Red Wings

[DanO]

I like it.

[Habib21]

Doesn't make our division any easier though....

[CaptainBlue]

Doesn't make our division any easier though....

No, but the Central isn't as weak as it used to be. Chicago is the top team right now. On a separate note, I'm glad it's a shortened season. They might've gave our 62 win season a run for the money. Anywho, that's another thing I don't like - no Chicago in our division.

[WingsFan]

This is would create unbalanced conferences, Western Conf would drop to 13 teams,
Eastern Conf would grow to 17 teams. What are they going to do about the playoffs? The last thing the NHL needs is to add more teams, though already looks that way.

[jaadam4]

Actually it's 16 and 14 respectively but that's a good point. Hopefully they'll see that FL doesn't need 2 teams and break up the Panthers since I'm not sure why they're still around.

Baseball score for the Wings and the Canucks last night (8-3). Brunner now has 10 goals on the year. The kid can put the puck in the net that's for sure.

[CaptainBlue]

Nice to see the Wings get a winning streak going. Just wish we could somehow save some of those goals for a rainy day.

[froot loops]

I say boo to the new realignment. I don't like watching the east teams, I'm a fan pof the Western conference teams. Outside of a few Eastern teams, I just don't care to watch them. But it is good that Toronto would be regularly playing Detroit again.

[chemiclord]

Don't worry, Froot... if that general proposal were to pass, the governors would likely demand one team jump ship west to balance the conferences 15/15...

... and that team would most likely be Detroit.

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

Well the way it is set up is perfect for when Phoenix gets moved somewhere further north and west (Seattle probably).

Also this proposal is very similar to one that got rejected before, the reason it got rejected before was the Western conference teams wanted less teams in their conference so that their amount of travel would be cut. So they altered that alignment and removed the last two teams that are in the Eastern time zone and moved them to the Eastern conference so the teams on the west coast don't have to deal with traveling to there at least once a season.

I love it, just because we would be back where we belong...not to mention it would certainly add a real special element to the Winter Classic Festival next year if Toronto were a division rival.

[WingsFan]

Actually it's 16 and 14 respectively

Sorry, I didn't include that the report will send Columbus to the east along with the Wings.

NHL's reining scoring champion and MVP Penguins center Evgeni Malkin had a horrific fall into the boards and his head whip lashed to the ice. Reports surfaced Saturday that Malkin had been suffering from severe headaches and disorientation the day after the hit, a report the Penguins denied. Now he has been diagnosed with a concussion and will not accompany the team on its upcoming road trip.

[WingsFan]

Realignment would mean 4 divisions, 50% of teams in New NHL East will make playoffs. 57% of teams in the West will make postseason. Barry Melrose likes the NHL's latest proposal to realign to 4 divisions with a tweak to the playoff system.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/8991414/nhl-realignment-proposal-adds-playoff-wild-cards-drops-league-4-divisions

[chemiclord]

I look at that proposal, and some of the choices really have me scratching my head.

[WingsFan]

This is where Bettman's planned expansion comes in. Quebec and Markham Ontario. If the Coyotes move, then they go to Seattle or Portland (or if they go to Quebec City before expansion then a new franchise goes to Seattle or Portland).

[chemiclord]

There HAS to be a better option than having both Florida teams wedged into an otherwise completely northern conference.

Maybe they're anticipating Florida and Tampa Bay to become Hamilton and Quebec City, maybe?

[Tony G]

The Florida teams should be in the same division to allow the obvious rivalry. If you accept that premise then it becomes a question of what two teams come over to replace them. Columbus is obvious but the next geographic candidate, Pittsburgh, has a much larger rivalry with the Flyers and history with the current group.