Update (10:20 PM): Changed post-title from “A Wild One,” which fit my early thoughts, but not those I eventually published. - Matt
Update (10:13 PM): What George said. - Matt
We saw two Red Wings teams tonight. For two periods, we were treated to a squad that was dominant at times and on the high side of adequate at others. Then, the third period happened. I submit their third period effort was about as bad as either of the two recent Saturday losses. Ugly, pathetic and depressing.
This team still has a long way to go before their viable from a post-season perspective. This split personality crap is going to be the end of them if they don’t get it figured out.
More in the morning.
My first time on this site, and I just want to share some thoughts after a depressing loss. First, what the hell was with that prevent defense strategy in the 3rd? I know with a 2 goal lead you don’t want to get caught up ice and give up odd-man rushes the other way, but come on, no shots for 19 minutes? That whole period looked like exactly how they usually play in the final minute when the other team pulls the goalie, just completely unsure of themselves and full of panic.
Besides that, however, there is no doubt in my mind the thing that cost them this game over anything else was face-offs. They must have cost them over a minute of attack time on the 4 minute 5-3, and greatly influenced them running around chasing the puck in the 3rd. By the time they got the puck out of their own zone, they were too tired to push the attack and had to change. A bit odd from the best face-off team in the league.
To me this game was worse than the 2 8 goal games, when you get down a big early, it can get ugly, but when you dominate the first 40 minutes, that just can’t happen.