Anyone have chloroform? We need to put a mutt out of its misery.

Posted by Osrt on 05/13/08 at 10:14 AM ET

Woop - de - doo.

Melrose has picked every team to beat Detroit.
Now Detroit is up 3 games to none, and he thinks Detroit might win this series.

I hope he takes the coaching position in San Jose, so we will not have to listen to him on ESPN.

Posted by w2j2 on 05/13/08 at 10:15 AM ET

Rumor has it that Atlanta (and a few other teams, strangely enough) is pursuing him for their vacant coaching position. I’m not so sure I want that blathering idiot behind the bench here, though he does seem to be a big time fan of the Thrashers.

I said it last night, and I’ll say it again. It was an awesome Wings victory last night. I was a little worried when the score was tied in the second.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 05/13/08 at 10:51 AM ET

Get a haircut.  No wonder Americans hate hockey, they don’t exactly have the barn full of studs at the WWL.

Posted by Cloud9 Sports on 05/13/08 at 10:53 AM ET

Worth noting—Can’t remember where the stat came from...possibly from Engblom’s mullet...but Dats is leading the team in hits this postseason.  Even if that’s not completely accurate, it doesn’t surprise me.  He’s not going to provide the Kronner Moment of Sublime Decapitation, but he’s very physical out there.  Saw him take a run at Morrow early in last night’s game.  You notice it when a guy that size muscles a guy Morrow’s size off the puck.

Anyway, Barry, in an attempt to bring Dats back down to earth, stated that he’s not out there hitting.  Incorrect. 

Had to set the record straight.

Posted by disch from bat country on 05/13/08 at 10:58 AM ET

ESPN doesn’t air games, they can keep the “expertise” offered on hockey. No offense Bucci.
Osrt, I don’t need Barry unconcious to drag him out back by the mullet and roll him in a 6 foot ditch. Dunno why, but when Barry opens his yap, I find it hard to keep mine shut.
Anyone have Barry’s preseason pick for Cup champ handy?

Posted by MOWingsfan19 from KC MO on 05/13/08 at 11:28 AM ET

MOW:

That is a FANTASTIC video of the A2Y Stress Train!

Posted by w2j2 on 05/13/08 at 11:36 AM ET

The next guy for Barry to get excited about...here’s a highlight reel of Ville I ripped off of Fanhouse.  It’s about the worst non-paris hilton-related video quality you’ll find on the internet, but novel for a few reasons:

1.  It appears the fins rented out the old roller rink in Royal Oak I used to go to for their home games...very colorful place, lots of lights and techno music.  Given the proximity of their home games, it’s not all that surprising Holland and the boys found him.  “New Fin scout” my ass. 

2.  The only real way to identify our soon-to-be wing is by that bangin’ gold helmet they make him wear for holding the title of largest johnson in Finland...I mean, for being the leading goal scorer. 

Anyway, enjoy. 

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/05/12/meet-ville-leino/

**final note—the password or this post below...nothing short of greatness “for19.” I’ll shut up now.

Posted by disch from bat country on 05/13/08 at 11:39 AM ET

“Kronner Moment of Sublime Decapitation.”

F****** perfect. 

And yeah, you don’t get nominated for the Selke by “not playing a physical game.” Pav’s problem, aside from the Mullet’s amazing stupidity, is that he’s usually too concerned with coming up with the puck after his hits to provide many of the highlight reel layouts.  But the guy’s a monster- strong on his feet, fleet of stick blade, etc.  Totally underrated physical game, and extraordinarily effective…

Five more wins, boys, and it’s par-tay time.

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 05/13/08 at 11:46 AM ET

Anyone have Barry’s preseason pick for Cup champ handy?

Don’t recall, but probably Sharks because of their talent.  They have been one of the most talented teams in the league for the last few years, though.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/13/08 at 11:48 AM ET

Saw him take a run at Morrow early in last night’s game.  You notice it when a guy that size muscles a guy Morrow’s size off the puck.

I love watching Datsyuk hit people, because he’s so sneaky about it.  He just kind of sidles up next to them, and then BAM they are smushed against the boards wondering where that puck they had around here a minute ago went. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/13/08 at 11:50 AM ET

Disch, thanks for the vid.  Like the fact Leino seems to like getting in the dirty part of the ice- right in front of the net.  Good to see him mixing it up a bit.  A second line of Mule, Flip, and Leino?  Yes please.

And what’s with the FEL using the “Fabian and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” costumes as uniforms?  God, I even feel bad for the refs.  Like the fire, though.  Heh heh.  Fire.

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 05/13/08 at 11:51 AM ET

Baroque,
Twas either the Sharks who’ve earned the choke artist tag if you ask me or the Quacks who umm well… who cares. Something missing from the room in SJ. Not too mention a very recent vacancy in the GM position too.
Just pointing out the level of “expertise” we’re talking about.
And, I hate Barry.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 from KC MO on 05/13/08 at 11:57 AM ET

Baroque,
What impressed me about Pav’s on the back check is how it seems as he sneaks up on guys and they have NO CLUE he’s there, until they feel their stick being lifted. By the time they turn around, Pav’s is a couple strides gone.
How do you lose track of the #1 take away man in the NHL for the last 2 years???
I saw Pavel play his first NHL game in SJ what was quite a few years ago now. Ya couldn’t even read his # much of the day as he was always all snow from getting knocked around n down. Funny as I was watching him run at a mini tank like Morrow last night. What a few years does for the lad.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 from KC MO on 05/13/08 at 12:03 PM ET

I actually love the fact that everyone in the MSM has constantly picked against the Wings.  It gives me the warm-fuzzies to see them all have to back-track once Detroit takes out another team that they “weren’t supposed to beat”.  I look forward to everyone picking Pittsburgh to win, too.  That’s going to be another fun one.

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 05/13/08 at 12:04 PM ET

Something missing from the room in SJ.

There was a blogger (I can’t remember if it was a MSM blogger or an independent) who was talking about the Sharks, and said it seemed as though the team and the coach were pulling in different directions - forget being on the same page, they weren’t even in the same book.

If San Jose can find a coach who actually plays to the strengths of the Sharks team, they could be something else, because they are young and talented.

I think that’s why Babcock works so well as a coach for the Red Wings.  He could ask a team to play hard and fight for every puck and all that, but if they didn’t want to it wouldn’t do any good.  Conversely, if the team wanted badly to win, but the coach wasn’t inclined to push them, the players could get frustrated because they weren’t getting what they needed from a coach - if they are coaching themselves anyway, then why bother paying him at all?  The team as a whole wants to win, especially after getting so close last year, and they trust the coaching staff to help them - and he trusts them to do what he asks and not panic when things are tough, because they are smart enough to know how quickly a game or a series can turn.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/13/08 at 12:08 PM ET

How do you lose track of the #1 take away man in the NHL for the last 2 years???

Secret new Russian cloaking technology.  Highly experimental.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/13/08 at 12:10 PM ET

Secret new Russian cloaking technology.  Highly experimental.

Maybe called having to draft out of the bottom of the barrel!
BTW, I’m curious to whom SJ will bring in for Wilson. That may indeed shake things up from the top down....

Posted by MOWingsfan19 from KC MO on 05/13/08 at 12:16 PM ET

Secret new Russian cloaking technology.  Highly experimental.

He’s got that on loan from the Professor who last used it in the overtime game winner against the Hurricanes.

Posted by TheTick from Madison WI on 05/13/08 at 12:21 PM ET

MOWingsfan, I’ve heard Tortorella’s name bandied about, though that may just be a bored MSM trying to find some topic for an article or two.

Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 05/13/08 at 12:39 PM ET

I’m gunning for Barry’s job at ESPN.  Drown yourselves in the essence of my brilliance:

Dan Ellis gave Detroit fits.  Fortunately, Bubba didn’t have the horses to parlay that into a series victory.  Turco has the ability to play lights out just like Ellis did, only better.  And Dallas has horses. 

And oh, we have that wonderful ice in Dallas to look forward to.  No, it’s not as bad as it was in the old Reunion Arena, but it’s still bad enough this time of year to be a real pain in the ass to a puck possession team like Detroit. Of course, bad ice can be a good thing, too, given the Wings ability to pounce off the transition.  Maybe that ice will lead to some turnovers by Dallas in the neutral zone.

Regardless, this will be no easy task.

Posted by O-Joe on 05/05 at 09:38 AM

Hey, I got the turnovers by Dallas in the neutral zone part correct.  Makes my pre-series analysis slightly more accurate than Barry’s.  I wonder if I’ll be required to move to Bristol.

Posted by O-Joe on 05/13/08 at 01:49 PM ET

here’s a highlight reel of Ville I ripped off of Fanhouse

the audio made me feel dirty.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/13/08 at 02:19 PM ET