If you listen to XM Radio Home Ice, you would think this series is over, it’s amazing how the media can go from saying 2 weeks ago that Nashville is bad to saying now they are a contender for the Cup.  Pierre McGuire, I hope that possum butt tastes good.  It’s one game, it’s one that the Wings should have won, but they have won in the Trailer Park Rink before and they will again.

Posted by Yzerman19 from Nashville on 04/15/08 at 10:15 AM ET

Nashville is a typical younger team: they thrive on emotions.  They have looked terrible and have been the Wings’ bitch when they aren’t excited.  If they score a goal, you will see them attack and look like an intimidating team.  Take the puck from them and play keep away for a few minutes and they go through the motions.  Last night, they were going to lose the game until they scored that goal and tied it up.  At that point, the Wings needed to play keep away rather than attack.  Attacking an instigated predator will get you bit. 

It is their emotion that helped them score 2 in a row three times this series. 

If Detroit plays how they have for 95% of the series, it will be done by the weekend.  If not…

Posted by Tuba Guy from Royal Oak, MI on 04/15/08 at 10:31 AM ET

Does anybody else think that Babcock has screwed up twice by putting Andreas Lilja on the ice right after a goal is scored?  Both in Games 2 and 3, Lilja was the goat on the second of back-to-back goals off the draw.  I don’t understand why a team that has Lidstrom-Rafalski and Kronner-Stuart as it’s top 2 defence pairings would go to Lilja immediately after a goal.  What makes it even more puzzling is the fact that Babcock called for a change immediately after the puck was dropped to get the match-up he wanted.  The whole play just seemed over-coached.

Posted by DetCapC19 from Vancouver, BC on 04/15/08 at 10:52 AM ET

After every playoff home win, I have relations with my sister-wife. After every playoff road win, I have relations with my farm animal. But it all happens in my trailer . . . so, you guys finally lost one. To lowly Bubba. Gotta regroup. That Stanley Cup won’t win itself.

Posted by PredNeck from Hicktown on 04/15/08 at 11:32 AM ET

To build off of the Animal House reference by O-Joe in another post, a few motivational words are in order.  “Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!” Optimism. It’s a beautiful thing.

Wings dictated play for the vast majority of the game.  A couple of lapses and the Preds jumped on them.  Hopefully the brain trust in the Organ-I-zation will see who was on the ice for those second goals.  Adjustments can be made.  Nevertheless, the Wings are playing hard and the CMOI is again straddling that fine line between genius and insanity ….. now they just need to put in a full game.

...and don’t get me started on the officiating, suffice it to say....Thanks Gary. Ass.

Playoff hockey….see you in The Hasek.

Posted by Rumbear from the den.... on 04/15/08 at 11:36 AM ET

this isn’t the same dom as 2002 or for that matter in the 2007’s playoffs.  slower, stays back in the crease instead of challenging the shooter and one year older. wings were caught flat-footed and that is very rare, but when it happens three times that’s inexcuseable.  preds seem quicker than us occasionally and our ‘d’ isn’t playing great right now. 
“Z” and Dats need to be together no matter if its their rink or ours.

Posted by rocketman on 04/15/08 at 12:02 PM ET

Chief, it’s not the fact that the Wings went into their defensive shell, they did it way too early. Stuart’s crossbar didn’t help matters much, but if the Wings keep on the throttle for much of the 3rd period, it’s a 3-0 series lead.

The one thing that worries me about this playoff run thus far is the Wings inability to recover from a Nashville goal. For a supposed veteran team, they’re looking extremely fragile after the Preds score a goal, and that needs to stop. They got away with it in Game 2, but weren’t so fortunate last night, bad line change and all.

I’m not gonna panic unless the Wings lose Game 4, then it’s trouble time. The players should know what to expect going into that game, and they need a 60-minute effort to win. Anything less, and things are gonna get hairy.

Posted by Jeremy on 04/15/08 at 12:29 PM ET

Posted by O-Joe on 04/15/08 at 12:30 PM ET

Now that Bubba believes (and they do, I’ve read the comments elsewhere) that their hooting and hollering can ‘will’ this team to victory Wings need to put up two or three to put this team out of it.  The building will be loud first five minutes or so, but if no one scores or riles them up the crowd will go back to being entertained by some truly classless videos on the bubba-tron and lose all interest. Like they were doing last night before the Suter goal.
If the wings can pull Wed’s game out this series in Detroit Friday. And we can all have a relaxing weekend…

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/15/08 at 12:36 PM ET

Sorry.
‘this series ends in Detroit on Friday.’

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/15/08 at 12:38 PM ET

Will beats skill. It’s time for the Wings to re-assert theirs.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 04/15/08 at 12:40 PM ET

You get pulled out of martyrdom by a Steve Schrader joke and not this steaming pile of BS?

I was all pessimistic and crap until I read that. Now I’m just pissed.

Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 04/15/08 at 12:44 PM ET

So…

Two quick goals in nine seconds is supposed to crush Detroit’s morale?

Who does Nashville think they’re playing - San Jose? 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/15/08 at 12:56 PM ET

So…
Two quick goals in nine seconds is supposed to crush Detroit’s morale?
Who does Nashville think they’re playing - San Jose? 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/15 at 01:56 PM

Psssst...haven’t you heard? Detroit’s roster is packed with weak-willed Europeans. Mad Mike Millbury and Pierre “DC” McGuire—two guys with absolutely zero success as a NHL GM and/or coach—said so. It must be true.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 04/15/08 at 01:45 PM ET

The Preds were able to get the matchups that they wanted last night and that was key. When Dats, Zetterberg and Holmstrom are out against our top line that is a tough go!

Getting Legwand back last night also helped the Preds a ton. While young Peverly has filled in well in his stead he is no David Legwand. +3 with a goal and 5 shots on net is a good nights work for Leggy.

Any team would feed off the crowd that was at the Sommet last night...all kidding aside my ears were ringing when I left there.

I’m just glad I have a reason to go to the rink tomorrow night!

Posted by PredJoe from Nashville on 04/15/08 at 02:25 PM ET

From the article linked by Matt Saler

The Preds scored the tying and go-ahead goals in a remarkable nine-second stretch late in the third period. That sequence ranks as the high point of the franchise’s 10-year history.

Awww… that’s cute.

Posted by Incognetis from Exile in Alabama on 04/15/08 at 02:28 PM ET

From the article linked by Matt Saler

The Preds scored the tying and go-ahead goals in a remarkable nine-second stretch late in the third period. That sequence ranks as the high point of the franchise’s 10-year history.

Awww… that’s cute.

You know...that statement very well may be true. I know it’s hard for many Wing fans to remember the days when one playoff win was a big deal. When winning a series seemed a huge task. So many tend to forget the Dead Wing years...years I remember growing up in Michigan.

So say it’s cute if you want but it was a great moment in our short history.

Posted by PredJoe from Nashville on 04/15/08 at 02:47 PM ET

Chief: 

It was textbook, road, playoff, one-goal lead hockey.

I’ll agree with that statement.  I think everyone was nearly asleep in the 3rd between Datsyuk’s goal until the 16 minute mark.  Everyone including the Wings’ PP unit.  A sparkling chance to put the knife in the Pred’s nads, and I don’t think the Wings produced a single scoring chance.

I really wish the Wings would develope more of a killer instinct.  Get the opponent down, and kick the “living crap” out of them.  Make the opponent believe he has no freaking business being on the same sheet of ice. 

I also totally agree with your statement: 

You don’t think last night was the wakeup call of all wakeup calls?  That problem with a lack of focus after goals? I’d bet it’s done. . . .  How can I say that? Because it wasn’t anything we saw in the regular season, never a hint of it.  It’s new and it’s correctable.  If it isn’t then the majority opinion about Mike Babcock is grossly wrong.

I stated in an earlier thread:  “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. 

This series is all on Uncle Mike now.  We’ve all seen how the talent stacks up.  Wings have controlled the vast majority of the play in all three games.  If Uncle Mike can’t get the team to play, especially after NSH scores—then I guess we were all wrong about his coaching ability.

I, for one, don’t think we were wrong.  Wings in 5 (but it could have been 4).

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 04/15/08 at 02:56 PM ET

So many tend to forget the Dead Wing years...years I remember growing up in Michigan.

So say it’s cute if you want but it was a great moment in our short history.

Predjoe, I like ya. You’re a good fella and you run a good blog.

But every time you mention the fact that you grew up in Michigan and aren’t a Wing fan anymore, I nearly frigging lose it.  Any way you slice it, you’ll root for the Wings when Bubba’s out (Friday), you’ve come to appreciate the little guy, whatever.

I’ll never understand how a Michigan guy can grow up a fan of our teams, then desert them when you leave the state.  I’m sarcastic 98 percent of the time, but in this case I’m completely serious.

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 04/15/08 at 03:01 PM ET

I’ll never understand how a Michigan guy can grow up a fan of our teams, then desert them when you leave the state.  I’m sarcastic 98 percent of the time, but in this case I’m completely serious.

I still root for the Tigers, the Pistons and yes even the freakin Lions! I have never been attracted to the Titans here in town though except at a very passive level. You’re right...I love the underdog. the ‘little guy’ and I got so tired of being abused by Red Wing fans who wore Pred jerseys the rest of the year except when the Wings came to town. They would then act like they didn’t even know who the Preds were.

Yes...this is an old and tired subject from me so I apologize for bringing it up. I guess sometimes I bring it up to defect some criticism that would come thinking I am a native down here. I am a pretty decent hockey fan. Not the brightest but I know more than the average ‘Bubba.’

So I don’t mean to make anyone ‘lose it.’

(thanks for the kind words on the blog by the way...I appreciate it)

Posted by PredJoe from Nashville on 04/15/08 at 03:14 PM ET

“But this back to back scoring is just nonsense.” Poor freaking coaching.

why Babcock didn’t call his timeout after the game-tying goal in the third period I will never understand.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/15/08 at 03:58 PM ET

PredJoe, you’re saying that you switched your allegiance because of people who were PredWing fans?  What will you do when Boots moves this team in the future? Go back to being a Wings fan?  For history sake, Boots is part of the Predator ownership group; he came over from the Kansas City group that tried to attract a team to their new arena, and still would like to see a team in that new arena.  Maybe time will prove me wrong, but even with that telethon during the summer, they still had to get the max amount of league revenue sharing. Half the restaurants on Broadway around the Sommet Center still don’t buy a season ticket....I need to change my info because im not in Kansas anymore, im in the Nashville area.

Posted by Yzerman19 from Nashville on 04/16/08 at 10:09 AM ET