A lot of people around here seem to think Barry Smith will leave for Pittsburg, even though he’s said he won’t unless he gets a really great offer. I’m not sure if that will happen but I know that if it is, I hope it happens soon because I want the Wings to get Igor Larionov to be a coach. I don’t think they should let him leave the organization but I’m not sure they can play him any more, with the young guys coming up next year. He is worth too much in experience and abilitty to let him go and not have him around the rookies. He’s helped out Datsyuk and look at how good he is. I think the Wings should ask Igor to coach, maybe even if Smith doesn’t leave. It’s not like a player hasn’t gone directly from playing to being a coach, Fetisov did it with the Devils and I think Granato did it with the Avs (though that didn’t turn out so well….). The Wings need to keep him in the organization, at least.

This was in USATODAY a couple days ago:

News: Sergei Fedorov may leave the Red Wings.

Views: The unrestricted free agent has said publicly that he wants to return to Detroit, but the Red Wings suddenly have some financial concerns. They have to find money to pay free agents like Fedorov, Darren McCarty and Steve Yzerman, and they need to make a difficult decision regarding Igor Larionov, who has said he’d like to return to the club next season (and who, by the way, was arguably the team’s best forward during the second half of the season and during their truncated postseason).

Fedorov will be heavily courted by the Rangers, the only team that can realistically afford him. I wrote several months ago that Fedorov has told friends that he would like to play in California, most likely in Los Angeles. Many of you wrote to me to tell me I was way off base, and yet hockey commentator Al Morganti has said the same thing. The fact is, though, the only way the Kings could afford Fedorov is if they dumped significant salary.

But the very real possibility exists that Fedorov might leave the Wings. He talks a good game, but he feels deep down that he has long been underappreciated by the Wings and their fans, and his father is always after him to ditch Detroit. Stay tuned.

Sergei is the Wings most important free agent. They have to sign him. Hopefully he won’t be greedy and ask for more than the Wings can pay, especially since his playoffs sucked.

This was in the Globe and Mail yesterday:

The Red Wings can�t blame Curtis Joseph for their demise. They scored only six goals against Anaheim, and that wasn�t nearly enough to overcome Giguere and Anaheim coach Mike Babcock�s defensive system.

GM Ken Holland has to bring in some young legs, which means veterans Igor Larionov and Luc Robitaille might be let go.

While Red Wings fans were disappointed, seizing on Joseph as a scapegoat, there was less outright anger in Detroit than in Denver where the Avalanche�s collapse after being up 3-1 in the series against a Minnesota club with one of the lowest payrolls in the NHL sparked immediate calls for drastic change.

�This was the night that will live in infamy of Denver sports history,� wrote Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla.

GM Pierre Lacroix�s firing of Bob Hartley and decision to hand Tony Granato the coaching reins are being harshly revisited. Some suggest it is time for 37-year-old goaltender Patrick Roy to retire.

�It will take weeks for the dust to settle from this loss, and even longer to wash away the stench,� wrote Kiszla, who added: �These Avs go down as the biggest chokers who ever wore a Denver uniform.�

The Avs� last five playoff series have been seven-gamers, and that was a downfall, wrote Rocky Mountain News columnist Bernie Lincicome: �You imagine the Avs unable to walk past a railroad track without tying themselves to it. It is as if they wandered under open windows waiting for a safe to fall.�

Looks like I’m not the only one who noticed that ridiculous attitude coming out of Denver. The Avs have been in the playoffs ever since the Nordiques moved to Denver so I guess people don’t know how to deal with a setback. Wings fans have had to deal with playoff disapointment for years. Get over it, Avists. They’ll be in it next year.

letsgowings.com’s Red Wings grades came out on Monday. I think these are the most accurate of the ones I’ve seen.

The guys over at Hockey Pundits had this to say today:

Never let it be said that there are players with no holes in their game. Every player in the NHL has some aspect of his game that could be honed to a finer point, the better to finish off an opponent.
Patrick Roy, at age 37, is surely the finest netminder ever to grace the NHL. He has more wins, more games, and more minutes than any man to play before him. But he has one major flaw. You can’t count on Patty in the clutch.
I’m sure there are many fans who could think of no better goalie to have in a pressure situation. How many times have you heard, either in print or on TV, that “if I HAD to win one game, I’d want Roy in the nets”? Well, don’t believe them, because when it comes to “must win” games, the finest goaltender in NHL history is rather pedestrian. Even prior to last night’s loss to the Wild, Patrick Roy’s record in game 7′s was, well, average at best. Six wins, six losses. None of those wins on the road, mind you. A .500 guy. You NEED a win? Well, St. Patrick can get you one….half the time. And now, not even half the time. Now, you’re not so sure who you want between the pipes.
Regardless of what happened last night, you’d much rather have Ed Belfour when the chips are down and it’s winner take all. Up until last night, the Eagle had rolled a 7 in game 7 four straight times. Now, due to a lack of defense in front of him, Eddie’s game 7 record is no longer perfect, but he still closes them out 80% of the time.
So you can have all the Patrick Roy you want, with all the gaudy regular season statistics, and, of course, all the Stanley Cup rings, but when the chips are down and the series needs to be won, I’d much rather fly with the Eagle rather than pray that St. Patrick might somehow see me through.

Hey! It’s every Wings fan’s favorite idiot, Woody Paige! Mr. Paige’s article is full of despair, as though the Avs have no chance of ever recovering from this tragedy. He cites the leading Avs players’ ages as evidence that they have lost their chance at a dynasty. Oh, yes, Mr. Paige, the Colorado Avalanche are SO old, I don’t know how those old geezers stayed so good for so long……. Wait a second, your oldest player (Patty Wah) is 38? How old is Sakic? 34? Foote? 32? Forsberg? 30. I dunno, Mr. Paige, it looks to me like you have a pretty good few more years coming up. The Avs aren’t as good as everyone says they are if they are too old NOW. Look at the Wings, they really ARE old and yet they will make a legitimate run at the Cup next year. No one is giving up here.

Here’s another beautiful article from the Denver Post: Avs’ choke wasn’t their first, but it was the worst. A quote: “The greatest NHL dynasty that never was died at 11:02 p.m. Causes of death: Avalanche arrogance and Wild passion.” Ahem, “the greatest NHL dynasty that never was”? What have they won, two Cups in 7 years? I think “the greatest NHL dynasty that never was” title should go to the Red Wings, winners of three Cups in 6 years. Sorry, Colorado. Another quote: “Coach Granato needs to be held accountable for blowing a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series to a Minnesota team with the lowest payroll in the entire league, and being made to look like an April fool by Wild counterpart Jacques Lemaire.” Maybe he’s right about Granato needing to be held accountable but Lemaire is a much better coach than Granato, a first year coach. Looks like firing Hartley was a BIG mistake, Mr. Lacroix.

The attitude coming out of Denver is hilarious to me. It seems like everyone is giving up. Pretty funny when you consider that this was just one playoff series and they have the youth to get it back in the future. If anyone has the right to despair, it Wings fans (first from being swept and second from the Wings age) but you don’t see most of us doing that do you? If Avs fans are ready to give up, maybe they need to re-examine their fanship because hard times come with being a sports fan. Though, maybe Patty is done, after choking two years in a row in the playoffs.

An interesting quote from Granato: “I think the biggest way to look at that is that it just shows the parity in our league – two great teams playing a good series. I think the balance we have right now is really exciting.” That was said after the Wings were eliminated by Anaheim. I wonder what Mr. Granato thinks about the league “parity” now.

Nothing to report about the Wings today, the papers are empty.

But, I do have something to say about the other playoff series. The Minnesota Wild eliminated the Colorado Avalanche last night when they won Game 7 3-2 in OT (YES!). This just about makes my day. I was going to watch the game but our power went out (stupid power company…….). I can’t believe I missed out on one of the biggest upsets in a long time. That’s five Game 7′s in a row for Colorado and two in a row lost (last year’s embarrassment was courtesy of the Detroit Red Wings) These playoffs are definitely ones for huge upsets, first the Wings, now the Avs. Who’s next??? Minnesota will play Vancouver (GO WILD!!!! (sorry Lisa)) in the 2nd round because the Canucks beat the Blues 4-1 last night in their Game 7. That sucks (sorry Lisa). I thought this might actually be the Blues’ year, with the Wings being out. Dallas is playing Anaheim, I’m hoping for an upset their too (then the Wings wouldn’t look so bad).

Oh, yeah, the Flyers advanced last night too, they beat the Leafs 6-1 in their Game 7. Yay. Maybe the Cup will actually go to the East this year, with two of the three biggest contenders gone in the West.

Yeah, right.

Here’s one for the “unrealistically hopeful” and “expecting too much” categories: Teemu Selanne has decided not to exercise a player option in his contract for next season with the Sharks. This makes him a free agent and open to offers on the free market. I’ve heard a few people wondering if he’ll come to Detroit. I doubt it, though that’d be cool. I don’t know if he’d fit into the Wings’ system anyway. Also, the Wings would only have the money to get him if Fedorov leaves and Selanne is no Fedorov replacement. He’s a great player but doesn’t have the versatility to replace Sergei.

Here is a very short interview with Chris Chelios from today’s Detroit News Red Wings Rap.

You know, if the Wild beat the Avs tonight, that will go a long way in easing the pain of an early Wings exit. A very long way. (-: