Don’t hold your breath folks, the titles aren’t going to get any fucking better from here.

PITY POINT.

I’m not even really that mad. I thought they played well, barring a few shitty spots which I will get too. Let’s do this.

The Good

Jimmy Howard. Full stop. As in, he fully stopped all of the pucks (except the one, I know, but he partially stopped it). It really is remarkable the difference between the last game against Columbus where Mrazek’s rebound control was terrible and caused two goals to Jimmy Howard tonight. He was all over the puck: glove saves, pad saves, shoulder saves, blocker saves. They say Jesus saves? No. James Russel Howard the Third saves (why doesn’t he have the III on his jersey like Golden Tate? Is there a hockey rule about that?)

(Seriously all credit to /u/bmac39 here. Everyone’s like “I love that you put streamables in your GBWTF” and I’m just a schlub copying them into here)

That save sums up Jimmy Howard this season. Smart. Active. Making saves that 2 years ago Jimmy wouldn’t have even seen. Here’s some stats for you guys. Among goalies who have played at least 10 games, Jimmy Howard is:

2nd in SV% (.945, BETTER THAN CAREY PRICE)

2nd in GAA (1.68, BETTER THAN CAREY PRICE)

LAST IN GOAL SUPPORT (BETTER THAN CARE-ohhhhhhhhhh that’s not better that’s way worse)

I could go on for pages at this point on how much I’ve loved Jimmy Howard this season. I just wish our team loved him as much as I do and would score some goals.

The PK was also very good. We’ve played the best teams on the PP the last two games (funny how we dethrone CBJ only to give the award to Philly). Tonight we killed 4 penalties. Last game we didn’t even commit a penalty. The point is we’re playing smart enough to not give up goals on the PP and that is super important. Let’s not kid ourselves, we kept a team that is on fire to 1 goal, and that one goal was on 3v3. There was a time when defense was what I worried the most about on the Red Wings, and lately I’ve been pretty confident in what I’ve seen.

I still want Sproul in over Lashoff.

The Bad

Please don’t get mad at me, but our offense was definitely The Bad tonight.

We put up 28 shots against a rookie goalie tonight and made him look like a super star. I don’t know who Stolarz is, I believe this was his second NHL game?, but there is 0 excuse to go out against a new goalie and give him the shutout. That’s not what I expect from an NHL caliber hockey team. And it’s not even that they’re not trying! 28 shots is pretty good. But it’s the little things I notice. Shots that create rebounds with no one there to bang it home. Inabilities to keep things in at the blue line. THE LACK OF SCORING ON THE POWER PLAY.

I’ve made 3 of these damn things. In that time, the Red Wings are 1/10 on the PP.

Honestly, they better start scoring soon. If not, I’m just going to have to start copy pasting form letters about our shitty offense in here.

The WTF?

Whoooo boy.

You know, I keep thinking as I watch these: What if nothing WTF? happens tonight? I came out all loud and proud about this game recap thing and if something that makes me go WHAT?! doesn’t happen soon how will I deliver?

Thanks Larkin!

What was he thinking? Saucing the pass into 3 guys at center ice? There’s only 3 Flyers skaters on the ice! They’re clumped together like a miniature blackhole sucked them in and that’s where you pass it?

Worse places Larkin could have passed the puck:

Into our own net

THAT’S THE ONLY WORSE PLACE.

Dekeyser’s attempt the block the shot was pretty terrible too, because it allowed Schenn to step in and get the pass unhindered, and then Larkin didn’t manage to sweep the puck out after Schenn reached around Howard. That play was terrible, and it was a terrible end to a game the Wings played really well and honestly I think deserved a win just as much as Philly did.

I was going to cover the net dislodged goal as that was frustrating, but this play tops it. However, for those of you who are curious as to why that goal doesn’t count, I can sum it up for you. According to Rule 63.6, the referee can only award a goal if the puck was already in motion towards the net as the shot was dislodged. Since the net came free before the shot that went in went in (that looks like a typo, huh?), the ref could not award a goal but did properly call a delay of game penalty. Good call, sucks for the Wings, wouldn’t be as big a deal if our Power Play didn’t suck eggs.

Next Game

Tuesday at home against Arizona. Another team on the back to back. If we don’t win this game I will slam my head in my laptop.