Predators @ Wings - Nashville just took another penalty

Red Wings 6-2 Predators
**********

Drapes got a nice video tribute before the game started in commemoration of his recent 1000th NHL game. Then he got a gift from the Ilitch's, some flowers, an award thing, and an overcoat filled with gold jewelry that was abandoned in a Greektown alley.

This game was more of a practice than it was a legit contest. The Preds gave the Wings every chance imaginable to get their power play clicking, and the Wings took full advantage.


1st Period

• 20:00 ... The Wings are going with the road whites once again. If they play anything like the last time they did this, I might take out the recording of this game and strangle myself with the tape.
  

• 16:50 ... Wings get the first power play of the game, and now we'll see how the solid Nashville penalty kill will hold. Through the first couple of shifts of the Mule's return, the Franzen-Filppula-Hossa line looks like it has some jump.

• Goal -- Jiri Hudler, 20th of the season. Mule is right in front of the action taking up space, as well as the attention of two Predators. Jiri finishes it up with a nice backhander. Red Wings 1-0 Predators.
  

• 13:41 ... Conk makes his first significant stop of the night, denying Red Wing-pain-in-the-ass Steve Sullivan.

• 13:00 ... YES ... Kronner steps into Tootoo. Very encouraging. Also of note: Red Wing passes are coming fast and furious. Quick decisions and quicker puck movement is making this game look good early.
  

• 11:34 ... How it's supposed to happen: You're playing an inferior team at home, so you get the big jump on them instead of waiting 'til midway through the 3rd period. On the power play, Hank scores a layup. Red Wings 2-0 Nashville.

• 9:19 ...

Larry Murphy -- "Kris, you guys have a 2-0 lead, what do you attribute that to?"

Draper -- "Uhhh ............................................................ a good start."

• I think that proves that Drapes doesn't even think about offense when he's watching from the bench, let alone skating. When the puck gets moved up ice, I picture that his head stops panning with the play right at the red line. Then he stares longingly at the Wings' end of the ice, hoping desperately that they get called for a penalty so he can take a defensive zone faceoff.
  

• 4:04 ... Draper involved in more action: He hip checks Tootoo and then gets a stare down from the little shit. Frankly I think Drapes should've done the league a favor and exposed his skate blade to Tootoo's midsection.
  

• 2:34 ... Kronwall looks incredibly sharp with the puck so far. He just picked up a puck behind the net and whipped it out of the zone to start the rush while barely even looking up ice. That looks like a lot of confidence to me.
  

• 0:06 ... Steve. Fucking. Sullivan. He gets his first goal in like 6 years, naturally, against the Wings. Red Wings 2-1 Predators.

2nd Period

• 15:47 ... Datsyuk, Hossa and Zetterberg all creating havoc in the Nashville zone on the same shift. I just wet my pants.

• 14:04 ... Babcock might not be pleased with what he's seen in the first five minutes of the period. We've seen the Gauntlet Line of Pav/Hank/Hossa and now Hank paired with Hossa for a quick shift.
  

• 13:35 ... Oh for fuck's sake. Conk puts his stick in one of the dreaded corners and gets delay of game. One of the stupidest fucking rules in the history of sports. If I had a Mount Rushmore of evil, I'd have Hitler, Jason Grilli, Claude Lemieux and a carving of a trapezoid.
  

• 10:30 ... Ken Daniels remarks how Leino is wearing Danny Grant's #21. What -- no mention of Boyd Devereaux?

• 9:59 ... Nick Norris with a net-seaking missle: Red Wings 3-1 Predators. What a cannon.

• 7:15 ... This is a joke. Steve Sullivan ... Red Wings 3-2 Predators. Good line change guys. Nice one. Hey, wasn't that one of Todd's duty's as assistant coach last year? Ridiculous.

• 3:50 ... Franzen hears the Hossa talk and is playing possessed. Power play goal, Red Wings 4-2 Predators.
  

3rd Period

• 18:53 ... Pavel Datsyuk is absolutely unreal. Lidstrom is unreal. The Wings power play (4 goals tonight) is pure fiction. What a pass, perfect shot. Red Wings 5-2 Predators.

• 13:25 ... Hoss gets the crowd in a lather with some fancy stickhandling. It looks like he plays with an 8 foot stick at times.
  

• 9:51 ... Nashville turns goon. Hudler, on his knees facing the boards, gets his face smashed. Then he has some words with Sullivan, Mule comes to defend him, and -- no, I'm not seeing this right. It looks like Hossa's in a fight. Marian Hossa. Surely this is a hologram or something. I'm starting to see shit that isn't there, so let's move on.

• 4:22 ... Johan Franzen scores again. The Wings power play scores again. I like hockey. Red Wings 6-2 Predators.

Final

• I'm not positive, but I think that the Wings have won all 10 or so games that I've recorded and subsequently live-blogged. I don't remember them losing one that I've watched on tape.
  

• In all seriousness Hossa's fight was pretty rad. I don't even care that he "lost" it; he got a couple good shots in and showed some stones in front of his teammates.
  

• I'd have to nitpick to complain about anything in this game. So I won't. Good night.