On Red Wings

Adam Foote: Wanna fight? Homer: Nope, wanna score.

Oh, THOSE Red Wings! I remember them. AND they way they played.

Everyone was back. Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen, EVEN Andreas Lilja. The Wings looked like … the Wings.

Score: Wings 3, Rockies 2

Game #62 (20 to go, 40 points): 70 points, 8th place. The five teams behind the Wings are within 6 points; Nashville is a point ahead in 7th with a game in hand and a Friday date in Hockeytown.

What I liked about the game: Don’t you just love Swedes? They scored all three Wings goals, including the Lidstrom winner. Henrik Zetterberg was on the ice for all three Wings goals; Pavel Datsyuk had two assists. Homstrom‘s line was a goal and two assists. And let’s not forget Jimmy Howard with 22 of 24 saves.

What I didn’t like about the game: Who made the schedule that scheduled the Wings (and Brian Rafalski) to play the day after the Olympics ended. Thanks a lot, eh? Also, big minus-2s for Jonathan Ericsson, Darren Helm and Patrick Eaves.
Also, the disallowed goal by Holmstrom. But I’m a homer.

Quote I: “We’ve got enough bodies now that we should be a good hockey club. We’ve got to decide to be a good hockey club.” — Mike Babcock.
What he’s saying is that the Wings have to start being the Wings again now that they’ve got all their Wings back. Got it?

Quote II: “That’s the best lineup we’ve dressed all year. Wouldn’t you love to draw us in the first round?” — Mike Babcock

What is: Three quarters of the way into the season, and the Wings are back to being the Wings.

Mood meter: Ready to Wing it!

Wings Olympians: Daniel Alfredsson can play for the Wings anytime.

You gotta hand it to the Red Wings at the Olympic break. Show them a good team and the Wings are at their best: the San Jose shootout loss on Thursday (when the Wings outshot the Sharks, 52-26), and the 4-1 victory over Ottawa Saturday — only the Sens’ second loss in their last 15 games.

Go figure.

Game #61 (21 to go, 42 points): 68 points, and you can throw a blanket over 7th-place Nashville (pending their Sunday afternoon game in Pittsburgh) and Calgary at 69 points and 13th-place Minnesota at 62 points. The Wings and Stars are tied for 9th entering the break. That’s why every game is a big game.
UPDATE: The Usless (to the Wings) Penguins lost a shootout, 2-0, to Nashville at home Sunday, so the Preds now have 71 points. Thanks, Sidney.

Score: Wings 4, Senators 1.

What I liked about the game: Niklas Kronwall played nearly 21 minutes. Jonathan Ericsson played less than 11. And this Ken DanielISM: Datsyukian move.

What I didn’t like about the game: First time in a long time I can say I liked everything about the game. The Wings can still look like the Wings. I still think Ken Holland has to blow up this team before next season, but I hope he can do it without having to miss the playoffs this season or next.

Prediction come true: I didn’t exactly say Kirk Maltby would score a hat trick, but gamer that he is, Maltby did score the first goal of the game and his fourth of the season. Now go get that shoulder fixed, Kirk, so Andreas Lilja can play. The Wings are treating you with the respect you deserve.

Olympian quandary: Will Johan Franzen, who scored into the open net, replace the yet-again injured Tomas Holmstrom for Team Sweden? I’m watching my Twitter feeds.
UPDATE: Yes.

Quote: “I don’t know, but it seems like they’re tough to come back against. They’re strong defensively.” — Ottawa D-man Brian Lee.
First time in a long time I can agree.

Quote II: “I’m thrilled to be here.” — Mike Babcock in Vancouver. With that roster, who wouldn’t be?

What is: Stop waiting for Ozzie. Jimmy Howard is the Wings’ No. 1 goalie. He gives the Wings a chance to win every night. Who wouldathunk we’d be saying that in February?

Mood meter: Placid at the break.

Yo-han Franzen returns.

OK, so the Wings suck at shootouts. Well, not Jason Williams, who is good for something, it appears. But Pavel Datsyuk AND Henrik Zetterbeg have to miss all the time?

Game #59: 65 points, 9th, 2 points out of 7th, 2 points ahead of 11th. All it takes is a little whoopsy and Dallas, Anaheim, Minnesota and even St. Louis are going to shoot past the Wings.

Score: Blues 4, Wings 3 (SO).

What I liked about the game: Ask me later. Oh, I’ve already had a day to think about it? How about Brad Stuart? He was plus-1 and now is only minus-14 for the season. Brett Ledba was plus-2. Johan Franzen played more than 17 minutes without getting hurt.

What I didn’t like the game: Sitting through the shootout. I could have fallen asleep two minutes earlier.

Quote: “It felt like the last game I played. I thought it was going to be worse. Better than I thought it was going to be.” — Johan Franzen

What is: The Wings have lost three in a row.

Mood meter: Can’t we all just be happy with ties?

Datsyuk and Zetterberg: Anybody got a clue?

So, remind me. Why did I start this blog three games ago? Oh yeah. To follow the Wings’ push to the playoffs. Instead, they’re in free fall. Coach Mike Babcock can’t even remember when the season started (see his quote below).

Nashville next on Friday; they’re only 2 points ahead of the Wings in 7th. And at Pittsburgh on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC. Don’t embarrass yourself, boys.

Game #53: 29 to go (that’s 58 points)

Score: Wild 5, Wings 2.

Quote: “We gave up two power-play goals. We haven’t given up power-play goals like that since our trip to Europe in September or whenever that was,” coach Mike Babock said.

What I liked about the game: Pavel Datsyuk scored two goals. So the rest of the boys got shut out.

What I didn’t like about the game: Goalie Chris Osgood is 1-6 since Nov. 7. Any more questions about who the Wings’ goalie is?

What I don’t like about the way the Wings are playing: Detroit is 1-3-3 in their last seven games with five blown leads in the third period.

In search of: Instead of thinking that players returning from injuries were going to turn them around, the Wings need to continue to focus on doing the little things well. Otherwise, the big thing for this team this year, a playoff berth, is going to slip away.

What is: We’ll dispense with “what might have been” in a 5-2 loss. The Wings are still tied for 8th with Calgary, but the teams behind them are closing in, the teams ahead of them pulling away. The 13th place Blues are only 5 points behind Detroit, and everyone will tell you that St. Louis is having a terrible year.

Mood meter: Discouraged.

Guess who didn't score?

When I was in high school, I used to write down the NHL standings on a corner of the blackboard of my home room in Trumbull, Conn. This was 1963, and there were only six teams in the league at the time: Montreal, Toronto, New York, Boston, Chicago and Detroit. So it didn’t take long, and no one seemed to mind (or care?). I was the hockey guy, and it was just Steve doing his hockey thing.

It’s 47 years later (who can believe it!). There are 30 teams in the NHL now. Rather than a blackboard in home room, we’ve got blogs. Welcome to On Red Wings.

Here’s what I have in mind (like there aren’t enough blogs about the Detroit Red Wings out there):

Game #: 51, 31 to go (that’s 62 points)

Score: Kings 3, Wings 2

What I liked about the game: Not much. The Wings led 2-0 after the first period.

What I didn’t like about the game: Do the math after the first period. The Kings scored the last three goals, two of them in the third period. Derek Meech missed on a breakaway (didn’t surprise me). Todd Betruzzi missed on a breakaway (or am I thinking of some other game?).

Quote: “They’re right behind us in the standings, and just to push them a little further down, it definitely makes a difference. “Hopefully it’s going to pay off in the end.” — Anze Kopitar

In search of: Offense from Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

What might have been: The Wings in sole position of 8th place with 60 points, 1 point ahead of the Kings (with 59).

What is: The Wings are tied for 8th place with Calgary with 58 points, 3 points behind the Kings and Predators (with 61).

Mood meter: Dark.

Editing: Improved with input from my Sports Writing & Reporting class!