Red Wings

[jaadam4]

I hope they dont rush Hank back. Yeah its the playoffs and we def need him but I'd rather not screw him up for future seasons. We can manage without for awhile.

[gjdodger]

Ideally, the Wings will sweep and eliminate the Hawks--that would be worth it just for the entertainment value--Dallas will win a couple, and I'll get to watch the second place Wings and the seventh place Stars in the first round on Fox Sports Southwest. Improbable, but possible.

[WingsFan]

All right, (still pissed off) were going to have to win the first series without Hank IMO. Hopefully he can come back after that - into the second round (?). We will have pretty much a week off before he'd have to play again, though Asshat Bettman (having organisms) will probably demand the Wings start their series early again this year.


If Hank can't come back its very doubtful we win the Cup this year, Dats is my favorite but, without him (Hank) or Nick not much of a chance. The Wings really seem to go as Zetterberg gos (Conn Smythe Trophy winner) now, all bets are off! ...:x

[Tom]

My undefeated record at the Joe was broken Friday night.

[gjdodger]

San Jose won, Wings will play either Phoenix or Nashville in the first round.

[FCRhodes]

Yzerman's Lightning stepped up and eliminated the Hurricanes from the playoffs last night. The Wings could do the same to Chicago. I'm torn as I would rather see the Canucks have to play the Hawks in the first round, but it would be sweet to eliminate them.

And congrats to Stevie Y on a damn good job in his first year. He should be executive of the year.

[Malto Marko]

San Jose won, Wings will play either Phoenix or Nashville in the first round.

I want Nashville.

Yzerman's Lightning stepped up and eliminated the Hurricanes from the playoffs last night. The Wings could do the same to Chicago. I'm torn as I would rather see the Canucks have to play the Hawks in the first round, but it would be sweet to eliminate them.

And congrats to Stevie Y on a damn good job in his first year. He should be executive of the year.

I think a Canuck Black Hawk series would be great. They could beat up on each other and the jet lag would mean a little bit to the winner (although it should be illegal that a team in the Eastern time zone would be in the Western Conference).

[jaadam4]

And congrats to Stevie Y on a damn good job in his first year. He should be executive of the year.

Totally agreed

[chemiclord]

I think a Canuck Black Hawk series would be great. They could beat up on each other and the jet lag would mean a little bit to the winner (although it should be illegal that a team in the Eastern time zone would be in the Western Conference).

That's an unfortunate consequence of having 30 teams, 17 of which are in the Eastern time zone. Someone EST (or more accurately, two someones) is going to have to play in the Western Conference. Detroit being one of the most western EST teams is the most logical choice.

[FCRhodes]

They should change the conferences to North and South. Then every team would travel through the time zones. Plus the original six would all be in the North.

[chemiclord]

I had seen an interesting proposal a month or so back that would split the league into four seven to eight team divisions, the top four advancing into a playoff in each division, then the final four.

It had eight teams out west (all the pacific and mountain time zone teams), seven in a central division (all the central time zone teams, Detroit and Columbus IIRC), then seven teams in a southeast division, and eight in a northeast division.

It had the benefit of limiting long travel times in the playoffs until the semifinals and nearly all rivalries intact... but never really gained any traction. Honestly, I thought it would have been worth examining, but apparently it never even made the GM meetings this year.

[gjdodger]

Dallas 3, Minny 3 after 2. I believe the way it works, if Dallas wins in regulation or overtime they go to the playoffs; anything else, including Dallas winning a shootout, and Chicago goes.

[chemiclord]

Yep.

How hilarious would it be to have the defending champs not even make the playoffs?

[FCRhodes]

Wings play Coyotes.

[chemiclord]

Unless Dallas scores two more, Chicago is going to squeak into the playoffs.