Puck Luck Keeps Tilting Nashville's Way, Wings Drop Game 3

The Hockey Gods can be a cruel bunch, and currently that reality is applying to the Red Wings' series against the Nashville Predators.  Detroit was denied a tying goal at the end of the 2nd period and, despite a continued push well into the 3rd, fell short in a 3-2 loss at Joe Louis Arena.  Nashville now leads this 1st round series 2 games to 1 and the Wings are now forced to once again find a way to win on the road to take this series and advance.

Pavel Datsyuk got Detroit's offense going, cutting into a 2-0 deficit with a FILTHY steal from Roman Josi.  Dats was able to bring the puck back around to the front and stuff the puck in the net past a napping Pekka Rinne for the Wings' 1st goal of the game.  Henrik Zetterberg also scored for Detroit, but what really hurt the Wings was the calling back of what seemed like a goal from Johan Franzen at the end of the 2nd.  After review, the clock has turned to 0.0 a moment before Franzen's shot crossed the goal line.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, Nashville did not win either of their 2 victories by skill.  Fortunate bounces in this series have been almost exclusive to the Predators.  Granted, a win is a win, but Detroit needs to play more consistently and apply more pressure on Nashville's skaters.  If we stop letting Nashville into our zone so easily, for instance, some of the bad bounces never have a chance to surface in the first place.

The penalties also need to stop.  Seriously.  The Wings' skaters need to try to minimize opportunities for the referees to call penalties, because it's obvious that they are going to be back-breaking all through this series.  We don't have to like that fact, but a fact it certainly is.

Game 4 goes on Tuesday, and if Babs drills one thing into the boys' heads, I hope it's go get bodies to the crease area and get in Rinne's face.  We've been too soft on him in regards to net presence, and it's showing.  He's made game-changing saves all series and it's burning us, we need to work for rebounds and accept the fact that garbage goals may be the difference in winning or losing this 1st round.

We'll see what happens, and I'll be there to rant about it, you can count on that.

Let's Go Red Wings!!

Wings Lose 3-2 in Game 1, Weber Face-Mashing Kickstarter, Anyone?

When you look back at this gong-show of a Game 1 in the Red Wings' 1st Round matchup against the Nashville Predators, you quickly realize that it's hard to really break this game down...because it was broken from the get-go.  I'm not going to go into huge detail about the game itself, because the officiating was so terrible on both sides that it's difficult to get any real credible data from it.

What I do want to discuss is my pledge to donate to ANYONE promising a kickstarter to raise funds to have Shea Weber's face rammed into a solid pane of glass.  Because hey, if EVERYONE can do it for the low, low price of $2500.00, then why not!?

If you've not been keeping up with the news, Shea Weber escaped suspension for his ridiculously classless retaliatory attack on Henrik Zetterberg last night.  He was fined for the above-mentioned amount, and assessed a 2-minute minor at the end of the game.

Really? After the three-ring circus act that was NHL refs pretending to 'officiate' this game with the Rat in the building (Read: Gary Bettman), you ACTUALLY serve Weber a penalty at the END OF THE GAME? And a minor, no less.  That's just so cute...

If we take anything, ANYTHING, from this then I hope it's the bell ringing to awaken the sleeping giants that are the Playoff-Mode Red Wings.  If anything should get their switch flipped to get more aggressive, this should be it.

In other, related news, Darren Helm's return to the lineup was short lived.  After delivering a hit to Russian spy--I mean former KHL'er Alexander Radulov--both men fell to the ice and Radulov's skate blade just happened to be in the perfect spot to slice open Helm's arm.  He has been declared out for the remainder of the playoffs, but it was also confirmed that his surgery to repair the tendons in his arm was successful.

It absolutely behooves us to take over this series beginning with Game 2.  It's not because of any perceived threat from the Predators--of which there is none--, but simply because if the NHL won't mete out proper justice, then it falls to our boys to do it themselves.

Do it, Red Wings.  See you for Game 2.

Take a Break from Reading: Round 1 Preview VLOG!?

Ohh yes, that's right Wingnuts!  I told you before (read: threatened/warned/prophesied) that I might try to make a jump into the vlogging realm to spice things up here at the Geek, and I was crazy enough to do it!  Please be gentle with me, it's the first video of this kind I've ever actually shot and edited for Youtube, so I hope it's not too drab.

So, without further ado:

Ah yes...such a handsome thumbnail. Delicious.

Wings' Reliance on Late-Game Surge Stings, Preds Push Past Detroit

The Red Wings are playing themselves out of any chance for 1st round home-ice advantage.

After an uninspired performance this evening against the Nashville Predators, the Red Wings now find themselves a point back of that very team after being beaten 4-1.  Now sitting in 5th in the West, Chicago is dangerously close to also pushing past Detroit to bump the Wings down to a depressing 6th seed.

Currently I'm waiting for the post-game to hear from coach Mike Babcock.  I'm truly hoping he doesn't say that he thought the Wings played well, despite the outcome, because they did not.  Defense was terrible tonight, and that has been an eerie consistency lately, healthy or not.  Offense was lacking, and far too saturated with fanciness and over-passing.  Babcock came right out and said that more shots needed to be taken, and it seems like the team did not respond to his cries.  SOG were 32-26 in favor of Nashville, and that is just too low a number against a team like the Predators and a goalie like Pekka Rinne.

This last stretch of the regular season has felt excruciatingly long, and it continues on Sunday against Florida.  All the Wings can do now is try to get their act together and call the witch doctor to put the hexes on Nashville and Chicago.