Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Six GP...

2 Red Wings vs. Sharks 3

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

(Might as well stick with the cake theme, eh?)

Three things:

• Showing up—Which Wings team will show up tonight? And for how long? The team that played the third period of Game Five is nearly unstoppable. The team that muddled through the first period? Not so much.
• Taking charge—Despite facing elimination, with the series shifting back to Detroit, anything could happen. The Wings' fate is still in their hands. Win or lose, the outcome is going to be their own doing.
• Mule—He's still a huge question mark. Babcock wants to play him if he's able to go, but is it worth it to risk being down a man if he re-tweaks it again? The injury's obviously been affecting him this series as it is.

Red Wing Zen:

Henrik Zetterberg

1-5-6, +/- 4, 2 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Five GP...

1 Red Wings vs. Sharks 3

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

(Since the cake picture worked out for Game Four, I present this one that's even better.  Just look at that frosting.)

Three things:

• Intensity—Playing like they did in the first period of Game Four would go a long way towards prolonging the series.
• Sixty minutes—Did you know that that's how long the game lasts?
• Special teams—Whoever wins the battle of special teams is going to win the game. The powerplay and PK have been huge factors all series long, and the Wings haven't been particularly good at either one.

Red Wing Zen:

Patrick Eaves

3-1-4, +/- 2, 6 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Four GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Sharks 3

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• One game at a time—If Philly could do it last season, who's to say that the Wings can't?
• Pride—Please, for the love of the Hockey Gods, don't go down with a sweep.
• Franzen—This is the game where he's supposed to go crazy and play like an unstoppable machine according to last season's series blueprint.

Red Wing Zen:

Jiri Hudler

1-2-3, +/- 2, 4 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Three GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Sharks 2

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Win the game—It doesn't matter how. It just has to happen.
• Goals—You know what else would be fun? Scoring more than one goal in the game. It would also help accomplish point number one.
• Discipline—The Wings looked frustrated during the third period of Game Two and played uncharacteristically chippy hockey. With any luck, they can turn that frustration into positive energy and come out looking better than they have thus far in the series.

Red Wing Zen:

Brad Stuart

0-0-0, +/- 2, 4 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Tomorrow will be exactly one year since we pulled this crazy stunt.  Shockingly, we're in exactly the same spot we were in back then.  Here's hoping that it turns out better this time around.

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Two GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Sharks 1

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Jimmy Howard—If he keeps playing like he did in Game One, I like the Wings' chances of coming back in this series.
• Penalties—You all know the drill on this one. I don't want to talk about it because I'm just going to get riled up again.
• Intensity—The Wings got outplayed for long stretches of the first game. They were lucky to be in the position they were at the end of regulation, officiating nonsense aside. They're going to need to step things up today if they want to pull even.

Red Wing Zen:

Jonathan Ericsson

0-1-1, +/- 1, 2 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game One GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Sharks 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Shaking off the rust—It's been an eternity since the Wings last played. The Sharks will want to get an early jump and catch them sleeping. Here's hoping the Wings are ready to bring it right from the opening faceoff.
• Z is back—It goes without saying that this is a huge boost for the team. Their first round sweep was all the more impressive because they did it without him setting foot on the ice.
• Penalties—Last year in their series against San Jose, the Wings' constant parade to the box was killer. With their penalty kill struggling mightily during the first round this season, it's crucial that they stay out of the box. Then again, Babcock can always pop Datsyuk, Z, and Lidstrom onto the PK for an instant boost. It's not a bad ace to have up your sleeve. It would also be helpful if the refs managed to not fall for the Sharks diving this time around.

Red Wing Zen:

Pavel Datsyuk

2-4-6, +/- 6, 0 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

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

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

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

Villain: Shane Doan
Why does he hate Nick Lidstrom?

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

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Four GP...

3 Red Wings vs. Coyotes 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Skate to throat—Nobody wants to have to deal with extra games during the playoffs. Get it done in Phoenix. No need to drag them back to Detroit.
• Skate to throat—No seriously, don't do what Vancouver did last night. Just win the hockey game.
• Injuries—I hope the boys put an extra layer of bubble wrap under their pads because Phoenix will be even more nasty than they have been with their backs against the walls. They have no qualms about injuring anybody.

Red Wing Zen:

Brad Stuart

0-0-0, +- 0, 0 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

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

• Long story short: the Wings didn't play their greatest game, but they got lucky with some quick goals at the start of each period and that was enough.
• I've never seen Nick Lidstrom get hit as hard as he did early in the game.
• Game Four should be boatloads of fun. I'm sure the Coyotes won't be trying to injure anyone now that their backs are against the wall.
• Lidstrom only had 18 minutes of ice time. In a playoff game. That's crazy.
• Every game makes me like Phoenix less and less.
• The Wings' penalty kill was a disaster tonight. On the other hand, Phoenix's looked much better than it did in the first two games.
• I think Filppula took more shots in the first five minutes of the second period than he did for the entire regular season. I wish he'd do that more often.
• How about that pass Rig made to set up Franzen's goal? Pretty good, eh?
• This was an odd game. There were stretches where the Wings looked unstoppable, and the Coyotes didn't seem to have the slightest chance. Then, just as quickly, momentum would shift the other way and the tide would turn briefly.
• This is not an acceptable way to treat Nick Lidstrom.
• One more win to close out the series...skate to throat time, boys.

Hero: Jimmy Howard
He was on tonight. The Wings' defense hung him out to dry plenty of times, but he stood tall and kept them in the game.

Villain: Shane Doan
Yup, I still dislike him.

Final Thought:
The Wings are going to have to play better if they want to close out this series on Wednesday.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Three GP...

2 Red Wings vs. Coyotes 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Sixty minutes—The Coyotes are going to be flying right from the start and the Wings have to set the tone early if they want to shut them down. And if Saturday taught anyone anything, it's that they can't afford to let down their guard ever, no matter how big their lead.
• Doan—He led the way for the Yotes with two goals in Game Two and a plethora of hits. He'll no doubt be lining up everything wearing red tonight. The Wings have to find a way to neutralize him somehow.
• Datsyuk—What does he have in store for fans tonight? If ever there was a reason to stay up for a late game, the answer to that question is probably it.

Red Wing Zen:

Justin Abdelkader

0-0-0, +/- 0, 4 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

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

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

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

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

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

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Two GP...

1 Red Wings vs. Coyotes 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Showing up—The way the Wings looked during the second and third periods? Good. The first period team? Not so good. The Wings need to get going at the beginning of the game.
• Penalties—Despite the fact that their penalty kill looked phenomenal during Game One, the odds of the Wings surviving another parade to the penalty box like the one on Wednesday night is pretty slim.
• Mule—The Wings need him to keep going, especially since Zetterberg's absence is looking more and more like it's going to span most of the series. The Coyotes are going to be hoping his goal in Game One wasn't a sign that he was preparing to go into full playoff mode.

Red Wing Zen:

Patrick Eaves

0-0-0, +/- 0, 2 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Playoff Housekeeping...

Hey sunshines,

I've got a little bit of housekeeping on this boring Florida Friday night.  First off, I'll be recapping all of the Wings home games (except for tomorrow's since I'm missing it due to work) at Chicks Who Give A Puck.  I'll be doing more writing over at CWGAP than here during the playoffs, so I'd encourage everyone to keep checking out our labor of love over there.  My recap of Game One posted yesterday morning here.  I'll still be doing GPs here at SSDD, and I'll do what I can to get recaps of the road games up, but with my work schedule and viewing arrangements, it's pretty hard to keep on top of things.

I'd also like to introduce the world to my little brother's Spring Break project.  He came to visit me, and what started out as a joke turned into a decision to enter the Wings' viral video contest.  Here's our entry that earned us some Red Wings goodies.  Keep in mind that we weren't aiming for an Oscar nomination with it.  We filmed ourselves walking into palm trees and falling into pools.  Plus, I had to use Movie Maker to edit it together.  Don't judge too harshly.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game One GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Coyotes 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Turnovers—Defense killed the Wings during the last half of the season. Figuring out this issue will make life much easier for the Wings (and their fans).
• Intensity—Which team will come out flying? Can the Wings “flip the switch” to start the playoffs after floating through the end of the regular season? Game One is huge in terms of setting the tone of the series, but you knew that already.
• Goaltending—Jimmy Howard's been hung out to dry far too often. He needs to step it up and give the Wings a solid backstop. Especially since the only other alternative at the moment is Joey MacDonald.

Red Wing Zen:

Brian Rafalski

0-0-0, +/- 0, 0 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

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

• There’s not a lot to say about this one. I had a blast with the Commune. We even recruited my dad to join the festivities. Knowing that the Commune won’t be in session again until the fall is probably the worst part of this loss.
• I didn’t want to post it then, but I told Sara that the series was over at the end of Game Two. I pretty much knew then. I think most of us did.
• A second round exit isn’t bad for a team that was hovering in 10th place for a large part of the season.
• This series was a lot closer than a 4-1 outcome would have you believe.
• That penalty shot was a joke. I’m so, so, so glad the Wings’ season didn’t end on that call.
• I hate thinking about all of the “what ifs.” Right now, it’s the head shot on Franzen. Tomorrow, it’ll be some other little missed opportunity or turnover. It’s a long offseason.
• We got the plush zambonis that we’ve been coveting all year. This was the first time I’ve seen them at a viewing party. I also won a sweet t-shirt that looks all vintage-y and stuff.
• Can it please be October yet?
  

GP Review:
11. Game Four was about pride. Game Five is about whether or not the Wings want to make this a series.
It was nice while it lasted. :)

10. Special teams again: make or break.
The Wings needed to capitalize on their powerplay chances when they had them. I can’t really complain about anything else.

9. Shoot on Nabokov early and often. He can’t be feeling good after Game Four, and if the Wings can rattle him from the start, they might be able to get in his head.
I don’t think he even broke a sweat.

8. Once again: STAY OUT OF THE BOX!
Much better tonight.

7. Is Stuart going to be able to go today? What about Eaves?
Eaves was a no go. Stuart apparently played through a sprained knee.

6. Sixty minute effort—win or lose tonight, Wings fans can’t ask for anything more.
The guys just didn’t bring it tonight. San Jose was better for the majority of the game.

5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either.)
The middle was the only part that felt good.

4. Johan Franzen needs to take all of that recently-reacquired confidence and channel it into tonight’s game. I don’t necessarily expect another four-goal outburst, but if he’s going to give the Sharks fits if he’s firing on all cylinders.
He did pick up an assist on the Wings’ only goal, but he wasn’t particularly noticeable.

3. Zetterberg seems to have finally reached full playoff mode. He needs to keep shutting down opposing forwards and driving them crazy.
I can’t complain about Z. Ever, really.

2. Jimmy needs to keep doing his thing. He wasn’t tested a whole lot on Thursday, but he should be feeling good about only letting the one goal in.
I hope Jimmy learned some lessons during these playoffs. They’ll help him in the long run.

1. Will the physical play and cheap shenanigans from the end of Game Four carry over tonight?
Not especially, even though I’m still bitter about the head shot on Franzen.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
He didn’t score, but he was doing crazy things with the puck at both ends of the ice.

Villain: Douglas Murray
Cheap shot. I hope he gets suspended.

Final Thought:
Despite all of the stress and misery, I truly enjoyed watching this season and getting to know everyone online and in real life. It was worth every gut-wrenching second.

Red Wings 7, Sharks 1 (1-3): Post Game Snipes...

• The game didn’t exactly get off to a wonderful start. The Wings took a too many men penalty right off the bat. Naturally, the question Wings fans had was, “Why didn’t the linesman warn them that they had too many men and give them time to get legit?” Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work?
• Mike Babcock says Stuart’s expected to return on Saturday. He was injured in the first period on this hit by Rob Blake. While I still maintain that he wilted under the intense in-person hatred of Sara’s hubby, having him in the lineup is going to be important when the series returns to California.
• I really was shocked that the one Franzen goal wasn’t called back for interference. Normally, I would feel the slightest tinge of guilt, but not the way this series has gone so far.
• I was really amused when people at the Joe threw their hats for Franzen even though those of us watching on TV knew the first goal would be switched to Bertuzzi. Mule just wouldn’t allow those fine fans’ hats to go to waste, though, and kindly scored two more goals of his own.
• Speaking of Bert, he had a ridiculously good game tonight.
  
• Curly fries tomorrow! I think a four-goal performance is worthy of a large curly fries instead of the mini one you usually get. Speaking of which, in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Wings have now equaled their total number of hat tricks from the last two regular seasons. Not that it matters, but it was a thought that popped into my head.
• Dan Boyle scored on his own net again. It was another fluky play, and actually bounced in off of a teammate, but it made me laugh. What did he do to the Hockey Gods?
• Franzen’s natural hat trick was the first by a Wing in the playoffs since McCarty did it in ’02 against Colorado. That was a memorable game too, in the sense that I didn’t watch the third period of it where all the fun happened. I blame the city of Birmingham. I’ve never liked it there. But I digress.
• Predictably, the Sharks decided to go out and goon it up when the game got out of hand. The refs tonight at least had the good sense to penalize them for their hi-jinks. I don’t really understand that mentality. I was concerned that someone was going to get hurt, but the Wings did a pretty good job standing up for themselves.
• Thornton threw a nice elbow on Zetterberg in front of the net. In this picture, one guy shows character and leadership. The other, not so much. I’ll leave the interpretation up to you.
• I’m pretty sure nobody actually landed a single punch in Abdelkader’s “fight.” Oh well, I guess it’s the thought that counts.
• Of course, the goonery did inspire Mickey Redmond to exclaim, “She’s getting rough and dirty! That’s the way I like it,” which very clearly made my day.
  

GP Review:
12. I’ll start with the obvious: The Wings need to find a way to win this game.
Yeah, that just happened. For real.

11. Mattias Ritola is making his playoff debut in place of the injured Patrick Eaves and useless Jason Williams (Who?). This is exciting and terrifying all at once.
I didn’t see Ritola do a whole lot, but he at least didn’t stand out in a negative manner. Or try to kill me.

10. The Datsyuk line can’t afford to get taken advantage of defensively like they were on Tuesday.
The defense was tight all around. The offense maintained pressure in the zone. San Jose spent most of the game on their heels wondering what hit them. (Spoiler alert: It was a large, Swedish Mule.)

9. Powerplays have been few and far between this series, but the Wings haven’t done a good enough job capitalizing on them when they do come their way. Special teams have been crucial in every single game all playoffs long.
We all had to take a moment to re-learn about the concept of a Wings’ powerplay. Nobody was quite sure what to make of the fact that they were allowed to have a man advantage. Once they settled in, though, things really took off.

8. Jimmy needs to settle down and stop trying to do too much. People have been criticizing him, but they’re forgetting that he’s a rookie. He doesn’t need to be the savior of the world. He just needs to make the saves the team asks him to.
Jimmy wasn’t tested too much, but he made the saves when he had to.

7. Again, STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!!
Imagine that: a game where I didn’t notice any egregiously bad penalty calls. I even complimented the refs at one point on twitter. I know. The world may be ending.

6. Capitalize on mistakes when San Jose makes them. It seems like they’ve found a way to put the puck in the net every time the Wings make a mistake. The Wings need to turn the tables if they want to have a shot at crawling out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves.
Not only did the Wings find a way to take advantage when San Jose gave them room, but they also cut down on their own mistakes.

5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either.)
That early penalty aside, the first period was dynamite. Five goals? I’ll take that any day.

4. Win faceoffs. It makes it a heck of a lot easier to play the puck possession game we know and love.
The teams were dead even in faceoff wins. It somehow seemed like the Wings were winning the really important ones tonight, though.

3. Andreas Lilja is back in the lineup on defense. Here’s hoping he can settle Ericsson down.
Ericsson made a really good defensive play tonight! Everyone was so excited that they twittered about it. Having Lilja in for Lebda was huge since Stuart left the game early on.

2. Zetterberg really stepped up his game on Tuesday. He and his line need to keep carrying the play to the Sharks’ top players.
His new “remixed” line was insane tonight. That’s all I have to say about that. insane.

1. Keep testing Nabokov. He hasn’t looked nearly as spectacular as a 3-0 series lead would indicate.
His save percentage for tonight was .444. That’s not a typo.

Hero: Johan Franzen
Somehow, 14% of FSN voters disagreed with this selection. Four goals? Six points? A #JohanFranzenFacts hashtag campaign dedicated to him? The Mule did it all tonight. I just hope having to file for a restraining order from my brother won’t distract him from the task at hand.

Villain: Joe Thornton
I was so glad when he got slapped with his 14 minutes of penalties. I’m so glad the Wings don’t respond that way when they find themselves losing by a large margin. Good on Todd McLellan for keeping him on the bench for the remaining time after his penalties.

Final Thought:
Don’t think of it as trying to climb out of a 3-0 series deficit anymore. Think of it as trying to climb out of a 3-1 series deficit. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Four GP...

12. I’ll start with the obvious: The Wings need to find a way to win this game.
11. Mattias Ritola is making his playoff debut in place of the injured Patrick Eaves and useless Jason Williams (Who?). This is exciting and terrifying all at once. How is that going to work out for the Wings?
10. The Datsyuk line can’t afford to get taken advantage of defensively like they were on Tuesday. That was just ugly.
9. Powerplays have been few and far between this series, but the Wings haven’t done a good enough job capitalizing on them when they do come their way. Special teams have been crucial in every single game all playoffs long.
8. Jimmy needs to settle down and stop trying to do too much. People have been criticizing him, but they’re forgetting that he’s a rookie. It just feels like he's been trying to win the games by himself, and his being too aggressive has led to some goals. Just make the saves as they come, and let the team play defense in front of you, Jimmy.
7. Again, STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!!
6. Capitalize on mistakes when San Jose makes them. It seems like they’ve found a way to put the puck in the net every time the Wings make a mistake. The Wings need to turn the tables if they want to have a shot at crawling out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves.
5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either...)
4. Win faceoffs. It makes it a heck of a lot easier to play the puck possession game we know and love.
3. Andreas Lilja is back in the lineup on defense. Here’s hoping he can settle Ericsson down.
2. Zetterberg really stepped up his game on Tuesday. He and his line need to keep carrying the play to the Sharks’ top players.
1. Keep testing Nabokov. He hasn’t looked nearly as spectacular as a 3-0 series lead would indicate.

The Wings can still do this. The Sharks said it themselves: if any team can crawl out of a 3-0 hole, it’s the Wings. That being said, the version of the Wings we’ve seen for most of the playoffs won’t be able to do it. The post-Olympic streak Wings? If they start showing up, there’s a slim possibility. The NHL’s playoff slogan is “History will be made” after all. I hope for the sakes of all of the #redwingscommune members in attendance tonight that they don’t have to see a handshake line.

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

• I went down to the #tinfoilflashmob with every intention of dancing with the crowd and then heading back to Hockeytown to watch the game with the Commune. Instead, an incredibly generous and as yet anonymous member of the flash mob provided me with an extra ticket for free. I started out in the second to last row of the upper bowl, right in front of the press box. By the first intermission, Sara had located a seat near her in the second row of the lower bowl and I headed down there. Halfway through the third period, the people in the seats next to her and TPL Mom left, so I scooted down into the front row. It was quite an upgrade. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful Red Wings fans.
• Why was Brett Lebda in the lineup? Even better question: why was he ever out on the ice with Jonathan Ericsson?
• You know why I love Detroit fans? From the back of the upper bowl, we saw San Jose commit a hand pass in the offensive zone and all started screaming in unison. I challenge you to find that kind of detailed hockey smarts in Phoenix or Nashville.
• I literally spent most of the game hunched forward, clutching my rally rag like a security blanket. I occasionally put on the tin foil hat that was smuggled into the Joe for me. Why do I even bother going out in public?
• If I’m not mistaken, I have now witnessed five goal reviews in the last four games I’ve attended at the Joe. Zetterberg’s was the first that’s gone against the Wings.
• I made it on the big screen at least three times. This has been a lifelong goal of mine that I finally realized last night.
• How was Pavel Datsyuk’s line that bad defensively last night? Pav should never be -2.
• Oh Jimmy, you broke my heart last night. The Wings needed more from him. I understand that he’s a rookie, but he should want some of those goals back.
• Zetterberg scored his goal right in front of me. If there hadn’t been glass in between us, I could’ve reached out and touched him. I even caught it on film (in pixels?):
  

GP Review:
12. STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!! Even if it means playing no-contact girly hockey.
Six penalties is still way too many for this team to take. It wasn’t nearly as ridiculous as it has been, but the really killer things were the non-calls that should’ve gone the Wings’ way. I don’t know how much of it was on camera on the broadcast, but missed trips, high sticks, cross-checks, and holdings had us reaching for our smuggled in tin foil hats more than once.

11. The Wings need to start better. The beginning of Game Two was a disaster wrapped in a blanket of nightmares.
The first period was actually pretty good. The Wings were all set to head to intermission with a two-goal lead until San Jose got on the board with literally two seconds left in the period.

10. I want to see more production from the second line. If I’m not mistaken, the Zetterberg unit hasn’t tallied a point yet this series.
Early on, I had Z tagged for a goal. It was one of those things where you could just tell by the way he was skating. I was more than a little excited that he was standing within an arm’s reach of me when he scored his goal (that counted).

9. Somebody needs to shut down Pavelski. He’s scored half of San Jose’s goals so far this series.
He still picked up an assist, but the Wings did managed to prevent him from putting the puck in the net himself.

8. On the off chance that the Wings get any powerplays, they need to make them count. Special teams have been make or break all playoffs.
One of their powerplays only lasted seven seconds. The other was unsuccessful. If you look me in the eye and tell me that the Sharks only committed two penalties all night (plus the one that led to the penalty shot), I’ll call you a liar. Go ahead. Try it.

7. San Jose has had too much success at getting traffic to the front of the net. The Wings need to adjust their game and keep them to the perimeter.
No, no, no, no, no. This needs to happen.

6. Home sweet home: They’re back at the Joe where the Hockeytown faithful will be out en masse. Take advantage of the love from the crowd.
They did start strongly, but faded toward the end. By the beginning of overtime, you could feel a sense of dread in the building. People were still chanting and cheering, but I don’t think there was a lot of optimism.

5. What ridiculousness will have you reaching for your tin foil hat tonight?
The tin foil hats themselves were banned, which is awesome for fans of irony. The goal reviews in and of themselves were enough to be diving for the safety of a tin foil hat.

4. Would it kill somebody to win a faceoff here and there?
Abdelkader was actually the only one who lost more faceoffs than he won for the Wings. Somehow, it still seemed like they never won one. Maybe they just kept losing the really important ones.

3. The Wings haven’t done a particularly good job entering the Sharks’ zone. They’re losing too many rushes at the blue line.
Case in point: the overtime winner.

2. Jason Williams (Who?) is in the lineup again in place of Patrick Eaves. What are the chances that he does something useful this time around?
Do not get me started. I’ve gone from general indifference and honestly forgetting about him at several points this season to a strong dislike.

1. The Wings have made a habit of playing best when their backs are against the wall. I know they’re not facing elimination tonight, but they absolutely can’t afford to go down by three games. They can still pull this out if they play like the Wings team we saw in Game Seven. Make it happen, boys.
Well, so much for my pep talk...

Hero: Henrik Zetterberg
He was the best player on the ice for the Wings. That was most definitely Playoff Zetterberg last night.

Villain: Jason Williams (Who?)
During the final two periods, he shot no less than two pucks directly at my face. I’m convinced that he stumbled across SSDD and saw my gentle mocking and wanted to put another puck through the glass and my head. Oh, and his 49-foot wide slapshot in overtime led to San Jose’s break the other way and their goal. We miss you, Patrick Eaves.

Final Thought:
I’m trying to cling to optimism, but it’s not working very well. I really did have a great time at the pre-game festivities and during the game though.

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Three GP...

12. STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!! Even if it means playing no-contact girly hockey.
11. The Wings need to start better. The beginning of Game Two was a disaster wrapped in a blanket of nightmares.
10. I want to see more production from the second line. If I’m not mistaken, the Zetterberg unit hasn’t tallied a point yet this series.
9. Somebody needs to shut down Pavelski. He’s scored half of San Jose’s goals so far this series.
8. On the off chance that the Wings get any powerplays, they need to make them count. Special teams have been make or break all playoffs.
7. San Jose has had too much success at getting traffic to the front of the net. The Wings need to adjust their game and keep them to the perimeter.
6. Home sweet home: They’re back at the Joe where the Hockeytown faithful will be out en masse. Take advantage of the love from the crowd.
5. What ridiculousness will have you reaching for your tin foil hat tonight?
4. Would it kill somebody to win a faceoff here and there?
3. The Wings haven’t done a particularly good job entering the Sharks’ zone. They’re losing too many rushes at the blue line.
2. Jason Williams (Who?) is in the lineup again in place of Patrick Eaves. What are the chances that he does something useful this time around?
1. The Wings have made a habit of playing best when their backs are against the wall. I know they’re not facing elimination tonight, but they absolutely can’t afford to go down by three games. They can still pull this out if they play like the Wings team we saw in Game Seven. Make it happen, boys.

Red Wings 3, Sharks 4 (0-2): Post Game Snipes...

• This game was a joke. There’s nothing more to it. There are days when I can’t stand the NHL. This is most certainly one of them. And yet, for some reason, I keep coming back time and time again.
• That first shift was horrifying. We were absolutely shocked that the Sharks didn’t score there.
• For the last, you know, decade or so, haven’t the Wings been pretty good at winning faceoffs? Because I’m really curious about what happened to their ability to do so all of a sudden. I’ve never had to worry about this before.
• There were several occasions when we were screaming at the TV because Versus was zoomed in too close. We were inches away from missing one of the Wings’ goals because the net wasn’t in the frame, even though they were cycling in the zone. Honestly, the kids in the video production class who used to run the school announcements when I was in high school could put together a better broadcast. ZOOM OUT. We wanted to start a Twitter campaign to that effect. Thank goodness we get FSD back on Tuesday.
• As soon as Nick Lidstrom’s stick broke in the third period, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that San Jose was about to score. It was just one of those moments that was too perfect. You could see it coming, but there was nothing you could do about it. Ditto on the goal on the 5-on-3.
• The third period was one of the most frustrating periods of hockey I’ve ever watched. It began with anger, and ended up with just quiet resignation as I accepted the fact that the Wings were not going to come back to tie the game. The worst part is that the Wings looked just as frustrated and disheartened as I did. By the time it came down to that too many men on the ice call, I wasn’t even annoyed. Normally, I would be all over them for giving up and surrendering, but honestly, how long can you put up a fight against absurdities like the officiating in that game before you give up? It’s hard to blame them for being discouraged when so much as looking at a Shark the wrong way seemed to be enough to earn a trip to the penalty box. I know it’s not something you ever want to see, but it’s understandable.
  

GP Review:
12. Keep testing Nabokov. He looked very beatable on Thursday.
At one point, I’m told that his save percentage was only .667. That’s not even respectable.

11. For the love of god, cover Joe Pavelski. Please.
That man is on fire. He scored two goals again. Where is the Zetterberg-shaped blanket that’s supposed to be draped over him?

10. Can the Wings’ special teams beat San Jose’s? This has been a huge factor so far.
I’m just…I'm going to leave this one alone

9. Franzen finally broke through with a goal in Game One. Here’s hoping that gets him on a roll.
No seriously, earth to Franzen. Earth to Franzen. (Am I the only one whose parents used to say that all the time? Because my dad used to wander around stores looking for my mom while yelling, “Earth to Vic!” It’s unclear whether or not his difficulty in locating her was due to the fact that she was hiding. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone else say that before though.)

8. The Wings need to come out strongly in the first few minutes of the game. They’ve got a chance to catch the Sharks off guard after an extra day of rest at home. This is also contingent on the hope that the Wings aren’t the ones sleep-walking through the opening of the game.
How about that first shift, eh? Multiple heart attack-inducing scoring chances for San Jose, plus a penalty? Let’s just say that’s not exactly what I had in mind.

7. This probably goes without saying, but 90-second mental lapses like the one we saw in the first period Thursday can be killer. Avoiding incidents like that one will go a long way toward assuring that the Wings win the game.
Wouldn’t it be nice if that was the only thing we had to complain about today?

6. A win tonight negates San Jose’s home ice advantage. Make it happen, please.
They’re now down 2-0 in the series. It’s not impossible to come back from that, but my hopes aren’t high.

5. Don’t forget your tin foil hats.
Boy did we ever need them last night. This is the perfect opportunity to announce that we are coordinating a flash mob that will meet on the steps at the Gordie Howe entrance to the Joe at 6:45 on Tuesday before Game Three. We’ll be dancing with our tin foil hats. All info can be found here. Please do join us, and bring a friend (or 7).

4. Jimmy probably wants a couple of those goals back from Thursday, even though I really can’t fault him for much. Hopefully he’ll come out with a point to prove.
Again, not Jimmy’s fault. He even survived getting run by Brad Stuart twice (I count the time he checked Day Heatley into Jimmy as one.)

3. The Wings need to find a way to get traffic through the center of the ice when in the attacking zone. The Sharks were way too good at keeping them to the perimeter in Game One.
They spent way too much time defending and not nearly enough time attacking. Part of that is because of the excessive amount of penalties they had to kill, and part of that is lack of puck control. Both of those things need to get better.

2. The fourth line looked great on Thursday. Can they keep it up?
Did they even make it out on the ice? The Wings spent so much time on the PK, I'm not sure they even got to play last night.

1. Patrick Eaves is day-to-day with an arm injury. How effective is he going to be if he’s in the lineup?
He wasn’t able to go, and instead we got treated to Jason Williams (Who?). I think the Wings missed Eaves on the PK, and they sure could’ve used another penalty killer in the lineup to spread the minutes around. Please, please be okay for Game Three.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
His goal was magnificent. When he scored, I really had a good feeling about the evening. I though things were going to be okay. I had no idea what was about to transpire.

Villain: The referees
I know Brad Watson was one of them, but I’m not willing to put in the effort to look up the other guy’s name. This game was an embarrassment. It was worse than Game One, which is actually kind of an accomplishment. It’s like the refs are caught in some kind of sick game of one-upsmanship (Yes, I just invented that word.) to see who can call a more miserable game. I really don’t think it’s too much to ask to let the players decide the outcome of the game. And yes, I realize that the Heatley goalie interference call was a joke, but as others have said, one bad call doesn’t even out a handful against the Wings.

Final Thought:
I truly, honestly hate the NHL. And Versus. It’s a testament to the extent to which we are all addicted to hockey that we keep coming back night in and night out.