The Wings Were Inferior.. Just Admit It!
I watched the Wings game last night. I saw a better team (San Jose) beat an inferior team (Detroit) 2-1. That is what I saw. The Red Wings are a great organization and have had a terrific run, but, not this year. Sorry. Yet, for some odd reason, the Red Wings are starting to turn in to the Michigan Wolverines. You know... thee old "we didn't lose it was the refs" or "we didn't lose we just ran out of time". San Jose has better players and a better team, it was evident all series long except for one game; yet, last night on the TV broadcast, you'd think the NHL invoked the "tuck rule" against Detroit.
Ken Daniels is one of the best TV play-by-play men I have heard in this town since I moved here in 1996. He is excellent, and has a great feel for the call and also good knowledge of the game. He was on his game last night until his partner, "The Mick" decided to go all Coach Hanlon on the audience and spend the entire game pointing out penalties that should have been whistled against the Sharks. It was sad. San Jose was having target practice against Jimmy Howard. All game. Without Howard, that game would have ended up 6-1 or 8-1. Yet, "The Mick" just would not stop about the missed calls. Even in the post game, "The Mick" had to point out that blow to the head of Johan Franzen that was left un-touched. Bad call? Sure. But a replay of it after the game? Come on. The Sharks took advantage of an old and slow Wings group and attacked all night. They hit a couple of posts and outplayed them in their own barn.
We take a lot of phone calls at 97.1 The Ticket and we will the next few days on the Wings. I hope the fans see what I see. San Jose is better. Admit it. Accept it. Did the Sharks dominate the Wings like Orlando is destroying Atlanta in the NBA? No. But the better team is advancing, time to stop pointing fingers at the officials. The players aren't.
