Epic Fail: Coyotes 5-Wings 4 OT

by Casey Richey on Jan 26, 2010 9:56 PM CST in Game Recaps Comment 30 comments

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Another two goal lead lost by the Wings and another point lost to a Western Conference team.

I'm taking the cheap, less anger inducing way of recapping the goals:

Detroit 1-0: Old fashioned great passing from Henrik Zetterberg to Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk roofs the shot to Ilya Bryzgalov's glove side. Sweet play.
Tie 1-1: Scottie Upshall dives to put a rebound past Jimmy Howard on the power play to tie the game.
Phoenix 2-1: Radim Vrbata finds Keith Yandle streaking to the net and the shot was too easy for Yandle to miss.
Tie 2-2: 11 seconds later, Patrick Eaves puts the puck in the net for the Wings to relieve the heartache...for now.
Detroit 3-2: Nick Lidstrom takes the puck from the blue line, skates low and backhands a shot past Bryzgalov
Detroit 4-2: Lidstrom gets a slick pass from Todd Bertuzzi and fires into the empty net on the power play. All is well it would seem.
Detroit 4-3: Keith Yandle drives one from the point past Howard on the power play.
Tie 4-4: Pulled goalie and Ed Jovanovski slams the puck home right in front of the crease while all 3 defenders and goalie for Detroit are looking the wrong way. Un-freaking-believable.
Phoenix wins 5-4: Shane Doan scores in OT past a diving Jimmy Howard, caps Coyotes comeback.

The Good

Lidstrom looked really solid offensively tonight. Even on plays when he didn't score, he had his head up and was making smart plays with the puck as usual.
It was good to see the Zetterberg/Datsyuk combo score. Great pass from Hank to Pavel and a good finish by Pav. Top shelf is necessary on a goalie sliding across the ice taking away the lower part.
Patrick Eaves nets another. Get that contract ready, Kenny.
Powe rplay was alright. 1 for 3. The two non-goal producing advantages were slim in chances.

The Bad

Everything in the last 4 minutes. And I mean nearly everything. Can anyone tell me what happened on the tying goal at the end of the game? Four Wings (including Howard) were in the vicinity of the crease and they all watched the wrong thing. It seemed only Jovo knew where the puck was.
The PK was atrocious. Two goals and they weren't even quality goals. Bad defense on the first one allowing Upshall to just hang out at the net and then bad defense again by allowing Yandle to fire away from the point without a man in front of the shot.
NEVER GET A TWO GOAL LEAD AGAIN. This time, there was very little time to get complacent and it wasn't exactly complacency that killed the Wings bid for the win tonight. Just bad defense and an inability to hold off a team when the game is on the line. Does not bode well down the stretch.
Gotta feel for Brad Stuart. A -3 rating from a guy that has been solid all year long with the exception of this game and the one bad turnover against the Islanders. I find it odd how people are so quick to jump on Stuart when he falters but hardly ever praise him when he plays well. To quote commenter Baroque:
"It just sucks the chrome off a trailer hitch that he had to have such a colossally bad game tonight."
I can't really express my frustration right now so that's all I got folks. Don't expect a morning skate post with such a quick turnaround.

Player of the game: Nicklas Lidstrom, no doubt. 2 goals, 26 minutes of ice time.

Feel free to vent below...

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Comments

embarrassing. enough said

by dhall25 on Jan 26, 2010 10:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

well put

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jan 26, 2010 10:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

fml yet again

if Calgary didnt suck so much I would be more pissed

by GOLDIGGAH on Jan 27, 2010 2:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah thank god for Calgary

out of all teams falling flat on there face…or else we would be on outside looking in still

TULO = 2010 MVP!

LETS GO WINGS!

by TuLoRocks2008 on Jan 27, 2010 3:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

hahaha i put a lot of thought into that one...

but for real. usually when fans always say “red wings suck” id just say look at the standings. yeah sucks not being able to do that anymore….unless they are an oilers fan

by dhall25 on Jan 26, 2010 10:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

This season when other teams’ fans say “the Red Wings suck”, they are correct.

by bleep bloop on Jan 26, 2010 10:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

no kidding. it sucks though

i think this team just need a streak and we will pick things up. get some confidence. i was honestly not surprised we gave up those two goals with the way they have been playing.

as much as i like howard right now, i still think he needs some work. with the season coming to an end we need that goaltending experience that osgood gives. and im not trying to take anything away from howard.

by dhall25 on Jan 26, 2010 11:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

not a surprise

Say the same thing day after day for ten years like a mentally disabled parrot and eventually the statement will coincide with reality.

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Jan 27, 2010 3:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think we'll be fine when Franzen comes back

If we’re still struggling when he comes back, hide the women and children, no degree of profanity ban will be able to hold everyone’s frustration if we can’t mount a playoff run.

by Elfuego51 on Jan 26, 2010 11:10 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He won't be nearly 100% though.

Although Franzen at 80% is better than a lot of players at 100%.

//heavy sigh

Every team loses focus at times, it just seems that every time the Wings lose focus it kills them. They never seem to have a near miss, recover, and then get back on their previous path.

And of course it had to be Shane Doan. How he got so open in overtime I have no idea. :(

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Jan 27, 2010 3:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Quick to fault Stuart? I think not.

•Tie 1-1: Stuart’s fault for not tying up Upshall by falling on his face.
•Phoenix 2-1: Again Stuart fails to play D and let the pass get thru the front of the net.
•Detroit 4-3: Stuart tried to do a blocker save instead of clearing the front of the net and letting the real goalie make a save.
•Tie 4-4: Draper wins the faceoff cleanly and Stuart had time to make a decent play but instead he blindly tosses a weak backhand up the boards that was easily picked off.
•Phoenix wins 5-4: Stuart fails to tie up his guy who got the puck to Doan.

Hmmm…Stuart on ice for all 5 goals? Yes, he’s only a -3 tonight but that’s only b/c one was from PP and one was from OT 4v4. Just one bad night you say? I believe he also had just one bad night in Game 7 of the finals last year when he coughed up the puck that led to Talbot’s first goal and was on ice for the 2nd one as well. He cost the Wings big then and he cost them big again tonight. I credit all 5 goals by Pheonix to Stuart.

by BRADSTUARTBLOWS on Jan 27, 2010 2:07 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

READING COMPREHENSION

This game was Stuart’s festival of epic failure – that doesn’t mean most of the games this year he hasn’t been excellent, at times playing like the best defenseman on the team. Recognizing that this was a bad game doesn’t mean that it’s okay to dismiss all the many more good games he has had this season.

"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero

by Baroque on Jan 27, 2010 3:50 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You don't know hockey

Stuart has been the Wings best D this year. He and Howard are the only reason this team isn’t near Edmonton in the ratings.

by Kman23 on Jan 27, 2010 6:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What Baroque said. And nice name, real supportive of your team.

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jan 27, 2010 8:11 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously??

Did I discredit any of his previous good games in my post? I did not. Where’s your reading comprehension Baroque? I simply addressed 2 of his so called bad games and labeled them as very costly ones for the Red Wings. You can’t tell me that Stuart didn’t blow this game for the Wings. He might have saved the Wings in other games but that’s not what I was talking about at all. Why is it that Stuart can’t be blamed for this game simply because he had 51 other good games this season? Maybe he earned to be this bad for one night but it’s still his fault! I give him a pat on the back for all the other games but last nights performance and the puck he coughed up in the finals last year really stun.

by BRADSTUARTBLOWS on Jan 27, 2010 3:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

you blatantly put

“Just one bad night you say?”

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jan 27, 2010 3:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Simply to say there was more than one?

…and to stress the gravity of his other bad night during last year’s finals.

by BRADSTUARTBLOWS on Jan 27, 2010 3:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Your name speaks louder than your words.

That is all.

by bleep bloop on Jan 27, 2010 4:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

because "BradStuartblewittonightagainlikeingame7" was too long

On a serious note, I’ll admit the screen name is childish and I won’t be posting under it anymore… but man he made me so mad with is effort last night.

by BRADSTUARTBLOWS on Jan 27, 2010 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

so...what did you post under before?

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jan 27, 2010 4:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So just for fun

I know we’re all frustrated with this joke of a team right now, but in order for us to all avoid a collective heart attack which is no good for anyone, lets all just watch this video and close our eyes, and remember what it was like when we not only had leads, but built on them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG-ooNcV-E4

I still think it might get better, but you know with every body we get back, we seem to get even worse. The great chemistry is getting affected here I think, and it’s going to take some time to get back to a cohesive unit, if at all.

It’s tough, but I guess I have to face the music. There just might not be any “Don’t Stop Believin’” playing through the Joe’s rafters come late April if this mess keeps up.

That’s just my two cents.

by eight_legged_freaks on Jan 27, 2010 6:53 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

almost brought a tear to my eye

i miss those days.

by dhall25 on Jan 27, 2010 1:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If someone told us

that’d after that turd of a game against LA, against Phoenix we’d completely fall apart and lose in OT when we were up 4-2 with 1:40 left……we would have laughed at that cruel, inhumane, disgusting, vomit-inducing, underwear filling, nightmare of a joke.

You almost have to try and top the steaming dung pile that was the LA game in order to follow it up with the game last night. So, do you think we can top last night by choking on a 3 goal lead with under a minute to play? The truly sad thing is that we can’t rule that out as a possibility…

Nonetheless, I will be watching. And I will watch this team continue to blast holes in a sinking ship if that’s all we get from here on out. Because at the end of the day, the reason it hurts so much is because this is our team, these are our boys, and dammit it’s just not right to see the Cup lifted above the heads of any other jersey but the Winged Wheel.

by Brobz on Jan 27, 2010 8:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Amen.

by eight_legged_freaks on Jan 27, 2010 8:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Amen...

by bond021 on Jan 27, 2010 8:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I have to hope . . .

After last nights not unexpected collapse I spent the rest of the night ready to throw things, but after time to reflect, I really want to believe that team defense requires the most chemistry and all of the players coming back need a couple games together to get back into the two-way responsible defense team we all knew and loved.

by pkuszmaul on Jan 27, 2010 8:56 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I hear ya

I realized after….one of the poo fests over the past month or so… that I really just need to sit as far away from the remote control as possible. Even during DVR games. I just let it play most times.

by 42jeff on Jan 27, 2010 10:17 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

All my fault

I was so over confident that I would be seeing another amazing post season with the boys that I went ahead and bought the NHL Center Ice package. I hope my Wings will make it there, despite my cockiness. I also paid a psychic who told me there must be some type of Gypsy curse but had no idea how to lift it.

by KBKen on Jan 27, 2010 9:37 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

FU Comcast

Even though i pay extra to watch all hockey channels every once in a while a game airs on VS and I get screwed. Comcast owns VS and is asking a ridiculous price for Direct TV to air it. I’m actually happy I didn’t get to see last nights debacle because I might have broken some furnture, but I’m a little scared about the playoffs (assuming the Wings make the playoffs) because lots of playoff games were on VS last year. So seriously, FU Comcast. Shove it up ur @$$.

by pzar11 on Jan 27, 2010 11:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs