RedSea

I doubt this changes anything...but I hope I'm wrong.

1. Ovie 2. Luongo 3. Sakic 4. Iginla 5. Sedins

Mlive just reported that he is skating in practice and will have further updates for Datsyuk's status for game 4 after practice.

The kick itself wasn't terrible, but the action of purposely raising your skates to someone's head is dangerous and retarded. Bettman probably told him to do it.

I are score goal. I not instigator.

I definitely want Zetterberg and Datsyuk split up (for once). I think Z needs to be on Crosby and Dats on Malkin.

I'm glad hockey survived in Pittsburgh. (so we could keep beating them for the Cup...but I didn't say that out loud).

I'd love to use that, but I've kept the original bracket wallpaper from the beginning of the playoffs as my desktop because I don't want to change our luck

I think Dan's name in M*A*S*H* would be No Hits O'Halloran.

Why do I always have to complain about the refs? (rhetorical...I know they usually suck) I expect one more chintzy penalty against us in the third and Chicago will get away with more than a few as long as we keep this lead.

Pretty lazy first period. That's all I can really say. We just looked slow and didn't have the drive that is necessary to win.

I really like that article. Gave me some insight on how Ozzie progressed over the season. I won't lie, I kind of got down on him during the season. I never thought we should kick him off the team or anything, I just knew he wasn't playing like Osgood. But he sure has erased my doubts in the playoffs, and I couldn't be happier. I can't wait to go to the Joe during the finals (yes, we're making it there) and chant 'Ozzie! Ozzie!'.

Homer. He's due for a classic deflection. But if he stays on the 4th line then I'll say Datsyuk gets the next one. In fact, I think Datsyuk will get the first goal of game 2 if Homer doesn't deflect it

I woulnd't mind trying Leino replacing Abdelkader. I think Ab is doing very well, but I think Leino is more of a scoring threat and Ab isn't as needed as he would've been for Anaheim. We've got Helm to provide the high energy hits, so why not try throwing in some more depth at scoring? Chicago may be making adjustments to take away our star scoring power (namely Franzen). It would never hurt to have another guy that can score on the ice, unless he's just going to be that physically outmatched (which could happen on the road but I think at home Leino could get some favorable matchups).

I like how they're going to interview Crosby during the intermission of a Blackhawks-Wings game...

Selanne looks like a drunk, drugged up Robert Downey Jr. So...he looks like Robert Downey Jr.

Brashear gets suspended 1 game for bumping during warmups and then 5 games for elbowing during a check (in the playoffs mind you). Do you think Niedermeyer will get suspended for an elbow thrown after the game had ended? HAH! You're dreaming. Now, if it was Crosby on the receiving end of the blow, the media would implode and Niedermeyer wouldn't be allowed to return to the ice.

Anaheim got two misconducts (Perry and Marchant) for their ******* moves. Suspensions? HAH! Not likely. Bettman will probably suspend Datsyuk.

4-3 Wings. Goals by: Datsyuk (2), Filppula, Lidstrom/Getzlaf, Perry, Pronger Roast them Ducks tonight boys! There will be a fight early on as the goons of Anaheim try to spice up their bench. I'm sayin either Abdelkader fights whoever was bugging him last game or Ericsson bashes Perry's face in again.

When I was old enough to comprehend television, my grandfather plopped me down and had me watch a Wings game. I grew up on Stevie Y, Cheveldae, Yserbaert, Federov, Probert, etc. I knew I was a Wings fan for life when Yzerman rocketed the slapshot in double OT against the Blues and I about had a heart attack at age 11. I never truly thanked my gramps for opening my eyes on one of the greatest sports in history/greatest sports team in history.

Brashear angry. Brashear smash.

Brashear got 5 games for a much weaker hit. I'll be pissed if Brown doesn't get at least 5 games.

About halfway through this past regular season NHL attendance was above NBA attendance. Don't know how it ended up, but I'd like somebody to do the stats on North American attendance and TV ratings for this year comparing NBA and NHL. I know that last year's SCF had higher ratings in Detroit than the Pistons Conference Final letdown. That says a little something, especially since the Palace has bragged about selling out but doesn't pull in the same ratings when hockey is finally on network TV. Since the NHL is still recovering from the lockout, I'd say in a few years it won't be "not bloody likely" and very possibly the same. I'm assuming that TV ratings for NBA are skyward compared to the NHL, but I'd like to know what kind of ratings playoff hockey draws on NBC compared to playoff basketball. The media screws the NHL out of ratings by simply not giving it the same consideration throughout the season. All hockey gets is a few Sunday after church time slots until the playoffs get down to brass tax. Maybe they've done the market research, but I think hockey has real potential to eclipse basketball for a North American audience (Canada semi-balances out the ratings for the southern states with no NHL team). I love hockey so much, I hate that so many people make fun of it simply because it's the cool, ESPN thing to do. I have grown to hate ESPN so much. Spring baseball gets more air time than hockey. I can understand the tradition with baseball, but come on people, the sport should've decreased in popularity like movies when TV came out. Hockey actually has non stop action. I did a write up on why US audiences like baseball, football and basketball more than the international favorites like hockey, soccer and rugby. Basically, I think the pace (easier to follow what's going on) has a lot to do with why either it's stop and start action (football, baseball) or a non stop scoring fest (basketball) for U.S. audiences. Either we need clear cut direction or a spectacle of dunks. Hockey and soccer have a similar pace to each other (for god's sake don't think I'm considering them similar sports) and it's just way too different than the U.S favorites. You have to actually understand the strategy as it plays out and pay attention at all times or you'll miss the great plays. Football and baseball have carefully planned strategy that has pauses so attention isn't always needed. Basketball has so many awe-inspiring scoring opportunities that if you miss one you're bound to see 10 more. Sorry for the rant, I just wish more people respected hockey. It's one of the toughest sports out there and should appeal to an American audience if only they could pay attention long enough. I could go on and on, but I'll just save it for some random essay. Datsyuk picking somebody's pocket is as exciting to me as LeBron dunking. I guess Datsyuk just suffers from the lack of a booming sound when he executes his magic.

Sure, it's a "weak" call to make with what was on the line, but I look at it this way: Columbus took the puck near center ice with Holmstrom already lying out of position. If they don't call that obvious cheat, then Columbus enters the zone with a full head of steam and a slight advantage. What if they had scored on a non-call? That would have been MUCH worse. Hitchcock says it was the right call to be made, but he didn't like it given the circumstance. What would he be saying had they not called it and Columbus scored on that possession? Anyone who thinks that was the wrong call just doesn't know hockey. The refs usually won't call hooks, cross checks, etc. in tight situations where the guilty party doesn't gain a distinct advantage after committing the penalty. But they won't let one go where someone gets a clear advantage. That's that.

Just a quick one that I posted in the GDT: