I agree totally. This year’s playoffs are bringing out the guys who want it and the guys who couldn’t give a damn. Babcock said all year he was going to reward guys who play hard and show good effort more ice time. Okay, Mike, time to owe up to your garbage you decided to spit out during another meaningless season. Samuelsson needs to sit, he’s utterly useless out there. He’s clueless on the point during the power play (good move there, Mike) and he kills offensive zone pressure by throwing stupid shots at the net.

I’ve got no problem with Calder this series. He’s shown a willingness to muck it out in the corners and throw his weight around, that speaks for more than half the other forwards have done. Perhaps if Mike would use Calder in the Draper line and move Cleary to the Flip line, he can maximize both their outputs.

Good for Bert last night, he showed he can be a force when he wants to and I felt he was one of only 3 good players the whole night, along with Franzen and Flip. Flip on the top line was a good move, Homer’s useless because of his slow food speed and terrible puckhandling.

The power play is awful and needs to change. The Flames have two goals in even strength play in 4 games, very meager. The Wings have transformed themselves back into west coast mode from earlier in the season. It’s gut check time for a lot of these guys. Lidstrom, Lang, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Homer, and even Dom. Time to put up or shut up.

Time for the team to own up to all the crap they’ve said all year. “We’re a different team”, “we’re focused this year”...blah blah blah. Quit talking and go show it. As I told my dad last night, if they lose this series, heads need to roll in the organization and on the team. Fire Babcock for two first round failures, Lewie was subjected to less when he was canned, and Mike should be under the microscope even more.

Winner of Game 5 wins this series, and it will not go 7. Whoever wins tomorrow wins on Sunday. Either it will be a weekend of rejoicing and breathing a bit easier, or a weekend of more disappointment and another long summer. It all hangs in the balance within the hands of the guys in red and white.

Posted by Jeremy from Bowling Green/Oregon, OH on 04/20/07 at 09:24 AM ET

I said two things during last nights game last night that I have never said before....

“Wonder what Ozzie would look like in goal?”
and
“Ya know, I’m REALLY starting to LIKE Bertuzzi”

I have no idea who that guy was that posted his outrage at Bertuzzi’s signing, using my byline… Perhaps it was one of my 17 separate and distinct personalities, appeased by the “Don’t Tread On Me” SCOWL that Bert gave Dion Phaneauf when they collided near the boards last might. Damn, that was a malicious look for the ages. I replayed it on TiVo 6 times....It warmed my heart, the same one that Mrs. Dougie accuses of not using very often.

If they re-sign him this summer, I’m buying a Bert sweater!!

Posted by dougie on 04/20/07 at 09:44 AM ET

Chief, Chief, Chief:  I admit to being in the fetal position most of last night.  But after reflecting on the game (and drinking lotsa Joe to clear my head)—I am feeling, surprisingly --- neutral.  Yes a little stress, but panic - - not even close to that red button.  Sure you must think I am a freaking insane, unintelligent boob of an OKIE --- and you might be right.

Do I remain unalarmed because of the play of the Wheel— or is it more sinister than that.  I admit I actually could be RESIGNED to the fact that the Wheel freaking cannot play worth a heaping pile of elephant turd in the playoffs.  I admit this thought has been dancing around my head—but I tend to discount it because.

(F)lame suck on the road, and although they have the mojo at home and currently own it right now, they still gotta win one at the Joe—Good freaking luck.

Big Bert and Mule (at least on hilight reel crunch he delivered, hurt me just watching it) looked like hell on wheels last night.  Told ya yesterday the (F)lame D are gonna hate going over the boards when those guys are on the ice.  BABS made a good call on this line, he might just be paying a little attention to who is delivering the goods (sit Bobby - PLEASE!!!)

Five on Five, the Wings rock and roll!!!!

So what really freaks me out is Wings (nothing)special teams.  Was it really that long ago when the Wheel PP was devastating?  The PK was more dangerous than the opponents PP?  Where’d that playbook go to?  8% on the PP—that number is slow low, its probably equivalent the the team shooting percentage O.M.G.—downright laughable.  Who in the hell would be afraid of that.  PK is 72% last in the playoff bunch.  (F)lame get a goal 3 out of 4 times.  Assume 8 penalties against per game—thats two goals a game ladies and gents!!!!  I mean really, W.T.F. !!!!!  If (nothing)special teams don’t get fixed like really freaking quick, or at least band-aided to stop the damn bleeding, it won’t matter if we do beat the (F)lame, cuz these boys will be golfing right after we play the Shark.

Stress a little, panic no.  For me RESIGNATION!!!!!

Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Central Time zone on 04/20/07 at 10:07 AM ET

OOPSS sorry I did not major in math.  (F)lame get a goal one out of every four chances.  PAAATHETIC!!!!

Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Central Time zone on 04/20/07 at 10:09 AM ET

Do you all remember how Bowman rated his special teams.  Didn’t he say that if you add the league ranking for both and they total ten or less they were good?  I think thats right.

Wings, Regular season, PP 21, PK 7 = 28/60,

Wings, postseason, PP 12 (4th worst), PK 16 (yes dead last) = 28/30

How do you describe this ineptitude?  Pathetic, disgusting, pitiful, worrisome—or are you kinda like me and RESIGNED???

Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Central Time zone on 04/20/07 at 10:21 AM ET

“Homer’s useless because of his slow food speed and terrible puckhandling.”

Wow.  Just wow.  Useless?  I hate to be this way, but you have no idea what you’re talking about.  Heck, you’re even wrong about his puckhandling skills.  You could run him over with a pickup truck and he’d get up and skate away with the puck.

Oklahoma - at least if the Wings could stop the Flames from scoring on their power plays it wouldn’t matter as much that the Wings aren’t scoring on theirs.

Like Scotty always said - you want your PP and PK percentages to total up to 100.  So if their PP is going to be mired in the 10% range, their PK had damn well better bet at 90%.

Posted by Paul on 04/20/07 at 10:25 AM ET

Sorry, Paul, but in this series I just see Homer that way. He’s been knocked off the puck so easily the past 2 games, and his speed renders problems on the backcheck. I understand his role and he’s valuable, but he’s just had a tough time getting anything going and it didn’t shock me to see him off the top line last night as Flip replaced him in the 3rd. He’s a very streaky scorer and needs to have his linemates going when he’s scoring, and it’s not happening right now.

I love the guy to death, but he’s looking very out of place right now when he’s on the ice.

Posted by Jeremy from Bowling Green/Oregon, OH on 04/20/07 at 10:54 AM ET

He’s a streaky scorer because of the way he scores.  Like the announcer said the other night, if you added up the length of all his “shots” that ended up as goal, you probably wouldn’t even make it to the blue line.  He scores from in front of the net, not taking shots from the slot or elsewhere.  The problem is his teammates are not getting the puck to the net when he’s in front - Calgary is blocking too many shots.

Posted by Paul on 04/20/07 at 10:56 AM ET

I agree Paul, and when that happens he becomes a one-dimensional player who has trouble adjusting to the flow of the game. Like I said, I love Homer and in no way do I feel that he should sit, but it might do him well to see different linemates during the game. It’s been frustrating to see him out there without any puck support most of the time, and shots and passes being flubbed or blocked. I guess my frustration is getting the best of me, and I apologize for it.

Posted by Jeremy from Bowling Green/Oregon, OH on 04/20/07 at 11:01 AM ET

Paul and Jeremy, interesting dialogue which got my two synapses firing full speed about the Wheel in general.

Homer may be struggling, but you only notice that when he is not scoring.  He is doing his main job in getting in front of the (F)lame goalie (not syaing his name, b/c he is freaking hot and I want some bad mojo for him).  But not only is Homer a tad quiet, not alot of offense from #1 line since the series left Detroit.

Which brings me to my point, that I confess I have not researched.  Dats (the $7mill dollar man) was hot in Motown—In Calgary not so much.  I cant remember if he has even had a point—I know none last night.

(F)lame suck on the road—real good at home.  Do you think it may all have to so with matchups and last changes????  Just a wild thought, and heres another:
The Wheel win game 5, top line scores, 2 line scores, check line scores all at least one. 

And by the way Jeremy, I opine that Homer is a horse on the puck.  Wouldn’t touch line one for anything.  Lets see what happens at the Joe, when BABS gets the last change.

Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Central Time zone on 04/20/07 at 11:13 AM ET

“it might do him well to see different linemates during the game.”

Maybe.  I just hate it when coaches “tweak” things so much that it throws the players out of synch and they lose.  He should go back to what worked in the first two games.  He’s just ruining everyone’s timing and chemistry - and THAT is why you have turnovers, missed passes, miscommunications, and all these things are resulting in penalties and Calgary scoring chances.

The playoffs are the wrong time for mights and maybes and “let’s try this.”

Posted by Paul on 04/20/07 at 11:14 AM ET

Paul:  I agree, in general, about your “line-tweaking” statement.  However, I confess to really liking the
Bert/Mule/Lang line.  Otherwise I agree to leave things alone.

Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Central Time zone on 04/20/07 at 11:33 AM ET

Well, Lang never had any timing to lose.  Neither did Bertuzzi.  So they can only get better.  Other lines that were playing well together, now those same players are not playing well with their new linemates.  It’s so freaking simple.  How can an NHL coach be so oblivious to this issue?

Posted by Paul on 04/20/07 at 11:35 AM ET

Touche Paul:

We seem to agree Line 1 and Check Line cannot be touched—at all.

Line 2: Bert/Lang/Huddles!!!  (Slammin Sammy was shooting pucks at God knows what— it damn sure couldn’t have been the net)

Line 4:  Fill/Calder/Mule:  Fill and Mule had it going on in games 1 and 2, they just need more TOI.  Mule was strong again last night.

Maybe switch, in total, Line 2 for Line 4 to get the 4th guys more mins, or balance it some more.  Bert seems to be going a little better.

Posted by Jeff - - OklahomaWingNut from Central Time zone on 04/20/07 at 11:42 AM ET