13 replies to this topic

[YzerFan19]

The Red Wings' matchup with the Calgary Flames tonight is about more than trying to pick up a rare three-game winning streak.

Detroit currently sits in eighth place in the Western Conference, one point up on the Flames and one point back of the Nashville Predators (who are also in action tonight). A regulation win puts three points between the Wings and Flames. Coupled with an Atlanta win it vaults Detroit into seventh. A loss by Detroit drops the Wings to ninth while giving the Predators a chance to regain lost ground.

The Red Wings come into the game as healthy as can be expected (as no one expects Kirk Maltby back this year). Pavel Datsyuk is set to play after missing practice time while ill and Todd Bertuzzi will be in the lineup despite leaving Sunday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks with a charley horse.

Jonathan Ericsson rotates back in on the third defense pairing.

Jimmy Howard starts again in net.

Reminder: It's a slightly early start time, 7:00 PM.

[YzerFan19]

Nice pass, Z a bit indecisive.

Wings look a bit slow so far.

[YzerFan19]

Well, given how slow the Wings have looked, that could have been a worse period.

[YzerFan19]

Broken play and all, but Howard did not look ready for it at all.

[YzerFan19]

How the hell did that get through?

[YzerFan19]

That power play was gonna score no matter what. Best the Wings have played all game.

[YzerFan19]

Ryan Field just had to ask Iginla about not scoring. f*cking jinx.

[YzerFan19]

The only shift where the Wings had that kind of pressure was on a power play. Calgary is on right now and the Wings aren't.

[YzerFan19]

Down by one, playoff position on the line, power play... And they can't even get a shot.

[Mathieu_Datsyuk132351]

That blows. :/

[YzerFan19]

In a game where a win would at worst give Detroit breathing room in the playoff race and at best vault them from eighth to seventh in the standings, the Red Wings simply did not play like anything was on the line.

Detroit's lone dominant shift for the night was a second period power play that ended in Tomas Holmstrom's goal, deflecting a Nicklas Lidstrom shot. They played patiently and moved the puck, the type of hockey we've come to expect from them over the last several years.

For the rest of the game, however, they were hesitant and slow. They were sloppy clearing their own zone and they were lazy gaining the Calgary blue line.

In short, they played the kind of game they didn't deserve to win. It might not have looked as bad as last week's loss to Vancouver but it was. Like that loss, this one was also unacceptable, but it's happening far too often anyway.

[OldBroad]

In a game where a win would at worst give Detroit breathing room in the playoff race and at best vault them from eighth to seventh in the standings, the Red Wings simply did not play like anything was on the line.

Detroit's lone dominant shift for the night was a second period power play that ended in Tomas Holmstrom's goal, deflecting a Nicklas Lidstrom shot. They played patiently and moved the puck, the type of hockey we've come to expect from them over the last several years.

For the rest of the game, however, they were hesitant and slow. They were sloppy clearing their own zone and they were lazy gaining the Calgary blue line.

In short, they played the kind of game they didn't deserve to win. It might not have looked as bad as last week's loss to Vancouver but it was. Like that loss, this one was also unacceptable, but it's happening far too often anyway.

I want to go out on a limb here and say that we/they were also "out coached". I couldn't help noticing that the Calgary coach put his best line out again (after tying the score) with one shift's rest, the result of which was the go-ahead goal. (I'm ready...chop me down.)

[RideTheRedWave]

Again, Ericsson and Lilja will NOT work. 1-2 with this pair as opposed to 2-0 with lebda/lilja pair. This pair is too slow, lebda complements lilja.

Everytime I think this team is going to go on a run its all shot down.

[RideTheRedWave]

Again, Ericsson and Lilja will NOT work. 1-2 with this pair as opposed to 2-0 with lebda/lilja pair. This pair is too slow, lebda complements lilja.

Everytime I think this team is going to go on a run its all shot down.