Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Ghengis Jon]

Anyone but the Rangers in the east. They'll probably meet the Wings in the finals and they certainly don't need that kind of talent!

[hodgkal]

The problem with a big winning streak in the regular season is that it often does not translate into the post-season. Think how often have we seen the league leader go down in the first or second round of the S.C. playoffs. The playoffs are often a crapshoot that the team with the best record doesn't necessarily win.

Hockey is different than FB or BB where the superior team usually dominates on any given day. In hockey, and to a lesser extent in baseball, the bounce of the puck or other intangibles can go against prevailing wisdom that make a short term playoff system less predictable. In hockey, to determine the best team I think it would take more than a 7 game series to fairly determine who is best. There are too many flukey goals and other unpredictables that can enable an underdog to prevail. Similarly in baseball the preliminary 5 game series's often don't always reward the best team. So much depends on the pitching rotation.

This is all conjecture of course. We saw the #6 seed Packers win it all last year without playing a home playoff game and the 9-7 NY Giants hit their peak in the playoffs and win it all this year.

I guess it doesn't really matter. I just hope we don't get too carried away with the Red Wings' current streak. The S.C. playoffs will be a whole new ball game. It is fun to hoist a winners' trophy even though you may not have been the best team -- in any sport.

[Mike]

Good year to be a season ticket holder!

[WM Wolverine]

Too many teams in the NHL playoffs, teams dominant (top 2 in conference) in the regular season need AT LEAST a first round bye... Unfortunately, those games pay the bills for all the low rated regular season games... No chance they do that...

MLB has it close to correct on the amount of postseason teams, 8 teams as opposed to 16 in NHL/NBA. Hockey is the worst as a few bad bounces of the puck, a couple silly penalties and a series can be 2-4 instead of 4-2.

[Hannibal]

Yeah. At least with 30 teams now you have to be decent to make it in.

[WingsFan]

MLB has it close to correct on the amount of postseason teams, 8 teams as opposed to 16 in NHL/NBA.

You know if its close to correct they will ruin it. Bud Selig and the MLB team owners have voted to add two more wild-card teams, one from each league, to the playoff equation. For now they may be just a one game sudden death to move on.

[Hannibal]

There is always going to be discussion of making post seasons bigger. The NHL has had those discussions.

[Tony G]

Hockey is the worst as a few bad bounces of the puck, a couple silly penalties and a series can be 2-4 instead of 4-2.

Disagree. The best of 5 format in the first round of the MLB playoffs is most subject to upset. In hockey it's usually a hot goalie that shakes things up.

[WM Wolverine]

Hate the best of 5 in MLB too. Just seems like in hockey the very best teams in the regular season are far more likely to drop out in rounds 1 & 2 than in MLB. I could be wrong but that is how I perceive things as I don't follow hockey too closely.

[Ghengis Jon]

I like the best of 5. It puts a sense of urgency into the playoffs. Best of 7 in the finals is okay, but I don't like it when the playoffs last longer than the regular season. I dislike even more when one team finishes a sweep and there's 10 freakin days until the next round because the opponent takes 7 games to close their series. It was no secret when the playoff series expanded to 7 games it was SOLELY for the benefit of tv and their money. Same goes for this crappy 'night games only' playoff format. I remember as a kid watching baseball playoffs/world series at school because they were day games. It was a big deal and all the lessons were baseball oriented. Back when school was fun - not the education-free, meth fueled, shooting gallery its become.

Another reason to like the best of 5 - the last couple of Yankees/Tigers playoff meetings. Nothing better than sending the pompous, over paid skankees home early for a long off season of whining!

[Tony G]

Really? Baseball has been changed to grab more money? I am shocked! *grin* You kind of veered off a little with your school rant there at the end also.

[Hannibal]

The problem with hockey is that about 75% of the games are like Michigan's Sugar Bowl, and both teams are Michigan. Little or no offense except for a few big plays per game. And the game basically boils down to which team makes one more play.

[madootra]

Pavel Datsyuk.........the best player in the NHL. Wings win 22nd straight!!!

[Rob F]

What a goal for Datsyuk---and what a setting, 1-1 with 5 seconds left IN THE GAME when he pulled the trigger after teeing it up and wristing it over the goalie's right shoulder!!! No doubt to me, Datsyuk is the most talented player right now in all of Hockey!

[Hannibal]

Zetterberg is an entirely different player when he is out there with Pavel.