Rinne is a monster and Detroit's offense can really lay it on thick if they want to. This is probably the biggest 'up in the air' series of the playoffs, to me. I don't think there's a favorite between the two. I'm really looking forward to this series.
I'll go with Nashville in OT of game 7, just because I'm a Hawks fan.
Wow, I think this series is the closest to 50/50 you could get. No favourites or underdogs.
Forwards: Datsyuk is a playoff beast, and the Wings also have lots of centre depth with Zetterberg and Filppula. Nashville's forwards might not have the name recognition of the Wings forwards, but collectively they have been a high-scoring offence. Radulov is the big question mark - he could very well be one of the stars of the series. Edge: Even
Defence: Weber/Suter is probably the best pairing in the league, but Nashville's depth D-men aren't quite as good. The ageless Lidstrom anchors Detroit's D, and I like their depth defencemen a bit more. Edge: Slight edge Wings
Goal: Rinne and Howard have both played well in the past, though Howie hasn't looked as good since his injuries. Meanwhile Rinne has been a workhorse and shows no signs of slowing down. Edge: Slight edge Preds
Special Teams: Nashville has the No. 1 PP in the league, and also has a good PK. However, both the Wings and Preds have been one of the least-penalized teams, and especially in the playoffs, the refs swallow their whistles a lot. Edge: Preds (but it won't matter much)
It's a real shame that one of these two teams has to go home, because they're both great hockey teams that deserve to be called contenders. However, this Wings squad has a lot of playoff experience, has won a ton of big games over the last 5 years, and when push comes to shove, I'll go with them.
Wow, I think this series is the closest to 50/50 you could get. No favourites or underdogs.
Forwards: Datsyuk is a playoff beast, and the Wings also have lots of centre depth with Zetterberg and Filppula. Nashville's forwards might not have the name recognition of the Wings forwards, but collectively they have been a high-scoring offence. Radulov is the big question mark - he could very well be one of the stars of the series. Edge: Even
Defence: Weber/Suter is probably the best pairing in the league, but Nashville's depth D-men aren't quite as good. The ageless Lidstrom anchors Detroit's D, and I like their depth defencemen a bit more. Edge: Slight edge Wings
Goal: Rinne and Howard have both played well in the past, though Howie hasn't looked as good since his injuries. Meanwhile Rinne has been a workhorse and shows no signs of slowing down. Edge: Slight edge Preds
Special Teams: Nashville has the No. 1 PP in the league, and also has a good PK. However, both the Wings and Preds have been one of the least-penalized teams, and especially in the playoffs, the refs swallow their whistles a lot. Edge: Preds (but it won't matter much)
It's a real shame that one of these two teams has to go home, because they're both great hockey teams that deserve to be called contenders. However, this Wings squad has a lot of playoff experience, has won a ton of big games over the last 5 years, and when push comes to shove, I'll go with them.
Detroit in a Game 7 OT thriller.
Pretty good neutral breakdown.
I'll also say coaching edge goes to Detroit, but not by a huge margin.
And while Rinne is definitely the better of the two goalies, if Howard is fully healthy then this is probably the best goaltending the Wings have gotten in a very long time.
Defensive depth I think definitely goes to the Wings with any of Ericcson, Quincey, Kindl, and Smith comprising the bottom the pairing with the flexibility of options.
I'll also say coaching edge goes to Detroit, but not by a huge margin.
And while Rinne is definitely the better of the two goalies, if Howard is fully healthy then this is probably the best goaltending the Wings have gotten in a very long time.
Defensive depth I think definitely goes to the Wings with any of Ericcson, Quincey, Kindl, and Smith comprising the bottom the pairing with the flexibility of options.
I can't agree with the depth D being the reason Wings have the edge. Our depth D is just as solid if not better than the wings this year.
Wow, I think this series is the closest to 50/50 you could get. No favourites or underdogs.
Forwards: Datsyuk is a playoff beast, and the Wings also have lots of centre depth with Zetterberg and Filppula. Nashville's forwards might not have the name recognition of the Wings forwards, but collectively they have been a high-scoring offence. Radulov is the big question mark - he could very well be one of the stars of the series. Edge: Even
Defence: Weber/Suter is probably the best pairing in the league, but Nashville's depth D-men aren't quite as good. The ageless Lidstrom anchors Detroit's D, and I like their depth defencemen a bit more. Edge: Slight edge Wings
Goal: Rinne and Howard have both played well in the past, though Howie hasn't looked as good since his injuries. Meanwhile Rinne has been a workhorse and shows no signs of slowing down. Edge: Slight edge Preds
Special Teams: Nashville has the No. 1 PP in the league, and also has a good PK. However, both the Wings and Preds have been one of the least-penalized teams, and especially in the playoffs, the refs swallow their whistles a lot. Edge: Preds (but it won't matter much)
It's a real shame that one of these two teams has to go home, because they're both great hockey teams that deserve to be called contenders. However, this Wings squad has a lot of playoff experience, has won a ton of big games over the last 5 years, and when push comes to shove, I'll go with them.
Detroit in a Game 7 OT thriller.
Good breakdown, but I gotta give the Wings the edge in offence. Sure Nashville has depth, but in a big game (and there will be a few of those in this series) when push comes to shove, and a team needs a goal, give me the group with Datsyuk, Franzen, Zetterberg.
This guy says otherwise. Conner recalled and in for Mursak, Cleary in for Bertuzzi. Sounds like he re-aggravated previous injury.
Conner was called up as a precaution just in case. There has been nothing in the local newspapers about Bertuzzi being out for game 1. This is the closest thing I could find.
The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Chris Conner from the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Conner, 28, appeared in eight games for Detroit this season, picking up one goal and two assists and posting a plus-2 rating. Conner was recalled in case he is needed to replace an injured or ineffective player.
Todd Bertuzzi, who missed four games with a strained groin last month, didn't play in the final six minutes of regulation or in overtime during Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Bertuzzi did return to take the final shootout attempt. He logged only 12 minutes.
Danny Cleary sat out the final two games with a sore knee that has plagued him most of the season. Coach Mike Babcock said after the game that Cleary is expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs.
Conner was called up as a precaution just in case. There has been nothing in the local newspapers about Bertuzzi being out for game 1. This is the closest thing I could find.
I'm just going on what this guy says, from what I can gather TCL is a reputable blog.
FWIW, blogs like that with amateur writers don't really have any inside information. They just report verbatim what's in the news or speculate based on what has been reported.
Here's the bio of the guy who writes for that website. He has no more insight into what is going on than you or I do.
Quote:
TCL contributor and featured writer since 2010. Detroit Red Wings fan since the 1997 Cup Championship. Lives in Tecumseh, Ontario. Plays hockey, soccer and runs cross country both at the competitive and recreational levels. Continues to write for TCL and in 2011 organized a TCL Red Wings Facebook page and Twitter account. The ultimate goal is to increase the amount of writers and eventually have enough coverage to get the Red Wings a subsite. Follow on Twitter @KyleBusch11 and @TCLRedWings.
Rinne and Radulov are just going to be too much for the Wings to handle. I say the Preds will win in 7 and home ice advantage will be a major factor.
Since when did Radulov become the next coming of Crosby?
Pfft, Wings handled Crosby AND Malkin just fine. I'm sure Radulov is an afterthought to them.
Question is, how is Nashville going to handle a healthy Howard? Especially when they don't have the offense that can score at will like Detroit have.
I'm sure Red Wing fans' are happy their team isn't play Coyotes again. They were 1 minute away from facing them for the 3rd time. Lol. I'm sure they are happy to play fresh blood.
Since when did Radulov become the next coming of Crosby?
Pfft, Wings handled Crosby AND Malkin just fine. I'm sure Radulov is an afterthought to them.
Question is, how is Nashville going to handle a healthy Howard? Especially when they don't have the offense that can score at will like Detroit have.
I'm sure Red Wing fans' are happy their team isn't play Coyotes again. They were 1 minute away from facing them for the 3rd time. Lol. I'm sure they are happy to play fresh blood.
Wait, are you referencing a playoff series from 2007-2008 (the year before the Wings lost to the same team in question) in order to make a point about this year? And when exactly has Detroit consistently shown the ability to "score at will?" They scored a tenth of a goal more per game this year than Nashville.
Hell, I hope Radulov is an "afterthought" to them, but luckily for Detroit, their coaches and players aren't quite that arrogant.
Since when did Radulov become the next coming of Crosby?
Pfft, Wings handled Crosby AND Malkin just fine. I'm sure Radulov is an afterthought to them.
Question is, how is Nashville going to handle a healthy Howard? Especially when they don't have the offense that can score at will like Detroit have.
I'm sure Red Wing fans' are happy their team isn't play Coyotes again. They were 1 minute away from facing them for the 3rd time. Lol. I'm sure they are happy to play fresh blood.
Yeah like that time they lost to them in the Finals.
Yeah like that time they lost to them in the Finals.
Crosby was still pretty much shut down, atleast as much as he ever has been in the playoffs. A healthy datsyuk/lidstrom/hossa would have also contained Malkin better. Don't take that as a shot at the Penguins or anything, I know injuries happen to basically everyone by that point in the season, and that Malkin wasn't 100% the year before. This speaks more to the depth of the Penguins and I always defended them when people would argue that they are a two man team.
Basically I'm saying that if the Wings can atleast somewhat contain both crosby and malkin, radulov shouldn't be a problem
Hell, I hope Radulov is an "afterthought" to them, but luckily for Detroit, their coaches and players aren't quite that arrogant.[/QUOTE]
All it will take is one missed step coming out of his own zone and blam o kronwalled and out for the playoffs just saying . It has happened to better players before .
Last edited by Goalie guy: 04-10-2012 at 06:23 PM.
From the sounds of it, this Radulov guy will skate circles around the likes of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lidstrom (I keep reading he'll manhandle the Wings). Not to mention Filppula (who is no slouch defensively), and Darren Helm...who forechecks and like a beast. Oh, he's no slouch defensively either (best PKer on the Wings). He'll be back in game 2 or 3.
The Wings are like the 4-5th best defensive team in the league to boot (they dropped to 12-13th due to injuries, and ended up in 7th at the end of the year).
I do NOT see Radulov being too much for the wings to handle. I see Radulov just playing his game and getting his chances. Not dominating and flying up and down the ice. As for Zetterberg? He's a playoff performer.
They have an article on him on the Wings website, He's 1 point behind the 100 point mark, in just 8 years. So the Zetterberg argument isn't clinging onto history. He's just an superstar player who steps up his game in the playoffs...who just so happens to play shut down if Babcock asks him to.
He does this playing shut down mode, if need be. If Radulov is on his game, he'll have Zetterberg shadowing him like crazy.
In this series, the only players that have the potential to dominate these games are the goaltenders. This is going to be a tightly checked/defensive battle.
