Ugh! :-)

Flyers power play continues to look awful. Three regulars (or 2 1/2) out with the flu, but a tough loss tonight against the Leafs, regardless. They better get their asses in gear sooner rather than later if they want to keep the top spot in the East.

Sharks continue to be one of the hottest teams in the league 8 straight win and 17 of 20. Sharks take the Wings 3-1. Winning the season series and taking both games in detroit. More importantly they have won the games when both teams were healthy. Played physical and battled for every puck.

Time for a celebration smoke. :-)

Edit.
Did Det start McDonald to protect Howards ego. DET has not been playing as good of late and given the potential for a playoff matchup I wonder if this was done to help Howards mind if the playoff matchip occurs.

I dunno, Mike, Howard played last night, Wings have a comfortable lead in their division, I just think it was Joey Mac's game.

Just rhinking out loud. Sharks are now only a few points from taking the second spot. One of those 4 point games they refer to which is why I thought it was interesting. Traditional logic has you rest the goalie on a night against a softer team not the hot team whos right on your heels. You win tonight its 87-80 points. You loose its now 85-82. Next game isnt till saturday against the coyotes.

Was just rhrowing it out there. In this race 7 points is a lot better then 3

I don't think Babcock has a clue as to what traditional logic is. :-)

Niemi is super-hot, but has started 20 games in a row....we have seen what that kind of workload has done to other goalies in the past (can you say "Luongo"?), so maybe the Sharks' McLelland should take a page outta Babcock's book, Mike. I'm just sayin'....

Good Game last night the B's and The Bolts really took it to each other.
With the B's coming out on top they take over second place in the standings in the east.:-)

I agree with Tom on this. Considering they didn't fly into San Jose until the morning either may have played a part.

It was a good game. SJ came out and dominated the puck, and did a great job in the 3rd to ice the game. Hopefully the Wings can win on Saturday against Phoenix.

Yeah, I agree, it was just Joey's game. He played well for the two periods I watched. I dozed off in the second intermisison, and I NEVER fall asleep watching TV. I was just dead tired.

Sharks did come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Half way through the first, the Wings got a little momentum. That disallowed goal call was pretty weak. I know they got it back shortly thereafter, but hate that crap. I know it was probably technically the write call by the letter of the law but gimme a break. If there was contact, it was sweater on sweater, nothing to actually influence the play. The word "skirt" was mentioned in the intermission commentary on the local FS broadcast. Not putting down the Sharks, but just a disdain for those kind of rules/calls.

Second period seemed pretty even other than the Heatly goal. Shots were 12-2 I think half way through the first but ended up 15-10 after one. 31-28 at the final. I think the Wings will continue to improve. Yes, they are healthy, but they just got 3-4 guys back who are not quite at normal performance levels yet. Madano and Stuart aren't quite up to speed. Datsyuk looks good, but there has been major adjustment to the lines as well. It'll shake out ok. If the Wings can get a little run together of 6-7 games, they might even catch the Canucks. Vancouver hasn't won back to back games in a month.

Either way, hats of to the Sharks on a good win. I hope we see them again in the playoffs.

Wow thats a whole lot of excuses you got there.
The Wings got beat by the better team on the ice last night. A homer using skirt? No. Facts are facts they have lost 3 of 4 to the Sharks this season.?

Since we are throwing out excuses the only game the wings won against the sharks this year was when atleast half of the defense was on call up from the minors and the team was playing horrible. If the team was healthy you had a chance to go 0-4. Will it translate in the playoffs I dont know. The Sharks are the hot team right now. I think there is a chance Howard didnt play because they didnt want him facing a team in the playoffs he had lost 3 of 4 to and that was the potential reason behind the decision. Maybe not, but its a possibility. Many of the goalies in the league are getting no nights off. As I said this was a 4 point game instead of 87-80 its 85-82. If the wings end up the third or fourth seed and play a tougher opponent it would matter then. It was just a theory, but glad it got some conversation going.

What I've realized is that regular season play is not always indicative of how things will pan out in the playoffs, especially in the NHL.

Mike, you call out the Wings fans for making excuses for their loss, then make excuses why the Sharks lost the one they lost to the Wings. :-)

Hawks have won 4 in a row, back in 4th in the Wild Wild West, and are the second hottest team in the NHL behind the Sharks. If they can learn to play 60 minutes every night like last night, they will be a threat to go far again in the postseason.

Hawks are hot but I would say 3rd or 4th hottest team. Definitely 2nd hottest in the west but NJ is definitely hotter. They are like 19-2-2 in their last 23 and Boston is also right up there with the Hawks in terms of hot teams. I'm a sharks fan but it's nice seeing a team like NJ making a huge push at the end of what looked like a miserable season.

Guess the joke didnt come through. I was poking at how many excuses there were and trying to show you can find something in any loss to use as a crutch. The "Since were throwing out excuses" line I started it off with. Guess I should have put crappy in there.

Christos I agree regular season and post season 2 different worlds. Guys grip sticks a lot harder. Thats one of the benefits the wings have. Its not new and nobody panics.

But I just think Babcock was trying to protect his sophmore goalie who was eliminated by the Sharks in the playoffs last year and had thr potential of losing three in a row to them heading in to the post season. If you dont think that played a factor I dont know what to say. You dont want him facing them having lost three straight in his head after getting eliminated by them last year in the playoffs.

John, I agree the Devils are playing some great hockey. Boston and Toronto too...I guess I should have said "hottest in the last 10". :-)

Mike, we will have to agree to disagree (or maybe both agree that we can't see in Babcock's head) about the decision to start Joey Mac. But I have a hard time believing the "protecting Howard" theory. JMHO. :-)

Hahhaahhha
I just trying to poke at them.

Quote of the day from micah after playing ice, then roller then shooting pucks in the garage. "My hands smell like barf" :-) he needs one of those smelly mitts shirts.

Edit for nhl content.
Sharks have a chance to pull within one point of the Wings tonight if they can beat the stars and wings get beat by the yotes. Can the Hawks and Sharks continue the race up the standings?

Good deal! Tell Micah the idea is to get the gloves as smelly as possible. Makes the "face washes" that much more special. :-)

Hawks are spanking the Leafs 5-1 after 2. :-)

B's lose in OT a couple of mistakes cost them, good game.

Hawks win their 8th in a row, and remain one of the hottest teams in the NHL in the last 12 games. :-)