11/05/24
May 26, 2008
Just finished watching the game and at the moment, Detroit looks like a machine. They sure know how to put the clamps down.
posted by jmd82 at 10:11 PM on May 26, 2008
The Wings have been pretty incredible at shutting down the Pens' offense and keeping scoring chances to a minimum. The combination of solid positioning, robust back-checking and fantastic puck possession by the Wings has just kept the Penguins off their game. I know the Penguins have very good skill players, but I'm not sure that they are the type of team that can beat these Red Wings. As a matter of fact, the Wings lucked out a bit in that the two teams in the entire Stanley Cup playoffs that would have matched up best against them (Anaheim, San Jose) were knocked out by the Stars. Osgood has been solid, but I think his success is more due to how well the team is playing in front of him than anything else. He seems to me like the hockey goalie equivalent of a Tim Couch type college football quarterback -- his success is as much (or more) a product of the system as it is of his skill level. That said, you still have to stop the shots that come your way, and two shutouts to start the Stanley Cup finals is pretty impressive.
posted by holden at 10:53 PM on May 26, 2008
Pittsburgh still has a chance if it can take game 3 at home, but this looks like a sweep to me.
posted by rcade at 07:28 AM on May 27, 2008
Seems to me the Wings attack the puck carrier more effectively than earlier Pens' opponents, negating the advantages of Malkin and Crosby in open ice. (I've even started to think the weaker Central allows the Wings to experiment throughout the regular season with more game tactics, molding them into a more flexible and opportunistic team.) But the same rule applies to these Wings that applied to the Devils' dynastic teams: you must get the lead first to make them chase you, or else game over.
posted by garfield at 08:41 AM on May 27, 2008
I don't know -- Detroit without the lead still has a good chance of catching up and taking the lead. They have five or six legitimate goal-scoring players. The Devils were way more of a 2-1 or 1-0 kind of team.
posted by fabulon7 at 08:49 AM on May 27, 2008
Detroit is a machine. The pens just need one goal and i think it will open up the gates. Detroit looks like they have zero fear about playing us. Also, Something is wrong with Malkin. Dont know what but he looks gun shy. Bring them home to the igloo. The crowd will bring them back.
posted by Debo270 at 09:10 AM on May 27, 2008
Also, Something is wrong with Malkin. Dont know what but he looks gun shy. I agree. I think it's part Detroit D, but it hasn't just been this series. Maybe one of those "undisclosed injuries." Even Crosby, while being shut down, has shown those flashes of brilliance such as that one-time pass in the first period Malone shanked at point-blank.
posted by jmd82 at 09:41 AM on May 27, 2008
Wow. I agree with y'all. Detroit is a machine - undisputably the better team over the first two games. What's more is that the Pens look lost (the end of yesterday's game seemed to me to be just a bubbling over of sheer frustration). The Wings just don't give up the puck, and the Pens can't get a forecheck or seem to have even the remotest of ideas on how to get and keep the puck deep. Not to mention how totally awesome the Detroit blueline is. Making the Pens look like the damn Phoenix Coyotes. Game 3 will tell all.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:22 PM on May 27, 2008
Looking through the links I found this gem from The Pensblog. Pens played better. We must have been watching different games. I was not impressed with Gary Roberts for punching Franzen in the head, that is just something you don't do. There is a difference between checking a player who is just back from an injury (perfectly legal) and deliberately punching him in the head after he has returned from concussion like symptoms. Of course it was nice seeing Roberts get taken to the ice by Pavel Datsyuk, who is one of the finalists for the Lady Byng trophy. Also, Filppula’s goal was terrific.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 03:05 PM on May 27, 2008
Detroit looks like a machine. As an Avs fan, I can sadly attest to that. They dominated us in the second round on the way to a sweep. Now I feel a little better because we were at least able to score a few goals, though two of the games were blowouts.
posted by drumdance at 05:10 PM on May 27, 2008
Wow, YYM, nice work on the Pensblog. Makes it sound like the only reasons the Wings are killing the Pens is bad calls against the Pens and Osgood's diving. I was under the impresson that it was because the Wings have owned every aspect of both ends of the ice from start to finish. Guess I'm being too objective.
posted by tahoemoj at 03:53 PM on May 28, 2008
Thanks for putting these *FPPs together, NoMich. *Showoff:)