White-outs themselves are pretty gay (for lack of a better word). That multiplies by 10 when a good fan base does it and by 1000000 in a sport where the away team is the one that wears the white jerseys.

Fleury gives up huge rebounds every game. I hope we can make him pay more for it.

It's nice to see McCarty in the game. We got lucky on that one but it's nice to see us give it out like that.

Franzen didn't do shit to get a penalty. Fucking refs

Make-up call.

Ozzie's ability to play the puck has been really good this series. I think one of the ESPN guys touched upon it but other than that, it's a very underrated part of his game, especially compared with Fleury (and that's not mentioning Hasek, who scares the hell out of me every time he gets out of his crease).

FWIW since it seems I'm monologuing here, I feel that the Wings absolutely controlled the tempo of this 2nd period but we were too relaxed. If we had stepped it up a notch we could be ahead right now. Ozzie came up huge with a couple of saves there.

Fuck it, I'll keep monologuing. Yeeeaaahhhh!! That's what forechecking will do for you. 2-1!!!

I'm here...You are not alone. I've just been on the friggin phone.

Is it safe to say that if we win this game, its pretty much ovah?

HUGE PP KILL NEEDED!

What a bullshit call.

Ain't gonna answer that one Tahoe until the game has ended.

5 on 3???? WTF is that crap?

Awww come on. This is what happens when you get an ex-NBA guy to run the NHL. Just bullshit.

I was just going to 'go there' We got Stern'd

What a kill! Zets was a fucking machine out there.

AMAZING PP KILL!

Fuckin Ozzy is just flat out awesome.

Yeah he is. If we do win this, we're talking Conn Smythe good.

Coming out of a commercial break, Babs runs his one line using the time to let Zets get back out there. The Pens don't even put out their two line. Babcock is owning Therrien, who just called his lines like a total pussy.

And Therrien finally puts out his top 3 on one line and Babs calls timeout. He's using Therrien as a fucking punching bag.

^ I don't follow all of that. I know what you are saying but would have never realized the coaching moves.

And we're double shifting the one line. Very nice.

I wish I would have seen the urgency the Wings have in the Pistons last night.

This team has it.

Damn almost an empty net'r

OMFG What an ending

That game was just the Wings taking care of business. What a great win.

And I can't say enough about the job Babs is doing this year. Coach of the year for sure. How Therrien doesn't even try to cycle his top 2 lines or put his top players together sooner is beyond me. Dude's scratching his balls those last few minutes while Babs is running his top line every other shift.

I love this team.

It's really been a special team and a very special season. I almost feel that the greatness of what they have done and what they're dong is just starting to be appreciated (by most people) now.

Killing that 5-3 was awesome. They didn't just prevent a score, they owned that and almost scored themselves. On another note... my stepdad doesn't follow hockey too closely and is a Blackhawks fan so he definitely doesn't follow the Wings. The whole game he just was amazed at Detroit's puck control, and how even when Pitt took a shot it was crap. They really are just that good.

Killing that 5-3 was awesome. They didn't just prevent a score, they owned that and almost scored themselves. On another note... my stepdad doesn't follow hockey too closely and is a Blackhawks fan so he definitely doesn't follow the Wings. The whole game he just was amazed at Detroit's puck control, and how even when Pitt took a shot it was crap. They really are just that good.

Yeah, I can't believe that lack of real scoring chances the Pens had during that 2 man advantage. It was like night and day watching the Pistons on Friday night and the Wings on Saturday. That is a team that represents the D.

I don't want to sound like a bootlick, so I'm going to say that I am totally indifferent to the fact that the Wings are one game away from winning a championship. Nope, don't care at all.GO WINGS!

Those are MY Red Wings you are talking aboot.

I don't want to sound like a bootlick, so I'm going to say that I am totally indifferent to the fact that the Wings are one game away from winning a championship. Nope, don't care at all.GO WINGS!

I've actually been way more into hockey this entire season than the Pistons. Which is unusual, because I consider myself a Pistons fan first. It's probably the fact that Flip Saunders is ruining my liking of the Pistons. Say all you want about how it's the players fault, I still think Flip Saunders is in the bottom 5 worst coaches in the NBA.

The Wings on the other hand, they are fun to watch, disciplined, physical and hungry: everything I wanted the Pistons to be. Babcock is the man. He's a top 3 coach in the NHL.

It's still not too late for everyone to jump on the bandwagon. You have an incredibly talented team playing their guts out every night. You have guys like Ozzie who will do anything it takes to play in a Wings jersey. You have a coach who is pushing all the right buttons, getting his team to play perfect hockey and who has been adjusting better than any other coach in the league right now (I can't say enough how much Babcock has turned Therrien into his bitch).

I am so psyched for tonight. Good thing it's just 10 hours away.

Those are MY Red Wings you are talking aboot.

Quiet, bootlick.

(insert "Denver sucks" emoticon)

The Wings on the other hand, they are fun to watch, disciplined, physical and hungry: everything I wanted the Pistons to be. Babcock is the man. He's a top 3 coach in the NHL.
He's in the top 1 IMO. I can't think of a better coach since Scotty left the game, can you? His first year here was shaky (losing in first round), but we went through a major transistion coming into the cap. We lost to edmonton in 6 games, but had two double OT games and only got outscored by 2 goals in the series (two games decided by 2 goals, the rest by 1). He got the Ducks to the finals in his first year coaching (and developed a lot of the players that won it last year). He had one bad year with the Ducks (his 2nd), but his best player was Federov, who does not fit his style of playing all out on both ends and getting to the net. He also lost two of his best players (Kariya and Oates) and Giguere raised his GAA by 30 points.

Jacues Lemaire (sp?) would be the only one I can think of that would be comparible.

Babcock reminds me of Bill Cowher for some reason.

It's still not too late for everyone to jump on the bandwagon.

Excellent. Just what I wanted to hear.

http://www.flagline.com/images/car/nhl-redwings-tn.jpg
Picking up one of these babies later today.

Babcock reminds me of Bill Cowher for some reason.

He reminds me of Geddy Lee (from Rush).

Babcock moved to the Western Hockey League in 1991 where he guided the Moose Jaw Warriors for a two-year term. He then served one season as bench boss of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, earning Canada West coach-of-the-year honours in 1993–94 after guiding Lethbridge to their first-ever appearance in post-season play and an entirely unexpected Canadian university national title with a 34–11–3 over-all mark.

That must be why.

He's in the top 1 IMO. I can't think of a better coach since Scotty left the game, can you? His first year here was shaky (losing in first round), but we went through a major transistion coming into the cap. We lost to edmonton in 6 games, but had two double OT games and only got outscored by 2 goals in the series (two games decided by 2 goals, the rest by 1). He got the Ducks to the finals in his first year coaching (and developed a lot of the players that won it last year). He had one bad year with the Ducks (his 2nd), but his best player was Federov, who does not fit his style of playing all out on both ends and getting to the net. He also lost two of his best players (Kariya and Oates) and Giguere raised his GAA by 30 points.


:cogent:

But it's even more than that. Again, the puck possession thing has been talked about ad nauseum, and to be honest, since it was something the Wings did under Bowman, people assume it's the same style of game. It's not at all. Before the Wings would cycle the puck much higher in other teams zones, using the points more and keeping their shooters (especially Hull and Shanny) more at the top of the faceoff circles or the top of the slot. With snipers and great shotting defensemen it would work a lot of course (3 cups for exampe) but you would also so often get those games where the Wings made goalies look brilliant with 983 shots on goal but scoring only once or twice.

This team is a puck possession team as well through the neutral zone (but also quite differently as we can now be more vertical with the loss of the red line) and we also like to gain the zone. But after that it's a very different game. We stay more in the corners and behind the net. We get closer to the goal for our chances. We're trying a lot more to just get it on the net and crash it instead of setting up the perfect shot. It also allows for a more physical game meaning you have to have your talent buy into it. That's all Babcock. It took him a few years to get to this point but he's defined a style that meshes with the talent he has perfectly and really defines this team.

Edit: And add to that a style of play that has the Wings moving their feet the entire length of the ice. They're forechecking and crashing the net; they're backchecking and picking up the extra man (how many odd rushes have the Penguins really had this series?). They clear the net, win the battles in the corners and cover every inch of ice.

Man, I can't wait for the game to start.

Yeah, the change from vets standing around waiting for slap shots to this style has been amazing. While we do have a lot of vets, this team should be successful for a long time. We've got some good young checkers to replace the Drapers on our team (like Helm). We've got some good young defenseman (and some more to develop). The big question mark for me is Howard. Hopefully he pans out and becomes pretty good. Luckily we have Ozzie to bridge the gap.

Red Wings best Pistons in Motor City ratings

Associated Press
Updated: May 29, 2008, 2:53 PM ET

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=pit)' first victory over the Detroit Red Wings (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=det) on NBC drew the best overnight rating for a third game of the Stanley Cup finals in six years.
Pittsburgh's 3-2 win on Wednesday night earned a 2.8 national rating and an 18.2 rating in Detroit, beating out the 15.9 rating for the Pistons (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=det)' matchup with the Boston Celtics (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=bos).
Game 5 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals drew a 5.3 national rating.
The rating is the percentage watching a program among homes with televisions, and the share is the percentage tuned into the broadcast among those households with TVs on at the time.
The combination of Games 1, 2 and 3 have made this the highest-rated and most-watched opening games of the Stanley Cup finals since Detroit faced Carolina in 2002.
The rating for Wednesday night's game represented an 87-percent increase over last year's Game 3 between Anaheim and Ottawa.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3422364&categoryId=2378529&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1

Ballsy kid


GO WINGS

Zekyl?

(From Cleveland, long "emo" hair, pretends to like Detroit sports)

I'm feelin it. This is the last hockey game of the year!! Ozzie or Zet for Smyth.

I just can't wait for this game to start. I've been bouncing off the walls for hours now.

LETS GO WINGS!!! LETS GO WINGS!!! LETS GO WINGS!!!

Early PP for Wings.

He lost an edge! What a terrible call.

Are you kidding me? Staal just lost an edge.

Where's Tahoe to talk about the cleavage behind Therrien?

Just finishing up a lil biz meeting...damn, missed the cleavage but sure as hell saw that shitty call.

Go Wings!

We're a little tentative right now. The Pens even more so.

Blue shirt, Tahoe, just so you know.

1-0, or would that be 0-1?

Hossa with a nice shot.

1-0 Pens.

Hope that wakes us up. And man did Flip have a great chance there.

1-0, or would that be 0-1?

We're doomed DetroitExport. SDB supported the Pistons and look what happened to them. j/k

Not tonight. Everyone's on the Wings bandwagon tonight. No jinxes tonight. Quite a few beers already tonight.

SDB also supports the Giants, Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Hornets, Colts, and Patriots. I'd say some of those teams have had success.

WTF happened there?

Also, don't joke around with someone who has sleep deprevation. :)

Fuuuck. Good thing it's only the 1st period.

Kronwall with the score

Wow.

Bad change by the Wings there. Almost lead to another goal against.

HELM Where did that go?

Had a chance there.

Fuck, I thought we had one.

Holy shit, he missed the net pretty bad from that close, imo.

He didn't even hit the net on that.

Wow.

Rafalski with a bad giveaway.

I'm not a hockey wiz or anything, but from the look of things it appears we're not playing very well. This deficit isn't insurmountable though.

That period couldn't end fast enough. Worst of the series. We were WAY too flat and tentative. We need to forget the hype, move our feet and pressure the Pens. Every time we pressure them good things happen. 40 minutes of hockey is time enough to turn this around.

Wings are lucky to be only down 2 goals going into the intermission. The Pens had far too many chances and the Wings didn't help themselves with the poor passing and positioning.

The best thing for us is that we still have two peroids left.

Optimistic Detroit fans, this is a breath of fresh air. I get a little tired sometimes dealing with those jerks in the NBA forum.

Optimistic Detroit fans, a real breath of fresh air. Not like those jerks on the NBA board.

We have reason to be.

Whadya think?

High scoring 2nd period?

Detroit has NO reason to be conservative. We are up 3 games to 1 and down 0-2. Go for it! Or maybe wait til the 3rd to roll with that attitude?

We just have to move our feet and get back on our game. Skate and own the neutral zone and get some pressure down deep with or forecheck. Every time we do that we put the Pens on their heels. One goal and we can get momentum back.

Plenty of time....got some nerves out

jeez nice turnovers

Another turnover leading to a odd-man rush.[smilie=banghead.gi:

AHAHAHAAAAA

YEEEAHHHHH!! Just fucking pressure these chumps and good things will happen!

Gotta love that one. Can I call that a cheap one?

Helm deserved that one.

Nice dive by Orpik.

great kill

I agree. We have to keep building momentum.

Hudler's looking good so far.

Did the Pens get another too many men penalty?

We're seeing the other guys start to move but it's time we saw our one line step up.

Did the Pens get another too many men penalty?

I think it may be a high-sticking penalty?

Not a good PP

Horrible PP by the Wings.

Nice blast by Drake there...think it was Drake

Our 4th line outplaying our 1st line IMO.

They deserve more icetime.

I think it may be a high-sticking penalty?

Crosby high stick

Even the announcers here in Spain know who Mo Cheese is.

Our 4th line outplaying our 1st line IMO.

They deserve more icetime.

You're right about that. I think Babs should just roll the lines and forget matching up. Let the one line start doing their thing. Something to get them going.

How was that not too many men on the ice?

omg

OMG was that close

Oh wow................

Great save by Fleury.

wow nice save...that was a nice play. shiiit.....

Jeeeez did he just rob us.

That is a sweet avatar Wizzle.

I didn't think the pass was coming back to him but somehow he threaded the needle on the pass.

That is a sweet avatar Wizzle.

thanks, Google image is great

Blooooooody

Ouch.

Malone took one right in the face.

OMG that had to hurt.

I can't imagine taking a puck to the face....that was sick

Hey, we're gaining on them.

2-1

Crosby loves himself a blind pass

They lost both Gonchar and Malone that period.

hey Export, is the beer there as smooth as I remember or was that just a giddy teenager's point of view

20 minutes for one goal. We can do this. We started to wake up and move. I'd still like to see Dats and Zets start to create more chances. Babs put Cleary back with them, I think to see if that would get them back to form.

Just as smooth as you remember Wizzle (and Tahoe's right, amazing avatar). Cheap beer here kicks the shit out of cheap American beer.

Edit: Or we could say that the average beer here kicks the shit out of the average American beer.

thats what I thought

No snacks in the house, gotta go to the kid's pretzel goldfish......weak sauce

Here's what I'm drinking. It's actually based on a German type of beer called Marzenbier but made here in Spain:

http://www.damm.es/wps/portal/webdamm/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN433CgXJgFiegfqRaC IBcBFfj_zcVP2g1Dx9b_0A_YLc0IhyR0dFAL2JenY!/delta/base64xml/L0lDU0lKQ1RPN29na21BISEvb0VvUUFBSVFnakZJQUFRaENFSV FqR0VBLzRKRmlDbzBlaDFpY29uUVZHaGQtc0lRIS83XzVfVjAv MQ!!?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_5_V0_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/en/WebPublica/CervezasDamm/VollDamm

We are still turning over the puck far too much but we are getting some good chances. We just have to cut down on the turnovers and put some pressure on Pitts.

We are still turning over the puck far too much but we are getting some good chances. We just have to cut down on the turnovers and put some pressure on Pitts.

:cogent:

We are still turning over the puck far too much but we are getting some good chances. We just have to cut down on the turnovers and put some pressure on Pitts.

that would be nice

Here's what I'm drinking. It's actually based on a German type of beer called Marzenbier but made here in Spain:

http://www.damm.es/wps/portal/webdamm/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN433CgXJgFiegfqRaC IBcBFfj_zcVP2g1Dx9b_0A_YLc0IhyR0dFAL2JenY!/delta/base64xml/L0lDU0lKQ1RPN29na21BISEvb0VvUUFBSVFnakZJQUFRaENFSV FqR0VBLzRKRmlDbzBlaDFpY29uUVZHaGQtc0lRIS83XzVfVjAv MQ!!?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_5_V0_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/en/WebPublica/CervezasDamm/VollDamm

and if I tried to get it here it would taste awful

Here we go! 20 minutes is a lot of time. Pressure these guys and just work for one to tie it up. That's all.

And Malone is back. Good for him.

Both Malone and Gonchar are back.

Strong shift by the Wings to open the 3rd.

YES

DATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLD ON

NO goal

Off the crossbar.

damn

I honestly thought that was in.

Fast n furious.

Wings getting some great chances here in the 3rd. Just got to capitalize on one of those.

The top two lines are Z-Franzen-Sammy and Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Cleary right?

Those last 5 minutes were just crazy. And Babcock's broken up his lines and split Dats and Zets.

Yes H1, and Babs is pretty much double shifting those 2 lines.

PP! I don't know how many more quick intakes of air I can take

PP coming up for the Wings. We gotta score here.

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There it is. New game.

There we go

YEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

There it is!!!!

That was a sweet play by Dats and Z.

Ozzy!

Detroit > the Pistons. Let's go Wings!

they're not letting up

Man, the Wings are getting some great chances.

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohh yeah, baby. Can you feel it?

wwwooooohooooooo

Fuck Yeah!!!!! My neighbors are probably calling the police right now but I don't fucking care. MY WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Want More!!! We Want More!!! We Want More!!!

"We want Thee Cup" chants. Demand and you shall receive.

and now the clock watching starts

How many shots have the Pens had this period?

1?

Shot are 12-2 this period.

1?

LOL.

I wasn't that far off

And Babcock goes and pulls these 2 new lines right out of his ass. What an amazing coaching job. We HAVE to keep this pressure up, keep the puck in their end.

Shine that baby up!

That's it. Just clear the motherfucker and move your feet.

the pens are going to have one last surge here

I still can't believe the goalie change has worked out this great for us.

I'm so glad Franzen was able to come back and play this series...for him that is.

Listen to that fucking crowd noise

^ AWESOME!

What?

OMG

No fucking way.

Wow, what a turn of events!

Yep, goal

lolololololololololol

Thats ok, they're just delaying their execution.

shit

I can't believe that shit. If we lose, I just might shove someone.

Wow did we ever put the puck on goal in that last couple of seconds.

LOL

wow, just wow

damnit I wanted to go to bed.

Going to OT.

No knock on Ozzie nor our D, they've been so great this series, but how many of their goals have come off that left post?

damnit I wanted to go to bed.

It's 4:45 AM here. Fuck going to bed, I just want the cup.

An OT win would be great, but it's just not the same as the crowd counting it down and then erupting as time expires. :(

Oh hell, SDB, I'll take the Cup anyway I can get it. Plus the crowd erupting for an overtime goal suits me just fine (knock wood, light candles, cross fingers, whatever the fuck it takes...)-

Niklas Fucking Lidstrom dnacing around, the pass goes through his legs, and the guy gets TWO shots off with no one there to hit him. And Lidstrom spinning around not knowing what the fuck to do or where the fucking puck is.
No surprise, that.

agree, export

Oh hell, SDB, I'll take the Cup anyway I can get it.

Me too.

here we go

Niklas Fucking Lidstrom dnacing around, the pass goes through his legs, and the guy gets TWO shots off with no one there to hit him. And Lidstrom spinning around not knowing what the fuck to do or where the fucking puck is.
No surprise, that.

Just saw the replay. It really is amazing to see the C do that. But it's overtime now. Time to go all fucking out.

Here we go...

I have to be up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. I am not going to bed until this is over. If we lose, I'm sending SDB out to kill someone.

good thing I don't work Tuesdays

I love the countdown to the Cup when you are up. The spontaneous OT sudden death goal runs a close 2nd though.

Good thing I call my own shots tomorrow as far as work goes.

Its only 8, anyway.

Why is that the Pens get a stoppage in play when Gonchar went down but when Helm is hurt, nothing happens?

If we lose, I'm sending SDB out to kill someone.

Just give me names.

Good chance there...

I love Dats and Zets together but sometimes you just gotta let Dats center a line. We have to keep the pressure on.

Damn, saw some sticks go up on Sammys shot

Oh fuck that was close

OMG...So close.

I can't take this

This is pretty intense. I just might start substituting basketball with hockey in the Fall.

Another good chance.

We just got to keep the pressure on. Keep that puck in their end and down low.

Fleury is keeping the Pens in this game.

OZZIE!!!

What a nice save!!

This is fucking intense.

OMG!!!!

Fuck, these guys gotta be tired.

Ozzie! Very huge grabbing that puck there.

We can't depend on Ozzy, our D has to step up too. Not saying they aren't.

I am glad the Wings didn't take a penalty or ice the puck on that shift.

Sweet play by Lidstrom on that 2 on 1!!!

Nice attept by Zetty

And give it up for the 4 line. When they're out there they're pressuring their asses off.

DAMN!!!!!!!

My heart stopped there for a second.

what?

You gotta be kidding me?

SWALLOW YOUR FUCKING WHISTLE YOU COCKSUCKER

Not a good call.

You do NOT fucking call that in OT of game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. This is not the fucking NBA!!

Cleary Cleared

face off in our zone?

You do NOT fucking call that in OT of game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. This is not the fucking NBA!!

:cogent:

Rafalski flattened that puck

You do NOT fucking call that in OT of game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. This is not the fucking NBA!!

That's a poor call in regulation, let alone in the OT of a potentially clinching game of the SCF.

Dats with the steal

great kill but how do you make that call

2nd OT? Sure, why not? Let's do it.

I'm not sure I can take another one of these.

That's a poor call in regulation, let alone in the OT of a potentially clinching game of the SCF.

And you're absolutely right. But 10 years ago we wouldn't even be talking about this since there is no way it would ever have been called. In hockey the game gets decided on the fucking ice.

I'm not sure I can take another one of these.

Yeah you can. Man up and own like you know how :motown owns:

It's a war of attrition now.

Edit: Understand that I'm jacked on beers and raw emotion right now.

NBC calling out the NHL. Gotta love it.

My 5th period options...

Coors Light
Bloody Mary
Margarita
Blackberry Brandy

andy suggestions?

NBC calling out the NHL. Gotta love it.

yeah, that was quality

NBC calling out the NHL. Gotta love it.

On that call?

I was gone for minute.

Anything but the Brandy. Vodka, Tequila and beer can get you geeked. Go moose piss beer. That's hockey.

My 5th period options...

Coors Light
Bloody Mary
Margarita
Blackberry Brandy

andy suggestions?

maybe none of the above

My 5th period options...

Coors Light
Bloody Mary
Margarita
Blackberry Brandy

andy suggestions?
Hockey Game = Bloody Mary

Hockey Game = Bloody Mary

Done!

thx bubs.