And The Crowd Goes Mild....

For the 20th time in recent memory, the Red Wings were booed off the ice by the 342 fans that decided that their Friday was already wasted and stayed for the final horn. Even the octopi throwing was half hearted, and really, who wants to drive home with a dead cephalopod in their pocket? If it was me, I would have thrown it in the first so I could get kicked out properly and go spend much, much less on beers.

So should Red Wings fans be preparing for an early exit from the playoffs? I say don't count them out yet. Here's why: Chicago had to win to remain in the playoffs. The Red Wings don't have to win to be seeded at least third in the West and home ice for at least the first round. Not that home ice is any advantage these days... Also, as a Red Wing player/coach/GM, who would you rather have Vancouver playing in round one? Calgary? Ummmm, no. Why not just throw a slightly above average High School JV squad in the 8 spot instead? Dallas? Nope. Vancouver will shred Dallas, even in Dallas, where visiting teams are forced to play on the crappiest ice in the NHL. Remember pond hockey in May, when you had to dodge the places where the ice was melted and grass was poking up? Yeah, that's American Airlines Center 24/7. Anyway, Dallas is a shell of their former selves, and wouldn't be able to catch the Canucks. You pick a team that is surging a little, has some seriously physical players, and can really beat up the Canucks physically, even if they lose the series. Then, can the Canucks continue without a few more key players? Malhotra is out already. What if one of the Sedin twins falls?

So you get Chicago to do it. Chicago, despite a slump that nearly cost them a playoff spot (and still might), has better numbers than both Dallas and Calgary, and are physical to boot. So, they can prolong a series against Vancouver, cause some bruises, and maybe, just maybe, pull out the upset. Whichever team survives that series is going to be pretty beat up, and the next series will be a bit tougher for them. The Wings will get LA or Anaheim. Not an easy skate by any means, but maybe a bit easier than a Central Division foe...

One thing is for sure. Wings fans are not going to be satisfied with a substandard playoff performance.