electric81

"A Hockeytown Perspective"

Somerset, NJ • United States • 29 Years Old • Male

At Long last...A Win!

Friday night was a big night for the Detroit Red Wings, as they force a Game 5 by besting the San Jose Sharks by a score of 4-3. The bounces went their way. That's about it. The same reason the Sharks have won the previous three games.

There isn't a whole lot to say besides rehashing the same factors over and over again. Good goaltending, fowards were better on the forecheck. Wings outhitting and outshooting the Sharks, etc., etc., etc.......

This was just the Red Wings' kind of night. A home game, a great crowd, a couple octopi, and tremendous play from their whole team. Nicklas Lidstrom looked, and played, like a man who's playing his last game. It very well could have been a season-ender as well as a career-ender. He hasn't yet announced his plans, but even if he hasn't decided, he's still rolling over his options and decided that either way, this was the time to hustle.

I'm still wondering why Johan Franzen is playing. He's still laboring on a sore ankle and its affecting his skating so much that even the television commentators mentioned it in one of their post-commercial features. He's not playing 100% and hasn't played so at all this series. In the meantime you have Mike Modano at about 115% sitting in the locker room watching it on TV. Again...the opportunity for a man to play his last professional game ever, and he's overlooked in favor of an injured Swede. That's ludicrous...

But I digress... The Red Wings have found a way to win...something they haven't done since April 20. It's also a huge positive reinforcement that they can beat the Sharks...something they haven't done since November 30. Sunday they go back to playing at HP Pavilion, and the joint will be rocking.

Should the Red Wings pull off the unthinkable and win the next four games, I see no reason why they can't win the Stanley Cup this year. This San Jose team is a lot more difficult, in my opinion, than any other team remaining in these Playoffs. If you'll allow my musings....the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals could feature the Red Wings against Steve Yzerman's Tampa Bay Lightning. They also could play the Boston Bruins...an Original Six showdown the likes of which haven't been seen since 1943 (Detroit swept the B's).

You can't get that kind of marquee matchup with any of the other teams remaining in the Western Conference. But we shall see....

Sunday at the Shark Tank!