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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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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.

Detroit Red Wings - Calgary Flames Game III

I hate these late games. Nevermind the fact that the Detroit Red Wings belong in the Eastern Conference, where they can play Toronto on a more than a once a year basis. These late playoff games are brutal for fans and the travel is unfair to the Wings players. Anaheim. Los Angeles. Vancouver. Edmonton. Calgary. These 10:00 starts. Just exhausting. May as well be playing in Juneau.

Oh, you came here to read about the game, not listen to me whine about the time of the game? Okay then. Well, it was what I think most people expected. Calgary came out fired up in the first period and the crowd was jumping. And Detroit drew the first penalty, which may have been the best bet of the whole day. But, the Wings killed off the penalty, and got back into their game, and played the first period to a stalemate, which on the road, with how desperate Calgary was to win Game 3 to give themselves a semblance of a chance to comeback in the series, was a small victory.

The second period was also a stalemate, but at least it involved some scoring. Calgary opened the scoring, but Detroit's Kris Draper answered shortly thereafter, tying the game at 1-1, which was the score headed into the third period. And, then, suddenly, the fear of an overtime game hit me, as I realized that since it was 11:50 p.m. just as the second intermission began, if the game went into overtime, I probably shouldn't even bother going to bed.

Well, the third period, thought we had it there for a minute. Dan Cleary's huge hit leading to Kris Draper's second goal of the game, giving the Red Wings a 2-1 lead, I thought was going to be it. Sap the will of the Flames. But, they didn't quit, and scored two quick goals to take a 3-2 lead, which was the score when the game ended. The Red Wings first loss in the 2007 playoffs.

Game Four now becomes really critical. It will allow the Wings to wrap up the series in 5 games, and will avoid what would be a truly awful Game 5 and Game 6 on back-to-back nights in Detroit then Calgary (whoever scheduled that needs to either lose their job. I understand scheduling games around national television, but to force the Wings and Calgary to play back-to-back nights in cities almost 2,000 miles apart, is just cruel). Plus, it'll stop any momentum Calgary has from tonight's victory.

Other notes of interest? Todd Bertuzzi was back, and while he didn't make an immediate impact, once he gets his legs back under him, and starts playing the physical hockey we all know he is capable of, the Wings will obviously benefit.

In other Detroit sports news,the Tigers won tonight, in a game which they looked to have in hand, looked to have lost, then won again. Two quick observations from the game. First, this team never gives up. No lead is ever insurmountable, and even if the team falls behind and blows a lead, they battle back. They really have taken on the personalty of their manager, Jim Leyland, and that's great news. And secondly, Placido Polanco, what a player he is. Rod Allen said during a game last week that Polanco would win a batting title before all is said and done, and maybe he's right, but Polanco is a shoo-in for the 2007 All Star Game and is a hitting machine. He won them tonight's game and it won't be the only one he wins for the team this season.

And with that, I'm going to sleep. At least Thursday night's Red Wings game is at 9:30, giving me at least a half hour respite.

Wings Beat Flames in Game Two; Tigers Lose

The Detroit Red Wings can't score the playoffs? Pavel Datsuyk is overpaid and is not a playoff performer? These questions were answered in Detroit's Game One victory and they were answered again Sunday afternoon as the Detroit Red Wings took a 2-0 series lead over the Calgary Flames with a 3-1 victory.

The Wings got off to a very fast start, thanks to Datsuyk, and thanks to Calgary seemingly spending the first 10 minutes with a man in the penalty box (and most of the time -- two). Datsuyk scored just over a minute into the game, his second goal in as many games, as his critics went further into hiding. Does two goals in two games makeup for his past playoff performances? Maybe not, but they do show that Datsuyk's earlier struggles were as a result of youth and health, and now that Datsuyk is fully healthy, and more mature as a player, it's going to be a very bright future ahead for him and the Red Wings.

And, looking at the box score, no, it wasn't a repeat from Sunday. Yes, Nick Lidstrom and Valtteri Filppula scored, again as they both did in Game One. And Dominik Hasek again stepped up and made some big saves when he was called upon. which wasn't a lot, even when the Flames awoke in the second and third period.

But, even down 2-0, the Flames deserve a lot of credit. When Lidstrom scored the Wings second goal of the game, less than four minutes has expired in the first period and it was already 2-0 Red Wings. The Flames could have very easily folded, given how Game One turned out, but they didn't. Nor did they let the early penalties take them out of their game. They fought back, brought the game within one goal, played a very very competitive second period (and most of the third) but ultimately fell short. And Kiprusoff, despite giving up three goals today, was awesome, and has been great all series. The Red Wings had almost 50 shots on goal, while the Flames had only 14. If Kiprusoff weren't as good, the Wings easily would have scored at least three more goals. He made some amazing saves during Sunday's game, and played really well in Thursday night's Game One. In past seasons, his play would have doomed the Red Wings. But we may be learning this is a different Detroit Red Wings team.

Even up 2 games to 0, the series is far from over. Anything can happen on the road, and playing in Calgary is not going to be easy. But the Red Wings should have Todd Bertuzzi back, which will only make the team more dangerous, and if they are able to just win one, this series will be over in five games.

In other news, the Detroit Tigers ended their roadtrip today with a 2-1 loss at Toronto. The bats were quiet again, but Blue Jays starter Josh Towers deserves a lot of credit, he kept the Tigers off-balance all day. Tigers starter Nate Robertson was great again, his third consecutive solid start, and his improvement this year has been great to see. Robertson has improved each and every season he has pitched for the Tigers, and he was much better than his 13-13 record indicated last season. He may have taken the loss in today's game, but he continues to show he is a very important part of the Tigers team.

And while the Tigers still have some kinks to work out (Gary Sheffield continues to struggle, despite getting on base a fair amount), they just completed a long 10 game roadtrip 6-4, which is pretty impressive considering they really have not played their best baseball and the offense has yet to get going. One man who deserves a lot of credit in the first two weeks of the season is closer Todd Jones. Jones may not always be pretty on the mound, but he's been rock solid this season, and has converted every save opportunity he's had in front of him. With Fernando Rodney and Jose Mesa struggling a bit, Jones' success has been key for the Tigers.

Pavel Datsuyk, Brandon Inge Break Out of Slumps; Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers Win

Both Pavel Datsuyk and Brandon Inge came into their respective games tonight (both, ironically, against Canadian teams) with something to prove. Datsuyk to the critics who said his $46.5 million contract extension was too expensive and that he couldn't deliver in the playoffs. Inge to the critics who said his contract extension was similarly inflated and who also said he couldn't buy a hit with the money he earned from signing that contract. Both delivered tonight.

Starting with the Detroit Red Wings, who defeated the Calgary Flames 4-1 in Game One of their Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. And the outcome was never in doubt. As I wrote in my series preview earlier this week that one of the biggest problems the Red Wings have had in recent years in the playoffs is lack of scoring. One too many passes, a half-a-second too long of a hesitation before taking a shot. That was not a problem tonight. The Wings were flying from the drop of the puck, and they were clearly the better team on the ice. They had Calgary out of sync from early in the game and by the end, the only thing Calgary could do is try to rough up some of the Wings players in a vain attempt at saving face and taking some kind of momentum into Sunday's Game Two. Jarome Iginla looked especially perturbed with his team's poor performance and the Wings dominance and that's good news for the Red Wings. When Iginla is going after Wings players after the whistle instead of concentrating on scoring goals during play, that's advantage Detroit every time.

And leading the Wings was Pavel Datsuyk who didn't take long to score his first playoff goal of the season. Taking a pass from Tomas Holmstrom, Datsuyk deftly skated around a Flames defender and put a beautiful backhand shot past Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff in the second period. He later added an assist on Mathieu Schneider 's goal which gave Detroit a 4-0 lead. Datsuyk played a strong game and it should go a long way to quiting some of those who thought his contract extension, given his lack of playoff success, was undeserved. Datsuyk was named one of Allan Muir's "Three Stars" of the night in his CNNSI column.

The crafty center responded to criticism about previous playoff failures with a strong two-way game. He was 59 percent in the faceoff circle and dished out a pair of hits, but the highlight of his evening was a dazzling second period goal that broke a 26-game postseason drought.

Another player who I was very impressed with was Henrik Zetterberg. Playing for the first time in a month and a half, Zetterberg looked like he hadn't missed a beat. Certainly did not appear to be favoring his back and he was playing a very physical game, perhaps in an effort to prove that he was really was healthy and ready to go. Considering that the Wings would likely be lost without Zetterberg, the fact that he not only returned to the lineup, but looked very healthy, is a great sign going forward. And with it looking more and more like Todd Bertuzzi will be ready go by Tuesday's Game Three at the latest (he skated today and may in fact be ready for Game Two), the Wings look to be in good shape.

Kudos as well to Dominik Hasek who, despite not being challenged much by the Flames, stepped up when saves needed to be made. This game could have very easily been the kind of game which would have seen the Wings dominance, and time in Calgary's zone, lull Hasek in, taking away his concentration and sharpness. But to his credit, when Calgary did have scoring chances, he answered the call and then some. Good news all around heading into Game Two. Dave over at Gorilla Crouch has a great summary of the game for those that missed it (or were watching the Tigers). As does Matt from OnTheWings. Both good reads. Christy of Beyond the Jersey said she hadn't "enjoyed a playoff game like that in a long time." I agree.

Moving on to the Detroit Tigers another victory for the American League Central leaders, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4. And the hero of tonight's game was Brandon Inge, who coming into yesterday's game had yet to record a hit on the season. Today, though, Inge led the Tigers to victory (makes my "Don't worry Tigers fans" blog post look pretty prophetic). He hit a solo home run in the third inning, singled home a run, and chipped in a sacrifice fly, which turned out to be the game winning run. Now, one game does not a turnaround make, but now that he finally has the monkey off his back (to use a tired cliché) he can put his 0-20 start behind him and start to move forward, as he did tonight, slugging his first homerun.

Mike Maroth had a so-so outing, but picked up his second victory in as many outings. He gave up a lot of hits (9) and walked two, but for the most part, he was able to pitch himself out of trouble, including a bases loaded situation early in the game. The fact that Maroth is fully healthy and 2-0 on the season is enough to make anybody smile. Jose Mesa's performance, on the other hand, was not pretty. Thankfully Joel Zumaya and his 100 mile-per-hour-plus arm was ready to go and pick up his first save of the season, otherwise, Maroth's performance and Inge's terrific game may have been wasted.

And lastly, this is not Tigers related, but, man, you have to feel bad for the Seattle Mariners who just can't catch a break. After having their four game series with Cleveland snowed out, had tonight's game with Boston rained out. The LA Angels have played 10 games so far this season. The Mariners? 5. Talk about never being able to get any momentum going or getting into a rhythm to start the season.

Detroit Red Wings Playoffs Begin Tonight

It's an exciting night in Detroit as @ 7:00 the Detroit Red Wings will begin the 2007 Playoffs as the puck drops for Game One of their first round series with the Calgary Flames. While the Wings regular season has become almost like an afterthought for me and a lot of other Wings fans (No matter how much the experts think the Wings may struggle during the regular season, they always seem to end up with the #1 seed in the Western Conference, as they did this year, which is one of the reasons I alwaysfeel comfortable not devoting my full attention to the Wings during the regular season) the playoffs are an entirely different matter. There is just something special about the NHL Playoffs and I can't wait for tonight's game.

As I wrote earlier in the week, I think the Wings will beat the Flames in six games after a very tough series. The Flames have a lot of talent, a good goalie who shut the Wings down the last time these teams met in the post-season (in 2003) and the Wings have problems of their own. As they always seem to be this time of year (and as I guess most teams are) they are not fully healthy. And while the Detroit News reports that Henrik Zetterberg will play tonight for the first time in weeks, Todd Bertuzzi will not, and that's going to hurt.

Bertuzzi's concussion hasn't allowed him to play for three straight games (he also missed Saturday's regular-season finale) and coach Mike Babcock didn't think Bertuzzi would be ready to play tonight's Game 1 of the playoffs against Calgary.

"I don't think he has any chance of playing," Babcock said.

Bertuzzi likely is out, but forward Henrik Zetterberg definitely is in.

Zetterberg has been out since Feb. 26, when an inflamed herniated disc forced him out of practice, and ultimately, for the rest of the regular season.

Zetterberg will skate on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom , one of the most productive lines in the league around midseason.

Zetterberg's return is critical, especially with Bertuzzi out. Pavel Datsyuk cannot carry the offensive load himself, and with the Wings having a history of not scoring goals in the post-season, not having Zetterberg likely would have made the series impossible to win. The Wings, though, will have to hope that Bertuzzi is able to play soon. In the limited amount of games he has played for Detroit since being traded here, he has shown why he is so valuable, adding both grit and toughness while being a powerful force in the offense zone of Wings' opponents.

Other Detroit Red Wing bloggers have also weighed in on tonight's game and the series with the Flames. Christy over at Beyond the Jersey agrees with me, and says the Wings will win in six games. Dave @ Gorilla Grouch has a great in-depth preview of the series, and he thinks the Wings will take it in seven. And Matt of On The Wings thinks the Wings will have an easier time, his analysis says the Wings will win in 5. Lots of confident bloggers, and even with the injuries, probably with good reason.

I'll be back tonight with some post game thoughts (and who am I kidding, I'll probably be back posting before then too, but maybe not) but before ago, I mentioned over the weekend that the great, hilarious, and classic 1990's computer trivia game You Don't Know Jack is back, with a new home and new games on the internet. And with the Wings starting their series with the Flames tonight, the site has a special hockey themed edition of their famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) "Dis or Dat." I've embedded the flash game below (feel free to post your score in the comments if you'd like). Enjoy and enjoy tonight's game.

NHL Playoff Preview -- Round One: Detroit Red Wings v. Calgary Flames

Here is my original Wings/Flames series preview from Monday, bumped back up to the front page in anticipation of tonight's Game One.

It's April and snow is on the ground, which means it must be time for the NHL Playoffs and the real season to begin for the Detroit Red Wings, who, once again, as they seemingly always do, hold the #1 seed in the Western Conference, earning them a date with the #8 seed Calgary Flames.

While I may be a bigger football and baseball fan than I am a hockey fan (I still love hockey though, don't get me wrong), there's nothing like NHL playoff hockey. I just can't get enough of it and my attention this time of year is always focused on the Red Wings and their chase for the Stanley Cup. I have seen a lot of great sporting events in person over the past two decades. The Major League Baseball All Star Game. A Superbowl. Numerous nail-biting, jaw-dropping University of Michigan football games like the 2005 last second victory over Penn State, the 2004 miracle comeback against Michigan State, and the 1998 Rose Bowl victory. And, of course, Magglio Ordonez' walkoff home run against the Oakland Athletics to send the Detroit Tigers to the World Series.

Yet, none of those were the greatest sporting event I have ever attended live. That honor goes, without question, to Game Seven of the 1996 Western Conference Semifinals. For Red Wings fans, the game needs no introduction or explanation, but for those wondering why some seemingly random game over a decade ago was so special, here's the backdrop. It was the Red Wings and the St. Louis Blues, Steve Yzerman versus Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull. And it was Game Seven, loser goes home. And this was before the Wings had won any Stanley Cups, and fans were pretty anxious to see the Wings finally accomplish something in the playoffs. I was at the game with my dad and the arena had a certain electricity to it all night, everyone on the edge of their seats. I love playoff hockey so much because one goal can make or break an entire season. In no other sport does one score (even in baseball with one run) matter so much in the playoffs. And after 60 minutes of play there were no scores, on either side. Which meant sudden death overtime. Next team to score wins, next team to be scored on is playing golf. Now the arena really tightened up. And for 20 minutes, not a goal was scored. A second overtime was beckoning. And I started to realize why 0-0 soccer games could be so exciting. Not a goal had been scored in 80 minutes of hockey but it was the most riveting and exciting game I had ever seen. Then, less than two minutes into the second overtime, Captain Steve Yzerman blasted a slapshot from just inside the St. Louis zone and the rest is history. I still remember running out of the arena, every fan honking their horns into the Detroit night. I'll never forget that night, or that goal.

But you didn't come here to reminisce (or maybe you did). Steve Yzerman won't be able to score any double overtime goals for the Red Wings this year, but he will be watching from a suite inside Joe Louis as the 2007 Red Wings take on the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs. And what an interesting series this should be.

In no other sport does seeding matter as little as it does in the NHL. While the Red Wings are the #1 seed and Calgary #8, the upset has been the rule, not the exception in recent years. And the Wings are no stranger to early round defeats, especially at the hands of the Flames. In 2004, experts thought the Wings would have an easy time with the younger and more inexperienced team from Canada. They were wrong, and Flames upset the Wings in six games. Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff had a great series against Detroit, putting up a stellar 1.73 goals-against-average in those six games. Kiprusoff is back in 2007 and had a solid year for the Flames, racking up 40 wins and posting a 2.45 GAA. Not only will the Wings have to deal with Kiprusoff, but Calgary has one of the best forwards in the game in Jarome Iginla. Iginla had his best season since 2001 this year, scoring 39 goals and gaining a career best 55 assists.

In the past few seasons though, as much as the Wings opponents have played well (especially the goalies the Wings have faced) they have as much beaten themselves as anything. And while the Wings goaltending is what usually takes most of the blame (as the old saying goes, the three toughest jobs in Detroit Sports are starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions and Michigan Wolverines, and starting goalie for the Detroit Red Wings) the biggest problem the Wings have had is lack of scoring. It always seems that no matter how well the team performs in the regular season, once the playoff hits, they try to get too cute. Make one too many passes. Try too long to get just in the right spot before taking a shot on goal.

Injuries have also played a major role in the Wings lack of playoff offensive output. Last season, for example, Pavel Datsyuk was a non-factor, but he also probably shouldn't have been on the ice. With Datsyuk's new $46 million contract in hand, there will be a lot of pressure on him to step up his game to the next pay grade and put the Wings on his back and carry them if he has to. And with the health of the Wings other top scorer, Henrik Zetterberg, a real question mark, it may be Datsyuk's team to lead.

How far the Wings go, and even whether they will beat the Flames, will be in large part determined by the team's health. Losing defenseman Niklas Kronwall to a broken hip was a big blow (and you have to feel bad for Kronwall who has suffered one freak injury after another in his young NHL career) and even though Henrik Zetterberg says he'll be ready to go in the playoffs, he won't be 100%, and that is going to hurt (literally and figuratively). If Zetterberg doesn't heal fast, the Red Wings won't be going far in the playoffs.

Plus, there's another downside to playing Calgary, as Christy over at Behind the Jersey points out. The games are going to be on late. The absurdity of the Red Wings playing in the Western Conference is very frustrating. Nevermind seeing the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadians only once a year (if that). It means playoff games starting at 10:30 EST and ending past 1:00 in the morning. It wasn't fun when I was in high school and we had 10:30 games at Anaheim and it's less fun when I have finals to study for and games keeping me up all hours of the night. Though, at least I will be able to watch the Tigers games at 7:00 and still catch the Wings later on. I'll review notecards in between periods. I do have priorities after all.

So, looking for a prediction after all of these fun tangents? Red Wings in 6, though I reserve the right to change that prediction if Zetterberg doesn't come back. Should be a fun series though. About time NHL playoff hockey is back. It's been too long.