Tears of an Expatriate

So yeah, like I said in my first post here, I'm a Michigan expatriate, moved to Denver, CO.  I also do not have the extra cash to spend on buying NHL Center Ice, because I spend most of my disposable income on actually playing hockey at local rinks.  I also have a job that has me working on weekends, until about 8 or 9 in the evening, mountain time.  This pretty much means I have a hard time getting to see Wings games, unless they're carried on Versus (or Altitude, if the Wings are playing the Avs), and even when they are on nationally, I can't always watch them.  This makes me cry.  If this were a paper, instead of a computer screen, you could see the stains of my tears falling as I write this.  Maybe that's a little melodramatic, but you get the point.  

Obviously, this inhibits my ability to write recaps of Wings games, because I don't get to see them.  Of course, I could always just post some random bullshit about how Chris Osgood has been so good, only giving up 2 goals in three games, or how this proves that everything is 100% A-O-K for the Winged Wheel.  But you can read any idiot and get a big steaming pile of nonsensical shit slopped onto your plate, so I won't do that.  

That said, hopefully that should change, moving through the playoffs.  Obviously, there being fewer series to cover each round, the Wings will see more and more national time on Versus, allowing me to see and comment on more games.  Further, things in my personal life might be going such that I'll be able to quit my current job before the playoffs end, though that would probably only kick in for the Cup Finals.  Thus, I can tell you (all 5 of you that read this), that things should become more active here as the playoffs roll on.  

As for Game 4 tonight between DET/CLB:  Tonight the Wings will win the series in a sweep, and move on to the second round, where they will either meet Vancouver or Anaheim.  The big question is if anyone can score a goal in Columbus' first playoff run besides R.J. Umberger.  Here's hoping the answer to that is a big no.  Expect a fast start by CLB as they try to get an early lead and salvage some respect out of this series.  They might get a goal early, but even if they do, I doubt it will be enough.  Go Wings!

DET/CLB Game 1: The Morning After

After each game, I'll be posting some thoughts and things I noticed about the previous night's game.  Here are some of the things I noticed while watching Game 1.

• First thing we see happen in the game is a giveaway by Brad Stuart that didn't need to be made, forcing a nice save by Osgood.  This continued through the game, as the lone Blue Jackets' goal came on a Kronwall giveaway.  There were other giveaways during the game too, though those two were the highlights.  You can get away with those things against some of these lesser teams, but when you start getting further into the playoffs, and the competition gets better, you're going to pay for making those kind of mistakes.  This first round matchup was highly favorable to the Red Wings, giving the Wings an opponent that they could get away with making a few mistakes against.  They need to take advantage of this chance to help refine their defensive play, and fix these problems, before these problems kill them later in the playoffs.  
• Rick Nash scares me.  A big dude like that can do some serious damage against a team like the Red Wings.  He was nearly invisible tonight, and that is a very good thing for the Red Wings.  If Nash plays with a mean streak, and starts getting aggressive about hitting the Wings defenders and establishing himself in front of the Detroit net, he could create problems.  If he keeps playing more towards the perimeter, he's going to remain invisible for the series.  Obviously, I'd prefer if he just stands near the boards and plays pattycake with someone.  Good job on Lidstrom for taking care of him all night.  
• The beginning of the game almost went terribly bad for the Wings.  A careless high stick by Rafalski especially almost led to an early deficit.  Against the 30th ranked PP unit, you might get away with that.  Again, if you do that later in the playoffs, someone is gonna make you pay, and they're gonna make you pay hard.  
• The refs were calling it pretty tight, especially around the goalies.  Wonder if that's going to be a playoffs-long trend, or maybe its just this crew?  In any case, thats something for each team to be aware, particularly Tomas Holmstrom on the Wings.  The Wings got a couple fluky goals today, but you can't count on that every night.  You definitely can't afford to lose goals in the playoffs because a referee has a bug up his ass about you being anywhere near the crease.  
• The Wings did well in creating pressure throughout the game, and occupying the front of the Columbus net.  Gotta keep that up.  Traffic, deflections, and screens in front are what its all about in the playoffs.  Ugly goals count as much as the pretty ones, and they're generally a lot more common against the better goaltenders you'll see as you progress through a playoff run.
• The defense played well in the Columbus end, picking up goals for both Kronwall and Ericsson.  Kronwall obviously helped create the Blue Jackets' goal on the night, so I guess he breaks even.  If they play that well in their own zone, playing smart and disciplined, then they're gonna have a good playoff run.  Babcock ought to seriously think about benching a couple guys if this keeps up, especially if the Wings take a commanding lead in the series, allowing them to afford to sit a couple guys.  

Five Questions: IAmJoe on (2) Detroit vs (7) Columbus

Hey all, I'm Joe, and I don't actually have a blog of my own (though I've considered it several times), so I hang around the Battle of California and Mirtle's for the most part and comment a lot.  I'm a Red Wings fan, having lived in Michigan until 2008, when I moved to Denver, Colorado.  James has kindly brought me on to be a contributor around here for the Red Wings portion of the playoff festivities here at CLS.  

Introductions out of the way, let's get down to business!  Five questions from a Red Wings perspective about the upcoming DET/CLB series!

1.  What will the Wings need to do to beat the Blue Jackets?

The biggest thing the Wings need to do is to not beat themselves.  On paper, this matchup is easy, right?  The Wings have so much more scoring depth than the BJ's, a better defense, and their goaltending should only be a step behind. But the problem is the Wings have a tendency to make some boneheaded mistakes.  Unnecessary giveaways in their own end are the principal problem, and with a big guy like Rick Nash attacking the Wings defenders, he could easily steal a couple pucks and bury them behind Ozzie or Conklin. On offense, the BJ's will be trying to block shots and force the Wings to the perimeter, playing a style much like the Ducks, Flames, and Oilers have used to beat the Wings in recent years.  The Red Wings have to capitalize on what power plays they get, and they have to be willing to pay the price and attack the net aggressively, because if they let themselves be kept on the perimeter, Columbus defenders will shot block them right out of the playoffs.  If the Wings play smart, disciplined hockey in their own zone, and are willing to pay the price in the Columbus zone, the Wings will advance to round 2.

2.  What would need to happen for the Blue Jackets to pull off the upset?

If the Blue Jackets are to win this series, there are two things they need to do.  First of all, they have to play perfect in their own zone.  The way the Wings have been beaten in previous years is by insane amounts of shot blocking perimeter shots, combined with absolutely relentless punishment of the net.  In losses to the 2003 Ducks, 2004 Flames, 2006 Oilers, and to a lesser extent, the 2007 Ducks, you never ever ever saw a Red Wing successfully take control of the slot.  If anyone stepped in between the faceoff circles, they got knocked down.  If you weren't aware, its hard to score on your back...  unless you're Alex Ovechkin.  This punishing attitude in front of their own net by these teams forced the Red Wings to the outside, taking long shots, which were gobbled up by some hot goalies (seriously, those were some really hot goalies), if they didn't make it through all the shot blockers first.  

Secondly, the BJ's will have to own the front of the Red Wings net.  In those previous playoff losses, every single one of them was characterized by the Red Wings being outplayed in their own slot.  Look at the elimination game from the 2006 Oilers, where the Oilers came back from a deficit and ended up winning the game and the series.  Every single goal in that game (and seemingly, every goal in the series) came from an Oiler crashing the net, and being allowed to stay on his feet.  The Red Wings kept letting guys skate to their net, instead of slamming them down and refusing to allow their opponents to use the slot.  Especially with a serious power forward in Rick Nash, if the BJ's can take control of the Red Wings slot, they will have a very good chance to beat the Red Wings.  

The other thing that can kill the Wings in this series is more of a mental thing.  Anyone who has ever played hockey knows that when you see your goalie give up a softie, it hurts. You're flying, everything is great, you're unstoppable... and suddenly you've been punched in the gut.  When that goalie gives up another softie, you might as well be dead.  You stop skating as hard, you start overcompensating because you think the goalie is going to screw you again.  You start doubting.  Everything comes apart, and suddenly you've blown a lead, you've lost the game.  You can make an entire youtube reel of Chris Osgood softies in the playoffs, and without looking, I'm sure one exists.  If the BJ's get an early softie or two, Ozzie will be pulled and Conklin will step in, but the point is, it will be the biggest gut punch the BJ's could possibly deliver.  There's no better way to make a great team stop playing great than to make them stop feeling great.

3. Fan Favorite

It's gotta be the Wonder Twins, right?  Either of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk will be on the ice at almost all times.  These two will be tasked with stopping Rick Nash from scoring, and given the thin BJ's scoring depth, they should be able to keep the Blue Jacket's scoring under control throughout the series.  They win faceoffs, they score goals, and they do just as much as anyone on the blue line to keep pucks out of their own net.  The two of them will lead the Red Wings through this series, and hopefully, onto another Stanley Cup.

4.  Detroit's Goat-To-Be

There's absolutely no doubt here that its Chris Osgood, and probably Conklin as well.  Detroit has a rich history, but part of that history over the last several years is walking a goalie out in front of a firing squad, when his defense may be more to blame for a playoff loss than he is.  This was the case with Curtis Joseph in 2003, and with Manny Legace in 2006.  Both goalies may not have played their absolute best (though CuJo did better than Legace, I think), but the problem was more to do with the Wings complete inability to score goals, combined with allowing opponents to own the front of their own net.  Neither got any support at all in their series losses, but both of them were marched in front of a firing squad.  This year, there is even more animosity towards whoever is in net, because of the heightened expectations this year, in combination with a cap situation that basically says that what you see is what you've got.  If the Wings lose this series because of not supporting their goaltenders, the goalies will get all the blame.  If the Wings goalies blow the series, the goalies will rightfully be blamed, and the won't just be blamed, they'll be absolutely crucified.  

5.  Top Storyline

The storyline in this series is going to be all about the goalies.  We know that Mason is a pretty good young goalie.  He certainly has the potential to steal some games here.  The question is, can the Wings goalies also step up and play to that same level?  I certainly hope so, because even if they don't play to that level here, they might still win, but they won't make it to another Cup without hitting that level.