Good night: The Red Wings are pretty bad, dude
The Lead
Okay sure they won in a shootout, but that was an embarrassing performance by the Detroit Red Wings.
In no single period did they crack a double-digit shot total, and had just two shots on goal in the first period. Two! They were 0 for 3 on the power play and only 4 for 7 on the penalty kill. They let a pretty middle-of-the-road, injury-riddled St. Louis team not only hang around but actually dictate most of the game. They were careless with the puck and the only reason they scored three goals was that Manny Legace gave them up on Detroit’s first eight shots, a total that Detroit took 31:21 to reach.
It was truly an appalling game to watch, and frankly the Wings don’t deserve to have snapped their five-game losing streak. They haven’t played like anything resembling one of the four best teams in hockey, and if tonight’s game wasn’t further evidence that Chris Osgood should be bundled off to Uzbekistan for a bag of third-hand pucks and a mule carcass, nothing is.
The Blues, by the way, rolled the formidable defensive unit of Barret Jackman, Carlo Colaiacovo, Jeff Woywitka, Mike Weaver, Steve Wagner, Tyson Strachan and Jay McKee. It’s a wonder that it took the Detroit freakin’ Red Wings an overtime period to get to 20 shots against that. You and your beer league team’s fourth line could put up 20 against them in 60 minutes. No problem.
What a joke.
Elsewhere…
Colorado 4, Calgary 3
Gotta love giving away points to the worst team in your division and the second-worst team in the West. Really gotta love that a lot. Would’ve been nice if the goddamn defense had decided to show up and play the body. For more scintillating thoughts on this game, check for my Flames-related post at FlamesNation.ca tomorrow. The site also features the work of Kent from the great Fivehole Fanatics. Yes, we have totally sold out.
Anaheim 3, Buffalo 2
The Sabres kicked the absolute hell out of the Ducks tonight in every way but on the scoreboard. Pity this was a non-conference game because nights like this that saw at least four Ducks forwards get absolutely killed tend to send a message for the remainder of the year. Bad news for the Sabres: They don’t play Anaheim again this season.
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
A bright spot in the Wings shit-streak the past several weeks, however, is the stellar play of Ville Leino the past two games. Scored an impressive goal against the Caps two games ago, and picked up an assist on one of Hossa’s goals last night vs. the Blues.
I can’t wait to see the kid full-time on the Wings when the rosters are expanded later in the year. Same goes for Jon Ericcson.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Buffalo does play Anaheim again… on the 24th in Buffalo
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Chicks dig sell-outs (or so I’ve been told)