12/18 GDT: Red Wings 6, Sharks 0

[puckloo39 5,686]

I think the Wings are awake. They don't need a wake-up call. They are under-achieving by Red Wings standards, and it's slightly embarrassing to me sometimes when they get beat over and over for the puck. If it's embarrassing for me as a lowly fan, I can only imagine how chagrined they are about their own efforts, some nights.

Anyway, I would call this game a barometer game, not really a measuring stick.

Q: How much more pressure could the Wings put on opponents if they wanted to?

A: Tons more! They just haven't acted like they cared most games, until the last period and the last ten minutes.

As a former teacher, I would put this comment on their report cards: "The Red Wings are very skilled and work and play well together. However, they need to apply themselves and do their best to not coast and play half-speed, when the opposing team is driving to the net and out-skating them."

:xmas:

Go, Wings!!! Win it tonight!

[stactum 4]

Being a Wings fan the next thing I'll say may sound crazy, but:

I want Wings to be hammered by San Jose with a score like 9-1 or something. I think it might be a wake-up call for them, because so far I didn't see a lot of positive things from wings.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I think the Wings are awake. They don't need a wake-up call. They are under-achieving by Red Wings standards, and it's slightly embarrassing to me sometimes when they get beat over and over for the puck. If it's embarrassing for me as a lowly fan, I can only imagine how chagrined they are about their own efforts, some nights.

Anyway, I would call this game a barometer game, not really a measuring stick.

Q: How much more pressure could the Wings put on opponents if they wanted to?

A: Tons more! They just haven't acted like they cared most games, until the last period and the last ten minutes.

As a former teacher, I would put this comment on their report cards: "The Red Wings are very skilled and work and play well together. However, they need to apply themselves and do their best to not coast and play half-speed, when the opposing team is driving to the net and out-skating them."

:xmas:

Go, Wings!!! Win it tonight!

This!

If the Wings play with the forecheck they did last year, no one can stop them....not even this high-powered Sharks team.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

HUGE test for our boys tonight. I've got a good feeling they'll come out flying and win convincingly. LET'S GO WINGS! GO CONKS!

4-2 Wings (Cleary, Datsyuk, Kronwall, Draper)

[seeinred 1,488]

4-2 Wings (Cleary, Datsyuk, Kronwall, Draper)

Your prediction's even crazier than mine with stuff like that.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Your prediction's even crazier than mine with stuff like that.

You'll see.

[Guest E_S_A_D]

If the Red Wings play there line-up as is without any last minute call ups, they lose. Kings are too physically dominant and I think the Wings will get crushed by at least two goals.

If the Wings call up a player and bench Kopecky/ Draper/ and or Maltby, then we have a shot.

My prediction- 4-2, Wings lose.

You know Todd is going to be preaching to keep the checking and pressure on Detroit, be rough because Babcock is spineless with physical play.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

I think the Wings are awake. They don't need a wake-up call. They are under-achieving by Red Wings standards, and it's slightly embarrassing to me sometimes when they get beat over and over for the puck. If it's embarrassing for me as a lowly fan, I can only imagine how chagrined they are about their own efforts, some nights.

Anyway, I would call this game a barometer game, not really a measuring stick.

Q: How much more pressure could the Wings put on opponents if they wanted to?

A: Tons more! They just haven't acted like they cared most games, until the last period and the last ten minutes.

As a former teacher, I would put this comment on their report cards: "The Red Wings are very skilled and work and play well together. However, they need to apply themselves and do their best to not coast and play half-speed, when the opposing team is driving to the net and out-skating them."

:xmas:

Go, Wings!!! Win it tonight!

HELL YESSS!

[hardcoretom21 71]

DETROIT WHAT!!!!!!!!1

[96warrior 11]

http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/

No Ozzie

The Red Wings have taken the ice for the morning skate and Chris Osgood isn't here. Goalie coach Jim Bedard is manning one of the nets. Osgood missed yesterday's practice with a groin strain. Ty Conklin will start tonight. I'll update with who's going to back up Osgood.

Derek Meech is not on the ice and he might be moved to make salary cap room to call up a goalie.

And the lines are back to where they were a week ago ...

Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Hossa

Franze-Zetterberg-Samuelsson

Hudler-Filppula-Cleary

Kopecky-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Lebda-Lilja

Chelios (healthy scratch)

Conklin (starts)

[VM1138 1,921]

This SHOULD be the most epic game of the season. Wings need to wake up and realize it.

That being said, I have a good feeling about tonight. I'd like to see some massive fighting, just to signify the epicness of the game, but it's going to be skill vs. skill tonight, I think.

[Casey 145]

Accuscore says Wings, 3.3-3.0.

Now how do we score a third of a goal...

[MaynardJKeenan 1]

Accuscore says Wings, 3.3-3.0.

Now how do we score a third of a goal...

I believe Hudz goals only count as 1/3.

[DYags 0]

http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/

No Ozzie

The Red Wings have taken the ice for the morning skate and Chris Osgood isn't here. Goalie coach Jim Bedard is manning one of the nets. Osgood missed yesterday's practice with a groin strain. Ty Conklin will start tonight. I'll update with who's going to back up Osgood.

Derek Meech is not on the ice and he might be moved to make salary cap room to call up a goalie.

And the lines are back to where they were a week ago ...

Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Hossa

Franze-Zetterberg-Samuelsson

Hudler-Filppula-Cleary

Kopecky-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Lebda-Lilja

Chelios (healthy scratch)

Conklin (starts)

No way they move Meech just so they can spare Ozzie from missing the Winter Classic/10 games/24 days. That would make zero sense.

[chrisdetroit 189]

The Sharks are NOT on pace to shatter our 1995-96 record of 62 wins. They have won 25 out of their 31 games, however 5 were in Shootouts/OT. That means that they only won 20 out of 31 in regulation.

20/31 * 82 = 52.89.

The Sharks are on pace to win about 53 games.

Sorry, a little off topic but I had to get that out

[bellarina 1]

Wings win 7-1

Since I'm going to the Montreal vs Philadelphia game I will miss my 7th Wing game of the season( man that sux so bad!!) I never missed so many games.

But I have no choice, corporate mumbojumbo, I have to attend. ( and I really dislike the Habs)

I hope to look up at the out of town scoreboard and and see my prediction come true.

7-1

I will of course wear my #19 Stevie jersey. They can't stop me from doing that

Go Wings Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited December 18, 2008 by bellarina

[chrisdetroit 189]

i have to work at 10pm tonight, which means that i'll probably get to watch the first two periods and miss the third, which might turn out to be a bad or very good thing.

there is no doubt in anyone's mind that this is a statement game.

on the one hand, if the wings lose, it's just another regular-season loss in a season that will almost certainly see them go the playoffs, where games really matter (for teams like us and the sharks).

that being said, if the sharks beat us (especially if it's badly) in our own building after coming off a game the night before, there is no doubt that everyone here and throughout the league will seriously question the wings' ability to compete with the sharks come playoff time.

if they lose tonight, i'm not willing to throw in the towel and hand the cup to the sharks, but i think it will be pretty indicative of the wings' capacity to win this year.

goalie HAS to play well. this is the biggest part, in my opinion. a close second is defensive tightness, obviously.

but i've been pretty disappointed lately about our ability to score goals. we scored a total of three goals against the stars and the avs, both of whom we should have lit up.

the last game that we played that i truly believed was a statement game (and made it clear in the GDT) was the game against the ducks. we won 2-1. hopefully that pattern continues. honestly, i'm alright with a few losses against weak teams if we win against the good ones. right now we are 2-0 against the hawks, split the season series with vancouver, are 1-1 vs the ducks, and are 2-0 against the flames. while not completely dominant, i'm okay with these figures as overall we are doing fine against the better teams in the conferencem and not playing our best hockey. you just have to go 4-3 in a playoff series.

but if we go 0-4 against the sharks, bad news bears. and it is now too late in the season to say "well it's only x amount of games in, they'll get it together." nope. time to ******* play.

hossa and datsyuk have to play amazing games tonight.

come on boys.

Ok it's a big game but for Christ's sake it's only 1 game in December. It's not so important that they win but how they play. We are not going to go 0-4 against the Sharks.

I have a feeling that the Sharkies have peaked way to early. This has helped by a generous amount of home games to start the season. They've aleady played 18 fricking home games. 7 out of their next 10 are on the road so we will see.

[Slave 31]

guess i will weigh in, I was thinking the wings needed to be spanked as well to teach them a lesson about playing a full 60 minutes and get them to play together better....but I just don't feel tonight is the night for that to happen, can not put my finger on it but I have a feeling the WIngs will put on a clinic tonight.

final score prediction:

Wings- 7 - Z x 3, dats, cleary, kronwall, frazen

Sharks-2 - setuguci, marleau

Then for some reason i have not been able to figure out since i started cheering for the wings full time the 88 season... we will play like crap against the kings on saturday.

[96warrior 11]

Osgood able to back-up, remains day-to-day

by Ansar Khan

Thursday December 18, 2008, 12:02 PM

Update from Thursday's morning skate: Wings coach Mike Babcock said Chris Osgood is able to back-up Ty Conklin net tonight tonight against San Jose. Osgood, bothered by a strained groin, remains day-to-day.

"We didn't skate him this morning because of the situation, he was ready to go but (trainers) decided to give him one more day off,'' Babcock said.

The Wings will dress the same lineup defense they used on Monday, as Chris Chelios is a healthy scratch. Derek Meech didn't skate because of the flu. They skated with the same line combinations they practiced with on Monday:

[cnot19 191]

Osgood able to back-up, remains day-to-day

by Ansar Khan

Thursday December 18, 2008, 12:02 PM

Update from Thursday's morning skate: Wings coach Mike Babcock said Chris Osgood is able to back-up Ty Conklin net tonight tonight against San Jose. Osgood, bothered by a strained groin, remains day-to-day.

"We didn't skate him this morning because of the situation, he was ready to go but (trainers) decided to give him one more day off,'' Babcock said.

The Wings will dress the same lineup defense they used on Monday, as Chris Chelios is a healthy scratch. Derek Meech didn't skate because of the flu. They skated with the same line combinations they practiced with on Monday:

I was hoping Chelios would be in over lebda. I think he matches up better against the big shark fowards

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Please Red Wings, if there was ever a game to finally play with full effort and for 60 minutes, this is it. Everything says the Sharks should win this game tonight, but I have a feeling the Red Wings are going to show up and make a statement. I wish Chelios was playing over Lebda, but hopefully it won't make a difference. Lebda isn't strong enough on the puck to contend with the Sharks forwards. Here's to the defending champs playing like they want to win.

Red Wings: 3 (Datsyuk, Hossa, and Z)

Sharks: 2 (Pavelski, Clowe)

Let's Go Red Wings!

[crabcakes'n'redwings 4]

The Honeymoon is over...we've gatta start actually playing hockey now...not just skating by (no pun intended) on skill alone

[Guest E_S_A_D]

Kopecky-Draper-Maltby

The most FEARED, INTIMIDATING, AGGRESSIVE, 4TH LINE IN HOCKEY! ohhh boy...

[Zetterling 16]

I predict a helluva game from both teams. Wings need to win this one in regulation.

[FinRedWing 172]

Another must win,eh?

Shockingly we'll end up winning by more than 1 goal.

I agree with Reem,Draper's due.

5-2 WINGS (Drapes,Lilja,Kopecky,Hudler & Homer)

W