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!

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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?