The Wings won the game, but they lost Nicklas Kronwall to a knee injury. The only good thing about falling behind on these In Reviews is that I now know that Kronwall will be out 4-8 weeks (bad) but Laraque will be suspended 5 games for the hit (good). Also of note in this game was the Canadiens throwback unis. Honestly, not the best one they've got. The best part, though, has got to be the gloves. Seriously. Whoever decided to wear tan gloves that look like leather is a genius and should be promoted. I'd love to see the wings do that. How cool would it be to watch them channel Gordie Howe and wear tan gloves with jerseys featuring the retro crest, that weird scrunchy curvy winged wheel.
Detroit goal (1-0) 12:41 in 1st period; PPG Stuart from Cleary & Lebda:
Stuart shoots from the blue line, and the puck sails through traffic. It hits Carey Price but sorta bounces behind him. I dunno, it's hard to tell from the replay. The end result is the puck trickling past Price as he dives backwards to try and save it.
Detroit goal (2-0) 14:42 in 1st period; PPG Datsyuk from Rafalski & Lidstrom:
While cycling the puck, Lidstrom makes a nice fake slap shot from the blue line and puts a pass right on Rafi's stick, who shoots to the left of the goal. Datsyuk is right there to tip the puck in past Carey Price.
Montreal goal (2-1) 00:09 in 3rd period; Cammalleri from Kostitsyn & Spacek:
This is a bad one. Montreal makes a line change and four guys rush the zone. Most of the Wings have already gotten back and are in the defensive zone. They match up with guys, but somehow Cammalleri is unaccounted for. The sea of players parts, and it's Cammalleri in the center of the ice 1-on-1 with Howard. Cammalleri shoots from near the top of the faceoff circles and scores
Montreal goal (2-2) 8:45 in 3rd period; Cammalleri from Kostitsyn & Plekanec:
Lidstrom has the puck behind the back of his own net. He sees a Montreal player coming at him with speed, and makes the smart play to clear the puck away from the Canadiens player, which means he doesn't make the easy pass up the boards or to the other d-man in front of the net but instead shoots behind the net and lets the puck ricochet around the far boards. The problem with this is that no one's there-except a Montreal player. He gets the puck, passes to a teammate who has gotten deep into the zone, and that guy then fires a centering pass that is deflected into the goal
Shootout:
Cammalleri-X
Datsyuk- G: Watching Pavel in a shootout is pure hockey gold. He does things I've never seen done before, things that seem like they should be physically impossible. How he can commit to the backhand and then switch to the forehand and not lose the puck is just amazing. That's exactly what happens here. It looks like Pav is going to go backhand, and gets Price to commit to that as well. He then pulls the puck across the crease and nestles it into the net.
Plekanec-X
Zetterberg- G: This seems like a read-and-react type of play, and if that's true then Z has some of the best hand-eye coordination in the world. Zetterberg hunkers down, making it look as if he's going to try and lift the puck high. The thing is, Price is leaving the 5 hole open so that he can move laterally if need be. Zetterberg sees this, and instead of trying to hit one of the corners he just shoots it 5 hole and scores. Game over.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wings v. Panthers in review 11/20/09
Detroit goal (1-0) 17:58 in 2nd period; PPG Datsyuk from Zetterberg & Rafalski:
Rafalski puts one on net that's stopped. The defenseman tries to clear the puck off the rebound but instead it's stolen off his stick by Rafalski, who does a great job of following his shot to the net. He takes the puck to corner and passes to Z a little further down the boards, closer to the back of the net. Datsyuk then makes his move to the goal, which is to his left. Hanks sees this and passes to Pav, who shots immediately. The first shot is stopped, but the netminder gives up a rebound. Pav turns and stretches as far as he can, just barely reaching the puck and nuding it in.
Florida goal (1-1) 8:13 in 3rd period; Weiss from Horton & Frolik:
I;m not sure, but I think Rafalski was out of position on this one. He's camped out in the middle of the crease, while the puck is behind the net. The Florida player carries the puck to the right of Osgood, but he's D'ed up the whole way. Rafalski still decides to play on the right side of the crease, which allows another Florida player to get open and wait on the left side of the crease for a pass. The pass comes, the guy's all alone, and Osgood can't recover cross crease fast enough to stop it. Florida goal. EDIT: upon further review, I guess the Wings defender was a step behind Horton, who was carrying the puck. Rafalski must have made a split second decision to try and defend the puck carrier, which unfortunately left a man open.
Florida goal (2-1) 00:40 in OT; McCabe from Weiss & Horton:
Kinda flukey, to be honest. The Panthers are able to cycle the puck, and McCabe is wide open. He lets go of a one timer that beats Ozzie, and that's the game. Osgood didn't have a whole lot of time to get square to the shooter, but he manages to do a fairly good job and this and he definitely sees who has the puck. I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't stop this 9 times out of 10. No such luck tonight though, as Florida takes this one.
Rafalski puts one on net that's stopped. The defenseman tries to clear the puck off the rebound but instead it's stolen off his stick by Rafalski, who does a great job of following his shot to the net. He takes the puck to corner and passes to Z a little further down the boards, closer to the back of the net. Datsyuk then makes his move to the goal, which is to his left. Hanks sees this and passes to Pav, who shots immediately. The first shot is stopped, but the netminder gives up a rebound. Pav turns and stretches as far as he can, just barely reaching the puck and nuding it in.
Florida goal (1-1) 8:13 in 3rd period; Weiss from Horton & Frolik:
I;m not sure, but I think Rafalski was out of position on this one. He's camped out in the middle of the crease, while the puck is behind the net. The Florida player carries the puck to the right of Osgood, but he's D'ed up the whole way. Rafalski still decides to play on the right side of the crease, which allows another Florida player to get open and wait on the left side of the crease for a pass. The pass comes, the guy's all alone, and Osgood can't recover cross crease fast enough to stop it. Florida goal. EDIT: upon further review, I guess the Wings defender was a step behind Horton, who was carrying the puck. Rafalski must have made a split second decision to try and defend the puck carrier, which unfortunately left a man open.
Florida goal (2-1) 00:40 in OT; McCabe from Weiss & Horton:
Kinda flukey, to be honest. The Panthers are able to cycle the puck, and McCabe is wide open. He lets go of a one timer that beats Ozzie, and that's the game. Osgood didn't have a whole lot of time to get square to the shooter, but he manages to do a fairly good job and this and he definitely sees who has the puck. I have a hard time believing that he wouldn't stop this 9 times out of 10. No such luck tonight though, as Florida takes this one.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wings v. Stars in review 11/18/09
This one was marred by what could have been. Brad May scored from the slot, which should have tied the game at 2 a piece. Instead, the refs called no goal despite the puck clearly crossing the goal line before the whistle was blown. This was noticeable in a number of replays. The NHL explained the next day that the goal was disallowed because of the referee's "intent to blow the whistle." Naturally that explanation isn't going to sit well with Wings fans, and it doesn't sit well with me. I have no idea how you can blow a play dead unless you ACTUALLY BLOW THE WHISTLE! How can you make "intent" a part of officiating? That opens up a whole new can of worms that is really best left alone. Imagine if the NFL did this. It would be the lead story on SportCenter and NFL Live and would be talked about at length. Unfortunately, being a part of a more niche market type of league means this call will largely go unnoticed.
Dallas goal (1-0) 9:26 in 1st period; PPG Ribeiro from Richards & Robidas:
Disappointingly simple. Richards carries the puck in and gets good position. His defender sprawls on the ice but doesn't take away the passing lane to the right, and Richards passes to Ribeiro in front of the net. Despite having a guy draped all over him, Ribeiro taps the puck between Howard's pads.
Dallas goal (2-0) 3:52 in 2nd period; Niskanen from Richards & Neal:
Slapshot from the blueline gets deflected in front of the net. Classic, unfortunately.
Detroit goal (2-1) 6:16 in 2nd period; Zetterberg from Leino & Lebda:
This one's worth looking up on Youtube. It's not flashy, but it shows just how powerful Zetterberg is when he carries the puck to the net. Hank has a half step on the defender the whole way, and gets good inside positioning on him. From there he just swoops to the net on a beautiful arc, an arc would basically have drawn a reverse "c" is you traced it from the blueline to the net along the right side. Z goes top shelf and scores over the goaltender's shoulder.
Dallas goal (3-1) 12:43 in 3rd period; PPG Eriksson from Neal & Modano:
The Wings are in the box formation they usually use on the penalty kill. The guy with the puck is in the corner, and he puts a quick cross ice pass on the stick of his teammate to the right of Jimmy Howard.
Dallas goal (1-0) 9:26 in 1st period; PPG Ribeiro from Richards & Robidas:
Disappointingly simple. Richards carries the puck in and gets good position. His defender sprawls on the ice but doesn't take away the passing lane to the right, and Richards passes to Ribeiro in front of the net. Despite having a guy draped all over him, Ribeiro taps the puck between Howard's pads.
Dallas goal (2-0) 3:52 in 2nd period; Niskanen from Richards & Neal:
Slapshot from the blueline gets deflected in front of the net. Classic, unfortunately.
Detroit goal (2-1) 6:16 in 2nd period; Zetterberg from Leino & Lebda:
This one's worth looking up on Youtube. It's not flashy, but it shows just how powerful Zetterberg is when he carries the puck to the net. Hank has a half step on the defender the whole way, and gets good inside positioning on him. From there he just swoops to the net on a beautiful arc, an arc would basically have drawn a reverse "c" is you traced it from the blueline to the net along the right side. Z goes top shelf and scores over the goaltender's shoulder.
Dallas goal (3-1) 12:43 in 3rd period; PPG Eriksson from Neal & Modano:
The Wings are in the box formation they usually use on the penalty kill. The guy with the puck is in the corner, and he puts a quick cross ice pass on the stick of his teammate to the right of Jimmy Howard.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Osgood and Maltby in tonight, May out
Per the Free Press, Osgood will be back in goal while Maltby will be taking May's place in the lineup. May will be a healthy scratch. While I think May has played well lately, I'm not going to question Babcock's line juggling. With 3 games in 4 days, I think he knows what he's doing.
Also mentioned in the article is that Jimmy Howard will start in Montreal tomorrow night in large part because of his solid play there last season.
Also mentioned in the article is that Jimmy Howard will start in Montreal tomorrow night in large part because of his solid play there last season.
Fedorov accuses Wings of jealousy, thinks he was held back
The Free Press has an interesting article about comments Sergei Fedorov made to a Russian website. The full text of the interview can be found here. I liked Sergei when he was here but I'll admit that I was frustrated when he bolted. It seems like he's gotten more level headed with time, but the things he says about his time in Detroit are just bizarre. Fedorov comes off as a conspiracy theorist here. Jealousy within the team over the Russian 5? We'll probably never know for sure if this was true, but I'd like to know exactly who he thinks was jealous. Just when I was starting to like Fedorov again, he reminds me why he always felt a little more distant than the rest of the team.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Brendan Shanahan retires
Whatever hopes Wings had of re-signing former Wings star Brendan Shanahan can be put to rest, as he has decided to retire from the NHL. Shanny was an integral part of the Wings Cup wins in 97, 98, and 02. I grew up watching him play and have a lot of good memories; who can forget Shanny's Irish jig? Congrats to Brendan on a great career and thank you for your time with the Wings.
Howard to start again
Chris Osgood won't play tonight against Dallas. He is still fighting what the team calls "flu like symptoms." Despite practicing yesterday Osgood won't even dress as the backup, as the Wings called up Daniel Larsson again to fill that role.
Other than that, the lines will remain the same. I really like the lines Babs has settled with, and it's obviously paying off in wins right now. Not needing to mix things up is nice after the early part of the season was so full of line juggling to account for injuries and generally lackluster play. Now, just hope no one else gets hurt...
Other than that, the lines will remain the same. I really like the lines Babs has settled with, and it's obviously paying off in wins right now. Not needing to mix things up is nice after the early part of the season was so full of line juggling to account for injuries and generally lackluster play. Now, just hope no one else gets hurt...
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wings v. Ducks in review 11/14/09
Any game against perennial annoyance Anaheim is fun to watch, but I couldn't help but notice a different feel to this game. Obviously, it's not the playoffs so some of the intensity and intrigue wasn't there, but at this point Anaheim's just not that good. Gone is the loathed Christ Pronger, and with that goes some of the rivalry's intensity. Any way you look at it, however, this was still a good win for the Wings, who still are 3 points behind division leading Chicago.
Detroit goal (1-0) 13:32 in 1st period; PPG Cleary from Kronwall & Bertuzzi:
Dan Cleary pulls a Holmstrom and camps out in front of the net. He's right in front to redirect the point shot, and does so to great reward.
Detroit goal (2-0) 19: 16 in 1st period; PPG Rafalski from Zetterberg:
Rafalski steps up towards the slot and puts a seemingly harmless slap shot on goal. This one's a little different in that it finds the back of the goal.
Anaheim goal (2-1) 8:12 in 2nd period; Perry from Getzlaf:
This goal is part good forechecking on Anaheim's part, and part poor passing by Ericsson
Anaheim goal (2-2) 3:47 in 3rd period; PPG Ryan from Getzlaf & Perry:
Ryan lingers behind the goal for a while, essentially placing himself behind the box D that the Wings are using. This leaves him unaccounted for. When Getzlaf makes his pass Kronwall turns to try and D up Ryan, but it's too little too late as the puck is already on his stick and in the net.
Detroit goal (3-2) 5:17 in 3rd period; PPG Datsyuk from Rafalski & Zetterberg:
Defensively, the Ducks are aligned in a triangle, with the fourth man playing 1-on-1 with Holmstrom in front of the net. Rafalski carries the puck laterally along the blue line, and spots an open Datsyuk to the right of the net. He puts a perfect pass on Dats' stick, and he really doesn't shot but instead tips the puck up and into the net.
Anaheim goal (3-3) 6:26 in 3rd period; Lupul from Getzlaf & Boynton:
A weak goal. Lupul digs the puck out of his skates off the pass from Getzlaf and just slaps one towards the net. Howard isn't ready and the Ducks score.
Detroit goal (4-3) 9:10 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Cleary & Lidstrom:
Cleary avoids getting smashed into the boards and slips by the defender. He then makes a nice pass to Z, who puts a slap shot on net. The initial shot is stopped but Hiller gives up a rebound, and actually kicks the puck out farther into the slot when he sees the puck. He was trying to make sure it didn't trickle down his jersey and end up behind him, but that put the puck in perfect position for Zetterberg, who backhands it over Hiller
Anaheim goal (4-4) 14:27 in 3rd period; PPG Getzlaf from Selanne & Whitney:
The Ducks are on a 5-on-3 at this point in the game. The goal itself isn't too impressive. After a long period of puck movement, Getzlaf lets go of a slap shot that finds the top corner. Howard wasn't screen on the play, so not a great one to give up here.
Detroit goal (5-4) 15:29 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Cleary & Ericsson:
Cleary carries the puck into the zone. He has Z on his right, and Cleary passes after he makes his move to the center of the ice. Z puts one on net from the middle of the face off circle and the Wings take the lead. This one had a healthy dose of puck luck on it, because in reality it shouldn't have gone in. It was a wobbler but it turned the tide for the Wings, so I'll take it.
Detroit goal (6-4) 17:45 in 3rd period; Helm from Eaves:
Helm carries the puck in all alone. He takes his shot from along the boards and hits the far side top corner. A beautiful goal, all in all. I have to agree with what I've heard, Helm really does look like the next Draper.
Detroit goal (7-4) 19:59 in 3rd period; EN Zetterberg from Kronwall:
An empty net hat trick finisher. Not bad, Mr. Z.
Detroit goal (1-0) 13:32 in 1st period; PPG Cleary from Kronwall & Bertuzzi:
Dan Cleary pulls a Holmstrom and camps out in front of the net. He's right in front to redirect the point shot, and does so to great reward.
Detroit goal (2-0) 19: 16 in 1st period; PPG Rafalski from Zetterberg:
Rafalski steps up towards the slot and puts a seemingly harmless slap shot on goal. This one's a little different in that it finds the back of the goal.
Anaheim goal (2-1) 8:12 in 2nd period; Perry from Getzlaf:
This goal is part good forechecking on Anaheim's part, and part poor passing by Ericsson
Anaheim goal (2-2) 3:47 in 3rd period; PPG Ryan from Getzlaf & Perry:
Ryan lingers behind the goal for a while, essentially placing himself behind the box D that the Wings are using. This leaves him unaccounted for. When Getzlaf makes his pass Kronwall turns to try and D up Ryan, but it's too little too late as the puck is already on his stick and in the net.
Detroit goal (3-2) 5:17 in 3rd period; PPG Datsyuk from Rafalski & Zetterberg:
Defensively, the Ducks are aligned in a triangle, with the fourth man playing 1-on-1 with Holmstrom in front of the net. Rafalski carries the puck laterally along the blue line, and spots an open Datsyuk to the right of the net. He puts a perfect pass on Dats' stick, and he really doesn't shot but instead tips the puck up and into the net.
Anaheim goal (3-3) 6:26 in 3rd period; Lupul from Getzlaf & Boynton:
A weak goal. Lupul digs the puck out of his skates off the pass from Getzlaf and just slaps one towards the net. Howard isn't ready and the Ducks score.
Detroit goal (4-3) 9:10 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Cleary & Lidstrom:
Cleary avoids getting smashed into the boards and slips by the defender. He then makes a nice pass to Z, who puts a slap shot on net. The initial shot is stopped but Hiller gives up a rebound, and actually kicks the puck out farther into the slot when he sees the puck. He was trying to make sure it didn't trickle down his jersey and end up behind him, but that put the puck in perfect position for Zetterberg, who backhands it over Hiller
Anaheim goal (4-4) 14:27 in 3rd period; PPG Getzlaf from Selanne & Whitney:
The Ducks are on a 5-on-3 at this point in the game. The goal itself isn't too impressive. After a long period of puck movement, Getzlaf lets go of a slap shot that finds the top corner. Howard wasn't screen on the play, so not a great one to give up here.
Detroit goal (5-4) 15:29 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Cleary & Ericsson:
Cleary carries the puck into the zone. He has Z on his right, and Cleary passes after he makes his move to the center of the ice. Z puts one on net from the middle of the face off circle and the Wings take the lead. This one had a healthy dose of puck luck on it, because in reality it shouldn't have gone in. It was a wobbler but it turned the tide for the Wings, so I'll take it.
Detroit goal (6-4) 17:45 in 3rd period; Helm from Eaves:
Helm carries the puck in all alone. He takes his shot from along the boards and hits the far side top corner. A beautiful goal, all in all. I have to agree with what I've heard, Helm really does look like the next Draper.
Detroit goal (7-4) 19:59 in 3rd period; EN Zetterberg from Kronwall:
An empty net hat trick finisher. Not bad, Mr. Z.
Red Wings v. Canucks in review 11/12/09
Detroit goal (1-0) 17: 31 in 1st period; PPG Holmstrom from Zetterberg & Datsyuk:
Zetterberg passes from the corner to Homer in front of the net. Homer puts up a shot that hits the post. Luongo is flopping around now, and the pucks lands back in the crease after hitting the post. Holmstrom whacks at it and puts it in over Luongo.
Vancouver goal (1-1) 6:38 in 2n period; PPG Raymond from Bieksa & Kesler:
Slapshot from the blue line gets redirected off the skate of a guy who's falling down. He doesn't even have both skates on the ice, so I'd just chalk this up to a bad bounce.
Detroit goal (2-1) 8:00 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Stuart & Kronwall:
Brad Stuart makes a great blue line to blue line pass that hits Zetterberg as he's entering the offensive zone. Z makes a move on one defender and then another before going top shelf and beating Luongo over his shoulder.
Detroit goal (3-1) 19:04 in 3rd period; EN Kronwall from Howard & Stuart:
I would just like to point out that Jimmy Howard has more points this season than one Mr. Marian Hossa. Oh yeah, and Howard's been great in net. Loss of offensive firepower? What loss?
Any type of momentum is going to be needed this season, so it's nice to see the Wings getting on some sort of a roll.
Zetterberg passes from the corner to Homer in front of the net. Homer puts up a shot that hits the post. Luongo is flopping around now, and the pucks lands back in the crease after hitting the post. Holmstrom whacks at it and puts it in over Luongo.
Vancouver goal (1-1) 6:38 in 2n period; PPG Raymond from Bieksa & Kesler:
Slapshot from the blue line gets redirected off the skate of a guy who's falling down. He doesn't even have both skates on the ice, so I'd just chalk this up to a bad bounce.
Detroit goal (2-1) 8:00 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Stuart & Kronwall:
Brad Stuart makes a great blue line to blue line pass that hits Zetterberg as he's entering the offensive zone. Z makes a move on one defender and then another before going top shelf and beating Luongo over his shoulder.
Detroit goal (3-1) 19:04 in 3rd period; EN Kronwall from Howard & Stuart:
I would just like to point out that Jimmy Howard has more points this season than one Mr. Marian Hossa. Oh yeah, and Howard's been great in net. Loss of offensive firepower? What loss?
Any type of momentum is going to be needed this season, so it's nice to see the Wings getting on some sort of a roll.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Red Wings v. Blue Jackets in review 11/11/09
could say that this game looked like the Wings of old were back. I'm not going to, but I could. Honestly, I'm not one of the people who believes that the Wings have taken an insurmountable step backwards. I don't know whether you agree with me or not, but I think we all can agree that this was a fun game to watch.
Detroit goal (1-0) 1:05 in 1st period; Cleary from Zetterberg:
The play starts in back of the Columbus net, where Columbus digs the puck out and tries to clear from along the boards. The Blue Jacket with the puck attempts a lame duck pass to his man in the center, but he doesn't lead him at all. In fact, he passes is off the skate of his teammate, which is basically equivalent to the quarterback throwing behind his receiver in football. Z is there to grab the loose puck, and he pucks a shot on net from around the top of the left circle area. Mason lets go of a huge rebound, and Cleary is there to lift the puck ever so slightly over Mason's pad.
Detroit goal (2-0) 3:03 in 1st period; Datsyuk unassisted:
The play starts with something happening off camera, and I'm not even going to try and guess what happens. All that's important is that somehow the puck ends up going right to a wide open Pavel Datsyuk, who shoots from the top of the right circle and beats Mason gloveside
Detroit goal (3-0) 7:31 in 1st period; Draper from Lebda:
Eaves puts a good check on a Jackets player, and the guy has no choice but to throw the puck up the boards. There's no one there except Brett Lebda, who uncorks a slapshot from the blue line. Draper is in front of the net to tip the puck in, and the Wings score.
Detroit goal (4-0) 11:57 in 1st period; PPG Kronwall from Cleary:
Columbus has a chance to clear it out of the zone, but in what seems to be a recurring theme in this game Detroit gets the puck off a turnover and makes the Jackets pay. Cleary finds Kronner sliding to the center of the blue line, and Kronwall puts a quick slap shot on net for the goal.
Columbus goal (4-1) 10:56 in 2nd period; Nash from Umberger & Klesla:
One guy passes to another guy cross crease and the Blue Jackets score.
Detroit goal (5-1) 13:17 in 2nd period; Bertuzzi from Datsyuk & Holmstrom:
Dats passes to Bertuzzi, who is the trailer and entering the zone. The rest is just weird. I don't think I've ever laughed at a goal before, but I did here. Holmstrom steps aside because the Jackets defender is doing an excellent job of screening his own goaltender. Bertuzzi waits until Mason starts to fall over and just snaps the puck into the net. The ensuing goal celebration is probably the worst I've ever seen. Bertuzzi raises his arms after scoring, but no one comes over to congratulate him. Homer just stands at the side of the net and another Wings player glides around behind the net. Bert then does a half fist pump, though there's still no one around to congratulate him. Just laughable awkward.
Detroit goal (6-1) 13:50 in 2nd period; Leino from Zetterberg & Lidstrom:
I've heard that Leino is a natural scorer, but it's nice to have some hard evidence of that. This goal serves that purpose. This one's a beaut, gang (that's my Mickey Redmond impression. Nice, eh?). Leino takes the pass, kicks it up off his skate to his backhand. He then switches to his forehand and beats Mason in the top left corner, who's already butterflyed down.
Detroit goal (7-1) 4:59 in 3rd period; Kronwall from Rafalski & Bertuzzi:
Kronwall takes Rafalski's pass, steps up towards the faceoff circle, and puts a slapshot on net. It goes in. End of story.
Detroit goal (8-1) 8:08 in 3rd period; Abdelkader from Eaves:
This is a 2-on-1 situation, and Abdelkader has a lot of room because the d-man is shaded away from him. He waits for the defenseman to put his stick on the ice and committ to him, and the slight hesitation on Abdelkader's part throws Mason off. Abdelkader shoots and scores 5-hole.
Detroit goal (9-1) 18:36 in 3rd period; Abdelkader from May & Kronwall:
Abdelakder carries it in and passes to May. May waits for Abdelkader to get in front of the net and then passes. The puck bounces off a couple of skates before landing right in Abdelkader's wheelhouse, and he stuffs it in the net.
A number of players had their best game of the season so far, and the Wings looked like they're starting to click. Keep in mind that these Blue Jackets were, up until this game, 3 points ahead of the Wings in the division standings. Columbus is not the joke they used to be, but it was nice to see the Wings make short work of them in what is hopefully a confidence builder for a Detroit team that has already faced a lot of adversity this year.
Detroit goal (1-0) 1:05 in 1st period; Cleary from Zetterberg:
The play starts in back of the Columbus net, where Columbus digs the puck out and tries to clear from along the boards. The Blue Jacket with the puck attempts a lame duck pass to his man in the center, but he doesn't lead him at all. In fact, he passes is off the skate of his teammate, which is basically equivalent to the quarterback throwing behind his receiver in football. Z is there to grab the loose puck, and he pucks a shot on net from around the top of the left circle area. Mason lets go of a huge rebound, and Cleary is there to lift the puck ever so slightly over Mason's pad.
Detroit goal (2-0) 3:03 in 1st period; Datsyuk unassisted:
The play starts with something happening off camera, and I'm not even going to try and guess what happens. All that's important is that somehow the puck ends up going right to a wide open Pavel Datsyuk, who shoots from the top of the right circle and beats Mason gloveside
Detroit goal (3-0) 7:31 in 1st period; Draper from Lebda:
Eaves puts a good check on a Jackets player, and the guy has no choice but to throw the puck up the boards. There's no one there except Brett Lebda, who uncorks a slapshot from the blue line. Draper is in front of the net to tip the puck in, and the Wings score.
Detroit goal (4-0) 11:57 in 1st period; PPG Kronwall from Cleary:
Columbus has a chance to clear it out of the zone, but in what seems to be a recurring theme in this game Detroit gets the puck off a turnover and makes the Jackets pay. Cleary finds Kronner sliding to the center of the blue line, and Kronwall puts a quick slap shot on net for the goal.
Columbus goal (4-1) 10:56 in 2nd period; Nash from Umberger & Klesla:
One guy passes to another guy cross crease and the Blue Jackets score.
Detroit goal (5-1) 13:17 in 2nd period; Bertuzzi from Datsyuk & Holmstrom:
Dats passes to Bertuzzi, who is the trailer and entering the zone. The rest is just weird. I don't think I've ever laughed at a goal before, but I did here. Holmstrom steps aside because the Jackets defender is doing an excellent job of screening his own goaltender. Bertuzzi waits until Mason starts to fall over and just snaps the puck into the net. The ensuing goal celebration is probably the worst I've ever seen. Bertuzzi raises his arms after scoring, but no one comes over to congratulate him. Homer just stands at the side of the net and another Wings player glides around behind the net. Bert then does a half fist pump, though there's still no one around to congratulate him. Just laughable awkward.
Detroit goal (6-1) 13:50 in 2nd period; Leino from Zetterberg & Lidstrom:
I've heard that Leino is a natural scorer, but it's nice to have some hard evidence of that. This goal serves that purpose. This one's a beaut, gang (that's my Mickey Redmond impression. Nice, eh?). Leino takes the pass, kicks it up off his skate to his backhand. He then switches to his forehand and beats Mason in the top left corner, who's already butterflyed down.
Detroit goal (7-1) 4:59 in 3rd period; Kronwall from Rafalski & Bertuzzi:
Kronwall takes Rafalski's pass, steps up towards the faceoff circle, and puts a slapshot on net. It goes in. End of story.
Detroit goal (8-1) 8:08 in 3rd period; Abdelkader from Eaves:
This is a 2-on-1 situation, and Abdelkader has a lot of room because the d-man is shaded away from him. He waits for the defenseman to put his stick on the ice and committ to him, and the slight hesitation on Abdelkader's part throws Mason off. Abdelkader shoots and scores 5-hole.
Detroit goal (9-1) 18:36 in 3rd period; Abdelkader from May & Kronwall:
Abdelakder carries it in and passes to May. May waits for Abdelkader to get in front of the net and then passes. The puck bounces off a couple of skates before landing right in Abdelkader's wheelhouse, and he stuffs it in the net.
A number of players had their best game of the season so far, and the Wings looked like they're starting to click. Keep in mind that these Blue Jackets were, up until this game, 3 points ahead of the Wings in the division standings. Columbus is not the joke they used to be, but it was nice to see the Wings make short work of them in what is hopefully a confidence builder for a Detroit team that has already faced a lot of adversity this year.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Yzerman inducted into Hall of Fame
I'd be a terrible Wings blogger if I didn't mention Stevie Y's induction into the Hall. I watched the ceremony on NHL Network, and it actually was pretty good. Yzerman's speech was pretty standard, but is it just me or did the unflappable captain seem nervous? Anyways, the Captain deserves this honor. Congratulations Steve, and thanks for 22 amazing seasons.
Stuart going to be part of the power play
Just read this over at freep.com. Stu is going to be part of the second power play unit because of the injury to Williams. I didn't know this, but he has extensive experience on the power play. I'm all for this decision, but we'll wait to see him on the power play to see if there's any rust.
Jason Williams suffers broken leg, out 2 months
Another game, another injury. Williams is the 3rd forward the Wings have lost to injury this year, alongside Johan Franzen and Valterri Filppula. Williams will not only need to be replaced in the regular lineup, but in the shootout lineup as well. He had been shooting second. Who will take his place I'm not sure of, but I could see Ville Leino being slotted in there. Just for fun (twisted fun, that is) let's look at just how many guys are out of the lineup for the Wings this year, including guys lost over the offseason.
Hossa
Samuelsson
Hudler
Franzen
Filppula
Williams
Granted, Williams probably wouldn't be on the team if some of those guys were still around but it shows just how decimated this team is right now. The fact that we're only 3 points behind the division leader is miraculous.
Hossa
Samuelsson
Hudler
Franzen
Filppula
Williams
Granted, Williams probably wouldn't be on the team if some of those guys were still around but it shows just how decimated this team is right now. The fact that we're only 3 points behind the division leader is miraculous.
Wings v. Maple Leafs in review 11/7/09
A loss on many fronts. The Wings couldn't get anything going, and they lost Jason Williams to a broken leg. Yet another forward goes down, which brings the total to three.
Toronto goal (1-0) 10:34 in 1st period; Primeau from Orr & Finger:
Draper tries to make a play on the puck but falls, which leaves the Toronto player with a lot of space coming into the zone. The first time I saw this play I was more than willing to lay the blame on Osgood, but I see what he was trying to do here. Yes, he did get beat glove side and easily could have stopped the puck had he been 6 inches farther to his left. There was, however, another Toronto player in the crease, and Primeau easily could have passed to him. Had this happened, Ozzie would have needed to slide cross crease, which meant he couldn't commit too much to either side.
Toronto goal (2-0) 19:34 in 1st period; Kessel from Blake & White:
I love alternate camera angles. At first this looked like a simple shot from the blue line that got tipped in front and went through Osgood's legs. From the other camera angle, you can see that the puck actually hits something before its reaches Ozzie. The puck starts bouncing, and is tipped through Osgood's legs. Kessel is actually behind Ozzie and shovels the puck into the net.
Toronto goal (3-0) 5:21 in 2nd period; Finger from Stempniak & Stajan:
This one I don't have an excuse for. It's a 3-on-2, and Osgood gets beat glove side. He's square to the shooter and there's no angle on this one, so I guess Osgood just got beat.
Detroit goal (3-1) 5:59 in 3rd period; Cleary from Rafalski & Lidstrom:
A line change causes mass confusion/loss in personnel for the Leafs. Rafalski launches a beautiful saucer pass to Cleary, who's streaking down the middle of the ice (no pun intended). He makes a move and puts this one in the net for the lone Wings goal of the night.
Toronto goal (4-1) 9:22 in 3rd period; PPG Mitchell from Kessel & Beauchemin:
This one gets redirect in front of the net off a slapshot from Kessel. Not much Osgood can do about this one.
Toronto goal (5-1) 12:44 in 3rd period; Ponikarovski from Grabovski & White:
Osgood looked slow on this one. It was a backhaner, he wasn't screened, and he looked square to the shooter. Not a good one to let in.
Sigh. Just when I thought the Wings might have turned a corner they come out flat and lose yet another forward. This season is going to be a test, but I'm just hoping that the Wings are getting their injuries out of the way and that, come playoff time, everyone will be healthy.
Toronto goal (1-0) 10:34 in 1st period; Primeau from Orr & Finger:
Draper tries to make a play on the puck but falls, which leaves the Toronto player with a lot of space coming into the zone. The first time I saw this play I was more than willing to lay the blame on Osgood, but I see what he was trying to do here. Yes, he did get beat glove side and easily could have stopped the puck had he been 6 inches farther to his left. There was, however, another Toronto player in the crease, and Primeau easily could have passed to him. Had this happened, Ozzie would have needed to slide cross crease, which meant he couldn't commit too much to either side.
Toronto goal (2-0) 19:34 in 1st period; Kessel from Blake & White:
I love alternate camera angles. At first this looked like a simple shot from the blue line that got tipped in front and went through Osgood's legs. From the other camera angle, you can see that the puck actually hits something before its reaches Ozzie. The puck starts bouncing, and is tipped through Osgood's legs. Kessel is actually behind Ozzie and shovels the puck into the net.
Toronto goal (3-0) 5:21 in 2nd period; Finger from Stempniak & Stajan:
This one I don't have an excuse for. It's a 3-on-2, and Osgood gets beat glove side. He's square to the shooter and there's no angle on this one, so I guess Osgood just got beat.
Detroit goal (3-1) 5:59 in 3rd period; Cleary from Rafalski & Lidstrom:
A line change causes mass confusion/loss in personnel for the Leafs. Rafalski launches a beautiful saucer pass to Cleary, who's streaking down the middle of the ice (no pun intended). He makes a move and puts this one in the net for the lone Wings goal of the night.
Toronto goal (4-1) 9:22 in 3rd period; PPG Mitchell from Kessel & Beauchemin:
This one gets redirect in front of the net off a slapshot from Kessel. Not much Osgood can do about this one.
Toronto goal (5-1) 12:44 in 3rd period; Ponikarovski from Grabovski & White:
Osgood looked slow on this one. It was a backhaner, he wasn't screened, and he looked square to the shooter. Not a good one to let in.
Sigh. Just when I thought the Wings might have turned a corner they come out flat and lose yet another forward. This season is going to be a test, but I'm just hoping that the Wings are getting their injuries out of the way and that, come playoff time, everyone will be healthy.
Wings v. Sharks in review 11/5/09
A good confidence builder for the Wings. There really was nothing to dislike about this game. The Wings won a low scoring game, they looked solid, the big guns put on a great performance in the shoot out, and no one got hurt.
San Jose goal (1-0) 14:41 in 2nd period; Couture from Callahan & Thornton:
Callahan starts the rush and carries the puck straight down the ice from his zone to the Wings' zone. As he's entering the offensive zone Ericsson blows a tire (woo auto references) and falls down. Callahan passes to Couture on his right, who puts a snap shot on net. Osgood is square to the shooter, he just doesn't drop to the ice fast enough and gets beat five hole.
Detroit goal (1-1) 5:38 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Lidstrom & Eaves:
Eaves carries the puck behind the net, and rather than try the wraparound he passes to Lids on the blueline. Lids unleashes a slap shot, which Nabokov kinda sorta tries to bury in his body. Zetterberg is floating through the crease and smells blood in the water (shark reference. Good, no?). The puck falls in front of Nabokov, and Zetterberg is there to tap it in.
Shootout:
This is what's supposed to happen when you have two of the most offensively talented forwards in the world.
Datsyuk goal: Dats plays stick-tac-toe beautifully. He then makes a move that looks like he's completely committed to going right, when he somehow pulls the puck left and almost literally tucks it in behind Nabokov.
Zetterberg goal: Zetterberg makes a similar move in going right to left, but he halts his momentum in front of the net to switch left. Really impressive.
San Jose goal (1-0) 14:41 in 2nd period; Couture from Callahan & Thornton:
Callahan starts the rush and carries the puck straight down the ice from his zone to the Wings' zone. As he's entering the offensive zone Ericsson blows a tire (woo auto references) and falls down. Callahan passes to Couture on his right, who puts a snap shot on net. Osgood is square to the shooter, he just doesn't drop to the ice fast enough and gets beat five hole.
Detroit goal (1-1) 5:38 in 3rd period; Zetterberg from Lidstrom & Eaves:
Eaves carries the puck behind the net, and rather than try the wraparound he passes to Lids on the blueline. Lids unleashes a slap shot, which Nabokov kinda sorta tries to bury in his body. Zetterberg is floating through the crease and smells blood in the water (shark reference. Good, no?). The puck falls in front of Nabokov, and Zetterberg is there to tap it in.
Shootout:
This is what's supposed to happen when you have two of the most offensively talented forwards in the world.
Datsyuk goal: Dats plays stick-tac-toe beautifully. He then makes a move that looks like he's completely committed to going right, when he somehow pulls the puck left and almost literally tucks it in behind Nabokov.
Zetterberg goal: Zetterberg makes a similar move in going right to left, but he halts his momentum in front of the net to switch left. Really impressive.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wings v. Bruins 11/3/09
Detroit goal (1-0) 14:21 in 1st period; PPG Zetterberg from Datsyuk:
Right off the faceoff, the puck trickles ahead and into the slot area. Zetterberg's right there and rips a shot off. This play developed so quickly the netminder barely had time to react. Really nice blink-or-you'll-miss-it play.
Detroit goal (2-0) 17:43 in 1st period; Holmstrom from Datsyuk & Bertuzzi:
This might be the best Wings goal I've seen yet this year. Bertuzzi throws the puck down the ice. Datsyuk knocks the pass out of the air, gets it on his stick, passes it behind himself, and finds Holmstrom behind him. How he knew Homer was there I really don't know, because it doesn't look like he ever turns his head to check.
Right off the faceoff, the puck trickles ahead and into the slot area. Zetterberg's right there and rips a shot off. This play developed so quickly the netminder barely had time to react. Really nice blink-or-you'll-miss-it play.
Detroit goal (2-0) 17:43 in 1st period; Holmstrom from Datsyuk & Bertuzzi:
This might be the best Wings goal I've seen yet this year. Bertuzzi throws the puck down the ice. Datsyuk knocks the pass out of the air, gets it on his stick, passes it behind himself, and finds Holmstrom behind him. How he knew Homer was there I really don't know, because it doesn't look like he ever turns his head to check.
Wings v. Flames 10/31/09
Calgary goal (1-0) 14:43 in 2nd; Langkow from Borque & Regehr:
I'm coining a new term here; scrummaging. What is scrummaging, you might say? It occurs when there is a scrum in front of the net and there is much rummaging for the puck. So there. A new word. On this particular play, Langkow is bodied up yet he somehow gets his stick on a rebound. I think he deflects it while it's in the air. I don't know. Whatever happens, Ozzie gets scored on.
Detroit goal (1-1) 15:18 in 2nd; Stuart from Draper & Helm:
Drapes drops this one for Stuart, who has jumped up to join the rush in the offensive zone. The Calgary d-man makes as good of a play as he can, but Stuart puts the puck high and beats ol' Kipper.
Detroit goal (2-1) 16:17 in 2nd; Holmstrom from Datsyuk:
Holmstrom scores from somewhere NOT in front of the net? Yeah, we're gonna win this game. Dats makes the smart play here to not pass to Bertuzzi, who gets swallowed up by the defense pretty quickly. Instead he finds the trailer, and that happens to be Holmstrom. Homer puts one on net and it happens to go in.
Detroit goal (3-1) 19:16 in 3rd; EN Maltby:
A Calgary player makes a pass to no one that Malts picks off at the blue line and shoots for an empty netter. That Calgary player is lucky because if he didn't have his back to the bench I could spot his number and tell you who it was. But his back was to the bench. But still, haha Calgary guy, you passed to no one and we scored.
I'm coining a new term here; scrummaging. What is scrummaging, you might say? It occurs when there is a scrum in front of the net and there is much rummaging for the puck. So there. A new word. On this particular play, Langkow is bodied up yet he somehow gets his stick on a rebound. I think he deflects it while it's in the air. I don't know. Whatever happens, Ozzie gets scored on.
Detroit goal (1-1) 15:18 in 2nd; Stuart from Draper & Helm:
Drapes drops this one for Stuart, who has jumped up to join the rush in the offensive zone. The Calgary d-man makes as good of a play as he can, but Stuart puts the puck high and beats ol' Kipper.
Detroit goal (2-1) 16:17 in 2nd; Holmstrom from Datsyuk:
Holmstrom scores from somewhere NOT in front of the net? Yeah, we're gonna win this game. Dats makes the smart play here to not pass to Bertuzzi, who gets swallowed up by the defense pretty quickly. Instead he finds the trailer, and that happens to be Holmstrom. Homer puts one on net and it happens to go in.
Detroit goal (3-1) 19:16 in 3rd; EN Maltby:
A Calgary player makes a pass to no one that Malts picks off at the blue line and shoots for an empty netter. That Calgary player is lucky because if he didn't have his back to the bench I could spot his number and tell you who it was. But his back was to the bench. But still, haha Calgary guy, you passed to no one and we scored.
Wings v. Oilers in review 10/29/09
Som grit and sticktuativness was shown by the Wings here, but the loss was disappointing none the less. This'll be a heck of a long one to catalog. I'm begining to really like 2-0 or 2-1 games...
Edmonton goal (1-0) 00:42 in 1st; Jacques from Brule & O'Sullivan:
I'm no goaltending coach but it's hard for me to not think that Howard was out of position here. He would have been fine if he could have held on to the puck, but he's in trouble because his legs are no longer in butterfly position but are outstretched and Howard is sitting on his butt. The puck somehow ends up to his left, and even though he fans on it the first time Jacques put its in the net.
Edmonton goal (2-0) 9:09 in 1st; Penner from Horcoff & Hemsky:
Another weird one. The puck gets tipped in front of the net, but the guy doesn't have typical net front positioning. He comes in from the left corner and whacks the puck out of the air. Howard gets tripped up, but it looks like that happens after the puck's already beaten him.
Edmonton goal (3-0) 12:24 in 1st; PPG Hemsky from Penner & Horcoff:
The margain of error on Hemsky's shot is razor thin, yet he still manages to score here. Stuart dives in front of him, and all Hemsky has is the top corner. He aims for it and hits it, as Howard's pretty slow to react with the glove.
Edmonton goal (4-0) 00:58 in 2nd; Hemsky from Penner:
Hemsky is alone on a breakaway. He goes front-back-front and just plain beats Howard five hole. This is about as perfect as a breakaway can go.
Detroit goal (4-1) 6:15 in 2nd; Helm from Filppula & Stuart:
On a 2-on-1, Helm rips one from the top of the right circle and beats the netminder.
Edmonton goal (5-1) 9:05 in 2nd; PPG Horcoff from Grebeshkov & Penner:
A big scrum forms in front of the net, and after much pushing and jostling the puck trickles in. I feel bad for Howard here, because this one isn't really his fault. Kinda. He makes two initial stops, and never has a real good opportunity to get control of the puck and stop play. The puck ends up near the goal line on the left side of the crease, and Howard tries to stop it with his blocker but it slides under.
Detroit goal (5-2) 12:50 in 2nd; Zetterberg from Kronwall & Datsyuk:
Score one for puck luck. Hank is wide open on the left side, and gets the puck off a rebound. He slaps one at the goal, and it ricochets off the Edmonton defender's skate and into the net.
Detroit goal (5-3) 6:32 in 3rd; Ericsson from Draper & Eaves:
Eaves gets squeezed along the boards in the neutral zone and drops a nice pass to Drapes, who's coming through the zone with speed. He lays a really nice cross ice pass behind himself to the left blueline, where Ericsson lies in wait. He puts a slap shot on net and scores.
Detroit goal (5-4) 7:47 in 3rd; Bertuzzi from Datsyuk:
I'm pretty sure that the fact the puck ends up on Bertuzzi's stick is half accident half right place, right time. Pav has the puck along the boards and starts doing one of his crazy puck handling displays where he makes three guys collapse on him, leaving Bertuzzi open. I honestly can't tell if the pass is intentional or just Pav losing control, but somehow the puck ends up with Bert. He picks a corner and chooses right, aided in no small part by Homer and his ubiquitous net front positioning. *Begin rant*I know some people think Homer can't play 5-on-5 hockey anymore, but I can tell you that from all the film I've watched this year he's as integral as any player on this team. He may not be fast and he may not be able to handle the puck, but he makes up for it and then some with the work he does in front of the net. *End rant*
Detroit goal (5-5) 12:53 in 3rd; Eaves from Helm & Ericsson:
This one must've surprised Khabibulin, because he was tracking the puck the whole play. Edmonton plays pretty good defense here, and it looks like Eaves starts to fall. He somehow recovers his balance and puts a hard wrister on net, and Khabibulin gets beat. I'm guessing that he thought Eaves would fall and was waiting to see who would end up with the puck, and he was screened a bit by his own man. I'd say the screen accounts for not being able to see Eaves regain his balance.
OT: a whole lotta nuthin'.
Shootout:
Edmonton 1 - Detroit 0
Edmonton goal (1-0) 00:42 in 1st; Jacques from Brule & O'Sullivan:
I'm no goaltending coach but it's hard for me to not think that Howard was out of position here. He would have been fine if he could have held on to the puck, but he's in trouble because his legs are no longer in butterfly position but are outstretched and Howard is sitting on his butt. The puck somehow ends up to his left, and even though he fans on it the first time Jacques put its in the net.
Edmonton goal (2-0) 9:09 in 1st; Penner from Horcoff & Hemsky:
Another weird one. The puck gets tipped in front of the net, but the guy doesn't have typical net front positioning. He comes in from the left corner and whacks the puck out of the air. Howard gets tripped up, but it looks like that happens after the puck's already beaten him.
Edmonton goal (3-0) 12:24 in 1st; PPG Hemsky from Penner & Horcoff:
The margain of error on Hemsky's shot is razor thin, yet he still manages to score here. Stuart dives in front of him, and all Hemsky has is the top corner. He aims for it and hits it, as Howard's pretty slow to react with the glove.
Edmonton goal (4-0) 00:58 in 2nd; Hemsky from Penner:
Hemsky is alone on a breakaway. He goes front-back-front and just plain beats Howard five hole. This is about as perfect as a breakaway can go.
Detroit goal (4-1) 6:15 in 2nd; Helm from Filppula & Stuart:
On a 2-on-1, Helm rips one from the top of the right circle and beats the netminder.
Edmonton goal (5-1) 9:05 in 2nd; PPG Horcoff from Grebeshkov & Penner:
A big scrum forms in front of the net, and after much pushing and jostling the puck trickles in. I feel bad for Howard here, because this one isn't really his fault. Kinda. He makes two initial stops, and never has a real good opportunity to get control of the puck and stop play. The puck ends up near the goal line on the left side of the crease, and Howard tries to stop it with his blocker but it slides under.
Detroit goal (5-2) 12:50 in 2nd; Zetterberg from Kronwall & Datsyuk:
Score one for puck luck. Hank is wide open on the left side, and gets the puck off a rebound. He slaps one at the goal, and it ricochets off the Edmonton defender's skate and into the net.
Detroit goal (5-3) 6:32 in 3rd; Ericsson from Draper & Eaves:
Eaves gets squeezed along the boards in the neutral zone and drops a nice pass to Drapes, who's coming through the zone with speed. He lays a really nice cross ice pass behind himself to the left blueline, where Ericsson lies in wait. He puts a slap shot on net and scores.
Detroit goal (5-4) 7:47 in 3rd; Bertuzzi from Datsyuk:
I'm pretty sure that the fact the puck ends up on Bertuzzi's stick is half accident half right place, right time. Pav has the puck along the boards and starts doing one of his crazy puck handling displays where he makes three guys collapse on him, leaving Bertuzzi open. I honestly can't tell if the pass is intentional or just Pav losing control, but somehow the puck ends up with Bert. He picks a corner and chooses right, aided in no small part by Homer and his ubiquitous net front positioning. *Begin rant*I know some people think Homer can't play 5-on-5 hockey anymore, but I can tell you that from all the film I've watched this year he's as integral as any player on this team. He may not be fast and he may not be able to handle the puck, but he makes up for it and then some with the work he does in front of the net. *End rant*
Detroit goal (5-5) 12:53 in 3rd; Eaves from Helm & Ericsson:
This one must've surprised Khabibulin, because he was tracking the puck the whole play. Edmonton plays pretty good defense here, and it looks like Eaves starts to fall. He somehow recovers his balance and puts a hard wrister on net, and Khabibulin gets beat. I'm guessing that he thought Eaves would fall and was waiting to see who would end up with the puck, and he was screened a bit by his own man. I'd say the screen accounts for not being able to see Eaves regain his balance.
OT: a whole lotta nuthin'.
Shootout:
Edmonton 1 - Detroit 0
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