Red Wings 3, Sharks 4 (0-1): Post Game Snipes...

• The general sentiment around Red Wings nation has been quiet optimism. This loss wasn’t nearly as devastating as any of the three in the first round. Sure, I left Hockeytown angry, but my bad mood had more to do with that 5-on-3 than anything else. The Wings are by no means out of this series.
• The back-to-back joke calls were bad enough on their own, but the fact that they led to the game-winning goal makes it that much worse.
• Franzen apparently went to the box for the rarely called “two minutes for being high-sticked” penalty. We did, however, have a good laugh when he was shown on the bench during the third with dried blood still on his face. My brother, who was attending his first ever #redwingscommune meeting, said, “I didn’t think it was possible for Franzen to get any sexier.”
• If I were one of the referees, I would be legitimately angry at that dive Setoguchi took. I mean really, have some self-respect.
• The frustrating thing is that we have to spend the two-day break banging our heads against the wall, haunted by the series of blown calls (which at this point should really just be a regularly scheduled part of your routine). The good new is that except for that minute and a half in the first period, this was not a bad game at all. San Jose did a better job capitalizing on mistakes, but by no means dominated.
• I had a blast with the Commune again. You guys make my life. Even getting evicted from our H2H nostalgia fest was better with you crazies around. Ugly sweaters, sitting IN the TV, collecting free stuff, and hating our waitress together made the night fun despite the loss. And I left with this, thanks to another trivia victory assisted by Commune members with some backup from Twitter. We never did find out if 99 was the right answer to the unofficially retired numbers question, since they didn’t give us the answers.
  

GP Review:
12. The most important thing for Game One is to keep up the momentum from the last round. The Wings played one of the best games we’ve seen them play in a long time, and they need to keep it up.
They didn’t exactly get off to a blazing start. It goes without saying that the first period left a lot to be desired. That being said, they carried the play for most of the game. That’s encouraging.

11. Coming out strong and aggressive is going to be really important. They can’t afford to be tentative and passive at the start of the game.
I should probably just copy/paste the last answer.

10. The Wings’ stars led the team in a big way during Game Seven. They’ll need to keep shining to take the team past the more threatening Sharks.
They really weren’t bad, aside from those breakdowns. This wasn’t one of those games that was lost because the stars disappeared.

9. This is going to be Zetterberg’s first chance at a real shut-down assignment. Watching him frustrate opposing stars is a thing of beauty. Who is Babcock going to assign him to? My money’s on Pavelski.
I’ll admit that I was a little distracted with #redwingscommune festivities so I wasn’t really watching matchups. I do know that Pavelski had way too much room last night.

8. Make no mistake: special teams won Game Seven. The powerplay and PK need to keep clicking and avoid any Game-Six-like disasters.
Yeah, about that…

7. The Wings need to solve Nabokov early and keep him from getting into a groove.
He made some good saves, but he looked beatable.

6. This is a battle between the fresh-from-the-first-round Wings and the well-rested Sharks. Who is going to look better?
The Sharks definitely got off to a better start, although I’m skeptical as to the extent which fatigue impacted the Wings’ play. We’ve seen those kind of starts consistently all season regardless of how much time they had off between games.

5. Now that Jimmy’s got a whole round of playoff experience under his belt, he just needs to settle down and do his thing.
You can’t pin this one on him, but I’m sure there were a couple of goals he’d like back.

4. Here’s hoping that Franzen’s been stockpiling all of his goals for the later rounds. Assists are nice, but he makes the big bucks to score goals.
He ripped a nice shot past Nabokov. Here’s hoping that goal plus anger over the missed high stick are enough to wake him up for real.

3. Don’t let the Sharks carry the physical play.
This didn’t seem like an issue to me.

2. The second defensive pairing needs to get things under control. I want to see fewer turnovers and at least one Kronwalling.
Alas, there were no Kronwallings.

1. Start Round Two off on the right foot, boys. We’re all counting on you.
Well that didn’t happen.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
Best player on the ice again. He does things with the puck that just shouldn’t be done every single night.

Villain: Devin Setoguchi
That was just embarrassing. Seriously. Even for a guy whose wikipedia page lists one of his nicknames as Dive-O-Guchi. (Not sure if that's a recent addition or well-established.)

Final Thought:
It should not be this frustrating to love hockey. Thanks, NHL.

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game One GP...

You know what I love about these? They keep getting shorter and shorter. Best idea ever.

12. The most important thing for Game One is to keep up the momentum from the last round. The Wings played one of the best games we’ve seen them play in a long time, and they need to keep it up.
11. Coming out strong and aggressive is going to be really important. They can’t afford to be tentative and passive at the start of the game.
10. The Wings’ stars led the team in a big way during Game Seven. They’ll need to keep shining to take the team past the more threatening Sharks.
9. This is going to be Zetterberg’s first chance at a real shut-down assignment. Watching him frustrate opposing stars is a thing of beauty. Who is Babcock going to assign him to? My money’s on Pavelski.
8. Special teams were key in Game Seven. The powerplay and PK need to keep clicking and avoid any Game-Six-like disasters.
7. The Wings need to solve Nabokov early and keep him from getting into a groove.
6. This is a battle between the fresh-from-the-first-round Wings and the well-rested Sharks. Who is going to look better?
5. Now that Jimmy’s got a whole round of playoff experience under his belt, he just needs to settle down and do his thing.
4. Here’s hoping that Franzen’s been stockpiling all of his goals for the later rounds. Assists are nice, but he makes the big bucks to score goals.
3. Don’t let the Sharks carry the physical play.
2. The second defensive pairing needs to get things under control. I want to see fewer turnovers and at least one Kronwalling.
1. Start Round Two off on the right foot, boys. We’re all counting on you.

I’ll be taking in the game at the official viewing party at Hockeytown Café with several members of the #redwingscommune. So far, commune fieldtrips are 2-0, so hopefully we can keep up the good luck. We also watched Game Five from Hockeytown, and I ended up coming home with a bag full of free goodies that included a Datsyuk signed puck. If you’re looking for proof of how much fun we had, check out this video that the Wings put together:

Sharks Series Preview...

That was quite the series. I never expected it to go to seven games. I learned a lot during that series. I had always had a healthy respect for Shane Doan right up until he started running guys left and right. I also learned a bit about karma. The Wings hopefully learned a lesson or two about full game efforts. We all learned that life’s a little better when you have a commune support group to fall back on.

But that’s all in the past now.

The Wings are off to fine San Jose, where they’re already being welcomed with open arms. This is quite the quick turnaround, much to the relief of my poor puppy. Last season, during the long layoff between the first and second rounds, I was so bored that I decided to give her a haircut. Let’s just say that there’s a reason I’m not a professional dog groomer. I really believe that if I had had the proper tools at my disposal, it would’ve looked a lot better.

Everyone knows San Jose as the perennial playoff chokers and the team with no heart. You know what I’d like? I’d like to see the Wings cement that reputation for the Sharks. Let them have their fancy Western Conference championship banner. Good luck drinking champaign out of that.

There’s no doubt that San Jose is more talented all around than the Coyotes were, but Phoenix played with drive and grit that we’re not used to seeing from the Sharks in the post-season. They cranked things up toward the end of their series against Colorado, and really seemed to be clicking. A Sharks team in full-stride should make anyone nervous.

None of that matters, though. The Wings are going to determine who wins this series. I will maintain that this Wings team, when playing in full flight (see: Game Seven), cannot be beaten by any team in the NHL in a best of seven series until the day that I die. It’s up to them whether they make a fourth straight trip to the Conference Finals or get some extra time off this summer. With any luck, we'll get treated to an encore of this performance at the end of the series.

Guy to Grudgingly Respect: Evgeni Nabokov
I almost put Dany Heatley here just for laughs. I decided that it probably wouldn’t seem as funny in the morning, though. Instead, I went with Nabokov because a) Goalies always terrify me and b) He has the ability to steal a game when he gets in a groove.

Guy to Fear: Joe Pavelski
He’s been the one getting stuff done for San Jose so far during the playoffs. He looks like a prime candidate to have a Henrik-Zetterberg-shaped blanket draped all over him this series.

Guy I’m Probably Going to Laugh at a Lot: Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Vlasic pickles. It gets me every time.

Game Seven in the Life of A Hockey Fan...

This was something I hoped to get up earlier, but work, an unplanned trip back to Ann Arbor, and graduation stuff kind of got in the way. Anyway, here’s a semi-blog of Tuesday and Game Seven. Just assume that the times with no specific activity listed involve constant panic attacks and general incoherence:

5:40 am: Alarm goes off. I hit snooze for about a minute until I realize that it’s the morning of Game Seven. This is the last moment of peace I’ll have all day.
6:10 am: I realize that I have no breakfast food in my house. After briefly considering stealing some from my roommates (I promise you, they’ve taken plenty of my stuff.), I settle on a box of Wheat Thins. Head out the door.
7:05 am: Arrive at work. Discover that Gmail and Twitter have suddenly been blocked. Throw a fit in my head.
11:00 am: Go to lunch. Co-workers talk about football and doom and gloom politics. 2:10 pm: Leave work. First fit of road rage occurs while attempting to back out of my parking space.
2:15 pm: Stop for gas and a slurpee at Speedway. Their slurpee machine is out of Coke. Again. This is reminiscent of Friday.
2:17 pm: I really want Taco Bell, but that was my pre-game meal before Game Seven of the Finals. I decide on a quick trip through the Burger King drive through instead.
2:25 pm: Seriously, how long can it take to make a batch of chicken fries?
2:30 pm: I hit up the 7-11 nearby in search of the elusive but essential pre-game Slurpee. While waiting to pour mine, I witness an employee teaching a little old lady to pour her very first Slurpee. It’s pretty adorable. I’m proud to have shared in such an important moment in the life of a stranger.
2:33 pm: I select the 44 ounce cup, since that worked for Game Two. I attempt to pay, only to discover that in my frantic search for Slurpees, I have left my wallet in the car. I look really stupid.
4:00 pm: The second batch of cupcakes is in the oven. Somehow, the recipe that was supposed to yield 24 cupcakes only makes 19. I am not unhappy about this.
4:45 pm: After an eternity of googling, I determine that there is nothing creative that can be done to decorate the cupcakes. I do, however, come up with several ideas for future concoctions. I think I also made Baroque crave dessert. Apologies.
5:30 pm: Nap time. I can’t sleep. I’m pretty sure I was half awake the whole time.
7:00 pm: Time to get up and frost cupcakes. It’s almost commune time.
7:30 pm: There is literally no amount of food coloring in the world that will make this frosting red. I guess we’re going with vaguely reddish pink.
8:00 pm: I’m supposed to be leaving now. Instead, I’m frantically running around my house trying to get things taken care of. My iTunes Hockey playlist is blasting. My roommates are thrilled (again). This features fun classics like I Want Stanley (Arena and Rap versions), Hey, Hey, Hockeytown, Hit Somebody, and Without Stanley.
8:15 pm: My roommate comments on how tasty the cupcakes look. I’m 110% sure she’s trying to get me to offer her one. I’m not willing to break up the perfect set of 19 so I don’t make any kind gestures.
8:20 pm: I’m finally out the door.
8:59 pm: I finally arrive at Kukla’s Kasa for the Commune fieldtrip.
9:15 pm: Game time. The freak out factor is high amongst the Commune residents.
9:20 pm: The first of many attempts to get Operation #redwingscommune: No Limits off the ground fails. It was great to be distracted by trying to get the webcam to work during the whole first period. It kept me from stressing out too much.
9:30 pm: The video chat finally works. Unfortunately, nobody can hear us. Actually, upon reflection, this is probably for the best.
10:00 pm: People are rolling around on the floor of Kukla’s basement, terrified from the stress.
…The next hour is a blur of insanity at the commune. You can fill in the details in your imagination…
11:00 pm: By this point, we have noticed that every time Ellen logs off of the video chat, the Wings score. We develop a theory that she is secretly Pavel Datsyuk video chatting live from the Wings’ bench. The fact that she is drinking beer and eating rice on camera does nothing to dissuade us of this belief. We’re pretty sure we could hear Mike Babcock yelling in the background of her feed.
11:15 pm: We’ve also become convinced that the bottle caps Dan has affixed to his hoodie (aka his nipples) are magical and will prevent the Coyotes from scoring. Dan: “They can’t score. I’m wearing my nipples!” This makes complete sense to everyone in attendance.
11:30 pm: Game over. Celebration ensues.
11:35 pm: We decide that the reason the Coyotes fans were cheering at the end of the game was because they thought their team won. You see, what with the whole white out thing, they assumed that they were supposed to be rooting for the team that was wearing white. They’ve accidentally been rooting for the Wings this whole time. They also appeared to be confused by the fact that the teams were packing up and leaving before they played the fourth quarter.
12:00 am: Time to leave the commune. I force Tyler and Brent to take cupcakes. I’m quite assertive with my baked goods.
1:00 am: I finally make it back to Ann Arbor. This night could be characterized as a poor life decision if I hadn’t had so much fun.

Red Wings 6, Coyotes 1 (4-3): Post Game Snipes...

• After an agonizing first period, the Wings managed to absolutely destroy the Coyotes. I’ll be the first to admit that during the first intermission, I was almost positive that it was going to be “one of those games” where the Wings pump 50 shots at the opposing goalie and he absolutely shuts them down. Luckily, my fears were not justified.
• Datsyuk was, well, Datsyukian last night. And also Danglelicious (thank you, Versus). He and Hank even posed for an awesome goal celebration picture that makes it look like they're dancing.
  
• On top of that, one of his goals led to the creation of this masterpiece:
  
• I really think that Nick Lidstrom spent today staring at his birthday cake with forty candles (plus one for good luck) and laughing at it. He keeps on proving that age is just a number.
• As excited as I was about Stuart’s goal, I was also terrified when I saw Zetterberg go crashing awkwardly into the boards behind the net. I didn’t realize at the time that he had been tripped up (stay classy, Phoenix). I wanted to celebrate, but I was just waiting for the camera to pan over to see if Z was okay. The Wings got lucky on that one.
• How was that hook on Helm’s breakaway not a penalty shot? I was shocked, but not entirely unhappy. I figured the Wings would have a better chance on a powerplay than on a Helm penalty shot. It also negated the Coyotes’ powerplay so the Wings didn’t have to kill any more time.
• By the end of the night, Phoenix fans were throwing beer bottles on the ice during play. Hank was kind enough to try to pick it up off of the ice. I suspect it was so he could give it to Brett Lebda in the locker room, but that's just a guess.
• I watched the game from Kukla's Kasa with the rest of the #redwingscommune. We also launched Operation #redwingscommune: No Limits on a video chat with tweeps from around the country. More on that later.
  

GP Review:
13. The Wings need to stop the bleeding on the penalty kill. Sure, another three-goal performance from Phoenix’s powerplay is unlikely, but then again, that’s what we said after Game One.
The PK was not only functional, but I would argue that the long 5-on-3 kill in the second period was the turning point of the game. If Phoenix had scored there, things would have looked a lot uglier. On top of that, a fresh-from-the-box Brad Stuart scored his breakaway goal immediately after the last of those penalties was killed off.

12. The top two lines need to reappear again. When they’re clicking, good things keep happening for the Wings.
Your three stars for the game were Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom. That pretty much says it all. (Yes, I realize that Lidstrom isn’t on the top two lines, but he’s the leader on defense and is generally part of the top unit out there.)

11. Coming out strong and aggressive is going to be really important. They can’t afford to be tentative and passive at the start of the game.
I was actually worried for the first few minutes of the game. The Coyotes seemed to be carrying the play (although that could’ve been my paranoid imagination), but eventually the Wings righted the ship and took control of the game.

10. Jimmy was far from the reason for the Wings’ loss on Sunday, but he needs to be in top form tomorrow.
The 6-1 score would make some people overlook the fact that Jimmy made a lot of good saves throughout the game. He was sharp. Sure, that goal off of the faceoff shouldn’t have gone in, but you have to look at the fact that it was a bang-bang play.

9. The Wings need to find a way to solve Ilya Bryzgalov. He may very well have stolen the game for the Coyotes during the first few minutes of play.
He looked like a brick wall during the first period again, and I was having nightmares. The Wings eventually solved him six times, which isn’t good for a goalie no matter how many shots he faces.

8. How many times am I going to be flailing around in search of my tin foil hat?
Oh there were ample opportunities for tin foil hattery. There was the quick whistle on a clearly loose puck that negated a powerplay goal for the Wings. There was the ridiculous string of penalties in the second during which the Coyotes seemed destined to tie up the game. There was some yelling going on at the #redwingscommune.

7. Earth to Playoff Franzen. Where are you? The Wings kind of need you to start producing.
I’m about ready to make some lost mule posters and hang them up around my neighborhood. Here’s hoping he was saving it up for the second round.

6. It sure would be nice to see a full sixty-minute effort…
This was as close to it as we’re ever going to see that, probably. I really have no complaints.

5. Can the defense avoid hanging Jimmy out to dry again?
The defense was there when it needed to be. They weathered the early storm, and had Jimmy’s back for the rest of the night.

4. It would be nice if the powerplay came back to life and scored more goals than it allowed. That’s a pretty good target, I think.
Indeed it did.

3. I hope that Justin Abdelkader keeps hitting everything in sight.
Abdelkader was less noticeable than he was the other day, but it didn’t really matter.

2. Capitalizing on mistakes: whoever does a better job of this is probably going to be playing some more hockey this season.
Verdict: Wings. End of story.

1. This is it. Game Seven. It’s all or nothing. Which team wants it more? No fear. No excuses. No mercy. No limits.
They came out strong and didn’t back down. Their top guys were their top guys. They never let up. We’ll see where the No Limits thing takes them.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
Best player on the ice. That’s what he needs to do every night.

Villain: Keith Yandle
Stay classy, dude. Enjoy the golf.

Final Thought:
Round two, here we come.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Seven GP...

13. The Wings need to stop the bleeding on the penalty kill. Sure, another three-goal performance from Phoenix’s powerplay is unlikely, but then again, that’s what we said after Game One.
12. The top two lines need to reappear again. When they’re clicking, good things keep happening for the Wings.
11. Coming out strong and aggressive is going to be really important. They can’t afford to be tentative and passive at the start of the game.
10. Jimmy was far from the reason for the Wings’ loss on Sunday, but he needs to be in top form tomorrow.
9. The Wings need to find a way to solve Ilya Bryzgalov. He may very well have stolen the game for the Coyotes during the first few minutes of play.
8. How many times am I going to be flailing around in search of my tin foil hat?
7. Earth to Playoff Franzen. Where are you? The Wings kind of need you to start producing.
6. It sure would be nice to see a full sixty-minute effort…
5. Can the defense avoid hanging Jimmy out to dry again?
4. It would be nice if the powerplay came back to life and scored more goals than it allowed. That’s a pretty good target, I think.
3. I hope that Justin Abdelkader keeps hitting everything in sight.
2. Capitalizing on mistakes: whoever does a better job of this is probably going to be playing some more hockey this season.
1. This is it. Game Seven. It’s all or nothing. Which team wants it more? No fear. No excuses. No mercy. No limits.

Red Wings 2, Coyotes 5 (3-3): Post Game Snipes...

• I missed the entire first period, running in the door seconds after the horn went. This was upsetting, because from what twitter and the radio tell me, it was the only period worth watching. Thanks, soccer, rain, accidents, construction, and Ann Arbor.
• I scared the crap out of my mom because I was driving while she napped. When the Coyotes scored their shorthanded goal, I was screaming, “NO, NO, NO!” and woke her up. Brief moments of panic ensued on her part. I should not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle while hockey is on the radio.
• Stuart’s goal was a beautiful shot after a nice pass from Datsyuk. He momentarily redeemed himself after that turnover that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Game Seven of the Finals last year.
• I really didn't think that it was possible for the Coyotes to have another game where they scored three powerplay goals on the Wings. That shows you what I know.
  
• I didn’t even react to the Coyotes’ last goal. I just kind of shrugged and sighed and went back to waiting for time to run out so I could move on with my life.
• Darren Helm’s goal was very clearly over the goal line after looking at the replays. Of course, I was 100% convinced that they were going to rule that it was not a goal. But mostly I just didn’t care at that point.
• My Bryzgalov nighmares that plagued me before the series but have been dormant for the last several days? Yeah, I won’t be sleeping much until after Game Seven.
• I still don't know why Abdelkader ended up with a Game Misconduct at the end. It looked like Yandle was the one pulling wrestling moves out there.
  
• This makes it two straight series going to Game Seven for the Wings. Three out of their last four have gone to seven games. Not cool, boys. It's fairly apparent at this point that the Detroit Red Wings do not want me to live past the age of 23.
• The Wings have scored exactly two goals in each of their losses this series. That doesn't really mean anything, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.
  

GP Review:
13. It’s a day game on NBC. Uh oh.
Yeah. That…

12. The Wings still need to work on their faceoffs. There’s really no reason for Phoenix to be winning more draws.
They actually won the faceoff battle today, not that it mattered much.

11. The Eurotwins need to keep firing on all cylinders. The last couple of games have been quite a show.
I barely noticed them in the part of the game that I saw. To be fair, I kind of checked out after Wolski’s goal and was only half watching. I stand by my statement that as the Eurotwins go, so go the Wings.

10. What tin foil hat-inducing moments are going to occur as the Wings try to end the NHL’s team’s season?
I got nothing. I suspect the Wings’ parade to the penalty box in the second was an attempt to even things out after the first period, but that goes on in every single game around the league.

9. The first few minutes of this game are going to be key. The Wings need to get off to a much better start than they did last Sunday.
It sounded like they came out flying, but couldn’t buy a goal. This is better than last Sunday, at least, even though the outcome was the same.

8. I’m looking at Dan Cleary to do something good tomorrow. This worked for Miller last time, so it’s worth a shot.
Well so much for that…

7. Jimmy Howard needs to stand strong again. He’s had an incredible run over the last two games, and has managed to restore all of the fickle fans’ confidence in his abilities.
Sure, the first goal should’ve been stopped, but Brad Stuart also shouldn’t have turned the puck over like that. Jimmy didn’t look nearly as good as he has the last couple of games, but he was miles away from being the reason the Wings lost today.

6. Are we going to have to put up with Shane Doan again?
He was scratched again today. You’ve got to figure that if he can hold a stick at all, he’ll be in the lineup on Tuesday.

5. This series, the Wings have played better when they’re the ones carrying the physical play to the Coyotes. They need to keep hitting hard and not letting Phoenix run around.
They once again outhit the Coyotes, and Abdelkader in particular looked like one of the few guys who wanted to end the series at the Joe. It’s too bad that things like that don’t show up on the scoreboard.

4. The PK and powerplay need to keep doing their thing. Since the disastrous first game, the PK has been fantastic. Special teams may very well determine the winner.
I went ahead and bolded that last sentence. Yeah…

3. The second defensive pairing has looked much better over the last two games. Brad Stuart, in particular, had a great game on Friday night. The Wings need them to keep bringing their physical presence.
Why does it seem like every time we heap praise on Stuart, he goes out and does something that makes us all facepalm? It’s like the man is addicted to being in the doghouse or something.

2. Will we get treated to a full-game effort tomorrow?
Yeah right.

1. The Coyotes are going to come out hard hoping to get another home game in Phoenix. The Wings need to take this game seriously and shut them down. There’s no reason to make another trip to Phoenix and risk all of the assorted bad things that can happen in a Game Seven.
They did not take the game seriously at all. Now we get to live in terror for the next 48 hours as we wait for Game Seven.

Hero: Justin Abdelkader
He at least looked like he was interested in the third period. That’s more than can be said for most of the team.

Villain: Derek Morris
Way to go after Abdelkader to make him defend himself after throwing a clean hit. And then hitting him while he was down on the ice.

Final Thought:
Ken Holland needs to tell the NHL schedulers that the Joe is mysteriously booked until 7:30 every weekend until eternity. It’s so weird. How did the facilities manager let something get on the schedule like that?

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Six GP...

13. It’s a day game on NBC. Uh oh.
12. The Wings still need to work on their faceoffs. There’s really no reason for Phoenix to be winning more draws.
11. The Eurotwins need to keep firing on all cylinders. The last couple of games have been quite a show.
10. What tin foil hat-inducing moments are going to occur as the Wings try to end the NHL’s team’s season?
9. The first few minutes of this game are going to be key. The Wings need to get off to a much better start than they did last Sunday.
8. I’m looking at Dan Cleary to do something good tomorrow. This worked for Miller last time, so it’s worth a shot.
7. Jimmy Howard needs to stand strong again. He’s had an incredible run over the last two games, and has managed to restore all of the fickle fans’ confidence in his abilities.
6. Are we going to have to put up with Shane Doan again?
5. This series, the Wings have played better when they’re the ones carrying the physical play to the Coyotes. They need to keep hitting hard and not letting Phoenix run around.
4. The PK and powerplay need to keep doing their thing. Since the disastrous first game, the PK has been fantastic. Special teams may very well determine the winner.
3. The second defensive pairing has looked much better over the last two games. Brad Stuart, in particular, had a great game on Friday night. The Wings need them to keep bringing their physical presence.
2. Will we get treated to a full-game effort tomorrow?
1. The Coyotes are going to come out hard hoping to get another home game in Phoenix. The Wings need to take this game seriously and shut them down. There’s no reason to make another trip to Phoenix and risk all of the assorted bad things that can happen in a Game Seven.

Red Wings 4, Coyotes 1 (3-2): Post Game Snipes...

• I cannot express how much fun I had hanging out with the #redwingscommune on our fieldtrip to Hockeytown. You guys made my day like you wouldn’t believe. I’m so glad that we didn’t have #communefail again. That would’ve been way too much to handle.
• How good does it feel to see the Wings leading the series? Please close them out on Sunday, boys.
  
• During the first period, we answered trivia about the Wings and I tied with a bunch of other people for the most right. We had a bean bag toss to determine who got a Pavel Datsyuk autographed puck. After two rounds in which none of us managed to score (obviously we were intellectuals, not athletes, and they kept letting us move closer), two of us finally scored. We had one more round and my octopus bean bag (How cute are these?) hung right on the edge of the hole and slowly fell in. I was really excited.
• They were also giving away loads of free stuff (spring cleaning for their storage areas?). We got Red Wings bags, No Limits signs, Budd Lynch bobbleheads, ornaments, pom poms, playoff t-shirts, glasses cases, water bottles, car flags, and scrubs.
• I’m sorry, but when did it become legal to stand on the goalie while scoring a goal? There’s no way that flies if Homer does it.
• This is how we celebrate goals at the Commune:
  
  
  
• This game was so similar to Game 4—a close, back-and-forth game until the third period when the Wings score with a couple of quick goals. I like it. Except for the unnecessary stress part.
• Todd Bertuzzi drew a penalty. We were all a little confused.
• We had a good laugh at Homer’s goal since he was cruising behind Bryzgalov in the crease.
• Datsyuk’s goal was just a thing of beauty. Not many goalies are going to stop that shot, but even fewer players are going to be able to make it.
• Z’s empty net goal was about as skillful as they come. A lot of the credit for it has to go to Filppula, though. He’s the one who chased the puck down and stripped the Coyotes player of it.
• The second period was rough. The Wings were on their heels and there was a definite sense of panic going throughout the Commune.
• That was a nasty hit Rafalski took when he drew the boarding penalty.
• What was going on with Phoenix fans beating up Wings fans in the crowd? Stay classy, bandwagoners.
• There was actually one Phoenix fan in the bar. She was sitting right behind us with a group of Wings fans, and we couldn’t understand why they would be willing to hang out with her. They were giving her a really hard time after the game, though, so all was well.
  

GP Review:
14. We need to see more special teams magic tomorrow.
The powerplay did not look too hot. On the other hand, the PK was spot on again. I can live with that, all things being equal.

13. Can the defense hold steady again?
The defense was better again. The second period was a nightmare, but that was more of a team-wide issue than just the defense.

12. I’m still looking for full-fledged Playoff Franzen.
I think he’s starting to emerge. He’s looked better over the last couple of games and picked up an assist on Datsyuk’s goal. That whole top line was going tonight.

11. Shane Doan might be back tomorrow. What is he going to do to make us hate him?
No Shane Doan. No sadface here. Also no Doanface, but that's probably for the best.

10. Which team is going to work harder?
This one was pretty even. I’d say the Wings outplayed the Coyotes, but the also went to sleep for large stretches of the second period. They’ll need to be better in Game Six.

9. Jimmy needs to follow up his shutout and Calder nomination with another strong game. I have high hopes that that game was just what he needed to get his head straight and confidence back.
Oh yes he did. Those two quick saves he made on a rush in the third may very well have saved the game for the Wings.

8. How many goal reviews will we have to endure?
They reviewed Miller’s goal (which, to be fair, wasn’t that unreasonable), and even came up with the right call. The goal that should’ve been waved off was the Coyotes’ lone tally. That was just ridiculous

7. Insert standard sixty-minute effort question:
The second period was not good, but you already know that. The Coyotes got a lot of momentum off of their illegal goal, and I was pretty worried for a while. The Wings don’t tend to respond well to adversity.

6. Faceoffs need to improve.
Where do they post faceoff statistics online? I can never find them because they’re not in the boxscores. At any rate, the Wings should still be better on those than they have been. They’ve got good faceoff men. There’s no reason for us to be talking about this at this point.

5. The Wings need to keep up their physical play. I’m sure the Coyotes will be amped up to be back in their building, and the Wings have to keep dishing it back.
Brad Stuart and Justin Abdelkader had some good hits out there, and Helm was doing his thing too. I think I even witnessed Todd Bertuzzi throw a hit. The Coyotes weren’t running around tonight, and the Wings were actually more dominant physically.

4. They also have to get off to a fast start. The first five minutes of the game will be crucial for setting the tone.
Their pace from the start was pretty good. It would’ve been nice for them to have scored on that early powerplay they got, but the happy outcome of the game makes me not care so much.

3. The Eurotwins need to keep doing their thing. They’re absolutely essential.
Datsyuk: goal. Ztterberg: goal. Keep it up, boys.

2. I’m looking for good things from Drew Miller. He’s looked feisty so far, and I like that.
Did I call that or did I call that? I’m going to start saying something like that about a random Wing in every GP.

1. How many of Hockeytown’s finest are going to be detained by the Coyotes’ arena security?
There was an octopus on the ice near the end of the game. I hope there was a hat being passed around in a bar in Phoenix to bail the thrower out. We were thinking of wiring some money from Hockeytown too.

Hero: Jimmy Howard
Twice in a row for Jimmah. He has really turned things up since getting called out by people who weren’t happy with his Game Three performance.

Villain: Ed Jovanovski
He now leads the playoffs in goals scored while using the opposing goaltender as a stepstool.

Final Thought:
Life really is better in the Red Wings Commune.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Five GP...

14. We need to see more special teams magic tomorrow.
13. Can the defense hold steady again?
12. I’m still looking for full-fledged Playoff Franzen.
11. Shane Doan might be back tomorrow. What is he going to do to make us hate him?
10. Which team is going to work harder?
9. Jimmy needs to follow up his shutout and Calder nomination with another strong game. I have high hopes that that game was just what he needed to get his head straight and confidence back.
8. How many goal reviews will we have to endure?
7. Insert standard sixty-minute effort question:
6. Faceoffs need to improve.
5. The Wings need to keep up their physical play. I’m sure the Coyotes will be amped up to be back in their building, and the Wings have to keep dishing it back.
4. They also have to get off to a fast start. The first five minutes of the game will be crucial for setting the tone.
3. The Eurotwins need to keep doing their thing. They’re absolutely essential.
2. I’m looking for good things from Drew Miller. He’s looked feisty so far, and I like that.
1. How many of Hockeytown’s finest are going to be detained by the Coyotes’ arena security?

Greatest Hockey Trophy...

My little sister, who is 12, wrote an essay for school about Lord Stanley and the Stanley Cup. How awesome is that? I've clearly taught her well. When she was little, I used to quiz her on the names/numbers of Wings. She had most of the roster memorized back in the day. Anyway, here's the essay she turned in to her 7th grade class. I'm so proud. Maybe she's a Wings blogger in the making:

"Do you know what the great hockey trophy is?" Joey asked his class.

"Is it the Davis Cup?" Molly asked.

"No," Joey answered.

"The Temple Cup?" shouted Matt

"World Cup?" answered Sarah

"Vince Lombardi Trophy?" questioned Jeff

"No, no and no" Joey answered.

"It's the Stanley Cup!" Joey exclaimed. "The Stanley Cup, which has been abandoned, stolen, and even used as a toilet, but still loved and kissed, was made by the Great Frederick Authur Stanley."

Frederick Arthur Stanley, also known as Lord Stanley, was born on January 15, 1841 in London, England. He was a political and sporty man, who loved fishing, he was the 16th Earl of Derby, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and the First Chancellor of the University of Liverpool. Frederick went to Eton College, Eton, England for High School and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for a university. Secondly, Lord Stanley served in the British Army from 1858-1865, and he was in the British Parliament. Thirdly, Frederick was also in the Secretary of State. Lastly, he was of English origin and Anglican and Episcopalian background.

Lord Stanley came from a large family, and he had many children. Firstly, his parents were Edward George Geoffrey Stanley and Emma Caroline Bootle-Wibraham Smith, and Frederick was born into one of the richest families. He married a English woman and had ten kids. Two of the kids were girls while the rest boys, the first, a girl, named Katherine Mary died at infancy. The other girl, the ninth kid, Lady Isobel Constance Mary Stanley Gathorne-Hardy, loved hockey and was one of Canada's first woman hockey players. Some of the brothers formed hockey teams to play against each other at public rinks. All of the Stanley's loved hockey, and none of them ever even saw a playoff game for the cup. The family moved back to England for Frederick's brother, Edward Henry's death.

The most recognizable trophy to ever be made, The Stanley Cup, was made for Lord Stanley's kids' teams to compete for. Firstly, the Stanley Cup was not originally named The Stanley Cup, its first name was the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. To elaborate, the new name was given when Lord Stanley passed away in 1908. Secondly, The cup was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945, and is known as Hockey's Holy Grail. Thirdly, the cup is also the oldest trophy, its 7 years ahead of the Paris Cup (tennis), and 1 year ahead of the Temple Cup (baseball). Lastly, the cup does not get bigger anymore, every 13 years a new ring is added and an old one is taken off. To this day, The Stanley Cup has 2,000 and more names on it, and every year new names are added.

The history of the cup and its maker is very exciting, and includes many adventures and trips. When he bought the cup was worth 10 Guineas, which present day would be 50 dollars. The cup was donated in 1892 and has been played for ever since. Secondly, the first team to ever win the cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, and it has been competed for for 116 years. Also, it has the largest sports traditions, like adventures, including: swimming, baptisms, wine glasses, and evenused as a popcorn bowl. Lastly, when bands are removed they are sent to Lord Stanley's Vault in Vancouver.

Lord Stanley made one of the most famous trophies to ever live, he will be remembered Poor Lord Stanley died of an illness, but he will always be in memory of the trophy. He passed away in Holwood, Kent, England; spending his last years in Liverpool. He was buried in Knowley, Lancashire, England, but has many memorials in Canada. For example, there are Lord Stanley Suites, located in Vancouver in memory. Another example is Stanley Park, which is located next to Lord Stanley Suites, in Vancouver. Also, in Stanley Park there is a huge monument honouring him, with his achievements.

The Stanley Cup is remembered every year by the Play offs that take place in the late spring. Lord Stanley is important to ever hockey player, amateurs, kids, college students, and especially the pros. Even though many things have happened to the cup it is still the most recognizable trophy today, and the creator isn't even given that much respect and credit.

Red Wings 3, Coyotes 0 (2-2): Post Game Snipes...

• During warmups, Sara, Amanda, Liz, and I tried to lure Homer in with some Homerbait candy that is one of his favorites, according to the Ikea staff. Sadly, we were not successful.
• Apparently someone saw Amanda’s “Snipe Snipe” shirt and asked her if she wrote SSDD. How cool/random is that?
• All day yesterday, I had horrible visions of this game going to six overtimes, and me crawling into work in the morning still wearing my jersey and smelling like a hockey arena.
• The scoreboard wasn’t working on at least two sides for the start of the game. Luckily, they got it working by the midway point of the first. People cheered.
• Why on earth was Z’s first goal originally credited to Bertuzzi? They had to have had a good look at it during the review.
• Datsyuk had four penalty minutes last night. I don’t think he knew that the Lady Byng votes had already been cast.
• Imagine if Zetterberg played the entire regular season like he did the playoffs.
• I didn’t see a single fan in a Coyotes jersey or shirt all game. I’m sure their fans were just being respectful of our building. Yeah right. I saw a bunch of Team Sweden jerseys, who I tallied in the Red Wings’ column and yet I didn’t see a single Phoenix one.
• I want the world to know that during that long PK in the third period, the LGRW chants didn’t stop for one second. That crowd last night knew its hockey. I was NOT a fan of the “Stanley! Stanley!” chant that was going around at the end of the game. That’s just not cool. Seriously guys, it’s only halfway through the first round. Remember what happened after the “Stanley” chants started at the end of Game 5 of the ’08 Finals.
• There were entire sections of the upper bowl standing up for the last few minutes of the third period from Datsyuk’s goal on. It was amazing. Seriously, the building was louder last night than it was during the third round game I went to last season. And, for the record, the building was full from start to finish.
• My only regret from the night was that there was no "Don't Stop Believin'." The late stages of the third were the perfect opportunity for it. We did do an epic job of rocking out "Livin' on a Prayer" though, if I do say so myself. You could hear us still singing well after play had started on the broadcast.
  
• I put my pictures up on photobucket. I can't edit them here at school, so they're pretty rough looking, but there they are.
  

GP Review:
15. This entire team needs to wake up and start taking this series seriously.
This game was much, much better. The boys looked engaged and made me feel a lot better about this whole playoffs thing.

14. Jimmy Howard needs to tighten things down and start looking like his regular season self again.
Boy did he ever. It was nice to see him turn in his first career playoff shutout after having a lot of fans calling for his head. Remember the days of STFU Ozzie? Maybe he passed that mentality onto Jimmy.

13. Defense, sunshines. Defense. It’s kind of important.
Vast, vast improvement over the last few games. I mean there’s still some work to be done, but it looked good.

12. Rafalski sat out practice with his old man back. Is he going to be able to go tomorrow? Are we going to wish he wasn’t?
He actually resembled an NHL defenseman last night. Having him playing real hockey made a huge difference with the defense.

11. I want to see the Eurotwins in full flight. There are few things more spectacular than seeing Datsyuk doing those crazy things he does in person.
I went to the game. Zetterberg and Datsyuk both scored. Coincidence? I think not. I stand by my statement that as the Eurotwins go, so go the Wings.

10. I’m hoping that his goal late in the game was the spark Franzen needed to get going. The Wings need him to start acting like playoff Franzen.
Franzen was more noticeable for good and bad reasons last night. His pass to Datsyuk was stellar, and he was actually driving the net from time to time, but stupid penalties are not good ways to show up on my radar.

9. Can we avoid any octopus-fumbling to start the game? I really had a terrible feeling when I saw that octopus slip out of Al’s hands on Sunday. It’s just bad karma.
There were tons of octopi on the ice last night both before the game and in the third period. Al executed a textbook octopus swing to kick off the game, and all was well. I’m telling you: this was key.

8. Are the Wings going to have to deal with Shane Doan? I would not be unhappy if he had to sit out tomorrow.
No Doanface. No sadface from me.

7. Make Bryzgalov work. His life hasn’t been difficult enough so far this series, and he’s already demonstrated that he’s beatable.
Bryzgalov was good last night, but Jimmy was better. That might be what this comes down to.

6. How many times are whistles going to go a split second before the Wings put the puck over the goal line? I think I remember a quick whistle preventing a goal against the Wings once ever. Usually these things even out.
There were no intent to blow incidents last night (which was good because, let’s face it, me being out in public during one of those would not be good), but that didn’t stop them from reviewing Hank’s first goal.

5. All I’m really asking is for a sixty-minute effort tomorrow. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
This was as close to a sixty-minute effort as we’ve seen all series.

4. Special teams could be the key again. It’s no coincidence that the game when the powerplay and PK were clicking was the one that the Wings won.
The PK was dynamite. That 5-on-3 in the third period nearly killed me. The best part was that the Wings were steady for the most part on the PK. They weren’t collapsing and running around. They stuck to their system and got in the passing lanes. Sometimes that’s half of the battle. What an improvement from Game One.

3. Where is Playoff Helm?
Helm was much better last night. He’s still not at playoff monster level, but he looked good.

2. I’m 1-0 in my playoff viewing career at the Joe. Please don’t drag me down to .500 with another lackadaisical effort.
2-0 baby. I’m taking donations to attend the rest of the games if you’re interested.

1. Mike Babcock said it best. What this game comes down to 99% of the time is deciding that you’re going to work harder than the guy on the other side of the ice. Every guy in the lineup could use an attitude like that.
Last night validated that, I’d say.

Hero: Jimmy Howard
I was so happy for Jimmy. Way to answer your critics, sunshine.

Villain: None of the above.
I'm feeling magnanimous today.

Final Thought:
This was one of the top three most fun games I’ve ever been to at the Joe. The crowd was even louder and more rowdy than it was during the third round last season.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Four GP...

I'm heading down to the game tomorrow with high hopes of running into some of my favorite tweeps during warmups. My seats are way up in the rafters, which is awesome because I'm pretty sure my little sister got a free ticket to sit way down in the lower bowl with her friends' parents. Regardless, I'll be there to take in my second ever playoff game at the Joe. My first was the overtime victory in Game Two of the Chicago series last season. The one with the Campbell turnover and Samuelsson goal to end the game. I've got some fond memories of that night. Let's add to them tomorrow.

15. This entire team needs to wake up and start taking this series seriously.
14. Jimmy Howard needs to tighten things down and start looking like his regular season self again.
13. Defense, sunshines. Defense. It’s kind of important.
12. Rafalski sat out practice with his old man back. Is he going to be able to go tomorrow? Are we going to wish he wasn’t?
11. I want to see the Eurotwins in full flight. There are few things more spectacular than seeing Datsyuk doing those crazy things he does in person.
10. I’m hoping that his goal late in the game was the spark Franzen needed to get going. The Wings need him to start acting like playoff Franzen.
9. Can we avoid any octopus-fumbling to start the game? I really had a terrible feeling when I saw that octopus slip out of Al’s hands on Sunday. It’s just bad karma.
8. Are the Wings going to have to deal with Shane Doan? I would not be unhappy if he had to sit out tomorrow.
7. Make Bryzgalov work. His life hasn’t been difficult enough so far this series, and he’s already demonstrated that he’s beatable.
6. How many times are whistles going to go a split second before the Wings put the puck over the goal line? I think I remember a quick whistle preventing a goal against the Wings once ever. Usually these things even out.
5. All I’m really asking is for a sixty-minute effort tomorrow. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
4. Special teams could be the key again. It’s no coincidence that the game when the powerplay and PK were clicking was the one that the Wings won.
3. Where is Playoff Helm?
2. I’m 1-0 in my playoff viewing career at the Joe. Please don’t drag me down to .500 with another lackadaisical effort.
1. Mike Babcock said it best. What this game comes down to 99% of the time is deciding that you’re going to work harder than the guy on the other side of the ice. Every guy in the lineup could use an attitude like that.

Red Wings 2, Coyotes 4 (1-2): Post Game Snipes...

• I viewed this spectacular game from the comfort of the Commune at Sara’s house. We had a delicious Swedish smorgasbord and sampled some of Homer’s favorite candy. The consensus was that it tastes like gummy bears mixed with memory foam. I really don’t think there could be a better favorite candy for Homer. It really fits his fake personality perfectly. Aside from the game itself, we had a fabulous time. Let's face it, Wings fans are just a little bit cooler than everyone else.
  
• Everyone’s already said it, but this game was miserable. It was pretty apparent that the dozen or so people gathered at the commune cared way more about the outcome of the game than the Wings did.
• Things went wrong right from the start. Not only did Al drop the octopus when he was twirling it, but the Wings gave up a goal on the first shift. Way to go, guys.
• That has to be one of the top ten worst games of Nick Lidstrom’s career.
• We were all shocked that Franzen’s goal went in the net. It was out just as fast as it went in, and nobody was willing to celebrate until we knew for sure. I didn’t think there was any net to shoot at, but it managed to squeak its way in off of the post. Maybe that’s the spark The Mule needs to get going.
• Shane Doan tripped over Jimmy Howard and crashed into the boards. At present, he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (I’ve got ten bucks on his shoulder.). Really, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
  

GP Review:
15. Playoff Franzen, wake up. Where are you?
He had a brief flash of brilliance with his goal in the third, but he’s still not pulling his weight. The whole top line needs to do more, but he’s been one of the Wings’ biggest underperformers.

14. Now that the series is back in a real hockey city, Wings fans can demonstrate how a building should sound.
According to Twitter, there were the standard insults about empty seats in the Joe. I think those people are stupid and petty. It’s the same old story every year from people who have nothing better to do. If you can’t rip the hockey team (and really, there were plenty of things to insult about the Wings’ performance yesterday), go after the economy. Because there’s nothing more funny than fellow Americans struggling to find jobs and make ends meet. I know I’m rolling on the floor laughing. And beside that, the Joe wasn’t really empty. Until the final few minutes of the third period, the building was pretty full and there were LGRW chants a plenty.

13. The Wings need to cut down on the back-and-forth action. Sure it was fun (or maybe heart-attack-inducing) to watch, but the whole series can’t go on like that.
Well they certainly did cut down on the back-and-forth. Unfortunately, that meant that their offensive rush was pretty much eliminated while still allowing the Coyotes to have numerous chances. It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

12. The PK needs to keep clicking. It was spot-on in Game Two after a disastrous outing in Game One.
They did manage to kill off all three of their penalties. This was one of the few things they did right.

11. The Wings need to keep dishing out the physical play. They were much better in Game Two largely because of the fact that they weren’t running around looking scared.
According to the boxscore, the Wings actually outhit the Coyotes yesterday. That’s nice, but I’d much rather see them outscore the Yotes.

10. The big guns need to lead the way again. I have a theory that goes something like “As the Eurotwins go, so go the Red Wings,” but that applies to all of the big guns.
Yeah, how about that?

9. The defense needs to tighten up. There were still too many turnovers and generally sloppy play last game.
If only…

8. The boys need to keep testing Bryzgalov. He was my number one nightmare heading into this series, but hasn’t kept me from sleeping at all so far.
We were talking about this at the commune yesterday. I’m afraid we may have jinxed things. I’m so sorry.

7. They still need to keep an eye out for Shane Doan. He was less destructively physical in Game Two, but still managed to run Nick Lidstrom with a late hit.
Doan took himself out of the game after tripping over Jimmy Howard and crashing into the boards. The fact that it was self-inflicted made me laugh a little.

6. Bring your tin foil hats. You’re bound to need them.
We busted out the tin foil during the game and came up with some…interesting creations. There was a fist hat. There was a bonnet. There was a face mask. Nothing helped.

5. NBC’s pretty much said that their plan is to talk up the Coyotes and their Cinderella story all day this afternoon. Start mentally preparing yourself now.
Yeah, they did just that. Nobody was surprised, and at least they were up front about it.

4. Sixty minutes? Pretty please.
This actually reads like a joke at this point.

3. The powerplay converted a couple of times in Game Two. Special teams are liable to be the deciding factor in this series. If the Wings’ powerplay can keep clicking, they’ll be in good shape.
They did manage to tally a powerplay goal, but it wasn’t enough.

2. Watch out for Wojtek Wolski. He’s been dangerous all series. Plus, he’s got that whole ex-Av thing going on.
Sure enough, he scored a goal. I’m never singling out a player in one of these again. I guess at least I get to say that I told you so.

1. If you’re going to the game, make sure you arrive early enough to catch the pre-game show. You’ll see some familiar faces. Andy and Maria would like some recordings youtubed if you’ve got a camera with you. If you’re not going, according to Malik, this WDIV camera will be working at all times except when the game’s on. I don’t know exactly what that means, but it might be worth a try.
The Wings posted the video today. It’s pretty awesome. I can’t wait to see it in person tomorrow.

Hero: Valtteri Filppula
He’s been one of the few Red Wings actually playing at his expected level during this series. He scored the powerplay goal to tie the game up late in the first period.

Villain: Sami Lepisto
He scored less than thirty seconds into the first period and spoiled everybody’s fun. Not cool.

Final Thought:
If the Wings actually bothered to take things seriously, the probably wouldn’t be trailing in this series.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Three GP...

It's pretty exciting that I only have to write fifteen of these things today. Wings' victories are like gifts that keep on giving...all the way up until the next gameday anyway.

15. Playoff Franzen, wake up. Where are you?
14. Now that the series is back in a real hockey city, Wings fans can demonstrate how a building should sound.
13. The Wings need to cut down on the back-and-forth action. Sure it was fun (or maybe heart-attack-inducing) to watch, but the whole series can’t go on like that.
12. The PK needs to keep clicking. It was spot-on in Game Two after a disastrous outing in Game One.
11. The Wings need to keep dishing out the physical play. They were much better in Game Two largely because of the fact that they weren’t running around looking scared.
10. The big guns need to lead the way again. I have a theory that goes something like “As the Eurotwins go, so go the Red Wings,” but that applies to all of the big guns.
9. The defense needs to tighten up. There were still too many turnovers and generally sloppy play last game.
8. The boys need to keep testing Bryzgalov. He was my number one nightmare heading into this series, but hasn’t kept me from sleeping at all so far.
7. They still need to keep an eye out for Shane Doan. He was less destructively physical in Game Two, but still managed to run Nick Lidstrom with a late hit.
6. Bring your tin foil hats. You’re bound to need them.
5. NBC’s pretty much said that their plan is to talk up the Coyotes and their Cinderella story all day this afternoon. Start mentally preparing yourself now.
4. Sixty minutes? Pretty please.
3. The powerplay converted a couple of times in Game Two. Special teams are liable to be the deciding factor in this series. If the Wings’ powerplay can keep clicking, they’ll be in good shape.
2. Watch out for Wojtek Wolski. He’s been dangerous all series. Plus, he’s got that whole ex-Av thing going on.
1. If you’re going to the game, make sure you arrive early enough to catch the pre-game show. You’ll see some familiar faces. Andy and Maria would like some recordings youtubed if you’ve got a camera with you. If you’re not going, according to Malik, this WDIV camera will be working at all times except when the game’s on. I don’t know exactly what that means (I can't tell if it's going to be shut off before the puck drops and only show the building filling up and warm-ups, or if it will be on during stoppages in play and commercials. It's not clear yet.), but it might be worth a try.

Playoff Pre-Game Show Sneak Peek...

Earlier this evening, Sara, Greta, and I got to go down to the Joe to get a sneak peak of the first 30 seconds of the pre-game show that will be debuting for the playoffs tomorrow afternoon. If you’ve got tickets to the game, make sure you get there early enough to see the pre-show. Judging by what we saw, it’s going to be fantastic. I can't wait to see the show when I head back on Tuesday. The crew put in hours and hours of work, and they're actually still there as I write this, as they were doing dress rehearsals until 3am.

I don’t want to ruin all of the surprises, but you’ll get to see none other than Fight Night at the Joe’s Andy kicking off the show. He makes another appearance in the first thirty seconds, as does Maria. They’re going to keep changing it as the playoffs go, so come early and often, I guess.

We got to chat with some of the Wings’ staff, and they talked about how they wanted fans to be part of the show because in the end it’s all about us. You guys should know just how blown away the Wings’s staff was by H2H. They really were amazed by the worldwide community that came together to make the event happen.

We were really excited to see Andy and Maria up there on the big screen (and when I say “big screen” I promise you that it’s not the one you’re thinking of). It’s cool to see some familiar faces represented.

One of the coolest parts of our little adventure was getting to see the Joe all dark and quiet. It’s one of those places that doesn’t seem quite right unless it’s full of loud people. I used to get the same feeling when I worked at Disney and got to wander around my ride or the park after hours. It’s like something is missing.

I posted my pictures here. Some favorites:


I got to park in the players' lot right in front of the Joe. This is my "OMG look where I am" face.


Hanging out "backstage." (Sorry, Disney lingo never dies.)

This is probably my favorite picture. They were testing the spotlights and they were just kind of roving over the rafters. I just so happened to catch it perfectly positioned on the Captain's banner.

Hanging out in front of the show's crew.

The oh-so-empty arena. That's soon to change.

Red Wings 7, Coyotes 4 (1-1): Post Game Snipes...

• Overall, this was a much, much better effort from the boys. Obviously, there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but I’m in the midst of a free-curly-fry-induced good mood, and have no desire to be overly critical right now.
• Poor Mickey Redmond sounded like he was in rough shape last night. I wanted to make him chicken noodle soup and tea. I’ve always wanted him to be my adopted grandpa, since both of mine have been gone for at least twenty years.
• Justin Abdelkader came out and threw some hits on his very first shift. It was beautiful, and exactly what the Wings had been lacking in Game One.
• Dan Cleary made a brilliant play early in the game that prevented a sure Coyotes goal. It was incredible. You could see the gaping net and the Phoenix player with the puck on his stick, and there was absolutely no way it wasn’t ending up in the back of the net…and then Dan Cleary was there.
• The ice was ridiculous all night.
• The second period was absurd. There’s really no other way to describe it. That’s kind of what I imagine the 1980s looked like in the NHL. I was okay with the back and forth, though, because I felt like the Wings’ chances were better in an open, run-and-gun style game than trying to get past the trap.
• I don’t remember whose goal I was celebrating (probably because of brain damage), but I managed to hit my head on the ceiling while jumping on my bed. This really shouldn’t have come as a surprise, because I only have about a half inch of clearance when I’m just standing on it, but I guess that’s why adults aren’t supposed to do things like that.
• The Wings had one shift during the second during which I could swear they took 50 shots. It was absolutely ridiculous. They didn’t end up scoring on it, but boy, was it fun to watch.
• FSD came up with a technical difficulties screen a couple of times during the broadcast. The first time it happened, the last thing I saw was Todd Bertuzzi’s elbow filling up my entire screen. I’m pretty sure he killed the cameraman.
• How perfect was it that Abdelkader scored that beautiful goal? I felt like all of our calls for him to be in the lineup were validated in that moment. And of course, Babcock looked like a genius.
• Williams who?
• Shane Doan’s face after scoring his goal was terrifying. As soon as I saw it, I thought “Puck Daddy photoshop contest,” and sure enough, one has been launched. Seriously though, that’s the stuff of nightmares.
• Henrik Zetterberg has now bought me lunch twice this season. If he keeps this up, people are going to start to gossip.
• Random, but the Wings had 13 shots in each period. Now that’s consistency. It’s also my favorite number. But I digress…
• Word on the street that the octopus-throwing Wings fan got arrested last night. That’s just lame.
  

GP Review:
16. Shane Doan. Someone’s got to step up and start dishing it back to him. It’s only a matter of time until he knocks one of the Wings out of the series with an injury.
Aside from his late interference hit on Lidstrom, he was much less noticeable than he was in Game One. This is good.

15. We get to see the long-awaited and much called-for return of Justin Abdelkader. Here’s hoping he lives up to the expectations we’ve all set for him.
I think it’s safe to say that he far exceeded our expectations for his play last night.

14. Lidstrom’s not happy about getting high-sticked and then lied to. This is probably the closest to angry that we’ll ever see him.
He just kind of did his same old Lidstrom thing. Not that I’m surprised…

13. Look for the big guns to make more of an impact tomorrow.
Take a look at that boxscore. Three goals from Zetterberg, one from Datsyuk, and a pair from Filppula. The only one missing from the scoring fest last night? Franzen. Sure, he picked up an assist, but he has yet to wake up for his playoff tear this season.

12. The PK needs to be fixed like woah. I don’t really think another three-goal failure is likely, but something needs to get done.
They were 100% on the penalty kill last night. It doesn’t get much better than that.

11. On a similar note, the powerplay needs to come through. That should be the Wings’ bread and butter.
They scored two goals on three powerplays. That’s more like it.

10. What are the odds that the Wings show up to play a full game?
They weren’t perfect, but in the grand scheme of things, I’m not looking for perfection. I’m just after wins.

9. Jimmy Howard needs to keep up his good work in playoff game #2. He also needs a lot more support from the guys skating in front of him.
He let in four goals, which is a concern, but with the crazy, back-and-forth style that was being played last night, I don’t think it’s a huge issue.

8. Where was my Playoff Zetterberg? Come to think of it, what about Playoff Franzen?
Zetterberg certainly delivered. Franzen, not so much. It’s not that he was bad, it’s just that I’m looking for that crazy Franzen that we all know and love.

7. The Wings need to make Bryzgalov’s life a lot more difficult. They had plenty of shots, but most of them were routine saves. He gave up a softie to open the scoring and needs to get tested more.
He was definitely tested more, and didn’t exactly rise to the challenge. None of the Wings’ goals were softies, per se, but he didn’t exactly steal the game either.

6. Helm needs to keep his head up.
The Coyotes as a whole were less physical last night than in the first game. This isn’t really related to the point above it, but I didn’t want to leave one without a comment.

5. What tin-foil-hat-validating events will transpire tomorrow?
I actually felt pretty good about the game. Sure there were some chintzy penalty calls, but there was nothing egregiously bad.

4. The Wings need to be better on faceoffs. There’s no reason for them not to be.
The faceoffs seemed better, but there’s still a long way to go.

3. The excuses about injuries and the like are gone. The Wings can’t afford to let another game slip away from them.
Wheras Game One resembled a game from November, this one looked more like the real Red Wings that we know and love. Tighten up that defense a little, and they’ll be in business.

2. I’d really like to not be the crazy girl screaming at her TV in the middle of the night again. Let’s please make this game stress-free and painless.
Ummmmm…not so much. There was more than enough stress to go around last night, particularly during the second period.

1. I want to see more Homer.
You know who doesn’t want to see more Homer? Ilya Bryzgalov.

Hero: Henrik Zetterberg
That one’s pretty obvious.

Villain: Shane Doan
Seriously, his face is going to keep little Michigan children up at night for years to come.

Final Thought:
Don’t disappoint the home crowd tomorrow, boys.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Two GP...

This is no fun. I was really hoping to only have to write fifteen things in this GP. I really hope this game is more fun to watch than the last one. Today has been long and miserable. Four hours of sleep plus my continued frustration at the game last night have not made for a pleasant day.

If you haven’t already, read this post by Sara (@it_burns_us). It sums our obsession up perfectly. I promise that it will make your life.

16. Shane Doan. Someone’s got to step up and start dishing it back to him. It’s only a matter of time until he knocks one of the Wings out of the series with an injury.
15. We get to see the long-awaited and much called-for return of Justin Abdelkader. Here’s hoping he lives up to the expectations we’ve all set for him.
14. Lidstrom’s not happy about getting high-sticked and then lied to. This is probably the closest to angry that we’ll ever see him.
13. Look for the big guns to make more of an impact tomorrow.
12. The PK needs to be fixed like woah. I don’t really think another three-goal failure is likely, but something needs to get done.
11. On a similar note, the powerplay needs to come through. That should be the Wings’ bread and butter.
10. What are the odds that the Wings show up to play a full game?
9. Jimmy Howard needs to keep up his good work in playoff game #2. He also needs a lot more support from the guys skating in front of him.
8. Where was my Playoff Zetterberg? Come to think of it, what about Playoff Franzen?
7. The Wings need to make Bryzgalov’s life a lot more difficult. They had plenty of shots, but most of them were routine saves. He gave up a softie to open the scoring and needs to get tested more.
6. Helm needs to keep his head up.
5. What tin-foil-hat-validating events will transpire tomorrow?
4. The Wings need to be better on faceoffs. There’s no reason for them not to be.
3. The excuses about injuries and the like are gone. The Wings can’t afford to let another game slip away from them.
2. I’d really like to not be the crazy girl screaming at her TV in the middle of the night again. Let’s please make this game stress-free and painless.
1. I want to see more Homer.

Red Wings 2, Coyotes 3 (0-1): Post Game Snipes...

• The Wings looked pretty good at the start of the game.
• Homer’s goal from close to the blue line was wonderful. It just kind of floated into the net past Bryzgalov’s glove. In his intermission interview (which totally validated For Sure…), even he didn’t know how it went in.
• I was kind of amused by the fact that the Wings’ first powerplay came off of a goalie interference penalty against Phoenix, when those memos the NHL sends out every year usually target Homer. Irony. It’s delicious.
• Mickey Redmond dropped a “for sure” when talking about Homer’s goal. I loved it.
• Lidstrom’s goal was one of those perfect seeing-eye shots that couldn’t be replicated if he tried it a million times.
• I never had a problem with Shane Doan before this season. Maybe I just never paid enough attention to him (It’s that whole, “Oh yeah, they have a team in Phoenix,” mentality, I guess.), but I never realized how dirty he was. He’s going to hurt someone before this series is over.
• The game-winner for Phoenix came after some textbook interference was ignored right after the faceoff. Guess who it was? Shane Doan.
• What happened to the penalty kill? Seriously, of all the times to fall apart.
• The non-call on the high stick that Lidstrom took was atrocious. And people wonder why Wings fans are conspiracy theorists. A four-minute powerplay there could’ve changed the game.
• This game was miserable to watch. The second and third periods felt like they dragged on forever.
• The Wings’ big names need to act like it.
• I hope the Wings come out angry on Friday.
  

GP Review:
16. Every single playoff round for as long as I can remember, my nightmare has been seeing the Wings come up against a hot goalie. This seems like it happens over and over and over again to them, and Ilya Bryzgalov is definitely the kind of guy who can cause me to lose sleep.
Bryzgalov was not the issue tonight. He hardly had to work for the last 40 minutes. And Homer’s goal was way soft.

15. The Wings are starting their playoff series on the road for the first time in forever. I’m still a little confused. Still, it’s intriguing.
Their whiteout was actually pretty impressive. In this day and age, though, it’s kind of stupid with the road team wearing white.

14. Will there be more octopi than snakes thrown on the ice?
Twitter told me that there was an octopus before the game, but I don’t have any visual confirmation of that. There was, however, one confirmed snake sighting.

13. Jimmy Howard’s making his playoff debut. I think he’ll be just fine.
He should’ve had the third goal, but looked good other than that. He made a bunch of nice saves, and was far from the problem.

12. What tin-foil-hat-inducing moment will we bear witness to?
It’s probably best if I don’t even get started on this one.

11. The FSD crew will be in rare form tonight, I’m sure. I can only imagine what beautiful turns of phrase they’re going to grace our ears with. I’m still mad I missed Murph’s mock awards on Sunday.
Ken Daniels referred to Datsyuk as “The Datsyukian One” during the third period. Is that new?

10. What percentage of the crowd will be cheering for the Wings? I’m willing to bet that half of the crowd noise the broadcast feed picks up will be LGRW chants.
The Coyotes fans were actually louder than I expected. I figured there would be more Wings fans in attendance.

9. I hope the game doesn’t go to a shootout. Oh. Wait. You mean ties are decided by real hockey in the playoffs? Wowzer.
Honestly, I would’ve been okay with a shootout, if only because there aren’t many opportunities for dirty hits during the skills competition.

8. This probably goes without saying, but it’s crucial to start out strong and stomp on the Coyotes’ little Cinderella story right out of the gate. Set the tone right off the bat and don’t let them get even a spoonful of confidence.
I thought this was what the Wings were doing at the stat of the game, but then they went to sleep.

7. Sixty minute game? Oh pretty, pretty please.
No.

6. How much support is the defense going to give Jimmy? As much as I’d love to see him stand on his head, my life expectancy will be a lot higher if he doesn’t have to save the day.
Not nearly enough. This loss wasn’t on him.

5. Two words: Playoff Zetterberg. Oh my goodness, do I ever love watching that man drive opposing star forwards batty.
Sadly, Playoff Zetterberg did not seem to make an appearance tonight. It’s wakey-wakey time, Z.

4. In a similar vein: Playoff Helm. Yeah.
Early on, he was in hit everything mode, but kind of faded as the game went on. Of course, he blended right in with the rest of the team.

3. One huge difference between last year’s playoff roster and this one is Andreas Lilja. I never expected to be that relieved to see him in the lineup. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he turned out to have been the missing link?
Well he certainly didn’t have any effect on the penalty kill. I thought that was supposed to be his thing.

2. I hope you’re not expecting rational thoughts or actions from me for the next little while. Word to the wise: It’s best if you don’t speak to me on gamedays. It’s also advisable to avoid me for a 24-hour period after any Wings’ loss. Trust me, you’re better off.
I really should’ve warned my roommates that the playoffs were starting. Yelling, screaming, jumping on my bed. It all happened. I’m also going to be running on 4 hours of sleep tomorrow thanks to my wonderful life decisions to stay up and watch hockey/blog about it.

1. No fear. No excuses. No mercy. No limits.
The Wings certainly looked intimidated by the Coyotes’ rough play. They were probably more concerned about making it through the game intact than anything else.

Hero: Tomas Holmstrom
He scored one of the most uncharacteristic goals of his career, and then gave a fantastic intermission interview. I really do love that guy.

Villain: Shane Doan
You know why.

Final Thought:
I’m all for Abdelkader being in the lineup instead of Williams (Who?) on Friday.

Coyotes Series Preview...

I, quite inexplicably, wrote the Game One GP before writing the series preview for the first round, so this is going to be pretty short.

Like I’ve said a couple of times already, the key to this series is going to be Ilya Bryzgalov. The Coyotes are going to live and die by his performance. I’m not kidding when I say that red hot opposition goalies give me nightmares. Bryzgalov (nickname: Breezy. What?) has the potential to spoil all of the Wings’ fun. If they can score on him as consistently as we all know they can, there’s no reason they can’t win this series. However, if he totally stands on his head, we might have to deal with and agonizing few games here.

The Coyotes fans are all up in arms about the prevalence of Wings fans in their home arena. This makes me laugh way more than it probably should.

The Wings are actually healthy for a change. They're hungry too. That's a dangerous combination, sunshines.

Guy to Grudgingly Respect: Ilya Bryzgalov
This probably would’ve been Shane Doan until the whole knee-on-knee incident. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and you have to appreciate what he’s done this season.

Guy to Fear: Ilya Bryzgalov
Yeah, he’s listed twice. Get over it. Nightmares. I have nightmares. For real.

Guy I’m Probably Going to Laugh at a Lot: Robert Lang
Just because.

Game time is in one hour. We've been waiting a long time for this. Let's get going.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game One GP...

Look, a shiny new GP format just for the playoffs. The idea is that for every win the Wings pick up, I get to knock one pre-game point off of my list. Obviously this is just a playoff special (Can you imagine me trying to come up with 82 things to say about the first game of the regular season?), and, uh, I’ve got high hopes that it’ll get easier as the Wings move forward. That’s perfect for me because my stress level rises exponentially with each passing playoff game. I'm going to try to keep some sort of GP Answers section in my recaps, but since they're not all questions anymore...I'm just winging it. (See what I did there?)

Sixteen things to look out for:

16. Every single playoff round for as long as I can remember, my nightmare has been seeing the Wings come up against a hot goalie. This seems like it happens over and over and over again to them, and Ilya Bryzgalov is definitely the kind of guy who can cause me to lose sleep.
15. The Wings are starting their playoff series on the road for the first time in forever. I’m still a little confused. Still, it’s intriguing.
14. Will there be more octopi than snakes thrown on the ice?
13. Jimmy Howard’s making his playoff debut. I think he’ll be just fine.
12. What tin-foil-hat-inducing moment will we bear witness to?
11. The FSD crew will be in rare form tonight, I’m sure. I can only imagine what beautiful turns of phrase they’re going to grace our ears with. I’m still mad I missed Murph’s mock awards on Sunday.
10. What percentage of the crowd will be cheering for the Wings? I’m willing to bet that half of the crowd noise the broadcast feed picks up will be LGRW chants.
9. I hope the game doesn’t go to a shootout. Oh. Wait. You mean ties are decided by real hockey in the playoffs? Wowzer.
8. This probably goes without saying, but it’s crucial to start out strong and stomp on the Coyotes’ little Cinderella story right out of the gate. Set the tone right off the bat and don’t let them get even a spoonful of confidence.
7. Sixty minute game? Oh pretty, pretty please.
6. How much support is the defense going to give Jimmy? As much as I’d love to see him stand on his head, my life expectancy will be a lot higher if he doesn’t have to save the day.
5. Two words: Playoff Zetterberg. Oh my goodness, do I ever love watching that man drive opposing star forwards batty.
4. In a similar vein: Playoff Helm. Yeah.
3. One huge difference between last year’s playoff roster and this one is Andreas Lilja. I never expected to be that relieved to see him in the lineup. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he turned out to have been the missing link?
2. I hope you’re not expecting rational thoughts or actions from me for the next little while. Word to the wise: It’s best if you don’t speak to me on gamedays. It’s also advisable to avoid me for a 24-hour period after any Wings’ loss. Trust me, you’re better off.
1. No fear. No excuses. No mercy. No limits.

There are no 7-11s in Ann Arbor. This is going to cause a serious problem when it comes time to obtain my ceremonial playoff Slurpee on gamedays. I'm used to being only half of a mile away so I could even run out during intermissions. I hope Speedway slurpees are going to cut it.

Red Wings 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT): Post Game Snipes...

• I missed most of the first two periods yesterday. This has become a disturbing trend over the last couple of weeks, but I assure you that it’s coming to an end now that the playoffs are starting. My little brother felt that it was his manly right to control the remote, and we ended up watching more Tigers than Red Wings (not that I was necessarily pitching a fit about this the whole time). No more though. It’s playoff time. Now things get serious.
• I particularly liked Brad Stuart’s shift at the end of regulation when he just kept knocking the same Hawk down again and again and again. Then he went and followed that up by scoring the game-winner in OT. You can probably guess who’s getting the baked goods at this point.
• Homer’s goal was another classic by him. In other news, if you haven’t seen it yet, Homer has a new fake blog, For Sure… (UPDATE: 4/13/10 11:58 PM: Uh, link fail.), which is being ghostwritten by several different people, including yours truly.
• It warmed my heart that the Wings were the reason the Blackhawks didn’t get to finish first in the West. A Hawks fan on twitter informed me that it was actually because San Jose likes losing games in overtime, but that makes little sense. I’m not surprised.
• The other day I said something about the Wings being done with the shootout for the season. As regulation ticked down and overtime went along, I was becoming more and more convinced that the boys were heading to a shootout just to spite me. Luckily, Brad Stuart was there to save the day.
  

GP Answers:
1. Are the Wings going to play like they want that 5th seed, or just coast through this game?
They got the 5th seed. Honestly, I don’t really care what they did to get there. It’s irrelevant now.

2. Can this game be at least a little more interesting than the last one against Columbus?
Tough call. I didn’t see most of it, but I was definitely entertained by the third period and overtime.

3. What glaring weakness is Chicago’s goaltending going to demonstrate?
Actually, from what I saw, he didn’t look too bad.

4. Can the boys just pretty please finish out this nightmarish season with a win over Little Brother?
:)

Cookies and Cupcakes for Brad Stuart
Oh my goodness, did ever look happy when he scored that overtime goal. I think part of it was relief that he didn’t miss the net, but I was happy to see him get the goal. He’s a guy that’s been solid for most of the year, but doesn’t get nearly enough credit.

Nobody gets the Golden Facepalm
Why? I’m feeling charitable today since I get to look forward to the playoffs now. Let’s head to the post-season with nothing but goodwill and rounds of Kumbaya.

What I Learned:
Bring on the Coyotes.