LOGIN | REGISTER | RSS FEEDS

Abel to Yzerman

Giving Bubba, Sr. The Broom:  Keys To A Second Sweep

by IwoCPO on 05/14/08 at 07:49 AM ET
Comments (0)

Remember about a month ago? 28 days, actually?  Yeah.  That was the last time the Wings lost.  Little Bubba Junior had tied up the first round and the Stress Train was chugging, as most of us were.

Take a guess how many minutes Dallas Drake played in Game 4, Round 1.

6:24.

Since losing Game 4 at the SoGay, Drake hasn’t played less than ten minutes.  Over 9 straight wins, he’s averaged 13:20/game.  That’s not a coincidence.  That’s a solution.  See how much ice time Drake got last game? You know the one.  The best game the Wings have played in ten years?  13:28.

Drake, Maltby, Helm, Draper, McCarty…all were pivotal. All were violent and effective.  Their forecheck was sustained and they brought pressure every shift.  And we’re even seeing some scoring out of Helm and his little pal Happy.

You want a carryover key?  The play of the grinders.  On garbage ice endorsed by your commissioner, Uncle Mike rolled all four and watched Tippett’s head spin as Datsyuk and Zetterberg zipped around just seconds after Drake or McCarty or Draper or Helm had painted the boards with Stars.

We need that same kind of diversity tonite.  More than that, though, the key will be a lead, which will lead to a meltdown and an even bigger lead.  It will take exactly one setback for the Stars to implode.  Brittle doesn’t even begin to describe their mental state at this point.  Yes, we’ll see the obligatory burst at the start of the first.  Yes, the crowd will be into it.  Hum a little tune to yourself and wait for it to go away.

Because it will.  As soon as the Wings pot one, which of course they will.

But wait.  You wait just one damn minute.  Is that my guarantee?  My mandate?  No.  No it’s not.  Tonite may be the closest game of the series.  Dallas may have an ounce of sack left we weren’t aware of.  Pride may be a factor.  Wounded animals and all that.  We may even see this thing go to OT.

And the conspiracy theorists are already writing their “Ilitch wanted a Game 5 for the cash” posts.

We’re in uncharted territory you and I.  Oh, we’ve been here before, watched our Wings on the brink of the Finals.  Four other times, in fact.  But, it will be the first Final foray for A2Y.  We must have a strategy, a game plan.  It’s essential.  We must be graphically superior.  Our wit must be sharper than ever.  There will be no room, none, for adult behavior. 

But I’m placing the cart a length before the horse.  Tonite?  Grinders.  Patience.  Momentum.  Press down firmly.  Finish it. Stay healthy and give us a few days to breathe before the mother of all Stress Trains leaves the station.

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

Comments

Be the first to comment.

Add a Comment

Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.

Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.

Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.

Most Recent Blog Posts

About Abel to Yzerman

Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977.  No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y.  Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation.  There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature.  Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Get the top online sports betting bonuses available to sports betters!