I'm sorry, I really lost my cool there... uncalled for.

For starters, Jimmy Howard was really flipping good tonight. The rebound on the goal.. meh. Brett Lebda totally eased up on Fredrik Modin, like he does most of the time that he's one-on-one with somebody. Howard didn't even need Darren Helm to save him tonight, he seemed determined to outshine Steve Mason. I support the guy, but I think I speak for everyone when I say at times he really makes you clench up inside. That feeling is really starting to go away, and I don't recall too many instances where I had "the fear." This was his best game of the season, it's a shame that such a potent offense couldn't manage ONE goal in SIXTY minutes to get him the W he deserved.

Bottom line: the offense has to get going. I understand that the team doesn't have the firepower that it should. This team is still lighting up goalies with shots more often than not. 34 on Mason, a goalie that they put eight up on earlier in the season. And those eight weren't all from injured players. I think it comes down to guys not paying the price. Not staking out the front of the net for rebounds, not making smart shot/pass decisions. All those little things -- the things that have made the team so good over the past few years. For a team full of so many grinders, there isn't a whole lot of mayhem in front of the net.

On the subject of paying the price, Ville Leino was benched because Babcock thinks that's exactly what he hasn't been doing. Mattias Ritola was up again, and honestly, I think he just won himself a short-term spot in the lineup. He looked really good. Ritola's always been so hit and miss with me. I see his talent, and his value as a prospect. On a personal level I've just never felt that he was going to be a consistent NHL player, when he was one of the most inconsistent to me in the AHL. In the pre-season, I thought he looked like a Wing. He just plays that style. His talent isn't quite to the level where he'll be a huge scorer, and his two-way game isn't really anything more special than the other young grinders we have. I just wasn't sure where he'd fit in. I thought he looked great tonight, on kind of a 2nd/4th line role with some powerplay time. Created some chances, wasn't afraid to pay the price, drew a penalty, and actually looked composed on the powerplay. Way better than Leino. Until Dan Cleary and whoever come back in the next two weeks, give me Ritola.

I'm sorry, but I didn't realize until I read the boxscore that Pavel Datsyuk got a penalty for cross-checking during that run-in with Jared Boll. I probably use this phrase a lot, but when you think about what Datsyuk actually did, and what cross-checking actually is, not to mention, what types of things that could be considered cross-checking that don't get called... that might be the worst call of all time.

When's the last time Detroit had two fights in the same game? Prize to anyone who can tell me. Not talking about last year when Aaron Downey fought somebody (Cam Janssen maybe?) and the linesmen broke it up, then they fought again later, but actually two fights involving four players. Brad May actually fought for a reason -- standing up for Datsyuk getting shoved around and then another hit in the corner. No smiling, no laughing, just punching. Actually landed a few good ones, good on him. Doug Janik too, who rarely gets mentioned here despite the fact that he plays for the Red Wings. Sort of -- only eight minutes tonight. Those are the fights I like -- when someone's mad they just got laid out and they want to say something about it. Totally fine with both fights tonight.

Lastly, a dilemma. After unabashed support for the first part of the season, I'm sick of Todd Bertuzzi. What? Read on. I'm sick of him getting the most scoring chances every night. I'm sick of him looking the most dangerous in the offensive zone. I'll say it: I'm sick of him being our best player. Right now. Sure, if you gave me a choice of Datsyuk or Bertuzzi it's obvious. A lot of guys are playing well. A lot of guys are making fewer mistakes than Bertuzzi. But Versus actually had a decent stat tonight, one I wouldn't have thought to look up. Brace yourself, because it's going to be written in big letters for impact:

Over the past eight games, TODD BERTUZZI has scored half of Detroit's goals.

Boom. There it is. Is the font big enough for that to register? I'm a bit of a lush, I went for 18 point font over 14. That's the biggest font ever used on this blog. Trivia. Anyway, that is awful. Where is Pavel Datsyuk? He's very easy to see in the defensive zone, and it's true he is setting up most of Bertuzzi's goals. He's easy to see in 120 feet of the ice. But he's not the team's highest paid forward because he's going to win another Selke. Like I said in the podcast, he was nominated for the Hart Trophy.

Maybe I'm being unfair on the guy, but to me that raises the bar for what acceptable play is. Where's the silly undressing of three hapless defenders and then a goalie? Where's the curl into the slot and pick the far side corner on the powerplay? Where are any shots on the powerplay? He just doesn't look like he wants to shoot right now. That needs to change. With due respect to Bert, I want Datsyuk to look for Bert less and to be selfish more. Even if that means Bert's production goes down and the bashing resumes -- fine. We need Pavel right now.

On the subject of selfishness, I think I know what's wrong with Nick Lidstrom, and Brian Rafalski by this same token. Be more selfish. I think both of them are relying too much on that patented intentionally wide shot. Playing it safe is great -- and Nick's pretty much made his career on it. But sometimes you just have to wire the puck at the net even if there are defenders in the lane. Nothing like a quadruple deflection goal, right? I'm noticing that Lidstrom has recently started to again go deep with the puck in the offensive zone, but he just appears so out of his element. He used to just throw the puck at the net and get all kinds of crazy bounces. Now when he's doing it he takes it all the way around the net... and then nothing happens.

I blame that stupid floating orb for taking the Wings out of their game in overtime. How lame was that?

That's it. One more game for 2009 and it can't come soon enough.