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The title is a bit of a joke for the music lovers out there. It’s also a reflection that the Carolina game left a bad taste that could use a rinse. The reality of the Eastern Conference is an uphill climb and multiple clubs that are not very happy right now. Patrick Roy will be on the Isle, Ottawa is floating “who is our core… balloons as the new owner isn’t thrilled with the scenario. Pittsburgh has a new owner that is also not quite thrilled and “rumors… of a breakdown are being bandied about while in Boston, Bergeron may be considering returning after a season that has been more than a pleasant surprise.
Most of the consistent readership looks at the hurdles Detroit has to clear and know that while the team has taken a nice step forward in offense, there aren’t a lot of fans overwhelmed with the defensive zone structure. Still, Detroit is in the playoff picture while 6 teams sit within just a few points of the final spot. Boston and Florida have a decent cushion but not insurmountable at this point. Right now, no one can really afford a bad stretch.
Detroit won the first contest in October and has managed to turn around the dynamic of the games vs. Yzerman’s former club. Tomorrow, Detroit will be facing a team that played the day before and should be in the mood to put plenty of pucks on net.
The season is a marathon. I understand why most of my family watches football. 15 games for college, 16 for the pros, and usually a week to think about the last game you played. Hyper focus makes an 80+ game season brutal. Yes, this stretch is important. Pretty much every 10 game stretch is this season. There just isn’t a lot of separation in the teams vying for wild card or 3rd place spots.
More than anything, the attack and defensive have to be dialed in. Gostisbehere made a couple of really nice D zone plays but the shot differential was just awful. Starting the 3rd period with 8 shots on net just seemed to be almost unthinkable. The team will want more, the fans certainly want more, and the Lightning do not want to lose the season series to Detroit. This game could have plenty of grit. Detroit needs to be ready at puck drop.