Flyers (at) Red Wings: The Live Blog

The big question of the day, the one I know all of you have had on your mind all day long, has been answered.  Yes, I could make it from Ford Field to the Joe Louis Arena in time to make the 5pm face-off for the Wings-Flyers game...


5:11pm:  We're sort of flying (heh, heh, the Wings are playing the Flyers, right?) by the seat of our pants after rushing over from the Lions 20-13 season-ending win over the Vikings.  About all I can tell you is that this really ought to be a good game.  The Wings (24-9-5, 53 points) lead the Western Conference and one of only 2 teams in the NHL to have not lost in double digits yet (Vancouver with 8 is the other), face Philadelphia, (23-10-5, 51 points) tied for 2nd in the Eastern Conference.

5:18pm:  For the next :48, the Wings have a 2-man advantage here.  With Detroit already on the power play, Claude Giroux shoots the puck in the stands and that is delay of game, which is just wrong.  Detroit does not score.  The Wings are a little cute early, going for the extra pass and not getting the shot on goal. 11:00 left in first, DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 0.


5:26pm:  A typical home-ice start for Detroit--they dominate the opening minutes and have outshot the Flyers 8-3.  But, no goals for the Wings.  I saw a troubling story at the Lions game.  A Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher, Alfredo Simon, is suspected of murder in the Dominican Republic:  http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5981183  A spokesman for the Orioles says Simon says he is innocent.  (We really weren't trying to be cute there, its just the way it came out.)  Simon remains at large at, as we say, press time.  Of course, these days, press time is real time, right?

5:35pm:  I know this is going to sound silly and I neither expect nor deserve your sympathy, but I am surprisingly tired right now.  This is not a good sign.  How can you get tired watching spectator sports?

5:43pm:  The period ends with Jeff Carter getting about as good a chance as the Flyers got in the first, set up all alone between the circles with about 3 seconds left in the first.  He shot wide.  Detroit outshoots Philadelphia 9-8 in the first.  It was, as expected, a good period.  I think we'll take a break and check out-of-town scores or something.  After 1: DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 0.  


6:00PM:  The second period starts.  Checking NFL during intermission scores wore me out.  GB is down 3 to Chi and if Bears win, Pack misses postseason. Giants lead.  If they win and GB loses, NY is in.  TB won, if GB and NYG both lose, they are in. Otherwise the Bucs will spend the playoffs thinking about how a loss at home to Detroit of all people cost them a playoff spot. Meanwhile, at the :51 mark, Philadelphia opens the scoring when #51 for Detroit, Valtteri Filppula inadvertently (as opposed one supposes to advertantly) tips a shot fired by Philly's James vanRiemsdyk past Jimmy Howard, his own goalie.  DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 1.  


6:11pm:  Howard makes about as good a save as we've seen all season, going post-to-post to deny Daniel Carcillo but it doesn't even matter because before the Wings can clear the zone, Carcillo tips in a shot fired from the blue line.  He scored less than 5 seconds after that great save by Howard.  Oh, well.  The time of the goal is 5:32.  DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 2.


6:21pm:  No change in the score and the fans are in foul humor.  From time to time one or more of them will shout, "Skate!"  Like that's going to help.  Meanwhile, for the second game in a row, the opposing coach is somebody who played in the first game I ever broadcast.  Remember I mentioned my first play-by-play job was as the voice of the IHL Flint Spirits?  Peter Laviolette, currently the head coach of the Flyers, was one of our best defensemen that year.  It's a long way from the IMA Sports Arena to the NHL, I can tell you that much.  (Actually, it's only 60 miles or so, but the distance in this case is not measured in miles.)  STILL DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 2.


6:30pm:  Now Scott Hartnell has scored and it's 3-0 Philly and this is not going at all well.  Booing begins.  The "F" word is heard.  Hartnell was in close and when Howard went down he went high.  Howard didn't leave much of an opening but these NHL guys don't need much of one.  The goal is at 14:24.  DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 3.  


6:39pm:  The period is over and Philly gets 3 goals on 19 shots in the middle twenty.  Many boo as the Wings skate off.  Fans are brutal.  Fans are unbelievable.  You get the feeling that the score may as well be 300-0 the way that period went.  Time to check more out-of-town scores.  Oooh, GB has come back to lead the Bears.  More on that, and this one, later.  (My god, they just booed the intermission remote car race!)  AFTER 2: DETROIT 0, PHILADELPHIA 3.

6:55pm:  Chris Osgood replaces Howard to start the 3rd period.  The announcement is cheered by the crowd.  I'm going to say this is because it is the first appearance here at home by Osgood since he won his 400th game last week.  The Flyers scored at :51 of the first and now Detroit has scored at :51 of the 3rd.  The goal is by Detroit's #51, Filppula.  A blast from 20 feet, give or take. He put in the proper net this time, at least.  EARLY 3RD: DETROIT 1, PHILADELPHIA 3.


7:02pm:  It turned out that Dwayne Roloson's overtime win over the Wings here on New Years Eve (he was the game's #1 Star as selected by, oh yeah, me) was his last as an Islander.  Steve Yzerman traded for him, so he's a Lightening, now.  If you haven't noticed, Stevie's got Tampa going good, real good.  They lead their division and are tied with Philly and Washington for 2nd in the East.  And now Yzerman has his goalie.  13:00 left, here.  DETROIT 1, PHILADELPHIA 3.


7:17pm:  Hey, now.  Henrik Zetterberg just scored on the power play and the Wings have played themselves back into this one.  It's the 14th for Zetterberg.  He was in close and went high with a backhand to beat Brian Boucher and Detroit is down by only one.  The fans?  They are no longer booing.  Imagine.  The goal comes at 12:28.  DETROIT 2, PHILADELPHIA 3.


7:30pm:  And we're done.  The Wings had a few chances down the stretch, pulled Osgood with 1:10 left but couldn't tie it up.  And now Detroit hits the road for 5 in a row and 6 of the next 7.  So, we'll talk to you later...
FINAL DETROIT 2, PHILADELPHIA 3.