TIGERS ADVANCE TO ALCS ON VERLANDER'S SHOULDERS!

What a fantastic outing by Justin Verlander last night! On a night where we needed JV to come through AGAIN, he was simply sensational on the mound! Once he realized his no hitter was done you could see the mindset completely change to lets win this game. Immediately after letting up Oakland's first hit, Verlander had asked for the ball back immediately by repeatedly saying "Come on, come on" meaning give me that ball and let me take us to the ALCS! And that is where we are once again for the second straight year!

Cabrera finally coming through with a huge homerun. Probably the second biggest homerun of the series outside of Peralta's in Game 4. If came seconds after the mindless TBS announcers said Cabrera didnt have the legs to power out homeruns right now....HAHA what a CHUMP! Way to make him and the Oakland A's pay Miggy. 

MVP's of the series: 1. Victor Martinez 2. Jhonny Peralta 3. Justin Verlander/Max Scherzer. 4. The HAKA VICTORY DANCE (In case you missed the Hawaiian victory dance here it is:
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31121679&partnerId=as_mlb_20131011_12998704&topic_id=62343546
Tigers Win ALDS!

On a side note, we are finally done with TBS and on to FOX. Yes many find Joe Buck boring but lets face it...those TBS announcers were complete garbage! All baseball fans of our generation know you grew up listening to sound of Joe Buck's voice and that his voice purely meant we are in October and playoff baseball is ON!

See ya Saturday Boston! LETS GO TIGERS!!

Lions Opener and Mich vs. ND: quick weekend wrap up

What an amazing football weekend for the state of Michigan!!  Wolverines taking care of business against the Irish Saturday night, under the lights, on the national spotlight...way to go blue!!  Devin Gardner played superb minus a hiccup in our own endzone throwing pics.  Great win and we should now cruise into 5/6-0 in the next 4 games.
Lions, Lions, Lions, you made me rip my hair out and put enough wear and tear on my body for a full season as a fan.  We denied ourselves at least 21 pts in the first half with fumbled snaps, terrible penalties (SUH!) and missed opportunities.  Yet we still be the Vikings in a game with NFC North implications.
REG-GIE, REG-GIE, REG-GIE!!!! What a game by Reggie Bush in his Lions game 1 debut with  4 rec's for 100 yds TD and 91 rush yards as well!  Stafford and the offense looked in sync as he slung the ball a ton like normal and passed for 357 yds.
After all of our mistakes, we still pulled out the win and are 1-0 in the division baby!!
Great weekend and more to come!!!

MICHIGAN vs NOTRE DAME...Enough Said!!!

Today marks the last time that Michigan and Notre Dame will meet on the football field.  This historic rivalry dates back to 1887 as these two most winningest football programs (Michigan #1 and ND #3) have met 40 times.  When Michigan and ND meet you better be glued to the screen until the last second because 5 of the last 7 games have been decided by 7 points or less.  In 2011, The Big House hosted a night game for the first time in its 84 year history....

In 2009, Tate Forcier threw a touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to beat the Irish in another thriller.  

This game has meant so much to these amazing programs over the years and many stars have played in this matchup.  ND's coach Brian Kelly down played this rivalry and then realized how terrible he sounded and revised his statement.  Anyone who is a fan of college football will be watching this game tonight.  ESPN College Gameday has been to Ann Arbor 6 times for this game which states the importance of this game to the National audience.

I apologize to the fans looking for a last second finish on a touchdown pass because this one will be a beat down by my Wolverines.  We have just about cleared out all of the Rich Rod players and have finally gotten back to pro-style offense with Devin Gardner leading the ship.  Michigan has won 6 of last 7 games vs ND at the Big House and Brady Hoke is undefeated at home over his 1st two seasons so I am looking forward to the Wolverines dominating tonight under the lights!!

A big matchup will be in the trenches with Michigan's offensive line defending against ND's defensive line.  If Taylor Lewan and company can give my man Gardner some time to throw the ball, I don't see Michigan having any issues tonight.  Also, tonight will be a coming out party for RB Derrick Green even though he is the backup to Fitz Touissaint.

It's gonna be a SEA OF MAIZE tonight at the BIG HOUSE under the LIGHTS!!!  Let's send these little Irish Lep's home and cap off this historic rivalry with a confident win tonight boys....

LETS GO BLUE!!!

Summer to fall=Football and Baseball Playoffs

This is such a beautiful time of year where we transition from Summer into the Fall season.  I am a summer person and who isn't, but it's time to settle into football (fantasy football) and baseball playoffs.  Fans from Michigan are in a good place with their sports teams and should be very optimistic about what is to come.

Our Detroit Tigers are 77-56, 1st in the AL Central leading by 5.5 games heading into September.  Max Scherzer (19-1) is on the bump tonight and going for his league leading 20th WIN!!  Miguel Cabrera is simply amazing and puts on a show every night as he chases not only a triple crown, but his second one in consecutive years as he trails Chris Davis by only 3 homeruns...#MVP

Looking forward to a great season for Michigan football as we start out the year with a pro-style offense for the first time in nearly 4-5 years. QB Devin Gardner was not selected to be U of M's captain this year but will be leading the offense as we matchup against Central Michigan on Saturday at 330 ET for game one at the big house.

Last but not least, the Detroit Lions play their last preseason game tonight against the Buffalo Bills before starting the regular season next week.  Detroit has added Reggie Bush to the offense which will help open up a lot of big plays over the middle of the field and keep safety's honest=Big plays for the best receiver in the game, CALVIN JOHNSON!!  Detroit's defensive line played a hell of a game against the Patriots 1st team offense and our secondary is healthy again so looking forward to what they can do this season.

Looking forward to a fantastic start to the football season and an even better finish for the Tigers as we set our sites on our second World Series appearance in consecutive seasons!
#GOBLUE
#MIGGY4MVP
#TRIPLECROWN
#LIONS

12 MLB players agree to 50 game bans! Peralta being one of them. Time for our infield to change and get solidified for Detroits playoff run! Need infante and Cabrera back and we will be 100%! 
Huge 4 game series vs Cleveland starts today and they will see Sanchez, Verlander, Fister and Scherzer to end the series on Thursday. We win 2 or 3 and we can go up 5-6 games on them in the central which would be nice breathing room!
‪#‎LGDT‬

YES YES YES!! Star center Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings have agreed to a 3 year contract extension. Datysuk confirmed this with everyone via his twitter account, "Signed 3 yr. extension. Detroit, glad to be here for 4 more yrs. Thanks to our fans, friends and Ilitch family"

Datysuk, who is 34 years old and will be going through his last year of his current contract can't officially sign the new deal until July 5th (rules of the collective bargaining agreement) but can announce it. 

Detroit has locked up 4 of their stars now to major contracts for years; Center Pavel Datsyuk, Captain Henrik Zetterberg, Defenseman Niklas Kronwall and Goaltender Jimmy Howard. Pretty much solidifying that we will not want to pay $5 million for Filipula's contract so he's a goner! (Will miss you Fillpy)

This is a great sign for the Detroit Redwings how are paying their star players and looking forward to getting much needed value out of their young players as they continue to develop over the offseason.

STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 1 RECAP: BRUINS VS HAWKS

I took a hiatus from writing after my Wings lost in the Western Conference Semifinals and am now ready to write in regards to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  I devoted enough time into watching last nights triple overtime thriller so I have to speak on it.
Game 1 of the Cup Finals had just about everything you can ask for...two Original Six teams, hard hitting, 117 combined shots on goal, amazing display of saves by Rask and Crawford and 5+ periods of great hockey!  Boston came out with two quick goals going up 2-0 and then it went back and forth into the third period to 3-2.  All 5 goals up to this point were legitimate and when Chicago needed a huge break they got it when Oduya slapped one from the point and the puck bounced off the left skate of a Boston player which trickled in behind Rask to even up the game at three goals a piece.  No team could put one past their opposing net-minders in the remaining minutes of the third period forcing overtime.
OT was a roller coaster ride of a game with both teams having great chances but Boston dominated in the area of SOLID scoring chances in my mind.  With both teams completely gassed and playing on pure adrenaline, both goalies stepped up making huge saves as well.  Rask with 59 saves on 63 shots and Crawford saving 51 of 54 shots on goal.
The Hawks got a bit greedy with Boston's Horton injured in the locker room and decided to cheat a bit.  With Boston's bench a man down Chicago tried not only once to skate with an extra player, but used the 6 on 5 man strategy THREE times only being caught twice.  These penalties gave Boston great power play chances to put them away but couldn't capitalize...maybe Boston deserved the third penalty call that the Hawks got away with.
Boston nearly ended the game with 9 seconds to go in double overtime when Chara sent a puck flying directly off the right post, saving Crawford's behind and pushing this game into a third overtime.  I know that Boston may be upset but if their is anyone who wants to end his life it is Daugavins.  At the half way point of 3OT Tyler Seguin put a beautiful pass on the tape of Daugavin's stick where all he had to do was open up the blade of his stick and deflect the puck into the wide open net.  But NO, why make it easy on yourself in triple OT, when you are exhausted and playing away at the United Center in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals!!  Instead, he took the pass and tried to deke his way across the sprawling Crawford and go to his backhand which sounds a lot easier right?  NO, Daugavins you tried to make a highlight reel goal and now your team is paying for it.  You are not only physically drained after nearly 2 games of hockey in one night, but you are now emotional disoriented and screwed after missing on the greatest opportunity of this game!  (In case you missed it, here is the replay)

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=35&id=258915

Just over two minutes later Chicago took advantage of this missed opportunity by Daugavins and scored the game winner when Rozsival's slap shot was deflected twice by Bolland and Shaw with Shaw getting credit for the goal.  Hawks ended up winning in triple overtime taking a 1-0 series lead.  Overall, great game by both teams and for hockey fans around the world, we have already cashed in on extra hockey.

GAME 7: WHERE LEGENDS ARE BORN

AAHHHH GAME 7, for all the marbles, the do or die moment, the must win situation, putting everything on the line with your backs against the wall. A game where legends are born but then again, where dreams are squandered. Where heroes come to the forefront and victors are crowned. This is the game that youngsters back in pee wee hockey dream about and would love to be apart of. Detroit vs Chicago, one last dance in the Western Conference to decide who plays the LA Kings on Friday.

Lets face it, Detroit had 2 chances to close them out and now we have put ourselves in this position. This is our final opportunity to get rid of these Hawks and must play with our backs against the wall with 110% desperation which we lacked in Games 5 and 6.

“They’re a good team; let’s get the facts straight,” Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard said. “They weren’t going to go away quietly. But now it’s down to one game. Game 7, you dream about winning these when you’re a kid.”


Detroit's general Mike Babcock once said that if you told us that we'd be playing in Game 7 at the start of this series, you would take that. Very true, but we also didn't know we'd have a commanding 3-1 series lead after Game 4. This is the NHL playoffs and teams go on runs and win games in spurts and now it comes down to basically a coin flip of a game.


UPSIDE:

Wings were in a much worse situation just last round being down 3-2 against the second seeded Anaheim ducks. And with our backs against the walls at the Honda Center in Anaheim no less, we came out and played like a Detroit team that never quits and won Game 7 on the road!!

Detroit seems to always play better with a chip on their shoulder and when the going gets tough.

 Yeah, you might say that this season for Detroit has been a success given our injuries, lack of depth, and young inexperienced rookies. But as you play, win and experience success through the playoffs, you must adapt and reevaluate where the Red Wings are NOW!! We are ONE WIN away from going to the Conference Finals but most of all, ONE WIN away from forcing Chicago into the past. A past that includes a mere 2 Stanley Cups since 1960 and 2 Conference Championships all-time! (Detroit will always win that one)

This is it, time to see who can be a better team in a game with such significance. Who will play harder, stronger, faster, more confident, with mistake free hockey? Because the team that puts those factors on display tonight will have a great chance of winning no matter what history says. Victories in hockey can be determined by an unlucky bounce, a boneheaded mistake or even a bad call by a ref, but in the end it's all about which team can decrease the chances of those events happening and maximize scoring opportunities!

Game 7 tonight in Chicago will be the last battle in this long, endured war that dates back to the Original Six days as Western Conference foes. Game 7 will bring certain players to the top of the NHL mountain yet put a few six feet deep. This particular game in my mind and the millions watching around the world, will be remembered FOREVER!!


GO OUT AND WIN TONIGHT BOYS!!!


LETS GO RED WINGS!!!


For you statisticians out there, here is some great historical data on Game 7's...

• Of the 144 Game 7s, 24 times a team trailing their series 3-1 won Game 7 and 3 times a team down 3-0 in their series won Game 7.
• Of the 591 best-of-seven NHL playoff series played, 144 (24%) have resulted in a Game 7 with the home team holding a healthy 91-53 (63%) edge.
• Detroit is tied with with Montreal with most Game 7 victories all-time with 13 and a record of (13-9).
• Chicago near the middle with 10 game 7 victories all-time and a record of (5-5).

GAME 5: WINGS LOOK TO CLINCH THE SERIES!!

Another beautiful day (not talking weather cause its terrible here in Chicago) because its game day! A day that all Detroit Red Wings fans have been waiting for all season long...to upset these overhyped Hawks that thought their President's Trophy would carry them to the finish line. The series ain't over until that horn sounds and we are celebrating that oh so crucial 4th win of the series.
Tonight, the Wings are poised, they are ready and they have no fear coming into the United Center. We've been here and won and will do so again tonight!!
Detroit's third/fourth lines are playing extremely well and are bringing out the best in our penalty kill that has been fabulous lately!! Howard...will simply be Howard tonight, enough said!! Veteran's like Dats, Z, the Mule and Cleary aren't messing around and will most definitely make life hell for the top "super lines" for Chicago.

I am ready and I know that the Wings are (see picture...boss like!). All fans in the Chicago City, we'll be at the Tin Lizzie as always representing. All my Detroit fans all over, let me here you say "LETS GO RED WINGS!!""

LETS GET THIS DONE AND PUT THESE HAWKS 6 FEET DEEP!!

Who's the Hammer now Dan? Response to Chicago Tribune writer Dan McNeil

The Detroit Red Wings are putting together a streak of wins that many Chicagoans felt could never happen. If you haven't read Chicago Tribune writer, Dan McNeil's article from May 16th (after Chicago won Game 1 of course) please take 5 minutes of your Friday morning and indulge.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-05-16/sports/ct-spt-0517-dan-mcneil-blackhawks-chicago-20130517_1_detroit-goaltender-jimmy-howard-justin-abdelkader-red-wings

The theme or headline to his article is the old saying, "Hammer and the Nail" and Dan felt after winning one game against Detroit that the Wings were the Nail to his almighty Blackhawks HAMMER. Well Dan, you must be real full this morning after eating all those words my friend because your Hawks are in a deep hole that'll be tough to get out of.

"Meantime, enjoy these not-so-spicy Wings, who are nothing more than an annoying impediment that won't take long to remove."-McNeil wrote.

It seems that you are not only full Dan, but that you might be showing signs of heartburn because you over looked these spicy Wings. These "not-so-spicy" Wings have not only given your Hawks some indigestion, but will be sending them to the bathroom after a short stint in the Western Conference Semifinals! Oh and if the Hawks need some Pepcid AC to control that heartburn, just have them ask the cart lady on the golf course they'll be playing at next week!

Dan also writes, "Mike Babcock's Wings, who've lost eight straight to the Hawks, aren't good enough to make this a contemptuous, long series. Nor do they possess the "criminal element" that guys like Bob Probert, Joey Kocur, Darren McCarty and Keith Primeau provided to make Detroit as loathsome as it was in decades. The Blackhawks are too fast for Detroit. They're too deep. The Hawks are much more experienced, especially at the blue line. They're too well conditioned."

Well Dan, I love your REGULAR SEASON stats from the Wings vs Hawks over the last two years but the only stats that matter are those from the playoffs, which we seem to be dominating. Wings are 7-2 against the Hawks in their last 9 playoff matchups and will be looking to make it an early summer for your fast, deep and more experienced Hawks.

I could spend all day tearing your article apart but I have other important things to do. Just know that in a world where their is a hammer and a nail, the Detroit Red Wings will always be the one's doing the hammerin'! And right now, the construction site that is the Chicago Blackhawks is nearly complete!

RED WINGS ONE GAME CLOSER TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS!! (Who's the nail now Dan McNeil?)

Sorry Hawks, this just isn't your year...Oh wait, it was your year. You went on that great streak of 24 points in the beginning of the season (yeah)....you won the President's Trophy (yeah)...you even beat the scary Minnesota Wild 4-1 in the first round (yeah)...and you got a #1 that has been sitting next to your name since the playoffs started in April (yeah)...you guys did it!!!

But their seems to be something missing right now because Chicago fans seem upset this morning....hmmm...Oh I know, playoff victories against your one and only, DETROIT RED WINGS!! Otherwise known as the "Nail" to Chicago's so called "hammer," right Dan McNeil? (I'll be addressing his awful article in the Chicago Tribune shortly).

In case you missed Game 4 last night, Detroit took down Chicago 2-0 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this series. I want to thank a special cry baby for being so frustrated last night because locking you in the baby pen (penalty box) gave us chances to score. And Jakub Kindl took full advantage of it and put a wonderfully timed, off speed shot past the right leg of Crawford for the Wing's first goal. We not only put in the only needed goal to win, but that Chicago streak of 29 straight penalty kills, oh yeah, we snapped that as well. Immediately after we scored, Toews apparently came out to celebrate while receiving another high sticking call that yet again, forced him back into the penalty box. Three consecutive appearances to the box isn't going to help your team Mr. Captain!

Toews in the net...something he hasn't be able to do with the puck all postseason long!

“We’d like to keep him in the box,” Jonathan Ericsson said. “He’s not as good for them in the box.”
Well said, and he's hasn't been that good for them on the ice either. Zetterberg and company have done a great job of frustrating Toews and keeping the Chicago Captain off the scoring sheet. Toews has yet to score in 9 playoff games on 28 postseason shots.

“Z is doing a great job on Toews,” goalie Jimmy Howard said. “He’s all over him out there. He has really taken away his time and space and not really letting him generate too much.”

Jimmy Howard was phenomenal with his performance last night stopping all 28 shots and shutting out the Hawks for the first time all season! Hawks players tried so hard last night and couldn't get the puck past our amazing net-minder. This isn't anything new to Wings fans because he does this night after night and Chicago is getting used to it.

“Howie played well,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said, showing no emotion. “We pay him to do that.”

http://video.redwings.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=136&id=250665&lang=en

“He’s been playing like that the whole year,” Kindl said. “He’s been our best player.”

Detroit has really shown the hockey world and more importantly, Chicago what it takes to win when it matters most.  Shortly, Chicago Hawks fans will resort to their old jokes about the city of Detroit and how terrible it is because that will be their only ammo after the Hawks start their early summer.  Going on rants about the rise and fall of the Motor City.  Funny thing, your Blackhawks are going through a very similar struggle, which started with all the REGULAR SEASON glory.  Now it's all tumbling down after all that hype beginning the postseason.  So Hawks fans, I advise you to get ready for that crash landing because it is going to hurt!!

LETS GO RED WINGS!!

PIVOTAL SWING GAME- Importance of Game 4

In a close battle against a top team in the Western Conference like Chicago, Game 4 can and will say a lot about the outcome of this series. The Detroit Red Wings have brought their "A" game the last two contests vs. the Hawks and are preparing to make it three in a row. Three games have been played and coaches are going to play an even bigger role in making sure their team executes. With multiple two day rest periods between games, teams are constantly reevaluating and looking to implement certain strategies into the next game. Coach Babcock is a very simple man and isn't focusing on what these Hawks are doing, but creating ways to frustrate and make it hard on the opposition.

The Red Wings are up 2-1 in this series and can put Chicago in a strangle hold if they can execute and win Game 4 tonight! We have our home ice tonight which apparently has been a huge advantage in the second round for the respective playoff teams that are still fighting for chance to advance. But the fans don't win games for us, its the players that control that. Winning Game 3 was huge because we didn't give anything back to the Hawks, we simply clinched our fists on what was ours!

“The playoffs are always about the next game,” Wings coach Mike Babcock told the media. “We have a huge game next game.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYGG1H2fX-M

Detroit just needs to continue to focus and play hard and not worry about where we stand in this series. Take the rankings and throw them out because it's the playoffs and anything can happen.

“Just because we have a No. 7 in front of our team doesn’t mean we can’t beat a No. 1,” Cleary said. “I’ve been on the other side of that.”

Every game is so darn important but this game would give our Detroit Red Wings the biggest shift in momentum we have seen throughout these playoffs. Chicago will be bringing their physical presence into the Joe tonight and we will match that while winning the puck possession battle like the Wings of old. LETS DO THIS BOYS!!

LETS GO RED WINGS!!!

Red Wing's 3rd/4th Lines Play Huge Role In Game 3 Victory!

Red Wings celebrate after Rookie, Gustave Nyquist puts them up 1-0 in the second period of Game 3.

Wow!!! What a game last night at Joe Louis Arena!! Game 3 showed how much our young guys have truly come together and grown. Our third and fourth lines played extremely well and had a huge impact in this game getting us an early lead. After the Hawks came out with a surge of shots on Jimmy Howard in the first period (15 shots), the Wings settled down and got into a groove.

Just about halfway through the second period, Brunner made a fantastic touch pass off the side boards that led to Nyquist's highlight reel of a goal! Rookie Gustav Nyquist gained control of the bouncing puck, brought it across his body through one defender and waited until two defenders went down and scored. Showing not only his great hands, but also a ton patience to wait until Crawford fell down to put it past him for the game's first goal. 

"The more you can wait,” Nyquist would later say, smiling, “the bigger the net.”

Nearly a half a minute later, 31 seconds to be exact, the Red Wings went up 2-0 on Drew Miller's goal. He showed great tenacity and never gave up on the rebound while poking it in the net. After a nasty hit that kept Franzen on the ice, Patrick Kane received a great pass and put it through Howard's five-hole to make it 2-1. In the blink of an eye, the game felt close again. But our veteran super star showed the world why he is the most magnificent player in the NHL. Pavel Datysuk sent a lazer in the top left corner of the net that was nearly impossible for any goaltender to save...just ask Jonas Hiller from the Ducks who was scored on with an identical goal from Datsyuk in the first round! Datsyuk stepped up again, blasting another game changing goal past Cory Crawford which sealed the Wing's Game 3 victory!

Jimmy Howard faced 40 shots tonight, saving 39 and is really elevating his game time after time in big playoff situations. I can't say enough about our goalie who has bailed us out all season long and continues to thrive in the spotlight. As my friend Paul G. stated on facebook, "Jimmy Howard. If you didn't respect him before, you do now."

This series is starting to heat up with a lot of physical play from both teams. Chicago's Seabrook started it off with a cheap hit, shoving Cleary into the crossbar that wasn't called by the refs.  Bickell and Shaw continued to be bullies all night looking for fights and pestering our wings defenseman. But the Red Wing's won the hits battle tonight (28-22) and killed all five of Chicago's power plays.

The Red Wings are playing very well right now but need to focus on our power play. We were 0 for 5 on the PP tonight and have to start taking advantage of that if we want to continue on. Great overall effort by our lower lines as well as our veteran's in taking Game 3 in Detroit!  Game 4 will be in Detroit on Thursday as we set our sites on a 3rd win of this best of 7 series!

"BEST OF 5 SERIES" Back at the Joe for Game 3!

Danny and I at our Tin Lizzie stomping grounds cheering on our Detroit Red Wings! Article posted in the Chicago Redye, also made the cover!

With the series tied 1-1 and back in the City of Detroit, tonight's game is extremely important for either team's momentum. We don't want to repeat what happened in the Anaheim series where they came into our house and stole back home-ice advantage. Two games have been played so far with these two fierce rivals with the outcomes being the exact opposite.

"Now it's a best-of-five," coach Mike Babcock said after the Wings' morning skate. "Not much to pick between the two teams the first two games. They were better than us in Game 1. We were better than them in Game 2. Series starts all over here today, and I imagine you'll have to up the ante to win here today.

Wings just won game 2 in more of a convincing fashion than the Hawks did in Game 1 and we can't let up. We have the momentum playing the next 2 at home, but we also must remember that we are supposed to win these games which puts pressure on our guys. Like Coach Babcock said, its a best of five, and whoever wins tonight will have the advantage. We must respect this Hawks team even after we dominated them in Game 2 because they are the strongest and deepest team in the league (in my opinion). But, even though we weren't deep throughout the regular season, we are getting there now because our rookies are no longer playing like rookies...they are playing with composure and CONFIDENCE!! Their will be no changes to any of Detroit's lines and we expect to have that same synergy carry over from Game 2's victory!

Tonight we are loose, tonight we are ready, and tonight we will play a very tough game against these pesky Hawks. We are even in this battle and both teams have reevaluated and readjusted to each other's style of play. Right now Chicago goalie Cory Crawford has pads like a tennis racquet and the more shots we feed his way, the more scoring chances we will have. We must never let up and never give up!! Lets play BIG, SMART and FEARLESS tonight and win this pivotal game 1 in the NOW best of 5 series!

LETS GO RED WINGS!!

P.S. If you didn't get a chance to read the article in the Redeye about Red Wings fans in the city of Chicago, here is the link to the video and article.  Enjoy!
http://www.redeyechicago.com/sports/ct-red-0520-hawks-wings-fans-rivalry-20130519,0,1543009.story

Its Saturday and no better way to start off the afternoon with a powerful, energetic, 60 minutes of playoff hockey. Wings vs Hawks!! Wings need to play well in their own zone, make smart passes to actual teammates and be open to receive them. Wings are rested and will need to exert all that balled up energy and stamina into the THIRD PERIOD where we have lacked. 

We saw how Game 1 went and I have no doubt that the intelligent Coach Babcock has put together the best strategy for victory...our players just need to execute and we'll take this one on the road, splitting the series 1-1 going back to the JOE!! 

LETS PLAY HARD AND LETS GO RED WINGS!! Hope to see everyone up at the Tin Lizzie, its a beautiful day for playoff hockey!!

Game 1 Recap: Wings vs Hawks

The Blackhawks didn't take long in showing us why they were the best team in the regular season. Almost scoring in the very first 20 seconds after a blown coverage by a Wings defenseman made my heart almost stop beating. But just ten minutes into the 1st period, Toews found Hossa where he buried a one-timer passed Howard. Damien Brunner did tie things up shortly after Hossa's laser to give Wing's fans a sigh of relief and we made it through the first period with one goal a piece. It was a close game in the first and shots were 8-7 in favor of Detroit.

But then came the second period where Chicago turned it up to a different level of play. Blasting shot after shot and net-minder Jimmy Howard, the Hawks were knocking on the door. Bolland had a break away chance late in the second period and couldn't get it passed the reach of Howard's left pad. Howie, played great as always showing us why he has been our MVP in these playoffs. Howard was in great position throughout most of the night and made fantastic glove saves on great shots by the Hawks. At the end of the second period, tied 1-1 still, shots were now 23-12 in favor of Chicago and you could just sense where this game was going.

Wings lost their legs in the third period and Chicago seemed like they had 8 skaters on the ice at all times. They were everywhere, getting to every loose puck and it seemed we couldn't get the puck out of our zone.

“We just turned the puck over far, far too much,” Howard lamented afterward. “It seemed too much like every time we got it just past our own blue line, they were pushing back into our zone. We’ve got to clean that up.”

We turned into the team we were in the beginning of the season, scared of taking charge and started dumping and chasing. The Hawks forecheck was outstanding and the puck stayed in our zone like it was pulling an all-nighter. Hawks opened the game up with two goals mid-way through the third period from Oduya and Kruger and then getting there last one on an empty netter finishing the game 4-1 and leading the series 1-0.

My take on this game is that the Hawks were simply better than us. They are a very healthy and deep team that skates with four goal scoring lines. Sounds familiar to the Wings when they had Scotty Bowman as coach and we had dynamic goal scorers on multiple lines. Stan and Scotty Bowman are playing a key role in the success of building this Hawks team and its showing. We played well enough in the first and second periods and fell off the face of the earth in the third period. The Wing's achilles heel in the playoffs so far has been their third period play. Once again giving up 2 or more goals in the third which led the opposition to run away with game 1.

“In the third period we were giving up too many chances again,” Wings defensemanJonathan Ericsson said. “They were coming with breakaways and stuff like that. We’ve got to clean that up. It’s frustrating, but it’s only the first game.”

Wings had chances to pounce all over Crawford with a few open shots but we tried to get cute, forcing passes into lanes that were covered up by Hawks defenseman.  We are not going to get a ton of chances against this Hawks team and when we do, we have to take advantage of it. The refs blew two calls early in the game and Hossa showed us his theatrical skills while diving to the ground forcing the refs to put up his hand. Blown calls are frustrating to anyone, yet we didn't use our power play opportunities to get goals so it cancels itself out.

In the end of the day, Detroit kept themselves in the game keeping it 1-1 mid-way through the last period and then we fell apart. Hawks outshot the Wings 36-14 in the last 2 periods which is unacceptable and we must figure out a way to make it easier on Jimmy Howard or this series could be a short one.  It's time to move on and look forward to game 2.  We have a few days of rest and are already back in Detroit after flying home last night.  Lets rest up, re-evaluate and come to play Red Wings hockey Saturday early afternoon!!

We'll come back just like we did against Anaheim and split the series 1-1.  LETS GO WINGS!!!

OPERATION: BLACKHAWK DOWN!!

The time has come for the biggest rivals in the NHL today to go head to head for the chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals!  The Wings and Hawks have played the most head to head games in league history and tonight will be the 725th time these two squads go at it.  They have battled as Original Six foes, for the Stanley Cup Finals and butted heads in the Central division for years.  In the last five years both teams have hoisted the cup above their shoulders as Stanley Cup Champions (Wings have done this 11 times tho, might I add) and are squaring off once again and for the last times as Western Conference teams.

The Red Wings have served the Western Conference for many years helping to build a more traditional feel to it and next year will finally be moving to where they belong.  No more traveling to Vancouver, San Jose, and Los Angeles for road trips that never end wearing while wearing us out in the playoffs on a nightly basis.

The Wings and Hawks come into this series in much different roles than we are used to.  The Hawks finished the regular season with an NHL-best 77 points, 21 more than the Wings and 11 more than any other team in the Western Conference.  They are the 1 seed and WE are the 7 seed.  Chicago finished up the Minnesota Wild in an easy 5 games, while we busted our tails and beat the Ducks in a grueling 7 games.  Chicago is the favorite, the best team in the NHL and is "supposed" to win...BUT, lets not forget, for ONE SECOND, who they are playing...THE DETROIT F'N RED WINGS!!!

We all know what the Red Wings did in the last week of the regular season and what they just accomplished in beating the 2nd best team in the Western Conference.  Wings have not only won 8 of their last 11 games (which have basically all been playoff type games), they also have matured as a whole.

We topped the list this year in injuries throughout the season/1st round and our replacements have stepped their game up on the big stage!  The Andersson's, Lashoff's, Nyquist's, of the world have experienced so much and are in a groove right now.  We are mixing our veteran leadership with our young talent and its turned into greatness!  Now we move onto the second round where Chicago will be waiting to take advantage of that new growth but we will not let that happen people!

Let's get this out of the way right now, I HATE the blackhawks!  I DESPISE the blackhawks!  And blackhawks FANS DISGUST ME and deserve to rot in a filthy, dark hell!!!  In case you didn't know, my history with b-hawks fans goes back to 2009 Winter Classic where 8 hours after the Wings beat down the hawks at Wrigley Field, a blackhawks fan decided to cold cock me from BEHIND and broke my jaw in 2 places.  Putting my mouth on the IR for 2 months, wired shut!!  So for this series, PLEASE allow me to put my Angst towards this terribly, awful team on full display.

First of all, Hawks fans are the all-time worst.  Your existence probably began somewhere around the 2010 season when they won their 1st cup since anyone can remember OR you still have the creases in your brand new jersey bought this season when they went on their long winning streak to start the season.  Most of you came from some city in the Midwest where hockey wasn't the sport of choice or your home state simply didn't have a team.  So, you jumped on the next best thing coming down the street which was the Whackhawks bandwagon playing that stupid song they play when goals are scored (you thought it was catchy/trendy)!

I know "your" team is #1 in the NHL and played the best in the regular season, and beat the Wild 4-1 in round 1, BUT you are about to face off against a storied team with the best General in the land in Mike Babcock!  I know you went 4 for 4 against us, but let's be clear on this, 3 were in OT where two were won in a shootout (otherwise known as a skills competition).  We'll disregard the 7-1 outlier.  In the playoffs, games aren't won with shootout goals where Kane, skating slower than my grand mother, takes all the time in the world and finds a hole.  ANYONE can do that.  Playoff games are won with 5-5 hockey where the better, stronger team prevails.  And we've shown that 3 times against the Ducks in OT and are ready to bring that momentum to the UC tonight!

At this point, the Wings are playing great hockey and are bringing that swagger to this series.  No more flying back and forth from CA-MI/MI-CA, every other night switching multiple times zones.  Simply on and off a short flight so we can focus on the task at hand now.

We learned how to shut down the Ducks best scorer in Corey Perry and will adapt to the Hawks and continue to keep Kane and Toew's point totals down.

After playing a 7 game series against a top team in Anaheim, we know what it takes to win clutch, away games and will look to surprise everyone here in Chicago.

The Hawks are getting rusty with almost a week of sitting around while the Red Wings have been playing great playoff hockey for over 3 weeks!

We know what to expect tonight at the UC as we have been there before and taken you down 4-1 in the last playoff meeting to go on and win the Stanley Cup in 2009 AND will do it again!  This will be the last series that we play as Western Conference Foes so we are going to leave our mark.

This series is going to be a test of toughness, stamina, and coaching ability.  If our veteran's continue to produce, our young studs continue to develop, our MVP Jimmy Howard continues to amaze, and we skate like there is no tomorrow...I predict Wings move onto the Western Conference Finals beating the Hawks in 7 games!!

The United Center will be loud tonight at puck drop (8:30 pm EST) but the TIN LIZZIE will be rocking with "LETS GO RED WINGS" chant's flowing out the open facade window.  Get ready for a great series hockey fans, but more importantly Wings players, go out and beat up these bitches!!

LETS GO WINGS!!!

Red Wings Win Game 7, Advance to play Blackhawks!

Those pesky, pesky Ducks! They took us to a 7 game series that took years off my life, broke Dekeyser's hand, and included 4 OT's (Wings winning 3). They never gave up, coming back from multiple games where they were down by at least 2 goals in the 3rd period to tie and force overtime. The series went back and forth with neither team being able to win consecutive games...UNTIL last night!


The Red Wings played a fantastic game last night doing what I said they had to...score early and FIRST! Our goal scorer's in order from first to last were Zetterberg, Abdelkader and Filppula. Abdelkader scoring his on a short handed break away and Filppula getting his first of the series on a backhanded wrister which started with a great pass from the Captain!


The Ducks did not quit and got another goal late in the third making it 3-2 which had Wings fans thinking "not again!" But in this game we didn't give up the lead and go to OT, we battled hard and stuck it out. We won those 50/50 pucks, we battled hard on the boards and we made Hiller's night hell by getting men to the net. Our defense shutdown their scoring chances and Howard was magnificent once again! Great team effort tonight from a Detroit team that truly NEVER GAVE UP! (NGU)


“I just thought we had played so well and we were playing hard enough that we were going to be rewarded,” coach Mike Babcock said. “I thought our guys were great tonight. I thought we were organized, I thought we were prepared, I thought we were pretty loose. We started on time. We had lots of good players.”


Now we look forward to the series that the hockey world has been salivating over. Two original six teams that absolutely hate one another. The last time we met in the playoffs, the Wings beat the Hawks 4-1 in the Western Conference finals (where we lost to the Penguins in Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals). This series is filled with bad blood and I can't wait to see the Wings go toe to toe with the best regular season team this year! Hawks won all 4 meetings this season with 3 going to overtime and 2 ending in a shootout.


As for right now, I am living off of last night's amazing game 7, series ending win by my Wings and will continue to do so until the end of my work day today. Real soon, my blood will start to boil and all of my angst, hate and animosity towards the Chicago Blackhawks will be put on full display as we prepare for round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!!  GET READY!!

GO WINGS!!

HIGHLIGHTS in case you missed it:
Highlights from Game 7

GAME 7 GAME 7 GAME 7!!!

WOW!! This is it, must win, do or die game for the Detroit Red Wings tonight in Anaheim. This is the first game 7 tonight for Detroit but the Wings have been playing game 7 type hockey over the last few weeks of the season. With 4 games to go in the last week of the season, Detroit had their backs against the wall and had played 4 must win games and won all 4 of them! With veteran leadership and the young guys stepping up, we made it into the playoffs as a 7th seed. Wings had to win Friday night in Detroit to force a game 7 and we showed our grit and determination while winning another overtime thriller. 

Their have been 4 OT games in this best of 7 series with all of Detroit's 3 wins coming in dramatic OT fashion. Goals by Nyquist in game 2, Brunner in game 4 and most recently our captain Zetterberg's winner in game 6. The last time Detroit and Anaheim met for game 7 was on May 14th 2009, Detroit won 4-3 on goals from Jiri Hudler, Darren Helm, Mikael Samuelsson and Daniel Cleary.



Detroit's series against Anaheim has been the best series by far! Besides Montreal/Ottawa's physical series that seemed like their was a fight every 5 minutes, our series has packed a physical punch. We represent the first and only game 7 matchup so far in these playoffs and are the last remaining series in the Western Conference. Play from Jonas Hiller and Jimmy Howard has been superb keeping these games real tight and fairly stressful. No team has won back to back games but this is game 7 and anything can happen!

“We have played them six times,” Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “Both teams know each other in and out. It’s tight. There are a lot of emotions. You don’t do it often and that’s why it’s special.”


“It’s two teams that match up really well,” Kronwall said. “It’s really tight out there. It’s going to be a battle. It’s probably going to be a one-goal game again.”


The veterans have been great as of late with Zetterberg and Datsyuk stepping up in game 6 combining for 3 goals, more importantly the game 6 clincher by Zetty! They (Z and Pavs) will always play well, its our young studs that must continue growing and playing with a sense of purpose. The wings used to be the team with a roster full of old vets, the wings are different today and are younger than they've been in years. Our young guns are have matured and have played through tough games with everything on the line and they need to be GREAT tonight!!


“You have to keep control of your emotions,” Kronwall said. “Don’t think too much. Just play like you have all season long. We have some great talent. Everyone has been more mature. Sure we have made mistakes, but on average, the mistakes we make now are not the same mistakes that we did earlier this season.”


Two things that we need to focus on today, our Mother's and the Red Wings winning this GI-NORMOUS game tonight to advance to the second round (which means the Blackhawks, YES!!). Not getting ahead of myself though because we still have the Ducks standing in our way, on their home ice. But tonight, every Red Wing will be playing hard, smart, and to show the world how well we (Detroit) responds to adversity. The Honda Center will be going nuts and like game 6 we need to get that first goal, taking the crowd of it.


It's another late one on the west coast, so get your coffee brewing, beer mugs ice cold, wearing your Sundays best (wings gear), because we are in for a treat tonight and most of us will be calling in sick come Monday morning!



LETS GO RED WINGS!!

BATTLE: NHL PLAYOFFS vs SPORTSCENTER!

What is wrong you ESPN and Sportscenter?!?!? I watch your station everyday, I am loyal, and you slap me in the face every morning during these NHL playoffs. You spend 10 minutes on the Spurs/Warriors game alone and only give the entire night of NHL playoff hockey 1.5 MINUTES?!?!

Their were FOUR NHL playoff hockey games last night and THREE OF THEM WENT INTO OVERTIME with thrilling finishes! Not to mention, there have been tons of vicious hitting, fighting, suspensions, etc. What more can you ask for??

The NBA is so fucking boring! A player twists an ankle and they are out for the game. ESPN spends 15 minutes every hour talking about wether or not Derrick Rose will hike up his skirt and suit up for a game that requires you to dribble and shoot a ball. First of all, man up D-Rose! Either suit up or STFU!! I don't need ex-NBA players (like Bruce Bowen and his fruity bow tie) coming on Sportscenter to figure out how much of a pussy you are being. (I understand his situation, but we know your not playing at all during these playoffs so put an end to your daily soap opera and tell the world your out! If not, take out your tampon and get your ass on the court because Miami just put a beat down on your bulls!!)

The NHL playoffs are better and better every game and viewership is at an all time high. Every night there are multiple overtime nail bitters that keep you on the edge of your seat. Goalies are making jaw dropping, finesse saves on quality scoring chances night after night that make head spin. Players like Pavel Datsyuk are scoring goals that should be #1 on your top ten plays (yet they don't even make the segment) But, instead you'd rather insert a simple dunk from player who's 6'10''...ooh wow! Half of these top ten dunks are the equivalent to me dunking on a 6 foot fisher price hoop in my backyard!!

It's even more pathetic when the only sportscenter segments that get a tiny block of NHL highlights are when certain anchors like Linda Cohn, Steve Levy, and Barry Melrose happen to be on. I bet they have to fight the producers every morning over a cup of coffee to get a 1 minute "highlight express" of the entire night of hockey.

This is bullshit and it needs to end ASAP!! You are killing your NHL fans who watch ESPN everyday. The NHL is the only sport where if you look away for more than 10 seconds, you may miss a fantastic move, jaw dropping save or a malicious check that knocks the opponents teeth out! I am not asking for full game analysis (because that will never happen). All I ask is that you give us full game highlights of every game so the world/NHL fans can see the greatness that is the NHL PLAYOFFS!!

LETS GET IT WINGS!!! GAME 5 X-factors

We are back in the damn sunny state of California again where crucial game 5 will be played.  With the series split 2-2, Game 5's outcome will tell us a lot about where the Red Wings and Ducks will be next week.  I sure as hell hope that outcome is taking game 5 and 6 and landing here in Chicago ready to play game 1 at the UC because I will be scratching and tugging my way on Craiglist/Stubhub to get myself a ticket!

I am not here to talk about how travel might affect the wings (because its playoff time) or what historical data says about who wins this series or how our lack of depth may come into play.  THROW ALL THAT OUT because we played 4 games against the ducks, we have dealt with travel/injuries already and we know what to expect tonight at the Honda Center!  The fans are going to be extremely loud, Hiller is going to be on his game, and the ducks skaters will be very physical.  We just need to understand all those factors and do our very best to neutralize it...very simple right?

With Justin Abdelkader out for one more game, Samuelsson will be receiving more minutes tonight on the top line with Zetty-B and Pavs.  He will need to contribute a great amount and our top veterans should make it easy on him as long as he gets to the net and is more physical.  The 36 year old Swede can still play and needs to perform on the top line tonight.

“I felt good actually,” Samuelsson said Tuesday afternoon at the team hotel. “I shouldn’t say surprising, but I felt like I’ve been in (all along). I felt fresh and like I can go tomorrow again.”

Another old vet that will need to be huge for the Wings tonight is Todd Bertuzzi.  He played in Game 2, sat out in Game 3 (where we got dominated) and added extra value to the 4th lines in Game 4 with Eaves and Emmerton.  I love Bertuzzi and he needs to be strong tonight  with his passing and forechecking to be effective.  

“I had been out for three months so kind of understand what it takes in order to come in,” said Bertuzzi, who has dealt with a sore back all season. “The other lines have been pretty much playing pretty well so it’s just something you got to adapt to. You have to change your game. It’s a little bit different. You can’t afford to make those high-risk plays in our end. You’ve got to keep it simple and go from there.”

Tonight is going to be a late one, but I can't wait to see our wings come out to play tonight!  No team has built enough momentum to record back-to-back wins in this series and there is no better time than tonight's game 5.  

“I concur with that but I'm a believer that's how the playoffs are,” Babcock said. “You just keep playing and you take them one at a time, the highs and lows of it. There's huge highs and huge lows, that's just the playoffs each and every year. One minute you think, 'Oh, my God we're never winning!' and the next minute you think you're going to win the series.”

Gotta win the puck battles against the boards, find the loose pucks and get them to the net, mirroring what we did to Hiller with 49 shots on Monday.  Sharpen up our defense to eliminate their scoring chances and make life a bit easier for Howard (even though he's has been sensational so far).

Wings need a full team effort but it definitely starts with our veteran fill-ins Samuelsson and Bertuzzi since their role has increased.  Puck drop 10pm EST/9pm CST so wings fans get ready for a great one tonight!!

LETS GO RED WINGS!! #LGRW

Sweet, Swede Redemption! Game 4 Recap Red Wings vs. Ducks.

Last time Damien Brunner was on the ice in front of the net, Getzlaf picked his pocket and scored in Game 3.  Last night, Damien Brunner was in the right spot at the right time and put home the OT game winner over Hiller's left pad to tie this series at 2 games a piece!!  What a moment for the SWEDE!!

"We used [Brunner] more sparingly tonight because other guys were playing heavier on the puck," Babcock said. "He's a guy that just flat-out scores, knows how to score. He's going to be a good Red Wing in time. He's going to learn how to play right, and how to play heavy. You don't have to be heavy to play heavy, but he'll figure all that stuff out."

This game had it all and the wings NEVER GAVE UP showing how resilient they can be!   Down 2-1 in the game and the series, Pavel Datsyuk got our wings right back in it with a top shelf lazer of a goal that sent Hiller's water bottle flying!  We possessed the puck, had great forechecking and blasted Hiller with 49 shots!  Our 3rd and 4th lines played fantastic and props to Babcock for being the brains behind creating that wonderful chemistry all night between Bertuzzi and the young guns.  

KRONWALLED:

The Wings had great play from so many players in Game 4 and I could name almost every player on the roster who had ice time, but their are a few that really stood out to me.  Bertuzzi TOI: 14:55 with 4 shots was superb! It's so nice to have a big bodied skater like Bertuzzi with such great hands to shovel the puck around the ice to the right teammates.  Eaves, probably had the best game of the season with 4 shots as well as great decision making.  Congrats to Brendan Smith finally getting on the board with his 1st Stanley Cup Playoff goal!  

Such a great win for the wings as they skated hard to every puck, really kept the ducks on their heels and we got the OT victory to send it back to Anaheim 2-2.  The Wings did have some defensive hiccups and we gave up wide open nets that Perry doesn't normally miss.  This game could've gone either way with the way our defense played and we need eliminate the mistakes in our on zone.  

You all know I love Howard and he is by far our best player on the ice.  With how bad our defense played at times, Howard was there to bail us out with his great goaltending.  Howard was amazing last night and showed how a hot goalie can keep a team in it! 

Game 3 and 4 were polar opposites but we are in good position to win this series.  It's a best of 3 series at this point and all the pressure is on the Ducks.  The longer the series goes, the better I like our chances!

LETS GO WINGS!!

Full game highlight of game 4:

http://redwings.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2012030164

FUNNY FAN MOMENT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BurDAlX77RU&sns=em