In any prolonged streak of success, one must get a little luck. A bounce here, fortuitous circumstance there. In any sport, including hockey, one can't sustain a level of dominance for a very long time without winning a game or two by the skin of one's teeth.

That's exactly what the Wings did tonight. Against a very desperate Ducks team trying to climb back into the Western Conference race, the Wings were able to earn a very hard-fought 2 points by playing a grinding game and getting the game to a place where raw skill is key.

In a way, tonight was a lot like a playoff game where the Wings had a lead in the series and their opponent was trying to stave off elimination. After trading goals in the first (George Parros? Really?), the Ducks and Wings gave no quarter to the other through the next 2 periods (nor any nickel or penny). Neither team could capitalize on numerous power plays, pucks hit posts, great saves were made, and we headed to overtime.

The overtime period was more of the same. Both teams traded breakaways that were not converted, and the Wings were unable to take advantage of a short 2-man advantage late in the extra frame, and for the 8th time this season the Wings were involved in a shootout.

Pavel Datsyuk and Teemu Selanne both potted classy goals, Jiri Hudler and Corey Perry both had creepy porn-stache misses, and Todd Bertuzzi's super slo-mo goal turned out to be the game-winner as Bobby Ryan couldn't beat Joey MacDonald.

Of the last 19 home wins, this wasn't the prettiest, nor was it the easiest. But like the last 19 games at home, it ended with the Wings getting 2 points. Bullets after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Even though the season still has a ways to go, one thing has become extremely clear regarding the Detroit Red Wings: they need home ice advantage like we need air.

Even in a game like tonight, when they look like a typical "we just got back from being on the West Coast for a week" team, they still find a way to hit that extra gear and earn a very valuable 2 points.

They did it in what can only be described as an uneven performance. In a first period that was as plodding as it was tedious, neither team could generate any consistent offense, yet the Wings, despite only getting 5 SOG managed to take a lead into the dressing room when Johan Franzen parked himself in front of the net and tipped in an Ian White shot. The goal came on the power play, in what hopefully is a sign that it's ramping back up.

However, the Wings built off their lead, and they made it 2-0 early in the second to give them their first 2-goal lead since Calgary, and they appeared headed to an easy win. However, Sam Gagner happened, and a goal in each of the second and third periods later, we were tied.

This is where the depth of the Wings comes in to play. Gagner may be the hottest player on the planet, but with RNH out of the lineup, the Oilers have nothing behind their top line, while the Wings have two 10-goal scorers on their third line. One of those guys is Drew Miller, and he pounced on a loose puck behind Nikolai Khabibulin to give the Wings their lead back. Henrik Zetterberg, who realized he was actually two goals BEHIND Miller, found the back of the net for the first time since before Edmonton figured out they aren't very good to seal the win for the Wings.

This was a game the Wings absolutely had to have, because it's a team they should beat. Bullets after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

I don't know, man. I just don't know.

I can't recall a time when a first place overall team was this maddening to watch. The inconsistency that is displayed by these players from game to game is now so taken for granted that it becomes a parody of itself. "Which Red Wings team is going to show up tonight?" should be the lede of every single pre-game post written this season. This is magnified by a thousand on the road, where the Wings can look like Cup favourites to a team that deserves a lottery pick.

Unfortunately, there has been a disturbing pattern to Wing road games the last few weeks. It goes something like this: start out poorly and give up an early goal; play a little better, but take a penalty and give up another goal; be down headed into the first intermission; play a scrappy second period that may or may not result in a goal for the Wings to make the game interesting headed into the third; play a dynamite third period with lots of pressure to give fans just enough hope that they can win and erase all of the screaming doubt that exists in their heads.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Tonight, the gameplan for the Wings was simple; play their game, put pressure on the Phoenix defense, and take care of business against a Coyotes team they had beaten in 7 straight games dating back to last year's playoffs. But, like we've seen far too often this season, the Wings' give-a-shit wasn't working in the firs periodt, and after giving up a shorthanded AND power play goal, they were behind by 2.

Cue the comeback. Johan Franzen emerged from his milk carton long enough to score the ever elusive power play goal, and it seemed like the Wings were once again going to pull victory out of the jaws of defeat. Unfortunately, this isn't Edmonton, and the Coyotes can play a little defense in front of a good Mike Smith. Franzen, who is officially on my shit list after this one, set up the Yotes' ENG to seal the deal and hand the Wings their first regulation loss since before the All-Star Game.

How much did this loss suck? Follow the jump to count the ways.

Continue reading this post »

I guess there's something to be said about moral victories. While we as Wing fans don't get to experience too many of them, it's important to recognize them when they happen.

Tonight was a moral victory for the Red Wings. This had "trap game" written all over it, and they came out and played like it. Losing puck battles, getting out-skated, terrible special teams, and 3 very preventable goals against later, the Wings were down 3-1 only because of a fluke goal by Valtteri Filppula. It seemed like the first half road Red Wings were back.

The second period wasn't much better. The Wings were able to contain the awesomeness that is Sam Gagner after he potted another 3 points in the first period in between his attempts to cure cancer and end world hunger, but they couldn't get any pucks past Devan Dubnyk in their annual "make Dubnyk look like a Vezina winner" game. All seemed lost entering the third period.

But a funny thing happened in the third. The Wings, despite every single fan counting this game as a loss, woke up. Sure it took 40 minutes, but once they got going, it was impressive. Dominating puck possession and tilting the ice towards the Oilers' end, the Wings got 2 goals from Todd Bertuzzi and one from Drew Miller and managed to actually have a lead with less than a minute to go. Unfortunately, Jordan Eberle, who has a pesky habit of scoring last-minute goals, tied the game at 4 and we headed to overtime.

While the Wings have been dynamite in extra time, it was Edmonton who had the best chances. After stops by the post and Nicklas Lidstrom, the Wings were able to get the game into a shootout, meaning we all thought this was a win for Detroit. But, Pavel Datsyuk missed the net and Joey MacDonald (in relief of Ty Conklin) couldn't stop everyone and the Oilers got the 2 points they deserved.

After the jump, the late-night bullets.

Continue reading this post »

The Wings took their .500 road record into Vancouver to clash with the Canucks on Thursday night hoping to get on the right side of that number. Meanwhile, the Canucks were coming off an overtime victory against the Blackhawks and sat three points behind Detroit with a game still in hand. By the end of the affair, Detroit would extend their lead over the rest of the West by posting a 4-3 shootout victory in BC.

The game started out all Red Wings, as they got two breakaway chances in the first five minutes (and three for the period). Unfortunately, the Canucks brought the good Roberto Luongo to play. Still, Good Roberto wasn't able to stop a shot from Danny Cleary stepping into the middle and firing it around a perfect Darren Helm screen job in front. After the first half of the period went and Henrik Zetterberg took a penalty for holding Henrik Sedin's stick, Vancouver was able to regain momentum and tie it up on a Ryan Kesler shot granted by a very good forechecking job from David Booth behind the net.

Detroit dominated play in the second period, outshooting Vancouver 15-3. The BC Crowd was frustrated enough to give their own team a bit of a derisive cheer when the Canucks were able to put their first shot on net at the 12:09 mark. Not long after that, Jiri Hudler broke the tie on a cross-ice pass from Valtteri Filppula that he slapped over Luongo.

Vancouver came out the aggressor in the third period, doing a much better job at slowing down the Detroit rush and breaking their constant transition. Midway through the period, the Vancouver forecheck converged on Drew Miller as he tried to exit his own zone, creating a turnover and the tying goal off the stick of Alex "bite me" Burrows. Less than two minutes later, Miller would make amends for his goof by again regaining the lead for the Wings while cleaning up some garbage out front. Detroit tried to maintain the one-goal advantage, but surrendered a Mason Raymond goal off a deflection with less than five minutes to go in the period.

OT was Red Wings OT; Franzen decided he actually wanted to play, but the Wings were very cautious about the counterattack and never quite got the right combination of people moving in the zone to create the game-winner. Pavel Datsyuk, Jiri Hudler, and Jimmy Howard combined to troll Todd Bertuzzi on his birthday by ensuring he wouldn't get a chance in the shootout with a 2-0 Jenga victory.

Jump for bullets

Continue reading this post »

The first game after the All-Star break is like rekindling an old romance; there's some awkwardness in the beginning as you become familiar with each other, and as time passes, you remember what it was that made your relationship great.

The Wings came on strong like a guy who just got out of prison, but after being told to cool it by the Flames, in the end Calgary gave it up and the Wings got what they wanted, which was 2 valuable road points. It wasn't the most stylish game, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Tonight was about the depth of the Red Wings. On a night when the top 2 lines just weren't generating any offense, it was the role guys that stepped it up and carried the Wings to the win. First it was Cory Emmerton finishing off a nice, simple play by popping in a rebound. Then it was Justin Abdelkader blocking a shot that clearly hurt, but being able to still clear the puck out of the zone. It was Drew Miller scoring an insurance goal late in the third after a nice pass from Dan Cleary.

When the playoffs begin and the games get intense, these are the kind of guys that the Wings are going to have count on to win some games. Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and Jimmy Howard can't carry the Wings every night. Depth wins Cups, and tonight, the Wings got some championship play from their bottom 6.

Bullets and other thoughts after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Not really much to say about this game. If the Red Wings are going to go on break early, so am I. Jiri Hudler's your Player of the Game because he actually did something.

The only thing I'm going to say is this: This game had absolutely nothing to do with Nicklas Lidstrom not playing. He played against the Islanders, didn't he? He played against the Blue Jackets, right? Tonight's first period was not about what life will be like once Lidstrom does retire. It was about a tired team that has played a very tough schedule and was looking forward to getting to their break even though every other team was already relaxing.

Whatever. We all saw that shit. So instead of me breaking it down, just go crazy in the comments. Should we be worried that once Lidstrom retires they'll give up at least 6 goals a game, or was this a one-off after a tough win on Monday?

We've long maintained around here that the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues do not have a rivalry. Sure, they've been division rivals long before a lot of us were fans, back to the old Norris Division days when every game was a knock 'em down, drag 'em out slugfest and only the strongest survived.

Those days are gone, and over time the Blues have dealt with under-achieving players and injuries. This has led to a plummet in the standings, and the Wings began to find new teams to hate (the Penguins, Ducks, etc).

This season is a different story. The Blues went and got themselves a new coach who has been able to get the most out of the talent that exists on the roster, and they are healthier than they have been in quite some time, even with the absences of Alex Steen and Andy MacDonald. So when they rolled into Detroit just one point behind the Wings for first in the NHL, the game took on a very playoff-like intensity that made this game very entertaining to watch. By the end, I think we can safely say that the rivalry has been re-ignited, both among the players and fans.

So what happened tonight? Bullets after the jump.

Continue reading this post »