Missing Pieces

Hard not to watch the Red Wings battle the Ducks tonight and not notice the absence of veteran Detroit blueliner Brian Rafalski, who is missing his third straight game.

Rafalski's veteran cool and braininess on the Wings blueline is one of the understated factors behind the club's success. With him out, players like Brett Lebda and aged wonder Chris Chelios (playoff game No. 263!!) are seeing the ice more, and while, they're not bad players, they're not Rafalski.

Chelios helplessly watched Teemu Selanne blow past him on Anaheim's first goal, and while the Detroit power play did finally click late in the second to cut a 2-0 Ducks lead in half, the Wings have clearly struggled with the man advantage against a Ducks team that becomes emboldened and more aggressive when its clear opposing clubs can't do damage on the power play.

Rafalski is finishing the second year of a five-year, $30 million contract, and the bang he's giving the Wings for their bucks was part of the reason GM Ken Holland felt comfortable giving long term contracts to Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen.

Here was Holland's reasoning. Rafalski is now 35, and could easily play another five years. If the Wings had signed him to a 12-year deal when he was 28, he would now be seven years in with no danger of looking like he's past his prime.

The Wings hope the same will be the case with Zetterberg and Franzen. That said, they need Rafalski to reappear in the short term as the Ducks appear to be gaining an upper hand in the series.

Comments

[Pal Hal Pall]

You're exactly right: the Ducks' effective penalty kill allows them to play their aggressive, intimidating style without worrying about the other team making them pay. If they manage to get through Detroit and their power play, I can't see any other team stopping them. Let's see if they can keep it up.

[Sunny Vegas]

The miss call by the ref. is the one reason NHL will never ever come close to NFL when it come to fair game. Yes, ref are human. At the same time we are not in the 40's. NHL should use the replay more ESPECIALLY when the game mean much more.

[Marijan Kalman]

As I wrote few weeks ago NHL is not going to let Detroit win.Refs let interference on the second goal and completely regular Detroit goal.This is worse then robbery, this is league that is stealing from one team with any means possible.Ref Brad Watson would be shot dead after the game in any other place except North America. This is not league, this is worse then Mafia operating there business.ALL OF YOU IN MEDIA ARE ALSO GUILTY FOR NOT POINTING THESE THINGS OUT AND NAMING THEM, TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE ORDERING REFS WHAT TO CALL. If I know who they are after 15 years in Toronto, you in media should know them to.Same thing is going to happen in game 4, refs are going to steal game from Detroit with any means.AGAIN REFS ARE GOING TO STEAL GAME 4 FROM DETROIT BY ANY MEANS.

[Peter]

steal games from the Wings? Ha-ha! seems to me they gave them to Detroit in the last few years. did they got unlucky on that one call? too bad. i for one will be more than happy to see them out of the playoffs. Go Ducks GO!

[Tabber]

Okay, Marijan, let's see some proof. Otherwise, you're looking at a libel suit. Show any referee being shot in Europe after a bad call. Also try reading what you've written before you post, you might find a change or 2 would make it readable - "and completely regular Detroit goal."? What does that mean? Also again, how did Detroit win last year with those 2 people ordering the refs what to call? That last question proves the fallacy of your argument. And if you don't like it in Toronto, after 15 years, then leave! Sorry we don't meet your expectations, but then again, I don't recall asking you to come to my chosen country and slag my fellow citizens. You don't like it here? Bye-bye, best of luck wherever you go with that attitude. I just love it when my fellow immigrants complain about the country they chose to come to.