Mad Max

Something happened to Jason Maxiell.

This guy is back.

The past four games, Maxiell is averaging 10pts (on 62% shooting) and 8 boards in just 25 minutes per night. The dude, in a word, was dominant. Despite giving up seven inches on Andrew Bogut, Maxiell skied over the dude to pull down 6 offensive boards last night. And he was the hero in the clutch against New Jersey. His clunky jumper actually fell at an impressive clip. This is a guy who barely averaged over 5 pts per game coming into February. He was a forgotten man.

Not anymore. Against the Bucks, Maxiell posted an astonishing +21 rating. The night didn't go nearly as well for players facing their old teams. Villanueva scored a total of 0 points in 19 minutes for a -7 rating. Carlos Delfino - a reborn man since landing in Milwaukee - scored 9 on 3/11 shooting for a -15 rating.

As for Stuckey, he was a star last night - 1 turnover, 7 assists, 18 points, 5 boards. But the stats don't tell the whole story. He hit some star-worthy shots, including a clutch jumper with Charlie Bell draped all over him. The Pistons were in control much of the game, but the Bucks did take a 4 point lead late in the 3rd. The Pistons then turned up the pressure, ultimately holding the Bucks to 36% shooting. With Ben Gordon, Max, and Stuckey carrying the offense, the Pistons went on a late 17-6 run to pummel the Bucks into submission. Honestly, it was a win reminiscent of the Billups Era. Save for a few offensive bursts from the Bucks, the Pistons were in control, and, during crunch time, they played their best.

Despite my optimism, I know that type of performance was an abberation. They're still an 18-32 team, but it was great to see for just one night. And it was also great to see Ben Gordon playing like the All-star I know he can be. It's taken a few games, but he's back.

Now that I've spent the past few paragraphs praising the Pistons, I fully expect them to lay an egg tonight against Sac town.

Wings
I wish the news were as positive for the Wings. They lost yet another one last night in overtime. I honestly don't know why they even participate after regulation. When the final horn blows, Babcock and Company should hop on the plane and beat the traffic. Why risk injury? They're absolutely dreadful in overtime. In fact, that's the only thing this team has in common with last year's Wings.

I will, however, give the Wings credit for mounting a 2-goal comeback. Despite falling behind 3-1, the Wings rallied for the tie. They pounded home three of the ugliest goals in the history of man, showing a bit of heart. The Blues, though, were the better team throughout. That's quite a sad statement, considering the Blues are a handful of points behind the Wings. The playoffs continue to elude this team as their opponents seem fresher, hungrier, and, honestly, better.

Other than the overachieving Howard, I count five current Wings playing to their potential right now - Lidstrom, Rafalski, Bertuzzi, Helm, and Draper. Despite their age, Lidstrom and Rafalski continue to be the best Red Wing blue liners. They're not dominant, but they remain the absolute best at puck-possession hockey. Bertuzzi, despite coughing up the puck to Kariya on the Blues' 2nd goal, is on pace for 21 goals. He's already got 15, which is 5 more than I expected. And Helm and Draper... well, they sorely miss Eaves... but they're still the Wings' best line.

The rest of the team suffers from maddening inconsistency. Last night, the Blues turned it over to Dats deep in their own end (multiple times), but Pav did not take advantage. In one stretch, they literally passed the puck right to Datsyuk's stick. He tried to deke a defenseman and lost the puck. I had to rewind to make sure that I was watching the 2009's best hockey player in the world.

And what about Zetterberg? Cleary? Filppula? Stuart? They've had flashes of brilliance, but rarely at the same time. The team just doesn't have "it". They need a heart-to-heart, like that scene from Rocky III when Adrian confronts Rocky at the beach:

(Wish I had the specific scene, but this was the best I could find... skip forward to 4:10)


Where's Adrian when you need her?