Red Wings

[Panoptes]

Oh, theres no confusion or luck concerns for me.

The retooled DUCKS can hang with the WINGS all day long.

Its all about who wants it more now.

[maxw3ll]

Putting being a wings homer aside. I think the wings would win 7 games out of 10. Its only a matter of time before some of our stars get rolling. Also, if we continue to outshoot the ducks at this rate the puck is going to go in. It doesnt matter who shoots when you force the other team to make 20 more saves. This year the wings have never had a great D. However, the offense is good enough to win games.

[DanO]

I'm not saying the Ducks can't hang with the Wings I'm saying those bounces off the boards are luck. Not skill.

GO LIONS "09" !!!!!!!!!

[maxw3ll]

Oh, theres no confusion or luck concerns for me.

The retooled DUCKS can hang with the WINGS all day long.

Its all about who wants it more now.

They are "tooled" all right....

[Panoptes]

I'm not saying the Ducks can't hang with the Wings I'm saying those bounces off the boards are luck. Not skill.

GO LIONS "09" !!!!!!!!!

In game 2, the CARTER goal off the boards was a fortunate bounce.

I'm not talking about that one.

I've seen some Ducks use the boards near the nets to make some passes I've never seen them implement before.

They are purposely using the boards now.

Even at the beginning of the OT goal by MARCHANT where his teammate passed it/led the puck to him off the side board was something the Ducks do not often practice at home because the home boards don't bounce like that.

[DanO]

OIC.

Game 3 goes to the Wings 3-2.

GO LIONS "09" !!!!!!!!!

[Panoptes]

Anything is possible when these two teams meet.

But I obviously hope for a different outcome.

[Rocky Bleier]

I would contend the opposite, Rocky. The Wings have been so intent on out-hitting the Ducks it's creating the sloppy play.

I'm not referring to the hitting. The Wings are out-hitting the Ducks. Cherry can't believe that no one on the Wings said anything to Brown after the hit on Hudler. Scoring on the resulting power play is great, but can't anyone get in Brown's face and say, "Gee, Mr. Brown, that was awfully unsporting of you." I think the Ducks would have handled it differently if the skate was on the other foot.

[Tom]

The Wings have never been a team that gets in the face of the other team. They always try to make them pay on the power play. The Wings have won four Cups in the last 12 seasons playing this way. It works.

[Malto Marko]

MALTO MARKO,

You gotta love this kind of series. Only two games in and it feels like I've aged 2 years.

1-1

Go DUCKS!

I do! good hockey on both sides of the ice. That is when bounces determine the game and sometimes you get one sometimes it is against you.

JOE THORTON and several of his veteran SHARKS kept telling the press how they felt they were dominating the game(s), the series, yet they lost more games than won on the scoreboard.

ANA plays a different kind of strategy that is designed to be played out through a seven game series. It differs from the WINGS.

I have to believe Wing fans have noticed the strategic difference after these many years by now.

Btw, nice to see the DUCKS using the WINGS trampoline boards for trick passes and just some plain old fun. They seem to have finally figured out how to play those boards just like the home team.

This comes from good coaching and the support staff doing their homework.

Now I know why the Ducks did not want to use JLA as their practice facility when they were here because it is exactly that kind of dump they were practicing.

That was all luck Gonz. Don't confuse the two.

GO LIONS "09" !!!!!!!!!

There is a lot of luck involved with it coming off the boards at the right angle and someone being in a position to take advantage of it. However, if it is a practiced play, it is more skill than luck. The players learn how to bank it off the high boards and the glass. They also learn the touch to put it into the slot.

Oh, theres no confusion or luck concerns for me.

The retooled DUCKS can hang with the WINGS all day long.

Its all about who wants it more now.

Heh, heh. The Ducks can play the game. However, for a reason I can not explain, Babcock did not give the 4th line the ice time they should have had. If he would have started playing the 4th line more in the 3rd, all of the other lines would have been more rested and it would have brought a faster tempo to the game than the Ducks can keep up with. It may have gone into as first, or maybe a second OT but playing the 4th line in a regular rotation will be a Duck killer as they can not roll 4 lines like the Wings can.

I put this loss on Babcock for not bringing all of the horses and wearing down his opponent.

......and what is up with Cheli only getting 6 minutes in a game that goes into triple OT?

Let the warrior go to war.

[Panoptes]

The DUCKS are routinely rolling 3 lines out with a smattering of an impromptu 4th line.

The DUCKS are deep as well.

IF and when you see GEORGE PARROS (#16) for the DUCKS on the ice, you know they are experimenting with something different at that moment.

[Malto Marko]

Not deep enough. Wings 4th line could be a 2nd line on at least half of the NHL.

Not rolling the lines is a big mistake from Babcock at the moment. I know it is the playoffs and the traditional coaches only want to use the 4th line to make up for injuries but, he should have learned by now that sometimes the most needed effort comes from the guys that are trying to carve a notch.

Bringing our 4th against your 3rd will create a super mismatch somewhere else in the lineup.

He needs to do that.

[Panoptes]

MM,

I guess its just 3 cheers for the home team then because I am not overly impressed by the alleged depth you are adamant about.

IMO, the WINGS were fortunate to have the last shift of game #1 when they were able to get their #1 O-line against the Ducks #1 O-line and the Ducks lack of D focus cost them with :49 left.

The home team last shift also got the same matchup late in regulation of game #2 that almost cost ANA again.

BTW, take a look at the names on the Ducks score sheets. Not all of those names are well known to the masses yet. Unlike the names on the Wings score sheets that everyone is well aware of.

Got depth?

;)

[Malto Marko]

MM,

I guess its just 3 cheers for the home team then because I am not overly impressed by the alleged depth you are adamant about.

IMO, the WINGS were fortunate to have the last shift of game #1 when they were able to get their #1 O-line against the Ducks #1 O-line and the Ducks lack of D focus cost them with :49 left.

The home team last shift also got the same matchup late in regulation of game #2 that almost cost ANA again.

BTW, take a look at the names on the Ducks score sheets. Not all of those names are well known to the masses yet. Unlike the names on the Wings score sheets that everyone is well aware of.

Got depth?

;)

Hmmmmm. Then you are agreeing with me.

If #1 shift of the Wings beat #1 Shift of the Ducks in game one, and almost again in game 2 you are agreeing that by wearing out #1 shift on your team causes a mismatch late in the game.

As far as the names on the score sheets. The only reason they are not well known is because they are not the defending Champs.;-)

They are known by some who watch the game around the league. The masses only see big games and do not pay attention during the season.;);)

Just like in Football.

[Panoptes]

No, I wasn't agreeing with you.

I was chalking the game one DET win up to a simple home ice advantage of creating a mismatch with the final line change.

ANA learned from it and didn't let it happen again despite it almost happening again. Hopefully ANA carries that beyond just this series and into the next.

In ANA, I foresee the Ducks not only doing the same (chg advantages) but exposing the Wings even further on their home ice.