Potatoe1 wrote:Where do people come up with this stuff...
So the wings are tough because they can score on the power play.
We are pussies because couldn't?
"Toughness" had absolutely noting to do with our terrible results on the power play in the final. Our power play sucked because Edler, Ehroff, Hank, Sammy and Kesler were all hurt. That's 5 of the 6 players most responsible for our first unit being the best in the league last season.
People just love to create falocys regarding the Wings because the fact they win year after year with virtually no one on their roster that can fight, fly's in the face of all the "toughness myth's" that fans and media perpetuate.
Hockey is dominated by "Alpha Dogs".. please... Hockey is dominated by skilled teams who can skate, check, and score. The better you can do those things the more success you will have. It really isn't that complicated.
Unfortunately that doesn't make good copy so the media like to run with other storey lines.
No, the Wing's are tough because when one of their players gets pounded the way Methot hit Hank, or the way the Bruin's roughed us up, the team rallies together and stands their ground. When Zetterberg or Datsyuk are getting bullied, they don't just skate away, they fire back a bit, or a teammate comes in and stands with them. Against Boston, and actually all the way through the playoffs, we often saw the Sedins skating away and saying nothing, taking their licks and retreating, Kesler and Burrows did the same quite often, most of our team outside of Bieksa were quick to walk away and try and take the high road and make the opponent pay on the PP. It's AV's idea and they were following their marching orders. It had nothing to do with the PP results, it was about standing up for yourself and your team. Go re-read the part of my post that you quoted Pot and then re-write your response.....if you don't like the bit about alpha's, oh well, that's up to you, but if you don't think it plays a role then you need to re-watch some games. There has not been a Stanley Cup winning team in recent history that cowered away from the scrums as much as the Canuck's did this past year.....
2011, Boston - goon squad with 3 talented players.
2010, Chicago - a bench full of aggitators and team leaders that were willing to mix it up.
*2009, Pittsburgh - nobody backed down, never afraid to scrum it up.
*2008, Detroit - skill and team effort, also never backed down.
2007, Anaheim - Carlyle's bullies, got away with murder the entire playoffs, cheap shots, and full of assholes.
2006, Carolina - more team toughness, look at the leaders, Brind'Amour and Staal.
2004, Tampa Bay - they faced a grinder squad in Calgary, and were gifted the Cup by the league after Gelinas "no goal" in game 6.....but they weren't afraid and they never skated away from a fight unless they were winning and the game was over.
2003, New Jersey - Scott Stevens anyone?
I think that about makes my point.