Wings Came to Play, Played to Win in Game 7 Victory Over Ducks

Everything came down to one final game, one more 60-minute span: You either win or you go home.  There would be no more chances.  Every goal on either side would have enormous weight and significance.  Every mistake would feel fatal.

After all, that's what it is to play a Game 7 in the playoffs.

With no more room for error, the Detroit Red Wings played like they knew what was on the line.  They controlled the pace of the play for almost the entire 60 minutes and did what needed to be done to hold back the Anaheim offensive, pulling off a thrilling win in enemy territory to win their first round series 4 games to 3. Henrik Zetterberg, Justin Abdelkader and Valtteri Filppula scored for Detroit and goalie Jimmy Howard was sensational in holding the Ducks to only a pair as the Red Wings won Game 7 by a 3-2 margin.

The scoring started early as Filppula threw a shot at the net just minutes into the 1st, and Zetterberg would swoop in to bang home the rebound to take the early lead.  The lead didn't last though, as the Wings wrapped up a powerplay opportunity, Anaheim surged back after a successful kill and Emerson Etem zinged a shot past Howard to know it up at 1 apiece.

The Ducks would get their own powerplay chance around the 15-minute mark of the 1st, but an excellent read by Abby saw him intercept a pass on the blueline, skating away from the defense for a breakaway, and slipping the puck five-hole on Anaheim netminder Jonas hiller to take back the lead 2-1 on a shorthanded goal.  Abdelkader, who had served a 2-game ban during games 4 and 5, had been playing like a man possessed since returning, and his hunger was evidenced by this play: Great read, explosive skating, and a soft finish all leading up to a fantastic goal!

A few minutes past the halfway point of the 2nd, Detroit would again be rewarded for getting guys to the middle of the ice in the Ducks' zone, as Val Filppula got the puck from teammates Dan Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg, flicking a backhand shot past Hiller to extend the lead to 3-1.

From there, Detroit would maintain control of the game...up until Hank miscued and tossed the puck over the glass in his own zone.  A delay of game call was made, and the Captain would sit.  Anaheim made sure he didn't sit for the full 2 minutes, with Francois Beauchemin beating Howard and cutting the lead to 3-2.

Every Wings fan in the world went a little white, I'm sure.  We had seen this play out before: 2 and 3-goal leads blown in the 3rd and the Ducks forcing Overtime.  It was not the scenario anyone rooting for the Winged Wheel wanted to even imagine.  Thankfully, neither did the Wings, and from there Detroit managed to grind out the rest of the clock and hold on for the series-clinching win.

With a day or two to rest, Detroit now looks ahead to the Chicago Blackhawks, in what will likely be the last time the two teams will ever play a series as division rivals.  Chicago dominated the regular season series, and good on them for it.

This, however, is not the regular season.

Get ready for a crazy 2nd round, Wingnuts!  Let's Go Red Wings!!

Go Big or Go Home: Wings/Ducks Series Ends Tonight

There have been highlight reel moments, controversies, and everything in between during the six games that have made up the Detroit/Anaheim first round playoff series, but one thing is certain: One team is advancing to the second round after this evening's tilt.

The Red Wings found a way to stave off the Ducks' roaring last stand which was enough to surmount a 2-goal lead late in the 3rd period, but fell short when Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg blasted the puck past Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller to close out Game 6 and push the series to its final game.  It was not the first time Detroit had blown a significant lead in the series, but a win is a win and it is now up to the Wings to learn from their near-fatal mistakes and come out hard if they hope to knock off the resilient Ducks.

Playing hard will indeed be the key, this Wings club has been way too damn soft on the Anaheim skaters.  If Detroit wants to close this out and move on, the Wings need to grind out the Ducks forwards and kill their forecheck.  Far too many times have we allowed the Ducks to move the puck along the boards with little resistance and come out into the middle of the ice for scoring chances.  The less scoring chances we allow, the better.

Despite what some would say, Jimmy Howard has been a beast in this series. Besides the blowout in Game 3, every game of this series has been close, and that is in LARGE part thanks to Howard. He has made critical saves at critical points, and has continually kept the Red Wings in their matches.  Has he let in a softie or two? Sure, but hasn't Hiller?  The fact remains that Jimmy Howard has played lights out when he's had to, and has helped give Detroit this chance to end the series in their favor.

Play hard, but play smart. If the Wings can do that, they are wholly capable of defeating the Ducks in their own barn...or pond, or whatever the hell they wanna call it.  If things go my way, they can call it 'Closed until October.'

This is the one that counts, guys! Let's Go Red Wings!!

Late Night Thoughts on a Successful Game Six

The Wings are leaving Detroit and on a plane back to Anaheim as happy as can be. Why might you ask? Well, if you haven't heard the Detroit Red Wings were able to pull of an overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks to yet again tie the series at 3-3.

 Detroit was able to pull off the first goal with a little over a minute left in the first period at the Joe Louis Arena. Pavel Datsyuk backhanded the puck past Jonas Hiller and took the lead. Wings dominated the period with 11 shots on goal compared to Anaheim's 7, but did look a little sloppy.

The sloppiness carried into the second period, where Anaheim controlled the next twenty minutes. Anaheim had 14 shots on goal, but were not able to capitalize on one of those shots without Detroit's help. Yes, you read that correctly: Detroit had to help Anaheim make a goal. Brendan Smith ingeniously attempted to grab the puck from going past Howard and instead the puck bounced off of his body, allowing Anaheim to tie up the score at 1-1 before the second period was finished.

As this series as proved in the past, the third period was the most active. Henrik Zetterberg was able to capitalize on the power play six minutes into the third period and scored his first goal in the playoffs. Dan Cleary tipped the puck into the net next, giving Detroit a comfortable 3-1 lead. The comfort did not last long, though. Valtteri Filppula had a bad pass behind the net to Emmerson Etem, who scored the next goal for the Ducks. Less than a minute later, Bobby Ryan tied the scored up at 3-3. Detroit had a couple of chances before the end of the third, but were unable to capitalize and moved to overtime for the forth time in the
series.

A little over the minute into overtime, Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg scored the game winning goal. The Joe Louis Arena went nuts as the Wings had stayed alive in the playoffs winning 4-3 versing the Ducks.

Some obvious mistakes was the bad bounces/passes from Detroit players that assisted Anaheim in two of their three goals. As previously discussed, Detroit always seems to allow for more goals in the third period. It seems as if they just get tired and give up, allowing for poor turnovers or bad passes that result in Anaheim catching up. The shots on goal support that as well, showing Anaheim leading 16 to 9 in the third period. It would be nice to see Detroit pull through all 60 minutes of game play and prevent Anaheim from stealing their thunder in the third period. We need a hungrier, more consistent team for game seven in order to pull off a win.

A couple victories would obviously begin with Henrik Zetterberg finally capitalizing on his shots. Zetterberg's two goals were nothing short of exciting and helpful to winning this game. Also, Justin Abdelkader being back in the line up was helpful for the Wings. His presence was known with a couple of shots on net, an assist and a stronger top line. Howard also outplayed Hiller, having a 91 save percentage compared to Hiller's 86 save percentage. Despite being outshot, Detroit battled hard

and thankfully won. The Wings are on to game seven. If Detroit wins game seven, the Red Wings will advance to the next round in the playoffs. However if Detroit falls short, the Red Wings will be the ones packing their bags and heading home until October when next year's season will begin.

Game seven will be played at the Duck's home ice, the Honda Center, on Sunday, May 12th at 10PM. What do you think the Wings need to do to win game seven? Will Anaheim win, continuing the pattern of winning every other game this series, or do you think Detroit will be able to win back to back and take the series? Follow our Facebook and Twitter for more places to share your opinion and for great Wings coverage!

Wings In Sudden Death For Game 6

The Detroit Red Wings are pinched in a tough spot tonight after losing in overtime for game five against Anaheim. The Anaheim Ducks currently lead the series 3-2. If the Ducks win tonight, that would mean a bye-bye playoff time for the Wings. Don't get too down though. If the Wings are able to fight for it and win, we will move to a game seven on Sunday.

Game Five was a nothing short of a fight from both teams. Detroit had only fallen short 31 shots on goal compared to Anaheim's 34. Detroit's Franzen and Samuelsson were able to land goals in regulation. Ducks

Captain Ryan Getzlaf and Kyle Palmieri put two up for Anaheim. After 60 minutes of game play, each team had one power play goal and one full strength goal, tying them at two. A little under two minutes into overtime, we saw a game winning goal from Nick Bonino.

People complained of a poor power play for Detroit when Daniel Winnik was given a five minute major for boarding Dan Cleary. Cleary, who managed to come back in the third after being injured in the second, is still complaining about soreness to his left side but will be in the lineup tonight. Another common complaint was the ice conditions in the Honda Center. What I think it comes down to is Anaheim skating harder and faster than Detroit. If Detroit can play how they did in the second period (minus the five minute major), we could be looking at a win tonight. Regardless, there is nothing that should be enough to hold this team back from working again in game six.

Speaking of working, Henrik Zetterberg has been hurting for a goal all series. The new captain has zero goals in the playoffs thus so far. Offensively, Z has been able to produce about 20 shots on goal alone through five games. But, the Wings captain isn't worried, stating all he could do was "continue to work hard, keep putting pucks at the net, and hopefully one or two will sneak by the goalie."  Hopefully, we will see Zetterberg be able to bank one of those shots tonight.

Justin Abdelkader will be hot tonight. The forward is coming back to the ice after a two game suspension for hit on Tony Lydman, who is still out due to headaches and concussion-like symptoms since game two. Abby
will join the top line with Captain Z and Pavel Datsyuk to hopefully give the Wings the added pressure they are looking for. After patiently and painfully watching the last two games, especially a loss in game five, Abdelkader is ready to go. Will he be changing his playing style due to the suspension? Doubt it.

Look for line changes tonight with Justin Abdelkader, who will take the first line as previously mentioned and force Patrick Eaves to a scratch. Also, Carlo Colaiacovo will make his playoff debut and replace Brian Lashoff for the lineup tonight.

Make sure to be cheering for the Detroit Red Wings at 8:00pm tonight, Friday, May 10th for game six against the Anaheim Ducks. Follow our Facebook and Twitter for more great Wings conversation and coverage!