This Bears Repeating

Since I can't really put it any better, I'm plainly going to rip off Nightmare on Helm Street:

USA Today is running a poll of its readers of who is the greatest player in any sport to wear 19.  I think the answer is obvious, but right now, The Captain is lagging far behind Johnny Unitas and some ancient named Bob Feller. 

We can't have this, so here's my call out to you Red Wing nation, get Yzerman that honor.  Only around 5K people have voted so far, so it can easily be swayed.  

Vote here, vote often.  Tell your friends.  Tweet.  Facebook.  Write.  Yell.  Etc.  Just get our 19 to #1.  

Here's the article.  

Steve Yzerman, once a Wing, always a Wing.

Go vote. And then go vote again on a different computer. And then get your parents and co-workers to vote.

What Lemieux MEANT to Say

By now, everyone's read what Mario Lemieux said in his statement following the Islanders/Penguins game on Friday. And everyone and their mother has given their opinion on if he was right to make the statement and if anything good will actually come from it.

After spending the entire night digging and making shady back-alley deals, I got my hands on the original draft of that statement. I think it provides a little more insight into his true feelings and intentions.

"Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be, but what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that without being able to put Matt Cooke on the ice."

"The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed. Of course, by that I mean that beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 9-3 is unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport."

"We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. And by 'our', I mean MINE.  We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action towards anyone NOT wearing a Penguins jersey."

"If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it. And whether I need to try to sign Georges Laraque again."

Thank God that the PR department in Pittsburgh got a hold of it before it hit the press, imagine what would have happened in the media if Mario didn't edit that. 

*This is not really his original statement. Obviously.

On Cooke and Crosby and Concussions

Every mainstream media talking head is up in arms about concussions in today's NHL because Sidney Crosby MIGHT miss the rest of the season. MIGHT. As in it's not even known yet just how long he'll be out.

The saddest part of Crosby's concussion is that THIS is what it takes to get this issue addressed. A superstar getting hurt.

Oh, what's that, you say, Marc Savard?

You had a concussion long before Sidney Crosby did? And it was from his teammate, Matt Cooke? On a blatantly dirty play, prior to which you had what one can assume was a perfectly clean bill of health?

You see, my friends, THIS is what's wrong with the NHL. I mentioned it before in my now infamous newspaper interview with the Detroit Free Press.

"I believe the NHL has its own interests besides individual markets," [I] said. "They're trying to look out for the big picture."

Cooke, playing for Pittsburgh, takes out a Boston player, Savard, with what will be known as one of the dirtiest hockey plays this side of Claude Lemieux and gets away scott-free. Where was the "we've gotta stop this shit, pronto" discussion then? There might have been murmurs here and there, but no one was really hoisting that flag.

Fast forward to now. Here we have Crosby, Pittsburgh's shiny gold star, out indefinitely from what I believe to be incidental and minor instances that lead to what I've only seen as a 'mild' and 'grade I' concussion. And I say that as a HOCKEY fan. Not as a Gary-Bettman-hating-Sidney-Crosby-effigy-burning Red Wings fan. But now there's a big anti-concussion movement stirring in the ranks of the NHL front office.

Let's take a brief look at the Steckel hit. The Capitals are moving the puck up-ice, Steckel is rushing to join the play. Crosby is skating with his head turned, watching the puck with that Gretzky-esque "don't touch me, I'm a superstar" attitude.
Boom, Crosby gets blindsided.
Blindsided, right? That means dirty play, doesn't it?

NO.

Steckel and Crosby were doing the same exact thing, watching Hendricks carry the puck up ice. You can see in the replays that Steckel drops his shoulder right before impact. I believe whole-heartedly that that was an attempt to AVOID hitting Crosby. Think about it. If you drop your shoulder like that before hitting something, it's usually trying to make your profile slimmer to avoid getting hit. You see that more in hockey players sidestepping a check rather than making one.

You know what you don't see in players that are looking to avoid contact with another player? Leading with the elbow. That's what Cooke did. Just like in other plays where he's lead with the elbow. Or the knee. Or hitting from behind. Or some other illegal NHL action. The fact of the matter is Cooke has been involved is no many dirty plays wearing that Penguins jersey, it's absolutely absurd that he's only been suspended 6 games. 6 games for a dirty hit, that sounds about right, right? It would be better if that weren't a cumulative total. If you break it down, he's averaging less than 1 game's worth of suspension for the amount of dirty play he's done. Showcased by Don Cherry, starting at 1:14 in is a nice little montage of dirty plays he's been involved in. And through all of that, there's only been 6 games of suspension? And 4 of those came from what I think might be the least offensive hit of all of those.

Let's get back to the main issue here. Concussions are tricky, tricky beasts. Once you have one, you're more susceptible to more. Let's say (as is the likely case) that Crosby got his concussion in that play. That freak, accidental play. I don't care if you're a superstar in this league. If you have even a CHANCE at having a brain injury, you wait it out until you know damn well that you're good to go again. You don't go play again 4 days later and hope for the best.

Let's look at another concussion case that Red Wings fans are all to familiar with. Andreas Lilja. He missed 370 days returning from his concussion. That's a year and 5 days. Not just 4. And you know why? Because he did it RIGHT. He wasn't rushed back, and he didn't rush himself back. He took his time and made sure that he was good to go again. And when he did return, he was a solid addition to the team. He wasn't a liability.

No one knows who's really at fault for Crosby's playing against Tampa Bay. Was it the medical staff okaying him too soon, was it him lying to the medical staff to get okayed too soon, was it the coaches or some other influential person? We don't know the answers to that. But in his returning to that game against the Lightning, he made himself a bigger liability to the team than he helped them by playing. He's been out since. And we don't know when he'll be coming back.

So now the NHL has a problem they have to address. But let's be real here. This isn't about the NHL protecting the players. It's about protecting their assets. Do people in Phoenix buy tickets to see Marc Savard or Andreas Lilja? No. But they come to see the NHL's golden boy Crosby. So if he's not playing, the NHL is going to suffer. So now they are putting on the concerned hats and acting all worried about the players.

It's not about keeping the player's best interests in mind, or making sure that they're going to be okay post-career. It's about making sure their pockets are lined.

As always, comments are appreciated.

The Stanley Cup Finals of Ugly Jerseys

As you may remember, there was a plea heard crying out across Red Wings Nation just under a month ago for ideas and designs for the Red Wings' worst possible 3rd jersey, if they were to ever accept one. 

The response was incredible. It was quick, it was funny, and it was UGLY.

But now we have all these entries and no winner. Yet. That's where you come in.

Much like how Operation: Curly Fries let good ol' fashioned democracy decide the winner between curly fries and roast beef sandwiches, we're going to let you, Red Wings Nation, the people this contest was designed by and for, pick the winners.

You'll notice on the left side of my blog a poll. Yeah, I upgraded the digs around here for this contest. Never had a poll before. I do now. But on that poll you'll see 16 choices for which design you think is the ugliest. But that's not because we only got 16 entries. In fact, we have double that amount. You'll see the other half of the entries posted by my partners in this whole contest ordeal, The Production Line. I strongly encourage you to pop over to their page and vote for the design hosted there that you think is the ugliest.

So here you go. 16 of the ugliest jersey designs you'll ever see:

Gold Eagle

1995 Inspired

Mauve Irrelevant

Purple Octopus

Tychkowski

Neon Abomination

Advertisement

Cup & Ring

Hey Hey Hockeytown

Samuelsson

Guardian Winter Classic

Guardian Comic Sans

Guardian Plain

"Der Wings" 6

Detroit Lions

Blue Baseball Look

Click any design to see a zoomed version. 

So there you go. Half of the ugliest Detroit Red Wings inspired 3rd jersey ideas ever. Be sure to vote here and over on The Production Line on the other half, and leave your two cents on the various designs in the comments. I'm sure the artists would love to hear what everyone has to say about their work. 

Some of the Worst... So Far

Last week, a call was put out to Red Wings Nation to design what would be the worst Red Wings Third Jersey imaginable. The responses we got were incredibly bad.

Luckily for everyone involved, that's great news.

Today is February 1st, leaving only 9 more days to enter your submissions. Some of you still are working on your ideas, and some of you are still looking for ideas. So to help you out, and also to showcase some of the terribly good or wonderfully bad designs we've already gotten, here are my 5 picks of the litter so far.

A few side notes before we get to the jerseys, though.

These are in no way meant to be finalists, those will be named later. But that doesn't mean that some of the designs you see here or also over on The Production Line today CAN'T be finalists, either. These are just examples of what we've gotten so far, to show the different ideas and mediums we've all received. You can use them to draw some inspiration, or just enjoy the varying degrees of ugly we're posting on our pages.

Now, without futher ado, my 5 jerseys.

This monstrosity was one of the first and worst submissions I got. It's ugly on so many different levels. First, the color scheme is just harsh on the eyes. It looks like a firework factory explosion mated with a Easter egg dye factory and its offspring went on to mate with a Reebok jersey factory, all of which occurring in Gary Bettman's wet dream. And second, and I'm not sure if this is worse than the colors, is the Sidney Crosby overload. Is it implying that he'd be on the Wings, or is that going to be for every player on the Wings? Either way, it's plainly and simply ugly.

One of the more 'professional' looking types of ugly we've seen, this gets a spot on the page today for it's feasibility. This looks like a jersey we could actually be subjected to if the Wings opted to wear a third jersey. It touches on the classic Winged Wheel design but bastardizes it to the point of ad nauseam. And although I've always wanted to see a touch of black added to Wings jerseys, this design makes it look forced and unnatural, but also like it would be okayed by the NHL.

Another example that overuses the classic Winged Wheel design, this piece puts the wings anywhere they will fit, and then some places they won't. Also touching on the cliche circular, somewhat-related-but-not-really-related logo idea that nearly every other team team likes to use. Oh, and stripes. Lots and lots of stripes. I also really like how it doesn't even mention the team name. That's truly an ugly combination.

Another Paint submission, this one puts the Wings' current jersey into a blender with other third jerseys and pops out a new Wings jersey after 2 minutes on 'puree'. The V striping on the bottom of the jersey, the vertical wording on the sleeves, and yet another circular logo in the middle. The addition of black to the color scheme seems illogical and hackneyed again here, too.

I don't think words can even accurately describe the horror this jersey displays. It touches on the Wings' current jersey, but just like the Penguins', Bruins' and Flames' third jerseys this year, also reminds us the team's past. And, similar to the Blackhawks, Panthers and Predators, it features the ugly head of a creature no one ever wants to see face to face.

Remember, there is still time to get your own personal submissions in. These are just a sampling of the jerseys we've received. Be sure to check out The Production Line for a few more examples, and if you haven't already, get designing. And be sure to share your ideas and opinions in the comments.

Red Wings Ugly Third Jersey Contest

Last week, I posed a question to my followers on Twitter, asking what 28 other teams in the league had that the Red Wings didn’t. I got various responses, saying cheerleaders, mascots, and Canadian captains.

The answer that I was looking for was an official 3^rd jersey.

Ever since the league okayed teams to submit 3^rd jerseys for approval back in 1995, every team in the league but 2 has had an officially sanctioned 3^rd jersey.

Who are those two holdout teams?
Oddly enough, we'll see them both in action, sharing the ice tomorrow night.

The most important? The Detroit Red Wings. The most ironic? New Jersey.

...

Seriously, how funny is it that New Jersey hasn’t really had a new jersey to market?

But that’s me getting distracted.

The point is, most of the 3^rd jerseys the league has allowed have been absolutely hideous. Just look at the ones in use this season.

Okay, truth be told, I really like the Los Angeles one...

On the 14^th of this month, during a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets and their very own atrocious 3^rd jerseys, @sigsegfalt called for a contest to see who could, in keeping with the NHL’s long standing tradition of allowing teams to abandon color schemes and common sense, come up with the world’s worst possible Detroit Red Wings 3^rd Jersey. 

Well, Red Wings Nation, ask and you shall receive.

I’m very proud to announce a partnership with the guys over at The Production Line in bringing you the 

Red Wings Ugly Third Jersey Photoshop Contest.

The rules? There are no rules. Just Photoshop/MS Paint/Gimp what you think would be the worst possible Red Wings 3^rd jersey and send your creation to either EtchedInCold@Gmail.com or contact@theproductionline.us by February 10th. At the end of the weeks leading up to the announcement of the winner, you’ll see some of the best (or is it worst?) submissions on this site and over on TPL.

What’s your motivation?

• The second runner up will receive what’s known in some circles as the ultimate vintage card prize pack, featuring, among others, an autographed Tim Cheveldae card.
• First runner up will receive a shirt from The Production Line store.
• Grand prize will be a chance to see your design on an actual shirt, handmade/screen printed by me.

So, remember, turn in your ideas before February 10^th, and keep checking in here and over at The Production Line to see some of the worst Red Wing jersey ideas you’ve ever seen in your life.

Bad is good, and good is bad. 

Yes-bokov or No-bakov?

Okay, I'll admit. This probably isn't the most clever title, and it's a clear rip off of the Prodano/Nodano saga of the summer. But I'm standing by it.

Since about 10 am yesterday, Twitter, the blogosphere, and the entirety of Red Wings Nation has been absolutely on fire with the news of the Red Wings starting talks with, then signing, and lastly putting Nabokov on the waiver wire.

This has made people go absolutely insane, on one side, hoping he comes and does well to hoping he comes and fails, and on the other side, hoping he gets claimed by another team, prompting some of the worst trade propositions I've ever seen.

My take on this whole situation is about as clear as Nabokov's future.

If he clears waivers, and lands in Detroit, I think it's a great pick up. Just another clear cut reason why Ken Holland is the best GM in the league. It's funny how we can go half of a season without anyone even looking to pick Nabby up, to now that Ken's inked the deal, we have to worry about 27 or so teams thinking, "You know what, he's right!"
Ozzie's out. This is for sure. That cannot be changed.
And, as always with goalies, and especially with Osgood, when he comes back, we can't know for sure how he's going to play. With him not even slated to come back until March, that doesn't leave very much time for him to get his shit in gear for a playoff run. If we get Nabokov, I'm looking at two options.

Best case scenario: we'll have a (somewhat) proven goaltender who's got something to prove and could come and light the league on fire.
Worst case scenario: we get a cheap goalie who can possibly give Jimmy a few games' rest at a time to keep him fresher for a deep postseason run.

I don't see a bad side to this.

My problem with this deal comes if he gets snagged up off waivers. There are any number of teams looking at this signing and licking their chops to get a hold of him for the same reasons I listed before.

But what if we're dead set on getting Nabokov in Detroit? Who would we give up to get him here? WILL we give someone up to get him here?
I'm reminded of the Hasek for Kozlov trade. Can Ken pull out a little more magic to get our goalie for dirt cheap like he did then?

Or if he gets taken by some other team, do we pack it in and start looking elsewhere for a back up goalie? Do we try to snipe another veteran goalie? Do we just rely on our AHL goalies to back up Jimmy until Ozzie comes back and then roll the dice with him or ride Jimmy until his winged wheels fall off?


Everyone and their brother is speculating who would take Nabokov, and coming up with a crazy goaltender musical chairs game. I'm going to hold off on all that, because my crystal ball is in the shop. As of right now, I've heard 2 teams taking themselves out of the running:

Washington - via Matthew Barnaby's tweet--

Washington guaranteed will not be the one picking up nabokov! They are happy with their goaltending.

 New Jersey - via Rich Chere's tweet--

GM Lou Lamoriello says Devils will not put in a claim for goalie Evgeni Nabokov.

That leaves 25 teams. We have about 21 and a half hours before waiver claims close. We'll see what happens right around the game against Chicago.

My Half-Season...ish Review...ish

Well, it’s been a sort of down week across Red Wings Nation, with the Wings not playing a game until tomorrow.

Yes, they were in Denver on Monday, but I wouldn’t exactly classify that as a game. They managed to pop in for a few minutes, but a GAME? No

And with the calendar changing over to 2011, and the season just about over, I’m going to go through and do a quick half-year player review. It’s easy and should be somewhat quick, and I need to post SOMETHING. (How many times have I said that?) So here we go.

Lidstrom (11-30-41): Lidstrom is apparently hoarding the fountain of youth somewhere, because he’s returned to early millennium form. Remember last year, when he had that terrible goal drought? Not so much this year. He is having a great year, both defensively and offensively, and will be punished for that by going to the All Star game.

Bertuzzi (7-20-27): Bert’s an enigma this year. Remember the heyday of the BFF line, and when our favorite kitty killer was leading the league in +/-? Something has happened that needs to be remedied soon. He’s still a solid player, but he’s gone quiet lately. Maybe he’s holding back for a late/post season run? Maybe he’s just burnt out a little after blazing out of the gates early. I don’t know, but I won’t count him out yet.

Holmstrom (11-11-22): Homer has been confusing me. He’s been quiet nearly all season long. He hasn’t been out there as much as I remember him being in the past. Usually, if he’s not putting up goals, he’s still making noise out on the ice, screening and agitating opposing goalies and defensemen. Right now, however, he’s making most of his noise in the form of referee’s whistles, leading Red Wings forwards in PIM, and second on the team.

Zetterberg (16-33-49): Is there any player in the league having a better, quieter year? He’s hardly been a take-over-a-game player, and yet he’s still among the best players in the league. Much like Lidstrom of years prior, he’s so good because he’s going to beat you quietly and you’re not going to notice until it’s too late. I have no problems with his play at all this year. Except that he burned my fantasy team a few weeks back.

Kronwall (8-13-21): Is anyone else as shocked as me that Kronner has played in every game so far this 

year? Here’s hoping that I’m not a curse. Having played in every game so far, I’d like to see him being better than he has been so far. Maybe he needs a rest or something but he’s not as sound as he’s been in the past. With Stuart’s injury, we’ll need him to step up and lock it down better from here on out.

Helm (4-13-17): The last of the Wings to play in every game so far this season, he’s looking better as the season rolls on. Maybe he’s meshing better with his newest grouping of line mates, or maybe he’s been lurking on Twitter and reading EVERYONE’S comments about how that man needs new hands, because he’s been putting points on the board lately, and has been one of the best players on the Wings on a nightly basis for the past few weeks.

Salei (0-6-6): Forget those stats I just threw up next to his name, because he was never brought in to bolster the offense. The more telling stat is his +2. That, given Babs’ tendency to pair him with a lackluster D-man, is pretty good. He’s been solid. Both as a defenseman and as a brick wall, being one of the Wings’ more physical forces on the back end.

Franzen (18-15-33): Don’t look now, but Frickin’ Franzen has put more pucks in the net this season than notable goal-scorers Zetterberg, Toews, Malkin and Ovechkin. I don’t know how many votes he got for the All Star game, but personally, I think he deserves to be in more than probably 73% of the players that did get in. He’s the power forward the Wings have never had. He’s more Bertuzzi than Bertuzzi. And that’s not only a good thing for the team, but also NOT surprising to me.

Stuart (3-9-12): Our best non-Lidstrom defensemen and third string goaltender is out for 6-8 weeks. Before the bullshittery that was the entire debacle behind the hit that took him out, he was out there, banging bodies, breaking up passes and backing up our goalies when they were down and out. He is a presence that will be dearly missed in the upcoming months, and I’ve got all my fingers crossed that he’ll be back on or before March 11. But no later.

Filppula (10-15-25): Maybe it’s just me; maybe I’m just absolutely stupid when it comes to hockey, but has the play of Flip left something more to be desired to anyone else out there? I know he’s having, for all intents and purposes, a good year, but there’s something deep down inside of me that says there’s another level of play that we haven’t seen out of him yet. I like the kid, I like his game, but I’m not convinced that he’s reached his whole potential. With the injuries going around (like the one to his very own groin) I’m hoping he has that “11” on his dial that we can see when he comes back to playing at 100%.

Hudler (3-9-12): There is, to me, a problem when you’re supposed to be one of the premiere goal scorers on the team and you’re mirroring Brad Stuart’s offense exactly. I get the whole gunshy thing, returning from the KHL, but I have to think that when you’re being catered to by the coach to get you going, you’re going to have maybe, possibly, hopefully double digit assists. At least.  The extra talent on this team should be added to by a player like Hudler, not Hudler’s play being added to by the extra talent on the team.

Miller (1-6-7): There are 2 things that Miller BARELY has more of than me this season. Grey hairs and NHL goals. Sure, he’s been a victim of the Leino Lounge/Klub Kindl (™ TPL) Shuffle, so I’m not going to rag on him as much as he would have gotten. Since the injury rash has hit the Wings, he’s become more reliable, with a point every 1.5 games or so. I alluded to it when the Wings resigned him over the summer, but he needs consistency to play consistently. So far, he hasn’t gotten it, so we’re not getting it. But I’m not going to complain, because he’s doing the best he can.

Cleary (16-10-26): This will come as a shock to no one who has ever read my blog, but I will not complain about Cleary at all. Not here, nor ever. He has played well over the level he needed to, and with my help, took over the team’s goal scoring lead until being taken out by an unfortunate Stuart slapper off the foot. Just like Franzen, Cleary has also netted more goals than Malkin and Ovechkin. Pretty damn good for a ‘3^rd liner’, eh?

Ericsson (2-8-10): HOLY SHIT JONATHON ERICSSON HAS THE 4^TH HIGHEST +/- RATING ON THE RED WINGS! But he also has the highest PIM. He’s more Bertuzzi than Bertuzzi, and not in the Franzen sense. Enough said?

Abdelkader (3-7-10): Abs is the other Red Wing that jumps out at me for hiding something. Maybe I’m just hopeful, or -as I offered earlier- maybe I am just absolutely hockey-dumb, but I think there’s a higher level of hockey in him that has yet to be unleashed. He’s in no way playing poorly, sharing the top +/- on the team, but I think this kid has something in him that can put up points at a higher rate. Maybe, in a year or so, as his role on the team changes, his play will change to include that. Or perhaps his play needs to change to change his role. Either way, I’m fairly certain there’s more to him that we should be seeing soon.

Datsyuk (12-17-39): Surprise, surprise, surprise, I’m going to draw a parallel between Datsyuk and Zetterberg right now. He’s so good, doing it so quietly, that you really only notice just how much he does for the team when it’s gone. His return to the team will instantly improve it. And it can’t come soon enough.

Rafalski (3-27-30): I don’t think Raf gets enough credit for what he does for this team. For as much as he’s been called out by other blogs lately for spotty, poor play, he’s still #1 on the team with a +12 rating, and he’s putting up JUST UNDER a point per game. I don’t think there’s much to complain about when looking at the big picture, but we can all certainly ask for a little more out of him while Stuart’s on the shelf.

Modano (2-6-8): Not exactly the way Mikey Mo wanted to make his homecoming season with Wings notable for, but once he puts down the Hawthorne Heights cds and comes back to the team, I hope his time on the injury list equates to a red hot close to the regular season and a long, productive appearance in the playoffs.

Draper (3-1-4): I have a love-hate relationship with the Wings’ donut goalie pioneer. I used to think he was past his prime and that he should have called it a career right next to Maltby, but I am more than happy to get the old “STFU” treatment from him as much as I have been getting lately. He’s playing much, much better than the 4 points may say, and I don’t care how much crow he makes me eat.

Kindl (0-0-0): One of 2 pointless Red Wings, he’s currently in the highest pressure situation of his career. Forced into the lineup by Stuart’s broken jaw, he’s 100% in a put up or shut up position right now. He needs to show that he deserves a spot on future Red Wings rosters, or quietly go away. I have no personal feeling for him as a player, I wouldn’t rather see him stay more than see him leave and vice versa. He’s just an entity on the Wings right now, but I’d love for him to make my mind up for me.

Mursak (1-0-1): One of the up and comers for the Wings from Grand Rapids, I really like what I’ve seen from him in the few games I’ve seen him in so far. He helps put my mind at ease knowing that if or when we get another injury string, he’s what we have coming up the pipeline. He’ll be a solid player on the big club sometime, and he doesn’t worry me at all right now as a call-up.

Janik (0-0-0): Another pointless Wing, and that goes both ways in this case. He was so completely underwhelming in his time with the Wings, his name became synonymous with “FAIL”. Coincidentally, he’s also number one on my Red Wings 2010-2011 shitlist not for playing pitiful, but for the pitiful display of pugilism he exhibited against Colorado.

Tatar (1-0-1): Just like Mursak, he was another player that wasn’t intended to be a Red Wing, but when he became one, he played like one. During his time up (sent back to Grand Rapids recently with the return of Filppula), he was more of an impact for the team than Hudler had been. Easily makes it to the list of Griffins I won’t have any problems seeing wearing the Winged Wheel.

The Goalies

This is an interesting part of the break down because while both are sitting behind 2.7 GAAs, one is having a renaissance year, while the other is having an “is-he/isn’t-he?” sophomore season.

Howard (22-7-3): Leading the league in wins and single-digit losses seems a little strange for a player allegedly in the throes of a sophomore slump, but the fact of the matter is that this somewhat qualifies for the old/young goaltender. We know he has better play in him, and while we haven’t seen it at all times, he’s still playing well enough to put up statistics that rival the majority of All Star goalie selections.

Osgood (5-3-2): Winning 50% of his starts, and putting up an absolute gem of a game to positively steal win number 400 in his career against none other than Colorado, he had been a pleasant surprise to the 2009-2010 Ozzie naysayers and a pleasant return to form to the 2009-2010 Ozzie backers. How will he play when he returns from his groin surgery? Is this going to be the last we see of him? Is this going to be the last we see him playing at this level? I hope this isn’t the way he closes his career, in the middle of a ‘is he even good enough’ controversy, on top of his ever-present HOF controversy.

Think I hit the nail on the head? Think I should just delete this post and quit blogging forever? As always, comments are appreciated.

Actually, comments are kind of desperately wanted.

NYI = New Years Idiocy

This post is going to be short, unstructured, and random.


So, in other words, just like the rest of this blog.

The first period of this game started just like it should have, with the Wings running around making the Islanders look silly. The first line was pressuring. The second line was pressuring. The third line was pressuring. And the 5th line was pressuring.
Yep. The 5th line.

Usually, when a team has so many injuries that you have to call up AHLers, it never bodes well for a team. However, with the Wings' roster being managed by Ken Holland and coached by Mike Babcock, the Griffins playing for us right now have looked good. Sometimes, it's an invisible kind of look. Like Mursak. He's been good enough to not look like an AHL player called up out of necessity. He has been better so far in his first few games with the Wings than certain players named Hudler looked in their first few games with the Wings this year. He hasn't been flashy or great by any means, but he's played well enough to not be a liability. And that's an extremely good thing for someone in his position.

And then there's Tatar. He, to me at least, looked downright GOOD tonight. He looked like he belonged on the big club. He was speedy, he was meshing with his linemates, and he ended up tying the game with an intentional/unintentional redirect when the team really needed it.

Where was this last year when half of the team with the Winged Wheel on their chests were fresh out of Grand Rapids and perhaps the nearest roller hockey rink? Where was the solidly quiet defensive responsibility and slightly above average offensive upside?

Has that extra year of development (you know, the kind of development the Wings have long believed in) made that much more of a difference?

Either way, I'm cool with it.


As for the rest of the game...
fuck the rest of the game.


Welcome to the NHL, where the only consistency in the officiating is the inconsistency.

First things first, before we go into OT territory... I have a hard time believing that LOLoson didn't do anything warranting some sort of penalty after Flip's goal. Running his mouth to the ref, throwing the net off it's moorings, then yapping a bit more at the refs after getting pulled for the extra skater right afterwards. Nothing exhibited there is unsportsmanlike? Bull. Fucking. Shit. He threw a huge bitch fit because his own player pushed Bertuzzi into him, resulting in a goal, and somehow got away with all of it. That's something that's going to bother me about this game for a while because I've seen players get called for more for doing less.

Maybe we don't even go to overtime if something gets called there. But since nothing was called and we did go to overtime, we were treated to extra hockey, where the best aspects of Gary's NHL were put on display...



I know we Red Wings fans are often given shit for crying foul when the refs don't call things the way we want. The main difference between us Red Wing fans and fans of nearly every other NHL team is that we know what the hell we're talking about, so the way we want things is the way things SHOULD be done.

I have no doubt that if the tables were turned in overtime, with an Islander in front of Yimmy on a power play getting his stick intentionally slashed and incidentally broken by a Wing who got away with it, we'd still call it a bullshit non-call. But with things as they are now, we're going to look like whiners because we got hosed and the refs took the extra OT point from us and basically gave it right to the Islanders.

There is no way in Hell you can tell me that the Wings don't score against the ISLANDERS in a 5-3 situation. Not with the way momentum had been swinging. Assuming it even gets that far.

How do we even know that Franzen doesn't score or in some other way contribute to a goal if he has a legal, whole stick in his hand during the last exchange? Who's to say that Z takes his "penalty" if Franzen is able to go into the corner and fight for the puck?

And can I just say that this has got the be the first time I've ever seen a professional hockey team direct their professional hockey player to hide behind the net for 16 seconds because they're that afraid of getting burned in a 3-on-3 situation. Going from their 1-1-3 defensive scheme to that 'cowering puppy' ploy in overtime, the Islanders have got to be the biggest pussy team in the NHL.


The Red Wings were the only ones on the ice all night with any sort of pride, professionalism, or class.

New pledge- $1 for every Cleary or Franzen point until pledges close.

Stephanie's Game Recap

I asked Stephanie to write up tonight's game recap. This is what she provided me. None of this was actually meant to be posted, but she has not given me anything other than this. So this is what you're getting.

"Tonight's game was truly one of high quality. The Wings came to win, and they played like it, too: they capitalized on every opportunity, played seamlessly, and were at the top of their game throughout every period."

"I CAN'T. I HAVE NOTHING. THERE IS NOTHING TO BE SAID. TONIGHT'S GAME CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN ONE WORD: CRAP. THAT'S ALL OF THE ELOQUENCE THAT I CAN POSSIBLY MUSTER. ATLANTA PLAYED LIKE THEY WANTED TO WIN, AND THE WINGS DIDN'T. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. THE WINGS WERE FLAT. THERE WAS NOTHING. NOTHING.

Caps totally necessary."

And the Tweet Goes On...

You see what I did there? I rhymed 'beat' with 'tweet'...

The Wings won another game tonight. This time snatching an overall poorly played game from the young, upstart, 'contenders for the Central' Blues.

The first few periods were, according to what I've been reading and hearing, disappointing. I did manage to see Yimmy's brilliant skate blade kick save to close out the first, but then I was distracted by silly little things like random shit online and throwing out/packing my belongings for my trip back to Michigan on Friday. My feed went out for a while and I just let it sit like that for a good chunk of time during the second while other pressing matters were still at hand.

Fortunately, the Wings not only came out in the third looking determined to win the game, but over a span of 4 minutes, they proved once again why they're the best team in this league when they get clicking. This is not a team you want to have an off night against. This is not a team you want to have an off period against. Or, like tonight, this is not a team you want to have an off 5 minutes against.

Yimmy is good enough of a goaltender to keep the Wings in games they should be losing. And the Wings are deadly enough that they can embarrass you for taking just one shift off.

Hell, this might just be the strategy. Only play 5 minutes worth of a game. That way, when the playoffs come, while every other team has played 82 games, the Wings will theoretically only have played 16.4 games.

HOWEVER,
there were more important things that happened tonight for the Red Wings.

Actually it was more like for one Red Wing.

But really, it was for me.

Dan Cleary, my boy -and apparently my sock puppet- scored yet again. Not just once, either. Twice. One being your tie breaking, game winning goal. Here's a running update for you:

SEASON TOTALS: 9G, 5A, +5, 41 SOG

Before my tweet: 1G, 4A, -2, 23 SOG

After my tweet: 8G, 1A, +7, 18 SOG

 

I, admittedly, was terrified that my last post was going to be a jinx. I was going to hate myself forever and for eternity if, after posting that, he came out and laid a big fat goose egg. But, I did do a little research (you know I love that research) and found he had about 22 points in about 50 games in his career against the Blues. So I felt a little better about posting it. And he rewarded my confidence in him with a great game again. He is the anti-Dennis Nedry to my John Hammond. I love that man.

Why I'm Responsible For Cleary's Streak

Okay, first things first. Go back to the second entry I ever posted on this blog. Too lazy to do that? I'll help you out. 3rd paragraph, 5th sentence:

I was a Cleary fan his first season with us, before he got awesome.

Yes. I am an obnoxious OG Cleary fan. And I will usually take every opportunity to let you know that. But, there are times that it pans out for the better. And times when it makes me look like I actually know what the fuck I'm talking about when it comes to hockey in general and the Red Wings specifically.

And wouldn't you know it, we are currently right smack dab in the middle of one of those times. My boy Dan is riding a 5 game, 6 goal scoring streak. The best of his career. Also in the midst of a 7 game, 10 point streak.

Hockey players are fickle creatures. They get hot and go cold for only God knows what reason. Far be it from me to claim to be a God, but I am here tonight to tell you just why one player has the hot hands these days.

On November 3rd, the Wings were playing a game against the Calgary Flames. At 7:11 pm PST, approximately 13 minutes or so into the game, I said "Cleary's player of the night so far." With about 2 minutes left in the game, he did something that escapes me now, but prompted me to say "There's Cleary again. Best player on the team tonight."


And what happened after that game? Keep in mind, he only had 1 assist in the game.

Yeah.
I screen capped that shit.
You know why? Because he's my boy and I CALLED THAT SHIT. And I planned on doing this bragblog a while back.

But I didn't. I kept my gloating reserved to slight little tweets here and there. Nothing major, nothing really of note. Now, those of you who follow me and actually read the bullshit I put up on Twitter might know that I'm bound to just spout out silly little things that don't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things. This time, though, one of those 'silly little things' just so happened to turn into a fucking prophecy.

Nostradamus up in this bitch.

That's me. At 9:47 pm PST (that picture above is in EST, by the way), saying to expect big things out of Cleary. That was on the 3rd. Right after that 1 assist performance against Calgary. November 3rd.


Two days later, the Wings played Edmonton. How's my boy do? 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 3 SOG.
The next day, the Wings played Vancouver. How'd Cleary do in the loss? 1 goal, no assists, -1, 2 SOG.
On the 8th, we came home and faced Phoenix. Cleary? 1 goal, still no assists, +1 rating, 5 SOG.
The next game, an Edmonton rematch, and how'd 11 perform? 2 goals. No assists. +2. 3 SOG.
Against Colorado, just 2 days ago? Clears scored another goal, no assists, was +1, and had 2 SOG.


Here, let me break this down for you. 

SEASON TOTALS: 7G, 5A, +3, 38 SOG

Before my tweet: 1G, 4A, -2, 23 SOG

After my tweet: 6G, 1A, +5, 15 SOG

Before I opened my mouth, he was shooting at a 4% rate. Since I said something, he's shooting 40%. Goals in 5 straight games. Before that, he hadn't scored since the season opener against Anaheim. 

Is it a little cocky for me to take credit for this?

Yes, yes it is. Very much so.

Is that going to stop me?

Not a chance.

Lord help me if this post is a jinx.

NHL Refs Get It Right For Once...

...Right in the fucking face, that is.

Writer's Block, Wings Win Tonight.

The Wings won tonight in Calgary. Writer's block won tonight in California.

This is really all I got right now.

A Win's a Fucking Win

So the fucking Red Wings just won a fucking overtime game against the fucking Coyotes. Once a-fucking-gain, the Wings seemed to fucking lack some sort of fucking intensity or fucking motivation until the last fucking minute.

I watched the fucking game with a nagging fucking migraine, so I didn't take any fucking notes and sometimes zoned out, so this write-up isn't going to be all that fucking great. That having been said, here we fucking go:

The power play just looks fucking fucked these days. Sure, Kronwall has scored 2 fucking goals with the fucking man advantage in the last 2 fucking games, but on the season, the team's something like 4 for 1fucking36. Which the fucking caliber of players on this fucking team, sending a man to the fucking box against us should be a fucking automatic fucking goal like it used to seem a few fucking years ago.

And how the fuck many times am I going to have to fucking mention late fucking goals this season? Yet another goal was scored tonight with less than a fucking minute on the fucking board. Seriously, what the fuck? Did someone forget to tell the team that fucking hockey games are played in three twenty minute fucking periods? Not nine-fucking-teen. This is a fucking problem that needs to be fucking fixed ASAP.

One thing I did fucking like was how Patrick Fucking Eaves played tonight. Yeah, the silly fucker took a penalty, but he also fucking drew one, not that it fucking helped, but you know. AND SPEAKING OF DREW... Drew Miller fucking fucked Eaves up at one point of the game, which I immediately fucking called the fucking check of the fucking game. But going the fuck back to fucking Eaves, I liked his fucking play today, I liked his fucking hustle, I liked his fucking grit. He was fucking credited with the first fucking goal tonight for a little fucking while, but the fucking goal ended up being given to Pavel "Don't Fuck With Me" Datsyuk. But it was all because Eaves' fucking hustle and following up what looked to be a broken fucking play.

Other than that, the fucking team looked pretty fucking average out there. Sloppy fucking passing, missed fucking assignments, and not being able to stay on their fucking feet because the ice was all fucked. Just like the fucking Colorado game, they looked content to just get a fucking point, maybe two out of the fucking deal. This isn't going to fly for very fucking long.

But because I fucking say things like this, I'm not a fucking fan, apparently.

I've Seen Better

Well, don't I just look silly now.

I was so confident about this game, and we just go and lay a turd on center ice in a shootout. However, if you want to be the optimistic type, we did get $50 pledged to H2H2 AND still got a point at the same time. If that's not win-win, it's at least win-overtimeloss. So there's THAT.

Now let's dig into the game a little bit. That second line was still the deadliest line in the entire LEAGUE tonight, with (my boy) Franzen netting 2 goals with Filppula and Bertuzzi contributing to the cause. When that line is playing full charge, I don't think anyone can stop them. We saw what this line could do in Game 4 of the San Jose series, and I think I can speak for the whole of Hockeytown when I say that I'm relieved they haven't really lost that chemistry. We could have used a little more tonight, but this makes 2 straight games that someone on that line has had a multi-goal game.

Someone on the opposite end of that spectrum would be Doug Janik. That fight... really. If I'm Janik tonight, I'm calling everyone involved with Fight Night and personally apologizing for the sad display I put on out there. Looking like that much of a bitch in a fight against an Av, that's grounds for a public flogging in my book. And knowing that Darren McCarTHY was watching in the Versus studio just makes it worse. Speaking of McCarTHY... you can't really fault the guy on Versus for calling him that. It's not like Darren spent his entire playing career with his last name plastered across this back. OH WAIT. He did.

Pardon me while I go off on an elitist rant for a second. Calling a player by the wrong name is inexcusable unless it's one of those names that looks like the last spoonful of alphabet soup left in the bowl. These people have their names on their jerseys, and I know you fuckers have stat sheets and shit sitting in front of you. Now, maybe the educational system in America isn't what it used to be, but simple reading skills are one of the very first things I learned when I was growing up. It's not as hard to figure out how to pronounce these names as they seem to make it look. Then again, it IS harder when you're throwing random fucking letters in all willy-nilly. (LiNdstrom, McCartHy)

Okay, climbing down off of my soapbox... This game has put me squarely in the So-Sodano camp for now. He has to earn his way out of my doghouse after a game like this. He was a -3 tonight. I feel he was directly responsible for the Dupuis goal, flubbing the puck at the Av blue line and turning it over. If this is more of what were going to see from him this year opposed to the scoring-on-his-first-shot Mikey Mo we shit our pants over against Anaheim, I'm going to be unhappy. Very unhappy. The good news is we have kids that we can put in if he keeps up like this. When Abby gets back from his ribs, I say he takes over for Modano unless Mike proves he's not going to be a liability like tonight. I feel that the 4th line is looking too good right now to pull someone out just beause someone else is healthy. You have to pull someone who deserves to be pulled. Right now, I'd say it's Modano.

You might remember that last year, I had an H2H pledge for goals scored by defensemen below the top of the circles. Tonight, I noticed that was the trend again. Kronwall had a couple really good chances from the slot that he just couldn't put on the board, Stuart had a few deep chances, and I think Lidstrom clanked one off the post from inside the left circle.

They were good chances, and I'm not knocking the strategy completely, but it seemed to be too much of the gameplan and we completely abandoned the idea of point passing and moving the puck to open passing and shooting lanes. We probably could have used some movement and confusion seeing as Colorado seemed to be in the way of EVERY shot we took ever. I mentioned in the pregame post that Colorado had given up 38 shots in both of their first two games. It looks like they might have worked on that a little bit in preparation for the game tonight. And it looks like it worked because they were definitely clogging the lanes out there tonight.

Maybe it was just because Serven mentioned it, too, but it looked like most of the night, the offense was only using half of the offensive zone, trying to keep things deep. Maybe Budaj is a poor lateral mover, so that was the strategy... I don't know, I didn't write the scouting report on him. All I know is we lost tonight so I'm bitter, critical, and riding a high horse that's standing on a soapbox.



And, BOY, we all love those shootouts, don't we.
Yeah...

No.
I know there have been countless comments about how we need to take it out of the game and come up with a better way to break ties. And it looks like someone on the Wings agrees, because it looks like they completely took it out of their game. Did they even practice that at all over the summer or in training camp?
To be fair, the Wings beat Budaj at least 4 times but just went wide or hit the post or couldn't elevate the puck. That was a game we should have won. Not in regulation, but we should have taken that second point in the shootout. That was the only part of the game we played well enough to deserve that second point. If ONE of those four shots that Budaj missed goes in, Jimmy's playing well enough at the other end to seal the deal. It never should have gotten to Yip, and Yip shouldn't have scored.

Maybe it's just me, but the way the guys played tonight, they seemed content to just scrape a point away. There was no urgency when momentum was on thier side after a goal and there was no aggression when Colorado scored and we needed a good counter-punch to bring them down a peg or two. And there seemed to be a sense of complacency that led to a few goals. I mentioned Ozzie has always had a tendency to let in the late goal after that Chitcago game. Yimmy got hit twice with that tonight.

Overall, we're lucky to still be riding a point streak after that game. We certainly didn't play like the undefeated team we were coming into this contest.

But, there are bound to be more games like this. There are still (at least) 79 more to play. Some will be ridiculously good. Others will make this game look ridiculously good. That is hockey.

That is why we love it and it's also why we hate it.

Working the System (aka LOLZ)

I got this crazy idea the other day while on the phone with my girlfriend... we were discussing the crazy things the Wings fans do, and how we can change the system in place to better help the Wings and the league out. Because we ARE the most knowledgeable fan base out there. And the DO know what's best for the league. So I propose the following idea:

If you're a blogger, or an ardent follower/reader/commenter on any one of the fine blogs the Wings fans have to offer, we all enter the NHL Draft this upcoming year. Why? We infiltrate and bring down the machine from the inside out. In order to be the NHLPA Player Rep, you have to be a player, right? SO THERE YOU GO! The pieces are all falling into place now, aren't they? So let's do this*.

One of us is bound to get picked up by Edmonton or Florida or Calgary.




*Let's not really do this

"Monday" Morning Inanities

This is a Monday post because with yesterday being Columbus Day, we had work off here in the Marines. And at 4:30 last night, I started a week long vacation, so here I am, posting up in my room, pouring over stats and listening to the new episode of TP:60 and doing what I do best, which is making nothing out of nothing.

I'm looking over a couple aspects of the match up tonight. We're playing Colorado, who has given up 38 shots against in every game this season. Granted, it's been 2 games... but still. The Wings are averaging 34.5 shots per, and won both games so far, whereas Colorado has split games between Chitcago and Philly.

SPEAKING of Chitcago, apparently Toews skated the Cup out during their 15 year long ceremony the other night. You're not supposed to touch the Cup unless you win it. Skating it out after you've already played --AND LOST-- a game in a new season... You must have lost your fucking minds, Chitcago. Did you SEE what happened to us last year?! And we didn't even do anything wrong! Yet there you were, openly mocking hockey traditions, hockey superstitions, and MOST of all, the Hockey Gods.

Have fun with that.

Getting back to teams and games that DO matter, tonight will be a good night for the Wings' first line. You read it here first. The match up of Pav/Zata/Homer against Stastny/Galiardi/Stewart seems favorable for the Wings. The Colorado side is rocking an amazing cumulative -2. The Wings are a +3. That bodes well for us.


Then again, I could sit here and waste both your time and mine and type out the line-by-line matchups, but I'll take the quick way out and say this: We have the advantage. 1 v. 1, 2 v. 2, 3 v. 3, 4 v. 4, G v. G... it's all the same across the board. We have the better team, the better lines, and the better individual players. If we don't win this game, I will be shocked. And I'll put up the goals against x10 to the H2H2 pledges. Already. This early into the season. Pledges.

Now, this means one of two things. Either I'm feeling completely confident about this game, or I'm feeling completely philanthropic.

I'm taking the first option. Wings win. 5-2.

Everything in it's Right Place

Yes. Red Wings hockey is back. I am back. And what better way to come back than with a Radiohead reference?

I didn't get to see much of the game against Anaheim, but I'll touch on a little bit of what I thought to be important:



Yeah... and this.




Go ahead and skip to 1:00 into it for Yimmy facewashing Perry.

THE CHICAGO GAME

There was a lot of anticipation for this game leading up to puck drop. And I don't mean since the schedule came out. I mean after everyone was already sitting in their seats, on their couches, or in front of their computers and ready to watch some hockey.
Personally, I think the Hockey Gods looked down on me and smiled because I was having issues with internet connections and finding a feed for the game for about... 46 minutes, but by the time I found a tolerable feed, it was only the national anthem. So I didn't get to (have to) watch the festivities. I lucked out.

As for the game, hell, as for the season, that second line looks BRUTAL. They have 8 points this season. A collective +6 rating. 15 shots on goal. 2 game winners in 2 games. I know myself and a few other bloggers and knowledgeable people were coming into this season expecting big things from a healthy Franzen, a Filppula who's overdue for a breakout season, and a Bertuzzi who may or may not care (or even know) that he's often depicted as a glitter-kitten eating She-Tuzzi villian 'round these parts. And so far, they have not let us down. I am hereby declaring that line the BFF line. Because it's their initials and stuff, but also because it's a commonly used acronym and... yeah...

I do believe I'm down in the record as having been, and continuing to be Pro-Tuzzi. I even predicted his big Game Seven performance back in the Phoenix series last season, which then led to to proclaim the day to be TuzzDay, which was really gutsy of me considering it was already a Tuesday. But the point is I went out on a limb and he didn't let me down. He's working some sort of something with the boys on the second line, and it's working. I don't know if it's the pre-game glitter snooters or the intermission Patrick Eaves puppy sacrifices, but he seems to have his shit in gear this year. In my eyes, at least. Which is all that really matters since I'm the only one posting things here anymore.


Wait, I never did have co-writers, did I? Well, now would be a good time to hang up a Now Hiring sign or something.


At one point in the first period, Eaves and Miller blocked shots within a span of 5 minutes and I thought to myself "Self, you've been a supporter of those two for that exact reason for a while." And it's true. Back when they were resigned in the offseason, I posted this:

Both players stick out in my mind from the past season for their willingness to put their bodies on the line to block shots and passes. This is one of those intangible factors that don't really show up on the back of hockey cards (do they still make hockey cards?), but it's one of the major keys to success on a game to game basis, and bleeding over into seasonal success.

 For me, it's good to see them picking up right where they left off. Now, if they can just put a few good points on the board, that post from July is going to make me look like I actually know shit.


One minor cause for concern so far in this young season is the fact that the Red Wings still have yet to score a power play goal at the same time they get a shot on goal. Fil scored a PPG tonight, but let's not shit ourselves. He didn't score that goal as much as Turo let it in. It wasn't a good shot. It wasn't even a whiffed shot. I even say that it wasn't even a shot, but I'm not a statkeeper. I'm a Marine. And we're not known for our popular opinions. I know someone reading this has got the means to get Babbles on the horn and fix some shit.


The great Ozzie/Howard debate might flare up again this year. We thought that was put to bed last year. And Yimmy coming out with a shutout is a good start for him. But in the Chicago game, I thought Ozzie looked good and solid. He's always had an issue with late and weak goals, and this was no different. But in the third period, when Chicago was on a 36 minute straight man-advantage streak, he came up as big as he needed to be. He didn't make any jaw dropping saves, he didn't stone anyone on a break away, so it came across as kind of quiet. But he had positioning and angles down, so he didn't have to be flashy. He made his saves, hung on to the puck, got faceoffs, and eased the pressure quite well. If I'm a goalie in this organ-i-zation right now, I'm real happy with my start. Either one.



To sum things up: The offense is looking good. The defense is looking good. The goalies are looking good.
And Little Brother just got their banner raising pissed on by the superior team.


It's been far too long. But now everything is in it's right place.