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Duck A La Wings Could Be Almost Cooked and The Truly Gifted Jonathan Toews |
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I know this is going to seem over reactive to many, but the Ducks have to win the next game vs. the Wings to have a real shot at winning the series. I know the Ducks have a great GM and a very good Head Coach as well as 2 of the best dmen in the NHL. I also know they have a solid team from top to bottom, and really don’t have any glaring weakness. I am also aware that I have seen this “Wings Show” too many times over the years.
No doubt the Wings got a couple of lucky bounces; but the Ducks did get some fortuitous penalty calls too. The Ducks did have more shots on goal, and they also hit the iron with a Getzlaf rocket. By the way that young guy will be a top 10 forward in the NHL for many years to come. I know Hasek looked lucky on some stops, I know.. I know.. I know. All that means very little, as the Wings just do what it takes to win.
The older slower softer Wings got stronger as the game went on; the Ducks need to remember that at this point no one scares easily. So as every commentator seemed to think the Ducks were getting into their game by getting a bit edging, I think the opposite was true. As the game wore on the Ducks looked a bit frustrated especially in the last half of the 3rd period. So they can beat the Wings up when gloves are dropped more times then not, but that doesn’t matter in the least right now.
As long as Datsyuk and Zetterberg don’t shy away from the tough areas on the ice, the Wings will be just fine. Who might not be just fine is little Andy McDonald. He is starting to remind me a bit of Theo Fleury, somewhat. Theo was a pest, but pound for pound he was a tough guy. He could play that agitator game against the big hitters all night long and always take a beating and keep on ticking. We will find out soon if McDonald can do the same. The Wings finally started to match up on Andy and planted him a couple of times in the 3rd period. I think he may have to get used to that, Selanne is a tough customer to slow down, the Ducks better hope the same can be said for McDonald.
The importance of winning faceoffs is often overlooked, but Chris Draper put on a clinic last night. Not only did the Wings win a lot of draws throughout the game, But Draper never lost an important faceoff in the waning minutes of the contest. That will be another source of frustration for the Ducks unless corrected tomorrow.
Playing the Wings is like playing your buddy’s short Country Club golf course. You know the one that leads you to believe that you can shoot in the low 80’s on it every time there. What always happens is that you wind up shooting in the high 80’s or maybe even low 90’s. It’s always the same although maybe for different reasons, but at the end of the round you feel very frustrated and defeated. That’s exactly how the Ducks will feel if they lose tomorrow night.
One word of advice for Mr. McDonald, if you want to stir the pot then be good at it. Don’t dive on top of another team’s goalie and then try to hit him in the mask with the back of your glove. You were very lucky that it was Hasek that you hit, Khabibulin and some others would have probably broken your jaw with a blocker to the face. If I were you I would just concentrate on scoring, use your brains and your skill, your team will need that kind of effort.
I try not to get too excited about future Blackhawk Jonathan Toews, but it is impossible. At 19 he is able to more then hold his own with NHL men and never seems to get rattled. I knew when watching Toews during some college games that he was very strong on his skates, but that was against 18-21 year old youngsters. So I always wondered if he would be able to go strong into the corners with NHL players, and that answer has been clearly shown in the last couple of weeks. Toews continues to impress and plays like someone far older then 19, he is a special talent. Now he needs to sign a NHL contract and the Hawks need to design an effective team for next year. I thought Toews could be a 2nd line or maybe a checking line center to start out. Now it appears that he can be a legitimate 1st line center and play alongside Havlat. I would love for the Hawks to pick up a big strong winger who also would be good in the corners, someone like Taylor Pyatt. I think the Hawks would be best served to look to sign two or three 2nd tier free agents. On the radar screen could be a defenseman with some offensive skill, a strong faceoff center, and a tough winger like Pyatt.
Toews has to be signed right after this tourney is finished, so the team building can move forward.
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