Preview: Wings VS Coyotes, Round 1 Game 6

"The bottom line is, we've got to make sure our legs are ready to go. The last time we came back for an early game, we didn't play very well." - Coach Mike Babcock

The Red Wings look to do something they've been unable to do in recent memory: win a damn day game!! Detroit plays host to Phoenix in Game 6 of this WCQF matchup and I personally do not want to see Jobing.com Arena again till next season. Should the Wings win their first afternoon match in eons, they will advance to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with their 2nd round opponent yet to be decided.

So, hopefully for the last time in Round 1, let's calculate The Geek's Winning Formula!!

1.) Seize The Day!! - It hurts me to look back at how long it's been since Detroit last won an early game. I can't remember the last one they were victorious in, and this is going back months!! Detroit has got to come out standing on the gas and cannot afford to give Phoenix an early advantage. I think it was very wise of Babs to have the boys practice after getting home. As he said himself, the Wings did not benefit from the rest they took previous to Game 3. As long as the Red Wings come out fresh and raring to go, we should be fine; however, if the Wings come out flat, we're gonna need the Hockey Gods on our side to prevent a runaway game by the Coyotes.

2.) WTF Face-offs!!?? - Again, what the hell happened to all our face-off guys!? We're barely breaking 50% every game on the draws and this really really bothers me! Your first chance to control the puck comes from the face-off and we're giving that away to a Phoenix team that should not be winning as many draws from Detroit as they are. Our centers need to improve heavily on this to help ease the pressure created by badly timed face-off losses at key points of the game. Again, we've relatively gotten away with this without getting burned but man oh man, one of these times it's gonna come back and bite us bad, like leading to a tying or go-ahead goal late in a game we should have won. It just better not happen today.

3.) Maintain Physicality - We've been fortunate that Shane Doan has been out the last couple games, but should be make it into the lineup today, expect to see a much-revived Phoenix hitting game. If that is the case, Detroit will need to stand its ground. The amount of hitting and aggressive forechecking we've been doing the last while is proving effective and we cannot let up on this if the Coyotes all of a sudden start hitting back harder like early on in the series. We still need guys to drive hard to the net, punish opposing forecheckers, and win those grinding battles for puck-possession. As soon as we start letting up because of Phoenix's aggression, we're tipping the scales in their favor: physical is their style and they know it.

There are always little things that also factor in. Personally I'd like to see Detroit tighter in the neutral zone, but the Wings have tightened up greatly in the defense department, so I'm gonna lay off that for today's game.

It's almost gametime, Wingnuts! Let's cheer our team into Round 2!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!

Patient Red Wings Pound Pups, Take Game 5 in Phoenix

"All I'm saying is if I got a skate blade on my thigh looking like Cpt. Morgan, I'm being interfered with..!" - The Geek

Detroit came into Phoenix facing a strange situation: the Wings were playing Game 5, and it was not in their own building. Not since 1966 have the Red Wings won a road Game 5, but thanks to another outstanding performance by Jimmy Howard and timely offense from the top lines, my main man included, Detroit exploded for three goals in the third period to snatch the 5th game of this series away from the Coyotes by a score of 4-1.

I'm going to get this out of the way right now, as I'm still conversing about it as I write this and tweet simultaneously: That Jovo goal...this is why people have no confidence in the NHL officials anymore. Hi, your skate blade is about 5 inches from giving me a vasectomy, and that's not someone being interfered with?? Not that it mattered in the end, I know, but it's principal damnit!! Howard was sparkling all game long and it took a lumbering idiot stomping down on his leg to keep him from stopping the one puck that got in!!

As many said on Twitter tonight while this was going on, there's not a person living who knows hockey that can say that, had that been Tomas Holmstrom, the goal would have been reviewed, called back, and homer would be sitting in the sin bin. No contest. Had to try and keep the game interesting, didn't we Gary...?

Anyway, putting away the tinfoil hat for a sec to go over The Geek's Winning Formula!!

1.) Solid Special Teams - Mmm...we were close...! The PK units definitely passed here, as they kept Detroit in the game. We're still taking waaay too many penalties for the playoffs, and at agonizingly horrible times!! It's bad enough to give a team the man-up, but to do it late in a game with a chance to take the lead?? Discipline: we have it, we use it, but we don't maintain it. If pressured, the Wings have a penchant for getting lazy and that leads to hooks and holds and trips and...yeah, you see what I mean. PP units got to take it easy in this one but I'm still going to rip on their ineffectiveness, especially after their recent success! The cup-winning Wings squads have all had something we've yet to see fully on this year's roster: consistency. Once we see that, we'll be fine all the way to the finals.

2.) Don't Get Cocky - I definitely think Detroit passed this criteria. the Red wings could have swaggered in, but instead laid low, watching the Coyotes carefully and picking them apart piece by piece, looking for chances and exploiting them. The Wings, whether by intent or not, let the game lull its way into the third, then blasted awake from out of nowhere for a 3 goal barrage!! One has to keep their eyes peeled for opportunities, and the Red Wings did just that. Even with a 2 and 3 goal lead, Detroit never slowed, even looking for an extra goal on the very late powerplay that closed out the game. That's the kind of hunger that drives you through playoff rounds.

3.) Control the Face-offs - Oi...I'm thinking Detroit would have a much easier time of it if they really say down and worked on this. Yet again, we saw the Red Wings decimated at the dots: 25 won, 29 lost, many wins late in the game, 38% in the 1st period alone!! This is not how a team that prides itself on puck-possession should be conducting itself at the face-off!! Also, we again saw Detroit losing a lot of the critical face-offs: draws in the offensive zone, draws on the PK, on the PP. It's not the even-strength draws that kill you, it's the ones that mean something! How many goals would Detroit have had on the PP had the centers won some of those face-offs and got a quick setup?? Phoenix has been very generous in not making us pay for this, but we only get Phoenix for two more games, maximum. Round 2 would be a whole new monster, and whoever it is could very well punish Detroit for losing as many draws as they are currently.

With just one more win, the Red Wings can advance to Round 2 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This series with Phoenix is just what Detroit needed early: a tough series to keep them honest and not let them become complacent. All credit in the world to the Coyotes for a hard-fought series, but I wanna see some Coyotes get kicked around one last time, then leave Phoenix as nothing more than dust in the wind...

Until Game 6, Wingnuts!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!

Preview: Wings @ Coyotes, Round 1 Game 5

"Special teams has been a big part of our success as of late. Strong special teams can win you a series or win you a game at the right moment." - Defenseman/Captain Nicklas Lidstrom"

The Red Wings will need to keep their Captain's words in mind as they suit up to battle Phoenix tonight when Game 5 of this Wings/Coyotes series gets underway. The Coyotes have already made their statement that they will be trying to press for improvement in their special teams, particularly the powerplay. I say let them, as long as we stay disciplined and don't take stupid penalties, they won't get a chance to capitalize. On the other side, Detroit is finally seeing some success on the man-advantage and I really want to see that continue. I'm sure this is big news to everyone.

Humor/sarcasm aside, let's recalculate The Geek's Winning Formula!!

1.) Solid Special Teams - As mentioned above, this will be key. Do not give Phoenix PP chances and cash in when they give the chances to Detroit. The Wings are 4 for 11 on the powerplay from Game 2 onward, much improved from the regular season stats. The PK has gotten its engine running again, yes, but let's not push luck any harder than we have to, eh? Detroit has gotten into the right rhythm to hold down the Coyotes during even-strength play, so this factor could tip the scales in one team's favor.

2.) Don't Get Cocky - The Wings are bad for this, we all know it, but we can't afford for Detroit to ease itself into this game. We need full throttle from the get-go and no letting up on a hungry Phoenix team that will make Detroit pay for taking the skate blade off their throat. Last game was the only real blowout game on the scoresheet, but the match was much closer than the boxscore would lead you to believe: the Wings fought for and earned that win, and will need that same grit two more times to get through this series.

3.) Control the Face-offs - This was the biggest concern after Game 4. Detroit did manage to pull even with Phoenix by the end of the game, but for a long stretch of Game 4, Detroit was being badly beaten at the dots. This is not something a puck-possession team should be allowing, as it prevents Detroit from possessing the puck. Call it a cardinal sin of puck-possession, call it bad luck. Whatever you want to call it, we need to make sure it doesn't happen again, because the Hockey Gods may not be wearing the Winged Wheel this time around and may just make the Wings pay for losing key draws in the face-off circle.

I'm not sure what my plans are for tonight. May be home, may be at a friend's place, might even be out at the sports bar begging the management to put the Wings game on. Hopefully you'll see me on Twitter though!

Till then, Wingnuts!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!

Howard Finds Form, Shuts Out Phoenix 3-0 in Game 4

Jimmy Howard had a lot to think about coming into Game 4 of this series. Having sustained the Red Wings in their drive to the Playoffs, he was one of the best goaltenders in the NHL coming back from the Olympic Break. His post-season stats up to today, however, were far less stellar: 3.72 GAA, .889 SV%, Jimmy had a lot of people breathing down his neck looking to dub him the next Manny Legace or Norm Maracle.

Howard took all of that in stride and showed everyone, himself included, what he was truly capable of.

Thanks to Jimmy Howard's stand-out performance in Game 4, Detroit walked away with a 3-0 shutout over Phoenix to bring the series back to a draw at 2-2 and keep the Wings's Playoff hopes alive. Howard didn't win the game by himself though, as we saw a much improved Detroit team in many of the areas they were sorely lacking in previously: better defensive awareness, better forechecking, better communication. The Wings were a little soft on faceoffs, but luckily they did not let the Coyotes take advantage of it.

Let's take a look at The Geek's Winning Formula!

1.) Team Defense - Much, much improved. Detroit did an excellent job of finding guys and limiting options, not allowing a lot of quality scoring chances, and made sure to keep the flat-footedness to a minimum. Once Detroit took the lead, they clamped down on the Phoenix offense, only allowing 6 shots on goal in the 3rd period. The PK units were on fire, and were able to stun a huge 5 on 3 opportunity for the Coyotes that would have put them right back into the hockey game. Babs needs to go over the tapes of this game with the boys and drill some of the work they did tonight into their heads. If we can get this every game, this series is over in 6.

2.) Maintain Pressure - Also improved, Detroit is finding itself outhitting the Coyotes at this point in the series, and Phoenix doesn't seem to have an answer. The physical style of the Coyotes has seemed non-existent as Detroit's checking is dwarfing the resistance Phoenix is putting up. The Red Wings are battling better on the boards and causing havoc as the 'Yotes try to enter the offensive zone. It's looking more and more like Phoenix is struggling to move with the puck, and that's the way it should be, Detroit is the puck-possession team, so stop letting Phoenix play your game!

3.) Minimize Mistakes - Detroit passed in this area as well, though a couple scary moments, like Lilja's hook to set up the Phoenix 5 on 3, could have been avoided and should have. Other than the few nail-biting incidents, Detroit did a great job of making plays smartly and not creating chances for Phoenix to capitalize on. The passing was much more crisp, there was a lot less blind dumping of the puck, and guys weren't standing around so Phoenix's sneakers were stifled.

All in all, it was a very well-rounded game for Detroit that was accentuated by Jimmy Howard getting his first career playoff shutout. Now Detroit heads back to the desert for Game 5 and look to be the team to take advantage into Game 6. One of these teams is going to be on the brink after the next game, and if Detroit plays like they did tonight, it won't be them.

Till then, Wingnuts!! Let's Go Red Wings!!!