Wings Celebrate Lidstrom's 1500th Game with 1 Goal Against for Each of his Norris Trophies.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 8:56 PM CDT in Game Recaps

Well that game was awful. As if listening to Joe Beninati and Chewbacca's inbred cousin weren't bad enough on the night, the Red Wings played just about as awfully as a hockey team could perform. Now they get to take that embarrassment into Columbus on Tuesday and see if they can't take out the frustration caused by this game on a Blue Jacket's squad that is 0-for-8 on the season.

Let's try to get the silver linings out of the way early so I can just spend all of my bullets after the jump bitching:

So... regardless of the outcome, 1,500 games for Lidstrom is damned impressive. On top of that, Lidstrom actually had a decent game.

We no longer have to worry about people saying that Jonathan Ericsson's plus/minus is scary.

At least that game is now over.

Ok, now let's get to the rest of it.

Ty Conklin played awfully. That's a .720 saves percentage. His defense played pretty terribly in front of him, but the Caps' fourth goal was weak and it was horribly deflating. Nobody was doing his job right to that point. In the same way a big save can turn momentum, weakly crapping the puck to Mathieu Perreault to tap it in can do the same. The Wings were knocking pretty heavily on the door to that point and there was a feeling that a lucky break could have made the game go differently. Well, the lucky break was the Caps' fourth goal and they just piled it on from there.
I was looking forward to Fabian Brunnstrom's regular season debut. In a way, I still am. It's unfair to expect a fourth liner to set the tone for your club, but I don't think it's unfair to expect that he not suck. Really though, the entire Wings' fourth line struggled against the Capitals' bottom guys.
Players with 0 shots on goal for Detroit: Eaves, Brunnstrom, Franzen, Helm, Hudler.
Babcock is going to get flak for playing his starter on Friday against Columbus and going to his backup against the real contender. I don't think he made a mistake. Conklin should be able to win a game against whichever team he plays. The Wings had enough time off that they were playing job fair by Wednesday. For the head coach to tell the team that the first game back after such a long break against a division rival isn't important enough to put in your starter, it's the perfect recipe for falling into a trap game. The Caps were going to be dangerous regardless.
7 goals against in 5 games was very impressive. The good thing is that 14 goals against in 6 games is still pretty good. Let's just forget about this one. No player of the game in this one (also, to catch up, Franzen was the PoTG against Columbus).

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So, can we pencil you in for 6 more games next year?

by Flash in the Pan on Oct 22, 2011 9:01 PM CDT reply actions

definitely agree with the point about the goalies

after the Colorado game, i had full confidence in Conklin. after this game, i have less, but barring something else happening, i still believe he’s a capable backup.

You wanna tell me that to mah face?!
YET ANOTHER Detroit Red Wings blog.

by uvgt2bkdnme on Oct 22, 2011 9:03 PM CDT reply actions

Its ONE game

Unless this happens next time we shouldn’t worry.

Datsyukian Deke, Detroit Red Wings Blog
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by Detroitnr1 on Oct 22, 2011 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Totally disagree with the goalie point.

Do I think Jimmy wins this game? No. I also don’t think he lets in 7. I think Conks wins the Columbus game and Jimmy at least keeps us in this one. I am glad that Jimmy’s stats didn’t get savaged because of this game, though. Either way, bad effort tonight. No SOG for Helm, Franzen and Huds is inexcusable. Brunnstrom…whatever. Eaves may have just earned himself a spot in the Leino Lounge for a couple extra games. I know, in the grand season scheme a loss to the Caps really doesn’t matter…I just wish it wasn’t so embarrassing.

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 9:10 PM CDT reply actions

Also, Vokoun REALLY scares me on this Caps team.

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 9:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed. Vokoun is a hugely underrated goalie because of how poor the teams in front of him throughout his career has been. And I’m not being all “winning team gloating” because if Det signed him, we’d be saying the exact same thing. Since the lockout only Thomas has posted better numbers and Boston is, ya know, actually good at defense.

We’ll have to see how his half a dozen post season games carry though this spring. Least our two teams don’t have to face off early this year. (I’m still secretly yearning, though it most likely won’t happen, for the NHL to realign the SE into a super division with det wsh pit philly and tbl so we can have ~84 really awesome games to watch every season)

Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."

Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.

by breaklance on Oct 23, 2011 12:38 AM CDT up reply actions

If Howard isn’t going to win the game at all, then why do you want him playing?

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions

Good point.

Maybe I’m just mad with grief. Honestly, it’s a pride thing. Losing to a damn good team by 1? Well, we tried. Losing to a damn good team by SIX!?! It stings. I don’t know, I’m conflicted.

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Same, Its not that we lost it's how we lost!!

Datsyukian Deke, Detroit Red Wings Blog
Follow @cnsportsblogs

by Detroitnr1 on Oct 22, 2011 9:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I see your point though. It’s tough right now to look at this game and just not be furious all the way around.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 9:42 PM CDT up reply actions

It wasn't Conklin who failed to keep us in...

…it was our players.

1 goal in 2 periods with HOW MANY PP attempts? We had two 5 on 3’s. Both should have resulted in goals; only one did. Our 5 on 4 PP looked atrocious. Did you see their PP? Talk about fluid execution. Green put some beauties on net, and if you blame Conklin for those then I am speechless.

I turned the game off after the second period. Our team was clearly outplayed and no amount of goalie heroics was going to salvage that shipwreck.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree, with a caveat...

The fourth goal was a momentum killer. We looked great in the back half of the second, and then Conks let’s a dribbler through to end the period.

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 10:07 PM CDT up reply actions

I didn't see any momentum

When the Caps defended all those power players, the Wings had no momentum. Granted, Conklin’s weak goal to make it 4-1 didn’t help, but yeah, I didn’t see Wings momentum in that game past the halfway mark of the first.

Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised to see a 7-1 end score.

Back to the drawing board. Washington is real with V in net.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 10:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Outshooting your opponent 26-13 and going into your locker room down by two is a world apart from going into your locker room down by three off an incredibly deflating last-second goal thanks to your netminder being unable to stop an unscreened half-slapper from 60 feet.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

I disagree

that this game’s outcome is significantly different in a 3-1 and third situation. I’m not sure how 4-1 is a world apart from 3-1. Why? If the Wings were outshooting the Caps so badly in the first and second, then why are two more goals so much more achieveable than three?

Anyway, outshooting your opponents is not always a good indicator of scoring opportunities. The Wings have a bad tendency to put trash on net and rack up a high shot total in the process.

Do you think we had more or higher quality scoring chances on our 26 shots than the Caps did over their 13? I’m eager to read how much blame you put on Conklin for failing to stop Green’s one-timers as he freely cycled and shot time and time again on the PP.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 10:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Shot "time and time again"?

He had three shots on net, total.

For failing to stop those two Mike Green shots, I gave Conklin zero blame. I don’t like that he got beaten to the short side and low on the first one, but that’s a goal created by a cycle on the power play. The 2nd of Green’s goals was on a shot that Conklin didn’t have time to get over on.

Now if you want to talk about the two five-on-five goals that were scored through two periods, then we can discuss Conklin failing to challenge a shooter at an extreme angle after a very horrid Cory Emmerton turnover and then we get to talk about LETTING AN UNSCREENED 60-FOOT SHOT TRICKLE THROUGH HIM.

I’m not trying to place all the blame on Conklin here, but he fucked up pretty badly. If you don’t think a three-goal deficit is that much bigger of a deal than a two-goal deficit, then I welcome you to check the history of teams coming back from each. Being down by two is a challenge; being down by three is a death sentence Here’s some short-term history. The Wings have overcome a two-goal deficit this season. They have yet to overcome trailing by three.

Now instead of trying to put specious bullshit in my mouth, how about some good arguments of your own? I feel the Wings had about an equal number of good scoring chances. The difference is that Vokoun came up really big on one, Cleary came up pretty big for him on another and Detroit saw their chances of being able to fight through two periods of disappointing play all but vanish into thin fucking air when Conklin’s fourth goal against mired them in quicksand. If your argument is that the Wings’ 26 shots were that much worse than the Capitals’ 14 to that point, I want to see more than just “well, they have a tendency to do that sometimes”.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions

Hahah

Your short term history comment was funny and I’m hoping tongue in cheek (since it’s useless over a 6-game span). I wonder if you can indeed find such stats in the history books for objective comparison. My guess is that the W/L ratio is not drastically different; if you go down into the third, 3-1 and if you go down into the third, 4-1, then I’m gonna hypothesize both end up a L without a “world of difference” in the outcome differentiation.

Especially in this context, where the Caps were putting higher quality shots on net as we squandered PP opportunities and got stonewalled by Vokoun on the handful of quality shots were able to pressure with.

I concede V outplayed Conklin; pretty obvious. But I can’t pretend that this game was ours and Conklin threw it away or even severely jeopardized our chance of winning. Our team was roundly outplayed: on the PK, on the PP, and as I alluded to above, on scoring chance quality.

And although this may be a lowblow to throw out there, I think Babcock was sending a message to the players by keeping Conklin in net: this isn’t the goalie’s fault, gents.

Anyway, I look forward to your analysis of the game tomorrow/whenever.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 11:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Especially in this context, where the Caps were putting higher quality shots on net

See red army line’s answer below for this. You are completely wrong.

But I can’t pretend that this game was ours and Conklin threw it away

And it’s dishonest at best to say I’m pretending this. All I wanted was the chance to see if the Wings could pull out from a two-goal deficit going into the third.

I think Babcock was sending a message to the players by keeping Conklin in net: this isn’t the goalie’s fault, gents.

We’re close enough to agreeing on this that it’s not worth nitpicking. I’ll reiterate that this loss is not on any one person, but Conklin played just as badly as any of his teammates.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions

I can agree on that

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 11:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Do you think we had more or higher quality scoring chances on our 26 shots than the Caps did over their 13?

Answer

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I believe in next year.

by red army line on Oct 22, 2011 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions

15 quality scoring chances against their 7 through 2? I demur.

I must have watched a different game.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions

I can always appreciate a fan who has the fortitude to watch 2/3rds of a game

and then tell everybody that he knows exactly how it went.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 22, 2011 10:17 PM CDT up reply actions

And I can always appreciate a palooka

I mean, someone has to do it. ;/

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Kids, kids...let's let our future captain settle this.

“We were in it until their fourth one. Three-to-one, going into the third, we can take that on the road.” – Henrik Zetterberg

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 11:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Meh

I don’t know about anyone else, but when you play at home, then have to travel for a road game the next night, I hardly ever expect 2 points.

Fan of the Detroit Tigers, Lions and Red Wings.

by Elfuego51 on Oct 22, 2011 9:32 PM CDT reply actions

Oh, and damn straight Franzen was PotG against the Jackets.

Fan of the Detroit Tigers, Lions and Red Wings.

by Elfuego51 on Oct 22, 2011 9:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Never expected 2 points...

Just feel really bad about getting blown out.

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions

It was a sad performance all around.

With a few flashes of hockey until it was a route. After the 5th goal I switched to the Spartans’ game with occasional flips back to the Wings game. Well the season is young: 1. The Wings need to fix their special teams.
2. Use the Umbrella formation less and more overload to keep the puck deep in the zone.
3. Drop that 2 low and 3 high power play formation as it’s too easily broken up, Peewee Hockey crap.

by Idle Drifter on Oct 22, 2011 9:59 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah

PK needs a little tweaking, also. But against the Caps, if you take dumb penalties, they’ll make you pay.

I bleed Red. No, really.

by DarkKnt1047 on Oct 22, 2011 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Despite having 33 shots

It felt like most of the time, the Wings were just aimlessly tossing the puck at Vokoun and losing possession.

by nosnst on Oct 22, 2011 10:10 PM CDT reply actions

Absolutely

This was one of those games where the shot totals mislead.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 10:28 PM CDT up reply actions

0 shots for Franzen

Cannot happen. Period.

Also, Jimmy should have started both games in my opinion. 6 days off and the following game against the Blue Jackets again? Let Conk take the second Jackets game and let Jimmy have the other two. Jimmy is not Ozzy or Holmstrom; he can handle a back-to-back.

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Oct 22, 2011 10:34 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah. At the very least, put Conklin against the hapless BJs

and let Howard earn his starting position against the Caps.

Good point on Franzen, too. But then we know he has his ghost games.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Oct 22, 2011 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Looks like a saw a pretty different game. Wings had a lot of good chances, just Vokoun has been nearly unbeatable over the past two weeks. Seemed like the Capitals converted every chance they got. Not counting the late stages of the game when it was clear to all involved that the score would be very lopsided (5 or 6 goals), at best, I thought the Caps held even with Detroit, at worst Detroit dominated for a couple of 5 minute stretches. Part of that is the Capitals trying to lock it down, part of that probably the lull they always seem to go through for at least 1/3 of each game.

Much closer than the score, at least through 2. Lucky breaks kill.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Oct 22, 2011 11:03 PM CDT reply actions

Blowouts are meaningless.

They are outliers. They are random and almost never have a meaning. One team played very well, one team played very poorly. And then there’s the next game.

I hate Jonathon Ericsson.

by Brion on Oct 23, 2011 12:09 AM CDT reply actions 10 recs

this

just made me feel a little better

by Pentatonic on Oct 23, 2011 12:48 AM CDT up reply actions

Well that was not the way Lidstrom wanted his #1500th game to go

BUT we can still bounce back come Tuesday.

Also a fan of the Rays and Lightning.
There is no offseason.
My icon was drawn by Samara Pearlstein, talented artist/blogger at Roar of the Tigers.

by Tigers&WingsFan on Oct 23, 2011 8:19 AM CDT reply actions

Throwing in my meaningless opinions to the goalie debate

1. Columbus is a division rival who still has yet to win a game (which means embarrassment for the team they finally (assuming they don’t go 0-82-0) beat). Washington is a team in the EC who we play twice this year (excluding bizarro SCF where the Caps advance past the 2nd round for once in their lives) so it doesn’t really matter for us if we give them points. 2. Conk played fine against Colorado in his only other appearance this season so it’s not like we were writing the game of as a loss beforehand by starting him.

Final line is it’s one game out of 82. A blowout means little in the overall picture

My friends call me Lenny... only I ain't got no friends.

by greg5897 on Oct 23, 2011 7:53 PM CDT reply actions