GAME DAY: SCP '09, SUNDAY MAY 31, STANLEY CUP FINAL--PITTSBURGH AT DETROIT, 800 PM ET

Pens are gonna have to pull Fleury soon...

Malkin should get suspended for starting that fight at this point in the game bu thte league wont do a thing

anyone else have Detroit in 5?

Since Scotty Bowman and the 'Russian Five' back in 1993, the Detroit Red Wings have been about The System.

Every player plays The System...or they don't stay with the Wings.

Every player is given a set of specific tasks and objectives...and they are expected to perfect their execution with maximum effort and committment to The Red Wing Way.

Talent is only one part of the Detroit equation for success. More important is the fact there are no prima donnas on this team.

People call them boring?

When you watch Detroit playing as they have tonight, you've watching as close to technically perfect team hockey as you ever will.

Another excellent game--and a very close contest--superbly played by both teams.

On to Pittsburgh!

:##: :##: :##:

davetherave wrote:People call them boring?

Do they?

ASQ> don't you remember how the critics called the Wings 'old and boring' last year?

Not that it matters, eh...

They're too diddling good. It's...almost as hard to watch as it is mesmerizing. Go home Pittsburgh, recharge and see if you can win one game.

I'm hardly a Pens fan, but I'm frustrated for them. Detroit is as close to perfect as we're going to see in a cap system. Wow.

davetherave wrote:ASQ> don't you remember how the critics called the Wings 'old and boring' last year?

Not that it matters, eh...

Old and soft I've seen. I've never seen Datsyuk and co. referred to as boring, though.

Not that it matters. :pirat:

shabbs wrote:

Acrobat wrote:Two career playoff goals - one SCF game winner, and this one?
How do they find these kids?

Do they find them or do they make them?

I'll take an answer to either question...it seems completely unfair either way.

They're like a big red machine, just rolling along.
Doesn't matter what you throw at them, they adapt, adjust, and just keep coming.

Like the Borg.

Acrobat wrote:

shabbs wrote:

Acrobat wrote:Two career playoff goals - one SCF game winner, and this one?
How do they find these kids?

Do they find them or do they make them?

I'll take an answer to either question...it seems completely unfair either way.

They develop the hell out of their kids. They give them a tonne of time in the minors (for example, Abdelkader is older than Crosby), then when they bring them up, it's almost always in a checking role first and foremost - learn the defensive side of the game before getting on to offence.

Plus, the young players have great mentors to learn from. Zetterberg and Datsyuk are the players they are today because of Steve Yzerman, and now they're passing on wisdom to kids like Filppula. Practicing daily with Nik Lidstrom is going to do wonders for young defencemen like Ericsson.

Scouting is a big part of it, obviously, but it's not just a case of them finding better players.

Thing is that you have to have enough depth on the big team to be able to develop the kids. It's a Catch-22 for most teams - they need the better kids up on the big team for one of a multitude of reasons, so they don't develop properly and thus they can't set the wheels in motion in the manner that Detroit has.

Hockeyhero22000 wrote:Malkin should get suspended for starting that fight at this point in the game bu thte league wont do a thing

Nope... the league "did do something"... rescind the Instigator that would have earned him an automatic one game suspension...

So very gutless of the NHL. Heaven forbid one of their big stars get himself suspended in a SCF game.

But I guess since this is the first time an incident like this has ever occurred the league can be forgiven. Although maybe we should ask Pronger his opinion on that matter...

The Guy With The Mustache wrote:anyone else have Detroit in 5?

Yeah, pgood, but you've got 8 points on him. I think your quest for last is over

Acrobat wrote:They're like a big red machine, just rolling along.
Doesn't matter what you throw at them, they adapt, adjust, and just keep coming.

Like the Borg.

Nice. Way to sneak in a Star Trek reference.

Detroit has definitely been a force in the NHL but, they're not some unstoppable big red machine. 4 going on 5 Cups in the last 22 years is impressive but not super human. Before their back to back Cups in 97 and 98 they went 42 years without one. Certainly they have done better than any other team over that span (1997 to 2009) but it's not anywhere near a record. I personally find New Jersey's 3 Cups in their very short history WAY more impressive.

Acrobat wrote:

shabbs wrote:

Acrobat wrote:Two career playoff goals - one SCF game winner, and this one?
How do they find these kids?

Do they find them or do they make them?

I'll take an answer to either question...it seems completely unfair either way.

To be honest, I think they make them. The system they have in place cranks them out and develops their talent "The Red Wing Way" and like DTR said, those that don't follow... get moved.

As for the "boring" comments about the Red Wings, I can see how they'd be referred to that. They play a very composed game, never panic, never get out of line, don't have a tough guy and they just keep playing the system and never relent. To some, that can be boring I guess. But they've got guys like Kronwall that can deliver punishing, highlight reel hits. Add in the Hossa factor this year, and they've certainly been more interesting than ever.

As for the game last night... not looking good for the Pens, but you look at the posts they hit... more bad fortune their way. We'll see if the bounces go their way back at home. I think we'll see this series tied at 2 headed back to Detroit.

asq2 wrote:
They develop the hell out of their kids. They give them a tonne of time in the minors (for example, Abdelkader is older than Crosby), then when they bring them up, it's almost always in a checking role first and foremost - learn the defensive side of the game before getting on to offence.

It's funny how the Wings are praised for this but the Sens are attacked. When it's suggested that the Sens younger players start out on the 3rd or 4th line people complain that it's a waste of their talent and they should be on the 1st or 2nd line if they're supposed to be offensive prospects. When Murray brings in Veteran players, people complain that they're taking away roster spots from their young developing talent that deserve a shot.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

asq2 wrote:
They develop the hell out of their kids. They give them a tonne of time in the minors (for example, Abdelkader is older than Crosby), then when they bring them up, it's almost always in a checking role first and foremost - learn the defensive side of the game before getting on to offence.

It's funny how the Wings are praised for this but the Sens are attacked. When it's suggested that the Sens younger players start out on the 3rd or 4th line people complain that it's a waste of their talent and they should be on the 1st or 2nd line if they're supposed to be offensive prospects. When Murray brings in Veteran players, people complain that they're taking away roster spots from their young developing talent that deserve a shot.

The volume and amount of criticism is directly proportional to the level of success on the ice.