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Powerless And Pounded; Streak Ends In Calgary
by IwoCPO on 11/18/06 at 08:16 AM ET
Comments (8)
Updated at 0822 CST: Bailey’s just found its way into my coffee. It’s going to be a long 24 hours.
We’ve been saying it here for the last week: the ineptitude on the power play is a funny little anecdote, a footnote to the big story. It was crafty to see how you could work in mention of the league’s worst power play, while at the same time discussing the league’s hottest team.
Sorry. We’re not the league’s hottest team anymore. That November label is staying where we left it last night.
Now? We’re just the team with the power play that looks like five puppies learning to walk, and it finally cost us.
How did it cost us? Because teams know they can take liberties with the Wings and not pay for it on the scoreboard. Oh, none of the penalties last night were of the abusive kind, so you can argue my point if you want. But, just the attitude with which Calgary manhandled the Wings. The lights were out. The cell block was locked down. The skinny guy was trembling and everyone knew he couldn’t stop what was on the way. And he didn’t.
Every team in the league should be requesting video of last night’s game. You know what, they don’t even need it. Just a quick note to self: “Hit Detroit. Hell. Pound them. Start the parade to the box if you have to. They can’t score on the power play, so hit ‘em again.”
Oh, and here we go into Edmonton tonight.
Ok. Deep breath. I’ve already had this discussion with my wife this morning and I’ll make it clear to you now. I’m in a bad frigging mood. She accepted this explanation, so I expect that you can too. The Wings lost badly. Michigan and Ohio State today in the Biggest Game In World History, and then the Wings play Edmonton tonight. It’s a high-stress 24 hours. Oh...and I’m also supposed to dis-assemble the bastard trampoline. Frigging GREAT.
So, look...a full game recap is just not in the cards. Kiprusoff looked great. Hasek looked great at times, too. And here’s some fun for the whole family. In fact, call them over because this is just, well, fun (god, my vocabulary is being affected...I’m losing it. You may get ten more sentences out of me, probably less. It’s 0750 and I can see no reason why I shouldn’t start drinking).
Anyway...fun. Yes...the penalty kill. Hey, it’s a hell of a lot easier to type “the special teams suck”, rather than “the power play sucks, but the Wings take great solace in the improving penalty kill.” Whew, now we can go back to the simple way.
Alright. Look. I know. It’s one loss in ten and I’m coming down awfully hard on our boys. But Calgary always seems to have a way of exposing this team’s weaknesses. We knew one was the power play. We thought another, the kill, was being rectified. And we thought, for sure, that the biggest one of all had been solved altogether. Nope.
Now we can go back to wondering if this team has the grit and heart to succeed when it counts. Last night they didn’t.
Oh, don’t worry though. We love Rexall.
NHL.com Box
NHL.com Super Scoresheet
Detroit Free Press: Flames End Wings Win Streak
Detroit News: Wings’ Win Streak Ends
MLive: Flames Snap Wing Streak At Nine
Calgary Herald: Flames Scorch Red Wings
Calgary Sun: Real Wingding
Battle of Alberta
Five Hole Fanatics
Double D(ion)
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Comments
Gramps...the special teams are inept. Ok. Rephrase. The power play is absolutely inept. The kill is mediocre, statistically, but reverted to garbage last night.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 11/18/06 at 11:50 AM ET
I doubt you would be bitching about the power play, had Legace been in net for Calgary last night.
Posted by Gramps from HockeyTown on 11/18/06 at 12:06 PM ET
Love the prison reference…
I think your boys were a little flat last night. Plus Calgary happened to play it’s best of the season against you.
Take solace in the fact that the Wings embarassed the Flames a couple weeks ago.
Posted by metrognome on 11/18/06 at 03:00 PM ET
Should be a great game tonight - two ornery teams with Wings’ loss last night and the Oilers looking for revenge for the loss two weeks ago.
Over at BOA there is talk of some guy named Joey MacDonald starting tonight for the Wings.
Who?
Confirm? Deny?
Posted by Pat on 11/18/06 at 03:05 PM ET
its too bad it usually takes the wings 2 or 3 games to get the message.. what started as coming out flat in LA and squeaking away with a W turned into 3 embarrasing efforts in san jose, anaheim and edmonton. The wings once again found themselves in teh role of underdog with everyone in the media saying.. yup we told you. The wings then find the passion grit, and jump theyve been lackin for the past several years.. roll off 9 straight.. ending with a flat, no jump, no intensity win in vancouver.. in which they gave up 10 shots in the 3rd period..and almost the game on several occasions. But they won.. no need to fix anything.. look in the media? Everyone is apologizing.. the mighty wings are back.. and like every time the wings start rolling off wins.. the intensity and fire is gone. Enter calgary.. wings get smoked. Lets hope it doesnt take 3-4 games this time for the wings to figure out why calgary man handled them. This team needs to bring 100% for a full 60 minutes or the results will be the same as last night. No more turning it on late and relying on some soft power play goals.
Posted by attica on 11/18/06 at 09:55 PM ET
Pat...sorry. Read that too late to confirm for you. By now you know the answer and that this is McDonald’s first NHL start. 2-2 through two periods, so he’s doing pretty well.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 11/18/06 at 11:50 PM ET
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It seemed obvious from the first faceoff that the wings were looking forward to getting out of town in a few short hours.
Three days in Calgary will do that to you.
Deeming the wings special teams inept, by overlooking the fact that Kipper turned on his magic shield, is a little shallow. One loss is not a trend, and I doubt there is anyone in the wings organization that would not be overjoyed with an OCCASIONAL Detroit loss. My guess is the big loser last night was Edmonton, who now faces the wings less than 24 hrs after extreme embarrassment.
On that OCCASIONAL bad night: +/- aside, Zetterberg was on the ice for all 4 CGY goals, and Chelios 2.
Mr Illitch needs to hire whoever trained those pucks last night.
Posted by Gramps from HockeyTown on 11/18/06 at 11:45 AM ET