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And thus, the Blackhawks learn a harsh lesson taught to so many other teams by Detroit in playoffs past. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Not that I'm happy about it.

In fact, today's game was so infuriating on so many levels that I honestly thought just writing a one word recap.

Dumb.

Dumb from the head coach on down to Kris Versteeg and Ben Eager. Those two were more interested in getting retribution on the Red Wings than they were actually playing to win the game.

Which, IMO, underscores the biggest difference between the Blackhawks and the Red Wings.

Go back to Friday night when Detroit was whistled for four penalties for a combined 13 minutes, including the controversial call against Niklas Kronwall. Now they did fall behind 3-0.

But what they didn't do is deviate from their game plan and run around just looking to hit some Hawks. By the end of the second, they had tied the game in just over four minutes.

And then after the game, they fought their battle with the officials.

Time and place for everything, guys.

You wanna knock Kronwall's head off? Wait until next year to do it. You've got too much at stake at this point in the season to worry about anything other than how to slice and dice your way through Detroit's defense and how to stop them from scoring at the other end.

As for Cristobal Huet's play, let's just say his performance was a lot like Tobias Stephan's last start for the Stars. You remember back then when a number of Stars fans were calling for him to start.

And then he did in a Sunday afternoon matinee against Pittsburgh and got lit like a petitie Irish gal on St. Patrick's Day.

Now about that series in the East...

Yeah, it's gonna be Pittsburgh. And Geno Malkin is on Firah!!!

It's a damn shame we'll probably have to wait at least 8 days for the Stanley Cup Finals to begin. Granted, that break is going to really help Detroit's injury woes.

Let's say it started next weekend as opposed to the weekend after? Yeah, Detroit would be in trouble from the get go.

I think Pavel Datsyuk's injury is worse than the Red Wings are letting on. The Chief made a very salient point along those lines in that if you have a foot injury where the foot is not broken, you shot the damn thing full of cortisone and go out and play.

Which probably means Datsyuk's foot IS broken. Now I don' t think this break will necessarily help him.

It will help Kris Draper's groin and whatever is ailing Nicklas Lidstrom.