Caption Mondays Volume 7...

This one is from the Wings' first pre-season game against the Blackhawks.  What are the guys up to here?

Red Wings vs. Sharks GP...

Red Wings: 17-4-3

Sharks: 12-9-4

Red Wing Zen:

Pavel Datsyuk

8-21-29, +/- 7, 11 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Scott Nichol

(This was from his Calgary days. It was actually kind of hard to narrow it down to just one bad picture of him.)

3-2-5, +/-2, 26 PIM

Red Wings 2, Kings 3 (OT): Post Game Snipes...

• Draper and Ozzie both came back from injuries tonight. Ozzie played well. Draper didn't get much playing time, so it's hard to pass judgment.
• The Kings have yet to give up a powerplay goal while at home. That's crazy considering that we're more than a quarter way through the season. I was hoping that the Wings would be able to end that streak, but they sadly did not.
• Ozzie got called for a trapezoid penalty. We can all pretty much agree that this is one of the stupidest things the NHL has ever come up with, right? If we're going to restrain the goalies, at least add some humor to the game by using a shock collar or chain.
• Another road game, another LGRW chant by the Wings faithful in attendance.
• Brad Stuart drilled someone late in the first period. Later on in the game, he knocked Davis Drewiske down. He followed that up with a little nod at Drewiske as he was down on the ice. I love the swagger.
• Ericsson started the scoring with a goal late in the first. I didn't see the puck go in the net at first because I was focused on Zetterberg who looked like he was going to slam into the endboards. Datsyuk picked up the assist on the play while Homer was causing his usual mayhem in front of the net.
• Rig looked dangerous in the offensive zone all night. He had several good chances after scoring his goal. It was definitely one of his better nights.
• Justin Williams tried to stickhandle past Datsyuk at one point and ended up just looking silly. Homer finished the play by coming in and knocking him down. It amused me.
• I was still settling onto the couch for the second period when LA tied up the score.
• Luckily, Bertuzzi put the Wings back in the lead shortly afterward. Ken Daniels yelled, “Snipe!” when he scored. Personally, when I hear the word “snipe” associated with Bertuzzi, I assume it involves a rifle and ghillie suit. After the game, someone asked him about his snipe, and Bert responded by asking for a lawyer.
• The Wings started out with a strong first period, but gradually faded as the game wore on. You could tell that they were feeling the effects of playing back-to-back games. They looked a little more lively during overtime, but the Kings ended up winning on a goal that came off of a Lidstrom turnover.
• Any team that doesn't have two syllables in its name should ban its fans from doing the, “Let's go, ______!” chant. It just sounds stupid.
• After the game, the Kings' mascot rode an ATV out to center ice and pretended to be having a seizure. This was after the Kings celebrated their OT goal in the same fashion that teams usually use for Stanley Cup clinching goals. It's still December, sunshines.

Hero: Jonathan Ericsson
He had the Wings' first goal, but more importantly, he looked good tonight. I kept noticing him for positive reasons, instead of after mistakes. I wish he could play like that consistently.

Villain: Anze Kopitar
He got the Kings' goal in OT to seal the win.

Final Thought:
I'll take 5 out of 6 points on a roadtrip all season long.

Red Wings vs. Kings GP...

Red Wings: 17-4-2

Kings: 14-10-0

Red Wing Zen:

Chris Osgood

2-2-0, 2.76 GAA, .893 SV%

How fitting is it that the random number generator landed on #30 for his return from injury tonight?

Point and Laugh:

Davis Drewiske

0-5-5, +/- -2, 13 PIM

Red Wings 4, Ducks 0: Post Game Snipes...

• I didn't get to watch this one live thanks to work, but thanks to the modern miracle of DVR technology (and the fact that I instructed my little sister to guard my scheduled recording with her life), I still got to see the Wings shut out the Ducks by a score of 4-0 for the second time this season. This game wasn't nearly as much fun as the first 4-0 win, but I'll take what I can get.
• Stop wearing your ugly third jerseys when you play the Wings! Even better: stop making ugly third jerseys in general. Ugliness aside, it's a smart business decision—if you're using them as a pull for extra attendance, don't waste them on a night when the Wings would've already drawn in extra fans for you anyway. Wear them when you play the Coyotes. Or just burn them. One or the other.
• The Wings got off to a pretty good start with Johan Franzen's goal less than two minutes into the game. They had the Ducks on their heels for most of the first period after that.
• Oh, Helm...you and your lack of finish. One of these days you're going to get some hands.
• The second period was much slower for the Wings. Anaheim took over late in the first after their powerplays and carried that momentum over to the next period. The Wings weathered the storm, though, thanks to Jimmy Howard and managed to add to their lead.
• We picked on Homer a little bit during this week's episode of TP:60. I like to think that inspired him to score his goal tonight. I'm sure he's a regular listener.
• Congrats to Henrik Zetterberg for picking up his 500th career point. It's fitting that the assist came on a Circus line goal.
• Hey, Corey Perry: you lose at life. (And hockey.)
• Were there any Ducks fans in the building tonight? The cheering was ridiculously loud after the Wings scored. That's got to be pretty embarrassing for the Ducks fans who were in attendance, although probably to a lesser degree than actually being a fan of a team that employs Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf.
• Dan Cleary just keeps on rolling. I love it. I also loved his candidness during his second intermission interview.
• I was amused by the play near the end of the game where Zetterberg lost his stick and made a kick pass to center the puck. It would've been sweet if Cleary had scored on it.
• Filppula's goal with less than a minute left made me laugh. I loved the scoreboard symmetry to the season opener.

Hero: Jimmy Howard
It's really hard to not get the top honors when you pitch a shutout. He looked sharp tonight and more than earned his breather tomorrow.

Villain: Corey Perry
Anaheim would instantly become 8000% more likeable if he no longer played for them.

Final Thought:
When the Wings play the Ducks, I find myself inordinately distracted by Hiller's helmet. A large part of me wants to hate it, but there's also a part of me that thinks it's exceedingly awesome. I guess I'm still on the fence about it.

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Six...

Caption Mondays: I'm declaring this week's caption contest a tie because I make the rules and I can do whatever I want. Don't like it? Get your own blog.

From Sara Neuie:
Eaves: Don't look at BizvNasty, don't look at Biz Nasty, don't look at Biz...
Homer: What's with all the homeless people holding rolls of toilet paper?
Tuzzi: I dunno, but something smells kinda funny... and what's with that girl staring at Biz Nasty? Something's not right there...
Biz Nasty: haha, soup's almost ready, BOOM!
Eaves (familiar with Biz's twitter account): Ew, ew, ew, ew, EW!


And from JennHo:
Eaves "What IS she DOING?"
Bert "Don't know but I don't hate it"
Homer "Fer Sure"
Biz "She'll be with me in the pressbox tonight boys. BOOM"

Trivia Tuesdays: Ari Twice from The Detroit Offices won this week's trivia contest. Congrats!

This week's question: Which team have the Wings gone the longest since last facing in the playoffs?

The Answer: The Wings haven't played the New York Rangers since 1950 when the two teams faced off in the Finals. The Wings won the series 4-3 with Pete Babando scoring the Cup-winning goal on home ice in double overtime in Game Seven. Interestingly enough, the Wings had five home games that series and New York didn't really have any. The two road games for the Wings were played in Toronto because the circus had taken over Madison Square Gardens. This was also the year that Ted Lindsay began the time-honored tradition of skating the Cup around.

Red Wings vs. Ducks GP...

Red Wings: 16-4-2

Ducks: 13-11-3

Red Wing Zen:

Patrick Eaves

4-2-6, +/- 3, 4 PIM

Plus, a special bonus picture of him wearing a snazzy hat that I'm pretty sure he swiped from a 10-year-old girl:

Point and Laugh:

Todd Marchant

0-2-2, +/- -9, 6 PIM

Operation Curly Fries...

The boys from TPL have been hard at work on Operation Curly fries for the last couple weeks. These noble warriors have convinced Arby's and FSD to put the hat trick giveaway to a vote. It's come down to a fight to the death between our beloved curly fries and the treacherous junior roast beef sandwich. Voting was going well at first, as the fries had a significant lead. However, as the night has gone on, the JRBS has slowly been gaining.

I know you might look at the poll results right now and think that all hope is lost, but we cannot stand for this, Wings fans! Our will is strong and our cause is just and we shall prevail. Someday, many years from now, our grandchildren will sing heroic folk ballads about this great struggle in which we now find ourselves mired. Monuments will be erected, bank holidays will be established, and, if we're really lucky, there might even be some fireworks in our honor. This triumph shall go down in the annals of Red Wings lore to be celebrated by generations of Wings fans to come. We are facing a turning point in history and the fates of billions of Wings fans rest in our hands. This is bigger than any one of us. We must. Keep. Voting.

Should your confidence waver as we fight so righteously for the one, true hat trick celebration food to be returned to us, look no further than this annotated list of inspirational quotes from some of history's greatest minds. Stay strong, Wings fans. We shall conquer.

“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” 

- Thomas Paine

This dude knows what he's talking about. Sure, he was probably referring to lofty ideas like freedom and liberty, but our curly fry battle is no laughing matter.

“Every time we think we've measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard; we will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes, and we reach for the stars.”

- President Bartlet on The West Wing

Just because he's a fictional Commander in Chief doesn't mean that President Bartlet doesn't know what he's talking about. This is a time for American heroes. This battle is not easy, but the results will be well worth the effort.

"Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts." 

- Coleman Cox

Confession: This one's really only on this list because I've never talked about woodpeckers here at SSDD and I felt like that needed to change.

“There is nothing in life so difficult that it cannot be overcome. This faith can move mountains. It can change people. It can change the world.”

- Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Do you hear that? We're changing the world one curly fry at a time.

"Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life."

- Abraham Lincoln

Listen to old Abe here. He knows what's up. Do you want to regret not voting for curly fries for the rest of your life? Think about that: the rest of your life? I, for one, sure wouldn't want to be living out my days with that kind of weight on my shoulders.

When the story of these times gets written, we want it to say that we did all we could, and it was more than anyone could have imagined.

- Bono

I bet a lot of people thought this was a joke that was going nowhere when Operation Curly Fries began. Look where we are now.

“If you don't vote for curly fries, you're either a puppy-kicker or Gary Bettman.”

- Kris from SSDD

Woah, that's deep. She must be a pretty smart chick.

"History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed."

- B.C. Forbes

If there's a phrase that should be associated with the Wings and their fans, I would think that “notable winners” would be it. Don't let the existence of JRBSs (are they related to ROUSs?) break your heart. This is just a test.

“There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream.”

- Unknown

Hopefully at least enough to work off the calories of the delicious curly fries we're working to get.

"The characteristic of a genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We have indeed resolved to be great. Don't settle for a JRBS in place of delicious curly fries. Arby's curly fries are unique; they are pinnacles of excellent flavor. Wings fans deserve so much more than the mundane roast beef the fast food chain in currently offering.

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”

- Albert Einstein

I'm guessing Albert is talking about Pens fans, but I guess it could apply to any of the haters and trolls out there.

“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.”

- Ayn Rand

The hat trick giveaway that we desire can be won. Curly fries are ours for the taking. All you have to do is keep voting.

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

- Anne Bradstreet

I bet you took your free curly fries for granted last season. It wasn't until they were unceremoniously snatched away from us like a kidnapped baby in the night that you realized how truly delicious they were. This struggle will make the eventual curly fries that we get from Arby's that much tastier.

"A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose - a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve."

- John Maxwell

Have no fear, Wings fans. I can assure you that this battle has a purpose. Our goal is achievable if we just stay strong and endure the continued existence of free JRBSs for just a few more days.

“Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!”

- Andrew Carnegie

I'm guessing this was a passage read at Steve Yzerman's baptism, but it works just as well here. Yes, life will be glorious once we have been declared victorious. Also, things will probably rhyme more. Double win!

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

- Mario Andretti

We do indeed need an unrelenting pursuit of our goal. We can't drop the ball on this, kids. Too much work has gone into making this grassroots effort a reality. Success is our only option.

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

- Walt Disney

Yeah, a JRBS would kick you in the teeth. They're like that. Things may look tough now, but we'll come out of this stronger and better for having faced down the challenge.

There you go. If those great minds can't keep you motivated to keep refreshing your page and voting for curly fries, I don't know what will. Real life may have to take a backseat to this for a while, but it will be worth it in the end*. Your friends and family will understand.

*Some negative consequences such as unemployment, your spouse leaving, your children starving, your goldfish being eaten by your cat, your cat choking on the goldfish, WWIII, or Justin Bieber music being downloaded onto your ipod may result from neglecting your real life to vote for curly fries. Kris cannot be held responsible for any of these occurences. Proceed at your own risk—if you want to be a true hero, you're going to have to live through some danger. Time to cowboy up.

TP:60 Episode 7...

The latest episode of TP:60 posted this morning.  I joined Greg from The Winged Wheel and the TPL crew for a discussion about flying bears, Just Shoot Me, and Disney characters.  We may also have talked about the Wings a little.

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

• Aren't you all glad the game went on as scheduled? After several hours of wondering whether or not the Wings were going to be able to play tonight due to a power outage in the Sharks' building, we finally got word through Twitter that the problem had been fixed and the game was on.
• The Wings got off to a bit of a slow start in the defensive zone, making way more turnovers than were necessary. Jimmy Howard made some good saves to hold down the fort until they got their act together.
• The Wings got a powerplay goal from Dan Cleary early on. I'm pretty sure the puck ended up in the back of the net because the Sharks were still confused about the fact that the Wings had just gotten a powerplay. After the playoff series last season, I'm guessing they thought that the rule book had been amended to prohibit that occurrence.
• This was one of those games during which all I could do was shake my head at the Eurotwins. They do ridiculous things with the puck every single game, and on those nights when they really dial it up, watching them go to work is glorious.
• Pavel Datsyuk's goal was just pretty. He embarrassed the Sharks' defensemen as he danced right through them and then finished the play with a shot into the wide-open net from a bad angle.  After the goal, Ken Daniels yelled, "He dangles, and snipes!" Just saying...
• Zetterberg looked like a baseball player as he swatted his first goal out of mid-air. The hand-eye coordination needed to do that is pretty impressive.
• San Jose's second goal should've been goaltender interference. Last time I checked, sitting on goalies wasn't allowed...unless you're Colton Orr. If Tomas Holmstrom so much as gives the goalie a dirty look, he's called for interference.
• Patrick Eaves scored. I guess you wouldn't know that he plays ping pong.
• Z's second goal was set up by a beautiful pass from Datsyuk. As I've already said...amazing stuff. Just amazing.

Hero: Henrik Zetterberg
We were all pulling for him to snag us some free curly fries roast beef sandwiches tonight. The fact that he didn't trigger the Arby's promo doesn't take away from his four-point performance, though. He was phenomenal, as was his partner in crime, Pavel Datsyuk.

Villain: Scott Nichol
He ended up with four penalty minutes for going after Kronwall late in the third period. Kronner obviously had no interest in fighting. Good job, dude.

Final Thought:
I could watch the Eurotwins play hockey 24/7 and never for one second be bored.