Red Wings @ Blues

DEFEAT

3 : Detroit Red Wings @ St. Louis Blues : 4

Some Notes From The Game:

Couldn't get the Wings feed for the recap, so I got to hear the Blues announcers. Didn't really like them. Maybe it's my pathological hatred for Darren Pang...

The First Period:

We start off immediately with a scrum in our crease. The Blues follow this up with a shift that looks like a power play.

Zetterberg steals a puck twice in a row in the offensive zone. Franzen gets a good scoring chance as he's falling to the ice.

They give some props to Lidstrom for the hat trick he scored against the Blues last time the teams met.

Halak robs Rafalski.

The Blues go on a checking spree. Helm goes sprawling in center ice.

Damn you and your talent!

The play continues, very solid. No whistles as we head pretty evenly up and down the ice. The Blues announcers discuss Huge Disappointment Hudler for a bit.

Some props to Babcock being the only triple gold coach.

For some reason, the Blues announcers think Zetterberg got a hat trick last game. That would've been nice...

Cleary blocks a shot, and then scoops up the puck for a breakaway. Halak makes the save.

Abby high-sticks someone in the face, netting the Blues a power play. Awesome.

The Blues score. Sadness. Slapshot from the blue line, traffic in front.

Franzen's goal:

The Mule takes the roll of killjoy this time. Zetterberg has the puck in neutral. Flings it into the air for the dump in. Franzen reaches the puck first and wrists a sick shot past Halak. Yeah.

Feed the Mule

And then the Blues score. What. The. Fuck.

A sick wrister from a Blue hits Kronner, completely changing direction. Ozzy tries to adjust, but no joy as the puck finds the back of the net. Ewww.

Damn

The crowd picks up a random 'OS-GOOD' chant.

Osgood's biggest disappointment in a playoff series was when he was a Blue back in 2004. Just FYI.

Kronwall heads to the box for slashing. Try to be more subtle next time, Kronner.

The Blues score. Again. Three seconds after the Kronner penalty expires.

Double Damn

Fuuuuuuuuck.

Then a Blue goes off for tripping.

Rafalski loses the puck in the offensive zone, netting the Blues a two-on-one break against Lidstrom. Ozzie makes the save. Thankfully.

We squander half of the power play before the period ends.

The Second Period:

Salei breaks his stick passing the puck. The announcers lament the loss of two hundred dollars.

A Blue goes off for high sticking Helm in the face.

Lidstrom is still 40 years old.

The Blues get another 2-on-1 break against Lidstrom. Ozzie makes a sick pad save, and both him and the Blue go sprawling. It was awesome.

DENIED

We squander the rest of the power play.

A Blue gets a breakaway and scores.

Seriously.

The announcers think Ozzie hurt his right leg/groin somehow on that last save against the 2-on-1 break last power play. I hope not...

There's a faint 'OS-GOOD' chant.

Announcers give some props to Cleary.

The Blues hit a goal post. I hate that sound.

A break out pass from Lidstrom to Bertuzzi draws a hooking penalty.

A Blue playing with two sticks nets us a 5-on-3 for a solid minute-thirty.

Seemed like a good idea at the time...

Lidstrom's goal:

Lidstrom and Raffi pass the puck back and forth. They debate on whether to switch sides. Lidstrom decides to pass to Zetterberg on the left. Zetterberg passes it back. Lidstrom one-times the puck past the Holmstrom screen and in.

The Blues are starting to dislike Lidstrom. I can feel it

Back to a 5-on-4 power play.

Hudler leaps up to catch a puck in a pretty sickening keep-in. Wow.

We squander what's left of the power play.

The Blues use their time out after icing the puck.

Eaves' goal:

The Blues win the faceoff. We battle for the puck on the boards behind the net. Helm eventually emerges with it, and passes to Eaves at the top of the faceoff circle. Eaves wrists one in.

FOURTH LINE, BITCH

The Mule heads to the box for being a badass. After crosschecking a Blue in the throat, he shoves him to the ice for good measure. I laughed.

Owned

Cleary manages to get his stick on the puck just as Franzen's penalty expires. He makes the pass, and Franzen has the breakaway.

And shoots it wide.

Sigh...

The Third Period:

Cleary misses a wide open net.

Kronwall loses his stick.

We play a lot of frantic, serious hockey. We really want that tying goal.

The Blues' net is dislodged.

A Blue manages to get a solid check on Lidstrom, drawing approval from the Blues announcers.

Kronwall goes to the box for cross-checking. Lovely.

Can Darren Pang not pronounce a 'W'? Every time I head someone say 'Kronvall', it annoys me.

Helm gets a breakaway. As usual. Doesn't generate anything from it. As usual.

There's some worrisome chaos in the crease.

We kill it off.

A Blue gets a breakaway. Ozzie makes the save.

Bertuzzi holds a Blues' stick for a solid 5 seconds, but doesn't get called. Funny.

There's some chaos in the Blues' crease following a Salei shot. Drapes almost collects some garbage, but Halak makes the pad save.

Sweet chaos

Lidstrom fakes out a Blue trying to check him into the boards. I chuckled.

We're narrowing in on the last five minutes of the period.

We shoot a lot of wide pucks. C'mon, boys...

The Blues announcers cry about a non-call on Holmstrom for interference. Suck it up.

We get some Crazy Train over the arena speakers. Awesome.

Last two minutes. We try REALLY hard to score. Halak loses his stick. Osgood books it to the bench for the extra man.

The Blues get a break for our empty goal. They hit a goal post. And then hit to the other goal post a second later.

Oh. My. God.

The crowd is going nuts. The Wings try in the final few seconds, but no joy.

And that's game.

Don't Think We Didn't Notice:

Nothing. No one Served with Pride either. Maybe next game...