Sometimes a team gets just what they deserve. Certainly that was the case Monday night when the Red Wings lost to San Jose in Game 3 of a Western Conference semifinal series. The Red Wings played very well for half the game. But it was disappointing the way they performed after San Jose tied it. That was especially true of the way San Jose dominated the third period. Goaltending is not a problem. The only reason the Red Wings were reasonably in the game was because of Dominik Hasek. The big concern in this series is the way Joe Thornton kind of just took over Monday. He is the best forward in the series and he does every thing well. Once he gets it cranked up, the Sharks feed off him. That was the case Monday. On the road, the Red Wings have trouble matching up with him because they don’t get the last line change. Kris Draper had been doing a good job of shadowing Thornton. Wednesday's game is obviously key. The Red Wings must get the home ice advantage back. But in order to do so, they must finish what they start. That obviously wasn’t the case Monday.

Random Thoughts

- There is a lot to like about Brandon Inge. He is an extraordinary athlete. He is a product of the Tigers minor league system. He has rare versatility. He is a genuinely good guy who does well when speaking to the media. He definitely gives back to the community. He has a lot of power for a little guy. There are times when he makes spectacular plays at third base. The downside to Inge is his inconsistency. It makes it very difficult, ultimately, to gauge just how effective he really is.
Sunday he was great. He went 3-for-3. He hit a game-winning home run against the Twins when the Tigers really needed it. Yet, he was one of the major reasons factors the Tigers were reeling in the first place. He entered Sunday with a .122 batting average. In the previous two games, both losses, Inge was 0-for-7 with four strikeouts. He has just 12 hits in 77 at bats this season, but has won the Tigers two games - the one Sunday and one earlier in Toronto - with his power. It’s the same defensively. Inge will make a brilliant play one moment - and then mess up a routine throw to second base to start a double play the next. Because he is signed long-term and is a homegrown product, Inge is a very important piece of the Tigers’ puzzle. They need him to be less of an up-and-down entity if they are going to get to where they want to go.

- I didn’t like the Lions draft after the first round. I would have liked it a lot more if they had taken Michigan middle linebacker David Harris with their second round pick. Not that I don’t like Drew Stanton, but he just didn’t seem to fit there. Time will tell. Who knows? Maybe Stanton to Calvin Johnson will be the next great pitch-and-catch tandem in the NFL. It just doesn’t seem like it at this point.

- Reason No. 2,345 the Red Wings front office knows what they are doing: Daniel Cleary. What a great acquistion that was, eh?

- I just have this picture in my mind of Ben Wallace shooting free throws against the Pistons in the playoffs. It must be a comforting thought to Piston fans, who based on the way they booed Big Ben at the line during the regular season, seem to relishing the thought of being on the other side of that fence.