Why I Need Twitter and Blogs

I appreciate the imaginary, fake friends I have online so very, very much.  And here is just one more reason--this is an actual 'conversation' I had today with a Facebook friend*:

Friend:  I enjoy reading about your love for hockey!! I have another close friend, who is crazy for the NY team!

Me:  Which NY team?

Friend:   Yankee~

{facepalm}

What more can be said?

*And to top it all off, she is perky.  I don't do perky...

Tychkowski Isn't COMPLETELY Wrong...

Anyone reading this is probably a Wings fan, so the entire debacle that was Tychkowski's article in the Edmonton Sun is very familiar.  I must defend him, though, and say that I, too, am a bit frightened about going to Detroit.  (It has been years and years and years since I've been there.)  But, I also am frightened of Chicago, the Twin Cities, New York, LA, etc, etc, etc.  Hell, I wouldn't even walk alone down the street of Green Bay in the middle of the night.  I grew up in a town of less than 1000 people and live in a town of about 20,000--big cities scare me.  I'm a hick and I know it, so I feel for poor Bob.   ;D

Hey, Hater! Yes, YOU!

I just read another post/letter/comment/whatever from a Red Wing hater where the team was referred to as the 'Dead Wings.'  Really.  Enough already.  I don't mind the haters hating the Wings--I probably hate their teams, too--but I wish they would come up with something more original.  It is the 21st century, after all.  And you aren't saying anything that we ourselves haven't said--those of us alive and old enough to talk during the dark ages called the team the 'Dead Wings' as well as everyone else did.  As I said, crawl out of the past and come up with something new.  I could almost respect someone that came up with a new, creative nickname--even if I didn't agree with them.  After all, The Brother still uses the same term when talking about the Wings, so I CAN'T respect anyone who uses 'Dead Wings.'

Time Is Dragging

I really would like to meet the idiot who decided that it was a good thing to give the Wings four days off between games this early in the season.  I would, for sure, punch him in HIS 'schedule' if I had the chance.  This is fricking ridiculous.  Tomorrow night can't happen fast enough.

Now for GREAT news:  The Triple Deke will be putting up a new post on Friday!  YAY!  Tyler is coming back.  Not to put any pressure on him, but this is one of the most anticipated returns of a blogger in a long, long time.  I know MY life has been much sadder without Tyler lighting up my life.  Welcome back--you were gone much too long.

Who Is The Better Fan?

I am very much a non-entity on the interwebs--and I believe I like it like that.  It keeps me out of trouble and saves me from so many fights that I see going on.  Already in this very early part of the season, I have seen at least two nasty fights going on--and I don't 'follow' hardly anyone on Twitter or read very many blogs!  I can't even begin to imagine how many there have been that I know nothing about.  And these are between fans of the SAME team, NOT opposing fans.  I don't get it.  And that is why I usually don't give my opinion, unless it is pretty much the same as the majority opinion.  Yes, I'm spineless.

The majority of fights are usually one of two:  1)  Someone rags on a particular player and another person comes to his defense or 2)  someone criticizes the entire team a bit strenuously and a total homer (who wouldn't say a bad word about the team if s/he was paid) comes to the team's defense--and accuses the criticizer of being less than a loyal fan.  And then the fighting begins.  And, usually, a lot of other people are dragged into the fight and then all hell breaks out.

Many times I can see all sides of every fight--as a mother, I learned this lesson early on--and find it hard to come down on one side or the other.  It is very easy and justifiable to find fault when a player is doing less than what he should be doing--yet, I can understand where there may be extenuating circumstances.  I really wonder how each of us would be evaluated at our jobs if we were under the microscope of fans.  I know that I don't do my best after The Husband and I have had an argument, or when I'm not feeling 'quite right.'  I find myself being distracted if there are 'issues' in the lives of my kids or close friends.  But, we don't want to give the players any consideration when they fall short of their best--we don't want to accept that they are mere humans like the rest of us.  Of course, I also can see the side that feels that these guys are being paid big money to do their jobs and the hell with what else is going on in their lives.  Both sides are valid, to an extent. 

The other big argument that seems to crop up periodically is the one between the 'homer' and the fan without blinders.  (I know that is being simplistic, but it gets my point across.)  There does seem to be a group of people who feel if a person is a fan of a team, then there should be no criticism of the team whatsoever.  While I don't agree with this way of thinking, I DO agree that some 'fans' take the criticizing a bit too far--and can't seem to find anything good to say, ever.  And each type of fan seems to think the other isn't a 'true' fan.  Ridiculous.  I wish some people would find a happy medium and stay there.

When these fights start and go on, no one 'wins.'  Hard feelings usually last for a long time after the fight cools down, and that is just sad.  I realize that people are passionate, but sometimes things just go too far.  Sometimes the two who began the fight agree to disagree and move on--but that is a rarity.  Fighting about something that is JUST opinion is crazy.  It is just as crazy as fighting about religion or politics--everyone has an opinion, every opinion is just as valid as the next, and fighting about it just causes hard feelings, without any resolution.  In all my years, I can't really remember a time when someone has actually gotten me to change my mind about an opinion of mine, no matter how well their case was presented.  And so, I will continue to be spineless and try to ignore the in-fighting that will continue throughout the year.  And that makes me sad.

Confusion

So many times, I won't make comments on games because I don't trust my judgment as to what I have seen.  I never played hockey and only started watching it because my high school boyfriend was a fan.  This DID lead me to love the sport, yet it hasn't been until recent years that I have actually WATCHED a game.  I now will analyze things a bit more and try to follow what is happening all over the ice, rather than having knee-jerk reactions to what I perceive to be happening with the play.  Still, I am so much of a novice, that I defer to others who know so much more than me.  And so, I don't post here very often.  I don't want this to become a 'girly' fan site--I'm much too old for that--and only post about my 'love' for the Wings.  But I also don't want to sound like an absolute ass by saying things that are ridiculous.  With that being said, I'm going to make a few comments about last night's game.

What the hell was that game about?  And what team showed up for it?  Granted, we're only four games into the season, but really.  From the first game to this one, it was two different teams out there.  It's as if the entire team has bipolar disease or multiple personalities--and the 'others' kick in for every player, at the same time.  I really don't want this to be another year of 'they did a lot of good out there' and 'we know we have to do better' statements from Babcock and the players.  It gets old very, very fast.  However, I will try and forget about this game as fast as possible and hope for a much better showing on Saturday.  It just is so hard when you know they are better than what they were last night.  {sigh}

The Griffins Lost

I believe it was early in the third period when one of the CBC announcers said something about the Leafs having 'so much confidence' to start the season, because of the way they are playing.  Oooookay.  They beat the Griffins by only two goals--and three of those came on the power play.  (Yes, technically one of them wasn't a power play goal.)  I really didn't see a whole lot to be confident about, considering they were playing, basically, an AHL team.  I didn't think the Griffins did too poorly.  If others disagree about my assessment, I would have to defer to them--I only glanced at the game periodically.  :)  Still, if the players develop well, the Wings are looking good in the years ahead.

All that being said, one thing that stood out whenever I did watch the game:  Jonathan Ericsson--and not in a good way.  He does continue to NOT impress.  I wonder how long the 'Jonathan Ericsson Experiment' will continue?  When will Babcock and Holland say 'enough is enough?'  Ericsson will NEVER inherit Lidstrom's throne--unless he has a fairy godmother somewhere that we know nothing about.  This will be interesting to watch as the season goes on.

Tomorrow, the last game of the preseason.  I should think a win will happen.  Six more days and it begins...

Another Loss

I really hate to feel so pessimistic after a 'pretend' game, but they have now lost two of the three pre-season games that have been played.  And it was the 'B' team losing both times.  However, the guys played a LOT better tonight than they did on Wednesday--I really thought there was a good chance for them to win.  And that was against Chicago's 'stars.'  So, I guess things aren't looking too bad.  But, every time the Wings lose--I don't care if it is a 'real' game or not--I just want to go and raid my wine rack or liquor supply.  It just makes it so much easier to forget the loss. 

It will be alright.  I know that.  But, it wouldn't be Red Wing hockey if I wasn't the voice of doom-and-gloom.  ;)

Rules...

A number of people have, once again, written about the inconsistency and idiocy of the NHL's rule-system--following the suspension of Boynton and non-suspension of Orpik--so I won't rehash it.  (Besides, all of the others have done a MUCH better job than I could.  ;))  I will only re-post something I did last season--a quote from Dan Connor on 'Rosanne':

"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."

I do believe Bettman must have this quote on a plaque on his desk--it makes about as much sense as anything else I can come up with...

Not Meant To Be

I don't watch the news--it is too depressing.  However, I wanted to see the score of the Tiger game--talk about depressing--so I made a point of having the 11:00 news on tonight.  So, what was the first story on the sports segment?  The Stanley Cup made an appearance 100 miles from me--back 'home' where we grew up--today.  And I knew NOTHING about it!  I missed an opportunity to see the Cup for the second time.  I don't think I'm suppose to see it.  Life sucks sometime.

Two years ago, I got a phone call from a friend in Wisconsin, asking me if I had any desire to see the Stanley Cup.  As she is NO hockey fan, I was a bit confused until she told me that Brian Rafalski was making an appearance at the veteran's facility where her husband works.  Well, The Husband and I jumped at the chance to go and meet him, so we made our arrangements to go with our friends to see the Cup.  We got to their house in plenty of time, but they didn't quite understand the time constraints, etc, surrounding Cup appearances--they weren't ready to go.  We didn't leave their home until the scheduled time for Rafalski's visit, but they weren't worried about us missing the Cup.  Of course, we wound up getting to the facility 5 minutes AFTER Rafalski left.  It took all of my strength to keep from crying.  The only thing that kept me from doing something that I would regret later, was the fact that these are our oldest, dearest friends in the world--and hockey means nothing to them.

Two times I've missed seeing the Cup, but I still have to believe that the next opportunity will be when I FINALLY get to see it.  I HAVE to believe--otherwise I'd go into the bathroom and slit my wrists with a wet noodle.

A New Red Wing Fan Has Arrived

Our sixth granddaughter was born this morning at 4:00 AM.  She came into the world a bit over four weeks early and she weighed four pounds.  There was a little concern over her breathing, so she is being transported to our hospital here, where we have a NICU.  I talked to The Oldest and she is doing as well as can be expected--she's very tired, so the conversation was very short.  I will go to see the baby this evening and get some pictures and more information.  Quite an exciting end to our long weekend.  :)

My Ears Are Hurting Already

We are just weeks away from the start of the season and I already dread having to listen to announcers completely and totally butcher Finnish names.*  Now, I'm not saying I do a great job on pronunciation when it comes to some languages--frankly, I don't think I have EVER pronounced a French word or name properly--but I don't get paid like announcers do.  I must say that most announcers are doing quite a good job with 'Filppula,' but they still don't have a clue about 'Valtteri.'  Obviously, the reason this bothers me so much is because I am Finn and don't have to think twice about how to pronounce these names--well, at least MOST of the time.  I really have a hard time with 'Teemu Selanne.'  Still, it amazes me that Finnish names are so difficult for most people, because the rules aren't all that difficult.

I don't, by any means, want to imply that Finnish is an easy language--far from it.  But, the extremely simplified rules to pronouncing words/names are quite easy to follow.  And here goes:

--Every letter in the Finnish language is always pronounced the same way--every single time.
--Every letter is pronounced in all words--no silent letters.
--The first syllable of a word is the one that is stressed--with secondary stress on the third/fourth syllable in longer words.

Of course, there are some exceptions, but if these rules are followed, the chance of pronouncing a word properly--or very close--is quite good.  I wish that the hockey announcers would learn--and use--these rules.  But, if they don't want to learn the rules, they can always go here and LISTEN to the proper way to pronounce the names.



*I will, to a certain extent, excuse the mispronunciation of Finnish names by non-Finns.  However, there is NEVER an excuse to pronounce the word 'sauna' wrong.  NEVER!  I WILL turn mean if I hear this pronounced incorrectly.

Prognosticating

Like the majority of hockey fans--at least those of us in the USA--I get most of my hockey news on the interwebs.  Gone are the days when I was able to go to the nearest newsstand and buy at least TWO hockey publications per week.  But at this time of year--as long as I'm somewhere that actually CARRIES hockey mags--I'm able to get a bunch of magazines that will preview the coming season.  And I read every one of them--for better or for worse.  This week, I'm reading The Hockey News yearbook. 

It amuses me to read the lists of 'what team will end the season where'--especially the way these mags have been SO wrong in the past.  Obviously, these lists are done 'by committee' and I'm sure personal opinions come into play when picks are made.  After all, these ARE just human beings doing the lists, so personal favorites would HAVE to be part of the decision making process.  And for the most part, that is why the different mags will come up with different results.  And this year, The Hockey News has decided that the Vancouver Canucks will win the Stanley Cup.  AND that Detroit will be third in the west.  AND that Pittsburgh is quite strong--and will place second in the east.  AND that Chicago might have lost a lot, but is still an elite team that will be in the mix for defending their title.  Whatever.  As I said, I read these mostly for amusement--and then I read them halfway through the season and again at the end of the season, just so I can laugh at how wrong the predictions were.

The one thing from all of these magazines that DOES bother me, however, are their 'Top {insert number here}' lists.  The Hockey News has their Top 50 players and, of course, I take exception with the position of some of the players.  As a Red Wing fan, I can't believe that Datsyuk is a #4.  Or Lidstrom is #17.  Or Zetterberg is #22.  AND that they are the only Wings to make the list.  But, I AM biased.  ;)

Of course, #1 and #2 are Crosby and Ovechkin.  Everyone can be grateful that I am not a GM, because I would never have either one of these guys on my team.  I WILL admit that they are talented, but I couldn't be a GM because I look at players too emotionally and not as to how well they play.  Crosby wouldn't be on my team because--well, he's CROSBY!  We all know the reasons to hate him.  And I really don't like Ovechkin.  And the reason?  I think Ovechkin is the complete stereotypical, over-the-top athlete that people point to when they say why they hate sports.  While some people say he is good for the sport because he adds excitement--much like some feel about Sean Avery--I am very old-fashioned and enjoy the low-key, humble, typical hockey player.  Something Ovechkin would NEVER be accused of being.  But enough of this.

I know that The Hockey News got input from "GMs, pro scouts and analysts," but I still don't understand why some of these players made the list.  I guess I don't know HOW they picked some of these players as the best "right here and right now" with comments about them such as this: 

"his scoring totals and plus-minus took a serious dip last season"

"he can...be a disaster in his own end and his playoff performance has been seriously lacking"

"...reputation has taken a beating...largely due to his inability at key moments"

" the team "had to put out an APB on him during the playoffs...and he sometimes has tunnel vision when it comes to offensive play...has the skill to become an elite NHL goal-scorer" but "does he have the will to do it?"

"you just wish he'd get a little more...involved"


The Hockey News measured the "on-ice contributions" of the players in order to decide who made this list.  "...future potential and, to a lesser extent, past performance" were factors in rating the "best players going into the 2010-11 season."  If past performance isn't going to be the BIGGEST factor in deciding the best players, how did they factor in on-ice contributions?  It just isn't computing for me.  But again, these are JUST human beings making the list, so bias will DEFINITELY be present.

Of course, I have no suggestion as to how these lists SHOULD be made.  You could always put all of the info into a computer and have a list made in a simple, logical manner, but we ALL know that statistics aren't the only factors in deciding great players.  And the longer I watch hockey, I see this more and more clearly.

X-Files, et al

More proof that the off-season is too long and much too boring...

I believe in conspiracies.*  I don't always know the 'why' of a conspiracy, I just know they exist.  I am convinced that if we knew the things our government hides from us, then Warehouse 13, Eureka, and Rubicon would be considered documentaries and not fiction.  (I would add Men in Black to the list, but I'm afraid someone would call the men in the white jackets to come take me away.)  And now I have a new conspiracy to add to my list.

Many Red Wing fans--myself included--got peeved when Modano waited so long to decide on whether he would sign with Detroit, or not.  After the word came out that he WAS coming to the Wings, some things were said that made me believe there was a reason he waited--namely, there was an agreement between him and the organization to keep quiet for a month.  I really believe he told Holland the day after was wined and dined, that he would sign on for at least one more year.  But, for one reason or another, he was asked to NOT say a word about it till August.  And I think I have a couple of examples that back my opinion.  First, he was so adamant that there would be no news until after 5 August, but he 'broke' the story himself a couple of days early.  Okay, so that's a bad example.  I guess what really did it for me was reading (I don't know WHERE) that he was already leaking the news to different people at least two weeks earlier--and everyone who was told was sworn to secrecy.  This is enough to prove to me that there was a conspiracy.  And if you don't agree, BITE ME!  I'm bored and need to come up with SOMETHING to write about.  :D

*Sue me--I lived through Watergate, so I believe in conspiracies!  :D

Pissing Off Women

I'm not 100% sure why so many women got pissed off when they saw the newest jerseys the NHL is offering for sale, but I, for one, don't like them because they are ugly.  Period.  I've never quite understood the bejeweled clothing--except for my 'The Bitch Is Back' T-shirt*--so these jerseys would never be on my 'must have' list.  When I have ever made a purchase from NHL.com, I've always gone straight to the 'men's' section, so I probably would never even have SEEN these if it wasn't for all the talk today.

I read a lot of comments from women about how much these types of clothes denigrate and insult women. A lot of women think that all these items show a lack of understanding of what women really want.  Not every woman--okay, very FEW women--want clothes like this.  And I think that's where the biggest problem is:  this is more of a male 'fantasy' about what women want than what we actually DO want.  When I went to the 'women's' section at shop.NHL.com, I was quite horrified by the majority of clothes they had to offer for women.  Frankly, most of what was there should be marketed only for those young women who haven't reached their 14th birthdays--you know, the tween-aged, Twilight-loving, middle schoolers who are into glittery stuff.  But most intelligent, mature (NOT old, mature) women by-pass stuff like this.  (Unless they want to find their pictures on People of Walmart--but I digress.)

Would this have been such a big deal if it wasn't the off-season and not much is happening in the hockey world?  Probably not.  Of course, there will always be someone who is offended by any slight--real or perceived--so this might not have flown under the radar.  But I think this will blow over quite quickly.  One thing that might NOT die down so fast--or will be remembered later--are some of the comments men made during this.  There were men who just cannot believe that any woman could possibly be offended by the implication of these jerseys:  that women are air-headed puck bunnies that like all things bright and shiny and form fitting.  And the fact that there is not even an attempt to understand how offensive this is, is what upsets a lot of women.  Just as quite a few people don't understand why I--a stay-at-home--cannot abide someone asking me if I "work or just stay at home," and why anyone would find this offensive and demeaning.  Oh, well.  But, as I said, this too shall pass.

Hopefully, this has shown the NHL that there are women who are unhappy about the selections we have to choose from when it comes to team clothing made for us.  And, hopefully, someone in marketing will see this as an opportunity to get some stuff that can be sold to those of us who never even dreamed of owning a Bedazzler!  One can only hope...




*And considering I bought the shirt in the Elton John store in Las Vegas, it HAD to have sparkles on it.  :D

Can't It PLEASE Be October Already?

It really hit me as to how much I miss hockey--and how boring life is without it.  When I was grocery shopping tonight, I had to stop myself from squealing like a little girl when I saw Golden Grahams on the shelf.  When finding a box of Golden Grahams is the most excitement you have had in your life for some time, then it is more than time for hockey to begin again.

**********

I want to be absolutely giddy over all of the dire news that has been coming out of Chicago this summer.  I want to laugh, cheer, and celebrate their loss of players and salary problems.  I want to shout from the rooftops that they will not be contenders this season--that this past year was a small bump in the road and they won't be successful for another long, long time.  I want to, but I can't.  My pessimism won't let me.  I'm just too worried that the players they WILL have will rally and prove every one of the doom-and-gloomers wrong--that they will actually be a team to be reckoned with.  Of course, time will tell, but until then, I will worry.

Boredom

The only reason for this post is to make sure Blogger doesn't cancel my account for lack of updates.  Talk about a boring stretch for hockey!  I'm sick to death of hearing about Modano and Kovalchuk--and Zetterberg is honeymooning somewhere in Tahiti.  (Is Tahiti actually big enough to have a 'somewhere in Tahiti' reference?)  So, there is not much going on and I am beginning to suffer from hockey withdrawal.  Can't time move faster, please?

Really?

So, Modano has said he won't make up his mind about where--or whether--he will be playing next season until after 5 August.  Another (almost) three more weeks.  Are you fricking kidding me? It took me less time to decide to get pregnant for each of my kids than this guy is taking to decide if he still wants to play a game.  And now we are creeping into Brett Favre territory.  It is time to shit or get off the pot--right now.  I certainly hope his decision is to go elsewhere.

Shameless Stealing

I will give credit where credit is due, but I am not opposed to stealing from other sites on the interweb, either.  Today, I steal from one of the best sites there is:  Cake Wrecks.  If you have never been there, GO!  The unbelievably horrible cakes that people are expected to pay for--that PROFESSIONALS make and decorate--are horrifying.  But, on Sunday, the best of the best are featured--and today was no exception.  And I present to you the greatest cakes I have ever seen:

 By Natalie of Doodle Cakes

 By Charm City Cakes (aka Ace of Cakes)

 

 

 By Don Buciak II

Hockey and cake--TOGETHER!  What more can you ask for? 

It's Time...

I was so sure that the Mike Modano story would have been over with by the end of last week.  Obviously, that is NOT the case.  But, I think it is about time for SOMEONE to put an end to all of this--whether it is Modano or the Red Wing organization.  Time for everyone to move forward...in whatever direction that may be.

Modano A Wing?

I think we can stamp this 'done and done.'  For several years, I have had the feeling that Modano will play in Detroit at some time--and the time is now.  I have no inside info or anything other than my feelings--and a woman's intuition is very powerful.  ;)

*And if I'm wrong, we can look on this as just another example of me not knowing what the hell I'm talking about.  :D

Saving The NHL

With not a whole lot going on in hockey right now, I figured I'd recycle something that I wrote a few years ago.  So here is my plan to save the NHL--slightly revised since it was originally written and very, very much tongue-in-cheek.

Saving the NHL can be done very simply and it would take only a few years to get things back on track.  (I'm thinking ten years, tops, but it could happen much, much sooner.)  The first thing that has to be done is to get Oprah interested in the game. She can then declare to the world how wonderful hockey is. (I can see this happening now that the Hawks won the Cup.)  This will get every suburban soccer-mom on board and hockey will become the fastest growing sport in North America. Within two years, teams will be looking to build new arenas just so they can fit all of the new fans. Of course, she will have to have Bettman as a guest on her show.  {shudder}  (Oprah and Bettman together on TV--the stuff nightmares are made of.)

The year after the new arenas are built, Oprah--that champion of all downtrodden African-Americans--will have a change of heart. She will declare hockey to be a racist sport because of the relative lack of African-American players in the NHL. This will cause the suburban soccer-moms to rethink their love of the sport--after all, if Oprah thinks it’s bad, it must be--and abandon it. Their husbands and children will no longer be allowed to have anything to do with hockey--my gosh! Oprah said it’s bad (remember how she affected the sales of beef!)--and the arenas will become empty. Teams will go bankrupt and shut their doors.  And Bettman would be ousted--preferably, driven out of town after being tarred and feathered.

The only people left watching hockey will be TRUE hockey fanatics! The original six teams--Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins, Rangers, and Black Hawks--will be stronger than ever and the cities that have the second six teams to come into the league (or wherever they moved to) will re-embrace the game.  At most, teams in 20 cities will be able to keep it together and survive. No one will have to explain the game--as NBC does--and no one will have to defend checking, hard hitting, or fighting anymore. All will be right with the world once again.  And all non-bandwagon fans will rejoice!

Nice, simple, doable.  What more can you want?  I do realize this can't happen, of course--Oprah announced the end of her show, so we just don't have the time span needed for this to take place.  But it  is a nice thought.  How great would it be to only have 20 teams, again?  And in places where people actually understand and love hockey!  Ah, dreams...

The Draft

For all who were engrossed by the draft the last couple of days, I say "Good for you."  However, I thought it was about as snooze-worthy as the World Cup.  Too many times in the past, I have watched/paid attention to the draft and been horrified by the attitudes of the draftees.  While the kids usually don't show their true colors too much on the day they are drafted, way too often, down the road, they are shown to have attitudes that are disgusting.  I can't stand athletes who think their shit doesn't stink and who believe the world owes them everything because they can hit a ball, skate, run, etc, etc, etc.  I live and die for hockey, as much as--if not more--than the next person, but I DO realize it is only a game.  And I wish some of these players realize what a privileged life they actually enjoy--and be grateful for it.  (I am talking across every sport now--not just hockey.)  And now I will stop this latest rant, as no one cares, anyway--I just need to vent at times.  :D

I was rather intrigued by the Wings fourth pick, however.  Of course, I got very interested because he is a Finn, first and foremost.  But, his name, Teemu Pulkkinen, jumped out at me very, very much.  As a young girl, we had neighbors with the last name of Pulkkinen--and the daughter was a friend of mine.  I am not sure how common of a name Pulkkinen is in Finland, but it would be interesting to know if he is related to those I know.  (As an aside, there are Filppulas 'back home', also--and I don't believe they are related to Baby Boy.  But then, Finland is such a small country that I'm sure there IS a connection somehow.)  Considering how high he was supposed to be drafted, it will be interesting to see how well he does.

And Now Hockey...

There are very few places where I can go, things I can read, shows I can watch, that don't have a political bend or agenda.  Hockey has, for the most part, been one of the only activities I can enjoy without being bombarded with politics.  And this is politics from EVERY spectrum--the stuff I agree with and the stuff I loathe.  Until now.

The Stanley Cup will be in the Chicago gay pride parade this weekend.  And there are two reasons--in my opinion--for this.  First, it is the Blackhawk organization's way of 'apologizing' to the gay community for someone writing 'he's gay' under Pronger's name on their whiteboard.  This, of course, was an embarrassment for the team and ownership.  The parade appearance is a way of 'showing' that there is no homophobia in the organization.  And secondly, this is just another group jumping on the 'gay is okay' bandwagon.  Let's face it, we hear this message day in and day out--and have for a few years now.  I don't see this entire thing as showing just how tolerant the Blackhawks are, just shows that they know how to try and appease those who yell the loudest.

I am not just opposed to the Cup being in the gay pride parade.  I would be just as upset, and find it just as disagreeable, if it made an appearance at a pro-life rally, or a pro-choice event.  The Cup has no business being at a defense of marriage march OR a same-sex marriage march.  I don't want to see the Cup at the Democrat OR Republican national conventions.  Can't we have SOMETHING that has nothing to do with politics or political agendas?  Can't we all come together and enjoy an event, no matter where we fall on the political spectrum?  I was hoping that hockey could be the one place where we ONLY fight and disagree over which team is the best.  I guess I was just being naive.

On Tattoos and The Winged Wheel

As long as I keep this blog, I might as well post something.  While I don't have much to say about hockey, I will try to have some reference to it in my posts.

Ever since I first saw a tattoo, I wanted one.  I don't remember who had the first one I saw, or what it was, I only know I thought it was really cool.  I would imagine the person/s who had tattoos when I was younger were either vets or bikers--neither group good role models for a small town girl as I was.  Of course, I instinctively knew not to mention my love of tattoos--that would have gone over like a fart in church with The Mother.  But I thought 'some day.'

As a young married, we lived a couple of blocks from a tattoo artist.  This would have been a great opportunity for me to indulge, but I didn't.  While more people were getting tattoos at the time, the majority were still vets or 'people of a lower class' or 'outlaws.'  I do think the fact that most people who had tattoos were 'dangerous' was part of the appeal they had for me--I always wanted to be a 'bad girl' but never achieved it.  And at this time, I still worried about what The Mother would say--I still didn't  know that I could live my own life and not have to answer to her.

Finally, after The Youngest graduated, I decided on my first tattoo.  I actually have her to thank for this--she got one first and that gave me the nerve to get one.   I must say, though, that it was very much to my advantage to wait as long as I did to get my first tattoo.  I had enough time to think about it and decided on something that had a great deal of meaning for me and that I won't tire of at any time.  (It is a Star of David surrounding a cross.)  If I would have gotten one when I was younger, I have no idea what I would be stuck with--maybe the Pink Panther, for all I know.

I waited about six years before getting another tat--and then I got three in a short amount of time.  (One is a Trinity knot, one is the symbol for infinity, and one is ten dots in the shape of a star.)  Again, I put a lot of thought into what I wanted.  Each one of my tattoos has a significant meaning for me and I won't tire of them no matter how old I get.  All of my tats are on my lower arms, so the only time they aren't seen is if I wear long sleeves.  (The star is on the back of my hand, so only gloves cover that one.)  I figured, if I get some ink, I might as well let the world know it's there.  ;)

It has been said that getting tattoos is addicting.  I don't think that--but HAVING tattoos is addicting for me.  The 'getting' part is not fun.  The pain is quite extensive.  When the artist draws the tat, it feels as if he is using a scalpel and slicing at your flesh.  The shading/coloring doesn't hurt nearly as much, but that is quite a relative thing--after the outlining is done, I don't think ANYTHING could hurt as much.  Yet, I have done this four times--and I'm considering a fifth.

Here is where the hockey bit comes in.  I have toyed with the idea of getting a winged wheel tattoo.  I would LOVE to have one.  I don't believe I will get one, though.  And the only problem is the color.  Fact:  If someone is going to have a reaction to an ink, it probably will be a RED ink.  I have sensitive skin, so I really hesitate to put myself in the position of possibly having a reaction.  And I have seen a winged wheel that was JUST the outline in black--sorry, but it looked very sad.  So, if I ever get a fifth tat, I don't think it will be anything associated with the Red Wings.  I mean really, how can you NOT have the color red in a Red Wing tattoo?

And He's Back...

As anyone who glances at Red Wing news knows, Bertuzzi was signed for a two-year stint in Detroit.  Is there anyone that can cause more division among fans than this guy?  I don't know what news could come that would generate more comments than this.  Fans really like him or really hate him--very little black and white here.  And then there's me...

I am one of the few who actually is very neutral about Bertuzzi.  He has his good games and he has his bad--but what it all boils down to is 'average.'  I can't say much more than that.  Maybe the security will help him step up his game--and if he can possibly get his legal woes taken care of, he might be able to do very good things the next two seasons.  Again, as always, time will tell.

Of course, the biggest (only?) reason people hate Bert is BECAUSE of what caused his legal troubles.  I don't think anyone would argue that what he did was wrong and utterly despicable.  And this will follow him for the rest of his life.  But, he made a mistake and it's time to let it go a little.  There should be a settlement and Bert should be allowed to get back to living--that burden of his should lessen.  I would imagine he goes to sleep thinking about what happened and wakes up with it as his first thought--he suffers.  (And some would say, "as he should.")  However, there has to be a time when he can put it aside.  Even MURDERERS can get paroled.  Hopefully, this will get taken care of sooner rather than later, but I doubt it.  Does ANYTHING get done in a timely manner when lawyers are involved?

Let's Try Another Finn

Every time I shut down the computer because of a thunder storm, news happens.  Last night's big news was the signing of Ilari Filppula by the Wings.  Yes, my Baby Boy's big brother is coming to the States.  This could very well be an interesting situation.

Okay, I see the family resemblance, but he will NEVER take the place of my Baby Boy in my heart.  ;)  And that's fine--all I want is for him to play well.  Time will tell...

Bits and Pieces

I'm still not completely sure I'm going to continue with this blog.  I don't feel as if I have any new or insightful things to say--at least not anything that can't be found elsewhere.  But, until I decide, I should keep this up to date.

So, the Blackhawks won the Cup.  Whoop-de-fricking-do.  Although I knew it would happen some day--as it did with The Boy--Kane is getting his name on the Cup.  Three of the past four years an absolute travesty has been done with Pronger, The Boy, and now Kane having their names inscribed on the Stanley Cup.  I could just cry.  But I am most upset about Kane because he is such an embarrassment--the epitome of a spoiled brat athlete.  I'm STILL not over the fact that he got less than a slap on the wrist for his 'antics' last summer.  I just cannot stand how the privileged get away with shit like that.  But I guess that's the way it is...

I didn't watch much hockey after the Wings were eliminated.  Don't get me wrong, if there was a game on, I usually had the TV tuned in, I just didn't pay much attention or listen.  That doesn't mean I was totally ignorant of what went on, however.  And I have opinions...

I'm so happy we will/should be done with hearing about Hossa and his not being able to win the Cup.  Several people have opined that he will be looking for a new team now that he finally has what he's wanted.  Interesting.  And it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he DOESN'T play out his contract with Chicago.  So far, he hasn't shown any desire to be loyal to a team, so time will tell.

I couldn't decide if I was more annoyed or amused by Kopecky.  He kept coming off like he thought he was some big shot.  Does he really think so much of himself?  I actually didn't think he was THAT good during the playoffs, was he?  It will be interesting to see whether he will follow Hossa when he leaves Chicago--if he's still around the entire time Hossa is.  I think Kopecky will just fade away in the next few years, never to be heard from again.

The player that I was most confused by was Leino.  While he was with the Wings, I was one of his biggest supporters--especially when he would give interviews and come off as a bit of an asshole.  Now I'm wondering if I was wrong about him.  His interviews as the playoffs went on didn't do him any favors, that's for sure.  He really came off as whiny and carrying a grudge against the Red Wing organization.  I hope I'm wrong and he still is being misunderstood--because of English being his second language and Finns aren't always easy to understand, etc--but I'm beginning to wonder if it really is so.  (I have relatives in Finland who I communicate with and THEIR English isn't as good as Leino's, but we still understand each other.)  I'm afraid I gave Leino the benefit of the doubt when maybe I shouldn't have.  It will be interesting to see how he plays next year, but I have a feeling he won't be universally loved in Philly by the end of the season.

I really wonder if there is going to be that big of an OMG thing happening with the Hawks in terms of players they will/won't be signing.  About this time last year, everyone was so sure the Penguins would be decimated because of the salary cap, but that doesn't seem to have been the case.  Sure, they didn't get as far into the playoffs as they had the two years previous, but they weren't at the bottom of the heap, either.  Any Penguin hater was so sure--and I was among them--that they would crash and burn this year, but it didn't happen.  So, I won't be surprised--despite the fact that quite a few players will have to go--if the Hawks make things extremely uncomfortable for the Wings this next season.  I think they will be able to work something out and the Wings and Hawks will spend the entire season fighting over the number one spot in the division, if not the conference.

Next year's Wings won't be much different than last year's.  Lebda and Williams will be gone--thank goodness--but there doesn't seem to be any new faces coming in.  With all the players healthy--from my lips to God's ears--the team should be good.  And I can't wait for the season to start.  Is this summer ever going to end?

Next...

I am already done with this hockey season--actually, I have been done for quite a while.  I accept that the Hawks will probably win the Cup and that Kane's name will be on it.  And I know that I will live.  After all, I lived through Pronger and the Piece of Shit getting their names on it, so I will get through this, too.  I managed to avoid seeing pictures or video of the Piece of Shit raising the Cup last year--well, for the most part--and I will avoid seeing Kane do the same.  All of my efforts and thoughts these days are going towards next season.  And I'm very okay with that.

Why Doesn't ThisSurprise Me?

Seeing Patrick Kane and Miley Cyrus together doesn't surprise me one bit--they're both classless assholes.  Now where did I leave that eye bleach...?

Definitely Not Hockey

I've decided to ignore hockey for a little while.  Other than wanting the Hawks to crash and burn, I have very little interest in the Stanley Cup finals.  And other than Yzerman moving to Florida, there really isn't much going on with the Wings right now, so it is a good time to have a bit of a hockey break.  So today, we will talk about another sport altogether:  the sauna world championships.

As I have said ad nauseum, I am a Finn, 100%.  I grew up with saunas and the only thing that keeps me from going in one every day for the rest of my life is the fact we don't have one of our own.  (Hopefully, that will change, but until then, I'm shit out of luck.)  I probably was in the sauna before my eyes completely focused after birth.  Both of my girls had their first sauna by the age of three months.  Actually, they had their first saunas while they were still in the womb.  So, anyway, I have done the sauna bit for a long, long time.  (Here you can read more about it.)  All of my experiences don't come close, in any way, to what goes on at the sauna world championships.

The sauna championships can be summed up very simply:  the winner is the person who can sit in the sauna for the longest amount of time and leave under his own power.  Easy, right?  Not quite.  First, the sauna temperature STARTS at 230*.  I'm not too sure I've ever been in a sauna that was more than 200-210*.  Then, water is sprayed on the hot rocks every 30 seconds, producing blister-inducing steam throughout the room.  I don't 'steam' too much while in the sauna--however, at my preferred temp of 150-175, the steam isn't overwhelming.  Along with having to sit in the intense heat, the contestants can only wear shorts of a certain length, canNOT wipe the sweat from their bodies, and can't cool themselves with water.  They just sit there and broil.  And many have blistered terribly from attempting this.

So, just where is this insanity taking place?  For the past 10 years, this contest has been held in Finland.  It is televised nationally.  As of last year, in the men's competition, only Finns have won.  However, there have been Russian and Estonian women who have won the women's competition.  I don't EVER have to worry about winning in this sport.

You can read more about this in the Wikipedia article here.  Another very good read is this article that excerpts part of Rick Reilly's book.  He made an attempt at competing in this event in 2007 and wrote about his experience.  Yes people, insanity runs rampant throughout the world.

And That Was That

There we have it...the end of the season.  While I feel badly for the players--and us fans--my first emotion isn't sadness.  I really think I expected this for most of the year.  After all, they didn't play like the Red Wings we all know and love, for most of the year.  And they really faced an uphill battle in order to go deeper into the playoffs.  A battle they just couldn't win.  I think this whole scenario was inevitable.

First, I will NEVER say that the better team won.  I'm that much of a blind, homer fan, that I can't see anything but the team I love.  I see everything bad that is done to them, as well as everything they do right.  I don't see the penalties NOT called against the Wings, but I certainly see everything that the other team gets away with.  I guess I'm the kind of fan that gives fans a bad name--and I don't apologize for that.  So, BITE ME!

If the Wings were/are the best team in the NHL, why aren't they still in the playoffs?  Simple:  they didn't play the best they can.  With everything that happened this year, it was as if everything came together in a perfect storm and derailed them in the worst way possible.  Injuries all season, the fact that the team didn't play together enough to get a rhythm going, battered bodies playing in the playoffs, strong teams in the playoffs, officiating, players that probably had no business playing for the Wings, etc, all played a part in this early end to the season.  No one thing can be pointed to for this situation--and it is pretty futile to try and give a concise explanation.  And so I won't.

I think the hardest part of all of this is having to endure all of the Red Wing haters.  Again, I am a blind homer, but I cannot understand HOW people can't see what a great team the Wings are.  I can't abide the laughs and derisive comments, the chants of 'dead wings' and proclamations that the team is done for.  It HURTS!  It hurts as badly as if someone was saying terrible things about one of my own kids.  And that is what I hate the most about them losing.  I guess I just have a thin skin, but that is the way it is.  I won't apologize, and again, BITE ME!

After a very difficult year, the Wings did pretty well.  I don't think they have (much) to apologize for.  I have faith--well, as much as my pessimism allows--that they will be back next year, better than ever.  And that they have a GREAT chance at bringing the Cup home, back where it belongs.

Don't Want To Sound Negative, But...

The way things have been going this entire series, the Wings are done for the year.  If they can manage one win, that is about all they will get.  A week from tonight, I will no longer be watching hockey.  Count on it.

I know the Wings didn't play well enough to win this series.  But, they also got absolutely no breaks by the refs--and the Sharks got every break possible.  No one can honestly say that the refs didn't favor the Sharks.  Really.

I just can't go on...my thoughts are all over the place.  This is something I have to forget about--or bury--for a time.  And I'm not sure when I will be back to this blog--maybe never...

You've Gotta Be Kidding

After the way that game was officiated, all I want to ask is this:  When the f*** is the government going to investigate the NHL?  The government sticks its nose in every other f***ing area of life, you would think this is a no-brainer for them.  With the amount of money involved in the NHL, you would think thoughts of fraud would be going through some minds.  Something is wrong--very, very wrong.  And I'm very close to washing my hands of the NHL completely.  I'm getting embarrassed to admit to being a fan.

Round One

WOW!

Holy hell!!

Less Than Three Hours...

How can someone, who is NOT participating in any way, be this nervous about a hockey game?  I actually don't feel hungry (VERY big news) and my stomach is all tied up in knots.  I don't dare take my blood pressure because I'm sure it is up.  My head hurts, my hands are shaking, and I'm developing a headache.  And this I do to myself--after all, I'm a Red Wing fan!

I have no idea how I will be feeling six hours from now--and I won't dare to predict.  Whether I'm happy beyond words or miserably sad, tomorrow is another day.  Life will go on.  And the Wings WILL be back next year.  But with that said:  GO RED WINGS!!!

Feeling Tremendously Pissy

I feel for The Husband when I'm in one of these moods.  He doesn't deserve to be around me when I'm like this, but he DID vow to stick with me till the bitter end.  Little did he realize just HOW bitter things would become 36+ years later--but, he was young and in love and now he's stuck with me.  Such is life--and such is life when you're married to a hockey/Red Wing fan.

As everyone knows, I haven't been too hopeful about this series right from the beginning.  (Who am I kidding, I wasn't very hopeful all year long.)  The way this series has gone has caused me to be even deeper in my 'doom and gloom' mood  than usual.  So, when it was announced on Thursday that the Rangers had been sold and are leaving Marquette, any happy thoughts I would ever entertain having about hockey went right out the window.  Even though we have been anticipating the sale and probable move of the team for quite some time, I didn't expect to feel quite as horribly about the news as I have.  Actually, this news was as devastating to me--almost--as the loss of game 7 was last year in the Cup finals.  I really can't explain why I have been hit this hard by the Rangers leaving.  I guess this is something for me to analyze at a later date--I don't have the inclination or energy to do it at this time.

Unfortunately, the win by the Wings on Friday only gave me a minor lift in my spirits and I had hoped that our 36 hour road trip would do a lot to help my mood even further.  It didn't.  While it always is good to be with friends for a visit and good food (with some adult beverages thrown in for good measure), my shopping didn't go as well as planned.  Thus, I was well on my way to having today's game put me into a major depression--and it did.

I could have gotten over the depressing aspects of the game--at least a little--if it wasn't for The Brother and his asshattery.  I don't talk to the person I have to call my brother--we haven't spoken for over six years and THAT was an unavoidable exchange of approximately 20 words.  Before that, I don't remember how long it had been since we spoke--although, I believe the vitriolic emails he sent to me were about 11 years ago.  So, when I have to see his comments about the Red Wings on Facebook, it does nothing to lighten my mood.  Of course, he has to bring out that oh-so-clever 'Dead Wings' zinger and has to point out that the Wings are a 'has been' team and 'way to go Coyotes,' etc etc etc.  And all of this is going on as comments to my Oldest, as she laments the loss--and he just gloats and loves the pain that Wing fans are feeling.  Just a general, 100% pure, asshat.  That sums up my one-and-only sibling.  And people wonder why I stay as far away from him as I possibly can.*  And now I have to figure out whether I can stay on Facebook or not.  If Asshole continues to comment on my daughters' statuses, I just may have to close my account.  Too bad, too, as this has been a very nice way for The Daughters and me to communicate other than by phone.  Just another reason for my very bad, very horrible, very terrible mood.  {sigh and f&%# it all to hell}


*The Red Wings have absolutely NOTHING to do with my estrangement from The Brother or the rest of The Family.  The whole sordid thing is long and involved and I have only touched on it slightly in my other blog.  And I will not go into any of it here.  (To the absolute delight of the one or two people who may stumble across this mess that I update infrequently.  ;))

The Usual

Sunday afternoon, Red Wings play.  CHECK!

Broadcast by NBC.  CHECK!

Wings lose the game.  CHECK!

Another Sunday, another loss.  And it didn't surprise me in the least.  Sorry, but I have absolutely NO confidence that this team can win a Sunday afternoon game.

Happiness...For Now

You would think I could be happy for longer than a few hours, but it will not happen.  It's only been a few hours since the great win over Phoenix and I'm already starting to get stressed about Sunday's game.  Such is my life.

Many people will look at tonight's game as 'good.'  They are happy to have a fast-paced, end-to-end game that is pretty up in the air until the end.  I'm not like that.  Frankly, I would LOVE to be bored with 10-0 wins for the Wings every time they play.  It would save me a whole lot of stress.  Maybe I'm not a 'real' hockey fan.  Hmm.  ;)

So, what did I love about the game, other than it being a win?  I loved seeing Abdelkader on the ice again--the kid did good.   LOVED seeing Zetterberg getting the hat trick--hat tricks are always fun.  And my Baby Boy had a great game--two goals and an assist.  I'm loving it!

Traditions and Superstitions

I finally figured it out:  My pessimism can't be stopped.  Not that I CAN'T stop being pessimistic, just that it can not be allowed for me to stop.  Every time I let myself believe that POSSIBLY, maybe a team I am rooting for might win a game, they lose.  Examples:

--Game seven of the Cup finals last year.  I figured the Wings would win.  I was pretty certain they would win.  And we all know how THAT turned out.

--I gave the Rangers at least a fighting chance to win it all in the NAHL.  At the very least, I thought they would win the division.  They were swept in the first round of the playoffs.

--And on Wednesday night, I was convinced--secretly--that the Wings would beat Phoenix.  And they would win by more than two goals.  HA!

So, from now on, I will never get my hopes up, I will never think WHEN.  I am going to live under my cloud of doom and gloom.  If the Wings lose, I won't slit my wrists, cause I knew it all along.  If they win, I will be pleasantly surprised.  And that is how I will live out the playoffs.  ;)

Perplexing

I cannot understand a lifelong hockey fan/player who is also a lifelong resident of the UP of Michigan becoming a Penguin fan.  Do you just wake up one day and decide to jump on the bandwagon?  Do you want to cause your family members considerable amounts of pain?  Or are you just an utter asshole that likes to piss people off?  Knowing the person I'm talking about, I definitely think the reason is number three. The older I get, the more I don't understand people.

I'm Ready

The countdown is going.  The playoffs start on Wednesday.  The Wings are in Phoenix.  And I'm ready.

--Red Wings shirts are all clean.  *check*

--Wine is chilling in the frig.  *check*

--Playoff bracelet is ready to accept 16 red beads.  *check*

LET THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN!!

Now, about my playoff bracelet.

I seem to have enough female hormones coursing through my body to keep me from being able to grow a playoff beard.  Despite the fact that the motto of my generation was 'sex, drugs, and rock and roll' and that we all were (borderline, at least) hippies in the day, I CANNOT let the hair on my legs grow instead of growing a beard.  So, I came up with another idea:  a playoff bracelet.  And this is what it looks like right now:

 (My goodness, but that pic is horrid!  My arm doesn't really look THAT bad.)

All through the playoffs, I add a red bead for a win and a white bead for a loss.  When the playoffs are over and the Wings have won the Cup, I then make a permanent bracelet.  The one from 2008 looks like this:

I'm looking forward to making a permanent bracelet in June--and hope it has a whole lot less white beads than this ^ one.  Go Red Wings.

I Got A Happy Today

It was great to see the Wings beat Chicago once again.  I DID chuckle to think that the 'Hawks chances for 1st-in-the-conference glory was thwarted by the Wings--as it should be.  Hopefully, this won't give Chicago too much desire and ammunition when the two teams meet somewhere down the road during this playoff run.  I mean, I AM correct in thinking it will be Chicago and Detroit playing in the conference finals, right?  An interesting end to an interesting season, for sure.  And things are just getting started...

Next...

One really crappy hockey weekend.  And I just want to forget it.  Next...

UGH!!!, Part 2

I am genetically bred to be a pessimist.  (You would have to know my family to understand what I'm saying--compared to the rest of them, I'm the Good Humor Woman.)  So, today's Wings loss has me back in the depths of despair that I was in a month ago.  I know, I know, things really aren't all that bad.  After all, they weren't even IN the playoffs a month ago and now they just have to find out what position they'll be in.  Still, they lost a game.  And they lost to the same team they couldn't score on at all last week.  This makes me extremely nervous.

Many people would take my pessimism as not having faith in the team--and some would say I am just a bandwagon fan.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Sometimes I think I crave the doom and gloom, just so I can be pleasantly surprised when I am proven wrong.  And I can't change this far into my life.  (As the saying goes, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks.')  Of course, if they beat Philadelphia, all will be forgotten--until the next game they don't play quite as well as I think they should.  My life is just so fun.  :D

**********

We were at the Rangers game tonight.  I'm very afraid--and this isn't just my pessimism talking--that we saw the last game they will play here at home this year.  They lost both games they have already played in the best-of-five and next weekend they have to play downstate.  For them to get into the next round, they have to win the next three games--and I don't see that happening.  It is sad, considering they won the division for the first time ever--and yet, they couldn't get going for the playoffs.  I DON'T have a happy.

Now, this MAY be my pessimism talking, but other people are saying the same thing:  we just may have watched the last Rangers game, ever.  (For us, that is--we don't follow the team out of town.) Word is that the owner of the team only began it so that his son could play.  His son is now aging out of junior hockey and rumor is that the owner is going to try and sell the team.  And considering there doesn't seem to be support of the team like there should be, I don't know if anyone will want to buy it--and that would mean it moves or completely disbands.  Again, no happy for me.  Oh well, I guess there are worse things in the world.

UGH!!!

Playoffs. Round one. Game one. Home ice. And the Rangers lost 5-2. They came out playing with a lot of energy and they shot a lot of pucks, but the bounces weren't in their favor. It was just like when the Wings get 3 gazillion shots on goal and yet lose eleventy three to zero--and the other team only got eleventy four shots at the net. The puck was missing by justthismuch--at one point, it sat on the goal line and the goalie noticed it just in time: before HE put it in the net. It was frustrating for the fans, so I can't possibly imagine how frustrating it was for the players. They play again on Saturday--hopefully the outcome will be better.

Detroit 5-Edmonton 4

Tonight's game is what I get for beginning to get complacent and (almost) optimistic. After the first period, when the score was 3-0, I thought "What can stop them now?" Yup. BIG mistake. The game going downhill from there was all my fault. UGH!!! All I ask from now on, is that the Wings get a 3-1 lead sometime in the second and keep it till the end of the game. Is that asking too much? I'm really not the type of person who can watch such close games, and when it is all done, say, "That was a GREAT game!" I've seen this all season and don't know if I can handle any more.

ALMOST Makes Up For Not Being There

I just got an email telling me that I won the puck signed by Johan Franzen in the H2H drawing. HOT DAMN! I'm so excited I could just plotz.

H2H

From everything I have read, it sounds like the H2H celebration was epic and fun. I do so wish I could have attended, but... Well, there is always next year. And all I can think is that there are an awful lot of the 19 who are feeling like this today:

Weekend of Hockey

Two more games and four more points for the Wings. The ONLY thing that wasn't very great: Nashville managed to get one point in the tie. And the Wings are now in sixth place. A few weeks ago, I never would have believed this.

The Rangers won their division tonight and now it's on to the playoffs. They'll have home-ice advantage, so we'll get to see quite a few of the games. And I will get to wear my newest game-worn jersey that I bought tonight. Cool.

The bestest part of all of this night was when Ken Daniels, in the postgame wrap-up, called The Boy, 'Cindy.' I really couldn't believe I heard it, but sure enough, he said it. With a grin. :D

What A Difference Two Weeks Makes

As of right now, the Wings are doing quite well--AND will be in the playoffs. Baby Boy--well, the entire line of Z, Bertuzzi, and Baby Boy--is doing rather well. Things are looking up and I'm ready to eat my words of a while ago. But, I live under an eternal cloud of pessimism and won't actually believe things will be better/good until they lift the Cup once again. I'm STILL not completely convinced they won the cup in 2008. ;) So, back-to-back games this weekend. As of now, there is a slightly comfortable lead on Calgary, but that can go to shit pretty quickly if they aren't careful. Time will tell.

I just might come close to being 'hockey'd' out by the end of the weekend. Friday night we will be watching the Rangers again--they won tonight. YAY!--and I will have to record the Wings game. I also will have to record NMU's game from St Paul. Three games in one night should satisfy my need for hockey. At least till the next night.

And They Win

I won't get my hopes up--my eternal pessimism won't let me--but that was a nice game. It was so great to be able to watch the last two minutes and not worry about whether they would be able to hang on long enough to win. I really miss that.

Same Old, Same Old

UGH! Just UGH!

What else is there to say?

After all, it has all been said already.

Two In A Row

The Wings have won the last two games and I didn't watch either of them. I have them on DVR, but am not sure when I'll get the chance to catch up--or if I want to. (I SHOULD search for Baby Boy's goal, but will NOT search for his big-time screw up in today's game.) I've read the recaps and the live blogs, so I think I'm pretty much up to speed on what happened. If my NOT watching can keep them winning, then I'll stay away from the games for the rest of the year AND the playoffs. :D

Is It Over?

The rose-colored glasses are off. I can't fake it anymore. I'm ready to call it: The Wings will NOT make the playoffs this year. If by some unforeseen miracle they manage to get into the playoffs, I will eat as much crow as necessary to make everyone feel better, but I don't have any fears of that happening. The inconsistency, the total meltdowns, bad passes, turn overs, etc, etc, etc. Just doesn't seem like they want to do what is needed to get things done right. It makes me so very sad to see the difference in this team from two years ago--hell, from what they were LAST year. But, I can be optimistic enough to say "Next year will be the year they win number twelve!" I think big changes are in store for this team in the off season--and I'm sure there will be some surprises. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Lidstrom retire and for a lot of the players to wind up on other teams. There just may be a regular housecleaning--and even a new coach. So, will Ken Hitchcock be in Hockeytown next year? And we wait with bated breath...

Detroit 3-Colorado 2

Tonight's game was a little bit of everything. The first period was good old Red Wing hockey--the kind we always counted on. And that's what we got--until this year. THAT is the kind of hockey we got in the second period--THIS year's Red Wing hockey. Yeah, they had a meltdown and lost the lead. Thankfully, Lidstrom FINALLY got another goal (first for the year on the road?) and they managed to hang on to the lead for a regulation win. Damn but it was good to get back to NHL hockey again.

So, what stood out for me. First, that second goal that Howard let in was very, very sad. I'm sure he's beating himself with a wet noodle right about now, thinking about it. However, there COULD have been some coverage from the other players, but...it still was sad. Z, Pavel, Holmstrom, Franzen--just great to see them out there. All in all, not a bad effort after two weeks.

Of course, I seem to concentrate a little more on my Baby Boy than a lot of the other players. He is playing his little heart out and getting great opportunities to score--he just can't seem to do it. Damn, but he came so close so many times tonight. Also, he better get his skates looked at because he wipes out so damn much--and has been for a while, even during the Olympics. Yes, I know some of the fault lies with his being molested by other players, but it is getting to be something that happens almost every time he is on the ice. Just an observation. And I couldn't believe he wasn't on the ice during the last minute so that he could get the empty-netter! He was getting to be the king of the empty-net goals in the Olympics--you'd think Babcock would utilize that. ;)

I'm really waiting to see how they play on Wednesday--it will let us know whether the Wings are back or not.

...........

I called the way this game would play out days ago. The Husband should start listening to me. I could even have been slightly okay if Pronger would have scored that goal, but NOT this way. The bitterness in my heart continues...

And For The Gold...

I'm really making myself depressed, but I believe that Canada will win the gold medal in men's hockey. There. I said it. And the only thing that will make me even more depressed is for when it actually happens. {{sigh}}

I watched all of the games yesterday from beginning to end--well, had the TV on during the Canada/Russian game--and I think only the US has an outside chance of beating Canada. And I don't see it as being anywhere as easy as the first win. The two teams--Russia and Sweden--that I thought could beat Canada in a heartbeat, are out. That leaves the US, Slovakia, and Finland. Slovakia was a little like a dog with a bone--just wouldn't give up and managed to beat Sweden. However, it was NOT a decisive victory, for sure. After all, the winning goal was scored by Kopecky for crying out loud! The Finns just played with no oomph last night. And the first goal came late in the third period. Come on now, they can't play like that against the Canadians. But, I don't see Finland topping the US, so it is a moot point.

So, Canada will win the gold medal. And how do I know this? Because 'Sidney is carrying the Team on his back'--and this is according to some talking head that I heard. Canada--the entire country--thinks they are entitled to the gold and The Anointed One will be the one to win it for them. I'm sure Sidney will--if he hasn't already--given a grand and rousing 'rah, rah' speech in the dressing room, just to inspire his teammates. And they will win it for him, for their mothers, for Gary, and for Canada. After all, what more can you want or expect from a great leader?

The Olympics So Far

This won't be a deep analysis of the past week. No one comes here--hello! is anyone out there?--for anything close to deep analysis. All you will ever get is my point of view--maybe. I'm feeling a bit ambiguous today--a little out of sorts.

Coming into these Olympics, I knew I wouldn't watch anything else but curling and hockey. And NBC hasn't disappointed with the curling coverage. I have watched more matches this last week than I have watched the entire rest of my life! Now, I enjoy curling--I don't know why, I just do--but this seems to be getting a little ridiculous. Did the US Curling Association--is there such an animal?--pay a bribe to NBC to try and grow interest in the game? Or is NBC just being the screwed-up network that we have come to know and loathe? Quite puzzling, this is.

I started watching women's hockey--and still catch a game now and then--but lost interest very quickly when Canada and USA showed such dominance against the other teams. If Canada and USA meet in the final, I may watch to see if USA wins, but other than that, I don't care too much.

Before the Olympics began, my choices for men's hockey gold were this: Finland, Sweden, USA. The rest of the teams I couldn't care less about. I would NEVER back a team with Crosby on it--and add Getzlaf and Perry and the team is poison--so Canada was completely dead to me. And I don't care how many from the Red Wing organization are part of Team Canada. I loathe Ovechkin and hate Malkin, so I wouldn't want Russia to do well. (Sorry, Pavel.) Brian Burke is an assclown and I was very disappointed that the USA allowed Kane to be on the team, so that is why they are so far down my list. Sweden winning again could be great--after all, this is probably Lidstrom's last hurrah. But in my heart of heart's, I want Finland to win. In many, many ways, my heart belongs to the 'old country.' And then last night happened.

Watching the game between Canada and USA, I found my old patriotic self come through big time. I completely forgot everything but wanting the US to crush Canada. I don't know the last time I have been that excited about a game--the Wings haven't made it easy this year--and can't wait for the next one. It is the one after that where I MAY have my problem. The US and Finland could possibly meet in the semi-finals. And that will be a big dilemma for me. Maybe.

If the Finnish players can't pull their heads out of their asses long enough to play like they did the first two games, then I probably won't have any problems in the semi-finals, cause they won't be there. Last night it looked as if the entire roster had been changed out--they couldn't pass, they couldn't do thing one during the power play, they just played very, very poorly. I certainly hope they can do better in the next game.

And that is about it for my Olympic coverage, except:

I am really enjoying the melt-down happening with some (most?) Canadian fans after last night's loss. There are two reasons, in their mind, for the loss: Brodeur and Babcock. I agree that Brodeur didn't play a great game, but could some credit be given to the USA for playing a good game? Quite a concept. The one who is being blamed the most is Babcock, however. First, for not putting Luongo in net and second, for not playing Crosby enough. Once again, Crosby is looked at as the savior--not surprising. Oh, and the reason Babcock isn't playing Crosby? Babcock is getting back at him for the Wings losing the Cup last year. Some people need to get lives.

Later...

Just got some news that has left me speechless. Will post later...

Prepping For The Mule

The Wings traded Leino to Philadelphia today in anticipation of Franzen coming back into the lineup. This really wasn't surprising, but I am a bit disappointed. I wanted Leino to work out so much, but it just didn't happen. No one seems to have an answer to what the problem was, but hopefully he'll find his game and have success elsewhere.

Only about four hours till the game with LA and I'm not feeling really great about it. But that isn't unusual--I'm a pessimist from WAY back.

Computer woes continue to plague me, so it will probably be a couple of days, again, before I'm back to regular postings.

And Everything Stays The Same

Well, NOT so much everything being the same with the Wings. That was a very nice game last night--something we haven't seen enough of this year. It looked more like 'Red Wing hockey' than we've seen at any time this year. Now, if they can only bring it tonight against the Ducks. I'm not optimistic--SURPRISE!

The thing that is 'same old, same old' is my computer troubles. The replacement tower came in today--a full 1-2 weeks earlier than Dell told me would happen. While I'm happy to get the tower, this just means my time will not be my own, again, until I get it set up properly. So, I shall probably be MIA--again.

Go Wings!

And For The Win...

Yup, they won. It is a great feeling to say that. However, with the penalty to Rafalski in the last minute, I screamed to The Husband, "Well, they found a way to lose again!" And I was very surprised that they DIDN'T lose. How sad that this game--other than the fact that they won--was another example of this year's 'Red Wing hockey.' I'm really getting tired of thinking that they can't WIN a game, rather than they can't LOSE a game. I'm hoping that the Olympic break WILL give the non-Olympians a time to relax and reflect. There definitely are more than one or two players that need to get their minds back to the business of playing good Red Wing hockey.

I really don't think I want to watch the game on Sunday.

UGH!!!

As if my world couldn't get any crappier! Yesterday, my new computer decided it is a complete lemon and I need Dell to send me a replacement and then the Wings put on yet another crapfest. Yeah, 2010 is looking to be just a WONDERFUL year. (And just WHERE is that damn sarcasm font?!) I certainly don't look forward to games anymore. And really, why should I? It doesn't seem as if this team cares at all, so why should the fans? And now I will repeat my mantra: WHY can't this season be over, already?

Why Not

It is getting to the point where I am surprised when the Wings win. Tonight's game certainly wasn't a surprise. Blowing a lead like they did wasn't a surprise. We've seen this same shit game after game after game. It will be very interesting to see just exactly who will still be with this team after this season--you have to wonder if they are getting too comfortable and just don't care anymore. I would love to know what is going on in Holland's head these days. Hell, HE might just decide he's had enough at the end of this season. Don't know if I actually would blame him if he left.

Just For a Minute

I'm still trying to work out all of the kinks in my new computer systems, so I will just leave this as my post:




In Bettman's NHL, therapists in the penalty box may NOT be too far off.

MIA

I have been MIA for the last few days and will continue to be for a few more. I have been keeping vampire hours--I find I can think clearer at night then during the day--in order to get things ready for the migration to my new computers. Things might have gone faster if I only had backed up my files like I should on a regular basis, but that didn't happen. So, I am struggling along, trying to get all of the information I need off of this antiquated machine before it finally gives up the ghost. (I'm surprised at how fast everything is going downhill. It was working okay just a week ago and now I'm barely keeping it going.) Anyway, I have missed the games this weekend and am not too sorry. It is getting too hard for me to watch them lose like they are. I'm hoping things will be better when I get back to regular viewing in a few days. I'm keeping good thoughts.

That's More Like It

Tonight's game was a bit more like we all know the team can play. It was nice to see them get another decisive win--not enough of those this year. Lidstrom FINALLY got a goal--something he needed badly-- and it was good to see Z get one. While most of the guys are playing much better, it is always especially nice for me to see my Baby Boy get points--and he did very nicely assisting on two goals. Now if this gets them rolling, all will be good.

And they are now in eighth place in the West!*


*OOPS! Wrote this before the standings were updated. Nevermind.

The Suckage Continues

Yes!!!

Tonight's win gives me hope, once again. Actually, the last two wins give me hope--although tonight was Red Wing hockey like we haven't seen in way too long. For the most part, the Wings stayed out of the penalty box, they didn't give up any power play goals, VF got another assist--what more can you want? Oh, yeah, Helm. Just thinking his name puts a smile on my face. The kid is going to be a star for many, many years.

And what can you say about Howard that hasn't been said already? I am ashamed to admit that I was among the people crying for him to be traded, FAST. What a great change in his play and it is so nice to see. He seems to be such a nice kid and I felt so bad for him, even though I wanted him gone. Now, if he keeps playing as well as he is, I think the Wings have a home-grown goalie for a long time. Good times. I actually, almost, look forward to the next game.

I KNEW I Shouldn't Feel Optimistic

Thomas Holmstrom. Broken foot. Out for 3-4 weeks. And the suckfest continues.

TRYING To Be Optimistic

So, Z and Cleary are back in the lineup tonight. While I SHOULD be feeling the warm fuzzies and giggling like a schoolgirl at recess, I don't. I continue to wear my pessimism like a winter coat in late March: I just can't give it up. There needs to be a winning stretch of GOOD games played before I can actually feel as if the team has turned a corner. And I don't know when that will happen. But I will continue watching the games. I may be crying before, during, AND after each one, but I will watch. And I will continue to be pessimistic until they win the Cup in June--cause that's the way I am. ;)

They Did Good

Again, I kept myself busy during the game (putting away the Christmas decorations), so I pretty much only listened to the game, rather than watched. From what I did hear, it sounded like they played well--and Jimmy was very, very good. I'm very happy to see Datsyuk scoring again and Lidstrom putting up points is a welcome change. Is it my imagination or have they played better since Filppula came back? I'm sure it is a big boost to the team to finally see a member of the walking dead return. Just gives them much hope for the future. But, VF has been playing well since his return, too. Some day in the future, everyone will see what I saw in him the first time I watched him play. He is all-star material and will prove me right some day.

**********

One of my pet peeves is when announcers pronounce Finnish names wrong. (They probably do the same with other names, as well, but I wouldn't know that.) Ken Daniels just screws up 'Lepisto' so badly that I want to scream. Now, he does a very decent job with 'Filppula' and 'Leino', but not so well with their first names. 'Korpikoski' is a name he struggles with, also--but I wouldn't expect anyone to pronounce it in the Finnish way. He COULD do better, though. Anyway, Ken continues to pronounce 'Lepisto' as 'le-PISS-toe'. wrong, wrong, WRONG!!! The correct way to say it is: 'LEP-iss-toe'. Remember, the accent in Finnish is ALWAYS on the first syllable. Along with the mispronunciation of 'sauna,' I can't abide anyone not taking the time to figure out how to pronounce someone's name*--especially if it is the person's job to SAY the name multiple times.


*I'm very sure I don't always say words or names properly. I'm sure I mangle them quite well--especially French. I don't have a gift for languages, so I am very open to someone correcting me when I'm wrong---particularly if they do it in a gentle manner. ;)