PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- The Red Wings and the Penguins meet in a crucial Game Four tonight and it looks like Detroit might have reinforcements.
Kris Draper will rejoin the Wings' lineup for the first time since May 22, Game Three of the Western Conference Final series against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was a healthy scratch in Games Two and Three of the Stanley Cup Finals as coach Mike Babcock was hesitant to change a winning lineup.
Pavel Datsyuk could return to the ice for the first time since May 19, Game Two of the series with Chicago. Datsyuk completed a full practice with the team on Wednesday but then skated for an extended period in the Thursday morning skate, longer than usual for a gameday. He is considered a game-time decision.
Draper will replace Justin Abdelkader in the lineup. Should Datsyuk return he will replace Ville Leino.
A Detroit win tonight would put them up 3-1 in the series, giving them three tries to get one more win. Should the Penguins win, the Red Wings will have to head back to Detroit for Game Five having lost the 2-0 series lead they had when they came to Pittsburgh.
For f*ck's sake.
Wow. Way to play defense.
Arghhhhhhhhhh. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING.
That was bad. Crosby fans are not going to shut up about this.
No chance for Ozzy whatsoever.
This is f*cked up.
we just continuously go into this shell then a good flurry then shell up again i mean come on
This is just the Wings being sloppy as all hell. Outmanned everywhere.
This is almost getting past ridiculous. :/ I don't know how much more I can watch of this.
this play continue's we are in BIG trouble
When was the last time the Wings did anything with an odd-man rush? That's the difference right now.
f*cking get a grip boys!
This game went to complete sh*t
How come he can stop that, but he can't get the easy stuff?
Ozzie with the strong stop to end the period. Not his fault the team stopped playing in front of him.
My god, the defense is moving the puck for sh*t. Not holding it in at the point. No one's winning battles along the boards. All the shots are coming from up high or bad angles. Complete clusterf*ck.
that might have easily been our worst period all year
How come he can stop that, but he can't get the easy stuff?
Care to say which one was his fault?
Excellent second period.
Yet another f*cking giveaway at the blue line. That would have been it if that had gone in. The wings really need to buck their ideas up.
Agree with YzerFan19, he didnt really have a chance on any of those.
How come he can stop that, but he can't get the easy stuff?
i don't fault Ozzie absolutly no help we need some fresh leg's and how much ice time doe's Draper have?? i haven't seen much of him
How come he can stop that, but he can't get the easy stuff?
Care to say which one was his fault?
He could have stopped the second one had he got his right leg out farther
How come he can stop that, but he can't get the easy stuff?
Care to say which one was his fault?
He could have stopped the second one had he got his right leg out farther
Rafalski should have just taken the 2 with the position big old Staal had
He could have stopped the second one had he got his right leg out farther
So if he was taller. Got it.
he was beaten, on all of those. Hands down. bigred4478 is probably right about taking 2 on Staal but theyre probably trying not to let Pittsburgh have any power plays right now. Granted in that situation it would have been worth it.
Can't wait for the third!!! Let's go Pens!!
He could have stopped the second one had he got his right leg out farther
So if he was taller. Got it.
Of course 
he was beaten, on all of those. Hands down. bigred4478 is probably right about taking 2 on Staal but theyre probably trying not to let Pittsburgh have any power plays right now. Granted in that situation it would have been worth it.
Can't wait for the third!!! Let's go Pens!!
he was beaten, on all of those. Hands down. bigred4478 is probably right about taking 2 on Staal but theyre probably trying not to let Pittsburgh have any power plays right now. Granted in that situation it would have been worth it.
Can't wait for the third!!! Let's go Pens!!
How many times have the Wings blocked a shot and then carried the puck out of the zone? The Penguins are doing a fantastic job of that.
Holmstrom has thrown like six blind passes out of the zone tonight.
Wings are buzzing.
he was beaten, on all of those. Hands down. bigred4478 is probably right about taking 2 on Staal but theyre probably trying not to let Pittsburgh have any power plays right now. Granted in that situation it would have been worth it.
Can't wait for the third!!! Let's go Pens!!
wow if they gave Academy Award's for flop's Crosby would be a hand's down winner
sorry about the repeats, I didnt know that every time you refresh the page it would repost, apologies
Slight improvement this period, but still making some sloppy mistakes.
Olczyk says the Wings defense needs to start jumping up. The whole team needs to start jumping. They're sitting back in every zone. No backcheck. No forecheck. Just hanging out.
It's not a series until there's a ridiculous quick whistle.
Wings need one in about the next 30 seconds.
That was a really close one.
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The almost empty netter, not the penalty. That's stupid because the Wings don't need that right now. Ugggggh. The Penguins have won this one.
I'm sorry, that was a hook but it did not require Kunitz to take his hand off the stick. Right call not to award a goal, he should have scored there though if he wasn't trying to draw the automatic goal.
%100 outplayed tonight gut check time on Saturday they were terrible tonight
Well, f*ck it, at least they've still got home ice.
The wings looked knackered out there. Sloppy mistakes, a non-existent forecheck and simply a lack of desire to win the puck. The pens wanted it more, simple as that.
we need Pav back bad although i'm starting to question whether that's gonna happen but they just played lazy again tonight which we have done alot this year Pen's no doubt have the momentum now guess we will see how we start at JLA Saturday we just need to stop this play till we get a lead then relax let em back in it then wanna play again after we are down but in reality we have seemed to play our best with our back's against the wall
The Wings outplayed the Pens in the 1st, then all Pens in the 2nd, and an even 3rd period. I am beginning to wonder if the constant hitting on the Wings D-man is paying off because players like Lindstrom and Rafalski look tired. Staal blows by Rafalski to score the SHG like he was standing still?!?
Penguins breakout is basically non-existent, and way too many giveaways to the Wings D-man. Problem for Detroit is when the puck does get out they are having trouble slowing down the Pens first strike offense.
Osgood had no chance on the last two goals.
I don't think anyone can complain about the refs favoring the Pens anymore after that 3rd period, but we can all complaining about the refs inconsistency both ways overall.
Best of three series. At this point the Wings are still in the drivers seat with 2 of the 3 at home.
Fun game to watch, Lets Go Pens.
This is reminiscent of the Anaheim series...smothering defense. The Wings look tired and hurt and befuddled even sometimes. But again, if any team can rebound, these are the guys to do it. (In some ways, I'd like to see Pittsburgh playing Anaheim....hehe. A plague on both their houses!
Hoping Hossa has his breakout game SOON this series! And yes, let the Hockey gods shine on Datsyuk's foot, please. (Also, I would have played Abdelkader rather than Leino....)
Did you see how many fans were in that building and outside, too? Our fair city is as tired as our hockey team....
And when will game 6 be? Does anyone know? [I'm telling you, if the Wings lose on Saturday and game 6 is hastily scheduled for Monday, I'm with the conspiracy theorists, for sure, which I tend to lean toward anyway....I've been watching this game for many years, and the refs always manage to play an important role, even when it's not the Wings in the playoffs. Long before there was an internet I was saying to my family, "This (the playoffs) looks a lot like professional wrestling."]
Did you see how many fans were in that building and outside, too? Our fair city is as tired as our hockey team....
It helps that Detroit doesn't have an outdoor space like that where the game can be watched, let alone one right outside the arena. Pittsburgh was actually my inspiration when I suggested that the next arena should be built on the site of Cobo Arena so that Hart Plaza could be used for outdoor viewing parties.
This is reminiscent of the Anaheim series...smothering defense. The Wings look tired and hurt and befuddled even sometimes. But again, if any team can rebound, these are the guys to do it. (In some ways, I'd like to see Pittsburgh playing Anaheim....hehe. A plague on both their houses!
Hoping Hossa has his breakout game SOON this series! And yes, let the Hockey gods shine on Datsyuk's foot, please. (Also, I would have played Abdelkader rather than Leino....)
Did you see how many fans were in that building and outside, too? Our fair city is as tired as our hockey team....
And when will game 6 be? Does anyone know? [I'm telling you, if the Wings lose on Saturday and game 6 is hastily scheduled for Monday, I'm with the conspiracy theorists, for sure, which I tend to lean toward anyway....I've been watching this game for many years, and the refs always manage to play an important role, even when it's not the Wings in the playoffs. Long before there was an internet I was saying to my family, "This (the playoffs) looks a lot like professional wrestling."]
I agree. Yes, we were outplayed. But, how can you keep your spirit as a team, when in the 1st a PP is called against you, that should of been called on the other team(even the vs. crew said that), then there is an offside not called(vs. replayed that), which leads to a goal. Then the puck is dropped almost every time, when in the wings zone, before Pitts centerman stops. The Vs. crew spent alot of time, along with showing a bunch of replays. I would be down as a player seeing this consistantly. I just don't understand why so many Detroit fans are so quick to bash the players, and not the NHL(allthough the lack of forecheck at the end of the 3rd was unexcuseable). Obviously they make more money if they have a longer series, it's not suprising.
This is reminiscent of the Anaheim series...smothering defense. The Wings look tired and hurt and befuddled even sometimes. But again, if any team can rebound, these are the guys to do it. (In some ways, I'd like to see Pittsburgh playing Anaheim....hehe. A plague on both their houses!
Hoping Hossa has his breakout game SOON this series! And yes, let the Hockey gods shine on Datsyuk's foot, please. (Also, I would have played Abdelkader rather than Leino....)
Did you see how many fans were in that building and outside, too? Our fair city is as tired as our hockey team....
And when will game 6 be? Does anyone know? [I'm telling you, if the Wings lose on Saturday and game 6 is hastily scheduled for Monday, I'm with the conspiracy theorists, for sure, which I tend to lean toward anyway....I've been watching this game for many years, and the refs always manage to play an important role, even when it's not the Wings in the playoffs. Long before there was an internet I was saying to my family, "This (the playoffs) looks a lot like professional wrestling."]
I agree. Yes, we were outplayed. But, how can you keep your spirit as a team, when in the 1st a PP is called against you, that should of been called on the other team(even the vs. crew said that), then there is an offside not called(vs. replayed that), which leads to a goal. Then the puck is dropped almost every time, when in the wings zone, before Pitts centerman stops. The Vs. crew spent alot of time, along with showing a bunch of replays. I would be down as a player seeing this consistantly. I just don't understand why so many Detroit fans are so quick to bash the players, and not the NHL(allthough the lack of forecheck at the end of the 3rd was unexcuseable). Obviously they make more money if they have a longer series, it's not suprising.
Hahahaha.. You don't need to look anywhere else except Wings special teams. They blew. PK was bad, PP was horrendous.
I can't believe you actually think the refs are dropping the puck for a pens advantage.. Incredible! I think you need some time away from the game.
Game five will be back at the Joe. Hopefully, Game four was a big enough gut check...
Pavel Datsyuk
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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