Red Wings 1, Ducks 3: Post Game Snipes...

• The Wings let in a goal 1:11 into the game. It bounced in off of Stuart’s foot. Those are the kinds of plays that make things like overtime such a terrifying experience.
• Ericsson got into a fight. Don’t get me wrong, I like fighting as much as the next gal, but it was a stupid reason to fight. Big Rig threw a nice, clean hit, and then had to defend himself by fighting. That drives me crazy.
• I still don’t understand how the Ducks’ second goal was upheld on the video review. He took his had off of the stick and knocked the puck in with his glove. Last time I checked, you weren’t allowed to do that. It’s Gary’s world though, and anything goes.
• The review decision was made based on the fact that the “hand-slapping motion” came after the puck hit his glove. And people wonder why we wear tin foil hats. This league is a joke. I really do hate it. It always surprises people when I tell them that I hate the NHL because they know that I’m a huge hockey fan, but things like this are why I can’t stand it. Malik has a good take on it over at Snapshots.
  
• And for the record, efforts like this are why I hate this particular edition of the Red Wings. The San Jose game demonstrated that they have the ability to skate with the best if they actually try. If they played all their games like they did the last two periods against the Sharks, we wouldn’t be worrying about sneaking into the playoffs regardless of all of the injuries. Games like this one against the Ducks just aren’t going to cut it.
• This game seemed like it was being played in slow motion. Neither team looked like it had any energy. I almost gave up on the game and went to bed because I was bored. I wasn’t even that tired.
• Datsyuk’s powerplay goal at the end of the second period was enough to keep me interested and awake. It was the second time he split the D and walked right up the middle. Luckily he finished this time. I like last-minute goals when they’re scored by the Wings.
• The Wings pressed for most of the third period. They actually looked like they wanted to win the game. Too bad they didn’t decide that earlier.
• Filppula has missed what seems like a dozen glorious opportunities over the last couple of days. Someone find that guy some finish.
  

GP Answers:
1. I have to ask this every time the Wings play the Ducks: What are they going to do tonight to make me hate them even more? They always manage to come up with something obnoxious.
I hate the notion that you have to fight someone after they throw a big but clean hit. It drives me crazy. Go after guys for dirty plays, not clean ones. They’re supposed to be part of the game.

2. How is Jonathan Ericsson going to respond to his benching? Did he get the message?
I didn’t notice any glaring mistakes on his part. I liked the fact that he came out and threw a big hit early in the game, and then backed it up with a fight. He looked like he had some energy tonight, which was nice to see.

3. Can we pretty please keep the powerplay going? It was key to the Wings’ success last night, and they need to make that a trend instead of an exciting exception.
It clicked again late in the second period. I could get used to this.

4. Can the Wings get off to a good start playing the second night of a back-to-back? They need these two points tonight, and coming out slow yet again isn’t really an option anymore.
Well, gee, they let in a goal 1:11 into the game. That’s most definitely not the start that I was looking for. They've now been bumped back into 9th place, even though they're in a three-way tie with Calgary and Nashville. This is not a fun place to be.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Pavel Datsyuk
His goal was a thing of beauty. That’s the kind of play we haven’t seen enough of from Datsyuk this season.

Derek Meech gets the Golden Facepalm
That was a stupid, untimely penalty to take. Luckily, it didn’t hurt the Wings, but it did kill off valuable time in their comeback attempt.

What I Learned:
Yep. Still hate the Ducks. Still hate the NHL. And I miss the good old days when I used to like late games.