. any other predictions?
While i admire Crosby and Malkin for their ridiculous sick nasty and just down right stupid skills. It was the same two teams last year and what happened? Pens don't have a much beyond those two and we have Zetty, Datysuk, the Mule, and don't forget we took Hossa from them. Granted he will look like an idiot if the pens can pull it out, but the Wings have too much depth. Our defense plays smart we make speed obsolete.
My only issue is the wings never seem to win the cup at home...but they usually win the cup!!!
Another prediction within 5 years wings will pass the leafs for 2nd most cups in NHL and eventually pass the Canadians unreal amount before I Die. (I'm 21 so I'm hoping the Wings have at least 50 years.)
( Canadians have 24 cups!!!!!!!!!!)
never win at home in the finals..Except for 97, 98, and 02.
98 100% we won it in Washington cause I had tickets for Game 5 but we swept... and I'm pretty sure in 2002 we won it in Carolina and Last year was in pittsburg
I don't know why I forgot that. Vlady got wheeled around on the Washington ice. My favorite Red Wing memory of all time. I still have it on VHS.
...the Wings won in Detroit.
Yeah your right my bad IDK what is was thinking about
I personally believe... Who are you, Miss South Carolina?
Lidstrom and Datsyuk weren't even playing. Datsyuk is one of the fastest players on our team and Lidstrom is one of the best defenders in the history of the league.
Ericsson was out, too. The Wings were playing without a lot of talent tonight.
Although Pav be one of the best players on the team, he's not one of the fasted players. However, his skating has definitely improved over the last few years.
Wings have won their last four finals appearances. That's a pretty amazing streak that can't go on forever, and this Pittsburgh team is the most talented one they'll face since the streak began.
Are you saying this pens team is better than last years? And I think the Sharks are the second best team in the NHL...
I think the Wings will win again, probably in 6 or 7 though. The problem for Pittsburgh is that the Red Wings won't put them on the power-play (least penalized team in the league) and they'll get worn down by long stretches at even-strength. We saw it in the Washington series...Pittsburgh has a lot of trouble with teams that can match their skill and don't have to resort to playing physical (therefore immediately taking penalties as Pittsburgh will get every call.) My one worry is that Fleury is playing awesome and might really swing the series, but I have faith that Osgood will match him and as long as he does that the Wings should pull it out eventually.
I wonder if some of you even watch hockey. The Penguins are one of the best 5 on 5 teams in the NHL. They're power play is horrible, as they have a hard time entering and setting up in the zone, and even then their strategy is rather predictable. Set it up at the point for Gonchar/Letang/Boucher. If you can take away the high shot, they're much more vulnerable and you can neutralize their power play. The Penguins play much better 5 on 5, so to say they'll get worn out doesn't really make sense.
In addition, the Red Wings won't be able to run rampant like last year. Therrian used a passive 1-2-2 defensive strategy that allowed perimeter shots (with the expectation that they are easy for the goal to stop). The problem with that strategy against the Red Wings is Holmstrom/Franzen/Cleary. They gave up too many easy rebounds last year.
Bylsma's system is COMPLETELY different, and based much more on puck control (like the Red Wings) and controlling the neutral zone. They do this by using an aggressive 2-3 scheme. That said, don't expect the Red Wings to walk over the Penguins like they did last year. As screwed up as it sounds, that was actually part of Pittsburgh's game plan at first. In my opinion, this game will be a battle for the neutral zone with fewer shots than might be expected for two teams who are consistently putting up nearly 40 shots a game.
In addition, anyone suggesting that the Red Wings clearly have more depth is off their rocker. Staal has really come into his own under Bylsma, and that line of Cooke-Staal-Kennedy has really been effective.
And then Hossa. Fedetenko has as many points as Hossa. Hossa hasn't really shown up for the playoffs. Maybe he'll have some motivation here, but only time will tell.
To ignore the fact that Crosby and Malkin are the top two point scorers in the playoffs this year is a little naive too. With the additions of Kunitz and Guerin, two players have can skate and hold their own, a lot of attention has been lifted off of Crosby allowing that line to flourish. Also, don't count on Malkin disappearing either. He may, he very well may, but until his play convinces me otherwise, I'm expecting him to be full throttle like he was against Washington and Carolina.
This is not the same Detroit team as last year. It's also not the same Pittsburgh team as last year.
If you're basing your predictions off of last year, you need to watch a little more hockey.
I don't get to watch as much hockey as I used to, and much less than I would like. As a result, I don't know much about the Pens this season, so I truly appreciate your insight and opinion.
I think you bring up some very interesting points, and it will give me something to watch for from the Pens. I disagree with you somewhat about Hossa. His play hasn't been where it was last year with Pittsburgh, but he never had that type of post-season play before then. He's still involved in a lot of plays, has a good plus/minus, and he's still getting his shots on goal. He just needs a few more of them to go in. Basically, I think he's still been showing up, though hopefully we'll see even more out of him in this series.
I think the difference is going to come down to the goaltenders, where Osgood has the edge. Fleury has been playing well, but Osgood has been playing better, in my opinion. And I don't think Fleury has had the best of performances against Detroit.
I'm still taking the Wings in 6 or 7, but I anticipate a tough series with some very close games. But hey, anything can happen. End the end, even though I'm pulling for the Wings, I really just want to see a good series and some fun, nail-biting games.
I actually think of the goalies, Fleury is better. Detroit's style of play is very beneficial for a goalie. They play a puck-possession game, with a strong forecheck and a large presence in the neutral zone. Because they are good at doing this, they can control a lot of the game and put up 40+ shots a game.
However, if they're doing this, in all likelihood their opponents aren't getting all that many shots on net. In my opinion, the type of game Detroit makes it easier on a goalie.
And certainly that's not a bad thing. However, how much has Osgood really been tested? You can cite a few specific plays, and in that last game against Chicago I thought he was really on his game. But Detroit gave up 244 goals during the regular season. I don't think their defense/goal tending is nearly as good as it was last year. I just think they're so good on offense and on controlling the puck that they are still successful.
Of course, wouldn't you know that Pittsburgh is right behind Detroit in regular season goals against with 239. However, it's important to note the coaching change, and the change in styles of play (see above post). I think if Bylsma was around all year, their goals against would be much lower.
So what does all this mean? I think Detroit is going to be pressured a lot on defense, similar to the Anaheim series. Remember how Ryan Getzlaf seemed to be able to skate untouched in the Detroit zone? If you don't think Crosby and Malkin will pressure Detroit's defense like Getzlaf did, then I think you're in for a rude awakening.
Anyway, I really think we're in for a good series. I can't wait!
People predicting the penguins in 6...you've got to be kidding.
was #1 on SportsCenter tonight. Huet's save on Franzen was #2.
Penguins trounced an exhausted Canes team. Wings beat a rested Hawks team while missing numerous key players. Yeah, sounds like Pens in 6 to me. /rollseyes
Wings in 5.
but this is the same team we almost beat 4-1 when they still had Hossa. Now Hossa is on our team...I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'
They also lost Whitney.
They play a style of hockey the Red Wings usually skate circles around. We rarely get beat by that style of hockey. Anaheim is our toughest match-up. Not saying Pittsburgh can't win. Just that Anaheim was scarier to me.
was HUGE for them last year too.
Beat the Flyers at home in '97, beat the Caps on the road in '98, beat the Canes at home in '02, beat the Pens on the road in '08.
2 cups clinched at home, 2 clinched on the road.
Am I the only one who thinks this goes all 7?
.....6 billion people on the planet. I doubt you're the only one on it who is predicting a seven-game series.
I'll even throw out the name of one other person who agrees with you: ESPN's Matthew Barnaby.
I think that the Penguins had a more talented group of players last year, but they are better put together as team this year. I don't think that you can pick the outcome of this series without knowing the status of Lidstrom and Datsyuk.
The Penguins defense reminds me a little bit of Anaheim in that they are big and physical. I think that for Detroit to win, they need to get to the front of the net to deflect pucks and jam in rebounds. Guys like Orpik and Gill are going to be trying to move the Wings away from the goal. Should be a fun series.
But this is NOT the same team from Pittsburgh.
I'm not going so far as to say "Pens in 6," but this is not simply a continuation of last year's Finals in any way.
Possibly the biggest name in this series is Scuderi, and how we'll he and the Pens D can slow down Cleary and Zetterberg...
Agree...WAY too simplistic to say, "they had Hossa, now we have Hossa, Wings in 5."
Wings are banged up and nobody can really say for sure if we'll even get Lidstrom and Datsyuk back at all. Ericsson should be back but you never know. Penguins have undergone a lot of turnover, but their main guys, you know they have to be different than last year. No way Malkin sucks as bad as he did. They have a new coach who they actually like this year, and they're going to feel like it's their turn. Totally different series year to year.
Wings in 7.