The fat lady is warming up. I can hear her. Will take a dramatic change in heart and effort to escape the Blues. I just dont see it. The leaders are not stepping up as usual. Post game last night Boyle kept reminding the reporters it was 4-1 everytime they discussed the lat.e push. Maybe its good, appears the team is in need of an overhaul.

Again I disagree. Datsyuk's goal was unusual but I wouldn't call it flukey. He lifted the d-man's stick twice, stole the puck and tucked it into the net. Rinne fell asleep on the play. Had Rinne been paying attention Dats would hav still hade a 1 on 1 against him at point blank range. I have to figure Dats would score on that play half the time anyway.

Preds got two majorly flukey goals in game 1, which they went on to win 3-2. One off Stuart's skate, from behind the net, and the other was unintentionally deflected twice from 50 ft out. Wings carried much of the play in that game; most of the 2nd period and all of the 3rd. Game 2, Preds carried most of the play but Wings won. Game 3, Preds jumped on the Wings early but Wings were strong in most of the 2nd and dominated the 3rd. In fact, had there been .1 seconds more on the 2nd period clock that game would've been tied 2-2 in the 2nd. I know, if wishes and buts were candy and nuts. My point is it's a tight series between two teams that matchup well. I feel the Wings have better overall talent and skate better. Look at the 4-4 play for evidence of that. Rinne is good but not head and shoulders above Howard. Rinne's numbers will look better but some of that is due to the type of offenses their facing.

I expect a strong showing tonight.

Seems to me the Yotes are playing it coy, saying Smith is a game time decision tonight, forcing Shanahan to make a decision without knowing if he'll play. Interesting tactic if that's what it is...I'm guessing Smith will play.

That's what the Wings should have done when Weber turnbuckled Zetterberg. "Day-to-Day" until after the sentencing.

Exactly...what a joke. :-)

3 games

Wow...

Got to watch the video. I thought max 2. Does Shaw have a history. Thats pretty stiff. I saw the intent to make contact, but 3 games.

Mike move on about Weber. If the Wings get bounced are you going to use that as a crutch?

Watched the video. Shanahan is high. Shaw has no history. I am so mad I can hardly see straight.

Off to the city shortly, seeing if I can find a "F*** Shanahan" shirt to wear to the game.

Adams - 1 game
Neal - 1 game
Asham - 4 games

Flyers - 0

And some really entertaining hockey tonight! The Panthers come back from a 3-0 deficit, Preds handle the Wings in a very good game and the Hawks and Yotes currently battling...with yet another suspension likely coming out of that game.

That hit on Hossa looked nasty. Torres will be gone for a while I bet.

In my opinion and I am not a Hawks homer though they are one of the teams I cheer for when the Sharks are not playing them. That troll pos should not be allowed on the ice till sometime next season. This will be atleast his third suspension. He is one of the dirtiest players in the game.

Pens should start making Tee Times now. And really start working on how to play Defense next year :-)

I am thoroughly disgusted with the NHL at the moment, officials missing obvious calls and making ridiculous ones. Torres should be gone for the postseason plus.

Even if the Hawks come back in their series versus the Coyotes, they will likely play the next round without Hossa. It was a sick feeling watching him stretchered from the rink.

You mean sorta like the Canucks have been without Daniel Sedin since Keith head hunted him Tom? Not wishing harm on Hossa, or any other player, but what goes around comes around... especially in a league that seems hell bent on ensuring no form of meaningful penalties try and stop all these so called professionals from going out on the ice and intentionally trying to injure each other. There was a caller on the local sports radio show earlier this week that likened the current playoffs to the Hunger Games and I can't say I disagreed with him.

What the NHL is allowing happen right now, on all team and in all series, is seriously turning me off the brand of the game they're trying to sell. Unfortunately, TV viewership is up across the board but especially in the lucrative US market. Given that that's Bettman and the NHL's ultimate wet dream I can't imagine we'll see any serious attempt to curb this MMA come Hunger Games On Ice BS anytime soon :-)

You know I hate Torres brother. That guys a scumbag and tries to hurt people. That play has really just stained the series. When a pos like Torres can injure one of the teams stars its ot a fair trade. As you said even if they move forward you have to wonder when or if Hossa can even return.

As to officiating I will say tonight I watched both the preds wings and hawks yotes. Both were poorly officiated. I am very glad the Preds won. To me the refs called a horrid game which helped the Wings so much. I have watched the waived off goal play multiple times and still cant figure out how they waived it off. How could he even argue intent to blow the whistle. Well thats what I am guessing he used. That was one of the worst decisions by a ref in these playoffs. That combined with the penalty imbalance 7 penalties to 3 and the 3-1 score is that much more impressive. The score was really 4-1. Hey Mike Howard is no Rinne. Not close. I said and will continue to say speed and Rinne is better appears will be the difference in this series.

The thing that bothers me the most the Torres just went back to the bench like oh well. I don't care how much you don't like someone you still pay that player some respect. The officials once again sucked this game. I am waiting to see what happens Torres.

Rumor has it that is in on the golf course her the northern suburbs. I can we all go kick his arse!!

Gotta love the Philly Daily News....:-)

Image

CHICAGO (AP) Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres was suspended indefinitely Wednesday for a hit that knocked Chicago's Marian Hossa out of Game 3 in the teams' opening-round playoff series.

Torres faces a Friday hearing with NHL officials in New York. The hearing was planned for Wednesday but was deferred at the request of the player and NHL Players' Association.

Very nice!!!

First, WFT happened here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ardFsXSX8 ?????

Frustrating. Lidstrom, White, Hudler, AND Howard all follow Erat and overcommit. My 4 yr old daughter could have slammed home Klein's goal.



It killed me to watch that game. The Wings dominated the entire game except for a handful of mental lapses like the one above. Wings had 2.5 times the number of shots and scoring chances but can't score. The Preds capitalized on every mistake. I think Mike's right about Rinne. Last night Howard played poorly. Rinne has been the difference. The disallowed goal should have counted, amazing break the Wings couldn't take advantage of.

Rinne is definitely in the Wings head. They'll have to bomb him for 4-5 goals in game 5 to break through that mental block and have any chance to come back in this series. It won't happen, but that's the only scenario I can see them winning. I do feel the refs weren't perfect but the reason for the major penalty discrepancy was the fact the Wings were so aggressive. They held the puck in the Preds zone so much the Preds ended up committing more penalties out of desparation.

I read this article that kind of makes the same point about the team carrying the play not winning: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.ph...with_a_hercul/


And as I've said http://detroitsportszone.wordpress.com/

And http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2012/04/...n-this-series/

I'm not trying to argue my point but just shine the light from a different perspective.

:-)