Stars @ Red Wings

DEFEAT (OT)

4 : Dallas Stars @ Detroit Red Wings : 3

Well, Osgood starts this match searching for that magical win #400. He'll be the 10th goaltender in NHL history to achieve the milestone.

The Dallas Stars are somehow hovering in the upper echelons of the NHL with rankings like 16th in goals per game, 10th in goals against, an 18th power play, and an atrocious 21st penalty kill.

But despite their awful stats, they're chugging along at a decent pace, and after this victory are 1 point behind the Wings for 1st in the Conference, and have secured a 3rd place ranking in the NHL. Go figure. Western Conference for the win?

Some Notes From The Game:

Ken and Mick get things started by talking about Osgood. Obviously. We get some video of Ozzie moments, like his goal against Hartford, his fight with Roy, lifting those Stanley Cups...

Fond memories

It should be noted that the Detroit Lions won their second game in a row today, a 23-20 OT victory over Tampa Bay. For those of you who are unaware, the Lions haven't won a road game in over three years, going 0-26 on the road. So yeah - we at least have that.

Also, when I spell check this entry the closest thing in the dictionary to Lidstrom is the word 'Stromboli'.

You can do what you will with that information.

The First Period:

First action of the game sees Franzen breaking his stick behind the Stars' net, and scrambling at the bench for a new one. Holmstrom follows this by drawing an interference penalty by getting dumped in his office.

Power play time.

Ken notes that this is our first power play in 79 minutes and 17 seconds of game time. For those unaware, our last game against the Blackhawks was the first time in six years the Wings went a whole game without going on the power play. Our last power play was in the 3rd period against the Blues last Wednesday.

Whatever. We fumble around on the power play. It was kinda painful to watch. And then randomly, out of nowhere-

Datsyuk's goal:

Franzen's got the puck at the right boards. He passes to Holmstrom, who's on his way to his office. He passes to Datsyuk as he arrives at the front of the net. Holmstrom gets dumped, and Datsyuk decides he's going to backhand it on goal. The puck bounces off a Star defenceman in the crease, and Raycroft (the Stars' goalie) gets some stick on it, but it deflects into the goal.

Can't teach that shit

Holmstrom takes a slapshot at center ice to dump the puck and breaks his stick. Good times.

We generate some good stuff. Holmstrom gets a good chance. Cleary comes real close. Datsyuk goes on a checking spree.

Osgood stones a Star. Yeaaaaaah boy. The crowd gives him an 'OZZIE OZZIE' for good measure.

And then-

Eaves' goal:

Kronner has it on the left point. He wrists it on goal. Eaves, just outside the crease, manages to get a stick on the rebound.

Eaves removing himself from the healthy scratch rotation

Datsyuk gets a breakaway, but no joy.

The Stars score when a shot on goal deflects in off of Stuart's skate. Lovely.

Stu looks heavenward for an explanation from the Hockey Gods

Our fourth line of Helm, Miller, and Drapes play post-goal killjoy, and do a pretty damn good job.

A break in play grants us a shot of the Lions' victory this afternoon. I'm putting it here for posterity.

That. Just. Happened.

A Star breaks his stick, and the blade flies ridiculously high into the air and lands behind our goal. I laughed.

Next, Holmstrom goes off for hooking. I can't tell whether this penalty was deserved or not, as they forewent showing the replay in favor of getting another look at the Stars' goal off Stuart's skate. Like I didn't get enough of it the first time around.

Also, I'd like to add this statistic to put this game into perspective - the Stars have an absolutely awful road power play. Their road PP sits at 8.6%, which is tied for last in the NHL with the Panthers.

And they score. A Star defenseman takes a shot from the point, and Morrow deflects it en-route a-la-Holmstrom.

Seriously.

Bertuzzi follows this up by going off for holding the stick. Shmuck.

We get about 20 seconds into the penalty kill when, in an attempt to clear, Lidstrom decides to take a hit in center ice in favor of passing the puck to a streaking Helm. On the breakaway Helm gets a shot on goal, which Raycroft denies. This draws a penalty for holding from the only Star defender back. They say holding, but Robidas actually knees Helm in the stomach. Classy.

Not on my watch!

So now we've got a few seconds of a 4-on-4 before Zetterberg gets sent to the box for holding the stick.

Did we just become best friends?

Wonderful.

The Second Period:

We start off with a minute of 4-on-3. There's a lot of ridiculous hockey for thirty seconds before Stuart manages to clear and we change our penalty kill unit. No real action before Bertuzzi leaves the box, giving us twenty seconds of 4-on-4. Nothing until the Stars get Robidas back, and then a few seconds later we get Zetterberg back, and we're done with all these power play shenanigans.

Cleary sends one over the net.

Raycroft stones Zetterberg.

Ken gives us a look at the Wings' season so far broken down into segments.

Jimmah looks bored out of his mind on the bench.

Nothing really in the first half of the period. We get a few good chances, as do the Stars.

Finally, a fight breaks out between Abdelkader and Ott. They scramble, trying to rip each others helmets off. They finally do, and exchange a few punches before falling to the ice. They both depart with their matching 5 for fighting. I'm hesitant to declare a winner, so I'll leave that to the better informed.

Finish him!

The DJ chooses not to play Bloody Sunday during this, which displeases me greatly.

I recalled a Wing fighting Ott before - eventually remembered it was Dallas Drake, who fought Ott after he delivered an open-ice hit to Lidstrom back in the day. Which I only remembered because Ken had made a remark that Lidstrom said the worse hit he ever took was from Drake.

Yup.

Ken finally mentions Mike Modano as play continues.

Zetterberg and Cleary dive into the zone together, and Cleary draws an interference penalty.

Power play time. Rafalski gives away the puck on the point, and Lidstrom has to race back to prevent a breakaway. Luckily the Star decides to suddenly stop driving at the net for no reason. Okay.

Lidstrom gets a few shots off, including some difficult one-timers, and actually spends most of this power play deep in the zone instead of on the point. Good times.

Franzen heads to the box for slashing.

And then Stuart gets nailed in the leg with a puck.

Not good

He limps around the play as best he can, but that one clearly smarted. While he picks himself up off the ice, I pray to heathen gods and frantically review my pre-game ritual to make sure I didn't inadvertently skip something and displease the Hockey Gods. I recall nothing, and Stuart looks okay. For the most part.

A puck makes it past the point, and Helm is all over that shit. However, as Helm is racing after it, Raycroft leaves the crease and smacks the puck into the benches, denying that.

DENIED

Next, Salei nails a goal post. And I mean nails it. Sheesh. Salei shakes his head. Keep your chin up, Rusty. You'll get that first goal eventually...

Osgood stones someone. Wow. The crowd picks up the Ozzie chant.

We successfully kill off the penalty.

As the period comes to a close, Budd Lynch sets up our next goal.

Franzen's goal:

Datsyuk has the puck at the right boards. Rafalski and Franzen are standing next to each other in the middle of the zone, and Raffi receives the puck and taps it to Franzen, who wrists it past the Holmstrom screen and in.

Feed the Mule

Franzen, yet again, ties Cleary for team lead in goals at 14.

The Third Period:

Osgood makes another good save. The crowd picks up the chant.

Franzen and Datsyuk drive into the zone together. Datsyuk hits a goal post. Blah.

Lidstrom knees a puck midair. It was fun to watch.

Mick drops this gem - "It's no secret that most goaltenders are 'different' dudes. But Osgood is about as normal- for a goalie- as I've ever seen."

Thanks, Mick. I'm sure Ozzie appreciates.

Some hockey occurs before Salei heads to the box for hooking.

Osgood makes a ridiculous save. A puck hits Osgood, rebounds into a Star's face, and Ozzie gloves the puck as it flutters in the air. I guffawed. The crowd picks up the OZZIE chant.

OH MY GOD, HELM.

I swear to everything that is holy, all I want in the world is a finishing touch for Helm.

Helm, speeding as only he can, goes to sweep up a puck in a breakaway, but mother-effing-Raycroft goes flying out of his goal to knock the puck away. Helm still manages to get a stick on the deflected puck, and yet misses the wide open net.

God daaaaaamn... 

The crowd picks up a LRGW chant.

We successfully destroy the power play.

Ken manages to squeeze in another shout-out to the Lions. Lovin' it.

A Star goes off for goaltender interference.

Power play time.

We squander the power play. Yuck.

Lets take a look at the Western Conference real quick;

Osgood pulls off a spin-o-rama behind the goal. I crack a smile.

Someone breaks a stick. There is a child absolutely shrieking in the crowd somewhere. It was incredibly ridiculous.

The crowd starts another Ozzie chant. No particular reason - they just do.

Immediately following this, Rafalski attempts to clear a puck but instead ends up putting it right onto the stick of a Star, who dishes it to Morrow at the top of the crease, who snaps it through Ozzie's five-hole to tie the game at 3.

Shmuck.

We attempt some last minute heroics that involve a lot of chaos and a lot of hitting and a lot of Cleary, but alas... we head into overtime.

Overtime:

It has been 9 years since Dallas has lost to Detroit in overtime/shootout.

Thanks for that, Ken. As if I wasn't nervous enough already. Christ...

We get about a minute and a half of even hockey before Rafalski goes off for tripping. I normally don't say anything like this in my recaps, but these Stars are some diving mother fuckers.

Yup.

Dallas takes their time-out. If my team had the worst road power play in the NHL, I'd take my time-out too.

The Wings clear immediately following the faceoff. The Stars take their sweet ass time to set up. They get one shot off that Ozzie stops and holds.

A minute thirty left.

Datsyuk wins the faceoff but we can't clear. The Stars continue to take their sweet ass time. Ozzie stones their next one-timer. Lidstrom gets a stick on the one-timer after that, and then blocks the next one with his shins.

The rebound from the block heads to center ice. Lidstrom attempts to race after it, but he's too gassed to make it to the puck first, so he just hounds the Star who went back to retrieve it. Lids can't make it to the bench, forcing him to remain on the ice for the entire two minute stretch of the penalty kill.

And I want to shout out to Lidstrom's two-minute effort here. It was beautiful to watch. He, at least, was pretty darn serious about getting that win for Ozzie.

We get Rafalski out of the box.

The net conveniently is dislodged, causing the ref to whistle the play down and affording our tired penalty killers the opportunity to change.

Imagine that.

Ozzie pretty blatantly dislodging the net

We attempt to move play over to the offensive zone. We don't generate much before the Stars get a 3-on-1 against Kronwall.

Not good

Yup. Not much we can do about that. The Stars score, and win in overtime.

Don't Think We Didn't Notice:

I wish I got this on YouTube, but all throughout the final stretch of the game there is a young girl in the crowd SHRIEKING at the top of her lungs. Over. And over. And over. As Mick reviews the Star's final overtime tally, some guy in the crowd screams desperately 'SHUT UP!!!!!' I was too disheartened to laugh the first time around, but I got a good chuckle out of it on the recap.

Also, Kirk Maltby is in the crowd watching the game with Ozzie's family. The camera pans to him just in time to catch him dropping the f-bomb. While holding his infant child. 

Good stuff.