Good-Bye 2009

It was definitely a great way to end this year. Helm was great, Datsyuk was great, and the rest of the team was quite good. I'm so glad Leino got a goal tonight--he really needed that. Filppula, Stuart, Howard--all did well. Just a nice, nice win.

Now, I don't think I'm the only one who thought this all night long:

Have a great New Year. May we all be blessed with good health, good friends, prosperity, and Red Wing wins!

Not Much New Here--You COULD Move On

--While quite a few things have happened since I last posted, others have done a better job of commenting than I ever could. Right now, it seems as if I look on the Wings as in a holding pattern. As long as they don't lose any more ground, then I think things will be fine.

--So, Filppula (aka: my Baby Boy) is back on the ice. He has looked pretty good out there--and I mean with the way he is playing. As soon as he gets a goal, I think he will be back in good form.

--I really am feeling badly about Leino. It is hard from the comments to figure out just where his head is at. I have the feeling that his remarks are being misunderstood--after all, English IS his second language. I grew up with first- and second-generation Americans and all of them spoke Finn as their first language. They didn't always make themselves clearly understood, either. Also, I would imagine it is difficult for him to adjust to North America--he wasn't exactly a spring chicken (as far as hockey players are concerned) when he came over here. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

--So, Mikael Samuelsson is a bit upset over not being named to Sweden's Olympic team. It does seem to be quite strange--and I don't blame him for saying what he did. For Forsberg to be named and NOT Samuelsson is crazy. When was the last time Forsberg actually played without injuring his little finger while trying to step on the ice?

--While my Oldest has given me six grandchildren, The Youngest only has given me furry ones. And she has seven--two dogs and five cats. (It is a long story.) Of course, we have to give the furry kids Christmas gifts, because we give the human ones gifts. I got these for the dogs:


Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone, so I added this:



I told The Youngest I need to see pictures of the dogs (each over 60 pounds) destroying the penguins.

Merry Christmas

Once again I have been contemplating trying to hang myself with a strand of spaghetti. What else can be said? However, the famous quote says that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Well, by the end of the season, Red Wing fans will be the strongest damn people on earth!

I want to wish everyone a very wonderful Christmas. Eat, drink, and be merry! And never forget the REAL Reason for the Season.

Who Would Have Thought...

I watched some of the Buffalo-Toronto game tonight, which Versus was broadcasting. I was surprised that the talking heads actually said that Detroit can't be ruled out of anything, just because of where they are in the standings at this time. Faint praise, but praise nonetheless. And of course, one of the idiots--can't remember which one--said Detroit is in the same position Pittsburgh was last year when Gonchar was injured and "look how well THEY did." Do these people realize just how stupid they sound? Or do they just not care?

Oh, Well...

I only watched about half of that suckfest yesterday--just couldn't make myself watch anymore. Wow. It really hurts to be a Red Wings fan at some times--and that was about the most painful game for me. While I will despise the Penguins eternally, the Blackhawks are coming very close to them in terms of how much I hate them. I want EVERY GAME to be a 20-0 blowout with Kane losing at least three teeth each and every time he faces the Wings. He is as much of a shitass as The Boy is--just isn't promoted as much. Oh, well...

This morning I went to find out how the Rangers did last night and I certainly wish I could have seen THAT game! Anyway, they played the third game in as many days against Alpena. On Friday and Saturday, they won--Saturday's score was 8-1!--but lost yesterday. The loss doesn't matter--I STILL wish I had been at that game. After looking at the box score, it seems as if the goalies got into a bit of fisticuffs in the second period--they both got 5 minute fighting majors and 10 game misconducts and were thrown out of the game. In all, 8 different players got fighting majors/game misconduct penalties in the melee. It must have been fun cleaning up that mess. And I miss all of the fun stuff!

Possible Positives?

Once again, I didn't get to actually WATCH much of yesterday's game. From things I have read, it seems as if the play was inconsistent from the Wings--but what else is new. I guess the positive I take from the game is that they weren't blown out of the water. A one goal game, with the players they have missing, isn't that terrible.

This also made me think about how scared the rest of the teams must be right now. If the Wings can actually stay in games with half of their team injured, just how good will they (possibly) be when everyone returns to health and can play? If it is hard to play them now, they will be impossible to beat later on. This is about the only thing that is keeping me going right now.

I'm actually ill thinking about the game tonight. A very high scoring game, on Chicago's part, isn't out of the question. And the thought of Kane smiling his way to victory just makes me want to kick my cat.

Really Wondering

I watched last night's game, the way I have watched most of them this season, while I was multi-tasking. This seems to be the only way I can get through a game without worrying I might stroke out. However, last night I wasn't worried through most of it. I actually ENJOYED the game--and even after Z went down, I continued to not be worried. It was nice to enjoy a game for a change--and it has been VERY hard to do that for most of this year. And then the reality came to me this morning.

As it is being reported, Z is gone for a minimum of two weeks with a 'slight' shoulder separation. Never having a shoulder separate, I can't imagine that a 'slight' one would be all that much less than a 'complete' one--or whatever the term is. Just having another player go down is surreal. Not having paid that much attention to other teams and their injuries, I don't know how the Wings rank in terms of players being gone at the same time. But, I would think not many teams have come close to having this many of their top players gone at once. It is at the point that I can't even wrap my mind around it. Last night, Mickey Redmond said that anyone who hasn't watched a game in the last couple of months wouldn't even know it is the Wings playing by the names of the players. Hell, I watch almost EVERY GAME and at times I had to look up from what I was doing to make sure the Wings had control of the puck! I'm STILL trying to remember all of the new names.

At this point, I think I just want this season to be over. While the rest of the team has stepped up and is doing well, I just can't handle any more injuries. I want it to stop--NOW.

The Octopus

Over the years I have heard/read how some fans of other teams can't understand why an octopus is the Red Wing mascot. Even after explaining about the eight arms and playoff wins, etc, etc, etc, they still don't 'get it.' (If they were smart, they would be Wing fans, but I digress.) Now we have another reason to celebrate the octopus as a mascot: they are hell of a smart creatures! National Geographic has a story and video explaining how octopi have been observed using coconut shells as shelters, among other things. Go here for the story and video.

So, we will hold our heads up high and be proud of the mascot! (Good grief, I can't believe I said that. I'm losing it. ;) Fascinating stuff, though.)

Monday

Holy hell! I'm still not believing the game last night. There were times when I thought "They have to actually try and LOSE this game tonight!" It has been a long, long time since I felt that way about a game. Of course, the entire game didn't make me feel like that. The end of the second wasn't their best effort, but overall things looked not bad.

So, two more players are down for the count. If things don't change soon, there will be no one left to play. This just defies any explanation. I can't even blame Bettman for what is going on--or can I? I'll be happy to use whatever explanation to blame that little weasel if someone can come up with one for me. Things have to change sooner or later, right?

Saturday

Todd Fricking Bertuzzi.

Friday Night

Red Wings 3-Ducks 2

wow

Todd Bertuzzi scores to tie the game

WOW

Todd Bertuzzi scores in overtime to win the game

WOW

TODD FRICKING BERTUZZI SCORES TWO GOALS TO WIN THE GAME FOR THE WINGS

WOW

WOW

Too Cute For Words

I've tried to not be too cute with any of my posts and I think I have succeeded. Today I will be very, very cute and post very, very cute pictures. And I have to do this before the game tonight--I just might not be feeling too cute afterwards.

Tomorrow night the Rangers will be holding their 2nd annual teddy bear toss and The Husband is taking time off of work so that we can attend. (We weren't able to go last year.) I have two bears to contribute and thought I would post the pics.




I am pretty sure there will be a couple of kids very happy to get these.

Frustration To The Nth Degree

I don't even know what to say about this season/team anymore. It all has been said, discussed endlessly, and there just are no answers. No one seems able--and this includes the coaches, etc--to figure out what the hell has happened. Really now, did losing the players this summer screw things up this badly? With the talent on this team, still, there should not be this big of a struggle. Thankfully, the Christmas season is here now, so I can't obsess about the Wings. But wait till after the new year--LOOK OUT!

LOL

This just made me chuckle.

Great News

Valtteri Filppula had the cast removed from his wrist on Monday and is on schedule to return by the end of the month. Good, good news. Maybe his return will help Leino get it together. I'll be happy to see VF again--I miss my Baby Boy. ;)

And Now What?

You know a team is in trouble when even its FANS start getting injured. I have sustained a lower body injury and exacerbated it by going on a weekend shopping trip. I am officially listed as day-to-day. (I can't believe I actually just wrote that!) Short story long: While cleaning to get ready for Christmas decorating, a book slipped and fell on my foot. The point of the spine hit the top of my foot, which promptly turned a pretty color. Walking on it turned the entire top of the foot, all the way to the toes, a pretty shade of black and blue. I don't think any bones are broke, but it hurts like a bitch. And I can't flex my toes without crying like a little baby. I don't want to have to see the doctor. One positive has come out of this: I actually forget about the suckfest that is the Red Wings every time I look at my foot.

This is definitely turning into the season from hell. I can't watch any of the post-game shows anymore, cause having to listen to "they played very well, only things didn't work out" or "the bounces weren't going our way" or any of the other excuses that are being made on a much too consistent basis. This isn't fun at all. I'm having a hard time explaining things to my non-hockey friends when they ask how the Wings are doing--there just are no words. And I'm really afraid it won't matter too much when the (barely) walking wounded return to the line up. A little too little, a little too late. But I will continue watching to the bitter end. I must be a masochist.

Missing, Missing, Missing

Even though there is news going on with the Wings, I am bowing out in terms of commenting. The season of my Scrinchiness has now begun and things need to be done. My biggest wish has always been to go to sleep on Black Friday and not wake again till 2 January--but I can't convince a doctor to put me under for that long. So, between cleaning, decorating, and a road trip, I will pretty much be MIA for the next few. Hopefully I will be back and not locked up in that purple padded room that was reserved for me many years ago. I can only hope the Wings will not contribute in any way to my total breakdown.

I've Figured It Out

I can't comment too much on how well any of the Wings played because I didn't 'watch' the game. Oh, sure, I was next to the TV and would glance at it periodically, but I'm finding that not concentrating on the screen is best for my blood pressure. And I think that is the solution to winning games--me not watching too closely. I just have no other explanation for the game. But then, we ARE in the Miracle Season--and Big Bert has taken that to heart, cause he got a goal tonight. Two in two games. It IS a Christmas miracle!

I'm just so happy that the team seems to be back to playing the way they can--or that they are going in that direction. One by one, the guys are starting to score and before long, they all will get back to their scoring ways--and then the sky's the limit. Things are looking up--at least till the next game.

'Tis The Season

This is that time of year when small children dream of a fat man breaking into their homes--and aren't the least bit afraid. When nutcrackers bring to mind ballet--and not something more nefarious. When we smile and greet our neighbor pleasantly--even though we hated him all summer for not cleaning his dog's shit from our front lawn. When we willingly drop money into red buckets--and we are certain we're not getting ripped off. We are now in the Miracle Season. And on Saturday night, we watched the first of what we hope are many, many more miracles. The fact that the Wings ended their goalless/losing streak WASN'T the miracle--not by a long shot. The miracle was who won the game: Todd Bertuzzi. Todd FRICKING Bertuzzi! If anyone told me he/she saw this coming, I'd call him/her a liar to his/her* face. Now that we have seen this miracle with our own eyes, every Wing fan knows with no uncertainty that the Wings are on their way. We know that they will end the season at the top of the standings. We now know that they can win the Cup again. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that things will be fine. We believe in MIRACLES.

And all of this will go away the next time the Wings lose. Could be as early as tonight.


(*This PC shit is useless. From now on I will use 'he, him, his' to refer to everyone.)

THAT'S Why...(hockey version)

I've really never been one to worry about my age. Other than the limitations of my body, I have always thought age was 'just a number.' Most of the time I don't mention my age because almost all of the people I 'talk' with online are younger than me--and I don't want to be dismissed as 'that old lady.' ;) So, why have I been so obsessed with my age lately? I finally figured it out: my birthday was coming up. And that day is today. I decided to end my constant age talk with today's post. And now I present you with: Things I Am Older Than and Things That Are Older Than Me.

Things I Am Older Than:

1. every active NHL player
2. Chris Chelios
3. Joe Louis Arena
4. Jacques Plante's original goalie mask
5. the following awards/trophies: Pearson, Masterson, Jack Adams, Selke

Things That Are Older Than Me:

1. the NHL
2. the Original Six
3. hockey
4. the Stanley Cup
5. Scotty Bowman

And now, for the first time ever online, I will reveal my age. On this day, 28 November 2009, I am celebrating my 55th birthday. I REALLY feel old writing that. :D

(I have a 'regular version' of this post over at my other blog.)

I Don't Think I Want To Watch This...

I got to hear a little about the Wings game tonight and I'm not sure I'm watching it. I don't think it would put me in a very good mood to expose myself to the suckfest. There doesn't seem to be anything that can be said about what is going on with the team these days. It is best to keep quiet, I think.

We went to the Rangers game tonight and watched them win by a score of 4-1. They played very well and if they can play the same tomorrow night, they should sweep the series. There weren't any real fights--a lot of 'roughing' type stuff--but there is every indication that tomorrow night might be a different story. Several players--on both teams--were ready to go many times tonight, but the refs kept things well under control. It is pretty sad when I rely on a Junior hockey team to make me happy, but that is the way things are going with the Wings.

Something Really Stinks

That was a shitty game. Can't put it more succinctly than that. At this point, every Wing player could sell his soul to the devil and STILL not get a goal. There is something wrong and the powers that be better figure it out--and fast. This season is going into the dumper and things need to change.

I'm still thinking all of the problems started with signing Hossa last year. Now hear me out. I was very happy when he came to the Wings--after all, he was the most wanted signing of the off season and Detroit got him. Who wouldn't be happy? But after a couple of months, things didn't feel right to me. True, the team still won and made it to game 7 of the finals, but everything felt just a little bit off throughout the year. I think he messed up the chemistry that the players had from the year before--and they still haven't gotten it back. Not that they CAN get it back with all of the defections and injuries. I don't know what, if anything, can be done to get everything right again--but if things don't change, there will be no playoffs for the Wings this year.

I'm so depressed.

Catching Up

It's been several days of feeling depressed, so I didn't really have any desire to write. The injury to Kronwall seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back for the Wings. At least, for now. Bettman has finally broken the Wings to the point where they may not be able to recover this season. The exodus of players wasn't enough to kill the Wings, but the injuries very well may be their undoing. Just how far down the standings can the Wings go and still expect to play well enough in the late part of the season to make it into the playoffs? It won't be fun, but it will be interesting to see just HOW good this team is. And with everyone healthy, I don't think they could have been stopped--at the very least, it would have been hard.

**********

And so Laraque got suspended for five games. Big. Fricking. Deal. This suspension isn't going to hurt the Canadiens--he isn't one of their stars--and it isn't going to hurt Laraque, either, as he only plays about seven to ten minutes a game. That is, when he actually DOES play in a game. So far this year, I think it is in the neighborhood of ten games? Yeah, a BIG loss for the Canadiens AND for Laraque. But the Wings are without one of their best players for up to two months. Yeah, that suspension sure made up for what Laraque did.

**********

Now, I wasn't quite as upset over the Bertuzzi signing as some people were. I even thought I would give him the benefit of the doubt. Now I just want to see Babcock get him the fricking hell off of Datsyuk's line! I'm not seeing much--if any--improvement in him, and he is more of a liability than an asset out there. His passes don't get to whoever he is aiming for--and they usually end up on an 'enemy's' stick--and he certainly doesn't get passes that are made to him, so why is he still on the top line? Babcock is certainly a complete and total puzzle in his thinking. Or he is an absolute genius and that is why we fans can't see what HE does?

**********

And in the 'Wings aren't the only team to get screwed by the officials' category. The Penguins won their game last night in overtime. Actually, they were HANDED the win last night. Robert Young, at Bleacher Report, had this to say:

A minute in to the overtime, the Pittsburgh defender Brooks Orpik checked Nathan Horton in the back well after Horty had released the puck. That would qualify as an interference one would think, right?

But no: The linesman, in all his wisdom, decided to but in and call the penalty—on Nathan Horton.

The Florida Panthers’ forward, the by far dominating offensive player of the game to that point, was sent to the box for four minutes.

Apparently it is now illegal in the NHL to be checked in the back by an opposing player and subsequently fall to the ice.

Let’s call it a high sticking and pretend that the fouled player, checked in the back and falling to the ice, actually has the semblance of means to control his stick in this instance.

In these new directives, apparently sent to the linesmen just prior to this game, they are to be vigilant of any players falling to the ice as the result of a blindsided check.

Obviously that kind of behavior cannot be tolerated by the NHL and shall henceforth warrant four minutes in the penalty box—to the player fouled that is—not the one delivering the foul naturally.

So well done linesman! I’m sure Gary Bettman will reward you handsomely for that brilliant call, and of course; for giving Sidney Crosby the chance to star in another game.

After all, if we are to sell this game to those who have no interest in the sport—we must have our fix stars in hockey. And we all feel Sidney, poor fellow, deserves a few extra breaks in life don’t we…

Now, it isn't surprising that this assinine call was made--we have seen many, many stupid calls--and it definitely isn't surprising that the team benefitting from this is Bettman's little wet dream. Unfortunately, these problems won't be fixed until Bettman is gone. And if he isn't gone, soon, there will be irreparable damage done to the NHL. If the damage hasn't already been done.

Well, I'M Insulted

First, if I wouldn't have had other things to do during the game, I would have fallen asleep. (I multitask most of the time--I think it is in my job description.) Quite boring. No sooner had I told The Husband, "The Panthers will score and win--the Wings just don't seem to be able to win in overtime or the shootout," the Panthers scored and won. I really wasn't very surprised at the outcome--I didn't have good feelings about the game right from the beginning. But enough of this. What I really wanted to write about was the pre-game show--and the 'conversation' with Mike Murphy.

Murphy should really get someone to write him a new speech--or at the very least, change the words around a little. I believe he said, word for word, the same thing tonight that he said on Thursday. Talk about reading from a script! But this, too, isn't what I wanted to write about.

I was very, very insulted by Murphy. He began by saying something about so many Wing fans calling about the disallowed goal. Okay, I believe that. It wasn't the fact that he brought it up, it was the tone of voice he used--and maybe the words. (I didn't record the pre-game show, so I can't quote him.) He talked about Wing fans the way the rest of us talk about our crazy Aunt Edna--you know the one who always makes those family get-togethers so very interesting. The tone conveyed the message that 'We love them because they are part of our family, but we try to ignore them as much as possible. And we NEVER take them seriously.' It was terribly condescending and I wonder how many others noticed this? How very sad that the League doesn't even try to cover up the way they feel about Wing fans.

NHL Rule Policy

"These are just the rules today. We reserve the right to change the rules at any time. For your safety, for your education, or for our amusement. That is the price of living in our kingdom."

Yeah, I know these words were said by John Goodman (Dan Conner) on Roseanne, But it certainly applies as well to the NHL.

Still Can't Believe It

I'm not dumb enough to believe that the Wings will win every game they play. Hell, I don't even believe there is a possibility that the Penguins could ever win every game. I accept losses and know I have to move on. But when it comes down to absolute bullshit officiating that a game is lost, then I'm like a dog with a favorite bone and just can't give it up. This game will stay with me for a long, long time. I can't even think of anything remotely intelligent to say about how ridiculous this game was--and maybe that is completely apropos, because there was nothing intelligent in terms of the officiating tonight.

Totally Uninteresting, Unnecessary, Irrelevent Post

My distant cousin--either third or fourth--is married to Jeff Finger's aunt.

NOT Hockey

A friend and I went to a restaurant tonight and I had a celebrity sighting--maybe multiple sightings. At least I think I did.

This past week the USOEC (United States Olympic Education Center) at our local university was the site of the speed skating world cup. Speed skaters from all over the world descended on our town to compete in order to get a spot in the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver. I know nothing about speed skating--and I'm not too interested. As far as the winter Olympics are concerned, the only thing I'm waiting to see are the men's and women's hockey competitions. Period. As far as speed skating, the only person I know that competes is Apolo Anton Ohno--but doesn't EVERYONE know him?

(For those who DON'T know, this is Ohno.)



So, back to the story. As my friend and I walked into the restaurant, a group of people walked in ahead of us. They were NOT speaking English and one of the young guys had a jacket on which said 'Latvia' across the back. I'm assuming this was my first celebrity sighting. Shortly after this, another young guy walked into the main dining area and several people began to applaud. I'm assuming this was my second celebrity sighting. He then went and talked to the couple who began the applause and sat down for a bit of a conversation. After this guy left, another one went to the couple's table and greeted them. My third sighting, I guess. The couple was SO excited to meet these young men--and talk to them--that I have the feeling they were a big part of the US Olympic team. And that they did very well this past weekend. I REALLY wish I knew who I saw. I could have been REALLY excited.

Oh, Boy

Quite a game tonight. When the score tied at 4-4, I called the final as 6-4. With the Ducks winning. And so it goes for my pessimism.

It is so good to see some high scoring games--they are too few and far between for the Wings. Also good is to FINALLY see a hat trick. Unbelievable that there weren't any last season.

And on a completely different note: what is with these players' wives and their hooker shoes/boots? I noticed Lidstrom's wife was on 4" high heeled boots--and every time a wife has been shown over the past few years, she is on stilettos. Even when I was young and had good feet/legs, I never wore heels like that. And on a good day I can stand a little over 5' tall. I don't understand it--but then, I'm older than dirt.

I Can Breathe Again

Tonight's win was nice--not great, but very, very nice. Howard did well and kept them in the game through some mistakes--he must be feeling pretty good about himself tonight. It was great to see them get an empty netter--I was afraid they never would get one again. I much prefer games like they played last night, but those are few and far between. I just have to get used to these kinds of games, cause I think this is what we're getting for the rest of the year.

I still think Eaves was given custody of the Zetterberg hair this season. Looks like.

Cannot Get Ahead of Myself

I'm still on a high from last night's game. Really, now, is there a Wing fan that ISN'T? Once again, the emotional roller coaster is way too much. If this keeps up, I will have to do something medically. The body is old and can't handle this much pressure. I still will try to keep the good thoughts going and hope for the best in tonight's game.

No Title--Can't Think of One

On Tuesday night I watched the game between Boston and Pittsburgh. The only reason I did was because we don't have Center Ice and this was the only game on. And it was on Versus. {shudder} All the way, of course, I was hoping that Boston would win--which happened--and that is only because of my extreme bias against Pittsburgh. Oh, who am I kidding? I hate the Penguins with a white-hot hatred. That being said, I did find the game somewhat interesting.

I don't watch a lot of Pittsburgh games--hell, I avoid them like the plague. But, I must say after watching that game that I STILL think the better team lost the Cup last year. I was not impressed at all with the way Pitts played. Not that Boston played tremendously better, just that Pitts played very lousy.

One player that I found quite ordinary during this game was Chara--I was not impressed. The game was probably half over before one of the announcers mentioned his name and I remembered that he played for Boston. How did he even get consideration for the Norris last year? The most that was said about him was that he was tall and had a long reach. Hmmm, I suppose that will get him consideration for the Norris again this year.

And, of course, how could I ever forget to talk about The Boy. I'm wondering if he was the flavor-of-the-month, so to speak, because there was very little talk about his greatness during the game. (And yes, I do know he is having an 'uncharacteristic' slump right now.) The announcers made very little mention of him--and this was on Versus! Also, he was not followed around the rink continuously as had been the case last year. The couple of times the camera actually followed him, he was chewing off an official's ear--typical--and I wonder if the ignoring is a PR thing. It is too early to tell, but it would be interesting if 'Sid the Kid' was fast losing his 'face of the NHL' label.

**********

And now we come to the Columbus game. Wow. As I posted on my Facebook status: My cat must think I heard from the vet that she is dying. I actually watched a Red Wings game and didn't threaten to drop kick her out the front window.

I know that some people look on a blowout game like this as boring. I however, would welcome many, many more boring games from the Wings if they could be like this. I will actually wake up in a good mood tomorrow--and I'm hoping the same can be said for Friday. My cat thanks the Wings for all their fine work tonight.

Correct Me If I'm Wrong...

The NHL game schedule this year seems very, very weird. At least twice, there have been days with no games scheduled and at least twice ALL of the teams have played on the same day. One day there are 13 games scheduled and the next only one. I don't remember this inconsistency in years past. Does this have to do with the Olympics, or what? You would think there could be a better way of scheduling. I would be quite pissed if I paid for Center Ice.

Forgot

I completely forgot about the Hall of Fame induction ceremony tonight. While I would have liked to see Stevie Y's part, listening to Brett Hull speak is only slightly better than cleaning up one of my cat's hacked-up hairballs. But that is definitely open for debate.

Who Am I, Really?

It has just been brought to my attention that I am a woman of mystery. Who would have thought? Many people haven't realized--and why should they?--that I am on BOTH Twitter and in the blog-o-sphere. On Blogger--as well as other blogs--my screen name is 'cmk.' On Twitter I am 'chrkos.' This all came to be because I try to keep several parts of my online life separate. And the reason boils down to this: family. I haven't always treated family very nicely on my blog--which is the reason I started it in the first place--and I would rather they don't read the unflattering things I have to say. Family members also use Twitter and Facebook, so in both places I make no mention of my blog/s--and continue to keep the two parts of my online experience separate. So, in short, I have a dual personality and I do this to keep myself from landing into a whole pile of shit I would rather not have to deal with. Mystery solved.

>:(

NOT a good weekend for hockey! While the Wings pissed away another game to the Leafs, I was at a Junior hockey game watching my beloved Rangers lose to an expansion team. It was very hard to see them lose the way they did, after winning so mightily the night before. Unfortunately, The Husband is on night shift this next weekend and I won't be able to go to the games. I am not pleased.

There just is nothing more that I can say about what is going on with the Wings than has been posted on many, many other sites. Williams wasn't exactly playing GREAT hockey, but losing another player to a long-term injury isn't a good thing at all. It is really getting ugly.

I don't necessarily mind watching the Wings go through a bit of a hard season--this will only make them stronger in the years to come. I still think they will be okay--NOT as Wing-like as we are used to, but okay nonetheless. What bothers me is the asshole fans of the unnamed asshole teams that I hate with a passion. They can only gloat over how things are going in Detroit--and not see how, even being as decimated as they are, the Wings are better and have more talent than most other teams in the league. I know I should grow a thicker skin, but it bothers me very, very much. But, this too shall pass.

Second In A Row

Now how long has it been since the Wings won two in a row? Just asking--I'm too lazy to look it up. Anyway, it was nice to see them win last night. DUH! Unfortunately, I didn't pay too much attention to the game--had to do the 'mother thing' and call both of my girls to let them know I'm still alive. (Hey, if they called and asked about me once in a while, I wouldn't have to bother them!) While I barely listen to the Versus announcers, what I did hear didn't sound too bad--at least they weren't beating up any Wings that I could tell. This, to me, means that the guys did quite well. I managed to see both goals and they were very nice--only wish there were more of them. But, with Franzen and Filppula gone, there aren't going to be quite as many. I'm glad to see that the players managed to step up and cover for all of the ones that were missing--I can't imagine how hard it is to have to be constantly getting used to playing with new people all of the time. I was happy for Ozzie on his 50th career shutout. Despite his saying he doesn't think all that much on statistics, I'm sure he was well pleased. Congrats!

Still Here

No, I haven't abandoned this little piece of interwebs real estate. As I have said over and over ad nauseam, I am still battling the after effects of the flu. This has kept me from doing as much writing as I would like. If I don't comment as soon as a game is done, I find myself rethinking everything and not being able to say anything coherent. And this season, I have been on an emotional roller coaster that I haven't experienced since I was post-partum, so my feelings about each game change with every passing moment. And I really don't see this changing any time soon.

It Was Good

The Red Wings can do miracles. After the win last night I was cured of all flu symptoms, I got enough energy to work on two Halloween costumes, and I lost all desire to kick my cat. Life is good.

(Full disclosure: Today I'm coughing up my lungs one at a time--again, I have a headache from sewing too late, and my cat's behavior has pissed me off once more. So much for the good feelings.)

LOLSports

As a fan of I Can Has Cheezburger, I was pleased to find out about the rest of the LOL sites. Up Next In Sports is one of the sites and today I found this:




Just needed something to make me forget the Buffalo game...

Sunshine and Lollipops and...Ah, Hell, Life Sucks

If I haven't mentioned it before, I hate football. I tried to get into the sport when I was young and foolish and in love--back in high school--but could never see any sense to it. However, I hate most (not all) Packers fans even more. Last night's Vikings win over the Packers was one of the happiest nights of my life--just because so many people I know are/were miserable because of it. And the fact that Favre played for Minnesota made the win even better. Last night I thought anything was possible and that the Wings and Tigers are doing everything to have great seasons. Then I woke up today and it was raining--and it WASN'T raining Starburst and Skittles. I woke up to reality.

I'm going to ignore the Tigers as much as possible. I would like to ignore the Wings, but can't. The season is just starting. And after last weekend, it is going to be a long, long season--and I ain't talking playoffs, either.

I won't go on about the losses--that can be found on any of a hundred sites. Instead, I will recycle the same old things I said last year about the team. And add some new, as well.

• WHY won't Babcock put Z and Datsyuk on the same line? The Wings won the Cup with them on the same line, so why the hell is the man being so stubborn? While I understand his reasons, I still think the situation stinks.
• Is the PK ever going to get better? Good grief.
• And do we even talk about goaltending? Yes, Ozzie brings it for the playoffs, but really. And do we even talk about Howard?
  
• How much longer do we have to listen to 'we know there are problems and we're working on them?' TALKING does nothing--ACTION does.
• While I almost had heart failure last year when The Husband said that Babcock might need to be replaced, I'm now wondering if he isn't right. Whatever he is saying to the players doesn't seem to be registering--at least it didn't last year and there is little evidence it is so far this year.
• If everyone--players included--'know' what the problems are, what is being done to address them? And, considering they are the same problems as last year, why aren't we seeing much change if they are trying to fix them?
  
• Do the Wings even have the concept of a 60 minute game? COULD they play a full 60 minutes if they had to?
  
• If the Wings--which pretty much IS the Swedish National team--can't get up enough for games in front of their 'hometown' crowd in Sweden, then what the hell is going to get them excited enough for the regular season?
• And everyone talked about how 'disappointing' it was to lose in the 7th game to The Boy and Co. How bitter they were about losing at home. How that was going to be motivation for this year. HA! When are we going to see it? I thought they would come out of the chute with all guns blazing--AND play 60 minutes a game, full on. In two games--and yes, I know it's only two games--it didn't happen.
  

I know, I know, the Wings are the best team in the NHL--and have been for many years. And yes, we Wing fans are spoiled and don't appreciate what we have. Big fricking deal. They aren't playing the way we KNOW they can--and didn't last year, either--and it isn't right. With the talent on the team, they should be running rings around every team they face. And until that happens, we won't be happy people.

mental_floss

I love the site mental_floss and have subscribed to the magazine for years. While it isn't a big sport site, they do show some love for hockey every so often. Today, being the first day of the season, they re-ran the quiz 'Name All 30 Teams in 5 Minutes.' I have done this multiply times and always come up short. Today, I forgot five of the teams. Here is the quiz--just don't cheat by reading the comments before taking it.

SOME Things Are Looking Up

The Wings lost both pre-season games to Toronto. I recorded both and watched the second one tonight after coming home from seeing the local Junior team play. I don't know why I bothered. I keep trying to tell myself that these games mean nothing, that the Wings are playing their Grand Rapids kids while the other teams have their top guns on the ice, but it doesn't make me feel any better. I like when the Wings win and my day is shot to hell when they lose. The start of the season can't come fast enough for me.

The only thing that saved this weekend was going to the Rangers (our Junior team) games. There are some decent players on the team and they are a lot of fun to watch. I don't know if the two teams have some 'history' between them, but they sure went after each other--there were enough scrums, battles, and fights to keep even Canadians happy. Tonight saw all of the guys on the ice--except for the goalies--beating on each other, with six guys being ejected from the game. (Actually, I think a couple of Icedogs--the 'other' team--were ejected earlier in the game.) The Rangers won both games and are on top of their division. Granted, it is just the start of the season, but they are looking good.

We will be going to watch the Rangers more often this year than last. It gets me out of the house and makes me feel as if I actually have a life. I can miss a couple of Wings games--won't kill me. :)

Watching The Game

Finally, beginning tonight, I will get to watch three games in a row on TV. Much, much nicer than trying to get a feed on the computer, that's for sure. While I'm not a big fan of Charter, they have done at least one thing right here: they listened to the subscribers and have kept the CBC in the channel line-up. I forget--despite the fact that I have to watch a set amount of games on Versus and NBC--how lucky we are here in the Northwoods. Many fans are paying big bucks to get Center Ice and I watch all games for free. (Plus the cost of cable, of course.)

Good grief--can this week go any slower?

Next...

The Sporting News named the Wings as the team of the decade, Babcock as coach of the decade, Holland as NHL executive of the decade, and Lidstrom as player of the decade. Stay tuned to Pittsburgh being touted as the team to watch for the next decade--don't forget The Boy is going to be player of the next. Hell, THN has almost said it already. In the 28 September issue, the comment in their projected standings is this:

"PITTSBURGH PENGUINS--Next step is franchise evolution from Stanley Cup champion to dynasty team."

GAG!!! They win one Cup and are already on the way to dynasty status? And it still is being debated whether the Wings are a dynasty--after all of their success. Sometimes I really hate Canadians.

Back to Back Losses

Both last night and tonight I had internet issues, so I didn't get to see/hear much of either game. Thank goodness. It certainly didn't sound like the Wings were doing many good things on the ice, at all. I keep telling myself "it's only the pre-season" and I half-way believe that. Ten more days will begin to tell the tale.

Buffalo 3, Wings 1

A low scoring--four goals, one an empty net goal--and only six penalty game, it was all Red Wings until ten minutes left in the game. (The first goal of the game didn't come till the second period.) After Buffalo got their first goal--on the power play--it seemed to give them life and carried them to the win. Most of the game was played in the Buffalo end with the Wings dominating--but they failed to score. Datsyuk and Franzen looked good and Lidstrom was solid, as usual. (The first Buffalo goal went in off of Lidstrom's stick, but shit happens.) Abdelkator is making it very difficult to make a case for sending him to Grand Rapids for the season.

Wings 4, Rangers 3

For the first two periods, the Wings played okay, at best. A lot of turn overs and some sloppy play. Going into the third, they were down 2-0 and Filppula scored, followed closely by Lebda. Abdelkator and Leino played well and Filppula had quite a spring to his step tonight. As was so often the way it was last year, the third period was all about the Wings and they finished off the Rangers with two more goals. Two games played, two games won--if only it could continue this way for the entire season. Game three tomorrow night.

Even My Doctor Understands

Last week I saw my internist. I suffer from 'white coat syndrome,' as well as ordinary hypertension, so the doc wasn't happy with my blood pressure that day. He asked if I have been taking my BP at home and I replied, "A couple of weeks ago, I figured it has been long enough since the playoffs, so I started taking it again. Besides, I needed a baseline before the season starts up again." He laughed heartily. Then he promptly prescribed another BP med for me to take. I guess having 'good enough' blood pressure while NOT watching a game isn't what my doctor wants for me. And, hopefully, I won't feel like I'm about to have a stroke during any games this year. But I'm not counting on it.

Hockey and Me

I will never claim to be a hockey expert. I love to talk hockey with anyone at any time, but I don't necessarily know what the hell I'm talking about. ;) If anyone reads this blog, I'm sure it isn't because they think I have incredible knowledge, but I MAY have some insight that is different from what other bloggers write. And the reason for this? I have a very long history of watching the game.

Before I have memories, I 'watched' hockey. My father was a fan, so I am sure he watched his share of games on TV while holding me in his arms. This, of course, was way back in the days of the Original Six. My memories of hockey games come a bit later.

When I was a child, Saturday found us at my aunt and uncles's farm. Saturday was the traditional 'sauna* night,' and as we didn't have one, we went to the farm to partake in the sauna ritual. We would get to the farm early in the evening--as soon after dinner as possible--so that we children could run around with the intention of us getting tired early. As soon as the sauna was warm enough, the exodus began. The younger the children, the earlier they went into the sauna. My cousin and I were usually the second 'group' to go in and bathe, after our younger brothers. Of course, as soon as we were washed, there was no more playing outside, so we would, at some point in time, find ourselves in front of the TV. And that meant we watched hockey.

Living in the northern part of the UP, one of the TV stations that we got was a CBC feed from Thunder Bay. Of course, this meant we watched Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday night. The TV had a tiny 12" screen and had a flickering, black-and-white image that was often 'snowy.' It is surprising that we even had a clue as to what was happening during the game, but watch it we did. This is my first memory of hockey.

As I got older, we spent less and less time at the farm, but I still watched hockey from time to time. We only had the one television in the house and whenever my father was in the living room, he had full control over whatever was on. So, if someone wanted to watch TV, s/he had to watch whatever was on--and that included Westerns, baseball, and hockey. I don't remember anything specific from that time, either, but it still was Original Six hockey.

Time moved on and we fast-forward to my high school days. I didn't pay a lot of attention to any sports--other than our high school basketball--and spent my days as a typical teenager. That is, until I started dating my high school boyfriend. He was a hockey nut, so I became one, also. (When you are young and in love, you do all sorts of things you don't expect to.) And I also began to follow his team and adopted it as my own--the Boston Bruins.

Looking back, if you were young and followed hockey, the Bruins were the team to follow. After all, they had Derek Sanderson--the 'Joe Namath' of the hockey world--and Bobby Orr. I think The Boyfriend followed them simply BECAUSE of Sanderson. Anyway, they became my team and I followed them all through high school and for the years that I continued to follow hockey.

A year+ after graduation, I found myself getting married and moving to that hotbed of hockey activity, Charleston, South Carolina. In those days, you actually COULD find some games on Sundays, so I tried as best as possible to continue following the game, but it was not to be. By the time I was back in the northwoods, my interest had waned and I watched very few games. This was the beginning of my 'lost years,' in terms of my involvement with hockey.

I missed the Red Wing turn around from the Deadwings to Stanley Cup Champions. I missed most of Steve Yzerman's career. (I'm not crying TOO much, because this ALSO means I missed Gretzky's career.) During those years, I was raising two girls, taking care of a household and family, volunteering to within an inch of my life, and being otherwise occupied. I, once again, lived in a house with only one TV. With the kids and husband 'owning' the one set AND my living most of my life in the kitchen, hockey was one of the last things on my mind whenever I had a chance to watch something. I had a slight idea of what was going on in the NHL, but most everything I heard meant nothing to me. I was in no hurry to get back into the game.

Suddenly, a few years ago, everything changed for me. I'm not sure WHAT happened, but I decided to start watching the game again. And it didn't take long before I became even more obsessed than I had been in high school. Summers have become even harder for me to endure since I became a fan again. I count the days till the season begins and I surf the interwebs constantly for news of the Wings. My obsession has become so complete, that I hesitate to tell my doctor how worried I get, at times, over my blood pressure. I'm sure if he knew HOW I watch games, I would be forbidden to watch anymore. So, I will keep my mouth shut and wait for the new season to begin.


*Sauna is pronounced "SOW-na." (Sow, as in a female pig.) It is NOT pronounced "SAW-na." If you EVER meet me in person, remember that. I do NOT tolerate anyone pronouncing it WRONG and will bitch-slap anyone saying it incorrectly. ;)

WHO Keeps Bringing It Up?

One more time the story about The Boy not shaking hands with Lidstrom after the 'win' is making the rounds--and the Wings and fans are being accused of beating a dead horse.

Michael Farber at SI posted this:

"After the Stanley Cup final, Sidney Crosby's tardiness in joining the handshake line rankled the Red Wings to that point that Kris Draper grabbed an SI reporter and told him to make sure he mentioned in the magazine that Crosby had stiffed Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who grew fed up and left the ice. Two months later, the feeling among the Red Wings has not altered measurably. Defenseman Brian Rafalski, who is as cool as Draper is fiery, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Last year we didn't make them wait.""

Now, where exactly does it say that Rafalski brought this up to Farber--or anyone else in the media, for that matter? From the way this is written, I have the understanding that it is Farber himself who brought this up, not Rafalski. If the Wings or the fans were constantly talking about this, THEN they could be accused of not letting go. Instead, it seems as if this just might be something that the Wings will look back on and give them a little more motivation to win it all this year. But the media wants this to be a big deal to the Detroit players and fans--and they want to try and make them out to be poor sports and bad losers. Just another way to try and 'take down' the Wings.

Not Hockey, But...

Living in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has many challenges. Of course, we have the weather to contend with and the rural living, but it is more than that. Other than our identity with being Yoopers, most of us are divided as to how we view ourselves. While we ARE a part of Michigan, we have the tendency to identify more with Wisconsin--the northern part, anyway--than we do with the Lower Peninsula. And, frankly, it seems as if the LP would rather the UP just go away and leave them alone--kind of like hoping an unwanted step-sister would disappear. So, we are a divided people--and nothing shows this more than the way we follow sports teams.

There are as many--probably more--Packer fans here in the UP than there are Lions fans. And the Packer fans are very typical. And I haven't found one yet that I like. (They are really obnoxious--at least the ones I know.) This means that I have to be bombarded with Packer news 24/7. When a Packer player finally shits after being constipated for a few days, I hear it--multiple times through multiple media venues. So, this brings up the whole Brett Favre saga.

Red Wing fans have been accused of whining. I guess there is a case to be made for that, in some instances, but I think most people would agree that the Penguin fans whined WAAAAAAY more over the whole 'Hossa moving to Detroit' deal than Wing fans ever had about anything. This brings me to Brett Favre and Packer Backers. WHOA!!! These people are so over the edge about this entire thing, that they are fast becoming the whiningest fans in sports--even worse than Pens fans. As I'm a football hater, I couldn't care less about where Favre plays, I just wish he would go away. I'm tired of hearing about him, but I think I'm even more tired of the Packer fans and their whining about the whole thing. Get over it already!

By the way, even though I hate football, I hope the Vikings beat the snot out of the Packers when they play each other. I'll smile.

Yeah, It Happened

I'm not any happier with the signing of Bertuzzi than I was with Williams. But, what can you do? This is the team and that's that. Now that I have had a little while to digest both signings, I have calmed down. I'll give the benefit of the doubt--at least until Helm, Leino, or Filppula lose ice-time because of either of these two. THEN you will see me in full bitch mode!

Can't the season start already?

Very Sad--If It's True

The school I graduated from was VERY small. In fact, the entire school had just a few more students than were in The Youngest's graduating class. The stars of the school were the athletes, the basketball players. (Other than track, the school only had basketball.) I don't think a basketball player could have gotten into trouble if he had beheaded someone in front of the district superintendent. That is how much power the athletes had. And I found the same mind-set when I went to the local university--only THERE it was the hockey players than were worshiped as gods. And so it goes at every level of our country: athletes can get away with anything. And so we come to today's story of Patrick Kane's arrest.

By now, I think everyone--at least hockey fans--have heard the story. Kane and his cousin took a cab ride, the cabbie didn't have $.20 in change to give them, the cousin and Kane beat the guy and took their $15 back from him. The kids were arrested and now the waiting begins for 'the rest of the story (?).'

Thinking that ANYONE would beat another person over $.20 is ludicrous. To think that someone making the kind of money that Kane does, is beyond belief. However, it is almost implied in some of the reports that alcohol may have been a factor in this incident. (The area of Buffalo where the two were picked up is the night-club district.) Most people don't beat someone up just because they are drunk, but a lot of people do stupid things while drunk--especially when very, very young. (I still, even at my advanced age, can embarrass the hell out of myself if I have too many drinks.)

If the real reason this happened--if it proves to be true--is because Kane feels entitled as an athlete, then I hope he gets knocked down so low that he would need a ladder just to see the underside of a snake's belly. But, unfortunately, too many athletes--professional and non--believe they are entitled just because they can run, jump, hit, shoot, etc, better than most other people. And too many times, they are proven right.

I don't really expect anything to come of this incident--for Kane, anyway. I think there is a better than even chance that the cousin will take the fall and the cab driver will get hush money. Patrick Kane will have an NHL career for as long as he wants--or as long as he can score goals.

Calder Winner?

The Hockey News has listed the top five Calder Trophy candidates for the 2009-10 season and Ville Leino is listed as number 4.

"Ville Leino is the most mature among our top crop and will be counted on to provide offense in Detroit."

It's nice to see him getting recognition for his talent, however, this can backfire as well. Some players can't handle the pressure, but I don't think--okay, I HOPE--that it isn't a problem for Leino. He is, after all, older than most rookies and was a star in Finland before coming here, so he knows what pressure is all about. He showed a maturity when he stayed in Grand Rapids last year instead of taking the option of returning to Finland when he didn't get to stay in Detroit. He has some work to do, but should do well this year. Calder winner? We can only hope.

The other four in the top five are: 1) Cody Hodgson, 2) John Tavares, 3) Nikita Filatov, 5) Simeon Varlamov.

The Smile Is Getting Bigger

When I read yesterday that Hossa had a small tear of the rotator cuff, I smiled. Not that I want him to be hurt, mind you, just that this seemed to be a small bit of payback for the way Chicago screwed the Wings. Today the smile definitely got bigger when it was announced that he would, after all, have surgery to repair the damage and would miss the first two months of the season. Whoa! Let the imploding begin?

Huh?

mLive.com has several stories about Hudler's move/non-move to Russia today--and I STILL don't understand what the hell is going on. It seems as if the more it is explained, the more confusing it is. At one point in my reading, I got the understanding that Hudler WILL be staying in the States--with the Wings or through a trade to another team. At another point, it seemed as if he will be going to Russia. As George Malik said, 'something's getting lost in the translation.' Hopefully all of this will be resolved sooner rather than later--and Hudler will be allowed to go to Russia.

Just For Laughs

(Off The Mark by Mark Parisi)

**********

I TOTALLY understand this woman--I'd be upset if a Wings' game was interrupted, too. (From Not Always Right.)

Customer: *on the phone and angry* “HOW DARE YOU RUN AN EMERGENCY ALERT DURING THE RED SOX GAME?! BASES LOADED!”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. We have no control over the emergency alerts.”

Customer: “CAN’T THEY DO IT AT NIGHT?! I’M TRYING TO WATCH THE GAME! BASES ARE LOADED!”

Me: “Again, ma’am, unfortunately the emergency alert will broadcast during an emergency situation; we have no control over when that will happen.

Customer: “WELL YOU BETTER GET SOME CONTROL OVER IT!” *click*

Next Season Schedule

The schedule was announced today and there really isn't much to talk about--they play, that's about it. The home opener will be against Chicago, so that should produce a lot of interest and, possibly, venom to start the year. Pitts and Detroit will play twice again this year and Washington will play in Detroit. While they will play on my birthday, they won't be at home, so no going to the Joe as a birthday gift for me. The Hubby says we WILL get to see a game this year, but I've heard that one before--I'm not holding my breath.

Hmmm...

So, what exactly does it mean to the Wings that Stan Bowman is the new GM for Chicago? Hard to say, but I certainly see Scotty's hand in all of the changes going on there. Despite the fact that Scotty lead the Wings to the Cup, he rubs me the wrong way. I really don't think I would like the guy in real life. Just saying. This season is going to be interesting, to say the least.

Little Gary HAS To Be Thrilled

I can imagine Little Gary sitting behind a very large desk--well, considering what a very small man he is, it wouldn't have to be THAT big--rubbing his hands together and cackling like the Wicked Witch of the West. Since 1 July, he has seen five of the Wings leave and the Hudler situation just made everything a bit more uncomfortable. Losing five players should have been the prize for Red Wing haters, but the league decided it wasn't enough. Despite the Wings NOT arguing Hudler's decision to go to Russia to play, the NHL has stepped in and said he's not allowed to do so--that he is still under contract to the Wings and he can't leave. And so the situation just gets worse for the Wings.

First, if Hudler is forced to come back to Detroit, just how effective of a player will he be? He WANTED to leave and the team he was going to was giving him BIG bucks to play for them. Now, we're talking about $2 mil more per year TAX FREE to play in Russia. THAT is quite an incentive, for sure. And something NO ONE wants to have taken away from them. Would he be able to put aside his disappointment and play as well as he is able if he is forced to stay in Detroit? And would he be satisfied with his role on the team? He said that playing in Russia would increase his on-ice minutes--something ALL players crave--and that he would have a leadership role on the team--something that wouldn't happen on the Wings. NOT a good situation for the team, at all.

And now, with this whole league-contesting-Hudler's-Russian-contract deal going on, Holand's hands are tied when it comes to adding anyone to the team. Without knowing if he has to work in Hudler's salary, Holland can't sign anyone because he has no idea how much money he has to work with. The Wings were willing to let Hudler go, so why should the league make a big deal out of it? (Yeah, yeah, there is the whole bit about future players, etc, etc, etc. Whatever.) It seems as if this is just one more thing that the conspiracy theorists can point to when they talk about the hate Bettman and the league have for the Wings.

For the amount that the Wings would probably have to pay Hudler--in the $3 mil per year area, I would imagine--I say "Let him go!" Filppula is getting $3 mil a year and Cleary is getting $2.8 mil--and Hudler is NOT worth as much as either one of them. Too much money for too little talent. And despite VF's and Cleary's not-as-good-as-hoped season last year, I think both will step it up a lot with Hossa being gone. They both will add minutes and be expected to do better. Hudler is not needed--especially a Hudler that doesn't want to be on the team.

NOT Fast Enough

Time is moving so slowly--I can't wait till October. HOWEVER, the first pre-season game is on 16 September! Happy, happy days!

Here's the pre-season schedule:

Sept. 16 vs. Philadelphia at Joe Louis Arena, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. New York Rangers at Joe Louis Arena, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19 vs. Buffalo at Joe Louis Arena 7 p.m.
Sept. 21 at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 at Philadelphia, TBD
Sept. 25 vs. Toronto at Joe Louis Arena, 7:30
Sept. 26 at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. Pittsburgh at Joe Louis Arena, 5 p.m.
Sept. 30 at Farjestads (Karlstad, Sweden), TBD


The regular season schedule should be announced be the NHL next week.

Much Going On

No one will be able to watch hockey this season without a program, that's for sure. With all of the players being moved, it will be hard to know exactly WHAT team is playing.

The Grand Rapids guys will be a big part of the Wings this year--which we all were pretty sure was going to happen, anyway. It is time for Helm and Leino and Ericsson to move up. Last year they could have been in Detroit, but the salary cap prevented that. It will be a much younger team than we've seen in a while, but good nonetheless.

Now with the probable move to Russia by Hudler, it looks like there will be a need for even more new faces on the team. Holland is going to sign someone, cause it doesn't look like there will be enough guys in GR ready to move up. With the exception of Abdelkator, I'm not sure who is next in line. Especially with the way the Wings like to give prospects the time to grow in the AHL. Interesting.

**********

So, Sakic is retiring. The only player that I could actually like on the Avalanche. He was as classy as a player could be--a good guy. Too bad he played for Colorado.

**********

Pronger extended his time in Philly by another seven years. And the Flyers continue to get themselves back into the Broadstreet Bullies way of thinking--if they ever were out of it. Their season might be mighty interesting, considering they signed Emery, too. I'm still waiting to see what this team can do against Pitts--I'm hoping for some bloodshed, actually.

**********

Just some of the interesting things going on: Anaheim signed Saku Koivu. The Islanders are hoping that Tavares will lead them out of the cellar. The Blackhawks signed all of their RFA's, so they will stay out of trouble over the 'oops, the mail was slow' 'mistake' that was made over the qualifying offers not getting to the players as per the rules. Surprise! {dripping sarcasm in that} And life goes on in the NHL. Isn't it October yet?

A Blue Jacket For Life?

The Wings will have Rick Nash in their nightmares for the next eight years: He just signed an eight year extension with Columbus to the tune of $62.4 million. And some people actually had the thought that Detroit could try to sign him next summer.

There Goes Another One

It was just reported that Mikael Samuelsson signed a three year deal with Vancouver.

Ville Leino is close to signing a two year deal with the Wings and Jiri Hudler will most likely be filing for arbitration before the weekend. The team this year will definitely have a different look to it.

On Further Thought

Quite the day and so much to think about. Next season will be interesting, to say the least.

I didn't think that Hossa would re-sign with the Wings--and I was perfectly okay with that. My one regret is that I would have liked to have seen Hossa and Filppula on the same line for all of last season. I think those two could have developed a chemistry that would have been unbelievable. But, Babcock is so insistent on separating Datsyuk and Zetterberg--it is a blind spot with the man. Oh, well, that is something that didn't and won't happen, so I must move on. And I was okay with all of this--until Hossa signed with Chicago. I still find it hard to absorb that news. This really takes away most of the 'good luck, been nice knowing you' feelings that I had for him.

Even though the Wings have lost three players--so far--they aren't that much different from the team that won the Cup on '08. I know that in an intellectual way. But, in my heart I am not too confident about next season. I'm sure I will feel differently about a month in, but until then I will do a lot of worrying. The depth is there and it was apparent during the playoffs that the guys from Grand Rapids ARE ready to make the jump, but still I worry. With Conklin gone, I worry about the goal tending. He really helped save the team while Ozzie was having his problems--I wish he would have stayed. Kopecky leaving doesn't bother me at all--if nothing else, I think Abdelkator could replace him. But it won't matter that much if he stays in GR for another year.

Now we just sit and wait to see how many more will leave--and IF Holland signs anyone new. At least, there should be some salary relief with Hossa leaving. I'm hoping that the wheeling and dealing that Bettman has done over the years to cause the Wings to fall, isn't finally going to become a reality.

I wonder if I actually could live with myself if I ever became an optimist?

My Baby Boy

I have an extremely inappropriate crush on Valtteri Filppula. I have named him my Baby Boy because he is a couple of weeks younger than my Youngest. 8 April 2006, was the date I first noticed VF--the Wings played Columbus and he had 11:37 on-ice time. The next day, I told The Hubby that I saw a player who could very easily become a star.

As a second generation Finnish-American, I was proud to see VF as the first Finn to ever play for the Wings--and it didn't hurt that he actually was a good player. His is the first jersey that I purchased and I refuse to wear it until I get to the Joe to see him play in person. Unfortunately, I may never get to wear it. (I have to convince The Hubby to go there--something I haven't been able to do. YET.)

I have had many people ask if I would change teams if VF was ever to be traded. Obviously, these people don't know how loyal Wing fans are. I would always follow his career, but never change teams--not going to happen. I believe he has much to offer the Wings in the years to come--I don't in any way believe he has peaked. I see him as becoming Datsyuk-lite. He does quite a few things like Datsyuk, but there will never be another Pavel--even VF won't come close. But, I think he will become much better than he is now.

So, why do I even post this? Well, it is to let anyone who might read this blog know just how I feel about my Baby Boy. While I will criticize any bone-headed mistakes he makes, he is ALWAYS my Baby Boy first and I don't tolerate any nasty bashing of him. Now you can go and discuss the crazy lady who writes this blog. ;)

News Is Coming Out

Ansar Khan at mlive.com quoted Ken Holland today as saying it isn't looking real good for Hossa to be back in Detroit next season. The Wings want a cap hit of $4 million and Hossa's agent is looking for a number around $6 million. NOT going to happen in Detroit. Also, the Wings are NOT going to offer a contract to Ty Conklin. Tomas Kopecky is going to try to see if another club wants him and Samuelsson probably will be offered a deal, especially if Hossa falls through. However, Sammy might see what he could get elsewhere. Qualifying offers have been made to Hudler and Leino, so they're safe.

It is getting really hard to imagine Hossa re-signing in Detroit. And if (when?) he goes, I don't know that I will feel terrible about it. He came for a reason and never said he was staying for the long haul--even though he HAS said he would like to stay, it always felt a little like a short-term experiment. I say good luck, it's been nice knowing you, and no hard feelings. Hossa's leaving will give a lot of exciting options for the Wings.

I don't know if Samuelsson and Kopecky leaving will be that terrible, either. For their sakes, I hope they find other teams where they can fit in and adapt. Too many times we see players who don't play well with other teams, but shine brightly with the Wings--and I hope they get good fits. Neither was a star with the Wings, but it always--well, almost always (*cough* Bertuzzi *cough*)--is sad to see a player leave.

I really, REALLY hate to see Ty Conklin leave. He is such a cutie (yes, that's me being female) and he really stepped up and saved the team when Ozzie was having problems. I was hoping that the Wings would finally cut their ties to Howard, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen. I certainly hope this isn't going to be a mistake. But, then, Holland doesn't make many mistakes, so I have to trust that he knows what he is doing.

This Will Be Interesting

Now that I have had time to think of the Pronger trade, we just may have to get NHL Center Ice next year. I can't wait to see what happens when Pronger plays his game against Pittsburgh--and when he 'accidentally' hits The Boy in the head. It'll be interesting to see how much Pronger is suspended. Cause there is NO WAY The Boy gets hit by Pronger and there is no discipline handed out.

The First Round Is Done

Detroit traded their first round pick--number 29--to Tampa Bay, so there won't be a player picked till tomorrow at number 32. More Swedish players were picked in the first round this year than ever and the majority of the rest were Canadian. Don't think I will watch tomorrow--if there is live coverage, that is--but I will keep checking for any trades/deals that might happen. I think the next couple of weeks are going to be quite exciting.

Number 2 and Number 3

Tampa Bay chose Victor Hedman number two. (I would LOVE to see him as a Wing. I think he will be a great star in the future.)

Colorado took Matt Duchene as the third overall pick.

First Pick

The New York Islanders just picked John Tavares first in the draft.

Whoa!

TSN is reporting that Chris Pronger has been traded to Philadelphia. Wow.

UPDATE: Joffrey Lupul will be going to Anaheim.

And In Today's News...

Mike Babcock was named coach of the Canadian Olympic team today. And the official announcement was quite anticlimactic, as it has been unofficially talked about for days/weeks. It will be interesting to see how/if the Olympics will impact the Wings this year. The coach, as well as a good percentage of the team, will be involved in the Games. Might be another roller coaster year.

TRIED to Resist

I swear, I tried to resist this. I used every once of my self-control, but it didn't work. I found myself clicking the 'buy' button and today, this came in the mail:

Front of shirt

Back of shirt

Yeah, I like it!

Eastern Conference?

Today Chris Chelios said he will begin looking for a new team for next year--in the Eastern Conference, preferably. He wants to limit his travel and the East has it much easier in that respect. Also, if he isn't playing one-two months into the season, he said he will retire. He has the Olympics to use up his time, if he's not playing, not to mention his business. The family will be staying in the Detroit area. It will be strange to see him play for another team.

Not A Surprise

We went on a road trip today and missed the news about the Hall of Fame inductees until hours after the announcement. Of course, it wasn't a surprise to hear that Steve Yzerman was named. I don't think there was anyone who didn't believe he would make it in this year. Congratulations--and couldn't have happened to a nicer, more gracious person.

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While we were driving to our destination, The Hubby had a radio station on that is one of his favorites. (I was good and didn't complain.) Anyway, they have a feature called 'The Word of The Day.' Today's word was 'pule'--it means to whimper or to whine. I wonder why the name of Sidney Crosby jumped into my mind as soon as I heard this?

It Was Good Knowing Ya

Ken Holland officially said bye-bye to Chris Chelios today--he will not be playing for the Wings next season. But, Cheli has not said he will retire. Actually, he has said that he wants to still play somewhere in 09-10. Chelios has a lot to give to a team, but as a coach/mentor and not as a player. I certainly hope he retires before he completely embarrasses himself. NO ONE wants to admit to getting older--especially those of us of-a-certain-age--but nature just lets our bodies do what 20-year-olds can do only so long. We should go out with a bit of dignity. We have friends that I wish would realize this.

A Bad Cliche

I mentioned in my last post that I am not a fan of Alex Ovechkin. A lot of people think he is good for hockey. I'm not going to agree with that.

He has talent--that much I will agree with. However, ANYONE that shoots the puck as much as he does is bound to get a lot of goals. And from what little I have seen of him, it seems as if he is pretty much only offense. His shooting percentage is only around 12%--NOT the best, considering how many shots he takes.

But, his performance on the ice isn't what makes me a non-fan--well, except for his after-goal antics. (I REALLY don't like showoffs.) The thing that bothers me most about him is that he lives every bad cliche there ever has been written/said about a star athlete. I mean, come on, walking down the red carpet of the NHL awards with Vegas showgirls hanging on him?! Pah-lease!!! He reminds me of the 'bad boy' character in MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives TV show. (And, yes, I did watch it--but it was summer and there wasn't anything else on.) He's making the money, he's living large, he's showing off, and it makes me not like him. Maybe it's because I'm not a guy.

The Awards

Unfortunately, Lidstrom didn't get the Norris this year--but most people didn't think he would. While it would have been nice--and I think he deserved it, even if this wasn't his best year--I'm happy it was Chara instead of Green that took it home.

Now, the good news: Datsyuk took the Lady Byng and the Selke. This is the fourth year in a row for the LB and the second for the Selke. In my mind, he should have gotten the Pearson and the Hart, too, but I do happen to be prejudiced.

I was pleasantly surprised that Iginla got the Mark Messier Leadership Award. I was so sure it was going to The Boy that I would have bet money on it if I was in Vegas. I think Iginla is a good player, however I DON'T like him when he plays against the Wings. ;) I always have thought that he would be someone I'd LOVE to have drinks with--he just strikes me as a fun person on a personal level.

A lot of people like Ovechkin--I don't. I put him on the same level with The Boy: I'm sick and tired of hearing about him. I find that I can't even try to see any talent in a player that is constantly being praised. It is very tiresome and boring. But, it wasn't surprising that AO got the Hart and the Pearson. And I still think that Datsyuk deserved them more.

My Laugh Of The Day

The Youngest posted this to Facebook:

"It's official my mom will never be allowed near the Stanley Cup now for fear she will try to scratch Crosby's name off of it ....."

I guess my family knows me! :D

The Injuries Revealed

Over the last several days, the various injuries to the Wings have begun to be revealed...and it is quite a list.


*Lidstrom--speared in the testicles and required surgery. Also, he was bothered throughout the season by his elbow.

*Rafalski--separated shoulder and herniated disk in his back.

*Draper--torn cartilage in his neck and groin pull.

*Datsyuk--charley horse and foot injury.

*Cleary--severe groin pull.

*Holmstrom--left knee requiring pain-killing shots. This on top of a season of hernia, back, and knee problems.

*Zetterberg--hasn't been confirmed, but it has been suggested that he had a problem with his wrist/hand and wore a brace during the playoffs.

I STILL say that the Wings would beat the Pens any day of the week and twice on Sunday if they were healthy--and if Datsyuk was able to play every game of the Finals. The series would NEVER have gone past five games.

Yeah, He's Got Balls

The Hubby and I have been married FOREVER. I like to tell people that ours was an arranged marriage--we were promised to each other just after I was born. AND I was the only female in history to give birth at the age of 5. That is the ONLY way I could possibly be the mother of someone who is 31 years old, as The Oldest is.

With all of the years The Hubby and I have been together, I have to say that we have NEVER had a discussion about his testicles. I figured THAT conversation should be reserved for his doctor. Since game 7, we HAVE discussed Lidstrom's balls. You gotta love hockey!

Hmmmm...

On Sunday, The Hubby worked the first time since last Wednesday. During the day, guys kept seeking him out and asking how I was doing because of the loss on Friday. I don't know what to think. Was that just sweet of them or is it sad that the only thing I'm known for is being an obsessed Red Wing fan? :)

Bettman Is An Assclown

mlive.com had this to say, followed by a quote from the Globe and Mail:

Speaking of Bettman, those who claim that the Red Wings simply booed the Penguins didn't catch the drift of Gary Bettman's comments--as in nothing about the Red Wings, save, "It takes a champion to beat a champion." It's traditional for the commissioner to congratulate both teams and both teams' owners, and he completely ignored both the Wings and Mike and Marian Ilitch:

We did get to hear a warm greeting for the Commish from the faithful at the Joe Louis Arena, however, as he presented the Stanley Cup to Crosby. They weren't booing, they were ... well, they were booing, as a matter-of-fact.

Never one to miss a chance to Balsillie-ize these days, Bettman oozed thanks to the owners of the new Cup winners, "for saving the Pittsburgh Penguins." Apparently Detroit owner Mike Ilitch was unmoved; after Bettman failed to acknowledge the Wings in his Cup presentation speech, Ilitch kept walking past the commissioner as Bettman stuck out his hand under the stands.

And people STILL wonder why some Wing fans think there is a conspiracy!

My Second

On 29 May 2004, I began my first blog. Nothing much, just a place for me to bitch a little and have an outlet for some of my feelings. I have attracted several faithful readers and made some very good friends. Little did any of them know that I would evolve into an obsessive hockey fan--or rather, that I would obsess over hockey on my blog. This is what happened. And there are very few--if any--of my readers who are actual hockey fans. And so this is the reason for me to start my second blog. Now my regular followers can read about my boring life and anyone interested in hockey can come here. A separation of both my worlds.

I am not a hockey authority. Far from it. I am just a woman-of-a-certain-age who doesn't have a life except for the Red Wings. I am never as witty as the guys at The Triple Deke and can't turn a phrase as well as The Chief over at A2Y, but I might have some things to say that may be interesting. I say stupid things way too often and embarrass the hell out of myself. I don't apologize often. This blog will be a mixture of news and opinion and most of it will deal with the Red Wings. If I don't like your comment, I will delete it if I see fit. This is MY blog and we will play by MY rules. And the rules can change at any time I see fit. Almost like the NHL in that regard. So, welcome and hope you enjoy.