Well, the Wings have done what they had to do. They picked up Dom's option and made him their property. They had to do it because there was too much of a risk of Dom going to Colorado and they couldn't let that happen. Dom hasn't officially announced his return yet but at least now he won't go anywhere else. The Wings now have to do something about CuJo.

Not much going on today so all I have is another article by Al Strachan. This one is about coaches' ideas on changes to the league. Pretty interesting.

-- Some more details on Pavel's contract: It's 1 year, $1.5 million with bonus clauses and a club/player option for a second year at the same salary. Pavel turned down a higher offer from Ak Bars Kazan, his old Russian Elite League team who called him constantly, to stay with the Wings. It's nice to see some team loyalty these days. While Pavel never signed with Kazan, the offer did affect negotiations and the Wings gave Pavel more than they would have. He only earned $650,000 last year. The Wings offered 4 or 5 years at a lower salary but Pavel's agent pushed for one year at a higher salary to give Pavel a chance to make more next season and leave him free to negotiate afterward. The two sides compromised with the option year. If Datsyuk reaches certain statistical marks, the option will be his and he'll be able to negotiate with the Wings as a restricted free agent. If he doesn't reach the mark, the Wings get the option and can bring him back at the same salary. They won't say what the marks are but Pavel's agent thinks they are very fair. -- No more real news on Hasek's return yet. I've come to the conclusion that Hasek is the best of the Wings' two options. First, he is the better goalie, year off or not. He may be out of shape and out of practice but he will be able to get that back by the playoffs. The Wings don't need him to play great during the season, they can use Manny if they have to then. As long as he's ready for the playoffs, that's all that matters. It's a gamble but with Dominik's work ethic, I think it's a gamble worth taking. Second, he only has one year left on his contract, this next season. After this coming season, the CBA expires. Most people expect a lockout and a loss of the '04-'05 season. A lockout alone will tear apart the Wings. The majority of their veteran players will either retire or go back to Europe to play there. The Wings will be a much different team for the '05-'06 season, even if their isn't a salary cap. I think having Hasek in net gives the Wings the best chance of winning a Cup before they become that much less of a great team. Third, a salary cap will further rip the Wings apart. Having a goalie that costs $8 million a year when the salary cap is $32 million is not very smart. The Wings need to get rid of that $8 million now so they don't have to after the new CBA comes into effect. Keeping Hasek and dumping Joseph will leave the Wings in a fairly good position in '05-'06. They will have Manny Legace in net and perhaps Stefan Liv or Jim Howard backing him up. The league overall will be a more even playing field, though with much less talent. The Wings will remain competive and still have room for other players that they wouldn't have if they keep Joseph and his $8 million contract.

-- Well, it looks like WYXT-AM (1270) was wrong. The Wings said yesterday that no deal has been done yet. They haven't picked up their option on Hasek yet and Holland said "Very little has changed since yesterday. Nothing is done. Nothing is settled. I'm working on it." Hopefully Holland isn't just lying because I seriously doubt CuJo will ever want to play here again, after hearing what the deal was supposedly for. If Holland is lying, he'd better hope the deal doesn't fall through because the Wings will be screwed. See the Detroit News for more of the same. The Wings are serious enough to send Lewis to Austria to meet with Dom last week for a half a day (as I already said). Lewis said "Mutually we felt it was a good idea to meet. I saw Dominik. He looks good. He's typical Dominik. He looks the same as he did when I saw him the first time. No, he did look a little different. He had a tan." While the Wings won't say anything on the chances that Dom will play for them next year, Scotty Bowman will. He says "There's a lot to be worked out, but I would say it's a pretty good guess. I don't think Hasek is interested in returning to play in another city. He'll want a guarantee he'll return with Detroit." He also said the Wings obviously will not allow Hasek to hit the open market. The Free Press has an obviously biased towards Hasek piece that compares Dom and CuJo. -- Apparently, the Wings are pretty close to signing prospect Jiri Hudler. He's 19 years old, was taken in last year's draft and was considered a steal by most experts. From what I've heard, he isn't ready for the NHL, not having heard about the "balanced game" yet. He would either play for the Wings or for his Czech team but if he didn't make the Wings and his Czech team didn't take him back, he would play for the Griffins in Grand Rapids. Hopefully, if he does make the Wings, he'll have the same impact Grigorenko was expected to have. -- Some mixed news for the Wings and their fans: Peter Forsberg will return to the Avs for another year, at least. This is good news because that most likely means Colorado will not sign Sergei but it's bad news because that means Foppa will still be able to make it that much harder for the Wings to beat the Avs. Overall, I guess it's a good thing because it means one of the best players in the league isn't leaving in his prime. UPDATE - 4:54 PM - The Wings and Pavel Datsyuk have agreed to terms. One year with an option for a second. I'm surprised it's only for one definite year. I would have expected the Wings to lock up Pavel for longer than that. They're just making it harder for themselves, what happens if Pavel gets even better and demands more after the two years?

Some big news today. I heard about it by e-mail so I will just post the whole thing here: just heard on WXYT-AM 1270: The Wings just announced that they had reached a deal with Hasek to bring him back contingent upon moving Cujo. It was also reported that they were in discussions with Philly to move Cujo there. This is according to Art Regner, WXYT's ace Red Wing reporter... nothing else was announced... Wow. Who would we get from Philly, I wonder? Gagne, maybe? Poor Joseph. I hope Holland knows what he's doing. Dom's been out for a while.....

Some more details on the Hasek situation. The Wings apparently told other teams during the draft that Joseph would be available. That's according to other teams' officials, the Wings have made no comment to that effect. Also, Dave Lewis is known to have met with Dominik in Austria after the Wings lost to Anaheim. These are just some indications that the Wings could be leaning towards Hasek instead of Joseph. Ted Kulfan has a good overview of the situation in the Detroit News. Something I didn't know: Hasek has a no-trade clause too. The Freep says the Wings don't know how open Dom is to playing for other teams and that there is almost no chance that the Wings will let him become a free agent. If Hasek does return, the Wings would have to exercise their option no later than Monday to keep him or else he'll become a free agent. Rob Parker of the Detroit News says the Wings should take Hasek over Joseph, hands down. I'm beginning to agree with him. Having a goalie that's already won a Cup in net for the Wings' last real chance at the Cup would be great. CuJo played very well but couldn't win games for the Wings when they needed him to. Keeping Hasek all hinges on Joseph waiving his no-trade clause, which is possible. I'm sure he wouldn't want to stick around in Detroit to back up Dominik so he hopefully would allow himself to be traded to New York or some other team out East. I'm starting to like hearing about Hasek's return a little more but I think it would be better overall if he didn't come back.The Detroit Free Press asks some good questions about Hasek's possible return. It does raise some concerns.

-- Once again rumors of Hasek's return are starting up. Supposedly, he and the Wings have been talking along those lines but no definite decision has been made. This puts the Wings in a tough spot because Joseph has a no-trade clause and they can't just trade away Dom to anybody in the league. Not many teams can afford Dominik and his price in a trade would be too high for most also. I say, stay retired, Dom. I'd like to see you back but only in a Wings sweater and since that isn't very likely (I doubt Curtis will waive his no-trade clause), I think you should just stay in the Czech Republic. Why Dominik couldn't just come back after we won the Cup, when millions of fans and his whole team begged him to, I'll never know. It's pretty hard to forgive you for that, Dom. The other choice the Wings have is to let Dom return to the league but not exercise the option they hold on his contract. Then Hasek would become an unrestricted free agent and free to go to Colorado and the Wings would get nothing in return. Wouldn't that be great? I just hope the Wings don't end up trading Hasek to the same team Sergei signs with. Meeting those two in the playoffs wouldn't be very fun at all. Stay retired Dom! A little more on Joseph's no-trade clause. Word out of New York is he would be willing to do allow himself to be traded to the Rangers. That rumor is from the New York Post and Larry Brooks so it probably doesn't have much truth to it. Cujo would be a moron and I'd lose all respect for him if he let himself go to the Rangers. He wants to win a Cup, doesn't he? The NYP story says they've been "...told that should Hasek return, it would only be to play in Detroit..." Yeah, right. The Wings can't let that happen. It'd be too much of a mess. Think Hasek-Osgood only on a much bigger scale. -- UPDATE - 6:36 PM - The Stars will not offer Derian Hatcher a new contract before July 1. This is much like the situation two years ago with Dallas and Brett Hull, though Hatcher would cost the Stars more than Brett would have. Hopefully the Wings can steal another Stars player away from a team that doesn't want him, just as they did with Hull. The Wings can only really afford Hatcher if Sergei leaves but maybe Derian will take a pay cut to come home to Detroit. We'll see what happens but I wish the Wings could get a hold of that guy. They need some toughness and he would definitely bring it. -- UPDATE - 10:25 PM - Although the Wings would not comment on the rumor before, Ken Holland confirmed today that the Wings have heard from Dom regarding a possible return to the NHL. Says Mr. Holland: "If Dominik comes back it probably will be a sticky situation." Probably? I think it would definitely be a sticky situation, Mr. Holland.

-- Here is the final list of Wings picks from the draft this weekend (click name for player info): #64 G James Howard #132 D Kyle Quincey #164 C Ryan Oulahen #170 L Andreas Sundin #194 D Stefan Blom #226 L Tomas Kollar #258 L Vladimir Kutny #289 C Mikael Johansson Click here for a quicker overview of each draftee. The Wings didn't get the steal they were looking for but they don't sound too disapointed, even though most of these guys are 4 years away from the league. -- Some good news: Pavel Datsyuk, though he has a huge offer from that Ak Bars Kazan team that he used to play for and Bykov has signed with, wants to stay with the Wings. He did not take the Russian offer and use it as leverage in the contract talks because he respects the Wings very much. That's more than can be said about Bykov, I guess. I still can't believe Bykov probably won't be back. I took it for granted that he would be and now all of a sudden he's turned greedy and the Wings won't pay him. Sad. The Wings are close to a deal with Pavel and we should see him in a Wings jersey next year again. Hopefully it will be a long deal so we don't have to worry about losing him for a while. -- There is an update on Yzerman in the Freep today. His agent said "We've talked about a number of issues and things. I think quite frankly if Steve Yzerman says to them that he expects to get paid what he got paid last year, based on the contribution that he's made to the Detroit Red Wings for the last 20 years, there will be no issue. We are talking. It's not acrimonious at all, it's very pleasant discussions and I'm not expecting to have any problem getting something done." Personally, I can't see them paying Stevie $8 million again, not with his knee the way it is. I guess it wouldn't be too unreasonable, as long as it's just for one year. He has done a lot for the Wings and will do a lot in the future. His agent also said that he doesn't think "July 1 is relevant anyway to Steve. He's not looking to go anyplace else." So we're probably all worrying a little too much about The Captain. -- The Detroit News' Terry Fosters asks what life will be like without Sergei. He says we Wings fans must face up to next season, the first without to be completely without Sergei. He believes Fedorov is gone and I don't disagree with him. All indications are that #91 will be gone next year. Foster sees Sergei coming back only if he doesn't get an offer from another team. I doubt that'll happen. The Rangers will be the first ones on the phone when July 1 comes around. Then the Leafs.

-- Some more on Jim Howard (left): Ken Holland said that since he is "a college player, we can bank him away and let him develop. There's not a rush to get him out." Also, the Wings have pretty good depth in net throughout their system and that's another reason they don't need to rush him. -- The Detroit News has a small article with more on the contract situation. Holland thinks that he can replace Sergei and Mac, judging by the free agent list and calls he's been getting from other GMs. I'm glad someone thinks Sergei can be replaced because I sure don't think so. -- Vartan Kupelian and Mike O'Hara think the best offer Sergei Fedorov will get is the offer he got from the Wings. I agree. I really think the Wings gave Sergei a fair offer and he would be wise to accept it. He might get more money somewhere else but he won't necessarily get what the Wings offer him in terms of skilled teammates and Cups. There aren't very many teams that can afford Fedorov and I doubt any of them have the same kind of attitude the Wings have. -- While a lot of people are calling for changes in the league (like me, for instance, if not as drastically as some), Scotty Bowman is calling for caution in making changes. This is the same guy who wants to limit goalie movement and puck-freezing ability. Scotty obviously knows what he's talking about when he urges caution. I agree with him 100% on the goal size issue -- keep it the same size! Bettman's really dumb to even suggest making it bigger. They'd have to throw out the old record book if they were to do that. Scotty sees another solution to goalie equipment sizes: "... with new technologies in padding, maybe they could custom-fit the equipment and make goalies smaller while still protecting them." That's probably true. The thing is, that would be more expensive and would cost the team and players more, driving up the already high price to play hockey even higher. Who knows what the best solution is? All I know is something needs to be done about goalie equipment size and the constant trap. It used to be goalies wore equipment to protect themselves; now they wear it to stop the puck. See the difference? There has to be some middle ground between what is needed for protection and what isn't. Goalies are very touchy about the subject and the league is going to have to really crack down and find a fair compromise. The constant trap. What I mean by that is when a team plays the trap virtually the whole game, every game. I don't have much against the trap in the late stages of a game when it's used to protect a lead. However, when it's used the whole game, I have a problem with it. It's hardly hockey and it's boring. Hockey is an exciting game, when it's played with a balance of defense and offense, not when it's all defense or even all offense. I don't see an end to the trap any time soon, not with the league as big as it is and the talent as diluted as it has become. I don't think a salary cap is the solution, all that will do is make it so even more trap teams can be played on national TV in the Finals when every team will be capable of winning the Cup. A lockout caused by the CBA talks will drain the league of its top talent because many players will return to Europe. If the league even survives a lockout, I can only see it as even less exciting all around because the top teams will be diminished. All we can hope for is a soft salary cap with a tax on payrolls over a certain amount so the top teams can continue to be top teams. Personally, I think the league needs to be contracted if the trap is going to go away and stop being a constant force.

Here's some info on Pick #64 - Jim Howard. Wow, he's hardly a year older than me and he's been drafted by the Detroit Red Wings. Not bad. 50. (over all ranking) Jim Howard Born: March 26, 1984, Ogdensburg, N.Y. 2002-03: University of Maine Pos: G | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 218 | Catches: L Central Scouting: No. 2 North American goalie Jim Howard caused a few eyebrows to rise in praise of his work for most of the season. But his play tailed off at the end of the year and in the playoffs. Don't read into the disappointing finish too much. It's hard for a rookie netminder to carry his team as far as Howard carried Maine. "I look at so many college goalies who are 20 or 21, and he was every bit as good as them," said one scout. "He was a rookie and he had a great year despite what happened at the end." Howard's fundamentals are sound. He plays the shooter square and has great focus on the puck. He has fast feet and scouts didn't detect any problem with his glove hand. Howard had an 8-1-0 record at Maine prior to the WJC and was the hottest goalie in U.S. college. He finished the season 14-6-0 with a respectable .916 save percentage. The feeling among scouts is Howard has the potential to be a top goalie in the NHL. "He is a guy who rises to the occasion," said one scout. "He is a goalie who can get hot and win games." YEAR TEAM LEA. W-L-T SV% GAA '01-02 USA U18 16-8-1 .933 1.89 USA WU18 5-1-0 .958 1.17 '02-03 Maine HE 14-6-0 .916 2.45 USA WJC 0-1-0 .800 6.05 The Hockey News says: No. 1 goaltender It's hard for me to get excited about a newly drafted goalie because of the developement they usually have to go through but maybe this guy is different. He'll probably have to beat out Stefan Liv for the top Wings' goalie prospect though. He's called the No. 2 North American goalie which puts him behind Marc-Andre Fleury, the No. 1 pick of the draft today. Fleury was drafted by the Pens, who got that pick from the Panthers in a trade, and is yet another product of the Quebec School of Goaltending (which means he's probably going to be very good and not another flop).

This isn't Red Wings related but I'm still going to mention it. Roger Neilson, the long time coach, died earlier today after a long battle with cancer. He was either a scout or coach for the last 25 years but never won a Cup. He was most recently an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators, his 10th team. He was a great guy and I think he won a lifetime achievement award for his dedication to hockey. A very sad day for the Senators and all of hockey. This is Red Wings related: pick #64 of the draft was James Howard, a goalie from Maine. I don't know anything about him yet.

Okay, it wasn't the Enzo (which is yellow and cost him $650,000) that Sergei crashed. It was his "burgundy Ferrari," as the Free Press calls it (can't even get the real name of the car, great reporting guys). From the tiny picture in the paper, it looks like it could be a 456M GT/GTA. I can't tell for sure. So the accident wasn't quite as big a deal as it could have been. Sergei was turning on Woodward to go north using the Bloomfield Parkway crossover at about 2:55 AM. The police said there was no indication that alcohol was involved and no charges were filed. He was coming home from the big birthday party he threw for his mother. The Free Press says Sergei is torn over the contract dispute. Fedorov, you'd feel so much better if you would just take a pen and sign that contract. If you do that, you won't be betraying the millions of Red Wings fans out there and you won't be leaving the area you love so much. Plus, you'd have a real good shot at winning the Cup again, which is more than you could say if you sign with New York or LA. Unless you go to Colorado (you better not!) or Toronto, you'll be taking a huge step down. Right after the Wings were eliminated Brendan Shanahan and Chris Chelios asked Sergei to stay with the Wings. It's nice to know that some of the bigger stars still have loyalty to the team, even if others don't. The Freep also has sort of a draft preview that tries to encourage us, even though the Wings only have really late picks this year. The only thing that encourages me is the fact that hardly any of the Wings' core was drafted early. The only pick the Wings have today is #64, at the end of the day, probably a short time before 4:00 ET, when the draft ends for the day.

Sergei Fedorov now considers himself to be "an unemployed hockey player with no contract." He is disappointed and angry about the contract stalemate and is preparing to play for another team. I don't know what he's disappointed about, 4 years, $40 million is plenty of money. He still says he doesn't want to leave Detroit but he sure isn't doing much to stay here. He says it's too bad that he and possibly others on the team will leave this summer because the team "has been like a family." Way to break it up, Feds. Enjoy the last contract of your career, buddy. Stuck on a non-competitor with all that money but no Cups. His agent says "It's disappointing that Sergei is being portrayed as a greedy athlete by some, when that's not true at all." How can it not be true? This whole episode proves it without a shadow of a doubt, at least in my mind. The Wings won't wait for Sergei or McCarty, according to the Free Press, so don't expect either of them back next year. There will be new Wings on the roster next year, either by trade or by free agent signings. The Detroit News says the Wings will use the money they had been planning on giving to Sergei to pursue Derian Hatcher, unless by some miracle, Sergei returns to Detroit. They also will go after either Vaclav Prospal (Tampa Bay) or Todd Marchant (Edmonton), who are both free agent centers. I would rather see Marchant, personally but I don't know much about Prospal. Neither one will come close to replacing Sergei but maybe they'll have better attitudes about playing for the Wings. Hopefully the Wings won't have to give up too much in a trade, if they have to go that route. For a pretty good breakdown of the Wings' overall off-season situation, click here. The NHL Draft is this weekend and though the Wings don't have a pick until #64 (the last pick of the second round), chances are good that they'll get some decent talent. The man who oversees the Wings' draft, assistant general manager Jim Nill, said "This is one of the best, deepest pools of talent coming into the league I've seen. We feel good about our chances of getting a player who can eventually help us." In addition to the 64th pick, the Wings have the 132nd, 164th, 170th, 194th, 226th, 258th and 289th picks. They gave away their 1st round pick when they acquired Schneider at the trade deadline. Judging by Schneider's less-than-great performance in the playoffs, that might not have been a good thing, even though no one really had a great playoffs and first round picks aren't where the Wings have gotten their depth. The No. 1 pick is expected to be Eric Staal, a center for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, the same team Yzerman played for. UPDATE - 3:54 PM - The Detroit News says there is likely going to be a lot of trading going on during the draft this weekend. A lot of teams are looking to dump highly paid players and will do so by offering those players for draft picks. The Wings have been getting calls offering deals and are interested but aren't that likely to do much on the trade market because they aren't willing to give up the youth they need so badly. There are players that would help the Wings a lot but would still cost them money and that is another reason trades aren't that likely. UPDATE - 5:17 PM - Everyone's favorite hockey player, Sergei Fedorov has gotten into a car accident. He hit a tree on the way home earlier today. He was not hurt, fortunately. I hope he wasn't driving his $450,000+ Ferrari Enzo that time. That would really, really be awful for Sergei. Maybe this will be enough to humble him into taking the Wings' offer. UPDATE - 5:33 PM - Looks like it was his Enzo that Sergei crashed. Unless he has another Ferrari, which isn't impossible. Either way, he must be in a lot of mental pain right now. Ouch. Who is Vladimire Mirkovich???

Things really are not looking good with regards to Sergei Fedorov. Mlive has a story today that says the talks between Fedorov and the Wings have been postponed and the four year, $40 million deal has been taken off the table. Holland said yesterday "We're so far apart there's nothing to talk about. We made an offer that we feel, in this marketplace, is an extraordinary offer. It hasn't generated 10 seconds of conversation. There's no use negotiating against ourselves." This basically means Sergei will not be a Red Wings next year. Once he goes on the open market, some team like New York will offer him the huge amount he's looking for plus the years he wants and he'll end up giving up the Cup for the money. I'm very disapointed in Fedorov. It makes me sick to think he's become that greedy. The Free Press' Michael Rosenberg has a column today on the Sergei situation. He basically says the Wings should let him go, citing the upcoming new CBA that will restrict team spending. He says Sergei is worth $10 million a year -- today, not in a couple years when he's 36+. I agree with that, in 5 years, he'll be 38. Does anyone honestly believe he'll be as dominate then as he is now? I don't and I think a 5 year contract is a little much, though it would be nice to not have to go through this again in 2 years or something. Rosenberg thinks signing Fedorov would hurt the Wings' Stanley Cup run. I don't exactly follow his logic or agree with him 100% but he does have a small point. If Fedorov does get signed, that would eliminate any money that could be given to a guy like Hatcher. Rosenberg does say the Wings shouldn't offer a penny more and I agree with him there completely. 12 days from now, Sergei can begin negotiating with other teams. I believe that, unless there is some miracle and Holland does pull it off, he will be gone. I'm starting to think it might (might!) be time for Holland to go too. It's pretty pre-mature but it doesn't seem like he's getting anything done this summer. The Wings are not selling themselves as well as they have. They shouldn't have to sell themselves. They are the Detroit Red Wings! I don't know what's going on in players' minds these days. UPDATE - 4:32 PM - The Detroit News has a little more on the Fedorov situation, saying the Wings will not increase their offer at all. Ken Holland: "Things have changed dramatically. We didn't win a playoff game. We all have to take the blame for that, the front office, the coaching staff, the players.....We're not going to cut payroll, but we're not going to increase it." Sergei's agent says Detroit is still where Fedorov prefers to play. Doesn't sound like it to me, Mr. Brisson. UPDATE - 4:38 PM - The Wings rejected a proposal that McCarty's agent submitted last week. The Wings orginially offered $2 million a year but are believed to have raised their offer to around $2.3 million. McCarty's side is believed to be asking for $2.7 to $3 million.

Some bad (and sad) news today: Igor Larionov has reportedly turned down a 1 year,$1 million offer from the Wings. He earned $1.5 million last year and if he does in fact continue playing (apparently there is some doubt there on his part), he is likely going to look for around that much again. I'm sorry but who does Igor think he's kidding? Does he honestly believe he's worth more than $1 million at this point in his career? He's lucky the Wings even offered to bring him back, no one else is going to pay more than $1 million for him and I doubt anyone else even really wants him. He is valuable as a teacher to the young players but not that valuable. I've been hoping he'd come back, at least somewhere in the organization, maybe as a coach or advisor or something. Doesn't sound like that will happen now. This saddens me because it seems like there isn't any pride in being a Red Wing any more. You'd think these guys would want to be on a great team and be successful but we see more bad news every day on how the contract negotiations for Yzerman, Fedorov, MacCarty and now Igor are going. I can't believe this is happening. Things aren't looking great for next year. It's very depressing, especially with the End of the NHL as We Know It coming up in '04. Some slightly shocking news: Dmitri Bykov has signed with a team in Russia, supposedly just in case a deal can't be reached with the Wings. I totally did not expect this because I had no idea Bykov needed to get a contract figured out. I guess I took it for granted that he'd be back next season. It's not like he's an awesome defenseman but he would need to be replaced by someone if he does leave. Any deal the Wings reach by July 15 will override the contract with his Russian team. Again, I cannot believe how badly things look to be going for the Wings this off-season. Pretty scary. More on the Devils vs. Wings debate. As a Wings fan, I obviously think the Wings are the better team over the last 10 years. Sure, the Devils have been great. I would attribute that mostly to their trapping style of play rather than to their skill level, which is quite a bit lower than the Wings. So in at least that respect, the Wings are better. If you like offensively and defensively balanced hockey. If you like the trap more, the Devils are the better team. Even though I still believe the Devils would be nothing if they couldn't play the trap.... Really, I don't think the debate can ever be definitively decided for one side or the other. You can't compare the two teams. They're from different conferences, play different styles of hockey, have different management philosophies and have had different paths to the Cup. I don't think you can fault the Wings for facing the Flyers, Caps and 'Canes in the Finals just because the Devils faced the Stars, Avs and Ducks there. The Wings had to go through the toughest teams in the West to get to the 4th round those years while the Devils usually have very little competition until the Finals. Besides, those just happened to be the teams that made it to the Finals those years. They weren't jokes then. Remember, the playoff powder-puff 'Canes eliminated the Devils last year. Anyone who says the Wings have bought their Cups while the Devils haven't doesn't really know what they're talking about. The Wings won the '97 and '98 Cups on draft picks and trades. The '02 Cup was a little different but the majority of players on the team were drafted by the Wings or acquired in a trade. Also, the Devils have been in the top 10 in payrolls for years. Take a look at the Avs if you want a team that buys the Cup, every year they make that big trade deadline defenseman acquisition and use that rent-a-player to go as far as they can. But let's not go there. Anyway, the Wings are in a much stronger and more competitive conference and in one of the best divisions in the league. The Devils play mostly in the East against much lesser teams. Not their fault. They can't help their location. The Wings would probably move to the East if the Sens or Sabres move out West so that could be held against them then. Right now, I think being the West gives them some points. Overall, the two teams are pretty even but to compare them is like comparing Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky. It can't really be done, even though both sides have good points and can probably argue for weeks about it. If you want to compare teams, compare the Wings and the Avs. They are built to beat eachother and might as well be clones. If I weren't a Wings fan, I'd be an Avs fan because the teams are so similar in so many ways.

The Detroit News' Red Wings Rap today is all about how the Wings and Devils compare. They have a column from their own staff (Terry Green) and one from a guy in New Jersey (Mike Kerwick). Terry Green says the Devils have the edge in Cups and Finals appearances because they beat the Wings the one time they faced in the Finals. He says New Jersey has the edge in goalies because they used Martin Brodeur for all three of their Cups and the Wings used Vernon, Osgood and Hasek. Also, the only goalie of those three that was better than Brodeur was Hasek. Green gives the edge to the Wings in coaching since Bowman coached them for all three Cups and the Devils were coached by Lemaire, Robinson and Burns. Bowman also coached Lemaire and Robinson on the Habs in the 70s. Mr. Green also gives the edge to the Wings in history, saying they have more of a past and more glory because of it. He gives the final edge to the Wings when he brings up the fans and the celebrations both teams have when they win. He says if they hadn't faltered in the 1st round, they would have won the Cup and I totally agree with him. Mike Kerwick is a little less reasonable. He takes a couple cheap shots at the Wings and the city of Detroit, saying the team is over-hyped. Of course he brings up '95 and glorifies the hit Stevens laid on Kozlov. His biggest point is the Wings didn't have to face anyone tough in the Finals, according to him. The Flyers, Caps and 'Canes are not the Stars, Avs and Ducks obviously but they were still in the Finals those years. You can't hold that against the Wings. Kerwick says the Devils never hired a "ringer" as a coach like the Wings did with Bowman. So that makes the Devils better? Come on. His last comment is by far the funniest (and most ridiculous): "As I've said, I've got nothing against Detroit. But if I want hype, I'll spin by Joe Louis Arena. If I want hockey, I'll put up with the smell on the New Jersey Turnpike." Ted Kulfan's article does a great job comparing both teams in a more realistic and straight forward way -- the numbers. The DetNews also says today that the talks with MacCarty are not progressing. One of the major obstacles is, besides the money (even though the Wings have raised their offer from $2 million to a higher amount), Mac's asking for a no-trade clause in his contract. Some of the Wings' top players, such as Brendan Shanahan, Chris Chelios, Brett Hull and Nicklas Lidstrom, have no-trade clauses.

The NHLFA has released their player awards for this year. Three awards are handed out, Most Valuable Player, Best Bang for the Buck, and Best Role Model. JS Giguere won the MVP, Marty Turco won the Bang for the Buck and Steve Yzerman won the Best Role Model. The Captain has won the award three times in the four years since it was established. Members of the NHLFA (like me) voted a few weeks ago and could name any player in the league. I'd argue the MVP and Bang for the Buck. JS definitely wasn't the MVP and I can think of a couple more players that have more bang for the buck. Like Sergei Fedorov, until next season. His skills for $2 million a season like he's been getting since all those bonuses..... Yzerman defintely deserves to be called the best role model. There may be better guys out there in the league but I don't know of them. Congratulations, guys! Everyone, go join the NHLFA. Have your voice heard!

So the Devils had their celebration in the parking lot on Saturday. Thousands of people showed up. Wow. I thought 1.5 million people in downtown Detroit was a lot.... but thousands of people in a parking lot? Amazing! Wait a second... What really ticks me off is the Devils have won the Cup 3 times in 7 years and yet they still have trouble filling the arena for any game at all. They had three sell-outs last season. Three. The Wings have sold-out for how many years? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get tickets for the Wings? They practically have to pay those people to go to a Devils game. It's not just because they're one of the most boring teams ever, it's because people there do not care. Those fans don't deserve the Stanley Cup! If they can't even build up enough interest in such a consistenly successful team like New Jersey......sorry, it just makes me mad that all 5 Devils fans get to celebrate winning the Cup while the millions of Red Wings, Avalanche, Maple Leafs, Canucks, Stars and all the other teams that actually have a sizeble fan base get to sit at home and dream about next season. All because the Devils play the trap. I'd love to see them forced to play one game of Red Wings/Avs-style hockey. I agree completely with Terry Foster of the of the Detroit News. Today he said "If I were hockey czar, the only teams that could win the Stanley Cup would be Canadian teams, Original Six teams and Colorado. People in those cities appear to be the only ones who truly care. New Jersey has won as many Cups (three) the past decade as the Wings, but the passion for hockey remains feeble. Can you imagine most games at Joe Louis Arena not being sold out? The Wings would have to slide a long time for that to happen." The players on the Devils may deserve to win the Cup but their fans sure don't deserve for them to win it. I know it's tough to develope a fan base when you have the Rangers and Islanders a few miles away but come on! "Thousands" of fans?!

Okay, all I have today is a link to an article by Al Strachan. For once I actually agree with the guy, he really knows what he's talking about here. I think it's a little old but it's still relevant. It's basically about the trap and how it's affecting the league.

This is how I replied to G.B.: > Since I personally don't think the Red Wings can > replace Fedorov and > since I don't think they can really compete for the > Stanley Cup without > him, I don't see where Iliitch has much choice in > this if all his rhetoric > is true. The Wings for sure can't replace him with any of the available players. The only guy out there that would be capable of replacing him is Peter Forsberg and even the most delusional fan knows he is definitely not available. Zetterberg has the potential but isn't ready for the responsibility yet. The Wings have two options: appease Sergei and sign him without "breaking the bank" or let him go and give up any chance on the Cup for next season at the very least. > Further more despite the fact the many > wanted more from Fedorov > than has been shown, I still think that Fedorov has > been one of the best > Red Wing players over a very long period of time. I can think of only one who's been better for the Wings, Nick Lidstrom. > He > may not put up Art > Ross winning numbers but Fedorov is so much more > than offensive talent. > He's the Wings best skater, Imagine what the Wings would be like if they had no one to skate the puck into the zone. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are not ready to receive that torch yet. >almost always draws the > tougher defensive > assignments along with the Grind line, What happens if Sergei AND Mac leave? Two major defensive components gone and nothing in return. >has > consistantly put up some good > points numbers and has generally been an outstanding > performer in the > playoffs. I'd guess that if Sergei hadn't hit that slump, we might have seen Sergei at the NHL Awards as the Selke winner or maybe even the Hart. We're lucky he didn't have a year like that and that he had a poor playoffs. Otherwise the Wings really wouldn't be able to afford him. I think that of the bad free agent market this year offers, I'd only like to see Todd Marchant and/or Derian Hatcher come to the team. I doubt either one will but they would bring toughness to a team that needs it. The thing is, if Hatcher ends up signing with the Wings, our worst fears will have come true, Sergei Fedorov playing for LA or some other city. What worries me more is the Yzerman contract situation. That just scares me, though I'm sure it will all work out.

Since there is nothing new going on today and since I have nothing really to say, I have a "guest poster" for today's entry. He doesn't know he's a guest poster but he gave me permission to post his comments before so I think that still stands. This is from an e-mail list I think all Wings fans should join. Mr I. knows how to feed the fan base what they want to hear. Problem I have is this, if the reports are true and it was Illitch himself that made the original 5yr-50mil offer to Sergei after a practice, and supposedly even before Sergei's agents knew, what's the hold up now with the contract?? Sergei supposedly fired his agents after this because he was upset that they hadn't a clue about the offer. Sergei's new agent says that Sergei never declined the Illitch offer but simply wanted time for those pesky personal issues. The stories are that Mike wants Sergei and Sergei wants Detroit. Since Illitch claims "he's ready to spend" despite the first round embarrassment, what's holding Illitch back from going back to the original offer as a starting point to get this resolved?? Nothing has changed with the CBA situation between then and now. Since I personally don't think the Red Wings can replace Fedorov and since I don't think they can really compete for the Stanley Cup without him, I don't see where Iliitch has much choice in this if all his rhetoric is true. Further more despite the fact [that] many wanted more from Fedorov than has been shown, I still think that Fedorov has been one of the best Red Wing players over a very long period of time. He may not put up Art Ross winning numbers but Fedorov is so much more than offensive talent. He's the Wings best skater, almost always draws the tougher defensive assignments along with the Grind line, has consistantly put up some good points numbers and has generally been an outstanding performer in the playoffs. I think Mr I. needs to put the 5yr offer back on the table again and quit just talking! G.B. I agree completely, G.B.

NHL Awards Did anyone else feel robbed when the new Blues goon, Barret Jackman, won the Calder over Zetterberg? I did. I couldn't believe it when it happened. How can they give the Calder to a guy with 192 PIM? What kind of precedent does that set? Penalty minutes aside, Barret Jackman will probably be a fine player but I still think Henrik should have won the award. I would have been far happier if Nash had won instead of Barret. Maybe it's a better thing that Zata didn't win it, now he'll want the bigger version of the Calder even more, the Hart. At least everything else went the Wings' way last night. Except that stupid Lady Byng. Why they nominate a defenseman but never give it to him, especially after having done so 5 years in a row, I'll never know. It's pointless. Yzerman won the Masterton, gave a good little speech but you could tell he was a little nervous. Shanny won the trohpy for community service, the Clancy award. Best of all, Nick won the Norris, for the third year in a row. Now he's at least a little like Bobby Orr. He also was named to the first team all stars. Congratulations Nick, Stevie and Shanny. Peter Forsberg won the Hart, Martin Brodeur won the Vezina, Mogilny won the Lady Byng, Jere Lehtinen won the Selke and Markus Naslund won the Pearson (the players' MVP). Wings Update Some more light is being shed on the contract situations for the big three free agents. Apparently, Sergei Fedorov wants a 5th year on any contract with a 6th year as some kind of option. He really didn't turn down the 5 year, $50 million offer but he asked the Wings to wait on it so he could resolve some personal issues. I guess he's turned down the latest offer because it doesn't have that 5th year. His agent says "Sergei's not being greedy and asking for more. He asked them to be patient while he went through some personal issues, then things changed. At first, he was disappointed. Now he's past that, but July 1 is coming." That is a little more encouraging to me. Having Sergei for a definite 5 more years would be great. That would basically be the end of his career. Yzerman talked with Holland in Toronto before the Awards and said they will work out a contract that would satisfy both parties. Apparently, he's been on sports radio all week trying to calm everyone down about the situation. Still, I'm nervous about it. I don't want to lose The Captain yet. Rob Parker says The Red Wings shouldn't squabble over a couple of million dollars when it comes to Steve Yzerman. I think he's right, in a way but he over simplifies the situation and doesn't take in to consideration all the facts. Like the fact that the Wings do have a lot less money to work with because of their early exit. Like the fact that The Captain is not worth $8 million any more because of his knee and it would be foolish to pay him that much when he might not be able to play very much. McCarty's agent talked about the negotiations and said they have been constructive and going well. However, he isn't very confident the Wings will reach a deal before July 1. I think Mac will test free agency but he'll be back, I'm sure. Derian Hatcher said he would "definitely be interested in" signing with the Wings, if things didn't work on in Dallas and if things go badly in Detroit with respect to their free agents. The Wings would have to lose Fedorov, most likely, before they'd be able to go after Hatcher. The Stars' captain would be coming home if he signed with the Wings because he's from the Detroit area. Derian Hatcher is sounding like a better idea every time I hear about him possibly coming here. The Wings really could use a hard hitter like him.

Wings Update Looks like Luc is going back to LA (thanks for the tip, Lisa). No contract has been decided on but Luc's agent is optimistic that a one year deal will be reached. Congrats, Luc. Good luck in LA. Mike Illitch has confirmed that Sergei Fedorov turned down both offers from the Wings. Illitch said "I personally offered Sergei 50 a while back; he didn't blink. I offered him 40. He says he wants to stay, but now (general manager) Ken Holland and his agent are going back and forth." Wonderful. Maybe Feds is planning on joining Luc in LA. He also said he is willing to compromise on a contract for MacCarty though he doesn't want to "break the bank." His comments on Yzerman are a little less encouraging. That whole situtation scares me. I never would have expected this. That same article says the Wings would be interested in Derian Hatcher, if he becomes a free agent and Sergei leaves. Even if that doesn't work out, the Wings have several contingency plans, apparently. We'll be finding out all about them in the next few weeks/months. See also this article for more of the same. UPDATE: I have been asked by a friend to spread the word on another Red Wings site. This site is a message board anyone can join to talk about the Wings and other NHL matters. Go join and give the board a mature group of members.

Igor G. Update Some good news: Top Wings prospect Igor Grigorenko has gone home from the hospital less than a month after his car accident. Some bad news: He and Holland talked for the first time since the accident but he will not sign with the Wings for next year. He will hopefully play with his Russian team in 5 or 6 months and sign with the Wings for the 04-05 season. He will see doctors in Detroit in a couple months. Also, Red Wings owner Mike Illitch has been entered into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Mr. Illitch. In case anyone didn't know, Scotty Bowman is on the admissions panel to the Hall now.

Wings Update Flyers winger John LeClair has waived his no trade clause but only for four teams: the Wings, the New York Rangers, Dallas and Los Angeles. I doubt the Wings would go after him. Maybe if Sergei does in fact leave but even then, I'd be surprised. LeClair isn't the safest bet out there and the Wings could get a younger guy for less who's more consistent.

Wings Update Bob Wojnowski has an article mostly about the Yzerman contract situation with a little about the other contracts sprinkled in. He isn't very encouraging (like this quote:"Three popular players -- Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Darren McCarty -- are unsigned, and it appears unlikely the Wings will keep all three."). I never thought it would come to this, the possibility of Yzerman going to play for someone else because of a contract dispute. All we can do is hope both sides stay reasonable and reach some middle ground. It would be a terrible thing to lose The Captain before he's done. While I may not be optimistic about it, NHL analysts are. They all see Yzerman coming back. I hate being put in doubt. I just want whatever happens to happen quickly so I can gear myself up for another disapointment when the Wings hit the ice as a depleted team. Sorry, I'm a little pessimistic right now. Ted Kulfan has published his picks for the NHL Awards. He thinks the three Wings that have been nominated (Yzerman, Lidstrom and Zetterberg) will win. I'm pretty confident of that too. Yzerman really deserves the Masterton, though Berard does too. I can't see how they could not give the Norris to Nick. He's the best all-around defenseman in the league and one of the two best players in the world. Zetterberg should win a tight race for the Calder. Sorry Jackman. If two people could win it, both you and Zata would.

Playoff Update (final) What a disapointment. I don't feel so much mad as let down. The Ducks looked terrible last night, like they were burned out or didn't care about winning. I don't know how they can be burned out, since they've had more rest than any other team in years but I can't see how they didn't want to win either. It was sad seeing the Devils dominate them so much last night. 3-0? How is it that Anaheim couldn't even score one goal? The only good thing that happened last night was JS got the Conn Smythe. Too bad the Devils fans don't have enough class to cheer or at least not boo. That was pretty low, people. Really low. Congrats, New Jersey. You get to wear those ugly hats now. Yay. Enjoy it while you can. The West will return in force next year. Bowman will not be coming back. That was made very clear during After Forty on CBC last night. Hasek won't be either, according to Scotty. Pretty typical. The first year I go public with my opinions on hockey is the year nothing goes the way I wanted it to go. First the Wings, then the Blues, then the Canucks, then the Wild and Senators, then the Ducks. Now that the Ducks lost, the only way I can justify the Wings' early exit is by saying they ran in to a hot goalie, the best player of the playoffs, JS Giguere. I still believe that if Luc Robitaille had scored in Game 1 that time that he hit the post, the Wings would have won that series and had a clear path to the Cup. The only real obstacle would have been Dallas but the Wings could have handled them, I think. Anyway, all we have to look forward to now is the NHL Awards on Thursday and free agency. Beyond that, a new season and another chance at Lord Stanley's Cup.

Wings Update I don't know if any of you have heard the rumor that Bowman was going to go coach the Rangers (John Davidson brought it up on Satellite Hot Stove during the second intermission of Game 6 on CBC). The DetNews reports today that the rumor is not true and has some quotes from Scotty to back their story up. This is good news, though not a surprise to me. I think Bowman is smart enough to know that getting involved in the Rangers organization in any capacity would automatically put him under the Ruined Career Curse that has ensnared everyone that works at Madison Square Gardens. Good decision, Mr. Bowman. There is a discouraging piece in the Detroit News today about McCarty. Basically, there's a real good chance that Mac will test free agency. There's nothing to be too worried about yet, Darren has strong ties to the Detroit area and likes playing for the Wings. However, the Wings are only offering him $2 million a year for 3 years and he could get $2.5 million on the open market. Pretty tempting. I hope Darren makes the right decision and doesn't turn in to a Martin Lapointe. It'd be a shame to not raise the Cup next season, Mac, just because you wanted more money. That's what the old #20 did and he was watching The Captain hoist the Cup on TV, instead of from behind him, with the other Wings players. Terry Foster thinks Sergei Fedorov should immediately sign with the Wings if they really are offering him 4 years, $40 million. I totally agree, Mr. Foster, even if I don't share your faith about player salaries going down, at least not yet. Another good idea from Mr. Foster: Yes, Steve Yzerman has done a lot for the Red Wings and the community. But here is the reality. He is not the player he once was and economic conditions are tough at Joe Louis Arena. A $5 million a year contract is about right. The Wings should also hook him up with part ownership and a front office gig when he retires. I fully agree with that also. They owe The Captain at least that much. Here's something I don't agree with: Mr. Foster thinks Hasek will return to the NHL. I personally think Hasek is done. Also, Mr. Foster says Hasek will come back and play for the Avs. Uh, I think not. The Wings will not allow Dom to go to the Avs. The information that I have is his rights are still Red Wings property and the Avs would have to go through Detroit to optain the Dominator. Unless there is someone named Peter involved in the deal, I can't see it happening. And since the that guy named Peter is the Avs' Untouchable, I really can't see it happening. Mr. Foster says no one in Detroit will be watching Game 7 tonight, that this is "Red Wings" Town, not Hockeytown. Sorry, Mr. Foster, I can tell you that I will be watching the game and I know quite a few other people that will be too. Tonight's Game Anaheim @ New Jersey, 8 ET, series tied 3-3 This is it. The Cup will be won tonight no matter what. Well, unless it goes in to multiple OTs, then it will be won tomorrow morning. Anyway, my pick is the Ducks, as it's been all along in this series. Last time they came off a win like that of Game 6 with a really bad loss (see Game 4 and Game 5). Hopefully they won't do that tonight because they don't have any more chances. I expect a huge game out of Paul Kariya, who finally has a chance to win the Cup with the team that drafted him. He'll need to watch out for Scott Stevens, though. If everything goes well, we'll finally see Kariya hoist the Cup. Then after a few months, we can forget the Cinderella Story and go back to the usual teams winning championships. Rucchin will most likely be clutch tonight too, as he's been most of the playoffs. Obviously, they are going to need JS to play amazingly well tonight if they want to have any chance of winning. I just don't want the Devils to win. I really can't stand them and all that they stand for (the trap, ending careers, the trap......yes I meant to say "the trap" twice). I'm also not the biggest Scott Stevens fan ever. The chances don't look too good for the Ducks. The only team to win a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 on the road was the '71 Habs. The Ducks are not the '71 Habs, not even close. Plus, with the Devils' home record for these playoffs, it will be especially hard for the Ducks to gain victory in New Jersey. However, the Devils have choked before in Game 7s. See Game 7 of the 2001 Finals, when New Jersey lost the Cup to the Avs (plus that traitor Ray Bourque). I think JS has won the Conn Smythe. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they already vote for it? I was told the voting takes place the day before a possible deciding game. Anyway, I don't see how they could not give JS the Conn Smythe. He's obviously been the best player of the playoffs and even if the Ducks get blown out tonight, I'd still be shocked if they give it to anyone else. If they do, there's something wrong with the league today (well, we know there are quite a few things wrong with the league, but specifically with the Conn Smythe voting).

Playoff Update Wow. What a game. I wouldn't call this game a repeat of the sloppy, high scoring ugliness of Game 5 but it wasn't boring and slow like the other games. Game 6 was exciting and fast paced. The Ducks came out strong and kept it up for the rest of the game. Rucchin had a great game and Kariya showed what a captain is. He was absolutely decked by Scott Stevens in one of the biggest hits I've ever seen. It wasn't the dirtiest hit I've ever seen but it wasn't that clean either and was completely unnecessary. Paul was most likely unconscious for at least a few seconds and had to be helped off the ice. I don't think anyone expected him back. But within a few minutes, he was back on the ice and had a great chance on his first shift. A couple minutes later, he scored a goal on one of the prettier shots I remember seeing. Right in the top right corner, over Brodeur's glove. Great shot. My level of respect for Paul Kariya shot up after the game last night. Hopefully he's okay because the Ducks are going to need him in Game 7 at New Jersey on Monday. Go Ducks!!!

Wings Update According to the Free Press, contract talks with Sergei Fedorov are stagnant. Wonderful. A little more encouraging is this quote from Sergei's agent: "Sergei says, 'I love my dad, but he speaks out of emotions. I don't have conversations with him about my contract anymore, and we don't necessarily share the same opinion.'" I sure hope they don't have the same opinion! I hate the off-season....... Tonight's Games New Jersey @ Anaheim, 8 ET, Devils lead series 3-2 All I have to say is the Devils are 4-6 on the road and GO DUCKS!!!

I don't know how many of you watched the game last night on CBC but there was an interesting After Forty Minutes intermission show: Ron MacLean talked with Gary Bettman. Basically, the interview reinforced my feelings about the NHL's comissioner. The guy is a total moron who thinks he's a genius and that everyone else around him is a moron. He treated MacLean like he was an idiot and not someone who grew up around the sport Bettman, who knows nothing about it himself, governs. His lecture on the red line was classic. I could just about hear Don Cherry in the background. How he held himself in that chair and said nothing, I'll never know. Bettman makes me sick in his undying support for the ownership and management of the NHL's teams. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the owners and GMs but such support as Bettman gives them is wrong. MacLean asked Gary about the money from the outdoor game going to hockey charities in Canada and all Bettman could think about was how the players "share more than equally with the owners...." He was fairly reasonable about moving the nets and changing goalie pad sizes but I doubt he'll really do anything. Remember, he still thinks the league is fine. He is wrong, very wrong. Also, Coach's Corner was good. Cherry has some solutions for the neutral-zone trap, which he hates. I agree with him. Check it out. It's the June 5 video. (duh!)

Wings Update The Free Press has a story on Yzerman's contract and how it isn't as definite as we all thought. Basically, the Wings are a little concerned about his knee (as they should be) and most likely will not be willing to pay him $8 million again. Hopefully Yzerman will not take the greedy road in this situation and come back for less. I hope I'm not just being naive but I trust Yzerman to come back and not go to another team. Apparently, after seeing how the Oilers/Canadians outdoor game will indeed happen, the Wings are considering doing something like that themselves. It is something that is far in to the future, meaning not next season or the one after that, and would most likely take place in Comerica Park. It probably wouldn't be held at Michigan Stadium, Spartan Stadium or Ford Field because Illitch doesn't own those venues as he does the Park. Interesting idea. Playoff Update What a weird, weird game. The Devils defeated the Ducks 6-3 in a totally out of character game. The Ducks played bad defense and JS didn't look as strong. The Devils improved their home playoff record to 11-1 and have tied the Oiler's 1988 record for most home wins in a playoff year. The Ducks scored almost immediately and I thought they would dominate the rest of the game. I was wrong. I don't know what happened but the Ducks fell apart and though they scored two more times, they weren't very steady. There was one Devils' goal called back and another I think should have been. The Ducks scored on themselves twice and JS didn't have much of a chance on any of the goals, though he still looked a little shaky. So now the Devils are leading the series 3-2 and I would guess that the Ducks are done. They would have to win Game 7 in New Jersey and with the Devils' home record, I doubt that will happen. Game 6 is tomorrow @ 8 ET in Anaheim. Go Ducks!!!

I wouldn't worry about this too much because Segei's father has said some pretty stupid things before and this is no exception. Viktor Fedorov has now been quoted saying Sergei should leave the Wings when free agency starts. I don't know why but this guy hates the Wings but he never thinks his son has been treated well and is never satisfied with anything the coaches do with Sergei. I don't know if Sergei's ever listened to him but I hope he doesn't start now. The Wings need Feds and I can assure you, Mr. Fedorov, the Wings and just about all the Wings fans out there do appreciate your son. Let your son make his own decisions. I'm sure it isn't that bad having one of the best teams in the NHL paying your bills, even if it is through Sergei.

Wings Update Good news for Wings fans: Hasek will not be returning. This isn't that unexpected, in my opinion since Dom seemed pretty final when he went in to retirement, after a million or so people begged him to stay. He's no Michael Jordan/Mario Lemieux and I'm not surprised he isn't coming back. He's gone back on his word about retirement before but I'm pretty confident he's for sure this time. The main reason I say this is good news is one of the rumors was Hasek would be going to Colorado if he were to come back. If that were to happen, I would personally hire an assassin to have Dominik taken out! Just kidding. Really, Hasek on the Avs would be terrible for the Wings, even if they got a huge benefit from the deal the Avs would have to make just to acquire Dom from Detroit (we still have rights to him). I doubt that Holland would be stupid enough to let the Avs have him anyway but there is always the possibility, especially if a guy with the initials PF and the nickname Foppa is involved. Yeah right. In other Hasek news, he has been suspended for one year from the Czech inline hockey league he played in before he knocked that guy out. He still denies he did anything wrong. "I am still convincedthat everything just came out of the game (what, do you mean the spine contusion, concussion and broken nose?), that I was fouled by him first. He denies this but I don't agree that I did anything brutal." What is "brutal," then? This is yesterdays news but here it is anyway: Igor Grigorenko is out of intensive care. His agent says he is doing much better and that he is talking more now and eating on his own. He is still too weak to travel, however, so the Wings will have to wait on bringing him to Detroit as they want to do. Get well soon, Igor2! For some reason the newspapers are bringing up again that Yzerman is a finalist for the Masterton Trophy which is awarded each year to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. I think Yzerman certainly fits that description. The other finalists are Boston defenseman Bryan Berard and Anaheim center Steve Rucchin. I'd say Berard deserves this award too, maybe even more than The Captain but I selfishly want Stevie Y to win it. They announced Yzerman as a finalist about a month ago but I haven't forgotten because it's been one of the few things I have to look forward to in regard to the Wings. The newspapers seem to think we can't remember stuff like that..... The NHL award show is on June 12. The same article that talks about Yzerman has a little blurb on the contract talks. Basically, nothing has happened. Yay, Mr. Holland. There also is another little blurb on the Wings. That one is about Zetterberg being voted Wings' Rookie of the Year by members of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. A "no duh" in my opinion. Bykov was good but not in the same way Zata was good. Tonight's Game Anaheim @ New Jersey, 8 ET, series tied 2-2 Again, I want the Ducks to win this game. I think they can and will, after their performance on Monday. That was a must-win game for both teams and the Ducks came through while the Devils barely held on many times. It's very tough to beat the Devils in their own rink but I think the Ducks can because they have the momentum now and they have JS. They were also the best road team in these playoffs before the Finals. Hopefully, a few more of those off-the-post shots will go in this time and make this game a little more decisive than Game 4. Go Ducks!

Playoffs Update It's tied. The Ducks have won two in a row at home and the series is 2-2 now. Anaheim shut the Devils out 1-0 in OT. The game was very exciting and the Ducks could have won it many times over because they hit a lot of posts. Brodeur very nearly made another huge mistake when the puck took what can only be described as a weird bounce off the back boards and right to the front of the net. He bobbled the puck with his glove and barely got his stick on it as it was about to cross the line. Very lucky save, Martin. Game 5 is in New Jersey on Thursday. Go Ducks!

Around the League Wayne Gretzky will return and play on November 22 if the game takes place outside in Commonwealth Stadium. The plan is to hold a regular-season game between the Canadiens (I thought it was the Flames....guess not) and the Oilers in Commonwealth Stadium - with the Oilumni vs. Les Ancient Canadiens as a preliminary game. The Great One has said in the past that he won't play in any old-timers games "but this one is special." The NHLPA is dragging their heels about the game, though. Tonight's Game New Jersey @ Anaheim, 8 ET, Devils lead series 2-1 Hopefully the Ducks will take advantage of the little bit of momentum they have and win tonight. I doubt very much Brodeur will make a mistake like that again and Anaheim is really going to have to make a statement tonight because the Devils will be even tougher than they have been.

Playoff Update Well the Ducks did what they needed to do last night and won Game 3 in OT 3-2. They got a little help from Brodeur though when he fumbled an Ozolinsh shot from center. As he went out to play it, his stick slipped through his hands (he doesn't have that big knob at the end like most goalies) and the puck trickled into the net. That was the go-ahead goal and was scored 45 seconds after the Devils had tied it at 1. The Ducks played a much better game last night though they still might have lost it had Martin not made that mistake. He'd better hope that doesn't give the Ducks new life and become the turning point of the series. I'm glad that the Ducks are again getting the kind of luck that has carried them so far. It's good that the Ducks got at least one win for the homecrowd. Hopefully they didn't just give the Devils a chance to win the Cup at home in Game 5 and will carry this momentum into the next 3 games and steal the series.