Round 2 - Detroit Vs. Anaheim

asq2 wrote:Pictures don't seem to want to show up for me.

Anyway, great win. Anaheim will (obviously) be up against the ropes, but Carlyle will be able to get the match-ups he wants at the Honda Centre.

Then again, how do you match up against the Wings? Do you try to take on the Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom line, or put your efforts against Hossa, Filpulla and Franzen?

Even if you do manage to shut them down, Hudler, Cleary, Helm, Samuelsson et all can burn you.

Are you using the 'host image' button?

Carlyle and the Ducks managed to play the Wings pretty close in the first three...but as Pierre Lebrun suggests on his ESPN blog, injuries may have become a factor for Anaheim, who needed all their guys healthy in order to execute a plan that worked well in the early going.

Getzlaf suffering from an undisclosed ailment and Wisniewski out took away two key elements.

The Ducks don't have Detroit's depth...plain and simple.

If you watched his postgame presser on NHL Network 'On The Fly', Mike Babc0ck certainly doesn't feel the Wings are in any kind of 'comfort zone' or 'control' right now.

He'd like to win it in Anaheim for obvious reasons...but the Ducks haven't quacked yet...and he knows it.

davetherave wrote:

asq2 wrote:Pictures don't seem to want to show up for me.

Anyway, great win. Anaheim will (obviously) be up against the ropes, but Carlyle will be able to get the match-ups he wants at the Honda Centre.

Then again, how do you match up against the Wings? Do you try to take on the Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom line, or put your efforts against Hossa, Filpulla and Franzen?

Even if you do manage to shut them down, Hudler, Cleary, Helm, Samuelsson et all can burn you.

Are you using the 'host image' button?

Carlyle and the Ducks managed to play the Wings pretty close in the first three...but as Pierre Lebrun suggests on his ESPN blog, injuries may have become a factor for Anaheim, who needed all their guys healthy in order to execute a plan that worked well in the early going.

Getzlaf suffering from an undisclosed ailment and Wisniewski out took away two key elements.

The Ducks don't have Detroit's depth...plain and simple.

If you watched his postgame presser on NHL Network 'On The Fly', Mike Babc0ck certainly doesn't feel the Wings are in any kind of 'comfort zone' or 'control' right now.

He'd like to win it in Anaheim for obvious reasons...but the Ducks haven't quacked yet...and he knows it.

I'm using the method I normally use.

The pictures are already online, so I don't think I'd have to host it.

Anyway, it's of no consequence.

Detroit at Anaheim

GAME SIX, STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS WEST SEMIFINALS
RED WINGS LEAD SERIES 3-2

10:00 PM ET, May 12, 2009
Honda Center, Anaheim, California

TSN/RDS/Versus

Red Wings-Ducks Preview

MORE FROM ESPN:http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=290512025

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP/ESPN) -- Facing playoff elimination, Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle decided to get creative as the Ducks prepare for Tuesday's Game 6 against the Detroit Red Wings.

As the Ducks took the ice for practice Monday, Carlyle had his players reverse the way in which they normally hold their hockey sticks. Righties became lefties and vice versa as multiple pucks where thrown into play for a series of scrimmages around the rink.

"I didn't think it was a day where you want to come to work and drag your knuckles and say here we go again," explained Carlyle, a Norris Trophy winning defenseman during his 18-year NHL career.

The plan was to take some playoff tension out of the air.

"You can see a lot of smiles on faces and a much lighter approach to practice," said Carlyle. "Turn the page and you start to feel good about being at the rink."
The Ducks certainly would like to forget about the last two games of the series as the defending champion Red Wings out scored Anaheim 10-4 and built a 78-45 shot advantage.

Detroit can now advance to the conference finals for the third consecutive season with one more win. The powerhouse Red Wings have been able to close out eight consecutive playoff series on the road.

"I think we play maybe more relaxed than the other team, we know its their last chance and take advantage of that," Detroit center Henrik Zetterberg said.

But the Ducks also have shown an ability to handle pressure games in the playoffs.
Anaheim fought back from a 3-2 series deficit to take a Game 7 win over Calgary in 2006 and avoided home-ice elimination with a Game 5 victory against Dallas last season.

"This group has shown it can handle these type of situations," Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller said. "At the end of the regular season we pretty much had to win every game to make the playoffs. We are used to the situation."

One of the most pressing challenges for Hiller and the Ducks will be shutting down Red Wings forward Johan Franzen, who has become a prolific goal scorer in the postseason.

Franzen leads the Red Wings with seven playoff goals, including three in the last two games. He had 13 playoff goals last year.

"Playoff hockey fits me maybe a little better than the regular season," Franzen said. "I can use my size a little bit more to get to the hard areas where you find loose pucks."

Although the Red Wings have peppered Hiller with considerable pressure throughout the series, Detroit's current advantage followed two very brief defensive lapses by Anaheim in the last two games.

Marian Hossa scored twice during a 3:02 span in the second period of Game 4 and Franzen and Jiri Hudler each scored within a 39-second span of the second period in Game 5.

"We're optimistic we can play a better game of hockey," Ducks center Todd Marchant said. "We won two games in this series for a reason. We have to get back to things we did in those games to be successful."

Aside from momentum in the series and a demonstrated history of being able to close out opponents on the road, Detroit could also have the added boost of defenseman Brian Rafalski returning to the lineup Tuesday.

Rafalski practiced with the Red Wings Monday afternoon after initially skating on Sunday. He has been sidelined throughout the series with an "upper body" injury.
"Obviously if the coaches and myself feel I can contribute in any way, there's a good chance I'll play," Rafalski said after the Red Wings practiced Monday.

"He looked good skating around the rink," Zetterberg said. "For sure that would be a help if he could come back and play."

While Rafalski maybe returning, Red Wings coach Mike Babc0ck indicated that center Kris Draper will not be available for Game 6.

If Rafalski plays, do the Wings pluck the Ducks?

davetherave wrote:If Rafalski plays, do the Wings pluck the Ducks?

The question right now is: even if Rafalski doesn't play, do the Ducks stand a chance?

This is a Detroit team that looks unbeatable to me.

504Heater wrote:

davetherave wrote:If Rafalski plays, do the Wings pluck the Ducks?

The question right now is: even if Rafalski doesn't play, do the Ducks stand a chance?

This is a Detroit team that looks unbeatable to me.

Considering they dropped two to the Ducks in this series, I wouldn't call the Wings 'unbeatable'.

cool)

Getzlaf has reportedly been suffering from this same flu which has been devastating the NHL this year...it has been running rampant and it seems all the teams have been hit with it at some point.

Of course, that assumes it IS the flu...

If Getz is good to go...who knows.

davetherave wrote:

504Heater wrote:

davetherave wrote:If Rafalski plays, do the Wings pluck the Ducks?

The question right now is: even if Rafalski doesn't play, do the Ducks stand a chance?

This is a Detroit team that looks unbeatable to me.

Considering they dropped two to the Ducks in this series, I wouldn't call the Wings 'unbeatable'.

cool)

Getzlaf has reportedly been suffering from this same flu which has been devastating the NHL this year...it has been running rampant and it seems all the teams have been hit with it at some point.

Of course, that assumes it IS the flu...

If Getz is good to go...who knows.

Oh I know. I like the make up of the Ducks and I'm rooting for them, but they cannot withstand the new found pressure that Detroit is throwing at them. I can't recall who was calling the games, but the last two games they've said - well...if the Ducks can touch the puck for 2 minutes this period...they might be able to get a couple of shots. That spells doom.

Getzlaf is a big thing, he's been pretty sick. If he can come back - that's the Duck's only hope. And Hiller. He has to rebound to the way he was earlier in the playoffs.

Yeah, well, Heater, don't forget Wisniewski was out as well for one of those two losses and not 100% in the last game.

These are the last two Stanley Cup Champs playing here...you're going to have these momentum swings.

Hiller's played well in every game...but the Ducks, their defensive game being weakened by the absence of Wiz and Getz' illness, gave up far too many shots and quality scoring chances.

The Red Wings are a powerhouse, no question. But the Ducks showed how they can be beaten in those two wins.

IMHO neither Babc0ck or Carlyle are making any assumptions.

Let's see what happens tonight...should be an excellent contest with the Honda Center rocking big time. They love their Ducks in Anaheim.

:##: :##: :##: :##: :##: :##:

Yeah, let's see a great game tonight!

the ducks showed us last game they didnt need that much time to score and the wings are going to have to be careful with taking penalties the ducks have been potent there. the main thing for the ducks is try to decrease the defensive zone time

Hockeyhero22000 wrote:the ducks showed us last game they didnt need that much time to score and the wings are going to have to be careful with taking penalties the ducks have been potent there. the main thing for the ducks is try to decrease the defensive zone time

Good points.

Going back to Sunday's game, the Ducks had employed a 'rope a dope' strategy to compensate for their personnel issues. Even though the Wings had scored two goals early in the 2nd (the second one being a tennis style whack-in by Hudler), the Ducks almost tied it on a shot by Eric Christensen that Osgood was barely able to counter, and they had numerous chances up to that point.

A goal by Christensen late in the period could have shifted the momentum.

Obviously, that strategy was only going to work for so long, and the Red Wings were able to break it open in the final frame.

Though it looked bad--and the Wings definitely played their most disciplined and efficient game so far--it was by no means a blowout.

Anaheim will, without question, need to play a perfect game tonight...but the fourth victory being the toughest one to get, Detroit can in theory afford to drop this one and look to end the party at the Joe.

Eight minutes to the moment of truth.

anaheim already has a lot better pressure than in the previous game

Greg 'Puck Daddy' Wyshynski always has some of the more amusing hockey writing on his site...from Yahoo Sports! today...IMHO worth reading during intermission.

Wings/Ducks Game 6 Preview: Hurry up, Blackhawks are waiting

By Greg Wyshynski

Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune is asking Chicago Blackhawks fans to root for the Anaheim Ducks tonight in Game 6 of their series against Detroit.

Not out of some friendly solidarity in their war against the Red (Wing) Menace. Not out of some intense James Wisniewski(notes) nostalgia.

But because the Ducks are, in his eyes, the lesser of the two potential Western Conference finals foes for the Hawks.

As of a few hours before Game 6, he's right. From Rosenbloom:

"The Ducks that played in Detroit on Sunday were not the Ducks that challenged this Detroit Red Wings team in two earlier wins.

"They were pedestrian, easily overwhelmed by a Detroit attack that sent 37 shots on Jonas Hiller(notes) and only allowed 17 on Chris Osgood(notes).

"The word fatigue has entered into the conversation, and it's a valid concern: The Ducks have been playing playoff games for over two months, and that captures up to a team.

"If not physically -- which can certainly be argued -- then mentally, as Coach Randy Carlyle canceled a morning skate to give his players some extra time to recharge their batteries.

"The question for Rosenbloom and everyone else who sees this series pretty much over with: Can the Ducks rebound from their malaise and regain their form for the last two games?

"Can the prideful veterans like Scott Niedermayer(notes) and Teemu Selanne(notes) push this thing to seven?

"Can Hiller perform some outright thievery tonight? Can the wildly insufficient officiating swing in Anaheim's direction again?

"Or is a ferocious, fit and confident Wings team pretty much unbeatable at this juncture?"

Five thoughts on Game 6 this evening ...

1. For Anaheim, Reclaim the Neutral Zone. Before we realized wrestling was fake, we never understood why heels wrestling Hulk Hogan would allow him to bring his fist about three feet behind his head before landing a punch. Why not just poke'em in the eye while he's loading up for a haymaker?

Same principle applies for the Ducks. They've allowed the Wings too much room to accelerate and create off the rush. Take away their space but more importantly, as Carlyle has said, make better decisions with the puck on offense so as not to gift-wrap a turnover for a Red Wings rush the other way.

2. Don't Get Down. Earl Sleek provides some interesting historic perspective on the Ducks, Wings and deficits:

"As to the actual hockey game tonight, I'll provide one key for Anaheim. Don't fall behind by two goals. Looking back on the 2003, 2007, and 2009 series between the Ducks and Wings, somehow Anaheim has managed to avoid the two-goal deficit in all but three games (G3 of the '07 WCF and G4 and G5 of this series). The Ducks have never made up any of those two-goal deficits, losing all three decisions, but in the games where they've avoided falling behind by two, they have a 10-2 record."

In other words, the first goal looms large this evening.

3. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry Need To Rebound. Neither of the Ducks' primary offensive weapons recorded a point in Game 5, a contest that saw them split up in an attempt to juice the scoring.

They're expected to be reunited tonight, and Anaheim desperately needs the kind of two-way effort their top line has otherwise given them consistently this postseason. Getzlaf in particular needs to lead; the Ducks are 3-0 in the playoffs when he scores a goal.

4]4. For Detroit, Keep Getting the Matchups. Coach Mike Babc0ck's line shifting was the key moment in the series thus far, as Johan Franzen with Valtteri Filppula and Marian Hossa, and the Henrik Zetterberg/Pavel Datsyuk/Tomas Holmstrom lines have given the Ducks fits as far as matchups. Franzen in particular has been deployed perfectly, leading Dan Cleary to tell the Detroit News that we're seeing one of the best players in the world in the Mule:

"Last year, he caught everybody off-guard ..."Now, he's just dominant, one of the top five players in the world, no doubt about it. He drives hard to the net, he's big, he can skate, he has great hands and a great shot. He's unbelievable. There's nothing he can't do."

5. Finally, Know That History Virtually Guarantees a Red Wings' Win Tonight. Neutral zone, Schmutral zone; the Ducks are screwed, according to the OC Register:

"The Red Wings have played a Game 6 in the postseason 47 times in their history, with the first coming in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals.

"They've won 28 of those.

"In games where the Red Wings had a chance to eliminate their opponent in the sixth game of a series, the Red Wings hold an 18-5 record. Of those 18 victories, 13 have come on an opponent's home ice.

"You want more? In the last seven playoff series that the Red Wings have won, the deciding game was on the road."
"
So there you go. No need to even lace up the skates. That's why the Ducks were having laughs during Monday's practice: They're staring into the abyss, giggling to keep from cryin'.

Wait, what was that OC Register?

"The only time a Game 6 was played between the two teams was on May 22, 2007. In Anaheim. The Ducks won, 4-3, and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals."

Oh, OK then. See you at Game 7 at the Joe.

ducks had 12 shots in the first put that in perspective last game the ducks had 17 shots total they are working harder tonight and throwing everything at osgood

Hockeyhero22000 wrote:ducks had 12 shots in the first put that in perspective last game the ducks had 17 shots total they are working harder tonight and throwing everything at osgood

0-0 at the end of one is a telling result.

Tight nets tonight... it's gonna have to be a greasy goal...

getzlaf looks horrible tonight but perry and selanie are looking really good