Here’s my reaction after that game
The Wings started poorly, Mrazek had to be a super star, and we were outplayed the entire game. If you watched the game, you probably don’t want to re-live it. If for some reason you do, or you didn’t watch the game, here’s what went down.
Here’s the box score, look if you dare.
First Period
The festivities got off to a shaky, slow, depressing start, but then the anthems were over and the game started. We got to see the Smith-Quincey pairing reunited and my anal sphincter immediately constricted. The Wings must have had a sweet tooth because in the first 2:20 of the game they had icing four times. Mmmm, icing. It took the Wings a few minutes to get their poop in a group, and just when I thought they started to get it in a group, I was proven wrong. The Leafs had better tempo, better execution, and the Wings looked slow and sloppy. “Rookie” D-man Xavier Ouellet made a sprawling block play that prevented a grade-A semi-breakaway scoring chance. Petr Mrazek was tested early and often, the Wings must have wanted to give him the chance to steal the show like Reimer did last time. I wish they hadn’t been quite so generous.The Wings first good scoring chance came 8 minutes in when Gustav Nyquist went streaking at the end of a Niklas Kronwall hooking penalty. The was a sequence about 12 minutes in where the Wings had possession in the Leafs zone and made something like 8 or 9 amazing passes, Bernier was down and out, and Helm somehow wasn’t able to score. It was nice to have something good exciting instead of terrifying exciting. That’s about the time the Wings seemed to come alive and realize they were playing a hockey game. The Wings came alive, went on the power play, and HERE COMES THE BOOM! Niklas Kronwall lets a rocket fly and it blazes past everyone, including Bernier (much thanks to Helmer’s heiney in his face). 1-0 Wings! Unfortunately Joakim Andersson took a penalty and ….. seconds into the Leafs PP they tied the game and harshed my buzz. Mrazek had a screen )from JVR much like Bernier did on the Wings goal. I’m not gonna lie, when the “last minute of the 1st period” announcement was made, I involuntarily puckered. Pavlo’s dogs don’t’ have anything on me. I got a good laugh though as DICK Panik took a run at Brendan Smtih with 17 seconds to go in the period and got a roughing penalty. Frking DICK Panik, scum sucker. The Wings ended the period much better than they started it, but Mrazek was the star, and that’s not a good reflection on his teammates. Scoring chances 6-3 TOR with 12-12 SOG
Second Period
Wings started the 2nd on the PP which should be a great opportunity to jump all over the Leafs and come out strong in the period. The Wings, however, decided to give up a short handed scoring chance to the Leafs and Petr MRazek (once again) robbed the Leafs and made a great glove save. Just because he can make those saves, doesn’t mean the Wings should make him. Also, Xavier Ouellet got power play time before Brendan Smith, I don’t know what Smitty did to ensure he’s permanently in the PP doghouse, but he should go ahead and start decorating because it’s his doghouse. Less than halfway through the 2nd Babcock fired up the Line Blender in an attempt to get the team going. Datsyuk looked off, Zetterberg looked off, Helm looked off, Cleary looked completely ineffective, pretty much the entire team looked not good at all. My analysis halfway through the period was “Why do we look like poo?” The Leafs were all over the Wings like flies on garbage, Mrazek almost hurt himself making a butt puckering save, and the dam was threatening to break at any moment. It was a tie game but the Leafs could have easily had a 3 goal lead. The story of the period was: Leafs scary scoring chance, Petr Mrazek great save. Wash, rinse, repeat. That can’t last forever and all the pressure the Leafs had was bound to result in more goals. So of course, when the Leafs 2nd goal finally came, it just HAS to be F’ing DICK Panik. The only thing I could feel was anger and rage. The Wing brought this upon themselves, Petr Mrazek was balls to the wall and the team was playing like hot garbage. The Leafs outshot the Wings in the 2nd period, and not only did they out shoot them, the Toronto Maple Leafs outshot the Detroit Red Wings 20-5 in the 2nd period. TWENTY to FIVE!!
Third Period
See first and second periods. Less than two minutes into the period, Morgan Riley puts the Leafs up 3-1 on a goal that Mrazek should have had. I can’t even be mad at Petr for that goal at this point because he made a million great saves up till this point and by all rights the Leafs should have had a half dozen goals. IT was a deflating goal because the Wings had been lucky the score was so close until now, they weren’t threatening to even things up at all. Datsyuk and Zetterberg were reunited to try to get a goal, scoring chances, offensive zone time, anything good going. With 4:11 to go Babcock pulled Mrazek, down 3-1 in an attempt to pull the Wings within a goal and have a chance to come back. Instead the Leafs only needed a minute to score an empty net goal and put the game away 4-1. Then DICK Panik hit Smith in the head (twice) and left his feet on the first one. Smitty and Panik dropped the gloves and let off some steam. Panik got Smitty’s jersey over his head early on and the ref’s eventually broke it up. I wish I could have fought Panik because i have a lot of steam and frustration to let out too. The Leafs got a power play out of the fight and there was no hope left.
Thoughts/Rants:
- This wasn’t’ just a loss that leaves you sad for a minute, this was an infuriating performance and the loss leave me a bit angry, very frustrated, disappointed, and I really just want to beat something up. It was that kind of game.
- Players who stood out as good in this game: Petr Mrazek & Xavier Ouellet. It looked like everyone else had an “off” night all at once and boy was it painful to watch. Painful because I love this team and I know they’re much better than this. It made me sad to see them play like this and lose like this (especially to the Leafs).
- Speaking of Petr Mrazek, he was lights out tonight. Huge save after huge save after huge save.
- Can we please PLEASE keep Xavier Ouellet? He played 18:47 tonight, played both PK and PP (sorry Smith, no PP time for you) and he was anywhere from very solid to downright fantastic. I want him over at least 4 other D-men on the roster right now.
- The Wings were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights, but this wasn’t a “they looked tired” kind of game, it was an “everyone looks like their brains are half asleep” kind of game. Ugh
- The not so good news is that this is the 3rd game in a row the Wings have lost
- The better news is that in the big picture, this is only their 7th regulation loss this season and their 2nd regulation loss since November 22nd (which also came against the Leafs).
- The Wing really miss Justin Abdelkader. Abby’s missed 7 games and in that time Zetterberg only has 3 assists. Before Abby got hurt, Z 6 points in the previous 4 games. Now, I’m not saying Zetterberg can’t score without Abby, that would just be silly. I am saying however that Abby’s presence is sorely missed and I hope he’s back very soon.
- This was a very frustrating game, for so many reasons and I want to put it behind us and never re-live it again. The Wings have until Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets to figure out hot to fix whatever’s wrong./
Let’s go Red Wings!!!
