WingNut722

Another full 60 minute effort by the Red Wings last night to handle the Blackhawks. Let's review: The Blackhawks went 5-0-0 against the Red Wings in the regular season. The Blackhawks put together a string of 27 straight games without a regulation loss The Blackhawks lost two in a row in the regular season only a handful of times The Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild in 5 games in the WCQF. The Red Wings just handed them two straight regulation losses, one in each building. I know we all figured that the Blackhawks would easily handle the Red Wings in 5, maybe 6 games, but they way they're playing, there's a distinct possibility that the Detroit Red Wings could come out on top. What an incredible game to watch last night. Gustav Nyquist has a fair bit of magic in his hands. Dare I call him Pavel Nyquist??? The first two goals came from unlikely sources on heads-up plays. Detroit had dictated the play for the entire game last night, with the exception of a few minutes after Kane's goal, where it appears the 'Hawks were starting to hit their stride. Thankfully, the disallowed goal put a lid on it. The Red Wings now have full home ice advantage for the rest of this series. If they win Thursday, they'll have a stranglehold on the series. If they lose, hopefully the loss will be extremely close, as in a flukey goal in overtime, so they can still hold their heads high and claim the moral victory. Personally, I think the 'Hawks are just plain stunned right now that anyone (ANYONE!!) can hand them two straight losses like that. Least of all these scrappy Red Wings who could pot even 10 goals against the in 5 total games all season long. What say you?

I love how he's so shrewd with the press. Cracks me up. I wonder if the press is getting wise to it and if they just hate talking to him.

The Wings played exceptionally well Saturday, and it was great to FINALLY beat Chicago for the first time this season. Not only that, but a 4-1 win on "real" goals (no empty-netters) will show the Hawks that the Wings really mean business. Babcock got a full game out of all four lines, and it was great to see Drew Miller back! The Joe will be a-hoppin' tonight but the Red Wings will have a very small window to get the jump on Chicago if they want to ride their new-found momentum. Chicago sat back in Game 2 and paid for it dearly. They're not likely to make the same mistake twice. Zetterberg did a real good job of handling Toews and keeping him off the scoresheets so far. Patrick Sharp's been the toughest to contain. Though he didn't score, he's getting a fair bit of chances, especially playing on a line with Kane, and now the rumors are that Viktor Stalberg will once again be on the ice after sitting for a bit. Stalberg is a dangerous winger, and the Wings haven't seen him yet. Let the octopi fly! First home game against Chicago in Game 3 of a tied Western Conference Semifinal series..... I predict....8 total octopi on the ice tonight!

@yave1964 I agree with you almost identically. The Wings will steal one, maybe two, MAYBE. But they have no chance against the Machine.

Personally, I don't think Wings or the Sharks will make it that far. I've been figuring on a CHI-PIT final for most of the regular season. They've been the two most consistent teams. If the Red Wings make it past Anaheim, they'll likely meet Chicago, who will wipe them out. San Jose's series will be against wither LAK or STL, both of which can beat the Sharks very easily, so it could absolutely go either way. I certainly would not want to wager any money (HF Tokens?) on that series. So to address your initial concern, @SpikeDDS, I think it's a non-issue....

@hf101 How can you not love him? He's such a cute, spunky little guy!

I'm usually not one to pay attention to these tidbits, but this one is certainly interesting: Regarding last night's game against the Kings.... Jordin Tootoo, wearing Number 22, scored the 2nd goal of the game, which secured their 22nd win of the season, which the Wings desperately needed in order to make the playoffs for the 22nd straight year.

I agree with @yave1964. A playoff berth this season would really only be to continue the streak. I think it would help the mentality of the players as Babcock mentioned in the interview quote from @hf101, but really that's it. The only real chance Detroit has, I feel, is if they win out the next three games, and manage to get into seventh place and meet Anaheim in the WCQF. After all, as of this morning, Columbus and Minnesota are tied in the standings. We've been able to play well against the Ducks this season (better than against the Blackhawks, anyway) so that presents a more plausible opportunity to advance

@yave1964 Clarification - Holland is doing fine, but looking for a transitional player appears to be his current assignment. Yes, we could have had Bouwmeester and/or Pominville (and who's to say we he didn't present an offer), but the name and numbers aren't always the whole story. Those two guys are good players...with the team they're currently (or up until just recently) representing. But their skill and style has to mesh with Detroit's, otherwise they're useless. Holland weighs very heavily the input of Mike Babcock, and if Babcock isn't convinced they'll help, Holland won't even pick up the phone. League-wide, Ken Holland, and Mike Babcock are considered, year after year, some of the best in the business at their jobs. It seems unlikely that both of them would drop off in their collective intellects at this particular point. As for Tatar, I think he was just rotated back to Grand Rapids in order to get Nyquist some playing time. I think Holland is simply trying to develop the younger players a bit quicker than normal (Hell, even Riley Sheahan saw some ice time recently). They'll be at the core of the "new" Red Wings in the next few years. Particularly if the rumors about Datsyuk are true. Danny Cleary seems to be losing steam, and Todd Bertuzzi is on his way out.

@yave1964 @SpikeDDS Good afternoon, Gentlemen. Sorry for the extended absence, but life demands.... The prospects in the system are good enough to grow with. Additionally, with the recent additions of Kirk Maltby, Nick Lidstrom and Chris Osgood to the scouting/development department, I don't have any worry that Detroit will continue to draft well for the next several years. I have not lost any faith in Ken Holland. Yave, you contradicted your own argument in your last post. You claimed Holland did nothing to improve the team at the trade deadline this year, but then said there are no decent free agents for summer picking. If there's no one decent, why should Holland overpay them for the last three weeks of the regular season and one round (ostensibly) of the playoffs. I think the next crop is there. Pav and Z are a bit like Lidstrom...irreplaceable, pound for pound. There are very few forwards like them and as capable as them in the NHL today. One signed a ridiculous contract with Minnesota this past summer, another couple have become the marquis faces of the Chicago Blackhawks. I believe their replacements are currently wearing the Griffins' red and blue. I am speaking of one Thomas Tatar, and Gustav Nyquist. With additional ice team in the big leagues, players like Joaquim Andersson will also improve much in the same way that Abdelkader and Helm have. What Holland should be (and I what I believe he is doing) is searching for a "transitional" player. A crafty veteran, either forward or defense, who can bridge the gap between the established, but aging players, and the next generation. My guess is it will be defense. Ian White is gone after this season. Signing DeKeyser sealed his fate, so figure Holland to be looking hard at the blueliners again this summer. I also anticipate Todd Bertuzzi to be thinking about retirement. He's too bull-headed to do it now, but my guess is after playing his next "full" season. I should just put it on my profile headline already, but Franzen is worth his weight in broken doorknobs. It's a bad position to try and buy him out. If they do, there will be no money left in the bank for decent replacement, so we're stuck with him. In the end, though, I will agree with Spike, and say if nothing significant happens by the trade deadline next season, I (and likely Mr. Pizza) will become concerned about Holland's methods.

I think it's common knowledge in the front office that the Wings did not have a real good shot at the Cup this year, so Ken Holland was not going to shop for a high-priced rental to finish out the season. That, and it seems they'll be in rebuilding mode anyway. They tried for Parise and lost. They tried for Suter and lost. They tried for Iginla and lost. Having any one of those guys would not provide any good chances of winning it all (unless you had all three). I think the biggest concern is to make the playoffs (which they can do with the squad that they have), do the best they can, and start over next season. The salary cap will be reduced, and team will take advantage of their one buyout. When that happens, the Red Wings will be right there with open arms and a pile of money.

@Polaris922 I don't think Datsyuk created it...just passed it along for the rest of our amusement. It is pretty good! Beware Pierre! @jammer2

This is a re-post of a link I saw from HNIC. Apparantly Pavel Datsyuk tweeted this little gem. http://imgur.com/r/hockey/pMFZ85I

I wonder if this is why Holland has not made any serious (and public!) motions on a trade prior to the deadline. He's been putting all his Easter eggs in this guy's basket.

@SpikeDDS At least after this season, we won't ever have to meet them in the playoffs, unless it's the Cup Finals. And if the curse is to be believed, San Jose will NEVER get there...

Very true. The whole season doesn't mean a thing unless you can raise the Cup.

With the team's performance reacting the way it has with the retirement of Lidstrom and Holmstrom, it's likely they would be down the bottom of the standings if Datsyuk left. However, a move to the Eastern Conference may even alleviate that (a bit). In the last few years, a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference has been secured with fewer points in the standings (on average) than in the West. Still, I'll be crying in my borscht if Pavel went to Russia too soon.... Besides, the Iron Curtain is long gone, they can get NHL Center Ice just as easily as anyone else!!

@flyercanuck Understood...touchy subject, which is why I tried not to step in it... Philly can always try to get Bobrovski back, he's on fire now.

I'm sure it's enjoyed by fans in the Sunshine State, but the Panthers' radio announcer, Randy Moller gets so excited over a Panther goal that he decides to throw in a random movie line after every call. The lines are not even from hockey movies, just anything he's seen recently.. I'm sure it was cute in the beginning.... "Kopecky down in the clot, takes a pass from Goc, Kopecky shoots..SCOOOORES!!! RUN FORREST RUN!!!" "Brian Campbell rotating at the point..29 seconds left in the power play...fires...SCOOORES!!!! I DRAW DING DONGS ON PEOPLE!!!!!!" Obnoxious....

@SpikeDDS I like Dave Strader, but I like Doc more. I love the banter he has with Eddie Olczyk and i have to chuckle everytime Pierre McGuire tries to join in but they waive him away. It's so sad and pathetic, but then...so is Pierre! @jammer2 I don't know any other DRW fans at all in this part of the country but there is always a healthy contingent in Newark and at MSG (haven't caught a game out on the Island yet), Still, plenty of other true "hockey" fans around me, despite who their favorite team might be, so there's plenty of good conversation.

After last night's game against Calgary, I'm starting to gain a full perspective of the term....

@SpikeDDS I imagine you're still searching Youtube for the clip even today, right?

Good thing I'm already in New Jersey!

I had a relative who knew Glen Hanlon. We had lunch with him one time when I was very young (I had not yet really paid attention to hockey). I remember being completely star-struck when I saw him. I had no idea he was a lousy goalie....

My sincerest apologies!!!