WCSF Game 7 GDT: Red Wings 2 at Sharks 3

[HankthaTank 1,100]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPHGyio2_SM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndnSchyIeQ0

better version.. Edited May 12, 2011 by HankthaTank

[R-Dizzle 119]

Sharks come out hitting and gooning it up. Wings play through and ultimately harpoon the Sharks.

Edited May 12, 2011 by R-Dizzle

[Broken 16 381]

I got my dinner all ready in anticipation for a big win!

[WizardOfOz30 1,886]

Sharks come out hitting and gooing it up. Wings play through and ultimately harpoon the Sharks.

Typo? it works either way

[MacAttack25 44]

I'm so damn nervous. Just score early, score often, and win. Please. Go Wings!

[R-Dizzle 119]

Typo? it works either way

Ha, that works too

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Per MLive -

Babcock to Abdelkader: Stay out of the box

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock had a talk with Justin Abdelkader about the young forward’s lack of discipline that is leading to penalties.

He expects the problem to be corrected immediately.

Abdelkader has been penalized in the third period in each of the past three games of the Western Conference semifinals against San Jose. His club has killed all three penalties.

The Red Wings have been short-handed five times in the series because of penalties by Abdelkader (the Sharks scored once). That includes a double-minor for high-sticking during overtime of Game 1, a penalty that expired 20 seconds before Benn Ferriero’s goal.

"I just told him, (three) games in a row now, ‘You’ve got to decide. Are you going to be one of those guys that their whole career takes a bad penalty at the wrong time?’ " Babcock said. "Or are you going to look after it?

"He’s a great kid and a great teammate, and he’s going to get it looked after."

Abdelkader said he just has to stay out of the box. He was called for cross-checking Joe Pavelski in Game 4, elbowing Dan Boyle in Game 5 and holding Boyle in Game 6. Strong penalty killing bailed him out.

The Sharks went 4-for-15 on the power play the first three games. They are 0-for-10 in the past three games, as the Red Wings are doing a better job of denying clean entries.

"Maybe it’s not going my way, but at the same time, I’ve just got to be smart out there," Abdelkader said. "We (him and Boyle) were both fighting for position going for the puck, and the ref said I held him. I think they were looking to make a call at that point of the game, and I’ve got to know better. Can’t give them an opportunity to make a call like that."

Abdelkader called it a long two minutes sitting in the box, "not a fun feeling."

"You don’t want your team short-handed when you’re up like that in the third period," he said. "You think about it and hopefully learn from it and not do it again."

Franzen hoping to return for Game 7

Babcock said the status of forward Johan Franzen for Game 7 will be determined on Thursday. He sat out Game 6 after laboring the first five games of the series with a sore left ankle.

"That’s the good thing about this flight. It will be about 5½ hours. I’m sure if he’s lobbying, we’ll listen to that," Babcock said before boarding the team flight on Wednesday. "We’ll see if he’s available, but we’ll try to make the right decisions. The only way you know you made the right decision is when you win."

If Franzen can’t play, Mike Modano likely will remain in the lineup. He made his series debut in Game 6.

"I thought it was good for him," Babcock said. "I thought he played well, he skated good and he was competitive."

Yzerman keeping tabs on Red Wings

Tampa Bay general manager and former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman has been closely watching the Detroit-San Jose series while waiting for his team’s Eastern Conference final series vs. Boston to begin.

"It’s very exciting. I’ve been watching and enjoying it," Yzerman said Wednesday during a teleconference. "I appreciate how hard they work, how skilled they are. Being down 3-0 to a very good San Jose team, to battle back just to 3-3, there’s so little margin for error in those three games."

He called it tremendous hockey.

"It’s been great for our league," Yzerman said. "Knowing the coaching staff, knowing the entire organization and the players, I’m very happy for them. They’ve really competed hard. Every time somebody wants to write them off as the end of an era, or they’re too old and that’s it, they just come back stronger than ever."

Recalling a comeback

The Red Wings never have come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, but came back from a 3-1 hole to beat the Minnesota North Stars in the first round in 1992.

It was Modano’s third season in the NHL with the North Stars. He recalled the atmosphere in the room.

"Well, you’re a little nervous because you know they’re coming and their confidence is building," Modano said. "We knew at 3-1, we needed to play a spectacular, perfect game from start to finish. Otherwise, we were in trouble.

"Then ... bad break after bad break, and we’re just looking for something to put a tourniquet on a hemorrhage because it was coming. You could just feel it. It was just like an avalanche. Once they got going and their main guys started playing, we knew we were in trouble."

Odds and ends

-- Sharks forward Ryane Clowe did not skate on Wednesday, after missing Game 6 with an upper-body injury. Coach Todd McLellan said his status will be determined on Thursday.

-- Pavel Datsyuk took no faceoffs in Game 5 because of his sore wrist. He took four draws in Game 6. Asked if he’ll take any in Game 7, he said, "We don’t know yet. We’ll see (tonight)."

-- Todd Bertuzzi, on the team’s flight to San Jose Wednesday morning: "It’s the first time I’ve seen guys so excited about getting on a plane for seven hours."

[esteef 2,679]

"It’s been great for our league," Yzerman said. "Knowing the coaching staff, knowing the entire organization and the players, I’m very happy for them. They’ve really competed hard. Every time somebody wants to write them off as the end of an era, or they’re too old and that’s it, they just come back stronger than ever."

You tell 'em Stevie!!!!

esteef

[paul19010 14]

I have a bottle of champagne that I bought for 2009 game 7 that is still sitting in the fridge. I only bust out champagne for championships, but tonight if they win, I am opening the bottle and spraying it. I feel like we're playing with house money, this series was over, only a 1.8% chance to come back, and the wings have forced a game 7. Down 0-3 I was looking at an off season of not being proud of the red wings, first time since 2006. But now, if they lose, I can be proud of them, but if they win, they pull off one of the most epic come backs in the history of all of sports.

I am not allowing myself to think about the big picture if they win as far as winning the cup. right now I am focused on game 7, and the opportunity to do something special.

[Ram 240]

Just thrilled to be watching this game. Let's go Wings!

[hooon 1,089]

Just thrilled to be watching this game. Let's go Wings!

This.

So happy and grateful that the Wings have even pushed it this far. It's not about winning 4 in a row anymore, its just a one game series.

I have very high hopes, but whatever happens, happens. Great job so far Wings for pushing it this long and putting forth the effort in the last few games.

One more now!

[achildr1 255]

@Hockeytown0001

Abby has been driving me bonkers. This kid got owned in terms of hockey grinder smarts last round by Shane Doan and now he's taking offensive zone and other stupid penalties when the game is on the line. Babcock is all about playing him and are other bad decision makers when the game is on the line too.

BTW, Rafalski has literally turned into Samuelsson. He'd try to shoot through a Bolivian Mangrove if it were between him and the goal. Ahhh!

Edited May 12, 2011 by achildr1

[ami 273]

... only a 1.8% chance to come back ...

No, chances were 12.5% - these are chances to win 3 games in a row, chances to win a series being down 0-3, is 6.25% .

1.8% is not chances, it is how many comebacks have happen so far.

Everything else is absolutely correct.

GO WINGS!!

Edited May 12, 2011 by ami

[Chris Avram 18]

No, chances were 12.5% - these are chances to win 3 games in a row, chances to win a series being down 0-3, is 6.25% .

1.8% is not chances, it is how many comebacks have happen so far.

Everything else is absolutely correct.

GO WINGS!!

[Taylorov 37]

The St. Louis and Colorado game 7 wins are greatness personified. Especially the Yzerman/OT winner. I get the chills everytime I see it and remember it like yesterday. I remember the Colorado game too, where we watched, who was there, etc. We were stabbing the Patty Wah voodoo dolls like crazy! They are memories I will never forget.

And it's really awesome that the Wings have a chance to do that again tonight. And hopefully if they win, we can look back in a few years on tonights game and have witnessed some more history and heroes.

GO WINGS!!!!!

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

Wings win 2 or 3 to 1.

[ACallToArms 270]

History will be made. LGW

[Nightfall 871]

I think we need Quint!

http://player.vimeo.com/video/6780820?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0

Edited May 12, 2011 by Nightfall

[Barrie 900]

I'm waiting for Niemi to crack. He was the only Shark who showed up in Game 6, and seeing some of the Sharks "deer in the headlights" looks after the Wings won again, I'm expecting the same. 5-1 Wings.

I have a baseball practice tonight before the game, it'll help kill time before the puck drops.

[kylee 727]

I'm waiting for Niemi to crack. He was the only Shark who showed up in Game 6, and seeing some of the Sharks "deer in the headlights" looks after the Wings won again, I'm expecting the same. 5-1 Wings.

I have a baseball practice tonight before the game, it'll help kill time before the puck drops.

i was just thinking how Niemi has been their best player in the series. Who knows, maybe the Wings finally get to him big time and blow this game open, but I wont be surprised at all to (hopefully) see the Wings win it 2-1, even if the Sharks lose, Niemi was never their problem.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

About like this currently. The clock is in slow motion, it's driving me nuts. Then to think after I am done with work it's yet another 3 hours til puck drop!!!! We have a loooong night ahead of us, folks. Let's just bask in this day and hope the night has plenty of cheers and beverages to throw back. Emotions are all over the place right now.

[wingnut40 176]

This just so happened to be my Bible verse of the day: "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." - Hebrews 10: 35-36

[MGreenberg 105]

About like this currently. The clock is in slow motion, it's driving me nuts. Then to think after I am done with work it's yet another 3 hours til puck drop!!!! We have a loooong night ahead of us, folks. Let's just bask in this day and hope the night has plenty of cheers and beverages to throw back. Emotions are all over the place right now.

Yeah, I was just going to post something similar. Is this like the movie Inception because an hour feels like a full day right now..

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Yeah, I was just going to post something similar. Is this like the movie Inception because an hour feels like a full day right now..

Yeah, I need like a totem or some s***. Whatever they called that thing to make me feel like it's reality

That movie was deeeeeep.

Molson's on Tuesday night, Molson's again tonight. LETS DOOOO IT!

[mmorland 16]

Glad to see this board rockin' already!