I almost wrote about the last game. I started to, actually. Mostly because Terry Foster's article on Detroit fans is really, really stupid. Mind-numbingly stupid. Like, "how do you have a job in this profession when you're so out of touch?" stupid. But that's okay. I'm sure Foster does a fine job, but articles like these re-assure me that I'm probably not missing much. Everybody acknowledged that the worst calls of the night were on Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau. But the Heatley call only came because Detroit was desperately owed a make-up call.

Secondly, tons of non-Wings fans acknowledged that officiating was atrocious. Atrocious calls, both ways, are enough to ruin a game. Third, when is the last time Detroit fans have even blamed officiating? Every time we lose? Didn't see that at all in the Phoenix series, even over the regular season. There were a few games ruined by obvious bad calls and disallowed goals, but not penalty calls in a long, long time. Finally, why the shot at Michigan fans? I don't follow them as much as I do Detroit, but I do watch every game. Personally, I blamed their losses mostly on inexperience and not having the right personnel for the offense, but I guess I'm not as in touch with that fanbase so I'll leave that be.

But I digress. I was planning a whole post on that garbage. I'll just hope everyone else felt the way I did and go back to ignoring Foster. Good.

On to the Wings. I am... very apathetic right now. I'm usually furious when Detroit gets screwed like they did in Game 2 (gasp, sorry Terry), furious when they're on the brink of elimination, what have you. I was disappointed that they lost, but it didn't linger like it usually does. The team in the third period was not a team that deserves to win a game in overtime.

Here's my deal: I just don't think the Wings have played well enough to win this series. I think they've played well enough where they probably should have a game (Game 2 is my choice, again, if powerplays were a little more even). I'm reading a lot about how Detroit is clearly the better team in this series, and as biased as I am, I disagree. San Jose just looks better to me. They've had a dive here and there, but overall I really respect the game they've played.

4-3 games are hardly dominating. In fact, yesterday easily could have been a blowout. I won't say the no-goal was a terrible call, but it easily could have counted. I thought it was 50/50. Then the penalty shot -- which was a good break for Detroit -- was an excellent move by Zetterberg and absolute desperation robbery by Evgeni Nabokov. A little higher or lower and that's a goal. Easily could have been 5-1 Detroit early in the second. But wait, doesn't that contradict what I was saying earlier? Not quite. Detroit dominated the first, but San Jose came back and was clearly the better team in the final 40 minutes. Same case in the first two games, 5-on-3s or not.

They capitalized on their opportunities. They're dominant on the cycle. Joe Thornton isn't a complete joke. Nabokov has been pretty good. Joe Pavelski is putting together one of the best playoffs in recent memory. Offense is just clicking, period. Defense is not giving Detroit's stars any space. They don't really have elite shut down guys, but they're getting good minutes out of everyone. And, in my mind, they're outcoaching Detroit. The smartest move of the series: McLellan's comments about officiating in the first game. Babcock calls out a missed dive, McLellan compliments the officiating. Don't think for a second that didn't earn him some favor. It's clearly come into effect in the next two games.

One thing I don't want to see -- excuses. Officiating has been brutal, but it's not the reason they're behind. And fatigue? Don't buy it. I'll show you Saler's post, but he's far from the only one saying/thinking it, he just wrote it the most eloquently. Obviously no disrespect, but I find the whole thing ridiculous. These are professionals. They don't look tired to me. Tired teams don't tear through the regular season, post Olympics, the way this team did. Tired teams don't finish 5th despite about a dozen crucial injuries (which I don't think were the result of tiredness, but just freak bad karma). Tired teams don't have the jump that Detroit had last night. But sure, they do fall apart at the end of games -- but this is something Detroit's been doing for two full seasons now. It's problems that go further than fatigue. And it's just too easy to say that, when sometimes you just need to swallow your pride and admit that Detroit is being outclassed on a 60 minute basis.

Is this too depressing? I'm usually the optimistic one, right? Well, I am. I don't think this team is incapable of coming back. Two reasons. Number one being the way they played the first period yesterday. They got their lead and sat back, big mistake. Number two is this:

He's been amazing. Derek Zona is a solid dude from Copper & Blue, who is a must-read for everyone, not just Oilers' fans, had a great piece on Zetterberg's performance from last night. Pretty impressive stuff. I'm not a guy who loves numbers, but I don't see how you can ignore that.

But it's 3-0. This season has been stressful enough, and stressing out about a 3-0 deficit is not something I'm interested in doing. I'm just going to enjoy the game as best I can. I don't want to see them lose, but I've pretty much come to terms with their odds of coming back. I'm not going to think about the end result, just going to take it one game at a time, just like the team should.

So that's that. I see a lot of folks stressing out, and I know it's not easy, but I think people aren't crediting San Jose for really bringing their A game for the first time ever in the month of May. It doesn't look too good right now, but this team definitely has the resources it needs to win four games in a row. Of course, they've had these resources all series and find themselves down 3-0. Who knows what'll happen?

I hope two things. First, and foremost, that tomorrow isn't Nick Lidstrom's last game as a Red Wing. That thought makes me all kinds of sick and I'm going to stop typing about it. Second, I hope, if they win, San Jose comes out of the West. I dislike Chicago, and the Sedins creep me out, so I guess I'd rather see the Sharks get it done. I hate Thornton, and I think Nabokov is overrated, but they're playing well. Only team remaining who I could stomach beating them would be Boston. But I won't think about that too much now -- the series isn't over.