Red Wings vs. Predators Game Two GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Predators 1

A scary looking octopus:

What we learned from Game One:

• EVERYTHING is a penalty.
• Puck luck is key.
• Jimmy Howard is back in top form.

Exciting things about Game Two:

• Nyquist is making his playoff debut.
• The Wings are angry about the cheap shot at the end of Game One.  They tend to play well when they're riled up about something.
• After it's over, the series moves back to Hockeytown.

Terrifying things about Game Two:

• If the Wings don't win, this series is all but over.
• We have to wonder if the special teams can be as effective as they were in Game One.
• Life without Helm.
• Pekka Rinne.

Who will have a good game tonight:


Henrik Zetterberg.  I know...choosing him is kind of a cop out because, well, he's Henrik Zetterberg, but I think he's going to have a good night tonight.  I keep harping on it, but he tends to be at his most dominating when he's feeling feisty.  And he should be, after Weber's cheap shot that went unpunished for all intents and purposes ($2,500 from a multi-millionaire is like telling me that a speeding ticket is going to cost me $1.)


Something to lighten the mood:

Dance party!

Red Wings 2, Predators 3: Post Game Snipes...

Hello, world; it's been a while.  I thought that moving back to Michigan would reignite my motivation to blog about the Wings, but I still wasn't feeling it.  It took the start of the playoffs to get me back in the swing of things.  I'm not sure what it was, but when I set out to pick up a friend to go watch the game tonight, I had all kinds of ideas running through my head.  So here we go.  I'm back -- at least for a little while.

• I'll be honest.  I didn't have a great feeling about the game all day.  Truth be told, I don't have a great feeling about the series in general, but that's how I've felt about every Wings playoff series ever.  Well, except for that time the Wings steamrolled the Avs in the second round a couple of years back, but I think that one was more of a surrender than a playoff series anyway.
• All those things we were worried about coming into the game (namely the penalty kill, powerplay, and defense) actually kind of worked.  Somehow the Wings still managed to lose.  If we're looking for positive things to take away from the game, these successes are pretty heartening.
• In a moment of weakness in the third period after one of the Wings' glorious open net chances that, according to every law of physics should've gone in, and taking into account Nashville's first two goals, I determined that the Wings weren't destined to pull this comeback off because they just didn't have any luck tonight.  To win in the playoffs, you need a lot of skill.  You need the drive and endurance to battle through every game.  You also, however, need a little bit of luck.  You need those fluky bounces to go your way.  The Wings just didn't have it tonight.  That can change, though.
• Goals like Nashville's first one are the number one reason why NHL playoff overtime is the most terrifying ordeal in sports. 
• I couldn't hear much of the commentary at the bar, but I'm assuming that there was a lot of "just like Modano" talk after Helm's injury.  It sounds pretty ugly.  I wish he'd sat out an extra game instead of rushing back from the knee injury for the opener.  I can't imagine him being back this season.  That's a huge loss for the Wings.
• The pre-game conversation in the referees' dressing room, at least in my mind: "Wow, these were the two least penalized teams in the league during the regular season; it's probably going to be a pretty boring night for us out there...  Hey, wouldn't it be funny if we called them for a dozen or so penalties?  Each?"  "Yeah, it would at least give us something to do out there.  Plus, I noticed this really hot chick sitting behind the scorers, so going over there to announce penalties all night will give me a chance to check her out."
• I hope Hank comes out mad in Game Two.  He usually dominates when he's all riled up.
• I doubt Weber will get suspended.  He probably deserves a game, but these are the playoffs and this is the NHL, and Zetterberg (we think) wasn't injured.  It'll give us something to bluster and rage about for the next couple of days, and if we're lucky, it'll light a fire under the Wings and give them some extra motivation, but I'd be shocked if any supplementary discipline came out of it.  But if Shanny wants to bench Weber for a game or two...I wouldn't complain.
• During one of the Wings' crazy powerplay chances, I slammed my hand onto an empty chair behind me and I was pretty sure that I broke a bone for a couple of minutes.  I'm fairly certain now that it's just fine, but it wouldn't have been the first time I've injured myself while watching playoff hockey.

Caption Fridays Volume Seven...

Caption Fridays disappeared for a while because I sort of ran out of pictures.  I don't get to go to games now that I'm not based in Detroit, so my stash was running low.  Luckily, I got to go to a game when I was home for Thanksgiving, and our seats were perfectly positioned for me to get some good caption fodder shots.  This one is my favorite:

Red Wings vs. Coyotes GP...

Red Wings: 16-9-1

Coyotes: 15-9-3

Season Series: 0-0

Red Wings Zen:

Point and Laugh:

Video Candy:

Caption Fridays (Er...Saturday) Volume Six...

Observant readers may have noticed that this is, in fact, not Friday.  We're just going to pretend that I didn't choose to work late, take a nap, and go to a Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom dressed as Mickey Redmond in drag instead of writing this post last night.

Last week we had an anonymous winner:

"Danny, this guy won't quit staring at me grinning, it's creepin' me out!"

"I know just don't make eye contact."

This week's picture:

Red Wings vs. Capitals GP...

Red Wings: 5-0-0

Capitals: 6-0-0

Red Wings Zen:

Point and Laugh:

Video Candy:

Red Wings 6, Coyotes 3: Post Game Snipes...

• Pavel Datsyuk's pass to set up Homer's goal was just ridiculous. We should be used to him doing crazy things by now, but it's impossible not to marvel at the things he does with the puck.
• Homer's shot as he was falling was equally awesome.
• Phoenix got lucky as their first goal deflected in off of Ericsson's skate.
• As distressing as Franzen being a last-minute scratch was, it's kind of nice to be able to just pop a guy like Mike Modano into the lineup like that. Mo even picked up an assist on the first goal of the game.
• Darren Helm is everywhere. He's giving the Coyotes absolute fits. They don't even know what to do with him. It's deliciously fun to watch.
• Jimmy looked shaky in the first period, but got stronger as the game went on. That's better than the reverse.
• In hindsight, these late games aren't so bad. Watching hockey in the middle of the night means that my roommates who do not get hockey at all don't have to see me during the third period of a close playoff game. It's probably for the best.
• The Wings swept the first round without Henrik Zetterberg. And they played Game Four without the Mule. That should be scary for future opponents.
• So do you think Doan wants to rethink his proclamation of Bryzgalov as the best player in the series?
• Hopefully the Wings figure out their penalty kill between now and the start of Round Two. They did at least come up with a big kill in the third when the game was tied.
• I loved Jimmy's post-gamequote: “I'll smile in June.” Swagger is a beautiful thing when it comes from the Wings.
• I've been on the leave-Phoenix side of the debate from the beginning, just from a practicality standpoint. There's no point in forcing a franchise to stay where it can't be financially successful and causing all kinds of drama. The Coyotes' salute after the handshakes and seeing Shane Doan (who I still dislike) fighting back tears before starting his post-game interview did make me feel bad for the fans who do live in Phoenix.

Hero: Dan Cleary
He had a goal and two assists, and his game-winner gave us an excuse to do the Newfie Stomp. He also led the team in shots and was buzzing all night.

Villain: Shane Doan
Why does he hate Nick Lidstrom?

Final Thought:
This long wait for Round Two should give my blood pressure a nice break.

Red Wings 4, Coyotes 3: Post Game Snipes...

• Though I was at first devastated to discover that this game had been scheduled for Saturday afternoon (a time during which I'm at work), it turned out to be a rather fortunate occurrence. Since our office is dead on Saturdays, I was able to watch almost the entire game on the break room tv. The HD flatscreen we have in there was a huge upgrade over the choppy feeds to which I've been relegated since temporarily setting up shop in this hockey wasteland.
• My game recap will be posted over at CWGAP shortly, but I had a few more Wings-centric things I wanted to throw out there since I've been trying not to rant and rave too much about the only side that matters.
• Pavel Datsyuk was playing on a completely different level than anyone else today. Some of the things he does with the puck just aren't fair. That subtle move he pulled when he scored his goal? Disgusting. His cheeky between-the-legs shot that led to Helm's goal? Even more ridiculous. If he continues to play like this, the Wings are going to be very, very hard to beat.
• While Datsyuk excels at his shifty, sneaky, dangly, puck-on-a-string schtick, Tomas Holmstrom is every bit as good at his particular job. His deflection was impossibly good. He managed to reach behind him with his stick and tip a puck as he skated the opposite direction in front of the net. His screens played a huge factor in the Wings' offense all night. Simply put: nobody is better at Homer's job than Homer. Nobody.
• I don't necessarily think that Doan's hit on Franzen was dirty, but I also don't think it was necessary. That's one of those times when there's no need to finish a check on a vulnerable player. I feared the worst when Mule went down, but it looks like he got lucky and won't be missing any more time.
• I was oddly amused by the fact that he didn't even bother to wash the blood out of his mustache before returning to the game. He kind of looked like he tried to make out with a weed whacker. That's playoff hockey for you.
• That clip of Zetterberg practicing didn't exactly inspire hope that he'll return soon. At the beginning of it, I was excited thinking that it was a good sign, but when he limped off after stopping awkwardly, my heart sank.
• The first period was gloriously fun. It was the kind of hockey that brings joy to faces all over Hockeytown. The Wings were dominant and pressured Phoenix to the point that they started taking stupid penalties. I was feeling pretty good until they decided to take their foot off of the gas and let the Coyotes back in the game. It sure did make for an interesting ending, though.
• The Wings' near collapse in the third gave the Coyotes some hope, which needs to be eradicated early in Game Three. There's no need to drag this series out any longer than it has to, especially with Shane Doan intent on destroying everything wearing a Winged Wheel.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
Who can keep up with this guy right now?

Villain: Shane Doan
There's something about the playoffs that brings out the wrecking ball in Shane Doan. He was hitting everything in sight and managed to score two third period powerplay goals. Somebody stop him, please.

Final Thought:
Watching playoff hockey at work takes a lot of self-control.

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Twenty-three...

Caption Mondays: Crater won the final Caption of the season.

"Helm, you've gotta slow down out there, you've warped your helmet."

Trivia Tuesdays: TimFill closed out the season with another victory.

This week's question: Which Red Wing is the oldest NHLer to record his first 100-point season? How old was he accomplished this?

The Answer: Gordie Howe was 41 when he tallied his 100th point on 3-30-1969. He finished the season with 103.

Caption Mondays Volume 23...

I've been saving this one for a while because it's one of my favorites.  What's going on in this shot from a December game?

Red Wings vs. Blues GP...

Red Wings: 44-22-10

Blues: 34-32-9

Red Wing Zen:

Darren Helm

11-20-31, +/- 9, 16 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Alex Pietrangelo

11-30-41, +/- 16, 19 PIM

Red Wings vs. Wild GP...

Red Wings: 36-16-6

Wild: 31-22-5

Red Wing Zen:

Darren Helm

7-17-24, +/- 7, 8 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Cal Clutterbuck

18-11-26, +/- 6, 36

Red Wings 6, Lightning 2: Post Game Snipes...

• One of my lifelong dreams has been to attend a Wings road game. I went to see them play Tampa last night, but I'm not sure that counts. Walking up to the arena, Wings jerseys outnumbered Lightning ones 4 to 1. I didn't see my first Bolts gear until I actually made it to area right outside of the rink. I expected there to be a significant percentage of Wings fans in attendance, but it was still exciting to see the army of red and white sweaters heading into the building. That has to be demoralizing for the home team/crowd.
• They were giving away noisemakers last night, but I was denied one because I was a Wings fan. I was okay with it though, because I don't have any desire to own anything that features the logo of another NHL team, even if the Bolts are my Eastern Conference secondary team. Once the game got underway, I figured out why they chose last night to do that giveaway: without the noisemakers, the home crowd didn't stand a chance of being heard over the thunderous LGRW chants the Wings fans started. The Bolts fans played the living daylights out of those noisemakers all game long. I found it obnoxious until I grabbed one on the way out. It was only then that I realized why they had been playing with them non-stop: they're incredibly fun and addictive. I used mine to play music to accompany my CD player for most of the trip home.
• I got to the rink excessively early because I wanted to make sure I had time to take a lap around the concourse and explore the only non-JLA NHL arena I'd ever been in. The place was nice enough, but I still missed the campiness of the Joe. The walls of the concourse were covered with giant replicas of front pages of the St. Pete Times from the past. It was more of a shrine to the newspaper than to hockey, which is also my number one reason for wishing against all odds that the Wings will never have to share a building with the Pistons.
• More I-miss-the-Joe notes: they only sell bottled pop there; I keep saying this wasteland is uncivilized and nobody believes me. This should prove it. Food and drink prices were way more expensive than I was used to at the Joe. I guess we really are spoiled back home.
• Call me a sap, but I also missed the old scoreboard at the Joe. The one in Tampa is slick for sure, but I found it hard to read, especially when I was trying to see how much time was left on powerplays. (Old people live in Florida. They should use larger-sized numbers so they can have a chance at seeing vital info like that. I could barely make it out and I'm young and spry.) [The entire purpose of the rant in parentheses was so that I could use the word “spry.”]
• The loudest cheer of the night came (predictably) when they showed Steve Yzerman on the scoreboard before the game started.
• By the time the Wings got the scoring underway, the ratio of red to blue in the stands had evened out for the most part. When they netted their first goal, half of the arena stood up and cheered. There was an entire section in the lower bowl that was almost full of Wings faithful.
• A fun game might be to play Where's Waldo? The Lightning Fan? with this picture:
  
  
  
• The Wings brought their A-game in the first period; perhaps they were eager to show Stevie that he should've stayed in Detroit.
• During the first intermission (and maybe the second—I left my seat during that one), there was what boils down to a zamboni party bus. It was towing the Bolts' mascot behind it on a wake-board. It was...interesting.
  
• Things went decidedly downhill during the second period as the Wings allowed the Bolts to erase their lead and tie the game up. Somehow they managed to wake up again and take back control of the game.
• I managed to get a shot of Abby's goal as the puck hit the twine. It was a really exciting moment for me.
• Here's a SSDD exclusive look inside my thought process during Darren Helm's breakaway goal: “Ooooh loose puck! What a chance to-oh, wait, it's Helm. Crap. Oh my god he scored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Don't get me wrong—I love Helm as much as anyone, but I'm so used to seeing him go the donut goalie route on chances like that that I pretty much expect it now.
• I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Pavel Datsyuk is a ridiculous human being. There's really nothing more to add about him.
• The box score says the Lightning had twenty shots in the third, but it didn't seem like it at all.
• The final octopi tally for the night was three. One of the arena workers even twirled one. This made me deliriously happy, albeit a tad confused.
• I had a total emo moment during the third period when I started to wonder if it would be the last time I ever got to see Lidstrom play live. Last time I did an internship here, I missed Yzerman's last season. Things like this give me anxiety.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
His two goals made my night.

Villain: I'm not making anyone a villain for this game. I'm still in too good of a mood.


Final Thought:
I felt more at home at the game than I have at any point since I've been in Florida. I love hockey.

Red Wings 4, Bruins 2: Post Game Snipes...

• I actually got to watch part of today's game on a real, HD TV. It brought tears of joy to my eyes. I sat at my desk starving for three hours because I wanted my lunch break to coincide with the third period of the game. I was more than prepared. I kicked back in the break room with a frozen dinner, my Wings hat from the last viewing party, and one of the last cans of Vernor's that I brought here from Michigan. The only thing that could've made it better is if it had been Ken and Mickey on the broadcast. Or if I hadn't been at work. You get the idea, though.
• I only got to watch the third, but it sure seemed like Datsyuk got knocked around a lot. It was uncharacteristic.
• Darren Helm had a great chance off of a rush in the third, but failed to convert. It's okay though; I'm pretty sure if he and Kris Draper had finished chances like that in the same game it would've caused a break in the space-time continuum.
• I kind of like it when the Wings play puck-possession hockey.
• I decided that the only thing I like about afternoon games is the fact that the lower bowl looks like it's full of fans in Wings gear instead of bored businessmen in work clothes.
• Remember that crazy run Bert went on last November/December? This kind of reminds me of that.
• I never, never, ever want Nick Lidstrom to retire. Never.

Hero: Todd Bertuzzi
Back-to-back two-goal games? Get this man a round of glitter.

Villain: Zdeno Chara
I know it's not his fault that he's tall, or that people keep talking about it, it's just that I'm tired of hearing about it. Yes, I get it. He's an extremely large person. Being tall isn't a skill though; it's an asset, but that doesn't mean the world.

Final Thought:
I usually hate NBC, but I could've kissed the tv when I turned it on and saw the Joe.

Red Wings vs. Predators GP...

Red Wings: 32-15-6

Predators: 28-19-7

Red Wing Zen:

Darren Helm

6-16-22, +/- 7, 8 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Steve Sullivan

10-10-20, +/- 3, 22 PIM

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Fifteen...

Caption Mondays: TimFill had this week's best caption. I loved it.

"Darren, if you hit 88 out there, you will go back in time. It's a truth fact. You yoost can't do it."

Trivia Tuesdays: Ari Twice got this week's answer.

This week's question: Which player holds the Wings record for most powerplay goals in a single playoff series?

The Answer: Andy Bathgate had 5 in the Wings' series against the Blackhawks in 1966. He's tied for second place in league history behind only Chris Kontos with six.

Caption Mondays Volume 15...

What could Homer and Helmer possibly be discussing on the bench here?

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

• I love it when I can snag a good feed.
• That chance Mule missed in the dying seconds of the second period was killer. At least he capitalized on his chance at the end.
• The next time a Wing goes down after blocking a shot is more than likely going to send me into cardiac arrest.
• I really dislike playing the Devils.
• Isn't it nice when the Wings manage to not give up boatloads of goals?

Hero: Darren Helm
That kid knows how to kill a penalty. Plus, he found some hands and finished on a nice break.

Villain: Brian Rolston
For tying the game up and making us sweat for the next two periods until the Wings took the lead back.

Final Thought:
The next time the Wings suit up, there lineup will most likely include Pavel Datsyuk and Dan Cleary. I'd say that's an upgrade.

Red Wings vs. Avalanche GP...

Red Wings: 27-10-5

Avalanche: 21-15-6

Red Wing Zen:

Darren Helm

4-12-16, +/- 7, 6 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Philippe Dupuis

3-8-11, +/- 6, 19 PIM

Red Wings 5, Flames 4 (SO): Post Game Snipes...

• This one's going to be brief since I have to wake up insanely early to hit the road tomorrow morning.
• Jimmy has me worried.
• When did Darren Helm learn how to finish? I'm liking it.
• I was stunned to find out that Rafalski hadn't scored a goal until tonight. He scored on two long shots that probably should've been saved, but I'll take whatever I can get.
• Ken Daniels credited Helm with a “Datsyukian deke.” Little brother was excited because it had been a long time since he'd heard that. Evidently it made his day.
• How about that backcheck from Tomas Tatar to keep the game tied in the third?
• On the same play, Stuart fell victim to a nasty headshot that only went down as “roughing.” Yeah, right. It was from the blindside, he was vulnerable, the head was targeted, and there was an injury on the play. Am I missing anything? This is the kind of hit the NHL's supposedly trying to crack down on. I would imagine that it'll be looked at by Colin Campbell tomorrow.
• That penalty kill during OT was phenomenal. I'm not normally one to hope for shootouts, but in that case, it was better than the other likely outcome.
• I'm not used to this whole winning shootouts thing. It's a bit confusing.
• Why is Z so BAD at the shootout?  I really feel like he should be better.

Hero: Brian Rafalski
He picked up his first two goals of the season tonight.

Villain: Tom Kostopoulos
He laid a textbook headshot on Stuart and lucked out with only a 2-minute roughing penalty.

Final Thought:
I'm going to be offline for a little while as I get settled into my new digs. I have no idea how often I'm going to be able to watch games for the rest of the season. I'll be keeping up with captions, trivia, and GPs, but recaps may be few and far between. It's hard to tell at this point.