Round2 Game 4 Preview- Anaheim Vs. Detroit

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - It is rare for the Detroit Red Wings to lose three straight in the postseason, but when it happens it is usually at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks took their first lead over the Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night with a 2-1 victory in Game 3. Anaheim could take control against the defending Stanley Cup champions on Thursday night if they win again on home ice. That would give the Ducks a 3-1 edge before the series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5.

Detroit hasn't lost three straight playoff games since 2007 when the Ducks did it to them in the conference finals en route to their Cup championship. Anaheim also swept Detroit in a first-round series in 2003.

A slow start on Thursday could put the second-seeded Red Wings into a deep hole against surging Anaheim. The Ducks are gaining confidence daily as they build off their first-round elimination of the Presidents' Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks.

Capitals/Penguins Playoff Gear "We have stay out of the penalty box early on against them and we have to get our legs going early in the game," Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "They've had some power plays early on that have given them some momentum, whether they score or not."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock would also like to see more early spark from his team. Detroit is trying to become the first NHL team to repeat as Cup champion since the Red Wings did it in 1998.

"We have to get started on time," he said. "The last two games, if I'm not mistaken, we had a power play right at the start of the game, both power plays I thought we were uneasy."

Detroit has outshot the Ducks 80-34 in the third period and overtime, but the Red Wings have scored only twice against stingy goalie Jonas Hiller during that time.

"We did lots of good stuff, we just have to keep going and keep grinding," said Detroit forward Marian Hossa, whose potential tying goal with 1:09 left Tuesday was waved off because the referee lost sight of the puck. "There are lots of loose pucks and rebounds. We just have to keep after them. Sooner or later a rebound will come to us and we'll put it in."

While Babcock indicated the Red Wings will not make any lineup changes for Game 4, the Ducks could be without James Wisniewski. The defenseman was hospitalized Tuesday night because of a bruised lung. Wisniewski was struck in the chest by Pavel Datsyuk's slap shot during the second period and was taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Wisniewski has meshed with the Ducks' veteran defensemen since being acquired from Chicago in a March 4 trade.

"He stepped in and played an important role for the team since he got here," said Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer, who will likely increase his already heavy workload if Wisniewski sits out. "He was a guy who was out killing penalties and on the power play. He plays in all situations."

Anaheim could look to add to the lineup a young defenseman such as Brendan Mikkelson, Brett Festerling or Brian Salcido. Veteran Bret Hedican remains sidelined with a back injury.

"We'll have to make adjustments and find a way to get it done," Niedermayer said.

The Ducks were also angered by Tomas Holmstrom's elbow to Wisniewski's head just seconds after Wisniewski was hurt by Datsyuk's shot.

"What would you think if you were doubled over and gasping for air and someone gives you an elbow in the side of the head. How would you feel," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said.

Niedermayer was careful not to unload his feelings about the hit.

"I have a couple answers, but I'll stick with a boring one," he said. "Everyone is definitely responsible for what they are doing out there. You make decisions about how you are going to act and carry yourself. I haven't seen what happened, but if that is what happened, you be the judge."

Holmstrom denied intentionally nailing Wisniewski with his elbow.

"I had no idea I hit him," Holmstrom said. "I didn't see him, I had no idea he was behind me."

Babcock also downplayed the hit.

"From my perspective when I'm watching this series, come on, it's like a rodeo after every whistle," he said. "Every whistle could be a penalty. I don't know how one play would be anything."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2008030234

This game is game on or game over for the Wings. They need to play a full 60 minute of hockey and crash the net hard. Whoever wins this game tonight, will win the series. Some good news tho for Wings fans, Brad Watson is not in the line up for the Ducks tonight ;)

LET'S GO RED WINGS!!!

Round 1 Game 4 Highlights; Detroit vs. Columbus

Detroit sweeps Columbus with a 6-5 win. LET'S GO RED WINGS!!!

Round 1 Game 4 Preview- Detroit Vs. Columbus

Many people are yelling to get the brooms out but I will not get mine out until I know this game is in the bag for Detroit. You never know which way a game is going to go. Columbus could have finally lit a fire under their butts and decided to play better hockey that is called playoff hockey.

Detroit once again needs to come out and dominate in the first 10-15 minutes and score. They need to dominate all 3 periods. They can't sit back a little during the third period like they did the last game. They must come out and dominate the entire game.

Draper has not been cleared to play yet. He'll probably be back in round 2. Cleary didn't practice yesterday but Babcock and Cleary both said he'll play in game 4.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Down 3-0 and nearing extinction in their first-round series with the powerful Detroit Red Wings, the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to keep their heads up.

Too bad R.J. Umberger didn't do that in Game 3.

Umberger was carrying the puck down through open ice when he glanced at the puck for an instant. Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart closed fast and lowered the boom on the Blue Jackets forward. Umberger looked like a cartoon character with his eyes rolling around in his head for a short time, but later returned and scored his second goal of series - the Blue Jackets' only goals so far.

Umberger tried to look at the upside of that jarring hit.

"I had a kink in my neck for the last two months. It's gone now," he cracked Wednesday. "So I'm actually pretty happy. I should send him a thank-you note. ... It was better than a chiropractor can do."

For his part, Stuart was happy to oblige.

"Anytime, anytime. Glad to help," Stuart said with a grin. "I don't charge anything. Pro bono."

That one play spoke volumes about the entire series. The Blue Jackets, making their first trip to the playoffs in the franchise's eight years, have skated hard and been focused. But the wily veteran Red Wings have repeatedly beaten them down.

The Blue Jackets are in desperate straits.

"We're playing for our lives now," defenseman Kris Russell said.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings have won by a combined score of 12-2. The defensemen have been superlative. Cycling the puck on offense has been raised to an art form. Chris Osgood has stopped 76 of the 78 shots he's faced.

Many of the Blue Jackets have bemoaned their giveaways and missed scoring chances, adding that the Red Wings are approaching perfection.

Not even close, Detroit coach Mike Babcock said.

"We're a long way from error-free," he said. "It's not a perfect game. It's not supposed to be like that."

The Wings don't strive for perfection. As a result, they don't play with hesitancy, nor are they afraid to take chances.

"It's a game of mistakes and what we try to do and our philosophy and our program is to not be careful - Put your foot on the gas, go as hard as you can go, we'll fix it later or tomorrow," Babcock said. "But let's make mistakes on the aggressive side, not the passive side."

The Wings have no plans to alter that high-risk, high-reward attack in what could be the series-clinching game, set for Thursday night at Nationwide Arena.

"It's one of the toughest things to close a series," winger Marian Hossa said. "Obviously, no one wants to be swept. They're going to be ready for us and we have to make sure that we come out strong like we have."

The Red Wings had played indifferently down the stretch, long after they were assured of a playoff spot. But once the puck dropped in the postseason, they've been a different team.

"We had been looking forward to it for quite a while. So to do it and to be having fun doing it is a big thing for us," Osgood said. "But each game is a different moment. Game 4 will be completely different. We have to make sure we go out there and play solid hockey and play smart and make sure we're ready for the full game because we expect their best. We're expecting the best of ourselves as well."

The Blue Jackets have played well at the outset in all three games, but have not been able to keep up. On top of that, they've not been able to find the net - blame that on Osgood, Detroit's stout defense or Columbus' inefficiency and inaccuracy with the puck.

Unlike Stuart, they've even missed the Red Wings on checks.

In Game 3, defenseman Mike Commodore swooped in on Detroit's Daniel Cleary on the short boards. The largest crowd ever to see a hockey game in Columbus tensed for the thunderous hit. Except Cleary slipped past Commodore, who sprawled over the wall and under the Red Wings bench.

"He about got Babcock yesterday, so that would have been a good thing," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock joked. "He just missed him."

http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2008030164