My belief is this team’s got a better chance to win than Detroit does and they showed a lot more interest. 

 They’re comparable teams, but Detroit has won the Stanley Cup three times and Washington has never won it.  I think that’s a lot better challenge for me and for the teamto do something special.

File that under things you’d be lying about if you ever thought those words would be uttered….well the first part at least.  The Capitals certainly were justified to show as much interest as they wanted considering the pressure that continues to fall on them each and every season.  But to say the Capitals have a better chance to win the Cup then the mighty Detroit Red Wings?  I’ll certainly take it.  The funny part is it may actually be true; at least on paper.  The Capitals added a bit of sandpaper to their lineup; something they so desperately have missed in previous years.  But without question, the most important move of the offseason was locking up an elite NHL goaltender for what amounts to pennies; a paltry $1.5 million for one season.

The Detroit Red Wings have been an elite NHL team for the better part of the last 15 years.  The Capitals have choked and gagged their way out of the playoffs the past four years despite winning their division in each of those years and the Eastern Conference the last two.  It is my guess that the majority of hockey fans and the media that cover the NHL will likely disagree with Vokoun; not because the Caps don’t have the better personnel (they arguably do), but because of the team’s history under Boudreau.  It’s one of those situations where you won’t believe it until you see it. 

You also have to be intrigued by Vokoun’s apparent willingness to except the challenge of being the first goalie to possibly win a Cup for the Capitals.  However the quotes appear to contradict each other saying its a bigger challenge for him to win the Cup in D.C. despite the Caps having the better chance to win the Cup.  But I won’t split hairs.  It is clear the guy has one thing on his mind and that is Stanley Cup.  The 35 year old netminder is certainly on the back side of his career, however his performance on the ice certainly doesn’t indicate that.  In addition, he will act a mentor to fellow Czech netminder Michal Neuvirth who still remains the Caps’ future number one goalie. 

But of course there is the flip side.  Vokoun certainly appears to be ready to take this team to the promised land.  But joining a team embattled with history of disappointment, additional pressure will be placed on Vokoun.  Only time will tell as the whether he will be able to deliver.  But clearly the consensus in DC is that Caps fans will happily wager their team’s chances on Vokoun.

It should also be noted that Vokoun’s decision to join the Capitals extended beyond the ice.  Vokoun made it known that his family would not be joining him in Washington DC permanently.  With the deal just being a one year contract, this makes some sense.  However being away from one’s family over the course of an NHL season is no situation to envy.  It will certainly be tough for Vokoun.  Vokoun went on to cite Detroit’s travel schedule as influencing his decision as it would be more difficult for his family to visit him in Detroit.  That’s interesting due to Detroit’s desire to be in the Eastern Conference citing the fact that they have the worst travel schedule in the NHL.

Whatever the reason or reason may be, Caps fans are certainly happy V0koun picked Washington.

For those of us who watch Coach’s Corner, there are certain things that Grapes always talks about. The danger of touch icing, and all the bad injuries that come from it. Unheralded Canadian players getting their first goal. The difference between physical play and dirty play.

Well, there’s one other thing that frustrates Don to no end: goals caused by a defenseman putting his stick in front of a shot, redirecting past a confused goalie. Either block the shot, or get out of the way, in his mind. And sure enough, this scenario happens all too often.

Can't stop what you can't see.

Tonight, that sequence came back to wound the Wings. With Devin Setoguchi receiving a quick pass from Joe Thornton, Henrik Zetterberg couldn’t cover and tried to simply stand in front of the shot. A tip off his stick, and the puck goes by a confused Jimmy Howard. Sharks win.

It’s these little mistakes that have given the Sharks every win. In Game 1, a similar tip bounced by Howard in overtime. In Game 2, a fluttering high shot arced over Howard, into the net. And now, another bad tip in Game 3. San Jose has seemed to be just a bit ahead of the Red Wings, not by much, but by just enough. As a Red Wings fan, those bizarrely random game-winners could end up haunting the summer.

If not those San Jose goals, the lingering memory will be the chances missed. It will be Pavel Datsyuk having the puck in overtime, inside the slot, but being unable to get control of the thing. It will be Datsyuk to end the 3rd period, getting off a weak shot that Antti Niemi could barely save, instead of putting one in the top corner. It will be a lackluster effort after coming within a goal, to close Game 2. It will be all the missed chances, the plays where everyone was a stride out of sync.

Meanwhile, those missed chances took away a great game for the Red Wings. The newly shaken up line combinations led to three goals from different lines, some huge hits by Niklas Kronwall, and another great game from Jimmy Howard. Now, the Red Wings need to take what is possible from this game, and move on for a historic comeback.
Neither team was particularly dominant in Game 3, from the score always being tied or within one, to only short bursts of action in one end or the other. The momentum was always up for grabs. Bizarrely enough, these are the games that are usually 50-50 for either team…and San Jose has won seven straight like this against Detroit. Four games last year (separated only by a huge performance by Johan Franzen in Game 4), and now three more games this year. On one hand, the tide has to turn eventually, right?

On the other hand, it doesn’t have to. All of these games are winnable, and none went the Red Wings’ way. It all comes down to those little mistakes that started this column and ended the last game. That’s what the Red Wings must clean up, and if they can…history can be in the making.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up a big road victory in Detroit Monday night, with a 5-0 shutout on the back of goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Anze Kopitar had two goals.  Jack Johnson scored in front of many friends and family.  And prospect Oscar Moller netted his first of the season.

Yet, coming into the game, the story of the night was the return of defenseman Willie Mitchell.  He had missed the last 14 games – a stretch that wasn’t pretty for LA…they were just one game above .500 without him and a dismal 1-5 on the road.

Prior to his return – for what would be his 600th NHL game – I caught up with him for an exclusive interview.  Among the topics he talks about is trying to find a positive in being out injured, his milestone game and he weighs in on young defenseman, Alec Martinez.

MM: Any observations while watching the team from the sidelines over the last few weeks?

WM: Our game is starting to come around. We’re starting to shoot the puck a little more. It’s good. This game has peaks and valleys over the course of a season. Every team has them and we had a little bit of a valley there obviously. It’s a younger team, so sometimes the trough becomes a little bit bigger because sometimes when you’re a little younger you get a little emotional.  When things are going really well you get a little too cocky and when things aren’t going as planned you start to shrug the shoulders and your stick gets a little heavier. It’s up to (the veterans) in this room to help with that. Guys seem to be playing a little better right now though and we’re trying to get back to what we were doing at the start of the year.

MM: You were acquired in late August, camp was a few weeks later, then then season started – it all happened so quickly.  So, was being out of the line-up a positive at all, in the sense that you could sit back and observe the team a little…

WM: I wish I could take that positive outlook. To be honest, I was just starting to feel my groove. I was just starting to feel good out there, playing my game. By no means, I didn’t think I had a bad start. Yet, I have high expectations for myself as a player to help out the team. I felt like the last five or six games out of my first 13 I was starting to get into my groove and I was happy about that. Now, I’m going to have to find that again. Hopefully it’s going to come back a little quicker this time. I guess the positive to it was as much as it was a bad thing for the team, I had a partner who was out with me (Alexei Ponikarovsky). Our workouts were very hard. We did a really good job with them and enjoyed each other every day. There’s days when you come in and you’re tired because it gets boring working out every day. One would pick up the other and because of that you saw how well he played when he returned the other night. We wanted to come back and not miss a beat. We wanted our conditioning to be there. That’s the positive, as much as being out was a negative for the team.

MM: Earlier in the year you gave us your feedback on Jake Muzzin when he was here. How about Alec Martinez - what impressions do you have after his first seven games with the team?

WM: He’s a good puck mover. Something we’ve needed to kinda balance out the back-end is a guy who can shoot the puck. I’m the biggest believer in that and it’s a lesson I learned in the last couple of years. I never had it earlier on in my career because I was with Jacques Lemaire (in Minnesota) and everything was defense, defense, defense and I kinda forgot about the offensive part of the game. I forgot to, not take chances, but push the puck. What he does really well is he shoots the puck. You don’t even have to hit the net. If you just get it down by the net, stuff happens on it. That’s what he’s done a great job at, shooting the puck and getting the puck down to the net.

MM: Your return will be your 600th NHL game. Does that mean anything special to you?

WM: Sure it does. I’ve had a couple of injuries and 2010 is the year I want to get past. I haven’t played a lot of games in 2010. I should be at 700 right now. Absolutely! Anybody is proud to hit milestone games. We all, most of us – some guys maybe fast tracked, always dreamed of playing in the NHL. The first game was an honor. So, to play 600 in the league and play over 10 years, I’m very happy about that accomplishment and feel very lucky.

MM: Not sure if you’ve noticed, but the Kings defensive core is anomaly in that all of the dmen are former college hockey players except Drew Doughty…

WM: I didn’t know that. Smart defensive core, huh? Well, you have to be smart as a defenseman. Forwards just skate up and down and don’t think. Defenseman, you actually have to read the game. We’ll run with that a little bit.

And just to note, yes – he was joking. He laughed quite a bit about that last answer and was actually trying to bait Dustin Brown who was standing near by. Unfortunately, the captain didn’t bite.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
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The Mayor appears courtesy of www.MayorsManor.com – your source for news, interviews and inside information on the LA Kings.  Here are a few RELATED ARTICLES you may enjoy:

10 Tidbits on Willie Mitchell

10 Tidbits on Alexei Ponikarovsky

Kevin Westgarth on Mitchell’s Fight

Mitchell’s Observations in the Kings - published October 21, 2010

And Now You’re Caught Up – why it was destiny for Simmonds to score vs. Detroit

photo courtesy of Michael Zampelli


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Anze Kopitar continues to get it done for the Kings.

In their 25th game of the year, he had the winning goal with less than a minute to go in overtime.

Here are the other eleven things of note from LA’s big win over Detroit…

* Which player has the most goals among the Kings defenseman? Here’s a hint, it’s not Doughty or Johnson. It’s…Alec Martinez! Over the weekend we’ve had a few articles on some Kings prospects playing college hockey this season and the former Miami RedHawk now has two goals in his five games played.

* Justin Williams said he thought his early second period goal got the team going. I would say, well sorta. Former Kings coach Andy Murray used to talk about the importance of the next shift following a goal. Sure, Williams’ goal was a big one. However, giving the lead right back to the Wings, less than a minute later, was fairly deflating.

* Jonathan Quick was outstanding from about five minutes after that goal through the end of the game. He looked like the Quick who was in net during October. His performance also helped deny Wings goalie Chris Osgood (who had gone 7-3 in 10 previous Staples Center starts) his 399th career win.

* The streaks continue… LA remains perfect in overtime this year and the Kings have now killed off 43 of 43 penalties at home.  They’re also 2-0 in the month of December.

* Speaking of penalties - when was the last time a goaltender was whistled for playing the puck outside the trapezoid? I certainly can’t remember. Osgood was called for it at the 8:56 mark of the first period.

*  How did Dustin Brown not have a hat trick tonight?  Man, he was so, so close to scoring…more than a handful of times.

*  Can somebody please talk to the people that need to be talked with about this… You can’t have overtime sponsored by Air Canada when the Red Wings are in town. The neon scoreboards were lit up red throughout most of the extra frame. Isn’t seeing all the Red Wings jerseys in the stands punishment enough?

*  Wayne Gretzky was at the game.  That’s all.

*  The Wings were without American hockey legend Mike Modano.  He suffered a freak wrist injury last week and is on the shelf for several months.  See below for a link to his classic MayorsManor interview.

*  Did you see how many minutes Drew Doughty played?  Sit down for this one. Over 30!  While that might be the most he’s played this season (and his career), it still doesn’t hit the 35 minutes a night Luc once claimed Brian Leetch used to play in New York (story here).

*  Here’s a quick video of the team celebrating in the locker room after last night’s game.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

10 Tidbits on Alec Martinez

Interview with Mike Modano – in-depth interview with Modano, we cover it all

Interview with Andy Murray – lots of comments on former Kings players

…And Now You’re Caught Up – key news and notes from the hockey week that was

photo courtesy of Michael Zampelli
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Maltby is one of the longest-serving Red Wings to date, joining Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, and Kris Draper as the only Red Wings to win all of the franchise’s four recent Stanley Cups. Over the course of his career, Maltby scored 128 goals and 132 assists in 1,072 games. His best season was in 2002-03, where he scored 14 goals and 27 assists, while playing in all 82 games.

Maltby was best known as an agitator, with a remarkable ability to draw penalties. As part of the Grind Line, Maltby and his linemates filled the niche of physical hockey in Detroit, and was always beloved for it. It’s part of what made Maltby’s Detroit career so unique – a third-line player was as well-known and beloved in Detroit as some superstars are known in other cities.

Talking to the press earlier, Maltby’s good friend Kris Draper discussed the close friendship that’s developed over the years.

“It’s been awesome, winning the Stanley Cups with the Grind Line, so much fun, back in the late ’90s when the T-shirts came out,” Draper said. “For role players, or grinders, or whatever you want to say, to be able to stay in a city as long as both of us have, it’s something we really appreciate. We know it’s very special, very rare.

“Kind of grew up with him, same with Ozzie (Chris Osgood). Spent so much time and so many great memories … it’s been a real special relationship. This is beyond hockey, the friendships we created.’’

Outside of Detroit, Maltby represented Canada on numerous occasions, including their championship in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Maltby also played for Canada in the 2003 and 2005 World Championships, winning a silver medal in 2005.

Maltby has also become a part of the Detroit community, as he met his wife and began raising three kids here in town. Maltby could stay with the Wings as a scout, which would allow him to replace the departing Pat Verbeek.

Maltby at work.

The following is an exclusive article from MayorsManor.com:

Fans in Los Angeles probably remember Kelly Hrudey as the blue bandana wearing goalie from the ’93 Stanley Cup Finals. Yet, north of the border he’s been a member of the legendary Hockey Night in Canada crew for over a decade now, both on television and satellite radio. Thus, the man loves to talk about hockey!

In fact, Hrudey’s plans for his post-NHL career were so well known towards the the end of his playing days, GM Dean Lombardi (then with the Sharks) once asked him “Why do I want to sign a 35-year old goalie who wants to be a broadcaster?”

In the interview below, we lean on his experience between he pipes to get some perspective on several goaltending related issues going on around the league, as well as some predictions for the Western and Eastern Conference standings.

MM: Roberto Luongo recently relinquished the captaincy in Vancouver.  What do you think about goaltenders wearing the ’C'?

KH: I still think it could work. Maybe he wasn’t the right guy for it.  From what I understand, he’s very good with the media.  However, he’s not one of the guys who is really hoping to have to do it either.  He just does it out of necessity because I think he recognizes the importance.  There are people that are more interested in it. 

For instance, I loved doing the media when I was a player (shocking!).  So, the role of being captain, wouldn’t have been a bother to me.  As an example, I used to do pre-tape a couple of hours before games if anybody wanted.  I always felt that couldn’t throw me off because if I was so poorly prepared that I couldn’t do a five minute interview with our TV group, then I had bigger problems.

But, I understand some players don’t – a guy like Paul Kariya just didn’t like media the day of the game.  And I get that, if that’s how he wants to prepare.  If it happens in some other city with a different goaltender, I think it can work.

Is there a goalie in the league right now who you think can handle it?

Marty Turco.  He’s incredibly bright, really thoughtful, engaging.  I could just list off about 30 qualities the guy has and why he would be a really good candidate.

What about on the ice - Chicago just replaced Antti Niemi, who won them a Cup a few months ago, with Turco…was that a good move?

Well, I think it’s a necessary move, simply because of their cap issues.  If there wasn’t a salary cap, that wouldn’t have happened at all.  They would have been more than happy to keep Niemi.  But, unfortunately, he had arbitration rights and he used them.  That’s where it took them.  But, Marty is so steady.  I think this is going to be a real good fit for both he and the organization.

How about Niemi landing in San Jose - is that going to help keep them near the top of the Western Conference?

With the team they have, that’s the type of goaltending they need. They just need steady goaltending in San Jose. They’re so strong. They keep getting younger, bringing in great talent. So, their organization is just top notch, from top to bottom. I’ve had this discussion now with several GMs across the league, ‘What do you really need in the net now?’ Do you need a marquee guy like Luongo or Kiprusoff or the other top guys, where you pay them big money? Or, do you just need steady (goaltending) and at a better price point, so you can build your forwards and your defense up. I think I’m actually leaning towards the latter. Just build a great team around it and make sure your goaltender is real steady and that he doesn’t blow games for you.

Back to the media for a minute, Dan Ellis (Tampa Bay Lightning goalie) got himself into some hot water this summer on twitter. What are your thoughts about professional athletes using social media, considering the backlash that can come with it?

Well, first of all, I didn’t find what he said to be offensive at all. I think he was just stating a fact. I wish Dan would reconsider (coming back to twitter) because he’s one of those great athletes out there that is really clever with it. I thought he used it extremely well. There is a slippery slope involved, of course. But, just because there is one minor incident…I wish he’d go back and do it again because he’s a good guy. I think he sent a lot of really important things and he had a real good connection with the fans. For others like him, I hope they don’t feel like ‘Oh boy, I better stop now.’

This is the way of the future. When you want that interaction between the players and the fans, as soon as they something that you might not agree with, that’s no reason to jump all over the guy.

I tend to believe that if he would have made the comment during the season, when there are more hockey stories going on, it might not have snowballed into such a big deal…

He said he worries more now about money than he ever has. Well, as a fan out there, isn’t that a responsible comment? Would they prefer that he said he’s near bankruptcy? In fact, I would entirely agree with him. I’m really worried and concerned about money all the time. I don’t care if you make $32k or $70mil a year, if you tell me that you worry about money, then I think you’re responsible.

Another controversy this summer was the Canadiens trading Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis.  Did Montreal make the right choice by keeping Carey Price?

Well…wow (pause)…that is one where I think we’re going to just wait and see.  I wouldn’t want to jump on that right away because when you look at it, that’s quite a decision to end up moving Halak considering how well he played.  But, Carey Price, I think a lot of people would agree, has a lot of potential.  I think a lot of people think he has a better upside.  I’m really rooting for him.  He’s a good guy and it’s a hard position to be in when the fans have already turned on you after only two exhibition games.  I’m hoping he can find the mental strength to get through it and it doesn’t crush him.

The Kings could soon be faced with a similar situation, where they have two NHL caliber goalies this year.  How do you see things shaking out between Bernier and Quick as the year wears on?

What a great scenario.  They have a guy who played extremely well last year and they have an up and coming guy, who it looks as though he’s going to be a superstar.  They couldn’t be positioned better.

Coach Terry Murray has gone out of his way to say there isn’t a goaltending controversy.  You’ve been through it though.  At some point, does it start to wear on either guy?

I’ll address Quick first.  That isn’t wearing on you because it’s just the nature of team sports.  You have to be the ultimate teammate, but competitor.  Your play has to speak for itself.  Ultimately, if you retain your job, that’s just because you’re simply better.  Secondly, if the other guy surpasses you, that’s just the nature of sports.  Nothing is handed to you.  So, you have to accept that.

In terms of Bernier, I think he’s shown that he was willing to have an attitude adjustment and improve, to get to where he needs to be.  Now, he’s finally put himself in a position where he’s within striking distance of being a number one guy.  That’s cool.

Craig Anderson seemed to fade a bit down the stretch last year and Colorado stumbled into the post season.  Is he enough to help get the Avs back into the playoffs this year?

I think he is.  He really came back extremely well in the playoffs.  He was just unbelievable and was the only reason they had any life whatsoever against San Jose.

How about Jimmy Howard in Detroit?

I don’t think he’s going to have a sophomore slump.  But, it will be pretty hard to top the season he had last year.  He blew everybody away. I think it’s safe to say he exceeded expectations by a lot.  All he needs to do this year is be really steady, really consistent – steal a few games.  But, I don’t think he’s going to have to be as spectacular as last year.  He was playing behind a really tired team last season and they should be a lot fresher this year.

Nearly everybody is in agreement on the teams at the top of the Western Conference coming into the season.  Most of the debate is around the bubble teams.  Who do you see sliding into the 6, 7 and 8 slots?

I’m going to go with Nashville again, simply because that organization continues to re-tool effectively.  I thought they were going to upset Chicago in the first round last year and it was very close to that happening.  Their goaltender is rock solid too.  I think St. Louis is going to jump back into the playoff picture, they’re poised to do it.  I thought they slipped a little last year and that’s not unexpected for teams that vault into the playoffs the season before unexpectedly.  So, I look for them to come back.  After that, everything is just up in the air to me.  Those are the two I think that will get in.  Who goes away, I’m not sure either.

Do the Edmonton rookies have enough to elevate them out of the cellar – say, above Minnesota?

I prefer that Edmonton continues to stay in last place.  I think that would be the best thing for their organization.  If they had one more killer draft, like they’ve had lately, I think that would put them in a great position.  Very much like what Pittsburgh did for a few years and what LA has been doing.

Who are your bubble teams in the Eastern Conference?

Buffalo is bubble team because I don’t know where they’re going to get their scoring from.  But, their goaltending is remarkable.  Philadelphia is still a bubble team to me, even though they had a great run last year.  New Jersey too.  I still don’t see them as being a top team.  I like a lot of their game, but I don’t see them at the top.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

2010-11 Season Preview with John Buccigross of ESPN

Hugging the Post with Kelly Hrudey – an exclusive interview, looking back at his NHL playing days

Interview with Mike Modano

Interview with Rob Blake

Interview with Ethan Moreau

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In the long run of Detroit sports history, today could be the start of something big.

Per a report in Crain’s Detroit Business this morning, Detroit Red Wings and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch will be the next owner of the Detroit Pistons, and the final terms of the deal are now being negotiated. This deal would bring three of Detroit’s four teams under one roof, something that has never been seen in this city. With a move of the Pistons downtown, the deal would add another gem to the entertainment district that Mike and Marian Ilitch have been building for the last couple decades.

After the story broke this morning, radio airwaves were loaded with speculation on what will happen. One host on 97.1 FM stated that the arena plans have already been made, everything is a done deal, and the Pistons are moving downtown. Another person said the Wings will be moving to the Palace next season, until the new arena is built. Rumors are flying fast, as almost any possibility has been brought up.

Let me slow things down, and explain each part of this epic deal.

Money-wise, this deal will be somewhere south of $400 million. Current Pistons owner Karen Davidson originally wanted $500 million for the Pistons, the Palace, and Palace Sports + Entertainment (which includes concert venues Pine Knob and Meadow Brook.) However, speculators in Crain’s mentioned that a variety of factors will bring the price down. Those include how Davidson wants to sell the team quickly, and appears willing to trade potential millions for a quicker sale. Another reason for the reduced cost is that Ilitch hired Tom Wilson, the Palace’s longtime president, during the last year. Wilson would know a better value of the team, since he ran the organization for so many years. Ilitch will get a coup of a deal from Mrs. Davidson, and his quick actions may save close to nine figures in the pocketbook.

The remarkable thing about this sale is that everyone wins, in some way.

For the city of Detroit, Mike Ilitch running the Pistons is a fantastic move. Bill Davidson, the Pistons’ late owner, was very committed to the team and to the Detroit area. His death, along with other franchise upheavals within the NBA, sparked rumors that the Pistons could be on their way out of town. Ilitch’s purchase keeps the team in this area, along with continuing the positive standard of ownership that Davidson set.

Former Pistons owner Bill Davidson

For Red Wings fans, everything will continue as is. Whatever price is the final figure, no major changes will occur in terms of contracts. The Red Wings are paying $60 million a year under the salary cap, and that is small potatoes compared to the rest of Ilitch Holdings, the family’s umbrella organization. Mike Ilitch is rumored to be worth $1.5 billion, so I don’t think a $10 million savings on Red Wings salaries would ever be brought up.

During the summers though, things could be a little different for the time being. The Detroit Tigers’ payroll for 2010 was $133 million. As of today, the Tigers have contracts for next season that only total to $54.8 million, according to the Free Press. Around $78 million will be coming off the books, as many expensive contracts run out. However, those expensive contracts were given out partially to resuscitate the team. Before 2006, the Tigers were a losing franchise with only hope for the future. Big contracts to Pudge Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, and others were part of what turned the team around. Occasionally, those big deals went to guys that did not come close to living up to that salary, like Dontrelle Willis or Nate Robertson. Now that the team is one of the highest-drawing in baseball, I think that the Tigers will not be a reckless with free agents. This won’t be a big hindrance to the team, but the Tigers now are selling something other than just the biggest dollar figure.

(That type of franchise rebuilding should get Pistons fans very excited. Ilitch’s teams have always gone after and had superstars, from the Red Wings’ 1998 contract to Sergei Fedorov and signing Hasek, Hull, and Robitaille in 2001, to the Tigers going after Miguel Cabrera. By this time next year, the Pistons will have a superstar player, one way or another.)

In the broader picture though, this acquisition will bring a lot of money into Ilitch Holdings. Ilitch has regularly gone after players by dipping into his wallet, and more revenues at Comerica Park during the winter could raise the Tigers’ payroll eventually.

In terms of Detroit’s entertainment culture, this deal will create an Ilitch-run monopoly. Sports-wise, Ilitch would own three of the four teams, with that fourth being the Detroit Lions. (Who, for the purposes of filling Ilitch’s Detroit restaurants, are the least valuable. That football season only brings eight to ten days worth of customers, you see.) Music-wise, Ilitch would augment his downtown concert and theatre empire (Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple, City Theatre, occasional Cobo and Joe Louis shows) with every major venue in Oakland County (the Palace, DTE Energy Music Theatre (Pine Knob), and Meadow Brook Music Festival). In the meantime, Ilitch would consolidate his empire within the city of Detroit.

Ultimately, this would bring the Red Wings a new arena, another 40-plus days per year of traffic in and around everywhere Ilitch owns, a revitalization of the Pistons, and the expansion of the Foxtown entertainment district.

For the Palace, the Pistons will leave, as the facility becomes the venue for arena-sized concerts in metro Detroit. All sports will be at the new downtown arena, all music will be at the Palace. With the demolition of Cobo, Ilitch Holdings will basically upgrade from Cobo to the Palace.

To show what I mean with those points, here’s a map of Ilitch Holdings’ current properties:

To explain each dot…
- Red markers are Ilitch’s two teams, the Red Wings and Tigers.
- Blue markers are Ilitch’s theatres, the Fox, Cobo Arena, the Masonic Temple, and the City.
- Green markers are Ilitch’s restaurants, Hockeytown Cafe and Da Edorao Grille.
- Purple is Motor City Casino, owned by Marian Ilitch.
- Yellow is the headquarters for all of Ilitch Holdings, inside the Fox Theatre.

Going by that map, Ilitch owns a huge district in the heart of downtown, which includes almost all of the land surrounding those properties. All of the parking lots shown here are Ilitch-owned as well. Ilitch also controls two buildings on the riverfront in the Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Arena, which are a couple miles from everything else. There is virtually no property in the suburbs, except for two movie theatres in downtown Birmingham.

As you can see on the parking lot map, Ilitch owns a good chunk of land behind the Fox. That is where the proposed arena would go. Along the way, the Joe and Cobo Arena would be torn down to make room for a Cobo expansion, taking those two properties off the Ilitch map. Below is a map of what the new Foxtown district would look like.

The major change is that the Wings and Pistons are now behind the Fox, and therefore bring more than eighty days of crowds through the district. Right now, the Pistons are out of Ilitch’s control in Auburn Hills, and the Red Wings’ place at the Joe is just far away from Foxtown that fans aren’t automatically prompted to go over to Hockeytown Cafe before and after the games. The Joe’s spot right off the highway gives fans an easy way out of the city, and away from any other attractions.

Therefore, there will be a new arena for the Red Wings and Pistons behind the Fox Theatre.

The reasons for a new arena downtown are quite simple: the Wings won’t move to the Palace, as Auburn Hills is far away from Foxtown. Detroit mayor Dave Bing has already talked about how he wants the Pistons back within the city limits. Ilitch Holdings already owns the land for an arena. Everything is in place for a big move in a year or two.

For the concert venues, Palace Sports + Entertainment is a prepackaged concert setup that grosses around $70 million in profit each year, while competing with Ilitch-owned Olympia Entertainment’s events. An alliance of those two organizations will create a remarkably stacked concert schedule each year, with almost every venue in town working together. While I don’t have a figure for how much Olympia Entertainment brings in, I’d expect the investment in those suburban concert venues to hypothetically pay for itself within the decade.

Another possible development could be that Ilitch expands into Oakland County, with fine dining and other attractions in Clarkston, Rochester Hills, and Auburn Hills. Just as Hockeytown Cafe gets traffic from sports fans and Da Edorao gets the theatregoers, there’s a strong chance that new restaurants will pop up around DTE and Meadow Brook. The latter is already surrounded by retail, which will undoubtedly get a boost from an Ilitch tenant.

In the case of DTE though, that area around Clarkston is sparsely developed. The venue is within a forest, surrounded by residential land to the north and west, a golf course to the east, and some minor retail locations just south on Sashabaw Rd. If Ilitch controls DTE, one has to assume that the stretch of Sashabaw will also get some major sprucing-up.

Outside of new revenue sources and buildings, this deal still has some huge implications for Ilitch’s current teams, the Red Wings and Tigers.

For the Red Wings, the addition of the Pistons within the Ilitch family could create an easier market for selling tickets in the years to come. Right now, the Red Wings’ primary rival for winter sports in Detroit is the Pistons, and there was a long-standing rivalry for years between the two organizations. After this season, I think Detroiters will be seeing package deals with all three teams, along with some winter specials that include both the Red Wings and Pistons. Ilitch’s marketing team has always been quite strong, and they will find ways to fill up a new arena for Pistons basketball.

The Joe, today.

Also, by sharing an arena with a newly purchased team, I’d assume the Red Wings are given first priority for selecting game dates. Unlike other NHL teams that share arenas, the Red Wings will probably get the first choice of when to play, which could give the team somewhat of an advantage in the playoffs. The Wings may get a boost when playing a team that is the second team within their building, and any advantage is welcomed during a Stanley Cup run.

For the Tigers, Comerica Park just got a winter’s worth of parking revenue. Everything surrounding their stadium will now have a lot more customers in the off-season. The Leo’s Coney Island branch, owned by Ilitch and inside the stadium? It will be packed every night. Any new business around the stadium? There won’t be any more lulls in the winter. For the Foxtown district, this acquisition is a life-changing move for everyone in that area.

In short, the announcement of today’s pending deal sends ripples of change throughout Detroit. Here’s a vastly shortened version of what is to come:
- The Pistons will be bought by Ilitch Holdings.
- The Red Wings and Pistons will announce a new downtown arena within the next six months.
- The Red Wings will keep the same business model, and will continue as they are.
- The Tigers may keep payroll down a bit, as they don’t need to overpay any more.
- The Pistons are back to relevancy in the Detroit sports world. They will get a superstar as soon as possible.
- Olympia Entertainment will grow exponentially, adding two major venues.
- The Palace will become an all-concert venue, replacing Cobo Arena within the Ilitch portfolio.
- Restaurants within Ilitch Holdings will now be busier and more profitable than ever.
- Ilitch may expand his restaurants to the areas around DTE and Meadow Brook.

In the long run, almost everything is changing in the Detroit sports world. With this deal though, everything is changing for the better.

Every year there seems to be an Islander who flies under the radar, which is quite impressive considering this is a pretty stealth team as a whole. Amongst these gritty blue collar players and learn-as-you-go rookies, Frans Nielsen has emerged as an impressive two-way player. The quiet, unheralded Nielsen has built one of the best plus/minus ratings (and the best of the season regulars) on a team that gives away goals like they were those reusable go-green shopping bags. The plus/minus rating is always a debatable stat; many fans see it as deceiving or worthless. That may be the case on a team with half a dozen all-stars, but on a struggling team, it’s something that speaks loudly. And don’t forget that for a large part of the season Nielsen was a few points ahead of the next guy. Things have leveled out a bit more in the last few weeks, but the guy deserves credit; he was doing something right.

And “something right” has been a rarity for the Islanders this year, so Nielsen has been a pleasant surprise. The Great Dane (who probably weighs less than an actual Great Dane) plays bigger than his dancer-build body and shows flashes of brilliance even in games where he doesn’t register a point. He knows how to use his feet rather than just his hands and stick; I’ve seen him trap some pucks and travel with them all while keeping his head up and eventually completing a beautiful pass. He redirects the puck with inventiveness, helping to create scoring chances. He’s put up some decent numbers this season, and all signs point to him progressing nicely. Will he ever be a major star? Would be nice, but I’m guessing no. He’ll be a solid player who’s creative thinking will make everyone around him better. Kind of a combination of Trent Hunter infused with extra inspiration, the foresight of Streit, and the flair of Richard Park – well, maybe Richard Park of seasons past (what happened to one of my faves?).

All the talk surrounding the team will soon turn to the draft, where we somehow moved up a few spots in like, the last six minutes. I was sooooo ready for a top three pick, and okay with a top five. But nooooo, let’s kick some ass now that the season is ending! Yay! Great idea! Woo-hoo! Brilliant! Hey Sean Bergenheim, I missed you!!! What? You were here the whole time? Whoops, nevermind. HOO-RAY!!!!!!

Ahh. I needed that.

Back to the draft…it should be an interesting one. Let’s hope that Snow, Jankowski and team really do their homework and lock into a few diamonds in the rough. There are always Nielsen-type players in the later rounds; they may not be flashy, but they are play-making tinkerers with a lot of potential. Stop looking only at height and weight – start looking at brain and tenacity.

Size matters, but so does attitude.

****UPDATE****

Brrrrr…does anyone else feel a draft in here? Someone up in the heavens must’ve heard my whining, because the Isles are extremely likely to get that top 5 pick I was hoping for. I may have failed pre-calc in high school (sorry Mrs. Spiegel) but even I know that if the Isles drop their last two against the Devils and Pens, they will probably land in the 4 or 5 hole. That’s because the Panthers and Lightning, who are behind the Isles now, are playing each other in their last two games. One of them, if not both (let them split OT games – please!!!) would then leapfrog the Isles. Placement also depends on what Columbus does against Detroit.

P.S. The fact that I bring this up virtually guarantees Bergenheim will score a hat trick in both of the remaining games.

You’re welcome, Sean.

The Penguins' official website had some interesting things to say (top panel) about Pascal Dupuis early Tuesday evening. By midnight, the dubious ownership of the Penguins was erased and hockey-relevant (bottom panel) information was inserted.

In a five to ten second span on Monday evening during the middle of the second period at Detroit, a sequence by the surging Red Wings in the Penguins’ zone stood out as a microcosm of the problems plaguing Pittsburgh over its past seven games.  Henrik Zetterberg took a pass in the far circle from Nicklas Lidstrom, shook off Sergei Gonchar, then started cutting towards the slot.  Suddenly, Todd Bertuzzi back-skated to the lip of the goal crease and set his 6’3″ 245 lb. frame as a screen.  Sidney Crosby, 5’11″ 200 lb., standing in front of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, was unable to dislodge the bigger Bertuzzi.  Zetterberg fired a backhand shot from the slot and continued to the net.  Before Mark Eaton and Mike Rupp of the Penguins could get to the loose puck, Zetterberg pounced on his own rebound and deposited the biscuit into the net.  Fleury never had a chance to make the stop due to Bertuzzi’s screen and the inability of the Penguins to move him away to give Fleury an unobstructed view of the puck.

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Quite frankly, watching the Penguins’ skaters either unable to clear bodies from in front of Fleury or giving up clear breakaway chances has become a common, painful sight during the past two weeks.  The Penguins started off the month of March 4-0-0 but since the afternoon of that fourth straight win, have posted a mediocre record of 2-3-2.  Unfortunately, two of the regulation time losses occurred at New Jersey and the Devils, winners over Columbus last night, have posted a 5-2-1 record during the same time span and find themselves back atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points – the same number as Pittsburgh – but with one less game played.

The Penguins have deviated from three basic “Hockey 101″ concepts.  First, defencemen must be more cautious, look up and weigh the risk before making cross-ice passes in the neutral zone.  Second, both forwards and defencemen must do a better job of making life difficult for opposing forwards attempting to establish screens in the low slot and goal crease area.  Finally, the Penguins have to be more physically aggressive in the offensive zone by creating traffic in front of the opposing goal to block the goalie’s vision, to prepare for second-chance shots off rebounds and to get ready to make deflections of shots.

When Alexei Ponikarovsky was acquired at the trade deadline, he was expected to be a net-front presence and he has performed mostly as advertised, scoring two goals and four assists in nine games as a Penguin.  Earlier in the season during a stretch when the power play was starving for goals, Cooke was designated to be the man to stand in front of the net.  The pesky winger was reasonably effective in that position and it will be necessary for either Cooke or whichever teammates the coaching staff tab, to reprise that role, willing to pay the physically punishing price to generate more scoring chances for the Penguins.

One player I think should be used more often on the top forward lines simply due to his imposing build is Mike Rupp.  Coach Dan Bylsma has previously experimented with using Rupp on Crosby’s line.  I thought it was a creative, logical idea then and I would like to see it tried again.  However, a Chris Kunitz-Crosby-Rupp trio would displace 19-goal scorer Pascal Dupuis from the first line and lead to multiple repercussions.  I will properly leave the nuts and bolts of forward combinations to the coaches but continue to advocate for nightly traffic jams in front of the enemy net.

This evening at Washington, it does not get any easier.  While many in the media will trot out the tired “Crosby vs. Ovechkin” phrase to lead off their stories, the bigger issue for the Pens will be whether they can consolidate their skills in all the areas mentioned above and continue to receive exemplary work from the penalty killers.  The Pittsburgh penalty kill has shot up to third best in the NHL on the road and they will need to be sharp against the Capitals’ top-ranked power play.  One man to watch in particular will be Jordan Leopold, also acquired in advance of the deadline, who the Penguins intimated was brought in specifically to help contain Ovechkin and the relentless Washington attack.

Watching Monday night’s game against Detroit, I couldn’t help but think back to the underrated contributions of big Hal Gill.  The 6’7″ 241 lb. defenceman, now with Montreal, was often derided for his “wet-cement”-like skating and his poor puck-handling ability but his skill at clearing out opponents who tried to block or harrass Fleury, was unquestioned.  Who can forget Gill laying down the law to Sean Avery in the 2008 playoffs or flicking aside Jeff Carter to prevent rebound scoring chances in 2009?  Despite their smaller stature relative to the towering Gill, the Penguins’ 2010 defence corps must play with the same mentality as Gill and work just as hard at making life easier for Fleury.

There aren’t many games remaining for the Penguins to see where they stand relative to other legitimate Cup contenders before the playoffs start.  Tonight’s game will most certainly be a good comparison and like Monday night, will continue to give us a better idea of what we will likely see from the Penguins come April 14.

Jordan Staal and Henrik Zetterberg face off during Game 4 of last spring's classic Stanley Cup Final.

“… They drop it; and it got to the right point.  Here’s Rafalski shooting … never got through.  Loose puck, now to the net!  Save made, rebound.  Oh!  Big save by Fleury … and it ends!!  That’s it!!  The Pittsburgh Penguins have won this hockey game!!  The Penguins have won the Stanley Cup, and Looorrd Stanley, scratch their names on your fabled Cup.  The Pittsburgh Penguins are Stanley Cup Champions, 2009!”

Two hundred eighty-three nights ago during the most recent visit by the Penguins to Detroit, with under seven seconds remaining in regulation time, Hall of Fame Penguins’ radio broadcaster Mike Lange made that call at 10.37 pm Friday, June 12, 2009, to conclude a day that will be forever scratched into the memories of both supporters of the Penguins and Red Wings for, of course, diametrically opposed reasons.  Since that evening, I have taken to simply referring to June 12 as “That Great Night” when the Penguins marched confidently into Detroit, stared down the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings and won the seventh and deciding game of the Finals 2-1 to capture the franchise’s third Cup and first in seventeen years.

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Maxime Talbot falling to his knees and pumping his fists after scoring his second goal of the game and Marc-Andre Fleury sprawling sideways to stop Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom’s last-second shot are two of the more prominent images scratched into memory from the Penguins’ last visit to Joe Louis Arena.  Previously, Detroit had been a black hole for the Penguins in both the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, a city where they had posted a dismal post-season record of just 1-5.

Ironically, their one victory was earned in Game Five of the 2008 series when Talbot and Fleury both played significant roles.  With the Penguins just thirty-five seconds from elimination and an extra attacker on the ice, Talbot jammed in a loose puck past Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood’s left pad to tie the contest 3-3.  Fleury then turned away all twenty-four Detroit shots after regulation time (making fifty-five saves in total that night) and the Penguins stunned the Wings when Petr Sykora scored a power play goal in triple-overtime.

In contrast to the Mays and Junes of the past two years however, this evening, the Penguins and Red Wings face off as two clubs looking for some consistency in advance of the playoffs.  While the Penguins appear solidly in the mix to finish second, third or fourth in the Eastern Conference, which guarantees home-ice advantage for at least the opening round, Detroit, with eleven games remaining, is barely hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, leading ninth place Calgary by just two points.

The last time Detroit failed to participate in the playoffs was 1990, a season in which goalies Tim Cheveldae and Glen Hanlon shared duties while Jimmy Carson, rugged Joey Kocur and future Hall of Famers Steve Yzerman and Bernie Federko also populated the roster.  Yes, it’s been that long.  Detroit has been beset by injuries this season.  Key forwards Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Valteri Filppula and Tomas Holmstrom and defencemen Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson have missed significant time this year.  The most important change for Detroit has been in goal, where Osgood has posted a 0.890 SV% in twenty-two games.  That ranks just 46th among netminders who have played the same or more games than Osgood.  In contrast, rookie Jimmy Howard has stepped in admirably, keeping the Wings afloat, posting the top SV% (0.924) among all qualified West goaltenders.

As for the Pens, their solid 6-2-2 post-Olympic record masks some inconsistent play, especially defensively.  As noted previously, head coach Dan Bylsma emphasized after Saturday’s overtime loss, the need for the team to stick to “our game”, that is, the Penguins’ game plan and to play with more consistency game to game.  These sentiments were echoed by Bill Guerin today in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, when he said, “We’ve been a little stubborn at times to get to our game.  We feel at some times that simple is not good enough, but simple is what wins for us as talented as we are …  If you play your system together, you improve your chances.  It’s that simple.  If we have guys going off on their own pages, it only hurts us.  We’ve got to get guys on the same page.”

Pittsburgh will be without the services of Evgeni Malkin tonight as the team’s second-best goal scorer continues to recover from a foot injury.  Without his extraordinary playmaking skills, it will be even more difficult but even more crucial to battle for every puck against the Wings, gain the offensive zone consistently and fire pucks on net, in other words, playing “our game”.  If players inadvisably try to make up for Malkin’s absence by working as individuals and deviate from the team plan against an equally skilled puck-possession team like Detroit, then another loss will be tonight’s likely outcome.

DID YOU KNOW?

2009-10: After 72 games, 42-24-6, GF = 224; GA = 205; differential = +19; Crosby: 45G+43A=88 pts
2008-09: After 72 games, 38-26-8, GF = 228; GA = 218; differential = +10; Crosby: 28G+66A=94 pts

Photo: PenguinsMarch personal collection

Dany Heatley scored once in Los Angeles, and then followed that with a goal and an assist in Phoenix the next day.

Patrick Marleau couldn’t let Heatley catch up to him in the goal-scoring race, so he scored two of his own in the game against the Coyotes. He also assisted on one of Heatley’s goals. Speaking to Marleau’s versatility this season, one goal was scored shorthanded, the other on the powerplay.

Marleau became the fastest Shark to reach 30 goals in a season, doing so three games before Jonathan Cheechoo did in his Rocket Richard-winning season. His 31 goals lead Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby by two for the NHL lead.

Joe Thornton pitched in two assists during the contests as he usually does centering the two goal scorers.

Secondary scoring has become an issue over the last five games or so. Luckily one of the NHL’s best lines is carrying them through a rough stretch in the season.

The Sharks stand third in goals scored this season as a team with 147. Marleau and Heatley alone have contributed 58 of those goals. If you throw in Thornton’s 11 goals, then the first line is responsible for about 47 percent of the teams goals.

Goaltending also contributed to the two victories on the road trip. Evgeni Nabokov was on top of his game in both contests, and needed to be after some below average performances against Los Angeles and Detroit the previous week.

Nabby stopped 65 of 67 shots, and helped the Sharks kill off 12 straight penalties without allowing a goal in the two games.

Next game

The Sharks will come back home to face the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Prediction

I will be attending the next game in person so hopefully that will bring a little luck to the Sharks second line of Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi, and Ryane Clowe. They have been generating a lot of scoring chances but just can’t get one in the net. This line will finally break through in the next game to score a pair of goals.

It is hard to gauge Rick DiPietro’s first NHL game comeback. We can thank a horrific defense and sloppy game for that. Marty Turco almost made us believe that somehow he and  changed places, looking shaky and tight for Dallas who has their own trouble this season.

But, it was also Turco, and the Dallas D, when peppered with shots at the end, held. The Isles merely played a Biron-like game with DP playing the part of Biron.

Which brings us to Phoenix…

Yes, Isles blew another lead. In fact, they unraveled again. It seems that the Isles consistently yeild and then bend to opposing teams will and desperation.

John Tavares, who suddenly looks like a passenger than a proactive element, really looks like he could use a press box visit. Very often, in the middle of team doldrums, Tavs has lost his way in a season. Obviously they want him to work through it.

What has not, and likely will not get better for the Islanders is the horrific defense. Streit looks human. Sutton is a bright spot. Hillen looks like a keeper. McDonald looks like me might develop into a solid depth defender. Beyond this, Meyer has looked all to human and disposable Gervais is jerky, inconsistent and clearly hit a ceiling as a depth defender. Witt has just not looked good at all for the past two seasons.

I was a bit surprised Biron is not being used in spots to attribute value. But then again, the Isles play putridly in front of him. To hold him back might actually increase his value.

Despite words to the opposite effect by one PR blogger, Biron’s record DOES matter. Let’s have some reality here Biron with no record sat unsigned all summer, except by the Isles. The poor showing, which is not all hius fault, still has to be juxtaposed by Roloson’s stats by any smart GMs as Snow begs for a 3rd round pick.

Biron might have to go for a 4th or 5th. Only chance of higher return is to take riffraff off one club. OR hope that demand suddenly comes up thanks to injury.

If Garth cannot get a 4th or 5th, perhaps holding the DP insurance policy is better, especially in lieu of the fact that there is nothing assured.

What seems that will not happen is a three goalie rotation. Isles are sticking with the Rolo-DP tandem. One has to wonder if Garth is rushing a Biron deal in order to make room for Bergie.

Meanwhile, the Wings roll into town. Red Wings come in with a mixed season, a lot of injuries, but with a lot of weaponry.

Those weapons aim right for the Isles weaknesses. Can the porous defense hold, will whichever goalie who plays need to offset a sieve again?

LIVE:  Not a bad crowd tonight.   I’m chatting with Rob McGowen and Mike Schurlein…and then…

SCORE

Moulson with the goal.

We are discussing the merits of a Schremp bisque. One has to think the Tamb analysis is over and done and the Schremp assessment is in high gear.

Hmmm…where are all those fans who were ready to crown Tambs king earlier this season.

Ahh, another score. Isles are playing sharper. Detroit looks a bit stunted.

Looks like Schremp got it. Gervais with an assist.

As we were saying. ;)

Isles play a Gordonesque first period. Generate 13 shots to 7 for Detroit. Lots of chances.

I almost get tagged by a T-Shirt from the Isles gatling gun that shoots off t-shirts the way the Town of Hempstead shoots off mailers on how well they are doing.

Isles come out in the 2nd period to STP blaring. Finally they come out to a good song.

More of the same in period #2. Isles lead with 17 shots and the Red Wings haven’t had a shot. That’s sharp play and pressure.

It’s Schremp again. He’s looked sharp all night. Now has two goals.

Moved over to twitter for chatting. Look me up

Ok…back now that the game is over. Going to list my tweets from tonight that tell the story of the rest of the game…

((read from bottom up))

1. RT @TSNBobMcKenzie: RT @BotchonCanucks: Burrows gets a $2500 fine and no suspension 9 minutes ago from TweetDeck
2. Gordon: won’t be giving isles day off from practice. Answering Bottas question: “what is this, xmas?” about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
3. Gordon: would like all his players looking at standings. Coaches do. about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
4. Gordon: felt the isles practiced well and there wasn’t any sense of post-road trip letdown at all. Wasn’t concerned. about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
5. Gordon: was our best 60 min performance about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
6. Schremp: Gordon cites his confidence being the difference about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
7. Botta all dapper in a suit. Must be wearing his NHL Fanhouse hat about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
8. Bailey very excited to be playing on line with Okposo and Tavs. Doesn’t mind being on wing: “I’ll play wherever they put me” about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
9. Lockerroom is loose. Coach interview is next about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
10. 6-0. oops. about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
11. Standing O with chants of Roli! Game over. In the books….6-10. 31 shots to 16. Great game by Isles. Awful game by Red Wings about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
12. Chants of “Rolli”. Gervais actually got the goal about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
13. Rolo still gets the top starts, but I have to think DP is slated for Sat for his comeback trail about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
14. @sealshockey i see him playing Sat about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck in reply to sealshockey
15. isles score one more time to make it even more lopsided about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
16. Roloson wasn’t worked too hard, but looked sharp when needed about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
17. You know…if DP can get back into shape, Isles might have one of the best goalie tandems in league. Big IF, of course about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
18. RT @dani3boyz: #Isles have 5 goals against the #Wings. Most since January 14th 1992 about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck
19. It’s really disturbing how Detroit has no life. Red Wings are one of the top organizations in the NHL. Each year they always compete. about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
20. isles with too many men on ice about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
21. 5 – 0 Isles ripping the Wings off Detroit. about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
22. @JonJordan you are alwys in my must reads for Tampa. You and Bill Philp of Lightning Shout and HI about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to JonJordan
23. Okposo? about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
24. Isles score about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
25. @Krissynyy actually…not really. i didn’t like little league baseball much. coach was an ass. I wanted to pitch about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to Krissynyy
26. Isles have 28 shots. Detroit 10. 7 of Detroits shots were in 1st about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
27. Isles started off in 3r4d in their own zone, but now once again providing pressure on Wings about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
28. @Krissynyy I once, in little league, had a ball go off glove in the outfield & split my bottom lip. I spit blood the whole way back 2 bench about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to Krissynyy
29. @Krissynyy no. I once caught a cold or two, though about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to Krissynyy
30. RT @StateOfTheIsles: Schremp is on the verge of cracking the top 10 for rookie scorers. about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
31. acutally…small. maybe a couple of pucks sizeRT @Krissynyy: @LetThereBeLH @BDGallof yes, like was it as big as an adult? child? #octopus about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
32. Not that it was big…bit it did look taller than Robbie Schremp. about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
33. @NYsportSpace i’ve also been doing this for like 3 years now about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to NYsportSpace
34. @NYsportSpace i had to give up the live blog …which i was doing also about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to NYsportSpace
35. @eyeontheisland Jaffe has been smoking octopus about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to eyeontheisland
36. @7thWoman It was wearing an Isles jersey? ;) about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to 7thWoman
37. Isles get standong O from fans at end of 2nd. i guess they wish we could skip 3rd period also about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
38. 4-0. Isles giving Detroit a beatdown. 25 shots to 9. only 2 are from Detroit in the 2nd period. Detroit actually has looked worse than 1st p about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
39. whoever threw it has security chasing them out the doors about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
40. There is an octopus on the ice about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
41. Isles to by on the PP for 1:33 about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
42. Bergie in the box….but Detroit joins them soon after with an interference call. about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
43. RT @aorour1: RT @nonprofitorgs: One of the first photographs of #earthquake damage in #Haiti: http://twitpic.com/xuil7 [Via @FutureHaiti] about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck
44. A fan in front of us laments that he doesn’t have an octopus to throw on the ice about 2 hours ago from TweetDeck

This pretty much tells the story. Robbie Schremp was very excited in the lockerroom. You can see he’s having a breakthrough. Now, before everyone ordains him the second coming on another site or whatever…

There are still things he needs to fill out in his game. BUT, offensive confidence and excitement is a GREAT thing.

I remember the lockerroom last season…it was like a tomb. Losses zapping energy. Lethargy. Frustration.

This is NOT that team…playoffs or not. This is a team on the rise. But, as Jason Bourne was lamenting on twitter…two more NHLers and this team could make a dent. And he’s right. The problem is that the Isles don’t have the type of playing cards to put together a deal for those type of NHLers this season. Alas.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read. Cheers.

And I hope the site on the new host is working nice and quick for everyone. Please let me know…a contact email address is on our top nav bar. Drop me a line. Or say hello on twitter.

- BD

twitter.com/bdgallof

1. 2001-2002: 116 points, 1^st place in Central Division, 1^st place in the Western Conference, Stanley Cup Champions

-This team was full of Hall of Famers and was perhaps the best NHL team ever assembled.  With addition of the Salary Cap it is likely that we will not see a team this good again.

2. 2008-2009: 112 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 2^nd place in the Western Conference, lost to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup final

-This team came within one game of back to back Stanley Cups and was better than the Cup winning team from the year before with the addition of Hossa.

3. 2007-2008: 115 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 1^st place in the Western Conference, Stanley Cup Champions

- The Red Wings proved that they could win a Cup in the salary cap era and answered any questions concerning the age of the Wings.  Also, Lidstrom became the first European captain to win the Stanley Cup.

4. 2004-2005: 114 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 3^rd place in the Western Conference, lost to  Toronto in the Stanley Cup final.

-The Wings fell just short to the Leafs, who won their first Cup since 1967 by beating the Wings in the forth overtime of game seven of the Stanley Cup finals in the game of the decade.

4. 2006-2007: 113 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 1^st place in the Western Conference, lost to Anaheim in the Western Conference final

-It looked like the Wings would win their first cup in 5 years, but they would have to wait one more year after losing to the Ducks for the second time in three seasons.

5. 2005-2006: 124 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 1^st place in the Western Conference, lost to Edmonton in the first round

-The Wings showed that they were still contenders even with a salary cap, but were upset by the Oilers who would go on to have one magical spring.

6. 2002-2003: 110 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 2^nd place in the Western Conference, lost to Anaheim in the first round

-A shocking playoff result for a team that one year earlier had won the Stanley Cup.

7. 2003-2004: 109 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 1^st place in the Western Conference, lost to Calgary in the second round

-For the second straight year a hot goalie knocks the Red Wings out of the playoffs.

8. 2000-2001: 111 points, 1^st place in the Central Division, 2^nd place in the Western Conference, lost to LA in the first round

-This embarrassing loss to the Kings lead to Red Wings management assembling one of the best teams ever for the next season.

9. 1999-2000: 108 points, 2^nd place in the Central Division, 4^th place in the Western Conference, lost to Colorado in the second round

-Yes, there was one year that the Red Wings did not win the Central.

To come up with this list I took into consideration the amount of time the player spent with the Red Wings, their significance within the organization, and what they did on the ice as a Wing. I only looked at a player’s time with the Red Wings and only at their stats from 1999-2000 to 2008-2009.

GM: Ken Holland; A great GM but also the only one that the Red Wings had during this decade so he wins this honor by default.

Head Coach: Mike Babcock; Four Central Division titles, two Western Conference Championships, one Stanley Cup in four seasons.

Center

1. Pavel Datsyuk

2. Steve Yzerman, Captain

3. Kris Draper, Assistant Captain

4. Sergei Fedorov

-Three Hall of Fame centers, plus Draper who spent the entire decade in Detroit.

Right Wing

1. Dan Cleary

2. Brett Hull

3. Darren McCarty

4. Kirk Maltby

- Two grinders, a Hall of Famer, and a Newfoundlander.

Left Wing

1. Henrik Zetterberg

2. Tomas Holmstrom

3. Brendan Shanahan

4. Luc Robitaille

-Hank could end up as one of the top three Red Wings ever and Homer has been a staple on this team for more than a decade.

Defense

1. Nicklas Lidstrom, Assistant Captain

2. Chris Chelios

3. Brian Rafalski

4. Niklas Kronwall

5. Mathieu Dandenault

6. Jiri Fischer

- A great defensive core. Fischer makes this list not only because he was a good defenseman but because his story will always be one of the things that I will remember from this decade of Red Wings hockey.

Goalies

1. Dominik Hasek

2. Chris Osgood

-Both won Stanley Cups this decade, but at his best Hasek could out play any goalie.

Ok, now let the debate begin! Any one I missed? Someone you want to take off the list? Sound off and let me know.

Note: Before Christmas I will have a blog ranking the ten nine Red Wings teams form the last decade. Also, I have two other special Red Wings blogs that I am working on so stay tuned.

This game was two days before Gordie’s actual 65th birthday. That night’s opponent was Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings, with the final score ending up as 9-3 Kings. This season ended with a loss to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs, off of a OT loss in Game 7. After the season, Scotty Bowman was hired to be the Wings’ coach, and the rest is history.

Enjoy the ceremony.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Almost sixteen years later, Gordie is still an active member of the Red Wings community. He was recently a speaker at the Canadiens’ centennial game, and has started to re-emerge in the public eye after the loss of his beloved wife Colleen.

Seeing old ceremonies like this is a treat. It’s hard to believe, but more time has passed since that night than the time between Gordie’s retirement in 1980 and his 65th birthday. The Red Wings held another afternoon like this in 2008 for Gordie’s 80th birthday…which will be posted later. Enjoy the videos, and go Red Wings.

Dear Gary,

That is it, we’re waving the white flag, we give up, you win.

It has been well known for years now that you and your friends at the NHL offices in New York don’t care for our favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings.  First, you stick Detroit in the Western Conference so that most of our road games are out of the Eastern Time zone.  It must be nice to play in the Atlantic where you get to take a bus to all your games.  Then, you do everything in your power, including shutting down the NHL for a year and making Ron MacLean introduce movies for a living, to implement a salary cap.  You said that you wanted to create parity, but we all know that you just really wanted to stop the Red Wings from winning by limiting how much money that Mr. Ilitch could spend.  Heaven forbid that a team does everything in their power to win.  If some teams in the Confederacy can’t afford to keep up well then maybe they should not be in the league.  But we still beat you Gary, didn’t we.  We played under the cap and still won the cup.  Then last year you got scarred again and had to make sure every call went the chosen ones way.  You seemed to take great pride in giving him the cup at the center ice of Joe Louis Arena.

This year all your work has finally paid off.  Three of our best players left because we couldn’t afford to pay them as much as we once could, next we have to start the season half way around the world and lose our first two games, then a quarter of the team gets injured and the salary cap will not allow us to bring in equal players (no offence to Drew Miller).  Then we started to turn things around and you got scarred again.  So what happens, you disallow a goal scored by Brad May that would have tied the game against Dallas on November 18^th.  And jeez Gary if we are counting on Brad May to score our goals doesn’t that mean you have already succeeded in your master plan?  The Wings lost to the Stars and then proceeded to lose four of the next five games (including the fifth game where 2 Dan Cleary goals were disallowed).

So you win Gary.  I guess this is what you wanted; the Red Wings are no longer the front runners to win their division.  Unless your ultimate goal is to have the Wings follow the Shock and move to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I mean a hockey team in Tulsa would do much better than one in Detroit. (On a plus side the Tulsa Red Wings would make more since to be in the Western Conference.)

My only question to you Gary is why?  Why do you hate Detroit?  Is it because we love hockey more than basketball?  Is it because we are actually located north of Canada?  Or do you just dislike the people here?

Just think how many cups the Wings could have won if you would have just left us alone or actually liked us.  And add the fact that two of our top defenseman went down to non-hockey related career ending injuries; the Wings could easily have two or three more cups.

Oh yeah one last thing, don’t think that we didn’t notice how Honda has become the official vehicle of the NHL.  That does not go over well in these parts.

Yours Truly,
Detroit Red Wings Fans

Most notably, the Red Wings’ Gordie Howe was the biggest start in the league for two decades and he was followed by the Bruins’ Bobby Orr in that position. Just in my lifetime, the battles from Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov’s Red Wings against Ray Bourque and Cam Neely’s Bruins have evolved into matchups like Nicklas Lidstrom against Zdeno Chara, or Datsyuk and Zetterberg against Marc Savard and Milan Lucic.

Meanwhile in the present, both teams are among the most popular in the country, with old-school fanbases leading to a lot of casual interest. It’s no wonder then that Detroit and Boston are playing on national TV tonight, have regularly been featured on NBC, and are part of the last and next Winter Classics.

If anything, that interest comes from the Red Wings and Bruins as the anchors of regional hockey cultures in the United States. Michigan and New England have generations that have grown up with the game at every level, from pond hockey to championship college hockey to the history and aura of an Original Six NHL franchise.

College-wise, Detroit and Boston are the only two NHL cities to have college hockey banners in their respective arena rafters, and both states feature the core of a major college hockey conference. In Detroit, there is the CCHA (comprised largely of Michigan teams) with headquarters in the suburbs and the conference championship held at the Joe Louis Arena. At Christmas-time, Michigan’s three biggest teams host the Great Lakes Invitational at the Joe. In Boston, the city is known for the Beanpot tournament, pitting the four Boston area schools against one another. Meanwhile, the city is home to the Hockey East conference, with their championship being held at the TD Banknorth Garden every year.

For the amateurs out there, both states have huge amounts of part-time hockey players. From kids to adults, the game of hockey is huge in Michigan and Massachusetts, to the point that USA Hockey’s national district arrangement designates these two states as their own regions, since there are so many players/teams/rinks involved. (The only other two states like this are Minnesota and New York.) Between the two states, there’s around 94,000 registered hockey players, with 52,022 in Michigan and 42,115 in Massachusetts. Those are two of the three highest totals for the entire country, with only Minnesota in that mix. Also, that doesn’t even include the guys and girls just playing for fun in local arenas, or playing out on the ponds and lakes.

All of this leads to two of the most knowledgable fanbases in the NHL, with years of memories, winters filled with pond hockey, and a love of the game that goes beyond the Red Wings or the Bruins. Considering the previous failure of NHL hockey in Minnesota, I could even say that Michigan and Massachusetts have the strongest hockey in the country, from top to bottom. We can only hope that tonight is a great night for hockey, considering these two hockey worlds coming together for the only time in 2009-10.

DETROIT RED WINGS

As I said earlier this year, tonight would be the biggest game to date for these Red Wings, and the team has really come into form over the recent road trip out West. Last week, the Wings went 2-0-1, and that is the Wings’ best stretch of the season. Those two wins showed a lot of promise, with a variety of goal scorers and consistent defense. That third game was a big comeback against Edmonton that ended in a shootout. All three of these games gave me a lot of hope for November. The biggest problem that I see the Wings having is the injury bug hitting the forwards, and that causing a lack of scoring. Luckily, those last couple games did a lot to temper my concern, with the Red Wings beginning to look like the team we’ve seen for years.

November is a month that will be much kinder to the Red Wings, scheduling-wise. Out of 14 games, 9 will be at home, with the five road games at either close divisional rivals, or Toronto and Montreal (two more marquee games). On a related note, this will also be the first month that I’ll be down at the Joe, so I’m excited for that. Too bad I’m not down there tonight though.

Tonight’s line combinations are as follows:

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Cleary-Zetterberg-Williams
Draper-Helm-Eaves
Leino-Abdelkader-Maltby

Lidstrom-Kronwall
Stuart-Lebda
Janik-Meech

Chris Osgood

“Janik” is minor-league callup and journeyman defenseman Doug Janik, who came over from Grand Rapids today. He’s played 161 NHL games with four different teams, and has played well for the Griffins. Janik is also a big guy who isn’t afraid to drop the gloves, which could come in handy with Brad May out of the lineup.

Janik is replacing Brian Rafalski and Jonathan Ericsson, both of whom have the flu and did not skate today. It’s assumed that the callup is just for this game, as Niklas Kronwall had similar symptoms on Monday, but improved to practice and play today.

The other lineup change of note is Ville Leino re-entering the roster in place of Brad May, who did not skate this morning.

BOSTON BRUINS

Believe it or not, the Boston Bruins are actually doing worse than the Red Wings this year(!) With a record of 6-6-1 and 13 points, the Bruins are 4th in the tough Northeast Division. This record comes with their fair share of problems, despite a great year in 2008-09…just like the Red Wings.

The first problem for the Bruins is a lack of scoring, which has led to a lot of shutout losses (including a 1-0 loss against the New York Rangers on Sunday). A big portion of this problem is how the team has lost two star forwards to the IR, Marc Savard and Milan Lucic. With these guys gone, along with Phil Kessel’s departure via trade, the Bruins have scored a stunningly low amount of goals. The problem might be exacerbated tonight, with Michael Ryder potentially out of the lineup due to the flu.

Meanwhile, the Bruins do feature goalie Tim Thomas, from beautiful Davison, Michigan. Thomas is projected to be on the 2010 U.S. Olympic Hockey team, and is the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Not only is Tim a Boston Bruin and national team player, he’s also an alum of the famed Detroit Vipers of the old International Hockey League. If that fun fact can’t get you to support him after tonight, I don’t know what to say. Other than I know some cute girls in Davison, so that’s a fun fact. Hey-o.

GAMEDAY FOOD – Lindell A.C.

Considering that this is the only night of the year with an eastern Original Six team coming to town, there’s only one thing that could be the gameday meal. The Lindell A.C. was the greatest sports bar in the city of Detroit’s history. That’s all you really need to say for an introduction.

Run by the Butsicaris brothers, Jimmy and John, the Lindell A.C. was the beloved hangout of generations of Detroit athletes. With a basic bar menu of the best burgers in town, the bar was made famous by the constant stream of visiting athletes, VIP’s in town, and local icons. Despite the fame, the bar was still a regular bar for regular people, all the way up until its closing in 2002. I went there at least once when I was little, and have the enjoyable memories of exploring the bar’s Hall Of Fame quality memorabilia with Jimmy Butsicaris and a flashlight. There’s a number of great stories from this place, which will be reprinted here in the weeks to come.

The original Lindell A.C. story is of a fight between Lions LB Alex Karras (a part-owner and future actor) and pro wrestler Dick The Bruiser. This led to a hyped rematch at the Olympia later on, as Karras was suspended from the NFL at that time. Speaking of fights, former baseball manager Billy Martin punched out one of his pitchers there, which got him fired…and promptly hired by the Tigers, which allowed him to spend more time at the Lindell A.C. As Jimmy Butsicaris told the Detroit News upon the bar’s closing: “So many people. So many incidents.”

Sadly, the bar closed in 2002, after a Red Wings’ Stanley Cup party, and the building was torn down in 2006.

This of course leads to…

SONNY ELIOT’S BARKEY/BAILEY REPORT

One of the Lindell’s most famous patrons is Detroit’s most beloved weatherman, Sonny Eliot. Sonny’s still doing the weather at WWJ-950, and before each Wings game, he tells us what the score will be for that evening. So…

The score of the game tonight (cue the trumpets) will be 3-2! My Dad says the same thing, so I’m going with that too. 3-2 Red Wings, and by the way, GO RED WINGS.

Anaheim Ducks- For a team that was so hot in the playoffs last year, the Quackers have really cooled down heading into 2009. They’re currently 4-6-2 and last in the Pacific Division. How much did the loss of Chris Pronger hurt Anaheim?

Atlanta Thrashers- Netminder Pavelec has been stellar so far. Very impressive 50-save effort to beat the Senators in their last game. Kovulchuk is also doing well so far, and Atlanta is simply just chugging along. 5-4-1, 3rd in the Southeast Division.

Boston Bruins- Some are worried that the Bruins aren’t doing as well as last year, but one has to remember that the Bruins are also injury-stricken right now. Right now they’re hurting, but they’ll be stronger once Savard and Lucic come back. They are also getting stiff competition within their division from both Ottawa and Buffalo. 6-6-1, 3rd in the Northeast Division.

Buffalo Sabres- Currently the owners of the best record in the NHL (in terms of W/L/T, not points or GP), the Sabres have stunned some critics and pleased others, with an 8-2-1 record. Goalie Ryan Miller holds a Top-5 spot in all stat-aspects of goaltending, and rookie Tyler Myers has just been locked up for 3 years. Currently 1st in the Northeast Division, and 3rd in the Eastern Conference. It should be noted that they have only played 11 games.

Calgary Flames- Have already been labeled as Canada’s best bet for winning a Stanley Cup. Currently with a 7-4-1 record and 2nd in the Northwest.

Carolina Hurricanes- No team has been as big a disappointment as the Hurricanes, save for maybe the Maple Leafs. I’m hurting for these fans in Raleigh. What happened? How can the team that challenged the Penguins in the 2009 ECF fall so far? Carolina currently has a 2-8-3 record, a whopping 7 points, and are 1 point away from being the worst in the league. Some say that Paul Maurice’s days behind the Hurricanes bench are numbered. I might agree.

Chicago Blackhawks- Starting off the season as win a few, lose one or two, the Blackhawks are still looking to hit their stride and really take charge of their division and conference. I’ve seen several blogs and articles that have predicted Chicago to make a deep run to the Stanley Cup. They’re currently 8-4-1 and on top of the Central Division.

Colorado Avalanche- Currently the most surprising team in the league…I mean, honestly- who expected them to have a 10-2-2 record? I’ll be honest, I sure didn’t. Hockey fans in Denver are loving it, and at the same time hoping that this is the status quo and that the roof won’t cave in. Memories of last year’s cellar-dweller finish still remain. Currently first in their Northwest Division and the Western Conference.

Columbus Blue Jackets- Heading into this season following their first-ever postseason appearance, the Jackets are looking to keep Ohio on the hockey map. Mason needs a repeat performance of last year to help this squad along. They’re 7-5-1, good for 2nd place in the Central Division and 2 points behind Chicago.

Dallas Stars- Okay, this is where this blog starts to get boring. I don’t know much about the Stars. All I can say is that they are 6-3-5, and are tied with NYI for the most games pushed to OT. Those 5 points are the reason they’re 6th in the Western Conference. The team is looking at Marty Turco to lead them, but they’re currently 4th in the Pacific Division.

Detroit Red Wings- On the bubble, either on their way to another Stanley Cup postseason or ready to fall from prominence. The loss of Marian Hossa is hurting them, along with several other key injuries, like Flippula. 5-4-3,  3rd in the Central Division and 11th in the Conference. Fans in the Motor City are hoping they turn it around, pronto.

Edmonton Oilers- Another team that I haven’t been following that much…but from what I can surmise by looking at the stats, it seems like the Oil are another team that is just chugging along and doing just fine, thank you very much. A 7-6-1 record is good for 3rd in the Northwest Division, and 9th in the Western Conference.

Florida Panthers- I still believe that there is a huge gap in their roster following the departure of Jay Bouwmeester. After threatening to make the postseason last year, the squad from Sunrise is sitting low with a 4-7-1 record, and 4th in the Southeast Division.

Los Angeles Kings- Another surprise team, although I cannot say that I am shocked to see them where they are. The management has been investing in young talent for years, and now they’re reaping the rewards. Veterans like Smyth and Scuderi have helped steer the youngsters, and it seems that successful hockey is back in the City and Angels. They are 8-4-2, 3rd in the (all of a sudden) competitive Pacific Division and 5th in the Western Conference.

Minnesota Wild- They failed to make the playoffs last year, and are hoping to change that this year. However, they are currently last in the Western Conference and have a 5-9-0 record, their most recent win a 2-1 victory at Pittsburgh (I was in attendance, it was a great game). It’s another team that I don’t know much about, but it doesn’t take an expert to see that something is awry in St. Paul.

Montreal Canadiens- The big chemistry experiment is still underway in Montreal, and so far has yielded so-so results. The Habs just came off a 5-4 SO win over rival Toronto, and have not lost in an OT/SO yet. They’re playing .500 hockey with a 7-7-0 record, and every fan is waiting for the day the team comes together. 3rd in the Northeast,  and 7th in the Conference. They have the talent, so what’s keeping them behind?

Nashville Predators- I only watched one game of the Preds’ this year, against Buffalo. It was a 1-0 game, in Buffalo’s favor, but it also was a goalie duel. The two teams seemed very evenly matched, but aside from that I am inexperienced with Nashville hockey. They’re 6-6-1, and 4th in the Central Division.

New Jersey Devils- Currently 8-4-0, and picking up where they left off last year. After being eliminated by Carolina in Game 7 last year, New Jersey is playing hockey with a vengeance, and were the 2nd team to beat division-foe Pittsburgh this season. I am still unsure about Marty Brodeur- some say he’s at his best, some say he’s past his prime. In either case, goaltending is clearly the Devils’ strong point with Brodeur and Clemmensen. They’re 3rd in the highly-competitive Atlantic Division.

New York Islanders- Financial struggles, a bleak future, a crumbling arena…and a #1 draft pick that is tearing it up. Sometimes I feel as if the league is watching the Isles, and secretly hoping they rebound. Me? I absolutely do. They have one of the best histories in the league, loyal fans, and it would be a shame for them to move…but aside from that, they’re currently on the rebound and climbing out of the cellar with 4-4-5 record and a current 3-game winning streak. They’re still last in the Atlantic Division, but 10th in the Conference.

New York Rangers- After one of the hottest starts in the league, the Blueshirts have cooled down recently. Fans are enjoying Tortorella behind the bench and it seems as if the Rangers have things back in order. Lundqvist can steal games, and he just did by blanking the Bruins 1-0 in their lastest game. They’re 9-5-1 and 2nd in the Atlantic Division, 4th in the Eastern.

Ottawa Senators- Another team that I do not follow…at all…despite the fact that they’re in the same division as my Sabres. I do know that some people still believe that they’re hurting without Dany Heatley, but Alex Kovalev has added some spark to the Sens. They are currently sitting 2nd in the Northeast, 6th in the Eastern Conference, and have a 6-4-2 record thus far.

Philadelphia Flyers- Have the Broad Street Bullies returned? Philly fans like to think so. Adding Chris Pronger from Anaheim seemed to be a blockbuster move for the Flyers, but their current 6-4-1 record is disproportionate to what fans were expecting. Personally, I don’t think Philadelphia has anything to worry about, and I have seen several predictions that place the Stanley Cup in the City of Brotherly Love. They’re 4th in the Atlantic, 8th in the East.

Phoenix Coyotes- This is a team that I am so glad is doing well. If any team needs to win and in a hurry, it’s the Coyotes. Shane Doan continues to be the heart and soul of the team, and the ‘Yotes boasts one of the best netminders currently in the league- Ilya Bryzgalov. I sincerely hope the Coyotes keep their winnings ways alive- they are 9-4-0, 2nd in the Pacific and 4th in the West.

Pittsburgh Penguins- The reigning Stanley Cup Champions completed one of the hottest starts in NHL history, and currently sit on top of their division, conference, and the league with an 11-3-0 record. The Penguins’ Goligoski has the best +/- rating in the league with a +12. The Penguins are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final, and are on pace to do just that.

San Jose Sharks- After a winning the President’s Cup in 2009 and being eliminated in the first round by the rival Ducks, San Jose is another team that is playing hockey with a vendetta. After a slow start, they have won 5 in a row and currently boast a 10-4-1 record, good for 2nd in the Western Conference and the top spot in the Pacific Division. Was acquiring Dany Heatley the final piece in the puzzle?

St. Louis Blues- Off to a rough start in October, they’re sitting 5-6-1 and last in the Central Division. They’re hoping to make it back to the playoffs, but won’t do so if they continue the un-inspired play that’s been plaguing the Blues bench. Another team that I have to watch more of.

Tampa Bay Lightning- A painful season last year has made some Bolts faithful weary, but Tampa Bay is banking on rookie Hedman to inspire the team and fanbase. Tampa Bay is a confusing team, because they have top-notch talent in St. Louis and Lecavalier, but nothing to show for it.  They have a very mediocre 4-3-4 record, and sit 2nd in the Southeast Division, 8 pts behind leader Washington. So the big question is, what is wrong in Hockey Bay, USA?

Toronto Maple Leafs- Now, this is where it gets embarrassing. I predicted that the Leafs would be the team to watch in 2009-2010, and while there is still a chance that might happen, right now things are not looking good. I thought the additions of Komisarek and Gustavsson would have sparked this team. Off to one of the worst starts in team history (and let’s not forget, they’re original 6 so that’s a crap-ton of history), the fans are finally getting sick and tired of sky-high prices and cellar-dweller performance. GM Brian Burke better think on his toes, because the Leafs’ 1-7-4 record is downright embarrassing, and ticket sales are starting to show it. They’re currently last in their division, conference, and the league.

Vancouver Canucks- Also believed to be Canada’s second chance at winning the Stanley Cup. They’re in a tight spot right know with Luongo injured, but their offensive prowess makes up for the loss. Right now they are playing .500 hockey, a 7-7-0 record- the same as the Canadiens. I personally believe that the Canucks will eventually hit their stride at start winning at GM Place- the only question is, when?

Washington Capitals- Looking at another return to the postseason, and their October has proved to be successful. They are banking on Ovechkin to be the rally point for this team and currently are 8-2-4, good for first place in the weak Southeast division and 2nd in the Eastern Conference.

The current standings for the Conferences, and if the Playoffs started today, who would go:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Pittsburgh, 2. Washington, 3. Buffalo, 4. New York Rangers, 5. New Jersey, 6. Ottawa, 7. Montreal, 8. Philadelphia

9.Boston, 10. New York Islanders, 11. Tampa Bay, 12. Atlanta, 13. Florida, 14. Carolina, 15. Toronto

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Colorado, 2. San Jose, 3. Chicago, 4. Phoenix, 5. Los Angeles, 6. Dallas, 7. Calgary, 8. Columbus

9. Edmonton, 10. Vancouver, 11. Detroit, 12. Nashville, 13. St. Louis, 14. Anaheim, 15. Minnesota

That’s October in a nutshell. I tried to not insult any team (although in some cases, it cannot be helped), in an effort to avoid any anger towards me. If anyone has comments or questions, please leave them. Here’s to another exciting month of NHL hockey!

Joe Louis Arena has been home to the Detroit Red Wings since 1979.  Not only has the Joe been the home of the Wings but it has hosted the 1980 NHL All-Star Game, three Frozen Fours, Detroit Pistons, Shock, and Drive games, the 1980 Republican National Convention, WWE/WWF wrestling, concerts, college hockey and basketball, and thousands of other hockey games (one of which I even had the honor of playing in).  Joe Louis Arena is still a great place to go see a hockey game but more for the history than any other reason, and other then hockey there are not many other events that chose to go there.  The Joe is getting old and is not nearly has fan friendly as other NHL arenas.

There has been talk around Detroit for the last five years or so about what the Red Wings should do with the Joe.  They turned down a 30 year contract renewal earlier this year, instead looking to sign a shorter agreement.  And who can balm them, no one wants to play in a 60 year old arena.  The next questions that arise are; when do the Red Wings need a new arena?  Where is it going to be?  And who is going to pay for it?  The answer to question one in my opinion is that the Wings have about 10 more years in the Joe.  By that point it will be 40 years old and most likely be the oldest arena in the league.  As for where to put the new arena there are lots of options, but I think Mr. Ilitch will keep them in the city limits, which is 100% the right thing to do.  Then just pick any abandoned building, and trust me there are lots of them, tear it down and start building.  I personally would like to see it built over where Tiger Stadium once stood.  The last question is probably the biggest when any team gets a new arena and this is where my idea comes in.

Since right now there is no why that the City of Detroit or State of Michigan could justify spending any tax money on a new arena, in case you have not heard there is a little depression going on in the state right now, and we can’t exactly expect Mr. Ilitch to build the whole thing himself.  So here is the solution, bring the Olympic games to Detroit.  The idea of an Olympics in Detroit has been floated around for a few years, but with never any serious talk that I know of.  Detroit should bid for either the 2020 summer games or the 2022 winter games.  I think that a summer games would work best in Detroit.  Now hosting an Olympics would cost lots of money, but it would help Detroit in the long run.  It would allow the city to rebuild a lot of areas that have been run down and provide the city with a number of state of the art facilities.  Second, an Olympic games in Detroit would give the whole world a brand new view of the city and show the world that Detroit is back and open for business.  It would be two weeks of free advertisement of the city for both tourism and business.  Paying for an Olympics would be expensive but the U.S. government should help pay for some of it.  Another idea would be to co-host the games with Windsor.  This would create the first ever Olympics to be jointly held by two countries.  How can the IOC say no to that?  This would also let the bill be split between the two cities, the State of Michigan, Providence of Ontario, and the federal governments in the United States and Canada.      .

Now getting back to that new rink for the Wings.  If Detroit gets the 2020 summer games, they could build the arena and use it for gymnastics, volleyball, or basketball and then turn it over to the Wings.  If it’s the 2022 winter games they would obviously just build the arena for hockey.  I would love to see Detroit get a new hockey rink and I have always dreamed of Detroit hosting an Olympics.  At this point this is just a pipe dream of mine, but maybe just maybe it will happen.  Oh and don’t think that there would not be an extra added benefit if Detroit got an Olympics when Chicago could not, after all I always want to beat Chicago.

After a shaky, or at least shaky start by Detroit Red Wings standard (if we were the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-3 record would be cause for a parade down Yonge St. ), the Red Wings beat a good young Los Angeles Kings teams  5-2 last night.  Eight months ago a victory over the Kings would have not meant much to Red Wings fans, but this game should give us all a sigh of relief that things are not as bad as some people may have made it out to be.   The Wings will still make the playoffs and I would say with 95% certainty that they will have home ice in the first round.  Now the division is no longer going to be a fore gone conclusion like it has been for the last couple years.  Our margin of error is gone.  As everyone knows the Blues, Blue Jackets, and Black Hawks (yes, I prefer the old classic spelling) are all much better than they were five years ago.  But the biggest difference for the Red Wings is the salary cap has finally caught up with this team and while Ken Holland as done a great job to field the team that he has, it will never be 2002 again.

The Wings and Hawks will battle for the division for much of the season, and that is not necessary a bad thing.  Remember those years when the Wings got knocked out in the first round?  Well, what the Wings showed then was that sometimes it is hard to turn it on after not playing a meaningful game in two months.  This year the Central will most likely not be decided until March.  That could be good for a Red Wings team that is going to need to play as many meaningful games as possible to gel as a team.

I still feel that the Wings will be division champs this year, but it will be close.  I like this team even if the goaltending scares the living day lights out of me.  A close division race is not all bad.  It means that we will be playing more meaningful games this year, which makes the hockey more exciting.  It may also draw in more fans for the whole season if the Wings are playing for something.  There are a number of Red Wings fans right now who just watch the playoffs because after Christmas the Red Wings are rarely playing for anything.  So don’t dust off that giant red panic button from the 1970’s and 80’s just yet and enjoy a season where it looks like every game is going to mean something.

Enjoy.

1.  Sabres 6, Red Wings 2.

2. Sabres goals, in order [period]: Stafford [1], Kaleta[2], Vanek[2], MacArthur[2], Vanek[2], Gaustad[3].

3. Red Wings Goals, in order: Filppula[1], Holmstrom[3].

4. Buffalo 38 SOG, Detroit 25 SOG

5. With tonight’s win, Buffalo takes the lead in the Northeast Division.

6. Thomas Vanek was announced to have an upper-body injury, which will keep him out for several weeks. Buffalo must find a forward that is ready and willing to step up to fill in the space left by him.

7. Andrej Sekera is also going to be out at least 2 weeks because of a rib injury, and Henrik Tallinder was announced to be ready to return to the active roster.

8. The Sabres, along with the Stars, are the only teams in the NHL that have yet to lose in regulation.

Personally, I think that the Sabres proved a strong case for themselves in this win. Earlier, I had quoted an NHL columnist that stated the Sabres had the NHL counting them out, and that fact will be used to their advantage in taking down opponents. The biggest question for Buffalo right now is who will step up and fill Vanek’s role in the high-powered Buffalo offense.

Buffalo looks to continue its winning streak to 4, with a visit to the Nassau Coliseum and the New York Islanders on Friday.

- The Tigers needed a combination of two Detroit wins or Minnesota losses to clinch the American League Central, something that the Tigers have never done. Seriously. The last division title was from the AL East in 1987, and the 2006 Tigers choked away the division and settled for the wild-card. By the way, that happened by losing at home for the final weekend of the season, while Minnesota won out. Needless to say, there are some parallels.

- The 4-0 Michigan Wolverines were traveling to East Lansing for the year’s game against Michigan State, who happened to be a struggling 1-3. For Michigan, could the Wolverines stay undefeated with a freshman QB under center? For Michigan State, could they somehow beat a possibly overrated Michigan team and salvage the season?

- The Lions won the Sunday previous, which blew the collective mind of Detroit. Most of us didn’t really know how to react, other than reenact the ending of Shawshank Redemption with fellow True Lions Fans.

How true this is.

Naturally, this wasn’t the best time for the Red Wings to play some unheralded games in Sweden. These games passed by largely unknown, with only a couple of my friends even noticing the Stockholm series. Between those other three events, and the regular weekend life of a social college student, most people just did not care. To the average person, these games were glorified preseason games, even if they did count in the standings.

Meanwhile, every other game had us on the edge of our seat, for better or worse. Every game had some meaning to it, drawing in our attention. It seems that something memorable was bound to happen, just because of the extenuating storylines heading into Friday; and in some way, each team delivered.

The Tigers managed to drag us all through the weekend without a conclusion. Two bad losses on Friday and Saturday led to a win-or-go-home game on Sunday, with the season resting on the arm of Justin Verlander. As you probably know, Justin came through. For that matter, so did Magglio Ordonez, with his four-hit day. And Ryan Raburn, with two big home runs.

Scoreboard. (points) Scoreboard. (nods head approvingly)

Somehow, some way, the Tigers managed to tie the Minnesota Twins after 162 games. For the next two days, all of Detroit will be focused on what we hope is the last baseball game at the Metrodome, with Friend Of The Author Rick Porcello on the mound. None of us can really believe it came down to this.

In college football, both Michigan and Michigan State could take something positive out of Saturday. Michigan State beat Michigan for the second straight time, something that hasn’t been accomplished since the early 1960′s. They got a great home win, and something that can be built on for the rest of the season.

Michigan, on the other hand, almost got another comeback from future Heisman candidate Tate Forcier. He almost had another all-time classic, with that last stretch of five minutes or so still destined for the Michigan pantheon. Even though they didn’t get the win, that ending has to show Michigan that they’ve got something special going for them this season.

For the Lions, last week wasn’t about recapturing magic, it was about just becoming a real NFL team again. For the first time in a long time, Lions fans could watch the nightly highlight shows without wincing. We could see our team play without the losing streak over our heads. We could hope for the things that all fans of a team hope for, instead of just wanting something so small and basic.

Of course, this week was a loss. Still, Matt Stafford threw for 296 yards! And a weakened Super Bowl champion in Pittsburgh comes to Ford Field next week, with the mood at the happiest it’s been in years. It could be a party in Detroit next weekend, with the first home game after the win potentially alongside a Tigers home playoff tilt.

Naturally, considering the name of this site, you might say ‘what does this have to do with the Red Wings?’ It’s really quite simple. Those two losses to St. Louis this weekend? Didn’t happen. Not in the minds of the casual Detroit sports fan. As far as most of the metro Detroit area is concerned, an October Red Wings game on the other side of the world doesn’t even get any attention besides a passing glance during a commercial break.

Don't worry, Jimmy, nobody saw you do this.

One reason why might be that Detroiters have seen just about everything with the Red Wings. A pair of regular season games against the Blues are non-events, especially with everything else going on. Red Wings fans have complained for years that we see too many divisional games, with almost 100 games against St. Louis in the decade. What is interesting about two more, right?

Another reason might be how the Swedish start times caused the games to pass by like a lone Tigers matinee in the middle of summer. On a Friday afternoon at 3 pm, most of the Wings’ fanbase is either getting out of work or still there. Unless the Wings were on the mind all day, the game will go unnoticed as people fight the rush hour traffic to get home.

On Saturday afternoon, the Michigan-Michigan State game started at noon, with the Red Wings beginning at 3. With the late overtime finish in East Lansing, the Wings had already scored two goals by the time everyone switched over. By that point, after three intense hours of televised sports and the Wings already winning by two, how many people spent the next two hours watching hockey?

All of this leads to blissful ignorance for metro Detroit. No one can be that worried, considering how young the season is. Any worry that is there, for that matter, can be discredited with the last twenty years of Red Wings hockey. ‘We’ll be fine,’ you say as your co-worker expresses concern. ‘It’s the Red Wings.’

Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard, let those sighs of relief go. Yeah, you two played terrible over the weekend. Soft goals, bad positioning, all of it. Luckily, those games were a virtual mulligan. Move on, learn what you can, and the real season for most fans starts on Thursday night. Good luck.

Until then, everyone will be worrying about the Tigers. One game to decide everything will do that to a city. Really, can Porcello win a road playoff game like that? Can the Tigers win a tiebreaker game inside that intimidating stadium in Minnesota?

Or, we’re getting their hopes up for the Lions. The Steelers don’t have Polamalu! They’re weak! Could the Lions pull it off? I mean, ‘any given sunday,’ right? We’ve got a small chance, it could happen!

Yes, We Can.

Maybe we’re wondering if Michigan can go on the road to Iowa and pull off a road upset. With Forcier, anything could possibly happen. We’ve had two amazing comebacks so far this season, and another one that fell just short. Could the Wolverines beat an Iowa or a Penn State? Who knows, but there’s a chance there.

For the other section of the Wings fanbase, can Michigan State take the momentum from beating the Spartans’ biggest rival and get back into the Big Ten mix? Illinois is having a down year, that could be another win. Then MSU is playing Northwestern, and with a win there, the Spartans are 3-1 in the conference. Who knows, could they play on New Year’s Day?

All of these questions are on the minds of Detroit’s sports fans. All of those questions will be answered in the weeks to come. Until they are, the Red Wings’ goaltending is off the minds of everyone. And until those questions are answered, Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard can get their minds into the game.

By now you are probably wondering what it is that the NHL did right and here it is (drum roll please) … The Pre-Season Schedule.  The Schedule is full of games that everyone would love to see if it was the regular season.  Now the main reason for doing this is probably just to sell tickets by giving fans something that they want to see.  But just look at 3 of the games going on tonight; Toronto@Buffalo, Chicago@Washington, and Calgary@Edmonton.  Those are all games with great story lines that I would love to go see.

The best example might be the Detroit Red Wings pre-season schedule.  The Wings only play Eastern Conference teams, who they only get to see once a year in the regular season.  Home and homes with the Rangers, Flyers, and Maple Leafs shine a light on Red Wings’ pre-season games that other wise would not be there.  Heck, even Hockey Night in Canada is picking up this Saturday’s Detroit at Toronto game.  So kudos to the NHL for an excellent pre-season schedule.