Heroes of Hockeytown

In one fell swoop, DaKine proves that his utter domination of LGW is as strong as ever.

To validate the existance of this topic: I thought Nick put in a standard Lidstrom-like effort. Which is to say, better than any other play in the league night in and night out. But not even Nick knows which way the puck bounces.

I wouldn't say I'm excited to have my team be down 3-2... far from it. But here we are. Banking on history, there's a risky proposition, but there's no point in losing hope. A 7-0 triumph may be right around the corner...

I don't blame Train. I mean, obviously it's his fault completely and entirely, but you can't be upset with him. He fanned on the pass. Maybe if he goes along the boards and fans on it there there's no scoring chance; but there he was dead center in front of his net. But you can't be scared to make a play because of that small chance you might blow it. I bet 99 times out of 100 Lilja makes that play and it's instantly forgotten. This time it went against him. Fate's a *****, you know?

Game 7. Let's get there. Tough, eh? But they have to come from somewhere. Every Game 7 in history has been the result of a team staving off elimination in Game 6. Easier said than done, but getting to the Stanley Cup Finals was never easy to begin with.

No different than the Holmstrom goal to win Game 1; sometimes you get the bounces, and other times the bounces get you. It's when you put yourself in a bad situation, where you're badly outmanned and forced to defend from a position of weakness, there's a chance that goal gets scored. The Wings had their chances and so did the Ducks. You get the chance, you get the goal, you win the game. Quibbling over who earned what certainly doesn't alter what happened on the ice or the final on the scoreboard.

Poor decisions are as much a part of the guy who makes it as the opposition who pressures. Forecheck hard and it gives the Wings trouble; some night's they crack it and go freakin' hog wild (Game 3!), but this is nothing new. San Jose dominated the cycle game and controlling the puck down low. Anaheim is no different. They play to their strengths, it's pretty obvious. We beat San Jose, we can still beat Anaheim. But I don't think this particular aspect of the series is going to change.

There's hockey for ya. 6-on-4, there's places for that puck to bounce. Good goal, bad break.

I've never seen such a string of ineptitude on 5-on-3s by teams not named the Blue Jackets. You can't score on all of them, even most of them (statistically). But one for five? That's no good. As for 2: That's been going on all playoffs long. The Wings are smaller and slower, after all. Teams can get down low and cycle on them. But the defense manages to get in the shooting lanes and keep everything to the outside anyways. Today's goals against really haven't had anything to do with that. Of course it's tough to score when you're trying to get the puck for minutes on end out of your own zone, but there's a weakness for ya.

If you think you've been worn out by the highs and lows of playoff hockey, imagine poor Andreas. From scoring the almost game-winner in the second to being the goat of all time in OT... it's a long fall from the top. A cleared puck here, an empty netter there, a missed scoring chance all over. The moments in a game where it's won or lost. Homer lost (twice!), Zetterberg lost, Lidstrom lost; Selanne won. There's the ballgame. What can you do? Nothing. Pack up your things and head out west. The last stand of the Red Wings is upon us with all speed.

Game 5 us just another game... it will be won or lost on its own merit... not the foreknowledge and prognostication of Internet forum goers. To the winner go the spoils. And may that winner be the Wings!

I agree, Getzlaf's been great, and his shot looked really cool - crisp wrister that picked the corner perfectly - but honestly he was just flinging it at the net. He's made better plays in this series alone.

Tough to see them drop this one. Dan Cleary is my f***in' hero and he heaved the guys on his back last night but couldn't quite get over the finish line. Thems the breaks. I don't wanna say I had a bad feeling after the Wings dropped that 5-on-3 to kick start the third (did they even get one scoring chance?), but I definitely had a not good feeling and unfortunately it came to fruition. Hank and Pavel's lack of road production is, as ever, concerning, but what can you do? Win the games at home, I guess. I'm not worried about Hasek or anyone else for Game 5. We were tied up against Calgary and San Jose, now we're tied up against Anaheim. Let's have recent history repeat itself here and get the edge in this series.

What a ridiculous thread. Wings must have lost yesterday.

What a ridiculous thread. Wings must have lost yesterday.

Homer delivers the roflpwn to Burke:

BiggerFasterYounger, the rallying cry of a thousand teams against the great empire, is once again proven to be based on false hopes and dangerous overconfidence. If only you could see yourself now, Chris, only able to sit and watch as your team teeters on the brink of annihilation. Your cumbersome frame, your dopey gap tooth - wasted, useless. Yes... you will sit now... alongside BiggerFasterYounger and other myths, in the NHL's graveyard for the losers and the forgotten.

Your main point has been thoroughly annihilated by my cohorts here, but one other thing that needs to be addressed... Kunitz hurt his hand deflecting a shot from, who else, Chris Pronger. Funny that the biggest blow he's dealt in this series was to his own team and not the opposition...

*imagines* "There he was, alone, surrounded by five Flames... They'd fallen right into his trap!... next thing ya know Phaneuf doesn't remember what day it is, the score's 8-0, and Darryl Sutter's wearing a Red Wings jersey!"

We got a finish here. Sens PP with 2:30 to go. Oh wow it was actually a Sabres PP. That might be the dagger!

Ruh roh... Schaefer now. 3-2!

McAmmond makin' it a game, 3-1.

Pierre is a HUUUUGE Wings homer. It's obvious he loves the guys and is rooting for them. I'm sure it's driven Flames/Sharks/Ducks fans nuts. Yeah, I had a good laugh when Eddie O brought that up...

I want to see the guy succeed as much as anyone, but Rex was buried by the Sharks in his three games against them. Calder wasn't more effective and he barely played. We'll see about Kopecky.

Looks like Buffalo lives on to fight another day. 3-0 on the shot by Drury.