Good effort...except Mrazek & the Zebras

[SpikeDDS]

Solid game by the Wings, I thought. Good start. A lot better defensively than against Nashville.

 

Mrazek was subpar, costing both goals in the first period. I think the previous game might have been the broken clock being right every once in a while. At least his issue was not his usual of being too far out leaving the back door wide open.

 

Athanasiou was a force in this game. Best game in several for him. On both sides of the ice.

 

I liked Mantha sticking up for Smith against the veteran tough guy Hartnell. That should give him some props in the dressing room, even though the fight was almost a non-combative duel.

 

What a HORIBLE non-call by the officials in OT to cost us the game. How does that not get called? It's not like the stick wasn't obviously broken, nor was the slashing stick by the opponent hard to see. Both were obvious. Why did the refs swallow the whistle?

 

Result: One point for the Wings, one point for Columbus, and one point for the Zebras awarded to Columbus. Not sure what Columbus gives to the refs in exchange.

[mojo1917]

Ugh, Refs, you can't shoot 'em pass the beer nuts.

[Old School Hockey]

While I agree with everything said here.  I have noticed the Wings can't hang speed wise and talent wise in the 3 on 3 of late.  They can't generate hardly any offense and struggle mightly in the offense zone.

[SpikeDDS]

1 hour ago, Old School Hockey said:

While I agree with everything said here.  I have noticed the Wings can't hang speed wise and talent wise in the 3 on 3 of late.  They can't generate hardly any offense and struggle mightly in the offense zone.

 

It's not about speed as much as it's about turnovers and possession. What good is speed when our guys are motoring into the offensive zone only to turn the puck over in the neutral zone, leaving a pass for a breakaway against us or at best a 2-on-1 if one of our guys is able to get back. I've seen this FAR too many times in our 3v3 play.

 

In contrast, we are rarely causing such turnovers when opposing teams are entering our zone. Most of the time when we get the puck back it is after a missed or saved shot. So we don't get these easy ones.

 

The net result is that other teams get better opportunities than we do 3v3, and great 3v3 opportunities, more often than not end up in the net. Our goalies are left out to dry. Too many mistakes.

 

Last night doesn't count. They scored because Z was taken out by an illegal slash and no call.

[yave1964]

@SpikeDDS

 

Worst non call ever. Okay maybe not of all time, that would be Gretzky not getting called for a slash in the playoffs against Gilmour, Kerry Fraser more or less admitted it even in his book, but wow was this godawful.

  Zetterberg quit on the play though which I do fault him for, although such a blatant slash not being called probably shocked the Hell out of him.

  One play that annoyed me was Hartnell took exception to Brendan Smith knocking Josh Anderson out of the game and with a few seconds to go in the third tried to get Smith into a fight which would have been Scotty's second of the game, gloves went flying and they squared off and before a punch was thrown the refs jumped in. Hartnell was cruising around looking for Smith and I am convinced the ref stopped it and gave them both slashing penalties instead of letting them go to help Hartnell avoid a suspension. A well liked veteran, the officials were looking out for him and it was blatant that they were protecting him from himself.

[SpikeDDS]

7 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

@SpikeDDS

 

Worst non call ever. Okay maybe not of all time, that would be Gretzky not getting called for a slash in the playoffs against Gilmour, Kerry Fraser more or less admitted it even in his book, but wow was this godawful.

  Zetterberg quit on the play though which I do fault him for, although such a blatant slash not being called probably shocked the Hell out of him.

  One play that annoyed me was Hartnell took exception to Brendan Smith knocking Josh Anderson out of the game and with a few seconds to go in the third tried to get Smith into a fight which would have been Scotty's second of the game, gloves went flying and they squared off and before a punch was thrown the refs jumped in. Hartnell was cruising around looking for Smith and I am convinced the ref stopped it and gave them both slashing penalties instead of letting them go to help Hartnell avoid a suspension. A well liked veteran, the officials were looking out for him and it was blatant that they were protecting him from himself.

 

I know what you mean about Z quitting on the play. I truly think he started to the bench to even more sell the call to the officials. Shouldn't have been necessary anyway. But you're right, because he did that, easier 3-on-2 for the final goal. It was very unlike him, but that's why I think he did it to make the point. Unfortunately, it cost us.

 

Regarding Hartnell, I actually thought he was going after Mantha again (after their original spat with Mantha standing up for Smith), originally, and Smith, smartly, stepped in for Mantha to protect him from suspension--a good move by a teammate, returning the favor Mantha did for him earlier. Hartnell's teammates should have been doing the same thing. Leaving it for the refs to do wasn't good hockey. The refs certainly did him a favor.