This is why God gave us Scotch.

Posted by w2j2 on 04/14/08 at 10:54 PM ET

Interesting:  Dave Nonis is fired in Vancouver.

So Brunnstrom signed a contract and made a deal for playing time (on the top 2 lines) with a guy who is no longer there.

My dear Brunnstrom:  What playing time?  What guarantee?  ...  See you on the Manitoba Moose!

Posted by w2j2 on 04/14/08 at 11:01 PM ET

What kills me is that the game on Wednesday isn’t televised in my parts...and then I’m off to the West coast for a week to help with dropping Grandpa off where he belongs, with Grandma, the Superstition Mountains in Arizona.  I’m not sure my Aunt and Uncle can take me yelling at my phone, laptop or their TV...so we better battle the f*** back on game four.  I was really hoping for a sweep, but what can you do.

Posted by eyesris from Chestertown, MD on 04/14/08 at 11:07 PM ET

All I know is I can’t handle another year of the Ulcernator aka the CMOI or Lillypads.

It’s a sure fire way to shred your digestive tract.

Can you mix scotch and malox?

Posted by moocat on 04/14/08 at 11:07 PM ET

Sleep well tonite Chief… the Stress Train roars on through the lonely night.

Posted by Mike from La-La Land on 04/14/08 at 11:17 PM ET

You don’t even have to be outside the box to see that this
game reeked of .....
“We gotta fill the Joe as many times as possible”.

Yes, DUKE:
That was a carefully orchestrated loss.

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 04/15/08 at 12:07 AM ET

That would have been a soul-sickening loss if it would have been a Game 5 or later.  Unfortunately, it reminded me a bit of the way the Wings dropped a couple to the Oilers a few years ago when Manny the Mouth lost his will in the deep water of the third.

Hope it’s more like the Vancouver adversity in ‘02 instead of the Oil trainwreck.

Posted by JimS on 04/15/08 at 12:40 AM ET

I’m thinking Game 3 against Phoenix, Round 1, 1998 playoffs…

... That run turned out OK, as I recall.

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 04/15/08 at 02:48 AM ET

So far, with the exception of the Dead Man Walking Senators, every team down 2-0 has rallied to make it a series.

Anaheim’s turn tonight against Dallas

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/15/08 at 07:28 AM ET

I’ll worry about it tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.

Posted by Kate from Pa. on 04/15/08 at 07:48 AM ET

Are we allowed to complain about the refereeing?

A crosscheck to Dats a few feet in front of the boards, Erat tackling Rafalski, numerous slashes…

I don’t mind a missed holding or hooking call, but a check that could should have been a 4min boarding penalty and slashes that continually broke sticks (and potentially wrists) is ridiculous.

I also wish the Wings didn’t go into such a defensive game with 10minutes left.

Anyway, Wings in 5. + Go Dallas (them come get some)

Posted by Osrt on 04/15/08 at 08:12 AM ET

Also, was anyone else annoyed with Kronwall for letting that pass through to Legwand? That’s a 2-on-1 and he needs to take away that pass.

I was also surprised at some of the mistakes Raffy made. I was confident he would be a calming force in the playoffs, given the cups and oodles of playoff experience. STEP UP or we’ll have your look-alike Iwo step in.

Posted by Osrt on 04/15/08 at 08:38 AM ET

“Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines.”
--Gen. “Buck” Turgidson

Posted by O-Joe on 04/15/08 at 08:38 AM ET

I suspected a lack of fire and a tired old goalie.
Sorry to say, I think the fiasco last night proved me right and I think it’s time to accept that and lower expectations...love my wings butIMHO this team will be lucky to reach the conference final.

Posted by knowntome on 04/15/08 at 08:42 AM ET

Gawd that 3rd period was strange.  Datsyuk breaks the tie less than a minute into the Third, and the life is sucked right out of the Pred. and the Arena.

And for the next ten minutes, NSH was lifeless; they seemed resigned to the fact that theirs was a lost cause.

What the hell happened? The Bench makes an awful line change?  Babcock better figure out a way to stop NSH from these damndable back-to-back scores.  Seems, for the most part, CMOI has been left to twist in the wind on most of the NSH goals—“D” way out of position. 

I recall looking at the game clock and thinking, 4 plus minutes until the Wings have a strangle hold.  I don’t ever recall such a collapse in intensity by the Wings. Almost like they lulled themselves to mediocre play. (Has anyone else noticed the Eastern Conf series seem like they are being played at twice the pace?).

I think this series is all on Uncle Mike.  Clearly the DET roster is better than NSH (at every position except, maybe, goaltending).  If Uncle Mike and the players cannot find some more passion and intensity (except that Freight Train Kronwall)—then they’ve got no-one to blame but themselves.

It would be assinine to think the Wings sweep every series.  Loses must be excepted.  I do agree with Uncle Mike that adversity is a good thing— but only if you overcome it.  Adversity in round 1, against an inferior opponent is good; because you expect to overcome it.

However, last nights loss should not have happened; at least not in the way that game unfolded.  You could imagine losing a one goal lead, and ending up in overtime with a resulting loss.

But this back to back scoring is just nonsense.  Poor freaking coaching.  And just as bad, poor freaking motivation on the part of the players.  It seems like the Wings fail to comprehend the idea that momentum might swing—Hell I don’t know.

I know this.  The Wings were four minutes from a strangle hold, and blew it.  I recall they had a PP opportunity in the 3rd to pad the lead—and I don’t remember them even generating a decent scoring chance.  No Killer instinct (and haven’t we all heard that issue before).

I don’t think this game will come back to haunt them.  But like failing to clear the puck out of your zone when you can the chance, those pucks usually end up in your own net. 

A terribly disappointing loss for sure.  And as bad as it pains me to type this, credit to Bubba for hanging in there.  RAZ to the Wings for allowing Bubba to think he had a prayer.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Hades on 04/15/08 at 09:03 AM ET

2 x 5 minute conniption fits aside, the wings played a very controlled defense that completely smothereed the preds and didn’t allow them much of any threat at all.  unfortunately a lot of sh1t can go down in 5 minutes, especially when one of the Dmen is at the concession stand or otherwise not even involved in the play.  Talk about skating in unchecked and just teeing off on the goalie.  Dom could have stopped 1 or 2 of those, but face it, in this series he has already stopped about 12 cold stone chances.

I was getting agitated when the wings had that power play and could have gone up 2 and didn’t seem to be doing squat with, and the completely dumb ass Versus announcers are talking about anything except hockey they were so bored, then right out of the penalty kill boom!, nashville ignited and the announcers got reminded what the hell they were supposed to be doing. what dumb asses.  this is why doc emrick is still the best, he’ll call the game like the professional play by play man he is, not some dumb ass with a hockey background that versus sticks behind a mike.

Posted by rwbill on 04/15/08 at 09:26 AM ET

Lots of inconsistentcy from Stuart, Rafalski, Lilja, and of course, Hasek.  Here’s to hoping that gets settled.  We’ll find out tomorrow night.  If they come back composed, we could be in for a long run.  If not, it’s anybody’s guess how they’ll do.

I think Detroit needs to seriously think about its approach to the regular season.  Who cares if we’re first, really.  All that matters is making the playoffs and being injury free and fresh when they start.  We should tread water until April, marshalling strength until Bettman’s ridiculous two month, 8 million mile journey begins.  It’s what Peter Forsberg does each year, why not us?

Posted by TDeters on 04/15/08 at 09:31 AM ET

In case you haven’t noticed over the last three years, I sometimes find it difficult to post after a tough loss.

I went looking for a photo of John Belushi as Bluto in Animal House trying to cheer up a crying Stephen Furst (Flounder) after having seen the sad state of his brother’s car after the road trip.

No joy (pardon the pun).

Posted by O-Joe on 04/15/08 at 09:53 AM ET

Was it just me that noticed that it looked like the pile on Arnott after he scored (like they’d won the stanley cup) hurt him? Guy’s face was red and he was tearing up. Reminded me of that kicker who got hurt celebrating a few years ago. I’m not the kind of guy who wants other team’s players to get hurt, but it did amuse me that in their massive celebration they might have tweaked the guy’s back. Anyone else see that? Haven’t found mention of it in any of today’s stories.

Posted by Andrew from TN on 04/15/08 at 10:23 AM ET

So what the heck happened? I’m at Old Chicago’s enjoying the Wings game and I leave with it tied at 2-2 to head to the Can.  Get there and notice that it is 3-2 Wings and I’m feeling good.  then the next time I see the score it is 4-3 Bubba.  What the heck?  Then I figured goal 5 was an empty netter.  My friends kept trying to console me and say the dreaded, “It’s only one game” phrase.  But to collapse like that in the 3rd period and let Nashville back into the series?  I was crabby the rest of the night.  I never left the stress train, I’m just moving back into the club car.

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/15/08 at 10:29 AM ET

The Wings need to play 60 minutes Wednesday night, plain and simple. A loss Game 4 and Bubba has just a good of a shot as the Wings do of winning this series.

The effort in the 3rd period was embarrassing last night. This group of Red Wings has largely won nothing, and to sit back for 19 minutes is inexcuseable in the playoffs. Even if the Wings get out of this series, I don’t feel good about their chances based on what I’ve seen thus far. Game 4 better be a convincing win or this is going to be a short playoff run.

Posted by Jeremy on 04/15/08 at 11:04 AM ET

CMOI has been left to twist in the wind on most of the NSH goals—“D” way out of position.

yes, if “D” is short for “Andreas Lilja”.

as for all the Hasek-bashers, were you watching the game?  he was brilliant.  outplayed Ellis by a wide margin.  Wings let a lot of stellar chances in on Hasek, including one very early in the first - and Hasek stoned them.  remember the two back-to-back saves he made, the second being where the Pred player simply had to shove it into the net but Hasek got his toe on it?  it’s entirely because of Dom that the Wings even had the chance to take the lead on Datsyuk’s goal in the 3rd instead of that being a meaningless “gee now we’re only down by two goals” goal.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/15/08 at 11:09 AM ET

PaulinMiamiBeach wrote: it’s entirely because of Dom that the Wings even had the chance to take the lead on Datsyuk’s goal in the 3rd instead of that being a meaningless “gee now we’re only down by two goals” goal.

Its also entirely because of dom letting in those 2 goals that he could have saved is the reason the series is 2-1 instead of 3-0.  Thats his job.

Posted by Yzerman19 from Nashville on 04/15/08 at 11:31 AM ET

Its also entirely because of dom letting in those 2 goals that he could have saved

on the first goal, he was screened.  the second goal was the most perfect shot possible by an attacking player.  no goalie in the league would have made that save.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/15/08 at 11:51 AM ET

Maybe you should switch the name on the jersey to Fedyk, chief. That Shanny one might have some bad mojo about it.

Posted by aaron from phoenix, that makes me a transplant on 04/15/08 at 12:32 PM ET

I agree. Bad mojo with Shanny’s name on it.

Posted by Kate from Pa. on 04/15/08 at 12:58 PM ET

Am I allowed to point out that Ottawa, San Jose, Colorado, and Anaheim would love to have the problem of having only a 2-1 lead in their first round series?

The opposing team is supposed to show up for the series, after all.  I sincerely hope that no one expected the Predators to roll over - they aren’t a bad team, they have as much pride as any other professional athletes, and they have played Detroit tough all year.

It would have been convenient if they decided not to go through the trouble of actually playing, but not realistic in the least.

Detroit hasn’t done anything to show they can’t win the series - which is more than some teams have shown so far.  They aren’t in as bad a position that some people seem to think.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/15/08 at 01:18 PM ET

Please inform me , who screened the Suter shot? Dom didn’t even use that excuse...plus he said he should have stopped the Arnott shot.
He is a good, though aging, goalie but the first shot, anyway cannot, go in.

Posted by knowntome on 04/15/08 at 01:28 PM ET

It would have been convenient if they decided not to go through the trouble of actually playing, but not realistic in the least.

Thank you Baroque. The Chicken Little’s seem to be coming out of the woodwork.

The sky is not falling; Dom fended off something like 10 odd man rushes throughout that game and kept the Wings in it. In the end Bubba wanted this one more than Wings, as evidenced by the lack of jump displayed by the entire team -defensive breakdowns, faltering power play when there was a chance to go up by two, lack of pressure in the offensive zone for the last 10-ish minutes of the 3rd.

I’m going to let go of a little known hockey secret: if you give an NHL team shift after shift in the offensive zone they’re highly likely to score. Bubba spent the majority of the late 3rd established in the wings zone, and instead of taking the puck, carrying into Bubba’s zone, and setting up camp, the Wings were content to chip it out over and over and over. Not exactly a recipe for success. Someone said it last night in the live blog: this team’s best defense is offensive pressure. This rope-a-dope crap for the last ten isn’t going to cut it.

Posted by wingsfanindenver from 'lanchland on 04/15/08 at 02:30 PM ET