Nashville Predators Vs. Detroit Red Wings, NHL Playoffs 2012: Complete Series Coverage

It seems strange that it has become popular to dub the Wings the first playoff team playing golf this postseason, and the decisions Detroit made during the season to tweak their roster may have been made with the future in mind rather than this year. With so many question marks surrounding Detroit’s structure from here on out, the Wings may have needed to add something else to help them through a playoff run against a team like Nashville.

It had been rumored that Detroit was hoping to acquire Gaustad at the deadline. But with the high price and having already traded their first-rounder for Quincey, there wasn’t much left for the Wings to give up. Instead, the Preds won the Gaustad sweepstakes.

Prior to Game 4 between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators, neither team had shown an offensive advantage in the series, despite the talent that both rosters contain. Down 2-1 in the series heading into Tuesday night’s affair, Mike Babcock made some changes to the lineup in order to bring a little offensive balance for Detroit to take advantage of their well-known dominance at home.

The changes worked in the Wings’ favor to start, as they came out much harder than the Predators. Nashville was unable to establish anything offensively and Detroit owned in zone time -- by the start of the third period, the Preds only had 10 shots (three in the second alone) to the Red Wings’ 28. The advantage in puck possession also gave the Wings more chances on the power play. It seemed inevitable that the line changes had worked, giving Detroit an edge in holding the Predators talent back.

Stick with SBNation.com for full Red Wings vs. Predators series coverage. For more from the Detroit perspective, check in with Winging It In Motown and SB Nation Detroit. For more from the Nashville perspective, check in with On The Forecheck.

There won’t be an elimination game in Tuesday night’s slate, but the last two Game 3s of the quarterfinals in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs will finally be played. And the No. 6 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences could take control of their respective matchups in these games.

In Detroit, the Red Wings had a chance to back up their road split in Nashville with a home win against the Predators on Sunday. Nashville prevailed 3-2, and the Preds will have a chance to take a 3-1 series lead back to Tennessee with a win in Tuesday’s Game 4.

Stick with SBNation.com for Predators vs. Red Wings series coverage. For more on the Predators, visit On the Forecheck. For updates on the Red Wings, check out Winging It in Motown and SB Nation Detroit.

Will a return home keep the Red Wings on the path to victory?

Game time/date: 12:00 p.m ET, Sunday, April 15, 2012

No. 5 Detroit Red Wings at No. 4 Nashville Predators

7:30 p.m. ET Friday -- Game 2, Western Quarterfinals | NSH leads, 1-0

National TV: CNBC, CBC | Local TV: FS Detroit, SportSouth

For more on the Predators, visit On the Forecheck. For updates on the Red Wings, check out Winging It in Motown and SB Nation Detroit.

I’m all for the NHL treating the playoffs different from the regular season. Playoff games are much more valuable than regular season games, and what draws a one-game suspension in the regular season should probably be just a fine in the playoffs, even when dealing with a repeat offender. No one is really going to argue this, nor should they.

I don’t care if Weber has won a Lady Byng (yes, I know he hasn’t). It also doesn’t matter if Weber has any history of this type of behavior (unless he has worked for WWE in a previous life, this doesn’t seem likely). Also irrelevant is whether Zetterberg was injured or not (he’s reported to be fine).

GIF: Shea Weber smashes Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass

The fine is the maximum financial punishment allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but it’s rather shocking that Weber didn’t see a suspension given the obvious intent of his actions. It’s clear that the league feels further discipline is not warranted given the lack of an injury to Zetterberg on the play, but with the recent emphasis on blows to the head, it’s a bit curious that Shanahan decided against sitting Weber for even a single game.

Stick with SBNation.com for full coverage of the Red Wings vs. Predators series. For more from the Detroit perspective, check in with SB Nation Detroit and Winging It In Motown.

Between their head-to-head record, the form of the goalies and the production of their offensive weapons, the Wings-Preds series is extremely evenly matched. The series opens in Nashville, and the Red Wings won’t be OK with less than a split heading back to Joe Louis Arena.

No. 5 Detroit Red Wings at No. 4 Nashville Predators

8 p.m. ET -- Game 1, Western Conference Quarterfinals | Series tied, 0-0

National TV: CNBC, CBC, RDS2 | Local TV: FS Detroit, SportSouth