I look at the Ref after every goal scored with Homer in front of the goalie.

Posted by YYZerman from Detroit, Michigan on 03/16/10 at 11:23 AM ET

YYZerman, good point.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 03/16/10 at 11:26 AM ET

Shoot, I now look at the ref after EVERY goal Detroit scores, regardless of who is on the ice.

Posted by Primis on 03/16/10 at 11:47 AM ET

amazed it wasn’t waived off since he was well in the crease

Posted by Pharazon from England on 03/16/10 at 11:51 AM ET

Interesting that Kipursoff just stayed parked behind the screen. If he had challenged more, he would have deserved a waive-off because Holmstrom was plenty deep in the crease. Instead, he sat back and the screen worked perfectly with no contact from Holmstrom.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 03/16/10 at 11:52 AM ET

Interesting that Kipursoff just stayed parked behind the screen. If he had challenged more, he would have deserved a waive-off because Holmstrom was plenty deep in the crease. Instead, he sat back and the screen worked perfectly with no contact from Holmstrom.

Well said.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 03/16/10 at 11:59 AM ET

Interesting that Kipursoff just stayed parked behind the screen. If he had challenged more, he would have deserved a waive-off because Holmstrom was plenty deep in the crease. Instead, he sat back and the screen worked perfectly with no contact from Holmstrom.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 03/16/10 at 12:52 PM ET

As a goalie sometimes you don’t have a good read on the shot or the play, and you don’t want to challenge too much and get caught so you stay in the blue hoping to make a position save.

Posted by moocat on 03/16/10 at 12:07 PM ET

I guess Kipper didn’t talk to the refs before the game about Holmstrom being in front.

Anyone else think that should be illegal?  Seems like one of those gray areas, like the Burrows - Auger issue.

Posted by drimo from Cincinnati, OH on 03/16/10 at 12:18 PM ET

I count no Red Wings goal official until the puck is dropped for the ensuing faceoff.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/16/10 at 12:19 PM ET

The look on Kipper’s face was priceless there.

“Well… Not getting the call? No?  *sigh* All right… Next time.”

Posted by HockeyJoe from Upstate New York on 03/16/10 at 12:29 PM ET

I think Kipper’s face read more like: “Holy $hit, I can’t believe that shot. Don’t look at me boys, there wasnt a damn thing I could do about it”

Posted by LaserRed on 03/16/10 at 01:06 PM ET

YYZerman point is spot on. The initial reaction to any goal scored when Homer is in front of the goalie is not celebration but a cozie being thrown at the big screen, followed by a five minute tirade on the various incompetent levels of Gary B and his league of refs. I thought for sure that the second goal last night was going to be called off.

Posted by UMFan from Denver, Colorado on 03/16/10 at 01:22 PM ET

...a five minute tirade on the various incompetent levels of Gary B and his league of refs…

This was me on:

1.) Offsetting penalties to Zetterberg and Bourque in 1st—especially after Bourque punched Z in the head

2.) PS call on Williams for his weak hook on Glencross. The incompetence here is further illustrated if you check the box score/game summary materials at nhl.com—they have it down as “Zetterberg—hooking on a breakaway.” Also, they list Calgary as 1 for 3 on the PP and Detroit as 2 for 3 on the PK…in a 2-1 game where Calgary’s lone goal was scored at even strength. And we wonder why they can’t get supplementary discipline right.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 03/16/10 at 01:49 PM ET

I’ve descended from looking to the Refs every time a goal is scored when a Red Wing is near the crease,  to automatically assuming a waive-off

Jeff, card-carrying member of the Red Wings’ Tin Foil Hat Association.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Quest for 12 on 03/16/10 at 01:57 PM ET

Unrelated, but…  What Pierre McGuire said really bugs me: “Chris, you called it the TSN Turning Point if Detroit comes back to win—what a play by Jimmy Howard.”  He’s talking about stopping the penalty shot, obviously.  But that’s cheating.  Of course it’s a turning point if Detroit wins.  He could have said that about any play and been right.  “That faceoff win could be the turning point if Detroit ends up winning this game.”  “Howard taking a drink of water during the TV timeout could be the turning point if Detroit comes back to win.”  It’s just so silly.

It’s like how when a team is down by one goal in the third period and getting all kinds of chances, but nothing is going in.  Then they give up a breakaway, and the goalie makes a safe.  And the announcer invariably says, “Remember that save if they come back to win this game!”  Either the save matters or it doesn’t.  You can’t cheat and say it matters if they win.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 03/16/10 at 01:58 PM ET

i’ve said it here before and i’ll say it again. Holmstrom should be in the Hall of Fame some day. He’s not only by far the best in the league at what he does (Ryan Smyth isn’t nearly as good as him at this stuff despite all of the comparisons), but is quite obviously one of the best in NHL history. time and time again, game after game, season after season, the man’s tipping and screening is just incredible. incomparably incredible. the man should be recognized as being one of the games greatest because he is.

can you even imagine if he was given an assist for every goal he was directly responsible for by either screening or distracting a goalie to the point of them forgetting about the puck? he’d be high on the all time points list for sure. i mean, look at Lidstrom’s career point totals alone. how many of those points were due to Homer’s work in front? over half I’m sure. and you can go right down the list. this is a team that led the league in power play goals for years. how many of those were directly due to Homer’s screens in front? his work tends to directly result in goals going in more than most traditional “assists” do and while he gets tons of credit from teammates, coaches, and the media, the NHL record books just won’t do him justice. his effect has just been so much bigger than statistics will ultimately show… and he’s STILL second on the team in goals at age 37 playing one of the most physical and dangerous rolls in hockey. his stats aren’t HOF caliber, but their damn well respectable.

and if you throw in all of the BS goals that have been taken away in his career because of what a marked player he is… man, he’s just incomparable.

and for anyone who is on the fence about whether Homer deserves to be in the hall, his acceptance speech would go down as one of the greatest ever. this is the guy who said he’s staying in America after he retires because restaurants are open on Sundays in this magical country. what a character!!

Posted by perfection from LaLaLand on 03/16/10 at 01:59 PM ET

Most essential players see their jersey in the rafters at the end of their career. They should retire the back of holmstrom’s shorts in the rafters.

Posted by redxblack from Akron Ohio on 03/17/10 at 11:32 AM ET