Opening Night: Red Wings vs. Leafs

Red Wings 2-3 Maple Leafs
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Last time we were here the crowd was in a rabid state that hadn't been seen for some 5 or 6 years. Tonight started with a similar feel with the raising of the Stanley Cup championship banner. Then the Wings kinda sleepwalked through the opening night of the NHL season. Hangover? Okay, let's not go there yet, it's one game. Still disappointing though.

FIRST PERIOD

• Trouble getting the puck out of the zone early. Looked like there was some evident rust or something.
  
• Hossa's speed drew the first power play of the season, this coming after Homer sacrificed his life to get the puck out the zone before getting annihilated.
  
• Samuelsson manning the point on PP. I wonder how long until Brad Stuart get's a shot at it. Real bad first power play for the team, btw, no movement at all.
  
• Filppula: very tenacious on the defense against the puck carrier. Best Wing player through first 7 minutes, one of the only ones taking the action to the Leafs.
  
• It took 10 minutes before some sustained offense took place. Led by Fil, the 3rd line was the best through this time period. And man, Dan Cleary has a canon for a shot -- had one power through Toskala's right leg and just go outside the post.
  
• Zetterberg watch: looked bottled up at times, just throwing the puck to the middle and not getting a chance to carve out space on the ice for himself.
  
• Leafs first goal: unmarked Kubina came down the middle from the blue line, Osgood caught off guard while sweeping it away, and the Leaf fans make some noise. Osgood with the complete give-away on that one.
  

SECOND PERIOD

• Leafs beating out the Wings to some pucks early in the period. Good play by them in the center ice area. Jamal Mayers was untouched walking down the middle and nearly deflected a puck home.
• 3rd line still doing the most buzzing around the net ... Cleary nearly snuck one around Toskala's skate while he bobbled a rebound.
• Osgood with another huge misplay, miscommunication with defenseman Stuart, who is not having one of his best games.
• I'm going to try to not complain about penalties this season because it seems childish. So I'm not going to say anything about Stuart getting called for "cross checking", an infraction that was less physical than a Christmas Day hug between my two grandmothers.
  
• The ensuing power play results in a 2-0 lead for the Leafs. Kronwall failed to clear the net-front area and a pinball shot led to a rebound and then a goal. Kronner is also not having one of his better games.
• 16 minutes into this period: absolutely nothing is happening. Nobody taking it to the net, centering passes finding nobody and an overall lack of intensity put the Wings behind.
• Wings score, 2-1 Leafs. Homer -- in front of the net -- takes a blind wack at a lose puck with his back to Toskala and it finds it's way in.
  

THIRD PERIOD

• Dan Cleary give-away: 3-1 Leafs. This is a crap game to this point.
  
• If you're not too tired of TBS still promoting the shit out of Frank TV, flip on over to Versus and watch them shove Sports Soup down your throat.
• Homer with another garbage goal, 3-2 Leafs. Homer has worked harder than anybody else to this point.
• Continuous turnovers, icing the puck late in the 3rd not a good sign of how things are going.
• Kudos Ron Wilson. Neutral zone was clogged as hell, guys still putting forth more effort than the Wings.
  
• Sammy had a golden oppotunity with about 2:30 left but couldn't lift the puck over Toskala's left pad. If he gets it up at all, it's in. (That's what she s ... okay I'm not going there.)
• Hossa doesn't always look like he's in top gear, but his hands always are. He can be stand still and make something out of pretty much nothing.
• Wings got a PP with about 30 seconds to go ... Hossa walked down the middle waiting for a centering feed, but with his lefty shot he was tied up and got nothing out of it. Wings lose, 3-2.
  

Final thoughts

• This did not look like a typical Red Wings game at all. The passing was terribly subpar compared to what we know they can do.
  
• Holy shit, Brian Engblom got a haircut.
  
• Giveaways: Wings 19 (!!!), Leafs 5. What in the hell.
• Credit the Leafs and Ron Wilson for having his boys ready to go. They played a great defensive game and looked much more prepared than the Wings did.
  
• Also credit the Leaf fans, who seemed to make up like half the fucking arena tonight.
• Where was Jiri Hudler? Did he get off the bus for this one?
• Dan Cleary had a good game and led the way with 5 shots on goal but his turnover proved to be the difference.