Edmonton Oilers (at) Detroit Red Wings: Friday, March 11, 2011

Pre-Game Skate:  I can't believe it's been as long as it has been since last we met this way, but I've been medically cleared to watch hockey again after my little heart procedure so let's go, shall we?


The Wings (39-20-8, .642) are winless in their last 4 (0-2-2) but remain in second place in the Western Conference.  San Jose is closing fast though.  They've pulled to within a single point of the Wings (86-85).  Chicago--honored today at the White House by President Obama for winning the Cup last spring--have caught fire: (8-1-1, .850) in their last 10 and now a mere 5 points back of the Wings in the race for the Central Division lead.  Detroit has 3 yet to play against the Blackhawks, including a home-and-home on the final weekend of the regular season which, as it turns out, is not that far off, now.  After tonight, Detroit has only 8 home games remaining.


The Wings are 3-0-0 against the Oilers this season and go for the sweep here tonight.  The crowd is into it early and we are now underway here in Detroit...


7:50pm:  The crowd is quieted when, at 6:40, Jimmy Howard gives up a goal that would have upset me if I had been the goaltender who let it in.  Ryan Jones flipped this little wrister at the net from outside the top of the left wing circle and it sneaked in under Howard's left pad.  It's a bad goal, a very bad goal, for Howard to allow and the Oilers, 16-8-3 (.648) when they score first, have scored first in this one.  Detroit is 13-17-2 (.438) when scored upon first this season.  The goal was unassisted which seems about right.  FIRST PERIOD: DETROIT 0, EDMONTON 1.


8:15pm:  The period ends and the Wings, outshot 6-8, are fortunate to be down only 1.  In the final minute, Detroit turned it over with goalie Howard trapped behind his own net.  Alexandre Giroux had an empty net to shoot at from 20 feet and fire he did, but Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall got in front of it.  If he doesn't, Detroit's down 2, for sure.  AFTER ONE PERIOD: DETROIT 0, EDMONTON 1.


8:52pm:  No change, still 1-0 Oilers as we are a little past the halfway point of the period and the game.  The Wings are on the power play for the 3rd time in the period.  They didn't generate much on the first two.  Dan Petry--a starting pitcher for the Tigers when they won it all in '84 (my second-favorite season ever, trailing only 1968 when the Tigers also won it all but I was just a little boy so it was better) is here tonight.  We believe it's because his son is here.  Jeff Petry wears #58 and plays defense for the Oilers.  There cannot be many father-son, MLB-NHL connections, can there? I can't think of any.  Meanwhile, Michigan State smoked Purdue like a trout tonight in the Big Ten tournament.  Beat 'em by 18, which--I'm not going to lie to you--I did not see coming.  State's now 19-13 and that win tonight ought to be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament after all.  There were many (me, for example) who believed the Spartans would not make it in this year, which would have ended a run of 13-straight NCAA appearances.  SECOND PERIOD: DETROIT 0, EDMONTON 1.


9:09pm:  The Wings tie it with 21.1 seconds left in the period--or at least it looks like they do as the play is under review.  A wrist shot from the left point by Nicklas Lidstrom is deflected past Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk to tie the game at 1.  It looks like a good goal from where I sit, which is right in front of a hi-def monitor here in the Press Box.  THEY RULE NO GOAL!  Really?  It didn't even look like a particularly close call to me.  The TV review people in Toronto say the puck was batted in by a Detroit players hand (Todd Bertuzzi).  The period is over. Detroit outshot the Oilers 17-10 in the period and have outshot the Oilers 23-18 in the game, but still trail.  I can't get over that call in the final minute.  I also can't get over the save Howard made with 2-and-a-half left in the second.  He came out of nowhere to make a left pad stop good enough to earn a standing ovation, which I can assure you the fans here don't hand out for just any save.  Too bad Howard gave up that weak one in the first.  I suppose you could say he's even now.  The Wings however, are not.  Detroit is 6-19-2 (.259) when trailing after 2 periods this year.  Edmonton is 13-2-2 (.824) when leading after 2.  END OF 2 PERIODS: DETROIT 0, EDMONTON 1.


9:30pm:  I just got a text from ESPN saying Detroit scored at 19:38 of the second to tie the game 1-1.  They must have thought it was a good goal, too.


9:40pm:  The key moment of the game comes with 14:00 to play.  The Wings--0-3 on the power play tonight--get a 5-3 advantage for 1:26. Can they cash in and tie this thing?


9:47pm:  No, they cannot.  They didn't get many good chances at all and are now 0-5 on the PP. Most importantly, with 11:38 to go, they still trail.  THIRD PERIOD:  DETROIT 0, EDMONTON 1.


10:10pm:  The Wings tie it 1-1 with 24.8 left to go!  It was a slapshot from the left point by Lidstrom which hit the skate of an Edmonton defender out in front and caromed past Dubnyk to send this one into OT.  It's #14 for Lidstrom.  The Wings outshot Edmonton 19-7 in the 3rd and have outshot them 41-25 through regulation time.  It was that 41st Detroit shot that made all the difference.  On to OT!  END OF 3 PERIODS: DETROIT 1, EDMONTON 1.


10:17pm:  THE WINGS WIN ON A GOAL BY PAVEL DATSYUK AT 4:18 OF OVERTIME!  It was a beautiful play all the way around.  Johan Franzen had the puck out near the line and handed it to Datsyuk cutting to the net.  Datsyuk held on to it FOREVER, got an Edmonton d-man to go down and stepped around him to the high slot where he had plenty of time to wind up and blaze a 20-foot slapper home blocker side high on Dubnyk for his 21st goal of the season and for a 2-1 Detroit win.  It wasn't such a good game for 59 minutes, but you couldn't beat the last 5 here tonight.  FINAL IN OVERTIME: DETROIT 2, EDMONTON 1.