tampa bay lightning

[Adida]

so you think we can bring the cup home to fl? or do you think philly or calgary are going to take us down?

[Bobyearl]

Sorry Adida. I hate EVERY Florida team in every sport on every level. I do not know why, but I think it started from all the BS college football teams you got. hehe

I actually got to see the Lightning play this year twice, and the look pretty good. I DESPISE St. Louis though. They lshort little bastard can go straight to H. E. double hockey sticks. hehe


Go Sooners!(only team I truly cheer for)

[TrollFunk]

GO CALGARY!!!1!

[Phineas]

As a die-hard Philly fan in all sports (especially hockey and football) I can only pray that we do win 2 in a row.

As a realist though, I don't forsee that happening. The Lightning are a very good team and them sweeping us during the regular season does not fill me with much confidence.

Combine that with the fact that we are playing with 3rd and 4rth string defensemen and it looks pretty grim.

Tampa Bay winning is the worst possible scenario for the NHL, though. Philly is the only team left with anything resembling a national profile. A Lightning-Flames series will not be watched by ANYONE.

You know Gary Bettman is pulling for the Flyers.

I will be watching the game tonight in my Bernie Parent throwback jersey, cheering like the lunatic that I am

[Adida]

why do you think it would be the worst possible thing for the nhl? because our hockey players have tans (btw i like both philly and tb i spent 4 years there going to hs so for me either team would be good.)

[Bobyearl]

Tampa does not have a strong fan base like Philly, and with NHL having the money probs this year they need LOTS and LOTS of ratings this year. Sooooo, Tampa and a Canadian team is going to be bad for business.

[Adida]

actually you would be surprised on thier fan base. although one of the playoff games i went to i did see alot of flyers fans there I think the big thing is with tb hockey on why no one goes there you can see the game for free on sunshine network. I mean why go to a hockey game and pay the money for a ticket when you can watch it for free at home. and yes they broadcast every game except for 5 games durring the year

[Kirt]

tampabay to lose !

[Keabit Guinness]

I for one am rooting for anyone, other than Tampa Bay.

1. It would be sacrilige to have Tampa Bay Lightning stamped on the Stanley Cup.

2. If T.B. wins, it does nothing to help the league grow. Sorry to say, but it's true. If it is a Calgary-TB final, the U.S. ratings from T.V. will be horrible. The NHL is rooting for Philly. The wanted either Detroit, Philly, Toronto, Boston, New Jersey, etc. to make it, not Tampa Bay.

3. If Calgary wins, it helps there franchise stay in there. The video's of the fans going crazy int the streets was enough to prove how good of a hockey city they are. Oh, and this was just the Cup-semi's.

4. I don't think the fans of T.B. appreciate or really care for hockey. IMO, it's like arena football to them. If they lose, "Oh well. We got the Bucs", would be said. In Detroit where I live, we are still mourning our unexpected early exit from the playoff's. Even tho the Pistons are helping take that pain away, it still hurts like hell and will continue thru the summer. Other cities are the same. All the Origional Six cities know this pain. They will always have a good fan base. Win or Lose


One reason I would like to see a Calgary-Tampa Bay series is, to prove that the NHL doesn't need a salary cap. Calgary and Tampa Bay are way below salary averages. Thus proving the point that you can compete on any given payroll.

Also, this will help with making sure the Wings buy Martin St. Louis, Jerome Iginla, and many of the other stars that will want massive pay raises after there contracts are up.

Red Wing Nation !!!!!

P.S. I want retraction. Too may teams in a sport so few care about. I grew up with 21 teams in the league and the talent was amazing. Nine goals per game, and not because the goalies sucked, the players were great. No trap was played, because you couldn't contain a team for that long.

[Bobyearl]

I have to agree with the P.S. The NHL is just to damn big. They need to trim the fat and go from there. We'll see what happens though. Hopefully, it will be around next year.

[TrollFunk]

Red Wings for Stanly Cup winners 2005

(played icehockey for about 16 years, and have ofcourse always been cheering for the wings )

[Beratuul]

Wings are finished. Yzerman is done. Cherlios is god damn 42 years old. Shanahan plays like a puss with about everyone else on that team.

Zetterburg, Datsyuk, Maltby and Draper is the only shit on that team worth keeping.


NYR 2009 baby.


Who would cheer for Tampa =/ A bunch of french Canadians lead the way with that swede Modin =/


I should have taken Modin in my pool.

[Bobyearl]

I am not a HUGE wings fan, but you are fogetting Lang. That dude is awesome. The silent killer. Sorry, I hate Jagr. Biggest whiner in the NHL after Limeaux(sp) left. Sooooo, screw NYR while he is on the team. hehe

[Keabit Guinness]

Yzerman is not done. He said he isn't going to retire. True, many of the older players may be gone. Chelios may be 42, but he is still a good defenceman. If the Wings didn't have so many injuries, they may have been able to beat Calgary. But who knows. In Hockey, unlike anyother sport, the best team doesn't always win. To win the Stanley Cup takes a good team, and a little luck. Think the Wings ran out of it. 3 cups in my lifetime....I'm happy

As far as the Rangers go. You may have to wait that long. A common misconception in the NHL is the Wings had the highest payroll. Not true! It was the Rangers until this year, when the Rangers started to dump salary.
I can't believe they let Leech go. That would be like Yzerman going to Chicago. The Rangers are a bunch of over paid underachieving failures. That's not easy for me to say because Mark Messier is my favorite player in my lifetime (no offense Stevie).

Your payroll was the highest for the past eight seasons, and yet you have failed to make the playoffs the past five years.

2009 may be the Rangers year. Why you chose that year is beyond me. But anyway, enjoy rebuilding. Even if the Wings dominance is over, I still get to go to Joe Louis Arena and look at the 10 Stanley Cup championship banners. Seven banners for my Grandfather and Father, three for me



P.S. Your right about Shanahan. When I went to some games this year, I could have sworn he was drunker than I was.

P.S.S. Lang was a great pick-up.

[Keabit Guinness]

Adida, I just read your last post again and I missed something. I will say it now.

You have to go to the Games. Sure. You can watch it on T.V. But it's not the same. I can't afford season tickets (the wait for them is too long anyway), but I go any chance i get. T.V. at times doesn't do the game justice. You get to see the whole play develop. And, if your fortunate enough to get seats on the glass, you see how big and agile they are.
And, there really is no bad seat at a hockey game. If your in the last row, you get to see the play develp. Glass seats, your right on top of the action, but may not be able to see down the ice to far, depending on the angle of the glass to where your sitting.

If you ever come to Detroit, Daemic (wife) and I will take you to a Wings game. Maybe against Tampa.