Category Archive for ‘Playoffs’ at On the Wings

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Game 6: Wings 4, Stars 1

Published

on May 20, 2008

in 2007-2008, Game Reports, Playoffs and Stars

. 3 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-1 road win over the Dallas Stars last night in Game 6. The Wings will face-off against the Eastern Conference Champion Pittsburgh Penguins beginning Saturday night.

Some thoughts on the game:

… I went into it feeling a bit tense. A lot of that tension went away when the Wings scored 3:45 into the game. I thought it was ironic that the first goal came with Kris Draper actually in Marty Turco’s face, unlike the waived off goal in Game 4 that previously looked like a turning point in the series.

… The Wings had already looked good prior to the goal, but after that, they were really solid. I just wish they hadn’t taken so many penalties. Darren McCarty had a rough night, taking three, including two in the second period. Not every penalty was a great call, but they detracted from an otherwise great game. On the bright side, they gave the penalty killers the opportunity to shine. They put on a number of excellent kills last night.

… Pavel Datsyuk was feisty. He was throwing his body around even more than usual and looked extremely motivated. He drew a penalty from Trevor Daley in the first by pure effort and looked strong the rest of the night. His goal was great, as was his reaction.

… Henrik Zetterberg helped us set aside fears that his back is slowing down his game by having a big night. His breakaway shorthanded goal was a thing of beauty. He made it look easy.

… Dallas Drake great last night as well. He set up Draper’s goal and scored a gritty one of his own all while continuing to pay attention to the physical side of his game. He got another lick in on Stephane Robidas and did exactly what he was brought back to do.

… Of all the Red Wings who had a big game, I think Chris Osgood has to top the list. He was stellar, especially in the third period when the Stars came out to play. I wrote yesterday that the Wings needed a repeat of his 1998 WCF Game 6 performance and he did not disappoint. I only wish he could have gotten the shutout.

… I didn’t let myself relax until the final minutes of the game. I didn’t believe the Wings could drop a 4-0 lead, but the Stars were determined to make things interesting. With Osgood backstopping them, the defense held, however, withstanding the onslaught that followed the Stars’ one goal.

… Aside from the tension that came out of watching the Wings fend off the attack, I spent most of the third period wishing Detroit would score so that the fans at the AAC would sit down. What did they think they were watching? A college game? I did not enjoy not knowing what was going on along the near boards.

… Stars fans can prop up Brenden Morrow all they want, but his late hit on Nick Lidstrom in the third was pure bushleague. Playing with an edge is one thing, trying to take out the opposition with high hits into the boards is another.

… I thought Andreas Lilja capably answered the fears about his return to the lineup. He played a solid defensive game and didn’t make any major gaffes that I remember.

… Dan Cleary needs to start scoring, there’s no doubt about that. There’s little to complain about his play in the meantime, however. He was great on the PK last night, blocking three shots and showing a lot of hustle. Still, goals would be nice, Dan.

… All in all, a great way to end the series. As long as that play carries over into the Finals, we should be set to have an exciting fourth round. It will be interesting to see how the Pens match up with the Wings, who have beaten them both times the teams have met in the Sidney Crosby era. I especially look forward to seeing how Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk compare with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since the Wings made it to the Finals. This is what you look forward to every year as a hockey fan. I can’t wait for Saturday.

Going to the Finals

Published

Matt Saler

on May 19, 2008

in 2007-2008, Playoffs and Stars

. 7 Comments

The Wings are headed to the Finals, folks!

What a great performance, one of their best of the post-season. They were intent about leaving no doubts from the drop of the puck, showing the grit and work ethic that has characterized this team at their best all season.

The team played well as a whole, from Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, to Kris Draper and Dallas Drake, to Chris Osgood.

Kudos to the Stars for their hard work and for making things interesting in the third period.

The Finals start on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET on Versus. With two of the most highly-skilled teams in the League facing off for the Cup, we should have a great series.

Game 6: @ Dallas, 8:00 ET

Published

Matt Saler

on May 19, 2008

in 2007-2008, GameDay, Playoffs and Stars

. 6 Comments

Update (7:41 PM): If you’re watching the game near a computer, you should stop by the liveblogs that will be going on:

I’ll be away from the computer during the game, which is why I’m not at the FanHouse liveblog. - Matt

Update (6:12 PM): Mike Babcock has not ruled out splitting up Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk tonight, according to the anonymous CBC playoffs blogger, who also provides Babcock’s reasoning behind putting Mikael Samuesson on a defensive line. - Matt

Update (5:17 PM): With the high temperatures and the likelihood of poor ice quality in Dallas, Mike Babcock is looking to shorten the shift length for his players, as he told Helene St. James: “… I want to have four groups at 40 seconds apiece, not three groups at 60 seconds apiece.” - Matt

Update (4:24 PM): It’s supposed to hit 97 degrees in Dallas today, but the folks at the American Airlines Center are doing all they can to ensure the ice quality, according to Mike Heika. - Matt

Update (2:11 PM): Helene St. James confirms that Johan Franzen is out tonight: he didn’t make the trip to Dallas, though it was considered a possibility. - Matt

Update (1:52 PM): Bruce MacLeod has three game day updates posted. There are a couple changes.

First, it looks like Chris Chelios will be out tonight with an injured leg. If he can’t go at game time, Andreas Lilja will be in. Let the nightmares of a Lilja turnover leading to a Dallas GWG begin.

Second, the lines are being mixed up a bit. Jiri Hudler is being moved to the second line while Mikael Samuelsson is dropping down to the third. Kirk Maltby will evidently moved to the fourth. I like moving Hudler up, but I’m not a fan of the idea of breaking up the third line, which has been effective. - Matt

Tonight is the sixth game of the Western Conference Finals. Detroit leads the series 3-2, with wins in Games 1-3. Dallas won Games 4 and 5.

Dallas is looking to pull off the impossible, a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit. To do that, they must feed off the momentum they’ve built up over the past two games and win again tonight at home. Some keys to the game for the Stars:

First goal. Scoring first is absolutely essential for Dallas tonight. If they can do that, they’ll have the psychological edge over Detroit.

Stay out of the box. The last thing Dallas needs tonight is to give the Wings a chance to get into the game.

Marty Turco. Once again, how Turco plays will determine the course of this game. In the first three games, he was average. In the past two, he’s been very tough, surrendering just two goals on 73 shots. If he continues to play at such a high level, Detroit’s task will be that much more difficult.

The Stars will be without Jere Lehtinen (leg), Stu Barnes (concussion-like symptoms), Philippe Boucher (hip strain) and Mark Fistric (mono).

With a 3-2 lead in the series, Detroit is technically in the driver’s seat. Over the past two games, however, Dallas has taken the wheel and is taking this series to places Detroit never wanted to go. The Wings have to take the wheel back tonight and end this thing. Some keys to the game for Detroit:

Score first. They’ve not done that in either of the past two games. Tonight it’s huge. Scoring first will not take Dallas out of the game, but it will help the Winsg reassert their dominance in this series.

Depth. I said this before Game 5 and the team fell flat on its face. The Wings’ depth has to be better tonight. The second, third, and fourth lines must take pressure off the top line.

Chris Osgood. In 1998, Chris Osgood shut the Stars out in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. It was one of the best games of his career. The Wings will need him to put on a similar performance tonight.

It looks like Detroit will be without Johan Franzen (post-concussion symptoms) for another game. He has not yet been cleared to play, though Mike Babcock said “he’ll play the day he’s cleared.” Franzen told the media yesterday that he feels better, so I suppose there’s hope.

I don’t think this will be a fun one, folks.

Game 5: Wings 1, Stars 2

Published

Matt Saler

on May 18, 2008

in 2007-2008, Game Reports, Playoffs and Stars

. 0 Comments

It’s easy to point to Tomas Holmstrom and Chris Chelios as the goats of the game. They certainly deserve it. Both of them made huge mistakes and really hurt their team.

At this point, I’d not be opposed to inserting Jonathan Ericsson or Derek Meech in place of Chelios, who has had an awful series in general. And Holmstrom isn’t much use if he’s not doing his job. All he did yesterday was take two incredibly stupid penalties. Not bright marks on the records of either player.

The responsibility for the loss does not lie on their shoulders, however. It was a team thing. The Red Wings failed to measure up yesterday, failed as a whole. They had little jump, little focus, and nearly no drive. Rather than going out and taking Dallas by the neck, they chose to rely on passivity, apparently expecting the Stars to just roll over in the face of the crowd at the Joe. There’s no excuse for that.

The only exception to the rule that I saw was Chris Osgood. I thought he was the only Detroit player that consistently looked like he wanted to win. The others showed interest in spurts, but that was it.

A lot of credit goes to the Stars for their hard work and rejuvenation. Make no mistake, however. It wouldn’t matter what the Stars did if the Wings were playing their best, something they are no longer doing at a time they need it the most.

This is a letdown similar in quality to that which we experienced in the first round against Nashville. It’s just in much larger quantity because of the timing. It’s one thing to lose two games to go 2-2 in a series. It’s another thing entirely to twice fail to finish the deal after winning three games. They allayed our fears in the first round, but the task of doing so in the third will be much more difficult and painful.

The playoff run is hemorrhaging. I know the Wings had it in them to stop it. Do they now? I’d like to think so. We’ll find out Monday.

Links

George Malik

Abel to Yzerman

??????James Mirtle

An approaching nightmare

Published

Matt Saler

on May 17, 2008

in 2007-2008, Playoffs and Stars

. 10 Comments

I don’t know about you, but this series is starting to look like a nightmare to me.

Despite the fact that the Wings hold a 3-2 advantage, Dallas is now in control. Detroit failed to show up for the biggest game in the season to this point and I can’t understand why. Unbelievable. Talk about a monster letdown. I feel sick.

They’d better get their act together for Game 6. I don’t even want to contemplate the alternative.

Game 5: vs. Dallas, 1:30 ET

Published

Matt Saler

on May 17, 2008

in 2007-2008, GameDay, Playoffs and Stars

. 0 Comments

Update (1:28 PM): A2Y’s liveblog is here. - Matt

Update (12:40 PM): The FanHouse liveblog is here. - Matt

This afternoon is the fifth game of the Western Conference Finals. Detroit leads the series 3-1 with wins in Games 1 through 3 (4-1, 2-1, 5-2). Dallas won Game 4 (3-1).

Dallas is on the brink of elimination and must win today to remain in the playoffs. Some keys to the game for the Stars:

Score first. This has been a key for them all series and is no less so today. Game 4 showed the effect of a lead on Dallas’ confidence level. They are a much better team when playing with one than without one.

Special teams. The Stars will have to make the most of their power play opportunities today. They’ll also need to kill off any chances the Wings may have.

Marty Turco. I keep listing him as a key and I’m doing it again. Turco was strong in Game 4 and will need to repeat that performance in Joe Louis Arena today. If he can’t exorcise whatever demons the Joe holds for him, the Stars lose. It’s that simple.

The Stars will be without Jere Lehtinen (leg), Stu Barnes (concussion-like symptoms), Philippe Boucher (hip) and Mark Fistric (mono).

For Detroit this is not technically a must-win game, but it might as well be. The last thing the Wings need is to lose today and return to Dallas with the Stars smelling blood. Some keys for Detroit:

Score first. Yes, it’s repetitive, but it’s a key for both teams. The Wings need to dull the Stars’ mental edge by striking first.

Puck possession. This task will be much easier with the improve quality of the ice surface at the Joe. A return to an efficient, businesslike puck possession game will prevent the Stars from doing much.

Depth. Every line needs to contribute offensively today. That doesn’t necessarily mean goals, but it does mean every line needs to give the Stars fits.

Detroit will be without Johan Franzen (concussion-like symptoms).

I will be part of the FanHouse liveblog of the game with Kevin Schultz and Eric McErlain. We’re kicking it off at 1:00. I’ll have the link for you then.

Also, Mike Heika reports that we’ll have one other option if the game goes into overtime and your NBC affiliate switches to Preakness coverage: NBCsports.com. Evidently, the game will be streamed live from there. I assume viewers from inside the Detroit and Dallas viewing areas will be blacked out, but anyone outside should be able to watch.

Links

A2Y keys to the game

Joe Hass’ liveblog

Gorilla Crouch keys to the game

5/16 Notes

Published

Matt Saler

on May 16, 2008

in Injuries, Johan Franzen, Playoffs, Stars and Valtteri Filppula

. 3 Comments

… Bruce MacLeod reports that Valtteri Filppula did not practice today. That’s something that has become more frequent lately as Fil deals with late season and playoff injuries. Ansar Khan says he’s expected to play tomorrow.

… MacLeod also says Johan Franzen also did not skate. No surprise there, as he was only cleared for off-ice conditioning on Wednesday.

… Speaking of those two, MacLeod has an interesting piece up on his blog about the Wings’ sudden lack of secondary scoring.

To be sure, that is a concern, but certainly not the end of the world. The Wings’ top line is the most complete in the League and will be extremely difficult for their prospective Finals opponent, Pittsburgh, to stop.

That said, goals from other sources would be great. I’m with Nick Lidstrom on that.

… George Sipple reports that the Wings told him today that the Finals will be played on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays only. It’s possible that the round could start Thursday if both teams wrap up their series this weekend, but Saturday is probably more likely in that case.

… Steve at Kukla’s Korner has the information you need if you’re concerned that Game 5 tomorrow will go into overtime and conflict with the Preakness. Basically, if you’re in a Detroit or Dallas coverage area, NBC will stay with the game. If you’re not, you’d better hope you have Versus.

… Alanah at Kukla’s Korner has the transcripts of media Q&A’s with Mike Babcock, Tomas Holmstrom, and Nick Lidstrom.

… According to Mike Heika, Bill McCreary will officiate Game 5. Heika’s concerned that there will be repercussions for comments made by Brenden Morrow in which the Dallas Stars captain accused McCreary of anti-Mike Fistric bias in Game 1. Whatever. McCreary has not been kind to the Wings in the past, so I’m sure it will all “even out.” Evening things out is what the NHL is about, right?

Game 4: Wings 1, Stars 3

Published

Matt Saler

on May 15, 2008

in 2007-2008, Game Reports, Playoffs and Stars

. 22 Comments

Update (4:00 PM): Tom Benjamin reacts to the no-goal call and to the comparison being made between that play and the missed interference call in Game 1:

On the other hand, last night’s mistake was inexcusable. Kelly did make something up. He did not see Holmstrom interfere with Turco because there was no interference. The referee called something he did not see. We know he did not see it because he called something that did not happen.

Another difference: The goal in Game 1 was the Wings’ third in a game that finished 4-1 Detroit. It was not the game-winner and had little bearing on a game the Wings would have won anyway. Last night’s blown call came on the first goal of the game. Had it been allowed, the face of the game would have been changed. - Matt

Update (12:28 PM): Typo in title corrected. - Matt

Embarrassing. That’s the most polite way to describe Game 4. The waived off goal was easily in the top three worst calls I have ever seen.

If, as I believe, Kelly Sutherland was the center ice official, he had no business making that call when Dan O’Halloran was right there. I absolutely hate it when the center ice official makes a call that directly contradicts the referee who was right there. Am I wrong to remember that the play was initially ruled a goal? If it was, how could it just be overturned by the word of a man fifty feet away from the event?

Because the play did not occur in overtime, we cannot say with certainty that the blown call cost the Wings the win, but there can be no doubt that that goal would have changed the face of the game. Dallas has shown a mental weakness thus far in this series in that they crumble when scored on first. I have little doubt that the same thing would have happened again had the goal not been waived off in a fit of unadulterated idiocy by Sutherland. As it was, the blown call acted as a security blanket for the weak-minded Dallas team and gave them the mental fortitude to play actual hockey for one of the few times in this series.

Marty Turco, for whom I now have zero respect, is mouthing off about how that was a makeup call for the “missed” goaltender interference penalty on Holmstrom in Game 1. If so, I call that BS. This is a professional sports league, not some weak collection of pickup games. There should be no makeup calls. Makeup calls are bush league. In the National Hockey League, teams should be doing the making up, not the officials. It’s bad enough when it’s in the regular season and it’s a bad hooking call to make up for a bad tripping call. It’s a thousand times worse to do it in the Stanley Cup playoffs when the games mean everything.

If I were completely rational about this and didn’t have an irrational love for the game, the team, and the players, I would quit the NHL today. Why would I want to waste my time on a League that cannot ensure the quality of officiating that should be an inherent part of a top-tier professional sports league? Why would I want to waste my time on a League that disallows legitimate scoring? If I was rational about this, I wouldn’t. As it is, however, I’ll foolishly hold to this game, something I love and hate so much at the same time.

Gary Bettman should be embarrassed. He was at the game. I wonder what he thought when he saw that. Does he enjoy leading a League that is a joke to sports fans around the world? Waiving off legitimate goals is an embarrassment to the game. It really is.

It’s days like these that conspiracy theories almost start to make sense. Almost. I’m sure the NHL loves the fact that Game 5 is happening and that NBC will have the opportunity to broadcast it. But I don’t buy the idea that this was a Bettman-ordered result. That’s giving Kelly Sutherland too much credit.

If the goal was waived off an Holmstrom really was in the crease, I would be disappointed, but honest enough to admit the right call was made. But he wasn’t in the crease and the right call was not made.

The League has got to institute some kind of safeguard against that kind of thing. Why on earth is there no replay for that? Why can’t the replay booth look at the goal in the moments immediately following it being waived off (or allowed) and notify the on-ice officials before the puck is dropped? It wouldn’t even have to be a formal review period just so long as the review booth officials have the power to stop on-ice proceedings, a la NFL review booth officials in the final two minutes.

After that call was made, I was so angry I kept wishing Holmstrom would just run Turco over. If he’s going to get called for it, he might as well get his money’s worth. Thankfully, the Wings kept their emotions in check better than I did.

Kudos to the Stars for actually showing up to play last night. It’s good to know you’ve finally realized you’re in the Western Conference Finals. It’s just too bad you can’t have a win not sullied by a monumentally blown call. You outplayed the Wings in most phases of the game. Good for you. It won’t happen again.

Not only did Sutherland look stupid on the blown goal call, he and O’Halloran were oblivious to the Stars’ shenanigans all night. The officiating was terrible. Almost as bad as the waived off goal was the fact that Steve Ott got away with assault in the final seconds of the game. Of course, it was almost a moot point, but it’s the principle of the thing. He was brutalizing Tomas Holmstrom and got away scot free. To call Ott a donkey is an insult to good donkeys everywhere.

Aside from that, how many other times were Red Wings crosschecked or tripped in the process of taking a shot? Or blatantly interfered with? Also, how was Eriksson’s goal not waived off? The guy’s entire body was in the crease. I’m sure Osgood would have loved to have that space to move across, but it was occupied by a Dallas Star. Textbook goaltender interference.

All that said, the Wings had ample opportunity to overcome those difficulties, including the waived off goal. They allowed themselves to be outplayed last night and did not put forth the effort necessary to win. They will have to play better on Saturday and I have no doubt that they will. The Stars have gotten their win, but the Wings will have their series in Game 5.

Game 4: @ Dallas, 8:00 ET

Published

Matt Saler

on May 14, 2008

in 2007-2008, GameDay, Playoffs and Stars

. 1 Comment

Tonight is the fourth game of the 2008 Western Conference Finals. Detroit leads the series 3-0 with wins Thursday (4-1), Saturday (2-1), and Monday (5-2).

Dallas is on the brink of elimination and must win this game to prolong their season. To do that, they will need to elevate their play beyond any level they’ve reached thus far in this series. Some keys to the game for the Stars:

Maintain composure. If the Wings do happen to score first, the Stars need to be composed. If they lose their heads, they lose the game for sure.

Marty Turco. I’ve listed Turco as a key in every game since Game 2 and thus far, his impact on this series has largely been negative. He has not played his best in this round, but the Stars will need him to be stellar tonight. No goals scored while he’s poorly positioned.

Play like the season is on the line. Because it is. The Stars have lacked urgency in this series and if they don’t show any tonight, they’ll be embarrassed.

It’s probable that Jere Lehtinen (knee) will not play tonight. Philippe Boucher and Stu Barnes remain out.

Detroit would prefer this series be over as quickly as possible so that they can rest up for the Finals. To wrap things up tonight, they’ll likely have to play their best game of the series as Dallas is not going to lay down. Some keys to the game for Detroit:

Score first. The Stars are fragile at the moment, as IwoCPO has pointed out. An early lead could take them out of the game.

Stay out of the box. The last thing they need is to give the Stars anything that could lead to momentum.

Hold on to the puck. If they play their puck possession game to the best of their ability tonight, Dallas has no chance.

The Wings will be without Johan Franzen once again. It looks like he won’t be back until the Finals no matter what happen in this series.

With Dallas against the wall, I expect them to put on the kind of effort required in the Conference Finals. If the Wings show up to play as well, however, I don’t think it will be enough.