Hockeytown, Again

It's so gratifying to see your hometown team win a championship. Obviously, as a fan, you haven't gone through the hardships and pain and the long season the players do, but you feel like you have, and you celebrate the championship all the same. In my lifetime, the Detroit Tigers have won a World Series, the Detroit Pistons have won three NBA Titles, the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans have won NCAA Basketball titles, the Wolverines captured a football national title, and of course, the Detroit Red Wings have won four Stanley Cups, the most recent tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

There are so many people to feel happy for tonight, Chris Osgood an Dallas Drake at the top of the list. Osgood was never good enough for the fans of Detroit, even after he helped this generation win their first Cup in 1997 and led the team to their second in 1998. Osgood left Detroit, but General Manager Kenny Holland brought him back, and Osgood was awesome this playoff run, finally getting the respect he has deserved for a long, long time. And then there's Dallas Drake, who started his career with the Wings, but who in 16 seasons never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Knowing his team needed more grit and toughness, Holland brought Drake back to Detroit this season, and Drake was an integral part of the Wings' fourth cup.

There is no sports town in America like Detroit. We are so lucky here (even with the Lions) to have such great teams and see so many championships. And each is unique and special and seeing Nick Lidstrom lift the Cup tonight, it was a great feeling for all Detroiters. There's no city in America, sports wise, like Detroit, and tonight was as good of an example of that as ever.

The Detroit Red Wings Are Two Games Away From The Stanley Cup

But first, some quick notes on the Pistons game. Haven't seen a player will his team to victory quite like Antonio McDyess did tonight. That man wants to win a championship, and if the rest of the Pistons had half his hunger, they'd be unstoppable. And the team's inconsistency is so frustrating. Had they played the way they did in the first quarter on Saturday, this series would be 3-1 going back to Boston right now. And had they continued to play with that intensity, they would have never had to claw to keep their lead in the fourth quarter. This team, other than McDyess, and the young kids like Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey, is just not hungry enough.

This post, though, focuses on the positive, and that's the Detroit Red Wings second consecutive shutout of the Pittsburgh Penguins, putting them within reach of a fourth Stanley Cup in a eleven years. The Red Wings continued to be on their game, and despite the Penguins doing their best to get under the Wings skin, nothing seemed to phase the men wearing the winged wheel. Johan Franzen looked good after missing almost two weeks with concussion-like symptoms, and Valtteri Filppula scored what was one of the prettiest goals you'll see while being dragged to the ice.

And what can you say about goalie Chris Osgood? Two consecutive shutouts, becoming one of only four goalies in NHL history to start off the Stanley Cup Finals by blanking his opponent. And it's not as if Pittsburgh lacks fire power. But Osgood, and the Wings stifling defense, are making Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin look downright ordinary, after their dominant run through the Eastern Conference. I was really looking forward to watching Crosby and Malkin and seeing if they lived up to the hype (thanks to the great NHL schedulers, we didn't get a chance to see Pittsburgh at all this season) and so far, you can hardly tell when the two are on the ice. No spectacular plays, no highlight reel scoring chances.

The Wings offense, on the other hand, continues to hum right along. And with the return of Franzen, the Wings get only more dangerous heading into Games three and four in Pittsburgh. Now, the Wings, despite their 4-0 and 3-0 wins at Joe Louis, cannot start to take the Pens lightly. Pittsburgh has not lost at home in almost two months time, and there's no question the intensity level will be ratcheted up for Crosby, Malkin, and rest of the Penguins. But what the Red Wings have shown this off-season is that they can withstand the best their opponents have to offer, and if the Wings can steal one in Pittsburgh, this series could be over in five, if not sooner.

The Detroit Red Wings Are Playing Some Incredible Hockey Right Now

After a brief blog hiatus, Quo Vadimus is back with regular posts starting tonight, and I'm still in practical disbelief about how great the Detroit Red Wings are playing hockey right now. I have watched the Red Wings for a long time, and in my lifetime, I have seen three Stanley Cups, so many President's Cups (for the best regular season record) I have lost count, and teams with Hall of Fame players from top to bottom. And, yet, I don't think I have ever seen the Wings play as well as they have this playoff run.

Colorado, the once vaunted foe of the Wings, were nothing more than an afterthought. And, yes, part of that was due to injuries which decimated the Avs, but the Wings have kept the pressure on against Dallas, winning the first three games of the Western Conference Finals quite convincingly, and winning the last two games, including tonight's game three, without star-in-the-making Johan Franzen. No worries, Pavel Datsyuk simply scored a hat trick (the first of his career, which is a pretty amazing stat itself) as he and linemate Henrik Zetterberg continue to dominate games.

We're really spoiled here in Detroit. I don't think we really appreciate how great Datsyuk and Zetterberg really are. Some of their goals this post-season, the incredible skating and passing and shooting, have been nothing short of breathtaking. They just make it look so easy.

And goalie Chris Osgood cannot get enough credit for his play. The first 10 minutes of tonight's Game Three was Dallas' chance at surviving and making a real comeback against Detroit. The crowd was into it, Dallas' players were pumped up, and they put the pressure on the Wings and on Osgood. But Ozzie was more than up to the task, and the Wings jumped out to a 1-0 lead. Dallas tied it up (and tied it 2-2) but Ozzie and the Wings defense shut the Stars down after that, and with a 3-0 series lead, the Wings may have back-to-back sweeps ushering them into the Stanley Cup Finals.

And that is just what a starving Hockeytown needed to fall in love all over again with a team which despite its star power and regular season successes, had lost its luster among Detroit sports fans in recent years. Maybe it was the explosion of the Tigers, the tough economy, the strike, or the retirement of Steve Yzerman. For whatever reason, the Wings, despite their star power, were in a rut. Well, the team is now one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals.

About time.

McCarty Scores For Wings, Who Take 2-0 Series Lead

Good for Darren McCarty.

The Detroit Red Wings took a 2-0 series lead over the Nashville Predators on Saturday and if one just looked at the box score, it would be easy to confuse this Wings team with the title team in 2002. Dominik Hasek made 25 saves. Your goal scorers? Darren McCarty, Nick Lidstrom, Kris Draper, and Thomas Holmstrom. And why is it not a surprise that McCarty was the first Wing to get on the scoreboard?

McCarty, who put the Red Wings on the road to their long-awaited Stanley Cup victory in 1997 by famously pummeling Wings arch-nemesis Claude Lemieux, always seems to be in the right place at the right time during the playoffs (who could forget his goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals or his hat trick against Patrick Roy in the 2002 Western Conference Finals?) and Saturday was no difference, picking up a rebound and easily finding a practically empty-net. And what vindication for McCarty who may have been hurt by the 2004 NHL lockout more than any other player.

The lockout forced the Wings to buy-out McCarty's contract and despite singing with the Calgary Flames, McCarty never regained the magic he had in Detroit. He suffered both professionally and personally (due to a battle with alcoholism) and found himself out of the NHL at the start of this season. But McCarty never gave up, and worked his way back into shape and back on the ice, first with the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League (who are, not coincidentally, owned by former McCarty line-mate Kris Draper) and then, towards the end of the regular season, back with the Wings. And there he was Saturday, putting Detroit on the board early, exciting the Joe Louis Arena crowd just as he used to back in the late 1990s.

And this is not the first time the Wings have found success bringing back an old favorite. During their first cup runs a decade ago, the Wings were aided by another former bruiser who returned to Detroit, Joe Kocur. Kocur was rescued from the "beer leagues" by Steve Yzerman, and he was an important part of both the 1997 and 1998 Cup championship teams. The Wings hope that McCarty will play a similar role this season, and so far, the addition is paying quick dividends.

The Predators aren't out of this series, despite being down 2-0, but the Wings have played good, smart hockey (well, mostly...Anytime Hasek decides to leave the goal crease, it gets a little hairy as we saw yesterday) and if they continue to do so, they shouldn't have any problem wrapping up this series by this time next week (if not sooner). And given the way the Tigers are playing, and their high payroll, owner Mike Ilitch is going to need a long playoff run from the Wings this season.

The Lighting Round: 21, Detroit Tigers, and More

So you start a new job, in the real world, after four years of undergrad followed immediately by three years of law school, and suddenly you lose track of your blog. Well, let's not make that a habit. So let's catch up on what I've missed.

* 21: The Movie - Good but not great * Last weekend I went and checked out the new movie, 21 based on the great and best selling book Bringing Down The House. For those unfamiliar, the movie, based largely on the book, follows a group of MIT whizkids who, with some help from one of their professors, put together a very successful card-counting operation which make them hundreds of thousands of dollars before the Vegas establishment catches on. The movie, staring Kevin Spacey as the morally suspect ringleader/professor, was good, and exciting, but could not hold up to the greatness of the book. And maybe I have been spoiled by NBC's great Las Vegas so casino-themed movies have a hard time measuring up. Las Vegas did such a great job of capturing the casino and Vegas atmosphere, I almost walked out of 21 thinking that had the TV show done a mini-movie with the same storyline, it would have been much better. That said, it was still a good movie, maybe a bit long, and yet with some storylines not fully fleshed out as they could have been (which probably tells you there's a bit of dead time in the movie which could have been better spent elsewhere) but in the end, worth seeing.

* Detroit Tigers start 2008 season 0-4 * Well, at least Jason Grilli is in mid-season form, giving up three straight hits in the seventh inning of yesterday's game against the Chicago White Sox including the game winning three-run home-run dropping the Tigers to 0-4. Obviously, this is not how the Tigers, who have the second highest payroll in baseball, and who have expectations through the roof, wanted to start the year. I refuse to panic though. Even though Nate Robertson struggled yesterday, for the most part, the problem has been the offense, and the slow start Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, Gary Shef...Well, everyone has gotten off to except for Clete Thomas, the kid who never played above AA before Curtis Granderson got hurt. The offense is too good to not turn around. So, let's not panic and get concerned. We'll turn it around. A month from now, if we are 5, 6, 7 games under .500, then we can talk, otherwise...

* NFL Draft Coming Up * I had a dream the other night (I wish I weren't kidding) that I missed the NFL Draft (which would never happen in real life) and as I was struggling with my cell phone to find out who the Lions drafted, I found out they traded up to the #2 pick in the draft to take some running back I had never heard of. I remember being so furious. Then I woke up, thankfully. The Draft is less than a month away, and I keep hoping the Lions don't waste their first round pick on another offensive skill player. Yes, we need a running back. But we need linebackers and defensive lineman and offensive lineman much more. I'm getting very nervous though it's going to be offense, offense, offense again.

* NHL and NBA Playoffs on the horizon * I haven't written much (if anything) about the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons in a long time, but now that the meaningless regular seasons are nearing their end-point, and the playoffs get ready to start, I'm excited to start really paying attention again and blogging again. Both teams have had great regular seasons, and the Pistons have really seen growth in their young stars, which has allowed them to rebuild without anybody noticing. It's amazing. But no matter how great the regular seasons were, if they don't win the playoffs, it won't matter at all.

And with that, time to see if the Tigers can win a game. Eventually we do, right?

Detroit Red Wings Lose Mathieu Schneider; Sign All Star Brian Rafalski

Update: Literally, no sooner than I posted my note on the loss of Mathieu Schneider below, TSN is reporting the Red Wings have signed Brian Rafalski to a 5-year, $30 million contract to replace Schneider. Rafalski, a Michigan native, is one of the top defensmen available, so even though the Wings may have lost Schneider, they have replaced him with a younger, very productive player. Rafalski, a three-time All Star, had a career high 55 points last season, and is only 33 years old. As I said in my original post (below), Rafalski was a top option to replace Schneider.

Even though he's young and productive, though, I still believe the Wings, in the end, will miss Schneider. And the fact that Rafalski got more money ($6 million a season) than Schneider (who will average just over $5.5 million in his two seasons in Anaheim) may show that money was not an issue between the Wings and Schneider, or that the Wings did not want to tie up $6 million in a 38-year-old defenseman (but if that's the case, that's silly, because Schneider is no ordinary 38-year-old and would be worth every penny of the $6 million the Wings would pay him).

Personally, I'd rather had have the Wings hang on to Schneider, but I'm very happy with the addition of Rafalski. In any case, it shows that Wings GM Ken Holland is not sitting on his hands, and that he is acting fast to make sure the Wings remain competitive in the Western Conference. And with that, back to your regularly scheduled post on the signing of Mathieu Schneider by the Anaheim Ducks...

After losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Finals last season, the Detroit Red Wings suffered perhaps an ever bigger loss to the Ducks on the first day of NHL free agency: Top defenseman Mathieu Schneider has left the Wings for an $11.25 million deal from the defending Stanley Cup Champion Ducks.

Losing Schneider is a huge blow to the Wings, and even if they are able to sign a serviceable replacement, like New Jersey Devil and Michigan native Brian Rafalski, the loss of Schneider is going to be felt for a long time to come. All Wings fans need to do is look back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the Wings were just not the same team after Schneider broke his wrist against San Jose in the Western Conference semi-finals. One of the biggest reasons the Wings were not able to defeat the Ducks in 2007 was because Schneider was on the sidelines. Now that the Ducks will have him on their team, it makes them even more formidable in the Western Conference, and it puts the Wings in a very precarious position on the blue line.

While Chris Chelios continues to be a marvel of a player at age 45, he can't keep going forever, and a drop-off in his play would not be stunning. Then there's Nikalis Kronwall, who despite being the Wings next best hope on defense, has not yet lived up to the high expectations placed upon him because of one freak injury after another in his career. With Schneider gone, the pressure on Kronwall, not just to stay healthy, but to up his play to the next level, will be even greater.

It just goes to show you how different the NHL is today in the era of the salary cap. The Red Wings would have never let Schneider slip away under the old system, but today, with General Manager Ken Holland having to think not just about his current cap situation, but what the future may hold (such as making sure there is enough cap space available to re-sign Henrik Zetterberg next season), they just lost one of their most dependable defensemen.

Ken Holland certainly has acted creatively in the past to make up for player defections, and I'm sure this time will be no different. But no matter what Holland is able to do, whether it be signing a player like Rafalski, re-signing Danny Markov and using those precious salary cap dollars on other players, or something not yet thought of, the Red Wings are not easily going to get over the loss of Mathieu Schneider. This is one that is going to sting for a while.

The Detroit Red Wings Season is Over

Just like that. The Detroit Red Wings season is over. After blowing a 1-0 lead with under a minute to play in Game Five, then losing in overtime, the Red Wings put their back up against a wall and had to win Game Six in Anaheim. They didn't, and now, the Ducks move on to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Wings, well, they hit the local links.

It was a disappointing end to a season where maybe in September you would have said "Great" to a season ending in the Western Conference Finals but as expectations grew, and it looked like this had all the makings of a Stanley Cup winning team, losing now is just bitter. It shouldn't have ended this way, but it did, another season in Hockeytown complete.
AP Photo
The Red Wings, after getting nothing going in the first two periods Tuesday night (maybe they were distracted by the American Idol finale), made a late run at saving their season, scoring three goals in the third period, but it wasn't enough. The Ducks netted four pucks behind Dominik Hasek. The comeback was not to be.

So where do the Wings go from here? Attempt to bring Hasek back for another year is a given, and so is re-signing the ageless Chris Chelios. Robert Lang likely won't be back, and Todd Bertuzzi didn't show me anything in his short Detroit stay to make me feel as if the Wings need to keep him around. The real question is, without an extreme makeover, will the Wings, in their current incarnation, ever be good enough to win the Stanley Cup? They weren't this year, but they also were missing two key defensemen (Schenider and Kronwall) in the playoffs. Would they have made the difference? Maybe.

Right now though, there are more questions then answers, and sadly for the Red Wings, they will have a longer summer then they were expecting and then they wanted to try to figure them out.

Red Wings Lose Game Five; Face Must Win in Anaheim

The Detroit Red Wings may have lost Game Five to the Anaheim Ducks when veteran Teemu Selanne stole the puck from Andreas Lilja in overtime, and shot the puck above a diving Dominik Hasek, but the game was really lost well before that point, and well before the Ducks tied the game up 1-1 with under a minute to play.
AP Photo
Let's start from the beginning (or midway through the first period, as a trip down to Comerica Park to watch Justin Verlander pitch eight dominant innings and see the Tigers sweep the Cardinals, the second win I saw in person in three days, forced me to listen to the first half of the first period on the radio). Throughout the game, the Red Wings were the better team. They kept the pressure on the Ducks, were physical again, and had the lead for the majority of the game. They took a lot of penalties in the first period, but things evened out in the second, where the Ducks found themselves in the box a lot. It was a very tightly called game, which is why the penalty to Pavel Datsuyk with under two minutes to play, which helped the Ducks tie the game, was not all that unsurprising given how the game was called.

When Lilja scored six minutes into the second period, it looked good for the Red Wings. Hasek was playing another great game, the Wings were playing strong, aggressive hockey, and they had the lead, at home. But, then, in a seven minute span in the second period, the Red Wings lost the game, and perhaps, their season. In that time frame, the Ducks took three penalties, and the Wings even had 36-seconds of a 5-3 advantage. They didn't score. It was a key point in the game, because had the Wings been able to go up 2-0, with the way they and Hasek were playing, there was no way the Ducks were going to score 3 goals in a period and a half to win the game. But, by failing to score, especially on the 5-3, the Wings gave the Ducks momentum going into the third period when they had to know the whistles were going to be turned on them (and they were).

Yes, the Ducks didn't score for almost 22 minutes of ice-time after those penalty kills, but it wasn't a surprise that the Wings inability to score would come back to haunt them. They needed to put more distance between themselves and the Ducks, and at a critical point in the game, when the Wings could have snapped the will of the Ducks and made sure that they weren't able to come back, they failed to get the job done. Niedermayer and Selanne's goals were just the unfortunate results which followed.
AP Photo
The Red Wings now have a must win game in Anaheim Tuesday night, or they'll be playing golf next week instead of playing in the Stanley Cup Finals. I wouldn't count the Wings out by any means, as the road team has won 3 of the 5 games in the series to this point, but it's not going to be easy, as the Ducks do not want to come back to Detroit for a Game Seven. The Ducks are proving to be as tough as a foe as the Wings thought they were going to be, and it's going to take the Wings everything they have to force a Game Seven. It'll be a late night Tuesday until we find out if they can accomplish that goal or not.

Wings Lose, Pistons Win: Some Quick Thoughts

Even though Game Four of the Detroit Red Wings-Anaheim Ducks series and Game Six of the Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls series was just a day and a half ago, it seems like a lifetime. You put off writing a blog entry on the games for one day, then another because of a trip to Comerica Park (more on that in my post on Andrew Miller's Major League debut) and suddenly, the games are old news. Oh well. So before the stories become really old news and nobody cares, here are some quick thoughts.

** Even with Chris Pronger out, it didn't surprise me that the Ducks played as well as they did. Sometimes losing a great player like that becomes a rallying point, and you knew after getting pulled in Game Four, Giguere was going to come out especially fired up. When the Ducks scored in the first two minutes of the game, I thought it was going to be a long night, but Dan Cleary's first goal of the game (he scored two) tied it up and it was a back-and-forth battle the entire game. Typical of this series. Hasek gave up more goals then we are used to seeing, but everyone is entitled to an off-night. Game Five is Sunday afternoon (I'll see most of the second period and beyond as I'll be at the Tigers game in the early afternoon) and I can't even venture a guess as to who will win. Both teams have won a game on the road, and while the Wings should be tough at home, the Ducks have been the better team for more of the series (though, if the Wings play as they did in Game Three, they'll win hands down).

** And the Detroit Pistons put the Chicago Bulls to bed, finally. About time. I thought the Bulls were going to give the Pistons a series, but I figured it would be from the start, not once they fell behind 3-0. But, they gave the Pistons a scare, and the team responded when they needed to, closing out Chicago on their home floor. Not coincidentally I think, Jason Maxiell had more playing time in this game then he did in the games the Pistons lost. I think there's a connection there. Maxiell beings emotion and energy when he plays and hopefully he'll continue to get minutes against Cleveland.

As for Rasheed Wallace, he has to play more in control then he did the final three games against Chicago. I know his emotion works for him in some ways, and his technical fouls, while endearing in the regular season, are going to kill the Pistons if he isn't careful. Tayshaun Prince was NOT happy with Wallace when he got a "T" late in the 4th quarter of Game Six against Chicago and good for him for letting Wallace know. Prince is showing a real emotional side of him this playoff and that's a very good thing and he's turning into one of the Pistons most consistent performers. And don't get me wrong, I love Sheed's fire. I would like just a little bit more self control with LeBron James and Cleveland next week.

Thomas Holmstrom Leads Detroit Red Wings Past Ducks in Game Three

As surprised as I was that The Detroit Pistons were blown out by the Chicago Bulls at home tonight, I may be even more surprised that the Detroit Red Wings blew out the Anaheim Ducks at their home stadium, chasing goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the second period and winning 5-0. Thomas Holmstrom, who took a brutal hit into the boards in the second period (video below), came back in the third period, netting an assist to go along with two goals, as the Detroit Red Wings took a 2-1 series lead, stealing home ice advantage back from the Ducks.
AP Photo
After being outplayed by the Ducks for the majority of the first two games at home, the Red Wings looked like a different team on the west coast. They were physical, they had a jump in their step that they were missing in the first two games, and they were the better team from the drop the puck in the first period. And they didn't waste anytime getting on the scoreboard, as Johan Franzen scored to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead just over 10 minutes into the game.

Not satisfied with a one goal edge, the Wings kept the pressure on in the closing minutes of the first period, and with under a minute to go, Thomas Holmstrom scored to make it 2-0 Wings going into the first intermission.

The Red Wings put the game away early in the second period. The Ducks, had they come out of the first intermission with some fire, may have had a chance to make a game of it, but Todd Bertuzzi and Holmstrom scored 17 seconds apart four minutes into the second period (off of different goalies no less as Jean-Sebastien Giguere was pulled after Bertuzzi's goal) and the game was over at that point (sort of how the Bulls put the game away against the Pistons with their third quarter run).

But, there was a spot of controversy (and concern for Wings fan) when Thomas Holmstrom was smashed along the boards by Chris Pronger and Rob Niedermayer, seemingly knocking him unconscious. The injury looked series, and the hit itself was brutal, getting Niedermayer a five minute major boarding penalty and a game misconduct (though Pronger got off without penalty).

Holmstrom, though, is a hockey player, and wouldn't you know it, despite how it looked, he was back out on the ice in the third period, and even assisted on the Wings fifth goal scored by Valtteri Filppula. Holmstrom's return was a relief, because he has proven himself this playoff as one of, if not the, most valuable Red Wing, and losing him would have been devastating.

Instead, though, the Wings will take a 2-1 series lead into Game Four, and they have the Ducks on their heels. As I've learned from the Pistons though, no series lead is safe, and once you think you have a team on the ropes, they rise up, but should the Wings win Game Four, and take both in Anaheim, we may be looking at another trip to the Stanley Cup Finals (but, again, let's not get ahead of ourselves).

Anaheim Ducks Defeat the Detroit Red Wings in Game Two

Just as I was saying that it seemed like the Anaheim Ducks had kept the puck in the Detroit Red Wings zone for pretty much all of overtime, the game was over, the Ducks had scored, won Game Two of the Western Conference Finals 4-3, tying the series at one game each as the series shifts to Anaheim. It's a weird feeling actually, the Red Wings played better in Game Two then they did in Game One, but they lost instead of won. They just never seemed to get anything going in overtime, and despite a few scoring chances, the Ducks had more, and they took advantage of their opportunities and won. Some Wings fans may be upset with the officiating, especially after the controversial third Duck goal, but the Ducks won the game, and based on how they played in the two goals total, they were the better team for the majority of both of those games. And that has to be a scary thought with the next two games in Anaheim.

[And now back to your regularly scheduled game recap, written before overtime began] Despite winning Game One, the Detroit Red Wings were outplayed by the Anaheim Ducks for most of the first game of the series, and were the beneficiaries of a few lucky bounces for both of their goals, including the game winner. But, you know what they say, those who work hard make their own luck and often seem to have the breaks go their way, an it certainly did for the Red Wings in the first game. In the first period of Game Two, it seemed like a repeat of Game One. The Ducks were the more physical, alive team, and the Red Wings were being outplayed. If not for Dominik Hasek, the Wings would have been down 2, 3 goals at the end of the first period, at least.

As it was, the Wings were down 1-0 as the first period closed, and for the first dew minutes of the second period, the Wings still lacked a jump in their step, and it looked as if it were only a matter of time before Anaheim scored again. Then, like they flipped a switch, the Detroit Red Wings woke up the second half of the second period. First, Kirk Maltby scored on a short-handed goal, and after that, it seemed like the Wings had the momentum back on their side.

The Ducks, though, would not go away quietly, and later scored, taking back the 2-1 lead, on a wicked shot by Andy McDonald, his fifth goal of the year. It was not even clear the puck had gone in the net, but after a review, and a look at a bouncing water bottle on top of the net, it was clear the Ducks had scored, and retaken the lead.

But, as I said, the Red Wings had awoken in the middle part of the second period, and they seemed to be a different team after Maltby scored their first goal of the game. They had a spring in their step which was missing in the first four and a half periods of the series, and even though the Wings were leading the series 1-0, I spent much of the game worried about the series. But when Nick Lidstrom scored with just under four minutes to play in the second period to retie the game, it calmed my nerves a bit.

The Wings started the third period with a 5-3 advantage after two Duck penalties to end the second period, and they took advantage as the third period began, with Pavel Datsuyk scoring his sixth goal of the playoffs. Datsuyk, who came into the post-season with a target on his back after struggling in the post-season early in his career and signing a big contract extension before the playoffs begin, has been worth every penny for the Red Wings, and his goal to give the Wings 3-2 lead was a thing of beauty.

The Ducks though,on another reviewed goal, once again tied the game, and it was a controversial goal. The puck was caught in Hasek's pads and it wasn't clear when the whistle blew (perhaps before the puck crossed the goal-line) and whether Hasek was pushed into the net or not. The review though called it a goal and the last 10 minutes or so the of third period was very much like an overtime game. Both teams were being very careful, and while the Ducks had a few chances to take the lead, Hasek came up big again as he has all playoffs long. Then overtime started, and we know the rest. Sadly.

And with the Tigers getting blown out by Minnesota and the Pistons losing as well, it was not a good Mothers Day in Michigan in 2007. Which of course, reminds me, to wish a very happy Mothers day to my mom, Grandmother, and Great Grandmothers and to everyone else out there in the blogosphere celebrating Mothers Day today.

Detroit Red Wings Defeat Anaheim Ducks 2-1 in Game One

It was everything that we expected from the Western Conference Finals. Two really good, talented teams, fighting one another the entire game, neither gaining much of an edge, the result in doubt until the absolute very last moment. Thankfully for the Detroit Red Wings, the result was in their favor, a 2-1 victory in a game where they did not play very well, took way too many penalties, and where Dominik Hasek, as he has all playoffs, came up huge.
AP Photo
The Wings took four penalties in the first period (leading to one Ducks 5-3 Power Play for a minute a half) but despite one of the key penalty killers (Kris Draper) taking two of those penalties, the Wings special teams were up for the challenge, preventing the Ducks Power Play from getting anything going. And not only that, despite fighting off penalties for most of the first period, the Wings ended the first 20 minutes up 1-0 thanks to a goal by Henrik Zetterberg, who banked the puck off a Ducks defensemen and past Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

The second period was scoreless, but the Wings took three more penalties, including a small fight which broke out between Shawn Thornton and Danny Markov. Not too many fighting majors given out in the playoffs, but Thornton and Markov received five minutes each for fighting, forcing the Wings to juggle their already jumbled defensive pairings. Luckily for the Wings, no damage was done while Markov was sitting out.

In the third period, the Ducks quickly pulled even thanks to a goal by Chris Kunitz, who scored roughly a minute and a half into the period. Hasek never saw the shot, and the Ducks, who had been close to scoring many times throughout the game, had their goal, and the had the game tied. But then the Wings, on a Power Play (a nice change from all the penalty killing they had to do all game) scored on a Nick Lidstrom shot which just trickled though past Giguere. The goal was later changed and credited to Thomas Holmstrom, although viewing the goal, it certainly seems like it's Nick's. In either case, in baseball, a hit like Lidstrom's goal is a "seeing eye single". Not sure what the corresponding term in hockey is, but that puck had eyes for the back of the net and it didn't stop moving until it got there.

That was all the Wings and Hasek needed to win the game. The Ducks flurried at the end to try to get a puck past Hasek, and they came close quite a few times, including one shot with just a few seconds to go, but the Wings held on, and took a 1-0 series lead with a 2-1 victory.

If the Red Wings are going to continue to win games in this series, they are going to have to play better in the next few games. They took too many penalties (11) and as a result, they were outshot 32-19, which is very un-Red Wing like. But, as a Red Wings fan you have to be happy to not only win Game One, but win it in a game where the Wings did not play their best hockey and were playing one man down (at least) for half the game. The Ducks were exactaly the team I thought they were. Smart, tough, and physical, and with the potential to get quite a few scoring chances. Dominik Hasek was up to the task tonight, and hopefully, in Game Two on Sunday, we'll be saying the same as the Wings go up 2 games to 0.

Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks Series Preview

The Detroit Red Wings just can't have it easy can they? First, despite finishing with the best record in the Western Conference, they were paired with the Calgary Flames in Round One, a team which had recently upset them in the playoffs, and a team with both a solid goaltender and a young, hungry team led by one of the NHL's best young stars in Jarome Iginla. Having finished the Flames off, exercising their first round demons, the Wings then had to face the San Jose Sharks, a team many thought was going to the Stanley Cup Finals. And they were on the verge of falling behind 3 games to 1 when Robert Lang saved them with a goal with 30 seconds to go in the third period of Game Four. Two games later, the Detroit Red Wings are in the Western Conference Finals readying themselves for a battle with the Anaheim (don't call them Mighty) Ducks which starts Friday night.
AP Photo

And they have won both series despite a series of injuries. Niklas Kronwall broke his hip before the playoffs began, Mathieu Schneider broke his arm against San Jose is done for the playoffs, and both Brett Lebda and Thomas Holmstrom have missed time in the past few weeks. But, with Lebda and Holmstrom back, and with the full understanding that the playoffs are a war of attrition, the Red Wings are ready to face the Ducks.

And it will not be an easy series. Should the Red Wings win, and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, nobody can say they didn't earn it. They have had to face some very tough teams in the playoffs, the Ducks are chief among them. Just a few years removed from almost winning the Stanley Cup Finals (taking the New Jersey Devils to seven games in 2004) the Ducks have the talent to test the Wings even more then the Flames and Sharks already have. And just as they did with Miikka Kiprusoff in the Flames series, the Wings will have to overcome a familiar foe when they face Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere. It was in 2003 when Guguere became a household name (or as much of one as you can become in hockey) when his standout goaltending helped the Ducks, the 7th seed in the Western Conference, sweep the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs. The Wings scored only six goals in those four games, never more then 2 in any one game, and Giguere continued his hot play all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. And the coach of that Ducks team, of course? The Red Wings own Mike Babcock.
AP Photo

Well, Giguere is back, and is on top of his game once again, despite a scary situation with his family which caused him to miss part of the Ducks opening round series. As ESPN's George Johnson explains, it was an easy call for Giguere to miss the post-season to be with his family.

Just before the start of these NHL playoffs, doctors discovered that Giguere's infant son, Maxime, had been born with a deformed right eye. There were fears that more damage would be found in the left eye. That he might be blind. A specialist at UCLA Medical Center was consulted.

The news on Maxime is encouraging. And dad? Well, he's gone from strength to strength. Giguere is once more the go-to guy in Anaheim. The Ducks will travel only as far as he can carry them. The same plotline as in 2003, when Anaheim reached the Cup finals.

With his son's situation settled, Giguere did what he does best in the Ducks semi-finals series against Vancouver, stand on his head in net. He didn't allow more than two goals in any game against Vancouver (sound familiar?) and he has a ridiculously low 1.28 goals-against-average in the playoffs, which even bests Dominik Hasek's 1.51 (and Hasek has been incredible this post-season).

And it's not as if the Ducks rely solely on their goaltending either. The Ducks have plenty of veteran leadership, and plenty of scary (and familiar) faces across the board. Defenseman Chris Pronger, who frustrated the Red Wings for years while a member of the St. Louis Blues, is leading the Ducks in points in the post-season with 11, which is tied with Pavel Datsuyk and Nick Lidstrom for the lead among Western Conference playoff performers. And then there's also Scott Niedermayer to worry about on defense and the Teemu Selanne knows at 37 this may be his last chance to win a Stanley Cup. Plus the Ducks have young talent too, like Andy McDonald and Ryan Getzlaf. This is a very talented team all around.

Yet, still, I remain optimistic about the Red Wings' chances. Dominik Hasek, as previously mentioned, has been spectacular in the playoffs, and if he continues to play as he has in the first two series, the Wings have very little to worry about. And with Thomas Holmstrom back after being cut above his eye (forcing him to miss part of the San Jose series) the Wings front line of Datsuyk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom is reeally humming right now. Datsuyk leads all Western Conference players in goals (5) and Zetterberg is close behind with 4 tallies of his own. Add in 10 assists between the two (and another 4 total points from Holmstrom) and it's easy to see why that line is so critical to the Wings chances. And if Nick Lidstrom continues to make plays like he did in the San Jose series, diving in front of an empty net to stop San Jose from tying the game, the Wings are in great shape.

History also is on the Wings side. Even though they were swept by the Ducks in 2003, they overcame a similar previous-years defeat against Calgary in the first round, and with the Wings, the playoffs are a boom or bust proposition. Either they get eliminated in the first or second round, or they win the Stanley Cup. And this year, the Wings are in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2002, when they won the Stanley Cup. While planning the parade may be a bit premature, and I expect the Ducks to give the Wings all they can handle (though, I did say the same thing about the Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls series and so far, that hasn't held true) I still see a Red Wings series victory. Take the Detroit Red Wings in Six over the Ducks.

Looking for anlaysis from the enemy? There are plenty of great Anaheim Ducks blogs. Here are just a few of the ones I've found (and if you have a Ducks blog, and want to exchange links, please E-Mail Me.

The Battle of California
On The Pond
Girl With A Puck
Anaheim Duck Fan
Ducks Blog

And of course there's all of the great Detroit Red Wings coverage at the usual sources (with a link list I'm shamelessly stealing from Matt's great OnTheWings Detroit Red Wings blog:
Abel to Yzerman (who gave my Blog a much appreciated plug today.
Behind the Jersey
Gloveside
Gorilla Crouch
No Pun Intended.

Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings Cruise to Victory

Well so much for the Chicago Bulls giving the Detroit Pistons a series. And so much for the San Jose Sharks having the Detroit Red Wings on the ropes. After two great performances by two great Detroit sports franchises on Monday night, the Detroit Red Wings are moving on to the Western Conference Finals and the Detroit Pistons are two games away from the Eastern Conference Finals (yes, there is something weird about the Wings and Pistons playing in different geographic conferences, the NHL really needs to fix that).

Starting with the Red Wings, well, because their game started first, I still go back to Robert Lang's goal in game four with just over thirty seconds to go. The Wings were about to fall behind 3-1, and the series would have been over. Instead, Lang scores, the Red Wings go on to win in overtime, and the will of the Sharks was just snapped. Two games later, the Red Wings are moving on to the Western Conference Finals for a date with the Anaheim (no longer Mighty) Ducks, which should be a very tough series. Credit to Dominik Hasek, who despite almost handing the game away on a awful clearing pass in the first period, continues to play like a goalie half his age.

It is only going to get tougher with Anaheim, and without Mathieu Schneider, the other defensemen will have to pick up their game. But, as the Wings have shown throughout the playoffs so far, they are determined to prove that they are not going to fold in the playoffs like their history has been, and so far, they haven't. And if they do make it past the Ducks, nobody can say they didn't earn it, as Calgary, San Jose, and Anaheim may be the toughest road to the Stanley Cup Finals the Red Wings have taken in a long time.

AP Photo

As for the Detroit Pistons, well, there isn't much to say other than the Chicago Bulls just look completely out matched. The Pistons could make shots at will last night, and the Bulls looked completely overwhelmed. The passing of the Pistons, led by Chris Webber, left Chicago in a daze, and the Pistons continued to get quality minutes from their bench, including Jason Maxiell. The Webber acquisition is looking very very similar right now to the Rasheed Wallace acquisition which put the Pistons over the top and helped them win an NBA title in 2004, and right now, there is nobody in the East that can stop the Pistons. Perhaps Chicago will wake up when they get home, but I think it may be too little, too late. The Pistons have momentum now, and with the way they are dialed in and focused, there may be nothing that can derail them until they get to the NBA Finals.

Best, Busiest Day in Sports?

1:30 am Update: Home from watching the Mayweather- De La Hoya fight (anlaysis below), what follows is a preview, then review (as they happened), of all of the big events in sports today, from the Detroit Red Wings playoff game, to the Kentucky Derby, Detroit Pistons playoff game, Detroit Tigers game (and more on that in my post on Joel Zumaya's injury). Enjoy.

10:00 am: After finishing finals and moving out of the Law Quad in Ann Arbor for the summer, I needed a day to relax, and just watch sports all day. And thankfully, I didn't have to wait long. Today may be the busiest, and most exciting sports day in a long, long time. Last weekend, for Detroit sports fans like myself, was pretty intense. The NFL Draft. Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons playoff games. The Detroit Tigers were playing. But, today, locally and nationally, despite the lack of the draft, is even bigger, and I'm planning on watching it all. So what's the schedule look like?

2:00: Detroit Red Wings v. San Jose Sharks, Game Five: It all seemed over for the Detroit Red Wings, losing Game Four with just over half a minute to play, about to go down 3 games to 1 against a very good San Jose team. But as I wrote when I reviewed Thursday'sDetroit Red Wing Game Four victory, the Red Wings refused to lose, scored the game tying goal then won the game in overtime. Now, the series is tied at 2-2 and the pivotal game five is at Joe Louis Arena. The Wings do not want to have to go back to San Jose giving the Sharks the chance to eliminate them on the Sharks home ice. All the momentum, though, is with the Red Wings. The Sharks knew they had their chance to close out the Wings, and they failed to do so, allowing the Wings second life, and giving them a chance that usually the Wings don't fail to capitalize on. Look for another gritty, tough, hard fought game, and a Wings victory.

4:30 Update: Well, so far, so good. The Detroit Red Wings won a physical, exciting Game Six, 4-1, and now we head to San Jose with a chance to close at the Sharks at home and move on to what should be a very tough series with the Anaheim (no longer Mighty) Ducks. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves though. The Sharks aren't going to go away quietly, and even though the Wings have all the momentum right now, anything can happen in the Shark Tank (as we saw on Thursday).

Great game by the Datsuyk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom line, as always, as each had a goal. Holmstrom is so important to the Wings success, as we saw when they struggled quite a bit when he missed the first four games of the series. And Datsuyk and Zetterberg continue to mature, and continue to show they will show up in the playoffs if we just give them time. Datsuyk continues to play great hockey, and Zetterberg is matching him.

The only real concern is the arm injury to Mathieu Schneider. He suffered an arm injury in the first period and did not return. If he misses time, with the injuries on the defense to Brett Lebda (who may return for Game Six) and Niklas Kronwall, losing Schneider would be huge. Not to mention how important he is to the Wings special teams. The playoffs in hockey, though, unlike any other sport, is a war of attrition, so injuries are expected and anticipated. In any case, Game Six should be just as exciting and nail biting as the first five games of the series, which, with the Pistons Game II, Heroes, and 24 all Monday night, should make for a very busy night for my DVR.

5:00 Kentucky Derby: I am not a horse racing guy. But, I've gotta admit, the Kentucky Derby is always pretty entertaining. And I usually try to find a TV and watch it if I can. Maybe it's the thought of seeing a Triple Crown champion, because that would just be rare and cool and exciting. The chance of an unknown horse (like Funny Cide a few years ago) stunning the world. And so long as the Red Wings game doesn't go into overtime, we should be fine time wise.

6:30 Update: And the winner of the Kentucky Derby is Street Sense. Whom? Well, I'm no horse expert, but it was another exciting race with an interesting strategy by Street Sense. He laid back for most of the race, in 19th position out of 20, but with a half mile to go, he surged, passed the 18 horses in front of him, and won the Derby by two lengths. They call it the "most exciting two minutes" in sports, but it was actually "the most exciting two minutes and two seconds" in sports this year. Okay, time to ignore horse racing until the Preakness. Or is the Belmont next? I'm showing my horse racing ignorance here. Okay, time to grab dinner before the Tigers and Pistons games start in a half hour.

7:00: Detroit Pistons v. Chicago Bulls, Game One & Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals: Okay, so the Tigers/Royals tilt is probably low on the list of priorities today (despite my love of the Tigers) because the biggest Pistons playoff series in a while starts tonight. Even though we were in the Eastern Conference Finals last year against Miami, this series, in the Semi-Finals seems like the biggest and most anticipated series since the NBA Finals battle a few years back with San Antonio. The Bulls, led by Michigan State's Scott Skiles and former Piston Ben Wallace are the 'New Kids on the Block' and they are hungry to prove themselves against the veteran, established Pistons. And it is not going to be an easy series for the Pistons as I wrote in my Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls series preview. The Pistons are going to have to bring their "A" game against Chicago, and while I think they will be able to turn it on, and play a level and an intensity rarely seen this season, the Bulls will likely be able to match them game for game. It's why I think the series is going seven. The Pistons though, with their experience, should come out on top. And with Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber, both able to shoot from the perimeter, it should keep Ben Wallace away from the basket, and limit his rebounding ability somewhat. The Palace should be rocking tonight and expect Wallce to get booed everytime he touches the ball. Should be a fun game.

9:30 Update: Wow. Well, that was not at all what I expected from Game One of the Detroit Pistons Chicago Bulls series. In a series I expect to go seven games, where the Bulls should be giving the Pistons all they can handle, Chicago forgot to show up tonight. Maybe they were distracted by all of the other sports goings-ons today. The Pistons sure looked like one of (if not) the best teams in the NBA tonight, dominating the younger, greener, in-over-their-heads Chicago Bulls. Not only did the starting five play some great basketball, but the Pistons got great play from their bench, especially from Jason Maxiell and Lindsey Hunter. Antonio McDyess' 10 rebounds despite his foul trouble also was a big help. As Charles Barkely said during TNT's halftime show, the Pistons are just so deep right now. Where their bench was a huge liability last season, not so this year. And the maturation of Jason Maxiell continues to impress. He is going to be a star once he starts to get regular playing time.

One of the most telling moments of the game was, up 20 in the fourth quarter, Rip Hamilton was still drawing charges. The Pistons just seemed to want it more then the Bulls tonight, and if this is the effort we are going to see from Chicago in this series, then it surely is not going be a seven game series as I predicted. I don't expect the Bulls to struggle and lose by 25 or 30 every game like they did tonight, but I may have not taken their youth and inexperience into account as much as I should have when analyzing this series. We'll see. I still think there's some life in the Bulls yet.

AP Photo
Okay, time to see if the Tigers can come back against the Royals after the bullpen couldn't find the strikezone in the sixth inning, leading the Royals 5-4 lead as Wil Ledezma tries to get out of the 7th inning without any more damage done.

10:05 Update: Do not sleep on the Detroit Tigers. It looked ugly early, with Mike Maroth not having his best stuff, and the Kansas City Royals taking the lead early, and regaining it late, but the Detroit Tigers continued to battle back, and had a big three run 8th inning to come from behind and take the lead. Magglio Ordonez continued his hot hitting with a home run and a key RBI double in the 8th, and Craig Monroe's two run single gave the Tigers the lead again. The game continued to show the Tigers character. They may fall behind early, their starting pitcher may not have the best stuff, their relievers may walk in a few runs, but their offense will come through, and when the bullpen is really needed it comes through too.

Now, it's heading into the bottom of the 8th inning and the Tigers could still blow this game, but as I leave to go watch the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight, I choose to have confidence that the Tigers will hold on to win.

11:00 Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya: I have never ordered a professional boxing event on Pay Per View. And so long as I don't end up at a bar or restaurant tonight to watch the fight there, that streak will end tonight. I have not looked forward to a boxing match this much since Rocky Balboa was coming out in theaters, and it should be a great, great fight, the shot in the arm the sport of boxing desperately needs. The heavyweights are so boring, both in personality, and in the ring, but when you get boxers like Mayweather and De La Hoya together, its a rumble. Fights like these make me upset I was so young (or, in fact, not even born yet) when you had the great battles with Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. I've seen highlights of those fights, and that's just boxing in its purest form. Sort of what I expect tonight. Boxing, when done right, and with the right fighters, can capture America's interest, like it did with Hearns and Hagler and Sugar Ray and Roberto Duran. A lot has ruined boxing over the last decade, but it can still be redeemeed, and tonight may be the first step in that direction.

1:30 am Update: Back from watching the fight that will save boxing, and it was, well, solid yet unspectacular. It was fun watching it at a bar, with a few hundred patrons yelling and screaming at every punch, a lively atmosphere to be sure. Sadly, there wasn't much to be lively about. The fight, while not a two round sham which would have ruined boxing, was not a Hearns-Hagler or Leonard-Duran classic which would save and resurrect the sport either.

Floyd Mayweather won in a split decision, which was probably the right decision. Oscar De La Hoya threw a lot of punches, but he didn't land very many, and Mayweather seemed to bounce around the wing, just a step faster then the older De La Hoya. Neither fighter dominated, and neither had a knockdown or anything even close. De La Hoya seemed to control the tempo of the fight, but he went to the body too often, seemingly to wear down Mayweather, but Mayweather never got worn down, and he just kept punching away. By the end, neither fighter looked like they had a scratch on them, and while the fight went the whole 12 rounds, it was a rather pedestrian affair. The last 10 seconds of the 12th round was a flury, but other than that, tame stuff, neither fighter really getting a chance to really get anything going.

Oh well, guess I'll have to find some of the Leonard and Hearns fights on DVD to see truly classic boxing.

Detroit Red Wings Stun San Jose Sharks -- Win Game Four

Wow. I don't really have much to say other then, just, wow. It seemed like the Detroit Red Wings were finished. Done. They were down by a goal, under a minute to play, about to lose both games in San Jose and return to Detroit for Game Five down a pretty insurmountable 3 games to 1. Then, the Shark Tank, primed for a post-game celebration, went quiet. Robert Lang (the same Robert Lang who has often been criticized for his poor playoff performances), scored the game tying goal with just over 30-seconds to go, and then Matthew Schneider scored the game winner in overtime, and just like that, the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks are tied at two games a piece and it is a whole new, brand new series. How about that? And for those of you who don't get Versus or weren't up at 1:30 a.m. to see the highlights, here they are, including the game tying and game winning goals, courtesy of ESPN.

Thomas Holmstrom scored the first goal of the game for the Wings, proving once again (as if we didn't know already) just how valuable he is to the team. And then coming back in overtime, getting the win in San Jose, stealing home ice advantage back. You just start to get the feeling that things are falling right for the Wings this playoff run. It certainly is not over yet against San Jose, but the Sharks have to be deflated after coming so close to really all but ending the series, and if there is one team in the NHL I would not want to give second life to, it would be the Detroit Red Wings. Let's just hope the Wings can make the Sharks regret not slamming the door when they had the chance.

Detroit Red Wings Douse Calgary Flames; Win Series

I'm exhausted. So imagine how the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames feel right now. Just over 24 hours after Game Five ended, Game Six began, and by the time Game Six ended it was almost time for Game Seven. Except, there will be no Game Seven because in double overtime, Johan Franzen, the same Johan Franzen who was slashed in the midsection in Game Five, scored on a rocket of a shot to send the Flames home and send the Detroit Red Wings on to the second round. It was a great goal to cap a great, great game, and for those that weren't awake at just past 12:40 a.m., here's the video which I posted to YouTube shortly after the game ended:

As for the rest of the game (not that this recap matters a whole lot right now considering the great outcome, but there was a game before the Wings skated off in victory) it was a classic playoff battle, both teams fighting hard, both teams not giving an inch. I'll be honest, when Calgary scored first, I didn't feel very confident, but when Robert Lang's goal in the second period tied the score, I knew we at least had a shot. And with the way Hasek and Kiprusoff were playing, I knew it also could be quite a while before we had another goal, and I was right on that one too.
Robert Lang celebrates (AP Photo)
The first overtime was just great hockey, both teams with amazing scoring chances, both goalies with incredible saves. When the Red Wings, though, didn't capitalize on their four-minute Power Play after the high stick to Holmstrom (and let's hope he's all right, he was taken to the hospital to get further stitched up) I got nervous again. I knew the next Power Play was going to go to the Flames (it did), but the Wings Penalty Kill was up for the challenge and the rest of the first overtime flew by. Then the second OT started, and just like that, Johan Franzen scored and the Wings were moving on.

As I've written before, there is just something special about overtime playoff hockey. This game was no different. Maybe it's the fact that there are no commercial timeouts, so it's just 20-minutes of hockey, and at any split second, it could be over. Espeically in a game like this which means so much, and could either end the Flames season or send us to a Game Seven in Detroit. You don't get a chance to catch your breath, and neither do the players. And when you win, like the Detroit Red Wings did tonight, it's especially sweet.

And with that, it's 12:50 in the morning so I'm signing off.

NHL Suspends McLennan; Fines Flames

The National Hockey League sent a message today that deliberately using your stick to try to injure another player, at the behest of your team, will result in little discipline to either you or your team. According to an official NHL release, Calgary Flames Goalie Jamie McLennan will be suspended for five games (a meaningless penalty considering he's a backup goalie), Calgary coach Jim Playfair has been fined $25,000 and the Flames’ organization has been fined $100,000 for actions taken in Saturday's Game Five.

“In our pre-playoff conference calls with the coaches and General Managers of the respective organizations, we addressed a number of topics – and one of them was actions late in the game when the score was out of hand,” said Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Executive Vice president and Director of Hockey Operations. “The coach and the organization must be held accountable for the players’ actions.”

If the NHL really wanted to hold a team accountable though, $100,000 and a five game suspension to a player who isn't going to play anyway isn't the way to do it. Espeically when you consider that McLennan wasn't the only Flames player to play dirty. Daymond Langkow’s sucker punch of Brett Lebda was just as bad, and Lebda was injured as a result, and won't play in tonight's Game Six due to a concussion. Jarome Iginla was guilty of some cross checks and other cheap shots as well. None of them were punished, even with a fine. And, once again, for those that did not see the McLennan slash, the video is below.

Wings, and Tigers, and Pistons -- Why Detroit is Great

If there was any doubt that Detroit, Michigan was the best sports city in the world, today put that to rest. Sure, the Detroit Tigers lost, but if you were a really dedicated sports fan (and I would have done this had I not been in the middle of studying for law school finals, and I made it to Comerica Park as it was) you could have seen the Detroit Tigers game, the Detroit Red Wings-Calgary Flames Game Five playoff game, and Game One of the Detroit Pistons-Orlando Magic series, all in person, all in the same 12 hour span. Quite the day and evening for Detroit sports.

So where to begin. Let's start with the Red Wings, who proved that when they want to turn it on and dominate, they can. I missed most of the game in transit from the Tigers game (more on that debacle below) and one of the first things I heard on the radio was that Dan Clearly had scored a "short handed penalty shot goal." I thought for sure I had misheard something or that the great Ken Kal had made a rare mistake. Turns out, he was right. After leaving their special teams (both their Power Play and their Penalty Kill) in Detroit during Games Three and Four in Calgary, the Wings responded in force on Saturday, scoring on Cleary's penalty shot, adding a shorthanded goal by the ageless Chris Chelios (the fact that he can play at such a high level at 45 is amazing) and two Power Play goals. If only they were able to play like this just during one of the two games in Calgary, the team wouldn't have to make the 1,800 mile journey for a game scheduled for 9:00 tomorrow, just under 30 hours after Game Five ended. Nice to see Henrik Zetterberg get on the scoreboard for the first time this playoff (he scored twice) and Pavel Datsuyk scored again, his third goal of the series. When these two guys are on their games, the Wings are obviously very difficult to beat.

The end of the game was a disgrace. For those that didn't see the game, Calgary backup goalie, Jamie McLennan, just eighteen seconds into his appearance, gave a viscous and deliberate two handed slash to Johan Franzen. It was uncalled for and it shouldn't be part of hockey, and the NHL would be wise to come down hard on McLennan. Sure, it won't hurt Calgary since he's their backup goaltender, but it would send a message that blows designed to injure, and made out of nothing other than frustration, should not be tolerated. Here's video of the incident, from a few different angles, for those that missed it:

And that wasn't the only cheap shot by Calgary. Daymond Langkow sucker-punched and gave a concussion to Brett Lebda and Jarome Iginla got into the act as well. He told ESPN.com that

"It was really about getting some fights going at that point to keep our energy up and carry some anger into the next game," Iginla said with several new stitches over his left eye. "We're not going away."

You just lose respect for players and teams when they get intentionally violent like the Flames did today. I understand trying to get an edge back and playing physical to try to get a team out of their gameplan, but to intentionally injure players, and strike with reckless blows to "send a message", that's not hockey, that's being a thug. And it shouldn't be tolerated by the NHL.

For more analysis of Calgary's dirty play, Christy at Behind the Jersey has a recap of national and local coverage of all of the dirty plays by the Flames and Dave at Gorilla Crunch has a great post about Red Wings GM Ken Holland screaming at NHL executives to suspend Calgary players for their actions. Great stuff.

Moving on to the Tigers, I was at Comerica Park, and while there were close to 40,000 fans in the stands, nobody went home happy (well, maybe a few White Sox fans). The Tigers are just not playing good baseball right now, and today's game hit all of the negatives:

Defense: The Tigers had three very costly errors today, and while the team has only committed four errors on the season coming into this afternoon's game, the way they played today wipes all of that out. And the team would have a lot more errors if not for Sean Casey's excellent play at first base.

Offense: Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge, Sean Casey, and Gary Sheffield are all hitting under .200. That's practically half the lineup. And Magglio Ordonez, despite a solo home run today, is getting close to the .200 level. That's unacceptable. Sheffield has the support of Tigers fans now, but they won't stick with him for long considering his huge contract and his lack of performance so far. We're giving him the benefit of the doubt because his history tells us he's one of the best batters in baseball, but, so far, we haven't seen it in Detroit. Inge, Monroe, and Casey are also really struggling, and no matter how well Casey plays at first base, if he can't turn his performance around at the plate, the Tigers should consider calling up Chris Shelton, who is playing very well at AAA Toledo. Maybe manager Jim Leyland should consider changing his lineup a bit, moving Sheffield down in the order, moving Pudge to 3rd or Guillen to 3rd. Something just to shake things up, because right now, nothing is working.

Bullpen: Todd Jones blew his first save of the season Wednesday, Joel Zumaya gave up a lead today, and Fernando Rodney has been horrendous all season, and already has four losses, which most relievers have as a season total. They have to sit Rodney down for a while. Aquilino Lopez, called up from AAA Toledo to replace the injured Jose Mesa, pitched really well in his Tigers debut on Friday night. Maybe he should take Rodney's spot late in games, at least for a week or so, just so Rodney can take a step back and try to get back into what he's capable of. He has nasty stuff, he just hasn't shown it this season for whatever reason. And until he does, the Tigers are going to be relying heavily on Todd Jones and Joel Zumaya, and those two guys can't carry an entire bullpen.

You may have noticed I haven't written much about the Pistons-Magic game. Well, that's because it was business as usual for the Pistons, who led throughout and won Game One. Not nearly as much controversy there as there is the Wings and Tigers. Or as much to complain about. I will say this though, the Pistons need to be careful. Even though they led most of the game, Orlando never went away, and they almost made a run at the game late. The Pistons can't relax, and can't sit back at all. If Dwight Howard makes a few more free throws, the Magic have a few less unforced errors, and it may have been a different game. It got way too close at the end. The Pistons should continue to win games handily in this series, but as the Magic showed today, they are a team that can, at the very least, put a scare into Motown.

And that concludes what was the busiest day in sports until next weekend, when hopefully the Wings and Pistons continue their playoff runs, the Tigers battle the Minnesota Twins, and the NFL Draft commences. Great time a year to be a sports fan. Not the greatest time of year to be taking law school exams. But, it's all about balancing your time right?

Wings - Flames Game IV

Well, that was an exciting first period, frustrating second period (thanks in large part to the officiating) and an equally upsetting third period (thanks in large part to the Wings anemic Power Play). And now we need to get ready for Game Five which will be a more important game than anybody likely thought going into this series. Oh, yeah, I should probably state the obvious. The Red Wings lost to the Calgary Flames in Game Three, 3-2, and the series heads back to Detroit tied at 2-2.

First, the positives. The first period was great. Sure, the Wings fell behind early, but we tied it up (twice) and ended the period tied. But both teams were energized, flying up and down the ice, and it was some great back and forth hockey. And Todd Bertuzzi showed why he is so valuable, scoring the first goal and being involved in the second goal as well (nice line juggling by head coach Mike Babcock). Beautiful goal by Bertuzzi too after a nice pass from Robert Lang. Obviously, the negative of the period was Dominik Hasek's boneheaded unsportsmanlike conduct penalty which led to a Flames 5 on 3 Power Play which led to the Flames first goal. No need for Dom to flop in that situation, and less reason for him to get frustrated, and out of his game, and start waving his stick at people. As Mickey Redmond said on the broadcast, he's a better goalie than that, he doesn't need to do something like taking a dive. Espeically when the Wings were shorthanded to begin with.

The second period continued the story of the last two games which was the Red Wings being unable to score on the Power Play while at the same time being unable to stop the Flames when they have the man (or two) advantage. The Flames took a 3-2 led when they had their second 5-on-3 Power Play of the game. It was their 6th Power Play goal of the series. The Red Wings, on the other hand, continued to struggle on the Power Play, looking completely lost on the ice, and being unable to get the kind of scoring chances they were getting in the first two games of the series. I don't know what happened when the Wings traveled to Canada, but they left their special teams at the border.

In the third period, it started off as much of the same. An early Power Play wasted. Lack of scoring chances. It looked like the Wings were going to lose 3-2 (or worse) and we'd be tied at two games each heading back to Detroit (and, forced to go back to Calgary for back-to-back Games 5 and 6 on Saturday and Sunday -- what just brutal travel as I've mentioned before). And that's exactaly what happened, as the Wings just couldn't get anything going, and lost 3-2.

The travel, I think, will be tougher on Detroit then on Calgary, and with the way Calgary has played at home, this very well may be going 7. It is just amazing what a different team is Calgary is when they are at home. They looked completely outmatched and out of sync in Detroit, but in Calgary, especially in Game Four, the Flames looked comfortable, and looked like the better team. I don't want to panic, but it's getting to that point.

And of course, I'm not the only Red Wings fan/blogger to be upset with the Wings horrendous Power Play and special teams in general. Plenty of other great Red Wings blogs you should be checking out (if you haven't been already) include Dave at Gorllia Couch, Matt at OnTheWings, Christy at Behind The Jersey, and the Abel to Yzerman blog over at Kulkas Korner (who was live-blogging the game). Did I miss your Red Wings playoff blog? E-mail me to let me know and we'll exchange links.