Predators @ Red Wings

DEFEAT

3 : Nashville Predators @ Detroit Red Wings : 2

Some Notes From The Game:

Tried really hard to recap this one, but honestly nothing much happened until late in the game.

This is Dollar Hot Dog Night at the Joe, and I managed to grab some screen caps from the intermission before they were lost forever when NHL archived the game.

First, Murph makes sure we know it's Dollar Hot Dog Night.

Dollar Hot Dogs.

 And in case we missed it, Murph gives an interview with John Keating as well. He takes his hot dogs very seriously.

Be still, my heart...

And during the second intermission, there's a short interview with Toddzilla. I forget exactly what he talked about, but I'd be remiss not to include this awesome screen capture I accidentally nailed.

Jolly good show, chap

The First Period:

Raffi misses an icing. Yup.

Hudler breaks his stick. Awesome.

We spend this first 5 minutes defending in our zone. No real action. Jimmah makes a series of reassuring saves.

Ken makes sure you know that we're 5-0-0 against the Central Division so far.

More hockey. Absolutely nothing of note. Eventually, Eaves goes off for interference.

Apparently Nashville has an atrocious power play. This pleases me.

Nothing interesting during the penalty kill. There's some discussion among the refs about where the faceoff should come when a puck is deflected out of play in front of the net. The refs decide that it went off a Nashville player, but our awesome FS Detroit slow-mo reveals that it was, in fact, Lidstrom who knocked it. Lidstrom wisely chooses not to say anything.

Helm steals a puck when the Preds try to set up for entry, and throws a one-man party.

Successful kill.

Ken, Mick, and Larry spend most of the remaining time in the period bantering about the Big Chill at the Big House.

In the last minute of the period, the Preds score. Of course they do.

The Second Period:

In the first minute of the period, the Preds score. Of course they do.

The goal is scored by a puck the bounces off of Big E and in. D'oh...

Good job, Shitbox. Stay the eff outta Lidstrom's office if you can't handle it

Some more hockey, and then Helm draws a cross-checking penalty from Weber.

Damn you and your penalty killing talent!

Cleary gets robbed.

No more action on the PP.

Hudler loses what little patience I had for him when he decides to take all day to shoot a puck.Which Lindback denies.

A Lidstrom shot from the point almost makes it in, but a Pred defender dives in the for save. Damn.

Not on my watch!

After this, Uncle Mike throws the lines into a blender and just puts whoever on the ice.

Next, Erat wins an Emmy for a high-sticking performance. Holmstrom goes to the box for 4.

AGGHH!!! NOT THE FACE!!!!

This is followed by....

SHORTHANDED GOOOOOOOAL!

Eurotwin's goal:

Zetterberg steals the puck from a Pred defender on the point. Zetterberg races up the left, with Pavel shadowing him down the midle. Z gets a shot on goal, and the rebound sits in the crease. Pavel gets a good whack at it with his stick before Lindback can glove it. The puck bounces off Lindback's glove and into the air. Pavel baseball bats it mid-air and in.

Can't teach that shit

Uncle Mike is no doubt pleased with his decision to pair the Eurotwins on the penalty kill.

Next, a Pred goes off for high-sticking Cleary in the face.

We don't generate anything before Toddzilla goes to the box for cross-checking. We get about 20 seconds of a 4 on 4 before the Preds move to a power play.

Nothing of note during the penalty kill.

The Third Period:

Abby gets a breakaway, but Lindback denies the backhand.

A Pred knocks Lidstrom down. I note this only because it happens maybe once a season. A penalty would have been nice, as the Pred used a free hand to wrangle Nick to the ice while chasing a loose puck, but no joy.

Stuart gets a ridiculous one-timer off. Lindback denies.

You know you're giving it your all when you end up on one knee

Holmstrom manages to draw a penalty for holding.

No joy on the power play.

We draw a delayed penalty. Jimmah leaves for the extra man, but we fail the entry and the Preds touch.

Bertuzzi slashes someone and his stick breaks. No penalty. Haha. Preds are not pleased.

Oh, Todd...

 Nothing of note on the power play.

About 6 minutes left in the 3rd, there's a power surge in the Joe. The lights flicker and the signal cuts out a little bit. Game continues without stoppage.

A couple seconds after this, the Preds score on a 2-on-1 break.

I'm thinking some sort of outside force. Aliens, maybe.

In the final two minutes, the score stands at 3-1 Preds, so we pull Jimmah for the extra man.

Franzen's goal:

There's so much chaos in front of the net it's hard to tell what exactly happened. A loose puck that's following the boards towards the back of the goal is scooped up by Holmstrom and whipped towards the front of the goal. Someone, maybe Datsyuk or Filppula, gets a stick on it and knocks it into Lindberg. The rebound makes it way to Franzen, who pumps and then wrists it in.

Datsyuk manages to lose a helmet somehow

Still six skaters. There's about a solid minute of absolute chaos in the Pred's zone. Ken remarks that last second heroics aren't out of the question. However, the Predators hold onto their lead, and we walk away with another reguation loss at home.

Don't Think We Didn't Notice:

In the final frantic minute of the period, Shea Weber finds time to cross-check Zetterberg in the mouth.

Not the face!

No penalty servitude this match, so no one served with pride.