Goodbye, Nick...

The gloomy skies over metro-Detroit today were pretty fitting for the mood that anyone who loves hockey was in today. We all knew that it was going to happen eventually, but nobody was ready for it to be so soon. I'm young enough that I don't remember a time when Lidstrom wasn't a Wing. I was just starting kindergarten when he first donned the Winged Wheel. He and Homer were the last two players remaining from what I refer to as the “glory days” – those great late '90s and early '00s years when the Wings were truly a dynasty – and I have a strong suspicion that Homer's on his way out too. I think this is what it feels like to be old.

As depressing as Lidstrom's retirement is, mostly I'm filled with a sense of gratitude. It's hard to put into words how lucky we were to get to watch him play night in and night out for all of these years. The odds of the league seeing another defenseman who is as far above everyone else as Lidstrom was are slim to none in our lifetimes. And we got to watch him play almost every single game. (Seriously, his lack of injuries is incredible in and of itself.) I was lucky that I got to be in the stands at the Joe when he scored his first career hat trick a couple of years ago. I was even luckier that I got to be there this April when he played his last ever game on home ice. When I headed to the rink with my friend that night, my biggest fear (for the first time ever) wasn't that the Wings would lose the game. It was that that would be the last time I ever got to see Lidstrom play at the Joe. Both fears came true in the end, but at least we got a chance to say goodbye.

 His last moments on the ice at the Joe.

Lidstrom was a hockey fan's kind of player. New fans who have just been introduced to the game tend not to appreciate his talent. Casual fans are drawn to the flashy offensive plays or big hits or dramatic saves at first glance. It takes a certain hockey savvy to really get how good Nick Lidstrom was. A couple of years ago, someone recommended that the next time I went to the Joe, I should spend one shift not watching the puck, but watching just him in order to fully appreciate how he played the game.

There's a huge, gaping hole in the Wings' lineup now, and no matter who Ken Holland signs, it won't fill it. You don't replace Nick Lidstrom; you just try to compensate as well as you can. On the bright side, it should be an interesting summer since the Wings have more cap space to play around with than they've ever had. All the free agents in the world won't make losing Lidstrom any easier, though. Here's to #5, the best we'll ever see.  Thanks for being perfect.

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

• I've seen the Wings lose a lot of playoff series over the years.  I've seen them lose because they ran into a hot goalie, because they were devastated by injuries, and because they just didn't seem to try hard enough.  I really don't ever recall seeing them lose because they were straight-up outmatched.  Nashville was honestly the better team --in goaltending, defense, and offense.  The Wings just had no answer for any of it, and it showed.
• The Predators seemed to make the Wings pay dearly for every mistake they made.  The Wings didn't return the favor.  That was one of the biggest factors in the series.
• Too many key guys disappeared when it mattered most, and not enough unsung heroes stepped up to provide that little extra spark.
• The more you watched, the more apparent it became that Nashville's defense was just too good.  And the few times when the Wings got a quality scoring chance, they still had to beat Pekka Rinne.
• I really loved Zetterberg's effort on that one PK early in the game.  It was reminiscent of 2008 just for a minute.
• Sure, the bounces didn't go the Wings' way (Except for that bizarre time when Intent to Blow actually worked in their favor -- which I'm still not convinced actually happened, despite seeing it with my own eyes.  I'm still leaning toward it being an anomaly in the space-time continuum or a trick of the wibbly-wobbly nature of time.), but they didn't do all of the little things that you need to do to earn the puck luck.
• Lidstrom: I don't pretend to know what he's going to decide to do.  I just hope that everyone out there tonight took a minute to really watch him closely and appreciate how much better he is than everyone else.  Just in case.
• Don't forget Homer either, for sure.
• One of my favorite parts of the third period was when Homer got booed by the Preds' fans for being blatantly interfered with by there goalie.  You can give a fanbase a good hockey team, but you can't give them a good understanding of hockey.
• I also really enjoyed the start of the first period when two penalties were called in the first 31 seconds, but that's neither here nor there.
• For those of you out there on Twitter saying that this loss was as devastating as 2009...really?  This was really as bad as you-know-what-happened?  This was just as agonizing?  Get a grip.
• Firing Babcock is not the answer either, sunshines.  Let's all take a step back from the ledge, ok?
• All I'm saying is that prior to the start of the playoffs, Nashville topped my list of teams that I didn't want the Wings to face.  Pekka Rinne was the #1 reason for that.  I wasn't wrong.
• I hoarded enough playoff cupcakes to last seven games if necessary.  Who wants to join me in eating our feelings as we feast on the leftovers?
• This should be an interesting off-season.  Not summer of '01 fun, mind you, but interesting nonetheless.
• I still, and always will, love this team.

Red Wings vs. Predators Game Five GP...

1 Red Wings vs. Predators 3

A scary-looking octopus:

What we learned from Game Four:

• The amount of shots you take really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
• Mistakes kill.
• So much for home ice advantage...

Exciting things about Game Five:

• The Wings sometimes play pretty well with their backs against the wall.
• That's it.  There is nothing else exciting about tonight.

Terrifying things about Game Five:

• The potential for elimination.
• The possibility that it'll be Nick Lidstrom's last game ever.
• If you're not already in the fetal position, you're doing something wrong.

Who will have a good game tonight:


Nick Lidstrom.  Because he's the Perfect Human.

Something to lighten the mood:

Red Wings 3, Predators 2: Post Game Snipes...

• Is it just me, or did it seem like the Wings were breaking sticks on every single shift tonight?  And when they were broken, it wasn't a quick change; the player was stuck in the defensive zone for excruciatingly long stretches of time before they were able to get off the ice or replace the stick.  Do they keep stats for things like that?  I'm going to start.  We'll call it the Mickey Redmond Memorial Statistic.  Well, not "memorial" maybe.  That makes it sound like he's dead.  I suppose it's possible that all of the broken sticks tonight might've killed him.  I'll look into that.
• Bert coming out and fighting Weber early on was perfect in every way.  Someone needed to step up and it really seemed to spark the team.
• If the Wings hadn't gotten the PK sorted out of late, these two games would've had pretty ugly scores.  The fact that they've managed to completely shut down Nashville's powerplay this series without Lidstrom ever setting foot on the ice shorthanded is quite remarkable.
• Weber's goal was not received well at the bar I watched the game at.  There's something about a guy who should've been sitting out the game scoring a key goal that really seems to rile up Detroit fans.  Wonder why.
• I love it when lucky bounces like the one that led to Franzen's goal go the Wings' way.  It's a lot more fun than the alternative.  It's always nice to feel like the Hockey Gods are smiling upon the boys.
• Jimmy is back to top form.  That can only mean good things for the Wings.

Red Wings vs. Sabres GP...

Red Wings: 15-7-1

Sabres: 13-10-1

Season Series: 0-0

Red Wings Zen:

Point and Laugh:

Video Candy:

Complete with Stevie fighting and goalies throwing punches.

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.

Pre-Season Ramblings...

I'm in kind of a strange position right now. This is the first time I've ever found myself gearing up for hockey season somewhere other than Michigan. On one hand, it's been healthy for my bank account since there are no tickets to tempt me or merchandise lining the shelves of every store I go to down here. Mostly though, it's just been sad. I was able to watch part of one pre-season game. One. Don't even think about picking up a newspaper and finding a hockey article. If you're lucky, you might find a box score buried somewhere behind coverage of high school gymnastics and the local little league standings. So here I sit, seemingly the only person in an entire state eagerly awaiting something. I'm sure there are others out there just like me, but they're much fewer and farther between than I'm used to.

But enough about me. After a summer with an unusually high amount of turnover, the Wings enter the season with a lot of questions hanging over them. Some are exciting (ex: Which defensemen are going to win spots?). Some are terrifying (ex: something related to Nick Lidstrom that I'm not willing to actually type). And some are just plain intriguing (ex: Who does Cory Emmerton's brows?). I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out.

The number of games I get to see is going to be limited by the fact that I live in hockey wasteland as well as the fact that my current job has me working a lot of nights. I'm going to do my best to keep up with things here now that hockey's almost, but I can't make any promises. I'm beyond ready to drop the puck on this season, not least of all because it means an end to this long and horrible off-season.

Also, go Tigers!

Nick Norris Back for More...

Well, it's been over a month since I actually bothered writing something here. A lot has happened in the meantime. For example, I recently discovered that the playoffs continued even though the Wings were no longer playing. The League even awarded the Stanley Cup to Boston recently (I hope that didn't spoil the surprise for anybody). At any rate, I've been seriously lacking in motivation to write anything. We reached the point about six weeks ago where stepping outside feels like you're walking through a wall of warm Jell-o, which, I'm not ashamed to admit, saps me of my will do do anything but sit as still as possible in front of the air conditioning vent.

Maybe it was my glorious return home for a few short days—breathing refreshing Michigan air, having my first serious hockey conversation in six months, seeing Wings logos on hats, shirts, and bumper stickers everywhere I went—but I immediately felt back in the groove. That doesn't necessarily mean that I'll be posting regularly throughout the summer, but I do at least have the desire to write something for a change.

Of course, it also helps that I have exciting news to write about. By now, you've all heard that Nick Lidstrom will be returning for another season. It's pretty obvious that he was just waiting for me to come back to Detroit to make the announcement so that I could celebrate it appropriately. You see, in Florida, my roommates and friends think of my love of hockey as kind of a quaint little personality quirk. Nobody there would've understood why I was dancing around my room in my pajamas and grinning madly after being rudely awoken by a text message (side note—you should probably be breaking news as exciting as Lidstrom's contract if you plan on texting or calling me before the clock hits double digits in the morning). They wouldn't have understood my excitement over seeing the cap numbers released or the pre-season schedule announced. Nor would they have understood why rumors about a potential free agent signing could get me all riled up. Life in a hockey wasteland is tough, but it makes me realize and appreciate how spoiled I was growing up in Michigan.

I wasn't just spoiled by being surrounded by hockey growing up. I was surrounded by some unbelievably good hockey. And a lot of that unbelievably good hockey was played buy a guy wearing a #5 jersey. There's not a whole lot to say about his re-signing. This is one we can all agree on, right? There's not really any room for a pro/con debate; there's nothing to argue about. TPH is back with yet another Norris Trophy in tow, and the team remains a contender. End of story.

Now that Lidstrom's all taken care of, we get to relax a bit and sit back as Kenny Holland spends those valuable cap dollars in his usual savvy way. There are still holes in the lineup and questions to be answered, but everything's going to be just fine. We're going to be treated to another season of brilliance from Lidstrom, another chance to send him off the right way, another opportunity to witness perfection on ice. And that, sunshines, is as much as any hockey fan can ask for.

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game One GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Sharks 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Shaking off the rust—It's been an eternity since the Wings last played. The Sharks will want to get an early jump and catch them sleeping. Here's hoping the Wings are ready to bring it right from the opening faceoff.
• Z is back—It goes without saying that this is a huge boost for the team. Their first round sweep was all the more impressive because they did it without him setting foot on the ice.
• Penalties—Last year in their series against San Jose, the Wings' constant parade to the box was killer. With their penalty kill struggling mightily during the first round this season, it's crucial that they stay out of the box. Then again, Babcock can always pop Datsyuk, Z, and Lidstrom onto the PK for an instant boost. It's not a bad ace to have up your sleeve. It would also be helpful if the refs managed to not fall for the Sharks diving this time around.

Red Wing Zen:

Pavel Datsyuk

2-4-6, +/- 6, 0 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings 4, Coyotes 2: Post Game Snipes...

• Long story short: the Wings didn't play their greatest game, but they got lucky with some quick goals at the start of each period and that was enough.
• I've never seen Nick Lidstrom get hit as hard as he did early in the game.
• Game Four should be boatloads of fun. I'm sure the Coyotes won't be trying to injure anyone now that their backs are against the wall.
• Lidstrom only had 18 minutes of ice time. In a playoff game. That's crazy.
• Every game makes me like Phoenix less and less.
• The Wings' penalty kill was a disaster tonight. On the other hand, Phoenix's looked much better than it did in the first two games.
• I think Filppula took more shots in the first five minutes of the second period than he did for the entire regular season. I wish he'd do that more often.
• How about that pass Rig made to set up Franzen's goal? Pretty good, eh?
• This was an odd game. There were stretches where the Wings looked unstoppable, and the Coyotes didn't seem to have the slightest chance. Then, just as quickly, momentum would shift the other way and the tide would turn briefly.
• This is not an acceptable way to treat Nick Lidstrom.
• One more win to close out the series...skate to throat time, boys.

Hero: Jimmy Howard
He was on tonight. The Wings' defense hung him out to dry plenty of times, but he stood tall and kept them in the game.

Villain: Shane Doan
Yup, I still dislike him.

Final Thought:
The Wings are going to have to play better if they want to close out this series on Wednesday.

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Twenty-two...

Caption Mondays: Jeffy Neuie won for the second week in a row.

Ref: That's it! No more hockey until you clean this ice up!

Trivia Tuesdays: TimFill managed to continue his impressive trivia run.

This week's question: Who was the most recent Red Wings goalie to lead the league in regular season goals against average?

The Answer: Chris Osgood led the league with a 2.09 GAA in the 2007-08 season. That year, he and Dominik Hasek combined to win the Jennings Trophy. Prior to Ozzie, the last Wings goalie to lead the league in GAA was Terry Sawchuck. Pretty good company, eh?

Caption Mondays Volume 22...

What are the guys saying as they watch Pavel Datsyuk's fight in the season opener?

Red Wings 4, Maple Leafs 2: Post Game Snipes...

• Hey, look, I'm actually writing a game recap! This one comes to you courtesy of the fact that I have to work in the morning and had to skip a night out with my roomies. And also my rage over the Lupul goal/Howard's injury. It's always nice to put a good rant down on paper (or, you know, the internet) every once in a while.
• The first was one of the best periods I've seen the Wings play in a while. Passes were crisp. Their puck possession was dominant. Even though it ended tied at one, the Wings looked to be in control.
• The second was a little rockier, and the Wings found themselves in penalty trouble toward the end.
• They took a 2-1 lead into the premature intermission thanks to a classic Homer deflection in front of the net. How sad is it that his first reaction to the goal was to look over at the ref to make sure he wasn't going to wave it off?
• Since Dion Phaneuf's shot broke a pane of glass during a Toronto powerplay with a couple of minutes left in the second, the teams took intermission early to avoid a long delay. This kind of played in Toronto's favor since they got clean ice for the second half of their powerplay, but it ended up not mattering. The Wings took another penalty right before the carryover time wound down anyway.
• The real disaster came in the third period when Jimmy Howard went down with an injury. I've got some ranting to do about the ensuing goal, but I'd happily spot the Leafs ten such goals if it meant that Jimmy finished the game healthy. All this talk of the Baby Pegger (who, despite being my favorite goalie prospect for his Training Camp snipe, I have absolutely no desire to see in a Wings uniform right now) possibly being called up has me in full RSV mode.
• Just to be clear, in the NHL, this is not a goal, but this is. Listen, I like to think I'm a pretty smart lady, but I once again find myself confounded by events in an NHL game. I fail to see how a goal can be called back one night because a goalie initiated contact with a skater who was outside of the crease because of “incidental contact,” and then a few nights later, have a goal stand when a player bumped into the goalie in the crease and proceeded to fall on his back, pinning him to the ice. Take the jerseys the players are wearing out of the question. Only in the NHL does this make sense. Or at least we're supposed to think it makes sense. Or something. I'm not sure anyone really gets it.
• Luckily for the Wings (and my sanity), Jiri Hudler put them back in the lead for good with a quick shot off of a rush.  Check out this picture of his celebration at your own risk.
• Justin Abdelkader was all over the ice tonight. He must've had at least thirty brilliant chances. He didn't finish any of them, but it was a nice effort. Plus, he got into a fight after a big hit on Rafalski, which was also nice to see.
• It looks like Rafalski got lucky after the hit, as his knee brace protected him. It looked pretty bad at first though. I would've been pretty happy if that was the scariest moment of the game. Now that the playoffs are approaching, I'm becoming increasingly paranoid.
• Nick Lidstrom broke up a great scoring chance for the Leafs with a brilliant defensive play. You know, just another day at the rink for him. Sorry, boys, he's just better than you. It's not mean; it's just a fact. Please never leave us, Nick.
• On the other end of the defensive spectrum, Brett Lebda played exactly as you would expect Brett Lebda to play.  How's that Stanley Cup experience treating you now?
• Hey Maple Leafs fans: Todd Bertuzzi's empty net goal effectively ended your team's slight playoff hopes. TAWD Bertuzzi. Hahahaha. Snack on that for lunch.

Hero: Joey MacDonald
He's been astoundingly solid in his last few games, and performed admirably after taking over for Jimmy in the third. I still don't like it one bit, but I guess it does offer some glimmer of hope.

Villain: Joffrey Lupul
Bet you saw that coming, eh?

Final Thought:
This injury nonsense is making my annual post-season nervous tics come early this year.

Red Wings vs. Sabres GP...

Red Wings: 37-18-6

Sabres: 28-25-6

Red Wing Zen:

Nick Lidstrom

12-36-48, +/- 0, 16 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Nathan Gerbe

7-11-18, +/- 6, 26 PIM

Red Wings 6, Lightning 2: Post Game Snipes...

• One of my lifelong dreams has been to attend a Wings road game. I went to see them play Tampa last night, but I'm not sure that counts. Walking up to the arena, Wings jerseys outnumbered Lightning ones 4 to 1. I didn't see my first Bolts gear until I actually made it to area right outside of the rink. I expected there to be a significant percentage of Wings fans in attendance, but it was still exciting to see the army of red and white sweaters heading into the building. That has to be demoralizing for the home team/crowd.
• They were giving away noisemakers last night, but I was denied one because I was a Wings fan. I was okay with it though, because I don't have any desire to own anything that features the logo of another NHL team, even if the Bolts are my Eastern Conference secondary team. Once the game got underway, I figured out why they chose last night to do that giveaway: without the noisemakers, the home crowd didn't stand a chance of being heard over the thunderous LGRW chants the Wings fans started. The Bolts fans played the living daylights out of those noisemakers all game long. I found it obnoxious until I grabbed one on the way out. It was only then that I realized why they had been playing with them non-stop: they're incredibly fun and addictive. I used mine to play music to accompany my CD player for most of the trip home.
• I got to the rink excessively early because I wanted to make sure I had time to take a lap around the concourse and explore the only non-JLA NHL arena I'd ever been in. The place was nice enough, but I still missed the campiness of the Joe. The walls of the concourse were covered with giant replicas of front pages of the St. Pete Times from the past. It was more of a shrine to the newspaper than to hockey, which is also my number one reason for wishing against all odds that the Wings will never have to share a building with the Pistons.
• More I-miss-the-Joe notes: they only sell bottled pop there; I keep saying this wasteland is uncivilized and nobody believes me. This should prove it. Food and drink prices were way more expensive than I was used to at the Joe. I guess we really are spoiled back home.
• Call me a sap, but I also missed the old scoreboard at the Joe. The one in Tampa is slick for sure, but I found it hard to read, especially when I was trying to see how much time was left on powerplays. (Old people live in Florida. They should use larger-sized numbers so they can have a chance at seeing vital info like that. I could barely make it out and I'm young and spry.) [The entire purpose of the rant in parentheses was so that I could use the word “spry.”]
• The loudest cheer of the night came (predictably) when they showed Steve Yzerman on the scoreboard before the game started.
• By the time the Wings got the scoring underway, the ratio of red to blue in the stands had evened out for the most part. When they netted their first goal, half of the arena stood up and cheered. There was an entire section in the lower bowl that was almost full of Wings faithful.
• A fun game might be to play Where's Waldo? The Lightning Fan? with this picture:
  
  
  
• The Wings brought their A-game in the first period; perhaps they were eager to show Stevie that he should've stayed in Detroit.
• During the first intermission (and maybe the second—I left my seat during that one), there was what boils down to a zamboni party bus. It was towing the Bolts' mascot behind it on a wake-board. It was...interesting.
  
• Things went decidedly downhill during the second period as the Wings allowed the Bolts to erase their lead and tie the game up. Somehow they managed to wake up again and take back control of the game.
• I managed to get a shot of Abby's goal as the puck hit the twine. It was a really exciting moment for me.
• Here's a SSDD exclusive look inside my thought process during Darren Helm's breakaway goal: “Ooooh loose puck! What a chance to-oh, wait, it's Helm. Crap. Oh my god he scored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Don't get me wrong—I love Helm as much as anyone, but I'm so used to seeing him go the donut goalie route on chances like that that I pretty much expect it now.
• I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Pavel Datsyuk is a ridiculous human being. There's really nothing more to add about him.
• The box score says the Lightning had twenty shots in the third, but it didn't seem like it at all.
• The final octopi tally for the night was three. One of the arena workers even twirled one. This made me deliriously happy, albeit a tad confused.
• I had a total emo moment during the third period when I started to wonder if it would be the last time I ever got to see Lidstrom play live. Last time I did an internship here, I missed Yzerman's last season. Things like this give me anxiety.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
His two goals made my night.

Villain: I'm not making anyone a villain for this game. I'm still in too good of a mood.


Final Thought:
I felt more at home at the game than I have at any point since I've been in Florida. I love hockey.

Red Wings 4, Bruins 2: Post Game Snipes...

• I actually got to watch part of today's game on a real, HD TV. It brought tears of joy to my eyes. I sat at my desk starving for three hours because I wanted my lunch break to coincide with the third period of the game. I was more than prepared. I kicked back in the break room with a frozen dinner, my Wings hat from the last viewing party, and one of the last cans of Vernor's that I brought here from Michigan. The only thing that could've made it better is if it had been Ken and Mickey on the broadcast. Or if I hadn't been at work. You get the idea, though.
• I only got to watch the third, but it sure seemed like Datsyuk got knocked around a lot. It was uncharacteristic.
• Darren Helm had a great chance off of a rush in the third, but failed to convert. It's okay though; I'm pretty sure if he and Kris Draper had finished chances like that in the same game it would've caused a break in the space-time continuum.
• I kind of like it when the Wings play puck-possession hockey.
• I decided that the only thing I like about afternoon games is the fact that the lower bowl looks like it's full of fans in Wings gear instead of bored businessmen in work clothes.
• Remember that crazy run Bert went on last November/December? This kind of reminds me of that.
• I never, never, ever want Nick Lidstrom to retire. Never.

Hero: Todd Bertuzzi
Back-to-back two-goal games? Get this man a round of glitter.

Villain: Zdeno Chara
I know it's not his fault that he's tall, or that people keep talking about it, it's just that I'm tired of hearing about it. Yes, I get it. He's an extremely large person. Being tall isn't a skill though; it's an asset, but that doesn't mean the world.

Final Thought:
I usually hate NBC, but I could've kissed the tv when I turned it on and saw the Joe.

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Eleven...

Caption Mondays: Crater won this week with a caption that literally made me laugh out loud.

"If you pass to Homer in the Neutral zone one more time I'm going to bench you. He CAN'T Stick Handle!"

Trivia Tuesdays: Rob won this time around.

This week's question: Jimmy Howard was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team last season. Henrik Zetterberg had the honor in 2002-2003. Prior to that, what was the last season in which a Wings rookie was named to the team? Who made the cut?

The Answer: Nick Lidstrom and Vladimir Konstantinov both received the honors in the 1991-92 season.

Red Wings vs. Flyers GP...

Red Wings: 24-9-5

Flyers: 23-10-5

Red Wing Zen:

Nick Lidstrom

11-25-36, +/- 1, 8 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Nikolay Zherdev

13-2-15, +/- 4, 16 PIM

Red Wings 3, Islanders 4 (OT): Post Game Snipes...

• This was a weird game in the sense that I didn't think the Wings played terribly, but they still managed to give up four goals to the lowly Islanders and lose in overtime.
• Nick Lidstrom scored one of the Islanders' goals for them. Though generous, it was a decidedly un-perfect play.
• When I heard that Tatar was getting called up, I thought, “Gee, he seems like the kind of guy who'd score a goal in his first NHL game.” It wasn't a prediction per se, but it was pretty sweet to see him do it.
• You could almost predict that the Wings were going to give up a goal on that OT penalty kill after Franzen had his stick slashed in half with no call. Those kinds of screw-ups always lead to goals.

Hero: Tomas Tatar
He stepped up as a last-minute call-up in his first NHL game. Here's hoping he keeps it up.

Villain: P.A. Parenteau
Thanks for ruining New Year's Eve.

Final Thought:
The Wings still ended 2010 with single digits in their regulation loss column. The only other team that can say that is Vancouver; they've played two fewer games, though.

Red Wings 4, Avalanche 3 (OT): Post Game Snipes...

• First of all: congrats to the old man on win #400 tonight. You kids stay off his lawn now, you hear?
• This game was a tale of two Ozzies. The second goal he gave up in the first period was incredibly typical of his play for the last two seasons. Then, he somehow found another gear and played like a crazy man for the rest of the game, looking like he did back in the '09 playoffs.
• I loved the celebration after the game. I especially loved the fact that Draper was the first one out to congratulate the old man.
• As those of you in the twitter crowd know, Jenn Ho caught Ozzie drinking a Pepsi during practice on the first day of training camp this fall. I don't think it's a coincidence that he played like that in the Pepsi Center.
• So that Jiri Hudler guy scored a goal. I'm not sure what's up with that.
• During an interview, he referred to Tomas Holmstrom as a “Swedish Terminator.” I loved it. I loved it a lot.
• How about the powerplay tonight? It was absolutely lethal.
• Did the Wings even touch the puck during the second period? It's been a while since I've seen them get worked over like that. Ozzie absolutely stole the game for them during that stretch. He was especially spectacular during the 5-on-3 kill.
• Toward the end of the game, the Wings fans in attendance got a couple of, “Ozzie! Ozzie!” chants going. I want to track each and every one of them down and hug them. Way to represent Hockeytown.
• That late-game tying goal was oh-so-reminiscent of the game against Dallas. I was crushed. I was sure the Wings were going to blow it for Ozzie. Luckily, the Wings got a powerplay late in OT and were able to salvage the victory for him.
• I'm not normally one to talk to my TV and try to vicariously coach the players (the playoffs being the obvious and understandable exception, of course), but this game had me mumbling things about shooting lanes and making shots count during OT.
• Jan Mursak wasn't terribly noticeable, which is good for a rookie making his NHL debut. The one thing (other than the penalty he took) that stood out was when he hustled back to negate a break for the Avs. It was a small play, but it stood out in my mind.
• How many times over the course of your Wings fandom has there been an odd-man rush against the Wings that's caused you to panic until that glorious moment when you realize that Nick Lidstrom is the man back? As soon as you see TPH back there, it seems like the odds are suddenly stacked in the Wings' favor, despite being outnumbered on the rush. Please don't ever leave us, Nick.

Hero: Chris Osgood
The old man stole the show tonight. It would've been good form to make him the hero on the night of his 400th win as a congratulatory measure, but this honor (Oh look, I've gone and developed an exaggerated sense of self-importance.) was earned, not given out of a sense of decorum. I want to see more of this edition of Ozzie.

Villain: Matt Duchene
He opened the scoring for the Avs in the first period, and then almost ruined the game by tying it up late in the third.

Final Thought:
Even the most die hard of Ozzie haters has to feel good for the guy tonight. It's been a long time coming.