Western Conference Finals Game 3: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings

Pre-game News:  Datsyuk out for Game 3.

Game Notes:

• Osgood is playing his 101st playoff game for the Wings.
• Maltby is back in the line-up.
• Hossa only has 1 point in his last 5 games.
• 1st Period:  All Chicago.  Chicago’s Martin Havlat left game after a Kronwall hit.
  
• 2nd Period: All Detroit.  Wow.  3 goals in 4:23.
• Intermission:  VS. touts new show FanArchy.  Seems kinda insane.  Slobs yell at each other about the other guys team.  I’m in.
  
• 3rd Period:  Wow.  Huet is in.  He hasn’t played since Easter Sunday.  Khabibulin isn’t even on the bench as Corey Crawford is now the back-up.   Pretty even period.  Both teams have had some great opportunites to score.
• OT:  Predicition.  If Det scores I think it will be Franzen and if Chi scores then I think it will be Toews.  Well I was wrong.  Sharp gets the goal and Chicago gets the win 1:52 into OT.
  

Last Night’s Trivia:

Question:
Which two NHL players use the Börje Salming curve on their sticks?

Answer:
Swede: Mikael Samuelsson
American: Craig Conroy

Chelios says Roenick apologized; Babcock still peeved
From Detroit Free Press:

Kris Draper spotted Red Wings teammate Chris Chelios in the visitors’ locker room at the United Center this morning, laughed and yelled out, “Sing, ‘O Canada,’ ” just as Chelios shrugged into a Made in Detroit tee.

The day before, NHL forward Jeremy Roenick, whose Sharks were eliminated in the first round, had told Comcast Sportsnet that Wings coach Mike Babcock “doesn’t like” Chelios, “has a grudge against American players,” and that, “some of the things that Babcock says to Chris Chelios, it would make your stomach churn.”

While both Chelios and Babcock addressed the matter Thursday, they did it again today, too. Chelios played the whole thing down, saying, “JR is JR, and the NHL would be boring without JR. There’s nothing to it. I’m very happy here in Detroit. I always have been. JR says stuff — what are you going to do? He called me to say he’s sorry.”

Chelios said his relationship with Babcock is the same as with every other coach — always business, never personal. “Never had an issue or a problem with him the four years we’ve been here. I think the only problem I’ve had with a coach was Mike Keenan, but he liked the confrontation. It’s been a great relationship here. No complaints.”  

For complete story, click here.