I’ll bet the waiters on the Stress Train are pissed off about now.

“What? Turco’s in goal? Damn. There go the passengers. There go the tips. Thanks, Marty. Ass.”

Chief: Good analysis!!

But, here’s the thing.  The Wings have won seven straight playoff games.  Trends are becoming habits.

I posted this in the Forum from Ross McKeon at Yahoo Sports:

Despite winning for the seventh straight time in this postseason, and by a combined score of 30-11 no less, Detroit coach Mike Babcock and Lidstrom agreed complacency and overconfidence are the furthest thing from the team’s mind.

“I think scared is more the word,” Babcock said. “We’ve been here before and never got the job done. People don’t understand how hard it is to win and just how hard it is to be right here.

“We’d like to take the next step, but we know it’s going to be a huge battle,” he added. “Those wins that you have in the past don’t count for nothing. We have one right now, and we’ve got to find a way to get three more. . .”

Right now, the Wings are playing smarter, faster, and generally out-working everyone in every aspect of the game.  Ozzie has been huge when he had to be; which thankfully is not too often.

Wings are on a mission, and Babcock has them exceedingly well-prepared.

As much as I hate to say it, NSH gave the Wings the hardest test so far in the Playoffs, because they could skate and compteted with everything they had to give. I think the Wings have learned, finally, to give no quarter.

Unless DAL can find another gear or two to crank up their pace of play, and/or Turco does something he never does against the Wings; this series could be very, very short.

29 day disaster chief....  just sayin

As much as I hate to say it, NSH gave the Wings the hardest test so far in the Playoffs…

IMO, that’s because they actually did what Dallas said they were going to do...they put pressure on the D, especially Rafalski. And I don’t think Brian was ready for it (since the teams in the East don’t play the kind of playoff hockey he’s seeing now).

But after Game 4 in Round 1, the Wings figured out how to deal with that pressure...and they haven’t lost since. Oh, Dallas wants to pressure the D. They just can’t get there fast enough to do it. The puck is usually gone by the time the pressure arrives.

I’ve gotta tell you, it’s fun to watch a team that’s as well-prepared as the Wings are. To a man, they seem to have embraced Babcock’s philosophy...at both ends of the ice. And, right now, they’re making the teams trying to keep up with them look downright silly.

After spending four days angrily dismissing questions about his record against Detroit and in Joe Louis Arena, Turco will have to spend two more days listening to those questions.  Ouch.  Where does “having something to prove” start to turn into doubt?

i don’t wanna say “sweep” just yet.  But you could tell after the first goal that marty wasn’t gonna rebound.

the wings played hard and fast last night and i think helm should be a permanent callup, even going into next year. i like the interchangeable parts of mac and malts.  i think ozzie has played solidly. 

It just seems that winning is what they are meant to do.  I know everyone says each win is harder than the last, but i’m not so sure about that.

yeah, keep saying the right things, and doing the right things, and please, please keep steamrolling over yer opponents.

Bring on Jesus (crosby) and Jesus 2 (malkin), and throw marc-theo-fleury in there, too, for good measure.  Detroit is ready.

The Wings haven’t lost in three weeks. February, that bastard of a month, that punch to the kidney of a 28-day disaster?

Thanks for reminding me — and helping me soil myself.

The Hasek club car is even more stressful as empty as it is.  Normally I find comfort in our collective insanity.

Sitting here all alone, thinking back on February with day old vomit dribbling down the side of my mouth does make me wonder: “Is it me or is it them?”, sort of thing.

Speaking of trading their best goalie to Tamapa, listen to what “God’s gift to general managers” has to say about forwards playing defense:

When it was suggested to Hull that Brunnstrom has the reputation for also being a strong back-checker, Hull, who scored 741 NHL goals, joked: “I wouldn’t know, because I never look at that.”

Poor Marty.  The mind-screw just got buried a little deeper. 

If I were him, I’d have to take the tact that no task is so daunting, no hill so insurmountable that it could not be overcome by plenty of hard work, perseverance, a good attitude and a sense of humor.

Well I’m still on the stress train, don’t plan on getting off until it is all over.  Though it is awfully quiet in here.

I was wondering about Malts being in the lineup but I think it was the right move.  I love Helm, he seemed to be everywhere last night.  I think the switchup in the defensive pairings worked well too.

Ahhh. Our Silver Lining “aka” Chris Osgood and every one else on the Wings have “The Look.”
Except for letting the Stars get back in for a few minutes, they know now to go for the jugular.
I love the way we can go to the net, not crash and bang the goalie, and still come up big. The Wings have the fundamentals down pat, and keep it as simple as they can. 
As far as Homer’s goal, if McCreary thought it was interference it would have been called back. It was as good as silver.
I also liked the way the zebras decided to set the tone and not let it become a free for all. Dallas ain’t seen nothing yet.

“THIS IS THE YEAR!”
“BRING IT ON!”
Lets Go Red Wings!!!!!

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.  Things are looking damn good right now, but one bad game at the Joe and this is an even series, headed back to Dallas.  I can’t possibly be the only massive skeptic left in the Hasek, can I?

Second thought…

The Malt’s decision was validated almost immediately when he picked up a man coming into the zone in the first 5 minutes.  I didn’t know we had made the switch from Mac, and when I saw that play by a forward...a nice chip on the incoming man that disrupted the flow...and that said forward was wearing a Malts jersey...I thought my eyes had deceived me. 

I immediately thought—damn, babs, you’re a genius.

My skepicism is in the previous post. 

I am assuming nothing.  Detroit hasn’t won anything yet, they have won 25% of a thing.  Still a very long way to go for this series.

I don’t mean to get ahead of myself here, but…

It only took him three years, but Uncle Mike’s finally molded this team to fit his style.  He had to let go of some very skilled players who wouldn’t buy into the system-- Shanny, Schneider, Lang-- but everybody that’s left is giving everything they have, working as hard as they can, and doing everything that is within their abilities.  Whether that’s skill, grit, physicality, anything-- they’re all putting it forward, and taking nothing for granted.  They won’t stop doing absolutely everything until they’re skating around the arena with that big silver chalice in hand.  There’s been no complacency since Game 4 of the Nashville series.

Mike Babcock seems to work miracles in getting players, whether they’re skilled, mediocre, or even downright lousy, to take on a role and play all of it-- getting everything out of every player on his team.  He did it in Anaheim and with one more iota of skill in that squad he would already have a Cup on his resume.  And now he’s done it here.  He’s scary good at what he does.  Reminds me of a certain other winning coach by the name of Bowman.

Everything is clicking at just the right time.  And we’ve still got players like Ericsson, Downey, and Abdelkader benched.  That’s insane.  Any other team and any other coach with this roster would get cocky and complacent.  But this team isn’t.

I’m not ready to call anybody a winner here.  Not yet.  I’m not entirely convinced, and I’m certainly not disembarking the Stress Train.  But what cheers me is that frankly, the team and the staff are just as skeptical as you or I, and they won’t be convinced of anything either until a Detroit Red Wings captain, be that Lidstrom or someone else, is picking up Lord Stanley’s mug and taking it for a lap.  And that attitude, of going into games with no expectation of anything, of not taking anything for granted, means they’re putting one hundred and ten percent effort out there, game after game.  Seven more times of that and then, THEN, they will be convinced.  Not one second before.

A lot of fans and commentators were already thinking, “Can anybody stop these Red Wings?” Now, it looks like even the opposing teams are thinking that.  But the team themselves aren’t thinking that, and that in itself, whether it means victory or defeat, this year or the next, is a very encouraging thing.

Finally, Kate, are you aware that “The Look” is a 1989 US #1 song by the SWEDISH pop group Roxette?

I’ll still get on-board the Hasek Express because I enjoy the company; but I plan on leaving my stress (what little there is of it) at the depot. 

The NSH series showed how the Wings can play against real speed and tenacious forecheck (and also beat an amazingly hot goaltender).

DAL hasn’t shown they can keep up the pace and/or bring a tenacious forecheck (or that they have a hot goaltender).  They may well be able to, but I’ll believe it when I see it.  And if DAL cannot bring an effective forecheck—look for this series to be three replays of game 1.

You have to really appreciate BAB’s psyche major now:

“I think scared is more the word,” Babcock said. “We’ve been here before and never got the job done.

Say Andrew, I am aware now. I do remember the tune. Kinda spooky, huh?

Lets Go Red Wings!!!!!

I can’t leave the Stress Train… not yet… not until it’s over, for better or worse.  When I sat down to watch last night’s 1st period, my heart was pounding so badly I could look at my wrist and see my pulse.  Yeah, I calmed down a lot by the end of the 2nd.  But next game I know will bring the same thing.

Andrew said it for me… I love the way this team competes.  I love that they’ve looked unbeatable night after night.  I’m in awe most of the time watching this team play.  I think they have a very good shot at a cup this year… and next.  I think that’s called confidence.

But they’re not a lock just yet, ‘cause it ain’t over.  There’s no such thing as destiny.  They’re not unbeatable in the next game until they’ve won it.  A wet dream can turn into a nightmare in the blink of an REM.  To think otherwise would be over-confident, foolish, and a recipe for disaster.

The good news is the team doesn’t sound, act, or look over-confident.  They all get credit for that, from the coach on down.  I’m looking forward to being in awe for seven more victories, but I’m not leaving the Train… hell, my heart might explode next game and I’ll need some first aid, or a final prayer, at least.

I missed the game last night due to my own personal stress train (finals). But I want to nominate Osgood for the team MUP (Most Under-appreciated Player). He has quietly backstopped a 7 game win streak, hanging tough to a 1 goal lead in 3 of those games where the team in front of him decided to lay back and play “prevent” defense. It was as if he decided on his own that the Wings would win and made it happen. He hasn’t been tested often, but when needed he has calmly stepped up and stopped the puck, making it all look easy in the process. He’s Chuck friggin’ Yeager: completely unflappable, ice water in his veins, incapable of panic. And it has spread to the rest of the team.

I backed Dom to start the playoffs, and I was WRONG, Ozzy should have been the guy all along. Good for him.

But I want to nominate Osgood for the team MUP (Most Under-appreciated Player).

I’ll second that.

I think some of the nervousness isn’t Babcock’s coaching and his pushing the team - some at least is the result of roster turnover.

There are more players on the team now that haven’t won everything yet, and want to, so they are both aware of how hard it is to win and how disappointing it is to fall short.

Kind of like the teams that fell short year after year after year before 1997, eh?

Philly - Pens:  Is anyone watching this abysmal exhibition of hockey?  Has anyone on either team heard of covering their own zone?  With Pens leading 3-2 I thought I’d seen the worst, then Malkin gets the puck at the blue line and waits for 5 minutes for a Flyer, ANY Flyer, to show up and play defense, but none come, so he takes 3 strides and unleashes the biggest slapshot from 6 feet that you’ll ever see.

My God, it’s horrible team defense both ways.  Whoever wins the West, prepare to sweep.

Philly - Pens:  Is anyone watching this abysmal exhibition of hockey?

A little, than I got tired of the sloppiness.

And Cherry’s Pepto-Bismol suit burned out my retinas.  Ow!

Yup, pretty sloppy.
Philly hasn’t quite figured out how positional
play & discipline should play against waterbug hockey and pond hockey. 
The Pens have been playing that game all season,
relying on skill and speed.

RWBill - I’m ripping living room carpet up and watching… I really liked that Malkin slapper in close. Beauty.

But yeah, the D looks slackadaisical.

As far as the Winged Wheel, I like what I see so far, and have to completely and utterly agree with Andrew - Babs has his skilled little drones playing their parts to a T, and not letting up.

Trying to get the “honey-do” list knocked out so as to avoid interruptions during game time tomorrow.

In related news. spring renovations sound like a great idea, until you actually have to start said renovations.

Go ‘Wings

(from NHL.com Frozen Moment)

On CBC Cole said he never saw an all-out slapper on a
breakaway before.  Apparently he doesn’t remember Bobby Hull or Mickey Redmond...?.dimentia.? maybe.

The CBC was also going nuts over Hossa’s “defensive game,” which included one player track down and puck retrieval. They lauded over that, literally, for two periods.

I thought that was par for the course because Z and Dats do that all the time. And then I realize, I’m completely spoiled by our team’s game.

Flyers stand a better chance against the West, but the Pens will get obliterated.