Wings give one away to Bruins
I really can't stand Dominik Hasuck!
Wings give one away to Bruins
March 12, 2007
BY GEORGE SIPPLE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Whether it was due to daylight savings time, the early afternoon start or just not coming to the rink prepared to face a lesser team, the Red Wings played one of their most uninspired home games of the season on Sunday.
That resulted in a 6-3 loss at Joe Louis Arena to the Boston Bruins, guided by former Wings coach Dave Lewis.
"Maybe the worst game in our building this year," said Dominik Hasek, who made 19 saves in the loss for the Wings (43-17-9) .
The Wings had a 2-1 lead in the first period before the Bruins went on to score the game's next four goals.
"We've earned this," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "This has been coming for a bit. You can't on the back end continue to turn the puck over like we have."
The Wings had 14 giveaways -- three by Chris Chelios and two each by Andreas Lilja, Kirk Maltby and Niklas Kronwall.
"Tonight, let's be honest," Babcock said. "We were terrible at the start, then went to sleep."
The Wings fell behind on Marco Sturm's goal at 5:26 before getting goals by Jiri Hudler at 7:36 and Nicklas Lidstrom at 8:14 of the first.
"It's not like our forwards didn't have an opportunity," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "But we turned the puck over so often today that you just give them opportunities somehow."
The Bruins' comeback started after Hasek was penalized for playing the puck outside the trapezoid early in the second period. Sturm scored his second goal of the game on the power play at 5:43. Petr Tenkrat gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead when he scored unassisted off a turnover at 11:38.
The Bruins went up by three with third-period goals by Patrice Bergeron at 2:35 and Chuck Kobasew, on a power play, at 8:34.
"This has been coming," Babcock said. "This can't surprise anybody that's been watching us. This is how we've been playing. We haven't put in a 60-minute effort, whether it has been our preparation from the start or whether falling asleep during the game. Full marks to them. They found a way to win."
Chelios said the Wings were "a step behind everywhere.
"Lackluster effort all around," Chelios said. "We might have played seven decent minutes. Looked like a team fighting for the playoffs and looked like a team that was comfortable. That sums it up, I think. You can talk about bad bounces and deflections, but we weren't in that game."
Robert Lang's goal at 12:13 of the third cut the lead to 5-3, but Phil Kessel scored at 14:19 to end any thought of a comeback.
Goaltender Tim Thomas, a Flint native, made 35 saves for the Bruins (33-31-5).
Hasek said the blame could be dished out around the locker room, including himself.
"It wasn't a great team we played," Hasek said. "Very average team. And we easily lost that game. We have to blame each of ourselves, myself included. One very stupid penalty and goals I should make saves."
Because the Wings have had so much success at home -- they are now 25-4-5 at the Joe -- the loss was even more glaring.
"We weren't very good and we deserved what we got, said Babcock. "It's not just one day. It's been coming. So we better fix it."
Wings give one away to Bruins
March 12, 2007
BY GEORGE SIPPLE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Whether it was due to daylight savings time, the early afternoon start or just not coming to the rink prepared to face a lesser team, the Red Wings played one of their most uninspired home games of the season on Sunday.
That resulted in a 6-3 loss at Joe Louis Arena to the Boston Bruins, guided by former Wings coach Dave Lewis.
"Maybe the worst game in our building this year," said Dominik Hasek, who made 19 saves in the loss for the Wings (43-17-9) .
The Wings had a 2-1 lead in the first period before the Bruins went on to score the game's next four goals.
"We've earned this," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "This has been coming for a bit. You can't on the back end continue to turn the puck over like we have."
The Wings had 14 giveaways -- three by Chris Chelios and two each by Andreas Lilja, Kirk Maltby and Niklas Kronwall.
"Tonight, let's be honest," Babcock said. "We were terrible at the start, then went to sleep."
The Wings fell behind on Marco Sturm's goal at 5:26 before getting goals by Jiri Hudler at 7:36 and Nicklas Lidstrom at 8:14 of the first.
"It's not like our forwards didn't have an opportunity," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "But we turned the puck over so often today that you just give them opportunities somehow."
The Bruins' comeback started after Hasek was penalized for playing the puck outside the trapezoid early in the second period. Sturm scored his second goal of the game on the power play at 5:43. Petr Tenkrat gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead when he scored unassisted off a turnover at 11:38.
The Bruins went up by three with third-period goals by Patrice Bergeron at 2:35 and Chuck Kobasew, on a power play, at 8:34.
"This has been coming," Babcock said. "This can't surprise anybody that's been watching us. This is how we've been playing. We haven't put in a 60-minute effort, whether it has been our preparation from the start or whether falling asleep during the game. Full marks to them. They found a way to win."
Chelios said the Wings were "a step behind everywhere.
"Lackluster effort all around," Chelios said. "We might have played seven decent minutes. Looked like a team fighting for the playoffs and looked like a team that was comfortable. That sums it up, I think. You can talk about bad bounces and deflections, but we weren't in that game."
Robert Lang's goal at 12:13 of the third cut the lead to 5-3, but Phil Kessel scored at 14:19 to end any thought of a comeback.
Goaltender Tim Thomas, a Flint native, made 35 saves for the Bruins (33-31-5).
Hasek said the blame could be dished out around the locker room, including himself.
"It wasn't a great team we played," Hasek said. "Very average team. And we easily lost that game. We have to blame each of ourselves, myself included. One very stupid penalty and goals I should make saves."
Because the Wings have had so much success at home -- they are now 25-4-5 at the Joe -- the loss was even more glaring.
"We weren't very good and we deserved what we got, said Babcock. "It's not just one day. It's been coming. So we better fix it."