This is your big upset prediction, Stan?

Give me a break. At least bring something original to the table to justify the pick. Chelios wasn’t too old to be effective last year, and the European forwards weren’t too soft either.

There’s a lot of merit to the goaltending point, but please give us at least one more reasonable point that’s supported by actual facts.

I think the pundits fall into the trap of looking at what is wrong with Detroit and what is right with the opposition, and they completely ignore what’s right with the Wings and what’s wrong with the opposition.

I would have more respect if you had picked the Preds solely based on the fact that the Wings have had dissapointing losses to the Sharks, L.A., Anaheim, Edmonton, and Calgary through the last 15 years. It’s not much, but it’s a better point than the ones you make.

Posted by Nathan on 04/08/08 at 04:42 PM ET

I do think it’s a stretch, but it’s bold of him to say so.  The fact is, stranger things have happened in the NHL Playoffs (remember when teh Ducks swept the Wings in ‘03?) He’ll look good if he’s right, and I don’t think anyone will pay much attention to it if he’s wrong.

For more playoff predictions and analysis, check out my site, NHLNow.com.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 04/08/08 at 04:45 PM ET

Right.  Dan Cleary and Johan Franzen are such marshmallows. 

ALL teams are flawed in some way - no team can afford to have the very best player at every position anymore.  If you are going to predict an upset (and there are valid reasons for doing so), then don’t trot out the same contagiously-stupid conventional “wisdom” that has been floating around the collective hockey pea-brains for the last few years.  Come up with something different - and accurate for a change.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/08/08 at 04:51 PM ET

“Goaltending(Hasek-Osgood) is old. And Chelios is simply too old to be that effective on defense.” That coming from a fossil like Stan Fischler. What a joke.

Posted by Kate from Pa. on 04/08/08 at 04:56 PM ET

crack rock. that’s my prediction for what fischler’s on.

Posted by thom from seattle on 04/08/08 at 07:01 PM ET

Wasn’t Detoit supposed to lose to Calgary, then San Jose last year too?

Scotty Bowman picked Detroit to win the cup.  I’ll side with his prediction instead. =)

Posted by RJ on 04/08/08 at 07:12 PM ET

Fischler is totally objective when it comes to the Wings, given his hatred of Cheli over the NHLPA mess and the fact his head remains firmly lodged, to this day, up Ted Saskin’s ass.

Don’t forget to write, Maven. 

(btw, I’m pretty sure maven is German for “Douche Tool.” Just sayin’)

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/08/08 at 07:34 PM ET

...Chris Chelios is simply too old to be that effective on defense.

Hmmm. Chis Chelios is a plus 11. Bubba has one defenseman with a better rating. Yup. No doubt about it. Cheli’s too damn old...and too damn smart...for these boys. Wings in five...if the Preds get lucky.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/08/08 at 07:38 PM ET

That coming from a fossil like Stan Fischler. What a joke.

My thoughts exactly.

I predict Nashville will be lucky to win a game.

Posted by PuckHound61 from Speckville USA on 04/08/08 at 08:17 PM ET

Man, you Wings fans are touchy. One guy out of a million picks us and you guys go crazy. Calm down. Let one guy go against the grain. He’s doing it just to get a rile out of you Wings fans anyway. He doesn’t really think we are going to win. But seeing you guys in a tizzy sure is fun.

Posted by Predneck from Hicktown on 04/08/08 at 10:09 PM ET

...seeing you guys in a tizzy sure is fun.

You think it’s fun now, wait until you see us after we send your boys home for the summer. Why, Ill bet we get absolutely giddy.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/09/08 at 12:23 AM ET

Lidstrom
Rafalski
Stuart (hopefully)
Kronwall
Chelios
Lebda/Lilja/Meech

And that douchenozzle picks Chelios, the fifth defenseman?  Is anybody else counting out teams because of a third pairing defenseman?  Yah, Anaheim’s got Pronger, Niedermayer and Schneider but Marc-Andre Bergeron is -16.

Nashville certainly has a chance but I’m still picking Detroit in this series.  Here’s the real questions: How healthy are the Wings (Stuart, Draper, Holmstrom), and will the finally get some consistent secondary scoring in the playoffs?

There you go Maven.  Stick to your fantasy articles about NHLPA insurrections and bashing players charity work.

Posted by Django on 04/09/08 at 12:46 AM ET

Since your cup in 2001-2002 you have won your division every single year (though i believe it to be one of the weaker divisions), you have won the Presidents Trophy 3 out of the 5 true seasons including this year.  In 2002-03 you got swept by the Ducks in the Quarterfinals, in 2003-04 you lost to the 6th seeded Flames in the Semis, 2005-2006 you lost to the 8th seeded Oilers, and in 2007-2008 it appeared your fortunes turned but you choked away the 2-1 series lead in the conference finals to the eventual cup winner Ducks.  You have been upset quite a few times lately so why do you insist on burning anyone who doubts the MIGHTY RED WINGS.  You are beatable and a physical team like the Predators is capable of doing just that.  Sure they lost a lot of scoring but you can bet that guys on the 3rd and 4th lines like Tootoo will be trying their best to get you off your game.  With key guys currently on the injured list like Holmstrom, Stuart, Maltby and Samuelsson you guys will need your big 3 to be contributing every night.  Datsyuk will be the main factor as until last year he was non existent in your playoff runs.  And to respond to Kate from Pa., how does Stan Fischler being old make Hasek or Osgood any younger?  Playoff hockey is faster and 100 times more physically demanding.  I’m not saying they lack the drive or talent but they may lack that youth to survive the first round.  I wish you the best as i would love to see the Avs disappoint you guys in the next round.  Probably wishful thinking but playoff hockey holds no guarantees.  Red Wing fans should know this by now.

Posted by AVAHOLIC from Denver on 04/09/08 at 01:51 AM ET

@ Avaholic:

That’s the problem.  The arguments you make are fact-based and logical.  So many of the hockey MSM trot out the same old stupid arguments time after time after time like wind-up toys.  It’s more the constant tripe instead of reasoned arguments that gets knowledgeble hockey fans of ANY team in a “tizzy.”

(And “tizzy”?  Are you a ninety-year old woman?)

This is a tremendous sport and the league is constantly saying they have the best fans in the world and the most tech-savvy and the most informed...yet the media can’t get their peabrains around the big reason why so many fans get news from bloggers and not from “professional journalist.”

Because most hockey journalists are coprolites.  That’s why.

And that’s why a lot of fans are upset with picks - not which team the writers pick, but the stunning lack of any reasoning that goes into them.  They might as well be making their picks based on who has the cutest logos if they are determined not to strain their cerebrums that much.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/09/08 at 07:48 AM ET