GO WINGS!! ***OFFICIAL*** Detroit Red Wings Playoff Thread!
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CuJo, Yzerman among Wings' keys
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By Mike Heika
Special to ESPN.com
Here is a case for and against the Detroit Red Wings' pursuit of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships:
Five reasons why the Red Wings will repeat
5. Dave Lewis is their coach
Criticizing Scotty Bowman is like editing Hemingway -- you want to be real careful with your expert analysis. That said, Bowman did not have a whole lot of players who dug in deep for him. Dave Lewis does. There are players within the Red Wings who care enough about Lewis to play hard simply because he's their coach. Detroit has a happier, tighter dressing room this season because of Lewis -- and that could make a difference down the stretch that could be reflected in the performances of players like Sergei Fedorov and Brendan Shanahan.
Brett Hull led the Red Wings in goals with 37.
4. Brett Hull is circling
Take it from someone who has been schooled by Hull on any number of occasions; the guy knows what he's talking about. Hull is, hands down, the smartest man in hockey, and the Red Wings need that right now. While the Red Wings will miss some of the edginess that Bowman injected, they won't be completely sedate. Hull won't let them be. If there was anyone who understood Bowman last season, it was Hull. If there was anyone who understood Hull, it was Bowman. Scary, eh? There is a certain madness that comes with genius, and both these guys had it. When it comes time to get a big goal in a big situation, Hull will come through, especially if that big goal is needed against the Stars.
3. Steve Yzerman is old
OK, that sounds bad, but it's not. You see, Yzerman's age and his historic knee operation (can you take a little off the sides, please, and trim up the patella) are sending a message to "The Captain" that ol' time is no longer on his side. That means if he wants to toss in one last run toward glory, one last Stanley Cup, this season is as good as any. Yzerman said he wants to play next year, and he very well might. But the clock is ticking on his career, and winning it this year sure would be a nice way to go out. Oh, and if you want some fuel, tell people he had eight points and was plus-8 in his 15 games back on that bum knee.
2. Curtis Joseph ain't bad
There's plenty of reasons to criticize Joseph (and we will), but all he has to do is play within himself and stay calm and this team could take him to a Stanley Cup. The Red Wings play a smart brand of puck-possession hockey that allows the goalie to not have to carry the team. Detroit has won three Stanley Cups in six years with three different goalies. That says something. Joseph is every bit as good as Chris Osgood or Mike Vernon, and you can make the argument that Dominik Hasek didn't have to be that good to win it last year. If Joseph can keep his cool and make the right save at the right time, the rest is pretty easy (of course, that's looking at it from the pressbox).
1. Depth, depth, depth
Face it, the Red Wings have talent. Anyone who watched the playoffs last year marveled at the team's ability to make just the right play at the right time. If it wasn't Hull or Yzerman or Fedorov, it was Shanahan or Larionov or Maltby or Holmstrom. There are four solid lines and three pretty strong D-pair, especially when you mix in Mathieu Schneider. If Jiri Fischer is healthy and can play, there aren't a whole lot of teams that can line up and match that. That's why the coaching and goaltending can become secondary -- because having the most talent gives you the best opportunity to win it all.
Five reasons why the Red Wings won't repeat
5. Scotty Bowman is not their coach
It's easy to fall back on this one, but the guy did win a few games in his career. And whether or not he needled Fedorov with his constant line changes or irritated Shanahan by refusing to stroke his ego, Bowman found a way to get the most out of his players. At a time when the NHL's best teams in the West are going with playoff rookies on the bench, Bowman would have had a field day. It's' one thing to be coaching in your first year in the playoffs; it's quite another to be coaching in your first year in the playoffs against legendary mind-messer Scotty Bowman. No, the Mike Babcocks and Tony Granatos and Dave Tippetts of the world can be quite happy that the scheming little man with the lucky coin in his pocket will not be trying to get into their kitchen this spring.
4. The Grind Line is circling (and not in the right direction)
It is one of the more intriguing lines in hockey. It might have been the best line for the Red Wings in the playoffs last season. But could The Grind Line (the trio of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty) finally be circling the drain? Draper and McCarty each accounted for three points in their last 18 games, while Maltby had three points in his last 12 games. Now, the Red Wings didn't need them during a long winning stretch, but it sure would have been nice to see a little more than that. And while we're at it, are Luc Robitaille and Igor Larionov slipping too?
Captain Steve Yzerman played in only 15 of Detroit's 82 regular-season games.
3. Steve Yzerman is old
Maybe they can just let him use one of those Rascal Scooters and motor around the ice like an aging polo player. All right, that was mean, but Yzerman has played almost 1,400 regular-season games and is starting to show the mileage. The realignment of his knee was no small operation, and he simply isn't what he once was. If they lean too heavily on him now, it might be more than his body can take. If they try to protect him, it might hurt the delicate balance of their five-man units. The Red Wings have depth, but any team that relies (physically or mentally) on an injury-prone superstar can be in trouble.
2. Curtis Joseph ain't good
The Red Wings needed only to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday to get first place in the West and eventually get a path paved in gold to the Stanley Cup Finals. And when Fedorov scored short-handed in the third period, Detroit had the break it needed with a 3-2 lead and only eight minutes to play. A great goalie would have made a statement at that time and not allowed another goal, no matter what kind of acrobatics it took. Joseph did not, allowing Chicago to tie the game on a strange Eric Daze spin-around that can only be classified as a soft goal. This follows a strange history of Joseph's to not be able to make the big save at the right time, and critics will say it's why his own NHL coach, Toronto's Pat Quinn, went with Martin Brodeur and not Joseph in the 2002 Olympics.
1. Depth can't beat the hockey gods
It's difficult to say that everything the Red Wings accomplished during a 17-1-0-1 stretch late in the season was frittered away in one game to Chicago Sunday&but it was. Every expert in the NHL was ready to pick the Red Wings to repeat, but that Chicago loss combined with a strange mix of other wins and losses means Detroit's path through the Western Conference playoffs has just gotten twice as tough. As the No. 2 seed, Detroit has the potential to play Colorado in the second round and then would have to play on the road against Dallas in the conference finals (if both teams advance that far). Had the Red Wings won, they would have stayed away from Colorado or Dallas until the third round and would have had home ice in the Western Conference Finals. Maybe that's getting into too many details, but the Western Conference championship has been decided in Game 7 in three of the last four seasons and the home team has won Game 7 each time. One unfortunate game, one unfortunate goal -- the hockey gods are speaking, and they're not saying Detroit.
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
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By Mike Heika
Special to ESPN.com
Here is a case for and against the Detroit Red Wings' pursuit of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships:
Five reasons why the Red Wings will repeat
5. Dave Lewis is their coach
Criticizing Scotty Bowman is like editing Hemingway -- you want to be real careful with your expert analysis. That said, Bowman did not have a whole lot of players who dug in deep for him. Dave Lewis does. There are players within the Red Wings who care enough about Lewis to play hard simply because he's their coach. Detroit has a happier, tighter dressing room this season because of Lewis -- and that could make a difference down the stretch that could be reflected in the performances of players like Sergei Fedorov and Brendan Shanahan.
Brett Hull led the Red Wings in goals with 37.
4. Brett Hull is circling
Take it from someone who has been schooled by Hull on any number of occasions; the guy knows what he's talking about. Hull is, hands down, the smartest man in hockey, and the Red Wings need that right now. While the Red Wings will miss some of the edginess that Bowman injected, they won't be completely sedate. Hull won't let them be. If there was anyone who understood Bowman last season, it was Hull. If there was anyone who understood Hull, it was Bowman. Scary, eh? There is a certain madness that comes with genius, and both these guys had it. When it comes time to get a big goal in a big situation, Hull will come through, especially if that big goal is needed against the Stars.
3. Steve Yzerman is old
OK, that sounds bad, but it's not. You see, Yzerman's age and his historic knee operation (can you take a little off the sides, please, and trim up the patella) are sending a message to "The Captain" that ol' time is no longer on his side. That means if he wants to toss in one last run toward glory, one last Stanley Cup, this season is as good as any. Yzerman said he wants to play next year, and he very well might. But the clock is ticking on his career, and winning it this year sure would be a nice way to go out. Oh, and if you want some fuel, tell people he had eight points and was plus-8 in his 15 games back on that bum knee.
2. Curtis Joseph ain't bad
There's plenty of reasons to criticize Joseph (and we will), but all he has to do is play within himself and stay calm and this team could take him to a Stanley Cup. The Red Wings play a smart brand of puck-possession hockey that allows the goalie to not have to carry the team. Detroit has won three Stanley Cups in six years with three different goalies. That says something. Joseph is every bit as good as Chris Osgood or Mike Vernon, and you can make the argument that Dominik Hasek didn't have to be that good to win it last year. If Joseph can keep his cool and make the right save at the right time, the rest is pretty easy (of course, that's looking at it from the pressbox).
1. Depth, depth, depth
Face it, the Red Wings have talent. Anyone who watched the playoffs last year marveled at the team's ability to make just the right play at the right time. If it wasn't Hull or Yzerman or Fedorov, it was Shanahan or Larionov or Maltby or Holmstrom. There are four solid lines and three pretty strong D-pair, especially when you mix in Mathieu Schneider. If Jiri Fischer is healthy and can play, there aren't a whole lot of teams that can line up and match that. That's why the coaching and goaltending can become secondary -- because having the most talent gives you the best opportunity to win it all.
Five reasons why the Red Wings won't repeat
5. Scotty Bowman is not their coach
It's easy to fall back on this one, but the guy did win a few games in his career. And whether or not he needled Fedorov with his constant line changes or irritated Shanahan by refusing to stroke his ego, Bowman found a way to get the most out of his players. At a time when the NHL's best teams in the West are going with playoff rookies on the bench, Bowman would have had a field day. It's' one thing to be coaching in your first year in the playoffs; it's quite another to be coaching in your first year in the playoffs against legendary mind-messer Scotty Bowman. No, the Mike Babcocks and Tony Granatos and Dave Tippetts of the world can be quite happy that the scheming little man with the lucky coin in his pocket will not be trying to get into their kitchen this spring.
4. The Grind Line is circling (and not in the right direction)
It is one of the more intriguing lines in hockey. It might have been the best line for the Red Wings in the playoffs last season. But could The Grind Line (the trio of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty) finally be circling the drain? Draper and McCarty each accounted for three points in their last 18 games, while Maltby had three points in his last 12 games. Now, the Red Wings didn't need them during a long winning stretch, but it sure would have been nice to see a little more than that. And while we're at it, are Luc Robitaille and Igor Larionov slipping too?
Captain Steve Yzerman played in only 15 of Detroit's 82 regular-season games.
3. Steve Yzerman is old
Maybe they can just let him use one of those Rascal Scooters and motor around the ice like an aging polo player. All right, that was mean, but Yzerman has played almost 1,400 regular-season games and is starting to show the mileage. The realignment of his knee was no small operation, and he simply isn't what he once was. If they lean too heavily on him now, it might be more than his body can take. If they try to protect him, it might hurt the delicate balance of their five-man units. The Red Wings have depth, but any team that relies (physically or mentally) on an injury-prone superstar can be in trouble.
2. Curtis Joseph ain't good
The Red Wings needed only to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday to get first place in the West and eventually get a path paved in gold to the Stanley Cup Finals. And when Fedorov scored short-handed in the third period, Detroit had the break it needed with a 3-2 lead and only eight minutes to play. A great goalie would have made a statement at that time and not allowed another goal, no matter what kind of acrobatics it took. Joseph did not, allowing Chicago to tie the game on a strange Eric Daze spin-around that can only be classified as a soft goal. This follows a strange history of Joseph's to not be able to make the big save at the right time, and critics will say it's why his own NHL coach, Toronto's Pat Quinn, went with Martin Brodeur and not Joseph in the 2002 Olympics.
1. Depth can't beat the hockey gods
It's difficult to say that everything the Red Wings accomplished during a 17-1-0-1 stretch late in the season was frittered away in one game to Chicago Sunday&but it was. Every expert in the NHL was ready to pick the Red Wings to repeat, but that Chicago loss combined with a strange mix of other wins and losses means Detroit's path through the Western Conference playoffs has just gotten twice as tough. As the No. 2 seed, Detroit has the potential to play Colorado in the second round and then would have to play on the road against Dallas in the conference finals (if both teams advance that far). Had the Red Wings won, they would have stayed away from Colorado or Dallas until the third round and would have had home ice in the Western Conference Finals. Maybe that's getting into too many details, but the Western Conference championship has been decided in Game 7 in three of the last four seasons and the home team has won Game 7 each time. One unfortunate game, one unfortunate goal -- the hockey gods are speaking, and they're not saying Detroit.
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
Wednesday, Apr 09, 2003
mytelus.com's fearless NHL playoff predictions
(mytelus.com) ? Bragging rights in the office don't show up on the paycheque, but they're money in the bank at the water cooler. Of course, you can make us all look bad with your own NHL playoff predictions in our discussion forums.
Make your predictions here
Here's what our seven in-house 'experts' believe will happen in the Stanley Cup playoffs first round:
Kevin Woodley
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Stars in five
Marty Turco can make the league's best shooters look bad and the Oilers are prone to prolonged dry spells on offence. This drought won't last long.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Red Wings in five
Brett Hull may be the NHL's biggest golf nut, but the rest of the veteran Wings won't want to make any extra trips to the sunny West Coast.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Avalanche in six
Special teams might even things out a little, but even with Minnesota's strong systems play, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay will cause fits for the undersized Wild defence.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Canucks in six
Vancouver hasn't had a prolonged slump all season and Dan Cloutier appears poised to outbattle Chris Osgood, but a coin-flip series could easily go the other way and may be decided by the health of Mattias Ohlund.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Senators in four
Anyone who thinks Alexei Yashin will wake up just because he's playing his old team hasn't been paying attention to his money-first track record. Too much firepower in Ottawa, too little goaltending in New York.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
Bruins in six
Someone has to get upset in the opening round. The Devils bowed out early to Carolina last year and the Bruins just got dynamic forward Sergei Samsonov back in the lineup.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Lightning in seven
If Nikolai Khabibulin shuts the door early, how long will it be before Jaromir Jagr refuses to go back onto the ice at crunch time?
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Flyers in six
This one is like a battle of breakfast cereals: which flake will go soggy first? My money's on Darcy Tucker going snap, crackle and pop before Roman Cechmanek does.
Kevin Woodley is a Vancouver-based freelance writer who covers the Canucks for TELUS and the Associated Press. He wonders why anyone nicknamed "the Donator" in his regular season pools would be asked to pick up anything other than the bill.
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Randy Sportak
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Stars in five
It's a law that Dallas knocks Edmonton out of the playoffs every year. I think it has something to do with Oil prices.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Wings in four
Some laws of nature are wrong. This time the parts (Wings) are greater than the sum of the whole (Ducks)
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Avalanche in six
A good defence can't beat a great offence, great defence and great goaltender.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Canucks in seven
The team that choked gets to oust the biggest chokers to make the playoffs.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Senators in five
You don't honestly think Alexei Cash-in has what it takes to beat his old team. Especially with the Isles goaltenders.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
Devils in five
Marty Brodeur by himself in net is better than Steve Shields, Tim Thomas and Jeff Hackett combined.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Capitals in six
There has to be an upset somewhere and the Caps are too skilled.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Flyers in five
Wishful thinking? Maybe. Then again, who can stand an insufferable Leafs fan when they're nothing more than this country's version of Cubs fans.
Randy Sportak is a regular contributor to mytelus.com and covers the Flames for the Calgary Sun
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Rob Klovance
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas in six
The Oilers will outwork the Stars, and it still won't be enough. Marty Turco and more talent rule the day.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in five
Paul Kariya scores a highlight-reel goal to help win a game from the Wings on a so-so night for Curtis Joseph. And that's it.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in six
Tight, low-scoring series, but Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg - who sets up one goal by heading the puck to Milan Hejduk - make the difference.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in six
If Matthias Ohlund doesn't return, the Canucks may never get out of their own end and lose in six. But if Dan Cloutier outplays Chris Osgood, the Canucks move on to the next round.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in five
The Isles eliminated the Rangers, for which we're all grateful. But they're no match for the Sens. Sticking it to Alexei Yashin never felt so good.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in five
Joe Thornton's heroics keep the games close. But hey, this is the Devils, who thrive on one-goal games and big saves by Martin Brodeur.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in five
Nikolai Khabibulin is good enough to take this so-so team all the way to the Stanley Cup final. Jaromir Jagr eyes the 'Bulin Wall... and chooses to focus his energies on the blonde behind the Capitals' bench.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in six
If this one goes to seven, bet on Eddie Belfour to pull it out for the Leafs. But injuries and negative energy from the rest of Canada will spell Toronto's demise by Game 6.
Rob Klovance is a former junior hockey player and current mytelus.com managing editor who scores great goals on blazing one-timers - in his dreams.
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Bill Wren
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Edmonton in six
It's not supposed to happen; therefore, it will. (Besides, it wouldn't be the first round without at least one big upset.)
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in six
Because they're Detroit. But Anaheim will scare them - briefly. Very briefly.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in four
Colorado will take this one too easily. Bad set-up for the next round.
Vancouver (4) vs.
St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in seven
This one's a coin toss, but I think the Canucks have the edge up front and in their own end.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in four
The Isles are wobbly and Ottawa has too much strength. Watch for annoying claims of grandeur coming from the Nation's Capital afterwards.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in five
No real reason other than I like Jersey and have never liked the Bruins. (Sorry, Grapes.)
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Washington in six
I don't want to see games played in Tampa Bay on melting ice.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in 6
The Leafs need to be turfed quickly so the CBC doesn't drive us crazy with "rah-rah Toronto" nonsense. I think the Flyers can handle this request.
Bill Wren is an editor at mytelus.com who generally favours the longshot. His fondest hockey memory is being in an Edmonton bar and totally ignored by the entire staff for over an hour after Gretzky, Messier and Co. entered the room.
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Bo Gembarsky
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Edmonton in seven
Many are predicting defeat (again) for the Oilers. This time the Slicks finally upend their playoff nemesis in a gruelling campaign which goes the distance.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in six
Despite deadline-trade discovery Steve Thomas finding his scoring touch again, the Feathered Ones don't stand much of a chance against the defending champs.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in five
Minnesota has had an amazing run in the Western Conference this season, but Colorado is just too deep and talented for the Wild to tame.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in six
Osgood is what the Blues needed in net, but even with Pronger back the defence will find it difficult to contain the Canucks' top line.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in five
The President's Trophy winners are brimming with confidence; the Isles are just happy they made it to the postseason instead of the hated rival Rangers.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in six
The Devils are as consistent as ever, while the Bruins have looked very vulnerable lately despite their firepower and the emergence of Mike Knuble (!).
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in seven
The Lightning appear to be more of a playoff-ready team than the Capitals, and Khabibulin gets the nod over Kolzig between the pipes.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in seven
The Maple Leafs will give it their all, but the Flyers should have the edge as Amonte, Roenick and Co. continue to light the lamp.
Bo Gembarsky is an editor at mytelus.com who will go to his grave believing the JET Line of Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson was the best of all time.
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Mike MacKinnon
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas in five
The Oilers have heart by the truckload, but there's no reason to believe they can stop this year's edition of the Stars.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in seven
The Ducks aren't the laughingstock they used to be. They'll make the Wings work for their series win.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in six
Much is made of the Wild defence, but the Avs have firepower, playoff experience and monster momentum heading into this round.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in seven
Tough call. History favours the Canucks, who won the only other playoff series between these two in 1995.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in five
The league-leading Sens will be eager to put past playoff failures to rest, while the Islanders are lucky to have made it at all.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in seven
The Devils' first-round ouster last year was an aberration. Only their paucity of goals this season will give the Bruins a fighting chance.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in four
Both coaches are playoff rookies, so I'm going with chemistry: the Lightning are firing on all cylinders, while the Caps barely look interested.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Toronto in six
This series will boil down to goaltending. Roman Cechmanek is no match for Ed Belfour.
Mike MacKinnon is an editor and writer with mytelus.com who lives the sad, lonely life of a Canucks fan in Calgary. His neighbours hate him, no one will go to the bar with him to watch the game and he is shunned by children and pets.
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Gordon Andru
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas in five
You don't trade away your leading scorer and best defenceman, and then go on a playoff run. Spirits will be Lowe in Edmonton.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in six
The Ducks have the best chance for an upset but even Walt Disney wouldn't be able to save this fairy tale, as Cinderella goes down.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in six
The smurfs will frustrate the giant, but in the end, Gargamel will win.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in five
Cloutier defeats Osgood in this exciting series filled with speed, hits, fights and emotion.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in four
No goalie, no defence, no speed, no chance. Plus, Ottawa added bite to its bark at the trade deadline.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in five
Brodeur will be enough to stop the Thornton/Murray combo, and shaky goaltending/defence will be a welcome sight to NJ's weak offence.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in seven
The 'Bulin wall is back up and it will win TB the round, in the East's most exciting series.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in six
Hitchcock has Philly finally playing D, and Belfour will not be enough to stop the likes of LeClair, Roenick, Amonte, Recchi, Primeau, Gagne...
mytelus.com's fearless NHL playoff predictions
(mytelus.com) ? Bragging rights in the office don't show up on the paycheque, but they're money in the bank at the water cooler. Of course, you can make us all look bad with your own NHL playoff predictions in our discussion forums.
Make your predictions here
Here's what our seven in-house 'experts' believe will happen in the Stanley Cup playoffs first round:
Kevin Woodley
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Stars in five
Marty Turco can make the league's best shooters look bad and the Oilers are prone to prolonged dry spells on offence. This drought won't last long.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Red Wings in five
Brett Hull may be the NHL's biggest golf nut, but the rest of the veteran Wings won't want to make any extra trips to the sunny West Coast.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Avalanche in six
Special teams might even things out a little, but even with Minnesota's strong systems play, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay will cause fits for the undersized Wild defence.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Canucks in six
Vancouver hasn't had a prolonged slump all season and Dan Cloutier appears poised to outbattle Chris Osgood, but a coin-flip series could easily go the other way and may be decided by the health of Mattias Ohlund.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Senators in four
Anyone who thinks Alexei Yashin will wake up just because he's playing his old team hasn't been paying attention to his money-first track record. Too much firepower in Ottawa, too little goaltending in New York.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
Bruins in six
Someone has to get upset in the opening round. The Devils bowed out early to Carolina last year and the Bruins just got dynamic forward Sergei Samsonov back in the lineup.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Lightning in seven
If Nikolai Khabibulin shuts the door early, how long will it be before Jaromir Jagr refuses to go back onto the ice at crunch time?
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Flyers in six
This one is like a battle of breakfast cereals: which flake will go soggy first? My money's on Darcy Tucker going snap, crackle and pop before Roman Cechmanek does.
Kevin Woodley is a Vancouver-based freelance writer who covers the Canucks for TELUS and the Associated Press. He wonders why anyone nicknamed "the Donator" in his regular season pools would be asked to pick up anything other than the bill.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Sportak
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Stars in five
It's a law that Dallas knocks Edmonton out of the playoffs every year. I think it has something to do with Oil prices.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Wings in four
Some laws of nature are wrong. This time the parts (Wings) are greater than the sum of the whole (Ducks)
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Avalanche in six
A good defence can't beat a great offence, great defence and great goaltender.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Canucks in seven
The team that choked gets to oust the biggest chokers to make the playoffs.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Senators in five
You don't honestly think Alexei Cash-in has what it takes to beat his old team. Especially with the Isles goaltenders.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
Devils in five
Marty Brodeur by himself in net is better than Steve Shields, Tim Thomas and Jeff Hackett combined.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Capitals in six
There has to be an upset somewhere and the Caps are too skilled.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Flyers in five
Wishful thinking? Maybe. Then again, who can stand an insufferable Leafs fan when they're nothing more than this country's version of Cubs fans.
Randy Sportak is a regular contributor to mytelus.com and covers the Flames for the Calgary Sun
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rob Klovance
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas in six
The Oilers will outwork the Stars, and it still won't be enough. Marty Turco and more talent rule the day.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in five
Paul Kariya scores a highlight-reel goal to help win a game from the Wings on a so-so night for Curtis Joseph. And that's it.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in six
Tight, low-scoring series, but Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg - who sets up one goal by heading the puck to Milan Hejduk - make the difference.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in six
If Matthias Ohlund doesn't return, the Canucks may never get out of their own end and lose in six. But if Dan Cloutier outplays Chris Osgood, the Canucks move on to the next round.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in five
The Isles eliminated the Rangers, for which we're all grateful. But they're no match for the Sens. Sticking it to Alexei Yashin never felt so good.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in five
Joe Thornton's heroics keep the games close. But hey, this is the Devils, who thrive on one-goal games and big saves by Martin Brodeur.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in five
Nikolai Khabibulin is good enough to take this so-so team all the way to the Stanley Cup final. Jaromir Jagr eyes the 'Bulin Wall... and chooses to focus his energies on the blonde behind the Capitals' bench.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in six
If this one goes to seven, bet on Eddie Belfour to pull it out for the Leafs. But injuries and negative energy from the rest of Canada will spell Toronto's demise by Game 6.
Rob Klovance is a former junior hockey player and current mytelus.com managing editor who scores great goals on blazing one-timers - in his dreams.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Wren
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Edmonton in six
It's not supposed to happen; therefore, it will. (Besides, it wouldn't be the first round without at least one big upset.)
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in six
Because they're Detroit. But Anaheim will scare them - briefly. Very briefly.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in four
Colorado will take this one too easily. Bad set-up for the next round.
Vancouver (4) vs.
St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in seven
This one's a coin toss, but I think the Canucks have the edge up front and in their own end.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in four
The Isles are wobbly and Ottawa has too much strength. Watch for annoying claims of grandeur coming from the Nation's Capital afterwards.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in five
No real reason other than I like Jersey and have never liked the Bruins. (Sorry, Grapes.)
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Washington in six
I don't want to see games played in Tampa Bay on melting ice.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in 6
The Leafs need to be turfed quickly so the CBC doesn't drive us crazy with "rah-rah Toronto" nonsense. I think the Flyers can handle this request.
Bill Wren is an editor at mytelus.com who generally favours the longshot. His fondest hockey memory is being in an Edmonton bar and totally ignored by the entire staff for over an hour after Gretzky, Messier and Co. entered the room.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bo Gembarsky
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Edmonton in seven
Many are predicting defeat (again) for the Oilers. This time the Slicks finally upend their playoff nemesis in a gruelling campaign which goes the distance.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in six
Despite deadline-trade discovery Steve Thomas finding his scoring touch again, the Feathered Ones don't stand much of a chance against the defending champs.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in five
Minnesota has had an amazing run in the Western Conference this season, but Colorado is just too deep and talented for the Wild to tame.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in six
Osgood is what the Blues needed in net, but even with Pronger back the defence will find it difficult to contain the Canucks' top line.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in five
The President's Trophy winners are brimming with confidence; the Isles are just happy they made it to the postseason instead of the hated rival Rangers.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in six
The Devils are as consistent as ever, while the Bruins have looked very vulnerable lately despite their firepower and the emergence of Mike Knuble (!).
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in seven
The Lightning appear to be more of a playoff-ready team than the Capitals, and Khabibulin gets the nod over Kolzig between the pipes.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in seven
The Maple Leafs will give it their all, but the Flyers should have the edge as Amonte, Roenick and Co. continue to light the lamp.
Bo Gembarsky is an editor at mytelus.com who will go to his grave believing the JET Line of Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson was the best of all time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike MacKinnon
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas in five
The Oilers have heart by the truckload, but there's no reason to believe they can stop this year's edition of the Stars.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in seven
The Ducks aren't the laughingstock they used to be. They'll make the Wings work for their series win.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in six
Much is made of the Wild defence, but the Avs have firepower, playoff experience and monster momentum heading into this round.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in seven
Tough call. History favours the Canucks, who won the only other playoff series between these two in 1995.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in five
The league-leading Sens will be eager to put past playoff failures to rest, while the Islanders are lucky to have made it at all.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in seven
The Devils' first-round ouster last year was an aberration. Only their paucity of goals this season will give the Bruins a fighting chance.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in four
Both coaches are playoff rookies, so I'm going with chemistry: the Lightning are firing on all cylinders, while the Caps barely look interested.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Toronto in six
This series will boil down to goaltending. Roman Cechmanek is no match for Ed Belfour.
Mike MacKinnon is an editor and writer with mytelus.com who lives the sad, lonely life of a Canucks fan in Calgary. His neighbours hate him, no one will go to the bar with him to watch the game and he is shunned by children and pets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon Andru
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas (1) vs. Edmonton (8)
Dallas in five
You don't trade away your leading scorer and best defenceman, and then go on a playoff run. Spirits will be Lowe in Edmonton.
Detroit (2) vs. Anaheim (7)
Detroit in six
The Ducks have the best chance for an upset but even Walt Disney wouldn't be able to save this fairy tale, as Cinderella goes down.
Colorado (3) vs. Minnesota (6)
Colorado in six
The smurfs will frustrate the giant, but in the end, Gargamel will win.
Vancouver (4) vs. St. Louis (5)
Vancouver in five
Cloutier defeats Osgood in this exciting series filled with speed, hits, fights and emotion.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Ottawa (1) vs. New York Islanders (8)
Ottawa in four
No goalie, no defence, no speed, no chance. Plus, Ottawa added bite to its bark at the trade deadline.
New Jersey (2) vs. Boston (7)
New Jersey in five
Brodeur will be enough to stop the Thornton/Murray combo, and shaky goaltending/defence will be a welcome sight to NJ's weak offence.
Tampa Bay (3) vs. Washington (6)
Tampa Bay in seven
The 'Bulin wall is back up and it will win TB the round, in the East's most exciting series.
Philadelphia (4) vs. Toronto (5)
Philadelphia in six
Hitchcock has Philly finally playing D, and Belfour will not be enough to stop the likes of LeClair, Roenick, Amonte, Recchi, Primeau, Gagne...
Originally posted by: bunker
My dad will even be down here tomorrow to watch it w/ me!
Go Wings!!
Too bad we'll be in Savannah for the weekend so I'm gonna miss Saturday's game
You have access to a computer? Go to NHL.com and get the game on internet radio
Cheers,
Aquaman
bunker
Lifer
- Apr 23, 2001
- 10,572
- 0
- 71
Originally posted by: Aquaman
Originally posted by: bunker
My dad will even be down here tomorrow to watch it w/ me!
Go Wings!!
Too bad we'll be in Savannah for the weekend so I'm gonna miss Saturday's game
You have access to a computer? Go to NHL.com and get the game on internet radio
Cheers,
Aquaman
No computer, even if I did my wife and mother would kick my ass for even trying to get on one while we're on our vacation
Originally posted by: bunker
Originally posted by: Aquaman
Originally posted by: bunker
My dad will even be down here tomorrow to watch it w/ me!
Go Wings!!
Too bad we'll be in Savannah for the weekend so I'm gonna miss Saturday's game
You have access to a computer? Go to NHL.com and get the game on internet radio
Cheers,
Aquaman
No computer, even if I did my wife and mother would kick my ass for even trying to get on one while we're on our vacation
You poor poor man
Cheers,
Aquaman
there is no question about it the wings are gonna win. yeah scotty isent there but dave is and he know how to coach. we was with scotty for awhile. yeah it will be a challenge but we can do it. GO WINGS
Joseph set to lead defending champs
The Sports Network
4/10/2003
DETROIT (AP) - Curtis Joseph hopes the tradition continues.
So do the Detroit Red Wings.
Detroit has won three Stanley Cups in six seasons with three goaltenders: Mike Vernon, Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek.
"It's a little bit unusual," Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman acknowledged.
Now the Red Wings hope Joseph will turn away Anaheim in the first round, beginning Thursday (TSN, 7 p.m. EDT), and later help the franchise win its 11th Stanley Cup.
"When we're playing with confidence, like we have been, you feel like you're going to win every game," Joseph said. "That's a great feeling, no matter who you're playing."
The defending Stanley Cup champions lost just four of their final 27 games thanks in part to Joseph's turnaround.
Joseph won 15 of his last 19 games after going six games without a win and posting a 19-17-6 record before his strong finish.
Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere also was solid down the stretch with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage in his last 14 games.
"The last couple weeks we've been getting ready for this," Giguere said. "We're eager to get the playoffs started. A lot of us don't have experience in these games and we want to find out what it's all about."
The Red Wings swept Anaheim in the first round in 1999 and the second round in 1997, but Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom believes the Mighty Ducks are a much-improved team.
"I think their goaltending is real solid because Giguere has been playing real well," Lidstrom said. "I think their defensive system is better, too. And they've added some players that can put the puck in the net. They had that before, but I think just getting (Steve) Thomas, (Adam) Oates, (Per) Sykora, they have more players like that."
Former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, who retired last June after setting an NHL record with his ninth Stanley Cup, said the biggest challenges for top teams in the playoffs usually come early.
"The dangerous series are always the first one or two," said Bowman, who is a consultant for the Red Wings. "Good teams tend to get better as they play more."
After playing 13 seasons - and 11 playoffs - Joseph signed a three-year, $24-million contract with Detroit in July to improve his chances of winning his first Stanley Cup.
"Anything can happen in the playoffs with a bounce of a puck, but you feel good about your chances here," Joseph said. "It's a long way away. We know there will be some ups and downs in the playoffs. There's going to be some great games, and games you lose. We're playing well now, and that's all you can ask for."
For the first time in Cujo's career, he has a goalie coach.
"I welcome the opportunity," Joseph said. "If (Jim Bedard) can teach me one or two things, or work on repetition with certain things, when it gets in a game, it becomes old hat and that's good. I was open to that concept, which is great."
The Red Wings were grateful to sign Joseph soon after Hasek retired last summer.
"We lose `Dom' and we don't miss a beat," Yzerman said, adding that when Hasek retired there were two great goalies available. "The only good thing about Dom retiring was the timing.
"If we don't win the Cup, it's not going to be because we don't get great goaltending, because it's going to be top notch. It's not a concern."
Joseph just shrugs when asked about the spotlight on him and the pressure he's under.
"It's always the same," he said. "If you're with some teams, if you win a round that's good. But here, the objective is to win the Cup. Pressure is always there, but you just concentrate on winning the game and don't think about that stuff."
Cheers,
Aquaman
The Sports Network
4/10/2003
DETROIT (AP) - Curtis Joseph hopes the tradition continues.
So do the Detroit Red Wings.
Detroit has won three Stanley Cups in six seasons with three goaltenders: Mike Vernon, Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek.
"It's a little bit unusual," Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman acknowledged.
Now the Red Wings hope Joseph will turn away Anaheim in the first round, beginning Thursday (TSN, 7 p.m. EDT), and later help the franchise win its 11th Stanley Cup.
"When we're playing with confidence, like we have been, you feel like you're going to win every game," Joseph said. "That's a great feeling, no matter who you're playing."
The defending Stanley Cup champions lost just four of their final 27 games thanks in part to Joseph's turnaround.
Joseph won 15 of his last 19 games after going six games without a win and posting a 19-17-6 record before his strong finish.
Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere also was solid down the stretch with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage in his last 14 games.
"The last couple weeks we've been getting ready for this," Giguere said. "We're eager to get the playoffs started. A lot of us don't have experience in these games and we want to find out what it's all about."
The Red Wings swept Anaheim in the first round in 1999 and the second round in 1997, but Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom believes the Mighty Ducks are a much-improved team.
"I think their goaltending is real solid because Giguere has been playing real well," Lidstrom said. "I think their defensive system is better, too. And they've added some players that can put the puck in the net. They had that before, but I think just getting (Steve) Thomas, (Adam) Oates, (Per) Sykora, they have more players like that."
Former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, who retired last June after setting an NHL record with his ninth Stanley Cup, said the biggest challenges for top teams in the playoffs usually come early.
"The dangerous series are always the first one or two," said Bowman, who is a consultant for the Red Wings. "Good teams tend to get better as they play more."
After playing 13 seasons - and 11 playoffs - Joseph signed a three-year, $24-million contract with Detroit in July to improve his chances of winning his first Stanley Cup.
"Anything can happen in the playoffs with a bounce of a puck, but you feel good about your chances here," Joseph said. "It's a long way away. We know there will be some ups and downs in the playoffs. There's going to be some great games, and games you lose. We're playing well now, and that's all you can ask for."
For the first time in Cujo's career, he has a goalie coach.
"I welcome the opportunity," Joseph said. "If (Jim Bedard) can teach me one or two things, or work on repetition with certain things, when it gets in a game, it becomes old hat and that's good. I was open to that concept, which is great."
The Red Wings were grateful to sign Joseph soon after Hasek retired last summer.
"We lose `Dom' and we don't miss a beat," Yzerman said, adding that when Hasek retired there were two great goalies available. "The only good thing about Dom retiring was the timing.
"If we don't win the Cup, it's not going to be because we don't get great goaltending, because it's going to be top notch. It's not a concern."
Joseph just shrugs when asked about the spotlight on him and the pressure he's under.
"It's always the same," he said. "If you're with some teams, if you win a round that's good. But here, the objective is to win the Cup. Pressure is always there, but you just concentrate on winning the game and don't think about that stuff."
Cheers,
Aquaman
Giguere hopes to top his debut
The Canadian Press
4/11/2003
DETROIT (CP) - As good as he was in his playoff debut, Jean-Sebastien Giguere thinks he needs to play even better against the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2. That's saying a lot, given what the Anaheim goaltender did during the Mighty Ducks' 2-1 win in three overtimes Thursday night against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Giguere made 63 saves - an NHL record for a first post-season game - and faced 20 shots in the first overtime, more than any goaltender has faced in an extra playoff period since the league expanded for the 1967-'68 season.
"I want to say I can be better, but I don't want to be cocky by saying that," Giguere said. "I just know it's going to get harder and harder and we're all going to have to bring our game up."
The game drew huge television numbers in Canada. TSN, which broadcast the contest, announced Friday that it drew the largest NHL playoff audience in Canadian sports specialty television history. The national average audience was 743,000 viewers, with a peak of 1.2 million tuning in from 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT.
Giguere, 25, even said he might not have played his best game.
"There's a lot of games I'm proud about, when I was a kid," Giguere said. "Obviously, in the NHL it's different because it's the best players in the world. But to say it was the best game in my life, maybe not.
"I'm sure I've had games in the past when I was a little bit better."
The Red Wings are used to trailing early in the best-of-seven first-round series, like they will be for Saturday's home game.
When Detroit won the Cup in 1997, it lost the first game of the playoffs to St. Louis. When the Red Wings repeated the next season, Phoenix led them 2-1 in the first round.
Before winning a 10th Stanley Cup last June, the Red Wings were booed off the ice after Vancouver won the first two games in the first round.
"Obviously, we're not starting the playoffs well - like last year," said Detroit's Sergei Fedorov, who had three first-period shots Thursday and none over the next five.
Red Wings coach Dave Lewis said the experience of coming back against Vancouver last year will not necessarily help against the Mighty Ducks.
"I don't know if it makes any difference," Lewis said. "I just think that with the experience in the room that it will be a different game, a different focus. We'll just try to shake this one off as soon as we can and get ready for the next one.
"It's just part of the playoffs. It's a disappointing loss, but Saturday's outcome is not dictated by (Thursday's) outcome. We knew they depended heavily on their goaltender, and that's what they did."
The Mighty Ducks weren't shocked by Giguere's performance.
"That's the way he's played all season for us," Keith Carney said. "He's just our backbone back there."
Giguere set franchise records with 34 wins and eight shutouts - including three straight in December - and lost just eight of his last 30 games.
Anaheim coach Mike Babcock is used to watching Giguere make improbable saves with his glove, pads and skates because he coached him at the beginning of last season at Cincinnati in the American Hockey League.
Babcock believes Giguere's debut was so successful because of the goaltender's ability to block out the fact Detroit has won three of the last six Stanley Cups and has as many as nine possible future Hall of Famers.
"Sometimes we try to make things into things they're not," Babcock said. "It's still just a hockey game, and our goaltender realizes this is the same game he's been playing his whole life.
"We have to realize they're just like us, and he does."
Cheers,
Aquaman
The Canadian Press
4/11/2003
DETROIT (CP) - As good as he was in his playoff debut, Jean-Sebastien Giguere thinks he needs to play even better against the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2. That's saying a lot, given what the Anaheim goaltender did during the Mighty Ducks' 2-1 win in three overtimes Thursday night against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Giguere made 63 saves - an NHL record for a first post-season game - and faced 20 shots in the first overtime, more than any goaltender has faced in an extra playoff period since the league expanded for the 1967-'68 season.
"I want to say I can be better, but I don't want to be cocky by saying that," Giguere said. "I just know it's going to get harder and harder and we're all going to have to bring our game up."
The game drew huge television numbers in Canada. TSN, which broadcast the contest, announced Friday that it drew the largest NHL playoff audience in Canadian sports specialty television history. The national average audience was 743,000 viewers, with a peak of 1.2 million tuning in from 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT.
Giguere, 25, even said he might not have played his best game.
"There's a lot of games I'm proud about, when I was a kid," Giguere said. "Obviously, in the NHL it's different because it's the best players in the world. But to say it was the best game in my life, maybe not.
"I'm sure I've had games in the past when I was a little bit better."
The Red Wings are used to trailing early in the best-of-seven first-round series, like they will be for Saturday's home game.
When Detroit won the Cup in 1997, it lost the first game of the playoffs to St. Louis. When the Red Wings repeated the next season, Phoenix led them 2-1 in the first round.
Before winning a 10th Stanley Cup last June, the Red Wings were booed off the ice after Vancouver won the first two games in the first round.
"Obviously, we're not starting the playoffs well - like last year," said Detroit's Sergei Fedorov, who had three first-period shots Thursday and none over the next five.
Red Wings coach Dave Lewis said the experience of coming back against Vancouver last year will not necessarily help against the Mighty Ducks.
"I don't know if it makes any difference," Lewis said. "I just think that with the experience in the room that it will be a different game, a different focus. We'll just try to shake this one off as soon as we can and get ready for the next one.
"It's just part of the playoffs. It's a disappointing loss, but Saturday's outcome is not dictated by (Thursday's) outcome. We knew they depended heavily on their goaltender, and that's what they did."
The Mighty Ducks weren't shocked by Giguere's performance.
"That's the way he's played all season for us," Keith Carney said. "He's just our backbone back there."
Giguere set franchise records with 34 wins and eight shutouts - including three straight in December - and lost just eight of his last 30 games.
Anaheim coach Mike Babcock is used to watching Giguere make improbable saves with his glove, pads and skates because he coached him at the beginning of last season at Cincinnati in the American Hockey League.
Babcock believes Giguere's debut was so successful because of the goaltender's ability to block out the fact Detroit has won three of the last six Stanley Cups and has as many as nine possible future Hall of Famers.
"Sometimes we try to make things into things they're not," Babcock said. "It's still just a hockey game, and our goaltender realizes this is the same game he's been playing his whole life.
"We have to realize they're just like us, and he does."
Cheers,
Aquaman
Ducks take second game at Joe Louis
Canadian Press
4/12/2003
DETROIT (AP) - Hockeytown has been stunned again.
Anaheim's Stanislav Chistov, Jason Krog and Steve Thomas scored as the Mighty Ducks rallied to beat the defending Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Saturday to take a surprising 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
Last year, before Detroit won its third title in six seasons, the Red Wings dropped the first two games of the first round at home to Vancouver before winning four straight to advance.
The Red Wings were ahead 2-1 on Saturday before Krog and Thomas scored 2:12 apart. Thomas's goal made it 3-2 with just 4:14 remaining.
Game 3 in this best-of-seven series is Monday night in Anaheim.
Detroit solved Jean-Sebastien Giguere and appeared set to tie the series, but Krog tied the game with 6:26 left and Thomas followed with the winning goal.
When Thomas's slapshot from the left circle beat Curtis Joseph, who made 20 saves, the sold-out crowd fell into stunned silence.
The Red Wings pulled Joseph for an extra forward with about a minute left, but didn't come close to forcing overtime. The Mighty Ducks beat Detroit in a third overtime Thursday.
Chistov's and Krog's registered their first playoff points with their goals. Thomas scored his 51st post-season goal.
After the game, the Red Wings were booed briefly.
Detroit's Jason Wooley tied it 1-1 in the second and Luc Robitaille put the Red Wings ahead at 6:39.
Wooley's goal was the first against Giguere in 121 minutes 17 seconds, the equivalent of more than two games. Giguere had stopped 74 straight shots.
Giguere made 34 saves Saturday, one game after stopping 63 shots, an NHL record for a first post-season game. He made 20 saves in the first overtime, more than any goaltender faced in an extra playoff period since the league expanded for the 1967-68 season.
The Mighty Ducks tied Saturday's game 2-2 two seconds after failing to score on their seventh power play of the series.
Sandis Ozolinsh rushed the puck up the ice, made a pass to Rob Niedermayer, who got the puck to Krog in the left circle. Krog beat Joseph high with a backhander.
Chris Chelios's giveaway led to the winning goal. Niedermayer intercepted a clearing pass before making a short pass to Thomas.
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead 7:17 in on its third shot.
Chistov's goal came from an improbable angle. From the bottom of the right circle, his shot went across Joseph's chest and trickled into the net just below his right arm.
Detroit tied it shortly after killing a penalty.
Giguere made a kick save on Sergei Fedorov's shot, then Brendan Shanahan corralled the loose puck behind the net and made a centring pass from the left corner to Wooley.
Just 4:25 later, the Red Wings went ahead 2-1.
Steve Yzerman's shot from the right circle was redirected by Robitaille in front. Robitaille then knocked the rebound out of the air past Giguere just before he could grab it. The video-goal judge reviewed the play, to determine of Robitaille's stick was above the crossbar, and allowed it to stand.
NOTES - One of the loudest cheers came when it was announced that the Detroit Tigers, who started 0-9, beat Chicago 4-3 . . . Just six goaltenders have stopped more shots in a playoff game than Giguere did in Game 1. Kelly Hrudey of the New York Islanders holds the record with 73 saves in a playoff game in 1987 . . . Giguere became the fourth goalie to beat a defending champion in his debut.
Canadian Press
4/12/2003
DETROIT (AP) - Hockeytown has been stunned again.
Anaheim's Stanislav Chistov, Jason Krog and Steve Thomas scored as the Mighty Ducks rallied to beat the defending Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Saturday to take a surprising 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
Last year, before Detroit won its third title in six seasons, the Red Wings dropped the first two games of the first round at home to Vancouver before winning four straight to advance.
The Red Wings were ahead 2-1 on Saturday before Krog and Thomas scored 2:12 apart. Thomas's goal made it 3-2 with just 4:14 remaining.
Game 3 in this best-of-seven series is Monday night in Anaheim.
Detroit solved Jean-Sebastien Giguere and appeared set to tie the series, but Krog tied the game with 6:26 left and Thomas followed with the winning goal.
When Thomas's slapshot from the left circle beat Curtis Joseph, who made 20 saves, the sold-out crowd fell into stunned silence.
The Red Wings pulled Joseph for an extra forward with about a minute left, but didn't come close to forcing overtime. The Mighty Ducks beat Detroit in a third overtime Thursday.
Chistov's and Krog's registered their first playoff points with their goals. Thomas scored his 51st post-season goal.
After the game, the Red Wings were booed briefly.
Detroit's Jason Wooley tied it 1-1 in the second and Luc Robitaille put the Red Wings ahead at 6:39.
Wooley's goal was the first against Giguere in 121 minutes 17 seconds, the equivalent of more than two games. Giguere had stopped 74 straight shots.
Giguere made 34 saves Saturday, one game after stopping 63 shots, an NHL record for a first post-season game. He made 20 saves in the first overtime, more than any goaltender faced in an extra playoff period since the league expanded for the 1967-68 season.
The Mighty Ducks tied Saturday's game 2-2 two seconds after failing to score on their seventh power play of the series.
Sandis Ozolinsh rushed the puck up the ice, made a pass to Rob Niedermayer, who got the puck to Krog in the left circle. Krog beat Joseph high with a backhander.
Chris Chelios's giveaway led to the winning goal. Niedermayer intercepted a clearing pass before making a short pass to Thomas.
Anaheim took a 1-0 lead 7:17 in on its third shot.
Chistov's goal came from an improbable angle. From the bottom of the right circle, his shot went across Joseph's chest and trickled into the net just below his right arm.
Detroit tied it shortly after killing a penalty.
Giguere made a kick save on Sergei Fedorov's shot, then Brendan Shanahan corralled the loose puck behind the net and made a centring pass from the left corner to Wooley.
Just 4:25 later, the Red Wings went ahead 2-1.
Steve Yzerman's shot from the right circle was redirected by Robitaille in front. Robitaille then knocked the rebound out of the air past Giguere just before he could grab it. The video-goal judge reviewed the play, to determine of Robitaille's stick was above the crossbar, and allowed it to stand.
NOTES - One of the loudest cheers came when it was announced that the Detroit Tigers, who started 0-9, beat Chicago 4-3 . . . Just six goaltenders have stopped more shots in a playoff game than Giguere did in Game 1. Kelly Hrudey of the New York Islanders holds the record with 73 saves in a playoff game in 1987 . . . Giguere became the fourth goalie to beat a defending champion in his debut.
I know there's probably a lot of people pointing fingers at CuJo. But c'mon... All they've been able to muster is 3 measly goals in 8+ periods of play??? Sorry, but nobody is going to be touching Stanley unless they start scoring.
Lewis pleased with Wings despite losses
The Canadian Press
4/13/2003
LOS ANGELES (AP) - There are only a couple of ingredients missing for the Detroit Red Wings in their playoff series against Anaheim - goals and wins.
Down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series that resumes Monday night in Anaheim, Calif (TSN, 11 p.m. EDT), not even Red Wings coach Dave Lewis is complaining about the defending Stanley Cup champions' play against the Mighty Ducks.
"They play a defensive style, but we've still generated 100 shots on the net," Lewis said Sunday.
Only three of those shots, however, made it past Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
"The amount of shots we've taken, we don't have a problem," said Detroit's Sergei Fedorov. "We just have to find the net and open the gates.
"They didn't have a lot of offence but the chances that they had, they put it in. I think we're a very dangerous team right now. I think we're a desperate team right now."
The Ducks got off just 44 shots to the Red Wings' 64 in Anaheim's 2-1 triple overtime win in the opener. Detroit held a 36-23 edge in Game 2, but the Ducks still won 3-2 with two late goals.
"We haven't capitalized on our chances, and they have," Lewis said. "We're not really going to change anything, but we do want to play better defensively."
He reminded the players before they took the ice for a short practice Sunday afternoon that the Red Wings were in the same position a year ago, falling behind Vancouver 2-0 in the first round before winning four straight on their way to their third Stanley Cup title in six years.
"Being that we've been in this position before, we need to draw from that experience," Lewis said. "This time of the year, you really don't need to talk a lot about motivation."
While Lewis has been mostly pleased with the Red Wings' effort, Anaheim rookie coach Mike Babcock doesn't think the Ducks have played well.
"I'm surprised by the way we've played," he said. "We're normally a pretty good hockey club.
"Don't get me wrong, we battled real well defensively, we were great on our penalty killing. We're a skating team, but we've been back on our heels, out of respect for them.
"We've got to play our game. That team's not going away; you have to put them away."
Giguere obviously has been the big difference so far.
"He has been solid all season long," Babcock said. "He has that little extra, that competitiveness, that soul that the special players have."
Detroit's Luc Robitaille believes the Red Wings' job is simple.
"We just have to find a way to win," he said. "We're playing well, but we need to play even better."
He believes scoring early could help.
"In this building, the ice is so bad that after six, seven minutes it's hard to make a pass, so we need to get a lead," Robitaille said.
Teammate Brendan Shanahan predicted the Mighty Ducks' focus on defence would produce another low-scoring game.
"It's a very disciplined style of game," he said. "It's not going to put you among the scoring leaders but we know how to win those games.
"We just have to go out workmanlike and get the job done."
If they win four of the next five, the Red Wings would become only the third team to bounce back from a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-seven series in consecutive years. The New York Islanders did it in 1975 and 1976, and Pittsburgh came back in 1991 and 1992.
The fourth game will be played Wednesday night in Anaheim.
Cheers,
Aquaman
The Canadian Press
4/13/2003
LOS ANGELES (AP) - There are only a couple of ingredients missing for the Detroit Red Wings in their playoff series against Anaheim - goals and wins.
Down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series that resumes Monday night in Anaheim, Calif (TSN, 11 p.m. EDT), not even Red Wings coach Dave Lewis is complaining about the defending Stanley Cup champions' play against the Mighty Ducks.
"They play a defensive style, but we've still generated 100 shots on the net," Lewis said Sunday.
Only three of those shots, however, made it past Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
"The amount of shots we've taken, we don't have a problem," said Detroit's Sergei Fedorov. "We just have to find the net and open the gates.
"They didn't have a lot of offence but the chances that they had, they put it in. I think we're a very dangerous team right now. I think we're a desperate team right now."
The Ducks got off just 44 shots to the Red Wings' 64 in Anaheim's 2-1 triple overtime win in the opener. Detroit held a 36-23 edge in Game 2, but the Ducks still won 3-2 with two late goals.
"We haven't capitalized on our chances, and they have," Lewis said. "We're not really going to change anything, but we do want to play better defensively."
He reminded the players before they took the ice for a short practice Sunday afternoon that the Red Wings were in the same position a year ago, falling behind Vancouver 2-0 in the first round before winning four straight on their way to their third Stanley Cup title in six years.
"Being that we've been in this position before, we need to draw from that experience," Lewis said. "This time of the year, you really don't need to talk a lot about motivation."
While Lewis has been mostly pleased with the Red Wings' effort, Anaheim rookie coach Mike Babcock doesn't think the Ducks have played well.
"I'm surprised by the way we've played," he said. "We're normally a pretty good hockey club.
"Don't get me wrong, we battled real well defensively, we were great on our penalty killing. We're a skating team, but we've been back on our heels, out of respect for them.
"We've got to play our game. That team's not going away; you have to put them away."
Giguere obviously has been the big difference so far.
"He has been solid all season long," Babcock said. "He has that little extra, that competitiveness, that soul that the special players have."
Detroit's Luc Robitaille believes the Red Wings' job is simple.
"We just have to find a way to win," he said. "We're playing well, but we need to play even better."
He believes scoring early could help.
"In this building, the ice is so bad that after six, seven minutes it's hard to make a pass, so we need to get a lead," Robitaille said.
Teammate Brendan Shanahan predicted the Mighty Ducks' focus on defence would produce another low-scoring game.
"It's a very disciplined style of game," he said. "It's not going to put you among the scoring leaders but we know how to win those games.
"We just have to go out workmanlike and get the job done."
If they win four of the next five, the Red Wings would become only the third team to bounce back from a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-seven series in consecutive years. The New York Islanders did it in 1975 and 1976, and Pittsburgh came back in 1991 and 1992.
The fourth game will be played Wednesday night in Anaheim.
Cheers,
Aquaman
Exactly.
The truth is Giguere isn't going to post a .970 save percentage throughout this series. I have faith that they will start putting those shots in the net as opposed to the clanging them off the post.
Originally posted by: NutBucket
GO DUCKS!!!
Ha ha ha .......... I forgot you were a Ducks fan
Cheers,
Aquaman
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