Robert Lang is missing, and other thoughts on Red Wings - Flames game 3

1. Last night's game was a typical Red Wings road playoff loss. Let's go through the Wings fan checklist, shall we?

• Did the opposition's goalie stand on his head? Check.
• Did role players score all the goals for the Wings? Check.
• Did the refs look intimidated by a raucous home crowd, making some questionable calls? Check.
• Were the HNIC announcers totally biased towards the Canadian team? Check.
  
• Did the Red Wings play just well enough that they could of won, yet didn't, totally frustrating Red Wings fans in the process? Check.
• No one in Detroit got any sleep? Check.

Yep, it was a typical Red Wings road playoff loss.

2. Going with the theme, Dominik Hasek played just well enough to lose. He has to make the stop Jarome Iginla's game winning goal. Miikka Kiprusoff has been making those sort of saves all series.

3. Where's Robert Lang? There's someone on the ice wearing his sweater, but it can't be Lang. The guy on the ice sucks. We can start with the Lang's picture on a milk carton jokes. I'm joining the chorus who's saying he needs to sit in game 4.

4. As soon as Dan Cleary made the awesomely big hit on Dion Phaneuf, and set up Kris Draper's goal, you know what was my first thought? It wasn't sheer glee over watching Phaneuf stumble around as if punch drunk after Cleary rung his bell. I didn't celebrate a change in momentum. My first that was. "How soon before we see a Calgary power play?" And what do you know...

5. Chris Chelios shattering the glass at the end of the 2nd period was a damn cool sight.

6. What else is missing, other than Robert Lang? Where in the living Hell is the Red Wing power play? The Wings look better when they are 5 on 5 than when they have a man advantage, for chrissakes! I'm deathly afraid that the Wings impotent power play is going to cost them a playoff series.

7. Still, it was only one game. It was a sure thing that if Calgary was going to win a game, it was going to be game 3. The Flames were embarrassed in Detroit, so you knew they were going to come out guns ablaze. I'm not saying that Game 4 is a must win, but this Wings fan would feel much better about their chances if they could come out of Calgary with a split. The Wings lose tomorrow night, and you know that the Chicken Littles will be out in force Friday, fearing the worst.

8. I know he's not nearly the player he once was, but I miss Darren McCarty. To be honest, it's sad to see him sit out this series as a healthy scratch for Calgary.

9. I hate hate hate these western playoff road games. I absolutely dread them. Bad things happen, man...Bad things...

10. Still no sign of Robert Lang.