1/12 GDT: Dallas Stars 5, Red Wings 4 (OT)

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Let's start off the road trip on a good note. We've been playing great lately and I'd like to see that sustained on the left coast....especially against the Poultry. But tonight is that start of it....so kick some ass.

[HenrikRules40 14]

I'm pretty sure Turco breaks out into hives when he steps onto the ice against us. I almost feel bad. Oh wait, no I don't. I'm already perturbed that they beat us once this year. No more, I say. No more! Prepare for another 60 from the boys in red.

Pre-game shot of Marty:

[PenaltyShot 96 521]

Wings - 4 (Zetterberg, Holmstrom, Raffy, Cleary)

Stars - 2

[Mike375 0]

Wings (4-1)

Z, Hossa, Holmer, Lids

[Datsyerberger 279]

I feel good things from this one. Then again, I usually do if the Wings play against either Turco or Quennville.

I'd steal some thunder and say 14-3, but frankly, I don't see Dallas scoring that many.

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Ooh tonight is gonna be a good one!

5-2 Wings win!

GO OZZIE!!! GO WINGS!!!

[Opie 308]

Ott takes 3 dumb penalties leading to 2 goals one of which will destroy all of the moment Dallas has for the game and the other will lead to another arbitrary goal that has no affect on the game because it is already out of hand.

The third penalty will happen with less than 2 minutes left in the game and will be an attempted cheap shot at Kronwall which will leave the stars wishing they had Avery back, to start a fight with Ott!

[seeinred 1,488]

Prepare for another 60 from the boys in red.

Won't they be wearing white tonight?

I'm gonna surprise some of you with this prediction, but the Wings will win 14-3. Marian Hossa says "Screw you, AO, it's my birthday and I'm taking the league lead in goals" and scores all 14.

[HenrikRules40 14]

Won't they be wearing white tonight?

Mean! You know what I meant.

[Vincanni 1]

If I was a fan of any other team watching Datsyuk I'd just be thinking how damned unfair it is. He's inhuman.

[Vincanni 1]

When Dats pulls off stuff like that I can just envision him on ice saying in his broken English, "I am bored now, time to score goal." Just seems like the guy has a switch he can turn on and no matter what the odds, how many defenders, or whom is defending him he pulls it off.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Per MLive

DETROIT -- Some of the Detroit Red Wings' worst fears were realized the first half of the season.

Team defense hasn't been as tight as usual, goaltender Chris Osgood has struggled too often, penalty killing has been substandard and, on many nights, they have battled the blahs that have plagued recent Stanley Cup champions.

And yet, none of this is apparent from their record.

The Red Wings, 29-7-5, are on pace for 126 points, which would be 11 more than last season. They have the same number of points (63) after 41 games as they did a year ago.

"I'm thrilled with our record,'' general manager Ken Holland said. "Real happy with the health of our team, our ability to score goals, our power play, our ability to come back.''

But no club has higher standards than the Red Wings, who believe there is much room for improvement.

"At the same time, we all feel that we can play better,'' defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We're happy about the standings, but we haven't been satisfied with our overall game.''

Said captain Nicklas Lidstrom: "It's the group of five plus the goalie that needs to play a little better defensively, whether it's sticking to our system more and coming back harder or keeping teams on the outside. As a team, we can still do a better job defensively.''

They are headed in the right direction. A few weeks ago, the Red Wings ranked 25th in the NHL in goals-against average, unfathomable for a club that allowed the fewest goals in the league last season.

But they have allowed only eight goals during their current six-game winning streak, and Osgood has been strong in two starts since returning from a strained groin, allowing only three goals. Ty Conklin has solidified the backup position.

"You're not going to go too far in the playoffs without good goaltending,'' Holland said. "We're not looking for our goalie to be the first star every night, but you need those timely saves. We're slowly working our way up (in goals-against average). Our goal is to finish in the top 10 in goals-against.''

Offense is the least of the Red Wings' concerns. The addition of star right wing Marian Hossa has enabled them to split up Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, at even strength and on the power play, giving them two potent scoring lines. They have plenty of secondary scoring options with Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler and Tomas Holmstrom, among others.

"It's a little bit different league. I don't know if it's the rules (limiting obstruction) or the younger players, but there's a little more scoring now,'' Holland said. "When we get behind we have the ability to score. Our team seems to have a comfort level, we raise our game and put pressure on the other team.''

They have elevated their play in recent big games against Chicago and San Jose.

"Early in the year, we lacked emotion, now we're getting emotion,'' Holland said.

[Vincanni 1]

This game is becoming surreal.

[C-Dub 0]

Who's going to the game? Damn, there were TONS of Red Wings fans there last time. Too bad the Wings played a terrible game. Still was awesome hearing "Let's Go Wings" echoing VERY noticeably through AAC. The answer from the Dallas fans was to boo...haha, how lame.

[Vincanni 1]

Just imagine if this game was in the a game seven OT playoff conference final. I'd literally have had multiple cardiac arrests by now.

[Vincanni 1]

On the plus side the only time we actually seem to press the puck into their zone is on the PK, still a very bad time to be short handed.

[Vincanni 1]

*Sigh* Seemed Dallas was due, after all this is the worse 2 periods I've seen the Wings play all year round.

[Vincanni 1]

Hooray for the objective penalty call!

[Guest mindfly]

Kronwall is back in the lineup

Meech and Chelios are healthy scratches

[Vincanni 1]

Pretty embarrassing effort by the Wings, aside from a few good individual efforts thrown in here and there we practically stopped playing after the 1st period.

Dallas played extremely well though, they looked to be in playoff mode that game and when you look at the standings that is wort of what they must do the second half of the season.

[Vincanni 1]

Seeing Milbury in the booth at Versus is almost as bad as Millen doing the same thing on NBC.

[Vincanni 1]

Ugh, seeing the replay of that Osgood made a huge blunder leaving the net, I'm not pinning it on him, but that was god awful. No excuse for 50 SOG though.

[Vincanni 1]

Oooo anyone wanna bet against me that not a single Wing gets a mid season award? While I believe no one on our team is anything close to a lock, I can guarantee we'll get no mention here.

[puckloo39 5,686]

Who's going to the game? Damn, there were TONS of Red Wings fans there last time. Too bad the Wings played a terrible game. Still was awesome hearing "Let's Go Wings" echoing VERY noticeably through AAC. The answer from the Dallas fans was to boo...haha, how lame.

it always looks like Chrismas in Dallas when the Wings are there. Lots of red to go with the green.

Let's Go Red Wings!! I don't want to hear that goal horn toot for Dallas, even once.

[isbister 0]

I will be there with my Dats uni and a smoking hot Stars fan!!!

Hopefully the boys put it to Dallas and I put it..............

Sorry about that.

Wings 3

Stars 2