Red Wings-Predators: Detroit Trumps Nashville in One-Sided Affair

The other night I was over at a friends house when "Rocky II" came on. For the 4 people that haven't seen in, it's about an older boxer named Rocky Balboa who is given a rematch with undefeated Heavyweight Champion, Apollo Creed. In the first movie, Rocky is narrowly defeated by Creed losing by split decision.

In their second meeting Creed is determined to knock out the 'Italian Stallion', proving to the world and himself that the first fight was a fluke. Mostly outgunned and outclassed, Rocky takes Creed's best punches, hanging on hoping to land that one shot to claim the title. In the final and dramatic 15th round, with both fighters tired and exhausted, Rocky displays his greatest asset, his heart, by finding the will to overcome and eventually knock out the champ.

The Detroit Red Wings hosted the Nashville Predators last night in game 5 of their Western Conference first round matchup. And for most of the night, this game resembled Sylvester Stallone's 1979 film.

Fans on either end of Joe Louis arena might have experienced sea sickness with the teetering of the ice from the first to third periods.

Missing both Jason Arnott and David Legwand, the Preds were grossly out-muscled and outplayed in this pivotal game 5 contest.

Harry Neale provided the colour-commentating for CBC and said it best when he remarked, near the end of the first period, that the Preds were just holding on, hoping to keep the game close to provide an upset. Over sixty minutes of play that's exactly what they did.

Down 1-0 after an early Valtteri Filpulla goal the Preds resembled Rocky Balboa standing and taking the Wings best shots but refusing to stay down, holding on for dear life and trying to keep the fight close.

Outshot 52-19, the Preds waited until the last minute to deliver their timely blow. With a face-off in the Wings end, Predators coach Barry Trotz pulled Dan Ellis in lieu of the extra attacker.

Radek Bonk beat Henrik Zetterberg on the draw and the Preds controlled the play in Detroit's zone. Cycling the puck between the blueline and goaline, J.P. Dumont took a pass from Rich Peverley before threading a pass to Radek Bonk. Surrounded by four Red Wing's players, Bonk fired the puck past Chris Osgood to knot the game up at one with 44 seconds left to play in regulation.

Harry Neale repeated his earlier premonition and for many fans watching at home or at Joe Louis arena, it appeared another Balboa-esque outcome was about to unfold.

It would take less than two minutes for reality to triumph over fiction when Johan Franzen converted a breakaway pass from Niklas Kronwall, beating Predators goalie Dan Ellis with a backhand deke.

Ellis was simply brilliant, stopping 51 of 53 shots. Nevertheless, Detroit overcame a gutsy performance from a depleted Predators lineup to push Nashville to the brink of elimination. Somewhere through the roar of 20 000 fans the cry of 'Adrian!' was nowhere to be heard.

Henry Dyck