A Win's A Win

This one wasn't pretty, but you know what? I'll take it, especially after the dismal game in Dallas on Thursday. I ended up having to turn that one off just a few minutes into the 2nd. It had been a bad day around here, and we just didn't have the emotional bandwidth to cope. Tonight, I stuck it out and we got the win. So good for us. But I'd like to mention a few things:

• After the loss in Dallas, Babcock said, "The big thing for me, in all four games we're not dangerous enough offensively...I'm not talking about hitting people, I'm talking about hanging onto pucks and grinding and working with the puck in the o-zone." He was totally right, but we still didn't bring the danger tonight. We're trying to get too fancy, passing when we should be shooting, trying to set up the perfect shot when we ought to just take it to the net and bang it in. Remember, guys, a goal doesn't have to be pretty to count. In fact, sometimes the dirty ones count more.
• We have GOT to address the turnover situation. It's just unacceptable. Part of it comes from the fancy-schmancy plays we've trying to make, but some of it is laziness and/or lack of focus, and we need to change that. Stat.
• What the FUCK has happened to our Power Play? Seriously, where did it go? I know we used to have one, but I sure haven't seen it this season. It's been bad for all 5 games, but against Phoenix, we're talking abyssmal. 1-in-8? ONE-in EIGHT???!!! That's insane. That's pathetic. That's completely unacceptable.
• I don't know if Hank is having a crisis of confidence or if he'd wasting too much energy knocking his newly-wed boots with Emma, but he does not look like himself. I'm used to Pasha being a slow starter, but Pasha looks better than Z at the moment. So Hank needs to step it up.
• Kindl looks like a rookie sometimes, but even then I'm still thinking he looks better than Ericsson. I'm not in a hurry to see Big Rig step out of the press box.

Those are the night's observations. Now I'm going to celebrate with a nice big bottle glass of wine. Night, all!

Homer's in His Office, All's Right with the World

Because if there had been Red Wings in Browning's time, I swear he'd have been a fan.

Ah, October! That most glorious on months. The month where the weather cools, the leaves turn, and men start leaving their teeth on sheets of polished ice (fortunately for Kopitar the tooth was fake; fortunately for the fans, the blood was real). And all I have to say is...

IT'S ABOUT DAMNED TIME!!!

The Wings played their first two games, winning 4-0 over Anaheim and 3-2 over Chicago, leaving me with a warm, fuzzy feeling of contentment. Though I got to see both games, I unfortunately have yet to be reunited with Ken and Mickey, since I had to put up with the Anaheim feed on Friday and the NHLN coverage on Saturday. Still a win's a win, and I'll take both of these and summarize my thoughts here:

• 1 game = 1 shutout for James Tiberius. How awesome is that? Keep it up, pal, and the media will be eating the word "slump" along with a great big side of "too old."
• Pasha is the man. No only can he deke and score and humiliate opponents on the ice, but he can kick their asses when it's called for. Good going, Pasha. Now don't ever do that again.
• Franzen made it through the Chicago game, and in a week or so, I expect my nightmares to fade as the relief sinks in.
• Modano scored his first goal as a Wing and looked like a solid presence on the 3rd line. I like Mike. So far.
• On Saturday, Bambi was the man. With his big doe eyes fixed on the net and his luxurious locks flowing in the wind (well, their would be if he hadn't been wearing a helmet), Filppula sank 2 around Turco. I love it. This is his year. I can feel it.
• Ozzie looked good. He gave me a moment or two of nail-biting anxiety, but over all, he got the job done. 1 of the 2 goals he let in was entirely not his fault but rests on the shoulders of Dan Cleary and the defense for hanging him out to dry while the puck was banged out of the corner. The other goal, maybe he should have had, but he came up with the save he needed to when we needed them. So, go Oz!
• I like Jakob Kindl 100 times more than Ericsson. He might not be as pretty (by like a factor of 100) but he was solid and steady out there in a way Big Rig hasn't been in a year. He gets my vote for the 6th D-spot.

So next game is tomorrow v. Colorado. Since I'm both a traditionalist and a sentimental fool, I'm looking forward to a couple of hours of  vitriol and hate in my living room.

Ah, hockey! How I've missed you...

Let's Go Red Wings!

All I Want For Michaelmas...

Some people make Christmas lists, but that's just way too far away. I want what I want, and I want it now. And since today is technically Michaelmas (which I found out by googling for current holidays) and marks the beginning of autumn, aka the beginning of HOCKEY SEASON, I figured it was the perfect time to make my wish list for 2010-2011 and present it to the hockey gods for their consideration.

And so, with no further ado, here goes:

Ahem.

1. A healthy roster that manages to make it to the post season without missing 307 man games. Less than 100 would be preferred. Less than 50 even better.
2. A 100+ point season. I know, it's become almost de rigeur for the Wings to manage this, but last year we had to struggle for it and it came right down to the wire. This year, I'd like to coast into it without breaking a sweat.
3. 90+ pts for Pavel Datsyuk with 30+ goals. I know, I know, he's more than capable of a 100 pt season, but this is still the beginning of the list, so I'm trying not to be greedy.
4. 80+ pts for Henrik Zetterberg. Again, an easy one. More would be good, but since he just scraped 70 last season, I'm restraining myself. See what a good girl I am?
5. A strong sophomore season for Jimmy Howard. If he can match his .924 percentage from last year, I'll do a happy dance and sing praises to your names, but if we can avoid the term "slump," I will consider myself content.
6. A comeback year for Chris Osgood. I love Ozzie. I want him to shut up the naysayers.
7. A healthy Mule. Pretty, pretty please.
8. 30 goals for Johan Franzen. I know he's appearing on this list twice, but since he missed more than 2/3 of the season last year, he deserves special attention. I don't like to be blunt, but you owe him.
9. Another 20 goal year from Dan Cleary. We all know he can do it, providing he's healthy. (hint, hint)
10. Valteri Filppula's breakout year. We know it's coming. It's been coming for a couple of years now. Let's just stop wasting time and make it happen, okay?
11. For Mike Modano to move me out of the Meh-dano camp and onto the side of the Prodanos. I think he can do it, don't you?
12. A year that illustrates clearly that Jiri Hudler is suitably grateful to be back in Detroit. Mike Babcock has already put in his request for 70 points, so I'll just ditto him. He's been a good boy, too.
13. A finishing touch for Darren Helm. He has so much potential! And admit it, even you want to see him score on more of those awesome breakaways. You know you do!
14. Someone to give the referees a lesson on calling Goalie Interference. We fans know that the rule about being in the crease no longer applies, so can someone please remind the refs about it? If not for me, do it for Homer. He deserves a fair shot.
15. I'd really, really love for some sense to get knocked into the head of Jonathan Ericcson. He has the talent and we all know it, but if he doesn't crawl out of his own head soon, Kindl's gonna yank his spot away, which would be a shame. I like Kindl, but he'll be along soon enough. I don't really want to see Big Rig fail, do you?
16. Some Kronwalling. 'Nuff said.
17. Can I ask to NOT have something? Because if so, I'd like to take a pass on Bertuzzi spin-o-ramas, please. Thanks.
18. A season to make Nicklas Lidstrom glad he signed for one more year.
19. The Stanley Cup.

That's it. That's all I want for this season, hockey gods. Can I have it? Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top? I've been a very good girl, you know. Now give me reason to be even better. Thanks!

Sincerely,
Christine

Game Thoughts 9/26/10 NYR 3 - DET 5

Not doing a recap because my video feed was so streaky that I missed at least half the game, but here are a few thoughts about what I did see:

1. Tomas Holmstrom can't get no love. But he can sure as hell put a puck in the net.
2. Helmer is still fast. And he still can't finish. But hell, he's young; he's still got time to learn. If and when he does, he'll be a force to be reckoned with.
3. Brian Rafalski may be old(ish) and bald and have a bad back and a watery knee, but he still can make me smile when he's on his game.
4. I hate Sean Avery.
5. Howard can make some sick saves and hopefully is working on making even more of them.
6. The  preseason only serves to make me long for the real season. Come on, October!!!

Let's go Red Wings. T-minus 12 days and counting.

Practice Recap CHI 3 - DET 2

It's not a real one, because seriously, it's a pre-season exhibition game. It's half the roster and meaningless. But it's still more Wings hockey than I've seen in months. Therefore, I was glued to the tv. The new 46" HD tv. Score.

1st Period

• Ericsson looks lost. Still. I don't know what happened to the kid we saw in the 09 playoffs, but he wasn't on the ice tonight. Again. Fortunately, the season hasn't even started yet, so he's got some time for someone to smack some sense into him.
• Brendan Smith needs seasoning. I can see potential, but he's not quite there. Some good moves, but a few big flubs as well.
• Gods, but I missed Pavel and Nick and Hank and Homer and the rest of the guys. Summer seemed 6 years long.
• 2 goals: Mursak (Emmerton) and Homer (Nick & Hank)
• Hard to say how Jimmy looks since Chitown had only 4 shots, but he looked alert at least and made at least one nice save, so I'm optimistic.

2nd Period

• Chi scored on the PP. Jimmy was down after blocking a shot down low and just didn't get a chance.
• Hank scored on a pretty rebound off Dats. Love that line back together.
• I'm liking my first sight of Salei. I think he could work.
• Tatar had a couple of nice moments. I like that he's still so young because that makes his potential a little crazy.
• Jordan Owens also had some nice moments. I'm interested enough to keep an eye on the kid for sure. He needs to watch it with the penalties, though.

3rd Period

• Bad turnover, 4-on-2, Joey MacDonald missed it.  3-2.
• Helmer with a breakaway that hit the post. But at least it was closer than last season. I have hope.
• Homer goal waved off. It felt just like old times.

So that was it. 3-2. And I made it all the way through a Hawks feed. Pray I don't have to do that again.

Now I can't wait for the games that actually count.

Let's go Red Wings.

Exhibitionists

So the Pit's top line apparently beat our extras tonight 5-1. I say apparently, because there was NO television coverage of the event. Instead, I'm sitting here watching Chicago and TB play (in Winnipeg...talk about cold comfort). But I was able to catch the box score, so I have two or three important observations/questions about tonight:

1. WTF, Ozzie. All that talk about how ready you are and all the hopes you raised during the scrimmages and the Red v White game and THIS the the performance we get the first time you take the ice? You let in FIVE goals on 27 shots in the space of 2 periods? You let in a goal at the 1:21 mark? Are you fucking kidding me? Get a grip, man. Little Thomas McCollum put in a better showing then you when he took over in the 3rd. He blocked all 10 of the shots he faced. This is no way to try and win back Babcock's confidence. You know, in case you hadn't grasped that yet.
2. Bertuzzi apparently managed to rack up 5 for Fighting, 2 for an Instigator, and a Game Misconduct, which would normally have me rolling my eyes and calling for him to calm down except that based on the timing and the fighting opponent, it looks like he earned them for going after Brooks Orpik after that scuzzball kneed the Mule, possibly causing the charley horse that caused him to leave the game in the 1st period. So in that case, I say, "Thanks, Todd. Let me buy you a beer!"
3. The other interesting thing I saw in the box score was the simultaneous Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties earned by Brad Stuart and Tyler Kennedy, which prompted my housemate to demand, "What the hell did they do? Whip 'em out and piss on each other?"

All in all, I admit I'm slightly disappointed, since I never like to see an opportunity squandered to kick the Pens in the balls. However, consider the facts. We played our 2nd and 2/3 of our 3rd line plus a bunch of guys battling for spots against pretty much all of Pittsburgh's top guns. C'est la vie, right?

Anyway, the season is still 16 days away. We'll get there.

Let's go Red Wings!

Isn't That Sweet?

Look! Kari Lehtonen put a picture of Kris Draper on his mask!

And here I didn't even realize he was a fan. What a nice tribute to Draper, though, especially in full playoff beard. Looks like the Stars are on our side in more ways than Mo.