Postgame: Red Wings @ Coyotes – 10/19

Quick post-game notes because I don’t want to spend any more time on it than I have to…

The Wings really played two games tonight. The first game, they did a pretty good job of controlling the flow of play and had a 3-0 lead. Then Phoenix goalie Mike Smith died on the ice and the second game started.

Exaggeration? Exactly.

Smith stayed in the game after staying on the ice just long enough to get Detroit’s third goal called back and that’s when the second game began. In the second game, the Red Wings were tentative and lazy and controlled nothing. The Coyotes crawled back to a 2-2 tie and then got another ridiculous stroke of luck when the puck bounced off an official and right to a Phoenix player to turn play the other way and score to make it 3-2.

So, yeah, Detroit’s third goal was called back by an official, Phoenix’s was assisted by one.

No, I don’t think the refs were out to get the Wings. It was just annoying.

Down a goal, Detroit absolutely collapsed, eventually allowing another. Then the perfect kicker: Smith throws the puck the length of the ice and scores into the empty net with 0.1 seconds remaining. That’s right, after flopping and getting a Detroit goal called back, which changed the entire momentum of the game, Smith scores a goal. Of course.