Matt

He's been a ghost. Every time he's touched the puck lately it's been turned over or absolutely nothing happens. He's been only slightly less of a non-factor than Hudler. ... Has Hudler even played in this series? Get him OFF Zetterberg's wing and get Cleary back up there. Cleary and Helm are the only players interested in actually conducting a forecheck and finishing their checks.... If I see another Wings' forward curl off from an easy check to finish on a dump-in I'm going to go mental.

What a pathetic period. If there was any evidence of who wants this game more, you saw it in that period. What an absolute comedy of errors and idiocy on the ice. A half-assed effort defensively. It appears that the players' brains have already flown back for Game 5, because they sure weren't using them in the second period. Disgraceful.

To add to my first post... Not all that impressed by Detroit except for a few shifts in the last half of the period. Extremely, utterly sloppy in the defensive end, passes aren't crisp, guys are overskating pucks and generally just making bad decisions as often as good ones in their own end. Need more traffic out front and quick shots. 19 shots is a fantastic total for a period, and they need to keep that up -- but definitely need more traffic. And... FORECHECK HARD FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

A goal after an obvious offsides, Lidstrom railroaded into the boards on an obvious interference call, a trip on Leino results directly in a rush, Kunitz dives like he was shot to get a call, Pittsburgh not stopping on the faceoffs and the linesmen are too worried about the Wings' centeman to care... what a ridiculous first period. And I virtually never ***** about the refereeing as an "excuse". That first period was just awful. And despite that, we're tied? Good god.

Thread of the YEAR!

I didn't see that at all. I saw a Detroit team that limited Pittsburgh to just a few sustained spurts in the offensive zone, and the one that cost them was while they were on the penalty kill. Pittsburgh had a very difficult time sustaining any pressure at all tonight.

Overall I liked the defensive effort for most of the game. Wasn't impressed at all offensively. Not a lot of skating, not a strong forecheck at all outside of a few shifts, and passed up way, waaaay too many shots. Seemed like Hossa had plenty of opportunities to get off a shot or take the puck hard to the net, but was just more content to protect te puck and drag it deep. And when guys did decide to shoot, it was after hesitation or bringing the stick back -- just enough time for a defender to get himself or his stick into position. Hudler, IMO, has been brutal in this series. Completely invisible and making boneheaded decisions out there. The goals on Osgood initially looked pretty bad, but he was either screened pretty effectively or there were subtle deflections on he puck. I still can't fathom how the referees/linesmen could miss that too-many-men call. I know it's a shoulda-coulda-woulda type thing, but that very easily could be seen as the turning point in Game 3. Detroit had just gotten a 2-1 lead, Pittsburgh was on its heels and the crowd was silent. To get another goal on that power play would've been monstrous. Oh well. Heading into tonight I penciled Pittsburgh in for the win but I'm supremely confident heading into Game 4. Here's to hoping Datsyuk spends the next 36 hours in the hyperbaric chamber.

I'd prefer to have him in for Game 3. Faceoffs are going to be key in Game 3 as Crosby/Malkin will be out against the Wings' lower lines initially... Having a key faceoff man like Draper to help get possession right away and then get the right players out there will be pretty important. At this stage it looks like I'd sit Leino and go with a 4th line of Abdelkader-Draper-Maltby.

You're mistaking a gash for being puckered. It happens.

Man, I'd hate to be a Pens fan when Detroit stops winning on "luck" and does it just convincingly... What's going to happen with with the grab-bag of excuses then?

As an aside: No way should Malkin be suspended for that. Yeah, it's in the rulebook, but damn... like one previous poster said: If Walker ain't getting suspended, Malkin sure as hell isn't. An aside Part II: Yes, the series is still young, but doesn't it seem so far that Getzlaf and Perry struck more fear into you offensively than Crosby and Malkin? Maybe it was because they played on the same line, but I think a big part of that feeling -- at least for me -- is that they physically brought it virtually every shift and would grind down the Wings in the offensive zone... None of that from the Pittsurgh duo.

Outplayed? The Penguins try to throw everything on net trailing by two goals to *then* get a shot advantage and we're outplayed? If you want to talk soft then I'd consider those Charmin-soft goals given up by Fluery out there. Beauty, eh? Got a bruised up forehead from the facepalming through two games?

You're kidding, right? If you need to hold onto that thought to make yourself feel better about having to win four of the next five games, then so be it. I'll take my "lucky" 2-0 series lead w/o Datsyuk and on back-to-back nights when the old/injured/tired/etc. Wings were supposed to be at a disadvantage. Amusing.

Good effort going to the net on both goals (Helm screen, Homer drawing the D & Malkin). Need more of that in the 3rd. Guys like Cleary, Zetterberg, etc. were determined to get between the circles and to the net. REALLY need to be better in the defensive zone. Some god-awful giveaways. Scary bad.

No forecheck over the last half of that period. Wings need to be quicker on the Pittsburgh dump-ins because they started forechecking late and it resulted in a few turnovers. I wouldn't say Pittsburgh dominated play in that period at all, but they controlled it late by skating when the Red Wings' wouldn't, and the same could be said vice-versa over the first half of the period. Wings need to go harder to the middle of the zone and, as Babcock & Co. said during the first period, don't pass up shots.

Pretty sloppy period but overall the Wings did carry the play. Still looked like some nerves out there with the missed passes and unnecessary gambles offensively (not to mention extra passes). Wings really need to ramp up the forecheck... it only seemed halfway there, if that. Definitely not pressuring the Pittsburgh defense as much as I'd like. The Wings can take advantage of their speed there.

The Stanley Cup Final Desktop Bracket Wallpaper is now available! The wallpaper comes in seven different screen resolutions and features a quote from the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Click Here to Go to the Download Page Enjoy!

The Stanley Cup Final Desktop Bracket Wallpaper is now available! The wallpaper comes in seven different screen resolutions and features a quote from the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Click Here to Go to the Download Page Enjoy!

I've been contacted by Jennifer Choi, a producer for CBC, with the request to find some die-hard Red Wings fans in Windsor for an interview this Saturday. Windsor-based fans attending Game 1 would be an added bonus. Interested? Send me a PM (private message) through the forums here with your e-mail address and/or contact phone number, which I'll forward along to Jennifer. Thanks!

Hot damn it feels good to start this!

I'm expecting a huge push early from Detroit to end this quickly. They can't sustain over a long overtime (obviously)...

For all that is good and right in the world: GO CANES! This is for purely selfish reasons, too: I'm currently on vacation with the family and our designated "drive home" days are this Saturday and Sunday... needless to say I'll nuts if the Final kicks off this weekend... Not ony would it completely suck to miss one game, but the geniouses at the NHL offices schedule back-to-backs to make me miss two? It's been hard enough being away from home during the WCF, but thankfully I can still catch all the games... Kind of hard when you're driving up I-77 and I-75....

Conklin = Human Victory Cigar?

It's called follow through. He didn't leave his feet, he didn't lead with his forearm, it wasn't high, puck was there, etc., etc., etc.. You still wonder why Havlat's made of glass? Houston had to radio HIM to get him back. Keep your head up.