The aftermath

Make no mistake, Red Wings fans are reeling. Few considered Pittsburgh a threat, even after winning Game 6. The Wings were just too strong, right? I suppose that's what happens to spoiled fans. I see it all the time in Ann Arbor. Despite last season's horrid season, I have no doubt that Michigan football fans will still expect to run roughshod all over the Big Ten. The spoiled tendencies are tough to break.

Heck, the Titanic sank, Goliath fell, and the Colossus of Rhodes only stood for 56 years. The Red Wings do not have a Stanley Cup birthright, and it's possible, just possible, that Pittsburgh was the better team. For all my objective posturing, I do have a hard time stomaching that one. It seems to me that the Red Wings team we saw after the Anaheim series was not the same as the one who started the playoffs. While the Wings are keeping relatively quiet about injuries (a herniated disc here, speared testicles there), they were slower, less sharp. They beat Chicago on sheer talent. But that wasn't enough against Pittsburgh.

Of course, injuries are a part of the playoffs. In recent years, I don't recall the Wings ever winning the Cup while enduring a major injury. The team that stays healthy and hungry wins. Pittsburgh beat them on both fronts.

So where do the Wings go from here? The discussion immediately following Game 7 was all about Hossa. Most Red Wing fans want Hossa to stay, but there is definitely a vocal opposition. I agree with Babcock: "A 40-goal scorer isn't something that's easy to find." He couldn't get going versus Pittsburgh, but I watched the guy fly throughout the entire regular season. He's a phenomenal talent and has said he'll take less to stay with the Wings. I guess the question is... how much less? Ken Holland said he had productive talks with Hossa's agent, so there's a glimmer of hope.

Samuelsson and Hudler would be certain casualties if Hossa re-signs. In fact, Hudler may bolt regardless. His minutes dropped sharply in the playoffs. Babcock doesn't trust his defense. The likely replacement for Hudler will be Ville Leino. Helm will also start on the senior squad next season, as, of course, will Ericsson.

Tigers
I heard the perfect description of the Tigers yesterday, courtesy of Terry Foster on 97.1FM - The Tigers are a house built on quicksand; sooner or later you know it's gonna sink. They have an extremely difficult schedule coming up. I doubt they'll be over .500 for very much longer. Strangely, the bats have gone silent. Polanco, Maggs, Granderson, and even Cabrera are struggling. And, of course, we all know about that awful bullpen. A few weeks ago, we were all thinking there wouldn't be room in 5-man rotation for Bonderman. Now, with Willis back to his old self and Galarraga barely above water, the Tigers may need to find a free agent just to finish the season.