2008 NHL Playoffs: Detroit Loses Game 4, Are You Scared?

OK, kiddies, take a deep breath, now let it out. And another, and another...in through your nose, out through your mouth. Feel better? Good. Because Detroit is not done...... yet.

So stop sobbing in your Molson (no that's Canadian beer), Miller, Bud, Coors or whatever you guys drink in Detroit these days and pull yourself together.

Now that I think of it, most of the people here in Okieland think Michigan belongs to Canada so if you are drinking Molson or Labatt's, eh, that's ok with me, eh? Sorry, I digress, let's get back and focus on what we're doing here.

I am here to ease your mind and to let you know that all is not lost for the Wings. The Red Wings have the momentum on their side. You say, "Wait a minute, they lost two games in Nashville, how can you say they have the momentum now?"

Well, I'll tell you how. Detroit scored the last goal of the game, correct? Scoring is a momentum shifter in any game that you play. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, whatever the game. When you score the momentum shifts even if you are down by more than the one point or goal that you need to tie or get ahead of the other team.

The other reason why the Red Wings have the momentum is that they are going back to Hockeytown for Game 5 against the Nashville Predators. Home field advantage is always a momentum shifter.

If you don't believe me, look at what the Preds have done. Down by two in Game Three, they came back and beat Detroit 5-3. If they had played that game in the Joe Louis Arena, would the outcome have been the same? Highly unlikely.

During the regular season, the Wings were 29-9-3 at home, the top in the NHL and during the playoffs they're undefeated. Nashville went 23-14-4 at home and are also undefeated in the playoffs this time around.

Nashville is no slouch of a team by any means. They wouldn't have made the playoffs if they were. And Detroit needs to stop thinking that they are playing a "throw away game in Rochester" as Herb Brooks said it in the movie "Miracle".

So we're back in Detroit on Friday night. Game time is 7:30 p.m. (6:30 Central time). I say that to reinforce it in my head. Yesterday, I looked at when game time was on the Wings website and it said 9:00 pm. I usually will adjust that time to Central time and possibly write it down so I won't forget and miss the first period of the game.

For some odd reason, I didn't do that with last night's game and did miss the first period. Hey, maybe that's why the Red Wings lost. No, then I would be a superstitious sort. No way, that's ever happened to me (HA-HA!)