Red Wings will be playing Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2008 NHL playoffs. This seems to be like the better choice, at least due to travel and inexperienced goaltending that Nashville has. Wings are limping into the playoffs with many injuries:

- Tomas Kopecky is gone, won't be back for 4-6 months with torn MCL
- Kirk Maltby is likely to miss a week due to hamstring and won't be ready for the beginning of the playoffs
- Tomas Holmstrom is just coming back from groin injury and won't be 100% during the playoffs
- Kris Draper is day-to-day with groin injury
- Brad Stuart is out with a broken finger and may be ready for the 1st game
- Dan Cleary missed 22 games and lost 15 lbs so it may take a while before he comes back into the top shape

This should be a tight low-scoring series and Wings should be able to come up on top barring any significant injuries.

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I think the Washington Wizards have got to be the dumbest team in the history of civilization. - C.Barkley

Encouraging sign has been that all those grand rapids guys have played fairly well, at leas not been dissapointing for me(Erikson, hartigan, etc). Biggest blow of course is, that "king of interference" is not up to date yet, but franzen has been hugely big surprize at homer's place.

This series shouldn't last more than 5 games. Ok, six.

Did we pick up any body to cover these injuries?
Besides the one we did earlier.

All Wings got are the youngsters coming up from GR and this new kid Abdelkader (spelling?) that they just signed from U of M. He had a pretty good game first time out while playing for free (under NHL rules an amateur can play one game for a team without a contract).

close but he's from MSU i do believe.... Michigan is still playing.... Frozen four baby!!!!!

Right.

Abdelkader is from MSU. I just tried to add him to my fantasy team for the last day of the season just because, but he isn't even on the list yet. No problem. I added Jon Michael Liles to represent my losing cause.

Go Wings!

You are correct. My mistake. I don't know why I wrote that he's from U of M.

Franzen continues his hot streak with a goal in the 1st period and Wings are leading 1-0 after the 1st. They let a couple of good chances go by. Hopefully it won't hurt them.

Nashville ties the score with 2 minutes to go in the 2nd. After 2 periods the game is tied 1-1.

Wings Win.......