This Is Bida

Oh yea... P.S. Keep in mind that the guy who went 'behind the net' actually circled behind the net and ended up FAR corner. Stuart leaves his man it's an easy tape to tape pass in the back door (can't remember if I mentioned that in my first post.. I'm a little buzzed)

I've watched the replay numerous times because I, too, thought they (actually 3 Wings cause the Mule was standing there too) just let him walk right in front. After having a short talk with someone in the GDT about it and watching the replay I've come up with this... Stuart had to go back behind the net to follow his man. This was DEFINITELY the best decision. If not and Stuart goes after the puck carrier, the puck carrier has an EASY back-door pass to the player who Stuart followed behind the net. Zero blame is on Stuart and truthfully, I think overall he's been our best defenseman thus far this year. The part that is a little iffy was what Kronwall did. Had he left his player and went after the puck carrier the puck carrier could've slid it towards the face off circle/slot area and it would've been a nice one timer by that Tampa player. You can't really tell from the angle but it seems that the Mule was also covering someone but he must be out of picture cause you can see him look over his shoulder. Truthfully, I don't know. But if there was a guy he was more out towards the blue-line. So if you wanna place blame it would have to be on Kronwall or the Mule. If Kronwall leaves his man then the Mule should've picked up the guy in the slot area. What this REALLY all boils down to is that is a save that Osgood MUST make!!! The guy skates out from basically the corner. Osgood should be down, butterfly style, right up against that post (knowing the Stuart picked up the man on the far post). This way if the guy skates towards the middle (which is EXACTLY what he did) he can simply poke check the puck away or atleast put his paddle down to get in the way of the skater. All in all, (and again keep in mind I said the same thing as you did until I looked at replay at my house) it wasn't so much either of the defensemans fault. The both were covering a man. In the end that is a save that Osgood should've made and unfortunately the puck came lose. What really interests me is that the guy clearly kicked the puck INTO the net. However, the puck was clearly moving in and would've gone in regardless. What I want to know is what the rulebook says about it. If the rulebook says that a puck is CLEARLY gonna end up in the net and a player pushes it a millimeter of an inch past the line then it counts, I'll be fine with that. I just don't see that being the case. I gotta think that no matter what if a player uses an kind of KICKING MOTION (which that was) even while the puck is going in, it's no goal. I'm not one to believe in conspiracy theories or any of that crap but I truthfully just think they wanted a closer game and thats why they called a goal. If we were up 4-2 and that exact play happened to us, I would bet a million dollars it wouldn't be a goal.

Avery is probably the only hockey player I would LIKE to see get a stick to the face making him completely unbearable to look at.

Yea, you're right about that. Now keep in mind, when I say defense I'm talking TEAM WIDE. When I refer to defense I'm not just referring to our defenseman. In my eyes, forwards coming back, clearing pucks, blocking shots, etc. are all considered "defense". Hell, even our goalie is considered "defense". Now, with that said, our defense has been horrible all season. There just hasn't been a single game I've seen where we have shut down another team defensively. I read a great article by Ross McKeon (Yahoo! Sports hockey writer) and the article basically said the same thing. The Wings defense as a whole has just been mediocre when this should be the best defensive team (along with one of the best offensive teams) in hockey. Now, considering how bad the Wings defense has been we've still been able to win most of our games and this is with the other teams playing their hearts out to see how they match against the Cup Champions. The good thing for Detroit is they have the rest of the season to figure out what is wrong and fix it. The bad thing for the rest of the league is that the Wings have the entire season to fix what is wrong!

You are right about one thing, it is hitting every team. What you're wrong about is that it's hitting the Wings the most. It's just not. The Wings get their fair share of chances on the PP and have the best PP in the league. Just like in my last post, it's every team, it's ever game. All in all the officiating is a complete joke and its turning real hockey fans away from the game. Part of me wishes I could become a reporter or sports writer so I could get a huge uprising about how bad the hockey officiating is in the NHL. Too bad I can't create webpages. NHLofficiatingSUCKS.com

I kind of agree and I kind of don't. When Stuart went behind the net to follow the guy looking for the back door pass it was a smart play. The Mule I saw was also covering someone but whoever that 3rd guy was (I'd have to go back and look on the DVR) I just don't remember him being by anyone? What I will agree with is that Osgood should've been hugging that post and if the guy comes out from the corner it should be a pretty simple poke-check. I mean, the guy literally came straight across (parallel to the goal line) from almost the corner. So, I do somewhat agree but regardless... a. Kronwall getting walked at the blueline was piss poor and b. Osgood definitely should be making the stop and holding onto that puck (regardless, that thing was kicked in, plain as day). Truthfully, I've never EVER been an Osgood hater. I've always backed the guy but I think Babs needs to start putting some pressure on him with Conklin. Conklin seems like a very willing and able goalie to step up and win us some games. I just have not been impressed by Osgood and he seems to always play his best when he has pressure from another goalie.

He's been saying that for the past couple games now. And he's dead on. Any team that gets a lead will get a couple penalties. Tonight was a PRIME example. Tampa goes up by 2 and all of a sudden we're on a 5-3 for a extended period of time. We go up 4-2 and all of a sudden we start to get the penalties (all the while, somehow dictating all of the play). I never understood that, how does a team who's dominating play, controlling the puck get a penalty?

If that's not a "kicking motion" than I don't know what the F*CK is? I'd love to been sitting there in the War Room asking them what HELL they were thinking on that one.

I would tempt to say they "weren't bad" up until Stuart, Mule and the other player (don't remember who it was, I think Kronwall) let the one Tampa player walk right in front of Osgood to score their 3rd goal. I mean, 3 guys standing around the peremiter just LOOKING at him and he walks right in front. Then I totally remembered Kronwall getting completely WALKED as he just stood still on the blueline to make it 1-0. Then I remembered, they were just as bad as every other game. Something has to be done about our defense. We can score anywhere from 3-6 goals a game but we give up anywhere from 3-7 goals a game. It's just bad. This team should be scoring the way it is, but it truthfully should be only giving up no more than 4 goals at the ABSOLUTE MOST!!! One good thing I can say about our D is I am loving the way Stuart is fitting in. Too bad his partner, I can't say the same for at the time. I'm just praying that this is sort of like Kronwall's sophomore slump (yes, I know he's not a sophomore but technically this would be his sophomore season INJURY FREE)

I understand Mickey has to say it but sometimes when he says that hockey refs are the best of any sport, it makes me want to puke. I do not blame ref's for teams losing games. I just don't. But overall, the officiating in hockey is downright pathetic. I'm so disgusted by it, I should probably make a post about it cause this isn't gonna get read by many people. The first original call today was pathetic. The "hook" on I think Stuart. Then the cross-checking on Tampa was pretty humorous also. But it just kept getting worse as the game went on. Ya see, the NHL tries to say that a penalty is a penalty whenever the time is of the game. Well if that is the case then how the F*UCK was there not a hook/hold/interference on Hossa as he barreled towards an empty net? Why was there no call? I'll tell you why... because the NHL wants action-packed games. You know what else supports this theory? The puck hitting Lecavalier. Granted, it was pretty funny to see the guy try and get tough (don't get me wrong I absolutely love Lecavalier! But he's not that tough) it was sad that the puck might have actually hit him. From the replay we could not tell. NOW, for some odd reason with 14.00 seconds left after this play the puck gets dropped INSIDE the Wings zone. So, if the puck didn't in fact hit him, then how in gods name do you miss the call of Raffy's stick drilling him in the teeth? If the puck DID go off of his mouth and up into the stands then how in the hell do you not take the face-off outside? Basically here's my deal... Me and my brother and father have been hockey fans ever since we were all born. My father was a pretty good player in his day and me and my brother have played very competitive hockey when we were younger (and still continue to dominate our beer leagues! ) so we understand the game better than most. One of the most frustrating things in the world is to go to a bar or to a game and listen to the hockey fans who just do not understand the actual game. All in all, my family is the die-hard hockey fan. The fan that has been there since pre-lock out. What Bettman is doing is RUINING the game of hockey and all the officials can do is follow (the) suit. It's like watching the worst sport known to man... Basketball. You don't even touch a guy without getting a foul cause all they want is slam dunks. Truthfully it's embarassing. Ya know what I wish? I wish I could meet Gary Bettman. I would knock that son of a b*tch out. Then I would tie him up and torture him until he begged and pleaded to turn the game back to the way it was and drop VERSUS and run back to ESPN. If he didn't... for the sake of hockey I would take him as a prisoner until some better commissioner could take the reign and turn hockey back into the sport that i love. Cause for gods sake... It's getting really close to losing a couple more fans.

Haha, I definitely noticed that too after the Devils game. You could tell Hossa was trying to keep his face away from all the guys' gloves in his face. I thought it was humorous. Kind of like in baseball after someone nails a winning run the team charges out to home plate and will completely jump on top of the guy smacking him hard as hell in the head.

Best reply I've seen. What I would like to know is who these people would rather have for the same amount of money?

amen!!!!!!

It wasn't even the 2nd half. We dominated the first 2 periods and looked DEAD tired in the 3rd and overtime. I mean, how? I have NEVER believed in "Cup hangover" but I'm truly starting to believe in it now. This is sad. Read my post above, it explains everything that i'll probably just repeat right now.

It wasn't Staal. It was Fedetenko or however you spell his name. As for my rant.... PATHETIC PATHETIC LOSS! You're up 5-2 and you lose 6-7 in overtime on a HORRIBLE goal!!! Whoever thinks this team doesn't have anything to worry about is just dead blind. This team needs to wake up. You don't blow a 3 goal lead and then a 2 goal lead later in the 3rd period. Stupid mistakes that haven't happened on this team since the Ducks. Regardless, this will be an insignificant loss come playoff time but none the less the Wings need a huge wake up call. They haven't won a game by more than 2 goals unless it was an empty netter. Oh wait, maybe one. This whole excuse of "every night will be a battle" is such an excuse it makes me sick. Yes, we will see teams at their best but we dominated the regular season AND the playoffs last year and only got better. This team is not gonna make the long haul unless they have some kind of wake up call like the good old Yzerman locker room talk.

What the DEUCE! That thing is UGLY!!! As everyone's mentioned it's right up there with the JOFA helmet. And anyone who says "egh, not bad" has absolute horrible taste in hockey equipment.

KEEP HOSSA KEEP HOSSA KEEP HOSSA!!!

To back you up I was there... Considering Hossa is (obviously) my favorite player my eyes are almost always set on him while he's on the ice. During that play never once did Hossa tap his stick on the ice looking for the "drop pass". Honestly, this little bit just proves how big of an idiot the original poster is. So Cleary isn't playing up to his potential (although he sure did make an amazing play assisting on Z's goal when he negated that icing) but just cause he's in a little slump does not make him a "bad player". I'll take Cleary on my team any day... However, (as it was already mentioned) if he had to be traded (taking into consideration he waived his NTC) to keep Hossa, I'd gladly wish him well. This just goes to prove how I always say that hockey will never become a big sport (like football or baseball) cause most people just do not understand the game unless they have actually played it. I'm not saying people who haven't played don't understand at all, but truthfully too many people who HAVEN'T played hockey just do not understand the game. Basketball, for instance, is a stupid-man's game. Simple to understand. Hockey just isn't the same.

Truthfully the Sharks are probably the closest talented team in the NHL right now to the Wings and there really isn't any denying that. Obviously everyone is talking up the Habs but personally the only team that I will be worried about in the playoffs (saying every team is healthy going in) is San Jose. Montreal is a little overrated to me. The one thing I will say though is a hope that for as many years to come to the Sharks NEVER make the conference Finals. I absolutely find it HILARIOUS that people pick them year after year (even this year) to win the Cup and they can't even touch the conference Finals. Keep under achieving... please!

That's truthfully disgusting to me. I actually WINCED when I saw it. It's dumb f*cks like that who should be given the boot. Granted, for all I know this guy could be some poster child for gentlemanly play but that's just wrong. There's ZERO excuse for a hit like that. What they SHOULD do to players like him, as punishment, is stand him 3 ft. facing the boards and have someone from the opposing team be able to skate the whole length of the rink and just drill him in the back to try and destroy him. An eye for an eye!

Pretty sure the USA Hockey logo's aren't what is used for the USA Olympic jerseys... hold on... USA Hockey logo #1 USA Hockey logo #2 USA Jersey While it is similar they might be able to get away with it because it's not identically the same. Either way, this is completely stupid to me.

Egh, I personally think 5 days is a little too long though. I know it's only one days difference but I think 4 would have been plenty. Personally I hate not playing for any more than 4 days. After that it's tougher for me to get into the groove. Now, lets keep in mind I'm not playing in the NHL and I obviously don't play near as much hockey. Regardless, I think most NHL'ers would agree 5 days is, maybe, a little too long.

Say whatever you want about the other calls... But if you truly think the Kronwall call "wasn't bad" then you are a complete idiot when it comes to the game of hockey.

Mick doesn't make the west coast trips... Murphy takes over for him.

I'm sorry you must not be completely up to date. Apparently now Bettman wants to ruin hockey. He'd rather hockey be more like basketball. (yes, i'm being sarcastic [except the fact that Bettman wants hockey to be more like basketball] and i'm totally joking around with you)