Friday, April 25, 2008

Should old acquaintance be forgot…


It was flashback night in Detroit, as the Red Wings and Avalanche resumed their ancient rivalries of the last decade with a game one match up in their Western Conference semi-final. It was a game that showed a fair bit of contrast to those bitter battles of the nineties and earlier this century, this was a rather tame affair.

Given the international nature of the league now, there’s a good chance that many in the lineup on Thursday had no memories or knowledge of the McCarty/Lemieux chronicles that defined the hard nosed and occasionally violent match ups that these two teams provided.

The Wings had four goals on the scoreboard just into the second period, having countered the Avs early game one goal lead, a comeback that left the Avs baffled and a little shaken before they could manage a comeback of their own that came up just a goal short, a warning note for the Wings that they still have some defensive issues to work on should they hope to go farther in these playoffs

Johan Franzen paced the Red Wings on Thursday, scoring twice to lead the Wings to a 4-3 victory in the friendly confines of the Joe Louis Arena. Franzen who tends to fly below the radar on the Wings second line, combined with his line mates on a three point night, helping to take the play to the Avalanche and make the night an unhappy one for the Avs and their goaltender Peter Budaj, a second period insert for the ill Jose Theodore, who had given up those four goals prior to his departure.

The Wings held that lead until just into the second period, leaving the Avs baffled and a little shaken before they could manage a comeback that came up just a goal short, a warning note for the Wings that they still have some defensive issues to work on should they hope to go farther in these playoffs

Colorado on the other hand showed the resilience that we’ve come to expect by the Joe Sakic led team, where no lead is insurmountable and no effort to late to get back into a game. Given a few more minutes and few breaks or bounces and the Avs could have been talking about having stolen the first game out of Detroit, now they need to gear up for a split and then a return home to Denver, where perhaps the memories of battles past will rekindle this long simmering rivalry.

NHL.com-- Stats Pack

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