Detroit Red Wings Keys To Game One
By Joe Chapp
The Detroit Red Wings are in the playoff for the 24th consecutive year, even among being a perennial playoff team no expert picked them on NHL.COM or ESPN.COM.
Detroit can win this series, and I bet no one would be “Shocked” to see Detroit solve Tampa Bay however they need to play the Red Wings hockey they played earlier this season.
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Petr Mrazek, Is he ready?
I have often clamored, Mrazek isn’t ready he has trouble closing on angles and sometimes he’s over aggressive.
However, I have learned not to doubt Babcock on his decisions.
Petr Mrazek is a better goalie than Ben Bishop on 5 on 5 according to analytics, Mrazek is ranked the 17th goalie in save percentage when 5 on 5.
Ben Bishop, ranks 37th behind Jimmy Howard who’s 36th.
Of course, it’s a small sample size however even still Petr Mrazek was the only goalie to shutout the Lighting all season.
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Petr Mrazek is up to the challenge one of the things that’s in his scouting report is, the bigger the game the bigger Petr Mrazek plays in the World Juniors he had a 60 save performance and he won a Calder Cup with Grand Rapids.
Playoff Numbers in American Hockey League
Goals Against: 2.31
Save Percentage: .916
Who Needs To Step Up?
Petr Mrazek – You expect me to say Mrazek right? If you guessed yes, you’re correct. Petr Mrazek has to be the best player on the ice. Could I see him struggling and Jimmy Howard comes in and saves the day like in 2008? I can, but I don’t think any Wings fan wants to see that scenario.
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Gustav Nyquist – Nyquist is going to go against the top guns for Tampa, and he needs to bring it. Nyquist could have his breakout playoff moment, but he needs to be defensively and offensively responsible.
Especially against an offensive juggernaut like Tampa Bay.
Ben Bishop Scouting Report:
Ben Bishop is an outstanding goalie, he’s massive however he’s not unbeatable.
Ben Bishop struggles most with shots up near his shoulders, often times he drops down quick and leaves the upper-half of the net open, which gives teams opportunities to score.
Bishop is 6’7″ and the way the Wings went at him in the first couple meetings they did everything wrong, they shot at Bishop’s body and Bishop has been flawless against Detroit that was until their last meeting where he allowed four goals.
How do you stop the Lighting?
To stop the Lighting, it’s simple you can’t give them open ice luckily Detroit has great defensive forwards like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and has much as Tampa is known to have “depth” Detroit has depth.
This series will be decided on who wins the little things. Puck possession, one on one battles and who’s more defensively sound.
That’s what will determine the winner of this series.
Who Has The Edge?
Offense: Tampa Bay –
Tampa Bay was the #1 team offensively in the NHL this year, they can score in bunches. Detroit must play defensively sound or Tampa can make this series ugly.
Defense: Detroit –
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Really it’s about even, Detroit and Tampa Bay however Tampa Bay has a few players on their defense that are questionable for the series (Sustr and Coubrn) are questionable and Jason Garrison might not even play.
Detroit finally has the right-handed shots they so badly wanted, Ken Holland acquired Marek Zidlicky at the deadline and brought up Alexei Marchenko.
I truly believe Marchenko is going to be the best defenseman in this series, and with the rising star in Danny DeKeyser the Wings have the talent to stack up.
Goaltending: Tampa Bay –
Detroit has been a mess in net, and most don’t know what Mrazek can do in the NHL playoffs never the less both goalies are vastly inexperienced in the NHL Playoffs.
Special Teams: Detroit –
Detroit has the second ranked power play and 17th ranked Penalty kill, Tampa Bay is better on the PK however not as good on the Power Play. There’s no doubt, Power play is huge in the NHL playoffs because often it gives teams the advantage you need in a close game.