May 8, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Detroit Red Wings goalie
Jimmy Howard(35) blocks a shot against Anaheim Ducks right wing
Kyle Palmieri(51) during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Last night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks was, to say the least, uninspiring. The potential was there. Scoring the first goal, getting a Johan Franzen goal to take the lead, and having a five-minute major power play that could have doubled our lead…the chances were there. There was just no connection.
I am forewarning you now, this may be the most ridiculous article you’ve ever read by me. Ingesting large amounts of caffeine this morning has made my brain jump from one thing to the next and my fingers can barely type to keep up with my train of thought. (There will be lots of links to click on, FYI. You’ve been warned.)
It’s always hit or miss after a late-night Red Wings game whether I will be tired in the morning for work. It’s always harder after a loss. Right now, I would equate my level of tiredness to The Simpsons episode “Lisa’s Pony.” Homer works midnight shifts at the Kwik-E-Mart on top of his nine-to-five job at the Nuclear Power Plant in order to keep the pony he bought for Lisa. Driving home one night, the cars around him turn into beds because he’s so tired. That looks pretty good to me right now.
I am so tired that I can barely even bring myself to care about the loss last night. Maybe that’s a good thing.
I think back to the goals scored in last night’s game. I remember barely being upset at Ryan Getzlaf‘s tying goal, and that man is my sworn enemy. Fact: I named the ducks that used to sit on my pool after Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan. The one I dubbed Getzlaf decided to quack incessantly at two in the morning. I remember thinking once Nick Bonino scored, “Oh good, I can go to bed now.”
But it seems, looking around the Red Wings blog sphere, that I’m not the only one indifferent about the loss. All around, people seem to say, “You know what? You brought it on yourselves. Get yourselves out of it. I can’t care as much this time around.”
May 6, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings right wing Mikael Samuelsson (37) battles for the puck with Anaheim Ducks center Daniel Winnik (34) in front the goal in the first period of in game four of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The game felt as though it was one joke after another. I mean, Mikael Samuelsson scored. That just…defies all logic. He only ever hits the glass behind the net! Or shoots it right into the goaltender!
Brendan Smith hit the goal post. Todd Bertuzzi looked rearing to go on many occasions, but never converted on anything and seemed to fall down a lot (he should work on that). Gustav Nyquist hit the goal post. The Red Wings controlled the puck for a lot of the second period, except for when they had a five-minute power play.
And Mickey Redmond almost had a coronary on air at one point, exclaiming in disbelief, “Watch out, Pavel Datsyuk‘s back playing defense!” Completely dismissing the fact that Datsyuk has three Frank J. Selke trophies and playing defense is second nature to him.
So it was all a joke, right? I’m actually still asleep, feeling like a big, toasty cinnamon bun.
Unfortunately, the logical part of my brain is still functioning, even with a lack of sleep. None of that last night was a dream. Somehow, it hurts more than losing the three goal lead in Game Two. We as fans are faced with the cold, hard truth that whatever has been wrong with this team the entire season has not magically disappeared in the playoffs.
We face coming home to play Game Six on the brink of elimination. And while we’ve been here before, our victories in this current series really don’t instill that much confidence. There are glimpses of sheer domination, but they are fleeting. We should all be a little more concerned than we are.
But man, are we tired…