Wings Still Fighting

Red Wings     -     Sharks
      4               3

Just a few thoughts following last night amazing comeback by the suprisingly still alive Detroit Red Wings:

1) There is no way the wings should have won that game.  They looked dead for the first 2 periods.  Only a great setup by Datsyuk to Kronwall kept them from being down 2-0 going into the third.  Jimmy Howard kept them in it with another great performance.  They looked tired, like they didn't care.  San Jose dominated the first 2 periods and should have had a larger lead.  With their quick goal to start the 3rd, I thought the wings would fold and repeat last year.  Instead they responded with a great period where they were all over the Sharks.  It was one of the best, gutsy performances I've seen from the Wings.  Some of their stars are hurt [noticible Franzen (more on him later), Datsyuk, and Zetterberg], but they willed their way to that victory.  Momentum has definitely swung in their favor, we'll see if they have enough to force a game 7.

2) Datsyuk has been playing out of his mind.  3 assists again last night even though he's obvious hurt.  He didn't take a single face-off and only fired his first shot mid-way through the 3rd.  His wrist is bothering him, but he had some great setups and fought through it.  He's easily one of the top 5 players in the game.  If he doesn't get hurt next year, he has to be considered for the Hart Trophy.

3) Franzen can't do anything right now.  His ankle is still bothering him.  He can't skate well or push off his foot to get a good shot.  He gave the wings nothing in the first 2 periods and sat the 3rd.  Then in the 3rd, the wings play great and score 3, not a coincidence.  Babcock has to sit Franzen.  He's dragging the team down especially playing on the second line.  I know everyone has a lot of the respect for the mule, but he needs to take himself out for the team.  Maybe start Modano in his place.  He's had a lot of rest and would be fired up for the playoffs.  Anyone would be better than Franzen right now because they could give something.

4) I think one of the biggest stories of this round is the change in the penalty kill for the wings.  The main penalty killers for detroit are now Helm, Eaves, Kronwall, and Stewart.  Helm especially has been great on the penalty kill, but the wings penalty kill was huge last night holding the Sharks scoreless on the powerplay.  I just think it's amazing that Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk barely play any minutes on the penalty kill.  I have to attribute Zetterberg and Datsyuk to the fact that their injured and more valuable on the powerplay, but Lidstrom has started to decline.  He had another great year, but ended with a negative +/-.  He's made mistakes in the playoffs that I'm just not used to seeing him make.  He's still great on the powerplay, but his ice time is down and he just looks tired coming off the ice.  I just can't believe it when I see him sitting on the bench in the last minute of a 1 goal game.  One of the greatest defensemen of all time and the wings captain is not on the ice for the most important part of the game.  I think he's finally slowing down.  This might be his last year or he may come back for another year where he doesn't play as big of a role.


5)  3 stars were:
         1.  P. Datsyuk  (3 assists)
         2.  J. Pavelski   (1 goal)
         3.  J. Howard   (39 saves)

Datsyuk was great, but Howard was the only reason the wings were in a position to comeback and win game 5. 

6)  Can the wings win one at home and force a game 7? We'll see tomorrow night.  It's been an incredible series.  Go wings.


Matt