So I hear the World Cup has some crappy refs. Sorry to hear that. Well, I've taken the time to piece together some examples of why we feel your pain. Since this is a Red Wings blog, the pieces are numerous. I'll give a brief explanation if one is needed, but basically, these are perfectly clean goals being waived off because the ref either claimed to have lost sight of the puck for a short time, or because of phantom interference.
The most famous disallowed goal would be Hossa's goal in Game 3 of the second round of the playoffs. Rather than tying the game and having a shot at OT, the Wings lost and it took 7 games to beat the ducks rather than possibly 5. A lot of injuries occurred in those extra two games against the thuggish Ducks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9gkrh9NE5E&feature=fvw
Another important playoff goal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyBwtgmyTUQ
And here's one from the Stanley Cup Finals:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LO_hW_4F4Y&feature=PlayList&p=AA70A70FD269CC59&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=4
Important thing to remember is the ref is claiming that the goalie was unable to make a save because the Red Wings was hanging all over them. Being in the crease is legal. Touching the goalie is legal. Knocking the goalie over is not legal, nor did it happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO3_MHvYrLU&feature=PlayList&p=AA70A70FD269CC59&playnext_from=PL&index=2&playnext=5
Note how even the impartial announcers say it's a bad call:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qTMC7B8Js
Whether this one is legal or not, you gotta love the crowd's reaction. It's obvious how tired Red Wings fans are of goals being called back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcoCL7MZlNY
This one still has Red Wings fans pulling our hair out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v0HSV6yIYQ&feature=PlayList&p=AA70A70FD269CC59&playnext_from=PL&index=1&playnext=4
And here's Babbles' post game reaction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKJaZ5avKtQ
Now, sometimes controversial goals count. Like when the puck goes in even though it had just gone out of play or was clearly, CLEARLY batted in with the player's glove. But those goals occurred against the Wings. What was the reaction in the NHL War Room in Toronto after those goals were scored?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9sRAlGnHYQ&feature=pyv
Thought so.
We feel your pain, World Cup fans. But if these clips are any indicator, instant replay will not solve your problems. Stupidity and corruption trump logic. Sorry.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Keep planning that parade...
After 8 wins, the Sharts fans are congratulating each other and planning sleep-overs, picnics on the beach and parades. Way to go. Nothing like jynxing yourselves half way to your goal.
Think you'll get all those power plays against the Hawks (assuming they close out Vancouver)? Think Murray will be aloud to blind-side Kane while your sally little team skates away with the puck?
el. oh. el.
No. Having every possible break and still getting outscored in a series and still moving on is a step forward (I guess), but the Sharts are still the Sharts.
But hey! You beat the Red Wings! That's worth some kind of banner, right? Whatever helps you catch up to this:
Good luck with that...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
2009-10 Review: The Forwards
Though I have basically tossed this blog to the gutter because I really hate writing about the Wings when they lose, I still wanted to keep it up and running so I can at least prove how smart I am when I compare the season preview to the season review. Just before the season began, I wrote what I was hoping for from each player. I do believe I fell short on quite a few offensive predictions, but whatever. Let's get this rolling:
Abdelkader:
If Abby gets 15 goals this year, that's great, but I'm expecting between 5-10 goals. Abby's value to the team will be based on his +/- rating. A rating of +10 would mean he's had an amazing season, but I'm guessing he'll break even.
Abby wasn't quite ready for the big league, but he will be soon enough. He looked great in the games I saw him play in Houston. 3G, 3A -11.
Bertuzzi:
I'll be happy with 15 because of his low salary, but we need him to score 20. What I don't want to see is dumb penalties.
Called it. 18G, 26A and 80PiM, mostly for offensive zone hooks and holds with 2 minutes left in regulation and a 1 goal game. Still, 1.5 million? Sold!
Cleary:
Dear Dan Cleary,
Since Detroit lost roughly 80 goals worth of offense over the summer, your fans would greatly appreciate it if you could score 20 goals or more and have a +/- of about +20 or so. Wings fans want to see the 2008 Cleary. Please leave the 2009 version in Newfoundland.
Sincerely,
Some Guy
Mainly due to injury, he fell short of the 20 goal request, but he really broke my heart at -3. I know he could have done better. So does he. 15G, 19A -3
Datsyuk:
Keep doing your thing, Pav. Another season of 30 goals, 65 assists and a +40 rating is all we ask of you. Shouldn't be an issue for the best player in hockey, right?
27G, 43A, and a +17 rating. Not bad on the goals, but the assists had a lot to do with all the injuries his teammates suffered. If Mule didn't hurt his knee, he would have had more.
Draper:
This year, the only stat I'll be looking at is his +/-. He's been a combined -15 the last two seasons, so some improvement in that category is in order. At 38 and on the 3rd or 4th line, I'm hoping for +1, but even -5 will be acceptable if he continues to be the best faceoff man in the NHL.
He finished -2 with 7G and 15A. And of course, Babbles put him on the wing so he didn't really take faceoffs anyways.
Filppula:
This season could be a real money-maker for Flip. With 80 goals worth of offense gone, Filppula could get his name out there if he gets anything in the area of 25+. In the end, I'm hoping for 20 goals and 30 assists as well as a +10 or better.
Is it just me or do I suck at predicting +/-? He finished with a -4 rating and 11G, 24A in just 55 games. Blasted injuries! He looked great (and I'm not talking about his hair) before he got hurt.
Franzen:
If Franzen has a 40G season up his sleeve, this would be the year to pull it out. 40G, 30A and a +/- of whatever is what I'm looking for from the Mule.
He only got to play in 27 games, yet he still scored 10 goals and added 11 assists. That's on pace for 30+, not the 40 I was hoping for, but coming back from a torn ACL or MCL or whatever it was, it's still a great stat. I expect fire for the playoffs.
Helm:
This season, look for him to score between 10-15 goals. His regular season +/- is a bit lacking, but when you don't score much, it may seem worse than it is.
11G, 13A, -2. Not bad at all. Great year for Helmer.
Holmstrom:
Homer can still score 30 goals in a season if he's healthy and plays on the right line. Really, the only thing Holmstrom needs help with is out of his hands. No one else in the entire league takes more punishment than Holmstrom. I'm not sure why other players are allowed to give such cheap and dirty hits while the Ref turns a blind eye, only to call a penalty on Holmstrom when he's finally had enough and pushes back. It's really pitiful.
25G, 20A (despite missing 14 games due to injury) and zero help from the refs. Called it!
Leino:
Leino has great hands, but he's not very big. If he can survive an entire season without injury, he can score 20-25 goals. Leino is the guy who teams forget about when they're trying to figure out how to shutdown Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He brings depth to your lineup.
Didn't call it! I was so far off on Leino, but so was the Red Wings front office! He has been sent to Philly in exchange for... a guy who's name escapes me. Still, if Leino doesn't improve drastically, I'd say we made out like bandits.
Maltby:
Malts will always be a fan favorite, but he's nearing the end of his career. He's really not a threat to score and he doesn't kill penalties like he used to, though he still has a place as a mentor for guys like Helmer and Apple-Gator. Look for Malts to be a healthy scratch from time to time this season. I only hope that when he does retire, he retires a Red Wing.
Pretty much called it, but it was hard to be a healthy scratch when guys were dropping like flies all year.
Williams:
Depth scoring and staying healthy will be the key to success for Willy. I'm willing to bet that he'll be on the power play quite a bit, so 20 goals is not a stretch. Considering his paycheck, 15 goals or more would be perfect.
Thanks, injury bug, for making me look extra dumb on this one! Had he not missed half the year with a broken leg, Williams would have probably been in the 10-15G range, which is what I was hoping for.
Zetterberg:
Hank's numbers dropped a bit last season, but I'm not the least bit worried about that because his shooting percentage changed very little. He just needs to shoot more this season. The more Zetterberg shoots, the more he scores, the more we win. A lot has to do with whoever he plays with, of course. If it's Pavel Datsyuk, he can score 45+ goals, but if it's someone else, he'll probably net 35.
I blame injuries! Again... He was 4th in the league in shots taken, but only scored 23. I blame injuries!
Well there you go. How did I do? Seemed that most of the guys that stayed healthy were on the money, but not all (Leino). I guess I won't be giving up my day job, then. At least not to become a full-time basement-dweller.
Abdelkader:
If Abby gets 15 goals this year, that's great, but I'm expecting between 5-10 goals. Abby's value to the team will be based on his +/- rating. A rating of +10 would mean he's had an amazing season, but I'm guessing he'll break even.
Abby wasn't quite ready for the big league, but he will be soon enough. He looked great in the games I saw him play in Houston. 3G, 3A -11.
Bertuzzi:
I'll be happy with 15 because of his low salary, but we need him to score 20. What I don't want to see is dumb penalties.
Called it. 18G, 26A and 80PiM, mostly for offensive zone hooks and holds with 2 minutes left in regulation and a 1 goal game. Still, 1.5 million? Sold!
Cleary:
Dear Dan Cleary,
Since Detroit lost roughly 80 goals worth of offense over the summer, your fans would greatly appreciate it if you could score 20 goals or more and have a +/- of about +20 or so. Wings fans want to see the 2008 Cleary. Please leave the 2009 version in Newfoundland.
Sincerely,
Some Guy
Mainly due to injury, he fell short of the 20 goal request, but he really broke my heart at -3. I know he could have done better. So does he. 15G, 19A -3
Datsyuk:
Keep doing your thing, Pav. Another season of 30 goals, 65 assists and a +40 rating is all we ask of you. Shouldn't be an issue for the best player in hockey, right?
27G, 43A, and a +17 rating. Not bad on the goals, but the assists had a lot to do with all the injuries his teammates suffered. If Mule didn't hurt his knee, he would have had more.
Draper:
This year, the only stat I'll be looking at is his +/-. He's been a combined -15 the last two seasons, so some improvement in that category is in order. At 38 and on the 3rd or 4th line, I'm hoping for +1, but even -5 will be acceptable if he continues to be the best faceoff man in the NHL.
He finished -2 with 7G and 15A. And of course, Babbles put him on the wing so he didn't really take faceoffs anyways.
Filppula:
This season could be a real money-maker for Flip. With 80 goals worth of offense gone, Filppula could get his name out there if he gets anything in the area of 25+. In the end, I'm hoping for 20 goals and 30 assists as well as a +10 or better.
Is it just me or do I suck at predicting +/-? He finished with a -4 rating and 11G, 24A in just 55 games. Blasted injuries! He looked great (and I'm not talking about his hair) before he got hurt.
Franzen:
If Franzen has a 40G season up his sleeve, this would be the year to pull it out. 40G, 30A and a +/- of whatever is what I'm looking for from the Mule.
He only got to play in 27 games, yet he still scored 10 goals and added 11 assists. That's on pace for 30+, not the 40 I was hoping for, but coming back from a torn ACL or MCL or whatever it was, it's still a great stat. I expect fire for the playoffs.
Helm:
This season, look for him to score between 10-15 goals. His regular season +/- is a bit lacking, but when you don't score much, it may seem worse than it is.
11G, 13A, -2. Not bad at all. Great year for Helmer.
Holmstrom:
Homer can still score 30 goals in a season if he's healthy and plays on the right line. Really, the only thing Holmstrom needs help with is out of his hands. No one else in the entire league takes more punishment than Holmstrom. I'm not sure why other players are allowed to give such cheap and dirty hits while the Ref turns a blind eye, only to call a penalty on Holmstrom when he's finally had enough and pushes back. It's really pitiful.
25G, 20A (despite missing 14 games due to injury) and zero help from the refs. Called it!
Leino:
Leino has great hands, but he's not very big. If he can survive an entire season without injury, he can score 20-25 goals. Leino is the guy who teams forget about when they're trying to figure out how to shutdown Datsyuk and Zetterberg. He brings depth to your lineup.
Didn't call it! I was so far off on Leino, but so was the Red Wings front office! He has been sent to Philly in exchange for... a guy who's name escapes me. Still, if Leino doesn't improve drastically, I'd say we made out like bandits.
Maltby:
Malts will always be a fan favorite, but he's nearing the end of his career. He's really not a threat to score and he doesn't kill penalties like he used to, though he still has a place as a mentor for guys like Helmer and Apple-Gator. Look for Malts to be a healthy scratch from time to time this season. I only hope that when he does retire, he retires a Red Wing.
Pretty much called it, but it was hard to be a healthy scratch when guys were dropping like flies all year.
Williams:
Depth scoring and staying healthy will be the key to success for Willy. I'm willing to bet that he'll be on the power play quite a bit, so 20 goals is not a stretch. Considering his paycheck, 15 goals or more would be perfect.
Thanks, injury bug, for making me look extra dumb on this one! Had he not missed half the year with a broken leg, Williams would have probably been in the 10-15G range, which is what I was hoping for.
Zetterberg:
Hank's numbers dropped a bit last season, but I'm not the least bit worried about that because his shooting percentage changed very little. He just needs to shoot more this season. The more Zetterberg shoots, the more he scores, the more we win. A lot has to do with whoever he plays with, of course. If it's Pavel Datsyuk, he can score 45+ goals, but if it's someone else, he'll probably net 35.
I blame injuries! Again... He was 4th in the league in shots taken, but only scored 23. I blame injuries!
Well there you go. How did I do? Seemed that most of the guys that stayed healthy were on the money, but not all (Leino). I guess I won't be giving up my day job, then. At least not to become a full-time basement-dweller.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Red Wings 3, Sabres 2 OT
Wings won in OT? I know... I was shocked, too. Aside from a sloppy 10 minutes in the second, I saw something I have not noticed in a long time: Puck possession. Even when a Sabres player had the puck and tried to enter the zone, the Wings were ready and took the puck right back.
9 straight games with a PP goal. 10 games since Franzen has been back. Oh what could have been.
9 straight games with a PP goal. 10 games since Franzen has been back. Oh what could have been.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Screw you, NBC and VS
I've pretty much hit the end of my rope. "But Twig, the NHL is on a break. What happened that set you off?" I'll tell you: The NHL is on a break, but the agenda is not.
"Rafalski shoots, he scores! Brian Rafalski, who of course plays for the Detroit Red Wings who lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals last year..."
Was it absolutely 100% necessary to remind us all what happened last year? Believe me, I will never forget. If that cup was removed from the record books and mentioning it was punishable by death, I would still see that little punk with his meat hooks on our cup on our ice cheesing for the camera like he FINALLY got a date for the prom. Screw you, Rosby.
I know why you do it. You want to inform all the hockey fans that quit watching because the Red Wings domination made hockey boring. You want them to know that it's OK to be a fan again because the great red beast has been vanquished! Screw you, NBC. Don't forget, all they did was even the score.
Or maybe it's because Little Gary insisted that you stick to your scripts? All things Pittsburgh, amazing. All things Red Wings, old, slow, sad, broken, uninspired and pathetic. Close? Tin Foil Hat? Already planted securely on the top of my head.
VS! Screw you, too! That game against St. Louis... You know it. We know it. Biased. The best way to describe what we were watching was FS Midwest. I can handle watching other teams announcers. I expect them to be biased. What I can't stand is when you sorry morons pretend to be impartial. Just say it from the beginning. "Folks, we're supposed to be impartial, but if you're a fan of the Detroit Red Wings and the vast majority of you watching probably are, you're not going to be happy tonight because we're going to trash your team every chance we get."
Hey Gary! Want to actually make some money with this "league" and get some people interested in the sport? Sign on with a network that does NOT have Pierre McGuire on their payroll. That "man" can not let go when he falls for someone. Big save by a young goalie? He starts to get all hot and bothered. Great pass by a rookie? Goosebumps.
Chris from NOHS said it pretty good today when he said that he used to look forward to games on network TV. I remember those days too. I remember thinking "So many people are watching this game and seeing such great hockey for the first time all year and here I get to see this all the time!" Kind of like being the first kid to play the latest Nintendo game (Yup, I'm an 80's kid) and all your friends at school are jealous. It was the same feeling for me. Now? Dread. Why? I'm embarrassed. And it's not because they're struggling. Heck, most of the games they have played on VS and NBC have been great games even though they tend to lose them. It's because I have to listen to you douche bags tell me what you think of my heroes. Well, screw you!
NBC and VS, you are hereby boycotted. Oh, I'm gonna watch. I'm just gonna use some sort of feed online or the radio. I will also be boycotting all of your sponsors, unless one of them happens to be Kellogg's or something else Michigan related. Don't like Kellogg's? Well, screw you!
Little Gary is ruining hockey and you're helping. You have gone too far.
"Rafalski shoots, he scores! Brian Rafalski, who of course plays for the Detroit Red Wings who lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals last year..."
Was it absolutely 100% necessary to remind us all what happened last year? Believe me, I will never forget. If that cup was removed from the record books and mentioning it was punishable by death, I would still see that little punk with his meat hooks on our cup on our ice cheesing for the camera like he FINALLY got a date for the prom. Screw you, Rosby.
I know why you do it. You want to inform all the hockey fans that quit watching because the Red Wings domination made hockey boring. You want them to know that it's OK to be a fan again because the great red beast has been vanquished! Screw you, NBC. Don't forget, all they did was even the score.
Or maybe it's because Little Gary insisted that you stick to your scripts? All things Pittsburgh, amazing. All things Red Wings, old, slow, sad, broken, uninspired and pathetic. Close? Tin Foil Hat? Already planted securely on the top of my head.
VS! Screw you, too! That game against St. Louis... You know it. We know it. Biased. The best way to describe what we were watching was FS Midwest. I can handle watching other teams announcers. I expect them to be biased. What I can't stand is when you sorry morons pretend to be impartial. Just say it from the beginning. "Folks, we're supposed to be impartial, but if you're a fan of the Detroit Red Wings and the vast majority of you watching probably are, you're not going to be happy tonight because we're going to trash your team every chance we get."
Hey Gary! Want to actually make some money with this "league" and get some people interested in the sport? Sign on with a network that does NOT have Pierre McGuire on their payroll. That "man" can not let go when he falls for someone. Big save by a young goalie? He starts to get all hot and bothered. Great pass by a rookie? Goosebumps.
Chris from NOHS said it pretty good today when he said that he used to look forward to games on network TV. I remember those days too. I remember thinking "So many people are watching this game and seeing such great hockey for the first time all year and here I get to see this all the time!" Kind of like being the first kid to play the latest Nintendo game (Yup, I'm an 80's kid) and all your friends at school are jealous. It was the same feeling for me. Now? Dread. Why? I'm embarrassed. And it's not because they're struggling. Heck, most of the games they have played on VS and NBC have been great games even though they tend to lose them. It's because I have to listen to you douche bags tell me what you think of my heroes. Well, screw you!
NBC and VS, you are hereby boycotted. Oh, I'm gonna watch. I'm just gonna use some sort of feed online or the radio. I will also be boycotting all of your sponsors, unless one of them happens to be Kellogg's or something else Michigan related. Don't like Kellogg's? Well, screw you!
Little Gary is ruining hockey and you're helping. You have gone too far.
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