Well…haven’t gotten a lot of stuff done today, but I wanted to get to this one since the news was good from last night’s game…the Red Wings played the first complete game of the playoffs and that was show by the 4-0 score. It was really something to see with everyone clogging up center ice and not allowing Tampa to get anything going and taking many fewer penalties helped to keep the other guys on their heels for most of the game. To take one in their building and force Tampa to win the next two is really quite neat…but, I am not going to get ahead of myself here…I have been disappointed before but all I can do is root like crazy for the guys and say “Let’s go Red Wings!”
Oh, can’t forget Mrazak the goalie….stood on his head again and made a lot of saves he shouldn’t have…just one more game…
Well….I should have done this one yesterday, after the Thursday night game but I was so disappointed that I just didn’t want to think about it…I mean, up 2-0 with about 8 minutes to go and you lose the game? They played well, though, so maybe that is something to think about? The problem that I’ve seen in these playoffs is that they never put together a complete game…they either start slow and get behind or they play well to start and then collapse at the end….today should be the telling game…back in Tampa for game 5 and we need to steal one….at least the series is going longer than any pundit thought it would…the consensus was that we would lose in 5 games and that can’t happen….Let’s Go Red Wings!
Well…trying to stay up to date on these as the playoffs go on, and with the good win last night, I really want to do this one….as you know, the Wings won convincingly last night by 3-0 and, for the first time, they looked like a team. Not sure what Babcock said to them after the last one but they came out with fire from the start…I think part of it was the return of Abdelkader giving Babcock the ability to go back to the lines that were successful during the regular season…splitting Pavel and Hank up again looked like a great idea since they both played better with other linemates and Pavel kept up his scoring with one going off his foot in the first. It was good to see them play like they can…now I’m excited about Thursdays game and can’t wait to see it…maybe 3-1 going back to Tampa? Oh, I forgot to mention the great play of Mrazak the goalie…stood on his head for his first playoff shutout and I hope that goalie comes back out for Thursday….
Well…as I promised, here is the Red Wings update that I neglected to do Sunday or yesterday…and, I think it was the score that has kept me away…I mean, when you lose 5-1 in a hockey game, you got your butt handed to you. The strange thing is that I think they played better than in their win on Thursday…much more energy but the pucks were just going in for Tampa…I’ve seen games like this all the time since I have been a hockey fan but why didn’t it go the other way? Not sure about that but tonight we have another one and I have to find the gear again and get ready this aft….but, the game is going to be on nbcsn so we don’t get Ken and Mickey and that is a bit of a letdown….but, I am going to break my cocktail rule for tonight and have a couple so that will help….and, we have Abdelkater back tonight so that may help, too…we’ll see….I still have hope we can go up 2-1 tonight…..
Okay…I was wrong…just checked and the Wings are on FSD along with nbcsn….yay!
Well….the playoffs have started and amazingly, the Wings won the first game last night. They never should have with how they played most of the night and how they were outshot 44-14…but they did win and I think they stole that one. It was really a little painful to watch but somehow, they found a way…and, as I said yesterday, Hank and Pav were going to have to step up…and Pav did with two goals and even some secondary scoring by Glendening that you would never expect…cancelling out Tampa’s shorty with a shorty of our own. As good as it was to get a win, the next game tomorrow is still going to be painful to watch if they keep playing as the have been…
Well…it has been a busy morning just getting the soup ready to simmer but I promised to do a Red Wings post as I always do before the playoffs start so here goes. I am excited for the playoffs to start but I have the most reservations that I can remember about my team….they have not played well over the past 6 weeks and I’m not sure this group can just turn it on like the veterans used to…and, as Pav and Z get older, there are only flashes of their old brilliance that used to be seen throughout the playoffs…not that I think they can’t be great again, but they need to show it…and show it now or we’re in for another first round exit that just is not good enough. There is a lot of uncertainty that can be seen into the playoffs here, too…with Babcock still not signed for next year and I get the real feeling that he will have had enough if they don’t get out of the first round this year….10 years is a long time to coach one team but where would he go that would be better…Toronto? They are a couple of years away from being competitive and with firing everyone there but Shanny, it would be a long rebuilding process that I’m not sure he would take on. So, what does that mean for this year? I think we all need to enjoy the ride no matter how long it is, support our guys, and hope for someone to step up and perform way over their head….it’s been done before….maybe again….I’ll be there for all of them with a cocktail and the gear on…Let’s Go Red Wings!!
Well…I did get the bike ride in before the man U match and it was a good one…a couple more days and my legs will be back to normal…but, that’s not what I wanted to talk about…thought I’d do a little sports today starting with the Man U match against City….for the first time this year, I saw a team that could be called Manchester United again…not the terrible team from last year or even from earlier in this season….and the result, a 4-2 win showed it…they were skilled, patient, and deadly when the chances came…I was almost tempted to turn the game off after they went down 1-0, but 6 mins later United tied it and then never looked back…great match, lots of fun. The Wings got into the playoffs Thursday for the 24th year in a row and start against Tampa on Thursday night…but, I just don’t have the confidence in this team I’ve had in years past….not sure if they will make it out of the first round but I am getting the gear ready and will watch. Oh, one last thing, the Tigers are just tearing it up so far…I know, it’s only 6 games in but they look like they’ll be 6-0 after today and that is pretty cool…might have to watch a few games this summer….
Well…yeah, I know…you’re expecting something in politics but it’s just not grabbing me so I’m going to do some sports instead…it was a nice morning watching Man U finally play like they can going up 3-0 in the first half and looking like they used to…but I am still a little concerned with how they looked in the second when they went a little flat and almost let Spurs back in it but I think that is the approach that many teams take when they get a lead in soccer…or hockey, too…why can’t they just keep their foot on the gas and keep doing what made them successful in the first half? At least they are well into 4th place which will put them in the Champions League next year. The second thing I wanted to talk about is the Wings and how terribly they have been playing lately…although they won in Pittsburg today 5-1…unless they can get back to some measure of consistancy, the playoffs could be in danger….but, we’ll see….there is a race on in a few minutes and I need a nap….
Well…it has been an interesting run of late with the Wings…they have been playing well and with much more grit than they showed this time last year. It has gotten to the point where I am back to where I was in the last Stanley Cup run…that I expect them to look good and win games. One of the funny coincidences or bounces from last nights game was that one of the new guys Zidlicky, got the game winner in OT…pretty good way to start your time with the Wings. I know that both he and Cole are just rentals but they may be of some help in the playoffs. It was also good to see Hank back last night after being out with a head injury for the past 4 games…and the news that Frantzen is gone for the season was not a surprise since getting the elbow to the head back in January and not playing since. It is going to be an interesting 6 weeks to the end of the season and then hope for a long playoff run…if they keep playing like they are, it could be a good spring.
Well….after two of our stars on the Wings have been put out of commission by hits to the head this season, I think there needs to be a re-think of the penalties that are levied when these things happen…and a flash came to me this morning how to stop these dangerous hits right in their tracks…it’s pretty simple really…the person causing the injury should be suspended until the injured player comes back…in the case of Frantzen’s injury where the dirty hit to the head has put him out possibly for the rest of the season…the idiot who hit him would be suspended without pay for the rest of the season and if he can’t come back, that’s it for the guy who hit him….and the same thing would be effective for the idiot who punched Hank a few games back and put him out for two games now and possibly many more. I think people would stop these intentional dirty plays if the cost was high enough….there is no place for this kind of crap with the bigger, faster players that are in the NHL now who can end a career with just one hit….