Calgary Wi-- oh, wait...

When the third period started, the Wings were down. Again. This time it was TWO goals. The Flames looked like they were going to get a win and even up their record. They were even playing semi-respectable hockey. Well, at least Iginla was...

Turns out that the Wings had the flames right where they wanted them. Pavel Datsyuk opens the scoring in the third, but Alex Tanguay got the two-goal lead back shortly thereafter.

Didn't somebody once say that the two-goal lead was the worst lead to have in hockey? Well Henrik Zetterberg must have been listening, because he decided that he had had quite enough of the Calgary Flames, thank you very much. Two goals later, including one with a little over 4 ticks left on the clock, it was all tied up and OT was in the near future. Coach Mike sez: "I thought Pav made an unbelievable play," Babcock said. "I think he got the puck with about 11 seconds left and he got inside the one guy and made a good backhand pass and obviously Z buried it." Oh sure, obviously...

Calgary's future lasted a little over a minute and a half, and then Captain Lidstrom buried his third of the season, putting the biscuit in the basket and sealing the deal for the Red Wings. And by "buried", I mean he decided to play with the goalie a bit and go forehand to backhand to put it in the net, passing up a wide open one-timer. But you gotta give the guy some credit. I mean, what goalie expects a defenseman to pull a move like that? Well, they don't call him the Perfect human for nothing.

More...

So, 16 games into the season. So I took a break. Big deal.

Anyways, kids, quick show of hands: How many of you predicted that Dan Cleary would have more goals than Pavel Datsyuk? Anyone? How about leading the team in goals? No? Or how about a Three Stars that did not include someone named Zetterberg or Lidstrom?

The Red Wings found themselves in some unfamiliar territory: Losing in every category including the scoreboard, going into the third period. Everyone in my house was sitting on the edge of the couch cushions, hoping the wings would pull it out.

I stifled a yawn....

....and at roughly the 12 minute mark, the Wings score! The fam cheers! Then four minutes later they were all looking for something else to do, and there was still roughly 4 minutes left in the game. That's because Cleary, Zetterberg, Stuart, and Holmstrom all scored in that time, leaving the Blues scratching their sweaty heads wondering what went wrong for them. I mean, they were still leading in every category at the end...except the scoreboard. Sorry St. Louis, they don't award the "W" for any of those other numbers.

Mike Modano is on pace for a realtively mediocre season, but then again, he is only getting about 12-13 min of ice time (by my count) per game. Is that because he's old? In stark contrast, Nick Lidstrom has 17 points. Yeah. SEVENTEEN. 16 games in, and the Wings have six players in the double digits already.

Anyone care to venture a guess as to who leads the team in plus/minus? Nobody? How about Todd Bertuzzi? Yeah that's right, close your damn mouths, you look like retards...

OK, OK so I didn't see that one coming, but who did? Fact is, WHO CARES where the production is coming from, as long as they keep it up? So if all these guys keep going, and they guys that "normally" put up big numbers start putting them up, then I see another trip deep into the playoffs once again this year. Yeah, probably to early to call, but whatever. Last year at this time, three quarters of the team was Grand Rapid Griffins, and we still had a pretty good playoff run.

So let Cleary and Bertuzzi produce all they want. When everyone else hits their stride, it's going to be awesome to watch.