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Discuss: Detroit takes 2-1 series lead vs. Chicago

octopusgetty

After all those years of being juggernauts, it’s weird to label the Detroit Red Wings as “underdogs,” but that’s the undeniable case in their second-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. Whatever you want to call them, the league’s gold standard franchise now has a 2-1 series lead over the Presidents’ Trophy winners after a 3-1 win in Game 3 on Monday.

Let’s bat around some topics.


  • So, where do we start with controversial calls? Fans of both teams have plenty of reason to beef, but which calls bother you the most? Did one team receive greater benefits in your opinion?
  • To be more specific, how do you feel about the Blackhawks goal that was disallowed because of goalie interference and the Patrick Kane goal that happened despite Johan Franzen’s injury? Are those rare instances of make-up calls on tallies?
  • The Blackhawks power play struggles overshadow their perfect penalty kill (28 for 28 so far in the playoffs). What should Joel Quenneville do to improve the output of the special teams unit? Is Mike Haviland secretly smiling?
  • This year’s Chicago team hasn’t faced many bumps in the road beyond injuries. Are they in big trouble right now? Could a season full of success become a problem in a way now that they’re down 2-1 in a series?
  • Speaking of rare struggles, Jonathan Toews is still without a goal in the postseason and only has three assists. How much longer will things go before pundits wonder if he isn’t as great of a leader as he’s been billed to be? Is it just a matter of bad puck luck?
  • Which Red Wings players deserve the most credit for this great work? Is it as obvious as Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk being premier two-way forwards?
  • How much is this about Mike Babcock’s brilliance? Detroit is finding ways to smother one of the most dangerous offensive attacks in recent memory.
  • So, who wins this series? It’s more up to question than many expected.