1/17 GDT: Sharks 6, Red Wings 5

[Reilly 24]

I'd like to see Kopecky replaced with Gary Roberts.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

i wrote the game off as a loss as soon as i saw ozzy in net... i cant belive for the life of me what babs was thinking putting ozzy in when conks is coming off a chut out last game, and the shut out against the sharks back last month, the 6-0 win... i cant understand what crawls up ozzy's ass the year after he wins a cup? disappointed to say the least.

I agree that Conks should've been in net but the bold line just baffles me.

Osgood has not been playing like he did tonight all season. Any Wings fan knows that some days he shows up & plays great, others - not so much. He's made some jaw-dropping stops this year and played some awesome games, and he's also had disappointments.

So please do not act like this is a season-long bad play streak. That's just pathetic.

[Andy Pred 48 337]

I'm not jumping on any bandwagon, but if Babs needs to go with

a hot hand in net I'm sure he will. Sorry Oz not all were down to u.

5th goal was Stuart not making his decsion quick enough, he had

time to step up and save Flip the chase back he didn't do it.He makes

that play and we are still 4-4 and for the most part looked the better

side in general. Still 11 goals against the "best team" in 2 ain't bad!

Although we have lost the game I think we have

made a statement, in fairness I feel for our forwards tonight as they

played well and didn't get any rewards for their efforts. Although

7 pts from Z, Dats and Hoss, helps their own point tallies.

So our big guns showed up tonight. Mr Thornton was held pointless

which means we did something right. Just back to the drwaing board

on D and in net. Now I wonder if Mr Holland has a cunning plan?

[servo 15]

Hey, what's all this talk about this being a great game????? The Wings lost --- therefore this game becomes a frustrating waste of time that will only make me tired and cranky tomorrow.

I judge a game by what happens from the 20 min mark of the 1st period and until the final horn blows, not necessarily by the score, although my mood is also dictated by the sucess and failure of our beloved Red Wings.

This was an incredible game! To me if the Wings had 50 SOG and they had 12 while we won 11-2 thats a boring game.

[Datsyerberger 279]

Well sometime you can suck my left one. I can make it happen with one hand tied behind my back *****.

Someone makes an indirect post about "whiny *******" and you come back with that... Is it possible to be more self-incriminating than that?

[Nightfall 871]

That's right, because a win in that 6-0 game would've put us ahead of the Sharks for the first time this season. Oh wait...

I didn't forget our shutout of the Sharks a month or so ago, I just think it's pretty clear this was the biggest game of the season and we fell apart in the third.

Not that the game wasn't extremely entertaining, but the performance of our defence and goaltending was less than impressive.

Especially the defense. The goaltending wasn't horrible as both goalies came up with some incredible saves. I really can't blame Osgood for the loss more than I can blame the D. You can't let guys sneak in behind the D for breakaways (Lilja) and you can't let some guy split the D when you have position to play the puck (Stuart). Two D critical mistakes at a critical time. Can't blame Osgood for crap play like that.

[gcom007 1,465]

Nabokov is making the tough stops. Plain and simple.

San Jose is missing 2 of their top 5 Dmen also. Blake and Lukowich.

He must've missed 5 tough stops though or something. Last time I checked, a 5.00 GAA (.852 sv.%) on the game isn't exactly commendable even if you're not a big stats guy. It was a win and I'll absolutely give you that but I guarantee you he nor the team is happy about giving up 5 goals even to Detroit. And though Osgood gave up 6, his sv.% was actually .853, a bit higher than Nabakov's. I'm not really a big stats guy and I think Osgood needs to make more saves plain and simple. He needs to get his game up if he's going to play in the playoffs and be successful. But come on, again, the D has been awful. Just plain awful. Neither Osgood nor the D is really making either of their lives easier and that's no good any way you shake it. If we're gonna bench Osgood, there's a lot of d-men we need to bench as well because they're just as much to blame if not more so for some of this madness. And I honestly think if anyone deserves to be called out more than anyone it's Kronwall. Considering his potential based on previous play, he is playing the worst of anyone by far.

[krudmonk v2.0 0]

The Wings have insane amounts of poise. They are never emotionally affected by being down. They bounce back immediately and are dangerous on every play. Sharks won by the thinnest of margins.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

For me, none of the Sharks-Wings games have been the biggest of the season, simply because the loser in every situation has been at the end of a horrendous road trip. I think, atleast in the West, the back-to-back Chicago/Wings games were bigger, as both were rested, and the games were highly touted.. and look how those turned out.

I think you're missing the point. This isn't really about bragging rights. This about playoff seeding. The Sharks got two points tonight while the Wings lost a chance to gain two points. The Sharks have the best record in the NHL at home. They're the only competition for the Wings in the West. If the WCFs come down to the Wings and Sharks, the Sharks are playing a game 7 at home. Considering how they play at home, thats a big advantage for them, even if only mentally.

[VM1138 1,921]

Good news is the Wings are going to stomp all over Phoenix. To be a little more level-headed, I think we're doing okay, but we need to be stronger on the puck. We did some crazy good things tonight but San Jose always broke up what we were trying. I feel confident with Conklin in net, and Ozzie is a good backup for the lesser teams, until he proves otherwise unfortunately.

I still feel we have the best shot at the Cup, but San Jose is right behind us. Mark my words, one of us will win the Cup this year. THe other league is just in the way. If we learn anything from this seasons' matchups, is that both San Jose and Detroit can dominate the other, and both can play crappy. We're probably about dead-even right now in every category.

[Guest dekeyuk]

If we are playing any other team in the league tonight, we win this game.

If we are playing any other team in the playoffs this year, we go on to the Cup finals!

[GSBrooks13 204]

Babcock just spells it out. The Wings didn't score on their breakaways, San Jose did. "That was the difference in the game."

Well that settles it... we have all been blaming Ozzie and the D but it's really Datsyuk's fault for not scoring on that breakaway! lol

[servo 15]

If this game proves anything, it is that we should not be worried about anything. We lost by one goal to arguably the best team in the leauge in our third game in four nights on a tough west coast trip with a lot of bad calls against us, an unlucky bounce on the 4th goal and mediocre goaltending.

If we are playing any other team in the league tonight, we win this game.

Great post! Tonight does demonstrate the absolute necessity for the Wings to win the division and get home ice. IMO the winner of that decides the Cup.

[J-Swift 0]

For me, none of the Sharks-Wings games have been the biggest of the season, simply because the loser in every situation has been at the end of a horrendous road trip. I think, atleast in the West, the back-to-back Chicago/Wings games were bigger, as both were rested, and the games were highly touted.. and look how those turned out.

I agree that the back-to-back against the Blackhawks was a big test for the Wings that we responded well to. But I think it's pretty clear the only team that can roll with Detroit in the Western Conference is San Jose, every other team in the conference is ten points back from us, so it's tough to see us collapse in a game we had a couple leads in. And you can really only blame so much on fatigue, I know it was three games in four nights, but the Wings did have a day off.

[revnic 0]

Do I smell the rancid odors of overreaction?

Well sometime you can suck my left one. I can make it happen with one hand tied behind my back *****.

hahahahah best!

[Nightfall 871]

Well that settles it... we have all been blaming Ozzie and the D but it's really Datsyuk's fault for not scoring on that breakaway! lol

Well, Wings had 2 breakaway chances if you count Cleary's all alone chance in front and Datsyuk's.

So 2-0 San Jose.

[taxidermistWINGSfan 0]

I agree that Conks should've been in net but the bold line just baffles me.

Osgood has not been playing like he did tonight all season. Any Wings fan knows that some days he shows up & plays great, others - not so much. He's made some jaw-dropping stops this year and played some awesome games, and he's also had disappointments.

So please do not act like this is a season-long bad play streak. That's just pathetic.

whats pathetic is his record this season along w/ his records the seasons after he has won the cup. last year ozzy was insane all season. i was confident when he was in net... this season i was holding on, holding on, giving him the benefit of the doubt... you saying his play this season isnt bad is the pathetic statement... hes not playing cup winning games... i havent seen one solid game from him this season... not one.

[Guest dekeyuk]

Someone makes an indirect post about "whiny *******" and you come back with that... Is it possible to be more self-incriminating than that?

When someone is too much a ***** to come out and say who he is talking about, then I will cover my own ass and call the ***** out. All part of the macho creed and I could give a f*** what you or anyone else thinks. We are just a bunch of losers on the web at 1:30 am.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I agree that Conks should've been in net but the bold line just baffles me.

Osgood has not been playing like he did tonight all season. Any Wings fan knows that some days he shows up & plays great, others - not so much. He's made some jaw-dropping stops this year and played some awesome games, and he's also had disappointments.

So please do not act like this is a season-long bad play streak. That's just pathetic.

Osgood at best has been inconsistent. The stats back that up. There are really only a handful of games this season where he hasn't given up a really soft goal. Usually, hes good for a few great stops and will let in a softie or two. That performance negates itself. Tonight, unfortunately, he didn't make a single big stop, and let in at least 1 goal, that he should've had, and thats being generous.

Ultimately, this isn't about Ozzie playing terribly overall. He hasn't. But he has ben mediocre. And thats fine when we play mediocre teams, but not when we play great teams, and even less so when we're in the playoffs.

[gcom007 1,465]

You obviously don't know what you are talking about or anything about hockey. Allow people on this thread to walk you through each of the 6 goals tonight and give you a number of reasons why none were Osgood's fault. Go ahead guys, set him straight. Explain how a goalie allowing 6 goals and with a lousy GAA is actually playing well.

I don't think many people are saying he's playing well. This isn't black and white. Not playing well doesn't mean he's playing horribly. He's simply not. He's playing below-average/mediocre and getting no help from the D which is making it look worse than it is.

Like on a scale of 1-10, he's at around 5 right now in my mind but the D (4-5) is making him look more like a 2.

I look at it like that and I say both sides need a lot of improvement. They're not "the worst" and they don't "suck" but indeed, they're not playing well and they need to improve. But for the love, we don't need to make it worse than it is. That's just silly.

[Datsyerberger 279]

I think you're missing the point. This isn't really about bragging rights. This about playoff seeding. The Sharks got two points tonight while the Wings lost a chance to gain two points. The Sharks have the best record in the NHL at home. They're the only competition for the Wings in the West. If the WCFs come down to the Wings and Sharks, the Sharks are playing a game 7 at home. Considering how they play at home, thats a big advantage for them, even if only mentally.

Well, seeing as the #8 seed always gives us a bugger of a time, being #2 instead of #1 could be nice. Besides, I still fully expect the Sharks to choke in the 2nd round. Maybe it won't happen, but that's my plan of attack.

In all seriousness, the Wings have been hotter in this half of the season than the Sharks, and I expect that trend to continue, and for the Wings to overtake the Sharks. This isn't the ultimate game, and while I don't think we should ever be fully satisfied with a loss, I think we should be far less than disappointed for a good performance against the current top seed at the end of a long road trip.

[VM1138 1,921]

I agree that the back-to-back against the Blackhawks was a big test for the Wings that we responded well to. But I think it's pretty clear the only team that can roll with Detroit in the Western Conference is San Jose, every other team in the conference is ten points back from us, so it's tough to see us collapse in a game we had a couple leads in. And you can really only blame so much on fatigue, I know it was three games in four nights, but the Wings did have a day off.

Amen. Everyone is so quick to blame fatigue in every instance, whatever team you root for.

I also think people have to admit San Jose was without two impact players. They were on tonight, we weren't.

I've been noticing more and more people making comments about Gary Roberts joining the team replacing Kopecky. Just curious? How much does Roberts make, what should be done to get him, is it possible, and should we actually do it? Kopecky is useless and I'd take just about anyone over him.

[Third Man In 2,091]

Great signature!

when I couldn't see a game, it used to be great to check the GDT to get a feel for what actually went on during a game. Now reading through it I want to set half the people posting in it on fire. I'm not one of the pollyanna folks who thinks you can never criticize our beloved Wings, but the histrionics here is ridiculous.

It's good to see there are a few who actually post thoughts about the game and give a reasonable recap. For that, many thanks.

For the others, you're a bunch of spoiled whiny *******. Sometimes your team loses. It happens.

/

That was an entertaining hockey game. It looked nothing like a playoff game. (I don't expect a lot of 11 goal games come May, let alone 75 shots; the defensive coverage wasn't stellar on either side.) But it was a lot of fun. Congrats on this one, Sharks; see you in a month--and hopefully in the spring.

[J-Swift 0]

Especially the defense. The goaltending wasn't horrible as both goalies came up with some incredible saves. I really can't blame Osgood for the loss more than I can blame the D. You can't let guys sneak in behind the D for breakaways (Lilja) and you can't let some guy split the D when you have position to play the puck (Stuart). Two D critical mistakes at a critical time. Can't blame Osgood for crap play like that.

Yeah, allowing both those breakaways was pretty inexcusable, but Ozzie looked really tentative in net tonight. Those were some great shots, but both those goals in the third were in the net before he even reacted.

[Ms_Hockey 0]

whats pathetic is his record this season along w/ his records the seasons after he has won the cup. last year ozzy was insane all season. i was confident when he was in net... this season i was holding on, holding on, giving him the benefit of the doubt... you saying his play this season isnt bad is the pathetic statement... hes not playing cup winning games... i havent seen one solid game from him this season... not one.

Oh, give me a break. What about the Ducks game when he made the glove stop and was sliding into the goal, pushing his arm out to keep it over the line? Or the goal at the end where he knocked it out of the air as he was already down.

Osgood has the highest win percentage of any goalie this year. He has an overall record of 15-2-5. Don't even give me that BS. Because that's exactly what it is... BS.