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So That’s How You Get A Goalie Ready For the Playoffs…Got It
by IwoCPO on 04/02/08 at 08:21 PM ET
Comments (39)
I know many of you have been anticipating my hard-hitting follow-up to the Babcock story I broke yesterday. Yes, well, I’m sorry. Apparently, I was lied to. I take full responsibility for my shoddy blogging and outright lies.
Spent the last two days in Bruins territory up in scenic Rhode Island. Got back just in time to see our Czech Miracle of Insanity waddling off after giving up 3 on 6 shots.
I guess my question is, no matter the score or Hasek’s performance, why pull him when he clearly needs the work? Do we value these two points that much?
Yeah, I guess we do when it’s a question of Calgary or Bubba in the first round.
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Comments
I blame all the jennings trophy talk.
Just another in a long line of kicks to the sack…
Posted by drgdado from A2 on 04/02/08 at 09:34 PM ET
Well, that was enough to let my annual seed of playoff doubt crack open. And who hid Downey’s meds? Good grief. Somebody tell me it’ll all be OK.
Posted by Winger from Chicago on 04/02/08 at 10:30 PM ET
http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/
And confirmed, Hasek plays tomorrow.
Posted by Heaton on 04/02/08 at 10:32 PM ET
That was probably their worst game of the year. I feel sick.
I kept seeing #3 on the ice whenever the Hawks scored…...
Posted by w2j2 on 04/02/08 at 10:45 PM ET
And now there’s STILL a chance Chicago gets in. Nashville needs 2 points tomorrow hosting St. Louis to get it done, while Vancouver getting 2 points vs. Edmonton would eliminate the Hawks.
BUT, if neither happens, Bubba visits the United Center on Friday. If the Hawks win, the Preds are out, with no games left. Vancouver has Calgary at home Saturday, 2 points again would do the Hawks in.
Still, if not, a Hawks win on Sunday vs. the Wings puts them in.
Like it’s any more of a long shot than the Isles were last year.
Posted by Steve from New Jersey on 04/02/08 at 11:12 PM ET
Yeah, not nearly enough of a long shot for comfort…
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/02/08 at 11:25 PM ET
Burn the tape on the game, tighten some things down against the BJs and get ready for playoff hockey. Similar effort tomorrow and I’ll be concerned. Dom was bad as a result of poor team play, although the 2nd goal I’m sure he’d like back. If Babs is gonna ride him into the playoffs, he needs to see some rubber.
Posted by Jeremy on 04/02/08 at 11:36 PM ET
I’d still love to see the Hawks make it in. Has A2Y done a post on his likely once and present hatred of Chicago?
Posted by Steve from New Jersey on 04/03/08 at 12:03 AM ET
Get your bags together,
go bring your good friends,too
Cuz it’s getting nearer,
it soon will be with you…
Cuz out on the edge of darkness,
there lies a stress train…
Posted by O-Joe on 04/03/08 at 06:52 AM ET
Hasek couldn’t stop a beach ball last night, Ozzie wasn’t great, and you don’t win games without scoring.
Posted by Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit on 04/03/08 at 06:52 AM ET
What was up with Chelios giving 6 or 7 cross-checks to the backside of Patrick Kane? And then he has the audacity to argue about the penalty call?
Good thing Dater doesn’t cover the Hawks beat, or else we might be seeing an article entitled “Chelios is a punk”
Posted by dash_pinched on 04/03/08 at 09:03 AM ET
At least there was a comforting, warming feeling hearing numerous “Detroit Sucks!” chants coming from Chicago fans. It just seems right for there to be some Detroit-Chicago animosity. Even though we got shellacked, I took comfort in hearing those chants, knowing that Hawks will (most likely) be golfing in less than a week. Still, it’s good to see that franchise waking up.
I did, however, have nightmares about Hasek in the playoffs last night.
Posted by Incognetis from Delaware... Hi... I'm in... Delaware on 04/03/08 at 09:28 AM ET
That game had me incensed and then completely stressed out. I am now lighting candles and praying to the Hockey Gods that Chicago does not make it into the playoffs. Boyfriend tried to console me last night with the comment, “It is just one game.” I’m afraid he won’t be using that line again any time soon. I let forth a very long rant about playoffs and goals and goalies imitating swiss cheese.
This does not leave me in a good frame of mind for the playoffs. Not only did that game smell really bad, I had to listen to the gloating Chicago announcers all night. Still, it is good for hockey if Chicago becomes a strong team again.
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/03/08 at 09:37 AM ET
It’s nice to see the Blackhawks have a pulse again. Ever since Dollar Bill Wirtz died, the fans have come out of the woodwork like all the munchkins in Munchkinland, singing “Ding! Dong! The witch is dead!” And hearing the “DETROIT SUCKS!” chants gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. That’s respect.
Posted by Matt from Chicago on 04/03/08 at 09:44 AM ET
Here’s my angle on the Chelios repeated crosschecks to Patrick Kanes kidneys.
It’s simple ,really…...Chelios has teenagers at home, right? Those of you that have lived through that delightful developmental period with your kids understand the occasional desire to ,say, punch them in their smart-assed mouths, or at least deliver a good kidney punch to get their attention.
During the last 25 years these behaviors have been redefined from effective parenting, to child abuse.
Maybe Chelios had a rough day with the kids, and all he could do was put them in timeout, or take away their Ipod. Still frustrated, he took the ice last night, saw a teenager on ice skates standing in front of him, and the rest is history. Very good therapy,eh?
Posted by dougie on 04/03/08 at 11:40 AM ET
I thought April would see the Wings in playoff form, resting a few starters, and confidently walking into the playoffs.
Swiss Cheese goalies have me worried, although Chicago has had the Wings’ number all season.
I flipped my Detroit Red Wings 2008 calender to April, hoping the featured player would be our “go to guy” for the month. Guess who that player was…
Mikael Samuelson
I’d like to book my stress train ticket now please.
Sammy needs the kind of post season that Lilja had last year. It would help get the “this years Robert Lang” moniker off of him.
Posted by aaron from phoenix on 04/03/08 at 11:42 AM ET
I had whiskey on my Cornflakes this morning. A liquid lunch.
I’m thinking a nice mellow handful of rhinoceros tranquilizers for dinner. And a nightcap before I hit the hay. Nancy Reagan was dead wrong.
Roll on Stanley Cup Playoffs 2008.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from my medicine cabinet, saying Yes to drugs... on 04/03/08 at 11:53 AM ET
Those of you that have lived through that delightful developmental period with your kids understand the occasional desire to ,say, punch them in their smart-assed mouths, or at least deliver a good kidney punch to get their attention.
I had the same thought, actually. 
That’s why I never wish my mom and dad a happy mother’s day or happy father’s day - I send them a thank you card for not throttling me before adulthood!
Even when the Blackhawks haven’t had good young talent, they have always played the Red Wings tough - some years a few wins against Detroit were the only bright spots in a long, horrible season. With a playoff race and the crowd amped up like that, their adrenalin was through the roof. Not really a surprise to me to hear the results of the game.
Not sorry I missed seeing, it, though.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/03/08 at 12:08 PM ET
“What was up with Chelios giving 6 or 7 cross-checks to the backside of Patrick Kane?”
Does everybody forget that Chelios has always been a bit of a douche? Even when he wasn’t a cranky old man back in this days with the Habs 
Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 04/03/08 at 01:00 PM ET
I expected that Chicago would play tough. But I didn’t expect such an appalling performance from the Wings. They have San Jose breathing down their necks for first overall, they’re facing a possible first round opponent, and that’s the best they could come up with???
I’m already on the stress train… is there a special Stress Car here somewhere?
Posted by BobTheZee on 04/03/08 at 01:31 PM ET
Bob- Yes, I’m living in the special Stress Car. I echo your feelings exactly. Baroque, yes you are not sorry you missed seeing the game, believe me.
Hmm, debating, root canal or watch the Wings against the Jackets tonight? Which will be less painful?
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/03/08 at 03:36 PM ET
I’ll be watching, albeit after the fact via DVR, hoping all the while not to learn what a root canal feels like.
Posted by BobTheZee on 04/03/08 at 03:46 PM ET
Watch! Justin Abdelkader might be playing in his first NHL game!
Besides, if they just get one stupid point they will have the best record locked up, and they can get that with a stupid shootout loss.
Better to avoid watching their final game against Chicago, as that may be the game the Blackhawks are looking at to win and put themselves in the playoffs for the first time in what seems like forever. That team may be even more keyed up than they were for the last game against Detroit - and if Chicago—Detroit is a first round matchup, how good is Lang going to be in the series?
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/03/08 at 04:18 PM ET
Abdelkader is playing tonight. Hope things go well for him. Lets Go Red Wings!!!!!
Posted by Kate from Pa.-made in Detroit on 04/03/08 at 06:20 PM ET
anyone got a link to the online view? I’m stuck in Indianapolis at a hotel.
Chris
Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 04/03/08 at 06:46 PM ET
sop://broker.sopcast.com:3912/36001
there are others at the link below, but 36001 is the only one that worked for me…
http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=9411&part=sports
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/03/08 at 08:18 PM ET
how can Hasek possibly be our starting goalie in game 1 of the playoffs? I don’t see it. I don’t care who he is, what he has accomplished, what his potential is. he is playing like ass.
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/03/08 at 08:30 PM ET
talk about pulling a win out yer arse. sheesh.
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/03/08 at 09:01 PM ET
its funny to watch the guy change channels afterward.
Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 04/03/08 at 09:11 PM ET
That was an amazing end to a game I thought we had lost. Then I flipped over to watch Bubba beat the Bitter Blues and just finished watching Vancouver mail it in. Looks like it will be Bubba in the first round.
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/04/08 at 12:05 AM ET
That was an amazing end to a game I thought we had lost.
No kidding. I can’t say that the Wings deserved that win, but I do like that they found a way to do it, and I’m sure glad they got it. But there’s still lots of reasons to be staying in the Stress Car. Hasek made numerous great saves, but then let in a softie, unless it hit something that I didn’t see it hit. I’m far from convinced that’s playoff goaltending. And what a turn of events for Nashville. I had pretty much counted them out a few games ago.
Posted by BobTheZee on 04/04/08 at 01:12 AM ET
The 3-1 goal went through Abdelkader. Dom didn’t see it, and didn’t squeeze the five hole. As the lone Hasek fan around I thought he played really well.
Losing KOPY has me worried. I don’t like the concept of a fourth line of Meech, Hartigan, and Downey if Drapes, Sammy, and Homer still can’t go in a week, despite the fact that I think Meech has been fantastic as a swing-man.
Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 04/04/08 at 04:52 AM ET
Looks like it will be Bubba in the first round.
If Nashville wins their last game and Calgary loses theirs, the Wings could still get Calgary.
Losing KOPY has me worried.
I was wondering who that was. I caught a quick glimpse of someone being helped down the tunnel, but couldn’t see the number. For one scary moment, I thought it was Franzen.
It’s definitely too bad. Kopecky looked much better in tonight’s game.
Posted by Steve J from Columbia, MO on 04/04/08 at 06:26 AM ET
The 3-1 goal went through Abdelkader.
And I read in Snapshots that Abdelkader tipped it, too, so I’m willing to retract my criticism. Outside of that one play I thought Hasek was very strong.
Kopecky has been playing better and better lately—they’ll miss him. On the other hand I thought Abdelkader was a real bright spot—probably not bright enough to cancel out losing Kopecky though.
Posted by BobTheZee on 04/04/08 at 01:10 PM ET
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Just got home, but…seriously? 3 goals on 6 shots?
Yeah. You pull him, or you risk a Patrick Roy-esque meltdown for leaving him in. He can be forgiven for a bad period, but his confidence would be rattled if he got shelled for a whole game. Better that Babcock just him a timeout to go sit in the corner and think about what he’s done.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 04/02/08 at 08:58 PM ET