Comments on: Game 4: Wings 4, Oilers 2

By: Game 5: vs. Edmonton, 3:00 ET at On the Wings

Game 5: vs. Edmonton, 3:00 ET at On the Wings — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 03:03:50 +0000

[...] big thing for Game 5 will be their even strength play, which has not been up to par, as reader firebird995 pointed out after Game 4. If the officials today aren’t as willing to call everything, this will be [...]

By: Matt Saler

Matt Saler — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 20:07:00 +0000

Firebird, I completely agree with you about the Wings’ even strength play. They probably won’t get away with that in Game 5.

Lang has had a surprisingly good series. I still see him floating at times but he makes plays very casually and I guess we’ll just have to accept that.

’bout time for Pavel, eh? Hopefully he’ll keep up his period-by-period improvement and have an even better game tomorrow.

Megan, it sure was a relief! If those guys play tomorrow like they did last night, things should look pretty good once the last horn sounds. Lebda sure doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Poor Woolley and Cross!

By: megan

megan — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:08:00 +0000

Last night was a total relief, even though I think we all knew it was coming. It was mainly a relief because, for the first time, our top guys played like our top guys. Hank was just amazing. Dats showed off his puck handling skills, and his ability to squeek through a nutrilizing attempt. Lang got a goal…sort of. Hey, it went in, right? Lidstrom got his first goal, a beauty. Schneider had three assists, and played wonderful defense, though he was not given a star (meanwhile, Pronger got the second star, but don’t get me going on that). Shanny has some amazing chances. Legace looked a lot more like the October Legace (though I question their second goal). And on top of that, the little guys participated. Mowers came in for the injured Captain and played exactly the way we needed him to. Lebda was phenomenal–showing no hints of being a rookie. And then there’s Cleary. He had another really good game. He doesn’t get points, but he’s quick and he always plays his heart out. Plus, he’s one of our top penalty killers. I admire him greatly for just popping up right after that huge Pronger hit (nice one Chris). Maybe Hemsky can take a lesson from that.
On to the “controversial” goal. Yes, there was contact. Yes, Stohl fell over. But if you ask me, it was a good no call–on the dive or the interference. Stohl purposefully put half his body in front of Lid, and then embellished. Now, this series has slightly turned into one of constant embellishing, from both sides. That’s because the officials are perfectly willing, even eager, to make the calls. Embellishing, to some extent, is part of both game plans, for Detroit and Edmonton. But it’s always risky, even at even strength. And if you’re going to throw yourself into it like that, and you don’t get the call, you’ve just screwed your own team. And that’s what happened in this instance. Sure, the Oilers fans are going to whine about it. Heck, I’m sure if it had been the other way around, we wouldn’t be too happy either. The calls last night, overall, were terrible. But it mostly evened out. We had a 5-on-3, they had a 5-on-3. Overall, I think the Wings just played better hockey.
I know this is getting long, but I just have a few words about the Oiler fans. I know they’re upset, but why are they attacking us Wings fans? No, we don’t expect them to say the Wings played a great game. I don’t expect them to admit that perhaps it may have been partly the Oilers own mistakes. But, please, let’s show some respect, here, folks. Let’s be civil.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 17:42:00 +0000

I thought the Wings played a great game, not their best, but great. I have a couple of thoughts:

1.) Powerplay. The Wings are doing well on the powerplay, but what about regular 5 on 5? The ways it’s looking, there will continue to be like 43 penalties per game. But, what if the refs weren’t so whistle happy? The Wings play well on the powerplay, but they need to step up on the regular play.

2.) Defense looked nice today. It was great to see Lidstrom have such a nice game (by the way, he didn’t interfere will Stoll. Oiler fans are just jealous because that shot he made was gorgious).

3.) Datsyuk, as well as Lang, really stepped up. As we all mentioned before, they are the two players who need to be playing well in order to win. Datsyuk’s play where he burned through the entire Oiler force…the winger, the two defensemen, heck, the entire bench and faculty, and then his tape to tape pass to Zetterberg was amazing. It left me in a como. I’m still recovering.

Overall, great job Wings. Let’s see if they can bring that game play back home. Although it wasn’t their best playing I’ve seen, it was enough to win. That kind of play though won’t get a Stanley Cup though. Eventually, they’ll get to the level of game play we all very well know that they are capable of.

-firebird995

By: WI Wing Nut

WI Wing Nut — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:40:00 +0000

These Oiler fans are hilarious!!!! I’ve actually had a very fun morning reading their stuff. Check this exerpt from a comment on “Covered in Oil”. Gotta admire the trash talking spirit. I hope by the beginning of next week the trash talk is their only satisfaction….

“And just let the Wings fans holler and shout and stomp their little booties. They’re horribly misguided if they came here expecting Oiler fans to all be talking about what a great game Detroit played last night, so god knows why they’re acting so surprised. If they wanted congratulatory backpatting, they should have stayed tucked within the warm confines of letsgowings.com and its legions of semiliterate 13-year-olds who think Osgood should have played last night and grown men with “I Heart Kris Draper 4 Evah” .gif tags.”

!!!!!! I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried….

By: Matt Saler

Matt Saler — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:47:00 +0000

Great recap, Brian.

Yeah, about the Lidstrom play. If Stoll hadn’t been trying to help the ref along by falling like he’d been shot, that play would not be so controversial. Had he just stayed up, he may have taken away Nick’s shot, actually. They say over at BoA that Stoll is not the diving type but that this series has created an atmosphere for that kind of thing, given how it’s been called. I agree. It’s because the refs feel they need to call everything in order to keep their jobs.

Way to spur the guys on, WI Wing Nut!

By: WI Wing Nut

WI Wing Nut — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 15:16:00 +0000

I just want to take full credit for the vitory, thanks to my cheesy pep-talk (below in the Babcock thread).

I may have to come up with another one for game 5. Stay tuned.

One game note: While the Lidstrom goal could have been called an interference penalty, it was not “obvious” or “baltent” as the CBC announcers continues to suggest. It wasn’t a clear pick as the player (I think it was Stohl) tripped over Lidstrom’s skate as Lidstrom was moving from one spot on the Ice to the other. Since Lidstrom was turning to receive the pass and NOT to block the opposing player’s path, I think it could just as easily been intentionally let go. Remember, a player is entitled to his path on the ice, provided he is moving to the puck, or to receive the puck, which Lidstrom was.

I’m going to read now to see if any of the Oiler bloggers will acknowledge this fact. I suspect not.