This is a difference with these "new" Wings. The old Wings would've probably kept missing until Nashville would've tied the score. This team is good.
With one period you can't get it done. With two good and one bad periud it is possible.But preds had only one good period. Call it stamina or endurance, but as game progressed red wings got better and better. 4-2 is fair trade. This game already had this famuos "playoff fervor". First one was too sleepy.
Nashville's GM is already complaining about the officiating. Both teams got good and bad calls going their way, NHL's officiating hasn't been great, that's no news.
They didn't really give up Forsberg, he retired. But they did trade away lots of their better players because of the uncertainty with the ownership. And I have to say, they did make the first two games competitive. My worry now is that they don't injure Wings players taking unnecessary runs when they are behind and are losing the series.
Calgary beat the snot out of us last year by playing dirty. I will be really pissed if that happens again this year. That said, I'm sure management is working the head of officials, just as the Nashville management is. The game within the game...
With the Dominator on our side, I think we've got a fair chance to get by anyone. I'm sure glad he signed for "peanuts" just because he wanted to play for the Wings. Playoff hockey is so much fun, but it just isn't the same out here. Not even close. :(
This team feels different then the last few years... Maybe its our coach learning how to coach in the big time.. (there is a ton more pressure here then he had in his other cup run). But yesterday when the hockey gods kicked that puck to the front of the net for the freebie and then the quick turnover and bad goal... you could just feel the here we go again... But we called the timeout, settled down got the goal to go back up and were steady from then on. I think that time out could go along ways to a serious cup challenge. After this game i don't have that feeling I've had for years waiting on the other shoe to drop and for us to just fall apart.
Yep, you gotta make your own luck. Only two or three teams can skate with the Wings but all of them can beat the snot out of us. Were's Primo and Probert when you need them.
They can't beat us physically, Wings had already proven that by taking out Calgary and big tough San Jose last year. There's McCarty, Franzen, Kronwall, Drake, there are tough physical guys on this team who can win the battles. Wings will be alright in that department.
What a turn of events. Wings allow two goals within 9 seconds of each other late in the 3rd period to lose the lead and let Nashville back into the series. Nashville added an empty-net goal to make the score 5-3. Wings lead the series 2-1.
Not sure about when to call a time out in hockey, but after that emotional goal that allows the preds to tie it, wouldn't it make since for Babcock to call a time out and get your troups and goalie together and regroup for those final four minutes .....instead letting it get away 9 seconds later!!
problem is there is no coach who can see damn future. Bab' was confident that his players were confident, but seems that he was wrong. Red wings tried to play a "safe game": keep lead, trap neutral zone but ( instead of their usual puck übercontrolling) it didnt work. No tragic, didn't expect to win all games but lose with final minutes going is disheartening.
Timeouts are rarely used except in the very end game. Babcock followed the same strategy 98 out of 100 coaches would do in a similar circumstance. This series is too close for comfort. The Wings needed to win this one, and put the series on ice, so they could rest. I don't like giving this one up so weakly to a Nashville team that is tough at home. That mistake by Stuart had me furious. I think he knew as soon as the puck hit the back of the net he screwed up. What a silly, stupid play to make.
