And I could have counted the number of faceoffs in which a player (Red Wing or Pred) was not thrown out of the circle tonight on one hand. A combination of McCreary’s micromanagement and a power-tripping linesman made face-offs a joke. I wish I had stats on the winning percentage of the winger coming into the circle.

Agreed Matt; the faceoffs were painful, especially because it felt like we lost most.

It’s strange that McCreary was being so dominant but didn’t call a handful of clear interference calls.

Draper-as-rug = unsportsmanlike?  Gary. Ass.

Posted by Osrt on 04/17/08 at 12:42 AM ET

Other than the @#$% *@# tutu whistles, the jackarse throwing every wing out of the faceoff circle all night was the most annoying thing about this train-wreck of a game.

The Wings continued to show an alarming propensity for sloppiness all over the ice.

Ozzie’s my goalie.  There’s no question we had to ride the crazy train as long as we did, but just as surely now we have to hope that the coming of the Oz-man will bring some level of sanity back to this thing.  Heck, even if he can just hold the Preds to one goal at a time we’ll have a huge comparitive advantage for game 5.

I thought the Wings out-played the Preds pretty thoroughly in the last half of this game - that combined with Ozzie being rock solid bodes well for Friday.  Sometimes the worm doesn’t turn immediately, that was the case tonight.  But the last half of this game was as solid as they’ve played this series.  Hopefully if they keep working that hard, the worm will turn, the hockey gods will smile upon them with a favorable bounce or two and they can put the screws to Bubba and be done with this.

The only thing I know for certain is that I’m gonna need a LOT more alcohol for the first round than I planned on…

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 04/17/08 at 12:43 AM ET

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. That’s where I’m at right now. Can’t say I’m surprised the Wings are in this situation, given previous years.

If the Wings want to make this a serious Cup run though, Filppula, Cleary and Franzen need to get a clue. Sammy’s been alright, and obviously he can do more. Things are gonna need to change though. The 3rd period was a start, if the Wings can carry that over to Game 5, then they can win this series.

Posted by Jeremy on 04/17/08 at 01:03 AM ET

Where was Franzenstien tonight, did not do much out there.

Posted by Ron Landrus from Toledo on 04/17/08 at 01:25 AM ET

I hate to admit it, but the Douche Canoe was correct about the Czech Miracle of Insanity.
;(

Posted by w2j2 on 04/17/08 at 04:53 AM ET

Catfish are bottom-feeders.  I don’t know about you, but where I grew up in Michigan, we threw catfish back because they were junk fish.  I didn’t even know that you could even eat them until I was a teenager, because you kept walleye, you kept trout, you kept bass, you kept salmon, but catfish, catfish were a waste of bait.

As distraught as I am as a Hasek fan to see the Dominator implode (despite the fact that the Predators have thrown more screens in front of Hasek in one night than the Wings have put on Ellis in the entire series), Mike Babcock said it best in his post-game presser, in which he was righteously angry: “We lost a faceoff, and the puck went in, and that can’t happen.” At the same time, I feel that the Red Wings have done a horrific job in terms of showing composure after they score goals, I felt that Hasek was excellent until the 3-1 goal, and I believe that each and every one of the Wings need to personally apologize to each other and Hasek especially, because it is a team game, and the team hasn’t played well enough in front of their goaltenders, Osgood included, forcing their netminders to make spectacular saves to keep them in the game.  Forwards are not supporting defenders, the Predators are setting up on the cycle, and they’re penetrating the slot, while the Wings are giving Ellis 35 “gimme” saves and 5 hard ones on a regular basis.

This is where teams either show that they’re championship calibre or show that young punks can upstart them, and that they desperately need a forward reinforcement to generate secondary scoring as there has been none. 

When Barry Trotz suggested in his post-game presser (check the CBC) that the Wings now respect the Predators, I felt that that summed up their organization’s mantra.  Smarm, arrogance, and disrespect for their opponent, on and off the ice, and the sad part is that they’re getting away with it because their opponent is not making a team that talks a big game eat its words.

It’s even, it’s a best two-out-of-three, and I am still, doubts included, betting on red, betting on experience and old age and treachery over youth and enthusiasm, but every player wearing a red jersey not named Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, or Nicklas Lidstrom needs to step it up, and they need to stop acting like catfish and channel their inner octopus, because octopi are in fact intelligent, viciously conniving, sneaky as hell, and they make short work of bottom-feeders.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 04/17/08 at 05:34 AM ET

After sleeping on it, all I have to say is…no.

NO!!

This will not happen.  I will not let those sons-a-bitches do this to me again.  I am going to personally will those bastards into the next round, and the one after that, and the one after that, too.  Then, it’ll be up to them to bring it home, where it belongs.

I need an angle and think I found one.

You all know there’s feel good story just begging to be written about this year’s version of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  It’s a story-in-waiting that’s been there pretty much the entire season, quietly knocking at the door of our collective conscience.  It’s just that we haven’t paid any willful attention to it—maybe because it sounded too far-fetched, too Hollywood.  But the story is there, my friends, just waiting for events to catch up to it.

Last night in Nashville a door opened.  And someone from heady, glory-filled days of yore walked through that door, the first step in a journey that will ultimately end with him claiming the complete, unmitigated adoration of Wings fans that, for reasons we all know, was denied him almost a decade ago. 

No.  Yes, no.  Because I said so, goddammit. 

Now, just sit back, relax and watch this magical story unfold before your very eyes.

Posted by O-Joe on 04/17/08 at 06:25 AM ET

...channel their inner octopus, because octopi are in fact intelligent, viciously conniving, sneaky as hell, and they make short work of bottom-feeders.

Especially blue-ringed octopus.

Size of a golf ball, but enough toxin to kill 26 adult humans within minutes. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/17/08 at 07:32 AM ET

That sucked and that’s all I have to say about that.
I’m with O-Joe, I’d love to see Ozzie get some redemption. You were talking about Ozzie, right? Maybe I’m an idiot for saying that now, but I know Ozzie is better than Ellis and Dom just can’t do it for whatever reason right now. I’m off to pout.

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/17/08 at 07:34 AM ET

Yeah, Andrew...Oz.

Dom’s old and his reflexes are not up to NHL standards anymore.  Two goals in Game 3 (and a couple last night) proved that his glove hand is slow (Arnott’s goal) and he doesn’t move side-to-side quickly enough anymore ( Legwand’s). 

And the goals against him last night show that he just doesn’t have any mojo working for him. 

Although not exactly the same circumstances as Carolina-Montreal a few years ago, this is a Martin Gerber sit your ass down, Cam Ward get in there moment if I ever saw one.  Except that our ‘understudy’ is not a no-name, but a seasoned vet who, on balance, has played extremely well throughout the season and has been down this long road before. 

Oh, and as for motivation, he just may want to show those doubting-Thomas Wings fans that he can, indeed, do the job without benefit of having a stacked, all-star like team playing in front of him this time.

It’s a real no-brainer if you ask me.

Posted by O-Joe on 04/17/08 at 08:07 AM ET

Let’s hope they don’t wait until it’s too late…

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/17/08 at 08:26 AM ET

I agree, Ozzy should get the start Friday (oh and have the P.A. play “Crazy Train").  However, I don’t think the “basic issue” is which goalie should get the start.

Bab’s has, in my opinion, failed to correct the team play after goals are scored. Bab’s was talking about it all day Tuesday (as we all were):

How can a veteran group not be composed? That’s what we talked about this morning,” said Babcock, as the Wings regulars took the day off from the ice and either got treatment or did off-ice workouts. ”That makes no sense. We all know in hockey the first shift after you score a goal, or they score, it’s one of the biggest shifts there is. It’s been that way forever. It controls momentum. We have to do a better job.”

The DeVries goal, 9 secs after Datsyuk’s—momentum killer of the highest magnitude.  That, after the Wings had finally bounced back after two NHS goals in the 1st period ONLY 32 secs apart!

I have run out of expletives to describe the anxiety and stress caused by this unfathomable pattern of play.

Chief:

“. . .a trend is developing regarding focus and composure?  That sure looks like coaching to me.”

It sure looks like coaching to me too, and that I think is the real issue.

Can anyone, in their right mind, honestly say that NHS skaters are more skilled, or grittier than the DET skaters?  I doubt it, at least they couldn’t say it with a straight face.

Without question, DET is, on occassion, getting outplayed, and at the worst possible times—after goals are scored.  They are getting repeatedly outplayed.

THESE ARE THE PLAYOFFS!!  GOOD GREIF!!  DET is, imo, way more talented than NHS.  Play like it for goodness sake.  Why in the world DET cannot find a way to play a 60 minute game with intensity; I just don’t understand.

This is clearly a leadership issue.  Bab’s is the penultimate leader (not too mention the “C” and “A” in the lockerrom).  Past time to earn that paycheck.

Of course, if the “real issue” turns out to be playing Ozzy instead of CMOI, then Uncle Mike will, as it may turn out, have properly addressed the issue. CMOI may well have been responsible for letting in the DeVries goal for certain.  But it is the team play, especially after goals are score, that scares the living crap out of me.

Best of three series now.  Adversity, and lots of it. A first round exit by the Wings wouldn’t be a good thing in Uncle Mike’s contract year.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 04/17/08 at 08:54 AM ET

Beautifully written George.

I too realized something after I woke up. The Wings only dominated the third because the Preds were in a defensive posture. I’m not so sure that our dominance will translate into game 5.

I am genuinely scared but have enough faith in Babbles, Z, OZ, Dats, & especially Nick to pull this through.

Posted by Osrt on 04/17/08 at 09:05 AM ET

I’m not buying the Dom’s too old thing - he played well enough, often enough throughout the season that I don’t think his glove hand fell off after game 2 or anything.  However, his insane-mojo?  Yep - positively missing since leaving Detroit.  I’m all for Ozzie staying in net; Dom’s 3rd goal was a horrible back-breaker and Ozzie came in and stood on his head making the best saves of any of the 3 goalies to give the Wings a chance.

I don’t think it’s coaching either really.  Mangling a line from a former Leo here, but do you think he coaches this stuff?  This is a problem that just popped up in the playoffs, and as wierd as hockey is could just be way the puck has bounced.  What’s more discouraging is the overall lack of physical play - dare I use the cliche’d grit-word here - drive and determination to crash the net and be hard to play against.  Yeah, they need a swift kick in the arse from their coach, but I think the phenomenon of giving up 2 goals every time NSH scores isn’t so much a coaching problem as a player effort problem.  And somehow I find it hard to imagine Babblecock taking his foot off his intensity-throttle at the start of the playoffs.  So I’m laying this at the feet of the players.

I have a good feeling about this if Ozzie stays in net; not so much if Babblecock kowtows to the Insane One.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 04/17/08 at 09:07 AM ET

The only good news from last night is that we were able to watch the entire game FSN-D via Center Ice rather than have to endure the A-hole analyst’s commentary on Versus.

IMO, team play and goaltending go hand in hand. A goaltender who plays out of his ass brilliantly not only wins games but inspires confidence, a goaltender the team can rally around. Hasek has not been consistant this year. On the other hand, Osgood led the league for much of the season, a dependable workhorse who was sometimes downright awesome! Before the playoffs began I thought he deserved to start. Maybe Hasek isn’t “too old” but I think he’s tired. Give the nod to Ozzy and change the dynamics. It’s not the answer to all of the issues but hopefully he can help us survive.

Posted by Cwix from Roanoke, VA on 04/17/08 at 09:37 AM ET

if Babblecock kowtows to the Insane One.

no chance. Ozzie gets the start next game.

Dom may not be too old, tired or anything like that; he simply hasn’t been playing well, as he has readily admitted. Ok, that sucks, but gotta move on.

And it wasn’t just any goal that Dom gave up, it was specifically the weak third one from last night that killed. Not all goals are equal and that one should count as three against he GAA.

Posted by Osrt on 04/17/08 at 09:41 AM ET

When Barry Trotz suggested in his post-game presser (check the CBC) that the Wings now respect the Predators, I felt that that summed up their organization’s mantra.  Smarm, arrogance, and disrespect for their opponent, on and off the ice, and the sad part is that they’re getting away with it because their opponent is not making a team that talks a big game eat its words.

Wow...is that how others view us? Smarmy, arrogant and disrespectful? I am not shocked with being called a Bubba or redneck but this kind of took me off guard.

Posted by PredJoe from Nashville on 04/17/08 at 09:44 AM ET

When Dom has excelled this year, it’s pretty much been stopping shots down low, which is a good thing, of course.  But it doesn’t take the reflexes of a youngster to just fall to the ice.  Gravity works for the same for both young and old.  He knows what to do when his fanny gets cold.  However, he’s slower up top and in moving laterally than he was in 2002, IMO.  Maybe he’s just worn out or didn’t get enough work down the stretch.  Whatever.  If he stays in net, Bubba’s going to keep going high glove-side on him until he shows that he can’t be beat there.  And I just don’t see Dom doing that. 

We can stick with Dom and lose or we can go with Oz.  He may lose, too, but in that case, it least we wouldn’t be left wondering how things may have turned out had the league-leading (or thereabouts) GAA netminder been given a shot.

Posted by O-Joe on 04/17/08 at 09:49 AM ET

Anyone have any ideas why Babcock screwed with the top two pairings? Why break up Rafalski and Lidstrom? Or Kronwall and Stuart?

Breaking up defense partners isn’t like mixing lines.

Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 04/17/08 at 10:44 AM ET

Anyone have any ideas why Babcock screwed with the top two pairings?

No freaking idea.  That really bothered me.  Heck, I can’t figure why he bothered to tamper with the lineup at all when they left Detroit, with the exception that I don’t care for Hartigan and would gladly have taken Abbadabbadoo over Hartigan.  Babblecock was in control leaving Detroit, why not let NSH force him to change?  Why screw with something that isn’t broken?  Maybe he outsmarted himself…

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 04/17/08 at 10:52 AM ET

Please get Hartigan out of the lineup.  What would be wrong with trying Abbadabbawhatever for a few shifts to see if he gets some energy going?  I don’t know.  Zet has been shooting and making some good plays but not being able to finish.  The officiating has been interesting both ways, the amount of obstruction, hooking and holding is amazing.  It seems like major stuff is allowed to go and then weird calls get made.  I wasn’t sure why everyone was getting thrown out of the circle last night either.  Mike, please put the defensive pairings back together. 

How do you lose a game when you are up 2-0 and then 3-2?  How do you score a goal that gets you back in the game 2-1 and then turn around and give up another goal 30 seconds later?  SLOPPY!

PredJoe, I don’t see the Preds as arrogant, I just hate those darn train whistles!

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/17/08 at 11:13 AM ET

hockeychic,
Z created a lot of somethings out of nothings last night, but you’re right.  No finish. But they definitely had their chances. I felt like they were out there every other change and was glad to see they didn’t seem to tired. I’m guessing they will be doing more of the same next game, unless Babcock mixes the lines.
You know, the more I think of it, nothing would please me more than Ozzie coming to save the day. Unrealistic? Probably.  But I’m awash in the idiocy of defeat and grasping at whatever will keep me from drowning.  Even if that happens to be somebody from the ‘heady, glory-filled days of yore.’

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/17/08 at 11:40 AM ET

SWEEP!  If Hasek had stopped all the shots over 45 feet the Wings would have swept this series.  Is his middle name Cheveldae?

Posted by RWBill from Richmond, VA on 04/17/08 at 11:44 AM ET

Hey cwix, you had FSN-Detroit over in Roanoke on Center Ice?  WTF?  I had to endure Bubbavision on center ice for the first period.

Posted by RWBill from Richmond, VA on 04/17/08 at 12:16 PM ET

Yep, I was giddy! Maybe they allowed it because Versus was joining the game in progress.

Posted by Cwix from Roanoke, VA on 04/17/08 at 12:35 PM ET

George James nails it with his post above.  What does it take to bring out the inner Roman in the Wings?  It’s time.

Officiating.  It sucks.  However, it sucks league wide.  I watched several other matches due to the late start and the inept Wings coverage, Thanks Gary. Ass.  All season we watched as seemingly invisible hook/holding/cross checks were called. If a goalie looked crosseyed at Homers butt it was a penalty.  A different style of play we were told.  Emphasize speed and stick handling.  So teams adjust and the Wings in particular thrive in the environment. 

Then the playoffs start and it all goes out the window. Huet has been bowled over more times than a nine pin at Orchard Lanes in Pontiac.  Brodeur gets tackled and no call.  Last nite we had Tutu mugging people in the corner for spare change.  No calls.  You can bitch about the non calls against your team but the overall application seems to point towards the league saying to the ref crews, “Let em play”.  So you have teams like the Wings waiting for the ref to do his job and he doesn’t, because, well he is doing his job. 

The other alternative is to believe that the ref is mind numbingly stupid and/or biased.  I am not ready to go there, yet. Thanks, Gary Ass.

So it’s time for the Wings to give it back.  Downey time?  Maybe, because now the Preds have to learn respect and that won’t be easy.

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 04/17/08 at 12:37 PM ET

I don’t think it matters if Dom’s too old, or too tired, or what-have-you.  He’s not playing well and that’s all that matters right now.  The whys can be left for July, because there isn’t time to figure it out and correct it right now.  His “last 60 minutes, worst hockey I’ve played in my life” comment to the beat writers after last night’s game speaks loudly, and I think that’s the big reason to go with Oz.

@Hoser:  I agree with you that I wouldn’t lay all of this at Babcock’s feet.  He can try to settle them down, he can try to fire them up, but for every player that comes from the inside, not the outside.  It would be different if Babcock has lost this team, but that’s hardly the case.

Especially blue-ringed octopus.  Size of a golf ball, but enough toxin to kill 26 adult humans within minutes.

That’s just about the right number.  Baroque, get me one of those by Friday and I’ll personally drive the 600 miles to the Joe and toss it on the Preds’ bench at game time. 

Posted by BobTheZee on 04/17/08 at 12:57 PM ET

Anti-Digger says Ozzie’s in.

Posted by O-Joe on 04/17/08 at 01:23 PM ET

What, no post-game post yet?  What happened guys?  It’s almost like Nashville is a real, live hockey team!  I told you guys not to act like they weren’t going to be any kind of threat or it would come back to bite you in the butt.  And here we are, all tied up at 2.  Hope you wrote it down.
Your Friend,
Charles

Posted by chase on 04/17/08 at 01:29 PM ET

That’s just about the right number.  Baroque, get me one of those by Friday and I’ll personally drive the 600 miles to the Joe and toss it on the Preds’ bench at game time.

I’ll see what I can do.  Just whatever you do, don’t keep it in your pocket! 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/17/08 at 01:33 PM ET

Piss off with you little man against the world post, Chase. We know the wings got beat, and I don’t recall any blog entries about how this was going to be a cake walk.  Some of the comments may have indicated that, but not, I guaran-f-ing-tee you the majority. If you’d paid any attention at all most of us were worried about this exact scenario beforehand.  See: any mention of the ‘stress train’ as we call it here. Did we feel pretty good being up 2-0? Sure, wouldn’t you? You feel good about winning two in a row now don’t you?  It’s natural when your team does that.  I bet you’ll go back to whatever preds blog you usually comment on and tell your buddies there you really let us have it over here. Cheers, dickwad.
And yes, this is a rant by a seriously pissed off wings fan still pouting and nursing his wounds. That’s why we watch the games though, right? That’s why we care and all that.  You’re still pissed that you got your feelings hurt last time you posted a comment here. I would say write it down, but that’s such a douchy thing to say.

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/17/08 at 02:55 PM ET

I’m not even a Preds fan Andrew.  The first post made on this blog going into the series claimed that this was going to be a walk in the park and basically said that Nashville wasn’t even a real hockey team and that Detroit playing an average game was still better than Nashville playing its absolute best.  All that I questioned in my first post was how the writer of this blog could so easily dismiss a team just because they were the last seed and I got chewed out by about 10 people.  It just feels good to be right after getting trashed for trying to talk about hockey in an unbiased way.  Sorry you’re hurting.  good luck in game 5.

Posted by Chase on 04/17/08 at 03:02 PM ET

You have to admit, its been pretty boring hockey so far. Niether team in playoff form.

Posted by Ron Landrus from Toledo on 04/17/08 at 03:21 PM ET

Apologies for calling you a Preds fan, Chase.
But the Chief is a blogger and he writes as a Red Wings Fan.  He’s not a national hockey analyst with supposedly unbiased opinions. Thank God.  From what I remember from his keys to this series was something along the lines of it doesn’t matter what Nashville brings so much as it matters what Detroit does. To a large extent he’s been right.  Wings sat on a lead late in game 3, and the Wings poor goaltending last night put this series where it now stands. When the wings have played marginally well, not even up to what I think most would acknowledge as their full capabilities, the Preds haven’t been worrisome.  Have the Preds capitilized on their chances, hustled and attempted to pressure the hell out of any red jersey on the ice? You bet your ass.  That’s playoff hockey, bounces and breaks and all that. But, from this fan’s admittedly biased point of view, the Wings have been shooting themselves in the foot. Could the pucks have gone in for the Preds without their players doing all that they can do? No, course not, but the Preds players are currently doing ALL that they can do.  Playing extremely disciplined trench-style hockey and feeding off the Wings mistakes. And yes, I know that’s just hockey. But as of yet the wings are not doing all that they can do, and that’s what I got from the blog you’re referring to. 

If you want unbiased coverage and discussion this isn’t the site for you.  We can talk hockey with fans from all over, but know we’re gonna do so in a way that will probably rub you the wrong way. I don’t know as there are too many ass kissers posting or commenting on this site. Did we respect what the preds might do before this series started? Not a doubt in my mind. Now we’re just waiting to see how our guys respond.

and the magic word is: ho19pe. I kinda like that.

Posted by AndrewB from TN on 04/17/08 at 03:26 PM ET

...Detroit playing an average game was still better than Nashville playing its absolute best

Awlrighty then, I’ll take the troll bait.  I’ve seen nothing to suggest that premise isn’t accurate.  Nashville’s celebration after Arnott’s go-ahead goal in game 3 and Detroit’s roiling angst is evidence that likely both teams entered this contest with that very same premise.  Obviously, Dom tanked the last couple games and the skaters in front of him stopped playing as hard as they had even for average regular season games.  End result: tied after two, and possibly nobody more surprised (and pleased) than Trotz.

It just feels good to be right after getting trashed for trying to talk about hockey in an unbiased way

Riiiiigghhht.  And I’m sure you’d have taken the time to show up here had the Wings swept the Predators too - because you find your pleasures, such that they are, in talking about hockey in an unbiased way.

Hockey is the most unpredictable of sports - you are more lucky than right.  Enjoy your 2-game string of good-fortune.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 04/17/08 at 03:33 PM ET

Hey, Andrew… Too bad it wasn’t ho30pe. 

Posted by Cwix from Roanoke, VA on 04/17/08 at 03:33 PM ET

You have to admit, its been pretty boring hockey so far. Niether team in playoff form.

You got that right.  I’ve been trying to catch the Philly-Washington games, when I have a chance.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/17/08 at 04:28 PM ET

Hasek out, Ozzie’s in for Friday night?!

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 04/17/08 at 04:31 PM ET

Anyone have a video of the Tootoo-stepping-on-Draper incident?

Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 04/17/08 at 06:15 PM ET