Thorsten currently plays wealthy casino owner, Zach Slater, in ABC’s daytime drama, All My Children. For that role, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actor” in 2006. He has also appeared in films, The Silencers, Deadly Desire, and The Bone Collector. An avid rugby and hockey fan, Kaye will chronicle the Detroit Red Wings run to the Stanley Cup.


It seems to me that Sommet Center has a great energy, that it’s a great place to play – for the home team. But even Lilja, talking to reporters after Game 3, he even said that the atmosphere, the energy, the fans all made it a great place to play.


Nashville definitely enjoyed it.


Now I’m not usually one to flip-flop with goaltenders, but I believe we have to start with Osgood on Friday, absolutely. I don’t know how you can’t.


There was talk, before this series, about how Hasek would have to prove something, and to me, thus far, he hasn’t proved anything. He let in two soft ones again, and even though one bounced off of Kronwall, I think it was, you have to make those saves.


Heck, I would’ve let those in. Those are saves that have to be made.


The goals are coming in from too far out, their ‘D’ are the ones doing the damage. He has to be able to stop a puck from 60 feet away!


I did some checking last night, and not one member of Nashville’s D-core had more than seven goals this season. Seven! And right now, four of the six defenders in their lineup have scored at least one goal and each of them has at least one point!


They’re all pushing up, their D, and boy are they taking advantage of it. By comparison, the Wings (who had more points out of their defensemen than any other team in the league this season) have only one goal from the point and four of the seven D to have played a game in this series haven’t been up on the scoresheet yet.


I was in Detroit yesterday; I received an Ovation Award from Wayne State University for achievements in my field. The best thing about the show was that it was over at nine, and I was able to rush back to my hotel room and tune in.


I remember thinking about halfway through “Come on boys, don’t do this to me again.”


Now, I’m no hockey expert. I’m not sure what that is, what exactly happened these past two games. I don’t know if they’re sitting back a little, afraid of Nashville’s speed and their size, but something is going on. But you have to give credit to Nashivlle, they know what they’re doing. Against a puck-possession team like the Red Wings, you have to get on them quick and stay on them, and Nashville is doing this. They’re on the puck immediately.


If you disrupt a team a puck-possession team, they get flustered, and all of a sudden you’ll get guys who try to go to the magic pass, or they start trying to do too much by themselves. That’s when you get yourself in trouble.


There is one guy, however, that I don’t mind if he tries to do a little too much: Pavel Datsyuk.


Despite what people may say or what you may hear, he’s always been a great player for the Red Wings. For a little guy, he gets in there, he’s not scared at all. Did you see last night when Hamhuis came through the middle and tried to deliver a check? Datsyuk sent him flying.

How many 5-foot-10 centers in the NHL can do what he does? None.


And what might be the most exciting part of his game is that he’s enjoying every minute of it. You can tell he’s having fun out there.


I’ve met him once or twice, and he never used to talk – in 2002, he used to be the shyest and quietest guy in the locker room.


Now he does interviews a little bit, and he’s coming out of his shell; and you can tell he has fun. You can tell he loves to play. He tries things, he tries moves nobody else would try because he’s loose and relaxed and enjoying himself.


A lot of the other guys, they look like they’re wearing suits and going to the office.


Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom have been good, and a few of the other guys, but we need some secondary scoring to help out the big first line. Hudler is having a rough time and Franzen, he looked good early but he’s been slowed up a little bit in the past two games.


I don’t know if you want to put Holmer with a different line, to get Franzen up with Datsyuk and Zetterberg, or mix it up a little bit because last night, Babcock started switching things up and I think he touched on a couple things that would work. I’m no coach though, so I leave that up to the experts.


all I know is, Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been great, but you need someone else scoring.


Saying all that however, in the third period last night, Detroit took over the game. Completely. But it almost looked like – and I hope I’m wrong here – like when Shanahan was talking about “Desperation and panic.” Their play almost looked like panic to me.


Like I said, I hope I’m wrong.


The skill level is there, obviously, but they need to start playing with an edge. You have McCarty and he wants to prove himself, you have Cleary who needs to step up and Draper who has done more than anyone expected, but still, this team needs to get a little less pretty, and a little more gritty. Some of these other guys need to raise their games, like the Predators are doing.


I’m not nervous, not yet. I’m a little disappointed; I’m always disappointed when people don’t play to their potential. But I know that this is nothing new to the Wings – last year they were up 2-0 on Calgary and ended up dropping the next two and winning in six.


But that level between desperation and panic needs to be a little finer, and they have to get on the desperate side of the puck.


These guys are great but they have to want it.


I think they will.


And I’ll be watching.