Rack.

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 05/26/08 at 10:00 PM ET

Wow, those hockey gurus at Pensblog were right on the money in their pre-Finals analysis.  Hopefully, soon, the Wings will find a way to contain the Pens youthful exuberance, shut-down their awesome offensive firepower and poke holes in their stifling team defense.  Oh, and hopefully they find a way to solve Fleury-the-Wall, too.

Posted by O-Joe on 05/26/08 at 10:01 PM ET

Osgood is the biggest diver I have ever seen!  Sykora barely grazed his arm!

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 05/26/08 at 10:01 PM ET

Really NHLJeff....REALLY

Posted by Moocat on 05/26/08 at 10:04 PM ET

Suck it Cindy.  Suck it long, suck it hard *#$%@&!

We are dancin’ in DC!

Posted by Rae Carruth's Trunk on 05/26/08 at 10:06 PM ET

Suck it Cindy.  Suck it long, suck it hard

As though he needs to be told that?

Posted by number9 on 05/26/08 at 10:08 PM ET

Check out Therrien post game

What an insipid whining prick.  First question, asked why Malkin has turned into Harvey the Rabbit and his response is:

1) Detroit obstructs all day—no calls
2) Osgood dives
3) No calls on obstruction
4) They are very good at obstruction

Posted by mrobert on 05/26/08 at 10:14 PM ET

Ugh. I don’t think I want to watch Terrier’s press conference. After sending out Roberts to pull a couple of dirty hits on Franzen, he really has no right to call anyone else dirty.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 05/26/08 at 10:16 PM ET

Still waiting for Osgood to make a save.

We give the utmost respect to the Wings’ D and the way they’ve shut down any offense that comes close.

But you can’t praise Osgood.
He’s made maybe three saves.

Again, the Wings defense has completely suffocated the Pens.
Anyone could be back there and do what Osgood is “doing.”

If the Pens had the chances the Wings have had, then we’ll talk.

Posted by Pensblog on 05/26/08 at 10:16 PM ET

Tick.

Tock.

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 05/26/08 at 10:16 PM ET

Initially, the Penguins were so outclassed that I felt sorry for them - only while they were playing like clumsy lost puppies.

As soon as a team starts taking out their frustration by cheap-shotting someone who just came back from a concussion, and generally acting like whiny spoiled brats who aren’t getting a cookie since they are misbehaving, I have no sympathy. At that point they need to be spanked.

I’d laugh if they were shut out in both games in Pittsburgh at this point.

And I have to say that Crosby played hard and didn’t engage in the festivities using Franzen as a pinata.  That’s a plus for him in my book.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/26/08 at 10:17 PM ET

Like going with Fischer, Chief!  Oh, if only he were still able to play.  That guy was truly developing into what Lilja always should have.

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 10:17 PM ET

All I can say is Hell Yeah MotherF*cker

Only 2 more… No way this team could loose 4 of 5…

I love it

Posted by arelius19 from maryland on 05/26/08 at 10:18 PM ET

If the Pens had the chances the Wings have had, then we’ll talk.

So, if the Penguins were playing as well as the Wings and the Wings were playing as poorly as the Penguins, then this series would be different?

We have a new winner of the “Captain Obvious” award for the night.  Any other gleaning insight or do you want to go back to calling us divers and puppy killers?

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 10:20 PM ET

Thugs.  Hitting Franzen in the head after the play.....NICE… to bad we do not have a commissioner with external genitalia.  Colon Campbell...where the hell are you....on vacation?  What a pair to draw too.

Hats off to the Wings for keeping it active and playing, uh, em, HOCKEY.

Thanks Gary. Ass.

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 05/26/08 at 10:22 PM ET

do you want to go back to calling us divers and puppy killers

JJ, that’s easier for Captain Obvious then actually acknowledging that the Pens have been outplayed, outclassed and outsmarted for 2 solid shutouts.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 05/26/08 at 10:27 PM ET

I think that’s a little harsh on Osgood.

After all, he did have to stay awake - and every time I hear him in an interview, I wonder if he’s going to drop off right there. 

Good couple of games - will be interesting to see how things go in Pittsburgh.  Penguins are undefeated at home, and should play with a little more confidence there.  Have to see if it makes a difference.

G’night, everybody!

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/26/08 at 10:27 PM ET

I’ll post this question here to the Wings fans, already posted it on Pensblog.

Do you think Therrien is trying to use the media to send a message to the league about trying to get calls in their favor?

Follow-up, is letting his young stars think that they’re getting jobbed out of chances going to do them more help or harm? Is there concern that their youth will respond poorly to thinking that they’re getting screwed by the refs?

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 10:31 PM ET

Thanks for the Fischer post, Chief.  Sniff, sniff.

What a game from the Wings.  I can not tell you how much I love Datsyuk this series.  Oh and the Val goal, I rewound it and watched it about 15 times on my TiVo.

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 05/26/08 at 10:31 PM ET

G’night all, see you Humpday.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 05/26/08 at 10:32 PM ET

JJ - without a doubt he’s playing the reporters to get some more calls and to get them to watch whatever it is he’s supposedly seeing.  As we’ve seen already, the officials aren’t above making things up as they go along.

That said, I’m wondering if Pittsburgh even left their own city limits, they certainly didn’t show up in Detroit.

Posted by HockeyJoe from NY on 05/26/08 at 10:43 PM ET

Still waiting for Osgood to make a save.

We give the utmost respect to the Wings’ D and the way they’ve shut down any offense that comes close.

But you can’t praise Osgood.
He’s made maybe three saves.

that is the most ridiculous load of crap I’ve read so far in the playoffs.  every team gets good chances.  the Pens have had some very good ones including quite a few point blank shots, etc. - and Osgood has made the saves.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/26/08 at 10:50 PM ET

Old man Roberts was and still is a dirty player.  What an a%%.  Sweep probably not but cup in 5 seems likely.

Babs is doing a hell of a job coaching and the players are responding with excellent coverage and positional play.

GO WINGS!!!

Posted by rocketman from detroit on 05/26/08 at 10:51 PM ET

If this is a best of three and the Wings are skating the cup right now, I say the number one factor that led to this was experience.  It will take quite a bit to convince me otherwise in the next games in this series.

I’m kind of hoping for a bad call against the Penguins to start game 3.  I want to know if they can respond to that.  The Wings proved in game one that they can keep playing their game after what they felt was a bad call.  They easily could have let the disallowed Holmstrom goal snowball into a game one loss, but didn’t.  I wonder if the Penguins are mature enough as a team to do the same.

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 10:52 PM ET

If the Pens had the chances the Wings have had, then we’ll talk.

That’s funny as hell. “If the Pens didn’t suck, this would be a completely different series.”

Seriously, where ARE the Penguins? This was supposed to be a matchup of titans, dammit, and your guys are NOT holding up their end of the deal.

Oh, and Osgood’s doing just damn fine, thanks. He faced 22 shots, and stopped them. How many goals had Fleury let in after 22 shots?

Posted by Matt from Tennessee on 05/26/08 at 10:53 PM ET

if you’ve got the game recorded, go back and watch the third period with 1:35 left.  Malone tried to run Osgood behind the net but missed.  identical play to Sykora, but Malone just missed.

clearly the Penguins were trying to run Osgood intentionally.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 05/26/08 at 10:54 PM ET

Do you think Therrien is trying to use the media to send a message to the league about trying to get calls in their favor?

Well of course he is. What’s really funny is how the other posters at PensBlog get twitchy when you suggest that. Apparently they think Therrien is as pure as the driven snow, farts bunnies and rainbows, and would never stoop to such a thing.

Posted by Matt from Tennessee on 05/26/08 at 11:09 PM ET

Filoopula is God.

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 05/26/08 at 11:10 PM ET

What I’m more concerned about is how watching their coach spend half of his press conference whining about the refs is going to affect the development of Crosby and Malkin.  Those two have the ability to be great leaders. Basically, they could be the next Zetterberg and Datsyuk, but if they learn to start getting down and frustrated, then that may never happen.

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 11:16 PM ET

JJ, no worries.  One more season of this crap- and, after UFA losses and another season of average coaching and Therrien is history- and Pittsburgh will get some strong leadership behind the bench. 

They could obviously use it.

Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 05/26/08 at 11:19 PM ET

I’m really trying not to canonize Babcock too early, but are we seeing the next Scotty Bowman? 

Take out the other two Jack Adams finalists, take every coach in the league.  Does any other team in this league “belong” to their coach the way the Wings belong to Babcock?

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 11:27 PM ET

Anyone could be back there and do what Osgood is “doing.”

Not quite guys. Basic skills, maybe. But basic skills are hard to maintain in high pressure situations like, say, a city so sued to winning that it will crucify anyone who gets in the way. Or, say, the Stanley Cup Finals.

More important, though, is Ozzie’s composure. The team trusts him with their life and one can replace that position.

BTW. Sportscenter just showed Fil’s goal as their #1 play.

Posted by Osrt on 05/26/08 at 11:31 PM ET

they (Pittsburgh) whined the whole game, i’ve NEVER seen a team cry so much to the officials in my life. especially when the games have been called RIDICULOUSLY ONE SIDED in the penguins favor. gary (ass) has done everything in his power to give the pens an advantage.

Posted by christpuncher from detroit on 05/26/08 at 11:35 PM ET

christpuncher,
you must have been watching a different game, because the calls were pretty even.

Posted by NHLJeff from Boston, MA on 05/26/08 at 11:36 PM ET

I have a weird feeling that Therrien’s comments are going to backlash, especially when you think about the Pen’s antics at the end. I’m with Baroque; I had some sympathy for a team clearly getting schooled on how to win. Then the head shots to Franzen began…

Posted by Osrt on 05/26/08 at 11:38 PM ET

How often is it that the guy leading his team in hits makes it into game #18 before he takes his first two penalty minutes?

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26/08 at 11:39 PM ET

The irony is thicker than London fog… the Pens are complaining about diving and the refs!

Give them the dive on Ozzie (just for giggles) and what happens?  Not a damn thing.  No PP miracle, cause there hasn’t been one so far.  No 3 goal come back, cause they have a hard enough time getting 3 shots in 5 minutes.

This is Thierrien deflecting criticism from his lacklustre team and onto something else, so says the TSN panel, and I would agree.  There are no positives from this game.  They could say they played a better style in the last half of the game and got more chances, but the Wings were in dump-in mode and thus limiting their offensive output.

We are outplaying and outhinking them.  Uncle Mike is in control as this freight train barrels down the track.

The Fischer banner makes me pause and remember our fallen Wings warriors.  Like Vladdie before him, his career ended too early.  Hopefully both will stand on the ice with the team as we raise the Cup.  The stress train is empty, now taking reservations for corporate events.

Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 05/26/08 at 11:44 PM ET

Take out the other two Jack Adams finalists, take every coach in the league.  Does any other team in this league “belong” to their coach the way the Wings belong to Babcock?

No, but there’s Holland and Bowman on the back-end as well.  Plus the scouts.  The entire organization is on the same sentence - nevermind the page.

Posted by jrl123 on 05/27/08 at 12:08 AM ET

That, my friend, is exactly why I’m a Wings fan.  I am not geographically inclined to like them; I like them because they are a great organization from top-to-bottom.

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/27/08 at 12:27 AM ET

even after a “soft Euro” (Datsyuk) took down Gary Roberts

I’ll be watching for Roberts to file his retirement papers after that! Was Don Cherry on Sports Center after the game? It would have been great to see his head explode!

Still waiting for Osgood to make a save.

Posted by Pensblog on 05/26 at 11:16 PM

When the goalie is almost always in the right position, it makes it look a lot easier than it really is. Maybe Fleury should try it sometime. Actually, Ozzie did make at least one spectacular save—just after Malone interfered with him. He dove to his left and stopped the shot as the ref was blowing the whistle. I guess that’s what Coach Therrien must have meant in his endless babbling about Osgood “diving.” It seems the Penguins and their fans liked the “zero tolerance” on touching the goalie in the crease in Game 1—even though Fleury was actually out of the crease and initiated contact. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Oh wait, I guess the Pens have lost them all so far.

Perhaps the best thing about Therrien’s idiotic comments was Osgood’s response: “I’ve ben called worse.”

If the Pens had the chances the Wings have had, then we’ll talk.

Posted by Pensblog on 05/26 at 11:16 PM

I think other people may have covered this one enough. So all I’ll add is a simple multiple choice question. How are the Wings getting those chances? Is it by:

A.) Keeping their feet moving and continuing to work hard even when they are obviously held (like on Filppula’s goal)?

B.) Dumping the puck off to a D-man and going hard to the net to create a partial screen (like Filppula—what, him again?—on Stuart’s goal)?

C.) Outworking the opponent behind the net and throwing it out front to a teammate, then making absolutely sure the goalie doesn’t swat it away before the original shot trickles across the goal line (like Holmstrom on his goal)?

D.) All of the above.

E.) Diving. And obstructing. Yeah, that’s it diving and obstructing and obstructing and diving.

...And I have to say that Crosby played hard and didn’t engage in the festivities using Franzen as a pinata.  That’s a plus for him in my book.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/26 at 11:17 PM

Baroque—You obviously missed his post-game press conference. I lost a ton of respect for Mr. Crosby there. Rather than manning up, he followed his coach’s lead, even whining that “sometimes they lift your stick and sometimes they hold it.” (Gee Sid, holding sticks is one of the few skills I’ve seen you display so far, maybe they learned it from you...ya know, seeing how you’re the greatest player in the world. He also commented on Osgood, saying how he “doesn’t go out of his way to stay away from that kind of stuff.” Uh, Sid, when the goalie is playing the puck behind the net, the onus is on the skater to avoid the goalie, not vice versa. And, if you watch the replay, Sykora clearly put his shoulder into Osgood.)

Do you think Therrien is trying to use the media to send a message to the league about trying to get calls in their favor?

Follow-up, is letting his young stars think that they’re getting jobbed out of chances going to do them more help or harm? Is there concern that their youth will respond poorly to thinking that they’re getting screwed by the refs?

Posted by J.J. from kansas on 05/26 at 11:31 PM

Yes, J.J. Yes and Yes. It is the desperate strategy of a desperate coach. His team can’t fight through anything. They need the refs to help them out. I too hope it backfires on him.

(End of rant)

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 05/27/08 at 12:37 AM ET

Been traveling all weekend...seriously missing my A2Y connection…

Love that the first thing I see when I log on was the #2 Jersey...all class, Chief.

The same things are happening in this series that have happened in the first three rounds of the playoffs.  The obvious ones are the puck possession, the shutting down of the opponents’ top lines, etc...but the bigger item here for me is that the Wings are burying chances when they get them and the Pens aren’t.  That makes me a little nervous because the Pens still get chances here and there...and eventually, one is going to go in...but right now the Wings look exactly like we thought they would going into this—like the more poised team.  They’re the proverbial high school quarterback that I alluded to about ten years ago when we were in the initial games of the Dallas series...we belong here.

In the words of Sean Connery in The Rock, “Losers talk about doing their best.  Winners go home and f the prom queen.”

Any question which end of that spectrum we’re on right now?  Anyone surprised?

Posted by disch from bat country on 05/27/08 at 01:35 AM ET

Flowery, got three free passes tonight at least. When is the last time you saw a goalie stick out his buttock to run interference and not get an arm in the air????

Posted by Ron Landrus from Toledo on 05/27/08 at 02:50 AM ET

Baroque—You obviously missed his post-game press conference. I lost a ton of respect for Mr. Crosby there.

Yes, I did miss his post-game - saw a clip on ESPN in the morning (where he said he didn’t think that Detroit really got all that many scoring chances) and I am inclined to concur.

Someone should tell the Pittsburgh coach that it isn’t called obstruction - it’s called “defense.” Maybe he hasn’t seen much of it in the Eastern conference, but that’s how things are done in the Western conference - and probably accounts partially for the high offensive numbers of the forwards on the Eastern teams.

No wonder Marian Gaborik has mused about playing for an Eastern team.  He’d be outstanding in a primarily offensive scheme.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/27/08 at 05:01 AM ET

But you can’t praise Osgood.
He’s made maybe three saves.

Numbers are a bit askew there.  Off by a factor of around seven.  Out by nineteen (hey...).  He made 22 saves-- the exact total that Pissburgh put on net.  The fact that he was always in the right place at the right time, and didn’t have to stretch or make highlight-reel saves, speaks more about his play than any little Pens fan making the same old lame arguments ever could.

I’d laugh if they were shut out in both games in Pittsburgh at this point.

I’m with you, Baroque.  And I can’t say it any better than you already have, but in all honesty, I don’t think we’ve faced a team this utterly lacking in class in the playoffs since the Poultry last year.  To take cheap shots at players just back from injury, to run multiple times one of the players you’re having a tougher time solving, and to generally goon it up because you’re frustrated that your whininess isn’t getting you anywhere anymore, and then- AND THEN- to have the sheer, unadulterated gall to go to the press conference and suggest- no, to outright SAY- that it’s your OPPONENT who is acting outside the rules and the spirit of them, well...I’ll just have to pick my jaw up off the floor and re-evaluate a team that I didn’t have any problems with and even admired at one point.  I am absolutely appalled by the behavior displayed by this organization and this team since the halfway point of Game 2.  What should have been a great and exciting matchup, billed as the best SCF since 1994, is sullied by one team’s inability to take it on the chin and prepare and adjust their game accordingly, instead expecting to be handed the Cup just for being who they are, where they are.  Every impartial ‘NHL fan’ or fan of this game who is watching must be embarassed for the Pens and If they don’t end up scoring at all the rest of this series, get shut out and swept, it will be just reward for what they’ve done and said.  And I for one, instead of saluting them and their fans for a series well-played and a challenge met with class, will laugh and hoot and spit on their failure with malevolence and contempt.  And then I will forget them in the next five seconds.  Because after yesterday, that’s all they deserve.

And I’m with Osrt too.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Therrien’s tactics will backfire on him.  The refs will think to themselves that he is telling them he knows better than them how to do their jobs, and they will act accordingly.  No more free rides for the younger players, let them tough it out, and if they can’t, tough sh*t.  They may get a stern talking-to by Bettman, but I don’t think this will sway the officiating in Pissburgh’s favor at all.  I think that Therrien and co. have just done themselves a great disservice, and instead of holding their heads high and manning up, they’ve turned a great deal of the hockey world, including the refs, against them.  This may not help the Wings, but it won’t hurt them, either.

It’s the Stanley Cup Finals, kids.  Here, you don’t get the chances handed to you-- you make them.  Sorry, sometimes you do by the refs, especially in the first game.  But it’s still up to you to make a power play count.  If you can’t make them, then you ain’t goin’ nowhere.  Someone once said, “You make your own luck.” Better start doing just that if you want to have a chance here.

Oh, and Chief-- LOVE the Fisch banner.  If he were still playing, he’d be an integral part of this team, and not a day goes by when his presence isn’t missed (and of course, lest it need be said, Vladdie’s).  Let’s make him proud on Wednesday.

LET’S GO RED WINGS!

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the grave of Therrien's career, dancing on it on 05/27/08 at 05:13 AM ET

Seems to me that Penguins lost everything good they built during last two years in the span of two pathetic games. Pathetic in both performance and manhood. I am ashamed.

Posted by Kosta from Surcin, Serbia on 05/27/08 at 06:56 AM ET

It’s the Stanley Cup Finals, kids.  Here, you don’t get the chances handed to you-- you make them.

This.

The sense of entitlement coming from the Pens just because they have Wonder Boy on their roster seriously pisses me off.  Somehow they missed the memo--the one that has been passed around for decades--stating that the Cup is the hardest thing to attain in all of professional sports.

F ‘em.

Posted by O-Joe on 05/27/08 at 07:08 AM ET

Baghdad Bob is trying to set up some serious home ice calls in his favor because his offense is too impotent in 5 x 5.  He knows the only way he can get back in this series is to get even more homer calls from the refs.  He’s setting up his home crowd to start screaming everytime a Red Wing gets his stick in the way of the Chosen Flock, and intimidate the refs into giving them undeserved power plays.

Hell, public whining works with the gutless NHL, witness 2 Detroit goals disallowed without justification.  Look for massive amounts of power play opportunities early for the Penguins in Game 3.

Posted by RWBill from Richmond, VA on 05/27/08 at 08:07 AM ET

Chief:  Class, all class; posting #2.

Completely unlike the Pens players at the end of game #2, or worse; their (ahem) Coach at the post-game presser.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 05/27/08 at 08:25 AM ET

I have NBC’s web ad for Wednesday’s game done.  Just have to transmit it to them in New York for distribution.

Posted by O-Joe on 05/27/08 at 08:28 AM ET

“If the Pens had the chances the Wings have had, then we’ll talk.”
Chances and opportunities are earned not given. The Pens earned the right to be on the ice for the SCPO’s and thats it. Hard work and the ability to stick to your teams plan and rely on your best players to be exactly that.
Whining, crying & bitching a post game press conference will not WIN a single game. If the coach has the respect of the official you can address that official during the game to earn the favor of a future call. What I heard after the game sounds like a spoiled brat (or brats) whining to Mommy & Daddy its their turn to play with a toy (like maybe a puck) that isn’t theirs to start with.
Shut up and play the game to shut up and go home.
Anyone who compares Cindy to Yzerman after listening to Cindy last night needs a one way ticket to Denver (or Pittsburg maybe).

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 05/27/08 at 08:54 AM ET