WCF Post-GAME 5 (5/20): Ducks 2, Red Wings 1 (OT)

[Vancouver Wings Fan 0]

You're kidding, right? Selanne's goal didn't earn a victory for Anaheim? Where else would I go with it? They earned it on the ice by scoring one more time than Detroit -- how can it be any more clear than that?

Exactly right Matt - Unfortunately it is the lack of finsh that has killed us time and again.....we had the chances to blow this game open and did not get it done.

All things being equal, if the Wings bury their chances on Tuesday night, there will be a Game 7....wheather they deserve it or not. It is all about FINISH!

[Matt 1,048]

Jesus, I sincerely hope the Red Wings aren't dwelling on things like some of you guys are -- and I'm sure they're not.

Bottom line: The Ducks took advantage of the breaks they got. The Wings didn't.

2-1 Ducks in OT.

That's all there needs to be said.

Did the Wings dominate play on the ice for the bulk of the game save for a few shifts? Absolutely. It didn't result in a win -- and that happens.

You could say the same thing about Detroit's win in Game 1 of this series. Outplayed for long stretches of that game, we got a pair of "fluke" goals and still came out with the victory.

Do you think the Ducks dwelled on those unlucky bounces? Nope.

Catalog what happened in this game and file it away: Game 6 is a clean slate.

All things being equal, if the Wings bury their chances on Tuesday night, there will be a Game 7....wheather they deserve it or not. It is all about FINISH!

Absolutely. Though it was said after Game 4, too, it's hard not to be confident heading into Anaheim on Tuesday night with the way the team has played the last three games. Granted, they are 1-2 in that stretch but they've had the better on-ice product. You've got to believe that the dam is going to break at some point.

If Lidstrom's shot is a quarter-inch further over, if Holmstrom pots that wide-open rebound, etc., etc... It's been a series of centimeters out there.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

C'mon, the Wings dominated the Ducks in this game, and if they didn't get one of the flukiest goals I've seen in recent years off of Lidstrom's stick, we probably would be up 3-2 right now. It was going wide. Anyone on this board could've scored that goal.

No different than the Holmstrom goal to win Game 1; sometimes you get the bounces, and other times the bounces get you. It's when you put yourself in a bad situation, where you're badly outmanned and forced to defend from a position of weakness, there's a chance that goal gets scored.

Oh, and then we have the countless posts that the Wings are hitting, or the ends of the Behemoth (Giguere)'s pads. The Wings are missing scoring even more by inches. The Ducks are missing the net and scoring. They're also getting outshot and outhit.

They're getting lucky and outplayed, plain and simple. They didn't earn a victory. If you want to praise someone on the Ducks, praise Giguere's oversized pads and the posts on the nets.

The Wings had their chances and so did the Ducks. You get the chance, you get the goal, you win the game. Quibbling over who earned what certainly doesn't alter what happened on the ice or the final on the scoreboard.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

You guys do all know that losing Games 4 and 5 is just an elaborate scheme to add some games to the schedule so that Kronwall can play in the finals, right?

[spydrwebb 0]

i made a call early into the calgary series that i trust and believe the wings can go down 0-3 in a series and fight their way back in to win overall. i'm curious where all the people have gone that agreed with me.

i know some of you are still here but seriously...

there's still at LEAST 60 minutes of hockey left here, what's with the premature conclusion(s)?

to the few that have kept the faith: thank you for holding it down.

[Matt 1,048]

You guys do all know that losing Games 4 and 5 is just an elaborate scheme to add some games to the schedule so that Kronwall can play in the finals, right?

Here's to hoping.

______

As an aside, I thought this series was going 7 games prior to the start of it, so there's no waivering from that.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

You guys do all know that losing Games 4 and 5 is just an elaborate scheme to add some games to the schedule so that Kronwall can play in the finals, right?

Any chance he can play in game 7 ( If there is one)

[Nightfall 871]

i hate attitudes like this. you are giving up on the team so that you won't be as disappointed if they lose. i don't believe that a true fan should ever give up on their team.

I am sure you were telling yourself that back in 1995 when the Wings were down 3-0 to the Devils going into game 4.

People react differently to different situations. Sorry you hate my attitude toward it, but I feel it is better than anxiously waiting and counting the minutes to the next puck drop, analyzing every play, and then staying up all night thinking about the game. I am sure your reactions might upset others here, but thats why we are all human.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Any chance he can play in game 7 ( If there is one)

What do you mean "if"?

The Wings had their chances to bury the game and take the series lead. Life sucks...onto Game 6.

[Nightfall 871]

Jesus, I sincerely hope the Red Wings aren't dwelling on things like some of you guys are -- and I'm sure they're not.

Bottom line: The Ducks took advantage of the breaks they got. The Wings didn't.

2-1 Ducks in OT.

That's all there needs to be said.

Did the Wings dominate play on the ice for the bulk of the game save for a few shifts? Absolutely. It didn't result in a win -- and that happens.

You could say the same thing about Detroit's win in Game 1 of this series. Outplayed for long stretches of that game, we got a pair of "fluke" goals and still came out with the victory.

Do you think the Ducks dwelled on those unlucky bounces? Nope.

Catalog what happened in this game and file it away: Game 6 is a clean slate.

Absolutely. Though it was said after Game 4, too, it's hard not to be confident heading into Anaheim on Tuesday night with the way the team has played the last three games. Granted, they are 1-2 in that stretch but they've had the better on-ice product. You've got to believe that the dam is going to break at some point.

If Lidstrom's shot is a quarter-inch further over, if Holmstrom pots that wide-open rebound, etc., etc... It's been a series of centimeters out there.

Best post ever

[OsGOD 3]

Ilitch said, "boys we aren't selling out at these prices... and I REFUSE to lower them... so we need another game at the joe... MAKE IT HAPPEN LiL' Ja!"

And there you have it the give away after scoring what looked to be GWG.

[savaking72 0]

Lilja was amazing all game until that mistake. IF he were a Duck in Red Wing clothes, he wouldve lost the puck to Teemu who wouldve hit the post with his shot, then Lilja wouldve taken the puck to center ice, taken a lazy slapper and the puck would bounce of 4 players, the boards, hit Gigueres skate, the opposite post, and somehow find its way into the back of the net.

You say Lilja, I say where was his support? Two ducks on one defenseman right in front of his net is a recipe for disaster no matter who it is.

Your right. There should have been someone covering him. It just sucks that a fanned puck ends up in the back of our net. He is the natural target cause it happened to him. I still say we are the better team where the bounces have gone the other way. It's only 3-2. We are still alive. I believe we will win the next game because we create more chances, better plays, and we have more heart.

[Dynamo 0]

What is with this fascination with "deserve"? Who cares about "deserve"?

How about actually earning it?

The Ducks pounced on the few chances they had and they won the game. It's happened two-straight games now and the Red Wings will have to dig deep Tuesday night.

Can it be done? Abso-freakin'-lutely.

I'll tell you what the Red Wings deserve.

The RW's deserve to have FOUR too-many-men-on- the- ice penalties actually called

they deserve to have obstruction called when they forecheck

they deserve to have an obstruction call when they're elbowed in the face on a forecheck in open ice

they deserve to have the same infractions called at the beginning of the season called in the PO's

they deserve to not face continuous clutch and grab hockey in the 'new' NHL, regardless if it the PO's or not

they deserve to not be continously cross checked in front of the net when this was clearly a penalty in the reg. season

they deserve to have penalties called when they are elbowed in the head along the boards

they deserve to have penalties called when they are repeatedly hit from behind which was called during the reg. season

they deserve to not have their goalie elbowed in the head

they deserve to play in a Conference Final where the officiating is called per the rulebook when clutch and grab obstruction hockey is a penalty as it was in the Eastern Conference Finals

they deserve to not have ticky tacky calls go against them when the opposing team clearly gets away with the same

why are there so many inconsistencies in the officiating? And it's not me, many others have noted it.

why was the Eastern Conference reffed per the new NHL rules and from game 1 shift one this series hasn't? If you don't believe go back and watch Datsyuks very first shift, he was on the forecheck in open ice and the defenseman noticed him bearing down, turned around and completely obstructed him for 5 secs, NO call, this was setting the tone for the whole series and it's never let up.

I don't understand RW fans who don't support calling the game like it was in the reg. season, IT BENEFITS US, WE'RE THE SKILLED TEAM.

[LEBDA22 0]

there will be a game 7 nuff said ..... one s***ty turnover and that is the end of the season for some . i say all of you who have no faith in OUR team just leave and never come back .i HATE fairweather fans .i have been a fan of this team since 85 , and have seen everything there is to see from them . this series will go seven games. i say that , because i still have faith in my team . if you want to say they are done , fine say , move on , leave , go to hell for all i care . this is our team , your team , my team . i will stick behind my team no mattter what happens . a lot of you had them written off when calgary won 2 in a row , and look what happened ...wings win in six. thhen comes the big bad sharx , oh no they are too big for the wings to handle , too fast , too strong, we're not going to make it out of the second round . now we are playing a team , that i think is the biggest bunch of cheap ass hockey players on the planet , and we are still in this series . yes they are all cheap shot players , every single one of them . the reffs suck , but they suck both the same amount for each team .suck it up you fairweather fans . man up and stand by YOUR RED WINGS DAMNIT.

Edited May 21, 2007 by LEBDA22

[auxlepli 17]

I'm so f***in pissed off I can't even f***in see straight.

f*** the Wings for not putting away the Ducks today or the last game.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Should have won last game and today's game.

Say goodnight Detroit hockey fans; the party is over.

Too bad, so sad.

Can't win the last two, no way they're gonna win the next one or the one after that.

Yeah they did it in 2002, but this ain't '02.

It's too bad the NHL allows cheats, J.S. Giguere, in the game, but it does.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I don't blame Train. I mean, obviously it's his fault completely and entirely, but you can't be upset with him. He fanned on the pass. Maybe if he goes along the boards and fans on it there there's no scoring chance; but there he was dead center in front of his net.

But you can't be scared to make a play because of that small chance you might blow it. I bet 99 times out of 100 Lilja makes that play and it's instantly forgotten. This time it went against him. Fate's a *****, you know?

[Offsides 21]

Next game...plain and simple, our best players have to be our best players.

Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hasek, Lidstrom....

Others can and should step up...but those 4 HAVE to step up. I think they will, and I think if they are on their game that we can't lose.

[spydrwebb 0]

I'm so f***in pissed off I can't even f***in see straight.

f*** the Wings for not putting away the Ducks today or the last game.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Should have won last game and today's game.

Say goodnight Detroit hockey fans; the party is over.

Too bad, so sad.

Can't win the last two, no way they're gonna win the next one or the one after that.

Yeah they did it in 2002, but this ain't '02.

It's too bad the NHL allows cheats, J.S. Giguere, in the game, but it does.

ladies and gentlemen, captain optimistic has left the building.

I'll tell you what the Red Wings deserve.

The RW's deserve to have FOUR too-many-men-on- the- ice penalties actually called

they deserve to have obstruction called when they forecheck

they deserve to have an obstruction call when they're elbowed in the face on a forecheck in open ice

they deserve to have the same infractions called at the beginning of the season called in the PO's

they deserve to not face continuous clutch and grab hockey in the 'new' NHL, regardless if it the PO's or not

they deserve to not be continously cross checked in front of the net when this was clearly a penalty in the reg. season

they deserve to have penalties called when they are elbowed in the head along the boards

they deserve to have penalties called when they are repeatedly hit from behind which was called during the reg. season

they deserve to not have their goalie elbowed in the head

they deserve to play in a Conference Final where the officiating is called per the rulebook when clutch and grab obstruction hockey is a penalty as it was in the Eastern Conference Finals

they deserve to not have ticky tacky calls go against them when the opposing team clearly gets away with the same

why are there so many inconsistencies in the officiating? And it's not me, many others have noted it.

why was the Eastern Conference reffed per the new NHL rules and from game 1 shift one this series hasn't? If you don't believe go back and watch Datsyuks very first shift, he was on the forecheck in open ice and the defenseman noticed him bearing down, turned around and completely obstructed him for 5 secs, NO call, this was setting the tone for the whole series and it's never let up.

I don't understand RW fans who don't support calling the game like it was in the reg. season, IT BENEFITS US, WE'RE THE SKILLED TEAM.

i see your post but all i hear is blah, blah, blah... it's all the same "these refs are killing us" BS that we've seen on LGW before.

i was hoping you might separate yourself from the onslaught of excuses that have already been used here.

[Dynamo 0]

i see your post but all i hear is blah, blah, blah... it's all the same "these refs are killing us" BS that we've seen on LGW before.

i was hoping you might separate yourself from the onslaught of excuses that have already been used here.

answear the questions, have you not watched the other games? have you not seen a major difference in the officiating?

[dw185 0]

The ducks didn't do ANYTHING better than the wings. They got lucky as hell.

1st goal wasn't because of pressure on the net or any of that garbage, it was a lucky bounce off of lidstrom. The 2nd goal was a lucky fan on a pass by lilja and salami made an individual effort to score. The ducks just aren't a good team. They are a lucky team. The 5-0 blowout showed how the ducks play when the bounces aren't going their way.

Edited May 21, 2007 by dw185

[spydrwebb 0]

answear the questions, have you not watched the other games? have you not seen a major difference in the officiating?

i've seen a few missed calls here and there all season long. it happens... but to make a claim that it's the difference between the wings being ahead or behind in this series is just ignorant.

[Dynamo 0]

i've seen a few missed calls here and there all season long. it happens... but to make a claim that it's the difference between the wings being ahead or behind in this series is just ignorant.

again, answer the questions in the original post

if you don't see a difference I submit you haven't been paying attention

and nowhere did I say it was the difference between being ahead or behind, more proof you haven't read my post

[Matt 1,048]

About the officiating: Didn't the Wings have a power-play in overtime? Or am I hallucinating?

(Sarcasm aside -- yes, it was an *easy* call to make. But if the Wings actually *scored* on their opportunities when it mattered I don't think we'd hear all of the complaining about refereeing.)

[Firehawk 305]

that call isn't consistent with what weve seen but it is still a penalty..... and you guys had your chances to put it away

I agree with you that the refing has sucked both ways. But come on. The game is on the line and they call a cheap penalty like that? Meanwhile Pronger goes out of his way to run interference everytime the wings dump the puck in, and there's not been 1 of those called in the playoffs yet. They were calling about 3 of those per game early in the season.

Anyone else notice after lilja didn't make the play he stopped to try to get back to the puck but was held? No call there either.

Anyway, I am highly confident the wings can go into Game 6 and completely shut down the Ducks. I think Dom will have his best game of the year and shut them out, sorta like 02 but not. I don't think we can compare to 2002. That was a different era, completely differnet players, and it was a rivalry. This series, with the way things have gone one game to the next, would not be surprising to me if the wings won 3-0 in game 6.

We'll find out what they're made out of.

Oh and one last thing. People want to castrate Lilja but Lidstrom put his stick in the way of the shot to tie the game, yet nobody's castrating him for it. I say they both made mistakes, it happens. In my opinilon Lidstrom shoulda eather threw his body in front of that shot or just let Dom handle it. Lilja shoulda not cut up the middle with 2 guys around him, but he did and that's the game. Both plays were flukey and I for one am happy to have lost it that way if we had to lose.

Just don't bet against Hasek until he loses a playoff series with the Wings.

[Dynamo 0]

About the officiating: Didn't the Wings have a power-play in overtime? Or am I hallucinating?

(Sarcasm aside -- yes, it was an *easy* call to make. But if the Wings actually *scored* on their opportunities when it mattered I don't think we'd hear all of the complaining about refereeing.)

yes they did

didn't the Ducks have 4 too-many-men-on-the-ice penalties that were called?

didn't the Ducks push Hasek in the net when there was a no-goal call that was later overturned for a Ducks goal

have you not really seen the obstruction all series long that isn't called?