Game 1 hasn't even started yet, and already we get the news that Brian Rafalski won't be playing due to an 'upper body injury'. The playoffs are all about dodging injuries, and we're not starting out on the right foot... err.. I mean... 'lower body'.
Did I mention I despise the Ducks?? Last year it was Pronger's cheap shot B.S. on Thomas Holmstrom, and this year it's Mike "I play 7 mins per game" Brown laying a cheap hit on Jiri Hudler (the Wing's smallest player @ 5'10", 170lbs) and leaves him in a bloody heap on the ice. I'm all for hard nosed full contact hockey, but Hudler clearly was vulnerable and Brown took advantage of it. Head shots need to be eliminated, and this was a case where early in game 1 of a series, some nobody 4th liner was trying to send a message to Detroit's skill players.
Amazingly, Huds returned to the bench to start the 2nd. Wow.. that's a hockey player. 10 stitches needed in between periods, and showing no concussion symptoms. I was really hoping he scored the game winner, that would have been poetic.
The Wings came out looking sleepy after the 8 days off between rounds, but I think the hit on Huds woke the team up. With a 5 minute powerplay, Detroit only scored once during the extended man advantage but managed to avoid falling into Anaheim's dirty style, and made them pay for foolish penalties. When the game is on the line, you can always count on the captain. Nick Lidstrom scored his second of the night and the eventual game winner with 49.1 seconds remaining, leaving the Ducks hanging their heads, as the good guys take a 1-0 lead in this series.
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