Round 1 - Official Series Discussion Thread Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings

[redwingsfan11]

Plainly, as a fan. Im sad that we lost. its plain as that. I know we can't win every year which is the reality of sports, but it just suck when we do. I hope Lidstrom comes back next year too, but i will certainly understand if he doesnt.

[afholmes87]

I'm going to take heat for this but, personally, I think Lidstrom's career has run it's course. I really believe he should bow out gracefully instead of pulling a Chris Chelios.

A few other key points to make:

-Holmer better be given the same option that Draper was given last year, and Maltby the year before. 2 way contract, take it or leave it. He contributes next to nothing now, and while he has done a lot for the Wings, he's done no more than the previous two.

-Franzen is useless. I'm glad to see Babs finally dropped him to the third line, which is where he should've been the last 30 or so games. He exerts no effort, he doesn't use his size, and now he has little trade value.

-Detroit needs a bona-fide goal scorer. Datsyuk can score, so can Zetterberg, but with their ability to see the ice and set up plays, their talents would be of much better use setting someone up(look at the years they both had with hossa in 08/09). In my 17 years watching Detroit Red Wings hockey I don't think I've seen any player carry as much weight as these two. You could probably argue Yzerman or Fedorov but their supporting cast was leaps and bounds better.

-Believe it or not, some of our prospects are ready to play in the NHL with little transition time with the Griffins. Nyquist is proof of that. Minus one near fatal error in the second he played another stellar game. Let's get some of our more highly touted prospects on the ice for the Wings and see how they fare(Jurco, Jarnkrok, Pulkkinen, Ouellet).

-We have a solid core of young roleplayers. As soon as Eaves and Helm are healthy, I expect to see Emmerton back in the AHL.

[wogman56]

I'm going to take heat for this but, personally, I think Lidstrom's career has run it's course. I really believe he should bow out gracefully instead of pulling a Chris Chelios.

A few other key points to make:

-Holmer better be given the same option that Draper was given last year, and Maltby the year before. 2 way contract, take it or leave it. He contributes next to nothing now, and while he has done a lot for the Wings, he's done no more than the previous two.

-Franzen is useless. I'm glad to see Babs finally dropped him to the third line, which is where he should've been the last 30 or so games. He exerts no effort, he doesn't use his size, and now he has little trade value.

-Detroit needs a bona-fide goal scorer. Datsyuk can score, so can Zetterberg, but with their ability to see the ice and set up plays, their talents would be of much better use setting someone up(look at the years they both had with hossa in 08/09). In my 17 years watching Detroit Red Wings hockey I don't think I've seen any player carry as much weight as these two. You could probably argue Yzerman or Fedorov but their supporting cast was leaps and bounds better.

-Believe it or not, some of our prospects are ready to play in the NHL with little transition time with the Griffins. Nyquist is proof of that. Minus one near fatal error in the second he played another stellar game. Let's get some of our more highly touted prospects on the ice for the Wings and see how they fare(Jurco, Jarnkrok, Pulkkinen, Ouellet).

-We have a solid core of young roleplayers. As soon as Eaves and Helm are healthy, I expect to see Emmerton back in the AHL.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Not sure where Franzen's head has been all year, but it definitely hasn't been on the ice. The Wings need to do the following in the offseason: release/offer Homer a two-way contract, let Stuart go out to the West Coast, try and get rid of one of Hudler or Flip, and sign Parise while bringing up Smith, Tatar, and Nyquist full time from GR.

[zunato]

Congrats to the Preds.

[steviey2493]

They need an enforcer that can play is what redwingsfan11 meant...a konopka kind of guy, chris neil, and even parros can play for a heavyweight (the other 2 are MW fighters).

Lidstrom can come back or not, theres pros to both. If he comes back hes still a great leader and mentor, but if he doesn't they have more cap space.

Franzen, do something you scrub

Emmerton back in the AHL sounds good to me, he had that 1 goal and besides that stinks

Brendan Smith WILL be a stud

Ericsson is the softest 6 foot 5 player I've ever seen

I hope Weber and Kevin Klein lose, two total tools

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

Congrats Nashville! Super stoked that they won!

I love hockey fans though. We don't show any reason and are so favourite team biased. Weber and Klein as "two total tools" is just plain hilarious to me! Weber is a complete stud as a D-man. Norris trophy candidate. Klein is a very solid defensive D-man who had an amazing series against Detroit. Probably why Detroit fans hate them now.

[RGM81]

Great series, it's too bad that it had to end so quickly.

Congrats to the Predators, and we'll see who they end up facing in round two.

Have we seen Nicklas Lidstrom's last game? Only time will tell.

[steviey2493]

Congrats Nashville! Super stoked that they won!

I love hockey fans though. We don't show any reason and are so favourite team biased. Weber and Klein as "two total tools" is just plain hilarious to me! Weber is a complete stud as a D-man. Norris trophy candidate. Klein is a very solid defensive D-man who had an amazing series against Detroit. Probably why Detroit fans hate them now.

I never said they werent good, webers top 3 in the league IMO and kleins good, but webers move on zetterberg was a joke and belongs in the WWE, uncalled for and dirty

Klein acts like Mr. Tough guy all the time, and the haircut buddy, what are you thinking? Your not good or tough enough to rock that...

[xelloss1012]

It's interesting that Detroit tends to do well in the regular season, but have lots of trouble with divisional opponents like Nashville.

It shows that previous success in the playoffs does not guarantee any future success, especially in Franzen's case.

Wonder if Lidstrom will return to Detroit next season? It he retires, they are going to have a large hole in their blueline.

Nashville has a solid blueline with Shea Weber leading it with Pekka Rinne as the team's cornerstone goalie. I wonder who they will meet in the second round? Most of the likely opponents are going to have tough defense as well.

[afholmes87]

It's interesting that Detroit tends to do well in the regular season, but have lots of trouble with divisional opponents like Nashville.

It shows that previous success in the playoffs does not guarantee any future success, especially in Franzen's case.

Wonder if Lidstrom will return to Detroit next season? It he retires, they are going to have a large hole in their blueline.

Nashville has a solid blueline with Shea Weber leading it with Pekka Rinne as the team's cornerstone goalie. I wonder who they will meet in the second round? Most of the likely opponents are going to have tough defense as well.

If you had watched Detroit over the last month and a half or so the end to this season would come as no surprise. The Wings have played terribly recently, and they carried it over into the playoffs. Injuries plagued the team as well, Helm before the playoffs, severed tendons in his forearm minutes into game 1, eaves out all year with a broken jaw, cleary playing on one knee, lidstrom playing on one foot, datsyuk playing with a troubled wrist. All this stuff piles up.