So far the Red Wings are just playing a nice smart game of hockey. Hard on the puck, support on the defensive side and ignoring the Penguins attempts to start scrums. The Pens don’t have the room to create any offense, and I'm not sure they can remedy this at Joe Louis Arena, if they make it back. Detroit can match lines at home by using the last change during stoppages in play. The most frustrating part of the line matching for the Penguins is that the top offensive talents for the Wings can play against almost any line. Players like Datsyuk, Franzen and Zetterberg are not only tough to contain, they are tough to score on.
I am not surprised that the Wings have the early advantage in the series. I really suspected that they would have an advantage at home because they can shut down the offensive flow of the Penguins. I am surprised by the lack of scoring with the power play chances they have had and the amount of four-on-four that we've seen. The Penguins have some work to do, but I think that by using home ice advantage for last change they will get the looks they need. By getting the top line out against the third or fourth line of the Red Wings, even just for a short time, the Penguins may get some extra looks or at least cause some confusion on the Wings' attempts to match up on the fly. Lets see if that is enough to turn the tide… start with one goal and work from there.
It was good to see Johan Franzen back in the lineup. You never like to see a player miss so much time with concussion-like symptoms. That is also why I was surprised that Gary Roberts got away with a pretty blatant punch to Franzen’s head. I don’t like to see shots to the head. If the NFL can work to nearly eliminate intentional contact to a player’s head, the NHL can work on it a little harder. Keep the hits to the shoulder and do it by driving with the legs. No jumping into a hit, using the forearm shiver like WWE or raising the hands to drive into a player’s head. The idea is to keep the talented players on the ice and playing every night. I am not recommending that the league eliminate hitting or fighting. I am not recommending that players become soft and walk away from a challenge. We will still have the highlights to fill up Don Cherry’s “Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em” style videos, I just want to see a lot more respect in the game. Even in the finals.
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