T1B

Vancouver shit their pants last night. A disgrace.
San Jose is picking in it. Thornton is carrying this team. So I think they'll stay in the group of 8.

None of these teams look good. None of them scare anyone.

At least include the Sharks in the poll...they've yet to clinch. They do have 4 games left but if lose all 4 remaining games, there's no guarantee they get in...especially with the two games with the Canucks. Three of the four games are at home...major edge for them.

Tough finish for the Oilers...they're in Detroit but not against the full Wings' arsenal. Zetterberg will play but no Datsyuk, Schneider or Lang. The Wings did call up 50-goal scorer from the Griffins, Donald MacLean. They've played the Wings tough all year...I'd think they at least sneak out with a point considering the Wings have nothing to play for other than to stay healthy. They also get Anaheim and Colorado at home...two meaningful games for both teams.

Colorado still has an outside shot at winning the Northwest...very slight chance. They do face the Flames one more time but they'd basically have to win out and the Flames lose the rest of their games. They close with Vancouver and Edmonton...both monster games. I don't like the idea of them playing Theodore down the stretch to get him back in shape at the risk of missing the playoffs. I say stick with Budaj and they should take their chances with him unless he plays horribly in any of these games.

Vancouver has control over their own destiny. The huge home and home with San Jose and they finish the season at home with the Avalanche. All three are must wins...no doubt about it.

Honestly, I can't decide on which team will miss out. If you held a gun to my head, I'll say Vancouver because they have the most work to do and only three games left...all against these last 4 teams. They're all playing each other so whoever misses out is going to be on the golf course because they didn't take care of business.

Vancouver does not have what it takes. A colossal failure this year, and it couldn't happen to a classier, more respectable organization.......


well, maybe Tor-annnah.

Edmonton sure didn't look like a playoff team tonight. Got shutout 2-0 to a Detroit team without the likes of Datsyuk, Lang, and Schneider. Two weeks ago, as a Red Wings fan, i would have said Edmonton was the 2nd least team i wanted to see in the playoffs behind Calgary, not so sure of that anymore. They just didn't look like a confident bunch that believed in themselves. Didn't seem like they were playing with desperation.

Shoalzie wrote:The Wings did call up 50-goal scorer from the Griffins, Donald MacLean.

Oil had some nice chances last night but couldn't pull it off. My hopes grow faint.

Side note: worst line of commentary (from a tool named Kevin Karius) I have ever heard last night on the first Wings goal "OH! Don Maclean just took the Chevy to the levy!"

I am embarassed just having listened to it.

Both the Oilers and Canucks are bad teams that certainly don't deserve to be in the play-offs but because the Kings are even bigger losers one of these teams will get a shot to lose 4 games against Detroit.

I think that SJ will beat Vancouver and make it tough for the Canucks to make it but the Oilers could easily lose every game from now on too with the level of crap they are playing with.

I say that they both lose all the remaining games and Oilers back in because they are the masters of the loser point.

Cicatrix wrote:

Shoalzie wrote:The Wings did call up 50-goal scorer from the Griffins, Donald MacLean.

Oil had some nice chances last night but couldn't pull it off. My hopes grow faint.

Side note: worst line of commentary (from a tool named Kevin Karius) I have ever heard last night on the first Wings goal "OH! Don Maclean just took the Chevy to the levy!"

I am embarassed just having listened to it.

Ken and Mickey on FSN Detroit were slinging a couple of bad Don MacLean/American Pie resets as well. RACK him for scoring the game winner last night.

Don MacLean?!? I remember when he was a Kings prospect years ago.

Great game last night between the Sharks and Canucks. Just from seeing that game, there's no doubt Thornton needs to a finalist for the Hart. The guy sees the ice so well and draws defenders away from the less talented wingers he plays with and he thread perfect passes to them. That first goal to Stevenson, he makes a brilliant long pass ahead from his own end to the streaking Stevenson hugging the Canucks' line and he breaks alone and beats Auld. The second goal, Thornton plays a brilliant two-man game with Ekman. He draws Ohlund away from the front of the net to get Ekman open and he puts the puck on him perfectly and beats Auld before Carney can slide over to pick him up. Thornton finishes with 4 assists on the night including one of the game-winner and put him over 90 for the season. I don't know what went wrong in Boston but he's the best thing to happen to the Sharks this season. I doubt they're in the playoffs if they don't pick him up from the Bruins. You've got to put him up with Kiprusoff and Jagr as the leading candidates for MVP.

Shoalzie wrote:Great game last night between the Sharks and Canucks. Just from seeing that game, there's no doubt Thornton needs to a finalist for the Hart. The guy sees the ice so well and draws defenders away from the less talented wingers he plays with and he thread perfect passes to them. That first goal to Stevenson, he makes a brilliant long pass ahead from his own end to the streaking Stevenson hugging the Canucks' line and he breaks alone and beats Auld. The second goal, Thornton plays a brilliant two-man game with Ekman. He draws Ohlund away from the front of the net to get Ekman open and he puts the puck on him perfectly and beats Auld before Carney can slide over to pick him up. Thornton finishes with 4 assists on the night including one of the game-winner and put him over 90 for the season. I don't know what went wrong in Boston but he's the best thing to happen to the Sharks this season. I doubt they're in the playoffs if they don't pick him up from the Bruins. You've got to put him up with Kiprusoff and Jagr as the leading candidates for MVP.

Couldn't agree more... i was just talking about that with someone not long ago, that Thornton deserves some major consideration with those two, but i'm sure Jagr in New York will end up winning it.

No, I still think Kiprusoff is a strong bet for the award. (sup al?) I see him doing the Hasek/Theodore two-step...winning the Vezina and the Hart in the same season. I'm sure we'll see Jagr and Thornton in the running though.

Season Over---------->


good riddance.

RACK San Jose for bouncing the the Cannots.......next, the one-man band shames.

al? wrote:Season Over---------->

Don't we have an official Season Over troll?

get a job

And in the east, with 14 points out of their past 16.... the Leafs are still alive...

Paging the Life Support Troll...



Meanwhile in Ottawa, Hasek's groin is hurting once again...

I see that Don MacLean was named the AHL MVP.

The Rat Pack wrote:I see that Don MacLean was named the AHL MVP.

Very successful year for the Red Wings organization...

NHL - Wings win Presidents' Trophy, set a new NHL road wins record, 2nd most points in franchise history, 8 players with at least 20 goals, Lidstrom the leading candidate for the Norris

AHL - Griffins post best record in the league, MacLean wins MVP

ECHL - Storm wins their division

Shoalzie wrote:

The Rat Pack wrote:I see that Don MacLean was named the AHL MVP.

Very successful year for the Red Wings organization...

NHL - Wings win Presidents' Trophy, set a new NHL road wins record, 2nd most points in franchise history, 8 players with at least 20 goals, Lidstrom the leading candidate for the Norris

AHL - Griffins post best record in the league, MacLean wins MVP

ECHL - Storm wins their division

= Hockeytown USA