Red Wings 5, Senators 3: Post Game Snipes...

• How great did it feel to drop the puck on the new season? Birds were singing, there were rainbows, and unicorns frolicked in my living room. Actually, that's a lie. It was pouring outside and I was trying to clean pizza sauce off of the couch when the game started, but that's how I felt in my mind.
• I pretty much love Budd Lynch. His voice makes me happy. Sometimes I wonder if the players slip him cash to mispronounce their buddies' names as a joke. That's what I'd do if I was a hockey player, anyway. Either way, I love it.
• I think Ozzie's officially the most beloved goaltending coach of all time, judging by his introduction tonight.
• The pre-game ceremony with Brad McCrimmon's family was nice. It was super sweet (and a little heartbreaking) when his son put on the jersey that he was presented.
• If I had to predict which one of the Wings would give the most awkward hugs, I'd choose Pavel Datsyuk.
• It's a good thing that they switched to those low-energy goal lights at the Joe before the opener what with the Wings scoring five goals and all.
• I know some people want to panic about the three goals that the Wings gave up towards the end of the game, but I'd like them to take a deep breath and a chill pill (yeah, I actually used that phrase). They let up on a big lead late in the game against a lousy team. Of course, in an ideal world, the team would be absolutely flying for every minute of every game, but that would only be realistic if they were all robots. Nick Lidstrom aside, that's just not the case. Let's wait and see for a few more games before we start hyperventilating, ok?
• Speaking of Lidstrom, Datsyuk's apparently been teaching some of his dangling tricks. He pulled a nice move waltzing in on Anderson for his goal.
• Cory Emmerton is evidently the first Red Wing in possession of a Twitter account to score a goal in an NHL game. Because you needed to know that.
• I liked pretty much everything about Bert's goal.
• So how about those special teams, eh?
• We're only one game in, but consider me sold on the Ian White signing. He was impressive all night. I will, however, continue to call him Not-Kirk-Maltby until further notice because I don't handle change very well. That's what happens when you take over the number of one of my childhood icons.
• Please, pretty please let Hudler continue doing what he did tonight all season long.

Final Thought:
There is nothing worse than spending the hockey off-season in Florida. I'd take a never-ending Michigan winter with permanent hockey season over four hockey-less months in this live-in oven.

An Ode to the Grinders...

My latest piece for The Fourth Period posted this morning.  What started out as a farewell to Maltby turned into a tale about Detroit and our love of the Wings' grinders.  I hope it's not too sappy for you sunshines.  Check it out here.

And Then There Was One...

Classic Kirk Maltby.

Kirk Maltby called it quits on Tuesday instead of spending the year in Grand Rapids, thus making Kris Draper the one remaining member of the famed Grind Line. We're one step closer to the end of an era. This makes me feel really old. Maltby's always been a favorite of mine. I really can't remember far enough back to a time when he wasn't part of the Wings' roster. As much as we loved watching him play, other teams hated facing him. I challenge you to find someone in the league who gave a better facewash than Maltby did. He'll go down as one of the legendary Wings not because of his goal-scoring prowess (though Mickey Redmond loved to remind fans how Maltby scored 50 goals in juniors back in the day), but because of his loyalty and dedication to winning. He was a team guy, and we were lucky to get to watch him for all these years.

I keep thinking back to last season when his perfectly-timed shoulder surgery happened to clear up just enough cap space to alleviate the Wings' crunch. I don't doubt that there was a problem with his shoulder, but I will always suspect that he probably could've held out until the off-season if the Wings hadn't had to fit under the cap. It stuck me then as the ultimate act of team loyalty and (as we all knew it would) that loyalty has been repaid with a scouting job in the organization. I love the way the Wings take care of their good soldiers.

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Kirk Maltby...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 11 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Kirk Maltby

2009-2010 Regular Season: 52 GP, 4-2-6, +/- 1, 32 PIM

2010 Playoffs: N/A

Season Highlight: Scoring a nice goal in his last game of the season.

Season Lowlight: Shoulder surgery that ended his year.

There was a lot of discussion this summer about whether or not Maltby would be back with the Wings again this season. I was sure the Wings would make him an offer, but I didn't know if he would take them up on it or not. His season ended last year with shoulder surgery in what I interpreted as one of the great acts of team loyalty I've seen in pro sports. I'll remain convinced as long as I live that his shoulder could've held out for the rest of the season if the Wings hadn't been facing a cap crunch from players returning from injuries.

Now he's back on a two-way deal for what is almost certainly his farewell tour. He's fighting for a job with younger grinders, and I expect him to spend the majority of the season in Grand Rapids. He's looked good so far at camp and in the pre-season, but I don't think that's going to be enough to earn him a job with the Wings right off the bat. Younger guys have come up and taken over his role and it looks like we're going to be seeing the end of an era this season.


What he needs to do to make me smile: Work hard when he cracks the lineup and keep aggravating other teams.

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Kris Draper...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 24 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Kris Draper

2009-2010 Regular Season: 81 GP, 7-15-22, +/- -2, 28 PIM

2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 0-0-0, +/- 0, 16 PIM

Season Highlight: He scored his 150th career goal.

Season Lowlight: Inspiring the Commune slang “donut goalies” by continuously shooting directly into opposing goalies' stomachs.

Drapes looked pretty good on the line with Helm and Eaves last season. It seemed like being paired with a couple of speedy youngsters reguvinated him a little. The line provided some speedy checking combined with a frustrating inability to convert offensive chances.

This is almost certainly going to be Draper's swan song. His contract ends after this season, and Helm and Justin Abdelkader have established themselves as the future of the Grind Line. There just won't be cap or roster space for Draper beyond this season. He's still a valuable penalty killer and provides essential locker room leadership, but this is looking like the year he finally rides off into the sunset.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Solid defensive play.

The Red Wings at Cedar Point...

I recently headed down to Cedar Point with some of the ladies of the Commune, Sara and Amanda. Now, the Red Wings and roller coasters are two of the great loves of my life, so it was only natural that the conversation turned to comparisons of Wings players and Cedar Point rides in short order. What else were we supposed to do while waiting in lines all day? We tweeted most of our ride comparisons while we were at the park, but I thought it would be a good idea to flesh out some of our logic and reasoning (terms that I always use loosely when referring to Commune events). I’ll start with some of our lamer choices and work up to the Brett Lebda coaster, which I think was our master stroke.

We named Mike Babcock the mayor of Frontier Town. It's rough and tumble and outdoorsy, just like the Wings' fearless leader. Can you imagine anyone else in charge?

Junior Gemini=Mattias Ritola
Cedar Point has two kiddie coasters, so we decided to name both of them in honor of prospects in Grand Rapids. It seemed fitting. We went with this one for Ritola in honor of Andy.

Woodstock Express=Jakub Kindl
This is the other kiddie coaster at CP, and it was named for the Wings’ top defensive prospect.

Cedar Creek Mine Ride=Derek Meech
Nobody ever remembers that this ride exists. It’s pretty lame, and one could argue for its inclusion with the kiddie coasters that have been previously discussed. It’s decent enough to ride if you’ve got time to kill and you’re bored, but there are much better things to be doing with limited CP time.

Iron Dragon=Jiri Hudler
I don’t recall the exact reasoning behind this one, but it had something to do with being short, spitting water at people, and being vaguely Asian.

Thunder Canyon=Dan Cleary
There really wasn’t a lot of thought behind this one. We realized at one point that we’d forgotten to name a ride for Cleary and happened to be in line for this one at the time. It sort of works, because I was really excited to ride it because I wanted to get wet, but the first two times I was the only dry person on the raft. After some debate, we decided to try riding one last time so I could get wet and the third time around, I finally got soaked. It’s kind of like how Cleary came in with all these expectations, and didn’t really work out until he was given a shot in Detroit. Plus, we figured Newfies would like water.

Demon Drop=Marian Hossa
Demon Drop, an old favorite of mine, packed up and moved to a different park.

Skyhawk=Drew Miller
This is one of my favorite non-coasters at the park. It’s quite simple in nature, but manages to be very entertaining. It’s not unique, but provides an adequate break from the roller coaster routine.

Mean Streak=Gordie Howe
This was a tough one. I have a secret love for the Mean Streak because I’ve been lucky enough to ride it when the brakes on the big drop were not running, so I’ve experienced it in all of its glory. However, it got old and rickety and had to slow down to keep it from falling apart. It still packs a mean punch, though. When you get off of it, it feels like you just took an elbow to the teeth.

MaXair=Valtteri Filppula
As far as I’m concerned, this is the crown jewel of non-coasters at CP. It’s flashy, exciting, and spectacular to look at. It also has great hair. I rode a ride just like MaXair at King’s Island a few years before it was built at CP, so it even takes care of the older brother that looks the same part. The more I think about it, the more I like it.

Wildcat=Justin Abdelkader
It runs around, slamming you into the side of the car. It’s not the biggest, the fastest, or the most exciting, but it’s a good, solid ride that’s a lot of fun. It also happens to be Sara’s BFF.

Snake River Falls=Chris Osgood
We decided to go with the water rides for the goalies. Snake River Falls was never great, but once the old log ride got taken down, it was the main water attraction at the park. However, it was shut down the day we were at the park, kind of like Chris Osgood this season.

Shoot the Rapids=Jimmy Howard
Shoot the Rapids is the shiny, new centerpiece attraction that’s taking all of the glory away from Snake River Falls. Like its Red Wings counterpart, the new log ride has stumbled out of the gate. It was slated to be open at the beginning of the season, but has had issues that have prevented it from opening on schedule. I’m sure once its issues get sorted out, it’ll wow the crowds.

Sir Rub-a-Dub’s Tubs=Thomas McCollum
It’s a kiddie water ride. Get it?

Wicked Twister=Tomas Holmstrom
Neither one is particularly flashy, but both are incredibly amusing. Homer is known for his backside, while Wicked Twister is known for going backwards. It actually kind of looks a little bit like the way Homer skates, now that I think about it.

Blue Streak=Brian Rafalski
Both are little, old, adorable, and possibly Polish. This was the comparison that started this whole mess. Neither one packs much punch, but Blue Streak is a must-ride at Cedar Point.

Gemini=Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby
Even though we could have gone the obvious Eurotwin route on this one, we decided to go with the Wings’ legendary BFFs. Amanda even went as far as to name the red train The Ginger Rocket for Drapes, which left Maltby as the blue train. Even though Gemini is past its prime, I absolutely adore the ride. It’s still one of my favorites after all these years, just like the old Grind Liners.

Raptor=Johan Franzen
Raptor very nearly became named after Filppula because it flips, but we decided that it was too ferocious for him. We went with the Mule because it seemed to suit his power and strength. It can really knock you around, but manages to combine that with a little bit of grace as it swoops through barrel rolls. And at the very end, it steals your mouthguard.

Power Tower=Jonathan Ericsson
It’s big and impressive, but just kind of stands there. It’s not nearly as exciting as it looks.

Magnum=Henrik Zetterberg
Magnum’s a fantastic all-around ride and one of my very favorites. It’s a traditional out-and-back ride that I think suits Z’s two-way play. Magnum doesn’t get nearly enough attention these days, even though it’s much better than its flashier counterparts. It’s solid, dependable, and always delivers. I love it.

Maverick=Pavel Datsyuk
Maverick is neither the fastest nor the tallest ride in the park, but it packs a lot of punch. It twists and turns and whips you around, and at the end you find yourself checking your pockets to make sure none of your valuables are missing. It’s a perfect match for wily Pavel.

Corkscrew=Todd Bertuzzi
This was fitting because of the way Corkscrew twists and turns over the midway. It seemed like the perfect metaphor for Bert’s spin-o-ramas. Later on, as we were walking by, a train was pulling out of the station. A guy on the train yelled, “We’re gonna die!!!” It was perfect. He knew what he was getting himself into.

Millennium Force=Nicklas Lidstrom
Quite simply, both of them are perfect. Millennium is stunning. It’s by far the best ride at the park and even after ten years (which makes me feel ridiculously old) of operation and being surpassed in height and speed by younger rides, you could make a very strong argument that it’s still the best roller coaster on the planet. That sounds an awful lot like a certain defenseman that I know.

Top Thrill Dragster=Darren Helm
Dragster has blazing speed, but not a lot of finish. It launches like a rocket, just like Helmer on a breakaway, but lacks the substance of Magnum or Maverick. In the end, it’s always a bit of a disappointment, but manages to keep you coming back for more hoping that there’ll be a better ending the next time around.


Disaster Transport=Brett Lebda
The Lebda coaster was by far my favorite name association. It was absolutely spot on. There’s the routine of, “Oh yeah, I forgot about that ride. I guess we can go on it. Oh god, this ride sucks. What were we thinking?” There’s also the cheesy theming, black lights, and glow paint that you queue through as you enter the Lebda Lair. Like Amanda said, it was, “so very Lebda.” Anyone who’s ever been there knows what we’re talking about.

That’s all I’ve got. Any thoughts, additions, or alternate suggestions?

Red Wings Stats and Trivia Geekfest...

I’ve never been much of a stat-head before. I think people tend to put too much stock in them a lot of times. I am, however, absolutely enthralled with the game notes packet I got when I was covering the suite event on Tuesday (and that Drew was kind enough to leave for me). I know it’s a little weird, but it is what it is. These were current at the start of the Edmonton game, so the numbers may have changed a little bit, and I’ve updated things like their record and points. I’m not messing with the percentages and decimals and things like that, though.

• In one-goal games, including the one against Edmonton, the Wings are an impressive 19-6-13 (Well, not so much the 13, but you get the idea.). Being able to win tight games like that is going to serve them well down the road. They don’t fare quite as well in two- and three-goal games (10-7 and 11-10 respectively).
• The Wings have a 22-29 record all time in the shootout. That’s one that I will never understand.
• This season, the Wings are 25-14-7 when outshooting their opponent. They’re also 13-7-6 when being outshot. I know at least a couple of those 13 wins that were Jimmy specials.
• They have almost identical records against the divisions in the Western Conference: 10-6-3 in the Central, 10-6-4 in the Pacific, and 11-6-3 in the Northwest. That’s consistency.
• This is one of my favorite breakdowns: March was their best month by far with 25 points. Next was November (Remember when we all thought that would be the turning point of the season?) with 17 points. December and January each brought 16 points (Side note: Edmonton didn’t have a single win in January. Ouch.). They only got 13 points in October. They picked up 6 points in February, but that was the Olympic Break so it doesn’t really count. I guess it’s good that they’re peaking at the right time.
• The boys have scored 62 first period goals, 70 second period goals, and 71 third period goals. In contrast, opponents have scored 59 first period goals, 67 second period goals, and 62 third period goals. (This one was updated to include the Edmonton game.)
• The Wings had outshot opponents 827-695 in the third period prior to the Edmonton game. The other period breakdowns aren’t that interesting. I like the third period shot differential though.
• The Wings rank second in the NHL in terms of penalties taken.
• The boys have been outscored 5 on 5 this season 130-140 (updated to include Edmonton). They’ve also been outscored 6-7 4 on 4. They’ve also scored ten empty net goals.
• Z is only 2 for 11 in the shootout. Even Jason Williams (Who?) is 3 for 8.
• Nik Kronwall leads the team in shorthanded points with four. Darren Helm leads them in shorthanded goals with three.
• As of Tuesday, the Wings had lost 300 man games to injury this season. Edmonton, in contrast had lost 464. That divides out to more than 5.5 whole seasons for the Oilers. Ouch.
• Jimmy Howard’s starting streak is the longest for a Detroit goalie since Tim Cheveldae started 29 in a row in ’91-’92.
• Prior to the Edmonton game, the penalty kill had been clicking at a rate of 94%. They’d killed off 63 of 67 penalties in that span. In the previous twelve games, they’d killed off 33 of 34 penalties for a rate of 97%. Where were those numbers during the playoffs last year?
• Datsyuk has had the team’s longest point streak this season. It lasted six games from February 13th to March 9th.
• Homer had the team’s last hat trick on the road in February of ’07 against Nashville.
• Brendan Shanahan was the last Wing to have a four-goal game in March of ’01 against Calgary.
• Sergei Fedorov was the last Wing to have a five-goal game the day after Christmas in ’96. That event was near and dear to my heart because I’d unwrapped a spiffy new #91 jersey the day before and was wearing it as I sat on the floor and watched that game. It was my first moment of belief in the Hockey Gods, as I was sure that he was scoring all of those goals for me. Little did I know that just a short while later he would fall from my favor. No Red Wing has ever had a five-goal game on the road.
• Valtteri Filppula has taken the team’s last home and last road penalty shots. He scored in December ’07 at the Joe, but missed this past October in Buffalo.
• Kirk Maltby is the last Wing to have scored two shorthanded goals in a road game. He did it against San Jose all the way back in October of ’02.
• The Wings are ranked 2nd in the NHL in shots on goal per game, averaging 33.3.
  

And now for the fun player facts:

• Chris Osgood likes the Black Eyed Peas. He’s got some pretty questionable taste in music.
• Dan Cleary, on the other hand, likes The Killers, which I can at least respect.
• Derek Meech idolized Steve Yzerman growing up.
• This one is one of my favorites: Patrick Eaves lists Five Guys Cheeseburgers as his favorite food. I would have to agree with him that they’re quite delicious.
• Kirk Maltby likes Metallica. Bring on the jokes.
• Jason Williams (Who?) and Brett Lebda both list sushi as their favorite food. Ew.
• Lebda’s idea golf foursome would include Tiger Woods, Megan Fox, and Robin Williams. Go ahead and make your jokes now.
• Kris Draper’s favorite food is steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Now that’s a meal I could enjoy. Not only are we name twins, but we’re apparently food soulmates as well. Mmmm steak and potatoes…
• Henrik Zetterberg’s favorite sport other than hockey is kite surfing. He also likes steak and Bob Dylan. I’m not 100% sure what kite surfing is, but I can definitely get behind the steak and Dylan.
• Darren Helm’s ideal golf foursome would be Tiger Woods, Shaq, and Mike Myers. That’s quite an eclectic group.
• Todd Bertuzzi’s favorite musical artist is James Taylor, which I find surprising (assuming I’m thinking of the right James Taylor).
• Nik Kronwall’s hockey superstition is that he always puts his skates on in the same order. This amused both Drew and me because, well, there are really only two options for the order in which one puts on skates or shoes.

Red Wings 2, Flames 1: Post Game Snipes...

• The Wings didn’t exactly come flying out of the gate last night, but they buckled down when things mattered the most and managed to squeak out an important win.
• I really can’t stress enough how important it was to win that game.
• Kirk Maltby did a good job in his audition for a post-career broadcasting gig. I also thought it was cute that Homer asked about him in his post-game interview.
• The name Nigel Dawes never fails to make me snicker. I should grow up.
• What got into Drew Miller? He had his best game in a while and had a bunch of great chances. He didn’t quite finish any of them, and I was shocked that ‘snakebit’ wasn’t used to describe him on the broadcast. This was good because it should really be ‘snake-bitten’ and that bothers me.
• I was terrified on that penalty shot. However, since Jimmy Howard made the save, it ended out working out pretty well for the Wings. They got to keep their powerplay and went on to do good things with that. I really thought Jason Williams (Who?) was the one who got called for the penalty shot, but according to the box score, it was actually Zetterberg. (UPDATE 3/16/10 8:31 PM: I finally got to watch the replay just now, and it was clearly Williams. I'm not sure what the deal with the box score saying it was Zetterberg is. He wasn't anywhere near it. I still say it was a weak penalty shot call, though.)
  
• I still haven’t figured out what Z was doing on that play when Z made the turnover that led to the breakaway that led to the penalty shot.
• Datsyuk’s goal came courtesy of a classic Holmstrom screen. It was sheer beauty.
• When Brian Rafalski took that four-minute penalty in the third, I thought in my head that whoever was successful during that penalty would win the game. If Calgary scored, they’d go on to win, but if the Wings killed it off they’d end up on top. Of course, I didn’t dare say that out loud and I quickly banished those thoughts. Luckily, I turned out to be correct.
• Holmstrom’s goal was on a classic deflection right in front of the net. He was in picturesque form last night.
• Don’t overlook the play Brad Stuart made to keep the puck in the zone right before Franzen took the shot that was deflected in. Without that, the goal doesn’t happen.
• It had to be disheartening for the Flames to give up a goal in the final minute of the second period, and then the winner with less than two minutes to go in the game. I mean, I don’t really care, but having watched the Wings do that numerous times this season, I can empathize.
• Winning this game means that Calgary doesn’t win the season series, which is one of the tiebreakers should they find themselves deadlocked with Calgary for 8th place at the end of the season. Of course, if the Wings would just buckle down and play hockey like they have been over the last week, I don’t think we’ll have to be agonizing about trying to understand the tiebreakers at the end of the season.
• I was really amused by how excited everyone on Twitter was about that shot that Jimmy didn’t give up a rebound on near the end of the game. Still, it was vacuum-like.
• I wasn’t particularly happy with the fact that Zetterberg lost two straight defensive zone faceoffs during the final seconds of the game. Obviously, nothing bad happened, but those have to be won.
• The Wings now find themselves an exciting three points above Calgary in the standings and only one point behind Nashville for 7th place. They’re in a position where they can’t be passed during their three day mini-break on the west coast (Seriously, three days off and then back-to-back games? On the weekend I’m going out of town? I’m going to go a whole week without watching a game, which is sad for me.) How much more anxious would we all be if we had to sit idly by during the next three days knowing that the Wings were out of the playoffs again and other teams were pulling away? By the time the weekend rolls around, the Wings will still be in 8th place and have at least a game in hand on both of the teams they’re battling with for the last two slots. What a relief.
  

GP Answer:
1. Those games we enjoyed so much against the Wild and Sabres aren’t going to mean a whole lot if the Wings can’t pull this one off tomorrow. There’s only one question today: will they show up? This season, the Wings have had a stunning inability to rise to the occasion when these big games come up. Let’s hope that that trend reverses itself against the Flames. The big guns are going to have to show up, and the role players are going to have to bring their best game. Losing this one’s not an option.
Their start wasn't particularly impressive, but they pulled off the win, and did it in regulation. You can't ask for more than that, I guess.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Tomas Holmstrom
Homer was doing that thing that he does all night long. I often wonder if the other 29 teams in the league keep a psychologist on staff to help their goalies recover after games against the Wings and Holmstrom’s rear end. It can’t be fun for them. I, on the other hand, love nothing more than geeking out over another superb Holmstrom deflection or screen.

Andreas Lilja gets the Golden Facepalm
That turnover on Calgary’s goal can’t happen.

Henrik Zetterberg gets a Secondary Facepalm
This is twice in one week, I think. I’m kind of shocked, that I’m even doing this. Still, that turnover, the penalty shot, and those key faceoff losses at the end of the game just don’t paint a pretty picture.

What I Learned:
NHL anagrams are fun. Try them. You won’t regret it. Brad Stuart’s is Absurd Tart, just for reference. You also might find out that your little sister’s is hilarious and be able to torment her with it.

Red Wings vs. Avalanche GP...

Yesterday, midway through the USA-Canada game, I realized that the Wings were back in action tonight. I’d actually completely forgotten that, which is a testament to how much I enjoyed the Olympics. After spending the last two weeks planted in front of my TV for most of the day watching every second of Olympic coverage, I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do with my life. I’d be 100% okay if they decided to have the Olympics every day. In order to fill the void left by the sudden lack of curling, ski jumping, aerials, and biathlon, I guess I’ll have to get back in the swing of blogging.

Before I return to the Wings, though, I have to say that the game yesterday was incredible. The two teams could not have made a better argument for NHL participation in the Olympics if they had brought flow charts and bar graphs. I was absolutely ecstatic when we tied the game in the final minute. Not even I, the ultimate homer, thought that Team USA would medal in these Olympics, so taking Canada to overtime in the gold medal game was incredible. Honestly, the thing that I’m most upset about is the fact that it had to be Crosby who scored the OT winner. He did next to nothing all tournament, but that’s not going to stop him from having statues erected in his honor all over Canada. I would’ve been more than okay if it had been Iginla, who I’ve always respected, or Nash who I have no issues with despite his status as a consistent Wing-destroyer. On the other hand, the shot of Yzerman and co. jumping up in the air after the goal made me feel a lot better. I’m glad Stevie isn’t going to have his Canadian citizenship revoked now.

1. Are the Wings going to come out of the Olympic break as dazed and confused as I am? Or can they continue playing like they did against Ottawa before the break? (That happened this century, right? It’s been a while.)
2. How will the Wings’ Olympians fare after their short break? Only Rafalski played yesterday so the rest of the team should be in pretty good shape. Honestly, Sweden and Russia getting knocked out early might’ve been the best thing to happen to the Wings in a long time.
3. Lilja’s slated to make his long-awaited return to NHL action tonight. It should be interesting, to say the least. How is that going to work out for him and the team? It sure would be a shame to have put Maltby out of action for the rest of the season to make room for the old, turnover-machine version of Lilja.
4. Can Rafalski bring his stellar Olympic play back to the Wings? If he plays like that down the stretch, things are going to be looking happier around here.

Red Wings 4, Senators 1: Post Game Snipes...

• It felt like it had been three years since the Wings won a game. They needed these two points. Of course, all of the teams they needed to lose tonight won, so there was no improvement in the standings.
• The little pre-game ceremony for the Olympians was very nice. (And for a change, the Wings didn’t totally disintegrate after a ceremony.) We learned that Homer’s son skates exactly like his dad and Bertuzzi’s son has the same haircut. I liked the fact that they recognized the guys from Ottawa too.
• I hope I wasn’t the only one who was thrilled beyond belief when Maltby scored the Wings’ first goal.
• Homer left the game after re-aggravating his injury. It’s looking less likely that he’s going to be playing for Team Sweden and more likely that Franzen’s going to be taking his place.
• It was nice to see the powerplay working for a change.
• After the Sens’ first goal, the Wings started to sit back, and I was afraid that we were going to get to watch the same tired script play out for the zillionth time this season. Luckily, the Wings were able to get it together and hang onto their lead.
  

GP Answers:
1. This is the last game before the Olympic break, and losing it really isn’t an option. Can the Wings pull off a win so we can have slightly less stress over the next two weeks?
Indeed they did. I know I’m going to sleep a little better during the break. The Wings’ position didn’t really change, but a game like that should allow everyone to sleep just a little more easily.

2. If Maltby decides to have his shoulder operated on, there’s a very real possibility that tonight could be his last game in a Wings uniform. It would put him out of the lineup until the end of the regular season, and at this point, there’s no guarantee that there will be more games beyond that. Can he make this game memorable?
How about scoring that first goal? If this really was his last game in a Wings uniform, I’m glad that it was one that he and the rest of the team can be proud of. Regardless of what happens, he’s a guy who I’ve always liked, dating back to his days on the Grind Line. It also speaks to the way the Wings’ organization treats its players.

3. Meech as a forward? How’s that going to work out for the Wings?
He didn’t play much, but managed to pick up an assist in his 4:29 of ice time. This is one of the reasons that I think he’s more valuable than Lebda is. Not only does he make less money, but he can also fill in up front in an emergency.

4. What percentage of this game are the Wings going to show up to play? It’s anybody’s guess.
This was definitely one of the Wings’ most consistent efforts of the season. There was a stretch in the second period when they looked like they were going to sit back and let Ottawa take the play to them, but they recovered quickly. Overall, I was pleased.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Pavel Datsyuk
He was the best player on the ice again. That shot he took from between his legs was incredible. So was one of his rushes that he nearly buried. He’s really been cranking things up lately after a sleepy start to the season. Let’s hope he comes out of the Olympics with the same kind of fire.

An Extra Stick Tap for Kirk Maltby
Just because.

Todd Bertuzzi gets the Golden Facepalm
He named his son Tag. And let him have a faux-hawk/mullet. I’m not okay with that.

What I Learned:
The Wings continue to outclass every organization in professional sports. Maybe things like the pre-game ceremony and the Maltby situation don’t mean much, but they make me smile. We’re pretty lucky here in Hockeytown.

Red Wings vs. Senators GP...

1. This is the last game before the Olympic break, and losing it really isn’t an option. Can the Wings pull off a win so we can have slightly less stress over the next two weeks?
2. If Maltby decides to have his shoulder operated on, there’s a very real possibility that tonight could be his last game in a Wings uniform. It would put him out of the lineup until the end of the regular season, and at this point, there’s no guarantee that there will be more games beyond that. Can he make this game memorable?
3. Meech as a forward? How’s that going to work out for the Wings?
4. What percentage of this game are the Wings going to show up to play? It’s anybody’s guess. Ottawa's been hot lately, so maybe the Wings will actually look alive.

I have no idea what I’m going to be doing here during the Olympics. I haven’t had time to think that far ahead. Of course, I’d be in a lot better mood if we had some Olympic coverage on American TV currently. I wish the games were still on CBC. That was one of the biggest perks of being a Metro-Detroiter. I’ve officially decided that NBC’s only redeeming quality is The Office.

Red Wings 3, Hurricanes 1: Post Game Snipes...

• Hey look, the Wings looked like an NHL hockey team tonight. How about that?
• They didn’t exactly soar out of the gate, but you could tell right from the first shift that they had some jump in their step. They even controlled play for a few stretches there at the end of the first/beginning of the second. They definitely let off the gas after their second goal though.
• Mickey Redmond developed a newfound mancrush on Cam Ward after he saved a shot with his mask off. I have to admit that it did look pretty sweet. (UPDATE 9:23 AM 1/15/10) See?
  
• On one penalty kill, Patrick Eaves blocked two shots from Staal up high. Then on his way off the ice, he got clipped on the chin by his stick. I’m reasonably certain that Staal was trying to kill him.
• The Wings scored not one, but two powerplay goals tonight. If they can get that unit going, and keep Lidstrom scoring, things might be looking up.
• Speaking of Lidstrom’s goal, it ended a 43-game goalless streak. That’s more than half of a season. Incredible. The good news is that afterward, he seemed to be looking to take more shots.
• Kirk Maltby made a fantastic play near the end of a key penalty kill in the third period. At the time, the Wings were leading 2-1 and Carolina was really pushing.
• I don’t seem to remember Filppula taking this many penalties pre-injury.
• Hank’s goal came on a fantastic tip-in after Bertuzzi stole the puck and threaded a pass to the crease.
• Bert had another takeaway in the offensive zone and broke in on Ward. He managed to draw two penalties on that play, as he was hooked right after the turnover, and took a nasty slash right as he was about to pull his move. It was kind of a weird game.
• With the Wings getting two powerplay goals and another one from the top line, I felt like I was watching a replay of a game from a previous season. But for the presence of Helm and Eaves and Miller and the like, I would’ve been checking my cable feed.
• Lidstrom and Rafalski both logged 27+ minutes tonight. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Bertuzzi were all over 20 minutes. I’m not sure why I’ve suddenly started looking at ice times on the box scores.
  

GP Answers:
1. So Tuesday night was pretty much a demonstration of how not to win a hockey game. Having to ask this question over and over again is getting frustrating, but which Wings team are we going to get to watch tonight? The one that looks like it’s hungry for a playoff spot, or the one that looks like it already has golf reservations for April? Like the game against the Isles, this is one the Wings should win. Unfortunately that’s been a problem for…oh I don’t know…the last several years or so.
I wouldn’t say that it was the best effort I’ve seen, but it was good enough to get the win. There were a few points during the second and third periods when it looked like they might be letting Carolina back into the game, but they were able to finish strong.

2. I haven’t heard yet whether Ericsson is officially slated to return tonight or not, but assuming he does how rusty is he going to be? He had really been starting to turn things around before he got hurt, so will the long layoff have caused him to regress to early season Ericsson or he can regain his relatively decent level of play? On a side note, it’s frustrating that he ended up missing a month when the original word was that he’d only be out for a couple of weeks, but when you consider how bad the play looked when it happened, a month seems like a blessing.
He didn’t look half bad. I honestly didn’t notice him a whole lot, which is a good thing for a defenseman in my book.

3. At the request of Andy from Fight Night at the Joe, I’m not going to include my question about Nick Lidstrom scoring a goal today just to see if it gets him to score. Not that he’s not doing other things well, but the offense could sure use his help. I’m also concerned that if he turns in a season with only a couple of goals, it’s going to make him less likely to re-sign during the summer. Instead, I’ll pick on Datsyuk again. Where is his head going to be tonight? Seriously.
Well, whaddya know? It worked. I’m pretty sure in ancient times, this would be the point at which we’d put Andy on trial for witchcraft or something. Not only did Lidstrom score, but Datsyuk actually appeared to be playing hockey tonight. It certainly wasn’t his best game, but he did some good things out there.

4. Is there any chance that the Wings’ leaders are going to step up and lead by example tonight instead of letting the young guys do all the work? Or is that too much to ask?
They got goals from Lidstrom and Zetterberg. I’d say that that counts.

5. I figure Jimmy’s going to be starting again tonight. Will he be able to keep up his torrid pace after stumbling a little on Tuesday night? There’s no way that the loss was his fault, but I worry about his confidence issues. (Seriously, between him, Bertuzzi and Leino and their confidence issues, the Wings’ dressing room needs a support group for feelings of inadequacy or something.)
He looked pretty good. The Carolina goal came off of a bad rebound, but I’m willing to cut him some slack on it.

Cookies and Cupcakes for Drew Miller
I really was going to give this to Lidstrom for finally scoring, but had a fantastic game. There’s no way he’s not the best waiver pickup of the season.

An Extra Stick Tap for Nick Lidstrom
There. He gets the consolation prize.

Todd Bertuzzi gets the Golden Facepalm
Shortly after Zetterberg’s goal, he broke in on the net, kind of got tripped up, and did a funny little fall flat out on the ice. It made me laugh out loud. (Remember, this isn’t necessarily for the worst player of the game…just the one who makes me want to smack myself on the forehead.) (UPDATE: 9:23 AM 1/15/10) This is what I'm talking about. I should also note that I stole that first picture from Petrella's post at TPL.

What I Learned:
Hey, look, the powerplay is alive.

Red Wings vs. Ducks GP...

1. Every time the Wings play Anaheim, I have to ask myself the same question: What will the Ducks do tonight to make me hate them even more?
2. When is Nick Lidstrom going to score a goal again? It’s been the better part of a decade since he put one in the net, and I’m going to copy/paste this into every GP until he does.
3. Cleary and Zetterberg are expected back on Thursday (*fingers crossed*). That means two guys are going to be headed to Grand Rapids or the press box. I had my money on Ritola being the first to go, but now that he’s being kept in the lineup over Leino tonight, who knows what could happen? Tonight would be a really good time for one (or more) of the bubble guys to have a “statement game.” Will it be May who starts sitting regularly? Leino (answer: most likely)? Maltby? What about Ritola? They have to know that they’re on the bottom rung of the ladder, so it would be nice to see them playing like they have something at stake.
4. Is getting a powerplay actually going to be an advantage for the Wings tonight? It’s probably (hopefully) the last chance for some of the guys on the 2nd unit to show their stuff tonight, so maybe they’ll take advantage.

Underacheivers or Overachievers? You Be the Judge...

Watching my dad suffer through yet another Lions loss yesterday got me thinking about my own hockey frustrations this season. We’ve all been suffering through an unbelievable injury plague and a barely .500 record. The Wings are currently looking up at the playoff teams. Things have been looking up lately, but the Wings still have a long way to go. We’re all so used to the Wings having a comfortable lead in the division with a playoff spot all but guaranteed by this point in the season. We knew that the team was a little weaker than last season, but everyone still fully expected the Wings to maintain their dominance. Take a look at the roster below, which is from the December 23rd game, if I’m not mistaken:

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Draper-Helm-Eaves
Leino-Abdelkader-Miller
May-Ritola-Maltby

Lidstrom-Kindl
Lebda-Stuart
Meech-Janik

If that was the Wings’ full-strength, 100% healthy roster, would you be any more or less frustrated with their record thus far? Obviously, we wouldn’t have the same level of expectations for that lineup as we do for one that includes the likes of Franzen, Zetterberg, and Kronwall. Does the high level play that we expect from the team every game make it harder to deal with the way things have gone this season, or are you just happy that the boys are still in the mix after having been decimated by injuries? Would you consider them to be overachieving if you hadn’t come into the season with your usual lofty expectations and knew that that was going to be their lineup from the start?

I can’t decide where I fall in the debate. I know my frustrations are largely based on expectations, but I also keep looking at some of the mediocre efforts that we’ve seen and thinking that the lineup, decimated though it may be, should be working harder. I’m interested to hear what people think. At any rate, it's something to ponder on a lame Monday morning.

Interview with Alexey from Red Wings Grinder...

Today's Q&A is with Alexey from the great Russian-language blog Red Wings Grinder. Once again, the magic of Google Translator makes it possible for me to be a regular reader. Alexey can also be found on Twitter @Lexa1523.

How did you first become a fan of the Red Wings? Why did you choose them over other pro teams?

It was in the middle of 90-s when we got satellite-TV (I think 94-95 lockout season). We were lucky to get this gadget from my father’s friends, ‘cause it was a real rarity in Russia in that time. So, I could watch FOX Sport (not sure, I was only 9-10 y.o. but I think it was FOX). You know, I don’t remember why I chose Red Wings. Maybe I liked their colors/logo or it was just my destiny...And the best thing of that time I remember is finals against Devils… I was totally disappointed but became a real fan of Wings. Then it was Russian Five, Grinders Line, Cups… I think you know what I mean )))

How large is the community of Wings fans where you live? Are there a lot of other NHL fans?

There are a lot of Red Wings fans all over the Russia – from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Most of them became fans in the end of 90-s during the “Russian Five Era”. But I know guys, who cheer for Red Wings sins late 80-s!!! Real dinosaurs!

Recently there appeared a lot of fans of Capitals and Penguins (I think it’s not difficult to guess why ;) ). And of course there are a lot of fans of other teams – Canucks, Leafs, Avalanche, Devils, Rangers etc. You know actually there are fans of all NHL teams in Russia.

What do you do to follow the team? Is it difficult to see games or find news about the Wings or the NHL in general?

We live in the Internet era and it’s not difficult to get the latest news about everything. So about Wings and NHL in general – all you need is to know language. Another matter – watching games. Unfortunately (I don’t understand why) Center Ice is not provided for Russian Federation. So our only way to see NHL games – two cable channels – “NTV+” (2-3 games per week) and “Viasat Sport” (ESPN America) – a lot of games. But not all the games. So we have to use illegal ways as justin.tv and other web-streams.

And yeah – it’s really difficult to watch every game live (as I try to do), because 7p.m. in Michigan is 3a.m. in Moscow… So, you can only imagine how I feel the next day at work...! ))) But it’s nothing ‘cause I know that the final point – Lord Stanley’s Cup and I’m ready for sleepless nights for this main goal!

What made you decide to start blogging about the Wings?

There are some Russian message boards and guest books about NHL in general and about red Wings. But when you post there something interesting you can’t find it in two days because of tons of posts and threads… So, I think it’s a good idea to create a place where all Russian-speaking fans could find the latest Red Wings news, games previews and reviews, interesting videos, exclusive interviews with players and other stuff in Russian. And another important thing is archive – all materials are available on the blog and every one could find something in archive.

Have you ever had the chance to see them play in person?

Yes, sure!

My first meeting with Red Wing was amazing. During the World Championship 2007 in Moscow I met The Captain – Steve Y! I was really excited to see him and shake his hand, but when he agreed to answer my questions – no words to describe my feelings! So, it was my first interview and first meeting with Red Wings. After that I spoke to another legendary person – Scotty Bowman!

And this season I saw the Red Wings’ play! It was in Stockholm. Two games against Blues. Unfortunately Wings lost both of them, but all the way it was amazing. I met a lot of interesting people there – Ken Deniels, Andreas Lilja, Ken Kal and others, got a lot of autographs and the main thing – I SAW RED WINGS IN GAME! I’m going to post a big photo & video report of that trip in December at my blog – don’t forget to check it out! )))

What is your favorite hockey memory?

It’s a difficult question, because it’s almost impossible to choose one or two favorite memories. There were a lot of great games, but I think my favorite is the last game in 1997 finals against Flyers and DMac’s great one-on-one goal! Another one great memory is a story of Darren McCarty’s come back and 08’ Stanley Cup. It’s a true story for Hollywood movie! And for sure I have to say again about my meeting with Mr. Yzerman and my first visit to the Red Wings game (in Stockholm).

Who is your favorite player on the roster right now? Why?

I like old school hockey. My favorite line is Grinders Line. I like tough guys and power forwards. No doubts I like Pav, Hank, Lids, Mule and others very much, but I can name 4 favorite guys. Three of them belonged to Red Wings organization for a long time – here we go with Draper, Maltby and Osgood. And the 4th one represents the new generation of Red Wings Grinders. Ladies and gentlemen, pleeeease welcome, numbeeeeeeer fortyyyyyy threeee - Darrrrrrrrren Heeeeelm!!!)))

So, these are my favorite players of current roster, but my favorite Wings of all times – Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and the best one – Darren McCarty!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’d like to say GREAT THANKS to all Red Wings Bloggers, who provided us with great articles, interesting opinions, funny jokes and a lot of very interesting information about the best team in PRO Sport - Detroit Red Wings!!!

It’s a big honor for me to become step by step a little part of Red Wings Community. Unfortunately I have no free time to translate my blog in English, but I hope it’s not a barrier to our communication! Thank you Kris for this questions, Thanks Red Wings bloggers and fans! GO WINGS!!!!!!!

Confessions of a Red Wings Fan...

The Wings’ current injury situation has become downright farcical. In light of the epidemic, I can only assume that we, the citizens of Hockeytown, have done some things to offend the Hockey Gods. Somebody out there spent the summer punching babies and it’s about time we got to the bottom of that. We need to take this opportunity to confess our sins so that we can atone for them and return to those days of sunshine and joy when the Hockey Gods smiled fondly down upon us from the rafters of the Joe. I'm coming clean about some things I've done that may have invoked their ire, and I'm joined by some other Wings fans in the hopes that we can appease the Hockey Gods.

Now I know the last couple of games since I started working on this post have been alright and the Wings seem to have escaped injury, but there have still been a couple of close calls (Rafalski and Helm took pucks to the face and Lebda looked like he might've been hurt for a while.) and I'm not willing to take any more chances.

So here goes nothing:

I, Kris, tormented my puppy during the playoffs by doing things like strapping a stuffed Al the Octopus onto her back (Look how defeated she looks here...poor Penny Lane.), putting red and white pompoms in her collar, dressing her up in a Shanny baseball-style jersey, and trying to train her to bark when the Wings scored. I may also at one point taken away all of her toys except her squeaky penguin chew toy so that she would be forced to gnaw on that one during the Finals. There was literally nobody happier to see the playoffs end than my dog.

I also admit to making fun of Valtteri Filppula’s hair. All the time. I’m truly sorry.

Over the summer, I clicked on a shortened link on Twitter and accidentally ended up on a puck bunny website. I sincerely apologize for this horrendous mistake and promise that it will never happen again.

At Hockeyfest, we sat on the bench and jumped over the boards like we were doing a line change. I’m pretty sure that this upset the natural order of things and was simply unacceptable. The fact that my sister can’t even skate and was pretending to take a shift at the Joe had to be deeply upsetting to the Hockey Gods. I’m so sorry for encouraging this type of behavior.

@RedWingsQueen19 chimed in with this confession:

I confess that I had so much hate towards Todd Bertuzzi and wished he was never aquired. I regret it, he proved me wrong so far

@jennbikegirl admitted to wishing injury on Brett Lebda:

My confession: when I heard about Raffy's back, my 1st thought was, why not Lebda? Basically wishing injury on him = bad!

Michael Petrella from The Production Line, however, had the most significant confessions to make. I think after reading his first story, all of the “intent to blow” nonsense will make sense:

I played hockey for a long time: I started skating as soon as I could stand up, and played competitive hockey all the way through college. I like to think of myself as a good sportsman, albeit one with a filthy mouth that never stopped running. Two stories stand out as examples of things I may have done to anger the Hockey Gods -- perhaps bad enough to create this rash of injuries to the team I love so dearly.

During a game I was playing in high school, I ended up on my butt, right along the goal line as a goal was scored against my team. It was so obviously a goal, and I figured everyone knew, that I reached in with my hand and angrily threw the puck back toward center ice in anticipation of another faceoff. But, it was must have been LaRue officiating because the ref skated over, waving emphatically "NO GOAL! NO GOAL! NO GOAL!" In my head, I'm thinking "really?" because I threw the puck only after I figured it was so apparent that everyone in the building saw it. Evidently, only I had seen it, and I didn't say a word. What I did amounts to no less than cheating, and I'm sure the Gods have had it in for me ever since. (P.S. the goal wouldn't have mattered as we lost by a good margin anyway...)

While in college, I was much more of a role-player, in the Kirk Maltby-mold, so I didn't get a ton of ice-time at that level, but cherished the few minutes I received every night. During the last weekend of the season (of my Junior year), we were playing in Wisconsin. We played back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday nights, as is pretty common in collegiate hockey. On Friday night, a senior who had played his heart out for our team for four years was injured by a fairly dirty hit. The kid got two minutes, but with a pretty severe knee injury, my teammate was going to miss his final game of collegiate hockey. I'll never forget his face - he was so upset because he never missed a team function, and now he was going to have to watch the last game of his college career from the press box. The following night, I spent every second of my ice-time aimed at retribution. I was offside more in that game than the rest of my collegiate career combined, because I didn't pay attention to the puck, only #21 in black. At one point, I even broke a stick on the back of his knee. As the final horn went, I took another three or four steps and tried my best to put him through the glass. He was about eight inches taller than me, so I ended up on the ice. I'll never forget what happened next because, even though these two stories aren't indicative of the kind of player I was or man I am, it taught me an important lesson. He took off his glove, and extending his hand to me, helping me back up. He said to me, "I know what you were trying to do, and I would have done the same. You played me hard, good game." Even though my teammate was the one on crutches, I couldn't have felt any worse.

I played hockey at some level for nearly twenty years, and it's fair to say that these two examples are the only ones I'm not proud of. And I'm just superstitious enough to think that the Hockey Gods noticed...

So there you have it, Hockey Gods. We’re all very sorry for the many things that we have done to offend you. We take full responsibility for our actions and hope that you can forgive us. Now can we please get back to our regularly scheduled programming of dominating performances and an elite roster? And, if it’s not too much trouble, could you throw some puck luck our way? We sure could use it.

Sincerely,
Hockeytown

Stranger Than Fiction...

So it’s early in the season and I know that things always look a little funny at the start, but this season has looked bizarre so far. A month ago would you have predicted that:

• Kirk Maltby would be tied for second on the team with two goals? (Or that he’d have a 66.7% shooting percentage?)
• Datsyuk would only have two points so far?
• Maltby, Rafalski, and Lidstrom would be the only two Wings with positive +/- ratings?
• We would be commenting on Todd Bertuzzi’s solid defensive plays?
• Homer would have four goals already?
• The Wings would be sitting in 11th place in the Conference?
• The team would be running through line change drills in practice?
• Ville Leino would beat out Bertuzzi for creepiest team photo?
• Brad May would be in the lineup at all?
  

And the strangeness doesn’t stop in Hockeytown. Look around the league, and you’ll find that:

• The Avalanche are leading the Western Conference.
• Phoenix is 7th in the West. They even went four games while only allowing one goal against.
• Toronto is still winless. Kidding. Nobody’s really that surprised.
• A puck found its way into the net on this play. Oh, wait, that’s Huet in net, you say? Never mind. There’s nothing bizarre here.
• All of America spent a couple of hours watching a balloon fly through the sky in what turned out to be the best hoax since Orson Welles panicked thousands of people over the radio. Hmmm? Where is Balloon Boy from? Just saying…
  

Anyone who claims to have predicted any of these things before the season started is just flat out a lying liar who lies. I have faith that these oddities will correct themselves over the course of the next 10 games or so, because they always do. But for now, all I can do is amuse myself by looking at the statistical bizarro world we’re living in right now. Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction.

Lidstrom's Latest Milestone...

I was going to write a post about Lidstrom’s 1,000th point last night, but I’d been up since 5:30 that morning, and I felt like he deserved better than the incoherent ramblings that my brain would’ve created at that point.

The Wings started out slowly in the first period, and I was pretty convinced that it was going to be another ugly game. After the first few minutes, they started to turn things around, though. (I think I’m just going to copy these two sentences and paste them at the beginning of every post that I write this season.) They didn’t look great, but they were much better. Not that it would’ve taken a whole lot to improve from the previous game, but it’s a step in the right direction. There are enough game recaps out there that I’m not going to waste my time writing one of my own. Some notes, though:

• Mike Babcock kindasorta called out Hank. Hank responded by scoring his first goal of the season. Maybe that was just the kick he needed to get himself going. (I say kindasorta because in the grand scheme of “call-outs,” that one was pretty low key.)
• For all that talk over the summer about making up for the “lost goals” that the free agents took with them, I bet nobody thought Kirk Maltby would be picking up the slack. He’s currently tied for second on the team with two goals. In fact, he, Lidstrom, Rafalski, and Abdelkader are the only four Wings who have positive +/- ratings at this point. I think the competition for playing time is good for him. I’ve noticed many times that he tends to play better when he’s fighting for a job. Maybe the occasional benching or two will be a good thing for him.
• Datsyuk sitting out the game worries me. So does the fact that nobody’s saying what the mysterious injury was. I’m used to the playoff mindgames about hiding injuries, but this is much too early in the season to be messing with my head. The last thing the Wings need is to lose him for any measure of time.
• Todd Bertuzzi continued to not make me gouge my eyes out. To date, he’s only picked up a couple of assists, and he hasn’t displayed the offensive touch he once had (ie. firing a shot clean over the glass on a great scoring chance in close), but he’s been much, much better than I expected defensively. And for now, I’ll take that. As an avid holder of grudges, I don’t know what to make of this.
• I like Ville Leino more and more each game. He’s been as good as advertised offensively, and way better than I expected defensively. He had a couple of really good plays on the backcheck last night.
  

And finally, Nick Lidstrom. He recorded points #999 and 1,000 with assists on Homer’s and Hank’s goals respectively. As much as I hoped he’d hit the mark in Sweden, it was nice to see him do it at the Joe. I’ve always felt like he’s been underappreciated, and that’s a shame. I really believe that if he were on a different team with a less renowned offense, he would’ve been recognized for his greatness earlier. For so many years, names like Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Hull, and now Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been headlining the team, and the media often tends to focus on the scoring stars and their offensive flash. Lidstrom doesn’t deliver bone crushing checks (although he was credited with two hits last night) that attract attention and more often than not makes defensive plays so perfectly that folks don’t even notice that he made an effort to do it. There’s a reason his teammates call him The Perfect Human. Remember how nauseous you felt last year when it was announced that Lidstrom would be missing a playoff game for the first time in his career? That says all you need to know about how much he means to the team. So congrats to #5. He’s been a class act since day one and he’s right up there with the best of all time.

Disappointing Start...

For a team that spent the whole summer talking about how they were going to return to playing lights out defense this season, the Wings sure didn't act like it. They got off to a pretty good start despite the fact that St. Louis scored first. After they took a two-goal lead, though, they pretty much shut down. All in all, it looked stunningly like most of their losses last season. And that's not good.

• Versus started the game with the scoreboard reading "St. Louis 4 Deroit 3" before they quickly reset it back to 0-0. So someone should figure out who made that mistake and we can all head to Vegas together.
  
• The fourth line was out there for the Blues' first goal, but after that, they looked great. Kirk Maltby had an assist on Ericsson's goal, and then scored one of his own on a shorthanded breakaway. Yeah, that Kirk Maltby. That whole fighting for a job thing really suits him well. I noticed that he played significantly better last season in the playoffs after getting benched too.
• Ericsson left the game with an ankle injury. So that's fantastic. Especially since it resulted in Brett Lebda getting even more ice time...
• ...and boy did he make an impact. He was on the ice for 3 of St. Louis' 4 goals, which indicates the kind of night he had. He looked awful. I would not be shocked to see Meech take his place in the lineup tomorrow if Ericsson's good to go.
• Ozzie looked average. He gave up a couple of bad rebounds, but I wouldn't pin the loss on him. One one of the Blues' goals, Brad Stuart was kind enough to set up a Homer-like screen right in front of Ozzie, and he really had no chance.
• Datsyuk didn't manage to score, but he was the best player on the ice. I have to believe that he's going to break that elusive 100-point mark this season. He looks like he's raring to go, and I love every second of it.
• On the other hand, the Zetterberg-Cleary-Bertuzzi line didn't look good at all. Hopefully it's just the effect of them all missing most of the pre-season and they'll turn things around. Otherwise, it's going to spell trouble.
• Chris Mason just made his way onto my list. He made a handful of incredible saves, and the Versus announcers credited him with "turning the game around." I don't really buy that, but he sure did keep the Blues in the game when the Wings were pressing.
• I also discovered why I shouldn't go to Meijer's after the Wings lose: I went to buy taco cheese, and instead walked out with cake mix, Halloween frosting, a bottle of wine, Disney princess cupcake liners, and some sprinkles. I had to go back inside to pick up the cheese.
• While at the store, some guy saw my Wings shirt and asked me if I thought they were going to win tonight. I had to inform him that they had already played and lost. I'm pretty sure he thought I was lying to him.

The Wings'll be back tomorrow. Same time, same place for round 2 of their Swedish Adventure. I was pretty disappointed with the game, but it felt good just to be watching the Wings play some real, live, meaningful hockey.

2009-2010 Player Profiles: Kirk Maltby...

OK, it’s that time of year. Hockey’s so close that you can almost taste it. By my count, there are 7 days remaining before the Wings kick off their season in Sweden (which is still entirely too many, but at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel). In order to pass the time, I’ll be posting a player profile every day until then (in alphabetical order, because I’m one of those people). I want to make it very clear that these are not predictions, because I do not, under any circumstance, make predictions. They’re simply my thoughts on each player’s performances last season, and my hopes and expectations for them this time around. Today’s subject:

Kirk Maltby


2008-2009 Regular Season: 78 GP, 5-6-11, +/- -9, 28 PIM
2009 Playoffs: 20 GP, 0-1-1, +/- -1, 2 PIM

Season Highlight: Playing in his 1,000th NHL game. (But I was really tempted to choose this "interview" because it's comforting to know that his garage is as messy as mine is. And that he has weird neighbor kids.)
Season Lowlight: Getting benched in the playoffs.

Like his former Grind Line buddy Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby didn’t have a particularly good ’08-’09 campaign. He and the rest of the fourth line struggled defensively all year. They weren’t able to wear down opposing lines they way that they need to in order to be successful. As a result, he found himself benched a few times in the playoffs. if not for the injury bug that hit, he probably would’ve sat a lot more.

I’m really hoping that he finds a way to turn things around this year. I have a pretty strong nostalgic attachment to Maltby thanks to the good old Grind Line days, and I’d love for him to be successful again. When he’s effective, he can still bring something to the team. The question is whether or not he can still be effective. At present, it looks like he’s going to be fighting with Patrick Eaves for ice time. I noticed in the playoffs that when he got back into the lineup after being benched, he played much better. Maybe that competition will be exactly what he needs in order to find his way back into everyone’s good graces. He doesn’t need to put up anything different offensively than he did last season, but he does need to step up the defense. That -9 +/- rating isn’t going to fly for a second consecutive season. And with all of the young guys waiting to jump into the lineup, Maltby’s going to have to work extra hard all season to justify his presence on the ice.

What he needs to do to make me happy: Reverse the sign on his +/- from last season.