As it turns out, Meg and I caught the game on DVR, but I didn’t take notes and won’t be doing an extended reaction. Instead, I’ll limit it to just a few comments:
If that’s a sign of things to come from the Franzen-less Wings, I think we’re in good shape. Limiting a team with as much firepower as Washington to 24 shots, and keeping Ovechkin off the scoreboard (aside from an assist), is a pretty solid feat of defense.
If you’re wondering where the make-up offense will be coming from, last night may have provided the answer: Ville Leino and Valterri Filppula looked great last night, having obviously stepped it up in their new roles as second-line forwards. I think their line with Cleary is going to be a great one, assuming Babcock sticks with it.
Speaking of lines, I like how they shook out. Bertuzzi on the top line is off-putting, but when you consider how much he needs top-tier talent to bring out his best, it’s really the only way to go. Holmstrom isn’t a top-line player any more, except on the power play and he’s still on that unit. It seems to me that Babs has found some strong combos.
Sure, they only won by a goal, but I have to say I feel a lot better about things after seeing that effort. They’ll be okay.
“Bertuzzi on the top line is off-putting”
I actually like it. From just this early sampling of games, it seems to me that Bert gets it. He has been really good on the backcheck and he seems to be gaining confidence. For the first time this season he broke out his once patented back-hand lazer late in the game and very nearly scored on it. I think if he stays with Pav and Hank long enough he could hit 60+ points this year, easily. Can you even imagine trying to play defense against those 3 if Bertuzzi stays healthy and gets any confidence at all?
John
I wrote that quickly and didn’t convey what I was really thinking. I’m actually less put off by the Bertuzzi thing than I figure many Wings fans are. If he can stay healthy, it may work out to be a strong line in the long-run.