Open Game Thread
Florida Panthers at Detroit Red Wings
April 1, 2012 – 4:00 PM
TV: FSD
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Needing to turn things around with only four games left until the playoffs, the Red Wings host a rare game against the Florida Panthers, a team also fighting for postseason position.
Word is that Kyle Quincey will rotate back in on the Detroit blueline. Ian White may be the odd-man out as he didn’t skate on a regular pairing this morning. Gustav Nyquist remains in up front and may skate on a line with Johan Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk.
Jimmy Howard is expected to get the start in goal.
Game time is 4:00 PM on FSD.
The game is also being shown on the NHL network which is a godsend now that I am somewhat deployed.
Wings actually have energy today.
Bert could have beaten out that icing. Lazy.
True
Just as I was yelling “That was stupid!” Quincey goes to the box.
Agreed.
Boring first period so far. And here’s my obligatory “I hate afternoon weekend games” rant.
Trying to decide if Jimmy should have made that save. Felt like he had time to get over.
Wings again looking disinterested. Bad feeling about this one.
2nd period… Here we go boys!
Now we are on the PP!!!
The sad thing is our five on three looks somewhat like the real PP…,
I’ll take that bounce any day. Love that line.
And then Quincey goes and is an idiot. Ugh.
If Datsyuk’s over-the-net pass had worked…
At least we get a point? Nyquist had better get OT minutes with Datsyuk.
No shifts for Nyquist in OT? *sigh*
Oh hell… Shootout
It’s a W and I will take it!
Make no mistake: the Red Wings should not need a shootout to beat the Florida Panthers in April. That said, these Wings seem to, so I’ll take the two points however they come.
In the final week of the regular season, I’ve got a lot of concern about a lot of Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg’s line with Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler I’m not worried about but that’s the only one. Pavel Datsyuk and Gustav Nyquist look great together but Nyquist still makes some rookie mistakes and they’re not getting help from the other winger, whether it’s Johan Franzen or Todd Bertuzzi (who look like they’ve been skating in sand). The third line is apparently Justin Abdelkaer centering the rejects from the top two lines (today it was the aforementioned Bertuzzi and the perma-injured Danny Cleary). The fourth line… You know something’s wrong with the fourth line when Tomas Holmstrom is outskating the other players on the line (I don’t think Drew Miller looked bad and he was big on the PK, not thrilled with Cory Emmerton though).
Going back to the Datsyuk – Nyquist pairing… That needs to see power play time. I’m also not happy that Nyquist wasn’t out for overtime. The rookie is ready, play him.
On defense, it looks like the six-man group is set for awhile as I expect Kyle Quincey to get at least a few games of suspension for his stupid elbow to Tomas Kopecky. He’ll probably be helped by the fact that, like Jakub Voracek when Niklas Kronwall hit him a few weeks ago, Kopecky kept his head down and led with it, but Quincey jumped and lifted his elbow, two entirely unnecessary actions.
I wanted to like the Quincey acquisition but he is not adapting to the Red Wings’ style of play and he’s still taking bad penalties. Highly disappointing.
On the flip side, Jonathan Ericsson looked very solid today. Maybe the time off shook the cobwebs out of his head and he’ll go back to playing like he did in his first stint with the Wings.
Other random notes from this afternoon…
I love it when Datsyuk does crazy stuff like throw the puck over the net from behind it. If there had been anyone there to take that pass, it would have been a highlight-reel play whether or not a goal was scored.
Hudler’s shot in the shootout was sick. This is the Hudler the Wings expected to get back from the KHL last year. Of course, it’s a contract year so we’ll see what happens to him this summer.