Red Wings

[Greg H]

Did Messier just compare Sydney to Greztky?

Yes. Yes he did.

[Drew]

Sounds like the NHL did indeed deliver a Game 3 present.

Naw, Pens deserved that win. I still like that Crosby is being tied up.

[Greg H]

I'm not too concerned about this game. The Wings should be able to make adjustments and bounce back in game 4.

[chemiclord]

Naw, Pens deserved that win. I still like that Crosby is being tied up.

I couldn't say. I got stuck working late tonight, so I didn't see the game. I just saw 2 power play goals on 4 opportunities as opposed to 1 of 2.

[SnowMeiser]

We all pretty much knew that this series wasn't going to be a sweep and if nothing else it woke the Wings up to know that this won't be a cake walk (not that they were thinking that anyway). Last years series I believe started out the same way.

I wish that the intensity was there from the Wings that they brought with about 7 minutes left in the game. They seem to me like they go into a "coast" mode at times during the game.

VS sure does a better job than "going through the motions" NBC. It's too bad hardly anyone is going to see this series.

[Islair]

It's too bad hardly anyone is going to see this series.

It really is too bad about the viewers for the series. After I moved to IL it is surprising how little hockey is broadcast here. All we get is Cubs and Cards, the Blackhawks weren't even making the news when they were in the playoffs.

[SeattleLionsFan]

The boys looked really tired in the third period.

[jaadam4]

We need a well rested healthy Dats back.

[Malto Marko]

I'm not talking about rebounds. The Pens would dump the puck, Ozzie would play it, and hand it right to a Penguin. He did it over and over.

This is not Ozzies fault either. His job is to play the puck and send it back up the boards. It is the D's job to be there to receive the puck. The Penguins are beating the D to the puck and clogging up the passing lanes from the goaltender. That is hustle on their part and lack of execution on the Detroit D's part. Ozzie is not supposed to have to think about where to put the puck when he plays it, he is supposed to send it up the boards. His only thought should be which side to send it up and the Penguins have a man low on both sides so that makes it look like Ozzie is passing it to them instead of our guys.

This happens often on the dump in. The offensive team gets the puck in the neutral zone and charges into the offensive zone dumping the puck right after passing the center line and they usually have the advantage as they have a couple of strides going forward to get up their speed while the D is caught skating backward and has to turn to try to catch up. We call it dump and chase. The way to defend against this is the neutral zone trap (the D gets in the way of the puck carrier and a Forward attacks and takes the puck away sending it quickly into the other direction) and good backchecking by the forwards. It is really hard to defend against when the puck is turned over high (above the circles but below the blue line) in the offensive zone. Everyone down low positioning for a rebound or screening the goalie has to hustle to chase down the play.

This is usually where they will change on the fly. The guys down low will head to the bench and a fresh set of legs will jump off the bench just before they get there. It allows the forwards to get into the play quicker and now there are fresh legs on the ice and the other team will occasionly get caught out too long.

[Rocky Bleier]

Sorry, Mark, but I already knew all of that. Whoever was doing the game even mentioned that Ozzie should stop handling the puck, because he was having a bad night.

Last night's game was, as Babcock said, a power play game. I knew as soon as Kunitz was not called for a cross-check to Franzen's head that Detroit would be getting the next penalty. No different than four on ice officials missing six Penguins for 21 seconds and soon after rewarding Pittsburgh with a power play. If the Wings don't improve on the pk, they are in serious trouble.

[Rocky Bleier]

I don't doubt the outcome.

I knew we watched the STANLEY CUP finals when it was ANA v DET.

It was by far the best series of this years SC run.

Which is why you picked the Penguins in the poll?

[Malto Marko]

Anyone that thought the first home game for the Penguins was going to turn out any differently was living in a fantasy world anyway.

Babcock put it best. Two good teams going at each other full speed and they managed to put the puck in the net more than the Wings did.

That is the difference in the game. No sense in crying over what should have been called.

[froot loops]

I was hoping against hope that they wouldn't call Ericcson for that dummy penalty. The Wings didn't cash in on their chances and looked gassed in the 3rd. But I believe that was a lot due to the early icing in the 3rd. Helm's line was out there for about 2 minutes and couldn't get off the ice, the Pens started surging from there.

I don't know why Rocky Bleier wants Osgood not to play the puck. I would imagine the Pens get about at least 2 or 3 more good scoring chances if he doesn't particpate in playing the puck.

[Sharkbait]

As a former Umpire/referee (although I never did Hockey), I can only say this. If you are going to let the boys play, then let 'em play, but call the game the same both ways. Players understand that. 6 men on the ice??? Unbelievable that the ref standing there looking at the Pen player coming off the ice and almost running into him shoulda at least been the final clue. No call on the high stick and an interference on a "touch", game was hand delivered to the Pens.

That said, I predicted Wings win in 5, right on schedule.

Oh, yeah, "Poster Boy" still being schooled. Hee, hee.

[froot loops]

Shark - being a former umpire you'll appreciate this. A little 6th grade umpire confronted me in the middle of an inning. She had blown four easy calls. She came up to me and said, "Do you have a problem with my umpiring." And I told her yes. But that was it. I don't know why she confronted me, I didn't really say anything. I guess she was just blowing off steam.

The 6 men on the ice was just a miss. Can't do anything about it. At least they didn't score during then.