BlueMonk

Helm is incredible. I love this kid's game. To be thrown into the playoffs with this team having no real experience and exceeding all expectations like this is just amazing.

YEAH!!!! RAF!!!!

Cheap penalty. We'll take it. Now f**king score, boys!!!

Someone told Kronner to shoot the puck but neglected to mention at which net the past couple games.

Lilja... good lord....

Penguins 18, Red Wings 2 Confusion ruled the day in the Penguins dressing room as Penguins centerman Evgeni Malkin, rather than participating in the morning skate, instead stayed behind to work in a makeshift, mobile chemistry lab he's been traveling with throughout the Stanley Cup Finals. Malkin, apparently, is an avid chemistry buff who has spent the past few days trying to invent an effective, and legal, performance enhancing drug. Asked if he's had any success with his experiments, Malkin explained, "I tried to come up with something I could take in pill form that would increase my speed, stamina and alertness for the Stanley Cup Finals. So far, no luck with that. But the good news is, as you've seen this past week, I've come up with a pill that makes me invisible on the ice." Joe Louis Arena icekeeper Al Sobotka saw an opportunity to test a theory before game 5 last Monday and took advantage of it. Sobotka's theory, it turns out, was sound. Sobotka approached Penguins coach Michel Therrien and asked him if they could have a private word about the playing surface at the center of the rink before the ice was prepared. The sneaky Sobotka then reached for a microphone and placed it in front of Therrien's face. Therrien reflexively produced tears in such quantity that Sobotka was able to freeze them and create a suitable ice surface for that night's game.

Detroit played three other teams before this one, and none of the other coaches complained about the officiating, yet they were all on the losing end of those series. Babcock has remarked on the officiating only when asked about it by reporters. Therrien offered unsolicited commentary about it after a single game. You can't really compare Therrien's antics to what Babcock has done.

It's funny what Babs said, because I've been saying almost the same thing all season long about Holmstrom being unfairly targeted for his actions around the crease. For a league that wants to increase scoring so badly, it sure has a funny way of rewarding guys who sacrifice their bodies in one of the hardest areas on the ice. The message as it stands right now is, dive to the ice when a stick touches you above the waist, even if it does absolutely nothing to impede your progress, and you'll be rewarded with a power play. But go to the net, absorb the punishment of cross checks to the back, spears, chops on your ankles, punches to the head and having your helmet ripped off 4 or 5 times in a game, and expect to get whistled for goaltender interference. The NHL is completely f**ked. Mario was right, the NHL is a garage league.

Drawing blood on a high stick is an automatic double minor. The ref has to call it if he sees it. Yes, the Wings have been on the receiving end and not gotten a whistle, but last night it was pretty obvious and I would have been surprised if Huds hadn't gone to the box. Now, the remaining penalties called were all garbage, including the one against Pittsburgh. The officiating sucked. You don't call those penalties in the Stanley Cup Finals, let alone in a multiple overtime game.

Every single man and woman at my office this morning was sleep deprived and grumpy this morning. I don't think I spoke with a single person who wasn't up at least into the 1st OT the night before. I'm talking about at least 30 people, too. Huge line at the coffee machine and commisseration in every cubicle, office and conference room. Tough night for the Detroit fans.

Goalies get too much credit when they win and too much blame when they lose. It's always the same. Fleury was spectacular in overtime, but he let in a howler that started the Wings comeback and made OT necessary in the first place.

After the lockout, the drop of the puck was supposed to be quicker. Here we are 3 seasons later, and they've never been slower.

As a veteran fan of many playoff wars over the years, here's one point that can't be overstated, but rarely gets mentioned when a one-sided series starts to tighten up: The team that was down and out has no pressure on them because they aren't expected to win. But now that the series is getting closer, and there's a tangible prize drawing near, the pressure starts to mount on their side, too. So while the pressure was all on the Wings last night, it's going to be on both teams tomorrow night. Hopefully, that helps Detroit a little bit.

I hope O'Halloran isn't in the Wings' heads by now. I couldn't blame them if he was, but they have to put that aside and just play, as hard as that is to do.

Oh, I've noticed it, alright. Some coworkers and I were talking about this very thing a couple days ago. I have no idea what's going on, but the officials are manipulating the faceoffs suddenly. Strange.

Some people were saying they felt strangely calm during the OTs. I know that feeling, I've had it myself, and when I've had it, the Wings have won. But I didn't ever have it today. I just had a feeling it wasn't our night tonight. Back to Pittsburgh.

Not good.

Suddenly O'Halloran surviving that shooting isn't as heartwarming a story.

Come on, boys!

The Wings PP is awful during the Finals.

The PP needs to get going RIGHT NOW.

Wings are playing TIGHT.

Yeah, that was half of what made Wilson's motivational speech funny. But even better was when he said what it meant to his team was, "Today is a great day to lose."

Penguins 13, Red Wings 1 In a moment that can only be described as surreal, Henrik Zetterberg made a defensive stop on Sidney Crosby by sprouting wings and gliding in from the red line to swoop down and chip away the puck before Crosby could poke it into a gaping net. Asked about the play after the game, Crosby said, "It was a play any ECHL winger makes 9 times out of 10." Penguins coach Michel Therrien, on the defense of both teams during the Stanley Cup Finals: "You have to give both teams credit; both teams. We play solid, tight-checking defense. They hook, hold, obstruct, hack, whack, spear, cross-check, board and dive and flop all over the ice. I'm just sayin'."

I don't think you're understanding what he was saying. It's not that he should have played in someone else's place, I think most people understand why he isn't playing. But Downey worked hard, played his role perfectly, was a great teammate and expressed feeling honored to play for the Detroit Red Wings. I think it's pretty natural, and easy to understand, why fans wish there was "some way" he could have played.