The Detroit Red Wings are winning the Cup this year.

[Hammettf2b]

A worse team took the eventual Cup champs to 7 games a couple years ago. They took the runner up to 7 games last year; I can't disregard any championship notions. I am slightly buzzed while writing this, though.

This is the way I see it. I think this team has a chance win in any series they would play.

 

[DanZ]

...with a top four of Lidstrom-Rafalski and Kronwall-Stuart. Even if they did acquire Byfuglien, the '08 defense was twice as good.

No top four in the current league is as good as the 2008 Wings... So it's kinda a moot point. The Wings don't need their defense to be that good to win the Cup.

 

[DanZ]

Also a reason the cup was lost

In 2009? I'd say the Datsyuk/Lidstrom injuries were a much bigger factor then our bottom-pairing defensemen.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

In 2009? I'd say the Datsyuk/Lidstrom injuries were a much bigger factor then our bottom-pairing defensemen.

Yeah but they played garbage.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

No top four in the current league is as good as the 2008 Wings... So it's kinda a moot point. The Wings don't need their defense to be that good to win the Cup.

Chicago? Maybe not, I dont think they have a really good 4,5,6

 

[PullHard]

Chicago? Maybe not, I dont think they have a really good 4,5,6

If they sign Hejda it might be a deeper overall group, assuming he stays somewhat fresh over the course of the year and TvR takes at least a small step forward, but Lidstrom was better than any Dman Chicago has and Rafalski's offensive smarts trumps any of Rundlbad, Daley, or whoever they are looking at as their biggest offensive threat from the blue line.

Chicago has a great group of D, but the top end of Wings mid/late 2000s D group with Lidstrom and Rafalski leading the way was incredible. Chicago deeper throughout the bottom 4.

I say this as a huge fan of Keith-Seabrook.

I miss having great defense.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

If they sign Hejda it might be a deeper overall group, assuming he stays somewhat fresh over the course of the year and TvR takes at least a small step forward, but Lidstrom was better than any Dman Chicago has and Rafalski's offensive smarts trumps any of Rundlbad, Daley, or whoever they are looking at as their biggest offensive threat from the blue line.

Chicago has a great group of D, but the top end of Wings mid/late 2000s D group with Lidstrom and Rafalski leading the way was incredible. Chicago deeper throughout the bottom 4.

I say this as a huge fan of Keith-Seabrook.

I miss having great defense.

It's my favorite part of the game to watch, Dfensive plays and point passes.

 

[DanZ]

Chicago? Maybe not, I dont think they have a really good 4,5,6

I don't think so. Lidstrom is better than anything Chicago has and they just lost Oduya.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

I don't think so. Lidstrom is better than anything Chicago has and they just lost Oduya.

Yeah, But Keith is one of the best dmen in the league. So theres that. Then Hjalmarsson could be stuart, Seabrook Kronner? They are just missing that one extra person that's actually good.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Chicago doesn't need a good third pairing when they have such a strong top four.

Detroit has a decent top pairing, when Ericsson isn't playing like Ericsson. Average second pair and non existent third pair.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

That's the beauty of the off-season, fans can have 'a good feeling' about their team and there aren't yet any of those pesky real life facts to ruin that feeling.

 

[Lampedampe]

We need this kind of optimism now!

 

[Retire91]

Same defense that has been first round exiting and barely getting to the playoffs for the last what is 3 or 4 seasons. Lol. Oh wait Mike Green sorry.

 

[NumberFive]

Anyone who's watched hockey for more than two seasons will tell you: There's the regular season...then there's the playoff season. Teams that appear on paper to have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting through the first round, suddenly end up in the Finals. Players who barely contributed a sneeze on the ice the first 82 games suddenly make highlight reel after highlight reel and end up hoisting the Conn-Smythe. Las Vegas faves to win it all end up swept in the semis after their star scorer gets injured, get taken to seven games, and lose all their mojo from lack of rest.

It's playoff hockey. Anything can happen, and I do believe this team really could pull off something fantastic. But they have to get there first.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Anyone who's watched hockey for more than two seasons will tell you: There's the regular season...then there's the playoff season. Teams that appear on paper to have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting through the first round, suddenly end up in the Finals. Players who barely contributed a sneeze on the ice the first 82 games suddenly make highlight reel after highlight reel and end up hoisting the Conn-Smythe. Las Vegas faves to win it all end up swept in the semis after their star scorer gets injured, get taken to seven games, and lose all their mojo from lack of rest.

It's playoff hockey. Anything can happen, and I do believe this team really could pull off something fantastic. But they have to get there first.

The only team that has done anything like that in this decade is New Jersey. Even though LA was an 8th seed in 2012, they were a lot of people's preseason favorites for the finals that year, but they underperformed most of the season. This logic does not make any sense.

Maybe the other pseudo example is the 2010 7th seed Philadelphia Flyers who didn't have a goalie but still had two number 1 defensemen and a Selke caliber center?

 

[Retire91]

Anything can happen should be a philosophy reserved for years teams randomly make the playoffs or years that young teams overachieve. Think 2006 Oilers. When your team philosophy is adding stop gaps to help your over the hill elite players barely make the playoffs season after season holding onto 'anything can happen' logic is just denial or lunacy at this point. A history of first round exists is there to back the opinion.

 

[Dotter]

I love the optimism!

 

[Ezekial]

Don't worry Claypool, I still have faith.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Glendening will score the Cup winning goal, shorthanded backhand.

If I get this right, you guys owe me a beer.

 

[BinCookin]

Glendening will score the Cup winning goal, shorthanded backhand.

If I get this right, you guys owe me a beer.

Ill Say Larkin wins 1st round playoff series a-la-top-shelf-cheese, like yzerman did!

 

[Retire91]

 

[BinCookin]

yes!

 

[taliababa]

They could win the Calder Cup...but I doubt it.

 

[TopShelfYzerman]

I'm not drunk or high or whatever. In fact, I'm currently at Taco Bell scarfing down an excellent chicken quesadilla.

I just have a feeling and wanted to share it with all of you. I have a good feeling about this team this year. ****ing pumped hockey is coming back. Let's roll, boyssss

TB quesadillas are paper thin, cant imagine scarfing down a peice of paper.

Anyway, I sure hope youre right

nice.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

Red Wings are missing the playoffs this year.

To win the cup, you have to have heart and drive.