Game 2 Live Blog: Wings/Avs
Joe here. A friendly reminder that I’ll be liveblogging today’s playoff game. And if you’re on the fence as to whether you’re gonna watch the Wings game or the NFL Draft, here’s the simple decision maker: you can either watch Matt Millen make a mistake, or listen to the Wings fans chant “FIRE MILLEN!” after they announce the draft pick.
See if the Wings can put themselves up 2-0 after the jump.
Your officials today: Brad Watson and Marc Joannette with the red armbands; Shane Heyer and Brad Lazarowich on the lines.
The one change for Detroit: Lilja takes a seat with Stuart returning from paternity leave. After Lilja took two penalties and didn’t contribute much otherwise, Babcock will be happy to make that tradeoff.
I haven’t heard word on whether Theodore will play today. In case you didn’t hear, Theodore was actually quite sick when he left abruptly after being pulled.
Also, Forsberg will be a game-time decision today.
TSN is saying Theodore is expected to play. But Wojtek Wolski, suffering from our favorite post-season injury (upper body) is not only expected to miss today’s game, but the rest of the series as well.
Obviously the Avalanche want to neutralize Johan Franzen today. They’ll also try to figure out how to replicate the success of the last forty minutes from Thursday.
I’m still waiting for the scratches announcement. One amusing moment from the pregame: Bernie Smilovitz asked Pierre McGuire from NBC if he thought Colorado had the momentum. Pierre had a look on his face that said, “What an insane question,” before informing Messer Smilovitz that no, he did not think that.
The consensus: Detroit must remember that, according to the rules of the National Hockey League, a regulation game consists of 60 minutes. They let Colorado off the mat Thursday. They can’t do it again.
Mickey Redmond suggested that the Avs have to avoid penalties. Well, they would if the Wings had a power play that was the least bit threatening: 12.9% isn’t exactly making Colorado quake in fear.
Pierre McGuire just said, “It doesn’t look good for Forsberg today.”
I like the fact that apparently both teams have to play 60 minutes today. As if this concept of a three 20-minute periods format is somehow new or different.
Forsberg is a scratch.
The starters: Cleary, Drake, Stuart, Draper, Kronvall, Osgood; Liles, Finger, Laperriere, Guite, McLeod, and Theodore.
An impressive stat: Nick Lidstrom has played in 200 straight postseason games.
Again, the 3:00 start is really 3:20.
20:00 - Start of Period 1: Well, that was weird: Cody McLeod just picked up a thrown octopus, taunted the Wings, then hurled it down the tunnel, almost hitting one of the grey-jacketed ushers.
19:20 - McLeod and Stuart are bumping each other after the whistle. Something’s going on…McLeod wants a piece of someone.
18:50 - Holmstrom with a blueliner that Theodore pushes away.
17:50 - I’m so glad Mike Emrick is talking about Green Week at NBC Universal. That’s what I tuned in for.
17:18 - Penalty Colorado: 6 Finger (Roughing). After every stoppage, the Avs have been chippy, and the zebras have had enough. Let’s see what the Wings can do with their anemic powerplay.
16:19 - Lidstrom with shot from three feet out and Theodore stops it.
15:56 - The power play looks anemic again today in the first 90 seconds.
15:38 - GOAL DETROIT: 93 Franzen (5) from Samuelsson and Kronvall. Samuelsson takes the shot, from the right faceoff circle, and Franzen does a magnificent job of deflecting it past Theodore. It was a great set-up play! 1-0 Detroit.
14:25 - Penalty Detroit: 40 Zetterberg (Roughing). He ties up Stastny, and the Avs get the power play.
13:40 - The shots are 6-0 Detroit.
13:04 - Hejduk has a nice chance, but Osgood does a good job of swatting it away and it clears the zone.
12:40 - Hlinka swings and misses at a puck five feet in front of the net.
12:15 - Penalty’s over.
11:27 - Lebda can’t reach a shot, and we hit the first TV timeout. Shots are 6-1 Detroit, and the play has been almost all Detroit.
11:04 - Stastny with a hard shot from 10 feet that Osgood swipes away.
10:30 - Smith skates in on Osgood, and Lidstrom does a nice job of getting him off the puck.
9:12 - Back and forth we go. The Avs are doing a lot of dump and chasing today.
8:42 - Draper gets a shot on a three-on-one, but Theodore does a nice save to the left.
8:12 - Helm and Leopold in the corner pushing.
7:53 - Three great chances for the Wings, and Theodore stops ‘em all. We hit the second TV timeout. Shots are 9-2 Detroit.
Colorado just doesn’t have it so far in the first period. That’s exactly what Joel Quenville must be afraid of.
7:31 - Ben Guite gives Dan Cleary a couple pushes into the boards to the left of Theodore.
6:58 - Lebda and Laperriere go at it after Osgood gets and holds the puck. Laperriere tried to sell it, but the officials weren’t buying. Lebda did give him a push to the face.
6:31 - Datsyuk is sans helmet. Old time hockey!
5:49 - Arnason gets in with a 10-footer, and Osgood sweeps it away.
5:24 - Kronwall with a 40-footer that Theodore saves to bring out the final TV timeout.
Speaking as a brand-new uncle, the Verizon commercial where the dad slams against the glass yelling at the baby, “YOU RULE THIS NURSERY!” is especially funny. Go Liam!
4:48 - Liles gets hit into the boards at center ice by a Wing.
3:40 - More end-to-end. The Avs aren’t putting much pressure on Osgood. The Wings are dumping pucks out whenever Colorado holds it.
2:45 - Zetterberg elbows Adam Foote after a whistle, but no call.
2:28 - McLeod has the puck right in front of Osgood, but can’t settle it to get the shot and it goes into the corner.
1:38 - Helm turns the puck over at center ice, but the Avs can’t convert and go offside.
:42 - Hejudk tries something fancy with a spinarama, but it doesn’t work when you’re surrounded by 3 Wings.
:00 - End of Period 1: And Adam Foote is furious and he has every right to be: Filppula pushed him six feet in front of the boards into the boards almost head first, and Foote and the Avs bench want a call they didn’t get (and should have). Foote yells “CALL IT!” furiously as he go into the tunnel.
Shots are 10-4 Detroit. Hudler has 3 to lead the wings. Four different players have 1 for Colorado.
Hits are 11-10 Detroit. Faceoffs are 9-6 Detroit. Penalties: 1-2:00 for both teams.
Lidstrom leads the time on ice with 8:37 on 8 shifts. Rafalski has 8:11, Zetterberg leads non-defensemen with 6:31. For Colorado, it’s Foote and Salei each with 7:28, and Sakic with 6:07.
Your first period intermission amusement: The Verizon NHL spot I mentioned earlier.
20:00 - Start of Period 2: Let’s see if the Avs decide to play in the second period with any urgency.
18:49 - Helinka to Jones who’s at the corner of the net but can’t get a shot. The Avs are aggressive the first 80 seconds.
18:06 - Cleary with a blueliner that Theodore swipes away as the Wings go for a line change.
16:46 - Penalty Colorado: 28 Guite (Delay of Game). It’s the dumbest rule in the NHL (according to Don Cherry): Guite clears the puck into the stands from behind. The Wings are 1/1.
15:57 - GOAL DETROIT: 93 Franzen 2 (6) from Hudler and Kronvall (PP). Franzen behind the net, and instead of dumping it out, he skates right in front of Theodore and Franzen lifts the puck up and into the net! Two for him, it’s 2-0 on two power plays, and the Avs are really regretting the penalties. And you’ll see that next time on Coaches Corner.
15:27 - Hejduk with a blistering shot that Osgood has to make a fast save.
14:18 - GOAL DETROIT: 51 Filppula (2) from Drake and Lidstrom. Theodore is shaken. A blueliner from Drake is wide, takes a hard bound, and Filppula is there to put it away. Oy! 3-0 Detroit. Now remember that whole 60-minute game thing, kids!
12:54 - Colorado ices the puck to get us to the first TV timeout. The Avs are skating as if the wheels are falling off.
Shots are 8-4 in the period, 18-8 for the game for Detroit. Wonder if Theodore’s feeling sick again.
They replayed the Filppula goal: he was the last man up the ice, and he wisely played the puck off the bank.
11:46 - Samuelsson was right in front of Theodore, and tried to put it top shelf but went too high.
10:33 - McLeod is being a pest: he hits Chelios into the board.
9:49 - GOAL DETROIT: 40 Zetterberg (4) from Datsyuk and Holmstrom. Zetterberg on an odd-man rush, holds it, waits for Theodore to commit to Holmstrom, and puts it in. Dear heavens, this is getting ugly! And there goes Theodore!
9:30 - Fight: 25 McCarty and 11 McCormick. McCormick wanted a piece of McCarty, they exchange some heavy hitting, and we go to the second TV timeout.
Both get fighting majors. The Avs are desperate to get themselves motivated.
9:22 - Penalty Colorado: 55 McLeod (High Sticking). The Avs are just trying to get under the Wings skin. He gets the stick up high on Lebda, and the Wings go on the power play again (2/2, 5 shots).
8:29 - Zetterberg comes into Budaj, and he makes his first save of the afternoon.
7:50 - The shots are 20-8 Detroit. It’s just brutal.
7:16 - Penalty Colorado : 55 McLeod (Interference). As he comes out of the box, he goes at Lidstrom, and he’ll go right back into the box. It’s a meltdown on the Avs part.
6:39 - Hudler takes a shot that goes to the glass.
6:09 - It’s obvious that the Avs are going to play the rest of this game for the pound of flesh.
5:16 - Penalty expires.
5:10 - Penalty Colorado: 24 Salei (Slashing). He takes his stick and slams into Zetterberg’s stick. Yeah: this is exactly what Quenville wanted this period. We reach the final TV timeout. The Wings are 2/4 on the powerplay with at least 8 shots (I’m waiting for NHL.com to catch up).
Shots are 24-9.
4:30 - Penalty Colorado: 28 Guite (Roughing). It’s 5-3.
4:05 - We didn’t see the penalty.
3:58 - Penalty Colorado: 6 Finger (Cross-check). I am not making this up. Three in the box for the Avs.
3:48 - So we’re gonna have a boatload of 5-3 time. Rafalski with a shot that goes wide.
3:03 - Lidstrom with the shot that Budaj saves.
2:30 - 1:20 of 5-4 time.
2:05 - We’re still waiting for a stoppage. The Wings had about two solid minutes of attack time!
1:29 - Shots are 31-9! Still no stoppage.
1:10 - We’re back to 5-on-5. Budaj has been very good in the net. Theodore and Hasek can get together and go bowling for game 3.
:18 - Osgood with a fast save that goes out of the zone. Great job by Osgood!
:00 - End of Period 2. We didn’t have a stoppage in the last four minutes. The shots are insanely lopsided: 22-6 in the second, 32-10 in the game.
If you’re Joel Quenville, what the heck do you do now? Send a note to the officials forfeiting the third period and catch an earlier flight?
Meanwhile, the Wings are 2/7 on the power play. If your Mike Babcock, that’s what you have to cling to: how can you guys not score a goal when you’re on the power play for 8 minutes straight!
The hits are 18-16 Colorado. The faceoffs are 18-15 Colorado. But who the heck cares?
Zetterberg has 8 shots today! A goal, a penalty, and 8 shots. An interesting line to say the least.
17:15 for Lidstrom on 18 shifts. Rafalski with 17:07, and Datsyuk has 12:38 to lead the non-defenseman. For Colorado, 14:37 by Adam Foote, 13:33 by Liles, and 11:36 for Stastny.
Perfect timing for the Lions: their pick comes up during the intermission: They go with Gosder Cherilus, an OT from Boston College. What, no WR? I’m disappointed.
Penalties: 8 for 19:00 for Colorado. 2 for 7:00 for Detroit.
Budaj has already faced 12 shots in his 9:49.
So we get ready for a third period that Babcock’s gotta be sweating, if only because he knows the Avs are going to be coming.
20:00 - Start of Period 3: Babcock was seen pulling out his wallet trying to pay off the timekeeper to go running clock in the third.
19:20 - Samuelsson tries to put in a wraparound that doesn’t get on net.
18:47 - Open ice hit: Foote on an unknown Wing.
18:24 - They’re talking on the broadcast whether to go with Theodore or Budaj in Game 3. My thought: if Budaj holds on and blanks Detroit in the third, he’s earned the start.
17:22 - GOAL COLORADO: 14 Laperriere (1) from McCormick. Laperriere is 10 feet in front of Osgood, and he puts it in. Chelios turned the puck over to the right of Osgood, and they pay the piper.
17:02 - McCormick with a fast shot that Osgood has to make a quick save on.
16:14 - This is what Babcock fears: The Wings taking their foot off the gas. That wasn’t a smart play by Chelios.
15:14 - More sloppy play: Filppula makes a lazy pass that the Avs steal away and clear. I’ll bet you could fry an egg on Babcock’s forehead right now.
14:22 - Foote with a blueliner that goes just wide of Osgood.
12:49 - Budaj covers up to get us to the TV timeout.
Shots are 33-12 Detroit. But the Wings aren’t playing sharp in the third period.
12:12 - Penalty Detroit: 96 Holmstrom (Hooking). Oh dear. Colorado goes on the power play: 0/1 with a shot.
12:04 - Stuart tries to clear it, hits Kris Draper hard.
11:33 - Sakic with a hard drive that goes wide. It’s a bad sign when someone yells “HELP!”
11:13 - GOAL DETROIT: 93 Franzen 3 (7) from 40 Zetterberg. The Avs tried to get cute. Zetterberg brings it in, he stops to fire. Budaj knocks it up in the air, and Franzen knocks it out of the air! A short-handed tally, and the hats are on the ice. 5-1 Wings!
10:42 - Penalty Detroit: 55 Kronwall (Slashing). We’ll go 5-3, as Kronwall gets the stick up on Hejduk.
10:13 - We go to 5-on-4.
9:43 - Zetterberg’s in all alone, but shoots it right into Budaj’s stomach.
8:43 - Penalty expires. The Oz-zie, Oz-zie chant is in the air at the Joe.
8:13 - We get the second TV timeout as Dan Cleary’s blue line shot goes off Budaj and into the stands.
The last Red Wing postseason hat trick is in a Wings jersey today: Darren McCarty against the Avs back in 2002: the 7-0 Game 7 against Patrick Roy it was Game 1 of that series, May 18.
7:01 - Datsuyk gets pushed down by an Av in front of Budaj.
6:14 - Draper tries to set up Cleary, but can’t put it on his stick.
5:40 - The Avs are simply not pushing. They’re not being physical at all.
4:54 - Penalty Detroit: 22 Lebda (Interference). We hit the final TV timeout. Shots are 37-17. The Avs are actually outshooting the Wings this period 7-5.
Colorado is 0/2 0/3 with 5 shots.
4:46 - Sakic with a fast shot that Osgood handles.
3:41 - The Avs can’t get anything going for more than 15 seconds at a time.
3:20 - Brunette with a backhander that Osgood swats away.
2:52 - Penalty’s over.
2:45 - Lebda comes in and puts a shot right at Budaj who holds it for a whistle.
1:56 - McCloud sets up Jones, but he can’t do much.
1:00 - Sweet merciful crap: A Peter Puck mention!
:47 - Penalty Detroit: 33 Draper (Holding).
:13 - The Wings fans are singing to “Sweet Caroline.” What is this, Boston?
:00 - End of Period 3: Babcock wanted 60 minutes. He got 50 to 55. Wings win, 5-1!
Shots in the third: Colorado 10-8. For the game: 40-20 Detroit. They had their third 20-shot period of the playoffs today.
Zetterberg had 10 shots today. Franzen had 6, and had his hat-trick. Sakic and Stastny each had 3 shots.
Hits were 24-21 Detroit. Faceoffs were 26-24 Detroit.
Three stars: #1: Franzen (obviously); #2: Kronvall (2A: huh?); #3: Zetterberg (1G, 1A, 10 shots). I disagree: Zetterberg should’ve been the #2 star, and Osgood #3.
Time-on-ice/shifts: 24:12/26 for Lidstrom, 22:21/24 for Rafalski, 20:17/26 for Zetterberg. Colorado: 23:02/26 for Liles, 21:29/30 for Salei, and 18:14/23 for Stastny.
That’ll do it for today. Thanks as usual to Christy for the space. Thanks to you for reading. I leave you with the video Joel Quinville will be showing his team on the flight back to Denver. Either Christy or I will see you Tuesday.
One late note: WDIV’s ticker here in Detroit has the time wrong for games 3 and 4: they’re 10 P.M. ET starts (8 P.M. Denver time).
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7 Responses to “Game 2 Live Blog: Wings/Avs”
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April 26th, 2008 at 11:00 am
[…] Joe Hass is liveblogging the game again here. […]
April 26th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I do hope the Wings fans chant “FIRE MILLEN”. That would make me not hate them, at least for one day
April 26th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
[…] BtJ liveblog here. […]
April 26th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
“the Red Wings control is beyond my comprehension.” Mike Milbury
April 26th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Well yeah: it’s beyond his comprehension because they wouldn’t be goaded into a penalty fest (with the exception of McCarty, whom we’ll let slide because he was challenged and we expect that).
April 26th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Johan Franzen = awesome.
Yeah, what is the deal with Sweet Caroline? (But it was cool to hear the crowd continue singing after the play started back up and the PA music stopped).
They’ve chanted “Fire Millen” before - also at college hockey games. He has talent to be hated by so many fans of so many sports other than his own, that’s for sure.
April 26th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Also - I wish that just once some broadcaster would not use “consistent” as a synonym for “good.”
It is possible to be consistently bad, which would be even worse than inconsistently good.
Vain hope, but I have a soft spot for lost causes.