First Round Recap: Calgary vs Detroit

Calgary Flames (8) vs Detroit Red Wings (1): Detroit won series 4-2.

Aw, this one hurt.

I've missed on two first-round calls. I picked Pittsburgh over Ottawa, but that was really wishful thinking on my part. I pretty much said the Sens would win, but I picked the Penguins because, well, I like the Penguins. I'm not going to pick against my favorite team. Objectivity is for suckers.

So I'm sure many of you felt I picked against Detroit simply because I hate the Red Wings. But that's not true. I honestly thought they'd lose. I thought it was a lock. I figured the Flames would wear them down over the course of a seven-game series. Game Five was the key. I saw Calgary losing the first two in Detroit, winning the next two at home, and then stealing Game Five before closing it out in Alberta. Didn't happen.

Detroit thoroughly dominated Game Five, whipping Calgary 5-1 and sparking a slew of late- game lunacy that earned the Flames more fines than Howard Stern. But that's playoff hockey. Calgary was trying to set a tone, send a message. It's all part of the game. The way Jamie McLennan went about it, slashing Johan Franzen in the gut, was deplorable, but when washed- up, no-talent goons are allowed to two-hand people in the face and still have a job next season, why would a washed-up, no-talent backup goaltender think twice about sticking somebody? It's still a garage league. But I digress.

Calgary's thug tactics at the end of Game Five were either going to break the Red Wings or make them stronger. Well, if Game Six was any indication, Detroit could open jars for the Incredible Hulk.

Miikka Kiprusoff is the only reason that game saw two overtimes. The Red Wings controlled the puck all night, outshooting the Flames 55-21. If the Wings were intimidated, they did a hell of a job hiding it. And it's only fitting Franzen bagged the winner. Not only was it sweet revenge for the McLennan slash, but he's easily Detroit's best playoff-style forward up front, the kind of gritty, gutty, win-at-all-costs foot soldier needed to win a championship.

If you missed the goal, Franzen cut into the high slot from the right wing and rifled a quick snap shot over Kiprusoff's glove. You could feel it coming. Kipper was starting to tire, spending a lot of the overtime periods on his knees. He'd go down and just stay there, scrambling to fight off shots as best he could. I've watched the replays a few times, and I still can't tell if the puck hit Mark Giordano's stick or not. I don't think it did, but if it didn't, Kiprusoff just flat butchered it, dropping way too soon. Either way, Kipper did his sweater proud. He did all he could.

Aw, and how about Calgary rookie David Moss? In the first overtime, Moss was alone at the top of the crease with a wide-open net staring him in the face. Dominik Hasek was down and out, lying on his back with only his left arm stretched across the blue paint. In trying to lift the puck over the Flopinator's arm, Moss flipped the biscuit over the crossbar, the Plexiglas, and a few low-flying planes. I mean, try it sometime, that's hard to do. Hasek said afterwards the shot hit him in the head. Either way, Moss should look to get a roommate, because I don't know how he can live with himself. But seriously, I hope this doesn't scar the kid for life. He was doin' his best. It happens. Keep your head up, Moss. It'll make for a hell of a story someday.

Anyway, congratulations to the Red Wings. They deserved to win. They earned it.

Turning Point: Calgary was horrible the first two games in Detroit, getting outscored 7-1 and outshot 97-35. They were an absolute embarrassment. If the Flames were going to win the series, they had to physically punish the Wings every shift of every game. The commitment to excellence simply wasn't there. They didn't want it. They weren't ready to compete. It's like working the body in boxing. You dig to the ribs in the first few rounds to set up the knockout down the road. Calgary never did the body work early. By the time El Scorcho turned up the heat in Game Three, it was too late. It was like Detroit only played a four-game series.

And let's not overlook the loss of Robyn Regehr in Game Two. There's no way in hell I would have picked the Flames to win if I knew Regehr wasn't going to play. He's that good.

Heroes: As always, it begins with Nicklas Lidstrom. Detroit's classy captain led the club in scoring with two goals and eight points, spending a lot the series going head-to-head against Jarome Iginla. Sure, Iginla abused him for the Game Four winner, but Lidstrom won more than he lost.

And it may go unnoticed, but Lidstrom made a remarkable play on Franzen's overtime goal. Lidstrom was standing along the left boards in the neutral zone and looking to move the puck so he could get a line change. Both clubs were changing, so even though Lidstrom spotted Franzen circling back through the middle, the ice was congested with bodies, disrupting all clear passing lanes.

Most defensemen would have either just ripped the puck up the wall or held it until an obvious option presented itself. But not Lidstrom. He calmly banked the puck off the far right boards, dropping it perfectly into open ice for the hard-charging Franzen, who picked it up in stride and entered the Calgary zone with speed. I don't know if there's another defenseman in the league that makes that play. It was just Lidstrom being Lidstrom.

It's weird, Henrik Zetterberg went pointless in five of the six contests, but he impresses me every time I see him play. He's special. Of course, had the Wings lost this series, and Zetterberg ended with just three points, it would be difficult to praise his two-way game. He needs to score.

Another guy whose hard work didn't show up on the scoresheet was Tomas Holmstrom. He was a menace in front of the Calgary net, making Kiprusoff's life miserable all series long. He only had one assist to show for it, but his presence can't be measured in stats. Ask Kiprusoff and the Calgary defense about Holmstrom. They know the score.

And, obviously, Miikka Kiprusoff was heroic in defeat. Detroit outshot Calgary 255-129 for the series, and Kipper still finished with a .929 save percentage. That's ridiculous. His teammates shouldn't let him pick up a tab the rest of his career.

Weasels: Any list of weasels must begin with Jamie McLennan. His slash on Franzen was inexcusable. And the only thing worse than a backup goaltender who thinks he's tough is a backup goaltender who thinks he's tough and swings his stick to prove it. He should have gotten 20 games. But what does it even matter? Kipper's backup could get suspended 50 games and not miss any playing time.

Jarome Iginla had to be better than two goals and two assists. He was invisible those first two games in Detroit. Captains can't be passengers. The performance all but handed Vincent Lacavalier the title of the second-best forward in the league behind Sidney Crosby.

Calgary also needed more from Kristian Huselius. Getting 34 goals and 77 points in the regular season doesn't mean a damn thing if you go for two assists and a minus-4 in six playoff games.

And as much as it pains me to say it, Dion Phaneuf didn't exactly deliver the goods. In 13 career playoff games, Phaneuf now has two goals, no assists, and a minus-12. I guess winning LCS Hockey's March Madness took a lot out of him.

Now that Detroit is into Round Two, everyone needs to root for Vancouver tonight. If the Canucks win, the Wings would get San Jose next. And there is no way, and I mean no way, Detroit beats San Jose. But, if Dallas beats Vancouver, the Wings would destroy the Stars, giving them an easy pass into the conference finals. C'mon, Vancouver!

But if the Sharks do meet the Wings, I'd be willing to make some sort of wacky bet with a Detroit fan out there. So feel free to email suggestions.

Oh, and (Sunshine) Detroit.

That is all.

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