3/16 GDT: Blue Jackets 4, Red Wings 3

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Kopecky - 1 Goal, +1 (the only + Wing), 7 SOG, 2 hits and 14:21 ice time!

I have noticed Kopecky is (very) slowly becoming more and more physical.

[Z and D for the C 712]

You just admitted you didn't watch yet you in fact did say he played like trash

I'm not saying he played like trash yesterday

And no, I don't believe in sv %, at least not on a per game basis. Perhaps over a season or their career, but in a single game it's too small scale to accurately measure a goalies performance as it doesn't take into account the "difficulty" of the shot or where it was taken. So letting up 4 goals on 10 shots and having a .600 sav% doesn't mean anything because it's not like there is a 10 shot minimum until you can get a good shot off.

Edited March 17, 2008 by Z and D for the C

[CopenhagenWing 38]

First off, Ozzie was in no way trash yesterday. Were you watching the game? Since when was allowing TWO goals on 26 shots and a .923 save percentage bad? The second goal was a miscommunication between him and Kronwall.

While Osgood had a very good SV% yesterday doesn't change the "fact" that he was heavily involved in both goals.

Sometimes a goalie can play out of his mind for 59 minutes and then proceed to let in the softest GW goal ever. Does this mean he played like trash? No, but it tends to be the first thing the fans focus on.

As for today's game Hasek neither looked sharp or lucky. Neither did the D.

Edited March 17, 2008 by CopenhagenWing

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

While Osgood had a very good SV% yesterday doesn't change the "fact" that he was heavily involved in both goals.

Sometimes a goalie can play out of his mind for 59 minutes and then proceed to let in the softest GW goal ever. Does this mean he played like trash? No, but it tends to be the first thing the fans focus on.

As for today's game Hasek neither looked sharp or lucky. Neither did the D.

True, but I never said both goals weren't his fault. I was just commenting on the 'trash' comment. I know the first one he let in was bad. I still am not sure about the second one though. I'll comment on that after I see it again.

[Z and D for the C 712]

I'll admit that saying the second goal was all him would be a rather stupid comment to make, but he was definitely involved in the mess up. But maybe it was a good thing anyway because it helps out the preds.

Declare peace?

[wings_fanatic 677]

Guys... lets just stop the goalie arguing... its pointless and is getting nowhere. Every single goalie, I don't care who the hell they are, will have a few games here and there where it just doesn't go their way at all; everything bounces against them--- that was Dom's case today. Ozzy has had some games like that too this year, but guess what, THEY CAME BACK STRONG. Lets face it, a lot of teams in the NHL would kill to have one of our goalies; we have 2 great goalies, and Dom just had a rusty return thats all. So how about everyone quits ragging on Dom and see how he plays Wednesday (Me thinks Dom will be shuttin the door and eatin the key) . I can GUARANTEE that Dom will play amazing Wednesday to get back into the game, for the fans, the team, and himself... so instead of hatin on our players for 1 bad game in a long time, how about we give him a chance... you know... SUPPORT THE TEAM

[Andy Pred 48 337]

Yesterdays game was either about the Jax goalie being excellent or our forwards sucking

in the shooting department. You out shot the opponents 46-17 and lose the game, it will

happen, another time we will put 6 or 7 away from those amount of shots, would we still

be looking at our goalies performance so deeply then? No, we would have said bad day at

the office and gone forward to the next game, so we get an early chance Weds to put it

right.

[gcom007 1,465]

Guys... lets just stop the goalie arguing... its pointless and is getting nowhere. Every single goalie, I don't care who the hell they are, will have a few games here and there where it just doesn't go their way at all; everything bounces against them--- that was Dom's case today. Ozzy has had some games like that too this year, but guess what, THEY CAME BACK STRONG. Lets face it, a lot of teams in the NHL would kill to have one of our goalies; we have 2 great goalies, and Dom just had a rusty return thats all. So how about everyone quits ragging on Dom and see how he plays Wednesday (Me thinks Dom will be shuttin the door and eatin the key) . I can GUARANTEE that Dom will play amazing Wednesday to get back into the game, for the fans, the team, and himself... so instead of hatin on our players for 1 bad game in a long time, how about we give him a chance... you know... SUPPORT THE TEAM

I'm all for everyone getting a chance, but I don't expect Hasek to play super well next game even if he's great for the playoffs. He hasn't had a great bounce back victory like everyone suggest yet this year that I can remember. Not that he's played bad, but every time he plays a crappy game people suggest that he's going to totally shut the door and he still lets in 3 goals. I'm not saying don't support him, I'm saying it's reasonable to discuss the reality of the matter in a rational manner without over-hyping it. That doesn't make it bad or wholly negative. Sometimes things just are the way they are.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

I have noticed Kopecky is (very) slowly becoming more and more physical.

Kopecky is so underrated; he comes to play every night regardless of his ice-time. He played really well the other night against Dallas and obviously came to play against Columbus. I'm a big fan.

[Dominator2005 558]

Dom was BAD last night...

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

Dom was BAD last night...

Not really.

I was at the game. The only goal that was really his fault was the last one.

the other 3 were combinations of errors ranging from Lilja not putting people on the ice with a sissy-ass hip bump (I refuse to call that garbage a check) on the 3rd goal to the defensemen completely forgetting where Malhotra was....it was bad, especially through 2 periods.

But that 3rd period looked more like the Wings I had expected to show up.

Overall if they play this inconsistently they'll get swept in the 1st round, but they have the talent and if they play big they can beat anyone.

The intensity was really really lacking at the beginning too. At this time of the year that can't be a good thing either.

[2probert4 8]

Whats with the central division against the wings? I dont get it

The Wings play well against the playoff teams and crappy vs the non playoff teams like Nashville, Columbus, Chicago. Nashville may get in but one and done for them.

[2probert4 8]

Not really.

I was at the game. The only goal that was really his fault was the last one.

the other 3 were combinations of errors ranging from Lilja not putting people on the ice with a sissy-ass hip bump (I refuse to call that garbage a check) on the 3rd goal to the defensemen completely forgetting where Malhotra was....it was bad, especially through 2 periods.

But that 3rd period looked more like the Wings I had expected to show up.

Overall if they play this inconsistently they'll get swept in the 1st round, but they have the talent and if they play big they can beat anyone.

The intensity was really really lacking at the beginning too. At this time of the year that can't be a good thing either.

Dom is immediately wanting to flop these days, but Dom's job is to stop the puck as the last line of defense. Goalies won't stop them all, but Dom is too easy to read these days, the opponents know Dom's first reaction is FLOP and they are getting most of the net to shoot at when he's doing that snow angel routine in the ice. Can't blame it all on Lilja (just some of it) The Wings play to the level of their opponent.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Not really.

I was at the game. The only goal that was really his fault was the last one.

the other 3 were combinations of errors ranging from Lilja not putting people on the ice with a sissy-ass hip bump (I refuse to call that garbage a check) on the 3rd goal to the defensemen completely forgetting where Malhotra was....it was bad, especially through 2 periods.

But that 3rd period looked more like the Wings I had expected to show up.

Overall if they play this inconsistently they'll get swept in the 1st round, but they have the talent and if they play big they can beat anyone.

The intensity was really really lacking at the beginning too. At this time of the year that can't be a good thing either.

The Wings always lack intensity when the season is about to come to an end. It's like okay we've sealed the division, and a playoff spot so lets stop playing because it doesn't matter till the middle of April. That's just the way I think they see things. Honestly it doesn't really bother me though. I think they should make sure they get 1st overall in the West and then start resting guys and such. Getting on a hot streak going into the playoffs would be a good thing, but I don't think it matters that much because come playoff time it's a whole new start.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

Dom is immediately wanting to flop these days, but Dom's job is to stop the puck as the last line of defense. Goalies won't stop them all, but Dom is too easy to read these days, the opponents know Dom's first reaction is FLOP and they are getting most of the net to shoot at when he's doing that snow angel routine in the ice. Can't blame it all on Lilja (just some of it) The Wings play to the level of their opponent.

Oh I know. You want to know one of the many reasons why Ozzie looked so much better than Dom did yesterday?

lilja et. al looked a ton better and played a LOT tighter than they started. I should have included that.

But in the end that game was lost more due to the breakdowns on defense than anything else. Dom could have possibly gotten one of the other goals, but it would have been Dom from his Buffalo days, not 42 year old Dom - he just doesn't have that explosion anymore like that.

That said, Columbus seems to have Detroit's number for whatever reason. The crowds are much more electric when it is Detroit than any other team except MAYBE Trashville.

[wingslogo19 281]

Sucks we lost, but at least we made it close at the end... kopy is playing well as of late IMO... And Mule continues to play solid for us, love it

[2probert4 8]

Oh I know. You want to know one of the many reasons why Ozzie looked so much better than Dom did yesterday?

lilja et. al looked a ton better and played a LOT tighter than they started. I should have included that.

But in the end that game was lost more due to the breakdowns on defense than anything else. Dom could have possibly gotten one of the other goals, but it would have been Dom from his Buffalo days, not 42 year old Dom - he just doesn't have that explosion anymore like that.

That said, Columbus seems to have Detroit's number for whatever reason. The crowds are much more electric when it is Detroit than any other team except MAYBE Trashville.

They act like its a blood rivalry in Nashville when the Wings are concerned. The teams such as Nashville and Columbus get up like its their Super Bowl when the Red Wheel comes to town. Makes you wonder where that intensity is when they don't play the Wings, and why their respective coaches don't get that effort from their teams other times.

[puckloo39 5,686]

who let who down?

I don't know about the Detroit media, but the out of towners have a bit of perspective on this game:

Honestly, though, the Blue Jackets played hard, but they didn't play all that well. Still a little sloppy with the puck, boys. In that sense, the Red Wings let Columbus off the hook. Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek, he of the wonky back, didn't look so hot. Once he got pulled in favor of Chris Osgood, they looked a lot sharper in all aspects of the game.

Who will be the Red Wings goaltender come playoff time? That's starting to be a pretty good question.

If I may reprise my, "I can't stand the bruises anymore, put him in the net!" role as a [crap]-stirring forward, I'd argue that Hasek wasn't any worse than his teammates were in their own defensive zone, and he was probably better, quite frankly. Aside from the first goal, I really didn't think that he could have stopped the rest of the shots that eluded him.

I don't imagine this is a very popular analysis around here. Not as if both goalies haven't had similar games this season. Dom is just held personally responsible for every goal, every game.

He will be fine next game, provided he has some help in the form of offense, defense, and well.... you know. Let's just show up, OK?