Nightfall 871 Report post Posted May 3, 2011 The Wings are down 0-2 because the Sharks are playing better. /thread Seriously though, look at the stats. People like blaming the reffing and diving by San Jose, but the stats don't lie. The puck possession, shots, scoring chances, and offensive zone possession are all owned by the Sharks. Sure, the Wings get chances, but the Sharks are getting almost double what the Wings are getting. Our "weak link" was always thought to be Howard. Well, Howard has turned in 2 spectacular efforts to keep us in the games and the team in front of him really has not been able to outplay the Sharks team. Some people will say the Wings are not playing with enough heart. I wouldn't go that far to insult them like that. What I will say is, the Sharks are skating harder and winning the puck battles in the first two games. Can the Wings do that in games 3 and 4? I believe they can. Its quite obvious that the Wings have to play harder because their margin for error is slim. 1 Grypho reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422 Report post Posted May 3, 2011 The Wings are down 0-2 because the Sharks are playing better. /thread Seriously though, look at the stats. People like blaming the reffing and diving by San Jose, but the stats don't lie. The puck possession, shots, scoring chances, and offensive zone possession are all owned by the Sharks. Sure, the Wings get chances, but the Sharks are getting almost double what the Wings are getting. Our "weak link" was always thought to be Howard. Well, Howard has turned in 2 spectacular efforts to keep us in the games and the team in front of him really has not been able to outplay the Sharks team. Some people will say the Wings are not playing with enough heart. I wouldn't go that far to insult them like that. What I will say is, the Sharks are skating harder and winning the puck battles in the first two games. Can the Wings do that in games 3 and 4? I believe they can. Its quite obvious that the Wings have to play harder because their margin for error is slim. Great post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azshark 1 Report post Posted May 3, 2011 (edited) The Wings are down 0-2 because the Sharks are playing better. /thread Seriously though, look at the stats. People like blaming the reffing and diving by San Jose, but the stats don't lie. The puck possession, shots, scoring chances, and offensive zone possession are all owned by the Sharks. Sure, the Wings get chances, but the Sharks are getting almost double what the Wings are getting. Our "weak link" was always thought to be Howard. Well, Howard has turned in 2 spectacular efforts to keep us in the games and the team in front of him really has not been able to outplay the Sharks team. Some people will say the Wings are not playing with enough heart. I wouldn't go that far to insult them like that. What I will say is, the Sharks are skating harder and winning the puck battles in the first two games. Can the Wings do that in games 3 and 4? I believe they can. Its quite obvious that the Wings have to play harder because their margin for error is slim. Beyond the 1st period of Game #1 and the final five minutes of Game #2, I have witnessed a Sharks team playing at their highest level all season! I could argue that Games #1 and #2 were the best two games for the Sharks all season. Why? The Sharks have elevated their level of: intensity, focus, drive and heart. They are winning all the little battles. They are controlling the neutral zone. They are wearing-down the Wings. Look at last game and they way the Wings stalled-out the icing calls. Gamesmanship? Sure! But it was also survival. I take NOTHING away against the Wings. These are two damn good hockey teams and one simply outworked the other in the first two games. Edited May 3, 2011 by azshark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Heaten Report post Posted May 3, 2011 To me Wings look slow and 'off'. Their passes are delayed, sluggish and off target. They are not skating like they are capable of, and they aren't battling like they are capable of. I'm not sure if it's 'rust' or just lost their compete? Against the 'Yotes, Red Wings were making quick crisp passes and skated very well. They were cycling well and the D was pinching at the right time. But from I notice the most is how slow and off their passing is. We've seen this before, when Wings passing is off, they struggle. Wings play better with the puck. Another big issue is their skating. It's like they are skating in mud. They are not moving around the ice like they normally do (Especially notice Helm.... He been a fire-cracker on skates all season). Franzen looks like he's struggling with an ankle injury. Zetterberg lost his bursting quickness... The Red Wings bread and butter is their quick, crisp tight passes and mobile skating... without that, they are an average team. Howard has been a wall. P.S. I also felt Red Wings should have won GM1. That Bertuzzi 'roughing' penalty was complete horse s***. Refs helped the Sharks in that game. GM2, Red Wings just flat out lost... and they lost with, in my opinion, the edge in calls. When they can't score on a full 4minute double minor to tie the game, they don't deserve to win. I am bitter about game 1, however. Series should be tied 1-1 right now. 1 LadyInRed reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wings4Life19 150 Report post Posted May 11, 2011 just want to start by saying that I'm not rubbing anything in to the part of you that is a sharks fan, Grypho. The hardest part of the comeback has yet to be played. Game 7, on the road, in the loudest building in the NHL. This is the 8th time a team trailing 3-0 in a playoff series has made it to game 7, and the record of those teams in game 7 is 3-4, and considering the last one went to overtime tells me that its pretty much 50/50 as to who wins. on a side note: the first 7 times it happened the teams that have come back have alternated wins in those game 7's with the last being a loss. New York Rangers in 1939 v.s Boston Bruins (NYR L) Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942 v.s Detroit Red Wings (TOR W) Detroit Red Wings in 1945 v.s Toronto Maple Leafs (DET L) New York Islanders in 1975 v.s Pittsburgh Penguins (NYI W) New York Islanders AGAIN in 1975 v.s Philadelphia Flyers (NYI L) Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 v.s Boston Bruins (PHI W) Chicago Blackhawks in 2011 v.s Vancouver Canucks (CHI L) Detroit Red Wings in 2011 v.s San Jose Sharks (DET ?) you made the point that the extended layoff hurt the wings in the first half of the series, looking back I believe you were correct, the wings lost the competitiveness that they had against phoenix and had trouble moving their legs and getting engaged. but now I believe the layoff has benefited the wings. they have found their legs, competitiveness, and will to win and overcome adversity in the last 3 games. The sharks, while still competing very hard and still want it just as bad as the wings do, are looking very much like the Wings were last year against San Jose. The wings have been just that much better than the sharks. the sharks coming off a very tough series against LA were fortunate the wings had the layoff to get a big lead in the series, but now the wings have found their game(in a big way) and the sharks have been unable to put the wings away in 3 straight games. something just feels like the Kings did a huge favor to the Wings and will have the last laugh against the sharks for nearly making it a 7 game series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
