They say red is the color of anger, right?

I couldn't make a post right after the game in part because my apartment needed desperate attention in the form of cleaning - and in part because I don't think I could initially have said much more than what just happened. Whatever it was, it ended in a 5-1 Detroit victory (spitefully, my team does better when I watched the games on a tiny computer screen than out on a real TV), moving them up 3-2 in the series, but the road there was interesting to say the least.

The first period was, honestly, sort of boring. Maybe it wasn't if you were there, maybe it wasn't on a real TV, but my little red and white blurs were not very inspiring looking. It was hard-hitting close sort of boring, though - and I found that familiar worry of will we pull this off? start to hit me. But I wasn't worried - they scratched Calder and put my rookie Jiri Hudler back in so I had to be optimistic!

The second started off relatively similarly, until we burst out scoring three, and I started to calm down some. Oh and Chelios (who, thank you to both NBC who told us three times, and CBC who mentioned it at least twice, is forty-five, DID YOU KNOW THAT?!) grabbed his first goal of the season. As usual, my choppy feed doesn't really allow for a lot of great commenting, but for a good recap from someone who was there, check out Behind the Jersey, and for a good recap all around head over to Gorilla Crouch.

And then all of a sudden the Flames just exploded - I don't know what happened, a mix of frustration, futility, desperation, certainly some lack of class, but it just kept snowballing.

It only gets worse from here.

• With 11:25 left in the third, Langkow (I knew I didn't like him I knew it! You touch Hemmer and you're clearly up to no good!) gets hipchecked by Brett Lebda. While both of them are lying on the ground, Langkow leans over and punches Lebda in the face - he eventually had to be helped off the ice, and the end result was a concussion. So it begins.

• 3:17 remaining in the game, the Flames pull Kipper. The concensus at the time at least according to NBC (I was actually watching HNIC but I think they were making similar remarks) was that they didn't like the way Detroit was running him, were worried about potential injury, wanted to protect Kiprusoff, etc. Smart move? Maybe, until McLennan plays a grand total of 18 seconds before administering a pretty good slash to Johan Franzen and then following it up by taking swing at Franzen's midsection during the break in play. Makes you wonder about intentions, huh? He gets thrown out of the game and Kipper comes back in to play the last bit.

• While everyone is still reeling with 42 or so seconds left in the game, Iginla decides they aren't done yet - somewhere around the blueline he backchecks Schneider, a few seconds later shoves his stick in Schneider's stomach, takes a few more strides and then crosschecks him from behind, at which point he's finally given a penalty.

Who knows what will happen with regard to suspensions - but this certainly didn't look good with regard to the Flames, and it certainly wasn't respectful, nor should it serve as anything inspiring.

That said, the Wings played some good, strong hockey out there today, and have a chance to come out tomorrow night and show the Flames, and their fans, how it's done in Hockeytown, hopefully without any of the mess the Flames brought into the Joe this afternoon. It's going to be a rough game, guys.

GO WINGS GO!!
9 pm tomorrow night

PS hey see look, when you don't scratch my rookie you win!