Red Wings Game Four Collapse Inexcusable
By Tony Fischer
There is no two ways about it. The Detroit Red Wings blew game four at the Joe. In a game where they looked dominant for 56 minutes to blow a two goal lead and eventually lose in overtime is inexcusable.
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Now instead of being up 3-1 in the series, the Wings gave up home ice advantage and all the momentum heading to Tampa Bay to start what is now a best of three series. It just illustrates how important it is to play a full sixty minutes no matter how big the lead.
If post game comments by Captain Henrik Zetterberg were any indication, the Wings are not letting this loss derail their optimism. Opting to look ahead rather than dwell on the collapse at the end of game four.
Babcock talked to Wings after game, told them "if you think you can, you can." Obvious bedtime reading is The Little Engine that could.
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) April 24, 2015
Positive thinking is all fine and good but the Wings may have lost their best chance to win the series and in a way that was very un-wing-like.
With just over four minutes left in regulation it looked as if the Red Wings fell asleep. The sudden lapses in concentration that have plagued the Wings in the second half of the season struck again and Tampa took advantage. The pressure that had been present the entire game seemed to immediately dissipate leading to defensive breakdowns and impossible to stop scoring opportunities for the Lightning.
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The fault for this loss lies at the feet of Mike Babcock and Captain Henrik Zetterberg. They have (just as we all have) seen this type of mental meltdown from their team before. Whether that can be attributed to youthful inexperience or lazy play is irrelevant. Babcock and Zetterberg’s inability to right the ship after Tampa’s first goal late in the third was startling and falls far short of the expectations set by a track record of great leadership.
Thursday night’s game four loss makes Saturday’s game five a must win for a Red Wings. With Tampa Bay’s track record at home this season it would be too much for the Wings to stave off elimination in game six if the Lightning win on Saturday. It will be up to Babcock and Zetterberg to show the team’s young core of players how to win with thier backs against the wall.