Happy American Thanksgiving, ya maniacs.
IMO the Devils looked like the Wings circa 2020-21 last night, but the Wings looked like the Wings of this October - pushing the other guys off the puck and out of the zone, and scoring with apparent ease.
(I know it's not really easy.)
Only 1 dumb/lazy penalty that I remember, AND the refs were generally easy on both teams but, IMO, easier on the Wings.
I am very impressed with Lyon after 2 games. Maybe I shouldn't be. But I am. Someone mentioned they like his style in net, and that was right after he calmly skated out to poke a dangerous puck past an onrushing Devil, and I was typing the same thing.
He just looks like he belongs there - I saw him use his stick and a "short charge" to warn guys out of his crease at least 2 times, and I may have missed others that the camera didn't show. Maybe next game he's in he gets shelled for 5 easy ones and gets pulled - I DK. Someone answered me before that he hasn't earned 1st chair yet. I guess, but this season so far, have either Husso or Reimer yet? And I like Husso. I want him to be better.
Maybe it's something like the season they had Ned & Bernier - the team was bad but they simply played better in front of Bernier, and that got them fewer blowouts and more wins. Did they hurt Ned because they didn't trust him and played "more scared" in front of him? I don't know.
So, is all that a recipe for playoffs? I doubt it - I still think they just miss in the last few games. I know they are constently better than prior seasons. I know that hasn't always translated into Ws. I know they are more fun to watch, and it's not just the scoring, although that doesn't hurt. I asked during a game once last season, after seeing them obviously sticking to LaLonde's "offence will come from good defense" system, "is this what y'all meant by 'low event hockey'?" and was answered "yes". As boring as that was at times, before the "Ottawa was our Waterloo" games, it was working pretty well. Maybe they need to try more of that for a while. I don't know.
But man, it's nice to know that it's raining curly fries again for some folks out there.