Game 5's key elements that will force Game 6 on Sunday at Joe Louis Arena:
Screen Rinne
Everyone has anointed Predators G Pekka Rinne the new Dominik Hasek . Rinne's good, but the Red Wings are making it easy for him by not creating screens in front of the net. Any goaltender can stop a shot from the point with a clear view. Tomas Holmstrom isn't afraid to stand in front of the net, but it's time others follow.
Better goaltending
No, it's not Jimmy Howard 's fault the Red Wings are down 3-1. He's been OK. The problem is he hasn't been great. The last two goals in Game 4 were not pretty. He was out of position on the first and caught by surprise on the last. His save percentage in the series is .879; Pekka Rinne 's is .942.
Find a sniper
Red Wings GM Ken Holland couldn't get one at the trade deadline, and many believe Zach Parise will be a free-agent acquisition during the offseason. Parise, however, isn't here now. The closest the team has is Johan Franzen . "The Mule" is working hard but has one goal on 11 shots. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are wonderful playmakers, but need more talent to pass to. It would be nice for someone like Valtteri Filppula to step up.
Get Lidstrom going
Nicklas Lidstrom , the future Hall of Famer, has no points in the series and has taken 13 shots, mostly from the point. He has carried the team for so long, and when he doesn't score or get assists, the Red Wings normally don't win.
Confidence
Pavel Datsyuk said after the Game 4 loss the players have to trust one another. He's right. The Red Wings are playing helter-skelter, getting themselves out of position. It's that kind of play that led to the winning goal, when three players and G Jimmy Howard chased a Predators forward into the corner and no one covered the front of the net.
--The Detroit News
Screen Rinne
Everyone has anointed Predators G Pekka Rinne the new Dominik Hasek . Rinne's good, but the Red Wings are making it easy for him by not creating screens in front of the net. Any goaltender can stop a shot from the point with a clear view. Tomas Holmstrom isn't afraid to stand in front of the net, but it's time others follow.
Better goaltending
No, it's not Jimmy Howard 's fault the Red Wings are down 3-1. He's been OK. The problem is he hasn't been great. The last two goals in Game 4 were not pretty. He was out of position on the first and caught by surprise on the last. His save percentage in the series is .879; Pekka Rinne 's is .942.
Find a sniper
Red Wings GM Ken Holland couldn't get one at the trade deadline, and many believe Zach Parise will be a free-agent acquisition during the offseason. Parise, however, isn't here now. The closest the team has is Johan Franzen . "The Mule" is working hard but has one goal on 11 shots. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are wonderful playmakers, but need more talent to pass to. It would be nice for someone like Valtteri Filppula to step up.
Get Lidstrom going
Nicklas Lidstrom , the future Hall of Famer, has no points in the series and has taken 13 shots, mostly from the point. He has carried the team for so long, and when he doesn't score or get assists, the Red Wings normally don't win.
Confidence
Pavel Datsyuk said after the Game 4 loss the players have to trust one another. He's right. The Red Wings are playing helter-skelter, getting themselves out of position. It's that kind of play that led to the winning goal, when three players and G Jimmy Howard chased a Predators forward into the corner and no one covered the front of the net.
--The Detroit News
