Michigan Beats Canada...

I was going to write a recap of the USA-Canada game today, but I never quite got around to it. You'll just have to make do with this:

That game was everything that hockey should be. I had at least 127 moments when my heart stopped. If that doesn't sell people on hockey, nothing will. I recorded NBC while the game was on, and they even cut in to show the last 40 seconds or so after the empty net goal. They then stayed with hockey to show the post-game show, which annoyed me for reasons I don't quite understand. It probably had something to do with the fact that the post-game coverage was pointless and could never do that game justice.

Americans like to make fun of Michigan because we don't have any jobs, and Detroit has long been a punch line for the rest of the country. Those of you who think it's cute to make jokes about crime rates and unemployment should think again next time you want to mock us. There's no way the USA wins that game without Brian Rafalski, Ryan Miller, and Ryan Kesler. (Dear Rafalski, I had better see a ton of that kind of play for the Wings down the stretch. We know you can do it; there are no excuses.)

Kesler's empty netter is easily one of my top three empty net goals ever. I was 99% sure Canada was going to tie up the game during that long stretch they had when we couldn't clear the zone to save our lives, and then things turned around when he put Team USA up by two.

Brad Watson made the call that gave Canada the powerplay on which they narrowed the USA's lead to one goal in the third period. I'm just saying...

That was the most fun I've had watching a hockey game in a long time. The world would be a much better place if every game was like that one.

The Obstructed View Episode 10...

Hey folks, in case you haven't figured it out already, Episode 10 of The Obstructed View is available now. Casey from Winging it in Motown, Andy from Fight Night at the Joe, and Ellen from Big Red Machine join the usual suspects for some hockey talk. I'll be honest and say that I haven't listened to it yet, but I guarantee that it's amazing.

I still haven't figured out what I'm going to be doing here during the Olympic break, so I'm sure it will be random, haphazard, and poorly thought out. USA vs. Switzerland kicks off the tourney live at 3 Eastern. Bring your flags. Go USA.

Red Wings 4, Senators 1: Post Game Snipes...

• It felt like it had been three years since the Wings won a game. They needed these two points. Of course, all of the teams they needed to lose tonight won, so there was no improvement in the standings.
• The little pre-game ceremony for the Olympians was very nice. (And for a change, the Wings didn’t totally disintegrate after a ceremony.) We learned that Homer’s son skates exactly like his dad and Bertuzzi’s son has the same haircut. I liked the fact that they recognized the guys from Ottawa too.
• I hope I wasn’t the only one who was thrilled beyond belief when Maltby scored the Wings’ first goal.
• Homer left the game after re-aggravating his injury. It’s looking less likely that he’s going to be playing for Team Sweden and more likely that Franzen’s going to be taking his place.
• It was nice to see the powerplay working for a change.
• After the Sens’ first goal, the Wings started to sit back, and I was afraid that we were going to get to watch the same tired script play out for the zillionth time this season. Luckily, the Wings were able to get it together and hang onto their lead.
  

GP Answers:
1. This is the last game before the Olympic break, and losing it really isn’t an option. Can the Wings pull off a win so we can have slightly less stress over the next two weeks?
Indeed they did. I know I’m going to sleep a little better during the break. The Wings’ position didn’t really change, but a game like that should allow everyone to sleep just a little more easily.

2. If Maltby decides to have his shoulder operated on, there’s a very real possibility that tonight could be his last game in a Wings uniform. It would put him out of the lineup until the end of the regular season, and at this point, there’s no guarantee that there will be more games beyond that. Can he make this game memorable?
How about scoring that first goal? If this really was his last game in a Wings uniform, I’m glad that it was one that he and the rest of the team can be proud of. Regardless of what happens, he’s a guy who I’ve always liked, dating back to his days on the Grind Line. It also speaks to the way the Wings’ organization treats its players.

3. Meech as a forward? How’s that going to work out for the Wings?
He didn’t play much, but managed to pick up an assist in his 4:29 of ice time. This is one of the reasons that I think he’s more valuable than Lebda is. Not only does he make less money, but he can also fill in up front in an emergency.

4. What percentage of this game are the Wings going to show up to play? It’s anybody’s guess.
This was definitely one of the Wings’ most consistent efforts of the season. There was a stretch in the second period when they looked like they were going to sit back and let Ottawa take the play to them, but they recovered quickly. Overall, I was pleased.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Pavel Datsyuk
He was the best player on the ice again. That shot he took from between his legs was incredible. So was one of his rushes that he nearly buried. He’s really been cranking things up lately after a sleepy start to the season. Let’s hope he comes out of the Olympics with the same kind of fire.

An Extra Stick Tap for Kirk Maltby
Just because.

Todd Bertuzzi gets the Golden Facepalm
He named his son Tag. And let him have a faux-hawk/mullet. I’m not okay with that.

What I Learned:
The Wings continue to outclass every organization in professional sports. Maybe things like the pre-game ceremony and the Maltby situation don’t mean much, but they make me smile. We’re pretty lucky here in Hockeytown.

Red Wings vs. Senators GP...

1. This is the last game before the Olympic break, and losing it really isn’t an option. Can the Wings pull off a win so we can have slightly less stress over the next two weeks?
2. If Maltby decides to have his shoulder operated on, there’s a very real possibility that tonight could be his last game in a Wings uniform. It would put him out of the lineup until the end of the regular season, and at this point, there’s no guarantee that there will be more games beyond that. Can he make this game memorable?
3. Meech as a forward? How’s that going to work out for the Wings?
4. What percentage of this game are the Wings going to show up to play? It’s anybody’s guess. Ottawa's been hot lately, so maybe the Wings will actually look alive.

I have no idea what I’m going to be doing here during the Olympics. I haven’t had time to think that far ahead. Of course, I’d be in a lot better mood if we had some Olympic coverage on American TV currently. I wish the games were still on CBC. That was one of the biggest perks of being a Metro-Detroiter. I’ve officially decided that NBC’s only redeeming quality is The Office.

Red Wings 2, Sharks 3 (SO): Post Game Snipes...

• Well, Franzen’s making his presence known at least.
• Pavel Datsyuk is a ridiculously good hockey player when he decides to be. But you knew that already.
• I’m not a fan of the CGI glass ads FSD was running. Then again, as someone pointed out on Twitter, they’re much better than ads on the uniforms. I guess I can live with that.
• It always amazes me how much I miss Mickey Redmond when the Wings are on the road.
• At one point during the game, Tomas Holmstrom beat out an icing. I’m pretty sure this was the first time he’s done that in his life. These are strange times we’re living in.
• I had to leave home immediately after San Jose’s first goal. By the time I got the car radio tuned to 97.1, the period was over and the Wings were losing. I promptly retuned to listening to my CD player.
• A linesman got checked into the Wings’ bench. I laughed a lot. Then I rewound my DVR and laughed again. Bless you, technology.
• I made it home just in time to catch the last half of overtime and the shootout. I was pretty excited about that until they went and lost. In related news, I should not be allowed to listen to Red Wing hockey on the radio while driving. Someone’s going to get killed.
• Jason Williams (Who?) scored the Wings’ tying goal during the third period. In accordance with the way the rest of this season has gone, it had to be reviewed. He did, however, fail to score in the shootout, which makes me sad. Will he still be a Red Wing tomorrow evening? We shall see.
• The Wings had a lot of good chances on net. They need to get their finish back. Or something like that.
• I really like it when Holmstrom causes havoc in front of the other team’s net. A lot.
• Nobody on the Wings is particularly good at fighting.
• It’s his second game back, and I still want to hug The Mule every time he’s out on the ice.
• This team should be so much better at the shootout. I do not understand.
• I was pretty pleased with the Wings’ overall play and tempo this game. Other folks have said it, but I’d be okay if they just played San Jose for the rest of the season. I’d sleep a lot more easily.
  

GP Answers:
1. Franzen looked good on Tuesday night. Can he keep that up in his second game back, or it his conditioning going to be a problem after all of the time that he missed?
Remember when Mule first joined the team? I mean really, in all honesty, do you remember anyone being all that excited about him? Who would’ve thought that the Wings would miss him as much as they did. He looked just fine in his second game back. Oh, and he scored a goal too.

2. What percentage of the game will the Wings decide to play tonight? The fact that this needs to be asked on a regular basis is disgusting.
I didn’t really have any issues with the Wings’ effort tonight. if they can just find a way to finish their chances, these kinds of games are going to start getting rewarded.

3. If the Wings win, they’ll move two points ahead of Anaheim and could potentially tie Calgary. If they lose, they’ll slip down to 10th place. Double digits is not a place you want to be this time of the year. Can they pull off a big win?
No, just a consolation point. At least the Wings can’t be passed in the standings tonight thanks to that.

4. Homer’s been announced as a game-time decision. It sounds like he’s only going to be playing as a test for the Olympics. I’m not sure I like that, even though I’d be glad to have him back in the lineup. Will he go tonight? Will he be able to do anything worthwile?
He was up to his usual tricks causing eight kinds of chaos in front of the opposition net. And boy do I love him for it.

5. Are they walking Kronwall’s new knee brace to Detroit? I would’ve volunteered to go pick it up and deliver it myself if I knew it would take this long. It leads me to believe that it’s more than just a case of wanting a new brace. Still though, that man needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap at all times.
This isn’t really a question so… Well, there was one video clip of him walking sans limp, so who knows what’s going on.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Pavel Datsyuk
He was good. This last stretch of games has been his best of the season. He has to keep this going.

Jonathan Ericsson gets the Golden Facepalm
There were all kinds of issues on the Sharks’ second goal, but Big Rig gets most of the blame.

What I Learned:
I was always kind of ambivalent about the shootout. I never really cared too much one way or the other. After this season, though, I’m firmly in the anti-shootout camp. I’d much rather see overtime extended to 10 minutes during the regular season. The shootout takes just as much time, and I’ve seen the Wings involved in a few OTs that were way more exciting than any shootout.

Red Wings vs. Sharks GP...

1. Franzen looked good on Tuesday night. Can he keep that up in his second game back, or it his conditioning going to be a problem after all of the time that he missed?
2. What percentage of the game will the Wings decide to play tonight? The fact that this needs to be asked on a regular basis is disgusting.
3. If the Wings win, they’ll move two points ahead of Anaheim and could potentially tie Calgary. If they lose, they’ll slip down to 10th place. Double digits is not a place you want to be this time of the year. Can they pull off a big win?
4. Homer’s been announced as a game-time decision. It sounds like he’s only going to be playing as a test for the Olympics. I’m not sure I like that, even though I’d be glad to have him back in the lineup. Will he go tonight? Will he be able to do anything worthwile?
5. Are they walking Kronwall’s new knee brace to Detroit? I would’ve volunteered to go pick it up and deliver it myself if I knew it would take this long. It leads me to believe that it’s more than just a case of wanting a new brace. Still though, that man needs to be wrapped in bubble wrap at all times.

Side notes:
What do you guys think of the GPs? They’re getting pretty tedious to write, but I’m not sure what I’d replace them with at this point. I’m thinking of eliminating the questions that usually end up being pointless and just putting some notes related to the game. Any suggestions?

I’m also going to be missing most of the game tonight. I have a dinner meeting that got rescheduled for tonight, and even though it’s at a place with TVs, I’m going to be doing most of the talking so slacking off isn’t an option. You can direct any complaints to Disney…even though it’s only tangentially their fault. Thank goodness for my DVR, which gets severely overworked on Thursday nights.

Red Wings 3, Blues 4 (SO): Post Game Snipes...

• I was so happy to see Franzen back on the ice that I just wanted to reach through my screen and hug him. But that would’ve made my brother jealous, so I didn’t. I actually clapped each of the first dozen* times I saw him on the ice.
• Brad May got into a fight. Pretty much everyone on Twitter was confused. I was glad I wasn’t alone.
• Todd Bertuzzi took a penalty about three* seconds into the game. The Wings managed to kill it off, but it made me angry.
• Darren McCarty was on Versus again. It made me smile. He looks more comfortable now that he’s got a few shows under his belt.
• My little brother probably shed tears of joy at the sight of The Mule’s stache.
• During the first period, one of the announcers called Jimmy Howard a pitchback. I laughed a lot. It kind of works in an abstract, overly-complex metaphoric way I guess. At the beginning of the season, he was like a brand new pitchback, but by this point, he’s not as bouncy anymore because the bungee cords have been stretched out and deadened from use. I should know. We killed a couple of those things back in the day.
• Draper’s goal also made me laugh. There was something really awesome about how bizarre it was. It looked like he was celebrating before the puck even went into the net. It was like he had a psychic moment there and knew the puck was going in. It was reviewed, and I was terrified that they would rule it a no-goal because I’ve lost any semblance of faith in the review process. They got the call right, though, and the Wings ended the period up 1-0.
• Jimmy Howard had to make approximately 102* saves in the first period. That’s just ridiculous.
• The Wings’ second goal was reviewed too, of course. Nothing can come easy this season. This one was another bounce off of a skate. It was nice to see the Wings actually get a couple of lucky bounces for a change.
• After announcing that the second Wings goal had been upheld by Toronto, the referee started to make the no-goal sign before catching himself and pointing at center ice. My head was this close to exploding.
• There was some sort of delay before the faceoff after the Wings’ tying goal. I was anxiously waiting for them to drop the puck so we could get moving lest Toronto decide to get involved again.
• The Wings looked pathetic for most of the game. I promise you that they didn’t deserve the point that they managed to pick up.
• I dozed off during the second intermission and missed the first eight minutes of the third period. I really don’t think I missed much. The fact that I fell asleep during a Red Wings hockey game says a lot, though.
• Henrik Zetterberg should not be nearly that bad at shootouts. I feel like there has to be a logical explanation for it, but I can’t wrap my head around it and that makes me sad.
• Datsyuk had one shift during overtime when I swear he skated circles around all four Blues like they were cones in a practice drill. He seemingly pulled 462* dekes. It was something else. I wish he would’ve scored then so a) the Wings would’ve won the game and b) it would’ve been one of the sweetest goals I’ve seen in a while. Alas, it was not to be.
• Jimmy Howard made a ridiculous save during OT to keep the Wings in the game. I was 187%* sure that the puck was going in the net when he slid across the crease. I was wrong.
• Jason Williams (Who?) scored the Wings’ lone goal in the shootout. That’s pretty unfortunate for everyone involved.
• I was really impressed with Franzen’s play. More please.
• Fun moments with Versus: During the first intermission, someone said, “speaking of enormous loads…” and the whole panel started giggling. After the game, Darren McCarty was talking about the Wings and he said, “I got four reasons to be a homer.” It was pretty awesome. We’ve all got more than four reasons to love that guy.
• About ten minutes after the game ended, @VersusNHL tweeted this: “Brad Boyers with a crazy deek shoots and scores. Zetterburg up next. game on the line. He misses. St Louis wins the shoot out!” No, I didn’t change the spelling. Or the capitalization. Or the grammar. This was by far the worst, but most of their tweets were horrendous. It looks totally unprofessional. It’s like they hired a kindergartener as an intern to run the Twitter account or something. Boyers? Deek? Zetterburg? Come. On.
• Raise your hand if you think the guys wearing red and white sweaters tonight looked like a playoff team. Thanks to their loser point and the fact that Chicago pulled out a shootout win tonight, the Wings managed to stay a point ahead of Dallas in the playoff race. They're still within striking distance of Nashville and Calgary, which is encouraging. However, it's going to take more than that effort to do anything worthwhile.
  

GP Answers:
1. Obviously, the big story is the long-anticipated return of Johan Franzen. How is he going to look shaking off all those months of rust?
As I said before, I was really impressed with him. He picked up an assist and had several shots. I liked the fact that he was throwing his weight around and checking guys. We’ll see how he holds up in his second game back. That’s when guys tend to fade a little. It was absolutely fantastic to see him back.

2. Can the Wings, for once this season, play a full 60 minutes? No sleepy starts. No collapses. No heartbreaks. Just a full 60 minutes of Red Wing hockey.
I don’t even know why I bother asking things like this any more.

3. How many players are going to go down with injuries? I really wish this one was a joke.
None, as far as I know. I’m not even willing to speculate about that any more, though.

4. I’ve seen a lot of potential line combinations tossed around, but nobody really knows what we’re going to see. There’s a pretty good possibility that Mike Babcock doesn’t even know since so many guys are day-to-day. How is the lineup going to shake out?
Things started clicking when Babcock put Franzen up on the top line with the Eurotwins. Bertuzzi looked totally out of his element tonight. After his few weeks of glory back in December, he’s totally disappeared.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Pavel Datsyuk
He was good. And he deflected in a goal off of his foot that may or may not have been intentional. Either way, it managed to pass a War Room review and pull the Wings within one. I still can’t get over that one shift he had in OT.

An Extra Stick Tap for Johan Franzen
He gave me a reason to smile tonight, when not many other guys were doing anything worthwhile. It’s good to have The Mule back in the lineup.

Todd Bertuzzi gets the Golden Facepalm
You can’t take stupid penalties .06 seconds into the game. The Wings killed that one off, but he took another penalty later in the game, and the Blues scored on the delayed call. While they were putting the puck in the net, Todd was standing around in front of the net daydreaming. Or possibly deciding which of his hostages to eat for dinner. You decide.

What I Learned:
My dog could get a job working for Versus and still represent them better than whoever’s behind their twitter account. She’d probably be the cream of the crop there. Like Air Bud, but with a keyboard.

*This number may or may not have been invented in my head.

Proud Podcasting and Pointless Puling...

(Look it up ^. It's a word. You can thank Thesaurus.com for that little beauty.)

The new episode of The Obstructed View came out today. I joined Jess from Bingo Bango and Rob Discher from The Production Line, as well as, of course, Chris and Brian. We talked about fun things like curling and sniper fire. It’s also possible that hockey came up at one point. Anyway, you can download it at all the usual places. Enjoy.

A quick update on where the Wings stand now:
Dallas and Anaheim are tied one point behind the Wings, and Minnesota is only two points back. The Wings, at best, can tie Nashville for 8th place with a win tonight, but would still sit in 9th because of the tiebreaker. On top of that, we’re going to be rooting for Chicago tonight because we need them to beat Dallas. Of course, the way things have been going, the Stars will probably blow them out.

The point is, there’s no help coming from the outside. The Wings can’t keep sitting around and waiting for other teams to do their dirty work for them. Everyone’s been saying that when Franzen is back, they’ll be a different team. Well, he’s back now. Let’s get going.

Red Wings vs. Blues GP...

1. Obviously, the big story is the long-anticipated return of Johan Franzen. How is he going to look shaking off all those months of rust?
2. Can the Wings, for once this season, play a full 60 minutes? No sleepy starts. No collapses. No heartbreaks. Just a full 60 minutes of Red Wing hockey.
3. How many players are going to go down with injuries? I really wish this one was a joke.
4. I’ve seen a lot of potential line combinations tossed around, but nobody really knows what we’re going to see. There’s a pretty good possibility that Mike Babcock doesn’t even know since so many guys are day-to-day. How is the lineup going to shake out?

It’s been a couple of days since the loss in LA, and I have to say that it still hurts. There’ve been a lot of candidates for worst loss of the season so far, but I really think that one takes the cake. I didn’t want to say that in my recap because it felt like the same dramatic overreaction that I’ve had numerous times this season, but after stewing about it for 48 hours, I’m willing to let that label stick. Let’s just please move on and look forward to something for once.

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

Instead of the usual bullet points, I’m going to describe my feelings about this game at various points during it.
1st period: Hey look, the Wings are actually playing hockey today…Two goals 16 seconds apart? This never happens FOR the Wings…OMG, I love you Henrik Zetterberg! I love this game! I love hockey! Oh, this is so much fun. I want more.
2nd period: Um, guys, you know there are 40 minutes left, right?...Oh crap. Well, whatever…The Wings need to wake up…Why, Jimmy, why?...Yeah, saw that coming. I hate everything.
3rd period: Ok, well this isn’t terrible yet. Maybe the Wings will come out strong…Maybe they can take it to overtime and at least get a loser point…Yeah, I saw that coming…@#$%^&*&^%$#%^&*#$%^&^%$#$%^#^&*^%^&*#$%^&*@#@$%%$#@#$%^!!! I hate this team. I hate this season. I hate hockey. I’m never watching ever again. Ever. God I can’t wait to see Franzen play on Tuesday.
To sum things up: The Wings lost their lead, they lost the game, they lost two points, they lost ground on Calgary and Nashville, and they lost THREE forwards to injury. In all honesty, that’s a little bit incredible.

GP Answers:
1. The Wings need these two points to tie Calgary and Nashville for 8th place in the West. Are they going to look like they actually know that?
They fooled me. During the first period, they looked like a team that got it. They were skating, and scoring, and looking like an NHL team. And then…well, you know what happened.

2. Is Filppula going to be able to bury one of the chances that he’s inevitably going to get? I swear he could’ve had 16 goals over the last two games.
He did indeed score, although to be fair, it was kind of a lucky bounce. I really don’t care how they go in though, as long as they count for the Wings.

3. Will the Wings find a way to solve Jonathan Quick? They have a really bad habit of making opposing goalies look phenomenal when they play them.
They scored 3 goals during the first 20 minutes and he looked decidedly human. Then he more or less got a 40-minute vacation as the Kings skated circles around the Wings.

4. The Ducks’ first goal bounced in off of Stuart’s foot, and another one was batted in off of a glove “legally.” What ridiculous bounces are going to go against the Wings this time around?
The Wings actually got a good bounce to go in for them in the first period on the abovementioned Filppula goal. They could have and should have won this game. It wasn’t about bounces or luck or anything like that. it was about the Wings deciding that 20 minutes was enough and giving away 2 points for approximately the 847th time this season.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Henrik Zetterberg
Even though he didn’t get us curly fries, he played well.

Jimmy Howard gets the Golden Facepalm
I hate to do this because this game was not his fault, but the Kings’ second goal was horrific. When that puck went in the net, I got one of those nasty feelings we’ve all grown accustomed to this season and fully expected the game to go downhill.

What I Learned:
The Wings don’t miss Ville Leino one bit. It was business as usual for the boys this afternoon.

Red Wings vs. Kings GP...

1. The Wings need these two points to tie Calgary and Nashville for 8th place in the West. Are they going to look like they actually know that?
2. Is Filppula going to be able to bury one of the chances that he’s inevitably going to get? I swear he could’ve had 16 goals over the last two games.
3. Will the Wings find a way to solve Jonathan Quick? They have a really bad habit of making opposing goalies look phenomenal when they play them.
4. The Ducks’ first goal bounced in off of Stuart’s foot, and another one was batted in off of a glove “legally.” What ridiculous bounces are going to go against the Wings this time around?

~The Wings got rid of Ville Leino in a trade to Philly today. They got a 5th rounder in 2011 and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, who is notable for being Norwegian and injured. Tollefsen is expected to be waived by the Wings. All I have to say about Ville is good riddance.
~It’s my daddy’s birthday today, so I may or may not get to see all of it. Anyway, it’d be a nice little present from the Wings if they could pull off a win today…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red Wings vs. Ducks GP...

1. I have to ask this every time the Wings play the Ducks: What are they going to do tonight to make me hate them even more? They always manage to come up with something obnoxious.
2. How is Jonathan Ericsson going to respond to his benching? Did he get the message?
3. Can we pretty please keep the powerplay going? It was key to the Wings’ success last night, and they need to make that a trend instead of an exciting exception.
4. Can the Wings get off to a good start playing the second night of a back-to-back? They need these two points tonight, and coming out slow yet again isn’t really an option anymore. The Ducks are coming up quickly behind the Wings in the standings, and they need to get this one done in regulation. I don't want to see Anaheim get any closer.
5. The Eurotwins have had trouble with consistency all season. They've been looking good lately, but I keep waiting for one or both of them to have another invisible game. Can they keep looking like the stars that we know they are?

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

• Play was a little chippy for the first few minutes, but San Jose took over after the Wings gave up the first goal. They responded in typical Red Wing fashion by sitting back and conceding play afterward.
• The Sharks’ first two goals both came off of rebound control issues. Get that sorted out please, Jimmy.
• On the first PK, Kronwall went down and couldn’t stand up at all. I nearly had a heart attack as I thought he was seriously injured again. Luckily, his skate blade had just popped out and the Wings weren’t hurt by it.
• Cleary’s goal came off of a good, hard-working play. It was a pretty novel concept.
• It was nice to see the Wings take advantage of their 5-on-3. They let those opportunities slip away far too often. Seeing the Flying Circus line click after all this time was a thing of beauty.
• The Wings looked good after they broke onto the scoreboard. I actually didn’t want the period to end because they had good momentum going. This was unusual because I’m typically counting down the seconds and hoping that the Wings survive to intermission.
• Derek Meech scored. I laughed. When the puck ended up in the net, I was just about to yell at my TV wondering why he was out on the powerplay. Clearly, Mike Babcock saw this coming and this was the reason he put Meech into the lineup tonight. Clearly.
• I love Patrick Eaves a little more each game.
• Kronwall left the game with what was described as a “slight tweak.” Normally this would be reassuring, but this is the ’09-’10 season and things are a little different. After the game, Babcock said that it was his ankle, not his knee. Unfortunately, it looks like he won't be able to play tomorrow against Anaheim. An ankle tweak's probably better than a knee, though.
  
• Jimmy Howard scared me for a minute there toward the end of the game when he got run by Joe Thornton. I never would’ve seen that coming at the beginning of the season.
• Darren Helm beat out an icing in the final seconds of the game to prevent another faceoff in the Wings’ zone. Yeah, it’s impossible not to love that guy.
• The Wings needed this win. They're now tied with Nashville in the standings and have finally actually passed Calgary. They're still stuck in 8th because Nashville has more wins, but this was especially big with Dallas and Anaheim creeping up behind them in the standings.
  

GP Answers:
1. Are the Wings going to show up tomorrow, or is Jimmy going to be standing alone again?
The first part of the first period was not pretty. I was almost convinced that the game was over when San Jose scored the first two goals. Then the Wings went and scored four unanswered goals, and things looked good. They were carrying the play and resembling themselves. Games like this make the pathetic efforts we’ve seen at times that much more frustrating.

2. What kind of impact will Homer’s return have on the offense?
That’s the Homer we all know and love. His presence was immediately noticeable. Not only that, but we got to see the Flying Circus line back in action after what seemed like forever. It’s good to see him back and looking good.

3. Much has been made of the Wings’ lack of killer instinct this season. Blown chances, sitting back on leads, lack of intensity, you name it… Can the Wings for once look like a team that knows what it’s doing?
I was tempted to start feeling happy midway through the third, but I refused to get excited because of the Wings’ penchant for third period collapses. This was exacerbated by the fact that the Wings took another late penalty. That’s a trend that has to stop. They kept up the intensity, though, and held on for the win.

4. Two games ago, the problem was the defense. On Sunday, it was the offense. What part of their game is going to give us fits against San Jose?
My only complaint tonight was the way they started the game. The defense was good, and the offense tallied 4 goals. It’s hard to be upset with that.

5. The powerplay has been looking more functional lately, but it’s still not converting as regularly as we would like. While they boys are able to establish control and cycle in the zone, but the pucks just aren’t going in. Getting Homer back should help in that regard theoretically. Can they start to get that sorted out tonight?
Look at that. The Wings converted twice. It was glorious. Please keep it up.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Tomas Holmstrom
I missed that guy. My excitement for his return was justified as he picked up two assists. He was in vintage form, causing all kinds of chaos in front of San Jose’s net.

An Extra Stick Tap for Henrik Zetterberg
He was great in both ends tonight. it was like he and Holmstrom signed a pact of awesomeness tonight.

Jimmy Howard gets the Golden Facepalm
San Jose’s first goal came off of a rebound that just shouldn’t have happened. Their second goal came off of a weak-ish rebound too. He did manage to lock things down after that, but the first goal was a killer.

What I Learned:
Nik Kronwall is the most fragile human being ever. Seriously.

Red Wings vs. Sharks GP...

1. Are the Wings going to show up tomorrow, or is Jimmy going to be standing alone again?
2. What kind of impact will Homer’s return have on the offense?
3. Much has been made of the Wings’ lack of killer instinct this season. Blown chances, sitting back on leads, lack of intensity, you name it… Can the Wings for once look like a team that knows what it’s doing?
4. Two games ago, the problem was the defense. On Sunday, it was the offense. What part of their game is going to give us fits against San Jose?
5. The powerplay has been looking more functional lately, but it’s still not converting as regularly as we would like. While they boys are able to establish control and cycle in the zone, but the pucks just aren’t going in. Getting Homer back should help in that regard theoretically. Can they start to get that sorted out tonight?

LA just went on a 5-0 roadtrip and managed to pull away from the Wings. The Wings are on their own five-game trip right now. They’ve already dropped one point, but there’s absolutely no (logical) reason that they can’t win the rest of the games on the trip. If they’re serious about making the playoffs this year, now would be a really good time to show it.

On a non-hockey related note, because this is the most public forum to which I have easy access, I need to thank UofM Health Services. When I hurt my ankle last weekend, I was more worried about being able to pay for treatment than the actual injury. I somewhat grudgingly headed over to UHS (our free clinic for students), making the usual wisecracks about it being...well, UHS. They took x-rays there, but still couldn't tell if it was broken or not. The only way to know for sure was to do a CT scan, which I flat out told them I wouldn't/couldn't pay for. The next day, I got a call from their Managed Care department saying that they had found University funding to pay for me to have the scan done at the hospital here. The Rackham school here apparently runs an emergency medical fund for grad students, and while I hardly think my bum ankle qualifies as an emergency, I'm extremely grateful. Now that we know for sure that it's not broken, I can continue "cheating" by not using my crutches and not worry about making it worse. Anyway, the point of this story is that several people went out of their way last week to make sure that I got the best possible medical care, and they were really under no obligation to do so. Since I'll probably never meet any of them, thanking them here is the best that I can do. I've said it a million times before, but it really is great to be a Michigan Wolverine.

And now back to your regularly scheduled Red Wings nonsense...

January Notes...

1. Tomas Holmstrom broke his foot. In practice. Doing something he’s done after every practice since dinosaurs walked the earth. Just when we thought the Wings were getting healthy.
2. Zetterberg and Cleary returned to the lineup on the same glorious day.
3. Jimmy Howard played the best game we’ve seen from a Red Wings goalie in years against the Kings.
4. The Wings went 6-5-4, which is pretty pathetic.
5. On the other hand, we got to enjoy a couple of mornings when we woke up to find the Wings in a playoff spot. A couple.
6. The Wings went to a shootout approximately 700 times. They won once. Again, pathetic. With shooters like the Eurotwins and Bertuzzi, there’s no excuse for not having a better record in the skills competition.
7. The Wings played their best game of the season against Chicago. It actually looked like they were a real hockey team for a while there.
8. In the Chicago shootout, Datsyuk and Bertuzzi did this. This is why I don’t understand why their record isn’t better in the shootout.
9. We had to endure NBC broadcasts twice. They were awful, not that that surprised anyone.
10. Herm to Hockeytown continued to evolve into the most epic gathering of Wings fans ever. Plans include a live TOV podcast, euchre tournament, and mandatory use of the phrase “Man Pocky.” Oh, and we’re going to watch the game too.
11. Niklas Kronwall returned from his Georges Laraque-induced knee injury.
12. Nick Lidstrom roared back to life offensively and gave hope to all of us Wings fans.
13. We started to debate who would stay in the lineup now that injured guys are returning. This was a new and exciting activity for those of us who had grown tired of debating the goalie controversy.
14. The Wings got screwed in the shootout against Dallas. Again, this is becoming predictable, particularly in games against the Stars.
15. Andreas Lilja finally got rid of his headaches and has a shot at returning to hockey. You can’t help but feel happy for the guy, even if you weren’t a fan of his before he broke his brain.
16. Jason Williams (Who?) came back from breaking his leg ages ago. The video of his injury still makes me cringe.
17. The team continued to baffle everyone with their inability or unwillingness to show up for games or make any meaningful push toward a playoff spot.
18. We’ve been teased with the idea of Johan Franzen returning in early February after a miraculously speedy recovery from his knee surgery.
19. I resorted to anxiously watching scoreboards from other games in hopes that other teams would do the Wings’ dirty work for them. It rarely worked out well.
20. Brad Stuart kept pulling pucks off of the goal line and saving goals. He seems to have a knack for that.
21. The Wings held Alex Ovechkin to zero shots and still managed to find a way to lose the game.
22. Patrick Eaves got into a fight. It was awesome. Brad May should take note.
23. Speaking of May, he and Leino continued to battle it out for a seat in the press box.
24. Ozzie ran his mouth about not getting enough playing time and annoyed everyone.
25. The powerplay continued to be pathetic. There’s no excuse for that now that guys have returned to the lineup. None at all.
26. The team continued to suffer from the same confidence issues that you would expect to encounter on a Girls U10 soccer team.
27. Abdelkader got sent back down to Grand Rapids to make room for the returning Jason Williams (Who?).
28. The TwitforTuzzi campaign was launched to achieve dual goals of raising more money for Children’s Hospital and embarrassing Petrella.
29. Patrick Eaves continued to endear himself to Wings fans everywhere. I don’t think there are many of us out there who aren’t hoping that he gets another deal during the offseason.
30. The Wings managed to get shut out for the seventh time this season.
31. Datsyuk started to awaken from his season-long slumber. He was playing classic Datsyukian hockey during the second half of the month.