Posted 16 April 2008 - 11:26 PM
Alright, so that was vomit-inducing, I'm sure that we can all admit it.
Negatives:
-Dom seems to have overstayed his welcome in our net....plain and simple. I'm ready for Ozzy.
-Does anyone else get that huge weight in the pit of their stomach whenever a N-Ville defender winds up for a point shot?? Ya, thats because they've pretty much scored all of their legitimate goals(excluding goals in game 2) from there. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but their D are pinching into the play a bit, and our wingers aren't picking them up in time. All their offense is being generated from shots from the back end. That may partially be attributed to Hasek's erratic style, but I think we really need to get out there and make sure those shots don't get through.
-Flip is playing like a genuine liability right now. He's putting himself in situations to get scoring chances (which is a good thing) but he seems absolutely incapable of doing anything with them. It's not like he's getting off good shots and getting stoned. It's not even like he's getting off weak shots for easy stops. He's straight up fanning on almost every shot he goes to take. He's an absolute enigma right now and I think Babs should seriously consider scratching him for a game.
-Cleary is clearly still being affected by his injury, and who knows how long it is gonna take to get him back to 100%. He just doesn't have the strength to play with the fire and enery that made him so dangerous last year in the playoffs and earlier this season. It's really unfortunate, and I really hope he can find another way to have more of an impact.
-Rafalski still has looked sub-par, to say the least. He's making irresponsible plays in the defensive zone (not the only one, obviously) and he is not off setting it nearly enough with his offensive potency. He's got to pick it up and I think he knows it.
-Too many times I saw Zetts try and gain the zone by carrying it in through 2 or 3 defensemen. He just can't do that. He's either got to try and carry it wide, or dump and pursue, anything but what he was doing because it absolutely kills a rush.
-Finally, I was really dissapointed in how for the last 5 minutes or so, we really weren't able to generate any sort of sustained pressure. Especially disturbing is the fact that, for the second straight game, we have done NOTHING at all with the goalie pulled. When you've got 6 on 5, you can't keep trying to finesse it into the zone, you've got to dumo, bump, and use your numbers to generate something. That's not happening right now.
Alright, sweet
Positives:
-We dominated the third period, and played better that period than any other in the series I think. Homer was a beast in the period, and Dats looked good in the second and third, I thought.
-I've got all the faith in the world in Ozzy, and he played very well tonite. No doubt that if he can be a real stable back-stop like he was tonite, the confidence will affect the rest of the team from the net out.
-I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I love seeing Kronwall pick his spots and go in for the kill. Other than game 1, he's kept it clean. I think he is very smart in knowing when to go for it and when to hold back. I think that if either of those big hits (from games 3 or 4) came at home, it could have been a more effective momentum swinger.
-Hey, we're going back to the Joe. You know what they say: you're not in trouble in the playoffs until you lose at home. I've still got faith. If we can carry the third period into game 5 (and at this point, it is an IF), we shouldn't have much of a problem.
I think in general the fact that it is 2-2 is more dissapointing than it was last year because Ellis is not the reason that we are losing like Kipper was. There are stretches of time where we are being flat out outplayed, and I think that is where the "No Heart" argument tends to come from. With our talent, they should never be able to outplay us for such long stretches. The fact that players are taking shifts, periods, even nights off is puzzling and incredibly frustrating for the fans. It needs to be worked out - and fast - starting with the coaches and poriferating down to the players. Play with desperation, but not with panic. Look up at the scoreboard, realize that your involved in a best of 3 series against a dangerous opponent, and then play like your the best team in the NHL.
No excuses. No fears. No superstitions. Just heart, guts, and glory.
Go Wings!!
(longest post I've ever written by far lol)
"I can taste another long run," Lidstrom said. "I can feel it in this room. The guys are getting that focused look in their eyes."
