dat's sick

The Ducks have been better in every 1st period, and the Wings better in every 3rd. The 2nd period has been up for grabs, and the Wings really, really need to grab it now. I think Babs should seriously consider ZDH, FFH. Pasha and Hossa are not working.

If Z and his line plays like they did in the last couple of periods of Game 2 and Hossa/Datsyuk wake up, this game should be ours. This game is an important one. The Wings need to look alive from the first drop of the puck, not start playing in the 3rd.

Hey, who are all these other guys skating around on the ice during this Ovie vs. Crosby series?

Naslund has always seemed like a great guy to me, and the way he decided to end his career is a evidence of that. But I think you may be right that he didn't have the "drive of a champion". I can't remember ever seeing him really agitated during a game, he's always seemed so cool and composed and maybe that's not always a good thing. Anyway, I will miss him. He's one of those players that I feel probably should have had a greater career than he ended up having, but for a couple of years he was one of the top players in the league. And btw, I don't think Palffy is retired yet.

I can't believe some of you lost interest during the OT.. especially since you actually have the game on at a reasonable hour. The best thing about the playoffs is the possibility of marathon-OT games. I love it. I like that the rules are the same in OT as they are during regulation. Changing to 4 on 4 in the OT might give one team a distinct advantage and that doesn't feel right to me.

I hate these mystery injuries. Will be interesting to hear just what's been bothering them once the playoffs are over. edit: though I guess Mike is right, it's probably the groin, atleast for Raffi.

Boston lost 3-0 to Carolina in Game 2. At home. Series tied 1-1. No team is going to go 16-0 through the playoffs. That wouldn't be fun to watch. This is playoff hockey, and games like this is why the playoffs is awesome. Sure, losing at home, in this way, is tough. But it's not tougher than the loss in Game 5 of the SCF of last year. Wings will bounce back and take atleast one of the games at the Pond.

Dan Cleary Kirk Maltby Sergei Fedorov

If the Ducks go all the way, I would not be surprised at all if he gets it. I'd say it's either him or Hiller on the Ducks. But of course, it's way too early to talk about things like that.

Ok, what about.. if Draper comes back, we can have Helm centering the 3rd line. Put Cleary down on the 4th. Like so: Z-D-H Franzen-Fil-Hossa Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson Cleary-Draper-Maltby I still think there's no real need to start mixing things up already, but this is a lineup I would like to see.

I would be very hesitant to break up the 3rd line. It's been arguably our best so far in the playoffs. The 2nd line really looked good late in the game tonight, and they're good defensively. The top line hasn't quite gotten going, but I don't think there's any need to start panicking and breaking up the lines already.

I can not think of a user with a more fitting avatar than you. Atleast you seem to be aware of the fact that you're a clown. A scary, depressing clown that sees the world in black-and-white's only.

I also think Z looked like his Conn Smythe-self for atleast the 2nd half of the game.

It's not impossible that he's just feeling the pressure. He carried the team for much of the regular season, he is a Hart, Selke and Lady Byng candidate and he was the team scoring leader by a wide margin. Unlike last year when it was very much a shared load between him and Z, this year he is supposed to be more of a clear-cut leader of the team. Maybe he's a little bit tired from the regular season as well. Unlike many others on the team, who were coasting half of the games, he's been giving it his all for atleast 75+ games. But I think he'll get going for real very soon.

I think Zetterberg/Cleary/Franzen started playing great in the 3rd and OT. I hope that carries over into the next game. Datsyuk looked like he kinda got going in the 2nd OT. Hossa is still not what I hoped he'd be. Ozzie was solid the entire game. The last goal.. eh, I don't think it was that bad. I felt a goal coming as soon as I saw Kronner stepping up and Hossa going on defense. Recipe for disaster right there. Helm and Filppula were spectacular. It's a shame we lost, but this series is far from over. If the Ducks has lost tonight, I somehow doubt they would have had the strenght to bounce back. You can't go undefeated through an entire playoffs.. this is the toughest way to lose, especially at home, but I saw some good things from the team tonight. We can beat these Ducks at their Pond.

Holy hell has Filppula been great this game or what? Especially during the 3rd and the first OT period. And Helm is incredible, too bad he has absolutely no scoring touch whatsoever. I say put him up with Hossa and Pavel to get them going. Awesome OT but my nerves can't handle this much longer. Wings need to score! Still say Hossa with the GWG.

I don't think this game is going to shoot-out.. I think we'll have a decision in OT..

I'm so freakin nervous. Great 3rd period. Z's line was dominant. Just keep this up.. The Ducks are dangerous whenever they get in around our net, we have to play in their end. Hossa with the GWG?

I don't think softness has much to do with it. The Ducks are heavy down low, and hard to move, but the Wings are out-hitting them. They're just not out-hustling them. This game is far from over, but Babs might have to change the lines up a bit. The 3rd and 4th have looked pretty good, but the top 2 aren't clicking.

What's scaring me is that Hossa, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are almost invisible offensively. That's what brought San Jose down, their big guys not being their "big" guys. Our 3rd line has really been huge this playoffs. I realize our top 2 lines has shut-down duty on Getzlaf's line, but we need them to bring some more offense.

It's in Canada, so obviously Canada is going to win. I think Sweden has a good chance at getting the silver medal though. Russia has a ton of stars, but I'm not sure they have the defense and goaltending to win it. Finland could be a dark-horse.

No, now they're the best team in the playoffs and look super scary and will beat the Wings in the WCF.

That goal is up there with Steve Y's OT goal against the Blues as the most beautiful slapshot goals in history.

They have a better coach, and Malkin/Crosby are a year more experienced and better. However, Staal isn't playing up to his potential at all, and Guerin+Kunitz does not amount to one Hossa. I don't think they're much worse than last year, but they're a little more dependant on Malkin and Crosby, and having one or two players do everything rarely works in the long run. Bruins or Caps will make it out of the East, and my choice is the Bruins.

It was a spectacular save, but as always with those kinds of saves I feel it's more lucky and more of a miss by the shooter than skill by the goalie. The Lundqvist toe-save off a deflection in Game 7 against the Caps is still my favorite save of the playoffs.