Red Wings

[Rocky Bleier]

So who does Carlyle start in goal on Sunday? My guess is he goes with Hiller, but Giguere is rested and would love to do for the Ducks what Osgood did in relief of Hasek last season. If only Datsyuk and Zetterberg could start scoring, the Wings could really have the Ducks on their heels. Do webbed feet have heels?

Agree on Homer. He is thoroughly abused game in and game out. That is one guy who really earns his pay. He needs to be a little more discreet with those elbows. It would have looked better if it were done in one fluid motion. I just saw the replay of the game on Versus. Hossa scored two goals after getting crushed by Ryan behind the net. Nice to see him stepping up like that.

[chemiclord]

And I love how (for some certain Ducks fans...) a blatant cross-check with intent to injure from Pronger on Lidstrom is just good, ol' fashioned hockey, but a possibly intentional elbow is just unacceptable thuggery.

Pot, meet kettle. Ducks are the typical school yard bully... they can dish it out, but the moment someone gives it back they whine, whine, whaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[Drew]

Good series. The Ducks of the late 2000s have become the Avelanche of the late 1990s.

[Rocky Bleier]

Griffins' Abdelkader to make Red Wings' playoff debut filling in for injured Kopecky.

Ouch. Poor Kopecky. Didn't he get hurt just before the playoffs last year? I fought a guy when I was a kid who was left handed. It's definitely confusing if you aren't used to it.

[Drew]

Was it the fight (term used loosely) that got him injured?

[Rocky Bleier]

Yep. Facial injuries/swollen cheek. I hope Abdelkader brings a physical presence - if he plays much.

[Rocky Bleier]

How is this possible? Hasn't this place been sold out forever?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xsaXzdaK8M"]YouTube - Red Wings Fans Taking Over The Honda Center (Game 4, Wings-Ducks 2009)[/ame]

[Malto Marko]

Sorry guys. Way late in this thread but other obligations dictated where my time was spent........

they had replay and chose not to use it after the Stars started celibrating....

he is absolutely correct on this one Mark.

I am guessing by he, you are referring to Tom?

Allegedly the rule regarding the crease was change prior to those playoffs. That was the leagues BS reason for not going to the review. In fact the way they were calling the crease that year would have been no goal, except they didn't review the call and put up this lame excuse and had further egg on their face when several GMs said they had not heard of this alleged rule change much less voted on it.

Another reason why the Weasel known as Bettman needs to be given the boot from the NHL as cigar smoke filled backrooms are not where rules are made.

Noticeable change in play once Babcock switched up the lines.

Ahhhhh, the Coaches job is to create mismatches, not let the players feel comfortable on their shift.........

No, it wasn't.

That was a straight on shot, Perry had it clean. Ozzie simply whiffed on it.

Even if it was deflected, that shot came from so far out that Ozzie should have been able to get a read on it.

Ozzie had a brain fart. You can almost count on it at least once a game. Oh well. Let's see if the Wings can overcome another classic Ozzie brain freeze.

Ozzie does have brain farts however, a goalie is responsible to anticipate where the puck will be coming from. Sometimes when the puck is fired from a distances a goalie would expect a teammate to get in front of it. I did not see the play but am explaining how goalies anticipate the movement of the puck.

And Hossa finds his groove. Pairing him with Franzen and Filpulla has created a lethal line the Ducks just cannot match right now.

......ahhhhhh, the coach is creating mismatches. He has a lot of tools to do that. He just needs to be more "Bowman like" and sit guys that are not producing and put guys in that work.

One thing I am noticing is that the Ducks are getting even with the Wings defensemen far too quickly in the defensive zone. Almost every play there is one Ducks forward splitting the defense right in front of Osgood almost upon crossing the blue line.

This is the basic rule in hockey. Seems to me that the Wings are not acknowledging they have a weak D and are not bringing the backcheckers in enough.

Empty netter with 2:33 left.

6-3

I am questioning why he pulled his goalie at 3:00+ to try to make up a two goal deficit. I am also guessing he was sending a message to his goalies that if you do not do your job, I will put another skater on the ice and they will do a better job. He got taught a lesson if that was the message he was trying to send.

Mr. BILL-odamus,

Please let me know when the real estate market will hit bottom and what stocks do you see rising the fastest?

LOL

You friggen nailed it man.

I was actually pulling for the 3 point victory after it was clear there was no way ANA could catch em last night.

Most excellent call.

2-2 and much more fun to be had.

Go DUCKS!

I too was looking forward to game 4. The true litmus test of a Championship team is how they respond to a bad bounce. I was convinced the Wings would put the puck into the net but, gave Hiller a bit more respect as he has played well up until now. His getting pulled by the Coach now means his psych is damaged and he could give a shit what happens next time as he is likely to get pulled after the first goal. Qualifer..........I did not get to see the whole game and the goals that were scored. I only saw highlights and did not think any of the goals were the goalies fault.

Of course I'm going.

Our inside guy is handing the tix over to my wife today.

This thing is going 7 for sure.

Anything is possible at that point.

Going to 7? I am willing to bet it does not. I am willing to bet the Wings are totally focused and win the next 2.

Doesn't help when goons like HOLMSTROM "accidently" knock out the DUCKS current most active hitter and pest in.

ANA has plenty.

You'll see.

Ha, ha! Holmstrom a goon? In some circles, they call active hitters and pests, goons. Holmstrom is a Vet. I did not see the play that is in question but can tell you that a Vet (or any player that is used to taking abuse) will get their arm high quickly when someone has abused them in the past or when they think they are in danger. I can not speak any more on this play as I did not see it either live or on replay......

It all happened in the same play.

He was hit by the puck first and stayed on his feet but couldn't breath and the play kept going (no one noticed he was having troubles at that point except the local TV play by play crew that pointed it out) so being the tough guy he is he moved out to the front of the net where his face was racked by the high flying elbow of HOLMSTROM.

That is what finally dropped him.

Yet DET received a questionable power play for some stick work by S NEIDS of the DUCKS. And DET scored on that PP.

.....notable commentary but without seeing it, I can not comment on it other than the Officiating has been suspect in many of the games throughout these playoffs......much more so than I have seen in the past....

The shot is what put him out of the game. The elbow didn't help any. Watching the replay, I definitely think Homer did it on purpose the way he threw that elbow out there. I guess he gets tired of being beaten up.

Thank you for posting the WIES statement.

I had not heard/read that he commented about the situation.

He's not wrong though.

I pointed out in this thread that the WINGS have some little tricks on their team that play dirty when no one is looking.

The elbow to the face being the biggest of them to date.

I'm not crying though.

Its 2-2 now and I am enjoying it all.

The best team will win and I have no doubt about that.

You are correct but, when the Wings win, will you admit the were the best team or will you complain about calls you thought should have been made?

And I love how (for some certain Ducks fans...) a blatant cross-check with intent to injure from Pronger on Lidstrom is just good, ol' fashioned hockey, but a possibly intentional elbow is just unacceptable thuggery.

Pot, meet kettle. Ducks are the typical school yard bully... they can dish it out, but the moment someone gives it back they whine, whine, whaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

In my book, a cross check with the stick is much more cowardly than raising or leading with an elbow.

How is this possible? Hasn't this place been sold out forever?

YouTube - Red Wings Fans Taking Over The Honda Center (Game 4, Wings-Ducks 2009)

Heh, heh.......let me see here. Wings get chastized for not selling out playoff games but Ducks get complemented because their games are sold out and it turns out that a good portion of them are Wings fans?

The question becomes: Since Detroit is so economically disadvantaged, how is it their fans can show up on the West Coast for a game? Even more importantly, Where are the Ducks fans in Detroit?

Loved the Ozzie chants and the "Let's Go Red Wings" chants during game 4. I think I even saw an octopus thrown on the ice. Please, Red Wing Fans.......have some respect. DO NOT THROW THINGS ON THE ICE!

[Drew]

Why would RW fans stop throwing the oct on the ice. They've been doing it forever.

[FVD]

Drew, that was sarcasm.

Mark, in regards to the pulling of the goalie, I agree that the timing seemed a bit premature. The only semi-reasonable explanation I can come up with is how quickly they scored a powerplay goal earlier in the period to make it 5-3, but 6 on 5 is much different than 5 on 4.

[jaadam4]

WTF is wrong with Rafalski??!?!?!?!?! He's been out for f'ing 2 weeks!!! Man this is some straight up bullshit.

Go Wings

[jaadam4]

Is Abdelkader any good? I havent seen him play. I wouldnt have minded Leino. That kid can play but I understand they want grit

We really miss Drake in a series like this.

[Rocky Bleier]

DETROIT -- Mike Babcock's expectations for Justin Abdelkader today are simple.
"We expect him to get in on the forecheck and run over people," Babcock, the Detroit Red Wings coach, said.
Abdelkader, 22, is capable of that. His size (6-foot-1, 215) and physical play will come in handy against a strong Anaheim defense, as the Muskegon native and former Michigan State star makes his NHL playoff debut in Game 5 against the Ducks.
"He's the kind of player we need to add to our lineup going ahead in the future," Babcock said. "He plays the game hard."

Abdelkader and other Grand Rapids players became available to the Red Wings after the Griffins were eliminated in the AHL playoffs. Babcock opted to use Abdelkader, because of his style of play, rather than the more offensive-minded Ville Leino.

[chemiclord]

WTF is wrong with Rafalski??!?!?!?!?! He's been out for f'ing 2 weeks!!! Man this is some straight up bullshit.

Go Wings

If you believe the rumor that I heard last week, Rafalski suffered some circulatory problems that caused a "minor" stroke shortly after Game 4 against Columbus (the claim is due to a hit he received), and the doctors won't clear him to play because of it.

Garbage such as this is only reinforced by how most NHL teams are so vague about what players have what injuries (I think all that has been said about Rafalski is an "upper chest" injury) that it lends itself to such conspiracy scenarios.

I suspect he probably has a couple cracked ribs or a pectoral strain. Both can be very painful and take some time to heal.

[jaadam4]

Man what a shit time to happen. Lids and Rafi on point are almost unstoppable.