May 6 :: If I Should Lose You

On By chollis
Professor Billy Ocean Still Has Faith...Now Get Out of His Dreams

WHAT’S ALL THIS THEN?!
Game 4. Win or go home. Which is only a short car drive away for the Red Wings, but it’s still home. Personally, I’ve set up shop in the California Bay Area in order to inflict the maximum amount of pain and suffering on myself should the season wrap up tonight.

THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS
7:00pm Eastern :: SAN JOSE vs. DETROIT, GAME 4

WATCH IT
Versus/TSN/RIS

EXPECTED LINEUP
By special request, the TPL Glossary is ready to jailsex your eyes.
Franzen — Datsyuk — Holmstrom
Cleary — Zetterberg — Bertuzzi
Abdelkader — Filppula — Hudler
Draper — Helm — Eaves

Lidstrom — Stuart
Ericsson — Rafalski
Salei — Kronwall

Howard
MacDonald

SCRATCHES
Chris Osgood [groin]
Mike Modano [healthy]
Jakub Kindl [healthy]
Drew Miller [healthy]
ACES: Jordan Pearce, Doug Janik, Brian Lashoff, Derek Meech, Brendan Smith, Cory Emmerton, Ilari Filppula, Jan Mursak, Tomas Tatar

The TPL Name Game ”Three Stars”
Disch: Willa “Ah She Said I Was a Tiger She Wanted to Tame” Ford
Petrella: Jonathan “Get It While You Can, Your Non-Stop Miracle” Ericsson
Hollis: Jiri “Touch My Bumper” Hudler

*Now it’s up to you! Think up your best names and throw them in the comments — the best one will be shared for all to enjoy on the TPL Facebook Page. The best of the best will be pitted against one another at season’s end, and the winner takes home a TPL Shirt of their choice.*

TIDBITS
:: No lineup changes tonight, which means both Mike Modano and Chris Osgood could watch their NHL careers come to an end from the Leino Lounge. It seems more likely that Modano will hang it up and Osgood will give it another go, but if this is truly the end of a hockey career for Mikey Mo, it sure leaves a bitter taste in the mouth seeing him finish it from the box and not on the ice.
:: The Wings are saying they won’t change the gameplan from Game 3, which is all fine and good as long as they don’t go into the equivalent of a football “prevent” defense if they get a lead. At this point, it’s time to let it all hang out and take a few more chances. There’s no room for complacency.
:: A number of you have pointed out to me the fact that I “called” Jonathan Ericsson’s involvement in the GWG on Wednesday night. Not even my most fervent apologies can make up for the fact that his suckitude makes him the obvious choice for any potential screw up. I was just playing the odds.
:: While we know Modano and Osgood are both facing the end of their respective careers, here’s a few more guys who are free agents at the end of the season and may be playing their last game in the Winged Wheel: Kris Draper, Patrick Eaves, Drew Miller, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ruslan Salei, Jonathan Ericsson (PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE) and Joey MacDonald.

WHAT WE LEARNED IN GAME 3
:: It comes after Game 2 and before Game 4. Also, it sucks watching the same thing happen two years in a row on the exact same day.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN GAME 4
:: Take your pick. A win to send the fans at the Joe home happy one more time? A win to start a four game winning streak? Another heartbreaking loss driving the stake right through the hearts of Red Wings fans everywhere? It could all happen. Personally, I just want to see 60 minutes of complete effort, and let the chips fall where they may.