SERIES SCHEDULE

GM 1: Thu, April 12 @ DET 7pm ET
GM 2: Sun, April 15 @ DET 1pm ET
GM 3: Tue, April 17 @ CGY 10pm ET
GM 4: Thu, April 19 @ CGY TBD

*GM 5: Sat, April 21 @ DET 3pm ET
*GM 6: Sun, April 22 @ CGY TBD
*GM 7: Tue, April 24 @ DET TBD
*if necessary

Regular Season Matchups:

Nov. 1: Calgary 2 at Detroit 3
Nov. 17: Detroit 1 at Calgary 4
Feb. 11: Calgary 4 at Detroit 7
March 20: Detroit 1 at Calgary 2

GO WINGS! Make it a sweep!

So, are the Flames any good? Can an NHL expert give me an NBA comparison. The Wings are the Pistons and the Flames are the ___________?

I'm not an expert but I consider myself knowledgeable.

Wings = Pistons is good. People expected the Wings to have a big dropoff this year, and they came back to win their conference.

The NHL playoffs are unlike other major sports. Each round, regardless of seeding is a dog fight. Calgary may be the 8th seed, but any team in the playoffs is capable of winning a first round and even a second round series.

Calgary was a scrappy team but they changed coaches, and while they can get on a roll and be an offensive juggernaut, they don't possess the same element of fear and physicality they had in the past.

Calgary has superb goaltending, but unlike Detroit and contrary to league trends, they do not have an excellent tandem. If their goalie doesn't come up big, they really don't have a #2 to go with.

Detroit on the other hand has two former championship goaltenders. In fact, Dominik Hasek is one of the 2 best big game goalies in the NHL (the other being New Jersey's Martin Brodeur). Chris Osgood is not great but he is totally serviceable and capable of starting on most of the non-playoff teams.

I would say Calgary is like Cleveland if we're making an NBA/NHL comparison. Not aesthetically, but we all recognize that the Cavaliers are a threat to the Pistons in a 7 game series, and so to are the Flames to the Wings.

Detroit must take care of home ice and play uptempo. They also can't get rattled if the Flames try to muscle them up.

Hope that helps.

__________________
To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

Traditionally, the Wings struggle in the first round. If they make it out of there they thrive.

The opposing goaltender is usually the problem. Kiprusoff, of Calgary can be outstanding. Lucky for us we have Hasek.

Calgary has some really good guys like Iginlia and Huselius as well as others. They could be trouble.

Fantasy hockey taught me a lot I think I'm going to recruit Tay heavily for next year. He seems to be a closet fan.

I went to 3 Wings vs Blackhawks games this year at the United Center, but outside of Det, I don't know much.

But Flames = Cavs. I can remember that. Thanks.

I would actually say Flames = Bulls. Wings struggled against them, especially on the road. The Flames are the best home team in the NHL. They have some big defensmen that ran Wings forwards out of the rink a few years back. It is going to be a tough series. Many do not believe that Wings have what it takes to get by Calgary. As far as I heard, Wings' biggest forward (Bertuzzi) is out for the 1st game with a concussion. However, one of Calgary's better defensmen is day-to-day and may not play. I am not going to make any predictions, just wait and see.

Best comparison is the Flames = Bulls. They'll play excellent defense and if the Wings cannot get shots past their goalie, they'll flame out against the Flames. I fully expect the Flames to win all their home games. We win the series if we take care of business at home..............Expect a 7 game series, or we lose..........................

I don't see Calgary as the Bulls for one reason. The Bulls have an element of danger about them. They are a threatening team.

The Flames are not threatening in a scary sense. They are less physical, less opportunistic than when we last faced them in the playoffs.

__________________
To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

That may be, but Wings still struggled with Calgary past few years and tend to play tentatively when being pressured and or behind.