Too Little Too Late
Posted 1:00 AM ET | Comments 3
A valiant effort by the previously listless Wings came up just short as time ran out on them and there amazing 2007 playoff run.. The Wings just plain refused to skate for the first 36 minutes of this game and as a result found themselves down 3 - 0 coming into the 3rd period.. A quick Zetterberg goal to open the 3rd breathed life into the boys wearing red until the eventual game winner was scored off yet another Flop Boy fat ass rebound by Sammy Pahlsson.. The Wings continued to push and cut the lead to one late.. But alas numerous fanned shots by Homer on wide open nets doomed the Wings..
A quick comment on DET play this post season: they FAR outplayed most experts expectations (which I find funny when talking about a number 1 seed -- time for realignment Gary?).. Hell they far outplayed most fans expectations.. I run a pool full of serious Wings homers and only 2 picked the Wings to reach the conference finals.. They really dismantled an overrated CAL team, buried an out coached SJS team and should have, could have beat ANA in 5.. While it hurts to not have the home team still playing I have to say I am pleased with the result.. This is all Wings fans have been asking for the last couple years: a team that plays good hard nosed playoff hockey.. They DON'T have to go to the finals every year.. But it would be nice for them to sniff the conference finals every year.. For 2007 I will raise a glass of Labatts to the team that FINALLY got it (and man was it glorious to see it work)..
Off season
knee jerk reaction: to me this should be the swan song for the 1997/98 Stanley Cup winners.. You have a team full of youngsters who are ready to take the reins.. That means it is time to say good bye to some old friends (ie. Maltby/Draper).. Maltby has been reduced to a one dimensional special teams player (Penalty Killer) and Drapers 30 goal days (not that he had a whole lot of em) are over.. Trade Lang and Samuelson and you have a whole new line.. I can't believe I am saying this as I hate people who say it, but the Wings need to get bigger.. The major weakness I saw in this playoff year was that bigger teams could cycle against them at will for long periods of time.. I'm not sold on the fact that Calder and Bertuzzi should go yet. If Calder was indeed hurt (rumors abound that he was trying to play with a broken hand) then I give him a free pass.. If not then you traded a streaky scorer for an even more streaky scorer that can hit.. I would like to see if Bertuzzi can get to full strength.. If when he does he still can't skate past my 3 year old son, dump his sorry ass..
The Wings will need a goalie eventually.. Why not this summer when you have 2 teams with four #1 guys? Ilya Bryzgalov and Vesa Toskala are #1 guys in back up roles.. Flop boy was amazing this year, but his infuriating style has got to go.. You can argue that 3 of the Ducks 4 goals tonight were the result of his refusal to stay on his feet..
So Ken Holland and Mike Ilitch: I make this plea every year.. Please for the love of all that is good -- make some CHANGES!!! Make this team a 4 line threat again.. I love Mike Babcocks style of play, but the man needs a few more horses to play with..
Boys in red: enjoy the golf course.. GO Whalers and GO SENS!!! (I think)..
A quick comment on DET play this post season: they FAR outplayed most experts expectations (which I find funny when talking about a number 1 seed -- time for realignment Gary?).. Hell they far outplayed most fans expectations.. I run a pool full of serious Wings homers and only 2 picked the Wings to reach the conference finals.. They really dismantled an overrated CAL team, buried an out coached SJS team and should have, could have beat ANA in 5.. While it hurts to not have the home team still playing I have to say I am pleased with the result.. This is all Wings fans have been asking for the last couple years: a team that plays good hard nosed playoff hockey.. They DON'T have to go to the finals every year.. But it would be nice for them to sniff the conference finals every year.. For 2007 I will raise a glass of Labatts to the team that FINALLY got it (and man was it glorious to see it work)..
Off season
knee jerk reaction: to me this should be the swan song for the 1997/98 Stanley Cup winners.. You have a team full of youngsters who are ready to take the reins.. That means it is time to say good bye to some old friends (ie. Maltby/Draper).. Maltby has been reduced to a one dimensional special teams player (Penalty Killer) and Drapers 30 goal days (not that he had a whole lot of em) are over.. Trade Lang and Samuelson and you have a whole new line.. I can't believe I am saying this as I hate people who say it, but the Wings need to get bigger.. The major weakness I saw in this playoff year was that bigger teams could cycle against them at will for long periods of time.. I'm not sold on the fact that Calder and Bertuzzi should go yet. If Calder was indeed hurt (rumors abound that he was trying to play with a broken hand) then I give him a free pass.. If not then you traded a streaky scorer for an even more streaky scorer that can hit.. I would like to see if Bertuzzi can get to full strength.. If when he does he still can't skate past my 3 year old son, dump his sorry ass..
The Wings will need a goalie eventually.. Why not this summer when you have 2 teams with four #1 guys? Ilya Bryzgalov and Vesa Toskala are #1 guys in back up roles.. Flop boy was amazing this year, but his infuriating style has got to go.. You can argue that 3 of the Ducks 4 goals tonight were the result of his refusal to stay on his feet..
So Ken Holland and Mike Ilitch: I make this plea every year.. Please for the love of all that is good -- make some CHANGES!!! Make this team a 4 line threat again.. I love Mike Babcocks style of play, but the man needs a few more horses to play with..
Boys in red: enjoy the golf course.. GO Whalers and GO SENS!!! (I think)..
Tough night for the Wings. I was pulling for them. Sens will take the Ducks ...quickly. Nice to see that Anahiem finally showed that they do have some fans...Do you think maybe the league paid people to go to the game? LOL! The Whalers finally did something, turned the entire tournament upside down and made all sorts of possiblities.
Detroit never had the feel of a Cup champion to me. Lidstrom was his usual outstanding self and Dats was a monster these playoffs, but they just don't have the stamina to do it. They would have been easy prey for the Sens anyway. And really, can you tell me with a straight face that Calgary an San Jose gave it their best effort? The Wings could have very easily lost both series. If any Flames show up besides Kipper, that series could have been very different. If Patrick Marleau had played like Patrick Marleau instead of like a pylon, perhaps that series is way different. Anaheim's horses were just faster and stronger, and they showed some intensity.
I will agree that SJS played like crap.. But CAL was not the same team we have seen the last couple years.. everyone expected them to come out hitting and play good defense.. But they didnt do that all season long.. The SJS series was won by coaching.. Babcock made some changes after falling behind in game 2 that SJS just couldn't react to.. The ANA series was lost in game 5.. a soft goal at the end to tie it and I would have liked DET chances in a game 7 even if they lost game 6.. I think the Wings goal this season was to be tougher to play against both physically and system wise.. I think they accomplished that and showed some of these young kids we got to know this year have some heart..