Red Wings look to cook Ducks season

May 12, 12:50 AMDetroit Red Wings ExaminerMike Mouat

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Brian Rafalski may be ready to reurn for game six (AP, Paul Sancya)

There is no hint of quit in their words, but their body language indicates that the Anaheim Ducks are nearly finished.

The Ducks have not put up much resistance against the Red Wings the past two games while being outscored 10-4 and outshot 78-45. What remains to be seen is just how much fight the Ducks have left, starting with game six at home Tuesday night.

The Red Wings depth seems to finally be wearing down the Ducks who didn't have any answers for their inablility to match Detroit's effort in game five. George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press has more at: Ducks looked tired, not mentally ready

Craig Eno from The Bleacher Report wonders why game six needs to be played at all, stating this is really a 4-1 series masquerading as a 3-2 series: "The series forges ahead, into southern California, for a Game Six that probably shouldn’t be necessary, thanks to some whistle hijinks at the end of Game Three—a game the Red Wings likely would have won in overtime." for more from Eno click here: Do they HAVE to play game six?

Anaheim Ducks columnist Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register is thinking along the same lines as Eno, but takes it a step further and wonders if the Ducks realize they are lucky to not be down 5-0 in this series against Detroit: "In the first five games of the series, the Ducks have been out-shot, 223-138 – or by an average of 17 shots per game." For more from this article please click: At least the Ducks are still skating.

Carlyle looks to turn this arounds, by literally turning his players around.

At practice on Monday, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle used some creative thinking to get his players mindset turned around heading into game six. As reported by the Associated Press on tsn.ca, Carlyle had his left handed players play right handed and vice versa in an attempt to keep the players from dwelling on the events of the last two games. For teh complete story please click: Carlyle keeps Ducks players loose as they face elimination. Perhaps he was inspired by Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios who has on several occassions switched hands in game action.

The Associated Press is also reporting that Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski may be ready to return to the lineup for game six on Tueday. Rafalski has not played in this series following an injury suffered in the Columbus series. For more please read this article in the Detroit Free Press: Wings Brian Rafalski could play in Game 6 vs. Ducks.

For more on this series please read Anaheim Ducks Examiner Liz Brownstein.

Black Hawks advance to the Western Conference Final

At least the winner of the Ducks Red Wings series knows who they will face in the Western Conference Final as the Chicago Black Hawks knocked off the Vancouver Canucks in six games. Patrick Kane led the Hawks with a hat trick ina wild 7-5 shoot out in game six. It is the first time the Hawks have advanced this far into the playoffs since 1995. For more please read: Kane's hat trick helps eliminate Canucks from tsn.ca

Capitals extend the Penguins to seven games

In another wild back and forth game the Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 in overtime in Pittsburgh to force a game seven in Washington on Wednesday night. David Steckel redirected a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury 6:2 into the overtime period. For more on htis game please read the following article from Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun: Seventh Heaven for Capitals.

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