I was able to write off the loss Friday to the Islanders as just another late-season show of disinterest, but I can’t do the same for Game #76. It’s one thing to be unable to find motivation to bring your “A” game to a late-March meeting with the New York Islanders. It’s entirely another to be unable to do so against a likely first round opponent.

I wrote on Saturday that “I’m starting to get tired of holding it against them when they don’t perform up to my exacting standards in games that mean next to nothing.” I haven’t changed my stance on that, but I’ll emphasize the words “games that mean next to nothing.” This was no such game. This was a meaningful matchup with a well-known opponent who we may see for up to seven consecutive games starting in just two weeks. They should have had no problem finding motivation to play this one. So, yes, I’m going to hold it gainst them.

There’s really no excuse for allowing the kind of third period burst the Predators had last night at this point in the season. I’m with George on this one when he says,

… I do believe that fans, including myself, have every reason to be plain old pissed off because this team remains too convinced that they “dominate” games where they’re plain outworked, out-competed, and simply seem far too content to play out the string, especially when they can but don’t take advantage of extended power play time.

Let’s be clear: the Wings did not dominate this game. If anything, they went through the motions convincingly enough that for a while it looked like the Predators might lose. How much longer are they just going to go through the motions? How much longer are they going to continue to kid themselves by thinking they’re playing dominantly?

Once again, we look to the next game as the night they’ll pull out of this malaise. The list of available nights is getting shorter. Pretty soon it’ll be do or die. The hope that they’ll “do” in that case is getting harder to hold with every passing loss.