GDT #80: 4/4/12 > Blues vs Wings > 6:30 PM > NBCS/Fresh102.5

[sseagle]

Way to (Frank) the team 20fail

[gaijin]

Why didn't someone make Bertuzzi ?

[dmiles2186]

Why didn't someone make Bertuzzi ?

If Reaves would have done that he would not only have got tossed from the game but probably arrested the way the zebras were calling it tonight.

[dmiles2186]

Positives: This game was much better than the last few. It was a loss, yes, but that's the type of hockey that wins games in the playoffs. Steen was a monster. Reaves was hitting people left and right. Perron's goal was sick.

Negatives: I try to quell the cries of reffing conspiracies, but that was terrible. I know they're the Red Wings, but there were so many non calls on the Red Wings side and the penalty on Reaves was an outright screwjob. Bottom line: the D quit for two and a half minutes and they lost a point because of it.

Also: someone PLEASE score a goal in the shootout. Holy goodness. It's a good thing there aren't any shootouts in the playoffs.

[sparty09]

I want to punch someone in the face. I went to school at Michigan State, so every hockey fan I know roots for the Red Wings. Tough to care about hockey on a night like tonight. I agree that the only real positive here is that they played better than they have recently. They had to be practically perfect to win and they just couldn't do it.

[philco_3]

The Detroit Fragile...I mean Red Wings have to be the best fakers in the league. Bullshit non calls to kill the Blues. But I did like what I seen tonight. Like someone said they played an excellent game til they got 2 and stood back. 2 goal lead...the worst lead to have.

[kodos]

**** everything. And **** the complete **** reffing in that game.

[dhabums]

The Detroit Fragile...I mean Red Wings have to be the best fakers in the league. Bullshit non calls to kill the Blues. But I did like what I seen tonight. Like someone said they played an excellent game til they got 2 and stood back. 2 goal lead...the worst lead to have.

My Vancouver Canucks respectfully disagree with you assessment of the best fakers. If you don't believe me, wait until the WCF.

[tjk002]

D'agostini shouldn't see the ice again for the remainder of the seaon or the playoffs. Someone please explain to me what he was doing when they scored the first goal? Just standing their with his d*ck in his hand? He shys away from the physical game, and he wasn't a very good finesse player to begin with.

The call on Reaves was a fricking joke, but I do believe it woke the team up with a us vs. the world attitude for a while.

[not_a_wings_fan]

If that was Backes on Franzen it's 5 games for two hits to the head after the whistle. I would be SHOCKED if it is even mentioned by the league.

It's not Reaves' fault that guy went flying. I can see two - but a major and a misconduct? F$ck off.

The boys played a good game - except for a couple of minutes.

Meh, if that was the playoffs we finish with the win. Shootouts are for pussies - as evidenced by who got the winner.

The officiating changed when we were in control of the president's trophy. I don't care how they call it, just call it the same for both teams.

[northwest dave]

I don't even know what to say about this game and the officiating. When Hitchcock gets pissed you know it's bad. The call on Steen combined with the non-call on Frazen shows what inconsistency there is. And the Reeves BS call was just terrible. What a horrible, horrible call. The Blues did great killing the penalty, but IMO it changed the game. The Blues blew their load in that 5 minutes and couldn't hang on. Hopefully they'll learn from it.

And D'ags should probably sit. I'd rather see Nichol or Crombeen out there to provide some physical play and defensive awareness. D'ags isn't much if he isn't scoring.

Ugh. The Blues had this game. !@$!@#$

[ohio BLUES]

If the loss to Columbus was disconcerting, then tonight's effort should be heartening. Two evenly matched teams in a great game that happened to conclude with a stupid ending in a stupid skills competition. Allowing a comeback is unfortunate, but what can you say: their goals were a result of fatigue from chasing the puck and the ridiculous skill of Datsyuk.

I don't know about anyone else, but I want them in the playoffs. We have some demons to exorcise and we can hang with Detroit.

If there's anything to take away from this game, it's that the Blues can dial it up to another gear. Whether they are able to reach that gear and stay there consistently will be the test of the playoffs.

I won't comment about the zebras, because it's already been said here and on Twitter. Such is life when it's the Red Wings vs. the non-Red Wings.

[DaDitka]

If the loss to Columbus was disconcerting, then tonight's effort should be heartening.

Agreed, we fought hard...it was just a matter of overcoming the Wings and the officials. We lost the game because we were standing around though, they looked gassed.

Especially Pie, he looks like the season is really taking a toll. He looks both physically and mentally drained. Maybe think about sitting him the last two, send him out of town, tell him to take a few days off from hockey completely. Clear his mind, rest his body, and get him back ready to kick azz in the playoffs.

Won't happen, but it really should.

[cprice12]

Aside from some horrible officiating, this was a great game.
The Blues played a very solid game. Both teams did. The goaltending on both sides was great...all of the goals were impressive and well deserved.

Perron's goal was a thing of beauty. Reminded me of Demitra's breakaway goal against Detroit back in 1999 or so...?
McDonald's goal was slick.

Ugh...we had this game though. I think in 4 of the 6 games vs. the Wings this season, we have had the lead in the 3rd period. They always f'ing do this...they always come back late in games. Always.

How the F does Franzen not get a penalty for a blatant shot to the face that knocks Backes down after the whistle that draws blood?
How does that happen? Everyone in the world saw it.
Franzen seems to have a knack for dirty plays after the whistle. Remember his idiotic roundhouse punch to the face to that Hawk player after the game was over?

The refs make the marginal call on Steen, the BS call on Reaves...and they don't call anything on Franzen? That's the blown call of the year.
And that call on Steen when he knocked Bertuzzi down...Bertuzzi dove. You could tell by the way Steen reacted, he was like, dude...wtf? He gave him a shove around the goal after the whistle like you always see and huge #44 went down real easy. I'm not buying it.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but damn...it makes you wonder sometimes.
Every time we play these guys, it seems like they ALWAYS get the calls and they ALWAYS get the breaks.
I'm tired of it.
And it has everything to do with star players. Detroit has more of them, and star players never get the same amount of calls against them as the lesser known guys do. That's just a fact. ANYONE on the Blues that dishes out a dirty cheap shot to any Wings player to the face, after the period is over, that knocks them down, and draws blood...would get a penalty and possibly a suspension or at least a fine.
Franzen got nothing. And it's not just us Blues fans being biased, even the NBC guys were dumbfounded.

Bullshit.

Hitchcock is a coach that chalks this game up as a learning experience and will learn from it and make his guys learn from it.

We won't see Detroit in the playoffs anyway. They aren't going to beat Nashville.

Oh...and Babcock is such an arrogant douchebag.

[kodos]

As soon as Detroit scored their first goal I knew they were going to win the game.

[cprice12]

Shoulder to shoulder hit...Stuart had JUST played the puck, that's why he is extended.
This is nothing more than a good forecheck and pressuring the puck carrier with a shoulder to shoulder hit.
It's hockey. Sometimes a check hurts...it doesn't make it a penalty.
What was Reaves supposed to do in this situation? Give him a kiss?

[STLADOGG]

Also: someone PLEASE score a goal in the shootout. Holy goodness. It's a good thing there aren't any shootouts in the playoffs.

They just need to watch The Mighty Ducks movie...triple deke.

[cprice12]

The horrible, horrible no call on Franzen:

[youtube][/youtube]

[DaDitka]

Also: someone PLEASE score a goal in the shootout. Holy goodness. It's a good thing there aren't any shootouts in the playoffs.

They just need to watch The Mighty Ducks movie...triple deke.

At least for once it was the goalie making stops instead of us missing the net, Bergie hitting a post, or DP making 12 moves and not getting a shot off.

But yes...thankfully there are no shoot-outs in the playoffs.

[ohio BLUES]

Also: someone PLEASE score a goal in the shootout. Holy goodness. It's a good thing there aren't any shootouts in the playoffs.

They just need to watch The Mighty Ducks movie...triple deke.

If Oshie, McDonald and Perron can't get it done, let's just start sending out Polak, Nichol and Colaiacovo. They might find a nut, or perhaps we'll end up with some Dennis Wideman-level entertainment.