former players

[redwing77]

gosh i hope not -- the wings winning last year was bad enough.

Don't worry. With the situation with the Wings D and especially their goaltending, repeating with the Cup will be nothing short of miraculous.

I think Boston is a wild card.

I think Chicago is still a goaltender away from being a serious threat....that and experience. They're VERY inconsistent. However, when they are on, I don't think Boston can keep up with them (if they'd even be playing the Bruins at all).

Vancouver has a shot.

I don't know if the Blues can outlast Vancouver.

It is going to be a wide open playoffs.

[Goon]

Don't worry. With the situation with the Wings D and especially their goaltending, repeating with the Cup will be nothing short of miraculous.

I think Boston is a wild card.

I think Chicago is still a goaltender away from being a serious threat....that and experience. They're VERY inconsistent. However, when they are on, I don't think Boston can keep up with them (if they'd even be playing the Bruins at all).

Vancouver has a shot.

I don't know if the Blues can outlast Vancouver.

It is going to be a wide open playoffs.

Beware of the Bruins.

[AZSIOUX]

tony hrkac circus with 1 assist tonight for houston in loss vs chris porter and peoria

b. lundbohm with a goal sunday for houston in win

[sagard]

I am still waiting for the example where I said I didn't like Minnesota players.

I think your a Gopher Hockey lover in denial.

Good luck to your Bruins, if they can actually turn it around so can the Wild someday.

[ScottM]

Nice article about the 'Hawks, and some good mentions about Toews.

Linky

[Goon]

I think your a Gopher Hockey lover in denial.

Good luck to your Bruins, if they can actually turn it around so can the Wild someday.

Yeah, not. I am still waiting to where he lists the examples where I said I didn't like players from Minnesota.

The Wild's front office is a mess and hasn't had any good 1st round draft choices for some time now. Boston

since they got rid of Harry Sinden have gotten a lot better. The swagger is back in Boston.

[gopherz]

Yeah, not. I am still waiting to where he lists the examples where I said I didn't like players from Minnesota.

The Wild's front office is a mess and hasn't had any good 1st round draft choices for some time now. Boston

since they got rid of Harry Sinden have gotten a lot better. The swagger is back in Boston.

Thats what happens when you bring in a few Gopher players....

[gophers4life]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...?urn=nhl,156798

Interesting little article...didn't see it on here yet, but I might have missed it somewhere.

[roper1313]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...?urn=nhl,156798

Interesting little article...didn't see it on here yet, but I might have missed it somewhere.

It's not in this thread, but it is on the front page. Pretty funny stuff. Can't believe that they'll waste resources to try and prosecute.

[Ray77]

The 3rd period of the Chicago/Calgary game just ended and it is going to overtime. I've only watched about half of the 3rd period, but Pierre McGuire is gushing over Toews talking about how well he's played this game. Sounds like he's been a monster on faceoffs.

[Goon]

The 3rd period of the Chicago/Calgary game just ended and it is going to overtime. I've only watched about half of the 3rd period, but Pierre McGuire is gushing over Toews talking about how well he's played this game. Sounds like he's been a monster on faceoffs.

Bruins beat the Habs tonight and there is probably going to be a line brawl in the next game.

Former Michigan player Mike Komisarek is a hack. Komisarek gouged the eyes a fellow former Wolverine player.

All class there.

[Ray77]

Bruins beat the Habs tonight and there is probably going to be a line brawl in the next game.

Former Michigan player Mike Komisarek is a hack. Komisarek gouged the eyes a fellow former Wolverine player.

All class there.

Yeah, I saw that at the end. I see that Dan Carcillo from the Flyers got suspended for delivering an elbow to Maxime Talbot of the Penguins on a faceoff with 7 seconds left in their game. With that precendent set, I'd be surprised if either Komisarek and/or Maxim Lapierre from Montreal don't get fined and suspended for their antics.

[choyt3]

Bruins beat the Habs tonight and there is probably going to be a line brawl in the next game.

Former Michigan player Mike Komisarek is a hack. Komisarek gouged the eyes a fellow former Wolverine player.

All class there.

Come on. Next you're going to say someone did a flying knee drop, an elbow smash, or even a camel clutch on somebody.

[redwing77]

I think your a Gopher Hockey lover in denial.

Good luck to your Bruins, if they can actually turn it around so can the Wild someday.

Hey, I think the Wild took a MAJOR step forward today by announcing that DR won't be back as President/GM.

Almost all the idiots are gone from Minnesota pro sports now. All that needs to happen is the Tpussies to fire McHale and Childress to leave town and voila... all it would take is good hiring.

I know I haven't been a Lemaire fan, but I can't believe that he thought he could bring the 1995 Devils back and succeed. The new NHL wouldn't work that way. The year it almost did was, IIRC, the year before the holdout. Or at least it was before the lockout...

Anyways, Goon, who do you think the Wild go after?

After firing the front office and the coach, I wonder if Gaborik might give Minny one more shot. Certainly scorers might take notice. If the Wild owner was smart, they'd try to make a run at Havlat and/or Cammallerri (even though he is a punk that cheap shotted Havlat tonight).

I guess the most important hire for the Wild is the GM. A GM that understands the importance of a balanced team rather than a defense first team is vital for the Wild to be anything more than a perrenial first round exit. If the Wild want to model their team after any other team in the NHL, I'd go either the complete youth route ala Chicago or the balance model ala Calgary or San Jose.

[woodbutcher]

The 3rd period of the Chicago/Calgary game just ended and it is going to overtime. I've only watched about half of the 3rd period, but Pierre McGuire is gushing over Toews talking about how well he's played this game. Sounds like he's been a monster on faceoffs.

No surprise there, McGuire is fanatical about his man crushes. In last years SCF he was salivating over Mike Babcock. The guy is a tool.

[AZSIOUX]

No surprise there, McGuire is fanatical about his man crushes. In last years SCF he was salivating over Mike Babcock. The guy is a tool.

yes he does, he picks 1 player from team canada yearly to gush over at the wjt i dont mind it overall though as the guys from tsn just love hockey.

[AZSIOUX]

Hey, I think the Wild took a MAJOR step forward today by announcing that DR won't be back as President/GM.

Almost all the idiots are gone from Minnesota pro sports now. All that needs to happen is the Tpussies to fire McHale and Childress to leave town and voila... all it would take is good hiring.

I know I haven't been a Lemaire fan, but I can't believe that he thought he could bring the 1995 Devils back and succeed. The new NHL wouldn't work that way. The year it almost did was, IIRC, the year before the holdout. Or at least it was before the lockout...

Anyways, Goon, who do you think the Wild go after?

After firing the front office and the coach, I wonder if Gaborik might give Minny one more shot. Certainly scorers might take notice. If the Wild owner was smart, they'd try to make a run at Havlat and/or Cammallerri (even though he is a punk that cheap shotted Havlat tonight).

I guess the most important hire for the Wild is the GM. A GM that understands the importance of a balanced team rather than a defense first team is vital for the Wild to be anything more than a perrenial first round exit. If the Wild want to model their team after any other team in the NHL, I'd go either the complete youth route ala Chicago or the balance model ala Calgary or San Jose.

maybe they will start drafting minnesota kids if thats the player they actually want and more college players. cant wait to see the new group and see how they run things

[Shawn-O]

Bruins beat the Habs tonight and there is probably going to be a line brawl in the next game.

Former Michigan player Mike Komisarek is a hack. Komisarek gouged the eyes a fellow former Wolverine player.

All class there.

Captain Insano shows no mercy.

[farce poobah]

yes he does, he picks 1 player from team canada yearly to gush over at the wjt i dont mind it overall though as the guys from tsn just love hockey.

Not only do the guys from TSN love hockey, they also really know hockey. I find them insightful ...

[Siouxdonyms]

Parise just scores his 2nd of the playoffs on a nice tip in...happened right after a goal of his was disallowed for being hit in with a high stick, which was a valid call.

[redwing77]

A miracle win last night for Chicago. I just think Calgary is the better team overall right now. They have more consistent goaltending. The fact that Kipprusoff has seen the most rubber of all goaltenders this year makes the Defensive comparisons interesting (though how much so depends upon how much weight do you place on goaltending. I mean, lets say you have a GREAT defensive corps and your goaltender is the world's worst sieve...does it make that big of a difference compared to having a crap D and the league's best goaltender?)

I think Detroits draw of Columbus ensures a second round.

Bruins will advance easily.

Montreal is one of the most overrated teams in the Playoffs.

I guess I can see Philly having trouble with Pittsburgh... though I can't imagine anyone outside of Pennsylvania (or Pens/Flyers fans) caring about this series.

As for the Wild, I'll say this: I don't care where they're from, but drafting GOAL SCORERS would be a great start.

For example, in the 2002 Entry draft, they could have skipped PM Bouchard and drafted Semin, traded down in the 3rd round and gotten an extra pick and Matthew Lombardi... (on a tangent, the very last pick in the draft was made that year by Detroit... and he is on Detroit's playoff roster (Ericsson, a Dman))

Or let's go to 2001, Minnesota could have drafted the cheap punk Cammelleri in the second round (traded down for another pick perhaps too), Patrick Sharp in the 3rd round...

Not sure they could have done better in the 2000 draft... seems to me, in retrospect like 2000 was a pretty weak year except for the top two picks (DiPietro and Heatley). Gaborik was drafted #3 overall and I don't see who Minnesota could have drafted that was available at the time that would have been a better choice.... Scott Hartnell has turned into a nice player, but I don't think he has the upside Gaborik had at the time.

Tough to predict how things would turn out 2004 to present, but... in 2004, Zajac, Stafford, and Wolski were all available when they took AJ nutcase. So was Mike Green (what an offensive Dman he turned into...wow). David Booth and Brandon Dubinsky were available in the second round in 2004. Hey Johan Franzen was available too... a gritty forward that can score... Minnesota could use a Franzen. Heh, in 2005, the Wild could have had Kopitar, Oshie, Cogliano, Bergfors (though he's not yet really broken onto the scene)...

I'm not going go through 2006-8 because it's really too early to tell for even 2005 picks really.

[farce poobah]

A miracle win last night for Chicago. I just think Calgary is the better team overall right now. They have more consistent goaltending. The fact that Kipprusoff has seen the most rubber of all goaltenders this year makes the Defensive comparisons interesting (though how much so depends upon how much weight do you place on goaltending. I mean, lets say you have a GREAT defensive corps and your goaltender is the world's worst sieve...does it make that big of a difference compared to having a crap D and the league's best goaltender?)

Agree.

The Chicago game was very entertaining. Once Chicago got the first goal, they really stepped up. All those young legs, adrenalin and just a bit of confidence give them a chance. Especially if they get the first goal.

They can't give Calgary chances ... I expect Iginla to step it up in game 2, among others.

And, yes I thought Toews was the best player on the ice, especially when they really needed it. He just about set up the winning goal multiple times late in regulation.

That said, I can't shake the feeling that the rest of the West is just playing for the chance to lose to Detroit. They look primed for a run, and if there's any team that can withstand a few soft goals allowed, its the RedWings.

[Goon]

Parise just scores his 2nd of the playoffs on a nice tip in...happened right after a goal of his was disallowed for being hit in with a high stick, which was a valid call.

Going to over time.

[The Whistler]

Going to over time.

Ryan Bayda's team wins in OT.

[siouxforce19]

Agree.

The Chicago game was very entertaining. Once Chicago got the first goal, they really stepped up. All those young legs, adrenalin and just a bit of confidence give them a chance. Especially if they get the first goal.

They can't give Calgary chances ... I expect Iginla to step it up in game 2, among others.

And, yes I thought Toews was the best player on the ice, especially when they really needed it. He just about set up the winning goal multiple times late in regulation.

That said, I can't shake the feeling that the rest of the West is just playing for the chance to lose to Detroit. They look primed for a run, and if there's any team that can withstand a few soft goals allowed, its the RedWings.

shoot me now. i'd rather ANYONE else from the west goes to the cup finals than the red wings. get some new blood in there.