Regular Season Home Finale Preview

"It's a battle for every inch of ice every shift. We have to keep finding ways to get better." - Coach Mike Babcock on playoff atmosphere.

Detroit (41-24-14) VS Columbus (32-34-14)

Well, it's a good thing Babs sees the obvious. After the mildly humiliating loss to Philly, where Detroit refused to fight back against the Flyers with any real kind of physicality, The Red Wings look to give fans in Detroit one last hurrah before the post-season as they welcome in the Bluejackets for the start of a home-and-home series.

Although the Wings have already clinched a berth in the playoffs, positioning is still important. With the top 4 seeds out of their reach, Detroit can only hope to get as high as 5th and claim home ice over any lower ranked clubs that might advance past the first round. Babcock has stated, however, that there is a good chance that with the clinch, Detroit may rest a number of its vets over the remainder of the regular season. We may see a more February-looking team in the last few games, but it would pay off to get some of the younger players more playing time before the second season begins.

With that, let's look at The Geek's Winning Formula for tonight's game!!

1.) Play with Passion - I know it's gonna be difficult for the Red Wings to drum up the inspiration for a grind-it-out 60 minutes of good hockey at this point, but it's very important that Detroit stay focussed on playing winning hockey to keep primed for the playoffs. Detroit has given up leads and lost games to hungrier teams. Now Detroit needs to remember how to be the hungrier team themselves. I do think Detroit could take Chicago in the Playoffs, I just don't want to see them square off in the first round. I'd like a nice ease-in round versus, oh I don't know...Phoenix...?

2.) PP Must Improve - This is getting to a critical point. We have too much talent on the roster to be going 0 for 3 and 0 for 4 on man-advantages, but last game VS Philly was another example. One goal difference and the Wings had three powerplays, all squandered. I don't know what Mike Babcock has to do to these players to get them to shoot the puck more, but he better figure out...like now! Detroit still cycles way to much, and they too heavily favor the shots below the face-off circles rather than getting boomers from the point. Those would require guys jumping in toward the net for a rebound, and we all know how much Wings players love to do that. Ahem...sorry, some lingering sarcasm caught in my throat. I'm going to go as far to say that if Detroit's powerplay does not improve come playoff time, we're risking a very early exit from the post-season. The PK is getting it done, keeping the games within reach, now the PP units need to learn how to step on a team's throat and make the difference in these games.

3.) Checking/Energy Lines Critical - The good news heading to the post-season is that we're getting goals, our top two lines are producing nicely. Now we need to fine-tune the bottom two lines, especially finding a way to ramp up the level of grind-it-out-edness. We've got some strong forwards, it shouldn't just be our D-men throwing the body around. Cleary and Helmet are two of the few forwards on the roster willing to punish a guy with a check. And doesn't it sound strange to say their names instead of guys like Bertuzzi and Franzen? We need more physicality if we're not going to run an enforcer on the roster, or more games will end up like the one against Philly. The Flyers found an effective way to stifle the Detroit offense, you don't think other teams won't try the same tactic? Bertuzzi is the X-factor in it all. I think that ever since the Moore incident, he's had sort of a Hulk complex, that he's afraid if The Incredible Bert gets to angry he's going to smash someone into $&#^ing oblivion. He needs to move on and get back to the punishing style that made him an intimidating forward back in the day.

Hopefully the Wings can work the formula and come out of the Joe with a W. I'll miss a small portion of the game due to a children's event I'm running (if you REALLY wanna know that bad, DM me on twitter or something :P) but I should be back and on Twitter to follow the game in no time! Till then Wingnuts!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!

Reflecting on the Season

It's 3:30 PM here as I write this. Gorgeous day, best one so far this year. I've done some spring cleaning, had a bit to eat, played some Xbox 360 as well as get some sunshine. And in the midst of all this, it occurred to me: The Red Wings are gonna be alright.

Yes, I know exactly what you're thinking, and yes I did have faith that Detroit would pull through. But man, don't tell me that back in February you weren't sweating at least a tiny bit. You're not being truthful otherwise. It's hard not to sweat when your favorite team is playing half the farm team on the active roster and the W's just keep eluding you. I was scared, I'm man enough to admit that I was frightened at the thought that this team would not make the playoffs. My reasoning behind that was injuries, because our season not only hinged on getting guys back 100%, but it was almost more crucial that once they DID get back, that we didn't take another slew of injuries all at once and end up back in the same rut we started in!!

The scratches came back, the injuries did not, and man oh man look at the Red Wings now. We just clinched our 19th consecutive playoff appearance, best in the 4 major sports, and we did it by another team's loss.

You couldn't have sold that to me in February if your life counted on it.

But here we are in April, the post-season looming close, and the worries (at least the greatest of them) are over. We're in. That in and of itself is the scary part, but not for us.

It's scary for the rest of the league.

Bring on the playoffs.

Bullies Reborn in Flyers Win over Detroit

"We didn't win the game, but for me it was a step in the right direction in getting ready for the playoffs." - Goaltender Chris Osgood

Wait...what!?? Honestly Ozzie, I think you're a little confused. We can't be talking about the same game because I, sir, did not see anything that would persuade me to put you between the pipes at all come the playoffs.

Chris Osgood admittedly did have to shake off a lot of rust, but the fact is he did not get it done for the Wings today as the Flyers took it to Detroit and came out on the winning side of a 4-3 score. Philadelphia pounded Detroit, quite literally, for the entirety of the game. It hearkened back to the days of the Broad Street Bullies, only now the bullies are named Laperriere, Carcillo and Pronger. A number of "hits" put on by the Flyers should have been called and were not, much to the chagrin of many a Wingnut I'm sure, and Detroit was content to play the five-year-old who can't take a teasing. I don't wanna go off on too much of a tangent, but let me put a set of numbers out here that really bother me:

Todd Bertuzzi - 6'3", 245 lbs

Jonathan Ericsson - 6'5", 205 lbs

Johan Franzen - 6'3", 218 lbs

These are three of the biggest Red Wings who suited up for today's game. Now, I got a feeling someone's not giving it their all when these guys get shown how to throw a body check by this guy:

Pavel Datsyuk - 5'11", 197 lbs

Yes, Dats. Don't look at me like that. I watched the footage, like I said. Out of all the "hitting" Detroit did in retaliation to Philly's physicality, Pavel-bloody-Datsyuk put the best hit of the game on for the Wings. I think he may have even got Carcillo, the checked player's name eludes me. Regardless of who he hit, Pavel is not out on the ice to instill fear in the other team with his brute force. See? you giggled even thinking about it!! Why can the Bertuzzis and the Franzens on this team NOT THROW A GOOD HIT??? Go back to the highlights, our biggest players will ease up before a hit, every. single. time. Without fail. And the result today was the Flyers basically playing our game of puck possession because Detroit was too scared to muck it up with them to take the puck back!! our best checkers are currently guys like Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm because they're the only fearless ones on the team! Look at Helm, he almost assuredly got his nose broke or something grim and what does he do? Gets a band-aid and keeps on truckin'!! Throwing the body, mashing in front of the net and because of this, he was one of the goal scorers for the Wings today.

Oh wow, okay. I need to talk about the Winning Formula before this turns into the next Gilgamesh Epic...

1.) Get Mad, Get Even - Haha, well...Detroit got mad. But instead of the productive kind of mad, Detroit got the useless kind of mad. Every problem Philadelphia created for Detroit was worked around, not solved. The Wings tried to circumvent all the obstacles: the physical style of play, the Flyers' checking line working over Dats and Hank. You name it, Detroit tried to dodge it. Problem with that is that Philly was doing what I've been preach to the Red Wings: they stuck to a gameplan. They never gave up on the plan, and the plan got Philadelphia two precious points and cost the Red Wings two of their own. Today's game will be the deciding game should Detroit end in a tie with Nashville.

2.) Stick to the Plan! - Oh hey! Wow, nice segue huh? Well, as much as I say this I usually mean stick to a plan that works. Detroit's refusal to adapt to the smashing style of the Flyers ultimately cost them the game (along with Ozzie's stellar screw-up in the first 17 seconds of the game...) and further prevented Detroit from attaining any sort of foothold on 5th. Almost makes me wonder if the Wings WANT to play the Canucks...

3.) Two Words: Chris. Osgood. - After watching this game, I have just two more words: Go. Howard. I can understand the early flubs by Chris, but Detroit battled back and was able to tie the game after 20 minutes. The other two goals are those opportunities where, even if your defense let you down, you need to come up big. Osgood did that very rarely today. I will give him credit on a few saves he made after the score was 4-2, but really, once you've let in four you're almost assuredly past the point of no return. Today that was the case.

Hopefully the Wings can get back to their winning ways to end out the season. I'm praying that there are no more day games, because looking back, I can't honestly remember the last time they won one. Well, maybe this little tidbit will help: WE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF SPOT!!! ...Feeling any better about today?

Till next time Wingnuts!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!

Preview: Wings at Flyers

"We battled back and got a point...On the other hand it's disappointing losing in the first shift of overtime." Captain/Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom

Detroit (41-23-14) @ Philadelphia (38-34-6)

After a heartbreaking overtime loss to Nashville yesterday, the Red Wings get a chance to pull even with Nashville again as they travel to Philly to tangle with the Flyers. The Wings have two games in hand on the Predators and a victory here will tie them for 5th seed with the Preds. I didn't really get any input from anyone on how the game yesterday went, so I'm still quite in the dark, highlights only tell you so much. But I'll do my best to come up with a Winning Formula that will ensure success for Detroit today!!

1.) Get Mad, Get Even - Detroit needs to come out pissed off in this game. The Wings have to turn the rarely-seen Flyers into a veritable whipping boy in this matinee affair and punish Philly for the loss to Nashville. Like Nick said above, it's disappointing to lose on the first shift of extra time, so get mad and take it out on Philadelphia, and if the Wings can do that they'll get even with the Predators. See what I did there? Of course you did.

2.) Stick to the Plan! - I could be way off here, again I didn't watch the game, but the way I see it is that Detroit battled back to send a 3-2 game into overtime by tying up with Nashville, and got a bad break on the very first shift in OT. That's just bad luck, that's not implying the Wings had a poor gameplan. They did get something from nothing. Detroit needs to come out with the same plan, just with more intensity. Anytime your team is able to rally from a deficit and keep themselves in the game, you know you're adapting well and playing good hockey. If the Red Wings can jumpstart their game early, they could wrap this up in the first two periods with little concern in the third. Of course should they do this, discipline will be tantamount to maintaining for the W.

3.) Two Words: Chris. Osgood. - This whole formula hinges on one key ingredient: Chris Osgood. If Ozzie can shake off the rust, we may have a shot at the win, but if he comes out lackluster, I would almost say we would need to can him after about 3 goals. We're too far into the season and points mean too much to spare Osgood's feelings. There's a big difference between playing Vancouver and playing Phoenix, and if it looks like Ozzie may compromise that I'd be giving him the hook with no hesitation. Chris has a lot to prove in this game, losing his last three starts and having a 4.10 GAA through his last five games. Ozzie needs to be in playoff mode now if he hopes to see any post-season playing time, because at this point, I'm quite alright with starting Jimmy once the Playoffs begin.

Ugh, why all the day games, damnit?! Looks like I'll be missing this one too, but I may be able to catch SOME of the NBC coverage during breaks, so hopefully that will mean the boys will win this one. Still kinda creeped that Detroit's only loss since I started this blog was the one day I couldn't see any live footage of the game...spooky. But for the rest of you Wingnuts, enjoy the game!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!