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Wings-Pens Game 4

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3074326;1477095; said:
Remember the first two games in Detroit? Missed calls all over. I don't remember us bitching too much about them. :tongue2:

Another must-win IMO.
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I'm not actually talking about anyone here. You'd know if I was :biggrin:

I have a strange feeling about game 4. Having a rested and healthy Datsyuk and Draper back should be a huge lift for the Wings.
 
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wings will have Draper back (this is good) and possibly Datsyuk.

UPDATE: Babcock just said that Datsyuk is a game-time decision. "We have an optional skate tomorrow morning and we'll see how he responds after that and after today. I have to talk to (trainer) Piet (Van Zant) and see how (Datsyuk) looks." Datsyuk also said that he would be a game-time decision tomorrow.

That said, Datsyuk was practicing hard today, doing drills for the first time in a long time. The practice lines were shuffled as though they were preparing for Pavel being back. It sure looks like Datsyuk will be back unless his body takes a step backwards after today's workout.

Also, Babcock just confirmed that Draper is back in the lineup, but said that he doesn't know who's out. Well, it sure looks like Abdelkader is out. Leino and Maltby were Draper's wings in practice. Draper, Maltby and Leino were off the ice for a half-hour while Abdelkader worked out.

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Pavel Datsyuk is practicing right now as though he's going to play in tomorrow's Game 4. First, he's working through all the drills and looking good. Until this point, Datsyuk (foot) was just skating on his own, not doing drills.

Also, Datsyuk is centering a line at practice with Valtteri Filppula on one wing and Marian Hossa on the other. There is no reason to shuffle the lines like that unless the Wings believe that Datsyuk will likely be available.

So that said, here were the practice lines ...

Franzen-Zetterberg-Cleary
Filppula-Datsyuk-Hossa
Hudler-Helm-Samuelsson
Leino-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Chelios
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

No Rafalski and no Holmstrom at practice. Obviously, the team is looking at Rafalski as playing in Game 4 and using Chelios as a placeholder. Holmstrom, it's tough to tell if he'll be playing from the practice lines. Homer took a big hit from Cooke seven minutes into Game 3.

Also of note is that Draper was centering the fourth line at practice, not Abdelkader. Draper might make his return after being a healthy scratch the past two games.
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The Macomb Daily Blogs: Red Wings Corner

If Holmstrom remains out Leino will stay in, if Holmstrom comes back, Leino is the one who sits.
 
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I know, ESPN, but it's from Buccigross and it actually a quite good breakdown. I don't agree with his comments about Emrick and Olczyk, but aside from that..

John Buccigross evaluates Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins after Game 3 of Stanley Cup finals - ESPN

And I have to quote his observations of Hal Gill.

Hal Gill: Pittsburgh's defense is not in the same class as the Red Wings', so the Penguins need to play above their heads to stay in this series, especially on clearing their own zone and making breakout passes. Gill looks like he is skating in a pool of heated salt-water taffy. His wraparound-his-own-net clearing plays often land on the stick of the Red Wings. Around the net, he sometimes looks like the staggering uncle at the family Christmas party. But he is trying real hard and has been pretty effective along the boards.
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It's deja vu all over again, with the Wings up 2-1 and game four in Pittsburgh. The Pens must win at home to have any chance of winning this series. They came up short here last year, and it was all but over.
 
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3074326;1477551; said:
I know, ESPN, but it's from Buccigross and it actually a quite good breakdown. I don't agree with his comments about Emrick and Olczyk, but aside from that..

And I have to quote his observations of Hal Gill.
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Hal Gill was a stiff long before this series. I guess Mario sees Kjell Samuelsson when he sees him but it's not even close. The icing on the cake for me was the ridiculous play he made in the 3rd period of game six versus Washington, getting in Fleury's way and giving the Caps the go ahead goal. His teammates bailed him out by winning game seven on the road.
 
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Jake;1477668; said:
Hal Gill was a stiff long before this series. I guess Mario sees Kjell Samuelsson when he sees him but it's not even close. The icing on the cake for me was the ridiculous play he made in the 3rd period of game six versus Washington, getting in Fleury's way and giving the Caps the go ahead goal. His teammates bailed him out by winning game seven on the road.
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Oh, I agree. He's actually stepped his game up a bit for the finals.. and he's still the worst player on the ice at any given time.
 
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For those who care, I revised the closing time until 8 pm ET, and I fixed the odds for the line about the game going into OT (that was even money by mistake).
 
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