There's no whining in hockey

So playoff hockey is upon us and our Detroit Red Wings start another quest for the cup. Round 1 is against Nashville, a team that I wanted to avoid since the trade deadline. They've done much more to their lineup than the Wings and this is their one shot at really making a run for the cup. Nashville is going all in now because if they don't the next time they have a shot at the cup will be when they're playing in Quebec (fingers crossed). The Wings on the other hand have dealt with injury after injury and honestly their lineup just isn't that great. They have too many "role-players" and not enough plain talent. The drop off from Pavel Datsyuk to Danny Cleary is huge and sure, I like a player like Darren Helm but he's nothing more than a younger version of Kris Draper.

The matchup with the Predators is all wrong. Aside from the experience factor, I think the Pred's have a better line-up than the Wings. They're bigger on defense, better in net and their forwards may not have the street cred that the Wings have but look at the series right now, 1-0 Nashville. The bottom line is the Wings should have avoided this first round matchup at all costs. If Pavel doesn't score the game tying goal in the last regular season game, the Wings are prepping for the Coyotes, a team they've dominated in the playoffs.

Game One last night was a garbage fire of a game, not only for the Wings but for the NHL. You've got referees calling every ticky tack play, disrupting the flow and making for an overall poor showing on the NHL's behalf. I know Bettman was in the crowd, CBC and FSD telecasts both made note of it but that doesn't mean the game is meant to suffer. 13 penalties called, no momentum, no flow, just a tough watch.

But this is what Wings fans wanted. They wanted Nashville, they wanted to not have to travel to the left coast, they wanted Datsyuk to tie the score in the final game of the season to secure the fifth playoff spot. This is what you all wanted and that is why I don't want to hear any of the excuses for why the Red Wings lost that game last night. Don't blame it on Bettman, don't blame it on the officials, don't blame it on bad luck - no blame yourselves.

I don't like picking against my own teams, but I can read a scenario and know that facing Nashville in the first round with a Red Wings team that's been fighting injuries and just isn't as complete as the Predators is an uphill battle. The Wings need to buckle down and play Detroit Hockey. Tomorrow's game is a great chance to steal the series as it heads back to Detroit this weekend. Play hard, play fast and play smart and after tomorrow the next time the Wings play in Nashville they could be a game away from advancing to the second round.

Hit me up on twitter or check me out on facebook, I'm going for a run - I'll check you guys tomorrow.

-Cooper