dicksmack

I hope the veteran presence on this team can lead us in capitalizing on this great opportunity! We take this game and we've got 'em... I look forward to seeing how the Wings will exploit the absence of Pronger... Wings should have much less trouble penetrating the zone, they should have a hard time clearing guys away from the front of the net. We can't let up at all! GO WINGS!

Burke said the Wings did the "honorable thing" and gave Homer the option to come back, if he wanted. At the same time, the whole Ducks organization was denying the obvious--that it wasn't a vicious run at Homer's head, absurdly saying "he was just finishing his check." Why not admit that he made a mistake and let his emotions get the best of him? He wouldn't have got any more of a suspension because everyone who saw it, knew exactly what it was, whether they admit it or not... Burke says one thing and does another...

Tomas Holmstrom is a gritty hockey player, no doubt but let's face it: Unlike Howe, Homer is known more for absorbing abuse than dishing it out. Last night he scored two goals, an assist and got some stitches. He came back to the game when I feared he might be done for the series or more with a concussion and it's aftermath. He then set up a fifth goal... If you think Euros are soft, think again. Tomas Holmstrom is the poster boy for gritty play in front of the net (though he has more skill than he gets credit for) and for paying the price, game in and game out, to go into the difficult areas to score or retrieve pucks. I'm proud of you Tomas...

That's not to say Homer's a punching bag--he's a battler, make no mistake... He gets in the grilles of players, borderline interferes with goalies and gives it right back... But I really love his ability to fend off opposition players sometimes two at time and kick the puck back to up his stick...he's been wowing us for years with that...

Yeah when Carlyle was matching lines to well, spread the skill around the muscle and look out! I wonder if it's intimidating for the Ducks having Scotty Bowman in opposition's press box with his glasses and pen...

I say Pronger will get one game. If so, we need to capitalize on this and go up 3-1!

It's gutcheck time for the NHL. One of their goldenboys (so-called) has put them in the position of having to do the right thing... Can they do it? We'll see... The excuses were predictably lame: some moron host on 1270 AM said it was Pronger's height, and the fact that Homer was "off balance" and standing lower than normal--this is all nonsense. Yeah, and Moore was hurt when the Bertuzzi stepped on a stick and in the piling on afterwards. A team is getting blown out at home, and they target a gritty (but much smaller) guy who's scored two of those goals and made them looked esp. bad on the 2nd one. He's viciously hit from behind by two guys. They both should get something, if what Niedermayer did warranted a major and a game misconduct, he's just a guilty This one should be easy. I liked Babcock's sly insertion of the WWF-esque term "turnbuckle" in describing this incident.

I still say the Wings should have rested Holmstrom and pushed for Pronger's head on a platter, beat them next game and eliminate them at home. Bad sportsmanship? That's how the bar has been set...

I'm speechless after that effort--Wow, what an all around inspiration!

No s***.

Swear to Bawg: I had only high #'s left for my case label of my recording of the game--I said well maybe they'll win 5-0!

The Ducks would fit into a dozen cheap, dirty suitcases=DISMANTLED!

Cusack's a wings fan?

They should have given Homer the rest of the night off and to press for the suspension. Wow.

Most of TSN guys think Pronger will get a suspension as well. That was reminiscent of Bertuzzi/ Moore. One team getting spanked at home and the big predatory retaliation play...

Pronger can still get something out of Cheapshot--the NHL doesn't want Pronger out so they make Niedermayer the patsy. Pronger can still get something though, I doubt it, not the golden boy!

Are they shouting red wings suck? how dumb we're dismantling you...

I WANT A SUSPENSION!

GOONS GOONS YOU CAN'T HANDLE US

Hey great 20 minutes, 40 more for a complete game! Keep shootin' low on Gigli...

Tomas looked fairly impressive to me as I recall, so hopefully he does well. But Hudler's a sniper and he might do well with a couple of big dudes--he looked like he had gained a step in speed when I saw him play this year--I swear he got himself into the open and had Luongo beaten with a one-time wrister but the shot hit the shaft of the goal stick--that play sticks in my head cuz he looked so good. Oh well Huds...best of luck to Kopecky and to Detroit!

We need to start running their best players. #27 has been running at and roughing up Datsyuk, so why don't start dumping the puck into his corner and drill him. Hopefully Kopecky or others might be willing to do it since Bert can't or won't... I mean really come out and hit 'em hard, don't even worry about the roughing penalty early in the game. Wings will play better tonight--they have to... Hopefully they will just chip it out of the zone if they get into trouble in their end. Go Wings!

Yeah, Lilja's played unusually well. He, and perhaps Quincey (due to inexperience) are still potentially the achilles heel of the Wings D. He still usually bites on the first move and his tendency toward giveaways might be exposed as the competition gets stiffer. That play where the Ducks come in and the guy will cut in and drop the puck to the guy behind him the instant Andreas turns (commits) gets him every time and he follows the first guy...

You're the one who's confused. The video review on the Sabres non-goal was subjective in that they were judging that it went in off of his glove only and not both the glove and the stick. It's not like the puck was in the air and he swatted it out of air with his hand off of his stick. Vanek had both hands on his stick and was making a normal shooting motion, that call could have went either way, it's not conclusive. Maltby scored just such a goal against Edmonton last year early in the series. Anyways, It's only 1-1 and I'm not going to get nervous until we're down two games.

Hudler has shown he can score with little ice time.