Sgt. Angry

God, this is getting monotonous. It seems like every game is starting to look like every other game. Goaltending just good enough to lose by a goal or two. A defensive lapse here and there, on which the opponents score every time. Very few defensive lapses by the opponents - and if there are, the Wings will miss the net. Every rush down the ice features a 50ft. slap shot by the lead man, which rebounds right to the opponent heading the other way. Teams really know how to defend this bunch, especially Lidstrom, yet the Wings are still trying the same old things, expecting different results. Fortunately, there is an Olympics break, which traditionally cools off hot teams, and gives a jump start to cold teams. I just hope that we can get most of our players back soon enough to let them shake the rust off before it's too late.

Marty is about the only person with the Devils that I do like (now that Shanny's gone again). We can talk about Sawchuk playing in todays league if you want, but how about Marty playing back then with the style he has now? Even with primitive equipment, I think he'd be great. Every time I watch films of old games from the 40's - 60's, I'm amazed to see how many goals were scored on what seem like unremarkable, routine wrist shots. I may be wrong, but I just think that if you put Brodeur in a time machine, put him in the standard equipment of the day, and let him play his butterfly type of game, that he would have had a ton of shutouts back then.

Good Lord, it only seems like yesterday when the Wings had something like 230 - 240 games in a row without a shutout. What is this, the 4th or 5th time they've been shut out this season?

Seems like every Wings player on the ice is being double teamed!

What a load of crap. These shots that they're scoring on: If the Red Wings took those shots, you'd hear Mickey talking about how "you can't expect to score in this league with those kind of shots." Except against Detroit!! This game is OVER. Just out of curiosity, if the Wings miss the playoffs, will there be anybody willing to make a deal for our "playoff tested" players like Draper, Maltby, and (yes, yes) Osgood?

Looked like Ozzy dang near made the save on Elias. Does NJ have anybody injured? This is getting tough, because Mickey York and John Keating bug the hell out of me when we're winning big. The losing makes them just about insufferable!

All this talk about the number of hockey sticks players go through! What I'd like to know is how many of those damn stupid chicklets does LeMaire play around with in his mouth through a season?

Am I halucinating, or have I just seen a few minutes of fairly good hockey by the Red team?

What to look for in the 4rd period? Even as we speak, Toronto is still reviewing Draper's goal. Probably by the ten minute mark, they will have found a way to take away the goal, and make it 3-0, instead of 3-1.

"Well, what do you think of our trip so far, boys?" "It's been OK, Dad. But why do you guys suck so bad?"

Mission accomplished!!!!!!!

I didn't watch too many of those games (we didn't have cable up here in Parts Unknown then), but I think a big difference back then was that, along with seeing the Wings lose miserably, you would have the added bonus of watching some opposing player get his a$$ kicked by some Wings goon. Didn't change things in the grand scheme, but it did make things a little more entertaining.

There's no way this bunch of losers is going to win tonight. All I want is for them to score one goal, so that this lot doesn't insult Terry Sawchuk by handing Brodeur his tying shoutout. Of course, I'm sure they'll get really angry and come out all fired up against the Rangers!

Why don't our opponents miss coverages like that? Wait - they probably do occasionally, but we shoot it wide anyway.

OK, I'm not going to exactly be Mr. Optimism here, but, due to the schedule, and to how the Wings are playing, it looks like the Wings will be able to personally help Brodeur tie Terry Sawchuk for the shutout record. I'm sure that with this hanging over their heads, the Wings will come out really firing and -- er -- yeah, right - where have we heard this before?

Just to have something to complain about: Why are the TV guys so stingy about showing the overhead replay on goals. I really wanted to see Cleary's goal from overhead, but they rarely show that shot. Why, when we play Skrastins or Scattchard, do I feel itchy?

I think you're on to something, Doc. I don't know if the players didn't get over it, but my level of enthusiasm for watching the NHL took a dive from the whole Crosby - Malkin playoff debacle last season. It makes me wonder if the players do have a little bit of the "what's the use?" attitude? I know that I have that attitude as a fan. Maybe not how a "real fan" should feel, but it is making it easier to stomach this current bad stretch.

I was thinking the same thing! After May's disallowed goal, we were gonna come out firing the next game. Then Knonner's injury was gonna get us real pissed! Then being shut out was gonna ---- well, you get the idea.

Maybe a few but not nearly enough. But, come to think of it, the fans at the Joe probably heard that Electrophile wouldn't put up with anything like that!

I don't know, but whoever they are, you can probably put the words "red hot" in front of the team name and the goalies name.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) channel 88 is still black here in northern Michigan. I, for one, would much rather have the WIngs miss the playoffs altogether than get eliminated in the early rounds. After the final regular season game, I'd say "OK guys, see you in September in Traverse City - in the meantime, relax, and don't even think about hockey. In addition to the injuries, I think we're just hockey'ed out. Oops they scored again on a "laser shot!!!!"

Inconceivable!

That may be true - I don't scout the other teams. But it sure seems like we end up facing the leagues hottest goaltender 2 out of every 3 games!

Erat must have at least half of his goals against Detroit. Has he ever not scored in a Wings - Preds game?

Why does Datsyuk always seem to be battling 2-3 guys along the boards, while the rest of the Wings seem to stand around and watch? Why, when the Wings get odd man rushes, it always seems to be Bertuzzi, Helm, or Draper, none of whom can finish? Why do opponents seem to score on so many long wrist shots? You know, the same kind of shots, that, when taken by the Wings, cause the announcers to say "You'll never score against an NHL goalie on that kind of shot. You've got to get traffic in front of the net!"