Morning Skate: Classy like Kings
by Casey Richey on Dec 4, 2010 10:55 AM CST
in Game Preview
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PrintDetroit's won the first two games of its California trip against San Jose and Anaheim in convincing fashion. Tonight they head to Los Angeles to close out the trip and try to earn all six points on the West Coast. The Wings could make a statement by sweeping this trip but they'll have a question mark in net as Chris Osgood hasn't played in a long time. Will the Detroit defense be solid in front of him and make it easier on his return or will the Kings try to capitalize on that early?
IMPORTANT!!
Hey folks, so we've got a bit of a new format that we're going to try out for our little prediction contest. It gets a little difficult to track all of the predictions throughout the day with all of our schedules so we're going to try something a bit new out after the jump to make things easier. Don't forget to vote on it either.
New format and game preview after the jump.
- Chris Osgood will start for Detroit tonight. This is Osgood's first start since waaaaaaaay back on October 30, a 5-2 win over Nashville. This will be only the fifth start of the year for Osgood. The biggest key tonight will be how he plays. If he's rusty (which he probably will be) early and the Wings get inundated with shots, they could be battling tough all game. What do you guys think? Will he be strong or very rusty in his first start in over a month?
- The Kings started out on fire going 11-3-0 and were quickly at the top of everyone's hot to trot list (yeah, I said hot-to-trot. big woop, wanna fight about it?). But since then, the Kings have dropped 7 of their last 9 contests and have won over the lowly Panthers and a shootout win over the Bruins. Most of these games have been pretty close but they're still losses. Does a different team show up to play Detroit tonight?
- Go vote for the Curly
- The Kings are lead offensively by a triumvirate of players: Justin Williams, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown--all three have 9 goals. After that, the Kings' scoring depth at forward drops off quite a bit.
- The Kings have a pretty solid young tandem of goaltenders in Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier. Quick has a 1.92 GAA in a 12-5-0 record. Bernier's record and GAA are a little lower but he's got a lot of future potential and some actually believe he'll surpass Quick at some point.
- Don't look now but the Wings are leading the NHL in goals per game with 3.57. The Kings are 19th with 2.62. How pleased have you been with Detroit's offense to this point?
- Who loves Dan Cleary? Raise your hand. Cleary had 10 goals in the month of November and started December right by scoring last night.
- Player of the Game prediction: Submit below, I'm commenting with mine below
- Score Prediction: Same as above
New format for the predictions contest.
Below you will find a google form. In the google form, fill in your SB Nation username and your two predictions. Of course, you can still comment with them below and we encourage you to do so because you can get an idea of how other people are feeling about the game as well. You can't change your result once you submit it the first time but you can always submit it again and make a note in the player or score box. Of course, we're able to tell when you submit so there's no way to cheat.
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Comments
Submitted mine
4-2 Wings, Bertuzzi as PoG.
I think the defense is going to be extra motivated to help out Ozzie and that he’ll keep them to only two goals. Game will be closer than the score though, as we get an empty-netter to shut it down.
by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 4, 2010 10:59 AM CST reply actions
4-3 Los Angeles, Lidstrom POG
Random Ramblings from a Somewhat Scattered Mind
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
submitted mine
4-3 kings in shootout
Helmer POG 1 goal 1 assist
Go Wings!….hopefully Osgood doesn’t play horribly and we find a way to at least get a point…all in all this trip has been a success we beat the Sharks and the Ducks who i really hate both of them pretty equally…i don’t have any issues with the Kings so if we were to lose a game on this trip I am glad it would be this 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."
4-2 Los Angeles, Cleary POG
Back to back games, Osgood and Draper in the lineup for the first time in forever….I just do not have a good feeling about this game, and there are going to be some losses eventually…
3-1 Wings
And just to give myself a name for PoG to make people think I’m insane, Osgood returns to the ice in heroic fashion and carries the wings to victory on a hard fought night in LA.
The time for reckoning has come, and we already have the answer
5-2 Detroit, Datsyuk as PotG
I hope Osgood and Drapes show up to play tonight. I’ll be at the game cheering them on! Go Wings!
by Damenace on Dec 4, 2010 11:33 AM CST via mobile reply actions
4-3 Wings, POG Ozzie
Ozzie has a lot a stake besides “the old mask, the old playing style, and Wings’ fans old belief that he’s somehow a decent NHL-level goaltender” (ala Lambert if any of you haven’t seen it by now). This will like a playoff game to him…and we all know what kind of playoff goalie he is.
by wingsluver4ever on Dec 4, 2010 11:40 AM CST reply actions
3-1 Detroit
I forgot as i was making up my score that ozzie was in goal. I hope he does well, but i picked filppula for the player of the game. He’s going to get it at some point.
exactly...
whatever works better for you guys. it makes no difference to me
by HockeyGuy9125 on Dec 4, 2010 12:26 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Daddy like...
…now if I could just get one of the damned game predictions correct.
by LeftWingLocked on Dec 4, 2010 12:39 PM CST up reply actions
good stuff
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 4, 2010 12:39 PM CST up reply actions
Works for me, especially if you'll actually be able to track them easily!
I liked the score example in parentheses…99-0, Detroit…yes.
that was the bump from FSD talking about it...
a bunch of non-blog reading people who had no knowledge of what was going on probably voted for curly fries…
by HockeyGuy9125 on Dec 4, 2010 12:28 PM CST up reply actions
lmao
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 4, 2010 12:50 PM CST up reply actions
Submitted 4-3, Detroit
Go into the 3rd trailing 3-2, but tie it up and win in 3rd and/or OT, with some Datsyukian magic.
Forgot to mention
Ozzie will prolly start off shaky, I wager at least one bad goal and maybe an early 1-0 or even 2-0 hole in the game. But these Wings can score and score at will when they need to, and unless they’re really hungover from yesterday’s game (doubtful since it appeared the Wings didn’t expend too much energy after the 1st period)
5-3 Detroit
Z for your PotG. LA is going to come out flying and get after Ozzie quickly, but the Eurotwins are going to laugh and then bury them under 4 goals. Cleary’ll get the fifth.
Think about how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are even stupider! --George Carlin
4-2, Kings, Abdelkader
yes, i remembered to submit on the Google doc.
i dont think this’ll be on Osgood. I think the first period from Anaheim Detroit team will show up . . . for the whole game. the Kings won against the Panthers in come-from-behind fashion, so i think that might have some help on their confidence.
btw: the Kings are PERFECT on the PK at home this year. something like 42 of 42.
3-2 Wings
I’ve got Datsyuk as the PotG. Didn’t get a chance to see the game last night. Basically, that means that whenever the Wings play the Ducks and I don’t watch the game, the Wings will win 4-0 (missed opening night as well).
sigh..
i don’t like the roster rotation game. Draper does need to get in, but taking someone out just stinks.
~On a side note, tonights tire is done. It is probably the weakest of the 3 California teams, but still quality. It’s like the kings are so bland you know? Probably the one team that we really have nothing against.
Yeah, I have a hard time working up a hate for the Kings.
I have a hard time working up an anything for the Kings, really.
by J.J. from Kansas on Dec 4, 2010 5:56 PM CST up reply actions
you have a hard time?
try living in LA in the middle of their rebuild and starting to like their star players (i own a Kopitar shirt and a third jersey Doughty sweater)
I like Kopitar and Doughty too
I hope Detroit manages to win, but just because they need the points, not because I hate Los Angeles.
Random Ramblings from a Somewhat Scattered Mind
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Now you are talking my language
I have a Bouwmeester game used and signed jersey, a Chelios signed jersey, a Iggy signed jersey, a Lidstrom signed jersey,and (the piece de resistance) a Stevie Y signed jersey.
Last year the Hawks lost 8 at home, all year
This year, they already have 8 home losses. No repeat. Not another Cup for another 49 years.
It’s the Wings time!
3-2, Detroit
I picked Dats as PotG. I expect the kings to put up a fight, but Dats will work some magic for the win.
3-1 Detroit
Drew Miller will have another solid game with 1G and 1A and the wings will win in Ozzie’s return.
3-1 Detroit
POTG is going to be Zetterberg. I’m thinking 1 G 1 A. Ozzie will most certainly let in the first crapper then the D is going to bail him out. Z’s goal will come on the PP, were due. Helm will get an EN goal at the end. I love Buckets. the guy is on pace for like 40 goals which probably wont happen but he and the offense have been great this year. Just imagine what it would be like if Hudler and Franzen were going strong all season and Mo was still in the line up(i have a really bad feeling about his injury). They would be insanely crazy good. The Big Rig, E2.0 has been a pleasant surprise.
GO WINGS!!
5-2 Bertuzzi
Big bert will have a goal and 2 assists.
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