Morning Skate: Finish on a High Note
by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 31, 2010 5:01 AM CST
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PrintGood morning, fellow Winging It In Motowners and out-of-towners alike. Tonight, the Red Wings welcome the New York Islanders to the Joe to finish out the calendar year. Detroit has an opportunity to start 2011 atop the league standings in points and in points-per-game percentage. To do so, they'll need to avoid overlooking the Islanders, who sit six points above the league cellar and have exactly half the points of Detroit.
Don't let that fool you though, The Isles are 5-4-1 in their last ten and are coming off a hard-fought shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins where they snapped Sidney Crosby's consecutive-games scoring streak just shy of one billion games. John Tavares leads the Islanders in points with 21 and with minuses at -17 since fan-favorite sign language interpreter James Wisniewski was traded to Montreal. For reference, there are eight Red Wings with as many or more points than the Isles leading scorer; two of them are defensemen.
Lighthouse Hockey is your SB Nation source for Islanders news. Chris Botta is not.
More junk after the jump.
Awaiting confirmation, but I think Jimmy Howard gets the start again. It'll be a chance for him to build off his burgeoning offensive numbers after he got an assist on Eaves' empty-netter Wednesday.
- Patrick Eaves' hat trick prompted me to write an apology for ever doubting his skills. Hopefully he can build off of his momentum, as the depth scoring during injuries has been crucial to the Wings' recent three-game win streak. [UPDATE: Fox Sports Detroit's Trevor Thompson reports on Twitter that Eaves is out of the lineup with an upper body injury. Tomas Tatar has been called up and will take Eaves' place in the lineup.]
- Have I mentioned that the Islanders are terrible? I mean, it's just piling on at this point. I know I'm setting myself up for heartbreak here, but it should be an embarrassing thought to the Wings to lose this game. Hopefully they won't fall into the trap of relying too much on skill and not enough on work ethic because you know the boys from Long Island are going to be working their asses off to prove they can skate with the Red Wings.
- Reminder, Casey, Graham, and I are all out doing secretive classy stuff, so we're not around for the game thread. Recap and CSSI will be late and likely full of spelling errors (par for the course for me).
- Score Prediction: 5-1 Detroit. The Wings somehow overcome all of the things working against them, including: first game back from a road trip, trap game against terrible Eastern Conference team, and injuries.
- Player of the Game Prediction: Henrik Zetterberg has been really good. He pots 2 and assists on another.
- Have a happy New Year everybody! If you're going to be out of the house, be safe. Take a cab home if you need to. Heck, share it with somebody if you need to. Just remember to carry exact change.
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Predictions:
6-2 Wings, Hudler player of the game, Me blackout drunk by the end of the game trying to convince everyone at the party i’m at to plat Wii bowling
Blatant Twitter Promotion, rarely updated, occasionally funny
Win
Drunk Wii bowling at a party is fun as hell…One of the best new years parties I have ever been too (and one I don’t remember) involved a bunch of people playing Wii bowling drunk…good times
by HockeyGuy9125 on Dec 31, 2010 10:09 AM CST up reply actions
Which kind of Wii bowling?
The regular one of the 100 pin one? Because we’re actually having a tournament at the ultra-classy get-together I will be attending. The only stipulation is that each spare or strike results in the partaking of an adult beverage of some kind.
If I make it to midnight still standing, i will consider this evening a major win.
thats a great idea
I may have to bring that up at the soiree I am attending. My liver is giving me the finger as a type.
Blatant Twitter Promotion, rarely updated, occasionally funny
by rock n rye on Dec 31, 2010 2:17 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
we used both...
but it was a debacle…
Those who were playing drank based on the difference in pins each frame…tie in a frame would result in a x2 the difference next frame…and so on
Those not playing at a time would drink based on bets on the two players currently playing….
debacle, night ended before midnight lol
by HockeyGuy9125 on Dec 31, 2010 3:29 PM CST up reply actions
Isles vs Wings on 12-31-10
Oh what a way to close out the year!!! Like the write up for tonight’s match-up. Glad you’re thinking not to take the young, green, Islanders too lightly.
If the same team that showed up to play the Penguins on Wednesday shows up at the Joe tonight, then yes… the Wings may have a little trouble.
Just invoking the hockey gods for a Matt Moulson goal to break his drought and also that no one ends up on IR tomorrow morning.
www.hockeybuzz.com Islanders Coverage
From the press box to the locker room to my kitchen
If the same team that showed up to play the Penguins on Wednesday shows up at the Joe tonight, then yes… the Wings may have a little trouble.
That’s exactly what I’m worried about. There’s a bit of solace in knowing that the Islanders had a bit easier time gameplanning for the Penguins, as accounts of the game read that Pittsburgh’s entire offensive plan after the 2nd period was “get the puck to Crosby so he can keep the streak going” and that the Islanders knew that and collapsed on him, but I’ve seen parts of only 2 Isles games this year and I’ve seen them working hard each time.
No matter how big the talent difference gets, it’s never so large to allow a team to float by without taking a team seriously.
by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 31, 2010 9:16 AM CST up reply actions
yep this game has all the makings of a let down game
coming off 4 game road trip…big time emotional win Monday…big time thumping of the Stars wednesday now back home…I hope i am wrong and they remember last year’s 6-0 beat down(i was there so i def want revenge)
LETS GO RED WINGS!
2011 will be the year....better be....
Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."
by TuLoRocks2008 on Dec 31, 2010 3:12 PM CST up reply actions
4-1 Wings Howard PotG
A tenacious Islander team is held at bay by the heroics of Jimmy.
by loojay on Dec 31, 2010 9:32 AM CST via mobile reply actions
revenge for that 6-0 game
no let down tonight guys
5-2 Wings POTG Flip
LETS GO RED WINGS!
2011 will be the year....better be....
Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."
5-1 Wings, Huds POG
First off, Happy New Year to all of you, hopefully it comes with a lot of good health, a lot of happiness, and a Stanley Cup
Hudler is heating up and I will take the hot hand as my player of the game. However tonight will be tough to pick a POG since the Wings will blast the Islanders in all aspects tonight, and many players will have a very good game tonight.
Happy new year to all
I will not be present tonight….hope everybody has a great and safe one!
LETS GO RED WINGS!
2011 will be the year....better be....
Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."
UPDATE
Trevor Thompson on Twitter says no Patrick Eaves due to an “upper body injury”
by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 31, 2010 10:28 AM CST reply actions
UPDATE PART 2
Tomas Tatar is in the lineup in Eaves’ place.
by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 31, 2010 10:33 AM CST up reply actions
Haha, I love how all of a sudden, everyone is picking Hudler..
after all the hate not a week ago.. lol.. anyway, I’m saying 6-1 with Franzen pulling a lot of extra weight.
by kylegroombridge on Dec 31, 2010 11:05 AM CST reply actions
3-0, Detroit
PotG: Howard. Weird, I know. But considering this is a trap game, and the Wings always seem to play down to their lowliest opponents, and since injuries seem to be aplenty…well, I think this is time for Howard to step up and get a win for Detroit to close out 2010.
5-2 Wings, Zetterberg
Yes, the Islanders worked hard against the Pens. But younger teams also have a tendency to seize up after a big win. The Wings will control and move the puck. A defensive zone breakdown will lead to one Isles’ goal; Tavares will also convert one of the 6000 odd-man rushes the Wings give up on a nightly basis.
Happy New Year, everyone. For me, midnight is just a formality on the march to the Rose Bowl game. Hopefully a Wings victory can help calm my nerves.
Ban Devorskis from officiating Wings games.
2010 Big Ten Champs- On Wisconsin!
by Mardiros Efendi on Dec 31, 2010 12:15 PM CST reply actions
Take a cab home if you need to. Heck, share it with somebody if you need to. Just remember to carry exact change.
zing!
No Limits.
zing zing zinggggg
20 cent mwahhahah
LETS GO RED WINGS!
2011 will be the year....better be....
Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."
by TuLoRocks2008 on Dec 31, 2010 1:43 PM CST up reply actions
6-0 Red Wings, Tatar
if the Islanders are basically the equivalent of an AHL team, Tatar should tear right through them, right? no pressure for his NHL debut. none at all.
sucks that eaves is injured but i reallllly wanna see tatar so all good!
Wings win a surprisingly close one – 3-1 POTG Bertuzzi ( maybe gets his 2nd goal via empty net)
Happy New yEarS All!
"A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day." ~ Calvin (C & H)
4-2 Wings - Franzen
Greetings from unseasonably warm Canada where the BJ’s beat the Leafs last night and I read 5 articles this morning about how bad the Leafs are (hee hee). It’s good to be home.
I think the Wings will want to finish the year strong, but the Isles will come out with some fire against one of the top teams in the league. These youngsters only get the chance to play a team like the Wings once a year, and they’ll want to put on a good show to end the year on a positive note. I won’t be able to see the game, but I’ll be checking in.
A Happy New Year to everyone, and I echo what J.J. said earlier about being safe.
Take a cab home if you need to. Heck, share it with somebody if you need to. Just remember to carry exact change.
I see what you did there.
Haha, I love watching the Leafs lose..
Here in southwestern ontario, 90% of my city are leafs fans.. and they’re so annoying.. so I watch every chance I get to see them lose on tsn or leafs TV, haha, tis fun ;)
by kylegroombridge on Dec 31, 2010 1:58 PM CST reply actions
4-1 Wings, Bert
Wings win and Big Bert has a big game….
Sucks about Eaves, espcially when he’s playing so well…sounds like something from Dallas game from his quote…
by wingsluver4ever on Dec 31, 2010 2:18 PM CST reply actions
everytime is see Tatar's name
Sling Blade pops into my head
Mmmmmmm…Tatars
Blatant Twitter Promotion, rarely updated, occasionally funny
by rock n rye on Dec 31, 2010 2:20 PM CST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
* I see
I may or may not have already started drinking
Blatant Twitter Promotion, rarely updated, occasionally funny
by rock n rye on Dec 31, 2010 2:22 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
IIIII'MMMMM BACKKKK!!
Major props to Apple for giving me a new charger FOR FREE.
Last year I went to the NYE game and it was awesome before I went out and celebrated NYE and the wings win.
I will be watching some of tonight’s game before I head out to the little party I have been invited to. God bless rich people and their private soirees with an open bar.
Also, no game prediction for me. The past three games I wasn’t able to predict and the wings won, so I’m going with that.
Happy New Years everyone!! Be safe and have fun!!!
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