Shots

For a few moments, I found myself making excuses for the Red Wings last night - "They try hard, but simply don't have the talent." That was after Ozzie got pulled for letting in a very weak 2nd goal in 4 shots.

Then I realized... this team was one win from the Stanley Cup just a few months ago. This team has the talent. They're just not putting together a full 60 minutes. The next thing I knew, the Wings scored a terrific goal to pull within 1. Datsyuk to Zetterberg to Homer for an easy tap in. The Wings kept pressuring and soon had a commanding 22-11 advantage in shots on goal.

The long-running Red Wing gameplan is to control the puck, pepper shots on goal, and maintain pressure in the offensive zone. More shots should equal more goals in the long run, but that hasn't been the case lately. Whether it's hot goaltenders, poor shooting, or simply bad luck, the Wings' strategy resulted in 3 straight losses and a dreadful 3-4-2 start to the season.

But last night, the dam finally broke. After scoring just 1 goal on 28 shots through the first two periods, the Wings netted four in the 3rd. It was just enough, as Vancouver also scored twice in 3rd, both on the powerplay. Jimmy Howard did well in relief of Osgood, stopping 20 shots and keeping the game within reach.

This win does not signal the turning of the corner of course. It just shows that the strategy sometimes works. Vancouver is a talented team with perhaps the best goalie in the league, and the Wings scored on him five times. Perhaps the only good news this season is that the Wings' four wins are against top-tier teams, but they have to find some consistency. The tough road trip continues against Edmonton and Calgary - extremely difficult places to get wins even during the best of times. If the defense (especially Ozzie) does not allow cheap goals, the team might just return home at .500.