“Zzzzzzzz(eterberg)”
Posted in Red Wings with tags Babcock, Bertuzzi, Filppula, Franzen, Howard, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Zetterberg on March 25, 2010 by Steve Klein
Whiner Crosby doesn't like it when the Wings lean on him.
“Sleep is overrated,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said after being asked if he was resting easier after the Wings’ 4-2 victory over the Blues in Hockeytown Wednesday night.
I’m not sleeping great, either, although I am resting easier about the Wings’ playoff chances.
Housekeeping: Servers were down earlier in the week, so I missed an update following the Wings’ 3-1 victory over the Penguins Monday in Hockeytown. The highlight for me came at the end of the game when the NHL’s favorite player, Whiner Crosby, expressed his frustration with Henrik Zetterberg with a couple crosschecks to the back for — horror of horrors — covering him like a Swedish massage all game. Zetterberg pushed back, but goalie Jimmy Howard decided he didn’t like Crosby’s actions in front of goal and gave the “Face of the NHL” a face wash with his big, smelly catching glove. Best moment since Johan Franzen yanked the mouthpiece out of Yakker Kane‘s mouth against the Black Hawks in the playoffs.
Score: Wings 4, Blues 2
Game #73 (9 games to play, 18 points), 87 points, 8th place. Wings are 9-2-1 since the Olympic break.
Team Games Points Place
Kings 72 90 5th
Avs 73 89 6th
Preds 74 89 6th
WINGS 73 87 8th
Flames 73 83 9th
Up next: The Wild in Hockeytown Friday, then a big one in Nashville Saturday.
What I liked about the game: Have you noticed that Valteri Filppula (3 goals the last 2 games) and Todd Bertuzzi (2 assists vs. the Penguins, 1 vs. the Blues) since Babcock put them both on a line with Zetterberg (3 goals in the last 2 games)? … Nobody’s asking if Howard is the Wings’ No. 1 goalie anymore.
What I didn’t like about the game: This is a didn’t like/like moment since the Wings won. Paul Kariya‘s goal was a thing of beauty as he split Brian Rafalski and Nick Lidstrom just past the Wings’ blueline, then outraced Zetterberg with a burst of speed to score on Howard. Kariya, who played for the late Shawn Walsh at Maine, would have made a great Red Wing (my highest hockey complement).
The BIG question: Can the Wings pass any of the three teams immediately ahead of them to finish 5th in the Western Conference? And do they want to?
Quote: “Some wins aren’t easy and this was one.” — Mike Babcock
Mood meter: We’ll see at what point of the day Babcock is wrong about sleep being overrated.
