10/29/09. Red Wings @ Oilers. FSN-D, 9:30pm. Game 11.

**Shinma** · 10-29-2009, 03:29 PM

The Oilers have been shutout twice in a row.
Can the Wings make it three?

Presents the following thread:

@

(4-4-2) @ (6-5-1)

Your 11 time Stanley Cup Champion

AT
The Edmonton Oilers

This game is a presentation of:

GAME 11

Location: Rexall Place, Edmonton, ALB
Date: Thu., October 29th, 2009
Time: 9:30pm EST

Television Broadcast Provided by:

Fox Sports Detroit-HD
DirecTV channel 636

Radio Broadcast Provided by:

XM Radio: Channel TBA

Goaltending Matchup:

Det. - Jimmy Howard (1-2-0) 3.03 GAA .890 sv%

Edm. - Nikolai Khabibulin (5-4-1) 3.07 GAA .906 sv%

Highlights of the Red Wings come back win over Vancouver:

Wings rally from 2-0 deficit to beat Canucks 5-4

The good news for the Detroit Red Wings was that they rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Tuesday night for their first road win of the season. The better news was that Pavel Datsyuk seems to have regained his scoring touch.

Jason Williams got the game-winner with 5:03 remaining at GM Place, but Datsyuk scored his first two goals of the season in a span of 3:26 in the third period. He tied the game 3-3 at 6:05, then beat Roberto Luongo with a power-play wrister from the top of the left circle at 9:31.

Datsyuk, who also had an assist, had not scored in his first seven games after scoring a career-high 32 last season.

"He's such a talented player," Williams said of Datsyuk. "You can't keep him off the scoresheet forever."

The line of Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom accounted for three goals and was dominant all night long, which let a struggling Chris Osgood off the hook.

"Your best players have to be your best players," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Z and Pav have to be upper-echelon guys for us. That means they have to generate offense and score, so that was great to see it happen tonight."

After Vancouver's Henrik Sedin tied the game with his second of the night at 12:03, Williams put the Wings ahead with a power-play goal when he raced down from the left point and dunked Valtteri Filppula's cross-crease pass behind Luongo.

"Fil made a great pass to get the puck through to me," Williams said.

It was the sixth and final goal of a wild third period that saw the Wings score four times. They controlled play for most of the night and outshot Vancouver 42-26.

"I thought we did a lot of things right," Babcock said. "We had a real tough start, but we were able to overcome it. We were able to battle back, pick up Ozzie and get the win. We just stuck with it."

The victory was a welcome tonic for the Wings, who had lost their last three and dropped games at Phoenix and Colorado to open a five-game road trip.

The Canucks lost for only the second time in seven home games this season. They also lost forward Ryan Johnson, who was taken off the ice on a stretcher after crashing into the end boards early in the second period. He was taken to the hospital, but a spokesperson said he was alert and had full movement.

"You hate to see a friend and teammate go down like that -- it puts things in perspective," Canucks forward Ryan Kesler said. "I'm just glad he's going to be all right."

The outcome was a disappointment for the Canucks, who had won their last five home games but paid the price for sloppy play and too many penalties.

"We let in five goals," Kesler said, "and 90 percent of the time, you're not going to win in this League."

Vancouver wasted no time jumping in front, as Sedin beat Osgood 30 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead. Sedin came down the slot, picked up a rebound off the end glass and slid the puck through Osgood's legs.

Detroit had a great chance to tie the game less than three minutes in, only to have Luongo go from left to right to rob ex-Canuck Todd Bertuzzi with his pad at the post.

Vancouver doubled its lead at 7:05 when defenseman Christian Ehrhoff's bad-angled shot from below the left dot somehow found its way through Osgood's legs. Wings coach Mike Babcock then lifted Osgood, who had stopped just two of four shots, and replaced him with Jimmy Howard.

"I thought Howie did a good job," Babcock said. "Ozzie just has to get straightened out, and he'll be right back in there."

Babcock also said Howard would start Thursday's game at Edmonton.

Luongo again came up big midway through the period, first stopping Zetterberg on a clear breakaway, then got a break when Zetterberg's deflection of Nicklas Lidstrom's shot from the inside of the left circle pinged the post.

But the Wings finally solved Luongo at 15:47 when Tomas Holmstrom scored at the end of a perfect tic-tac-toe passing play. Datsyuk picked up the puck in the right circle and fed Zetterberg, whose quick pass left Holmstrom all alone for a backhander into a half-empty net.

That was the only goal to beat Luongo among Detroit's 13 first-period shots. Vancouver had eight.

Howard kept the margin at 2-1 midway through the second period when he made a spectacular save on a deflection by Mason Raymond. It was the best stop of the middle 20 minutes, when Detroit outshot Vancouver 15-8.

Holmstrom was involved again when the Wings tied it 3:51 into the third. He was parked right outside Luongo's crease as Niklas Kronwall's bad-angled shot from the lower right circle zipped past the goaltender and into the net.

Vancouver regained the lead at 5:05 when Mathieu Schneider blasted a power-play slapper from the top of the left circle past Howard, who may have been screened as defenseman Brad Stuart cut in front of him. But the lead lasted just 60 seconds; Datsyuk got his first of the season when he raced down the right side, spun Ehrhoff around as he cut inside the right circle, then took a shot off the heel of his stick that appeared to fool Luongo.

Datsyuk put the Wings ahead for the first time when his shot from the top of the left circle deflected off Alexander Edler's stick and into the net. But the Wings got into penalty trouble shortly after that, and Sedin tied it at 12:03 when he took Edler's diagonal pass from the top of the left circle and beat Howard from the bottom of the right circle during a 5-on-3 power play.

Notes:
Datsyuk missed practice Wednesday for an interesting reason -- he blocked a shot in addition to his two goals and one assist in Vancouver.

“I’m surprised myself, too," he told the Detroit Free Press. "Today, it’s hard to put on skates.”

Even though Osgood is 4-0-3 with a tie and a 2.42 GAA in his last seven games against Edmonton, Jimmy Howard, who's 1-1-0 with a 2.15 in his last three games, will get the start Thursday. Howard has never faced the Oilers.

The Wings are averaging 45.5 shots per game over their last two after not breaking 37 in their previous eight. Overall, the Wings are 7-0-4 against Edmonton in their last 11 meetings.

Western Conference, Central Division:
Chicago Blackhawks (7-3-1) 15
Columbus Blue Jackets (6-5-0) 12
St. Louis Blues (5-4-1) 11
Detroit Red Wings (4-4-2) 10
Nashville Predators (4-6-1) 9

**Shinma** · 10-29-2009, 03:42 PM

I'm going to miss the whole game due to work. Hopefully Chaz will be there to pick it up for me... I'll still watch it when I get home on DVR.

**Johnny Mac** · 10-29-2009, 03:59 PM

I think I can answer your question at the top of the thread...

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 09:33 PM

Crap the stream I found isn't working/hasn't started yet...

**KleShreen** · 10-29-2009, 09:37 PM

Let's goooooooooooooo Wings!

**KleShreen** · 10-29-2009, 09:43 PM

LMAO. So much for not giving up a goal to the worst team in the league right now. WTF was Howard doing? He didn't even try. He made one save and just sat there.

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 09:52 PM

This hasn't been very fun to watch so far.

**Johnny Mac** · 10-29-2009, 09:58 PM

It would be nice to have a goalie

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 09:59 PM

Maybe it is time to just accept that this team isn't very good.

**EatEmUpTigers711** · 10-29-2009, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by drownwithyou

Maybe it is time to just accept that this team isn't very good.

It's not that the team isn't very good. The goaltending is what isn't very good.

**Johnny Mac** · 10-29-2009, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by drownwithyou

Maybe it is time to just accept that this team isn't very good.

this team is an average goalie away from being fine

also Pittsburgh stunk last year for a while

too early to make comments like that

**KleShreen** · 10-29-2009, 10:05 PM

lol.

Howard just got lazy again right before that. A shot him in the chest...it bounced right to his left, and it was a wide open net...he didn't move over in front of it until the Oiler swinging at it whiffed on the put-back. THEN Howard hurried over the 1.5 feet to his left.

**Shinma** · 10-29-2009, 10:06 PM

Leave Howard in. Let him get annihilated and waive him.

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by EatEmUpTigers711

It's not that the team isn't very good. The goaltending is what isn't very good.

The defense hasn't really been lighting the world on fire, but I agree the goaltending is by far the worst aspect.

A team is only as good as their goaltender, unless you have some Godly offense.

I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. Being down 3-0 to the Oilers has made me cranky.

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Shinma

Leave Howard in. Let him get annihilated and waive him.

Maybe Manny Legace is available?

**lordstanley** · 10-29-2009, 10:09 PM

3 goals on 10 shots. Can't anyone stop the puck?!?!!

League-average goaltending, Conklin-level goaltending, the Wings would be sitting on 14 points or so this season and be just fine.

**KleShreen** · 10-29-2009, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by drownwithyou

Maybe Manny Legace is available?

He's 2-1-1 with one shutout, a 2.16 GAA, and a .933 SV% for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. He's only on a try-out period...that still makes him a FA, no?

**lordstanley** · 10-29-2009, 10:11 PM

The Wings' goaltending situation is like having to start the equivalent of Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis night after night after night.

**lordstanley** · 10-29-2009, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by drownwithyou

Maybe Manny Legace is available?

Sure, I'd sign him, until I figured out something better. Howard is a joke, shouldn't be within sniffing distance of an NHL dressing room.

**EatEmUpTigers711** · 10-29-2009, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by lordstanley

The Wings' goaltending situation is like having to start the equivalent of Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis night after night after night.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by lordstanley

Sure, I'd sign him, until I figured out something better. Howard is a joke, shouldn't be within sniffing distance of an NHL dressing room.

And, double agreed.

**KleShreen** · 10-29-2009, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by lordstanley

The Wings' goaltending situation is like having to start the equivalent of Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis night after night after night.

LOL. Nicely played.

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 10:16 PM

Can we put Howard on the IR with anxiety problems?

**Shinma** · 10-29-2009, 10:19 PM

Well, my lunch is over. Back to work for me. Atleast i dont have to worry about checking the score...

WORST. LUNCH. EVER.

**drownwithyou** · 10-29-2009, 10:21 PM

Lunch at 7 pm?? That's rough, dude.

**Johnny Mac** · 10-29-2009, 10:21 PM

I think Manny Fernandez is a free agent as well, he might be worth a look.

**Shinma** · 10-29-2009, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by drownwithyou

Lunch at 7 pm?? That's rough, dude.

I'm back to my old schedule. 1pm-midnight.

**DennisDubay** · 10-29-2009, 10:24 PM

Hmm. i wonder if the NHL will give me my money back for NHL Center Ice?

Jeesh.

**Johnny Mac** · 10-29-2009, 10:27 PM

Larsson just had a 34 save shutout tonight for GR. Might as well at worst see what he can do, couldnt be much worse than Ozzie/Howard

**KleShreen** · 10-29-2009, 10:36 PM

Haaaaaaaahahahahaha.

**tigerbomb13** · 10-29-2009, 10:40 PM

The horribleness of Howard cannot be stated enough. What's Tim Cheveldae up to these days?

**Greenwit** · 10-29-2009, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Johnny Mac

Larsson just had a 34 save shutout tonight for GR. Might as well at worst see what he can do, couldnt be much worse than Ozzie/Howard

Larsson is doing OK.....916 save pct....McCollum not so good (see sig).

**lordstanley** · 10-29-2009, 10:58 PM

So Helm responds to Babcock's benching of him. Too bad it's in a 5-1 game. Actually, I don't mind if this game gets up to 10-1. A debacle like this (shots even at 22-22) could trigger goalie moves by the weekend.