Wings Game Night - Columbus Rematch

I'm trying something new and blogging as the game goes by. So I'll throw some updates onto this every peri--someone on the Wings' bench just looked remarkably like Evgeni Malkin right there--od and we'll see how it goes.

Period One

So this evening was the "Central Division Cockfight" (Babcock vs Hitchcock, as billed by Razor) part two.

Leading in to this game I wanted to win, if for no other reason than that every time the Blue Jackets did anything remotely well Monday I got an absolutely gloating phone call (it's all right though, we shattered her dreams with that Lang goal while the phone was still ringing after that Federov garbage). Ignore all that junk about the Wings and how we should certainly be better than the Jackets even if we're having a rather unremarkable season lately--I just really wanted to return the favor.

Little Jiri looking around during the anthem was absolutely adorable, not that that's anything new from me. Lest I sound like a puck bunny or something, I really think the kid has something outside of just being adorable--he's a ridiculous little blast of energy and he's rough around the edge, sure, but he's takes advantage of his size, darting around, and when he gets an opening he's as good a scorer as anyone. With Kopecky out he's getting more icetime, and some nice opportunities, and he's working with them. Ellis looks pretty good also, which is good as he'll be in until Samuelsson's groin is better.

That penalty on Lidstrom for the "illegal stick" seemed a little silly.

Beautiful Cleary goal seven minutes in--that's just the way the Wings wanted to start this game off after that last one

This game has seen a lot of Dom flailing around on the ground stopping pucks again--he gets a lot of flak for playing on his back so much but damned if there's anyone else in the league that can pull it off--and he certainly can, so why not?

So good to see us still booing absolutely every time Federov touches the puck--makes you wonder, if we can keep it up this long, how long exactly with the Pronger hatred in Edmonton last? That being said though, if we had the chance to see Sergei in red and white again, I'd be in support. Until then though (so basically until forever) I'll join the ranks in the booing.

That second Cleary off of Lidstrom goal was beautiful--that whole huddle of people around the net, Chimera leaves Lidstrom to cover Lang (which you know, after that last game makes a little bit of sense), they knock it out of that mass of people, little Jiri's looking around for it but it slips past him, right to Lidstrom who nails it. And then everyone cuddles and there's Lang and Hudler in a little Czech pile.

7:23 left in the first and Hasek's out to prove he's better than that last game against Columbus--or maybe just that old habits die hard. Nash isn't even past the blue line and Hasek's 30 feet out of his net near the Jesus what the fuck are you doing all the way out here Hasek radius taking him out at the knees and flailing all over the ice. Hasek is insane. We know this, the Red Wings know this, and yet we're okay with it because Hasek pulls it off. The guy leads the league (in goalies, I mean) in penalty minutes for god's sake.

Caged Norrena made me giggle a little bit.

Period Two (which is substantially shorter; I blame baking.)

Second period went off slightly unremarkably as I tended to my Christmas cookies, up until around 7 minutes in (again) when Maltby's goal officially rendered every Wings forward as having at least one goal for the season.

I could almost hear the collective panicky gasp and subsequent breath-holding when Rick Nash bowled over Hasek. Great goalie as he is, it'd be nice if we didn't have to get ready to start kissing our playoff dreams goodbye every time the Dominator stubs his toe.

Lidstrom's been excellent this game--we expect that from our new captain, sure, but this shot of his was beautiful. Norrena never saw it coming. And with that, he ties Scott Niedermayer for most goals by a defenseman for the season. Where's Chris Pronger on that list, hm?

4-0 now. Come on Columbus. PUT IN CONKS. PLEASE? DO IT FOR ME?

Period Three

That Williams breakaway goal was a beauty--but the most important thing about that play is that Hitchcock finally pulled Norrena and CONKS. TY CONKLIN IN GOAL. I didn't think I'd see that all season long--even after it happened the other day I didn't expect to see it in a game I could actually watch--and yet there he was, hanging out, stopping pucks, playing in the NHL once again. (For posterity's sake, and just to push up the count, I feel that I should link this again.) Oh Ty Conklin. I almost have a little soft spot for the guy now, except it's the sort of pity where you know perfectly well that you're laughing about it the whole time.

It makes the game some much more entertaining though. Every time he wanders behind the net it's like you're just mesmerized, captivated by the Game One mishap and the potentially high likelihood of it happening again. Conks steps foot back there and immediately everyone who saw that game pictures Rod Brind'Amour's hideous face grinning as he turns that corner and slams that puck in. A game like this needs something like that--it's not like anything else Columbus is doing is worth watching.

All in all, game being over now, Detroit just dominated (....no pun intended though it was in large thanks to him) tonight--this is the game we should have played Monday. Our pp especially was looking really nice tonight, which is good to see as of late.

Anyway, I apologize that none of this post was very substantial or in-depth, but I have some very delicious blueberry gingerbread to show for my distracted efforts.