Red Wings

[froot loops]

That one didn't bother me as much.

[Tony G]

I lost it. I swore off the red wings. I was never going to get let down again. I actually gave away a ton of RW gear and househjold items I had. I was mental for a week if anyone mentioned the team.

[Malto Marko]

OK, I don't think any one of us thought the Wings would be up 3-1 in this series.

The $64,000 question is: Do the Wings have the magic it takes to shut this series out tomorrow night?

I say yes.

I understand the hostile environment.

I understand the depth and talent.

I see a team on a mission and a team that has bonded with chemistry and each and every man understanding his job on each and every shift.

I see a goalie who has played better than any of the other goalies in the playoffs and is capable of stealing a game for his team.

I see a coach who would much rather get it done now and have it over rather than make excuses that it was just one game and they still have two more chances to get it done.

I see officials who will be slightly biased toward the home team but this will be expected from the Wings and they will play over it.

I see better than a 50% chance of closing it out.

[Tony G]

I also see a chicago team that doesn't have the answers for the Wings

[Fraquar]

We really have to stop turning the puck over in our end. Jimmy saved their bacon many times, can't expect that again.

Toews has really been showing his inner Cindy Crosby impersonation. What a whiny bitch.

I hope they can wrap it up in Game 5, going to be very tough though. Where's all the talk about all the games in a row the Hawks got a point in? Sure has done them a lot of good

At this point, I've just learned to accept that it's going to happen in the playoffs this year. Only thing I hope is that they at least give Howard a chance to react - don't put it straight on their tape for a 1-timer. They did that a couple times in the Anaheim series and it almost cost them.

Missed last nights game, but in games 2 and 3 they were giving Jimmy clean looks at shots - when they weren't blocking them outright. The support in front of him has been much better in this series than last - even with the turnovers.

[chemiclord]

OK, I don't think any one of us thought the Wings would be up 3-1 in this series.

The $64,000 question is: Do the Wings have the magic it takes to shut this series out tomorrow night?

I say yes.

I understand the hostile environment.

I understand the depth and talent.

I see a team on a mission and a team that has bonded with chemistry and each and every man understanding his job on each and every shift.

I see a goalie who has played better than any of the other goalies in the playoffs and is capable of stealing a game for his team.

I see a coach who would much rather get it done now and have it over rather than make excuses that it was just one game and they still have two more chances to get it done.

I see officials who will be slightly biased toward the home team but this will be expected from the Wings and they will play over it.

I see better than a 50% chance of closing it out.

It's always hard to tell just how a team facing elimination will respond, and with Chicago right now, it could go either way.

I didn't see the meltdown in the Game 4 like they had near the end of Game 3. The Blackhawks played VERY well from start to finish... the Wings just simply beat 'em, man to man, straight up.

That speaks very well for their chances to close this out in Game 5, even if Chicago doesn't pack it up and quit. The ONLY thing that kinda worries me is that the youngsters see this lead and shut it down thinking the series is in the bag. I can't envision the veterans on this team letting that happen... but I didn't envision a game like the one we just saw play out happen as well.

[Fraquar]

Anyone in that locker room that thinks this series is over is probably going to end up being a healthy scratch for Game 5. There is no way Babcock and the veterans on this roster are going to allow that.

Absorb the frenzy that will be the start of Game 1, hopefully hit them on the counter and slowly choke the hope out of the fans.

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

Like I said before game 3, if the wings manage to take the 2 at home and go up 3-1 they will smell the blood in the water.

I got the feeling they smelt it during the last game when the "captain" of Chicago decided he was going to whine and take stupid penalties instead of bearing down and leading by example like a good leader.

Our fore-check needs to be on their D right away in game 5 like they have been the last couple games, don't give them time to make the nice breakout passes and their team will begin to crumble.

I got yelled at over on this hockey forum I am pretty active on at the start of the series for just pointing out that Queneville was 0-for his lifetime and had never won a playoff series against Detroit...that has been the difference in the series, Babcock just flat out-coached Q. Hopefully they close it out in 5, then we can worry about the sharks/kings series.

[DanO]

Wings look really good right now. It's so nice to be the team with the hot goaltender and not the other way around.

[jaadam4]

Wings look really good right now. It's so nice to be the team with the hot goaltender and not the other way around.

Hell yeah to that. This could be a giant stepping stone for Howard if he keeps it up.

[The Cat]

This entire page is filled with insightful comments. I had said at the outset that if the Wings were to take the series they would have to do it in six, simply for the fact I couldn't see them winning another game seven away from home. I had us losing games one and four but taking 2 & 3 then 5 & 6. We are just going to have to see if they are mature enough to close it out. This is one tough job and frankly it's a tossup. I hope this isn't wishful thinking because right now my gut tells me they can do it tonight and the decisive factor will be the unlikeliest of heroes.

[jaadam4]

I keep forgetting that Howard is 29. Maybe its the name Jimmy or that he was in the minors for so long but I always let that one slip.

[mason reese]

You should pull a Gonz and refer to him as JIM from now on, and berate anyone who refuses to follow suit.

[jaadam4]

YOU WILL CALL HIM JIM!!! DO YOU HEAR ME MASON!!!

[bimmer84]

Please refer to me as BIMMER84 in the future. If you feel like you know me really well, go with BIMMER, and if you are my wife you can call me BIM.