No problem HQ. I try to keep track of all of the black brothers who like hockey. lol

It was a great post. You're a genuine original, I knew that when I saw what you had written about the Cup.

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Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
-Manu Chao

I can't believe how close they came to getting it in the net at the end. If that would have hit Osgood's glove and deflected in, it would have been tragic.

And they'd be still playing now...

Don't forget DD.

The last play didn't matter as the clock has expired.

Gotta be happy for the 1st time cup winners. Babcock, Filpula, Zetterberg, Hudler, Drake (especially), Kronwall, Lilja... more than 1/2 the guys I think.

Great job of putting this team together from Ken Holland. Finding all of the cast offs, free agents, and low draft picks that turn out to be solid contributors.

Zettergberg got the Conn Smythe, but I was pulling for Ozzie. If he wouldn't have come in during the 1st series, we surely would have lost early. And a 14-4 record in the playoffs with 3 shutouts (2 in the finals), is nothing to sneeze at. But Zetterberg is a good choice too.

GO WINGS!!!

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Hondo loves the Wings
June 3rd, 2008
Wings GM Ken Holland Proves: He is the best in Pro Sports!

By Hondo S. Carpenter Sr.
Wings GM Ken Holland Proves: He is the best in Pro Sports!
He once told me, “You should be my agent,” after filming an interview and even though that conversation was nearly three years ago, I still feel the same way. Wings GM Ken Holland is the best GM in pro sports.
He has a system. A system that many thought would be dead after the salary cap came in. A system they said couldn’t work with the modern athlete after a man with more rings than I have excess pounds in Scotty Bowman. It does work, and that system has the Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals.
He likes an authoritarian coach. One that isn’t his players’ buddy, and one that will hand out playing time based on who has earned and not who has the biggest deal or sells the most jerseys. When he hired a coach that was a great guy, but didn’t rule over his team with an iron fist, he made a move to Mike Babcock.
Kenny Holland is decisive; he is not deterred and is a great person. He loves the Wings. He told me, “I am so fortunate to have this job. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t stop and think about the fact that I am a Red Wing.”
He is a man that has had success in the and out of the salary cap era. He is a GM that players both love and respect. He once called a veteran who was popular to the side to let him know that he had better get in line with the coach.
In a day and age in pro sports where GM’s are weak and give in to the whims of their multi-millionaire players, he doesn’t. He would trade his best player if he became a distraction and would go find some obscure player and get him in a late round of the draft.
Holland once described the draft to me like this, “It is easier to make picks early, anyone can pick up a magazine with the top prospects and make those picks. You win Cups in the late rounds.” Look at the Wings roster, look where his players were picked and compare it to everyone else. Then tell me he isn’t the best.
In an era where players don’t trust management and the feeling is reciprocated, he is one of the most popular men who has his job in sports. “People, not just players trust Kenny,” was how Steve Yzerman described him to me.
Ken Holland proves that you can run your team with integrity, honesty, and an iron fist, and still win and, most of all, still be respected.
All signs point to the Wings winning the cup up 3-2. Whether they do or not you can count on them being in the hunt again as long as the name Holland hangs from the door of the GM’s office.
He isn’t perfect, but nowhere in professional sports, any sport, is anyone better.

Lots of praise out there for the Wings, Holland & his system.


Opinion: Hard to believe, but Wings will only get better - NHL- nbcsports.msnbc.com

Thanks DET, loved that!

Congrats Wings. Exciting game. Last 2 minutes were nailbiting. The penalty call on Hudler was BS.

This is how a professional team should operate. The vets on the team continue to show leadership while the youth provided the energy. Lids is an awesome captain and player. He is a quiet and strong leader. Kudos to Babcock for a great coaching effort. The players have improved tremendously in his watch.