One of the Nashville Predators' beat writers called the Preds' two-goals-in-9-seconds blitz on the Red Wings late in Game 3 the high point in the franchise's 10-year history. It's not OK to snicker. It took the Pistons nearly 20 years to have their "high point" -- a Chris Ford steal to seal a mini-series win over the Bucks in 1976.
But that's fine; the Predators can feel good about the duo of goals that lifted them over the Red Wings and, temporarily, also back into the series. Let them enjoy it. But chances still are that the watershed moment will remain the Preds' high point until at least next season. Chances still are that we'll look back at those horrific nine seconds, two or three series from now, much how we looked at the chilling goals that Chris Osgood gave up from the blue line and beyond during the 1998 Cup run: that is, awful at the time, but not so bad in retrospect -- as we bathed in the sunshine of a June parade.
The Stanley Cup playoffs are rife with these kinds of moments. It's tempting to feel like you're in the depths of a valley when they happen to your team, and equally as tempting to feel like you're on top of the world when they go your way. The correct reaction, of course, is somewhere in between -- which is where the players and coaches reside, thank goodness.
Yes, there is a trend in this series that has repeated in Games 2 and 3: the Preds' ability to score goals in pairs, and quickly. And yes, it ought to be corrected, just as quickly. But this quick-strike fluke is no reason to declare the Red Wings in trouble in this series. A Detroit win tonight -- a likelihood, by the way -- and those "two in 9" don't look so important anymore, do they?
It doesn't really matter, after all, HOW you lose a playoff game. Nor does it matter how you win. Just do the latter 16 times, and the Cup is yours. How hard can that be?
But seriously, folks, the Predators had their moment, and they got the home crowd rocking and maybe the Red Wings were, indeed, a little rattled. But if the Nashvillians think that this is some sort of recipe for success, then their goose is already cooked. I'd hate to hang my hat on the notion that my team can keep scoring goals in lightning-fast pairs. Not going to happen again. It's already happened once too many in this series, in defying the odds.
One of the keys to the Red Wings' success in 1998 -- and any Cup-winning team's success, for that matter -- was Osgood's knack for bouncing back, like a rubber ball, the game after giving up one of his wretched longshot goals. Never was that more evident than in Game 6 of the conference final, when he stonewalled Dallas the game after giving up Jamie Langenbrunner's OT goal from center ice to give the Stars temporary life.
Dominik Hasek has that mindset as well. He takes these things personally, which is what you want from your guy in net. Don't be floored if the Preds get goose-egged tonight.
Shutout or not, the Red Wings will take a 3-1 series lead, and those two goals in Game 3 will be as relevant as a lieutenant governor.
Bounce back!
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