Abel to Yzerman
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Digging Monday
by IwoCPO on 04/28/08 at 03:52 AM ET
Comments (16)
The Diggers are feeling all retrospective. They’re thinking about Round 1 at the SoGay and 1999 and 2001. They’re unified, as usual, in their reporting this morning. Each of them astute in their predictions that playing underneath the retired jersey of Dive legend Ray Bourque, the home team will most certainly provide a bit more resistance.
The Wings’ main concern heading into Tuesday’s game is to make sure the Avalanche don’t regain any hope.
“We don’t want to take anything for granted,” Osgood said. “It doesn’t matter who is in or out for them. It’s never easy, and we know that.”
A roaring Pepsi Center crowd and possibly seeing Forsberg and Hannan in the lineup should invigorate the Avalanche.
Oh, yes. I’m pretty sure the Ass Can will be loud. I have no doubt Forsberg will play. Hannan probably has a broken foot, but he may be in there too because he’s a hockey player. Even wearing a Dive uniform can’t completely change that. Denver fans who haven’t lept off the wagon and focused on the Nuggets (woops, they’re getting swept too...shame), will be excited and optimistic and cheering and stuff.
The Wings? History, unfortunately, tells us that if we’re going to be realistic here then let’s not be too hasty in boarding up the Stress Train.
Lessons were learned, the Red Wings insist, after they stumbled in Nashville during the first round of the playoffs, enabling the Predators to tie the series.
They can’t allow the same thing to happen against the supposedly more formidable Colorado Avalanche.
Good job with the “supposedly”, Ansar. Like that. Let’s not forget that while the Wings lost 3 and 4 at the SoGay, 1 and 2 weren’t exactly cakewalks either. Bubba may not have the potential firepower that Denver does, but they showed a lot more fortitude and a better team defense (plus much better goaltending) than the Dive have so far.
It’s difficult to think that the Wings don’t see the opportunity in front of them, to end this thing quickly, to take advantage of a team with fragile confidence, fragile health and an incredibly vulnerable starting goalie. Scott Bowman, allegedly, gave quite a speech before a Game 6 long ago...one where he said it would have been a lifelong regret if the Wing team gathered in front of him didn’t take advantage of a situation where they could close out a group of scumbags wearing pastel colors.
Now that speech was after a blowout loss in Denver, not a dominating performance at home. But the circumstances are similar.
The Wings’ biggest advantage as they continue this series is how much they’ve learned from playoffs past: To not relax, to not let the other team back in; in other words, to build on the machine they’re beginning to resemble.
A machine from ten years ago maybe? One that featured Chris Osgood in net, who defeated Dallas in the Conference Finals? Similar to that team you mean? Similar to those circumstances maybe?
Got it.
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Comments
Floppa and Hannan or not....they still have NO answer for Franzen and our offensive depth.
Wings in 4.
Posted by Scott H from Kalamazoo on 04/28/08 at 08:41 AM ET
Let us not forget that the guy we have in goal now hasn’t let in 2 goals within a 9, 11, or even a 32 second span. That was our problem in the Bubba series. We’ll continue to ride the hot hand while the Dive continue to swap goalies in the 2nd period. This team plays harder with Ozzie in net and it sure as hell showed on Saturday.
Posted by D Town in Bubbaville on 04/28/08 at 09:20 AM ET
wtf is wrong with these dopes? the diggers, that is.
Kulfan:
“It’s going to be tough playing in their building,” said Nicklaus Lidstrom, talking about the usual raucous crowd at Pepsi Center.
who is this Nicklaus? does Nicklas have a cousin or something?
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/28/08 at 09:43 AM ET
Quenneville vs. Babcock
Q: We’re starting Jose, even though he has a GAA of 9 for the series.
B: Altitude adjustment is addressed already by Wings - Babcock helped get players prepared for Denver by shortening shifts on Saturday.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/SPORTS0103/804280325/1128
Many pro sports teams have remarked over the years how the altitude can adversely affect teams that aren’t used to it.
The Wings might have gotten a head start by spacing out playing time during Saturday’s 5-1 victory.
“That was one of the most positive things about (Saturday’s) game is that our shift length was way down from the game before,” coach Mike Babcock said. “We were able to keep the tempo higher, and that’s what you’re going to have to do when you go to Colorado.
“You’re out of gas right away (because of the altitude). We are going to have to have four lines going.”
Hockey teams usually combat the altitude in a simple, yet effective way.
“Short shifts,” said Henrik Zetterberg, of the best way to combat the mile-high altitude. “You just have to block it out and keep the shifts short. Sometimes it’s tough to catch your breath.”
hopefully he’s talking to them about being careful with icings. I’d also like to see them do some of that thing they did on Saturday where one guy holds the puck while the rest of them change - to pin the Avs D in the zone without a change.
there’s no doubt in my mind that Babcock is a far superior coach to Quenneville.
Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 04/28/08 at 09:48 AM ET
Saturday’s game, was the 1st time this post-season, that I’ve seen the Wings play 60 minutes of hockey. They looked totally in control.
Of course it would have been nice to score on that long 5 on 3, just to twist the knife a little deeper. But, all in all, it looked as though the Wings were determined to rip the jugular right out of the Av’s neck.
Now, we go to the can. Can’t you just hear the team now: “We’ve got to withstand the first 10 minutes”; “they are going to come out flying”. Ya da freaking da.
Why can’t we be the team that comes out flying, huh? Bury the S.O.B’s early I say. Pot a few quick ones on “Three or Four” and have the Av’s on their heels.
I have not seen any ability by the Av’s to keep up with the Wings speed (and when was the last time that happened in the playoffs?). For whatever reason, the Av’s have been a “step-behind” this series.
I also haven’t seen the Av’s show any ability to “cycle the puck” on a consistent basis. Sure they had a couple of shifts where they showed some offensive presence; but that is hardly “consitent”.
Forsberg MIGHT give his line some the ability to have a consistent offensive presence, maybe; that is of course if he plays.
Good golly gee, I’d love for the Wings to come out on fire—instead of the “withstand the first ten minutes” nonsense. Come out like you know that your going to kick the living daylights out of the Av’s, instead of hoping to survive. Wings made a good statement in game 2. They have the opportunity to humilate the Av’s and remove from them any idea they might actually be able to compete. So far, the Av’s haven’t responded; I suggest we not let them.
Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 04/28/08 at 10:09 AM ET
who is this Nicklaus? does Nicklas have a cousin or something?
Clearly a homage to the Bavarian origins of Santa-Claus. I had to look that up. Kuflan’s writing generally makes me consult ye old EnyclopediaBritannica.
Babs > Q
He will out coach everyone on our way to the cup; I said so before round 1 and I have nevereverever been wrong.
Posted by Osrt on 04/28/08 at 10:18 AM ET
They have the opportunity to humilate the Av’s and remove from them any idea they might actually be able to compete.
“Eviscerate” is a word that comes to mind.
Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 04/28/08 at 11:14 AM ET
Kulfan is a joke. Incorrect spelling of the best player’s name is ridiculous. Any one of us could take kulfan’s spot and provide better reporting. Or at least spell checking.
A neat story I heard at a party Saturday night. A friend of mine has a bunch of Swedish friends from a stint living in Europe. He says one of his buddies is in a bar in Stockholm in the bathroom, and while standing at the urinal, realizes that Nick Lidstrom is standing next to him. Trying to find something witty to say to Sweden’s greatest hockey player, all he can come up with is “Hey Nick, nice watch.”
I think the Wings need to keep their focus. It’s of paramount importance that they focus on a clinical playoff hockey game tomorrow night. Too much thought of a sweep or Dallas in the conference finals and we’re back where we were with Nashville. Although if they start Theodore I feel better about it.
Posted by TDeters on 04/28/08 at 11:49 AM ET
This is easily something Red wings and Avs fans agree with. In fact I’ve been saying this since at least February
Posted by Jibblescribbits from San Jose, CA on 04/28/08 at 12:39 PM ET
RumBear:
“Eviscerate” is a word that comes to mind.
Touche!!
Goodness if you keep that up, your going to make a run at our top-scribe = Baroque
Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 04/28/08 at 01:04 PM ET
“Disembowel” is a good word, too. But somehow it sounds much messier than eviserate.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/28/08 at 01:48 PM ET
eviserate
This must be a world’s first!
Are you high right now? Or is hell just generally freezing over?
Posted by lilja4ever on 04/28/08 at 01:54 PM ET
Rushed at work. I’ll be gone at an all-day seminar tomorrow. 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/28/08 at 02:06 PM ET
“Vivisection.” While not strictly having the same meaning, it’s a related verb, and has connotations of animal abuse, such as cats...or Bigfoots. As used in the sentence, “I’d like to see Josie and his Pussycats vivisectioned tomorrow.”
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the laboratory of cruel and unusual experiments on 04/28/08 at 03:03 PM ET
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I gotta say Chief, this two day layoff is the only thing that has me worried. And to be honest I think it’s going to hurt. Playing every other day, especially with the way the Wings played in game 2, would’ve been in our best interest.
Now the Dive get to rest their players, probably get Forsberg back (and maybe Hannan) and then hit their home ice chomping at the bit to make a statment. Yeah, yeah, first ten minutes and all that...but still—something’s irking me.
Probably just my ingrained playoff-pessimism taking over, but I sure wish we were playing tonight. When you’re in a rhythm it’d be nice to keep it going.
(And lastly, great site. I missed your first year and didn’t find the place until ‘78 but I’ve been reading ever since and finally decided to comment. Keep up the good work.)
Posted by TCHockey on 04/28/08 at 07:56 AM ET