On the Wings

Update (11:16 AM): Some more reactions to the game:

Gorilla Crouch.

Mile High Hockey. Comment: have you not watched this series at all? Darren Helm is the guy centering the fourth line that has given your Avs so much trouble at various. Sure, that line has allowed at least two goals, but still. He’s been impressive.

Earl Sleek at the FanHouse.

CBC Playoff Blog. - Matt

The Detroit Red Wings took a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference Semifinal series against the Colorado Avalanche last night with a 4-3 road win. They were the third team to do so in the same night. Pittsburgh and Dallas have also pushed their opponents to the brink of elimination through three games.

I did not take notes on the game, so some general thoughts follow:

… Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg had probably their best game of the playoffs.

For whatever reason, I had a feeling Pavel would have a big night after I saw him come out hard following the Avs’ first goal. He did not disappoint. He finished a somewhat botched (I’ll get to that) play by Zetterberg to tie the game at one, and demonstrated incredible hands on his second goal. He appeared to knock down a Brian Rafalski shot before transporting it to the left and then into the net. His pass on Zetterberg’s goal was unbelievable. Without the puck, he was a threat all night as well. He finished with only one credited takeaway, but that’s well short of accurate.

As for Zetterberg, he’s showing a newfound Datsyuk-like ability with the puck, as evidenced by his carry-in on Datsyuk’s first goal. I believe he lost the puck off the end of his stick as he cut across (hence the “somewhat botched” above), but it all turned out because he has the best linemate in the League.

… Adrian Dater wrote last night that the officiating was terrible. I couldn’t agree more, though I have a slightly different take on it. Yes, the Forsberg goaltender interference call was awful. Yes, the make-up call on Zetterberg soon after was bad as well (the concept of “makeup call” is just ridiculous to me, but that’s a topic for another time). Yes, Johan Franzen could have been called for tripping when Forsberg deked Chelios out of his jock strap and left #93 alone to deal with his countryman.

All that being said, those calls were little worse than the poor standard of officiating we’ve been seeing all playoffs. I’m more concerned with the Avs’ tactics of mauling the Wings constantly and only occasionally getting called for it. The vicious Laperriere hit on Brett Lebda was just one of three or four examples of hits from behind perpetrated by the Avs. With all the slashing and roughing going on, the Avs are fortunate more wasn’t called.

… Peter Forsberg had some moments in which he looked dangerous, but the Wings did a great job of neutralizing him. I believe Nik Kronwall got a big hit on him and it was heart-warming to see little Brian Rafalski stand him up in the neutral zone in the third period.

He played with his usual edge, taking a tooth out of Samuelsson’s mouth with a baseball swing after Sammy dared to hit him. He could have gone to the box for elbowing and high sticking on that one.

The loss of Stastny compounded the loss of Smyth and made it much more difficult for Forsberg to make an impact. It was pretty obvious that he was playing hurt.

… I thought last night was Brad Stuart’s best of the playoffs. He brought a physical dimension he hasn’t shown too often since coming here.

… I also thought Brett Lebda had a strong game. The Laperierre hit apparently knocked some good play into him as he was more noticeable than ususal. His play on the Johan Franzen goal was something I could stand to see more often.

… Valtteri Filppula needs to stop hitting the post. Twine, Fil. Twine!

… Remember when Mikael Samuelsson was in our collective doghouse? I think he’s well out of it now. He’s looked pretty good this series.

… Chris Chelios had something of a rough game.

… The fourth line didn’t shine as much last night as it did at home, but that’s understandable given the fact that Quenneville could have his top unit out there against them if he wanted.

… Chris Osgood looked like his usual solid self. He didn’t really have a chance on any of the Avs’ goals, but he still made 30 saves. As long as the Wings are scoring at this rate, three goals on 33 shots isn’t bad.

… I don’t know what happened to the Wings at the start of the third. On their first bench minor, they just had six guys out there skating around, similar to Colorado’s bench minor in the second period. On their second one, Valtteri Filppula misread Dallas Drake’s intentions and hopped on before #17 was actually coming off. The Avs smartly pressed Drake against the boards on top of the puck, forcing the call from the official.

The Avs scored on the second one and brought themselves within one. Fortunately, the Wings were able to hold them off for the rest of the period or else that stretch would have really stood out as a turning point, perhaps in the series.

… All in all, a strong game by the Wings. They handled a highly motivated Colorado team and did what they had to do to take a stranglehold in the series. They now face the difficult task of notching that fourth win and it’s not going to be easy. Game 4 will be another stiff test of their determination.

Links

Highlights

In the Cheap Seats

Jerseys and Hockey Love

Jibblescribbits

Update (5:18 PM): Steph at No Pun Intended has her post on the game up here. - Matt

Update (2:10 PM): George Malik’s wrap-up is here. - Matt

The Detroit Red Wings took a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Colorado Avalanche yesterday by winning 5-1 at home.

I did not take notes on the game, so I just have a few thoughts on it:

… The Wings came out flying for the second game in a row. After watching the Predators swarm for the first ten minutes of nearly every game last round, the Wings’ early dominance has been a refreshing change of pace. The best part about it? With just a few hitches, they kept it up for the rest of the game.

… Just prior to the game, it was announced that Peter Forsberg, who participated in warmups, would not play. They also told us that Scott Hannan was out. Both players would have had an impact on the game, to be sure, but it’s hard for me to see the result being that much different. The Wings were on a mission.

… I thought that was Henrik Zetterberg’s best game of the playoffs. He looked very confident with the puck and made decisions with it we haven’t seen from him in a while. For one thing, he didn’t constantly take it around behind the net, chosing instead to take it to the front much more often.

… Johan Franzen continues to impress. There are shifts in which he just will not be denied. He’s excelling at both ends and looks nothing like a mere third year player.

… Franzen’s linemates, Mikael Samuelsson and Valtteri Filppula, are also having a solid second round. That’s creating a problem for the Avs, who apparently don’t have the depth to stop both the Wings’ dangerous top line and their hot second line. Both the Eurotwins+Homer and Franzen’s line are wrecking havoc in the Colorado end. Even the third and fourth lines have caused problems for the Avs in this series. The Wings’ depth is incredible.

One thing’s for sure: Babcock should not make any changes to the lines for the road games. Keep the Eurotwins together and Franzen with Fil and Sammy. Keep Helm in the lineup and continue to rotate Drake on the third and fourth lines. That is the arrangement that is winning these games. Anything else is a concession to the Avs.

… The Wings’ third pairing combined for a whole lot of fail on the Ian Laperriere goal. Brett Lebda, instead of quickly sending the puck up and out of the zone when there was plenty of space to do so, opted to rattle it around the boards behind the net to Chris Chelios.

Kris Draper by that point had left the right wing boards and was in the middle of the ice, operating under the assumption that Lebda would make the right decision. Chelios, for his part, had a brain cramp. Rather than take a second to think and adjust to Draper’s new position, he sent the puck up along the boards to where Draper used to be, promptly turning it over. Seconds later, the Avs ruined the shutout.

… Chris Osgood, by the way, had another solid game. He wasn’t given a lot of action, facing just 20 shots, but was there to make the save when needed.

… At the other end, Jose Theodore continued his “sick” play. He had no chance on Franzen’s first, but was caught somewhat out of position on his second. Filppula’s goal was a bit of a bad bounce, but Theodore’s poor positioning cost him that one. As for the Zetterberg goal, he didn’t look like a former world-class goalie on that one either.

Peter Budaj, on the other hand, was solid. He faced 20 shots and it took the hot stick of Johan Franzen to beat him in the third. I’d think the Avs would go with him in Game 3, but Joel Quenneville seems intent on sticking with Theodore.

… Brad Stuart did not really stick out in his return. That’s a good thing, for the most part.

… Darren Helm and his fourth line compatriots, Jiri Hudler and Darren McCarty, continue to look great. They had the Avs on their heels a few times yesterday and provided great energy.

… Unlike the NBC broadcast crew, I didn’t think McCarty was foolish to fight Cody McCormick in the second period after the Wings took a 4-0 lead. He would have been foolish to turn down such a blunt challenge. Had the Wings not had a four-goal lead, it’d be a different story. As it was, however, McCarty showed that he was not averse to droppinng the gloves and may have deterred unecessary violence against the Wings’ stars as the game went on.

If the Avs take that fight and make something of it in future games, good for them. It won’t change the fact that this is the Wings’ series to lose.

… The main concern coming out of the game was the fact that the Wings couldn’t find a way to put one or two in the net when the Avs had their meltdown in the second half of the second period. Five penalties in a row should have resulted in something. Of course, by that point, they already had two power play goals, so it’s not the end of the world.

… The Wings did not take their foot off the gas yesterday and they cannot take it off going into Game 3. The extra day between games will be good for resting bumps and bruises, but it can’t dull their resolve. They have to put on a similarly dominating performance Tuesday night and take a stranglehold on this series. There can be no repeat of 1999.

The Avs, whether or not they get Forsberg or Hannan back, will be highly motivated in Game 3. They know the series is not over and that they can take a step toward preserving themselves with a win at home in front of their crowd.

I can’t wait.

Links

Highlights

Abel to Yzerman

Shane Giroux

In the Cheap Seats

Jerseys and Hockey Love

Mile High Hockey

The Dog and Pony Show

Update (10:32 PM): Christy Hammond has a brief post up on the game with some great accompanying pictures. My favorite: Al twirling the octopus in the zamboni pit. - Matt

Update (10:22 PM): Apologies to Joe Sakic: it was Andrew Brunette who turned the puck over along the left wing boards just prior to Johan Franzen’s second goal, not the Avs’ captain. Thanks to Justin for pointing that out in the comments. - Matt

Update (12:46 PM): George Malik’s wrap-up is here. - Matt

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Colorado Avalanche last night 4-3 and took a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference Semifinal series.

Just prior to the game, it was announced that Peter Forsberg would not play because of a groin injury. The news had an obvious effect on Colorado’s morale. For more on that, see Adrian Dater’s post.*

The Wings came out strong, with the top line of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Tomas Holmstrom looking particularly good. From the onset, it looked like the Avalanche did not have an answer for those three.

Andreas Lilja and Niklas Kronwall laid on a couple big hits in the first five minutes as the Wings looked more physical than their opponents, for once.

The Avs scored first, despite the fact that they were being outplayed for the bulk of the first 10 minutes. With the Wings only partially changed from their fourth line to their second line, Paul Stastny, Ryan Smyth, and Milan Hejduk gained the Detroit zone and began to grind it out. A quick centering pass by Smyth from behind the net led to a lightning-fast goal by Stastny. He got the puck up over Osgood from close range and put his team up 1-0 at 8:53.

The Wings responded 53 seconds later. Zetterberg carried the puck into the Colorado zone on the left wing and, met with Cody McLeod just over the line, dropped it off to Datsyuk behind him. McLeod then released Zetterberg and took Datsyuk, who sent the puck up to a free #40. Hank fought through a hold from Adam Foote and put the puck through Jose Theodore to tie the game up at 9:46.

Following the goal, the Wings looked strong. Their physical edge continued with a Kris Draper hit on Tyler Arnason at the Colorado blueline and the top line continued to wreck havoc in the Avalanche end. The fourth line of Jiri Hudler, Darren Helm, and Darren McCarty, put on a nice shift just prior to an Avalanche penalty at 11:04.

The Wings took a 2-1 lead  at 13:48 off a fortunate bounce. Johan Franzen began the play as he carried the puck into the Colorado end. He was sandwiched by two Avalanche players and just managed to get the puck up to Dan Cleary. Cleary’s shot was stopped by Theodore, but the puck disappeared. Watching it live, it looked as though Franzen was the first to find it and knock it in. Replays, however, showed that the puck hit Theodore and bounced 20-30 feet straight up in the air. After a delay, it landed to Theodore’s left and bounced into the net.

Not long after the goal, Ben Guite had a big scoring chance for the Avs, but Chris Osgood made the save.

The Wings extended their lead at 17:23 while on the power play. Following the faceoff, Niklas Kronwall and Jiri Hudler played catch for a little bit before Kronwall unleashed a blast toward the net. Johan Franzen, coming across the front, got his stick on it and redirected it down to the top of Theodore’s right pad and in.

At 18:48, the Avs returned to the penalty box as the Eurotwins+Holmstrom cycled in the Colorado end. Those three then skated circles around the Avs until the period ended.

The Wings began the second on the power play, but couldn’t convert. They did, however, score within the first two minutes of the period. Joe Sakic Andrew Brunette turned the puck over to Mikael Samuelsson along the far side boards in the Colorado end. Sammy then slid it across to Valtteri Filppula, who dropped a no-look pass to Johan Franzen 43 feet out. Franzen’s one-timer beat Theodore over his left pad at 1:13.

Of the four goals Theodore allowed, this was the worst, but the blame rests mostly with Sakic Brunette for the turnover. In any case, Joel Quenneville saw fit to pull Theodore at this point. Peter Budaj came in and Theodore went to the bench, though he eventually changed into street clothes and left the arena because he was “ill.” If he was so sick, why did he start in the first place? I wonder if he wasn’t pouting.

The Avs seemed to wake up a bit after the goalie change. They had a couple solid scoring chances not long afterwards and scored their second goal just over four minutes after the Wings’ took their 4-1 lead. It ws a simple enough play: JM Liles broke in down the left wing and took a shot that beat Osgood five-hole. Chris Chelios dove across in an attempt to block the shot, so it may have been tipped. If it wasn’t, it was a weak goal to give up. 4-2 at 5:17.

The Wings didn’t immediately take their foot off the gas, as they had a number of solid chances in the subsequent minutes. They put on a decent power play beginning at 6:15 and and had some strong cycle shifts at full strength. The Avs continued to improve throughout all of this, however, and gradually the balance of play evened out for the most part.

The Avs had a big scoring chance with 6:20 or so left when Paul Stastny found himself free to take a shot from the slot. On the flurry that followed, Ryan Smyth roughed up Nick Lidstrom and got away with it. In the shift following that, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Holmstrom put on another good performance. Darren Helm and Darren McCarty had a 2-on-1 nearly develop not long after that, but it fizzled out.

At 16:29, Milan Hejduk made things interesting by scoring the Avs’ third goal. The play began as a 3-on-2 with Ryan Smyth carrying and Brian Rafalski and Nick Lidstrom back. No big deal, right? Wrong. Smyth got the puck up to Stastny and rather than fall further back, Rafalski chose to stick with Smyth, creating a 2-on-1 down low. Stastny waited until he was virtually at the goalline and then slid the puck across to Hejduk, who tipped it in just inside the right post. Osgood couldn’t get across fast enough.

After that, the Avs swarmed a little. In the midst of this, Nik Kronwall laid on another big hit, this time on Jones at center. Andreas Lilja took an ill-timed holding penaly at 17:50 and put the Avs on the power play. Colorado had a few chances with the man-advantage and put the Wings on their heels a bit. Chris Osgood, however, came up big.

I missed the first 10:00 or so of the third because I had to run an errand, but from what I can tell from the BtJ liveblog, the Wings looked decent.

When I got back, one of the first things I saw was Jordan Leopold’s running of Valtteri Filppula into the endboards around the 10:30 mark.

The second half of the third period, at least, was mostly Colorado’s game. They were much more dangerous than they had been in the first and second and forced Chris Osgood to make a number of big saves. They beat him once, but the shot rang off the post. The Wings could get little going offensively.

Budaj was pulled for the extra skater with about 1:08 left and the Avs had some trouble getting set up. When they did, however, they came very close to scoring. The play began with Smyth behind the net. He sent a pass out front to Leopold, who was covered by Brian Rafalski and stood to Osgood’s left at the post. Rafalski lifted Leopold’s stick and the puck went through to the slot, where Liles had jumped up. Osgood somehow managed to get across and make the save on Liles, who should have had a goal. Save of the game, if not the playoffs to this point, for Chris Osgood.

That came with 8.4 seconds left. The remaining time wound down and the Wings finished on top, 4-3.

The Big Three obviously had a strong game. The second line looked good as well. The third line was physical and did its job. The fourth line also did its job, but ran into a couple matchup problems that should have been avoided. See the Stastny goal.

Defensively, the Wings were pretty strong with the obvious exception of the Rafalski brain cramp that led to Hejduk’s second goal.

Chris Osgood looked steady, though the Liles goal was a little weak. He came up big in the third period, however, and saved the Wings when the Avs were creating scoring chances.

In addition to the loss of Forsberg, the Avs saw Wojtek Wolski leave the ice in the first period with what is being described as an upper body injury. It could also be a knee issue, however. That’s a big loss as he was one of their top line wingers.

Scott Hannan took a shot off the inside of his foot and though he finished the game, he may not be able to go Saturday.

Ryan Smyth looked good for the Avs. Some of their best chances were generated by his passes.

The final score was the result of a combination of two things: 1) the Avs waking up and actually playing hockey, and 2) the Wings letting up a bit offensively. In Game 2, you can bet that Colorado will come out stronger, but you can also count on the Wings to press the attack for longer.

Links

Highlights

Abel to Yzerman

Gorilla Crouch

Bruce MacLeod

No Pun Intended

FanHouse Icesheet

Jerseys and Hockey Love

Shane Giroux

In the Cheap Seats

Mile High Hockey

*Say what you want about Dater, but his bluntness is at times refreshing. Not many beat writers are so quick to be critical of the players they talk to on a daily basis.