Red Wings – Ducks Game Thoughts

Let me just say that the middle of a West Coast road trip, with its late games on back-to-back nights, is not the time to get sick.

The more I think about last night’s game between the Red Wings and the Ducks the less I think anything substantitive can be taken away from it.

Yeah, it’s always good to beat Anaheim. It’s always good when the Wings can wear down Chris Pronger. That said, Detroit’s win came thanks to a lot of luck.

The bounce that led to Jiri Hudler’s goal? That’s the kind of bounce I always complain that the Wings never seem to get. Without it, that’s not a goal, even if Hudler’s shot was dead-on.

Johan Franzen’s goal? I mentioned at the time that I’d be shocked if it was allowed. I think the replay was inconclusive and the Red Wings have a history of having goals called back (Franzen’s game-tying goal in Minnesota nothwithstanding). Another break caught there.

The Wings definitely played better than they did on Monday in Dallas. Oddly, Chris Osgood didn’t have as good of a game even with allowing fewer goals but I would definitely say he’s playing better than he was at the start of the season. One bad goal (Anaheim’s third) does not mean he’s reverted to early-season status, especially factoring in the big late-game save on Corey Perry.

In the end, the success of this road trip will not be gauged by last night’s win but by what happens in San Jose on Saturday.