Sorry for not posting yesterday. I had long day at work (11 hours) and by the time I got home, I was too exhausted to deal with this dial-up connection. Unfortunately, this post is going to be brief because I’m hitting the road in a few minutes.
Sharks keys to the game:
- Forget Game 4. They have to remember the lessons they learned Wednesday night, but they need to be able to play today as a whole new game.
- Expand any lead. Too often in this series, they’ve sat back and relaxed after taking a lead and it’s killed them twice. The margin for such errors gets smaller every game.
- Fire on all cylinders. If they can roll four energetic lines and maintain puck possession, they may be able to wear the Wings down a bit, which will help if the game goes long.
Wings keys to the game:
- Build on Game 4. They can’t take it for granted that they’ll be able to mount that kind of comeback again, but they need to have the confidence, if it becomes necessary.
- Don’t fall behind. Again, they can’t count on being able to come back, so they’d be better off taking the lead to begin with and avoiding a comeback scenario.
- Big names. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg need to have big games today. Tomas Holmstrom, Robert Lang, and Mathieu Schneider were the heroes on Wednesday, but it’s time for the Eurotwins to make their mark again in this series.
A huge game for both teams. Given the way this series has gone, you can’t say the loser today would be done, but that’s still entirely possible. I’m interested in seeing how Wednesday’s game has affected the Sharks’ confidence. Let’s hope that the game does not go into overtime, because it’s looking like NBC will cut away to the Kentucky Derby at 4:30.
“you can’t say the loser today would be done, but that’s still entirely possible.”
I believe the stat is somewhere around 85% of the teams that win game 5 win the series.
Drup the pock! Puck the drop!!!
Damn, I’m fired up for this game.
GO WINGS!!!!!!
Bad Dom. Baaaaaaad goal.
Schneider out for the rest of the game. Crap.
What a period! Datsyuk got Hasek his soft goal back.
The Wings looked like they were firing on all cylinders the second half of that period. Hopefully they can keep that going. The first half they had that “skating in molasses” look about them.
I hope the people who questioned the impact Tomas Holmstrom would have are paying attention. The first goal was because of him. Then he stands up for his linemate and gives Rivet a taste of his own.
Oh, and uh, why in the F was he punching Hank with him in a headlock? I’d hate to see this series take a turn in that direction. I think the Sharks are feeling the pressure.
Agreed - that had to have been a frustrating period for San Jose. They couldn’t seem to stop Detroit’s skill players from creating in the open ice.
Keep it up!
ah, so good to have homer back… dom was pretty much flawless after the first goal as well. unsung hero of that one, though, i think is lilja. great game, and he’s stepping up the physical play of the team.
anyone else think that wings-sharks has the potential to be the along the lines of wings-avs? of course nothing will top the bad blood back then, but when both these teams come to play, you can tell there’s some bad vibes there.
also, i think bert will do us more good in the long run than bad, provided he plays like he did today (i.e. take no dumb-assed penalties). i think starting his season in the playoffs was a bit too much. he’s still kinda finding his game, and, as we all know, he’s pretty reactionary. lowering his intensity might be good for a while.
Matt’s out for the season.. man.. can we at least pray for a fast healing tailbone for Nick II?
Whoooo what a great game! Detroit had not played that well since Game 5 against Calgary!
Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom were on fire! Homer has really demonstrated how much he brings to the team since coming back. Scoring a great goal in Game 4 and then generating so much offense today. Not to mention sticking up for Zetterberg when Rivet decided to be a *****.
The Wings really got the Sharks frustrated today, as they were skating circles around the Sharks and really keeping the puck away from them. I actually missed the whole first period, but after I started watching in the second I didn’t see the Sharks mount any sustained pressure even once. And, obviously, you could see the frustration getting to the Sharks when they began initiating skirmishes left and right. But just like they did against Calgary, the Wings stayed smart and refused to give in to the Sharks and stayed out of the penalty box (aside from the end of the second anyway).
Losing Schneider SUCKS. Not because he’s such an amazing defender, but because of his point shot and PP abilities. I’m really hoping Lebda will be able to play soon AND be able to step his offense up. But then again, we scored 4 goals after Schneider got hurt, so maybe it won’t be THAT bad. And maybe Kronvall will have a miraculous recovery too. It would really help to have him if we go on to face the Ducks.
No I don’t think Sharks vs. Wings will become a rivalry. Sure they’re two of the top teams in the West now, but there isn’t anything there to spark a rivalry. And definitely not anything even close to Wings vs. Avs.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited. And I won’t be able to watch Game 6. But hopefully I’ll be able to come home from work Tuesday morning, check the scores, and see that the Wings have moved on.
Let’s go Wings!