I know that the NHL is considered the Red-Headed Step Child here on WTF, but there have to be a few guys like me who watch most of the Wings games. So, it's time for a Red Wings Appreciation Thread.

These guys are great this year. This is the best team they have had since 2002. They were a damn good team last year, and probably would have won the Cup if not for a bunch of injuries. This year's team is even better:

- We're not even 2/3 of the way through the season, and the next closest team in points is Ottowa, and they have 16 less points.

- The Wings have the most goals scored in the league, and the least goals against.

- Second best PP% in the league.

- They have the best scoring duo in the league with Hank and Pavel.

- Babcock is a hell of a coach.

- Rafalski has been the best pickup of the offseason on any team.

- There is a lot of young talent on this team as well.

- Lidstrom with once again win the Norris.

Playoff time should be fun this year. I fully understand that this thread just jinxed them, but they deserve some love. This team is fun to watch. This is the best chance they have to win the Cup since '02, so enjoy this run.

I forgot to add the best statistic. Here are the leaders for the NHL in +/-:

1. Nick Lidstrom (DET) 46
2. Pavel Datsyuk (DET) 37
3. Danny Heatley (OTT) 31
4. Hank Zetterberg (DET) 27
5. Brian Rafalski (DET) 23
6. Dan Cleary (DET) 21
7t. Jason Spezza (OTT) 20
7t. Ryan Getzlaf (ANH) 20
9. V. Fillpula (DET) 19
10. D. Alfredsson (OTT) 18

That's fucking domination.

(Lidstrom at +46 with 1/3 of the season still to play is just sick.)
(Kronwall is also in the top 20 of +/-)

Not to go all negative, but with that kind of domination are we looking at a Patriots-esque disappointment if they don't win the cup?

I agree with you, but that's the point of this thread. I'm not talking about how great they look in the regular season, these guys are a playoff equipped team. Like I said, they were the best team in the league last year, but got hit hard by the injury bug. It should be a long run as long as the injury bug doesn't return this April.

Stop being so fucking negative. I don't want any constructive critisizm out of you, just play the game and say "WOW THE WINGS ARE SO GOOD!"


I kid.

I agree. I am a HUGE Red Wings fan.

My eyes will be glued to the TV when they get to the Finals this year.

I made this thread for you, Mailman.

Thanks MoTown.

"The Mailman's Red Wings Thread"??

As I always say though: ain't no thang without them rangs!

My goal here is to get the Red Wings to the level where we actually start OGT threads for them, where someone will do the PBP for those of us without VS (when the game isn't on FSN).

And I won't stop until that happens.

I think OST's are certainly order for playoff series. But for many that's when Red Wings season starts.

I've watched every game on Versus, NBC or against the avs this year. I really enjoy watching this team (always have, but even moreso now that the young guys have gotten the reins fully). I think they'll make a deep run too, because both Ozzie and Hasek are playing very well, and Detroit has the best group of defenseman by far in the NHL.

I watch whenever I can but I don't have Versus and I always forget when games are on. I wish I could add a Detroit sports widget to my desktop that gave dates of upcoming games and scores. I've searched before but never could find anything.

Just get one of those pocket schedules.

Where?

I thought someone posted one here.

Or was that a Pistons schedule?

I watch whenever I can but I don't have Versus and I always forget when games are on. I wish I could add a Detroit sports widget to my desktop that gave dates of upcoming games and scores. I've searched before but never could find anything.

I have my google calendar set up with all the national tv games for the Wings and Pistons.

The Pistons have one you can download a CSV file from their website. That can be imported into an outlook calendar. I took that and put it into my google calendar. You can set up reminders and stuff if you want too. That's about as automated as you can get.

I need to set up all that google stuff. I just finally got myself a gmail account.

Welcome to the club.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512R1HAM5QL._AA240_.jpg

...oh and about the gmail account: cool. :)

Ahem, teenage girls? Does that book say TEENAGE GIRLS?! UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED AND PREPARED TO HAVE CHILDREN, NO TEENAGE GIRLS SHOULD BE LOSING THEIR VIRGINITY! EVER!

What would Jesus do?
^Probably teenage girls...

You're going to Hell.

I need to set up all that google stuff. I just finally got myself a gmail account.
Here is what my February calendar has for national TV (wings and pistons), plus the Denver games:

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/2240/febnattvxg0.png

That's great, I do nothing on Sunday afternoons. I can watch hockey for the next few weeks.

That's great, I do nothing on Sunday afternoons. I can watch hockey for the next few weeks.

I think Sunday's are NBC, but you better double check, they may be versus.

I thought Saturdays were NBC.

Then again I don't know shit about hockey.

Karl, does Jesus watch hockey?

No, he's watching you.

Back to hockey...the Wings are what, 41-10? 42-10?

Who has the best record in NHL history and what is it?

No, he's watching you.

Back to hockey...the Wings are what, 41-10? 42-10?

Who has the best record in NHL history and what is it?

Wings have the most wins, 62 I think. Can't remember who has the most points, Montreal I think. Both records will probably go down at some point soon because of shootouts.

Tonight, 8pm, FSN

Sweet win tonight. They play like shit and still find a way to win the game.

Awesome game.

I had to turn it off when it was still 1-1.

The Toronto Star's Damien Cox is getting behind Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock's push for Nicklas Lidstrom to be considered a candidate for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player:

February 6, Toronto Star: Lidstrom is the best player on the best team. So shouldn't an awful lot more people be making an awful lot more noise about Lidstrom winning his first Hart Trophy as league MVP this season?

"I have no idea why Nick Lidstrom hasn't won a Hart already," said an exasperated Detroit GM Ken Holland. "I just don't know what people are watching. I mean, he doesn't win because why, he's not a good quote?"


Cox notes that Lidstrom, comparatively speaking, is a +86 to Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer's +1 over the last two seasons, and he suggests that Lidstrom negates the Wings' disadvantage when, again, comparatively speaking, Detroit's blueline is compared to Anaheim's. Mostly, Cox does what the Red Wings need going into their Saturday afternoon tilt vs. the Maple Leafs--he suggests that the legions of media (and fans) watch Lidstrom with the Hart Trophy in mind:

These days, defencemen generally don't bring the "wow" factor the way Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey once did. So with Lidstrom coming to the ACC this week along with the rest of the Red Wings, there's no buzz as there would be if Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby or even Washington and Alex Ovechkin were en route.
Oh, yes, and he quarterbacks the power play in his spare time. So maybe this is a good week to have a good, long look when he skates against the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

He's the best player in the sport this season, leading the best team to one of the more dominant seasons in league history. End of discussion.

February 2, NHL.com: How many times have we heard the battle cry: Big players play big in big games? For the Detroit Red Wings and their so-far-unbelievable season, the first game after the All-Star break might not seem important when you're looking from the outside. But all games are important to this Detroit team. That day-to-day drive, no matter who they face, is key. That's why the Wings are 38-10-4 following their 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Phoenix on Jan. 30 -- a game in which captain Nicklas Lidstrom was the big player who played real big. Trailing 2-1 well into the third period, Detroit tied the game at 9:09 when Lidstrom's shot was deflected in front by Tomas Holmstrom -- giving "Homer" his third straight 20-goal season and fourth in five seasons. Just 3½ minutes later, Lidstrom teed up another blast that eluded Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov for the winning margin. The goal was Lidstrom's sixth of the season, but first at home. With one goal and two assists, it was Lidstrom's 44th career game with three or more points.
The Red Wings have a 41-2-1 record in games in which Lidstrom scored at least three points, including a current streak of 32 consecutive wins.

Henrik Zetterberg returned from a two-game absence with back spasms to put Detroit on top against Phoenix with his 29th goal of the season. Amazing what some extra California sun and several deep massages can do for a back during the All-Star break, isn't it?

Do you like trends? Here's one you might not have been expecting. With the win against the Coyotes, the Red Wings are now 10-0 in Wednesday games this season.

Grind Line, Part II? If Darren McCarty shows the Red Wings he's still got passion for the game in a 25-game tryout at Detroit's Grand Rapids affiliate in the AHL, he could be reunited with former Grind Line linemates Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby later this season.

If they win the cup, we should all be obligated to buy the official DVD, T-Shirt, Hat, and car flag

So be white trash?

Oh yes, I'm a big Wings fan. I'm glad this thread came up. I've been paying really good attention to the Wings. I have it set up so I get texts every time someone scores, because I usually can't watch all the games, though still a large amount.


Not to go all negative, but with that kind of domination are we looking at a Patriots-esque disappointment if they don't win the cup?
Just like it is with every other non-Lions Detroit sport?

Whoa, texts when people score? How do you do it and does it cost money?

If the Wings were on out here, I'd be all over them. Wish ESPN NHL still had a contract. They covered the Wings all of the time.

Wings/Ducks on NBC right now.

Thx Vincent

Thanks for sure. I didn't know this was on. 1-0 Wings right now.

Anyone watch the game? I've never watched referees hand a game to a team before, so this was a first. The ref waived off a goal for no apparent reason.

Apparently when the goalie covers the puck, you can just run into him and kick the puck out from under his glove. And if you punch a guy in the face but leave your glove on, he gets the penalty. And if you stand at the top of the crease and the goalie can't see around you, the goal doesn't count. That officiating in that game was pathetic.

I finally got a good chance to see the Wings yesterday, I've only had the chance to see maybe 5 games total. I agree with everyone who said/wrote that it was very close to playoff hockey...well except for the reffing. I'd like to think that it was more a regular season type ref job and some big mistakes. I don't think we'd see the game called like that in the playoffs.

Good game too. An intense hockey game is just so great to see.

Apparently when the goalie covers the puck, you can just run into him and kick the puck out from under his glove. And if you punch a guy in the face but leave your glove on, he gets the penalty. And if you stand at the top of the crease and the goalie can't see around you, the goal doesn't count. That officiating in that game was pathetic.

I agree, that was terrible. The penalty call on Samuelsson was horrible. Call matching roughing calls. The Ducks player did far more than him and didn't get called. They also could have called a 2nd minor on Selanne when he had a delayed call and then broke Pavel's stick when they were pulling Ozzie and still had the puck.

The worst part was the dissallowed goal. After you let the Ducks interfere with Ozzie, there is no way you can take back that goal when Homer didn't even touch him. If you took back both, fine. But you set the standard for that game and then changed it.

I still can't believe Selanne didn't get a second penalty for that. That's a pretty hardcore slash when you snap the opposing players stick in half. I actually was on the phone with a buddy for the entire second intermission bitching about the refs. He's about as hardcore of a wings fan as I know and he was livid.

Wings on NBC at 3:30. Time to get things back on track.

I take full responsibility for this slide. Everytime I make a thread about them, this happens.

During the playoffs, I will make 5-6 hate threads per series.

Wings on NBC at 3:30. Time to get things back on track.

Damn, I thought yopu meant the old sitcom.

If the Sabres didn't exist, they could relocate to Buffalo, and call themselves the Buffalo Chicken Wings.

No joking. They'll easily make it to the playoffs, where they'll once again become the hot wings.

I like it, but I wouldn't want the Wings to relocate. So I'd rather change Detroit's name to Buffalo.

Detroit sucks anyways. Fucking French.

The jinx that MoTown put on the Wings with this thread now appears to be over.

I'll make sure the jinx ends.

By the way, is the rivalry renewed after last nights game?

The jinx that MoTown put on the Wings with this thread now appears to be over.

Yeah, because I purposely didn't post in it for the game yesterday. Don't mess with such things, we need to leave this thread alone.

By the way, is the rivalry renewed after last nights game?

They were pretty mad about the hit on Lidstrom. I missed it (I was coming down from the mountains after snowboarding all day), was it a bad hit? I only saw the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Vinny - I'll lock this thread before the next game.

Chris - It didn't seem all that dirty, but he had his elbows up and he went after him a little harder than he should have. I know there are a lot of people that have problems with unwritten rules, but when you hunt a team's best player, there's going to be some consequences.

That it. Thread locked.