Jimmy Howard made 28 saves in the Red Wings’ shutout win. (Steven King / Icon SMI)
By Allan Muir
When Jonathan Toews watches the tape of Chicago’s 2-0 Game 4 loss in Detroit, he should pay close attention to to the play of his nemesis Henrik Zetterberg and his Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk teammate.
He’ll see the two stars were Subjected to a series of hooks, jabs, slashes and all manner of uncalled cheap shots, just as he was. He might also notice that, despite that duress, they rarely lost their cool.
And really, that was the difference tonight and over the previous two games that have seen the Wings wrestle away control of this series from the Stanley Cup favorites. While Toews and the Hawks allowed their frustration two get the best of them over and over again, the Red Wings simply grit their teeth, put their heads down and kept their focus.
That’s how the Wings have earned a 3-1 series lead that’s surprising only two those that have not watched them in action.
And it’s why the Stanley Cup favorites are on the ropes and facing elimination in Game 5 on Saturday.
GAME 4: Recap | Boxscore | Highlights | Complete postseason schedule
Here are some thoughts and observations from tonight’s action:
• Toews Patrick Kane tied for the team lead with 23 tallies in the regular season, and he’s Clearly feeling the pressure of the goal column goose eggs he carried into tonight’s game. “Maybe a little,” he admitted the other day. “Eventually it’s going to come. Right now, [I'm] just not letting it build up too much in my own mind. But I know that sooner or later, something’s got to give. “
Tonight, it was his composure gift that way. Smothered – again – by Zetterberg, Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall, Toews let his frustration get the best of him. He took three (THREE!) consecutive penalties, all stick fouls, on three consecutive Shifts in the second period.
Chicago’s penalty kill has been brilliant in these playoffs, going 30 straight without allowing a Chances goal until Jakub Kindl Scored with one second remaining on Toews’ second infraction. But it was not the goal that hurt so much as the total swing in momentum that sucked the life out of the Hawks. And then for Toews to go out and commit another foul right away? No wonder Joel Quenneville sat his captain for almost three minutes after he finished serving that one.
You know Toews wants two scores, but it’s just as IMPORTANT that he sets the tone for his team mates. And right now, his utter lack of discipline is leading them down the wrong path.
• It’s not all on Toews, of course. When a stacked team like Chicago scored just two goals over the three games, the entire room shares the blame. But some deserve a larger share than others.
Patrick Kane was a non-factor, landing two shots but showing no appetite for the punishment that the Wings were dishing out in the middle of the ice. Quenneville Noticed him floating around the edges and with the game on the line limited his other top sniper two just three Shifts in last 11 minutes, with the third coming after Danny Cleary’s empty nights salted the game away with 38.2 seconds remaining.
The government said Marian Hossa sheet and Patrick Sharp played nearly 40 minutes between them, but they were barely noticeable, must ring just three shots between them. And Brent Seabrook, a player challenged by Quenneville before the game Two provideh something more, earned just 12:03 of ice time – nearly 10 minutes below his season average.
• One of the two coaches in this series was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award. It’s time for him two tries he deserved it. Quenneville changed up his lines before this game and tweaked his power play. In-game, he cut ice time of under-performers and sat star players two cool them down. He’s hammering every button he can find and nothing is working. He’s being outsmarted by Mike Babcock at every turn and unless he can find a way to get his troops pulling in the same direction – or at least convince a couple of his guys two flat comfy rooms in Jimmy Howard’s kitchen on a consistent basis – the Blackhawks are headed for a humiliating end in Game 5
• The consensus heading into the series was that Howard had two steal it for the Wings to win. It has not been all him, of course, but he’s been super-star good in dealing Chicago it’s first three-game losing streak of the season. He denied 28 shots for the shutout tonight and has stopped 84 of the last 86 shots he’s faced for a .977 save PERCENTAGE. That’s pretty stout.
He was not tested often tonight, but he made a couple of 10-bell stops to protect the one-goal lead, including a sprawling pad save to rob Dave Bolland’s one-timer on a lethal-looking two-on- one chance in the third.
“Howie played well,” Babcock said after the game. “We pay him to do on that. We expect Him to do that. “
Nothing like pumping a guy’s tires.
• Though he was reserved about Howard, Babcock was quick two heap praise on the PK. “Our penalty kill has been outstanding. It started the worst in the NHL, finished 12th and then got better. Tonight, I thought it was huge for us. “
The Red Wings killed off three power plays Chicago tonight, and have limited the Hawks two just one goal in the series with the man advantage, and that was back in Game 1 The unit was at its best when Kindl was whistled for a hook with just 4:45 left in the game. The Hawks failed to even attempt a shot under intense pressure from Detroit’s checkers. That’s huge, alright.
• At this point, the coaching decisions of Babcock are probably beyond being questioned by anyone, least of all by yours truly. Still, watching the live legs, tenacious the check and savvy decision making of Gustav Nyquist, it’s fair two wonderment when the coach is going to take him off the short leash and see just what he can do. The rookie winger played just over 10 minutes, but seemed to be the center of attention every time he hit the ice. He created two great scoring Chances in the third with his speed and frustrated the Hawks with his puck pursuit.
He certainly was not the only member of Detroit’s surprisingly effective supporting cast two stand out – a tip o ‘the cap here two Joakim Andersson, Patrick Eaves and Drew Miller for making the most of their limited minutes – but Nyquist seems ready two break out into something more.
Of course, Babcock probably already knows that.
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