Rumors of their demise appear to be greatly exaggerated. The Penguins’ season was down to their last 35 seconds Maxime Talbot tied the score at 3, in the third period, in game 5, forcing a game 6 back at The Igloo. The Wings outplayed the Pens for most of the game but their slow start killed them. Giving up 2 goals in the first 20 minutes appeared to seal their fate but steady play over the next 39 put them in position to hoist the cup. After pulling Fleury with just over a minute to play Tabot had two shots at a rebounded shot and made the most of his opportunity. From there the only complaint for Detroit fans is how they still had multiple chances in the overtimes (14 shots on goal in OT 1) to put the game away but just looked out of gas. Understandably, after being able to more than visualize victory, but actually taste it, will they be able to get the MO’ back? If they don’t and Pittsburgh comes back to sweep the next two it will go down as one most amazing come backs and all-around series in the history of sport. Or, one of the biggest chokes of all time depending on your point of view.
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5 comments:
colkoch117 - I'd like to bring up another point about the Redwings, no other team seems to have the conditioning the Wings have, and that was obvious with Pittsburgh. They were gassed at the end of the first period of the first game. This conditioning factor, coupled with puck possession time, is why Detroit thoroughly dominates teams in the third period. I watched the Wings do this all season and all through the playoffs. That don't panic because they know the third period is their's. The only reason the 3OT game went that long is because Fleury stood on his head. Kudos to him. I was way impressed.
The other thing about the forward thinking of the Wings is that they seem to make it a point to win the President's Cup. I think this is absolutely crucial for a team in the Eastern time zone which has to play in the West. I also think the Wings were very lucky this year in not having to play a Pacific time zone team. Last year they had Calgary (mountain west), San Jose, and Annaheim. I don't care what anyone says, that has to take it's toll. If the NHL needs to have one eastern time zone team in the West, let them rotate that team. I'd be curious to see how Pittsburgh's young guns would cope with playing in the West.
optoutman -
a) Osgood was OK, better than usual. He goes down way too often. Was sufficient in goal but he's no hall of famer. Still, congrats on winning the cup. The wings are a machine.
b) Don Cherry is nothing but a circus sideshow. If the NHL ever wants to make it in prime time that clown must not be on the program. The effort he makes to string together sentences shows every time he opens his self-loving mouth.
c) The wings did a great job of finding these great players like Datsyk, Zetterberg and Franzen. Kudos to their terrific organization, top down.
mbsmith_- Osgood doesn't get his due, but it's not fair at all to the other goalies to compare him to Fuhr or Roy, who both played at least half their careers in the free-wheeling '80s, and Fuhr for the free-wheeling-est team of all time. Watch some of those games, and count the number of times two opponent forwards get in alone with Fuhr, and then watch what he does. He lets some in, sure, but he also makes some of the most incredible, acrobatic saves you will ever see. The Wings are far more responsible defensively. If you want to compare him to a goalie who came into the league at about the same time, make it Brodeur. And that's why Frei is arguably right when he says Ozzie's not a great goalie--he has never been one of the top two or three goalies in the league, someone who GMs say "I want to find the next..." They will say Brodeur, Kiprusoff, Hasek, but not Osgood. That's the beauty of the Vezina--it's voted on by the GMs, not the media. They vote on who they wish they had on their team, not the big-market darling du jour. Osgood, however, may be more important than great--he's MONEY at the big moments. The Wings limited the scoring chances, but many will tell you it's harder to wait all night for a good scoring chance against, and then come up big after taking it easy all game. He's a HOF'er based on wins (reg season and playoffs) alone, but an enigma in the greatest goalie conversations. Which suits him and his career very well...
WingsArmy - I wrote that what makes the Wings so good, is their Organizational philosophy and how they build and manage their teams. I had problems posting it and it never made it so Terry Frei beat me to the punch. As I stated yesterday, despite all the hoopla about the Pens, I do not see them turning into a perennial contender because their Organization is not built that way. They have been fortunate to be able to draft high and obtain North American talent like Sid the Kid but are more geared like Carolina or Tampa Bay - basically one hit wonders. Terry Frei hits it on the head in this article and the Wings approach to being perennial contenders is something that will be hard for any team to emulate. Not that it's impossible but changing the mentality of most clubs in the NHL will be like trying to convince communists that communism does not work.
Goofs like Don Cherry think we should have a "Roller Derby" type of sport where fighting, mugging, and injuries are the highlight of the game. Don't get me wrong, I think fighting has a place in the game and love to watch justice being served on the Cherry-type of non-skilled goons, but the skill of the players and the team approach is what I pay for. Watching the old games on the NHL channel just validates this concept - try and sit through a mid-90's Devils game. It's near impossible and about the least entertaining sporting event I've ever watched. Thanks to the Wings Organization, you're simply, "The Best."
rpm634444 - Detroit is still a North American team, as its general manager and coach(es) are Canadians, as well as having several American and Canadian players. The great thing about the NHL is there all kinds of styles being played by various teams. Thats whats exciting about the playoffs, is seeing how teams measure up against another. This year Detroits style won, next year ....? Great hockey players are fun to watch no matter where they are from. Hockey is still at its best when it has skill, speed AND brute strength.
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