If you missed last night's game, we'll kick things off with the game in six:
Simply put, the Leafs had no answer for Zetterberg's passing. Detroit was able to gain the zone easily, and then they were able to pass through the slot easily - it lead to, well, some easy goals. Stuart Percy and his Pol and Chain struggled in part because Carlyle gave them the highest share of defensive zone starts out of any pairing, but also because of the Wings' speed and forecheck (well, and also because Polak lost an edge which directly led to a goal). I also think it's interesting that Lupul-Kadri-Winnik was the Leafs' go-to defensive line, since Carlyle usually turns to his top or third line. I don't think the Phaneuf-Franson pairing looked strong, and continue to bang the drum on "Keep Phaneuf on the right side" - I think Gardiner and Phaneuf / Rielly and Franson might have fared a little better. The long term bad news out of this game: Kozun left with a leg injury, and it looked pretty ugly.
Anyways, the Leafs get a chance to make up for the loss tonight, as they travel to Detroit for the second half of this home-and-home. Until puck drop, catch up on some links:
Make your non-hockey friends take the Phil Kessel Test
Everyone wins in this game.
Milan Lucic fined $5K for obscene gesture
Pleasuring yourself in the penalty box is worth $2500 more than a stuck glove.
The Edmonton Oilers can't possibly be this bad, can they?
Probably not, but don't let that stop them from making any hilarious panic moves! (They fell to 0-5 last night.)
