Red Wings @ Flames

VICTORY

2 : Detroit Red Wings @ Calgary Flames : 1

Here we go again. Didn't we just play these guys?

I'm rockin' the TSN feed this game.

We start off with a Datsyuk homage by TSN. Yup. Most complete player in the NHL on one of the top lines of the NHL. Well said, buddy.

The First Period:

Dastyuk immediately sets the tone by stick-handling through no less than three Flames to gain entry into the zone.

We hit a goal post

Stuart starts off the match by smashing some Flame and getting nailed for interference. Little do we know, this is an ominous sign of things to come.

The Flames begin their first power play. We've got the second best PK in the league. I'm not worried.

Cleary sets the tone by stealing the puck and getting a shorthanded shot on goal. 

 Cleary does his best Datsyuk impersonation.

We spend the last 30 seconds of the PK throwing a party in the offensive zone.

Yeah, I've got a good feeling about this game.

This is followed by a Tim Hortons advertisement. Man, I miss me some Tim Hortons.

Next, Big E takes a hooking penalty. Yeah. You weren't fooling anyone with that one, E

 

No way that's a hook!

Big E has the gall to look confused as he heads to the box.

The Flames start another power play. There's an absolute clusterfuck in front of the goal right at the onset of the PK.

 Howard has a helluva time finding the puck in this mess

The chaos eventually clears, and the Flames get a shot and hit the post.

Helm steals the puck and we have a party in the offensive zone before the Flames get their shit together.

In the dying seconds of the power play, Datsyuk steals the puck and the Eurotwins throw another party. They manage to draw a penalty while doing so.

I really love the Red Wings.

We move on to a Red Wing power play as some random Flame defenseman (who has the gall to wear the holy number 5) heads to the penalty box.

We do absolutely nothing in our power play. Stuart gets a nice one-timer off.

The Canadian announcers give a nice shout-out to Cleary, who has been in excellent form lately.

Datsyuk loses the puck, but steals it back seconds later, prompting this gem from the announcers: “You don't see Datsyuk lose it very often, but you see him get it back with great frequency.” Best quote by the announcers all night.

This is followed by someone high-sticking Cleary in the face. This is also an ominous sign of things to come.

 The Flames are obviously not Cleary fans.

Cleary gets a cut on his chin for his troubles, and there's a long delay as the refs puzzle the penalty out. They nab the wrong guy, and we get further delay as the Flames coach argues and we try to get the right man into the box for the double minor.

The delay allows us to watch Piet fix Danny's face.

Good job, Piet.

So the Wings finally get a power play. We get a full straight minute in the offensive zone before the Flames manage to clear the puck by knocking it out of play.

Franzen freight trains some poor Flame into the boards and gets called for boarding. Franzen is not pleased and gives the refs a few choice words.

 My puck!

So now we've got a 4 on 4. Pay attention, because this is going to get complicated.

We start the 4 on 4 and Lidstrom immediately gets checked hard into the boards. He falls super awkwardly, as is noted by the Canadian announcers, and I'm surprised as hell he didn't mess something up. He goes on to favor his right leg for a few strides and just as he heads to the bench for a change, he gets sent to the penalty box instead for hooking. It was a pretty blatant hook, though.

 The Mule tries to become best friends with the Swede. The Swede pointedly ignores him.

Franzen and Lids chill in the box.

Now we've got a... 4 on 3?

Yeah. I think. I'm losing track. Whatever.

The Flames score. Damn. Franzen comes out of the box.

We move back to the 4 on 4. Nothing happens until the Flames get their man back from the penalty box. This gives the Flames a couple seconds of a power play. Franzen has a very nice moment where he backchecks the hell outta some Flame when we turn the puck over. Nothing of note happens until Lidstrom's penalty expires.

A Flame takes a hooking penalty. Detroit moves on to a power play.

I'm about to give up on keeping track of who's on what power play. God damn.

Franzen comes very close to score a goal as Kip'off fumbles a little on the puck. Tuzzi invades the crease looking for garbage and there's some good shoving all around.

Penalty expires. Zetterberg hits a post on a long shot.

The Second Period:

Lots of fumbling on the Red Wing bench during the first shift change. I almost got my too-many-men call. Damn!

Zetterberg has an open ice check on some poor Flame.

Modano's goal:

Finally. Cleary has the puck, and the Flames decide to send two players to check him into the boards because hey – one isn't enough. Modano swoops in and grabs a loose puck in the neutral zone. There's only one Flame defenseman in the offensive zone – who does absolutely nothing to stop this goal – and Modano just wrists this one straight up past Kip'soff.

BOOM

Fuck, Modano can still skate fast at 40 years old.

Stat time, brought to you by TSN!

Mike Modano:

1^st overall pick in 1988 draft!

559 goals – 1,361 points!

Most by a US-born player!

Some short conversation about Modano being picked up by the Wings. Queue a shot of Ken Holland in his box, next to some old guy I don't know. Both of them are chewing gum.

Nothing much for a few minutes. Some technical difficulties by the Canadian announcers.

Some conversation about Datsyuk and Perry's fight in the season opener. The Canadians approve.

During a commercial break, some Canadian interviews Nick. Who is never out of breath. Ever.

Why yes, I am a mother fuckin' G

A shout out to Nick's ranking all-time points by a defencemen. He sits at the number 6 spot with 1,057. Above him rests Larry Murphy, rocking the 1,216. Ray Bourque takes the all-mighty position of 1^st, with 1,579.

Some convo about Babcock's supposed 'two year window' with regards to Nick and the Wing's chance for the Cup.

The Lidstrom-centric conversation carries on for a while, and Nick responds to the attention by assisting on the next goal.

Abdelkader's goal:

Lidstrom has possession in our zone. Stretch pass to Datsyuk, who's chillin' in neutral. He gets pressured by some Flame, so he dishes it to Abby, who's all alone because the retarded Flames are on a shift change. Abby roofs it top shelf.

Zing!

 A Flame dumps Abby immediately following the next faceoff.

Thank god we benched Hudler. Abby, I love you.

Hockey is played for the rest of the period. Filppula high-sticks someone just before it ends.

Stuart butt-checks Iginla, throws a little elbow in there, and Iginla doesn't appreciate. They drops the gloves, but the refs just want the period to end and break it up before anything happens.

This woulda been a good one.

We're left with a 4 on 4. By this point in the game, I'm pretty good at tracking these man advantages.

The Third Period:

The period starts with Stuart and Filp becoming best friends in the box. We play four on four hockey for a bit.

Did we just become best friends?

Filp comes out of the box and we get a short power play. It passes, and we're back to 5 on 5 hockey.

Howard makes a sick save when a Flame goes for  wrap around. 

DENIED

Some conversation about Iginla, who I guess isn't having a good start to the season and his ridiculously low ice time through two periods. Oooo, controversy. I try to care, and fail. Iginla is a pretty okay guy, though. A Captain worthy of the title, at least.

Halfway through the period Cleary gets a nice shot straight off a faceoff. Kip'soff makes a very nice save. The following faceoff, a Flame crosschecks Abby. Babcock approves. (no, really. The announcers made sure I knew)

Detroit power play. I don't really like the first unit with Modano where Rafalski should be. Mickey Mo doesn't really stay on the right point, and Nick generally ends up drifting towards the middle to try and cover the entire line by himself. It's Nick Lidstrom, so he does a pretty bang up job, and if it was anyone else I don't think it'd work, but still. I miss Raffi.

No scoring on the power play.

This is followed by Salei accidentally high sticking a Flame, who gets pretty messed up. The Flames get a pity party by the refs, who fail to call them out for a too-many-men because the bleeding Flame couldn't find the bench through all the blood on his face and send out one too many forwards. Suck it up, Canadian.

Aieeeeeee-!!!!

So now the Wings fight off a double minor.

The annoying announcer remarks that it's easy to identify out penalty killers, and recants to us a scene in the locker room this morning - Helm and Eaves, each of them with an ice bag on their feet. Not an image I enjoy.

The Flames squander their power play .

The final minute of the period looms. Kip'soff tries several times to make it to the bench, but this is the Red Wings, son. Get back between those pipes.

The Flames take a penalty for tripping. Yeah, good job. The Flame coach looks displeased.

Kip'off finally makes it out of the goal to make it 5 on 5. 

No joy.

Don't Think We Didn't Notice:

Bleeding Canadian. Love it.

No one Served with Pride.