Postgame Commentary:

- What can you say about Manny, other than it's a bitch he lost the shutout late in the third.  Spectacular game again tonight.  I wonder how many saves he would have made if the Preds' D (notably Zidlicky) could ever hit the net...they sent a number of cannons wide tonight.

- I really liked what Perron/Weight/Stempy did tonight...a number of dangerous chances.  Weight had a good bit of jump tonight.  Stempy is WAY overdue for a 2 or 3-goal night.  I'm interested to hear whether Perron's shoulder is OK.

- With the exception of a couple of shaky shifts, the Hinote/Clem/MJ line was awesome.  Great energy on the forecheck, and generated some good chances of their own.  Clem particularly played a strong game.

- The big line keeps producing, even when everyone knows they're all we've got.  One of these days, someone is going to figure out that move that Walt ALWAYS makes coming down the right-wing boards (cutting to the middle on his forehand) and lay him out.

- I just don't get it with D.J. King.  He stared somebody down in the first, and had words with Hordichuk, but didn't throw down & really didn't play terribly physical.  I don't see the skills there to provide secondary scoring, as some claim he has...so what the hell?

- On D: I'm completely changing my tune about Backman...he's played very solid hockey the past few games...much more assertive.  Wagner continues to amaze me...EJ made a few nervous mistakes, but overall played well...Brewer still pisses me off.  Salvador led the team before the game with a +8...that surprised me when I looked it up.  McKee is an awfully expensive scratch, but it seems they won't sit Brewer out...who else would you take out of the rotation at this point?

Let's keep it going in Detroit on Wednesday, fellas...this is getting fun!   

no shit.  that was a thing of beauty.

the last two games show that weight playing with slack-cinsky was a bad idea.  put stempy & perron with him & he's flying & making GREAT plays, even getting his own chances.  that line has been dangerous the last two games.  shit, you want to talk confidence in your teammates?  did you see that play when it was a 2-on-1 late in the third where weight tried the ultimate spin-o-rama behind the back centering pass to stempy?  totally worked too, the D & goal were both lost, but the pass went off stempy's skate.  a little too fancy for someone that hasn't produced in quite awhile methinks, but it was nice to see him having fun again.  the numbers will come.

so gee, i wonder if it was weight, or if it was rucinsky that was the problem?  hmm...

and goaltending - i've said it before and i'll say it again, it is BEAUTIFUL to finally have goaltending where you are not nervous every time the other team comes down the ice.  manny is so fucking good for us it's scary.  he makes everything look so easy.  and even saturday, toivu played just fine.  such a change from the last few years.  such a welcome change.

great game.  loving this team.

ftfy.

QFT