Zetterberg beats Penguins, Howard beats the hell out of Crosby

On By mpetrella
BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH

FINAL SCORE (Hi Dad!)
Red Wings 3-1.
H2H DONATIONS TALLY
Sara S. :: $87/Crosby scoreless
Mike S. :: $49 :: $19/win + $5/goal + $5/Lady Gaga song + $10/PUMPIN DA MEGAMIX! 
Nitz :: $45 :: $=GW(Z) + $5/win
Mauvais :: $35 :: $5/Lady Gaga song + $30/Because she’s awesome
Brad B. :: $32 :: $2/goal + $13/Datsyuk takeaway
Vicky B. :: $26/win
SigSeg :: $26 :: $2/goal + $10/place in the standings (from 10th)
Blair :: $25/win
Jenn :: $22 :: $4/goal + $10/Crosby scoreless
Sara N. :: $20.56 :: $2/goal + $2/EuroTwin goal + 5.28/Crosby scoreless + $5.28/Crosby goalless.
Rob M. :: $14 :: $2/goal + $2/ +/- over 11 goals (8)
Baroque :: $10/Lidstrom point
Andy :: $9/win
Andrea H. :: $7 :: $2/goal + $1/Verizon commercial
Dena :: $6 :: $2/goal
Natalie :: $6 :: $2/goal
Drew :: $6 :: $2/goal
CaptNorris :: $5/win
Ben :: $5/win
Allison :: $4 :: $2/Flying Circus goal
Jeff :: $1/Bertuzzi fall
The Production Line :: $6 :: $2/goal
TPL Dad’s 10% :: $44.66
TOTAL PLEDGED VS. PITTSBURGH :: $446.56
TOTAL RAISED AFTER ELEVEN GAMES ::  $2551.08

TPL’S TAKE
Holy shitballs, what a goddamn hockey game, peoples! I hope your eyes were open, because that was sicknasty. And yeah, I’m going to go ahead and take full credit for that unbelievable game by Henrik Zetterberg by merely suggesting he was going to build off of that emotional winner the game before. Okay, maybe he gets a tiny bit of credit. But it’s like 98% Petrella, 1% Zetterberg, 1% Emma Andersson’s magnificent gams. Anyone know the literal Swedish translation for “GOTTTTDAAAYYUUMNNN”?
I tell ya what. We all like to make fun of Marc-Andre Fleury (and for good reason, look at this damn goob), but he is one hell of a goaltender. You’d think it’s odd to start with him, considering he allowed three goals in a loss. But, he’s no joke back there. There was a moment early in the first that Nick Lidstrom appeared to have a wide open net. I jumped off the couch thoroughly convinced it was telegraphed for the back of the net. A few seconds later, he had the save of the night on Flip. There’s only one reason that didn’t make the game 1-0, and it has three initials. 
Flip made up for it by snapping an absolutely nasty shot through the legs of Sergei Gonchar. That shot was filthy. That’s all there is to that. The entire period, it looked like Flip was going to make something happen — and good on him.
For as much as we rag on him around here, I have a compliment that needs to be paid to Brian Rafalski. He is one of the best (if not the best) in the business at keeping the puck in the zone at the blueline. The things he does — at the boards, in the middle of the ice, and everywhere in between is unmatched. Pay attention next time…
Is it me or does the power play look absolutely lethal again?
***NO BULLSHIT ZONE*** For the next twenty seconds, I’m going to be completely serious. No one will believe it, but for real — I mean every word. So pay attention, everyone-who-gives-me-shit-for-Bertuzzi-bashing: Todd Bertuzzi played a hell of a hockey game tonight. I’m man enough to admit when he has a good game, it’d be really swell if you can own up to when he has a shitty game (ya know, like 65 of the other ones). He made great defensive plays, he stayed on his feet all night, he went to the net hard, he stuck up for his teammates, he took smart shots, he set up plays. That was a hell of a hockey game for Shetuzz’. 
(Back to bullshit)
So, let’s talk officiating. I feel like they let a lot of Wings stuff go (and I’m sure Penguins stuff, too). As in, there probably could have been a handful of calls made that weren’t. I felt like the refs wanted to let them play, for the most part, settling for 4-on-4 situations twice when it really would have been easy to call just one. Good on the stripes for letting them go…
Has Derek Meech leapfrogged Brett Lebda on the depth chart? Or is it just that Meech is better at adapting to playing forward?
And now it’s time for the main event: James. Tiberius. Howard. The Fourth. I have no idea if he’s actually a fourth. I doubt it. But why not? I am in love with him. Not just hockey fan love anymore. Did you see him get all up in Sidney Crosby’s grill? Oh lordy, my jeans got a tiny bit tight. In the sixty minutes before that, he was especially composed – still had trouble with the rebounds, but he did look otherwise confident and focused. That man is in the zone. What a stud. Look what already has 1,600+ fans: This Facebook Page.
This was the last game for pledges — but, all joking aside, we had the best time keeping track of all your hilarious, creative, and generous pledges. 
RE-VISITING THE PRE-GAME QUICK THOUGHTS
1. These two points are going to go a long way. Even in games played with Calgary, and four points up. That’s the best cushion they’ve had all season. 
2. Howard needed a strong game against that offense (though they were missing Malkin), and he delivered a playoff performance. Any doubters left?
3. I figured Nicklas Lidstrom would play one of those STFU&GTFO Crosby games, and that he did. 
4. Zetterberg! King of the universe!
5. Helm looked like no one told him this wasn’t the Final. He was skating — and I don’t think this is an exaggeration — mach seven, hitting douchebags, stealing pucks, making things happen. I am also in love with Darren Helm.
WHAT’S NEXT?
St. Louis on Wednesday