commentary...

i usually go through the goals,and comment on the tenor of the game,and yet,today,i will not do that,at least not in the same way... have to talk about the play of the game,made by Brent Seabrook,of the Blackhawks,late in the third period... let me set up the shot:during the last four minutes,of the game,Red Wings,down 3-1,and a scrum ensues,and someone tips puck off the crossbar,and as the puck drops toward the net,and goal line,Seabrook swats puck with a backhand,in mid-air,away from the goal line... even though the Red Wings looked beat before that,they were coming on(in one of the very few times,last night),that was possibly the best play of the entire playoffs... i even tipped my hat on that... the Blackhawks did look like the best team in the NHL,last night,and the Red Wings looked jittery throughout the game,and have to play much better,in the best of seven series... it seemed to me that the Red Wings looked just happy to be in the second round,after beating Anaheim,and to tell you the truth,that will never do,because the Blackhawks are determined to win the Stanley Cup,or bust,this season... going through the goals,in the game,except for Marian Hossa,on the first Blackhawks' goal,and Patrick Sharp,who scored the empty net goal to close out scoring,neither team had their stars do that much,and for Chicago,it is very scary,because they simply have much more firepower,i hate to admit,but honestly,if the Red Wings can play better defense,around Red Wings' goaltender Jimmy Howard,and if Howard can play like his usual self,in goal,the Red Wings have chance to compete in this series... the Red Wings can play better,but so can the Blackhawks,but Chicago has the edge,in firepower,and that may be enough to beat the Red Wings,at least,in this best of seven series... i have watched the Red Wings all season(47 of the 48 games on television;all of the games at least on radio),and every playoff game,and they have one weakness,and that is consistent scoring... defensively,they have been one of the surprises in the NHL,but they have struggled through stretches of lack of scoring,because of inexperience,and youth,on this season's team,on the back end... unfortunately,it gets tougher to win in the Stanley Cup playoffs,going onward,because you play other very good teams,and like i said earlier,i would put the Red Wings,as the longest shot,of the eight remaining teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs,and they do have the toughest road to hoe in the playoffs,because the Stanley Cup playoffs come down to matchups,in every round,and even though the Blackhawks,and the Red Wings meet for the last time,as Central Division rivals,and that should give the Red Wings more incentive to beat the Blackhawks,that also goes for the Blackhawks... the Red Wings must forget this game,and yet wake up,right now,and realize that they are in a dogfight... if not,they are in for a short series,and to tell you the truth,there is too much pride in "that locker room",to go out that way,period... i am a hardcore fan of the Red Wings,and of the beautiful game of hockey,and i am being realistic,more than anything,about this series... funny thing is that the Red Wings can win this series,but they better come out like a team really on a mission,to give the Blackhawks every thing they have and just bring their best game,and see what happens... let you remind of something:in 2010,the Philadelphia Flyers,a seventh seed that year,went to the Stanley Cup Finals(and they beat the Boston Bruins,in a historic series,after being down,0-3,in series),against Chicago,and lose in six wild games(no one could stop a puck,in goal,period),and last year,a eighth seed(Los Angeles Kings)won the Stanley Cup,and finally,in 2003,the Anaheim Mighty Ducks(now the Ducks)swept the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings(shut them out twice in series)and then set NHL history,by beating the Minnesota Wild(and allowing only one goal,in entire series),before losing to the New Jersey Devils,3-0,in game seven in the Stanley Cup playoffs,that year... just reminding you of history,folks...