Nightfall

While Conklin hasn't played his best, it's hard to win games when you don't score any goals. Wings are playing uninspired while Calgary is feeding off the home crowd. They started last night after they lost.

Good to hear the NHL director of officials come out and say that the refs didn't make the right call. Just another step away from the "our refs never make mistakes" hard line that Bettman keeps spouting.

I am arguing for you. I think there were some people here who wanted Vokoun to come to Detroit and given the starter job just based on his past performance and Howards average regular season performance last season.

Its very easy to look in hindsight and say that the right decision was made. I remember back in 2007 when the Wings signed Dallas Drake and many wings fans on this very forum were all over Holland asking why they signed him. The quotes I remember were "He's washed up" and "Worthless signing". Very few were positive. After they won the cup on 08, everyone cheered. I think that Crymson is right here. Holland did make the right move. I don't see you popping in threads where Holland was wrong and posting the "I told you so/Holland is an idiot" comment. Many threads on this forum point out a hindsight decision. Half the people here are right and half are wrong.

In this case though, the ref did believe that he was pushed into the goalie. If Z didn't touch him at all or wasn't around him and the player ran right into Howard, then you are right. The player didn't try to avoid contact. It is on the onus on the player with the puck to avoid contact with the goalie. You use words like "crushed", but it doesn't take much to push a player into the opposing goalie as a defender. As a skater, a push in the back is enough to drive someone with that much speed into the goalie. The best advice I have given to my defenders is in that situation, don't push them into me. If they drive into me on their own, the ref will get the call right. If their hand in on the offensive players back or shoulder, then it could be viewed as a push. Obviously, as I said before and I will say it again, its all perception. When I saw the play without instant replay, I thought it was a push in the back into the goalie which would result in no goalie interference call. The ref on the ice thought the same thing. You and other wings fans here think the opposite. Really not much else to talk about other than how unfairly the Wings were treated in this situation. Just like on the Vancouver boards where the call was 100% correct and the ref made the right one. If you think about it, this call didn't decide the game. What decided the game was the first period when the Wings didn't look real good. Analysis from Kerry Frasier. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=383366

I would love to have you watch a few of the "you make the call" videos that I have had to watch in some of the seminars that I have attended. You get no instant replay. You then have 1 minute to write your answer down and its onto the next video. Usually about 20 of them are shown. I can tell you with 40+ refs doing this exercise, there is concensus on the right call only 60-70% of the time. Not suprisingly, you side with your home team in every situation I have seen you comment on and its always easy to decide in hindsight. To say there was a failure on the part of the ref because he didn't see what you saw as a homer fan isn't the fault of the ref. The ref perceived the play on the ice and the system failed because the instant replay clearly shows there was no push. Its a fault of the system not correcting the ref, which is why we need instant replay on every goal. The human factor really does make sports exciting or infuriating to watch. In this case, its infuriating to Wings fans.

Yup, I agree. All a matter of perception. If I was in the position the ref was down low and saw that play, I may have called it either way. Hell, when I saw it on my DVR today, I thought there was a push and I would have called it the same way on the ice. When I saw the replay video, I changed my mind. I bet if the ref had the benefit of the replay, he would have changed his call on the ice as well. Hence the reason why I want every goal reviewed by Toronto.

Just watching the video as it happened in real time, I don't think that Hanssen could stop as Zetterberg does look like he pushed him into Howard. When I watch the instant replay, I can see that there wasn't much of a push and maybe it should have been interference. Since the ref is operating without instant replay, I can see how he made the call he did. From the NHL rulebook.... If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The goal should count IF he believed that Z pushed him. Now, if it was seen that Z didn't touch him and he ran right into Howard and they scored after that, then you are right. In that situation, Howard would have been unable to make the save and it should have been waived off. Really, this is a matter of perception.

Once again, its easy for us to make the right calls because we have the benefit of instant replay. As the down low ref, I could see how he perceived that the Vancouver player was pushed into Howard. Every situation is different, and all are based on perception which is why those people with DVRs and an HDTV can be a referee critic.

I have to agree here. I DVRed the game last night and watched it this morning while I worked out. The Wings really didn't deserve to win this game the way they played in the 1st period. The only goal I saw that Howard maybe should have had was the 2nd goal, but that was a hell of a shot that hit far post and went in. Not like I haven't been scored on like that before. So I am willing to give him a pass on that one. The other three he didn't stand a chance on, especially the 4th where someone went into him. I can also see how the ref determined that the vancouver player was pushed into Howard on that 4th goal. I have called goals like that before, but I have to be 100% sure the player was pushed into the goalie and didn't just fall into him. Its all perspective. In the end, the Wings picked it up after a crappy 1st period and got within 1 goal with some hard work. Luongo played solid and deserved to win the game. Can't win them all. I am sure Babcock told the boys to just forget this one and concentrate on Calgary today. If I know the Wings, Calgary is in trouble tonight. I think the Wings are going to be looking to avenge the loss last night.

Bad puck luck for the Wings tonight.

Wow, Howards first save on Legwand was incredible. No defense to help him. That was disgusting.

That voice he uses to try to imitate Shanahan is just hilarious. It doesn't even sound like him, but I love how it sounds.

Since you mentioned Hemsky in your title, I will focus on him. He really hasn't been healthy, just as you pointed out. I would go with someone who has been a little more durable. I also don't think Ruutu is the answer either.

Easy question. The Wings are winning. So the critics are happy.

Care to change your prediction? Wings are flying high early!

Shanny looked at the play and determined that there would be no suspension. As a ref, I think this is borderline worth a game or two, but I can also side with Shanny's decision.

I agree with this thread. Excellent post.

More like a side of the wrist to the face. If you watch the video, the butt end of the stick (if its in his hand) is off to Foligno's right. Even then, it isn't protruding. I do have to agree though that Crosby has done this before. The cross checks he are throwing should be called, especially the ones he threw on Zetterberg. Take him to the box for cross checking. Guy Lafleur was also nicknamed "The Flower". I would hide behind him anytime. I think he was more of a man than Fleury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Lafleur

Same here. Here in LGW land, those people are hard to find. We were out of the playoff picture 5 games ago. Just shows that the Wings have rebounded from a pretty dry offensive run. If Howard can keep up his effort and the scoring can continue, the Wings are going to do really well the rest of the season.

True story on the goal vrs the Sharks. I just believe Semin has a huge upside. If you can get the laziness out of him. He has a lot of talent, but he is just not very driven. I think playing for a different coach and team may just be that motivation.

Semin doesn't? 12 goals and 18 assists in 37 playoff games. Lang had 18 goals and 28 assists in 91 playoff games. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNShNgXXZpI

Wow, if those two goals on Howard were "weak". What is that goal by White?

Yup, this team is a bottom rung team. Some are blaming the players, but I think the coaching staff has a lot to do with it too. Either way, I am glad I didn't renew my season tickets this year. Every game I have been to has been a loss. Depressing.

Fixed it for you.