no

Posted by taylor from Mi on 04/19/08 at 12:23 PM ET

Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the Preds win two in a row the last time you put up a post detailing their problems and hinting that the series was over? 

By the way, I’m no Preds fan but I find the amount of disrespect being shown towards them to be stunning.  This series is by no means over and you’d certainly have to give them the edge in net, which means they have at least a fighting chance.  I believe some would go so far as to call this hubris, but I’m just a Sharks fan who can vividly remember Irbe, Baker, and 1994.

Posted by Aaron from Boston on 04/19/08 at 12:39 PM ET

Aaron, you are reading way too much into my words.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 04/19/08 at 12:41 PM ET

I’m no Preds fan but I find the amount of disrespect being shown towards them to be stunning.

You mean as opposed to the Bubba fans who chant, “Red Wings. Red Wings. You suck!”? Or as opposed to the throngs that shout, “Chelios is a siss-ssy.”?

Ya, we’re a real “hubristic” bunch compared to those Bubba fans.

...you’d certainly have to give them the edge in net…

Well, that actually might have been true two games ago. But you did watch Ozzie allow just one goal in the 94+ minutes he’s played, right? I’ll grant you that Ellis has stood on his head at times, but it was just pure luck (good for him, bad for the Wings) that four or five of those giant rebounds he gave up didn’t end up in his net.

But I guess we’ll know more about who the better goalie is about 5:30 on Sunday.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/19/08 at 02:00 PM ET

Chanting things at a game and actually believing the other team isn’t any good are two totally different things.  I bet that if you asked Preds fans individually they would at least be able to admit the Red Wings are a very talented and accomplished team.  When Red Sox fans start chanting Yankees Suck do you think they do that because the Yankees actually suck?  And It’s not just disrespect here it’s everywhere, literally no one gave them any type of chance.  So far they’ve held serve at home and if they can do it again we go to game 7, and we all know anything can happen in game 7. 

You definitely have to give the edge in net to Nashville, are you kidding?  If the Red Wings organization felt Osgood was the answer in net, why did they ever bother to sign Hasek in the first place?  Obviously they felt they could make an improvement or they wouldn’t have made the move.  Osgood played a good game but Ellis had 52 saves.  Luck or not that’s a whale of a performance.  As Paul pointed out, the Preds lack any real scoring depth so 1 goal against the Preds isn’t any more impressive than 52 saves and 2 goals vs the Wings.

Maybe I did read too much in to what Paul said but that’s just how it came across to me.  The Preds are one home game away from forcing game 7 and unlike the Wings, they have absolutely nothing to lose.  I’ve seen the Sharks pull an 8vs1 upset twice and there are a lot of similarities between those series and this one.

Posted by Aaron from Boston on 04/19/08 at 02:44 PM ET

Speaking on behalf of all Preds fans, we do know that the Red Wings are arguably the most talented team in the NHL. It’s fairly hard not to see that. We would have been defeated 12-0 last night without Ellis going nuts. We chant that the Wings suck because we are opposing them. We want them to lose and us to win. That’s all. They are the #1 seed. The just plugged up their only weakness - in goal. We see it as a big rivalry. We’ve only a had a team for 10 years. We have to get a road playoff win and win a series to take the next step. If the Wings advance, I have no doubt that they will play in the Finals.

Posted by Predneck from Hicktown on 04/19/08 at 03:44 PM ET

… If the Red Wings organization felt Osgood was the answer in net, why did they ever bother to sign Hasek in the first place?  Obviously they felt they could make an improvement or they wouldn’t have made the move.

Osgood can’t necessarily play 75 games a year anymore, Jimmy Howard isn’t ready yet to assume approximately half-time duties, and Hasek was dirt cheap (comparatively speaking).

That was my feeling at the time Detroit signed him - if it works out, great - if it doesn’t, he only cost peanuts - and that is still what I think.

And anyone who knows anything about hockey respects Nashville - the players, anyway, if not the organization - plenty for what they’ve managed to do with a gutted team and management that seems indifferent, at best, at times.

The same MSM mediots who write off Nashville are the same ones who don’t know any other hockey, either.  The only reason Detroit gets noticed is the logo has been around long enough without changes that they manage to recognize it, even if they don’t know anything about the team other than they won a lot of Cups a few years ago and have a lot of European players.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/19/08 at 04:14 PM ET

I’m just a Sharks fan who can vividly remember Irbe, Baker, and 1994.

As a disrespectful Wings fan who also, vividly, remembers that series, I hope you all die a slow painful 7 game triple OT death.

love,

Chris “Rookie in 94” Osgood

Posted by Osrt on 04/19/08 at 04:32 PM ET

According the KHAN!  Arnott is doubtful for game 6, and Legwand is questionable.

No changes for the Wings lineup.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2008/04/arnott_doubtful_for_game_6_leg.html

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 04/19/08 at 04:35 PM ET

What Orst said.

(seriously, Aaron, do you not understand the meaning of the word “odds”???)

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/19/08 at 04:50 PM ET

If the only reason to sign Hasek was to prevent Osgood from playing 75 games a year, why did Hasek start the playoffs?  Maybe the players and Mike Babcock trust Chris Osgood, but I don’t think management does.  The fact that Hasek was the starter when healthy, both in the regular season and the playoffs, means that somebody somewhere in the organization feels that Hasek is better than Osgood.  There’s really no other way to read the situation. 

I agree there are many in the MSM who don’t know hockey, but I was actually talking about some of the people I read who do know hockey and I don’t recall anyone having this series going more than 5 games.

Posted by Aaron from Boston on 04/19/08 at 05:01 PM ET

I bet that if you asked Preds fans individually they would at least be able to admit the Red Wings are a very talented and accomplished team.

Okay, okay. The Preds are a very talented and accomplished bunch of cheap-shot artists. Does that make you feel any better?

If the only reason to sign Hasek was to prevent Osgood from playing 75 games a year, why did Hasek start the playoffs?

Do you not understand the acronym CMOI? If he was a sure thing, he’d be the CMOST. As Ms. B said, the Wings took a chance that Dom was the playoff Dom of old. He isn’t. So what? Name one other team in the League that can turn to their #2 guy and find the League leader in GAA. What happens if Danny Boy goes down, Aaron? Mason is 36th in GAA and 38th in Save %. Good luck!

We chant that the Wings suck because we are opposing them. We want them to lose and us to win. That’s all.

Here’s thought for you, Predneck. Why not chant, “Predators. Predators. We’re the best!”? Only low-life idiots chant things like, “You suck!”

If you boys want respect for your team, try earning it. As things stand, you make it waaaaaay too easy for all Wings fans to see you in terms of stereotypes. Get it, Bubba?

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/19/08 at 05:56 PM ET

OTC, you shoulda mentioned Nabby and sore groins.  Didn’t he start like 96 games this year or something?

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/19/08 at 06:05 PM ET

Aaaaand you’re all proving my point about the disrespect shown to the Preds.  I can’t wait to peruse the comments if the Wings lose this series. 

No, I do not know the acronyms CMOI or CMOST because I’m not CLAME.

Regarding save % stats, I can’t believe I have to tell Red Wings fans this but the regular season stats don’t mean anything once the playoffs start.  Haven’t your President’s Trophies taught you that much?

Posted by Aaron from Boston on 04/19/08 at 06:10 PM ET

Just out of curiosity, if you’re a SJ fan, why are you getting so defensive about the Preds?

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/19/08 at 06:34 PM ET

No, I do not know the acronyms CMOI or CMOST because I’m not CLAME.

You’ll find your answer here, Aaron. Just scroll down to #15. In fact, check them all out if you plan on hanging around here running your mouth about the Wings.

Regarding save % stats, I can’t believe I have to tell Red Wings fans this but the regular season stats don’t mean anything once the playoffs start.

Okay, then let’s go with the playoffs only. Ellis: 2.62 GAA and .934 Save %. Ozzie: 0.64 GAA and .971 Save %.

You know, Aaron, it’s really no fun doing this when you keep lobbing up these softballs. In fact, it makes you look, dare I say it, CLAME.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/19/08 at 10:45 PM ET

I don’t recall anyone having this series going more than 5 games.

Posted by Aaron from Boston on 04/19 at 06:01 PM

James Mirtle had Detroit in six (at least), and never thought it would be anything but a tough series.  He knows a little something about hockey.

And Hasek started in the playoffs because he might have a little something left - if not, Osgood was used to coming in as a backup all year, and emotionally he was suited to it.

Hasek isn’t suited to being a backup and thus wouldn’t be the best option to come in if Osgood faltered - besides, Osgood is far more predictable that Hasek has ever been.

Hasek was worth a shot - this is a veteran team, and a goalie switch wouldn’t knock them off kilter at all.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/20/08 at 06:41 AM ET

No, I do not know the acronyms CMOI or CMOST because I’m not CLAME.

CMOI = Czech Miracle Of Insanity

CMOST would mean Czech Miracle of Sanity, but that just doesn’t work with Dom.

Actually, I think Aaron is getting unfairly flamed about these nuances. He is not, after all, posting on A2Y but the main Kukla (also a Wings fan) page.

Aaron: if you sense disrespect toward the Preds, it’s toward their organization and some of their more idiotic fans. And to Gary B. Ass.

I too predicted Wings in 5 but that wasn’t to ignore or belittle the Preds. We knew it would be 5 close (score wise) games that would cause us a lot of stress (see Able to Yzerman link in menu bar).

Oh, also, F&*$ you and your motherF$&@!N team.

Posted by Osrt on 04/20/08 at 08:37 AM ET