Living on a Prayer

Too many people at work this morning told me the Wings could pull it off and listed reasons as to why they can. And here I am, trying to be pessimistic for once and not get my hopes up so that I'm not disappointed if/when they lose. A lot of people told me I should drink a lot of coffee to stay awake for the game. Screw that, I'll need it tomorrow morning when I'm opening at work on four hours of sleep after staying up for the game.

I told myself on Thursday that if the Red Wings won, all it would do would get my hopes up for a nearly impossible comeback and I would be looking forward to Game Five and we would lose and I would be absolutely devastated. At least I was prepared for a loss in Game Four. Game Five...I'd like to say that I'm expecting failure, but that's a half-lie.

Don't stop believing. It's as simple as that. The song that plays at The Joe when victory is within our grasp. It's a simple enough lyric, an even simpler action. Believing isn't impossible and if there's any team that can pull this off, it's us. Because we have The Mule, who is hungrier than ever. Because we have a core group of veterans who want that fifth ring to make a complete fist with. Because we have those rookies who want to win the Cup. Because we have players who were disappointed that they were just one goal away from winning it against last year.

Every game past Game Four is a bonus game for me, because I honestly believed that we were done. If we win tonight, that's fantastic. If we don't, well, it was a good run, a good season. And the Wings will have done what they were supposed to do: end on a ridiculously awesome win at home and lose on the road. Hell, if you would have told me three months ago that the Wings would make it to the second round playing the Sharks, I would have laughed in your face because the Sharks are playoff chokers and the Wings were sitting in tenth in the conference.

If I may quote myself for a moment, bringing your attention back to the upcoming Game Five: Pray for consistent reffing on both sides of the call. Pray that the Red Wings play out of their damn minds like last game. Pray that Nabokov has an off night and Jimmy Howard looks less like a rookie and more like Chris Osgood when he came in for Hasek in the 2008 playoffs. Pray that the Game Seven Red Wings show up. [Game Seven against Phoenix or Game Seven against the Avs in '02.]

Watch your captain, Wingnuts. Watch Nick Lidstrom like you've never watched him before. Because this could be the last game you ever see him play. As depressing of a thought as that is, it might just be the truth. I never wanted him to have an ending like Stevie Y, but it may have just come to that.

I'll be wearing my Franzen jersey when I see Iron Man 2 at 7:30 tonight [so if you happen to see a crazy girl wearing a Mule jersey walk past, it's probably me]. I'll be wearing it during the Wings game, too. It's 4-0 at the Joe and now 2-0 at my house.

We're living on a prayer, Hockeytown. And sometimes that's the best damn hockey you'll see, when your team is living on a prayer.

Living on the Edge

It's only normal for a blog named "Franzenmuth" to make a blog post after Johan Franzen pretty much single-handedly defeated the Sharks last night, right? I mean, he is the namesake of this blog, so it seems fitting that I make a post about the game...even if I would do that anyway.

I will admit right now that I missed 2/3 of his hat trick. My brother and I decided that missing the last half of the first wouldn't be a huge deal, so we started watching Community on NBC, which was amazing. But when my cell phone rang at the same time as the house phone, we knew something was up.

The beast has awoken. As my friend said, "He got hungry...for curly fries." [Goals, too.]

Michael Rosenberg makes an accurate point: "In the playoffs, Franzen makes the amazing seem inevitable. He simply overwhelms people. Franzen now has scored 31 goals in his last 49 playoff games. Not one of these goals was a fluke."

Remember when he scored more goals than Colorado two years ago? He had hat tricks in two consecutive games. Someone remind me, who did San Jose play before us? Oh, that's right. From Franzen's mouth: "Yeah, Hank and Bert tried to feed me as much as they could, I think." They don't call it "Feed The Mule" for nothing. Hell, I have a t-shirt that says that. It's what you're supposed to do during the playoffs.

Dear Joe Thornton, Get your hands off of my Captain. I know you're frustrated because one Red Wing is outscoring you personally in the playoffs, but taking cheap shots at someone like Nicklas Lidstrom is an unforgivable sin. And dear non-Red Wings bloggers and sports writers, Stop saying that the dynasty is over. You say that every year since Stevie retired and it's getting tiresome.

Oh hey, Dan Boyle. Thanks for scoring another goal for the opposing team. Keep that up and we'll make you an honorary Red Wing.

Okay, okay, maybe I'm getting my hopes up a little bit too much. I told people yesterday that I honestly expected us to lose last night and if we did win, I knew I would just get my hopes up and when we lose on Saturday, I'll be devastated. And that is exactly what's happening.

Time for me to be a Debbie Downer and point out the reality, as much as I hate to admit it. We've won one game, and we won it convincingly. But if we want to go to the Conference Finals for the fourth consecutive year, we have three more of these to win. I'm pretty sure Mike Babcock is constantly telling his players, "Take it a game at a time, guys," and if they do that, it should work out well. The non-Debbie Downer aspect: if we can steal Game Five from the Sharks at home, we're heading back to The Joe and the pressure is more on San Jose. If we can do this, even if we still lose in the end, we will have given it a fighting chance.

But this is all still up in the air. There are a lot of "Ifs" in the second half of that last paragraph. Have the Red Wings played two dominating games in a row these playoffs? And I mean really dominating. From what I can recall, no. That's another reason why I'm hesitant to jump on the "History Will Be Made" train and be super excited for Game Five.

Even if we go on to lose Game Five, the Red Wings did what they were supposed to do: They didn't get swept on home ice, they didn't lose on home ice, and they ended their season at home with a thrilling victory. And you know what? That's good enough for me if we can't come back and win it.

Enjoy your Franzenfries, people. Enjoy the good times, even if it is pouring rain right outside your window [like it is for me].

Don't Stop Believing

You know how when you normally put your iPod on shuffle and it's really stupid, but there are those timely moments when it seems like the little machine is reading your mind? Mine is reading my mind right now.

#882/1496 on my top-rated shuffle: Don't Stop Believin' by Journey. I don't think there's a more fitting song to start off my day.

I may have resigned myself to the fact that the series is possible [and more than likely] over, but will that stop me from supporting my team through to the very end? Absolutely not. Two nights of sleep after a disappointing loss gives me my optimistic edge back. It's a long way back to the top, people, but the Wings can do it, if they play these remaining games like every single one is a Game Seven.

Don't look at it as a "Oh, we have to win four in a row." Look at it as a, "Oh, we can win this one at home because there's no way we're going to let ourselves get swept at home," and then a, "Well, it's possible that we can steal one on the road," and then a, "Hey, we're back at The Joe! They can win it for us!" and then end it with a, "Well, it's Game Seven and we fought back from a 0-3 deficit to make it here. If we win, sweet, if we lose, at least we fought like crazy."

Now doesn't that sound a little easier and a little more possible? The tricky thing about it? The Red Wings need to think like this. Like Pierre LeBrun said in a video he posted yesterday, if there was one team out of the thirty that could pull this off, most people would say the Wings. But it's easier said than done.

Pray for consistent reffing on both sides of the call. Pray that the Red Wings play out of their damn minds. Pray that Nabokov has an off night and Jimmy Howard looks less like a rookie and more like Chris Osgood when he came in for Hasek in the 2008 playoffs. Pray that the Game Seven Red Wings show up.

Work today will be a test of my patience with people who believe they understand how much I love this sport. They know I'm a little more than obsessed, yes, but for me there's a difference between obsession and love. Wearing my Homer shirt and sporting some Wings earrings, I already know I'll be barraged with the, "So are they gonna wiiiiin?" taunts. And I will smile and say, "If they win, they win. If they lose, they lose. We're allowed to lose in the second round once every four years."

I'll be wearing my Franzen jersey during the game. It's 4-0 at the Joe and 1-0 at my house [1-0 in Game Sevens, mind you. This is sort of like a Game Seven!]. I hate to put this out there, but it's what my brother said to me before Game Seven, "Keep your eyes on Nick Lidstrom, because this could be the last game you see him play."

I sure as hell hope it isn't. We all do.

It Goes On And On...

Yet another game where we looked tired in the third period. Yet another 4-3 loss. Yet another hole to dig ourselves out of.

I want to post something optimistic about the outcome of this game, but I can't find anything. I will admit that I take Red Wings losses hard; I have for the past three years and that fact is never going to change. My intense love for this hockey team stemmed from my senior year of high school, but none of you guys want to hear that story, so let's come back to the present moment.

The end of our season is looming and while I'd like to believe that a four-game winning streak is entirely plausible from the Wings, I have to look at the reality of the situation and say that I think we're burnt out. I know, I know, you don't want to hear those words. But look at the facts: we worked our butts off to get into the playoffs, we had to go to seven games to beat Phoenix... Maybe a two-game win streak. I mean, we did drop Game Three at home against Phoenix and win Four and Five. I think we could do that against the Sharks, but the Wings have to want that.

We've had a problem holding two-goal leads this entire season. We've had a problem putting our hearts into games and proving that we want to win. Game Three and/or Six against Phoenix, anyone?

Yeah, I could point the blame at bad reffing and blown calls and soft goals, but I won't. The officiating was not as bad as the past two games [though it was still pretty bad]. And I have nothing against the non-goal on Zetterberg. While I don't think he was intentionally kicking the puck, it was more of a kicking motion than the Sedin goal that was waved off in Round One.

My birthday last year sucked, too. Last year's birthday was Game Three against Anaheim when they called off Hossa's goal with 1:07 left in the third that would have tied it up. I didn't think it could be worse. But this year, there are other things going on in my life where I could use a happy Wings victory to brighten some aspect. While my birthday isn't until tomorrow, I was counting this as a birthday game.

This entire post sounds as though the series has ended [and has no coherent structure to it]. In retrospect, most Wings fans know that winning four games in a row is tough in the playoffs, and they're already grieving for their team. I wish I could muster up the strength to be optimistic like usual. I'll end with a ridiculously depressing thought, since that's the theme for tonight, what with the Wings and Tigers losing, and Ernie Harwell finally passing on:

What's the worst thing about being swept in this series? It could quite possibly have Nicklas Lidstrom contemplating retirement.

Lucky Charms!

Ladies and Gentlemen, this series is not over. Contrary to what everyone else is saying, this series is just getting started.

With that being said, I'm not taking any chances. I'm pulling out all of my good luck charms for tonight's game. Yes, I think we can win without me doing stupid things that don't actually affect them, but it's those damn superstitions and since I'm a crazy hockey fan, I can't not do them. I know I posted my good luck charms earlier, but I'm going to post some of them again.

1. Andy Capp's hot fries. These babies worked during Game Five versus Phoenix and during Game Seven. I even bought some to help the Capitals during their Game Seven [yes, I like the Caps. Don't kill me], but instead, they helped the Detroit Tigers destroy their opponent. So they only work for Detroit teams.

2. Flying the Wings flag on my car. This hasn't done much as of late, but I'm going to keep it up.

3. Pierre LeBrun will be here. [This doesn't make sense? Read this.] Actually, he'll be at both games. He sent a tweet my way and said, "True, they're 3-0 in my presence this spring. I'm in Detroit for Games 3-4 vs Sharks." So that makes me a little less frightened.

4. I'll be telling my friend that he needs to be wearing his lucky Red Wings socks and make sure that he has a six-pack of beer for tonight's game. That was the trick in Game Seven.

5. I'll be sitting in my usual spot for Wings games. For Game One, I was stuck in the basement and for Game Two, my brother was sitting in my spot. But also for Game Two, we had a friend of a friend over, who was over for Game Seven versus Pittsburgh. Needless to say, he is never invited back into the house for a Wings game.

Pull out your own good luck charms, Wingnuts. It'll make you feel a little better about tonight's game.

Anything is Possible, Apparently...

It's been touched on by literally everyone already, but the officiating of last night's game wasn't even sub-par, it was just bad. I hate sounding like one of those fans that when their team loses who says, "Oh, if it wasn't for the officiating, we would have won. They made some bad calls and that was our downfall, or else we could have wrapped that game up."

In last night's case [and consequently, in Game One as well], the officiating was beyond bad. Even if you're a Sharks fan, you have to admit that somewhere inside your mind, there's a little voice saying, "Wow. This is just ridiculous."

Ten penalties were called against us in last night's game. Ten penalties against one of the least-penalized teams during the regular season. Ten compared to four against San Jose. Ten, equaling twenty minutes. That's an entire period of hockey, in case you didn't know. Twenty minutes on the penalty kill. Tell me, NHL referees and officials, how are the Red Wings supposed to have a chance to get into the game or keep their one-goal lead when they're playing twenty minutes shorthanded? Like Mike Babcock said, "The reality is that you can't have momentum if only half your players can get on the ice because they are sitting in the penalty box all night long."

And look at some of the penalties that were called. Bertuzzi for goalie interference in the second when he brushed Nabokov's glove. Bertuzzi for holding when he shoved the San Jose defenseman. ...Okay, maybe the most blatantly terrible calls were on Bert, and maybe it's just because he looks like a bear with that beard, but come on, refs. Let us play.

There were some misfortunate accidents, too. Like Lidstrom shattering his stick when he tried to take a slapshot and Thornton and Heatley going down two-on-one to score the game-tying goal. Lidstrom did everything he could to try to stall Heatley, but it wasn't any use. I know Mickey Redmond was at home watching the game and had a massive heart attack at that point. Sorry about that Mick, but I'm right there with you.

Jimmy Howard looked like a rookie at times in net. But he had some major game-saving stops at timely moments. And come on, people, I'd like to see you do better as a rookie goalie trying to fight off twenty minutes on the penalty kill. I can't blame Jimmy for this loss. I won't blame Jimmy for this loss.

So to you Wings fans that are freaking out about the series being over, let me quote Homer Simpson when he's talking to Selma on the phone: "Listen, shut up for a second." This series isn't over until we lose one at home. And Mike Babcock will not let his team do that. The Red Wings won't do that. And if they do, only then will I start to worry.

And PS - They don't play on my birthday this year, so you guys don't have to worry about an "intent to blow the whistle" on a Hossa goal to tie the game up with 1:07 left in Game Three. Worst birthday present ever, refs. Don't do it again this year.

Top-Rated Shuffle: #727/1496: I Won't Be Left - Tegan & Sara

What the...

If I could change anything in that game, minus that one section of the first, I would have called San Jose for that high stick on Franzen.

What? It was Filppula's stick?

Oh no, wait. That was Filppula's stick in Lidstrom's face in Game One of the Phoenix series.

Seriously, refs, I thought you were going to stop sucking at the end of the first round. But my ideals for you guys were optimistically high. In the words of The Beatles, I should have known better... Anyway, onto the game.

Besides that minute and a half in the first period where our team decided to not play hockey as well as the bad officiating, it was a pretty damn good game. I'm really not upset about this loss [except for the blown call]. We didn't let a three goal deficit get us down and battled it out through all of the adversity of fake calls and blown calls. While Jimmy Howard looked like a rookie goaltender for a little over a minute in the first, he made some big saves to keep us in the game after that, so don't start blaming the goalie like Detroiters usually do.

San Jose didn't do anything that we haven't seen before and like we did with Phoenix, we have to test the waters with a team first. Plus, cut us some slack; we were playing a game 48 hours ago and the Sharks had at least twelve days off. Maybe it wasn't actually that long, but it sure seems like it with how much pep they had in their step.

Remember when I said that Phoenix pissed off the rhino, the rhino being Nick Lidstrom? Yeah, well, San Jose just pissed off the Mule. I still stand firm in my belief that this is the Mule's series. He's on a point-per-game streak and Game Two, he's going to be chomping at the bit, back in the stable, ready to treat us all to some curly fries. ...Or at least get a game-winning goal or Kronwall the crap out of a Sharks player.

Two days of rest for us will be huge. We'll all be ready to prove that we're Cup contenders.

Into the Shark Tank

Is it bad that I'm only moderately concerned for this series? We were 3-0-1 against the Sharks in the regular season, the OT loss coming in a shootout. San Jose hasn't made it past the first round in three-hundred years, and the Wings are coming out from a hard series more determined than ever.

Is there a chance that Sunday's Red Wings will show up at the Shark Tank tonight? No doubt about it. Will they? I really hope not. None of us Wingnuts want to see that travesty again. I don't think it will happen. If we come out playing like we did in Game Seven, these Sharks are doomed, more doomed than a T-Rex in San Diego [okay, maybe I was watching The Lost World over the weekend...].

So here are my vague Keys to Victory, since we haven't seen San Jose in a while, and even more people haven't seen them this late into the year...

1. Jimmy Howard. He doesn't have as much playoff experience as Evgeni Nabokov, but when Jimmy plays solid hockey, he plays solid hockey, and so does the team in front of him. When he plays shaky, the team in front of him plays shaky: It's not just Jimmy. And hey, if we want to score on the Sharks, just have Dan Boyle try to send the puck around the back of the net!

2. Solid defense. We know how to shut top players down - look at how well Zetterberg covers Crosby when we play them. Look at how amazing Datsyuk was in Game Seven against Phoenix, showing that he deserves to win the Selke another year. This can also be said for

3. Good offense. Our big players have to be our big players, much like Babs said after the last victory. San Jose's biggest players didn't do very much in the first round. We all know that Joe Thornton turns into a ghost in April and beyond, let's keep him like that.

4. I think this is going to be Mule's series. I know everyone around me is saying, "Oh, he's been terrible so far!" He's had a point per game! That's pretty damn good! No, he hasn't had any freaking awesome goals or been absolutely fantastic, but he's been there to help out. Despite this negativity, the second round of 2008 was when Franzen sparkled and had more goals that Colorado combined for the whole series. Maybe COL rubbed off enough on San Jose so that San Jose is more like Colorado and it'll happen again.

5. Get physical! Crunch those Sharks into the boards. Kronwall, I'm looking for you to Kronwall someone, okay? I guaranteed so many people last round that you would Kronwall Shane Doan and you didn't do it. Don't make me look completely stupid, okay? I want to see someone get Kronwalled.

Don't get me wrong - I don't mind the Sharks at all. But picking on them comes naturally to me, like picking on the Maple Leafs comes naturally to, well, everyone.

This will be an interesting series, one that I'm looking forward to. Keep up the solid play, Red Wings. It's what will send you to the Cup Finals for the third year in a row. Or at least the Conference Finals for the fourth year in a row.

PS - Top-Rated Shuffle: #459/1496: Reasons for Waiting - Jethro Tull