Bearded Ice – April 20

The time has finally come for Game 5.

Quick hits

The Wings try to live to see another day when they take on the Predators tonight in Nashville. The Wings are on the brink of their shortest playoff run since 2006. Here’s the official game notes to help you get ready for the opening face-off.

It’s going to take everything the Wings have to dig themselves out of their current hole. Nashville has been doing all the little things right – blocking shots, forcing the Wings into bad shots, winning the battles along the boards and the races to the puck (see: Pavel Datsyuk vs. Mike Fisher). Factor in a goalie that’s playing as well as you could ask for in Pekka Rinne, and the Wings have quite the uphill climb.

However, it is the Red Wings. If there’s one thing people should have learned over the last two decades, it’s that Detroit’s team is capable of pretty much anything. If the Wings can find the motivation necessary to put together a complete 60 minutes, I won’t be surprised to find myself at the Joe on Sunday.

Highlight reel

Let the motivational YouTube videos begin.

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Outside the Mitten

Former Wolverines star Brendan Morrison is our Michi-gamer of the night after a big goal for the Blackhawks yesterday.

Adam Henrique, Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are this year’s finalists for the Calder Trophy.

The goaltending situation in Vancouver – Luongo out, Schneider in –  is discussed on TSN.

Check it out

Darren Eliot discusses the Wings/Preds series for SI.com right here.

Next up

We’ll obviously be talking Red Wings hockey Monday morning. And tonight.