Hard to say, but strange things have been happening around the league. A pre-playoff favorite to compete for the Stanley Cup, the Vancouver Canucks, found themselves down 0-3 to the LA Kings in the first round, and on the road for Game 4. Not good. Then they went into LA's Staples Center and convincingly beat the Kings. Now they go back home for Game 5 with some new-found confidence and anything could happen. It's been done before.
Same with the Pittsburgh Penguins, another pre-playoff favorite. They found themselves down 0-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Pens had looked completely at a loss as to what the heck was going on in the first three games. A lot of people had already written them off, and folks in Philly had their brooms out anticipating a sweep. Then something extraordinary happened. In Game 4, the Pens put up a 10-spot, as in a Hamilton, scoring 10 goals against the Flyers at Philly's Wells Fargo arena, in a rout of the home team. Any NHL team scoring 10 goals in a game is certainly a rarity, but in the playoffs, when everything supposedly tightens up? That's unheard of. Now, like Vancouver, they go back home with a whole new perspective. Win the next game, keep the momentum going, and who knows?
(A couple idle thoughts..... Not to temper the enthusiasm of Penguins' fans, but it should be noted the Flyers are 7-1 this year in YOUR building, which might not bode well for your chances. And Wells Fargo is in Philly? Really? Aren't they supposed to be out west in charge of stagecoaches and the Pony Express, and stuff like that?)
The Red Wings find themselves in a similar situation. They're down 1-3 to the Nashville Predators, with the next game in Nashville. Obviously, Detroit is facing elimination. Lose and the season's over. That record-setting 23 game home-ice winning streak they had earlier this year will become a mere footnote. Poof. It doesn't matter.
Will they come out and score 10 goals like the Pens did in a hostile arena? Probably not, but can they win the game? Maybe, yet they need to do more than that. Squeaking by with a 2-1, or 3-2 score isn't good enough. They need to make a "statement" and dominate the game from start to finish. They have the talent to do so if they can somehow pull it all together and play hard for the full 60 minutes, something they haven't done yet since the playoffs began. I don't want to hear about how many more shots on goal the Wings have had then the Preds, because most of those shots aren't even relevant. They're "gimmes" to a world-class goaltender like Pekka Rinne of Nashville. Detroit fans might relate it to throwing batting practice pitches to Miguel Cabrera. Miggy might miss one of those once in a while too, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to happen. Like Cabrera, Rinne's a tough out, but he can be had if the opposing "pitchers" bring enough heat, give him different "looks", and maintain constant movement.
Will the Canucks and Pens eventually triumph over the Kings and Flyers, respectively? Odds are, probably not.
Same with the Wings even if they win Game 5 in Nashville. But if they can make it a "statement" game, boosting their own morale, while putting some doubt in the heads of the Predators -- then their odds get a little better. You never know.....
Another idle thought..... Wells Fargo in Philly is weird enough, but why, pray tell, is the NHL hockey venue in Detroit (Joe Louis Arena) named after a boxer? Wouldn't Gordie Howe Arena have made more sense?
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