On the Wings

Facing hot Brian Boucher, the Wings were in for a tough game tonight. And they sure got it. It was the Brian Boucher Show tonight, with the 5-consecutive shutout king making 44 saves on 46 shots to hold the Coyotes, who got only 14 shots, in the game and in position to win. Cujo got the start.

In the first period, Ray Whitney was called for hooking 40 seconds into the game, and the Coyotes capitalized on the powerplay on a goal from Daymond Langkow at 0:47. 1-0 Coyotes. But Pavel Datsyuk tied it up at 6:45 with his 23rd goal, assisted by Steve Thomas and Brett Hull. On the play, Pavel took a Thomas pass and got off a quick wrist shot. 1-1 tie. At 10:38, Pavel Datsyuk got called for high-sticking, and the Coyotes again got a powerplay goal with 4 seconds left with the man advantage from Radoslav Suchy. 2-1 Coyotes. Shots in the period were 14-6 in Detroit’s favor.

In the second period, Kirk Maltby got called for roughing, and the Coyotes scored 14 seconds into the powerplay from Jan Hrdina at 3:44. 3-1 Coyotes. At 8:46, Mathieu Schneider got the Wings back in the game by picking up a loose puck between the circles and blasting it into the net for his fourth goal in three decisions. Ray Whitney and Brendan Shanahan got the assists on the play. 3-2 Coyotes. At 18:53, Daniel Cleary got a shorthanded goal for the Coyotes as Nicklas Lidstrom couldn’t catch the breaking Cleary. I thought that Lidstrom could’ve done a little bit more on the play. It seemed like he decided that Cleary was too far ahead of him as Cleary got within 6 feet of Cujo, but I thought a long reach might’ve been the answer to kill the scoring chance. 4-2 Coyotes. Shots were 9-2 in favor of the Wings.

In the third period, Cujo was replaced by Manny Legace at the beginning of the period, as Cujo had allowed 4 goals on 8 shots. But it wasn’t the Wings’ night, as we got plenty of chances, but the bounces didn’t go our way as they did for the Coyotes a few times. Branko Radivojevic scored a shorthanded and empty net goal at 19:21 to make it 5-2. Shots in the period were 23-6 in favor of the Wings, so fans can’t fault the Wings in not trying. It just was a case of Boucher beating Cujo, essentially, as well as the Coyotes playing extremely well on special teams. They went 3 of 6 on the powerplay and got two shorthanded goals. The Wings went 0 of 6 on their powerplay opportunities. The fact that the Wings are hard pressed to get even one powerplay goal per game means that they have to click on even strength, which is not as much time as one would think, with 14 penalties called tonight and 12 powerplays between the teams.

It certainly was a disappointing trip for the Wings, with 3 of 8 possible points on this West coast trip (The West coast trip is technically over, with the Wings going to Dallas next). The Wings have definitely been weak away from the Joe this season, but we’re not exactly playing the highest calibur of teams in Phoenix tonight and Dallas Monday. I expected at least 5 points by now on the trip. It was an off-game for Cujo, which could move his band-wagon fans to call for his head again. I still have confidence in Cujo, it was just an off-game for the Wings to give up 5 special teams goals as well. They just need to capitalize on their shots, as 46 shots versus anyone means you should at least get a tie. Next game is Monday at Dallas, an 8:00 PM EST start.

Jaromir Jagr has been traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Anson Carter. I find this deal very typical of the Rangers, a team that has amassed some of the biggest egos in the league. Jagr basically acted as the head coach in Washington, deciding his linemates and getting mock “head” coach Bruce Cassidy fired earlier in the season because the two had a personal squabble. And he carries a hefty salary, although the Caps have agreed to pick up $20 million of the remaining $44 million on his 4 year contract (a club option on the fifth). Jagr will make $10 million a year for the remainder of his contract, agreeing to deferr $1 million / year with interest. The Caps will be paying half of the $10 million / year over the four years, to account for the $20 million they agreed to pick up. Jagr has averaged a point per game in his stay in Washington, but slumps and the Caps missing the playoffs left Washington managment unsatisfied with his performace. The Rangers now have the highest payroll in the NHL at over $78 million this season, surpassing the Detroit Red Wings.

I love to see good fights, but what happened Monday in the game between the Bruins and Rangers was totally unacceptable and sickening. A passionate brawl between the teams definitely went too far. Joe Thornton was “punched” during a fight with Eric Lindros and a got fractured right cheekbone. The punch was more like a WWF uppercut that bloodied Thornton’s face. In addition, Darius Kasparaitis will miss the remainder of the regular season because of another dirty play. Dan McGillis gave Kasparaitis a knee-check in the second, breaking a bone in his left leg and spraining a knee ligament. McGillis was given a match penalty on the play. While this wasn’t a fight, it was a malicious and intentional attack on Kasparaitis that was part of a larger system of fights during the game. In November 2001, Kasparaitis knee-checked Matthew Barnaby and put him out for months. And Barnaby was quoted: “He’s a good buddy of mine, a good friend. He plays a tough game, but you live by the sword and die by the sword. This isn’t my last year in the league. It will be rectified.” So while many may say Kasparaitis got what he deserved, I just think that’s silly because that cycle of injuries is totally unnecessary.

In a league with scoring way down, we have Boston’s leading scorer (with 44 pts in 47 games) and one of the top stars in the league turned to a bloody pulp and knees being blown out every-other night. NHL fights/brawls/beefs should never go that far. I don’t care if you cite Old Time Hockey memories of Howe doing the same thing, because it doesn’t mean it’s right just because Mr. Hockey (Mr. Copyright) layed down the law that way in the ’50s. The game has changed. A hit is not “clean” just because it is technically legal but should also be sound in intent. You can say hockey is a tough game and this stuff is to be expected, but it’s starting to scare me. There are enough injuries this season, particularly groin pulls, that we really don’t need guys going after the opposition’s knees (remember Pronger’s run on Yzerman), breaking their cheekbones in fights, and dirty stickwork (Zetterberg broken leg on a slash, and Al MacInnis, Darcy Tucker, Berard eye injuries off high sticks, and everyone remembers the Marty McSorely incident). That’s just ridiculous. Totally unjustifed extracuricular action that only brings the league down and isolates the general population of prospective fans, just as the NHL is trying to become a mainstream sport in the United States. If I saw that stuff when I was flirting with the idea of becoming a hockey junkie, I might have reconsidered.

Fans like fights for them being fair and between two gritty/willing players: these are the “good” fights that have a place in the league. Tie Domi fights are an example. These fights don’t generally result in injuries, because the “fighters” of the league are the ones that survived their first NHL fight and know how to stick it with the best of them the right way. I believe there are ethics/unwritten rules in fighting. While it may appear like a blood-hungry battle between two mugs, most guys know where to cross the line and don’t try to injure their opponent. Respect. It’s usually a game, and often happens between off-season buddies. Guys who have a ginger-ale together after the game. Lindros certainly crossed the line, a line that is crossed way too often in the high-contact era of the NHL. What made Howe-Era fighting more credible is that the guys respected each other, and today’s fighters/checkers/stickhandlers are moving increasingly away from the respect level that has kept fighting in the game. No matter how much equipment we engineer to protect our players, the only real thing that can protect them is themselves.

In what was the first of a 5 game West coast trip that will take the Wings to San Jose, Anaheim, LA, Phoenix, and Dallas, the Wings seemed to be suffering from jet lag tonight in the 2-1 loss to the Sharks. The Wings got to San Jose yesterday to try to limit the strain of cross-country travel. Sure, they generated offense that is reflected by their 35 shots to San Jose’s 24, but they were unable to get rebounds off of Evgeni Nabokov, who swallowed up most of the Wings’ shots. In stark contrast, the Sharks got fewer shots, but they were far more quality scoring chances. Their first two shots on Joseph were excellent scoring chances, ones that you only get a few times in a regular game. The Wings fell asleep at times, and the Sharks capitalized on these opportunities in the form of two goals.

In the first period, it was an offensively-open period, with breaks either way. San Jose really took it to Cujo though, taking high quality shots and busting in on the doorway and crashing the net. Cujo stood on his head at times, and I’d say he kept the Wings in the game, as this was the Shark’s strongest period. But Cujo finally let one in at 17:48 when Todd Harvey made an extended wrap-around goal by circling the net and coming to the center 6 feet out before beating Cujo in traffic. 1-0 Sharks. Shots in the period were 14-13 in San Jose’s advantage.

In the second period, the Shark’s offensive attack of the first period was slowed by solid Wings defense. Niko Dimitrakos scored at 15:04 on a slapshot, with the Wings forechecking efforts and defense pretty nonchalant. The Wings definitely fell asleep and let the Sharks pass it around and get the goal. 2-0 Sharks. Shots in the period were 8-4 in Detroit’s advantage.

In the third period, the Wings mounted a solid comeback. They took it to the Sharks with 14 shots to their 6. Steve Yzerman scored at the 10 minute mark of the third, assisted by Ray Whitney and Tomas Holmstrom. It put the Captain at a tie for sixth place with ailing Mario Lemieux on the NHL’s career point list. The goal resulted from a good pass from Whitney to the slot, finding Yzerman open. 2-1 Sharks. In the final three minutes, the Wings got close to beating Nabokov, but it just wasn’t our night.

Hull extended his scoreless streak to 19 games (since Dec. 8), but got some decent chances. He just hasn’t been able to get as many clean shots. This quarter-of-a-season slump is pretty awful. Putting it into perspective, Pat Verbeek, an ex-Wing who was the color commentator tonight on FSN, said that his longest goal-less streak was 16 games. I have all the respect for Verbeek, but he was never a top goal scorer in the NHL. I realize that Hull is doing tons of other things out there during this streak, including assists and scoring chances, but we didn’t sign him to pass the puck. I do appreciate that his goal-less streak is in this fashion of still plugging on and helping the team, rather than pulling a “Lucky” Luc Robitaille and fade into the ice in these difficult times. Keep it going, Hullie!!

Tonight is one of those fortunate nights for Wings fans to see the ugliest player in the NHL, Mike Ricci. FSN caught him helmet-less going towards the Shark’s bench after a shift, and that just reminded me of the hideousness. His black hair wildly hanging down to his shoulders, looking like a total goon.

It was nice to see Schneider back on the ice after the 9-day layoff (two game suspension) following an accidental high stick that the league busted him for. What is peculiar is that Jeremy Roenick only got a one game suspension for throwing a water bottle in the direction of the refs following an uncalled high stick that left Roenick’s mouth bloodied. Maybe the NHL saw that Roenick was right for being frustrated with dangerous high sticks not being called, but the league has a precedent of busting players with more than a one game suspension for going after refs in such a manner.

Jason Woolley had an absolutely awful shift near the end of the first period. He got on the ice, almost turned the puck over on a routine cross-ice pass to his defensive partner, and then had more trouble getting the puck to his teammates. The Sharks ended up getting control of the puck, and the Woolley gaffe-athon continued when he was called for 2 minutes for holding the stick on Scott Thornton at 19:27, a call that usually reflects a player being out of position or lazy. Don’t want to be too tough on Woolley for one bad shift, but that one was pretty darn bad. He’s had a solid season thusfar, coming from being scratched early in the season to being a regular defenseman. That shift was a fluke.

Hopefully the Wings can turn things around Wednesday at Anaheim, a 10:30 EST start. It will be an interesting game for the Wings, as they have played Sergei at the Joe but never in his new Pond home. Then the Wings will play the next night at LA, another 10:30 EST start. It will certainly be a test of fanship for Wings fans to stay up in the wee hours of the night to support their team.