Wait, DON'T let them score on the power play? Got it.

In the very first game, honestly. I don’t hate Williams any more than you can hate vanilla – it’s just kind of there all the time – but I just like Abdelkader better because I think he can be more effective within the minutes that would be available for either him or Williams.

Is that big skilled power forwards are extremely rare and thus very much in demand, and aren’t normally available for any team drafting out of the first 5-10 spots – plus they take a while to develop, so even if he did draft one it would be a few years before he could contribute. And that is assuming no injuries, setbacks in development, or that he wasn’t traded for a more immediate need. I can’t fault him for that.

Rick Nash alone doesn’t do squat, and the team around him would be expensive, too expensive under a cap system.

They are trying to fulfill all the same functions of the classic power forward with multiple players, and that gives them more flexibility, which is needed with a salary cap.

See, this kind of conspiracy theory crap is why people hate Wings fans. Do you honestly think the league commissioner called down to the ice somehow and told the officials not to call something?

Referees, umpires etc. miss calls all the time. This doesn’t mean they’re being malicious. They’re human. It’s part of the game. It sucks, but oh well.

it was coming. it’s just convenient for us fans. last year it was buttman’s pens, this year it’s buttman’s yotes. we get so into it sometimes we feel the need to place blame on SOMEONE or else our heads will explode, so who better? at least thats what i like to believe :) BS calls happen, and no calls happen. what can ya do about it?

The worst part of the second goal is that noone, and i mean noone, was even close enough to contest Wolski’s shot.

you cant play by the rules and still beat the wings, duh! well, usually, if we’re on our game. shit happens. i am still confident. howard is strong. no goals that werent on a power play, i think we’ll be fine in this series. i like this matchup. it’s not overbearing, but it’s not a cakewalk either.

I thought the interference was pretty obvious but since no mention was made by even the Versus announcers I assumed I was being extra-sensitive. But in watching replays it’s pretty clear Doan’s interference is what makes possible Morris’ entirely uncontested shot. I don’t see how that’s not immediately called back and a minor penalty issued on Doan. But what can you do. Bad calls didn’t lose this game for us, albeit they didn’t help us get back in the game. Ultimately, a seemingly lethargic, timid, or something team is what lost the game. If this Wings team shows up tomorrow they hardly need to play to know the outcome of the game.

29 minutes last night. 29. more than anyone on either team, even more than Lidstrom.

But yes Rafalski was tired by the third and it showed with some bad passes and turnovers. He’ll get straightened out i’m sure and start to play better if they give him more reasonable ice time.

on the PK (if not better to be honest) since Maltby went on IR. I think it was just more of a case of Phoenix having a good night and the Wings having a bad one.

As for Babcock, I wouldn’t call it treating them second class citizens. They’re at the point in their careers where they know their roles are going to be diminished and it just happens that we have guys that can play better than them at this moment in time.