Matt

The Conference Finals edition of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket wallpaper is now available! Click Here to Go to the Download Page Enjoy!

Casey -- Believe me, I wasn't kidding when it seemed like I was the most popular patient in there at times. Doctors, specialists, even the RNs and NAs were totally genuinely curious about me. (Seriously though... I'd have two doctors talking to me while another would be lifting up the sheet to take photos of my feet, then my hands, etc.) There were a coupe of the nurses that said just what was mentioned -- they'd never, ever thought they'd actually get to see a case of it, *ahem*, in the flesh. So who wants to get into my Lotto pool?

Thank you, all of you, from the bottom of my heart for all the well wishes. I AM home from the hospital now recovering from a bout of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever -- yeah, I had the same reaction, too -- that left me laid up in Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak for over a week. Plenty of times I felt like a patient on House -- apparently cases of this illness are extremely rare (only 800 Americans get diagnosed with it a year) -- as I had at least a dozen different doctors and infectious disease specialists looking at me during my stay. It appears as though I fell victim to a tick bite sometime two weeks ago as I ventured back home and helped plant around 175 saplings in my parents' wooded area behind the house. About a week after that I started to get an intense fever and ultimately broke out in red spots everywhere (palms, arms, legs, feet -- everywhere). That and a fever hitting 102.9F freaked me out sufficienly enough to get me into the ER. There it seemed the primary worry was meningitis, so I went through the battery of tests for that (CT scan, xrays, standard blood/urine tests) -- even the dreaded lumbar puncture. Yes, they are horrible. I didn't have the stiffness in the neck or other classic meningitis symptoms, which left a lot of people stumped. After I was admitted my fever continued to rise, spiking at around 104.5F sometime mid-last week. I was on a cooling blanket for a large portion of that time while I was fed a steady supply of antibiotics. Basically, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever had come into focus because all of the tests I'd undergone basically ruled everything out. I started turning the corner over the weekend (the biggest hurdle was managing my own temperature without the assistance of the cooling blanket) and after a few days of that (and some improving lab results) I was discharged around noon on Tuesday. Naturally this whole thing has left me embarassingly weak. For the first four days of the illness I was unable to sleep and had to be put on pain and sleep meds just so my body could get some semblence of rest. I'm going to spend the next few days trying to ramp my strength back up and hopefully things will return to normal. I do have to say that I'm thankful I didn't decide to Wikipedia this illness while I was still admitted. I really didn't have any idea how serious this whole thing was (or could've been), but the bevvy of "Jesus, Matt, you really scared the crap out of us" comments I've heard now that I've been home have really shed some light on this whole thing. Of course, it was painful watcing the the Wings' ultimate playoff demise while laid up in a hospital, but I did give some of the nurses a good laugh with my constaint pained "yyyesssss!" and totally weak fistpumps during the first period of Game 4. They all thought I was in pain but I had to grimace out a "nooo... I'm happ-pppy!" Again -- thank you to ALL OF YOU -- for your patience and well wishes. I'll be back to 100% shortly!

The Round 2 edition of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket wallpaper is now available! Click Here to Go to the Download Page Enjoy!

The Round 2 edition of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket wallpaper is now available! Click Here to Go to the Download Page Enjoy!

Guess Umberger was right, eh? Oh, and Teddy L: STFU!

Thread closed for 2010: Don't forget to add your submissions to this thread to our Photo Gallery dedicated to the Phoenix Coyotes: http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=cats&do=sc&cat=3 Thank you!

I remember this -- someone posted a grainy cell phone video right after the fight "ended", when the JLA security staff moved in on the fallen BJ fan. If I remember right, this same fan that got busted up was bragging about it on the Blue Jackets' forum and was either the same person (or knew the other person) that was part of a picture by the Associated Press of putting a Wings' fan in a headlock late in Game 3 (I think) of that series down in Columbus.

Shameless plug for the LGW Shop's latest addition!

Although I'm still kind of "testing" it out, I added a new Gallery feature to the web site over the weekend and I'm encouraging our photoshoppers here to add their work to the "Photoshop War" categories, which you can do so by following this link: http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?app=gallery I've set up albums for all of the series/teams we've done them for, so if you have works from the last few seasons please feel free to archive them for all to see!

The biggest thing with Howard is confidence. I think once he gets it he's unflappable, but Game 4 will be the ultimate determining factor of that. The 4th goal was situationally devastating but the other three I'd blame more on his defense (with a dash of inability to control rebounds).

As I mentioned in the GDT, I believe Babcock's married to him. This may be a bit out of left field, but I think if Osgood had responded with a solid or spectacular effort when he made his start in Philadelphia then Babcock may look more toward him if Howard continues to falter in Game 4. As it stands, I'd be shocked to see Osgood in anything other than mop-up duty.

Agreed. You'd hope that it wouldn't take nearly to the halfway point of the series to figure it out, though.

Agreed on Bertuzzi, but I think if he keeps using his size/strength effectively (which he has) I think the goal(s) will come. Agreed on Datsyuk to an extent -- less fluff and more drive to the net. Agreed on Abdelkader. He's the anti-Williams. Agreed on Z. Agreed on Kronwall, who's been one of the Wings' biggest disappointments in this series, along with Rafalski, to this poit. Agrred on Franzen. He's not using his size at all. Disappointing, to say the least.

Yep -- the cutesy plays. Horrible plays they've tried for three games now.

The "they just don't have it" line has been used often during the Red Wings' first-round series over the years, but the majority of the time they "find it" before it's too late.

I'd be shocked to see Osgood at all in this series, even if he doesn't bounce back from the dismal performance today. IMO Babcock seems pretty married to him.

I actually thought that Bertuzzi was one of the Red Wings' better forwards this afternoon. Although he didn't score before the the whistle he had his nose in there, made a nice pass to Franzen to (then) cut the deficit to 1 and generally was using his size all over the ice.

Because it isn't sheer talent that will win this series. It's effort -- and Lombardi has had it in spades.

Miserable effort. Cutesy passes, no consistent forecheck, too much play from outside the circles. It's not a coincidence that the Wings' best scoring chances from this game and in general come from hammering the Phoenix defense on the forecheck and then crashing the net.

This all just goes back to the 2nd period on Friday night and the first half of the 2nd period this afternoon. When the Red Wings decide to lay down a consistent forecheck, finish all of their checks and not chase the puck the Coyotes buckle under the pressure. The didn't do any of that for the 2nd half of the period and they're trailing in the game because of it. It's almost comical the night-and-day turnaround it is facing this Phoenix team when you turn the physical game back around on them.