Firehawk

With LA winning yesterday, we really need to get this one done. I am not confident, though. I doubt we can keep Chicago to 1 or 2 goals, so my concerns are with us scoring 3-4 goals.

I hate arguments like this, for the simple fact that they aren't reality. BOTH teams missed on 5 opportunities. That was the situation at the time. It's unfair to say "well we shoulda scored on a previous opportunity and this wouldn't have happened". But it DID happen and was the current situation. Howard was holding them off and Auld was holding the Wings off. I still do not understand the call really. How can it be a goal when the refs are divided on the ice and a replay cannot see a goal definitively? To me that should be an automatic NO GOAL. Especially when the REFEREE was right on top of it, 3 feet from the puck, and the other refs were down the ice somewhere. It just doesn't make sense to me at all.

If that is really how things went down to make that decision, then that is absolutely ridiculous. How can you say "well we have all the replays and none show the puck over the line definitively, but we'll go ahead and take a head count of who thinks it's in on the ice...hmm 2 yes, 1 no, ok it's a goal then". Wow. How retarded.

The only way I could see how those Toronto homos made that call a goal is that someone 'calculated' that given the amount of time, the puck rolled over the line all the way. Basically, they assumed. I thought you couldn't do that. We got jobbed, YET AGAIN! How many times is this going to happen in one frickin season? Good lord...

I will say this, and am very pleased to be able to say it: Over the last several years we have been clamouring for a goalie on this team that can stop 30+ shots on goal and win us games doing it, instead of facing 20 shots and allowing 3-4 goals. It looks like, at least for now, Howard is that guy. I am sure other teams will figure him out a bit more next year, but hopefully he will also get better with rebounds and such.

So this starts begging the questions: If Howard continues his outstanding defense and gets us into the playoffs, who will start for the playoffs? I think if that is the case, and howard is still playing this well, you have to give him consideration. Ozzie looks like he has completely lost it. The argument though is that he looked this way last year and was outstanding when it mattered. I would hate to make that decision.

With LA up 5 on us now, we really need to win this one in regulation time. I will say Wings win 4-2. Gotta hae this one guys...

I agree with an earlier poster. This is really a must win. We need to stay close to the Playoff picture and we need to get these win from banged up teams. I will not be staying up for this game, but I will watch the first period. I hope we win. I will predict 3-1 Wings since the games are very close lately.

What is Osgood's record against sub par teams this year?

Wow i didn't know that Rafalski wasn't playing lol, and I even watched the game. Good lord, ANOTHER WING OUT! Come on. Sooner or later this has to stop. Well, at least 'the hair' isn't injured.

I think the Wings may lose this one. I think Chicago is out for blood after last year. With Hossa back, they will be looking to get some for sure. With our depleted lineup, I'm not sure if we can hang. We will for certain have to outwork them. I hope we don't lose the next 2 games and go 0-3 in these 3 games.

Boy does Datsyuk have some horrible luck lately eh? When was the last time you saw the same player on the same shift break 2 sticks within 1 minute? That's something else.

I tend to watch Bert play, maybe pay attention too much, and he looks like he's lazy out there. But yesterday he looked like he had a bit more jump in his step. Just an observation. I don't think Howard is doing as well as Conklin could have. Howard has let in some absolutely brutal goals this year, perhaps just because he's new to the league still. Conklin is more solid at this point.

We are getting close to the half way point of the season. I do not expect much from Osgood in the regular season. I do expect he'll ramp it up in the playoffs (assuming we get in) though. It's nice to have a goali that can dominate in the playoffs and we pay him relatively nothing.

At this point, I just hope we make the playoffs.

But when other key players are missing, teams can focus more heavily on the stars. I do agree with what you are saying to an extent, and Zetterberg has done that on occasion. But you have to look at the reality of the situation as well. You can't just simply dismiss the long list of injuries to our offense. The chemistry on this team is completely screwed up right now. All of these things play a major role in the success of a team. Hopefully the team will get used to missing those pieces and adjust, but I am not expecting a miracle, honestly. Star players are better when they have good pieces around them. They have decent players still, but they are missing the exceptional supporting cast. I just think we are all shocked because some on this board probably weren't even born when the wings were playing this average kind of hockey before. EDIT: I am an Osgood lover but lately he has been out of position or just making bad mistakes and costing us goals at key times, like very early in games. I thought the 3rd goal given up to the Predators was terrible. He looked out of position. I think it was the last goal they scored last night, that one was also terrible. No excuse. You have to make those saves. To me Osgood looks like he did last year, messed up. IF we get into the playoffs, I would expect he will step his game up again, but that's a big IF at this point. I just hope we can hold on.

I do not think Bertuzzi does much for the Red Wings either. He has lost his drive (maybe due to his incident previously). He's not at all the same player. He seems to turn the puck over a lot, looks like he makes lazy plays, etc. I don't know. I hope he gets it together but he does not look like a fit around here.

I actually think the injury excuse applies pretty well here. Next thing you're going to tell me is that we should have won the cup with 70% of the team injured in the finals last year because, well, nobody else remaining on the team stepped up. And not just mildly injured, BADLY injured. Right. Sooner or later if you keep acquiring injuries to your key offensive players, the puck is going to stop going in. We have not seen this kind of play from the redwings in like 15+ yerars so I would think people would realize that yes, injuries are a completely valid excuse. No, you'll never hear a team say that, but that doesn't mean the excuse doesn't apply either. Sorry, I just do not agree with the original poster. Too many key players are out for this team not to look jumbled like it has.

I feel the same way lately. Wings definitely getting the bad breaks quite frequently. When you feel like you are being cheated, it's hard to keep your intensity up, even if you are making a lot of money. When you are in the heat of battle, you are not thinking about money.

This team is no longer "the better team" on most nights. Most nights they are at the same level at best. With all these injuries, we are missing so much talent and so much finishing power that we can't expect to see the same type of game that we are accustomed to. I jsut hope they hold on close enough to the playoffs so that come March we can get the injured pieces back and get into the playoffs healthy. We have had such a good run for such a long time that our turn for this kind of season was long overdue. I just hope we do finish and go to the playoffs. No playoffs would really suck.

Couple things on that 2nd goal: Did anyone else think that was off side? That player that scored the goal looked in well ahead of the puck to me but I didn't get to see the best vantage point. Also, I thought Osgood needed to be on his knees while that puck was being shuffled around right in front of him like that. Instead he didnt' go down, didn't poke check, and decided to go down just as the puck is headed off the Cal player's stick. I thought he played it wrong. The final play of the period there was another calgary player that looked in well ahead of the puck but no call, that time the commentators mentioned it.

1-0 cal already

I'm also getting a blank screen. Where can I see the game? Anywhere? Free?

Does anyone know if Comcast carries FSD +??? I'm in Downriver area, haev comcast, can't find the channel. Please someone confirm. WoW carries it, so I'd be surprised if Comcast doesn't. ANYONE??? ANYONE???

Samuelson was a defensive liability and was pushed to the outside too much for my liking. I'm glad he's out of here. I wanted him gone 2 years ago. Looks like we're opening up some nice cap room.