Game Three... Now With More Redmond!!

OK, let's run down the checklist...Laptop, check. TV on, check. Red plastic beer pong cup with paper towel stuffed in it, check. Fresh tin of wintergreen Grizzly, check. Game broadcast on Versus, check. Game broadcast on Fox Sports Detroit, CHECK! Mickey Redmond in the broadcast booth...CHECK PLUS!!! LET'S DO THIS!

Forsberg is in the lineup tonight for the Avs which makes me smile a little bit because I hate his guts and can't wait to see him get trucked by somebody. Early scoring chance with the puck just sitting on Jose's doorstep but neither Zetterberg or Cleary could ram it home. Good energy early which is nice to see after a two day lay off and a major altitude adjustment (I hear Denver is located a mile above sea level, crazy).

Tigers are up three at this point going into the top of the ninth as Rapada came in to get out of a bases loaded jam that Bautista got himself into. LaTroy Hawkins will take the hill for the Yankees. LaTroy Hawkins is still in the league??

It's great to hear the scattered boos when McCarty touches the puck. Some rivalries never die.

Ozzie let's up a tough goal on a redirect from McCloed. Kind of bittersweet as one of my favorite former Wolverines TJ Hensick was the one who shot the puck towards the net. Nice work TJ, now never do it to the Wings again.

Ozzie is starting to scare me a little bit early on with his lack of rebound control. I mean, every puck that comes near him is just going all over the place. Those are pillows on your legs, not bricks. Stop scaring me.

Quick interview with Babcock after a commercial break. Babcock is sporting what looks to be a slight playoff beard as well as another perfect hairdo. I'm starting to think Otter has a little bit of an older man crush on Mike Babcock. Not creepy at all, totally acceptable. GREAT pressure on the power play early for the Wings. Franzen was on the doorstep effectively punching Jose in the ballsack repeatedly trying to get the puck through. That'll teach em.

Yeah, this game is going to be a rough one. And just as I type that after another penalty early on Colorado for roughing this time, Datsyuk SCORES!! Great pass by Zetterberg to set that one up, Lidstrom also assists giving him his 100th career playoff point which is pretty impressive.

THE WINGS SCORE AGAIN!!! You'll never guess who it was either...JOHAN MFing FRANZEN!! Johan Franzen wakes up every morning and pisses pure excellence! "That's one hell of a job from a ginger kid," Otter says. "Jose has almost played an entire game this series and given up 10 goals, kiss my ass Barry Melrose." Priceless Otter, priceless.

Meanwhile in New York, Todd Jones comes in, gives up his token run, and earns the save for the Tigers. Just another day at the ballpark. Granderson hasn't missed a beat and is back to his old ways. Sheff also hit a homer tonight breaking an 0-17 slump...which is nice.

Is is just me or is Dallas Drake one of those guys who seem to have been in the league for like 30 years? Great stat from the FSN guys...Samuelsson has shot the puck 33 times in the playoffs and yet he has no goals, which pretty much means he's due. End of the first period in Denver and we get to see Larry Murphy talk to Johan Franzen at the intermission as well as analysis by Mickey Redmond. Which is all waaaaaay better than any of the crap we would be forced to see if the game were on Versus (even though they did have a nice feature on how the rally towel was invented in Vancouver). 2-1 Wings after one!

Second period starts with a fan in a Joey Kocur jersey sighting. Right on the glass on the near side boards. Great to see a Joey Freakin Kocur jersey in Denver. I had one of those, I would wear it every day, and I'm not even close to joking. Weddings, dates, bedroom activities, you name it.

DATSYUK SCORES AGAIN!! Homer and Rafalski get helpers on it. Datsyuk abuses Jose again this time off a rebound from a Rafalski shot. Jose is one goal away from being pulled in three straight games which would just make me laaaaaaugh and laugh.

Darren McCarty goes to the box for a penalty that Mickey says, "he's probably embarrassed by that one." I agree, it's not every day Mac goes to the box for a tick tack penalty like holding. Usually it's for something like aggravated assault or attempted maiming. Of course, the Avs take advantage of a soft ass penalty call by scoring on the power play on another nasty redirected shot past Osgood. Big momentum shift. Forsberg basically crosschecks Samuelsson in the face and earns a 4 minute double minor for his efforts. Gotta stay away from that Swede on Swede violence.

ZETTERBERG SCORES!! Unbeleiveable job on the power play after Forsberg was sent to the box. Datsyuk just kind of saucered one through a bunch of legs and sticks which Henrick banged home to put the Wings up 4-2. That is twelve goals allowed by Jose in just over 5 and one half periods of work. He remains in the one though which I appreciate.

After thinking it would be a penalty on the Wings, somehow the Avs draw an interference penalty in front of Ozzie. And just as I type this, Zetterberg receives the make up call to make it 4 on 4 hockey. "That was all? It's the playoffs for Pete's sake!" Mickey Redmond is better than anyone Versus or NBC can throw at us.

GREAT FOOTAGE of the Avalanche ice crew picking up and saving the couple of teeth Samuelsson lost after the Swede on Swede violence. Old time hockey!

Avs get yet another penalty this time for too many men on the ice. Really cutting a groove to the box tonight the Avs are. They kill this one off though and the diminutive Hensick just about puts one past Ozzie after the penalty kill. Datsyuk gets hooked badly on a breakaway causing Mickey to go on some crazy rant about how the refs are basically allowing some kind of a circus out there. Through 40 minutes, Wings up 4-2. 20 minutes away from giving Coach Babcock a nice 45th birthday present! Thanks to FSN for repeatedly pointing that out, but I ain't mad at ya.

Samuelsson rings one off the post early on in the third period. Tough luck kiddo, tough luck. And now the Wings get hit with one of the worst cases of too many men on the ice I've seen in a while. I mean it was comically bad. Just a little miscommunication, that'll happen. But it shouldn't happen twice in the same period! How the hell do you let that happen twice?? Granted it was kind of a messed up situation where the puck was pinned along the Wings bench and Drake kind of had it caught up in his skates. Remember what I said about how I want to see Forsberg get trucked tonight? He just did, Stewart just absolutely hammered him and he's now on the bench trying to remember his name or what rink they're at.

As kind of expected, the Avs score on the power play after the second too many men penalty to make it 4-3 early on in the third. Sakic gets another assist on the Brunette goal. Kind of an uneasy feeling right now. Otter hasn't said anything in like twenty minutes, but to his credit it IS past his bedtime...poor little guy, needs his sleep. I am really hoping the Wings aren't going to turtle up like they did in game one and just try to protect the lead which kind of looks like the plan and I'm not cool with it. Stewart with another monster hit into the boards doing his best human cannonball impression. Drake to the box for a high stick on Leopold (who is from Ann Arbor but went to State...what the hell Red? He's in your own back yard!). Franzen basically chop blocks Forsberg who is back in the game and was breaking in alone, making the 18,000 non paid refs to just about lose it. Not that I blame them but after the replay it was well...it was pretty close.

This game is getting out of control. Just an absolute madhouse right now in Denver. Both teams are flying around like their hair is on fire. Great old school footage of Ozzie's goal back when Hartford still had the Whalers and Brendan Shanahan.

OZZIE WITH A HUGE SAVE!!! Scary situation there as Jones was coming in on net with some speed and a nifty little dipsy doodle. 1:21 to go Wings win the faceoff in the Colorado zone. Cleary comes in alone and sails it over the crossbar. 30 seconds left and Jose leaves to the bench. 10 seconds...RED WINGS WIN!!!

Wow, what a great game! Ozzie looked very tough, Datsyuk's line played very well, Franzen of course was outstanding as usual...and Samuelsson didn't score a goal.

He'll score two on Thursday. I'm calling it.

ROCK THE OCT!!!