I’ve got a problem with Fox Sports Detroit (FSD).
We missed the first five or six minutes of game one against the San Jose Sharks tonight because FSD was broadcasting the Detroit Tiger game vs Cleveland. The baseball game entered the ninth inning in a 5-5 tie. The Tigers failed to score in the top of the ninth. Cleveland came to bat right about 10pm, which was the scheduled starting time of the Wings game. I am not the type of fan that would wish a Detroit team to lose but as the first Cleveland Indian batter came to the plate I prayed for a walk-off home run.
As it turned out, Cleveland loaded the bases and then one of their guys hit a grand slam and the Tigers lost 9-5. FSD ran about five minutes of commercials and then joined the Red Wing/Shark game just prior to Lidstrom’s goal.
What if?
What if the Tiger game had continued on for 10, 11 or 15 innings? How long would FSD have waited before switching to the Red Wing game? Don’t get me wrong, I love the Tigers but a 5-5 game in April is a lot different than a 5-5 game in September, especially when the Tigers might be in the playoff hunt.
Quite frankly, a second round, first game playoff game takes precedent over a regular season game in April for the Detroit Tigers. FSD should have switched to the Red Wing game for the puck drop and updated Tiger fans via the bottom of the screen crawl. Come on Man! We’re talking playoff hockey, in Hockey Town! Why does the Tiger game take precedent over the Wings at this point in both team’s seasons?
If the tables were turned and the Wings were playing in the eastern time zone in October and the Tigers were playing a crucial game on the west coast against Seattle or Oakland, I would have no problem with FSD leaving the Wings game and going to the Tiger game.
I don’t know what the solution might be, but I would hope that the powers that be within FSD would “man up” and present programming that is appropriate based on the potential result of the contest. I would bet $500 with anyone who would argue that game 20 for the Detroit Tigers is more critical than a game one, second round playoff for the Red Wings.
FSD must face the reality that we want “full” coverage of the NHL Hockey playoffs. If Fox Sports Detroit isn’t capable of providing that simple request then they must allow Versus to broadcast Red Wing games during the playoffs when there is a conflict with either the Tigers or the Pistons.
LGRW!
TV Land
April 29th, 2011 | By Bob
Second Round Thoughts and Predictions
April 28th, 2011 | By BobJust sitting here waiting for round two of the playoffs to start with the Vancouver and Nashville game.
Isn’t it interesting that in both the Eastern and Western conference semi-final round the match-ups are identical. One is facing five and two is facing three. Vancouver got the short straw this year and is forced to start the second round after only one day off following their game seven, OT victory over the defending champion Blackhawks. Some of you may recall that the same type of scheduling occurred in last year’s playoffs when the Wings had only one day of rest following a game seven win over the Coyotes. The Wings didn’t do so well in the second round, losing to the Sharks in six games. I’ll just say this about the Canucks/ Preds series: I want Nashville to win.
A tip of the hat to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It took seven games but they eliminated the Penguins. Most Red Wing fans will be pulling for the Lightning and GM Steve Yzerman. Wouldn’t that be an interesting Cup final? Wings and Lightning. Long way to go so we won’t get too far ahead of things for now.
We all know the outcome of all hockey games is determined on the ice. However, there are a number of factors that may influence the outcome in one way or another. For example, travel. If the two Western conference semi-final series take seven games to determine a winner, each of the four teams will travel over 12k miles. On the other side, if the Tampa/Washington series takes seven games the teams will travel a total of 4,870 miles each. In the Boston/Philadelphia series, a seven game battle would require a total of 1,620 miles of travel.
It is not customary on this site to comment on non-hockey/sports news, but I feel it would be negligent if I did not mention the Royal Wedding which will unfold tomorrow (April 29, 2011) right before our eyes on nearly every network in the United States. Fortunately for us, the UK is several hours ahead of us and the wedding will more than likely be over by 10am EDT. Therefore the tying of the Royal Knot won’t interfere with any of the scheduled second round games on Friday. I wonder if Prince William is a hockey fan?
I’m looking forward to the Sharks/Wings match-up. The two teams have developed a rivalry that is approaching the magnitude of the old Wings/Avalanche rivalry in the last decade or so. I am certain that the Sharks will play a very physical game against the Wings. And I would not be surprised to see the Sharks try to target Lidstrom, Datysuk and Zetterberg just as Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski did in the Phoenix series (well, Z didn’t play in that series but you know what I mean). The Sharks finished the regular season with momentum and carried that mo into their first round match-up with LA. This is a battle that is difficult to predict the outcome but I’m going to go with the Wings in seven games.
In the other Western conference match-up I’m going with Nashville in seven games. The President’s Trophy curse prevails.
Eastern Conference: Washington defeats Tampa and Boston prevails over Philadelphia.
LGRW!
Playoffs = Octopus in Detroit
April 16th, 2011 | By BobI’m ticked off at the NHL again.
It seems that the League instructed the Red Wings organization to inform its fans that local ordinances deem it illegal to throw objects onto the ice surface. The objects causing such great concern for the league are octopi.
As any seasoned Detroit Red Wing fan knows, about 50 years ago an NHL team (there were only six at the time) had to win 8 games to win the Stanley Cup. As the story goes a Red Wing fan back in the day tossed an octopus onto the ice after a cup-clinching victory (for clarity, an octopus has 8 tentacles). So, for more than fifty years, some Red Wing fans have continued the practice of tossing octopus on the ice during the playoffs.
In the last few years, the flying calamari has been the topic of much debate. Some opposing teams have, evidently, registered complaints to the league. If my memory is correct, it was either the San Jose Sharks or the Colorado Avalanche that first complained to the league a few years ago. The Sharks or the Avalanche were most upset by the Zamboni driver at the Joe, Al Sobotka. Al took great pleasure in removing flung octopi from the ice while swinging them in a circular motion over his head. Al’s removal technique would usually be projected on the scoreboard screens and inevitably the fans would go crazy.
A few years ago the league informed Mr. Sobotka, and the Red Wing management, that he/they would be fined ($10,000) the next time he swung an octopus overhead while walking off the ice. Today, Al can be seen swinging octopus just off the ice at the Zamboni entrance.
Many people, mostly other teams and non-Red Wing fans say the octopus tossing is foolish and a distraction and even dangerous. But in Detroit and to Red Wing fans it’s akin to the Lambau Leap in Green Bay, or Harry Cary singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game at Wrigley Field. Fans expect to see an octopus or two on the ice at the Joe when the playoffs begin.
Now the league is threatening to impose severe financial penalties on individuals who are caught flinging eight legged sea creatures over the glass at the Joe. This action by the league is a clear cut attack on a 50-plus year tradition. Why would the league (Bettman) be concerned about a local tradition that doesn’t have any impact on the game itself. For those of you not completely familiar with this particular tradition, it has transformed from a Stanley Cup winning exclamation point to a pre-game or post goal scoring exclamation. Most recently, the octopi seem to appear at the conclusion of the national anthem.
Until the day that an octopus lands on an opposing player and strangles the player to death (and that will be the day hell freezes over or as we say in Detroit, the day the Sharks win the Stanley Cup) I have three words for Gary Bettman: Leave Detroit Alone!
Oh, Detroit is headed to Phoenix tonight for game three of their first round series with the Coyotes and the Wing’s have a 2-0 lead. I will bet you ten to one there is a Red Wing fan in Arizona ready to plop a big one on the Coyote’s ice.
LGRW!
Drop the Puck on the Post Season
April 10th, 2011 | By BobTwo thousand four hundred and sixty games have been completed and now the regular season is history. Now we can get on with the process of presenting the Stanley Cup to one of the sixteen teams that will enter the playoffs starting Wednesday night.
My first prediction for the playoffs: the Blackhawks WILL NOT repeat as SC champs. The Blackhawks are loaded with talent but they struggled throughout the season and truly exhibited the proverbial “Stanley Cup hangover.” Look for the Blackhawks to lose to Vancouver in six games. And then, look for the Blackhawks to bounce back next season.
Since this is a Detroit Red Wings blog, let’s look at their post-season forecast.
First off, another prediction: the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Champion with come from the Western Conference. I’ll show my work later, but the Cup is coming back to the “D.”
Vancouver, the President Trophy winner, is doomed to an early playoff exit by virtue of winning the esteemed trophy. Sorry, but that’s the history of that particular accomplishment. The Canucks will be eliminated in the second round.
I think the Sharks and Kings series will go seven games and the Kings will prevail. Detroit is going to struggle with Phoenix (kind of like last year), but in the end, the Wings will find a way to win at home and send the Coyotes home after six games. Detroit was very successful on the road and I am confident they will take at least two games on the road in the first round.
I like Nashville in the other match-up but still that series will go seven games. It will be to Detroit’s advantage to have as many Pacific time zone teams eliminated in the first round as possible.
So, let’s recap the first round predictions. Vancouver wins over Chicago, Sharks lose to the Kings, Detroit sends Phoenix home and Nashville stops Anaheim. Based on my predictions, the second round would look like this:
Vancouver/Kings
Detroit/Nashville
As mentioned earlier, the Canucks (due to the President’s trophy curse) will lose to the Kings in the second round and Detroit will get past the Predators in seven games. That results in a Wings/Kings Western Conference final.
Detroit will prevail in the conference finals and face the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals.
The Cup returns to Detroit!
Red Wing Head Fake
April 8th, 2011 | By BobOh, okay. I get it now. Let’s finish the season in complete disarray, and totally unorganized and inept, to distract our potential first round opponent. Of course! We don’t want to show our best stuff during the last couple games in the regular season because those scouts will be able to create a perfect game plan to defeat us in the first or second round.
What did the Red Wings reveal in their Joe Louis arena loss to the Blackhawks Friday night? They sent a clear message that if you want to beat the Red Wings, play them at the Joe. This could be the time in history when home ice advantage could be detrimental to the home team. This season, I, for one, would be more confident if the Red Wings did not have “home ice advantage” in the play-offs. I would not be surprised if the Wings lose in the first round, to whomever, by the count of 4 games to 3. Breakdown: Wings lose four games at the Joe and win three on the road.
This brings up the bigger question: What the hell is going on at the Joe?
The Joe used to be an arena that instilled fear in visiting teams. The history, the atmosphere, the crazed fans, standing room only, the octopus! Visiting teams rarely succeeded at the Joe. What the hell is going on? Why are the Wings struggling at home?
The Wings are one game away from the start of the playoffs and it doesn’t appear that they are in a state of mind, or readiness, to begin the most important segment of the NHL season. This is a time when we should be seeing a team hitting on all cylinders. What I saw tonight was a team in trouble. But, as I implied in the opening paragraph, perhaps it’s a strategy the Wings are putting forth. In other words, the Wings are assured of home ice advantage (see paragraph 2) in the first round. Even though we may not know who our opponent will be in the first round until Sunday night, the Wings really don’t have anything to gain by winning tonight (Friday vs the Blackhawks) and for that matter, Sunday vs the Blackhawks in the final game of the season Sunday afternoon. The Wings will be the 3rd seed in the Western Conference regardless of what happens. The only question is which team will be the number six seed and therefore the first round opponent for the Wings.
Hopefully, when the playoffs begin next Wednesday or Thursday, the Wings will get Kronwall and Zetterberg back in the line-up and that will definitely improve the Wings chances to advance in the playoffs.
Enjoy the game Sunday!
LGRW
Brad Watson: NHL Embarrassment
March 28th, 2011 | By BobWhy is Brad Watson an NHL referee?
One statistic you will not find in an NHL box score is which referee called each penalty, or which referee waived off a goal and perhaps that is the reason that the NHL went to the two-ref system a few years back. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that one particular NHL referee is on a mission to ensure that the Detroit Red Wings do not win any game in which he is one of the referees. Let’s get it out in the open; I’m taking about NHL “referee” Brad Watson. Surprise, surprise! Just take a look at the multitude of previous posts regarding Brad (Bad) Watson.
We don’t have to go back too far in history, to find examples of Bad Watson hosing the Red Wings. In the game against the Black Hawks tonight (March 28, 2011) he thought he saw a penalty by Detroit in a game that was tied 2-2 with four seconds remaining in the game. PERFECT! The Wings go into overtime 4 on 3 and Marion Hossa scores just a few minutes into the OT period.
I see an overtime period as a chance for each team to “start over.” I am thinking that it would be more equitable for all involved if penalties in regulation did not carry-over to the overtime period. What other professional sport enters an extra frame with one team at a disadvantage? To me, overtime is synonymous with new beginning, an equal beginning, a clean slate.
Some would argue that if the players knew they had an opportunity in the last few minutes of game to hack and slash knowing that penalties would not carry over to OT that players would take advantage of the situation, I would say BS! It has been shown that it only takes a matter of seconds for an NHL caliber team to score a goal. In a tied game, both teams are fighting to win and I believe that an NHL coach would instruct his team to “win the game,” not draw a penalty so they could gain a man advantage in overtime.
Conversely, and I have written this before, unless there is an obvious, blatant, intent to injure infraction no penalties should be called in the last five minutes of any NHL game. And, as I suggested earlier, eliminate carry-over penalties to overtime
I also want to comment on the Todd Bertuzzi penalty in the first period. Yes, it was a penalty. An elbowing penalty (two minutes in the box). How did we get to the point in HOCKEY that a collision between two opposing players ( historically called a “check”) results in a five minute major penalty and a game misconduct? The Chicago player was not injured and only missed a shift of two before he was back on the ice. Do not misunderstand me, I do not condone head hunting or intent to injure. Players of that type should be punished. But, come on. Look at the replay of the Bertuzzi hit and compare it “hits” in the NHL from last year or 10 years ago in which no penalty was called.
I am on the verge of giving up on the NHL because it is not the NHL that I grew up on. I’ve seen more conflict and more fighting on reality TV than the NHL. And when an NHL team does score, we have to go to REPLAY! Here’s an idea. If the puck is in the net, it’s a FREAKING GOAL!! Why look at it seven ways to Sunday to confirm it?
I hate Brad Watson!
Wings Strong at the End
March 16th, 2011 | By BobIf the Wings look over their shoulder they see the San Jose Sharks only two points behind in the Western Conference standings. Tonight, the Wings faced the Washington Capitals, who entered the game in second place in the Eastern Conference. It’s one of those games, going into it, that we might be happy with a tie and at least one point. But the Wings had something else in mind as they faced the Caps at the Joe: Two Points.
Washington entered the game on a nine game winning streak and one of the hottest teams since the trade deadline. The Wings have struggled in their last 10 games but they came in with an Ace in the hole, Brian Rafalski. Raflaski missed the last 8 games with back spasms, and rejoined the team to face the Caps and promptly assisted on all three of Detroit’s goals.
The Wings are a healthy team right now. In my opinion they are entering the playoffs in a much better physical, and mental, state than any other recent season.
Detroit still has a dozen or so games to play and the Sharks swarming nearby. One thing is nearly set at this point, either the Wings or the Sharks will be the third seed in the Western Conference. And seeds 6, 7, and 8 interchange on a daily basis.
Last year, Wings fans checked the standings every morning to find out if they would make the playoffs. This season, we look at the standings every morning to find out who our opponent will be. It’s like the playoffs before the playoffs. You gotta love hockey! Wings beat the Caps 3-2 in regulation.
LGRW!!
Crunch Time
March 11th, 2011 | By BobThe Edmonton Oilers team that faced the Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena arrived on life support. The Oilers have so many players out due to injury it appeared to be a slam dunk win for Detroit. Edmonton is last in the Western Conference and seemed to be the remedy the Wings needed to end a four-game losing streak.
The Oilers scored first and then proceeded to give the Red Wings opportunity after opportunity to win the game. The Wings had five power play chances including nearly 1:30 minutes of 5 on 3 in the third period but failed to get a puck behind Dubnyk until Lidstrom scored with just 22 seconds left in the game.
The good news: the Wings scored in overtime to pick up two points in addition to a win at home.
The Wings also had a goal disallowed in the third period when it was determined that Todd Bertuzzi directed the puck into the net with his hand on a shot by Lidstrom.
I have not been able to confirm it but it seems to me that the only Detroit goals that count are empty-netters at this point in the season. That is not sour grapes, because I realize that the Wings had five power play chances and failed to convert. But, come on man! The Wings are getting hosed nearly every game.
Our only consolation is that the Wings remain in 2nd place in the Western Conference and despite the challenges thrust at them; the Wings will make the playoffs. I feel much stronger and confident knowing that the Wings will enter the playoffs again even though they have had to overcome not only incredible opponents but also league bias. Talent will prevail!!!! LGRW!!
Sharks Suck! And so does Bettman
March 3rd, 2011 | By BobIf the San Jose Sharks are happy about the way they “won” (with an assist to referee Brad Watson) this game tonight then it just proves that they are a classless organization.
The Sharks did not win this game tonight, it was handed to them by referee Brad Watson. Once again, as we saw so many times last year, Brad Watson disallowed a goal by the Red Wings because of a goalie interference. The moment I saw that Brad Watson was the referee in the game tonight, I knew the Wings would not win the game.
Brad Watson is an embarrassment to the NHL and should be fired! I will not recount Brad Watson’s history of mystery calls against the Red Wings but believe me when I say that the Red Wings would probably have been the Stanley Cup champions last year if Brad Watson were not an NHL referee and it is looking like Brad Watson is going out of his way to ensure that the Wings do not win the Cup again this year.
Gary Bettman: FIRE BRAD WATSON!! or at the very least, for the integrity of the game do not assign Brad Watson to officiate games involving the Detroit Red Wings.
Holy Crap! It’s March Already
February 28th, 2011 | By BobThe Wings have 20 regular season games left, including the game tonight vs Los Angeles. For the most part, Detroit is entering the final games of the season in good health. Osgood is still recovering from surgery but he is expected to be ready for action sometime in March.
The NHL trade deadline passed with virtually no action from the Wings. The only announcement from the Wings organization was that Jimmy Howard signed a two year contract extension. Now during the off-season perhaps the club will look for a solid, experienced back-up. Yes, I think Ozzie is toast at the end of the season. Howard has been more than adequate (he is among the league leaders in wins) this season and I believe he will help take the Red Wings deep into the playoffs. Two words, Jimmy: STANLEY CUP!
Back to the trading deadline. There were very few transactions league-wide this year. I suppose there are any number reasons for the lack of activity. Of course, the salary cap and then the fact that there are so many teams still in the playoff hunt in both conferences. It’s certainly exciting to see how the conference standings change nearly everyday. But I am elated that the Wings appear to be in a very comfortable position in the Western Conference. I don’t want to relive the playoff push from last year. The race for the President’s Cup is meaningless, so let Vancouver and Philadelphia beat themselves up for it. Ask the Shark’s fans how great it was to raise the President’s Cup banner last year.
Speaking of the Sharks, I’m going to miss my annual trip to see the Wings play San Jose this year but for the third year in a row my sons Rob and Kris will be at the game on Thursday night (3-3-2011) in the Shark Tank. Hope you guys have fun and the Wings continue to win on the road.
One more topic. It was announced last week that former Red Wing Shawn Burr has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and has begun an intensive chemo treatment. Burr is one of those players that endeared himself to the fans in Detroit with his high energy, relentless approach to the game of hockey. Even though he wasn’t a grind liner, he played that style of hockey. As Mitch Albom wrote in the Free Press earlier this week, if the game is Cancer vs Shawn Burr, put your money on Burr.
LGRW!