Refocus and Reload: Wings Take First Step Towards Playoff Push

By Adam W Parks

Monday, March 1, 2010 Red Wings 3 @ Avalanche 2

The Wings may not have played a very, very good game, but this was a very, very good win.

Momentum is an important aspect in all sports and Monday's game proved just how vital it can be in hockey. A 3-0 lead was taken away from the Wings in the second period when Tomas Holmstrom farted on Colorado's goaltender Craig Anderson. What would have been Johan Franzen's second power play goal of the game was immediately and emphatically waved off by referee Kerry Fraser.

It's always Fraser, isn't it? The most experienced active ref in the game is retiring after this season and each Red Wings game he blows his whistle to is hopefully his last.

Anyway, the good goal was called no good, and the Avalanche used that break to take over the momentum of the game and tie things up at 2-2 going into the second intermission. Uh oh. Same old Red Wings from earlier in the season? That locker room break was exactly what Detroit needed to regain their focus and reload for the third period.

“We owned the first period and they took over the second," Nicklas Lidstrom said. “There’s 20 minutes to fight for two points and we played real well without the puck. We’re hanging in there, waiting for our chances, and the power play really responded."

Captain Nick scored the deciding goal on the power play off a brilliant leave from Pavel Datsyuk.

“Pav and Homer had a give-and-go on the right side," Lidstrom said. "When Pav got it back, two guys laid down in front of him so he couldn’t shoot. I just followed behind him and he made a great drop pass for pretty much an empty net for me."

The win in regulation was crucial for Detroit as Colorado is one of the teams in the middle of the Western Conference pack that they will be chasing over the final quarter of the regular season.

After Olympic Run, Rafalski Ready For The Playoff Push

Some writer, before the Winter Olympic roster/trading freeze in the NHL, wrote a post about how it would be beneficial for Ken Holland and the Wings to trade a three-time Stanley Cup winning and two-time Olympic Silver Medal winning defenseman. I won't go into the details of his motives for such a bold idea, nor name the writer responsible for the proposition (though he did make a pretty damn good point), because Brian Rafalski proved in the Olympics that at age 36 he can still produce offensively and defend against the best skaters in the world.

It was questionable whether Raf would skate against Colorado after playing in the Gold Medal game against Canada a little more than 24 hours before the puck drop in Denver. Nobody could or would have blamed him if he decided to take a bit of a breather. Rafalski was named the best defenseman of the Olympics and led all blue liners in goals (4) and points (8), and tied fellow American Zach Parise for third in points amongst all skaters.

Raf not only played Monday, he played well (even rating, one shot on goal, three blocked shots, one takeaway, zero giveaways), and he played a lot (22:41 of ice time, 2:54 on the power play).

That is the type of leadership and selfless, team-first effort that the Wings' veterans must display every game in order for this team to make a legitimate push for a legitimate playoff position.

That writer mentioned above still believes it would be a smart business decision to move Rafalski, but has changed the tune of his trade trumpet. Raf is an invaluable asset, a championship calibre defenseman despite his age, and he is a native of Dearborn, Michigan. It would be great to see him retire in a Wings jersey...but it would also be great to see him re-negotiate that hefty $12 million price tag hanging around his neck...maybe add one more season to the contract to disperse that sum over three seasons instead of two...

Back To Business For Babs

Mike Babcock possibly faced his toughest challenge amidst the most pressure in his entire career when he took the helm of the Canadian Olympic team. With a win-Gold-or-fail attitude from the entire Maple Leaf-Loving Nation, Babcock delivered the expected medal to his homeland on Sunday, grabbed only a couple of hours of sleep, and was back behind the bench for Detroit on Monday.

Like Rafalski, it would have been understandable for Babs to suffer from an emotional and physical hangover. Like Rafalski, Babs was back to business as usual: “They pay me to have this team in the playoffs."

“We’re a good team, we should have more points than we do," Babcock said. "That was the best lineup we dressed all year. Now we got a chance. This group has got to decide that we’re getting on a run, and then wouldn’t you just love to draw us in the first round?"

Awesome! I @#$%ing love his attitude and passion for the sport/Wings, and the way he uses the media to motivate his team and convey his philosophy. A coworker of mine thinks Babs is a bad coach. Sorry, Bob, you're a great guy and a great Wings fan, but you are WRONG.

One-Line Wonders

Babcock challenged his best players Monday; pointed out to his best scorers that they were nowhere to be found amongst the NHL leaders. His first line responded.

Pavel Datsyuk, surely disappointed with his and his country's rollover against Canada in the Olympics, played with purpose against the Avalanche. His cross-ice feed to Holmstrom in the first period was a perfect set up for the first goal of the game. His drop pass to Lidstrom for the game-winner was perfecter. He not only pulled Anderson across the goal crease and out of position, he also lured two defensemen with him. Datsyuk finished with two assists and five takeaways.

His Swedish wingers, Holmer and Franzen, also looked like they were trying to avenge their own homeland's Olympic upset from Slovakia. Holmstrom, who missed the Olympics and most of the Wings games thus far in 2010 with injury, picked up a goal and two assists and was his usual annoying self to the opposition's defense. D-bag-man Adam Foote is the only Colorado player leftover from the gloriously bloody Wings/Avs rivalry. It was nice to see he and Holmer jaw and jostle like the good ol' days.

Is The Mule unstoppable when he gets the puck on his stick down low in the offensive zone? Foote and the other Colorado D-bag-men certainly couldn't slow him down. Franzen finished the game with just one point-the second goal of the game-but he should have had two and nearly had three.

I am perpetually amazed at how quick his hands are, especially in tight, and how little room he needs to lift a puck into the top corners above a goalie's shoulders. This replay doesn't do it justice, but check it out anyway:



Mesmerized and fooled by The Mule's hoof-and-stick work, Anderson dropped his shoulder with an attempted poke-check as he anticipated a pass. Franzen casually pulled the puck back and roofed it like nothing even mattered, like he had just deked out a shooter-tutor. Amazing. It even made #4 on Sportscenter's Top 10 (only because Cindy and Alex weren't playing).

In the third period, Franzen nearly got back the goal that Fraser stole from him. Again, down deep and in tight, he moved the puck from the corner, all the way across the front of the goal crease, and got a superb scoring chance as he dove to the ice. Anderson was miraculously able to get his skate over to the post, but Franzen's play on the puck was more impressive than the save.

These skaters, this line, looked absolutely amazing. If Henrik Zetterberg can get a little help from Dan Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi, Babcock's top two lines will be downright deadly down the stretch.

Peace.