Can Wings Fight Back in Game 7?

After some late-game fisticuffs on Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks are set to take part in a one-and-done Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena, in a contest that has to be more entertaining -- from a competitive standpoint -- than what we saw on Wednesday in Washington. Depending on who you ask, the line brawl in the closing minutes of Game 6 could be a rallying cry for the Red Wings.

---

---

Penguins fans, and some players, are convinced that Max Talbot getting his face beat in by Daniel Carcillo sparked a furious Game 6 rally that ultimately eliminated the Flyers, while Scott Walker's punching of Aaron Ward seems to have turned a sluggish-looking Bruins squad into a team on a mission -- a team that also happens to be playing a Game 7 on Thursday.

Red Wings forward Daniel Cleary told Helene Elliot of the Los Angeles Times that he felt the Ducks took some liberties on players that aren't known for their fighting abilities (such as Pavel Datsyuk). From Elliot:

Asked if the emotions will carry over to today's game, Cleary hedged. "We'll see," he said. "We've got to be aggressive on them, got to force them to play good defense, got to be physical on Niedermayer, Getzlaf, Perry, these guys. We've got to be hard on them, got to hit them."

Speaking of Datsyuk, the Hart Trophy nominee has been quiet in the semifinal series, registering just two points in the six games, and only four points the entire postseason, prompting a one-on-one chat with head coach Mike Babcock.

While Datsyuk has struggled, the Red Wings have received strong contributions from Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, as the two forwards have combined for half of Detroit's goals in the series. Franzen, for example, has been one of the most efficient goal-scorers in the league the past two postseasons, filling the back of the net 20 times in his past 25 playoff games. The NHL hasn't seen a playoff performance like that since Theo Fleury scored 20 goals in 24 games in the mid-1990's with the Calgary Flames.

On the other hand, the Ducks have done a fantastic job shutting down Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom and Marian Hossa, as the trio has combined for just two goals (both from Hossa in Detroit's 6-3 win in game 4) and two assists.

So, while Babcock tries to figure out what's going on with Datsyuk, and Mitch Albom looks for Holmstrom, it's probably worth pointing out that the guys on the other side of the ice are getting paid as well, and give them some kudos for doing something nobody else has been able to do in the postseason the past two years: shut the Red Wings down. Jonas Hiller has been sensational for in goal for the Ducks, boasting a league-best .946 save percentage, including a 59-save performance in Anaheim's triple-overtime win in Game 2. The question now becomes: can he keep shutting the door against Detroit's nightly assault of shots?

Hiller has faced, on average, 43 shots per game in this series, while he's more than held his own, limiting Detroit's high-powered offense to just 18 goals. We just watched Simeon Varlamov stand on his head for Washington every night against Pittsburgh, facing a barrage of shots on a nightly basis, before finally cracking in the deciding Game 7. Does a similar fate await Hiller? Not if you ask Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. From Dan Wood of the Orange County Register (via Puck Daddy):

"They've got more shots on net than we have," Carlyle said. "San Jose did, too, but San Jose is where? And we're here. You can say whatever you want about who's done this, who's done that. They've won three games. We've won three games. Now we're going to Game 7."

Touche, coach. Touche.

Meanwhile, the other big star for Anaheim in this series has been Ryan Getzlaf, who is finally starting to get some of the recognition he deserves around the league for being one of the games best forwards. In the six games, the 213-pound forward has recorded 10 points, while also registering multiple points in four of the contests.

On the other end of the rink, Chris Osgood has once again managed to put a somewhat dreadful regular season behind him and elevate his game in the postseason. Entering play on Thursday, the 36-year-old has the fifth best save percentage in the postseason at .924, while he also brings some game 7 experience to the table. In his career with the Wings, he's 1-1 in these games, while the win was that epic overtime game against the St. Louis Blues in 1995-96.