A more bittersweet season I can't remember.
When Detroit had that early season meeting and realized #19 and #14 weren't going to be coming back into that dressing room, the Red Wings found an identity that I don't think a lot of people thought they would find so quickly. They then asserted themselves and took another 1st in Conference, and even with a few bodies out of the line-up they were poised for a deep Cup run.
But what about the past seasons disappointments? Would Datsyuk show up? Were the Wings too old......too soft?
The Calgary Flames were suppossed to put that to the test.
pass
Then the big, tough, San Jose Sharks.
pass.....but in the process, lose Matt Schneider to a freak injury. An already thin blueline grows thinner.
Then the Ducks. Chris 'see you in hell (from heaven)' Pronger. A series that should've been over in five ends up in a stunning 6 game defeat.
The Wings are a talented, gritty team that is going to be in this posistion again, and probably pretty soon. Can't help feeling though like this is the big one that got away. Mad props to the Ducks for stepping up in a big game. Mad props to Hasek and Chelly for turning back the clock and everybody turned in a solid effort. Everyone will be back next year and they (even Bertuzzi) will be better.
GO Sens GO!!!!
while the body's still warm.........
Moderator: Shoalzie
It should make for an interesting offseason for sure. Hasek, Schneider, Chelios, Markov, Bertuzzi, Lang and Calder are all UFAs.
Hasek...he exceeded pretty much everyone's expectations and darn near got this team back to another Cup Finals. I still don't know if Howard is ready to be the guy and you've still got Ozzie in the mix. I think there will be a time Howard is the starting goalie in Detroit but I think Hasek's run this year and overall performance has to have the Wings brass wanting to give him another season.
Bertuzzi looked slow and tenative for most of the playoffs but had some of the best shifts in the playoffs of any Red Wing when he did skate and used his size and strength to his advantage. He did have major back surgery during the season and then came back in the playoffs after suffering a freak concussion after a collision with Osgood. He's not going to be the dominating player he was in his best years in Vancouver but I think he's still a viable top 6 scoring forward if he's able to just chill out and recover from his injuries and start fresh in the fall. I think he's looking to find a stable situation and if you can lock him up for 3 years at $4 million a year, that's a solid investment. I'd love to see him play the wing on either of Datsyuk or Zetterberg's lines...I fully expect to see those two split up. Play big Bert on Datsyuk's wing for a whole season and watch him rack up 30-35 goals and Datsyuk put up 90 points.
With that being, Lang had probably one of the most criticized players by fans during the playoffs because he almost seemed to be a waste of lineup spot early on. The guy did score two of the biggest goals in the playoffs but in the cap era, a guy of his age and his regressing talent...you can't justify paying a #3 center $3 or $4 million like he'll probably ask for. I think either his young Czech protege, Hudler or Filppula could slide into his third line center role next season if he's allowed to test the waters.
Calder is all but gone...his non-existence in the playoffs should guarantee that. With guys like Filppula, Hudler and Kopecky and the mix and potentially the long-awaited appearance of Grigorenko...there just isn't going to be room for a winger that will ask for $2 or $3 million and not bring anything to the table. I say let him walk regardless of if he asks for a discount price.
On defense, Schneider really proved to me how unheralded and steady he is in the playoffs and how much of a boost he gives the power play. I'd like to see him back again even with his advanced age. I don't think you'd be able to find a better guy on the market that can do the things he does offensively. Chelios is a warrior and a legend...he's probably a Red Wing until they cut the uniform off him. He'll probably sign for $1 million or so and he'd be worth every penny because the guy competes every night. Markov is probably the question mark of the group. I think he needs to come back because he and Lidstrom made a solid duo. You find that with every top flight d-man, you pair him with responsible defender that can play tough. Look no further than seeing Sean O'Donnell pairing up with either Niedermayer or Pronger. If I had my way, I'd keep all three guys.
Going into next season...
Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi
Franzen-Zetterberg-Samuelsson
Cleary-Filppula/Hudler-Grigorenko
Kopecky-Draper-Maltby
Lidstrom-Markov
Schneider-Kronwall
Chelios-Lilja/Lebda
Hasek
Osgood
I see maybe a forward added in free agency...nobody with a big price tag but could fit in with the third or fourth line. I definitely see them adding a player if Grigorenko still isn't ready to come over and play in the NHL. If they can find another diamond in the rough like they did Cleary a couple years ago coming out of camp, that would be great. I don't see them getting involved in the Ryan Smyth, Daniel Briere or Chris Drury sweepstakes unless they don't want to bring back Bertuzzi. Given the cap is what it is, Holland has really done an excellent job with finding great value in his lower-paid players like Cleary, Franzen, and Filppula plus Lilja makes only $1 million, Samuelsson make $1.2 million and Maltby signed long term for just under $900K for three more seasons. Plus, you've got Zetterberg for two more seasons at a bargain price of $2.6 million. He'll be darn near a max contract guy when his deal comes up so it'll be key that Holland does take on any longterm big contracts and continues to find the hidden gems in free agency and they use some homegrown talent.
With Babcock behind the bench, a great braintrust in the front office and a great combo of young and veteran talent...they'll be back next year competing for the Western Conference title and potentially another Stanley Cup. Datsyuk has made the step forward many were thinking he'd never make and with his longterm deal in play...his playoff performance this year should ease some worries with him. He and Zetterberg are the cornerstones of this team and will be as long as Holland show Hank the same kind of respect he did to Datsyuk with this new deal he signed him to before the playoffs started.
Hasek...he exceeded pretty much everyone's expectations and darn near got this team back to another Cup Finals. I still don't know if Howard is ready to be the guy and you've still got Ozzie in the mix. I think there will be a time Howard is the starting goalie in Detroit but I think Hasek's run this year and overall performance has to have the Wings brass wanting to give him another season.
Bertuzzi looked slow and tenative for most of the playoffs but had some of the best shifts in the playoffs of any Red Wing when he did skate and used his size and strength to his advantage. He did have major back surgery during the season and then came back in the playoffs after suffering a freak concussion after a collision with Osgood. He's not going to be the dominating player he was in his best years in Vancouver but I think he's still a viable top 6 scoring forward if he's able to just chill out and recover from his injuries and start fresh in the fall. I think he's looking to find a stable situation and if you can lock him up for 3 years at $4 million a year, that's a solid investment. I'd love to see him play the wing on either of Datsyuk or Zetterberg's lines...I fully expect to see those two split up. Play big Bert on Datsyuk's wing for a whole season and watch him rack up 30-35 goals and Datsyuk put up 90 points.
With that being, Lang had probably one of the most criticized players by fans during the playoffs because he almost seemed to be a waste of lineup spot early on. The guy did score two of the biggest goals in the playoffs but in the cap era, a guy of his age and his regressing talent...you can't justify paying a #3 center $3 or $4 million like he'll probably ask for. I think either his young Czech protege, Hudler or Filppula could slide into his third line center role next season if he's allowed to test the waters.
Calder is all but gone...his non-existence in the playoffs should guarantee that. With guys like Filppula, Hudler and Kopecky and the mix and potentially the long-awaited appearance of Grigorenko...there just isn't going to be room for a winger that will ask for $2 or $3 million and not bring anything to the table. I say let him walk regardless of if he asks for a discount price.
On defense, Schneider really proved to me how unheralded and steady he is in the playoffs and how much of a boost he gives the power play. I'd like to see him back again even with his advanced age. I don't think you'd be able to find a better guy on the market that can do the things he does offensively. Chelios is a warrior and a legend...he's probably a Red Wing until they cut the uniform off him. He'll probably sign for $1 million or so and he'd be worth every penny because the guy competes every night. Markov is probably the question mark of the group. I think he needs to come back because he and Lidstrom made a solid duo. You find that with every top flight d-man, you pair him with responsible defender that can play tough. Look no further than seeing Sean O'Donnell pairing up with either Niedermayer or Pronger. If I had my way, I'd keep all three guys.
Going into next season...
Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi
Franzen-Zetterberg-Samuelsson
Cleary-Filppula/Hudler-Grigorenko
Kopecky-Draper-Maltby
Lidstrom-Markov
Schneider-Kronwall
Chelios-Lilja/Lebda
Hasek
Osgood
I see maybe a forward added in free agency...nobody with a big price tag but could fit in with the third or fourth line. I definitely see them adding a player if Grigorenko still isn't ready to come over and play in the NHL. If they can find another diamond in the rough like they did Cleary a couple years ago coming out of camp, that would be great. I don't see them getting involved in the Ryan Smyth, Daniel Briere or Chris Drury sweepstakes unless they don't want to bring back Bertuzzi. Given the cap is what it is, Holland has really done an excellent job with finding great value in his lower-paid players like Cleary, Franzen, and Filppula plus Lilja makes only $1 million, Samuelsson make $1.2 million and Maltby signed long term for just under $900K for three more seasons. Plus, you've got Zetterberg for two more seasons at a bargain price of $2.6 million. He'll be darn near a max contract guy when his deal comes up so it'll be key that Holland does take on any longterm big contracts and continues to find the hidden gems in free agency and they use some homegrown talent.
With Babcock behind the bench, a great braintrust in the front office and a great combo of young and veteran talent...they'll be back next year competing for the Western Conference title and potentially another Stanley Cup. Datsyuk has made the step forward many were thinking he'd never make and with his longterm deal in play...his playoff performance this year should ease some worries with him. He and Zetterberg are the cornerstones of this team and will be as long as Holland show Hank the same kind of respect he did to Datsyuk with this new deal he signed him to before the playoffs started.
Why the Duck hatred?
That was a good series with two teams that played hockey the way hockey should be played, with hate in their hearts.
It wasnt as good as some of the series from the late 80s but with the influx of visor wearing European pussies in the league and Buttmans ridiculous rules, that was as a good of a series I have seen in years.
That was a good series with two teams that played hockey the way hockey should be played, with hate in their hearts.
It wasnt as good as some of the series from the late 80s but with the influx of visor wearing European pussies in the league and Buttmans ridiculous rules, that was as a good of a series I have seen in years.
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Screw_Michigan
Screw_Michigan wrote: you wouldn't know "hockey the way hockey should be played" if don cherry shoved a ccm 752 up your gaping asshole.
Spoken like someone who has worn said skate. Do you remember the old ccm custom fit Tacks? The ones where they put a bag of surgical rubber over the skate and used the vaccuum to mold the skates. After 15 minutes you were reaching for the other skate to try and amputate your foot to end the pain.........now that's commitment.
Shoalzie......I agree 100% with your analysis of who will be back. Calder was a loss and Robbie, although I like him, didn't justify much of an effort to keep him this summer. Both Hasek and Chelly earned another year, even if Hasek is just a kick save away from a career ending groin injury.
The biggest missed opportunity of this season (IMO) is the lack of development for Kronwall, who shows all the signs of being an all-world defenseman. It would have been invaluable to have him play in those high-pressure, high intensity games with the likes of Lidstrom and Chelios. The knowledge he would have gained would've been invaluable to his career. On the bright side, that young Quincy kid reaped the benefits of such ice time, and I look for nothing but good things for him. I like his moxie but he is a little weak in the puck/play awareness department. That being said, I saw him steadily improve as the playoffs went on and I look for him to be a solid contributor in the future.
Go Sens!
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Screw_Michigan
nah, i don't remember those. the first pair of skates i ever had were a pair of 152's. then after a couple years i stepped up to the 752's, with the PUMPS!!!!! fuck yeah, those bad boys were awesome. green kevlar like a bulletproof vest. never used the pumps, but they still work and sometimes i still wear them for the fuck of it when i skate. those bad boys fit like a fucking pink taco. i gave them up after three years for a pair of 952s, which i like, but i could never completely break those fuckers in because i got them in my final season of playing competitive hockey. i still wear them when i ref, but you can never break in a pair of skates like wearing them five-six times per week during practices and games.al? wrote:Screw_Michigan wrote: you wouldn't know "hockey the way hockey should be played" if don cherry shoved a ccm 752 up your gaping asshole.
Spoken like someone who has worn said skate. Do you remember the old ccm custom fit Tacks? The ones where they put a bag of surgical rubber over the skate and used the vaccuum to mold the skates. After 15 minutes you were reaching for the other skate to try and amputate your foot to end the pain.........now that's commitment.
there was always a bauer-centric attitude with guys i played hockey with in west michigan. it was either the 4000s, the 5000s, or when the 7000s came around, those were key. i always wanted a pair of vapor 8s as well, holy shit were those things light. but my foot is too wide for bauers so i always had to go the ccm route, and i have no complaints. after my first season with the 752s, i took off the ccm frame and put on tuuks, which became a match made in heaven. i could fucking fly with those bad boys.
dont be bitter cause your team is golfing this week, that was a great series, wasnt as good as some of the games between the Wings and the Dives from about 7 years ago but it was still entertaining.Screw_Michigan wrote:shut the loving fuck up. much like baseball, you wouldn't know "hockey the way hockey should be played" if don cherry shoved a ccm 752 up your gaping asshole.SoCalTrjn wrote:two teams that played hockey the way hockey should be played
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Screw_Michigan
if you knew anything about hockey, or anything in general other than making up bullshit stories about your worthless pony leagues, you'd know that my team has been golfing since early april, and has been golfing in early april for 9 of the last 10 seasons you stupid fucking cunt.SoCalTrjn wrote:dont be bitter cause your team is golfing this week, that was a great series, wasnt as good as some of the games between the Wings and the Dives from about 7 years ago but it was still entertaining.