Michael J Gorman

Making the rounds around the Red Wings blogs I read I can clearly see that the team came out and from the start had no legs, no goal tending and no will to win or keep a playoff spot. Lucky for them everyone else lost so they did keep #8... but I'm sure that will change very quickly if they don't jump start their asses.

Instead of going home before Hockey practice and watching the game I choose to go to my girlfriends house and watch Law Abiding Citizen with her and her father. I think i made the correct choice to DVR the game. I may not even watch it on DVR now. I don't need to be more depressed when I think about where this team is and where it should be at this point in the season. 

Is Ozzy going to get a better look now? Babbles has been pretty stubborn to not even pull Jimmy on the few bad outings he had earlier in the season. Show him he can mess up a bit and not ruin his playing career, but now he pulled him and let Ozzy get in there. Does Chris get to start the next game and prove he can be consistent? I am a huge Jimmy fan, but maybe it is time for Ozzy to get his shot. Right now neither of them really shows the huge upside of winning games over the other. 

Since I have very little original content such as modifying super hero pictures like the awesome guys over at Nightmare on Helm Street or making nice Collages for the players like the Folks residing at the Scrappy Octopus I haven't really had much to say since there is no Red Wings hockey happening. Sweden killed Germany 2-0, but I didn't see Z on the score sheet so I lost interest pretty quick. It will mostly be dark around here for the break unless I have sme sort of epiphany and go on a tirade.

That was the sound of last week being a complete bust in the points department. We managed 1 point from the Pens and that was it. The team didn't play particularly bad against Pittsburgh, and the loss in the shootout is one of those things where Gary's Skills competition makes you wish it didn't exist. If only for the fact that Cindy Crosby won the game all by her self, no need for teamwork in a 1 on 0 goalie shot. 

I was at the Ducks game Wednesday night where I just felt like the team was playing uninspired. Babcock needs to light a fire under some asses. Lots of shots directly into the chest of the opposing goalie. Then comes Saturday. I was at this game as well and by the end of the 3-0 onslaught in the first high fives are flying and Zetterberg has taken back the team leading goals title with his 16th of the season. Little did we know up in the cheap seats that Howie would put one in on himself and we'd loose 3 players to injury and loose the game 4-3. 

That brings us to tonight. The Mule is back. We all know how players come back and do magical things their first game back. Franzen was quoted as saying he thought it was very important he get these 3 games in before the Olympic break. Players are sore their 2nd game because of lack of conditioning. He wants to get over that hump so after the Olympic break he returns on the same level as the rest of his team mates. Kronwall will not be playing, something about getting a different sized leg brace. I think he would have made the largest difference in Saturday's game.  

Homer is a maybe for tonight, Miller will play, Eaves will sit. With Jimmy in Net tonight, Franzen back in the lineup, probably rotating between the top and 2nd line will the Mule's kick be enough to keep us in playoff contention? I won't know because the game is on versus. I hate you DirecTV & Versus... so much. 

Ventured down to El Segundo to the Toyota Sports Arena for the Red Wings open practice today, before their bout tomorrow with the Kings at the staples center. Babcock seemed to be working everyone pretty hard, Death Stare at full power. Check out the pictures under the photo section (link on the right). 

So the Wings lost, despite controlling the flow for a good deal of the game and getting over 40 shots on Hiller. I was up in section 426 and as the game went on it became fairly clear where it was going to end up. I thought when we pulled Howard out we had some really good chances at the end, but Hiller made some very quality saves. 

Next up, an open practice for the Wings Friday in El Segundo. I'll be going and taking my Canon DSLR for some good pictures which i'll post here. The next day I'll be at the Staples Center to see the Wings decimate the Kings! Let's go Red Wings, the playoffs are just around the corner.