Was I Dead?

Not quite, but I tell you there were days when I wished...

No, I was chained to my desk working on a project that was supposed to be finished a month ago, but it. Just. Wouldn't. Die. I finally killed it at 2 this morning, so I'm back for the rest of the season, just in time for the break. And let me tell you, I'm expecting a reboot during those two weeks. Because I am not impressed with recent performances.

Anyway, 'nuff said. The Bitter Blues are up tomorrow night with the Mule back in the line up, so I'm hoping he'll make my return a memorable one. You know, in a GOOD way.

Ah, it's good to be back. I missed you guys!

Game Recap: DET 3 - CAR 1

We needed to win this one. I don't think I'm shocking anyone with this news. Thankfully, as opposed to most other games that we've needed to win, we actually took this one. Who'da thunk? Thankfully we got really good games from Lidstrom (who scored! Yay!), Eaves, and Miller, in addition to decent games from most of the rest of the team. Although Filppula took more penalties than May and Bertuzzi combined. Whoa.

Period 1

• Well, we actually skated in the first ten minutes, so win there
• Nick Lidstrom finally scored, and I wept with joy like a little baby girl. Also, it was great to see him smiling and joking about himself in the interview with Keating. I love that nothing shakes Nick
• During one PK shift late in the period, Eaves took 2 hard pucks from Staal, skated to the boards, cleared the puck, then took a high stick to the head. And was back out a short shift later. I loved it. I so want him back next season
• Basically, I was happy with this period. I'd have liked it we'd offered a little more sustained pressure, especially at the start of the period, but considering how we've started so many firsts this season, I really can't complain.

Period 2

• Wow, continued with the decent play. I was amazed, yet grateful
• Miller scored the game's 2nd goal, which also happened to be the 2nd powerplay goal of the game. Who remembered such a thing was even possible?
• Kerry Fraser actually made an interference call to the benefit of Detroit. I think the only reason it happened was because the Carolina player knocked a Wing directly into Fraser
  
• There was major interference on Filppula's rush to the net, which resulted in another powerplay, but was actually the closest I've seen to something that deserved the penalty shot that Ken Daniels loves to predict
• Bert had a brilliant breakaway at one point. And totally missed the net. I'm pretty sure that was just for you, Petrella
• Miller actually had a really nice game tonight. Bertuzzi, on the other hand, made a spectacular run of shots that missed the net. It was almost like having Sammy back
  
• Flip also looked good tonight, even though he was tripped, hooked and interfered with more than I've seen in a long time. Of course, he also did more of that himself that I'm used to seeing him do
  

Period 3

• Looked a bit slower in the third, which didn't make me too happy. But I don't think it was fatigue causing that awful rebound Jimmy left for Carolina to score on
• Maltby made a great defensive play at the end of a PK caused by Filppula taking another penalty. Maltby's play was nice to see. Flip's, not so much.
• Bertuzzi drew two penalties on one play at the end of the game. What's up with that?
• Final score: DET 3 - CAR 1

Summary
Well, we won it. Thank God. A much better effort than Tuesday, but then, we could have skated eighteen corpses and had a better effort than Tuesday. But hey, 2 pts is 2 pts. I'll take it.

Thanks, boys.

Game Day: CAR @ DET 1/14/10

I have only two wishes tonight:

• That Detroit NOT TURN IN A SUCKFEST OF SUCK that SUCKS THE LIFE OUT of me, leaving me whimpering and SUCKING my thumb in despair
• That we WIN THIS DAMNED GAME

That is all.

Go Wings.

Game Recap: DET 0 - NYI 6

Period 1

• One of those games. The ones where we started out looking disoriented and disorganized. To the tune of 1 down less than 2 minutes in.
• At one point Leino was behind the net with Abby and it looked like he was trying to strip the puck off him. Did he defect and not tell us? Is he a double agent? Is that why he's been sucking for us?
• Seriously, a messy, horrible period. I closed my eyes until the horn.

Period 2

• Just a parade of bad decisions tonight. 
• 10 minutes in, Howard gets pulled and Ozzie skates in. No discernible change detected. Well, not beyond 1 shift

I. DON'T. WANT. TO. TALK. ABOUT. IT.

Game Day: DET @ NYI 1/12/10

Deadlines. I hate deadlines. All I have time for is a few quick wishes.

Tonight I wish that:

• Detroit does not offer one of its patented "we're better than this team so we don't have to work hard and will therefore suffer a humiliating defeat" games. I  hate those games. They kind of piss me off
  
• Darren Helm makes it 6 goals in 6 games
• Nick Lidstrom decides not to wait for Ericsson to return on Thursday (so he hopes) before he scores his first goal in 17 years
• Jimmy Howard proves to have the stamina of a porn star and turns in another stellar performance
• Ville Leino either plays so spectacularly that I am forced to hang my head in shame for ever having doubted him, or does actually falls on his ass somewhere in the middle of the ice with no other players around him so that I can laugh and point for several minutes while insulting him in my grandmother's Lithuanian
• Final score: DET 4 - NYI 1
  

Game Recap: DET 4 - SJ 1

This was a nice big win, and a better game than we've played in a couple of weeks. Very happy to see that.

Period 1

• Great period for Abby, as far as creating chances. Less great as far as making them count
• Thanks be to Brad Stuart. I love a defenseman who plays, you know, defensively
• Spent a bit too much time in the SJ zone, but I'm starting to resign myself to the fact that until we get our starting lines back, we're not going to play very pretty hockey. The important thing is to focus on the wins. If we can get them.

Period 2

• You know, I was thinking this game could have  gone a lot worse up to this point. We looked outmatched, but not completely outclassed. I suppose that's something
• Finally a great goal from Pasha. It seems like that hasn't happened for about 7-1/2 years. 
• Then goals almost back-to-back from Eaves and Cleary. That put a smile on my face
• I spent a lot of time watching Howard, since a lot was made of his being "more lucky than good" on Thursday. Frankly, I think we might have to get used to his semi-Hasek style. He's not nearly as controlled as the goalies we're used to seeing (chiefly Ozzie) but while he flops around a lot, he generally does it fast and in the right direction. If that's what he does, that's fine with me as long as it stops pucks
• I can't believe that Kerry fucking Fraser called a reviewed goal in our favor. I honestly think the A/C kicked on in hell...
  

Period 3

• Noticed Filppula a good bit, but I'd still like to notice him scoring
• This was Darren Helm's best game ever. And considering how good he's been all season, that's saying something. That kid...damn. Words fail me
• Danny Cleary obviously not a fighter. More of a get-the-fuck-off-me-er
• After the 4th Wings goal, the game went insane for a good five or six minutes. It was awesome, high energy hockey, and I loved it

Summary
See, this game illustrates perfectly why I think Red Wings fans have been so frustrated this season. If we can play like this, with these flashes of brilliance, against a team that's this good and riding a streak this hot, how are we not on top of the conference? We're clearly better than we've been playing so far, and tonight we showed it. So I'm damned sure not going to be happy if we don't keep playing more like this.

Game Day: DET @ SJ 1/9//10*

*Alternate title: I'm A Big Slacker

Well, I was going to recap the LA game yesterday, but everyone else did it before me and quite likely better than I would have, so that's my excuse. I plan to stick with it. But I will just throw in here, that James Howard rocked it hard.

And I had some ideas for some interesting (to me...who else reads these?) posts in the next week or so, but I have a book deadline currently biting me in the ass, so they'll have to wait. In the meantime, the best I can do is my lame wish list preview.

Tonight, I wish:

• That Jimmy will continue to justify Babcock's faith in him and to stoke the fires of bitter resentment in Ozzie's heart. Maybe that will mean Oz comes out and throws the kind of game he's capable of the next time he gets to see the net
• That Hank scores, thus demonstrating that he's not letting some gritty Newfie show him up by coming off an injury hotter than him
• That Bertuzzi goes back to scoring ridiculous goals instead of taking ridiculous penalties (sorry, Petrella!)
• That Leino counts as more than a waste of ice so I can finally eat my words about him (don't think I'm going to skip dinner waiting for that to fill me up, though) Ha! apparently Uncle Mike has as much faith in the Finnish Flop as I do. He's apparently not skating tonight
  
• That our defense actually plays defensively and responsibly someplace other than directly in front of Howard. I appreciate the effort in that space, but I'd like to see it expanded a little bit
• That Nick Lidstrom will play a game that will keep me from squinting at him and asking anyone in hearing distance, "Does he look hurt to you? I think he looks hurt. Do you think he looks sore?"
• That Darren Helm once again scores and makes me shout "Oh, you beautiful baby boy!" at the TV like the dirty cougar he makes me feel like
  
• That NO ONE ELSE GETS INJURED
• Final Score?  DET 3 - SJ 2

I'm not naive enough to think this one will be anything but ugly, but I'm optimistic (and masochistic) enough to think that if we work hard, we can grind it out.

Go Wings.