Preview: Nashville Predators

So yeah.  Apologies for being gone all weekend.  Blogging was on the backburner for a bit, but I now make my triumphant return! We resume with a belated look at tonight’s matchup:

Nashville Predators vs. Detroit Red Wings

November 23rd 7:00pm, Sommet Center

Game Notes:

1. After the highly-offensive and downright vile shift Georges Laraque took on saturday night, where he high-sticked Helm in the mouth and then took out Krons for up to 2 months, the Red Wings are a bit battered.  Helm is fine, but the Kronwall injury hurts…a lot.  We thought we’d be subject to a Derek Meech/Brett Lebda 3rd pairing, while Big-E will moved up to the 2nd pairing. However, per Khan, it appears we’ll see Big-E up with Lidstrom and all the pairings will be jumbled.  Having Brad Stuart on the 3rd pairing while Brett Lebda is on the 2nd seems comical to me, but I guess Babcock knows what he is doing.  Please come back soon Nik Jr.
2. Ozzie will be starting in goal tonight.  Considering the state of the defense we might need a big game from our goaltender.  I’m left wondering though if we’ll actually get that game.  Ozzie was good against the Preds, and I think this time-share of late with Howard has been helping him get his head on straight.  No matter what people like/dislike about Howard, the fact remains I want to see Ozzie be the goalie that can still keep the Wings in the close games. Hopefully he has returned to that form with Jimmy “giant-rebounds” Howard taking up so much playing time.
3. Nashville has won 5 in a row and Pekka Rinne has been on fire for the Preds.  He’s sporting a 9-1 record in his last 10 starts and his peripheral stats are spectacular. 1.71 GAA and .931 Sv%.  I guess all we can hope is that Z’s Red Hot power can help the wings put more than 1 goal in against the guy.
4. Darren McCarty will be doing analysis for Versus during the intermission.  This will likely be the highlight of the night.  I can’t wait to see D-Mac doing analysis.  Does he wear a suit?  Does he punch Brian Engblom in the face?  The intrigue and suspense is killing me.

Bold and Stupid Predictions:

1. Meech gets an assist on the power-play.  No this doesn’t mean he should be a stalwart on the point from now on…
2. Eaves puts one in finally.  He’s been working too hard not to.  I like the Draper/Eaves/Helm line to get a goal tonight.
3. Pekka Rinne reminds the Red Wings of the power of the Finnish Goaltender and holds the Wings to a low-scoring battle.
4. Osgood holds it down just enough, but let’s in one goal he certainly shouldn’t.
5. Red Wings Win 3-2.

Preview: Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers vs. Detroit Red Wings

November 20th 7:30pm, Joe Louis Arena

Sorry folks, I’m heading out of town for the night, so this preview/review isn’t really going to happen.  Hopefully normal blogging resumes tomorrow night.

One Bold and Stupid Prediction:

The announcers spend more time talking about the no-goal from wednesday then the game in front of them.

Go big or go home.  Red Wings win 3-0.

Update: Absurdity Returns

This is via NHL.com

The following is from NHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Mike Murphy:

“The way we’ve always handled it and the way we will continue to handle it until we have a procedure change is the referees call on the ice stands. He sees the shot and he sees the save and doesn’t see the puck in the net and kills the play or blows the whistle,” Murphy said. “It’s not when you hear the whistle blow, it’s when he intends to blow the whistle. There is a little bit of a gray area there between when he intends and when the whistle sounds.

“In this case Dennis LaRue was clear with what he saw and clear with what he interpreted and that was, ‘I had killed the play before the puck entered the net.’ When we scrutinize it and go through video review I think everybody would concede that the puck was in the net, and Dennis didn’t see that unfortunately.”

You read that right.  Dennis LaRue said “I had killed the play before the puck entered the net.”

Seeing as how this is either a physical impossibility or appalling refereeing, I’d like to thank LaRue for being incompetent and a fool.

Now that the NHL has supported LaRue, we can all pretend to be really angry for a while and then most likely this will pass.

I can only hope that this is an issue that the NHL realizes it needs to man-up and deal with.  Do Something.

Inconsistency, stupidity, absurdity.  These have no place in our league.

Asininity at Its Finest

(If you don’t know what Asininity is, it’s the noun form of asinine)

What to say…

There are countless recaps of the atrocity that occurred last night.  Here are a few: NOHS, A2Y, TPL, and TTD.

I’m not sure what there is left to write about what occurred to the Red Wings last night.  You, me, Gary Bettman, Toronto officials, Stars fans, even LaRue himself knows that what transpired last night with 13:36 left in the 3rd period was a goal.  It was.  Brad May put in his first as a Red Wing.

Congratulations Brad, good reaction time on the backhand and it snuck in for you somehow.  It’s a 2-2 game, and the Wings are on the way to earning some points in the standings.

Wait?  No?  What’s that? We intended to blow the play dead before the goal was scored…

There comes a time when asininity, complete and sheer stupidity, is too much to take.  I don’t demand that the NHL refereeing be perfect.  I understand that penalty calls are subjective, I understand that Refs can’t see everything all the time.  Yet, I cannot bring myself to “accept” or “understand” when gross incompetence and idiocy is promulgated by the NHL time after time.

Let’s look at the facts:

1. At 13:39 of the 3rd period Brad May backhands a shot towards the net.
2. By the time the clock reads 13:38, the puck is in the net and the whistle has not blown.
3. The whistle is blown as the clock reads 13:36.  That is a full 2 seconds after the puck was in the net.

That’s right.  2 seconds after the shot went in, the whistle went.  Also note, that the time difference from the shot to the whole puck being across the goal line is less than 1 second.  How could this goal not stand?  You asked, so Mr. LaRue answers:

“There is no goal on the play.  The whistle had blown to kill the play.”

Incompetence.

The whistle had blown to kill the play…2 whole seconds after the puck was in the net.  LaRue doesn’t even mention intent to blow the whistle here.  What is he basing this decision on?  It can only be fabricated lies and the pride of a man more worried about himself than the integrity of the game he officiates.

Did you blow the play dead as Brad May was taking a shot?  You know, that thing players do when they are trying to score in that game we sometimes call Ice Hockey.  Or did you blow the play dead as the puck was traveling towards the net because you thought: “Oh whatever, I think this play isn’t going anywhere.  Brad May can’t shoot well anyways.”  Or did you blow the play dead when the puck was across the goal line…and then somehow still decide that this was not a goal?

The facts are above for you to read.  This is Negligence and Incompetence.  I’m still furious.  The game should have been 2-2, this would have changed the complexion of play, and thus the whole outcome of the game.

What I can’t stand is the way the NHL allows it’s referee’s to stand behind obviously incorrect calls.  There is no subjectivity involved here.  Watch the replay above for yourself.  This is absurdity at its finest.

Babcock said it very succinctly after the game:

“The guy never meant to blow the whistle. It was a shot, it was in on the shot,” Babcock said. “It’s as dumb as I’ve ever seen.”

Asininity.  (I just wanted to write that word again)

Review: Dallas Stars and Fight of the Night

Stars 3 – Red Wings 1  Final

The NHL is asinine at times.

Seriously.

No goal.  Brad Freaking May.  The puck is in the net…And no goal?

Whatever.

Three Bar:

1. Right Post – Jonathan Ericsson again seemed to find a way to get the puck into the Red Wings net.  That trend needs to stop.  I understand he’s huge and was clutch in the playoffs.  He also managed to somehow blow my prediction that I thought was assured, and was solely responsible for a goal against.  Thanks.
2. Left Post – The Red Wings did not seem to have the same jump the whole night.  Admittedly, I missed a good portion of the game while out at a dinner.  However, from what I saw, it wasn’t like against Toronto, but it was a mediocre effort.  We’ve been over this.  A mediocre effort isn’t good enough anymore with this team.
3. Crossbar – Hank keeps the train rolling.  He continues to be on fire, and I love how he is finally getting some respect in these parts.  He does not get talked up enough by the sports media or fans (including myself).  This guy is a model of consistency.  Maybe we don’t talk as much about him because we don’t marvel at his plays like we do Datsyuk or Lidstrom at times, but Z is for real, and is a special player.  Thanks Hank for showing up night-in and night-out.
4. Empty Net/Final Shot of the Night – Seriously NHL.  Your review process blows.  Intent to blow the whistle is atrocious.  I can’t even begin to write about this tonight.  I’m livid.  At least it wasn’t Brad Watson who made that call tonight…

Fight of the Night:

Shanny vs. Adam Foote.  Classic.