Drop the puck / Kings 3, Wings 2
Posted in Red Wings with tags Bertuzzi, Datsyuk, Meech, Red Wings, Zetterberg on January 24, 2010 by Steve Klein
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!
