Round One: Columbus @ Detroit

Who's gonna win - how many games - and why?

Columbus wins in 6.

The Guy With The Mustache wrote:Columbus wins in 6.

Recent history would suggest otherwise. Young up-and-coming teams have seemed to struggle in their first post-season appearance.

Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Washington are all recent examples. And the BJs are facing a team that, no matter how poor their goaltending is, knows how to win.

I'm not even sure we can play the "long playoff run the year before card" because they were a few bounces away from the Finals in 2006-2007.

I'm biased as a Red Wings fan, but I don't think there's a scarier team to face simply because of their experience. It's going to take some super-human performances from Mason, and although he's undoubtedly capable of that, Price is as well and he struggled in his first post-season appearance.

Detroit in 5... Experience win's out!

caissie_1 wrote:Detroit in 5... Experience win's out!

Not to mention the incomparable skill on forward and D.

asq2 wrote:

caissie_1 wrote:Detroit in 5... Experience win's out!

Not to mention the incomparable skill on forward and D.

Yes of course lol!

My gut says BJs for whatever reason

I think Mason gets his feet wet and steals the BJs a game, but overall, I just can't see Detroit losing this series. Osgood isn't playing that well right now, but the depth and the prowess of the RW's lineup is really amazing.

Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, Franzen, Hossa, Cleary, Samuelsson, Draper, Maltby, possibly Helm and Leino, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Eriksson, Stuart.

You simply cannot match that depth, unless you're the Sharks.

I say Detroit in 5.

The Oilers beat the Wings in the 1st round in 2006, and the Jackets will upset the Wings this year. For similar reasons.

Lidstrom and Hossa are hurting at the wrong time.

Steve Mason Vs Chris Osgood.

Seven games.

Great series.

Wings in 5. Jackets will get one, but that's it.

only series sweep that I will call. I like Columbus, too bad they drew Detroit for their 1st round. They may have been better off not making it by a hair. But here they are, absolute fodder for Mr's Zetterberg, Datsyuk and the Mule. If that was not enough, add in Marian Hossa, Brian Rafalski and Lidstrom. Mason or not, Columbus is toast.

Jackets in 6.

Detroit in 6. As Caissie said, experience wins out. The regular season series was a lot closer than I thought, but we're not in the Regular Season anymore.

Still, every generation a rookie goalie wins the Cup, so you never know.

this will be the upset of the year. Wings will choke I think.

504Heater wrote:I think Mason gets his feet wet and steals the BJs a game, but overall, I just can't see Detroit losing this series. Osgood isn't playing that well right now, but the depth and the prowess of the RW's lineup is really amazing.

Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, Franzen, Hossa, Cleary, Samuelsson, Draper, Maltby, possibly Helm and Leino, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Eriksson, Stuart.

You simply cannot match that depth, unless you're the Sharks.

I say Detroit in 5.

Here's what Ken Hitchc0ck says about the Red Wings, from the Columbus Post Dispatch:

“There’s not one person with any degree of sanity who is going to pick us to win the series."

“They’re the only team in the league with a knowledge of what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. Everybody else can only talk about it, but they’ve got 95 percent of last season’s club back, the guys that got it done.”

“Detroit is the top five-man faceoff team in the league. By that, I mean, all five guys on the ice work hard to retrieve the puck, not just the center. They’ve been the best in the league for a few years now.”

“Body contact is not going to bother Detroit. They’ve been through this before. It’s not going to wear them out like everybody thinks. None of that is relevant.”

Now, I picked up these quotes from a column by one of the most diehard Red Wings bloggers out there 'Abel To Yzerman'.

This blogger says it's Hitch's way of motivating his players and sandbagging the Wings. Because, as A2Y says, the Jackets know they can beat the Wings. And the Wings know it too.

Columbus has already beaten Detroit this year. Decisively. So they know what to do.

All the Jackets have to do is WANT it more.

And they have shown signs that they do.

Hitch knows that talent doesn't win Cups.

So does Mike Babc0ck. Which is why, if you watch the Wings games, he has looked so worried...all year long.

Both teams buy into The System. Both teams execute.

The Wings have some of the best players in the league. But they don't have a Steve Mason. And they don't have a Rick Nash. Players who can, and do, win games all by themselves.

Underdogs have a way of overcoming the myth--and reality--of The Big Red Machine.

After all, the Wings don't win it all every year. So somebody's been beating them.

And repeating as Stanley Cup winner has to be the hardest feat in professional team sports championships.

Great series coming up. 7 games looks about right. Edge Jackets.
:D: