Red Wings 4 Blackhawks 0

Ty Conklin, without question, played his best game of the season tonight and weathered an early storm of Chicago power plays with great positional goaltending. Without him, Wings would have likely surrendered a couple early power play goals just like they did to Colorado the other night.

The pace of play was outstanding from start to finish. It would be awesome for the NHL if these two teams' paths crossed at some point in the playoffs this year. This rivalry is definitely redeveloping.

GLI CHAMPS

If you are a Michigan hockey fan, you gotta love Michigan's dominance of MSU this season. The Wolverines crushed State again in the GLI Championship this afternoon at the Joe, 5-1. That puts Michigan's season score at 16-5 against Sparty this year. Too bad it doesn't count in the CCHA standings. It is always nice to have MICHIGAN hanging on the banner in the Joe.

WHAT AN EYE SORE!

Ok, I can't take it anymore. Something has got to be done about Pittsburgh's hideous blue jerseys that they seem to be wearing more often. THEY ARE EMBARRASSING, DISGUSTING, AND NEED TO BE BURNED!

Now, there are teams out there like Atlanta that have that disgusting blue color as a regular jersey, but no one watches or shows up to their games. Pittsburgh, however, is a high profile team that has the great colors of BLACK AND YELLOW which I love. It was cute in the Winter Classic last year, but it's gone too far and needs to stop!


How can you be the face of the game sporting that awful jersey!?

Avalanche 4 Red Wings 3 (SO)

The Red Wings have a new bad habit of only showing up in the 2nd and 3rd period on many road games this year. I'm starting to think that being a "measuring stick" team is starting to take its toll a bit on them. Teams like Nashville, Colorado and Phoenix, who are battling to stay in the top 8, are getting the best of them or at least giving them trouble this year. Well, it's time to man up boys. We have a HUGE home and home coming up against Chicago, who we have defeated this season, but not easily. I'm pumped. Hopefully the Wings are...and at the puck drop in the first period, not the second.

Predators 3 Red Wings 2

Nashville was very responsible defensively tonight and outplayed the Red Wings physically most of the evening. Combining that with an injury to Lidstrom made for a shitty evening of losing a key player and losing to those assholes. It doesn't look like a major injury, but if it is the rest of the d-line will need to step up and it shouldn't be a problem. It looks like the Central race is going to be a hell of a run if Chicago stays hot. Can't wait for the home and home coming up after tonight's game. The Hawks are technically only one point behind the Wings if they win the two games-in-hand they have right now. Could the Wings-Blackhawks rivalry finally gain some steam?

Red Wings 4 Blues 1

The Blues are in a downward spiral due to injuries and inexperience. Furthermore, Pavel Datsyuk continues to amaze me. His shorthanded goal tonight was brilliant, set up by a great forecheck by Hossa. But the highlight of the night was definitely the Red Wings singing the Twelve Days Of Christmas during one of the commercial breaks in the second period. I hope this makes its way on to YouTube somehow.

Red Wings 6 Kings 4

I couldn't help but laugh when I watched the finish to this game at work. You just know it was going to happen. It almost always does. Somehow, teams just can't put the Wings away when they have a chance to get a victory.

And I've decided not to stress out anymore about goaltending (until they start losing these close ones). Besides, what fun would this season be if the Wings had the same record but were dominating every game. Just wait until we get our first three-game losing streak. Everyone will start FREAKING OUT!

Red Wings 6 Sharks 0

Feels good to get a one-sided win over the highly-touted Sharks. The Wings played solid defense, Conklin played great and Nabokov played poor. That's a good recipe for a big Red Wing win.

Avalanche 3 Red Wings 2

Fun game to watch in person tonight. Tough loss, however. This was a typical first game back after being out west, where the Wings didn't show up until the second period. Usually they don't pay for it, but tonight they did. I don't think Colorado is much of a force in this league but I'll give them this: When other opponents mess up, they capitalize. That was the difference tonight, and that's how the Avs have won a lot of their games this year. A bad giveaway and a stupid penalty spotted them a 2-0 lead, then a dumb penalty by Lebda gave them a shootout winner. Raycroft made some solid saves as well this evening.

Red Wings 5 Coyotes 4 (SO)

Mickey Redmond said it best after Franzen tied the game late in the 3rd period. All Pheonix had to do was skate the puck up the ice a bit and have a better shot at the empty net, and they probably would have iced the game. But they didn't, and the Wings capitalized. Osgood had another average outing, but made some outstanding saves in the shootout. Hopefully the Wings can keep the winning going at the Joe (going to the Wings/Avs game tomorrow). Colorado is due for a win against us one of these years.

Stars 3 Red Wings 1

You had to figure the Wings were gonna lose one of these close ones eventually, but it really came down to the play of Marty Turco, who had maybe his 2nd or 3rd solid outing of the season. The Wings did seem like they had a lack of energy in the second period, but recovered in the third. That Franzen goalpost near the end of the game was a tough one. Hopefully they can play with some speed for 60 minutes tomorrow, which is always fun on the tail end of back to back games.

MICHIGAN > MSU

And how about those Wolverines this weekend!

On Friday night, Michigan crushed Michigan State on home ice 6-1. Last night, Michigan scored 3 goals in the final couple of minutes to get a rare 5-3 victory in East Lansing. These two teams can potentially meet again in the upcoming GLI, but with the way MSU is playing, I'm not so sure they will win their first game against North Dakota.

Despite these weekends victories, Michigan still needs a few big weekends to improve their record. Their next two weekends are the GLI, followed by a HUGE weekend series with CCHA-leading Miami, who swept them earlier this season. Make it happen!

And then make the NCAA tournament and let me down again......................

Red Wings 5 Blackhawks 4 (SO)

It seems like every game between these two teams is a great one. It was nothing but pure offensive talent dominating the pace of the game from start to finish. A typical Wings win this season where the goal scoring is high and the save percentage is low. I'm wondering when this is going to catch up with them. Do we really have to pray for Chelios to come back to spice up the defense?! Anyway, I'm not as bothered by it as I sound. We are #2 in the conference right now and dominating the division as usual. I think I can deal with that.

Red Wings 6 Canucks 5

It was looking destined to be a repeat of the Penguins game for a while there. At least this time the Wings held their ground at the end and drew a penalty to make things difficult for Vancouver. I'm glad the season series with Vancouver is already over. They were a pain in the ass every single night we played them.

What's up with Jiri Hudler? He's been HUGE for the Wings lately. Without Holmstrom in the lineup, he has stepped up and scored some big goals. I thought for sure he was going to get a hat trick in the first period.

Red Wings 2 Ducks 1

I usually don't get too pissed off when the Wings lose in the regular season these days, but the way yesterday's game was going through the second period, I probably would have been furious. They were all over the Ducks from start to finish! A great team performance by the Wings, putting 47 shots on the defensive-minded Ducks. It took 30-something shots to finally beat Giguere, who was playing incredible in net. Thank god they got two by him and won the game.

Lots of home games this month. It's about time! Seems like every game this year that they have been on the road.

Wisconsin 3 Michigan 0

Fuck...........................

Bruins 4 Red Wings 1

My excitement for this game was ruined by the pace of play. It didn't have to do with the players themselves, but the fact that both teams played the night before and looked gassed. It was like watching slow motion hockey. The Wings seemed to control the pace in the first period, but a few bad breaks on offense combined with Conklin's awful play put them in a hole they could not dig out of. The Red Wings can come back from 3-0 on almost any team in the NHL, but Boston is not one of those teams.

Michigan 6 Minnesota 3

WAY TO GO MICHIGAN! They stormed into the College Hockey Showcase in Wisconsin and stunned the #1 Minnesota Golden Gophers. This is a huge win for this team after the mediocre play to start the season. Got out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back. Now lets complete the weekend sweep and take out Wisconsin tomorrow night!

Red Wings 5 Blue Jackets 3

Yikes! Ozzie let by a center-ice goal. Shades of 1998. Remember, every time he let by a goal like that in the past he came back with a shutout or a solid performance. On another note, I'm content with Andres Lilja getting into a good fight every other game. My biggest complaint about the Wings as a fan has always been their lack of fighting compared to other teams. Way to go "Pain Train!"

Canadiens 3 Red Wings 1

What concerned me more about this game than the loss was the fact that FSN was using that stupid nosebleed camera from the top of the upper deck the entire game. Let's not do that anymore. I HATE THAT CAMERA!

Canucks 3 Red Wings 2 (OT)

Well, ain't the Canucks quite the surprise this year? Two of the Wings OT losses are to these guys. To put it straight, Curtis Sanford was incredible for Vancouver. Osgood did just fine, and despite the fact he didn't face nearly as many shots, he also had to make some amazing saves. Vancouver definitely made sure the shots on goal they had were quality scoring chances.

Wings/Habs tomorrow. Love it when the Wings play the Eastern original 6 teams! If I remember correctly, the Wings haven't played too well against Montreal at home over the past few meetings. But I could be wrong....

MEEECHIGAN

Haven't mentioned much about Michigan hockey yet this season. Perhaps it's because they are clearly playing below the level that they did last year. They are also in a rare spot, 4th in the CCHA with a 5-5 conference record after being swept this weekend by Miami, who look like they are going to run away with the regular season this year. Another surprise this year is Sparty's hockey team, which is in 10th place. They've also scored an abysmal 20 goals in 10 games. Unless things turn around quickly, it looks like our state's college hockey teams will take the back seat to powerhouses like Alaska and Nebraska-Omaha.

Red Wings 5 Flames 2

This was a very important road win for two reasons.

1) The Flames were coming off two solid defensive performances.
2) The Red Wings were facing adversity in the third period and didn't need the power play to get themselves out of it this time

Nice job to Malts and Lebda for making a rare appearance on the scoring sheet as well.

Red Wings 8 Oilers 3

Well, that score was the combination of the last two games anyway.

Solid outing again by Conklin in the 4-0 victory. He is proving to be a great pickup in the offseason. I'm not too worried about our goaltending situation if Ozzie gets hurt.

Ozzie played just as well in my opinion last night in the 4-3 victory. A lot of guys on the radio are saying he needs to watch his back for the starting job, but I disagree. He faced a lot more shots last night than Conklin did in his shutout, and may have been the key reason for the 1-goal victory. The Oilers actually outshot the Wings in the 1st and 3rd period last night.

Tomorrow night's game at Calgary should be interesting (Hockey Night In Canada telecast!) Kipper is coming off of a shutout.

Red Wings 3 Panthers 2

Decent pair of road wins this week, and there seems to be a recurring formula this year. Hossa gets a few, the Wings let the opponent back in for a while and then capitalize on a power play opportunity to get the victory.

Red Wings 4 Lightning 3

Good thing we can put the craziness of the other night behind us. The Red Wings are thriving on the power play and it got them back into this game. Albeit they were dominating the shots on goal department from start to finish, it took a 5 on 3 to tie the game. As long as they keep converting on their opportunities, I have no problem with that.

Penguins 7 Red Wings 6 (OT)

Wow.......

What a goat show by the Red Wings in the 3rd period. This was definitely a lesson in playing 60 minutes to a team that should know better. I didn't care that much at all about 4 goals against when it was 5-4. Pittsburgh's second goal was a flop, the third one was a 5 on 3 and then the 4th was after a very rare Datsyuk giveaway. But the Wings never buckled down and the Pens kept coming...and the Wings stopped. All of a sudden, the Pens are skating around them and drawing penalties and in OT Datsyuk has another rare giveaway and the game is over.

This team is strange this year. Saturday night they played great defense and timely goals. And then tonight it was like watching a game in the 1980s. It was fun, but I'd like to watch two different teams play awful defense then two teams favored to go far in the playoffs.

Red Wings 3 Devils 1

Thank you to the two linesmen in this game for allowing the McCarty/Clarkson fight to go on and on. It was great to watch, plus Darren McCarty actually got to be noticed for more than 30 seconds.

10 Things I Learned In October

1) I'M STICKING WITH MY CUP PICK
The Sharks look amazing and I'm not giving up on Tampa Bay. They've been in every game and have a winning streak right now. They have a big road trip coming up in November that will likely indicate if they will compete or not

2) FANTASY HOCKEY IS AWESOME
After a two year break, I've rediscovered how fun fantasy hockey is, especially since I have NHL Center Ice on cable. Every night there is a big game!

3) THANKS TO MICHIGAN FOOTBALL, I APPRECIATE MICHIGAN HOCKEY MORE
It's all U-M has going for them right now in terms of popular sports. Great job SMOKING Ohio State this weekend! GO BLUE!

4) MARTY TURCO IS SLIPPING FAST
Something is wrong with this guy, and the Dallas Stars in general. The Stars allowed an absurd 50 goals in October and don't even come close to resembling the team that made it to the WCF last season

5) ALEXANDER OVECHKIN IS INVISIBLE
A very disappointing start to the season for this guy.

6) I WAS WRONG ABOUT THE WILD
I thought they would be sub-par this season. So far I'm wrong. Lemaire is a damn good coach and has put a system in place that makes it so tough to score goals on this team. Plus Mikko Koivo and Antti Miettenen are playing outstanding together.

7) RON WILSON IS THE BEST COACH IN HOCKEY
The Leafs don't have a great record, but it's not bad either. I've watched a few Leaf games this year, and these nobodies skate hard and compete every night. Kudos to you, Ron.

8) MONTREAL HAS A TEAM THAT CAN GO ALL THE WAY
You would think that the big stat for this team would be offense, but I bet you don't know they are statically one of the best defensive teams in the league. Only 24 goals allowed so far!

9) THE VERDICT IS STILL OUT ON THE BLACKHAWKS
Some nights they look all there, other nights I'm not so sure. We'll just have to wait and see.

10) SOMETHING ISN'T WORKING IN OTTAWA
They have a horrid home record and aren't getting much offensive contribution from their second-tier players, but I think they'll come around.

Red Wings 3 Canucks 2

Thanks Ozzie for standing on your head in the third period. I truly thought this was going to be a complete game performance for the Wings until the third. The Canucks controlled the entire period and could have easily tied the game. With Lidstrom and Zetterberg at -2 and the team at -10, this win was a steal. Thank goodness for the power play.

Sharks 4 Red Wings 2

OWNED. San Jose was faster, sharper, more physical (and more rested). They also looked like the Western Conference favorite last night. I'm going to give Samuelsson a vacation from being called useless and point my focus to Darren McCarty. Can we please send him down to the minors!? Bring up Darren Helm or someone else that can skate faster than a paraplegic. That is all I ask.

Ducks 5 Red Wings 4 (OT)

Well, the Red Wings are doing a good job of scoring clutch game-tying goals late in the game this season, but it's also not good that they've been in that situation a few times already. Still a little concerned about the defense. Is the loss of Chelios really that significant?

Red Wings 4 Kings 3 (SO)

Perhaps I'm losing it and getting spoiled, but for most of the third period I thought the Wings were getting outplayed and outmanned. Then I saw the shots on goal were 16-3 in favor of Detroit! I still think they need to step it up against Anaheim and San Jose later this week or we'll start to see some increasing numbers in the loss column.

Also, apparently the report of the Wings playing Ville Leino was a false one.

Monster Hit

Doug Weight teaches a youngster a lesson on keeping his head up.

INJURY!

The first big injury of the year award goes to Johan Franzen. Looks like he's gonna be out for at least a month. The Wings have called up highly-regarded forward Ville Leino for tomorrow nights game against the Kings. I can't wait to see how this guy plays. I've heard great things.

Red Wings 6 Blackhawks 5 (SO)

Got a little busy and forgot to comment on the last two Wings games, but to sum it up: MARIAN HOSSA! Fantastic to see him contributing offensively on a game by game basis. Now on to tonight's game.....

I am a little concerned with the amount of goals the Wings have been giving up this season thus far. I know, it's hard to worry much when your team has a 6-1-1 record, but I've just noticed more frequent breakdowns than I'm used to seeing. On the other hand, there always seems to be someone putting the puck in the net to make up for it. Thank god they got off to a good start against the Blackhawks this year. I'm tired of these assholes beating us in their house every year.

Big trip out west coming up. Let's get 6 out of 8 points and call it a successful October.

Red Wings 5 Rangers 4 (OT)

This matchup lived up to the hype surrounding it. God, it's great seeing so many east/west matchups to start the season. I almost forgot the Wings signed Hossa until this evening, as he nets his first of hopefully many goals in a winged-wheel uniform. The Wings did catch a break getting a too many men power-play to get the game tying goal. Did anyone notice the Blues are one point better than the Wings right now? Let's settle it on Wednesday. Wings/Blues.

Canucks 4 Red Wings 3 (OT)

0-2 at home? 2-0 on the road? Hopefully typical fans who expected a cakewalk through the season now realize how competitive the NHL is and that every game is gonna be like this. The Wings did look sloppy in their own end many times tonight, and they turned the puck over in the defensive zone frequently as well. Looking forward to the Wings/Rangers on Saturday. The Rangers will have played in Toronto the night before so they may be slightly less than sharp.

Red Wings 3 Hurricanes 1

Great game by Ty Conklin today! Not that he was the key reason they won, but he did make some great saves down the stretch and hopefully gained the confidence of Red Wings fans. Niklas Lidstrom continues to reassure that he is the best defenseman to ever play the game. He single-handedly was responsible for the 5 on 3 kill, and it reminded me of Zetterberg's kill against the Penguins in the finals last year. Great bounce back on the road after the loss to the Leafs! It's three games into the season and I still haven't gotten furious with Lilja or Samuelsson yet? Plenty of season to go for that...................

Michigan 2-0

No, not the eye-sore of a football team we have this year. But college hockey is underway and Michigan is off to a 2-0 start with a pair of victories over St. Lawrence. I'm not sure what to expect from this team this season as far as who is going to emerge to be the "Kevin Porter" of last season, but I'm sure they will have a solid season and find a way to lose in the tourney again.

Red Wings 3 Senators 2

Now this is the Red Wings we know! Little bit of a break on the game winner by Franzen, but Gerber's mishap is the Wings' gain. I know it's a long season, but starting 0-2 would have been pretty disappointing. Carolina's next. I love this new schedule format. Three games against the east already!

Maple Leafs 3 Red Wings 2

You could tell that Ron Wilson and the Leafs' coaching staff had their eye on this game since the schedule was released. Wilson is taking over a young, inexperienced team in rebuild mode and a win on the road against the heavily favored Stanley Cup champions would get the season off to the ideal start. They had a gameplan, executed it well, and caught the sluggish Red Wings completely off guard.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PICKS

Show 'em how it's done, Todd

Well, I am going to sound like a homer......there's no reason why the Red Wings should not make it to the Stanley Cup Finals for a second straight year, right? But how often is it that the preseason odds on favorite actually goes all the way with a loaded team? It happened once in the last decade I think.....oh yeah...it was the Wings in 2002. But will at least one other team in the Central step up and give them a run for their money? It's not gonna be Nashville..they didn't make any major moves and lost a few role players as well. Maybe Chicago will finally step up and make something happen this year. And what about the Northwest Division? That's always a fun one to watch. All five teams once again are at least good enough to make a run for the playoffs, but only a few will make it in. Who will it be? And who has the talent, experience and grit to step up and dethrone the Red Wings this year? Someone in the Pacific Division, perhaps.....

WHO WILL SUCK THIS YEAR: Nashville Predators
They did very little to improve themselves in the offseason, and lost a key player in Alexander Radulov overseas. It's going to be fun watching this team and their asshole redneck fans suffer this year.

WHO WILL SURPRISE THIS YEAR: Chicago Blackhawks
This is the year the Hawks return to the playoffs. Toews, Kane and Sharp have enough experience to be the backbone of the team. They have two solid goaltenders. They added a key free agent in Brian Campbell. And, most importantly, they added Scotty Bowman to their executive staff. Good things happen when he's around.

WHO IS OVERRATED: Minnesota Wild
This team just doesn't feel right. Lemaire's great defensive coaching is usually good enough to keep this team in the run for a playoff hunt, but eventually someone besides Gaborik is gonna have to put some pucks in the net. They did make efforts in free agency and trades (Antti Miettinen, Owen Nolan, Marek Zidlicky, Marc Andre Bergeron), but I think they'll get phased out in the Northwest behind other teams.

DID NOTHING TO IMPROVE IN THE OFFSEASON: St. Louis Blues
Nashville or Colorado would fit this category as well, but the Blues did NOTHING. The other teams at least made a few deals with mediocre players. St. Louis has missed the playoffs a few years in a row, and it appears that they are planning on developing the players they have in a "3 year plan."

OUCH: St. Louis Blues
Speaking of trying to win with youth, St. Louis young stud defenseman Erik Johnson is going to miss the entire season with a knee injury....good start.

UNDER THE RADAR: Pheonix Coyotes
Phoenix got off to a horrid start last year, but had a spirited finish to the season and made a run for the playoffs that fell short in the last few weeks. They added a big free agent in Olli Jokinen, who will enjoy being out of the hellhole Panthers organization. They lost two defensemen to get him, but added free agents Kurt Sauer and David Hale to fill those voids. I think this team is good enough to make a run at the 7 or 8 seed if a couple other teams underachieve.

MOVE THE TEAM TO ANCHORAGE: Nashville Predators
Sorry....my last shot at the Preds today

WHO WILL MAKE THE CUP FINALS:
The Red Wings are the easy pick, but I'll go the other route. I think if a team is going to oust Detroit this year, it'll be one of the big three from the Pacific: Dallas, Anaheim or.............

............San Jose, this is the last time I pick you to go to the finals. 3 of the last 4 years I picked you and you continuously go down in the second round. The Sharks have a new coaching staff this year, led by former Red Wings assistant Todd McClellan, and still have a solid core of players that can get it done. They lost Brian Campbell and Matt Carle, but added Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich. Evgeni Nabokov has always put up solid numbers, but is running out of time to prove he can make a finals run. It's now or never for San Jose.

DIVISION CHAMPS: Detroit, Edmonton, Dallas
OTHER FIVE TEAMS IN: Anaheim, San Jose, Phoenix, Chicago, Calgary
JUST MISSED: Colorado, Vancouver, Minnesota
LONG YEAR: Columbus, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Nashville


The Western Conference is such a tough conference to pick. The Northwest is always a tough division because all five teams are very competitive every year. But there you have it! Now...let's get this season started!

EASTERN CONFERENCE PICKS

Mullets Breed Success


Usually when the Eastern Conference is discussed, the media and fan-hyped rivalry between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin always seems to be the most dominant topic. The Caps were a Game 7 away from battling the Pens in a dream second-round series, but the Flyers spoiled that party and the Pens ended up going to the finals. Can Pittsburgh do it again? They ARE missing some key players to last year's run (Hossa, Roberts, Malone), but did help themselves by acquiring Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko. And how about the Capitals? What did they learn in their first trip to the playoffs in a few years, and how will they use it to improve this season; and will Jose Theodore, who was awful in the playoffs last year, be the answer?

When all is said and done, I don't think that either of the above teams will be representing the Eastern Conference in the finals this year. There is another tea that already had a decent amount of players with Stanley Cup Final experience, and then added a few players the Penguins (Adam Hall, Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts) to solidify their lineup. On top of that, they have a veteran goaltender in Olaf Kolzig and a strong up and coming goalie in Mike Smith that are convincing enough for me to pick them to go to the finals. Besides, it didn't take Melrose long to lead the Kings to the finals in the early 90s! Figured out who it is yet? I'll give you a clue, they finished DEAD LAST in the east last year. Time to turn it around.




WHO WILL SUCK THIS YEAR: Toronto Maple Leafs
They can't even resign Sundin, and I don't think Jamal Mayers, Niklas Hagman and Curtis Joseph were free agent signings that will solve their problems

WHO WILL SURPRISE THIS YEAR: New York Rangers
For about a decade, the Rangers have signed tons of big name free agents and either missed the playoffs or exited early. They continued the free agent trend by getting Markus Naslund and a very unknown and underrated Nikolai Zherdev from Columbus. Hell, veteran Petr Nedved is even trying to make a comeback with the team. As long as goaltending is solid, I can see this team doing well

WHO IS OVERRATED: New Jersey Devils
The Devils always perform well and have always had Martin Brodeur as the backbone of their team, but after a first round exit last season you could start to see the signs of a potential decline. They did bring back some old faces (old being the key word ) in Bobby Holik and Brain Rolston, but they have been relying on the same core of players (Elias, Parise, Gionta, Langenbrunner, Parise) for the past few years with no results.

DID NOTHING TO IMPROVE IN THE OFFSEASON: Philadelphia Flyers
Unless you count Steve Eminger and Ossi Vaananen as big signings, it appears that the Flyers are counting on the same guys improving enough to leap past the Eastern Finals this year

OUCH: Carolina Hurricanes
Looks like one of their star forwards Justin Williams is gonna miss a month or two to start the season

UNDER THE RADAR: Boston Bruins
Remember? The Bruins gave the top seeded Canadiens all they could handle in the first round of the playoffs. The addition of Michael Ryder will boost the offense, and perhaps young skater Blake Wheeler will make his way on the roster and make some noise. Plus, Tim Thomas had an outstanding year last year

MOVE THE TEAM TO WINNIPEG: Atlanta Thrashers
They suck, their jerseys are absolutely ridiculous, they can't sell tickets and ownership is doing nothing to put any solid players on the ice around Kovalchuk. Move them to Winnipeg and the West and move the Red Wings to the East! (I know...it will never happen)

WHO WILL MAKE THE CUP FINALS: Tampa Bay Lightning
It could happen...they do have lots of talent and added a lot of solid players. Plus, I think there was a lot of behind the scenes issues with coaching and they players that caused this team to have a tough year last year.

DIVISION CHAMPS: Tampa Bay, Montreal, Rangers
OTHER FIVE TEAMS IN: Pittsburgh, Washington, Boston, Philly, Buffalo
JUST MISSED: Ottawa, New Jersey, Islanders
LONG YEAR: Toronto, Atlanta, Florida, Carolina

You Can Taste It

Hockey season is approaching and it's time to get this blog going again. The Wings looked poised to make a run for another back to back championship. Can you believe it?! Who would've thought four years ago that we would have won another Stanley Cup, and then, when you think that was the peak, the Wings would go and get the most prized free agent in Marian Hossa. It's still unbelievable months later!

Over the next two weeks, I'll have predictions and notes on the upcoming season.


Also, if you want to play some fantasy hockey this year, I have a league that needs some more teams. Info is below....


Go to sports. yahoo. com/fantasy
Click on Sign Up Now! under Fantasy Hockey '08
Click on the big yellow Sign Up Now! button
Enter your Yahoo ID and password
Click on Join League
Click on Join Custom

The League ID is: 36779
The League Password is: hossa0809

The draft is Thursday 9/25 at 10 pm Eastern Time.

It is live for those who want to draft online, you can also prerank your players if you can't be there for the draft or don't want to draft live.

Read This Article.......

CLICK HERE


........and cry with me

Brett Lebda Is Drunk

McCarty and Osgood.....CLASSIC!

Game 6: ANOTHER STANLEY CUP

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Therrien

This will likely be the scene in Game 6 anytime someone falls to the ice. LOL

Game 5: Penguins 4 Red Wings 3 (3OT)

Not much you can say about the penalty call. Hudler hit him in the face with his stick and blood came out, whether it be intentional or unintentional. There is so much more about this game that hurts...

We've been so used to everything going right all season.
Then...........

1)We give up a goal 25 seconds away from hoisting the Stanley Cup
2)We completely dominate the overtimes, yet one player stood on his head for his team (I've never been a big proponent of the fact that goalies are more important than any other player, but once every 15 or 20 games they become the sole deciding factor)
3)We come out absolutely flat in the first period, which in my opinion lost the game (most average fans will bitch about the valid penalty call on Hudler)

So now we go back to Pittsburgh.
How will the Wings and us fans deal with it? We have no experience in the Stanley Cup Finals after Game 6. As for myself, Game 6 is like Game 7. If the Wings lose and Game 7 occurs, I will likely miss every minute (may be a good reason to quit my job.)

I won't be able to survive the shift if that happens, so pray for the Wings.
And pray for me. :)

Second Overtime

I'm spent and too emotional at this point. Not to mention I've had two heart attacks.
I'm also surprised my neighbor hasn't called the police on me because it probably sounds like a domestic dispute through my apartment walls.

What do we have to do to score on this guy today?

And fuck all these goalie interference calls! All season long it's been out of hand. If Bettman's so concerned about goalies all of a sudden put some restrictions on their equipment and make them wear masks like the badass goalies of old.

First Overtime

I'm gonna have a heart attack........


Thank goodness the Wings killed off that penalty and thank goodness my lazy boy survived my reaction to the call.....

I can't take this game anymore.......

Now for a positive twist

Come on Cleary! I pick YOU to score the OT winner for your first cup!

COME ON!

WE OWNED THE THIRD!

REMEMBER NASHVILLE GAME 5!

THEY SCORED LATE AND WE WON QUICKLY IN OT!

LET'S DO THIS!!!!!!

End of Third Period

I don't believe this

I don't fucking believe this

I don't fucking believe this

You guys had it.

Momentum

The Cup

25 seconds

I'm gonna go slit my wrists

Tonight's Second Period

Better....

But we needed that huge save by Fleury to be a goal by us. Now Pittsburgh is going to play some tough defense. We need a goal EARLY in the 3rd. That would have been a great momentum-carrying period for the Wings if it wasn't for the fact that the Pens completely dominated the final 3 minutes of it.

I have a feeling we'll be watching a game on Wednesday.

But then again I'm an irrational emotional nervous wreck during the games. That's why I never post during a game (not sure why I am today).

Fuck you all.

Tonight's First Period

Wow..............are we even on the ice. The Wings have come out and played like a bunch of nervous rookies, and all of our fans have no idea how to react to it.......embarrassing..........

In a fit of superstition.....I now abort the crystal clear picture, yet low quality coverage, of NBC to watch CBC in an effort to do my part to rally this team back in the second.

God damn it i'm pissed right now................

Almost Game Time

I can taste it.........and it will be delicious.

This post has no point other than to post something. I, like everyone else, are in extreme deep hope that the Wings put it away tonight. And if they don't they better put it away in Game 6 because I have to work all night during Game 7.

I'll have a six pack of beer and my apartment will be loud. And I'll be the only one there watching.

Let's do this one more time....


GO WINGS!!!!!!!

Game 4: Red Wings 2 Penguins 1

ANDRES LILJA..........YOU ABSOLUTELY FUCKING SUCK AND YOU ARE SOOOO LUCKY THAT HENRIK ZETTERBERG EXECUTED THE GREATEST 5 ON 3 PENALTY KILL IN STANLEY CUP HISTORY TO BAIL OUT YOUR STUPID FUCKING PENALTY ON CROSBY THAT THE PENGUINS EASILY COULD HAVE TIED THE GAME ON

BABCOCK....PLEEEASE SIT LILJA FOR GAME 5...FOR TOO LONG HAS HE HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS OF SCRUTINY BEHIND SAMUELSSON'S SHITTY PLAY, BUT #37 ACTUALLY HAS COME TO PLAY IN THE STANLEY CUP FINALS. I HAVEN'T SEEN A GOOD STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF MOMENT BY LILJA AT ALL. HIS ONLY TWO MOMENTS THAT STICK IN MY HEAD ARE TONIGHT AND HIS GIVEAWAY IN OVERTIME THAT COST THE WINGS THE DUCKS SERIES LAST YEAR.

DAMN YOU FOR DOMINATING THIS POST, WHICH SHOULD BE POSITIVE BECAUSE.....


we are one win away from hoisting the cup!!!!

Wings/Hawks @ Wrigley?

That's right folks. There are rumors going around that next season's Winter Classic on New Year's Day 2009 will involve the Red Wings and the Blackhawks @ Wrigley Field instead of the originally planned Yankee Stadium game. Wouldn't that be wonderful......

We'll see how true the rumor is.

Game 3: Penguins 3 Red Wings 2

This post will be much much much shorter than the last one, mainly because I was doing inventory all night and didn't get to see much of the game at all. Well, I suppose that all neutral and anti-wing fans are happy with this one now that it's a series.

First one to win on the road will likely hoist the cup. Let's make it happen gents. By the looks of the box score, the Wings generated as many opportunities as normal but the Pens got some timely goals.

At least Crosby put his money where his mouth is, and at least the Wings put the puck in the net on road ice.

Game 2: Red Wings 3 Penguins 0

I don't know what's more embarrassing if you are a Pittsburgh fan or associated with the Pens in any way; the fact that your team hasn't even scored a goal in this series yet, or the fact that your head coach and supposed best player (Crosby) did nothing but moan and groan at the end of the game during the press conference.

All Michel Therrien , the pens d-bag head coach whose face looks like the result of a walrus fucking a horse, did at the end of the game was complain about officiating and making it seem like it had such a huge impact on the game and called Detroit the best team in the NHL at obstruction.

As for Sidney Crosby, well here's what he said....."I don't think they played much better then us, we just have to make sure we capitalize more."

Now I'm not expecting opponents to say "The Wings are so much better than us" or "We deserve to lose," but it does sound to me like the Penguins are frustrated with and haven't had to deal with the Red Wings' shut down style of play, and it's getting in their heads and frustrating the hell out of them. Therrien needs to stop spending his time focusing on blaming officials and become a head coach. Find a way to get your team to put the puck in the net! Pittsburgh has had a few good chances here and there, but Ozzie either made a huge save or the Penguins choked on the shot.

And Sid, don't go saying that the Wings didn't play much better than the Pens. I'd buy it if the press conference was after the first period of Game 1. Unfortunately, the last five periods your team as gotten worked defensively, you guys have allowed untimely goals mostly to Wings that have done nothing offensively all playoffs long (Samuelsson, Cleary, Filpulla), and you've been outshot 59-29. So save it, savior. You're supposed to be the "savior of the NHL" and you're making excuses in your first defining moment. Embarrassing

Speaking of embarrassing, let's talk about Chris Osgood. He's been absolutely outstanding this playoffs and a front runner for the Conn Smythe if the Wings pull this off, but his embellishing of contact around the goal is kinda getting out of hand. I think we can do without the acting around the goal Ozzie. Just stay in the net and do what you do best. I'm kinda pissed that the end of game scuffle happened around the net because that's gonna get Pittsburgh fired up for Game 3, but the Wings have been up 2-0 in every series and should now know that the toughest period they'll have to face from here on out is the first period of the next game...in Pittsburgh...all the fans wearing white (original idea)....looking to get that first goal. What will define the Wings play on the road is how they respond when the Pens finally put one behind #30. If it happens, that is.......




2 MORE! I'm gonna miss Game 3 :(

Game 1: Red Wings 4 Penguins 0

Somehow, I knew this moment would come. The moment when Mikael Samuelsson makes it happen for the first time in his career and puts all my insults to bed. Well....so be it! Kudos to my lady, who doesn't really follow or care for hockey that much, for checking the box score at home and calling me when she saw that it was #37 that got the first goal. And how about Daniel Cleary, the other Red Wing who hasn't done much offensively this playoff season, for getting the third one!

After the first period, I thought for sure that this game was going to be a 1-0 or 2-1 type battle. But the Wings just blindsided the Pens from then on and put on a hockey clinic.

3 more wins baby!

Game 6: Red Wings 4 Stars 1

Let's analyze my last post

SOMEONE BESIDES A TOP LINER GET SOME BIG GOALS
Dallas drake came up huge, and Draper scores one off his face!

OZZIE, CONTINUE TO PLAY HOT
He was outstanding, especially in the third when the Wings were playing "Cozy Hockey"

HIT THE NET WITH YOUR SHOTS
I don't remember any bug chances that missed the net. In fact, they made sure they threw the puck at the net as much as possible and it led to a few goals

CHELIOS, MAKE SMART LINE CHANGES
He didn't make any bad line changes; then again, he didn't play

SAMUELSSON......nevermind
Outstanding job whiffing on your 2 on 0 breakaway. Your skills are second to none

HIT! HIT! HIT! HIT!
Not bad......

DON'T TAKE STUPID PENALTIES!
They called everything on the Wings, most were deserved except for one of McCarty's three penalties in the third

BE AGGRESSIVE ON THE PENALTY KILL
Great job penalty killing, especially when the game was close. They always seemed to be right there every time Dallas passed the puck

JUST WIN TONIGHT, BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring on the Pens....I'm pissed we have to wait until Saturday night for this showdown to start

JUST WIN

SOMEONE BESIDES A TOP LINER GET SOME BIG GOALS

OZZIE, CONTINUE TO PLAY HOT

HIT THE NET WITH YOUR SHOTS

CHELIOS, MAKE SMART LINE CHANGES

SAMUELSSON......nevermind

HIT! HIT! HIT! HIT!

DON'T TAKE STUPID PENALTIES!

BE AGGRESSIVE ON THE PENALTY KILL

JUST WIN TONIGHT, BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Game 5: Stars 2 Red Wings 1

What, you expected getting to the finals would be easy?
Some observations from this ulcer-giving afternoon:

- Turco was brilliant and stood on his head to steal this one for the Stars

- Chelios had his worst playoff performance since 2000 when he handed the puck to Avs giving Chris Drury a 2 on 1 OT goal. His bonehead line change hung Lebda out to dry for the game winning 2 on 1 goal

- Someone needs to step up and get a big goal besides #13 and #40. We need a guy who will always get a big goal when the stars aren't producing. Doug Brown, where are you?!

- Stat of the game: The Red Wings missed the net 19 times.

Ouch............

Game 4: Stars 3 Red Wings 1

We'll end this series soon enough.....in Game 6.


Hehehehehe....

Game 3: Red Wings 5 Stars 2

I thought for sure that this was going to be a tough game to win after Dallas came out and owned us for the first five minutes, but then the Wings got a goal, locked down the defense once again and took it from there. I was expecting more after whistle activity carried over from the end of Game 2, but instead it seemed like the Ribiero/Ozzie incident never happened and the players just moved on. I was stunned after Datsyuk's third goal when they said it was his first career hat trick! It didn't dawn on me that he hasn't had one yet.

Game 2: Red Wings 2 Stars 1

Still unbeaten at home! There are two key stats in this game. The first is how dominant the Wings were on the faceoff, and the second is how many times Dallas had great scoring chances, but misfired. No Franzen was a surprise, hopefully that doesn't last, but it's good to know the Wings pulled off a victory without their hottest player. And hats off to Darren Helm, the most pleasant surprise of the season, for getting his first goal! As for the end of the game incident between Osgood and Morrow, I don't think it was that big of a deal on either side. Both guys shouldn't have done what they did, and both guys embellished the hell out of it. I'd hate to see either guy get suspended and have a huge impact on this series.

Stars Get A Win

Well, Dallas did beat Detroit in something today. Highly regarded prospect Fabian Brunnstrom, who the Wings have been courting for a while, decided to sign with the Stars today.

Game 1: Red Wings 4 Stars 1

The Wings looked like the rest paid off, and the Stars still seemed tired from the San Jose series (after all, they did really play seven games worth of hockey). The play of the game was when Ozzie, who had in my opinion his best game of the playoffs, stoned Nick Hagman on a breakaway in the first period when the score was 2-0. That could have easily brought Dallas back into the game.

I definitely forgot to post my picks for the Conference Finals. Been a busy week...

Red Wings in 6
Penguins in 7 (I was going to pick Philly, but I think that Timonen injury is going to give them a huge hole. He's their best defensemen!)

Western Conference Finals

BRING IT ON!

Game 4: Red Wings 8 Glass Joe 2

I still can't believe I'm thinking about the Western Finals right now, but so be it. Dallas needs to close out San Jose so they have as long a layoff as us.

The story of Johan Franzen is amazing. Has anyone ever scored 9 goals in a 4 game sweep series before?

The next round is going to be a great series (I mean it this time!). We put our new rival away in the 1st. We put our media rival away decisively in the 2nd. Now it's time for some skill-hockey to see who is the best in the west.

Yeah.....I know Samuelsson had two goals. I haven't burned the medallion yet (thanks Kirk by the way)

Game 3: Red Wings 4 Avalanche 3

Just like Game 1, the Avs got off to a decent start and took an early lead. Then we started playing our game, and you know the rest. What I'm seeing is as long as the Wings are allowed to play their puck possession, disciplined, AND PHYSICAL GAME(that's right, I said it...thank you Kronwall and Stuart for administering pain), they are a tough team to put away. Colorado didn't even look like it was trying in the last two minutes, I couldn't believe it; and how does Scott Hannan allow himself to be leveled by Filpulla in a key situation at the end of the game!

Anyway, enough of the analysis....I almost sound like Barry Melrose, the professional analyst who said the following two things


"Avalanche will win in 6"
"Theodore is the most dominant goaltender in the playoffs"

HA!


Then again, my Sharks/Habs finals prediction isn't looking so hot, but I don't have a mullet.

My posts are so much sweeter in the playoffs.

Put it away on Thursday!

Game 2: Red Wings 5 Avalanche 1

Johan Franzen is the man. I should just end this post right there.














But I won't. I'm surprised at Colorado's lack of energy in the first two games. It's true they are dealing with a few key injuries, but they seemed to manage through it most of the season when all the S's were out. The difference is the Wings aren't letting their 3rd and 4th liners contribute like they did this season.

The Avs lost their cool in the second period and took a lot of dumb penalties, and the Wings capitalized, and when the Avs got some power plays in the third, the Wings killed them all and got a shorty. A great 60 minute performance today!

Well...we were up 2-0 on Nashville and we all know how that went. I expect the first period of Game 3 to be Colorado's best period of the season. Forsberg should be back, both teams will have and extra day to rest up, and the Avs will have an opportunity to feed off of the home crowd energy. This series ain't over yet..........Wings gotta take at least one of the next two, preferably Game 3.

#37 had a decent game as well. Bout time.

Game 1: Red Wings 4 Avalanche 3

I feel reimbursed for all the Red Wing games I've been to my whole life. This is the first playoff game I've been to since 1994 I believe, and all playoff games I've been to have resulted in a shutout in favor of the other team. The Wings took care of that quickly, putting 4 in the net in just over a period.

Then the "Red Wings with the lead" showed up, sat back, dilly-dallied around, and let Colorado back into the game. But I won't fret about it too much. I said this was going to be a good series and this game indicated that it would be.

The Wings were all over the Avs in the first half of the game, and the Avs all over the Wings in the second half of the game. Osgood's goal allowed to Liles was weak, but he made up for it with a HUGE save with seconds remaining.

In the third period, it seemed like Colorado had 200 shots, but after watching the tape at home, they were just in the zone a lot and the Wings had good stick work to prevent a lot of shots on net. All in all, good for the Wings for winning.

The series should be good, and I guess the Avs have a few injuries as well. No Forsberg was a suprise, and it looked like Wolski left early too. Can't wait for Maltby to come back to provide some energy to the lineup. I guess Theodore left with some illness after being pulled? Hmm....provides a great lead into the photo below.

Ryan Smyth

Second Round Picks

Great matchups in the second round! This has the potential to be a top-memory playoffs

1 Detroit vs 6 Colorado
As I mentioned before, we should not expect a cake-walk in this series. Colorado is playing solid hockey and Jose Theodore is rejuvenating his play of late as well, so look for a close, low-scoring series. Both teams have talent to put the puck in the net, so I think the difference maker will be on the defensive side. This is where the Wings have the slight advantage. As long as Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Cheli, etc. show up and do what they've been doing, then they will be the x-factor over the deeper defensemen on the Avs like Sauer and Liles who tend to make mistakes from time to time. I wouldn't be surprised if the Avs pulled off the upset on us, but I'll be optimistic this round. Promise........
Prediction: Red Wings in 6 and 1/2

2 San Jose vs 5 Dallas
San Jose looked like an unstoppable machine in Game 7. Look for that to roll into the next round. This series will tell us how good Dallas really is. They have speed and solid goaltending, but San Jose will wear them down physically.
Prediction: Sharks in 6

1 Montreal vs 6 Philadelphia
I'm looking forward to this one. Two teams with a lot of offensive talent that have a starting goaltender with little playoff experience. Montreal fans got a little Michigan State on us by burning cars and other things after their first round series win. I hate to see what happens if they get through the Flyers. Get the tear gas ready.......
Prediction: Habs in 7

2 Pittsburgh vs 5 NY Rangers
I won't underestimate the Rangers in this round. I'll give them a few wins. Both teams are well-rested as one got a sweep and one got a 5 game victory. Rangers stun the Pens with two road wins to start the series, then the Pens wake up and win the next 4.
Prediction: Pens in 6


Going to Game 1 tomorrow! :)

First Round: Looking Back

What a great first round it was. Some great series and some great game 7s. How did I do on my picks? Pretty darn good I would say.


My pick: Wings over Preds in 6
Actual: Wings over Preds in 6
Comment: Good for me. This was a tough series for the Wings, but it shouldn't have been. They did do a nice job of shutting down Nashville's offense in the last two games, and hopefully that carries over to the Colorado series, because they have a lot more offense than Nashville.

My pick: Sharks over Flames in 5
Actual: Sharks over Flames in 7
Comment: I am going to give myself credit for saying that the Flames are capable of taking the Sharks deep in the series. San Jose looked mighty powerful tonight. Good job by the Sharks for keeping my Stanley Cup pick alive

My pick: Avalanche over Wild in 6
Actual: Avalanche over Wild in 6
Comment: I'm telling you, Colorado is a big time sleeper. The Wings are not going to have it easy in the second round. More on the Wings/Avs series when I post my second round picks.

My pick: Stars over Ducks in 5
Actual: Stars over Ducks in 6
Comment: I just had a feeling about this one. There's always some team in the west that everyone thinks is going to win and just doesn't come to play. It was looking like it was going to be San Jose for a while, but they woke up at the right time. Dallas has a lot of no-name talent on their team.

4 for 4 in the West. Go me! Then there's the east

My pick: Habs over Bruins in 6
Actual: Habs over Bruins in 7
Comment: That was a fun series to watch, especially the last few minutes of Game 6. Montreal, like San Jose, almost ruined my Stanley Cup final pick but game through for me in Game 7.

My pick: Pens over Sens in 5
Actual: Pens over Sens in 4
Comment: Ottawa was awful. Pittsburgh is deep. Enough said.

My pick: Caps over Flyers in 7
Actual: Flyers over Caps in 7
Comment: Oh, Ovechkin.....you should have taken that shot late in the third instead of trying to hit Fedorov with the pass. I know you would have beat him! Great season for the Caps. They'll be back next year, and probably better if they keep their core players

My pick: Devils over Rangers in 6
Actual: Rangers over Devils in 5
Comment: My worst pick of the first round. I underestimated the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist, and equally overestimated Brodeur. He wasn't the reason they lost, but he wasn't the brilliant goaltender he's always been.

Game 6: Red Wings 3 Predators 0

Ssssshhhhhhhh.....it's awfully quiet in the Sonnet Center today.

Helm, McCarty, Hudler: Best line in this game. That's how you succeed, with your third and fourth lines.

That being said, we have to capitalize more on our opportunities next series, because either opponent (Avs or Flames) is going to be extremely tough. We should all be familiar with Kipprofsoddsdsasuouf or whatever his name is on Calgary, and Colorado is a sleeping beast and a lot different team than the one we've manhandled for the past few seasons.

Looking forward to relaxing now and watching some Game 7s over the next few days, and whatever game Washington and Philly is on. They seem to be about a week behind.

Oh and I wouldn't mind if Jordin Tootoo gets attacked by a vulture while on the golf course in a few days.

Game 5: Red Wings 2 Predators 1 (OT)

It would have been wrong in so many ways if the Wings lost this game. And when Nashville tied the game late in the third I was convinced that the Wings were destined to lose both this game and the series. They pelted Dan Ellis, the best player in this series, with shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot after shot and he did all he could to keep his team, who was outplayed from puck drop, a chance to steal this one. But it wasn't to be. There is one word to describe Johan Franzen this season, CLUTCH

Please go win on the road and shut the Predator fans, who steal their chants from other sports franchises, the fuck up.

Tonight's Game

I have a bad feeling. Not sure why I'm so negative this year. Deal with it.







DO SOMETHING TONIGHT!

Game 4: Predators 3 Red Wings 2

Making a series interesting when it shouldn't be....par for the course. We are giving up goals at the worst possible times in this series. I can live with Osgood starting in Game 5 as well. It's not that Hasek is the reason we lost these two games, but he hasn't helped that much either. I think the Wings will be fine as long as they bench Mikael Samuelsson for the rest of the playoffs.

But for real....can the Wings really rebound again from losing 3 and 4 on the road? This will be interesting. A few years ago, I would be livid at these two losses. Now, it's just what I come to expect.

Hobey Baker

Congrats to Kevin Porter for being the second Wolverine to win the Hobey Baker Award and congrats to this year's Michigan hockey team for being the tenth team in a row to shatter my hopes and dreams

Game 3: Predators 5 Red Wings 3

You clowns have to go for the jugular when you're up in the third period with a chance to take a stranglehold on the series. Instead, you sat back and let them take momentum. Nice job. Teams that are too careful in the playoffs rarely succeed.

Clutch Sunday

Philadelphia 2 Washington 0: Didn't see it. Looked boring. Good job Flyers. Moving on...

New Jersey 4 Rangers 3 (OT): Sean Avery continues to amaze me. He is like the Holmstrom of the Rangers. Heads up play by John Madden by banking the overtime winner off of a Ranger player's stick for the game winner. We have a series!

Boston 2 Montreal 1 (OT): We also have a series here! Montreal's offense completely fell asleep in the third period, and Tim Thomas had an overall clutch performance. Game 4 should be a good one and the Habs will need to step it up. They got a lot of help from power plays in game 2, and this series could easily be 2-1 Boston right now.

Calgary 4 San Jose 3: This game was the story of the night from an ageless veteran perspective. Curtis Joseph plays 57 minutes of shutout hockey after Kipper is pulled three minutes in after letting in three early goals, and Owen Nolan gets the game winner to complete the Flames rally late in the third period. Upset alert?

The Wings need to lay it to the Preds tonight in Nashville.

Game 2: Red Wings 4 Predators 2

The current headline on ESPN.com's NHL page says "Detroit Luck City." That may be taking it just a hair too far. The Wings weren't lucky to win the game, but they were lucky to get out of the first five minutes of the second period with a 3-2 lead after getting completely outplayed. The Preds hit two posts and could have easily gone up 3-2 themselves. Shortly after, Draper got the go-ahead goal off of a Predator skate. In the 3rd period, the Wings completely controlled the pace until the last minute when the Preds were frantically trying to score on Hasek with two-extra men. Hats off to Dom (wow, have I given him credit two games in a row?) for another strong performance. Oh yeah, and nice job by D-Mac on his goal as well!

Now let's see if the Wings can stop losing games 3 and 4 on the road in the first round like they did to Calgary last year and their series with Nashville a few years ago. Stop Trotz and his team's bitching about bad calls and luck and dominate on the road.

Great Games Today!

Washington 5 Philadelphia 4: These Caps are something else! They just don't die. And who gets the big goal? Ovechkin of course. What a great goal it was...he just took the puck away from two Flyers and beat Biron. Unbelievable. Forget what I said earlier in the season. This guy is the best player in the NHL. Hands down. Not even close!

Pittsburgh 5 Ottawa 3: Hats off to Ottawa for rallying back from three down. It looked like Pittsburgh was going to run away with this one. The Pens are just better and Ryan Malone stepped up with two late clutch goals.

Rangers 2 New Jersey 1: I think I underestimated the Rangers defense and goaltending here. How about Avery with another big goal? Wow.

Minnesota 3 Colorado 2 (OT): This series looks like it's going to be tight right to the finish. The Wild looked like they had it won, and then suffered a last minute goal down two men (let them play, refs!). Keith Carney ends up being the unlikely hero early in OT on a bad goal by Theodore. On a side note, nice job by Versus to provide excellent sound in the overtime (there was none).

Notre Dame 5 Michigan 4 (OT)

2008 Michigan Hockey: Continuing the Michigan tradition of failing to deliver on high hopes

Game 1: Red Wings 3 Predators 1

Good showing to start the playoffs guys. Looks like Dan Ellis is ready to play. He stopped 37 and was the primary reason the score looked closer than it should have been. Hats of to Mikael Samuelsson for being the only Red Wing in the minus on the stat sheet, but I wouldn't expect anything more from #37.

Brad Stuart

I got some misleading information online regarding Brad Stuart being out for the season. It now appears he will be ready for game 1. Good stuff.

1st Round Playoff Predictions

THE PLAYOFFS ARE HERE!
It's the best time of the year. Time for me to flip some coins and predict the first round.
By the way, I'm still sticking to my preseason Stanley Cup Finals pick of Sharks/Canadiens

1 Detroit vs 8 Nashville
As I recently mentioned, I have massive concerns about the Wings' ability to make a run despite their record, but not so much that I don't think they can handle the Predators. The predators have inexperienced goaltending in the playoffs, and that will be a big difference. As long as the Wings play good defense, this series shouldn't be a problem. It won't be easy, but they'll win.
Prediction: Red Wings in 6

2 San Jose vs 7 Calgary
Don't count the Flames out in this series just because the Sharks have been playing outstanding down the stretch. If Kipper gets hot in goal you never know what could happen. Plus, Calgary has played well against San Jose this year. The Flames have the ability to make this series long, but the Sharks have the talent to get it done.
Prediction: Sharks in 5

3 Minnesota vs 6 Colorado
The Wild had a good year, and the Avalanche almost had a disaster. Then Colorado turned things around for themselves and are playing well offensively in front of Jose Theodore, who has had a rebound year. I like Colorado in this one because their 3rd and 4th line players always seem to get a big goal when needed.
Prediction: Avalanche in 6

4 Anaheim vs 5 Dallas
This is Turco's last chance to prove he can perform in the playoffs. Seems like Anaheim is such a heavy favorite in this series. And we all know that favorites always win in the NHL, right? Wrong.
Prediction: Dallas in 7



1 Montreal vs 8 Boston
Alright! An original 6 matchup. The Canadians are 8 and 0 against the Bruins this year.
Prediction: Canadians in 6

2 Pittsburgh vs 7 Ottawa
They meet in the first round for the second year in a row. The Pens have to be the heavy favorites because of their offense; and the Senators also have done nothing but drop down the stretch, and they are banged up going into the playoffs.
Prediction: Penguins in 5

3 Washington vs 6 Philadelphia
Can the Caps keep it going? This is the hottest, and most fun team in the NHL. They are playing a Flyers team that has gotten absolutely no publicity at all this season. Well, they have this guy named Mike Richards who has had a good year, and are in a market that is pressuring them to perform. They'll crumble.
Prediction: Capitals in 7 to set up the dream series of Pitt/Washington

4 New Jersey vs 5 NY Rangers
How sweet it is that these two rivals meet in the first round. The Rangers owned the Devils in the regular season until today's game, winning 7 of 8 versus New Jersey. Both teams don't score often and play good defense. It'll come down to goaltending. I'll take Brodeur
Prediction: Devils in 6

Last Two Wings Games

The loss to Chicago was embarrassing. I'm glad we're not playing them in the first round. I have a few concerns going into the playoffs. One of them is the fact that Zetterberg and Franzen are scoring almost all of the Red Wings' goals lately. They teamed up to save the Wings from a loss to Columbus yesterday. Also, it looks like Maltby is going to miss at least the first round with a hamstring injury. As far as I know, Holmstrom, Draper, Samelsson (who cares) and Kopecky are questionable with injuries still and the latest word on Brad Stuart is that he may miss the remainder of the season. The Red Wings will have to overcome a lack of continuity, combined with the fact that this last month has been against nothing but central division (which ended up overall weak once again) teams. They will have to turn up their game a notch to be successful in the playoffs. I'm not worried about the first round, but I have a bad feeling overall.

Red Wings 1 Predators 0 (OT)

Where did Johan Franzen come from? He's the hottest player in the NHL next to Ovechkin right now! I guess someone has to make up for all of Mikael Samuelsson's shortcomings. I think if I had to choose which playoff opponent the Wings had, it would be Nashville. I wouldn't have a problem with Vancouver either, but I think Luongo will be tougher in the playoffs despite his recent struggles. Colorado would be a fun series because the Avs are averaging less then a goal per game against the Wings this year, but there's something about them that makes me think they could pull of a first round upset. So bring on the Preds. It would be fun to knock these assholes out of the first round again like we did a few years ago.

FROZEN FOUR BOUND

Billy Sauer posts a big shutout + Kevin Porter scores another goal and has 5 of Michigan's 7 goals in the tournament + Sparty couldn't take care of Notre Dame = Michigan vs Notre Dame in the Frozen Four! I'm getting pumped. Bring on the Irish! Let's win it all this year!

Could It Be?

Well, the tables have turned in the NCAA tournament, and Michigan and Michigan State are each a win away from meeting each other in the frozen four. And Michigan State won't be playing the #1 seed New Hampshire either, it'll be a clash with CCHA fellow Notre Dame, who stunned New Hampshire today! As for Kevin Porter, he definitely came to play today with four goals in Michigan's 5-1 win over Niagara. The Wolverines will play Clarkson, who also pulled off an upset over St. Cloud State. Hats off to the Wolverines for being the only team to not get upset and hats off to the CCHA for making a good showing thus far. And, ok....I'll note that I never expected MSU to beat Colorado College in Colorado. They came to play unlike their basketball team today.

You May Have Noticed....

......my lack of words on the last few Red Wings games. Let's just say I'm really itching for the playoffs to start and getting really bored with these games against non-playoff division teams.

What?!

How the hell does Wisconsin get a bid in the NCAA Tournament with a 15-16-7 record. And in the regional in Madison no less! Ridiculous! Who makes these decisions? This is as bad of a decision as when they let Michigan State play in Grand Rapids last year over Michigan even though the Wolverines beat them in the CCHA semifinals. Wow.......

I'm probably the only one in the country...well maybe state who cares or is pissed about this. If that is the case then to hell with you all.

CCHA CHAMPIONS!

Well....for the first time in as long as I can remember, the Michigan Wolverines dominate both Joe Louis Arena banners (whoop-de-do). The GLI and CCHA Championships both belong to the Wolverines after a 2-1 win over Miami. Billy Sauer was the man of the game in the championship, as Miami brought a lot of pressure to the maize and blue and outshot Michigan 28-26. It was nice to see Sauer prove that he can step it up in a huge game. One concern of mine is that Kevin Porter was completely off the scoresheet in the semifinal and final. That can't happen if Michigan is going to go anywhere in the NCAA Tournament.

So here we go.....it's tourney time and time for Michigan to make a run. There's no reason why this team should not get to the frozen four AT THE VERY LEAST! I'm tired of Michigan coming up short every year for ten years. It's time to perform.

Good luck to MSU with playing Colorado College in Colorado in the first round. If Michigan and MSU get out of their regionals, they'll be playing each other in the Frozen Four. Wouldn't that be something? Don't count on it, though...............

Red Wings 4 Blue Jackets 1

I didn't get to see the game because I'm a retard and forgot that the Wings were on a different channel because the CCHA Championship was on FSN. As a result, I taped the CCHA Championship twice! Oh well..... I did see Datsyuk's shorthanded goal and it was a beauty. One thing is for sure: I'm dying for my boy Cleary to get back in the lineup and add even more spark.

2 Games In 1

Red Wings 3 Blue Jackets 1: I'll be to the point on this one. Henrik Zetterberg is the man.

Red Wings 6 Predators 3: This is the most complete the offense has looked in a long time. And they needed to be with Dom letting by a weak game tying goal in the third. Great job by the Wings to immediately recover from blowing a two goal lead early in the third.

CCHA Tournament

Easy weekend for the Wolverines, sweeping Nebraska-Omaha with 10-1 and 2-1 victories. I got to attend the 10-1 game. It was quite the treat and I was very fortunate in getting a hold of a ticket and it broke a streak of three straight Michigan hockey games I attended where the final was 1-0. Yost is by far the best place to watch live hockey. The arena is nostalgic, the fans are rowdy, rude and vulgar (apparently "Ugly Parents" is a new chant when the opposing team's players' parents celebrate a goal on the road hahahaha).

I also have to mention how shocked I am at seeing that NORTHERN MICHIGAN ELIMINATED MICHIGAN STATE FROM THE TOURNAMENT! This is both amusing and disappointing as I was kind of hoping for a Michigan vs Michigan State clash at Joe Louis Arena to force Michigan to beat the defending National Champions. I wonder how much this will affect Michigan State's seeding (if at all?) in the NCAA tournament. I believe this means that Michigan will play Northern in the semifinal as Michigan is the highest seed and Northern is the lowest. If that is the case, Michigan better be ready because the Wildcats will have momentum coming off of that upset.

Wow...I really can't believe Northern Michigan eliminated MSU. Hahaha....

Jackets 4 Red Wings 3

Never a good situation when you lose when outshooting the hell out of the other team. This is why I'm scarted shitless of managment committing to Hasek being the playoff goaltender already. Not that he is playing absolutely horrible every game, but he looks more and more shaky every day. Even though everything but the conference has been clinched, the Wings need to make sure there is good continuity and confidence these last few weeks.

However, I still want the playoffs to start now! :)

Predators 3 Red Wings 1

Yawn.......is it playoff time yet?

Red Wings 5 Stars 3

Johan Franzen is the man on the power play, but why are they using Tomas Kopecky consistently on their second power play line? Is he really one of the top six power play forwards we have? Even though both teams are missing some key players, I still feel good about this win after the Stars shut us out last time. It's unfortunate Samuelsson got the game winning goal. He still remains on my shit list because Robidas knocked it in for him anyway.

It Isn't 1997

............I am NOT a proponent of bringing back McCarty to the Red Wings lineup AT ALL. He is going to be one step behind everyone at this point in the season. All the talk I've heard is about him being in the lineup come playoff time. This has got to be one of the worst decisions I've seen the Wings make since Adam Oates for Bernie Federko. He isn't in the shape he used to be and will just be a burden on the Wings if he returns to the lineup. I don't care if he got a hat trick in the minors. It's the minors! I loved D-Mac before he went to Calgary and still love him now, but we are not in that desperate of need for physical players that we need to send a young player down to bring him up. Besides, that why we added Stuart.

Dan Cleary Is Staying!

OK, my week of relaxation (I'm on a paid vacation right now) caused me to completely miss this story: Dan Cleary signed a contract extension with the Wings! This is the best news I've heard this week as he has become my favorite player. Now I can feel comfortable going out and purchasing that jersey. I need a new one anyway. I have Shanny, who is gone, and McCarty, who is back but c'mon......

...which leads me to my next comment............

Red Wings 3 Blackhawks 1

The top player of this game was a goalie I've never heard of until yesterday, Corey Crawford. The Wings dominated most of this game, and it was nice to see Robert Lang choke on the penalty shot. At least he's choking in a different uniform now. I want to see Downey go after Wisniewski in the next Wings/Hawks game and make him pay for the crosscheck to the face on Samuelsson. Dallas next. Keep this streak rolling guys!

Red Wings 4 Predators 3

What happened in the 3rd period guys? Were you as bored with the game as I was after all the silly penalty calls? Always nice to beat the Predators (if you don't know, they are my most hated team after a trip down to Nashville a few years ago), and nice to be back to our winning ways. Although he's supposed to be adding physicality and not offense, Brad Stuarts 1st goal with the winged wheel on was a gem, as he looked like #13 making a move from behind the net and backhanding one by Mason. I kind of what Nashville in the first round. I don't think they have the goaltending to give us a challenge. Then again, who does when we're healthy?

Officials

Jesus Christ refs, let these guys play! I'm typing this in the middle of the Wings/Preds game, which has absolutely no flow because the refs are calling penalties against both sides every time someone touches somebody. This happens every f***ing March down the playoff stretch when refs are trying to be heroes and be noticed so they get picked for the big playoffs games and the stanley cup finals. It absolutely kills the game! I don't care if the Wings are winning, it's like watching basketball right now!

Red Wings 4 Blues 1

Think Rafalski being out of the lineup wasn't a huge loss? How about a +3 night and a goal for him. I couldn't believe it when I saw three Blues players chasing after Downey and hacking him all the way down the ice. I guess that's the only thing the Blues can chase after since the playoffs are all but out of reach.

NHL vs NBA Attendance

All you people out there that think hockey is boring and think it is so extremely unpopular compared to basketball, read this and weep.

Currently the average NHL attendance this year is 17,147 fans per game and the average NBA attendance is 17,141 per game. That's right, the NHL is averaging 6 more fans per game (with slight help from the Winter Classic in Buffalo).

Also, the NHL only has 1 team that is averaging under 14,000 fans per game at home while the NBA has 6 in the same category.

Wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that all but 5 teams in one of the conferences are above .500. That's how I lost interest in watching the Pistons and attending their games. It's turned into a joke following the regular season and come playoff time....well....I choose exciting, grind it out, fast paced action over game after game of fans and players yelling at referees at the end of the 4th quarter, which is usually sequence after sequence of foul shots.

Thus the name of my blog.....

:)

Red Wings 4 Sabres 2

Kronwall made a huge difference in this game, and guys like Hudler and Filpulla made huge contributions, as the Wings FINALLY get a win! This is a big month in which all remaining games are against division opponents except for one against Dallas. The playoff intensity begins now!

Ian Laperriere

Here are his comments after the game when Downey went after him following injuring Lidstrom:

“I didn’t understand all the commotion. I thought the hit was fair. The referee said it wasn’t illegal.”

Here are his comments after last night's game against Los Angeles when Jack Johnson injured Ryan Smyth and Laperriere went after Jack Johnson:

“It doesn’t matter if it’s clean or not clean, it’s a big hit on one of our big players and he got injured and someone had to do something. I felt like it had to be me. Jack knew exactly that someone had to come.”

What a turd..............

Sharks 3 Red Wings 2

More of the same in this slump. The Sharks were all over them in most of the first two periods, they missed a lot of great chances in front of the net, and perhaps a little bad luck on the controversial third San Jose goal. In any event, no more excuses. Despite the fact that teams generally play sluggish in their first game back at home after a western trip, there needs to be some guys stepping up and making plays.

Oilers 4 Red Wings 3 (SO)

Alrighty, I have a big problem with two players who are absolutely killing the Red Wings. That would be Mikael Samuelsson and Andres Lilja. Both players have proven during the absence of many Wings key players that they are only has good as their supporting cast. Sameulsson turned the puck over as many times as he had shots on goal (i think he led the team in shots tonight) and Lilja made another play that cost the Wings the game. It wasn't just their performance tonight that aggravated me, it's the fact that they have done absolutely nothing during this little slump.

At least the Wings got a point tonight. Gotta start worrying about that again as Dallas is catching up.

Trade Deadline

Some thoughts watching the trade deadline throughout the afternoon

The Dallas/Tampa Bay deal for Brad Richards was huge for the Stars. I knew Tampa was going to shift one of their superstars by the deadline. We'll also get to see how good Mike Smith really is in net for Tampa Bay as a potential starter in front of a poor defense.

Colorado's Foote/Forsberg reunion is kind of amusing. Colorado has always been active at the deadline. Both players' contracts expire at the end of the season and Colorado has to give up even more picks if Foote resigns with them for next season, so this might hurt them in the future. But they've always been a team that tries to win through trades rather than their own system. I'm surprised Joel Quennville didn't get traded to Atlanta for Hartley or Los Angeles for Crawford

Thank God Fedorov went to Washington. All the rumors of him coming back to Detroit were scaring me.

I was most surprised by Montreal's trade of Huet to Washington. Not that he's amazing, but do they really think young Carey Price is ready to lead them in the playoffs?

San Jose's acquisition of Brian Campbell continues to prove that the Sabres' front office likes to piss of its fans on a yearly basis (Drury and Briere last year). San Jose is gonna be tough to beat in the playoffs this year.

Wow....the Penguins made a big impact at the last minute by getting Gill from Toronto and Hossa from Atlanta. They will be a dangerous offensive team, but I don't think this move was necessary for them. Armstrong had a great chemistry with Sidney Crosby and they will have a hard time signing Hossa after this season.

Hey, the Wings did make a move! After I turned of the NHL Network coverage at 3:10, I thought they did nothing. But checking back at yahoo sports later on I saw they added Brad Stuart for a 2nd and 4th round pick. I can live with that. Stuart is an excellent defensemen and they didn't give up any players on their current team. Good move Kenny.

Saturday 2/22

It's been a few weeks since I've gone through a fun round of Saturday games! Although it pains me to say this, my NHL Center Ice Online games stream better and smoother since I switch to Comcast internet from WOW last week.

New Jersey 4 Islanders 2: The Devils are by far the quietest good team in the NHL. It was a very sad performance by the Islanders in the third period, allowing 2 goals and 20 shots against. I don't think we'll be seeing hockey in late April on Long Island this year.

Ottawa 4 Pittsburgh 3 (OT): So many comebacks these days. The Pens blew a 3-0 lead and Stillman, Alfredsson and Heatley stepped up and got two big points for the Sens, who have the Canadians breathing down their necks for the division lead.

Chicago 6 Los Angeles 5 (OT): Who would've thought the battle of rejects would be the game of the night. The Hawks had a 5-1 lead in the third and a 5-3 lead with 1:07 left. WHAT'S WITH ALL THE BLOWN LEADS!

Carolina 6 Washington 3: I'm very disappointed with the Caps lately, who are a team I've been touting as a playoff contender. Since my last ass kissing of them they've dropped to 5 points back of a playoff spot. They surrendered 3 power play goals in this one. Not good boys..............

Rangers 4 Buffalo 3: It was the Rangers' role players that scored them this victory. Goals by Dawes, Dubinsky and Avery with the game winner.

Toronto 3 Atlanta 1: Mark Recchi has been absolutely incredible since being signed by the Thrashers. Too bad he had their only goal tonight. These teams aren't going anywhere anyway.

Florida 2 Philadelphia 1 (OT): Craig Andersen was a beast in net tonight for the Panthers and single-handedly won this game for Florida with 40 saves. And it was a big performance to help keep the Panthers' slim playoff hopes alive. As for Philly, I haven't realized until tonight how terrible the Flyers have been playing! 0-8-2 in their last 10 and now in the 9th spot. WOW. They had this game won and then Jay Bouwmeester scores with 4 seconds left. Those sad, sad Flyer fans......They were standing and applauding the potential end to their losing streak when they scored. Hahahaha.......

Columbus 3 Montreal 0: Nice shutout by Leclaire with 31 saves. Nice to see the Jackets hanging around the playoff hunt.

Boston 5 Tampa Bay 3: I'm very interested to see if the Lightning do anything big at the trade deadline. A lot of bad goals allowed by Auld and Holmqvist. Tampa and Boston's jersey on the same ice make for an ugly combination. Can't watch anymore............

Dallas 6 Nashville 3: Man...Dallas is looking good these days. Hell, they could catch the Wings if the Wings aren't careful! Nice 2 goal performance by unknown Loui Eriksson.

Canucks 4 Red Wings 1

All the Wings are doing right now is pissing off the teams on the outside looking in, as they keep losing to teams that are currently 4th through 8th. Not surprised by the loss.......Will they make a deadline move? Not sure....I really don't think it's necessary as long as they get everyone back by April. In the "new NHL" EVERY team has a hole. Wing fans that are calling for a big deal better realize that you have to give to get, and there will never be another team like the 2002 dream team. I say stay put Kenny......unless you're trading Hasek.

UM vs MSU

Friday night's game was disgusting, as Michigan outshot the hell out of MSU but Jeff Lerg kept the door closed again, and Billy Sauer played a less than average game. Thank goodness Michigan got the win Saturday night, and in a big way, to prevent going winless against MSU.

So, in an earlier post, I pinpointed the 4 games against MSU and the 2 against Miami as storytellers as to whether or not Michigan is for real. The result? 2 wins, 2 ties, 2 losses. Nothing solved yet.....

Flames 1 Red Wings 0

Wow. I've never seen a team play so well and not score a goal! You can't be too down about this loss when you're missing Lidstrom, Rafalski, Chelios and Kronwall (our top 4 defensemen!). They completely outplayed the Flames in the 3rd period but kept hitting posts and fanning on opportunities. This team just needs to get healthy by April. That's all I care about at this point.

Historic Comeback

Hats off to the New York Rangers for blowing a 5-goal lead to the Montreal Canadiens en route to a 6-5 shootout loss. It was the biggest comeback in Montreal's history.

Red Wings 4 Avalanche 0

So much to say about this one. I thought it was 1997 for a while there. Laperriere's hit on Lidstrom was clean, but you know that when someone hurts your captain someone is going to go after him. Nice job by the Wings responding to the physical play and nice job by Downey for beating Laperriere's ass. As for Cody McLeod, shut up and put the puck in the net. As for Granato, shut up and tell your team to put the puck in the net.

Stars 1 Red Wings 0

Two things lost this game. First, the fact that the Wings could not score on three great chances in the first. Second, Dallas outplayed them physically. Nice game by Howard. I wish Hasek would go away for good so we can use him more.

Blue Jackets 5 Red Wings 1

All of a sudden goaltending is a big problem. We certainly miss gritty role players like Cleary and Kronwall in times like these. This upcoming road trip should be quite interesting............

Predators 4 Red Wings 2

Well......Ozzie is stumbling statistically obviously, but you can't fault him too much when the defense let Nashville skate around them easily in the first five minutes of the game. Nice job by Howard stepping in and making some huge saves to make the score look respectable. However, the damage was already done. Wings need to step up and get a win against Columbus before this big road trip coming up.

Cleary Out For Season?

If this is true, then this is a big blow for the Wings and changes the entire approach to the trade deadline. He was always there all season to put a puck or two in the net when guys like Zetterberg and Datsyuk were having off nights. I now think the Wings do need to make some kind of move to improve the team. Cleary added a physical aspect as well. It's players like this that have just as much of an impact losing as a star player.

Weekend Recap

LEAFS 3 WINGS 2 (OT): The Wings don't play in Toronto often in the regular season, but when they do they always seem to lose in overtime or tie (before the shootout rule). Toronto with two big wins in a row (Montreal and Detroit). I had a feeling that this would be closer than most think, with the Wings struggling a bit offensively and the Leafs possibly using this as a benchmark game to potentially revive themselves. Cleary's injury is a major tough break. He's expected to be out for 6-8 weeks.

DUCKS 3 WINGS 2: Now it's freakout time for the average Wings fan since the Wings are now winless in three. Relax.....So what if the called goal back at the end of the third was a bad one. Sometime calls aren't going to go your way and sometimes you'll have bad luck. The idea is not to have yourself in position to have a close officiating decision that can go either way affect your chances of winning a game! If these two teams meet again in the playoffs it's going to be a rough, close, exciting series

MICHIGAN HOCKEY: They came to play Friday night, scoring four in the first. They looked like they came to play Saturday night, then blew a two goal lead in the third and settled for a tie. Good news is they're on top of the division by one, and it looks like it may be a two-team race between Michigan and Miami (Ohio) for first with Michigan State losing both weekend games to Northern Michigan. Michigan takes on Lake Superior next weekend and Miami battles Ferris State.

On a side note, Northern Michigan has to be happy going unbeaten in two weekends with two ties against Michigan and two wins against Michigan State.

WINGS HISTORY: Maltby's Hat Trick

In honor of tomorrow's game against the Leafs, and the fact that they recently gave up 8 goals in one game to Florida, I uploaded the highlights of the 8-1 rout of Toronto in Maple Leaf Gardens from December of 1998. Memories from the game include Shanny scoring from center ice to tie the game at one and Kirk Maltby's first (and only?) career hat trick. Enjoy!

Kings 5 Red Wings 3

This game was all kinds of wrong. Kings beat the Wings? That never happens! It was good to see that the Wings are human, allowing 4 goals in the third when they've barely allowed any in the third this year.

Leafs on Saturday. How often do those two teams play meaningful games? Looking forward to it.

Red Wings 3 Wild 2 (OT)

Hasek has been playing great lately. Without him, this game would have been 6-2 Wild. It's just amazing how they keep finding ways to win. This time with a little luck on Cleary's goal. But that's why you shoot the puck!

Saturday 2/2

Ah....the all star break is over and the playoff push has begun. And I'm tired as hell after a long night at work. But not tired enough to watch 90 minutes worth of hockey highlights!!!

Need some Mountain Dew first....................

Montreal 4 Islanders 1: WOW! THE CANADIENS ARE ON FIRE! I didn't even notice. They are now 3 points behind the reeling Senators. This team has a lot of no name offensive talent. That's why I picked them to go to the finals!

San Jose 3 Chicago 2 (SO): Khabibulin earned a point for his team with a fine performance. I like Jody Shelley in a Sharks uniform. His badass attitude fits in well there. How about Roenick getting the shootout winner!

Toronto 4 Ottawa 2: This is the sign that things are turning south for the Sens lately. Toronto looked sharp and outskated Ottawa all third period long.

New Jersey 6 Los Angeles 3: New Jersey is one of those teams who are playing very well, yet when you watch their games, there are more people in the press box than in the seats

Mike Knuble 3 Anaheim 0: Ducks need Selanne back in that lineup soon, or something to get them out of this slump.....

Atlanta 2 Washington 0: Tough loss for my honorary second favorite team of the year. Shots on goal: Washington 36 Atlanta 13.

Pittsburgh 4 Carolina 1: Pens seem just fine without Crosby. They skated well and tore it up in the third with 4 goals.

Florida 3 Tampa Bay 2: 78 total shots in this game led to multiple nice saves on both sides. Zednik nets a big goal with 1 minute left to break the tie. Tampa's hopelessness continues....

Nashville 3 Phoenix 2 (OT): Phoenix hung in there and earned a point after trailing 2-0, but forgot to show up for OT, as the Predators outshot them 7-0.

Colorado 6 St. Louis 4: Nice 2 goal game for Michigan grad TJ Hensick. Very rough game for Manny Legace. The Avs aren't doing too bad despite their injuries and have been hanging in the 6th to 8th spot for a while. They have to keep it up though with Phoenix, Columbus, Nashville and others breathing down their back.

Dallas 2 Calgary 1: Stars needed a win badly and got one with most thanks to Marty Turco. Hagman's game winner was on a beautifully placed bad angle shot.


Bedtime