Morning Skate: RELEASE THE KRAKEN

First, Jimmy needs to have a great game. If he makes 50 saves and the Wings lose 1-0 because Bryzgalov was a little better, I can take that. But he can not allow the type of goal like the 4th one on Sunday. That was a momentum changer.

Second, every single player on the Wings needs to pass the puck better. I saw too many passes by the Wings go into the feet of the intended player, or get intercepted easily by the Coyotes. If there is no passing lane, dump it in and use speed to retrieve it.

Tonight needs to be a total team effort. Anything less and they will be facing elimination going back to hand-jobing.com arena.

For the record Franzen scored in game 3 not game 2. It was a nice shot though. I agree he needs to be better out there. The Wings need to start getting point shots from the middle of the ice in order to make Holmstrom effective out there. He has done little else of value in this series. Sure seems like Datsyuk is getting the short end of the stick here between Franzen and Holmstrom. I see Babs changing the lines up like he did in game 3. He needs some linemates that will dig the puck out of the corner.

I’m feeling hopeful about today’s game. First there was game 1 where the PP and PK sucked. Everyone said, “there is no way that the PK blows 3/4 kills again,” and it was was corrected in game 2. To some degree they did well in game 3 (even with the rest of the suckage that occurred).

Game 2 and especially 3 had really nasty defensive play, which is highlighed best by TPH’s -3 in game 3. Anyone thing he’s going to go -3 again? I have a feeling the defense will be much better in this game.

Also, I’m hopefully that Franzen’s snipe is a preview of things to come.

The two teams that I thought would give Detroit the biggest fits were Phoenix and LA, and possibly Colorado. The three are very young and fast. They play an up tempo, exuberant style of hockey that Detroit has always had a problem with. It goes back to 2006, when the Wings just plain dominated the league during the regular season, but had to play the one team they didn’t match up with at all… the speedy Oilers. It also helps that these teams, especially Phoenix and Colorado, have outstanding goaltending which bales them out when they don’t play as well defensively. Detroit matches up well against teams like San Jose because they play the game just like Detroit. They play a controlled, systematic game that thrives on their skill rather than intensity. That’s why Detroit and San Jose are both behind in their series’. They haven’t matched the intensity level. Match the intensity, and your skill will take over. But without the intensity, Phoenix will continue to light up the Wings.

How about releasing the Raging Bull that was Bertuzzi in Vancouver! The guy should be wearing a skirt, based on his physical play in this series. The funny this is, I was reading an article just a few days ago about the harrdest hitters in the NHL, written a couple years ago. Kronwall was ranked 4th, and Bertuzzi was ranked 5th. You wouldn’t guess it if you saw them in this series. Of coarse, Babcock has a reputation of turning Hockey players into ballerinas, so I guess it’s no surprise.

Doan is Day-to-Day with an “upper body injury” and will be out tonight.

Vernon Fiddler will return after missing game 3.

Freep Story

…has it taken us this long to whip out a Kraken reference here? Genius.

I’m attempting to hold off on the “what if Tiberius lays an egg in the first” thinking, but it’s not easy. The skeptic in me can’t help but wonder what happens if he goes out there, sucks and we throw Ozzie in. I want to think that Ozzie could save the day like he has before, but realistically, I don’t think he has it in him this year. Hasn’t played enough games. In the past, he played enough to feel at least like a co-starter’lite, which made it easier for him to slide into that position (that’s what she said). This year he’s clearly the beaten stepchild.