Islanders-Red Wings [game thread]

I meant to drop a note in the preview about him having a chance to make Detroit wish they had him as Plan C right now, but I’m lucky I can form complete sentences today.

This displeases the court.

Maltby went down against the boards and buckled his knee.

I will not shed a tear for Maltby, who is a Grade A tool and rivals Sean Avery for on-ice integrity. One of the joys of hearing Kelly Chase as a color man is to hear him rant and rave at what a dirty, gutless fake tough guy Maltby is — one who dishes freely (but sneakily) yet cowers when the prospect of receiving presents itself. When players complain about the instigator rule, they are thinking of guys like Kirk Maltby.

The youngsters in particular are rushing their decision-making. You hear about big, bad Detroit, and I suppose you feel anxious when you finally face them, so you don’t perform at the same confident, relaxed level you’re used to.

Right now it sort of looks like two different rec teams, where the great team with the rep has good players top to bottom, and the bad team has inexperienced, unsure guys throughout its lineup. Heh, so sort of like Red Wings vs. Islanders, ca. 2009.

Hossa rings it off the power play on a delayed penalty, and the Wings go to work on the PP. This is just a minute after Tomas Holmstrom — who is being allowed to stand with his ass in MacDonald’s face — got away with checking Dean McAmmond from behind.

More Wings PP as Weight goes to the box. But Okposo just weaved a back door pass to Nielsen through four Red Wings. And Nielsen deked Osgood out.

Oh my. Nice play by Jackman on a wraparound, Bailey picks up the freebie with Lidstrom on his back. Sings Borat: “In Wing Country there is problem. And that problem is the Isle.”

… or Radek Martinek. Identity uncertain. Shot up near the shoulder/collarbone.

I’m gonna step outside a minute and make sure the Moon is still orbiting the Earth.

Wow, Miami of Ohio beat Denver U. (Air Force also upset Michigan).

Just made an insane move and deked MacDonald, only to hit the post. If the Red Wings don’t come back they’re going to be cursing all these near-misses.

MacDonald making some big saves, the Islanders getting some good chances the other way. Weight looking spry in his first action in six weeks.

If this score does not change, we will hear a unanimous “WTF?” shouted out around the league.

I didn’t see the infraction, but I’m pretty sure it would tick me off.

Somebody slashed Hossa’s stick. 4:38 to go. Nielsen in da box.

Does anything make sense in this league anymore?

Isles keep clearing it right to Wings pointmen.

… The Joe Louis crowd has briefly woken up here. Wings are trying to fine-tune their shots too much.

Holmstrom ends up on the goalie again. That’s really legal-like.

“MacDonald has never had a shutout before. … He certainly deserves one the way he’s played tonight. But he has been helped by the posts.”

Shutouts always are.

The Islanders have just shut out the Red Wings 2-0 at Joe Louis Arena.

I seriously feel dizzy right now, like the world is upside down. I expect to walk outside and find dogs speaking to me and cats driving cars.

Wowzers. Anyway, congrats on an epic win – you have no idea how much I pointed and laughed at my TV while I watched that.