How are the Red Wings the first team to be knocked out?

Shea Weber's contract: $7.5 million.  Punching Henrik Zetterberg repeatedly: $2,500.  Beating the Red Wings in 5 games: Priceless.

Two things are certain in the playoffs: someone will lift the Stanley Cup in mid-June and the Red Wings will be in it.  For the first time since 2006, the Red Wings have been bumped out of the playoffs in the opening round.  Speculation about Nicklas Lidstrom's future and potential free agents that might sign with Detroit have already begun, but let's take a look at how the Red Wings season ended early, at the hands of the Nashville Predators.

• Late in Game 3 in Detroit, the Red Wings players skated to center ice and raised their arms, but as it turns out, it wasn't because they won, but because of a bad call by an official.
   
• Coach Mike Babcock had to scold his team multiple times after they repeatedly kept looking around at the suites in Nashville.
   
• Red Wings players were confused as to why Mike Babcock's lineup sheet included "Parise" and "Suter" and not Jiri Hudler or Nicklas Lidstrom.
   
• According to Don Cherry, the only reason Detroit lost is because they don't have any goons that could have taken on Shea Weber after Game 1.
   
• The Red Wings are now planning to suspend Pavel Datsyuk for the next four years and then bring him up so they can draw more media attention, and Jiri Hudler seems offended for some reason.

• Red Wings players also seemed distracted by the fact that Nick Lidstrom's next contract might only be for 7 or 8 years.
   
• Some Detroit fans wondered why the Wings didn't make a big trade at the deadline this year, but then remembered that the players Ken Holland looked at were all right-handed.
   
• Red Wings fans also seem puzzled as to what to do with the other two dozen octopi they bought for the playoffs.
   
• It's going to be pretty awkward when the veterans everyone on the Red Wings, who now have no idea what to do with themselves, show up for practice Monday morning and there's nobody there.
   
• Detroit coaches are also a bit suspicious with the Predators after a cutout of Shea Weber's grinning face kept appearing over Henrik Zetterberg's locker after Game 1.
   
• On second thought, the Red Wings' strategy of "let's all wait for Brian Rafalski to set up a great power play shot for us" may have been a bad idea.
   
• Ken Holland is trying to get a fifth or sixth round pick for Kyle Quincey, since that player will automatically turn into a superstar in Detroit.