Games like Sunday's, in Detroit, will always worry me until the Wings are moved into the Eastern conference. No matter how much the Wings struggle, they are a different team when playing the Blackhawks. No one will argue that the Wings have been a slightly above average team, but they will always have the ability to made opponents sweat a game out. We know their firepower inside and out, so I won't bore you with the details. The Hawks would have Corey Crawford back in net after his mysterious "injury" Thursday night as the Hawks go for 22 straight games with a point to open the season. This game was the 1000th of Marian Hossa's career, and nothing would make than better than a win. Live from burnt out Detroit Michigan, it's the Red Wings and Blackhawks.
The first period was spent, mostly, in the Detroit end. With the help of a couple of powerplays, the Hawks had a majority of the pressure, and out shot the Wing 9-3 for the opening 20 minutes. Despite the pressure, no goals were put up on the board.
The middle 20 minutes were a bit of another story. The Hawks came out with pressure, but the Wings took over for a majority of play. There were 12 shots either way, and the period saw quite a few good scoring chances go by the wayside.
The third period was owed by the Red wings as they out shot the Hawks 13-9 and took the lead on a bad matchup. The Hawks used a late powerplay to tie the game up, and send this game into overtime. Overtime yielded no goals, so the extra point in this game was decided by a shootout.
- Early on, Sharp was taking Kruger's faceoffs. I've heard that theory floated somewhere before.
- The third line of Bickell, Stalberg, and Shaw continued to give opponents fits with their forechecking. Of all the line combinations, this is nowhere near something I would have expected to give opponents fits. People aren't going to want to hear this, but the way that Kruger and Shaw have been playing, might make Bolland expendable. Shaw has filled in that shutdown position exceptionally, and Kruger is no worse than Bolland was on the 2nd line. Frolik can center the 4th line just fine, as well. Funny how that second line center problem has gone from red alert to stale green. When the summer hits, don't be surprised the see Bolland on the the block to open up space to either sign Stalberg and Bickell, and re-sign Leddy and Kruger.
- A late delay of game powerplay, and the excellent forechecking by Vik Stalberg helped tie up the game with just over 2 minutes left in the third. A long shot was taken and the rebound bounced out into the slot onto the stick of a Detroit defender. Stalberg fought through one player, stole the puck and knocked it over to Kane, who snapped off a top shelfer. All tied up in Motown!
- Corey Crawford. As I said before, Crawford is the #1 and anyone that thinks otherwise is a damn fool. He held the Wings to one goal in 65 minutes and shut them out in the shootout. He didn't look like he missed a beat. It's so comforting to see this duo doing well.
- Crazy 8s. He has been electric whenever he touches the puck, and scored the only two Hawks goals of the night; one in regulation and one in the shootout. I'll bet all those meatballs that wanted to trade that "cancer" feel like a bunch of utter fucking dunderheads, now. If they don't, they should!
- Toews, Kruger, Sharp and Frolik were all over 50% at the dots, but Shaw got schooled, to the tune of 1 of 6. Emmerton for Detroit was a clownish 6 of 7
- Tomas Tatar scored the first goal of the game about 3 minutes into the third period. The Wings Andersson looked like he was going to take the puck around the net but reversed a pass to a streaking Tatar, who had Crawford leaning the wrong way. Frolik and Carcillo had a chance to tie up Tatar, but let him skate right by. That makeshift franken-4th line isn't looking so hot now, is it?
- The Hawks were't exactly stellar on the powerplay, but they came though on the most important one, late in the third.
- For some odd reason, Quenneville sat Mayers and Bollig in favor of the Montador experiment with Brookbank, so the fourth line was Carcillo, Frolik and Brookbank. I'm certainly not a Bollig advocate, but he's a forward, Brookbank is not. Three minutes and thirty three seconds of ice time doesn't exactly make his concoction look like a good one
- Datsyuk missed the 5-hole on Crawford
- Toews got beaten by Howard's glove
- Brunner mishandled the puck
- Kaner slow and low for the goal.
- Zetterberg stopped by Crawford's chest.
