EHM The Blue Line

Yes because we know that PFT is a team with a 'winning track record'

Something tells me this might actually happen. ugh.

Umm....so Dave Nonis is a GM with a winning and championship background. Oh kill me now. Please.

Hey if Cliff won a game, Dave won two.

Thoughts from a Dallas fan on Stars/Wings series starting tonight.

Wings will win the series, either in 5 or 6. Why? Speed. I watched them playing Colorado, and how they are using the passing abilities of their defenseman and forwards, along with the speed of their forwards to create insane high speed breakouts in the neutral zone. Their playmaking ability is to be reckoned with anyways, but this is particularly disturbing for the Stars.

Zubov is back, and playing well, but as we saw with Marleu he is certainly not up to full speed. Niskaneen, Fistric, and Grossman are all logging a decent amount of ice time as rookies. And while I hate to say rookies will make mistakes, because they may not, reacting to the Detroit offense is going to be hard.

Add to that Daly and Robidas pinching a lot, or carrying the puck into the offensive zone on their own a lot, and I think the series will result in Turco seeing a lot of 2 on 1 and 3 on 2 plays all game long. I'm sure Tippet will tell them to dump it more, but they just seem to be lance in on offense a lot. I think Robidas made huge leaps this year, and has established himself as a top 4 d-man, and was holding his own in Zubov's place, but this will be a tough test for him.

Now, if the Dallas offense can crack Osgood, the Stars might keep it close, but I think with the defensive issues it's going to be a series that goes to the Wings.

They just reported on XM radio that Kimmo Timonen has a blood clot in his ankle from a shot he blocked in game 4. He is done for the rest of the playoffs...

Big loss definitely. But we're on quite a roll, so I think the Flyers still have this series in hand.

B. Stinson wrote:Big loss definitely. But we're on quite a roll, so I think the Flyers still have this series in hand.

I know that you have to support your team, but, unfortunately your cup run will end here. Sorry.

Believe it or not, when it was 7 to 1 in game 4 against Detroit, I still supported the Avs and knew we would come back and win the series.


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(ok, I lied, I knew we were dead)

2-0 Detroit after 20 minutes... Dallas is nowhere to be found at Joe Louis Arena so far... Too many turnovers and penalties for the Stars. Plus, Franzen is still red hot, scoring his 12th of the playoffs, which is a new record for the Detroit franchise!

The Stars lack speed, but they also need to clean their slot a lot more. There's always a Red Wings player masking Turco. That's how Detroit scored both goals. A screen preventing Turco from seeing the puck on a shot by Rafalski, and a deflection by Franzen on Lidström's slaper, both PP goals.

I know that you have to support your team, but, unfortunately your cup run will end here. Sorry.

I don't have to support anyone... it's just that I've seen this team more than enough to know that one man's absence isn't going to suddenly break this year's team.

...remember... "one game at a time"...

B. Stinson wrote:...remember... "one game at a time"...

I know!

Yep, overall the Stars were outclassed tonight. They took some bad penalties, and some of that was because they were getting beat by the redwings. And Holmstrom is always a problem but you're right, they need to get Nordstrom out there to focus on just clearing the crease on PKs

Yup, and they also seriously need to rest!!! This 4 OT game last sunday seem to have really bring them down. They look very tired all game long, both physically and mentaly, which lead to slow skating, brutal turnovers and stupid penalties. You can't afford to be so out of shape against the Red Wings. Game 1 proved it for Dallas.

Why did the NHL make Dallas play so soon? Pittsburgh and Philly were both resting and they should have played last night. Dallas definitely needed more rest.

Because they don't want Dallas to win. Much like giving 2 days of rest to the old fart Rangers between games 6 and 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final. Even the Rangers admit that they would have lost game 7 if it had been only 1 day rest.

I think (but may be wrong) that the schedules are determined well before the playoffs even started, accordingly to the various TV channels free space. So they don't know which teams will be in, nor if they'll need more rest...

It's probably not the best possible playoffs schedules, but well... it's Bettman's schedules, so...

TV scheds are just an excuse. It is favoritism. Red Wings have a bigger fan base. They had the rest...get em playing

Just like we did in game 1 against team Ovechkin, the Flyers are giving it another go with their "if we can't see him, maybe he doesn't exist" theory by ignoring malkin and crosby - allowing them to go wherever they want right now. Short, short memory we have.

batdad wrote:TV scheds are just an excuse. It is favoritism. Red Wings have a bigger fan base. They had the rest...get em playing

I'm not sure I can disagree with that statement. Ever since the lockout, it does seem that the NHL's marketing has become a little too much propaganda not enough substance. But with the almost criminally bad coverage and commentary in the US on VS., it's no wonder the NHL has had to resort to tactics like this to keep interest up. I'm not saying that the NHL IS manipulating the system in this manor, but it does feel like it (even as a Wings fan).

Kolzig won't resign with Caps. Hm.

At his age, it's chance his retiring. Kinda sad, maybe Huet is the reason.

Kölzig never won the Cup. And the Caps are still at least a few years away from being Cup contenders. Olaf doesn't have all those years ahead of him. He will either retire or sign with a Cup contender.

Maybe Hasek will finally retire, and Kölzig would be signed by the Dead Things

Shadd666 wrote:Kölzig never won the Cup. And the Caps are still at least a few years away from being Cup contenders. Olaf doesn't have all those years ahead of him. He will either retire or sign with a Cup contender.

Maybe Hasek will finally retire, and Kölzig would be signed by the Dead Things

Olie the Goalie to Montreal to mentor Price??

No, CatchUp, no way Else, why dumping Huet 3 months ago?

Plus, Olie wants a Cup contender, not some team who has been thrashed in the second round

batdad wrote: ... Because they don't want Dallas to win ...

It's true, I tell ya! Mellon Arena had no commitments all week, and Vs didn't have any hunting or bull riding shows that couldn't be moved to another time slot.

The Red Wings have the largest fan base in the United States (except in Detroit, where they couldn't fill the Joe if they paid some bums to sit in the lower bowl!) So, the NHL wants to help them out a little bit. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but...

Even the game analysts and announcers often allow their bias to show. Pierre McGuire is a perfect example. He loves the Red Wings so much its sick. Even when the Red Wings lose a game Pierre talks about how they dominated all aspects of the game except the scoreboard...

timmy_t wrote:... Vs didn't have any hunting or bull riding shows that couldn't be moved to another time slot.

The NHL is VS' lowest priority. Just look at last year's awards ceremony that wasn't shown in favor of...wait for it...TAPOUT! For the uninitiated, Tapout is a really lame "reality" show about up-and-coming cage fighters. Sad... very sad.

timmy_t wrote:The Red Wings have the largest fan base in the United States (except in Detroit, where they couldn't fill the Joe if they paid some bums to sit in the lower bowl!)

This doesn't have anything to do with how strong or weak the fan base is in Detroit city. It has to do with the almost apocalyptically bad local economy. Many local citizens just can't afford to take the family to an NHL game, even the $9 cheap seats. With climbing gas prices and the ever declining auto industry Detroit city is in for a bad time.

I understand you are an Av's fan so that comment will just go as a homeristic shot to the ribs. But it was really shocking to me personally when the Wings' sellout streak was broken this year. It really brought home how bad things are in the NW Ohio & SE Michigan area.

I HATE THE WINGS!

But...after watching yet another pretty display of Mike Ribiero..to go along with his little flop when he was in Montreal....for the first time in my life I hope the Dead Things from Detoilet (sorry Hypno) actually win a playoff series.

Ribiero--should get a match penalty even if it was only a love tap. Intent was there to chop off Ozzy's head. I mean come on bud think...if you can't score on Ozzy, how the heck ya gonna beat Hasek?

That move was a suspension. At least 5 games. NHL wake up. Cheap shot, no time left.

And ol whiny Ribiero is gonna say "Well Ozzy tried to elbow me as I went by?"

No Mike..Ozzy tried to protect his defenseman from getting laid out AFTER a game was already over as you came flying in to hit Rafalski. So Ozzy put up his blocker and stick to slow you down.

And it did..because you are just a scared leetle weenie boy Michael. Really, get some help you dork!