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.

Wings vs. Bruins GP...

Wings vs. Bruins @ 7 PM

1. I’ve been told that the third line looked as fast and tenacious on the ice as they did on paper last game. Will they be able to keep it up?
2. Will Nick Lidstrom take this opportunity to avenge his lost Norris Trophy? Probably not, but it sure would be nice to see him put on a defensive clinic and show Chara that he’s still the best defenseman in the league.
3. How will Ville Leino respond to sitting out on Saturday? So far benching Helm seems to have been effective, so will Uncle Mike’s magic work again on Leino?
4. Was Saturday’s game an isolated effort, or a sign that the Wings have finally decided to show up for this season?
5. The Bruins, like the Wings, have gotten off to a slower than expected start. Which of them is going to show up tonight?
6. I'm not sure why, but the Wings always seem to play their worst when they're on Versus (case in point: the Buffalo game). Will they find it within themselves to not look like a trainwreck in front of a national audience?

I know it’s been said by pretty much everyone else already, but the Wings need to put together a string of wins to pull themselves away from the .500 mark. This team still has the ability to shut other teams down and they need to build on what I’m told was a strong effort on Halloween. It’s November now, and it’s time to get serious.