Red Wings vs. Flyers GP...

1. Ozzie’s getting the start today. I’m going to avoid making any really bad jokes about laying an egg on Easter and skip straight to the part where I say that I have absolutely no idea what to expect from the guy after he’s gone so long without starting. Is he going to be able to shake off the rust and look halfway decent?
2. This is the Wings’ last game against the East. Can they continue to prove that the Leastern Conference is a joke?
3. Today’s the day the Wings can hit the magic number to guarantee themselves a playoff spot. Are we heading to the promised land? I know I should be over this by now, but it makes me barf a little that we’re talking about things like this this late in the season.
4. We get to see our old friend Ville Leino today. Will we be treated to the version of Ville that we all dreamed about over the summer or the one who ended up benched even though half of the team was out with injury? I’m guessing the former, just because that’s the way this season has gone.

I would be shocked if I get to see any of this game. I blame NBC for picking up the game. Between noon mass and heading to relatives’ house, this looks like one for the old DVR. Grrrrr…

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 4, Wild 3 (SO): Post Game Snipes...

• Darren Helm and Patrick Eaves had a 2-on-0 on the Wings’ first PK. They didn’t score, but it was pretty fun to watch. Those two are just dynamite together.
• This game was breakaway city. It seemed like there were a dozen of them throughout the game.
  
• The Wings had a fantastic first period. The Wild only had 3 shots on net. The second period, on the other hand, was not so fantastic. They let Minnesota tie the game, and seemed like they barely escaped it with the score deadlocked.
• I knew that Minnesota’s goal that went to review was going to stand. I didn’t even need to see the replay. How did I know? I’ve watched the entire season. That being said, it was probably the right call. I just felt like Leggo owed the Wings one after screwing them over on Saturday.
• Minnesota’s second goal had to be reviewed too, as it bounced in off of Marty Havlat’s foot. Where is Kronwall when you need him?
• Larry Murphy is already gearing up for $1 Hot Dog Night at the Joe.
• We were all astonished for a minute when we thought Meech had scored that third goal. I actually said, “What’s next? Ville Leino’s going to do something good?” Of course, as we all know, the goal turned out to be Miller’s thanks to a nice deflection, and Leino continued his streak of uselessness.
• On a related note, I actually yelled at my TV when Leino was announced as a shooter for the Wings in the shootout. Not only did he miss, but he also fell over. I think it was fitting.
• For the life of me, I don’t understand why Filppula is so low on the shootout list. He’s got great hands, and is definitely more of a scorer than Cleary or Leino…which he demonstrated by scoring on his shot.
• The Wings have GOT to work on their shootout skills. ASAP.
  

GP Answers:
1. The Wings have been looking like their old selves for the last couple of games. Unfortunately, they have next to nothing to show for it other than some warm, fuzzy feelings. Can they keep up that level of play, or sink back into the habits of their recent past?
The first period was excellent. They looked like the Red Wings that we all know and love. The second period was more typical of this season. The third was back and forth.

2. Despite their largely solid play, there are still glaring defensive lapses that need to get taken care of (see the Sharp goal against Chicago, and a couple of the Capitals’ goals on Tuesday). Minnesota isn’t quite as dangerous as the Wings’ last two opponents, but they’ve been creeping up the standings lately. Can the Wings find a way to lock things down and show the kind of defensive focus that they supposedly pride themselves on?
I’ll go with a hesitant yes on this one. The three Wild goals tonight were all fluky in their own way, and it’s hard to blame defensive collapses for them (ie. a shot that bounced off the glass, flew over the net, and bounced in off of a player’s elbow.). The second period was pretty shaky all around, though.

3. On a positive note, the Wings have been getting more of an offensive contribution from the blue line over the last few games. Lidstrom and Rafalski have both chipped in with key goals lately. This is a huge element that’s been missing from their game this season, especially since Kronwall went down (exactly two months ago today). Can the back end keep it going tonight?
I wasn’t really referring to Meech when I wrote this question, but he picked up two assists tonight. There was even a point when we thought that he scored the Wings’ third goal. It turned out to be Miller’s after all, but I’m not particularly broken up about it.

4. Pavel Datsyuk has looked phenomenal over the last few games after floating along for most of the season. (Not only that, but he’s graced us with two great interviews over the last couple of days. The one at Puck Daddy is a must-read, as is pretty much anything that involves Pav and speaking.) Is his recent performance a trend, or was he just showing off for NBC and AO?
Pav was flying again tonight. He was all over the place. His long pass to spring Bertuzzi for his breakaway goal was a thing of beauty. He also buried his shootout attempt, and while it wasn’t as pretty as his goal on Sunday, it got the job done.

5. “The young goalie” has a chance to cement his status as the Wings’ starter beyond any shadow of a doubt with a strong performance tonight. Even the most die hard Osgood supporters can’t argue that the Wings are better off with Ozzie in net right now. Can Howard keep up his hot streak and demonstrate why he won the starting job this season?
Howard was on again, of course. Sure, he let in three goals, but you can’t fault him for any of them.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Drew Miller
This one doesn’t need any explanation.

An Extra Stick Tap for Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi
They were the two best players on the ice all night. During the first period, I was pretty sure that Bert was going to net us all curly fries. It’s a good thing I didn’t say anything, because I would’ve been accused of jinxing things. He just looked like he was faster and stronger tonight. If only he could’ve converted more of his breakaways.

Ville Leino gets the Golden Facepalm
I have absolutely no idea why he’s on the powerplay or in the shootout. Or even on the ice. I liked it better when they called Ritola up to replace him.

What I Learned:
The Wings are capable of winning shootouts after all.

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

• Okay, the Wings should’ve won this one. There’s no question about that. They were clearly the better team, but blew it in the third period.
• The Wings should’ve had more than two goals tonight. They had more than enough shots on net, and Jose Theodore isn’t nearly that good. I know that because he’s been dragging my fantasy team down all season. Of course, the night that I benched him with the hope of a Wings’ win, he plays well. So thanks for that.
• According to Ken Daniels, Rafalski’s goal went through Theodore’s pearly gates aka five hole. I was disturbed. He should know better than to pre-game with Murphy and Keating.
• The Wings’ powerplay needs to start sucking less ASAP. They’ve shown some flashes over the last few games, but they’re still having issues capitalizing when it counts.
• Filppula had one of his best games since returning from his injury. The Wings need more of that from him because they’re still largely a one-line team.
• I missed the interview with Datsyuk, and that makes me sad. If it’s not on Youtube by the time I get up tomorrow morning, I’m going to have some serious issues. I’ve been told that it was a good one.
• And that’s all I really have to say.
  

GP Answers:
1. The last time the Wings played Washington, we barely noticed Alex Ovechkin. Thanks largely to Nick Lidstrom, he just didn’t look threatening very often. The box score says that he got an assist, but the Wings did a great job limiting his chances. Will they be able to repeat that performance?
They held the guy without a shot for only the third time in his career. I’d say that that counts.

2. The Eurotwins were in vintage form on Sunday. They were the best players on the ice, and I think we’re all still trying to piece our minds back together after Datsyuk’s shootout goal. If the Wings want to gain any ground, they’re going to need efforts like that from them on a consistent basis. Are they going to live up to our lofty expectations?
Datsyuk looked like he was flying tonight. He always seems to get up for games against the Caps for some reason. I think he likes taking on Ovechkin. Zetterberg was less noticeable, but he had a good game too. He had a couple of glorious chances that he just put wide.

3. I haven’t heard who’s slated to start in net yet. Will Ozzie finally get a chance to redeem himself? He played the first game against Washington this season, and since it’s against an Eastern Conference opponent, a potential loss would hurt less, I suppose. You’ve got to figure that he’s going to get a start one of these days. I know Howard’s on a hot streak and is young, but at some point he’s going to need a break.
Ozzie got a chance, but he didn’t exactly wow anybody. I was hoping for a statement performance from him, but I was expecting one like we got.

4. The Wings have a chance to break into the top 8 with a win against the Caps. They’ll need LA to lose to San Jose, but it’s within reach again. They’ve had a few chances to do that over the last few weeks, and haven’t been able to put a good effort together. Can they finally get over that hurdle and start working their way up the standings?
I’m going to stop writing GP questions like this because every time I do, the Wings lose. Maybe it will magically reverse-unjinx-will the Wings to an important win the same way dropping the Nick Lidstrom question got him to score.

5. The Chicago game on Sunday was by far the best hockey I’ve seen since the playoffs. The Wings dominated for large stretches and controlled the play. They looked like the better team out there despite still missing some key guys from the lineup. I know we won’t be treated to that kind of hockey every minute of every game, but can the Wings keep up that level of intensity and drive on a regular basis? It sure would make moving up in the standings a lot easier.
I thought the Wings had a good effort throughout the game. The Caps seemed to pick things up a bit after their first goal, but with the kind of shot disparity that the Wings had tonight, it’s pretty clear which team was in control. This loss hurts.

6. Ville Leino or Brad May tonight? Does it matter?
Not really, no. For some inexplicable reason, Leino was back on the powerplay. If somebody out there understands why, by all means, let me know because I sure don’t.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Dan Cleary
His goal came off of an awesome second effort. I loved it, even if I’m not entirely sure why.

An Extra Stick Tap for Pavel Datsyuk
That guy was on tonight. He didn’t have anything to show for it on the scoresheet, but he looked like the best Russian on the ice. This probably would’ve gone to Bertuzzi on account of how good he looked for most of the game, but I have a self-imposed rule that you can only qualify for one award per game. Which brings me to…

Todd Bertuzzi gets the Golden Facepalm
Oh, Todd. I want to like you. I really do. It just seems like for every great thing you do, you make a glaring blunder that just drives me crazy. An offensive zone penalty late in the game 8 miles away from your own net? You’re killing me, Todd. Killing. Me.

What I Learned:
The Wings are incapable of taking the opportunity to climb into the playoff rankings.

Red Wings vs. Capitals GP...

1. The last time the Wings played Washington, we barely noticed Alex Ovechkin. Thanks largely to Nick Lidstrom, he just didn’t look threatening very often. The box score says that he got an assist, but the Wings did a great job limiting his chances. Will they be able to repeat that performance?
2. The Eurotwins were in vintage form on Sunday. They were the best players on the ice, and I think we’re all still trying to piece our minds back together after Datsyuk’s shootout goal. If the Wings want to gain any ground, they’re going to need efforts like that from them on a consistent basis. Are they going to live up to our lofty expectations?
3. I haven’t heard who’s slated to start in net yet. Will Ozzie finally get a chance to redeem himself? He played the first game against Washington this season, and since it’s against an Eastern Conference opponent, a potential loss would hurt less, I suppose. You’ve got to figure that he’s going to get a start one of these days. I know Howard’s on a hot streak and is young, but at some point he’s going to need a break.
4. The Wings have a chance to break into the top 8 with a win against the Caps. They’ll need LA to lose to San Jose, but it’s within reach again. They’ve had a few chances to do that over the last few weeks, and haven’t been able to put a good effort together. Can they finally get over that hurdle and start working their way up the standings?
5. The Chicago game on Sunday was by far the best hockey I’ve seen since the playoffs. The Wings dominated for large stretches and controlled the play. They looked like the better team out there despite still missing some key guys from the lineup. I know we won’t be treated to that kind of hockey every minute of every game, but can the Wings keep up that level of intensity and drive on a regular basis? It sure would make moving up in the standings a lot easier.
6. Will Ville Leino or Brad May be in the lineup? Does it matter?

One other note: Ville Leino did this the last time these two teams met. Remember when we thought he’d actually be good? I’m pretty sure that was the last time he’s been anywhere near the crease.

Red Wings vs. Blackhawks GP...

1. It’s been less than 24 hours since the start of the Dallas game (Oh, NHL, your wonders never cease), and while I’ve never been a professional hockey player, I can’t imagine that the quick turnaround—combined with flying home from Dallas—is easy on the guys. Chicago also has a short turnaround, so we should be in for a spectacular, fast-paced treat for the national TV audience. What are the odds that the Wings will be awake for the start of the game today?
2. The last time the Wings got screwed on a goal call against Dallas, they fell into a pathetic spiral of hopelessness. According to HNIC last night, the organization is “irate.” Will the team come out looking like they’ve got some fire, or let Chicago walk all over them like they did in their last two meetings?
3. I haven’t heard if Leino or May will be in the lineup today, but it probably doesn’t matter much. Either way, I have to ask: what new level of uselessness will they accomplish today?
4. Is there any chance that the Wings can actually score a goal against the Blackhawks this time around? The last two games against them didn’t really work out too well.

Red Wings vs. Hurricanes GP...

1. So Tuesday night was pretty much a demonstration of how not to win a hockey game. Having to ask this question over and over again is getting frustrating, but which Wings team are we going to get to watch tonight? The one that looks like it’s hungry for a playoff spot, or the one that looks like it already has golf reservations for April? Like the game against the Isles, this is one the Wings should win. Unfortunately that’s been a problem for…oh I don’t know…the last several years or so.
2. I haven’t heard yet whether Ericsson is officially slated to return tonight or not, but assuming he does how rusty is he going to be? He had really been starting to turn things around before he got hurt, so will the long layoff have caused him to regress to early season Ericsson or he can regain his relatively decent level of play? On a side note, it’s frustrating that he ended up missing a month when the original word was that he’d only be out for a couple of weeks, but when you consider how bad the play looked when it happened, a month seems like a blessing.
3. At the request of Andy from Fight Night at the Joe, I’m not going to include my question about Nick Lidstrom scoring a goal today just to see if it gets him to score. Not that he’s not doing other things well, but the offense could sure use his help. I’m also concerned that if he turns in a season with only a couple of goals, it’s going to make him less likely to re-sign during the summer. Instead, I’ll pick on Datsyuk again. Where is his head going to be tonight? Seriously.
4. Is there any chance that the Wings’ leaders are going to step up and lead by example tonight instead of letting the young guys do all the work? Or is that too much to ask?
5. I figure Jimmy’s going to be starting again tonight. Will he be able to keep up his torrid pace after stumbling a little on Tuesday night? There’s no way that the loss was his fault, but I worry about his confidence issues. (Seriously, between him, Bertuzzi and Leino and their confidence issues, the Wings’ dressing room needs a support group for feelings of inadequacy or something.)

Red Wings 0, Islanders 6: Post Game Snipes...

• I feel like I should just keep two standard recap posts with blanks to fill in team names and scores. The first would be the obligatory (and far too overused) “they played like crap with no jump or intensity” post in which I try to make sense of the team’s inexplicable failure to resemble anything close to a playoff hockey team. The other would be the one saved for those special games like the one against San Jose in which I think that all is finally right with the world and proclaim it to be a turning point. I think I’d save myself a lot of time and effort that way. If the Wings can get away with lackluster efforts like that on a regular basis, why can’t I? I’m pretty sure I put more effort into that game than any of their players did. And I was sitting on my bed at home in my pajamas eating a TV dinner.
• Using the west coast roadtrip as an excuse would be passable if the team hadn’t shown that kind of effort on a regular basis all season. I think it’s just lack of caring.
• This was the seventh time the Wings have been shut out this season. I’ll let that sink in for a minute…seven times. Somewhere, Ted Lindsay weeps.
• The Wings mustered a grand total of 16 shots tonight. And, quite frankly, that number sounds generous. The Islanders probably could’ve played the entire game with their goalie pulled and still won. Sixteen shots.
• The first period was atrocious. That’s all I’m going to say about it. I could tell pretty early on that it was going to be one of those games. By “early on,” I mean exactly 1:11 into the game when the Islanders opened the scoring.
• This was Brad Stuart’s worst game since Game 7 of the Finals.
• I really liked Babcock’s decision to swap Ozzie in during the second period. I thought it would give him a chance to get some ice time and try to earn his way back into the net. Instead, he looked just as bad as the rest of the team.
• At one point during the second period, the Wings actually put together a good shift cycling in the offensive zone. It was novel enough that I actually twittered about it.
• Someone threw an octopus during the second period. A) Why would you bother bringing an octopus to a meaningless game like that? and B) That was just an embarrassingly bad time to throw it in an embarrassingly bad game. At that point, the only place that octopus should’ve been thrown tonight was in the trash can.
• For the life of me, I don’t remember seeing Zetterberg on the ice once tonight. Likewise, the only reason I noticed Datsyuk was because he took a penalty. Somebody needs to wake up the Eurotwins because the Wings need them to lead the team. Now. Not in a couple of weeks or next month. Now.
• Another invisible Wing (not that it’s surprising): Ville Leino. I know I said that I didn’t notice Z or Pav at all, but that was a bit of an exaggeration. I literally didn’t see Leino once. Not one single time. Admittedly, I wasn’t paying 100% attention, but still…not once.
• Only 5 Wings finished with an even +/- rating. Everyone else was negative.
• Datsyuk only played 16:06 and Zetterberg 15:18. Bert led all forwards with 17:48 tonight. Who thought they’d see that day when the season started. Eaves and Filppula also beat out the Eurotwins in ice time. It’s also interesting that not a single Wing was in single digits for ice time. What does all this mean? Probably nothing other than the fact that I can read numbers in a spreadsheet.
  

GP Answers:
1. The Wings have a chance to enter the playoff picture with a win tonight. They also need to start to pull away from the teams below them in the standings, which is almost as important. Can they follow up their latest “statement game” with another performance that brings hope to Wings fans everywhere?
No, no, and no. It’s interesting that the Islanders were also on the cusp of a playoff seed tonight. I guess it’s clear which team wanted it more. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t the Wings.

2. Datsyuk roared back with a stellar game against San Jose on Saturday night. He’s been inconsistent all year, with a tendency to fade in and out from game to game. Can he put together another strong performance and start climbing out of Wings fans’ collective doghouse?
Hahahahahahahaha. How cute and naïve this question seems now. He was absolutely invisible for the entire game except for that part where he threw a nice, hard check into an Islander…who didn’t have the puck.

3. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
Probably never.

4. What’s Darren Helm going to do to make Wings vans swoon tonight?
He hobbled off the ice during the first period. I wouldn’t classify that as swoon-worthy, but it darn near made every Wings fan faint in a fit of panic...which is kind of like swooning, I guess.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Darren Helm
I think I noticed him skating once or twice, which is more than I can say for most of the guys on the team. This is only being awarded tonight because I set a rule when I started saying that I had to hand this and the Facepalm out for every game. I'm going to make them non-fat cookies and cupcakes tonight so that they taste like cardboard and air.

Brad Stuart gets the Golden Facepalm
His turnover leading to the Islanders’ third goal was just horrific. I’m going to go warn my housemates that if I wake up screaming in the middle of the night tonight, it’s because I was having nightmares replaying that play in my head.

An Extra Facepalm for Derek Meech (still need a better title for this one)
He was -5 on the night. Enough said.

What I Learned:
The San Jose game wasn’t the turning point we’d all hoped for after all.

Red Wings 2, Kings 1: Post Game Snipes...

• It was nice to see Zetterberg throwing a hit on the opening shift. Well, really, it was nice to see him on the ice at all.
• The Wings did not start particularly well. I don’t know why I even bother pointing that out any more.
• I really, really liked Cleary’s goal. It was hard-working and “ugly.” In hockey, that equals beautiful.
• The Wings’ first PK was phenomenal. I’m pretty sure they had more chances during those 2 minutes than LA did. They had 3 or 4 good breaks into the Kings’ zone. What a turnaround the PK has had since the start of the season and last year.
• The play that led to the Wings’ second PK was ridiculous. I’ve seen the replay numerous times now, and I still can’t figure out how the puck didn’t go into the net. While that was going on (as well as a similar play on the Kings’ ensuing powerplay), I kept wondering where Brad Watson and his intent to blow were. Seriously.
• After their last-second goal to end the first, the Wings kind of went to sleep and left Jimmy Howard out to dry.
• During one of the intermission shows, Mickey York announced that we were under a, "severe cuddle alert." I'm not making this up.
  
• Howard nearly gave me a heart attack in the third when he got stung by that shot.
• Brad Watson, I still hate you. Just so you know.
• Oh boy was Jimmy Howard on fire tonight. He got lucky on about a bazillion plays, but like Mickey always says, “you have to be good to be lucky, and you have to be lucky to be good.”
• Darren Helm is the fastest man alive. I don’t care about Usain Bolt. I’ve decided.
• Was Ville Leino even on the ice tonight? I think I saw him once. And he gave the impression of potentially being useful before disappearing without doing anything.
• You'd like to think that the Wings would be feeling like their backs are against the wall with the standings looking the way they are. The sure didn't look like it with their play through the last two periods tonight. All the recently-healed guys in the world won't make a difference if the team doesn't show up to play every night.
• If ever there was a game the Wings didn’t deserve to win, I’d say it was this one. I don’t recall that happening once this season. It was a nice change from what was happening a while ago when the Wings were playing well and still not winning.
• I’m really glad I stayed up to watch the game. I suspect I’ll feel differently tomorrow at work. Thank you, Darren Helm, for preventing it from going to OT.
• I wonder how Team USA's feeling now about choosing Quick over Howard.
  
• Winning this game was huge, especially since it didn't turn into a three-pointer. It places the Wings only 3 point behind the Kings for the 8 spot.
  

GP Answers:
1. Obviously the big news is the return of Zetterberg and Cleary. Filppula’s return a couple of weeks ago gave the team a boost, so what kind of effect will getting two key guys have on the team?
Well, Cleary kind of made an impact, I’d say. Memo to the other injured Wings: now that’s how you make a comeback from IR. Z was pretty noticeable in the first period, but seemed to fade afterward. It was nice to actually have a legitimate second line for a change, though.

2. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
No. I should probably just start copy/pasting my answer here too.

3. Not only did the powerplay not help the Wings on Tuesday against Anaheim, it hurt them when they gave up a shorthanded goal and completely lost their focus. I asked this before that game too, but when is the powerplay going to become an actual advantage for the Wings again? Hopefully the return of Cleary and Zetterberg will spark things since there’ll actually be a legitimate second unit. At least up front anyway.
The powerplay still makes me sad. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

4. Datsyuk sleepwalked through the last game (and several others before that). He’s starting to try my patience, which is kind of a feat because he’s one of my favorite players. Will Zetterberg’s return give him the spark that he’s been lacking?
He definitely looked livelier during the first period, but faded after that. I thought he might have some of that Eurotwin synergy going with Z there, but he was largely invisible for the second half of the game. He did manage to take two penalties, although the second one was a pretty weak call.

5. Babcock’s going with Howard again tonight. I’m not particularly surprised about it. He looked shaky on Tuesday, but I had kind of a feeling that Babcock would go back to him to show that he still has confidence in him. Otherwise it sends the message that the first time you screw up, you’re out, and I don’t think that’s the kind of pressure he wants to put on his rookie goalie. However, if Jimmy falters again, I’ll be looking to see Ozzie in net next time around. How will Howard rebound from his first less than stellar game in a while?
Oh, I’d say he rebounded pretty darn well. How about you?

Cookies and Cupcakes for Jimmy Howard
Good? Lucky? I don’t care. He stole the show tonight. I’m going to go ahead and proclaim this his best game ever. I know he was scrambling and doing numerous Hasek impressions, but…good lord was he good tonight. I really wanted him to get the shutout. It would’ve been amazing.

An Extra Stick Tap for Darren Helm
He made the play with his ridiculous speed racing in to prevent Quick from playing the puck in the corner. He then managed to finish for a change. He’s had a great string of games. What an effort on that shift.

Todd Bertuzzi gets the Golden Facepalm
He took the penalty that led to the Kings’ goal late in the third that broke Jimmy's shutout. It was his second penalty of the game.

What I Learned:
Mike Babcock is a genius. I mean, we all kind of knew that already, but I know there were a lot of people questioning his goalie decision today.

Red Wings vs. Ducks GP...

1. Every time the Wings play Anaheim, I have to ask myself the same question: What will the Ducks do tonight to make me hate them even more?
2. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
3. Cleary and Zetterberg are expected back on Thursday (*fingers crossed*). That means two guys are going to be headed to Grand Rapids or the press box. I had my money on Ritola being the first to go, but now that he’s being kept in the lineup over Leino tonight, who knows what could happen? Tonight would be a really good time for one (or more) of the bubble guys to have a “statement game.” Will it be May who starts sitting regularly? Leino (answer: most likely)? Maltby? What about Ritola? They have to know that they’re on the bottom rung of the ladder, so it would be nice to see them playing like they have something at stake.
4. Is getting a powerplay actually going to be an advantage for the Wings tonight? It’s probably (hopefully) the last chance for some of the guys on the 2nd unit to show their stuff tonight, so maybe they’ll take advantage.

New Rules for 2010...

Inspired by Mitch Albom’s column on Sunday (Yeah, I know, I know.), I decided to write some of my own rules for 2010 (pronounced twenty-ten, sunshines). Since we live in Little Gary’s universe, and I have absolutely zero power, none of these things will ever happen. A girl can dream though. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

For the Red Wings:

• Chris Osgood has to age at least a little. He looks like he could be my kid brother. I’m only 23.
• Mike Babcock has to wear fedoras to every game. This is crucial.
• Ozzie’s calendar is only allowed to include the months of April, May, and June. They’ll just cycle through four times a year each.
• Nobody else in a Wings uniform is allowed to get hurt. Ever.
• The Wings have to release a new line of stylish tin foil hats for fans with fashion sense.
• Wings games are now state-wide holidays. No class or work can be scheduled during them.
• Darren Helm has to learn how to finish his chances.
• Pavel Datsyuk has to make an exercise video based off of his pre-game stretching routine. Move over, Richard Simmons.
  
• The 19th day of each month should also be a holiday on which everyone is required to wear Wings apparel.
• The Wings get a restraining order against Brad Watson and Dennis LaRue so we never have to see them again.
• Mickey Redmond must be unleashed on the telestrator at least once per period during each and every broadcast.
• Sorry, MacLean, the ‘stache has to go.
• Larry Murphy’s makeup artist is fired. Now.
• The Zetterberg fangirls have lost their privilege to vote for the player of the game.
• “Kronwalled” is hereby added to the dictionary.
• No more shutout losses. I won’t allow it.
• The Wings’ powerplay needs to figure out a way to score on a regular basis.
• Ville Leino has to race Darren Helm so that I can point and laugh.
  

For the NHL:

• All NHL broadcasts must include the word “fabulosity” at least once.
• Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire are banned. There’s really no need for anyone to ever hear them speak again.
• Gary Bettman must be constantly followed by an entourage of fans who walk behind him and boo him. Everywhere he goes, they follow.
• Nobody gets to use the word “fronting” any more. It’s to be permanently deleted from everyone’s vocabulary.
• Ditto for “time and space.”
• Whining is now a 5 minute major. Boo hoo, he touched you with his stick. You’re a grown man who’s making more money to play a game than I’ll ever make in my life. Man up. This also applies to my little sister.
• No more ads with Sidney Crosby. Seriously. We don’t want to see his face.
• Dennis LaRue and Brad Watson will both win the lottery only to find out that the lotto agency “intended to blow” the whistle before their numbers were drawn. They don’t get a penny.
• Versus must learn to show appropriate replays. You know, things like penalties that might be important to the game.
• All sports bars are required to carry Versus. No excuses.
• NBC has to stop pretending that nobody has ever seen a hockey game before when it broadcasts games. Believe it or not, not all of us need to have the concept of a powerplay explained to us.
• Third jerseys are no longer permitted.
• Ditto for pink ones. These are a travesty.
• Nobody talks about Crosby’s dryer or the Lucky Loony ever again. Enough is enough.
• The league has to market at least one team in the West not located in Chicago. I’m sick of seeing all the hype directed at the Eastern Conference when statistics clearly show that the West is superior.
  

For everyone else:

• It's pronounced twenty-ten. Get with the program.
  
• All slow walkers (who are not elderly…we’ll give them a pass) will be banished to Siberia.
• Lolspeak must die a miserable, painful death. You look like a moron when you write like that. And I judge you.
• Anyone who leaves shopping carts in the middle of parking lots without returning them to the cart corral will have their driver's license revoked.
  
• Nobody over the age of 13 is allowed to have a fauxhawk. I’m looking at you, Bertuzzi.
• Stores are no longer allowed to claim something is on clearance if it’s only 30% off. 30% is not a clearance. It’s just a good sale. At half off, we’ll talk.
• If you don’t feel like driving the speed limit, you’re banned from the freeway. Take the side streets. I have places to be, and I’d like to get there in a timely manner.
• Twelve-year-olds don’t need fancy phones and unlimited text message plans.
• Using a kid leash is now considered child abuse.
  
• Waking up before 8 AM is prohibited.
• The minimum tip for adequate service is 15%. And that’s pretty stingy. 20% should be your baseline. Servers have bills to pay, and rely on tips for their living. Complementing them is nice, but before leaving a bad tip, stop and consider whether kind words from a stranger would help you make your car payment.
• All Crocs and Ugs must be burned.
• Ditto for anything Twilight related. In fact, the word “twilight” is also banned, except for when referring to dusk.

(UPDATE 9:55 PM 1/4/09) Two important ones that I forgot:

• Lady Gaga=gone. ASAP.
• If you walk down the middle of a parking lot aisle and block traffic, you can legally be run over by the cars trying to get through. You're fair game at that point.
  

December Notes...

I tried writing a monthly recap after each of the first two months of the season, but I didn’t really like it very much. I’ve decided, instead, to list 31 things that happened in December—one for each day of the month. They’re not even close to being in chronological order, but as is probably apparent, I’m a big fan of bullet points and lists, so hopefully this format will stick.

1. Darren McCarty officially retired.
2. We launched The Obstructed View.
3. We learned that Ville Leino really does only score once in a blue moon.
4. The PK was ridiculous this month—and for the first time in a long time, that means ridiculous in the good sense of the word.
5. Chris Osgood who?
6. Henrik Zetterberg got hurt…and a million fangirls (and fanboys) wore black. They should be returning to their regular player of the game voting routines in the near future.
7. The powerplay was virtually non-existent.
8. The Herm to Hockeytown campaign was launched.
9. Nick Lidstrom’s goalless streak reached absurd heights.
10. Leino managed to play his way right into the press box. Twice…even though everyone and their uncle was injured.
11. The Joe was actually full or close to it for a few games there. Thanks, Christmas Break.
12. The Wings were shutout three times, including twice in a row by Chicago.
13. Valtteri Filppula rejoined the lineup as a belated Christmas present for all of the good little boys and girls of Hockeytown. Wings fans didn’t know what to make of having a guy return to the lineup…it was unprecedented.
14. Brian Rafalski found his team picture adorned with hair for a change.
15. Todd Bertuzzi was the only Wing who remembered how to score. He was absolutely out of control during December.
16. Jimmy Howard got his first NHL shutout. Conveniently, he waited until I was on vacation.
17. We were not treated to curly fries. Is a free snack courtesy of the Wings every now and then too much to ask?
18. Kris Newbury got called up, took a penalty on his first shift, and followed it up by scoring a goal as soon as he got out of the box.
19. Darren Helm scored two shorthanded goals on New Year’s Eve. Even though the second one was an empty netter, it was a good performance.
20. We confessed our sins against the Hockey Gods in an attempt to get them back on the Wings’ side and end the injury epidemic that’s been plaguing them all season.
21. The Wings ended an 8-game streak of 27 straight penalty kills that dated back to November. In light of recent history with their PK, this was absolutely epic.
22. I also read somewhere that the Wings’ PK rating for the month was 95%. Again, epic.
23. On two separate occasions, the Wings had a player injured on the same shift that they gave up a goal—Lebda ended up being okay, but Ericsson’s still out with his knee injury.
24. Trevor Thompson called Todd Bertuzzi a pre-teen…while sitting right next to him. It was an incredible act of bravery.
25. I don’t have the exact numbers, but approximately 86% of the Griffins’ roster made an appearance in the Winged Wheel this month. Things have not been pretty around here.
26. There was a stretch of four games in which Bertuzzi was the only Wing to score a goal. It was pretty sad.
27. Darren Helm created approximately 743 chances off of breakaways or partials, and scored on one of them. If he converted just 1% of the chances that his speed generates, he’d be a 50-goal scorer.
28. Dan Cleary went down with separated shoulder. He’s still out.
29. Helm also got in on the injury action when he sat out a couple of games with a bum wrist.
30. Our hopes for each game went from wanting to win to wanting to skate away with no injuries to just hoping that the injuries were short-term. It’s been that kind of season.
31. The Wings managed to end 2009 on a high note with their win over the Avs on NYE. And what a relief it was.

Okay, that was harder than I thought it would be. I’m already looking forward to February and its measly 28 days.

Wings 4, Coyotes 1: Post Game Snipes...

• The Wings were inches away from scoring into their own empty net on Phoenix’s first delayed penalty call. I think I would’ve cried if it had gone in the net.
• The Wings scored a powerplay goal tonight. I was almost in a state of disbelief. I’d almost forgotten how to experience any emotion other than frustration with the Wings’ powerplay.
• Holmstrom’s first goal came off of a nice tip. So did his second one. They were pretty much textbook Tomas Holmstrom.
• Datsyuk's goal was also a thing of beauty.
  
• No seriously. Watching him tip the puck is like viewing art. I don’t know what that says about me, but I’m sure it’s nothing good.
• Brad Stuart had a breakaway? I saw it, but I really thought it was Helm at first based on the 3 on the back of his jersey.
• I really wanted them to give that second goal to Nick. On the other hand, it’s easier to meet my self-imposed 4 question quota for the GPs if I just keep copy/pasting that in.
• Could some of the calls that the Wings took have been any weaker? I mean really.
• Jimmy Howard was fantastic again. Who wants to bet that he gets the next start?
• The Wings gave up a goal on the 5-on-3 penalty kill, but I’m not too broken up about it.
  

GP Answers:
1. Leino looked better on New Year’s Eve. He did things like skate and appear to have a purpose out there on the ice. He even scored a goal. With Brad May’s injury, he’s guaranteed another shot at playing, so can he build on that performance and work his way out of the doghouse?
I thought he looked like a hockey player again tonight. He’s not exactly lighting things up, but he didn’t seem to be meandering aimlessly around the ice like he was pre-benching.

2. Guys will be coming back from injuries in the next couple of weeks. It’s time for the guys who’ve been playing to start fighting for their jobs. Who’s going to play well enough to guarantee himself a spot in the lineup every night?
Miller, Eaves, and Ritola stood out as the best of the “bubble” guys. I don’t think there’s any way that Ritola will be staying with the big club once guys come back from their injuries, but he’s impressed me in his time with the Wings. Miller’s been nothing but solid since he got picked up off of waivers, and he had a couple of decent chances tonight. And Eaves has shown his signing to be yet another Kenny Holland stroke of genius.

3. Tonight marks the start of a 5-game roadtrip. Ten points are at stake (How do you like those mad math skills?) on the trip, and it’s important for the Wings to start stringing together some wins. Will they be able to start it off well and set a good tone for the rest of the roadtrip?
Well they certainly got off to a good start. Here’s hoping that they can keep up that tempo throughout.

4. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
Oh, he came close tonight. FSD originally awarded Holmstrom’s second tally to Nick, but the replays showed that it had been tipped in front. He’s been much more active in the offensive zone the last couple of games and had some great chances tonight. But…halfway through the season, he’s on pace for a 2 goal season. And that makes me sad.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Tomas Holmstrom
Two glorious tip-in goals are enough to earn the baked goods any night. I could watch those replays all night.

An Extra Stick Tap for Nick Lidstrom
He was, of course, fantastic all around. He was much more noticible in the offensive zone than he has recently, and was his usual perfectly-placed self on the other end of the ice. I usually don’t give him enough credit, so I want to give him his due tonight.

Justin Abdelkader gets the Golden Facepalm
I had a hard time choosing this one, but I’ll give it to Abdelkader because there’s really no reason to ever take an offensive zone penalty while your team is on the powerplay. And he did that tonight.

What I learned:
Euchre is supposedly known as Bacon (scroll to the Origins section) on the East Coast. I've never heard this, and I've played my share of Euchre with folks from around the country (after putting them through Euchre boot camp, of course). Apparently there's also some kind of bacon salt that you can use to make everything taste like bacon. I don't know what to make of this.

Wings vs. Coyotes GP...

1. Leino looked better on New Year’s Eve. He did things like skate and appear to have a purpose out there on the ice. He even scored a goal. With Brad May’s injury, he’s guaranteed another shot at playing, so can he build on that performance and work his way out of the doghouse?
2. Guys will be coming back from injuries in the next couple of weeks. It’s time for the guys who’ve been playing to start fighting for their jobs. Who’s going to play well enough to guarantee himself a spot in the lineup every night?
3. Tonight marks the start of a 5-game roadtrip. Ten points are at stake (How do you like those mad math skills?) on the trip, and it’s important for the Wings to start stringing together some wins. Will they be able to start it off well and set a good tone for the rest of the roadtrip?
4. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.

This is the last GP before I start school again. Beginning Monday, it’s going to be tough to get GPs up during the week as regularly as I’ve been doing. I’m going to try to write them the night before games, but since I’m an all-star procrastinator, they’re probably going to be coming in the evenings instead…or not at all from time to time. I’m going to do my best to keep things going, but this next semester’s going to be pretty rough. Please bear with me as I stagger my way toward the finish line of the ridiculously intense, one-year, super condensed master’s program that I was crazy enough to enroll in.

Wings 4, Avalanche 2: Post Game Snipes...

• The game got off to kind of a rocky start as the Wings took a penalty 11 seconds in. Fortunately, the Wings were able to kill it off.
• Datsyuk was the first Wing not named Todd Bertuzzi to score in over 4 games. This is a truly horrifying stat.
• That “tripping” call against Filppula late in the third period was a joke in every sense of the word. There is absolutely no way in the universe that that was a trip. Maybe, maybe a hook if you really want to be ridiculous, but I was always under the impression that tripping involved taking out a player’s feet…or at least involve actually being responsible for knocking the opposing player down.
• I think it’s fairly apparent that the Wings’ PK is more of a scoring threat than their powerplay right now.
• We had a Blue Moon on New Year’s Eve. Ville Leino also scored. Just saying…
• The Wings’ PK, which has been lights out since Thanksgiving, allowed two powerplay goals last night. It’s hard to complain about that though, since it’s been so good recently.
• Craig Anderson was upset about Ville Leino's goal (although, to be fair, it has to be kind of embarrassing to be the guy who finally lets the loafer score). Here's a super high-quality video of him whining about the call. Adrian Dater is involved. You've been warned.
  

GP Answers:
1. 2009 hasn’t exactly been good to Wings fans. I think we’re all looking forward to 2010 and the joyous frolicking that surely awaits us in the new year. Before the ball drops in Times Square, though, the Wings have one more game to win. Can they send this less than stellar year off with a bang?
Yes. I still haven’t seen the whole game, but the Wings appeared to throw together a solid effort. I’m beyond ready for 2010 to start bringing good things.

2. The rivalry’s dead and yadda yadda yadda. I don’t care. I still take great pleasure from beating the Avs. Will the Wings pretty please end the year with a good, old-school beat down? It would take me right back to my childhood in the ‘90s.
Despite Holmstrom’s 500 penalties on the night, there wasn’t any nastiness going on. Not that I expected there to be much, but a girl can dream.

3. This is the last home game before the Wings begin a 5-game roadtrip out west (and randomly to New York at the end…NHL scheduling win for sure). During that trip, some key guys are slated to come back from injury. Can the guys in the lineup tonight hold down the fort until reinforcements come (see what I did there?)?
I didn’t really realize that I asked the same question 8 times in a row. Obviously, the boys were able to get things together, and…well, you get the idea.

4. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
Not last night.

5. Patrick Eaves is out with the flu tonight (thanks, Rafalski), which pretty much negates our theory about it being caused by lack of hair to cover one’s head. As a result, Leino is going to find his way back into the lineup out of necessity (this is becoming a trend). If ever there was a time for him to come back into the game looking like an NHL player, I would think that this would be it. Will he be able to reclaim his roster spot from Ritola with a strong game tonight?
Well, he came up with a huge goal in the third period. It took a video review to make sure that it stood, but it was a good goal, and a beautiful tip-in. I still think Ritola played a little better, but Leino showed up where it counts—the scoresheet. Apparently Brad May is now day-to-day with a lower body injury from last night (Seriously? More injuries? I don’t care that it’s just May.), so it’s pretty likely that Leino will be getting another shot tomorrow.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Darren Helm
Two shorthanded goals in the New Year’s Eve game? Even though one was an empty-netter, that’s spectacular. Over the course of the season, he’s created approximately 7,394 breakaways or partial breaks for himself with his ridiculous speed. We were all just waiting for him to finally finish one of them. Not only did he finish, but he finished with style.

Tomas Holmstrom gets the Golden Facepalm
At one point during the third period, he missed what could’ve been an easy tip-in because he was too busy taking a cross-checking penalty in the crease. I was pretty annoyed with that one.

What I learned:
In the month of December, the Wings’ scored 4 powerplay goals. They also scored 3 short handed goals. When your powerplay is almost tied offensively by your PK, you know you have some issues. On the other hand, they only allowed 5 goals on the penalty kill, which is pretty darn impressive.

Wings vs. Avalanche GP...

1. 2009 hasn’t exactly been good to Wings fans. I think we’re all looking forward to 2010 and the joyous frolicking that surely awaits us in the new year. Before the ball drops in Times Square, though, the Wings have one more game to win. Can they send this less than stellar year off with a bang?
2. The rivalry’s dead and yadda yadda yadda. I don’t care. I still take great pleasure from beating the Avs. Will the Wings pretty please end the year with a good, old-school beat down? It would take me right back to my childhood in the ‘90s.
3. This is the last home game before the Wings begin a 5-game roadtrip out west (and randomly to New York at the end…NHL scheduling win for sure). During that trip, some key guys are slated to come back from injury. Can the guys in the lineup tonight hold down the fort until reinforcements come (see what I did there?)?
4. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
5. Patrick Eaves is out with the flu tonight (thanks, Rafalski), which pretty much negates our theory about it being caused by lack of hair to cover one’s head. As a result, Leino is going to find his way back into the lineup out of necessity (this is becoming a trend). If ever there was a time for him to come back into the game looking like an NHL player, I would think that this would be it. Will he be able to reclaim his roster spot from Ritola with a strong game tonight?

I’m only going to get to see the first half of the game tonight, so there may or may not be a recap tomorrow. One thing that I wanted to mention was that I added up the Wings’ regular season and playoff record for the calendar year of 2009 for my year-end recap…and forgot to put it into the post. This is apparently what happens when you attempt to blog in the middle of the night. Anyway, the Wings have gone 61-36-11 in 2009 so far (obviously one game remains). Here’s hoping that they can bring that win column up to a nice, even 62 by the end of the night.

PS. Happy New Year, Wings fans everywhere!

Wings 0, Blue Jackets 1 (OT): Post Game Snipes...

• The penalty called on Filppula was a joke. Hooking? Seriously? At least they killed it off.
• I know I should be used to it by now, but Doug Janik is killing penalties for the Wings. I just…I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem right.
• One of these days, Darren Helm is going to figure out how to bury one of those chances he gets, and I think we’re all going to pass out from sheer joy.
• It was nice to see May step up and do his job by fighting Boll in the first period. I initially wrote it off as the world’s worst fight, but May got in a couple of good swings. I’ll mark it down as a win for him. He must be listening to the podcast.
• Mason played like he did as a rookie. Thanks for saving it for the Wings.
• The Wings’ powerplay is pathetically dismal. It makes me sad.
• On the other hand the PK’s been out of its mind good. It’s like the Wings can only have one special teams unit going at a time. When one gets good, the other tanks. I guess the debate should be if we’re willing to trade some of the PK’s success to jump start the powerplay.
• Janik got into a fight. I don’t think that that’s really his thing.
• I kind of lost interest in this game somewhere around the first intermission. The Wings had a few sporadic chances, but it just had the feel of a game that was going nowhere.
• The Wings have now been shut out in three of their last four games. I get that they’re injured, but something needs to be done.
• Was it just me, or was this one of the best Versus telecasts you've seen? They actually did things like replay penalty calls and shots on goal from time to time.
  
• All things considered, I guess I’m glad that they managed to pick up a point out of this whole mess.
• I’m so ready for 2009 to be over that it’s not even funny. Bring on the New Year's Eve game.
  

GP Answers:
1. Filppula made an immediate impact in his return on Saturday. He didn’t score, but he definitely skated with the air of someone who knew what he was doing on the ice. Now that he’s had a game to work off the rust, how will he look tonight?
He looked good again, but, like the rest of the Wings, got nothing done.

2. Ritola was called up to replace Leino tonight. If that doesn’t send a message, I don’t know what will. Anyway, Ritola has to know that he’s getting an enormous opportunity here. He’s been chosen to replace a regular in the lineup, not called up out of necessity because of a lack of healthy bodies. How will he respond?
I didn’t notice him very much, but then again I barely noticed anyone on the Wings.

3. Datsyuk got put in the doghouse on our podcast this week for not stepping up and picking up the slack during Zetterberg’s absence. The bottom line is that he’s the one who needs to be leading the team right now and he’s not scoring. Will he return to his usual awe-inspiring form tonight?
It’s not so much that he’s playing badly. He just isn’t bringing the fabulosity (we spent some of the third period recalling some of our favorite Versus announcer moments) that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him. And if ever there was a time that the Wings needed him, it’s now.

4. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
No.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Jimmy Howard
Well, you know why. I can’t fault him for the OT goal. He deserved a win tonight. He got let down by the offense yet again.

Brad Stuart gets the Golden Facepalm
He let Modin walk around him on the OT goal. In a 1-0 game, that’s all it takes to land here.

What I learned:
Letting my brother have the remote during a hockey game is a terrible, terrible mistake.

Wings vs. Blue Jackets GP...

I was pretty tempted to just copy and paste the GP from the last game because I have a hard time getting excited about playing the Blue Jackets twice in a row.

1. Filppula made an immediate impact in his return on Saturday. He didn’t score, but he definitely skated with the air of someone who knew what he was doing on the ice. Now that he’s had a game to work off the rust, how will he look tonight?
2. Ritola was called up to replace Leino tonight. If that doesn’t send a message, I don’t know what will. Anyway, Ritola has to know that he’s getting an enormous opportunity here. He’s been chosen to replace a regular in the lineup, not called up out of necessity because of a lack of healthy bodies. How will he respond?
3. Datsyuk got put in the doghouse on our podcast this week for not stepping up and picking up the slack during Zetterberg’s absence. The bottom line is that he’s the one who needs to be leading the team right now and he’s not scoring. Will he return to his usual awe-inspiring form tonight?
4. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.

I also had one note that I meant to put in my recap from Saturday night: Several years ago when I got a Fedorov jersey for Christmas, I wore it while I watched the next Wings game on TV. He scored 5 goals that night. Little Sister wore her new Datsyuk jersey while she watched the game at home on Saturday night...and he scored zero goals. Obviously somebody screwed up. Just saying...

Interview with Andy from Fight Night at the Joe...

The third and final part of Q&A series is with Andy from Fight Night at the Joe (You can also follow him on Twitter @FightNightatJoe.). It's an English-language blog (so there's no excuse for not stopping by) written all the way from Norway. I hope you've enjoyed reading these as much as I have. I'll be back in action Wednesday morning with a GP for the Chicago game if things go according to plan.

How did you first become a fan of the Red Wings? Why did you choose them over other pro teams?

This one has a bit of story behind it. My first favourite hockey club was the Canucks, because when I was four or five (92 or 93) my dad went to Canada and brought home one of those horrible jerseys the Canucks had at the time. It was the white away jersey by the way. When we got a channel that showed NHL in early 95 (they sent some re-airings of games during the day and now and then I was allowed to stay up and watch games live) I realized that except for Bure, the Canucks bored me, while these guys in Red and White had nice jerseys, a good swede, a russian line and Steve Yzerman. So I kinda started rooting for them then. And got to see a couple of pretty disappointing post-seasons, which really actually is something that makes you love a team more. The defining moment came in the summer of 96 though. I was at a hockey camp in Asker (15 minutes outside of Oslo) and we got visited for an afternoon and a morning by Scotty Bowman and Barry Smith (who were both in Europe for some reason). They had an on ice practice with us and coached us in an inter-group game (they coached each team for half the game) and also handed out some Red Wings effects. I still have a sticker saying "Proud to be a Wings fan" and I've been ever since the day I got it.

How large is the community of Wings fans where you live? Are there a lot of other NHL fans?

I've met a few dedicated Wings fans through the years, but none of my friends are Wings fans. Only three of my friends are NHL fans and they support the Avs, Caps and Pens respectively. Actually, most of the people that compliment me on my awesome Gordie Howe hall of fame t-shirt are guys who have been the Wings on the EA Sports NHL games.

The hockey community in Norway is very small, which is weird seeing as we're neighbooring Sweden, Finland and Russia. We've got about 30 indoor hockey rinks and maybe a few more active clubs than that. The economy in Norwegian hockey is pretty bad, and a team actually had to pull out of our Elite League in the second week this year because of bankruptcy. Still hockey is the second most watched live sport in Norway. Sadly, it is not watched much on TV and it doesn't get much attention. So the NHL following here is pretty weak. But hey, we at least made it to the olympics!

What do you do to follow the team? Is it difficult to see games or find news about the Wings or the NHL in general?

To follow the team, I watch every game (and usually OnTheFly) and read Wings blogs. To answer the second question, that is not easy at all. We've got one pay TV channel that sends a few games per week live and then a few more as re-airings in the daytime. So to watch the games you have to shell out for ESPN 360 (which covers most of the regular season games) or resort to methods that I probably shouldn't discuss here. Another problem is that the games start at like 1-2 AM here, so unless it's the playoffs I usually watch re-airings or on demand. The papers write little about NHL. The one that's best on hockey maybe has 2-5 small notices about the NHL per week and a big article every second or third month. And the little they write is usually either about Sid, OV or one of our NHLers (right now that's only Ole-Kristian Tollefsen of the Flyers). So internet is the place for NHL news.

What made you decide to start blogging about the Wings?

My road into blogging started when I began reading the Hockeytown Blog. Their links hooked me on other blogs and I started to read Snipe snipe, Dangle dangle and the Triple Deke regularly. As the weeks went by I started reading more and more blogs and one day I was bored at the university I thought that writing a blog looked kinda fun. So I started writing there and then.

Have you ever had the chance to see them play in person?

Yes, me and a mate (the Avs fan) went to Stockholm and saw the first game against the Blues this October. It was pretty fun, though the fact Blues won was a bummer. But we had 2nd row seats behind the St. Louis goal, and all the goals except Leino's and the first Blues goal was scored right in front of us.
The only other NHL game I've seen live was Sabres beating the Leafs 4-1 at the ACC on New Years day this year (I was in Toronto as parent for my brother's hockey team, who were playing a tournament).

What is your favorite hockey memory?

On the ice: Winning a Norwegian chapionship for under 15s (though that was bittersweet as I got 1 shift in the final game), scoring a hat trick against our rivals once and being a part of beating Farjestad one of the best teams in Sweden over two nights.

As a fan it's pretty hard to choose. Seeing Nick with the cup in 08 at five in the morning, two hours before I was off for a German festival was a highlight. The 7-0 blowout against the Avs in the 02 playoffs another. And I'll never forget when Stevie handed the trophy to Konstantinov in 98.
But I've gotta go with game four in 97. Even though i was just 9 years old and had been a Wings fan for two years, I understood the magnitude of the drought, and seeing them winning was huge. McCarty's goal might be my favourite single hockey moment.

Who is your favorite player on the roster right now? Why?

Tough one. I'd like to answer Ozzie, Nick or Dats. And Helm is becoming a favourite too, but I have to go with Henrik Zetterberg. He is the leader, the star, the guy who neutralizes the opponent's stars, while he creates offense at the same time. And he seems like a nice bloke. Nick might be more perfect, and Datsyuk has more flash, but Z is the heart of the team for me, and I can't really think of a player that I'd pick over him in the whole NHL.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Not really, only that Stevie Y is the man and always will be and that female Norwegian Wings fans should contact me (though I have a feeling that's a non-existant race).

And yeah, thanks for getting a chance to be interviewed here!