Red Wings 5, Blackhawks 4: Post Game Snipes...

• This game didn’t get off to a particularly impressive start, but it sure got fun during the second period. Anyone know when the last time the Wings scored five goals in a period was?
• Of course the Wings couldn’t just coast to an easy victory by protecting their three-goal lead. They had to make things interesting by letting the Hawks back into the game. I’m sure NBC was thrilled because it was close at the end, but c’mon guys, get things together.
• The Wings managed to bring themselves within a point of Nashville with that win today. We all need to buckle down and root for Vancouver to win tonight. The Preds can’t be comfortable looking over their shoulders and seeing the Wings coming up behind them.
• Don’t look now, but the boys have won four of their last five games.
• Games like these always leave me looking forward to the next game more than usual. That game just happens to be against the Flames, who are only one point behind the Wings thanks to a win against Minnesota today.
• Bertuzzi left the game with what Babcock is now calling a charley horse. Let’s hope it’s nothing more (even though I was relieved to see that it was just Bertuzzi who was hurt…not someone more important).
• How refreshing was it to see a huge momentum swing from a questionable no-goal call go in the Wings’ favor for a change? Shortly afterward, the Wings started to take control of the game and things got a lot more enjoyable.
• I still can’t stand the calls when the refs wave off a goal, but don’t call an interference penalty on the play. It’s either interference or it’s not. Make up your mind. That irritation was compounded by the fact that Homer got called for a goalie interference penalty later on that was every bit as questionable.
• My mom and I had a grammar debate about whether it was “waived off” or “waved off.” Finally we consulted dictionary.com and my victory was confirmed. It’s “waved off.”
• Goalies diving makes me angry every time. Even when it’s done by a Wings goalie, I have to roll my eyes. Cowboy up, gentlemen.
• Today’s boxscore is sprinkled with a little bit of everything. There were some point shots from the blueliners, some secondary scoring, and a little bit of dangle dangle from Pavel Datsyuk himself. That’s what I like to see.
• Lilja was featured on the sounds of the game thing that NBC does. I was amused by the fact that he said something to Ladd after checking him and he sounded vaguely Irish. I was also amused by the fact that he says things while shooting.
• I’m pretty sure my favorite moment of the game was when Johan Franzen was mocking one of the Hawks who dove. When they were showing the highlights at the end of the game, I told my brothers that that clip had better be included. Sure enough, as soon as I spoke, they showed it. I grabbed a clip of it with my phone camera, but it’s not very high quality. I have no idea why youtube does weird things to the sound whenever I upload videos.
• I loved how the fact that Datsyuk’s breakaway was also racing against the clock made it that much more exciting. Jason Williams (Who?), Rafalski, Filppula, and Lidstrom also scored during the second.

GP Answers:
1. A game against Chicago on NBC? What more could Wings fans ask for? How much time is Pierre going to spend talking about Sidney Crosby?
After a little while, my dad said, “Wow, they really do talk about that guy a lot.” He finally figured out why I’m always complaining.

2. One of the best things about the Nashville game was the fact that the Wings’ stars were their best players. Can they continue to lead the boys?
Pavel Datsyuk has been incredible since the Olympic break. Zetterberg was less visible, but as NBC pointed out, he doesn’t look 100% health-wise. That makes me nervous.

3. What is Pavel Datsyuk going to do to blow our minds tomorrow?
Oh just a breakaway goal in the final seconds of the second period. It ended up being the game-winner. He was up to his usual slick moves and pick-pocketing all game too. He could seriously give Neal Caffrey a run for his money.

4. We haven’t gotten to see Olympic Rafalski since the break ended. When is that version of the hometown boy going to show up?
We saw flashes of Olympic Rafalski and flashes of regular season Rafalski today. I guess it’s a work in progress.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Pavel Datsyuk
For all of the wonderful things he does.

Valtteri Filppula gets the Golden Facepalm
He pretty much handed Andrew Ladd his first goal of the game. I’m pretty sure that turnover in front of the net came with a bow on top.

What I Learned:
It’s a lot more fun to have goals waved off when they don’t belong to the Wings.