He's got the stick, why not just PLAY for Dallas already?

What is it with this team about completely falling apart when they have a chance to make that 8th seed to 9th seed jump? As of right now they're out by a point, because as of these words Boston blew a lead against one of the coldest teams in the league, Los Angeles, guaranteeing the Kings at least a one point lead. Probably two by the time I'm done writing this (called it). Or three if the NHL just feels like dumping all over Detroit some more. Who knows?

That game was a win. Detroit didn't even play well and controlled the play for most of the game. Dallas is not good this year. Sure, they keep passing us in the standings, but that just doesn't mean anything to me. With Mike Ribeiro out, who's sensationally overrated in his own right, Detroit got beat by Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Brad Richards, and a dozen grinders. Sorry, that's just how I feel -- Dallas is like a congregation of players I've felt should be out of the league at one point or another. Their defense is just terrifying to watch move the puck out of their own zone, and Alex Auld was mentored by Dan Cloutier, which says quite a bit out where his career is. Sorry Dallas fans -- take solace in the fact that you're owning Detroit for once in your lives, but before you disagree just realize you're basically a lottery team without the NHL's swell loser point. I'm looking forward to seeing if that team ends up with more overtime losses than regular wins. It's going to be a tight race.

Also, as I had to listen to part of the third on the radio, official voice of my childhood Paul uh Woods raised the point that while people don't like Steve Ott, you'd love to have him on your team. False. Ott is on the very short list of players I would hate to see in a Detroit jersey, with the likes of Scott Hartnell and Sean Avery. I don't believe Ott has any respect for the game. I understand agitation, but there's a line that Ott often crosses. I see him more as a liability than anything else. I'm sure Dallas fans don't care -- they're probably happy to have him. I'm just curious if Dallas ever gets back to the Finals, and you're up a goal heading into the 3rd, do you even want Steve Ott to see a shift? I thought so.

I don't care that no one fought him. I don't want Todd Bertuzzi in the box over someone like Ott, he'll find his way there eventually (ZING ha ha ha ha ha ha how do I come up with this overwhelmingly original material?, more on that later). I'd prefer to see Ville Leino in the lineup coasting his way around the ice like a small child in a charity game than Brad May, who fights to pad his stats instead of To relate it to his namesake, if Jay Leno can bump Conan out by being absolutely useless and extremely predictable, can't Leino edge out May? Even the most steadfast Leino-haters know he's capable of doing amazing things. What is the absolute best thing that you think May can do for this team? Either way, I never thought I'd be so excited that we have Jason Williams coming back, presumably soon.

Before I get into the real officiating issue, there' something seriously wrong when Dallas plays a game like that and Detroit only ends up with one powerplay. Ott basically took a penalty every time he was on the ice. I was under the impression that you really only had two strides or so to finish a check on someone. I was also under the apparent delusion that you couldn't hit somebody who didn't touch the puck. That's why I don't make the big bucks, apparently. And I know they'd never call it because they only call these in the last five minutes of a game, but wasn't what Ott was doing to Brad Stuart pretty much the definition of "instigating?" Not as the penalty so much I suppose, but just think about the word instigating. I think the NHL should stop calling it in the final five minutes of a game and start calling it when a player takes five to ten seconds every shift to ignore everything around him and try to fight players that don't fight, or that don't fight scrubs anyway. That seems to be a description better fitting of the penalty.

Okay, real issue time. As I mentioned earlier, I was in the car for the end of the 3rd because I had my own hockey game (champs!) but I did catch overtime and beyond at the rink before my game. Basically what happened was Rob Martell waived off Ott's shootout attempt on Jimmy Howard, who kept the puck out after it started to trickle across the line. Mike Leggo who was presumably around the red line or at  best Detroit's blueline, but could have been out grabbing Starbucks for all we know, immediately approached Martell and encouraged a review. After hours of review, the Toronto War Room ruled that there was no replay showing the puck clearly over the line: inconclusive. Apparently, Leggo overruled both the NHL and the referee standing on top of the net from his comfortable position in the stands making his way back to the ice with a Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte. This raises two questions... Why did the review take so long if he had that overrule card the whole time, and what is the point of an NHL War Room?

Other than incompetence and idiocy, the NHL's problem here is two things: accountability and accessibility.

• Accountability: There is absolutely nothing preventing referees from making game-changing (maybe even season-changing) decisions on a hunch and nothing else. I can probably picture something close to what Leggo saw. The puck was nearly on the line, and Howard swiped at it. He missed. A second later, he swiped it again, after it had traveled several centimeters. I can picture standing around center ice and feeling pretty confident it probably went in. I thought it probably went in to from the live view, but thought there was definitely a great chance it didn't go completely across the line. There is no consequence for Leggo to take a firm stand that he's right. If officiating were like any other job, a controversial decision made wrong like that could be ground for termination. Same thing for the War Room. I don't think they're the issue since they said it was inconclusive, but based on the number of screw-ups this season, why isn't anyone getting canned? It's ruining the image of the league, one that doesn't have much leg to stand on to begin with.
• Accessibility: To say the NHL sucks at providing explanations for controversial calls would be paying them a compliment. I have no idea where the explanation for this call is except for what others say on Twitter. I don't expect they'll make anything more than the same blanket statements they always do. Why don't you ever hear a ref speak? The perfect non-Detroit example to draw on is the drama between Vancouver's Alex Burrows and quality NHL employee Stephane Auger. Burrows accused Auger of telling him he would be a target, and even though I'm not a huge Burrows fan, his comments were sincere -- he was nearly in tears, I felt. Despite solid video evidence showing that Burrows' claim that they had a long pre-game on-ice discussion, the NHL fined Burrows, backed the company man, and no explanation was given from Auger. Awesome.

This is the part where I make an ironic zinger like "keep up the fine work, NHL" but there's no points. This season has been littered with controversial calls at least 4-5 times a week, and nothing's going to change.

Speaking of zingers though, let's talk a little Bert, shall we? Specifically, Bertuzzi and the ever-growing problem of the distraction that is Twitter. I think the Bert-bashing has officially gone a little too far. I'm feeling that too many fans are really excited about all these great Bert jokes that flood my Twitter feed every day that they just blindly follow the trend without actually watching him play. Really watching him. There's two issues really that I see.

First, why is it that the gauge on whether or not he's playing well is if he's scoring goals? Seemingly nobody will ever say that Todd Bertuzzi had a good game if he didn't find the scoresheet, just as nobody will ever say he had a bad game, if he picked up a goal. There were all kinds of terrible things being said about him after he missed the net, but not so much as a peep after his beautiful goal. The guy can play bad even if he scores -- I didn't think he was too great today. Just the same as he can play well without registering a point, through backchecking, dominating along the boards, creating a handful of scoring chances on his own, and just committing to change his game to play in the Red Wings' system, as he has for over 80% of the games he's been in this season.

That miss sucked, and it sucked hard. But how many times have we seen Henrik Zetterberg fly down the wing this year and put the puck into the protective netting. How come there were no hilarious tweets when Pavel Datsyuk flubbed a shot early in the third that almost stopped moving before it got to the net (still nearly fooling Auld in what would have been straight out of the Cloutier files). These guys have been slumping like crazy. Bertuzzi takes the puck to the net, he doesn't pass off an opportunity to shoot (whether on net or into the crowd) and he's by far getting the most scoring chances. I realize his finish isn't the greatest, and his play off the puck is not to the standard of Zetterberg and Datsyuk, but on a team with embarrassingly low goal totals, does it make any sense at all to be so negative to a guy who has factored in on 22.5% of Detroit's goals? That's nearly a quarter for all you mathletes out there. Alongside the scoring thing though, I don't have to look it up to tell you he's still Detroit's hottest scorer over the past month save for Darren Helm's miraculous road trip.

Second, a thought that occurred to me: how can you be so sure Bertuzzi isn't playing well when you're tweeting constantly about it? I understand Twitter during games, it's not impossible. There are a bunch of whistles, I like to get a thought or two out if I have my laptop. When I check Twitter at intermissions, I'm just flooded with small talk and Bertuzzi-bashing, causing me to wonder if these people are actually watching the games. It's become way too fashionable to bash him, in my opinion. To answer the question I posed earlier, about why there were no hilarious tweets about Datsyuk's miss. It's either because people weren't watching that, or because he's a professional hockey player and those things happen. Why is Bertuzzi held to such an impossibly high standard, to where that isn't a valid excuse for him?

That's all I wanted to say. Shockingly, although everyone instinctively thinks of Petrella when Bertuzzi does something good or bad, I'm not targeting him here, as I usually am with Bertuzzi rants. I didn't really see much from him on Bert. Plus, he does get flooded with comments from everyone when Bertuzzi scores, so I can imagine his stress level at those moments. But I think there is a group that is honestly rooting against the guy, shocked to see him score and ashamed to give him praise. I'm not targeting people in particular, but I am starting to lose respect for people's knowledge on the game because I have no idea how they're watching. Just think about it. Maybe tomorrow if you find yourself typing away, you'll realize my point and think to yourself that you should probably be watching the game. Who knows, maybe it'll open up more opportunities to bash Bertuzzi. Or maybe it's just me, because I'm incapable of multi-tasking during a game. Even though multi-tasking doesn't really exist.

Good enough. Chicago tomorrow. The FSN broadcast says Cristobal Huet broke his stick over the post today, so hopefully he can carry some of that momentum in Detroit tomorrow. And hopefully Brad Watson, Denis LaRue, Don VanMassenhoven, Stephane Auger, and Mike Leggo are nowhere near either team, because I have a feeling I know who would win a game like that.

Comments (12)

Keith B said:

... First off, I now believe in the NHL-Wings conspiracy. Secondly, if anyone bashes Bertuzzi and is serious they don't understand the game of hockey. He along with Stuart and Howard are the only reason this team has a chance at making the playoffs. Any hockey fan knows the puck that went flying wide was due to the fact that he was on his off wing and the pass didn't hit his tape. The result is a weird body position combined with a bad stick angle. At least he shot, unlike Zetterberg breaking through the Stars defense only to throw it back and outside to an unsuspecting Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi scored the first goal and he was the major reason the second goal went in. He neutralized the defensman and distracted Auld, allowing Rafalski unfettered access to the puck. We signed him to be a 2nd line winger and he's the only player on a scoring line who has not only earned his paycheck but played above it. Bertuzzi bashers are just like the Jimmy Howard Sweden bashers. They don't know shit about hockey and no stats or reason can convince them otherwise.

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January 17, 2010
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Baroque said:

... I didn't want that player on the team to start the season and was EXTREMELY upset when they signed him, for one reason - his extensive period of suckage for several seasons and several teams that made them better when he was off the roster. There were only two ways that I saw that lousy player not hurting Detroit - one, he would become effective at hockey again, or two, he wasn't on the roster at all. I thought the second was far more likely than the first option. Much to my surprise, he has been both healthy and effective the entire season, which I never thought would happen. Not in a million years. I have even finally stopped holding my breath waiting for the seemingly inevitable bout of stupid brain-dead penalties that were the norm for him with his last couple teams. I don't think of myself as a basher because I never wanted him to fail, I just fully expected it to happen based on previous history. The fact he is playing well and helping the team win is a shock and a surprise, but I hope he keeps it up for the rest of the season. And I hope he is the Masterton nominee from the team because with his succession of injuries and overall lousiness there is no way anyone can not admit that he certainly didn't exhibit perseverance. He's doing a very good job.

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January 17, 2010
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khodson said:

	... Jimmy's shootout "save" on Ott was one of the strangest things I have seen on a shootout. I played goalie and I can tell you Howard's technique was poor on that shot. He needs to get some goalie coaching on how to position himself for shootouts. I have never heard of the Toronto war room decisions being overruled. How many times has his happened?
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January 17, 2010
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Keith B said:

	... Khodson, STFU!!! You played hockey so your going to bash a guy who is third in the league on save % and a guy who just blocked 6 straight shootout shots? Really? Your going to bash him because you played mini-mites? STFU you piece of shit.
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January 17, 2010
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Keith B said:

... Since last year: Anaheim: No goal for Hossa Chicago: "Interference" on Kronwall gets game ejection Pittsburgh: 6 men on ice for 30 seconds Dallas: Bray May goal is called off because ref decides play was dead Dallas: Far ref overrules ref on-line and replay This makes me now believe the league is trying to rule against Detroit. I never believed it until this year. And Ott's "goal" proves it to me. Detroit, for years, has received the bad end of numerous penalties but the five specific things I mentioned above changed the outcome of the game single-handily. I visited the NHL's site to see if they would use the word controversial, they didn't. Here is what it says "A matter of inches could end up making a huge difference in the Dallas Stars' season. Steve Ott scored in the sixth round of the shootout -- a goal that took several minutes of video review to uphold -- and the Stars rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at the American Airlines Center on Saturday." Not only that but the headline on NHL.com is "Role reversal" and talks about how Chicago is now king of the central. 1. One year is not king, 2. Chicago hasn't done anything yet 3. Detroit is hurt! No where in that article do they mention Detroit is injured up and down the lineup. Oh and also, they have a poll: "Will Detroit make the playoffs". I think all of these things put together proves everything.

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January 17, 2010
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DA said:

	... My understanding - and I could be wrong on this - is that Martell said no goal, Leggo overruled Martell, and the NHL refused to issue a definitive ruling, thus leaving Leggo's call standing.
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January 17, 2010
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minor_skin_irritation said:

	... I played goalie and I can tell you Howard's technique was poor on that shot.
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January 17, 2010
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kuick said:

... Jimmy's shootout "save" on Ott was one of the strangest things I have seen on a shootout. I played goalie and I can tell you Howard's technique was poor on that shot. He needs to get some goalie coaching on how to position himself for shootouts. I have never heard of the Toronto war room decisions being overruled. How many times has his happened? You're right on Howard there, it was a little strange. Not sure what he was doing, but he stopped the puck anyways and that's all that matters. DA is correct, Toronto wasn't overruled. They said there wasn't enough video evidence to make the call and at that point the decision is made by the on ice officials. Although I believe the linesman (Leggo) overruled Martell somehow, which I didn't think was possible. (and shouldn't be.) I think the War Room was overruled on the Brad May goal versus Dallas earlier this season though, because of that ridiculous intent to blow the whistle rule..

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January 17, 2010
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KyleKujawa said:

... While I encourage debate, let's be civil to one another. This goes back to the last post, but lets limit the name-calling and "stfu"ing. Khodson -- A goalie named Khodson? Your first name isn't Kevin, is it? Haha. DA -- I hope that's the case. I hadn't heard that but it makes a lot more sense than a ref overruling the war room. Still, really weak on the NHL to not make a decision. "We don't feel like doing our jobs" basically. If they can't make a decision, doesn't that mean it's "inconclusive?" Why can the far ref overrule the one who nearly smacked his head on the post?

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January 17, 2010
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yannick said:

	... Agree with you on Bert, i enjoy watching him play for us, he is very good defensively, creating excellent scoring chances, and scoring beautiful goals too, so a lot more i cuold ask for from him and his 1.5m cap hit. Let´s hope he keeps up the good work and gets a cup
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January 18, 2010
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waltdetroit said:

	... Hot dogs are my favorite food so I wish you'd all stop dissing em. Dallas game: Meech got hit all the time. Ericsson is looking like a 20 yr old rookie. But wasn't that save by Lebda sweet - it saved a point. May? Wish we had Downie
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January 18, 2010
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shaun s said:

... Don't forget the instigator call that was rescinded 5 minutes after game two of the finals last year by Toronto. Malkin never should have played in game three and the pens only points went through him. I have to say I respect the Wings staff and management for not bashing the NHL in post game pressers. The fact is that it is not profitable for one team to dominate every year has donned on the NHL and if no team can beat them fair then we will just put the refs on the other side. Otherwise how does a team(pens) that averages 12+penalty minutes/game all season not take more than 6/game all playoffs. Bert got a bad wrap. They never show the elbow that Moore smashed in his face right before the punch. If you get knocked out that easy you don't belong in the NHL anyways. Do I feel bad for Moore? Yes, but Bert belongs in the league and it is great to finally see him getting his game back. Now if they wouldn't put him in the box every time he looks at someone wrong. As for May, we needed a fighter to protect our guys. I would have liked to see Downey, McCarty and May all out at the same time. Talk about not wanting to go into the boards.

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January 19, 2010
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