Saturday, May 29, 2010

Hockeytown Garage Sale...

Last weekend, I met up with Amanda and Courtney at Hockeytown Authentics for the used equipment garage sale. We had a blast even though I’m pretty sure everyone else in attendance thought we were raving lunatics. That’s actually pretty par for the course for me as I often wonder why society lets me venture out in public.

We had a great time geeking out over the game-used jerseys, sticks, skates, and gloves. Amanda and I fist-bumped with Zetterberg’s used gloves. We totally felt the Eurotwin power in that moment. We were also amused by the fact that I was able to walk up to a pile of skates on a table and immediately pick out Z’s. Malik was not impressed with my equipment identification skills though. He says it was too easy. Whatever.

Another highlight was the Brett Lebda jersey and autographed stick. You’d better believe there was some RAAAAGGGGHHHHing going on when we posed for pictures with those.

One of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen was hidden away on a shelf at the store. This is a sleeping bag meant to look like a hockey player. The head is a detachable pillow so when you’re not using your sleeping bag (that feels like it’s lined with plastic grocery bags) you can cuddle with the disembodied head. It was selling for $50. For $5, I would’ve bought it just to use as a conversation piece.


The best moment, though, had to be when Courtney found a little goal light on a stick. She turned it on and commented that it would be a lot more fun if it made the goal horn noise too. Naturally, I whipped out my cell phone and played the goal horn ringtone on repeat. Then we took a video and pretended to celebrate the imaginary goal. It was pretty clear that everyone around us thought we were insane. This was the result:



Other things that amused us:
  • Homer’s stick with absolutely no curve.
  • The many repairs done to Homer’s game-worn sweater.
  • Realizing that Ericsson's stick is taller than I am.
  • Datsyuk’s pants that had giant holes cut into them and hemmed that way.
  • Getting into Draper’s pants.
  • The wide variety of Pasha sticks.
  • Discovering a horrific puck bunny t-shirt. None of use even understood what correlation “It’s raining men” had with the Wings or hockey.
  • Used equipment bags were selling for $500-700. As far as I could tell, all of the players’ numbers were accounted for so I don’t know that anyone actually purchased one.
  • Amazing kids’ helmet-style hats and inexplicably green Cat in the Hat-esque ones.
I didn’t buy any of the equipment, but I did raid the autographed book clearance table. I snagged a copy of 48 Hours with the Detroit Red Wings that was autographed by Brett Hull and On Tour with the Red Wings & Stanley 2008 signed by Homer. The 48 Hours book has a busted dust jacket, but both of them were way below list price. I also picked up birthday presents for my three siblings and a coloring book for myself for a grand total of $68. The coloring book has a jersey math section. I love it. I’d consider our visit a success. I really had no intention of buying anything because I didn’t figure I’d find anything in my price range.

After our adventures at the store, we walked next door and hung out at Joe Kool’s talking hockey for a couple of hours. We reminisced about the good old days of the Wings-Avs rivalry (Courtney’s a die hard Colorado fan) and how much we missed hating each other’s teams. We talked about the Tomas Holmstrom-Dustin Byfuglien debate and why we think Homer’s in a class of his own. We told the story of H2H. I got a ridiculously small yet overpriced pizza. The whole day was fabulous. Check out the rest of the pictures on Photobucket.

Friday, May 28, 2010

New Stomping Grounds...

This past week, I was invited to join the team behind the blog Chicks Who Give A Puck. I’ll be giving my Red Wings-biased opinion about, well, whatever I feel like. I got to know Courtney when she visited last weekend. My first write-up was about Steve Yzerman’s departure for Tampa Bay. I already wrote a piece about it here, but I tried to explain what he means to fans of this team for “outsiders” who don’t get it. It’s a little dramatic and apparently made my mom cry, but you can find it here. I’m going to keep posting stuff at SSDD regularly, so I’m not going anywhere. The Chicks blog can be found here, and this is the blog’s Twitter account. I’m pretty excited about this opportunity. I’ve turned down a couple of offers in the past to join other blog staffs, but I think this is a good fit. Besides, someone has to represent the best organization in hockey over there.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

I Won't Say Goodbye...

We’ve all known this day was coming for a while now. I honestly didn’t think he was going to take the Tampa Bay job, but I guess that shows what I know. It could be a lot worse. Tampa is in the East, so we won’t be seeing a lot of Stevie’s new team. I’ve also never found a reason to hate them. My feeling toward the Bolts is best described as “indifferent,” with an occasional tinge of general dislike toward warm-weather teams.

That being said, I feel like a little kid who has just been abandoned. It’s a weird feeling. It’s the same way I felt when he retired. This is the first day in my life in which Steve Yzerman is associated with another NHL organization, and seeing that picture of him with the Tampa Bay lapel pin is somehow jarring. I prefer to imagine that we're loaning him out to Tampa even if that makes no sense at all. I’ll get over it, I guess. I really do wish him the best of luck. I don’t think anyone in Detroit could begrudge his decision to take this next step. I do suspect, however, that I’m going to be spending the next week having nightmares about a Wings-Lightning Final someday.

You can have him as your GM, Tampa, but he’ll always be our Captain. You can’t take that away from us. There's a banner hanging in the rafters of Joe Louis Arena that proves he's a Wing for life. It hurts to see him walk away, but in the end I can't help but be happy for him. So no, I won't say goodbye...just good luck.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

What the Joe Means to Me...

A couple of months ago, I had to write an essay about a location that I considered "sacred" for a geography class. In this context, sacred doesn't necessarily mean religious (although in many cases it can). It refers to a place that has great value and meaning attached to it by an individual or group. Naturally, I chose to write about the Joe. It might be a little wordy and boring, but it was written for a class and I didn't feel like cutting or editing it just to post it here. It's not particularly interesting, but I felt like a slacker after going a whole week without posting anything. I also needed an excuse to point out the new banner that Sara made for me. I've been wanting a new banner for a while, and even have one drawn out in my head, but I haven't had time to make it yet. I think I'll stick with this one for a while.

I have many places in my life that I consider to be sacred. These places include my home, places on campus, National Parks that instilled me with a sense of peace, places that bring back fond memories, and even amusement parks. However, the place that I have always revered more than anywhere else is Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The home of my beloved Detroit Red Wings, it has always had an aura of magic surrounding it in my mind. Dating back to my childhood, “The Joe,” as Red Wings fans call it, has been a place that I have dreamed about and idolized.

Joe Louis Arena was completed in 1979 and is owned by the City of Detroit. It is most likely in its final years as home to the Red Wings, and its fate is a controversial topic among local residents. The Arena is currently one of the oldest buildings still serving as homes to NHL teams. It has long been outdated, and it is clear to visitors that it lacks the amenities of more modern sports arenas. The food services often cannot handle the amount of customers that flock to them during intermissions, and it is a common occurrence for ticket-holders to miss the beginnings of the second or third periods because the bathroom lines that spring up during intermission are too long. Those who are able to afford luxury suites find themselves situated in the rafters with views that make the action on the ice seem like it is a mile away. The Arena is located on Detroit’s riverfront, but was positioned in such a manner that it is extremely difficult to access by vehicle. Visiting the box office is often a navigational adventure. It is wedged in between the Detroit River, Cobo Hall Convention Center (home of our Auto Show), and a freeway. As such, there are no local eateries or bars to cater to pre- and post-game crowds. Finally, the Arena’s iconic entrances feature long, steep flights of narrow stairs that are difficult to climb for even the most sure-footed fans. Combined with the ice and snow that frequently accompany hockey season in Michigan, those stairs are quite a safety hazard.

With all of these flaws and shortcomings, people often wonder why I have such a strong attachment to The Joe. There are few things that I have loved more than the Red Wings in my life, and The Joe has always been a symbol of the team in my mind. When I was growing up, my family could not afford to attend many hockey games. Because they were so few and far between, each visit to The Joe seemed like an adventure. I would look forward to going for weeks in advance. My excitement would build as we drove down to the Riverfront. By the time we reached the top of the spiral ramp to park on the roof of Cobo Hall, I would be ecstatic. The steep stairs at the entrances to the Arena were not a problem for me as I would run to the top and eagerly wait for my family to catch up to me.

Walking through the doors into The Joe feels like stepping into a wonderland. The concourse is always packed with thousands of people wearing red and white jerseys. Cases of memorabilia and photos from the team’s history line the walls and pillars in the concourse. The most magical moment, though, was stepping through the curtains into the heart of the arena. To this day, the first glimpse of the ice surface leaves me in awe. It always seemed so small and far away when I watched games on television, but seeing it in person made it seem larger than life. Gazing up at the rafters is equally impressive; they are draped with dozens of red and white banners commemorating Division, Conference, and Stanley Cup Championships, and retired numbers like Steve Yzerman’s 19 and Gordie Howe’s 9 over the years. No trip to The Joe would be complete without a visit to ice level to watch the team warm up. Watching the game played from that vantage point really gives the viewer a good perspective on the speed of the game. I love to stand against the glass directly behind the goal while the team circles and fires pucks at the net. Seeing the pucks whiz by and smack the glass right in front of my face makes it impossible not to appreciate the skill and strength of the players and goalies.

One of my favorite aspects of visiting The Joe is being able to see plays develop on the whole ice surface. Hockey is a sport that does not always translate well to television. The game is played at such a fast pace that camera operators sometimes have a difficult time keeping up with the players or the puck. Watching the game live at the arena eliminates all of those problems. You are also treated to the unique sounds of a hockey game. The smack of the puck hitting the goalies’ pads, the rattle of the boards after a hard check, and the crisp sound of a tape-to-tape pass all have a sense of beauty to a die hard hockey fan like myself. Being able to experience these things in person is one of my favorite aspects of visiting The Joe. I do not believe that one can truly capture the essence of hockey on television, and the only way to really connect with the game is to experience it live.

The Joe also holds numerous fond memories for me. I can close my eyes and remember sitting in the lower bowl the night that Steve Yzerman, my favorite player of all time, scored his six-hundredth career goal. The entire arena stood and clapped for what seemed like ten minutes when his milestone was announced. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet Yzerman in one of the suites at the Arena, and I can remember that moment like it was yesterday. In recent years, I have been able to attend more games with both friends and family. I also got the opportunity to tour the Red Wings’ locker room with my little sister during a summer event recently. We went to a game together this season as well, and I enjoyed sharing the sport that I love so much with her at The Joe.

The Arena also has an atmosphere that is unmatched. I love the camaraderie that exists between total strangers during games. I attended a playoff game last season, and I have never heard a building as loud and enthusiastic as The Joe was that night. The game went to overtime, and the Wings eventually won on an odd-man rush. The fans rose to their feet like a wave as the players sped down the ice toward the opposing goal. It was as if the people in the seats could sense what was about to happen. When the puck finally entered the net, the arena was filled with absolute jubilation. We were jumping up and down, high-fiving everyone in sight, posing for pictures with strangers, and screaming at the top of our lungs. It seemed like everything was right in the world in those moments after the game. I had another similar experience the year before, when I went to The Joe to watch a game in the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a road game, but they sold tickets for a charity fundraiser to watch the game on the scoreboard in the arena. At the end of the game, when the Wings had finally won, confetti fell from the rafters as it would have if the team had been there on the ice. The building was less than half full, but the crowd that was there that night more than made up for it. After we left The Joe, my friend and I found ourselves running through downtown Detroit in the rain, wearing our brand new Stanley Cup Champions t-shirts, and high-fiving strangers, with confetti still falling out of our hair. I will never forget that night as long as I live.

I have never been to another place that has inspired such a range of emotions and fond memories. For as long as I can remember, Joe Louis Arena has been a place that I have held sacred. From the time that I was a child, I would dream about getting to go see a Red Wings game in person. Over time, those rare visits with my parents have given way to more frequent trips with my friends. For all of its flaws and shortcomings, I truly love Joe Louis Arena, and I am enjoying getting to experience its atmosphere more regularly during the twilight of its time as home of the Detroit Red Wings.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Nothing Lost...

Earlier this year, I referred to this as “The Lost Season.” I was wrong. We’re not celebrating another Stanley Cup in Hart Plaza, so you could call this season a failure, but we gained much, much more than we lost. In this season of stress and anxiety and agony, a great big community came together like never before. We’ve made a family that I never would have thought possible. Looking at all of the things gained, it’s hard to use the word “lost” in association with this season.

Sure, the trip to Sweden was a bust.
Sure, the first half of the season was a disaster.
Sure, it seemed like this team was being held together with bubblegum and paperclips for the better part of the year.
Sure, most of us were bald by Christmas from pulling out our hair.
Sure, we got called conspiracy theorists and the Tin Foil Hat Brigade by national media and bloggers.
Sure, we saw some of the most absurd calls and non-calls in recent memory go against the Wings.
Sure, the playoffs didn’t end the way we wanted them to, and today’s a day of mourning in Red Wings nation.

But…
We still brought Herm to Hockeytown.
We still raised over $5,000 for Children’s Hospital.
We still started The Obstructed View, which has been one of the more fun projects I’ve been a part of.
We still created a #redwingscommune and an entire lexicon of “communisms:” DrunkLebda, SoberLebda, donut goalies, RAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH, DinosaurLebda, PirateLebda, and Homerbait, just to name a few.
We still organized a flash mob to dance outside of the Joe wearing tin foil hats, and even ended up getting the mob’s headwear of choice banned from the arena.
We still turned a bunch of fake internet friends into a community of real life friends.
We still had a support group to hug and cry with at the Post last night, and there is no group of people I would rather have been with in that moment.
I still got to see and do some amazingly awesome things with some equally awesome people.
And maybe, just maybe, we learned to appreciate how blessed we’ve been here in Hockeytown for the last nineteen years.

I’m a Red Wings fan today, and I’ll be one tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. I’ll be a Red Wings fan in June when we watch another team take home our Cup, and I’ll be a Red Wings fan in July when I’m desperately trolling the internet for a shred of hockey news. I’ll be a Red Wings fan in August when I’m bored out of my mind, and I’ll be a Red Wings fan in September when I’m anxiously gearing up for the season. And I will most definitely be a Red Wings fan in October when the season starts up again. And yeah, you’d better believe I’m proud.

Red Wings 1, Sharks 2 (1-4): Post Game Snipes...

  • There’s not a lot to say about this one. I had a blast with the Commune. We even recruited my dad to join the festivities. Knowing that the Commune won’t be in session again until the fall is probably the worst part of this loss.
  • I didn’t want to post it then, but I told Sara that the series was over at the end of Game Two. I pretty much knew then. I think most of us did.
  • A second round exit isn’t bad for a team that was hovering in 10th place for a large part of the season.
  • This series was a lot closer than a 4-1 outcome would have you believe.
  • That penalty shot was a joke. I’m so, so, so glad the Wings’ season didn’t end on that call.
  • I hate thinking about all of the “what ifs.” Right now, it’s the head shot on Franzen. Tomorrow, it’ll be some other little missed opportunity or turnover. It’s a long offseason.
  • We got the plush zambonis that we’ve been coveting all year. This was the first time I’ve seen them at a viewing party. I also won a sweet t-shirt that looks all vintage-y and stuff.
  • Can it please be October yet?
GP Review:
11. Game Four was about pride. Game Five is about whether or not the Wings want to make this a series.
It was nice while it lasted. :)

10. Special teams again: make or break.
The Wings needed to capitalize on their powerplay chances when they had them. I can’t really complain about anything else.

9. Shoot on Nabokov early and often. He can’t be feeling good after Game Four, and if the Wings can rattle him from the start, they might be able to get in his head.
I don’t think he even broke a sweat.

8. Once again: STAY OUT OF THE BOX!
Much better tonight.

7. Is Stuart going to be able to go today? What about Eaves?
Eaves was a no go. Stuart apparently played through a sprained knee.

6. Sixty minute effort—win or lose tonight, Wings fans can’t ask for anything more.
The guys just didn’t bring it tonight. San Jose was better for the majority of the game.

5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either.)
The middle was the only part that felt good.

4. Johan Franzen needs to take all of that recently-reacquired confidence and channel it into tonight’s game. I don’t necessarily expect another four-goal outburst, but if he’s going to give the Sharks fits if he’s firing on all cylinders.
He did pick up an assist on the Wings’ only goal, but he wasn’t particularly noticeable.

3. Zetterberg seems to have finally reached full playoff mode. He needs to keep shutting down opposing forwards and driving them crazy.
I can’t complain about Z. Ever, really.

2. Jimmy needs to keep doing his thing. He wasn’t tested a whole lot on Thursday, but he should be feeling good about only letting the one goal in.
I hope Jimmy learned some lessons during these playoffs. They’ll help him in the long run.

1. Will the physical play and cheap shenanigans from the end of Game Four carry over tonight?
Not especially, even though I’m still bitter about the head shot on Franzen.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
He didn’t score, but he was doing crazy things with the puck at both ends of the ice.

Villain: Douglas Murray
Cheap shot. I hope he gets suspended.

Final Thought:
Despite all of the stress and misery, I truly enjoyed watching this season and getting to know everyone online and in real life. It was worth every gut-wrenching second.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Five GP...

11. Game Four was about pride. Game Five is about whether or not the Wings want to make this a series.
10. Special teams again: make or break.
9. Shoot on Nabokov early and often. He can’t be feeling good after Game Four, and if the Wings can rattle him from the start, they might be able to get in his head.
8. Once again: STAY OUT OF THE BOX!
7. Is Stuart going to be able to go today? What about Eaves?
6. Sixty minute effort—win or lose tonight, Wings fans can’t ask for anything more.
5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either.)
4. Johan Franzen needs to take all of that recently-reacquired confidence and channel it into tonight’s game. I don’t necessarily expect another four-goal outburst, but if he’s going to give the Sharks fits if he’s firing on all cylinders.
3. Zetterberg seems to have finally reached full playoff mode. He needs to keep shutting down opposing forwards and driving them crazy.
2. Jimmy needs to keep doing his thing. He wasn’t tested a whole lot on Thursday, but he should be feeling good about only letting the one goal in.
1. Will the physical play and cheap shenanigans from the end of Game Four carry over tonight?

The #redwingscommune is convening at the Post Bar in Ferndale for what could be the last official viewing party of the season. Feel free to join us. The more the merrier. I promise you’ll be able to pick us out of the crowd.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Red Wings 7, Sharks 1 (1-3): Post Game Snipes...

  • The game didn’t exactly get off to a wonderful start. The Wings took a too many men penalty right off the bat. Naturally, the question Wings fans had was, “Why didn’t the linesman warn them that they had too many men and give them time to get legit?” Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work?
  • Mike Babcock says Stuart’s expected to return on Saturday. He was injured in the first period on this hit by Rob Blake. While I still maintain that he wilted under the intense in-person hatred of Sara’s hubby, having him in the lineup is going to be important when the series returns to California.
  • I really was shocked that the one Franzen goal wasn’t called back for interference. Normally, I would feel the slightest tinge of guilt, but not the way this series has gone so far.
  • I was really amused when people at the Joe threw their hats for Franzen even though those of us watching on TV knew the first goal would be switched to Bertuzzi. Mule just wouldn’t allow those fine fans’ hats to go to waste, though, and kindly scored two more goals of his own.
  • Speaking of Bert, he had a ridiculously good game tonight.
  • Curly fries tomorrow! I think a four-goal performance is worthy of a large curly fries instead of the mini one you usually get. Speaking of which, in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Wings have now equaled their total number of hat tricks from the last two regular seasons. Not that it matters, but it was a thought that popped into my head.
  • Dan Boyle scored on his own net again. It was another fluky play, and actually bounced in off of a teammate, but it made me laugh. What did he do to the Hockey Gods?
  • Franzen’s natural hat trick was the first by a Wing in the playoffs since McCarty did it in ’02 against Colorado. That was a memorable game too, in the sense that I didn’t watch the third period of it where all the fun happened. I blame the city of Birmingham. I’ve never liked it there. But I digress.
  • Predictably, the Sharks decided to go out and goon it up when the game got out of hand. The refs tonight at least had the good sense to penalize them for their hi-jinks. I don’t really understand that mentality. I was concerned that someone was going to get hurt, but the Wings did a pretty good job standing up for themselves.
  • Thornton threw a nice elbow on Zetterberg in front of the net. In this picture, one guy shows character and leadership. The other, not so much. I’ll leave the interpretation up to you.
  • I’m pretty sure nobody actually landed a single punch in Abdelkader’s “fight.” Oh well, I guess it’s the thought that counts.
  • Of course, the goonery did inspire Mickey Redmond to exclaim, “She’s getting rough and dirty! That’s the way I like it,” which very clearly made my day.
GP Review:
12. I’ll start with the obvious: The Wings need to find a way to win this game.
Yeah, that just happened. For real.

11. Mattias Ritola is making his playoff debut in place of the injured Patrick Eaves and useless Jason Williams (Who?). This is exciting and terrifying all at once.
I didn’t see Ritola do a whole lot, but he at least didn’t stand out in a negative manner. Or try to kill me.

10. The Datsyuk line can’t afford to get taken advantage of defensively like they were on Tuesday.
The defense was tight all around. The offense maintained pressure in the zone. San Jose spent most of the game on their heels wondering what hit them. (Spoiler alert: It was a large, Swedish Mule.)

9. Powerplays have been few and far between this series, but the Wings haven’t done a good enough job capitalizing on them when they do come their way. Special teams have been crucial in every single game all playoffs long.
We all had to take a moment to re-learn about the concept of a Wings’ powerplay. Nobody was quite sure what to make of the fact that they were allowed to have a man advantage. Once they settled in, though, things really took off.

8. Jimmy needs to settle down and stop trying to do too much. People have been criticizing him, but they’re forgetting that he’s a rookie. He doesn’t need to be the savior of the world. He just needs to make the saves the team asks him to.
Jimmy wasn’t tested too much, but he made the saves when he had to.

7. Again, STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!!
Imagine that: a game where I didn’t notice any egregiously bad penalty calls. I even complimented the refs at one point on twitter. I know. The world may be ending.

6. Capitalize on mistakes when San Jose makes them. It seems like they’ve found a way to put the puck in the net every time the Wings make a mistake. The Wings need to turn the tables if they want to have a shot at crawling out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves.
Not only did the Wings find a way to take advantage when San Jose gave them room, but they also cut down on their own mistakes.

5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either.)
That early penalty aside, the first period was dynamite. Five goals? I’ll take that any day.

4. Win faceoffs. It makes it a heck of a lot easier to play the puck possession game we know and love.
The teams were dead even in faceoff wins. It somehow seemed like the Wings were winning the really important ones tonight, though.

3. Andreas Lilja is back in the lineup on defense. Here’s hoping he can settle Ericsson down.
Ericsson made a really good defensive play tonight! Everyone was so excited that they twittered about it. Having Lilja in for Lebda was huge since Stuart left the game early on.

2. Zetterberg really stepped up his game on Tuesday. He and his line need to keep carrying the play to the Sharks’ top players.
His new “remixed” line was insane tonight. That’s all I have to say about that. insane.

1. Keep testing Nabokov. He hasn’t looked nearly as spectacular as a 3-0 series lead would indicate.
His save percentage for tonight was .444. That’s not a typo.

Hero: Johan Franzen
Somehow, 14% of FSN voters disagreed with this selection. Four goals? Six points? A #JohanFranzenFacts hashtag campaign dedicated to him? The Mule did it all tonight. I just hope having to file for a restraining order from my brother won’t distract him from the task at hand.

Villain: Joe Thornton
I was so glad when he got slapped with his 14 minutes of penalties. I’m so glad the Wings don’t respond that way when they find themselves losing by a large margin. Good on Todd McLellan for keeping him on the bench for the remaining time after his penalties.

Final Thought:
Don’t think of it as trying to climb out of a 3-0 series deficit anymore. Think of it as trying to climb out of a 3-1 series deficit. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.

Pre-Game Mantra...

Our father who art in the Joe, hockey be thy name. Thy will be done, the cup will be won, on ice, as well as in the stands. Give us this day our hockey sticks, and forgive us our penalties, as we forgive those who cross-check against us. Lead us not into elimination, but deliver us to victory. In the name of the fans, Lord Stanley, and in the name of the Wings. Amen. GO WINGS!!!

(Posted on my facebook wall by a friend who got it from a relative who got it from someone else.)

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Four GP...

12. I’ll start with the obvious: The Wings need to find a way to win this game.
11. Mattias Ritola is making his playoff debut in place of the injured Patrick Eaves and useless Jason Williams (Who?). This is exciting and terrifying all at once. How is that going to work out for the Wings?
10. The Datsyuk line can’t afford to get taken advantage of defensively like they were on Tuesday. That was just ugly.
9. Powerplays have been few and far between this series, but the Wings haven’t done a good enough job capitalizing on them when they do come their way. Special teams have been crucial in every single game all playoffs long.
8. Jimmy needs to settle down and stop trying to do too much. People have been criticizing him, but they’re forgetting that he’s a rookie. It just feels like he's been trying to win the games by himself, and his being too aggressive has led to some goals. Just make the saves as they come, and let the team play defense in front of you, Jimmy.
7. Again, STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!!
6. Capitalize on mistakes when San Jose makes them. It seems like they’ve found a way to put the puck in the net every time the Wings make a mistake. The Wings need to turn the tables if they want to have a shot at crawling out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves.
5. This is the equivalent of a Game Seven. Start strong. Finish strong. (And, you know, don’t forget about the middle of the game either...)
4. Win faceoffs. It makes it a heck of a lot easier to play the puck possession game we know and love.
3. Andreas Lilja is back in the lineup on defense. Here’s hoping he can settle Ericsson down.
2. Zetterberg really stepped up his game on Tuesday. He and his line need to keep carrying the play to the Sharks’ top players.
1. Keep testing Nabokov. He hasn’t looked nearly as spectacular as a 3-0 series lead would indicate.

The Wings can still do this. The Sharks said it themselves: if any team can crawl out of a 3-0 hole, it’s the Wings. That being said, the version of the Wings we’ve seen for most of the playoffs won’t be able to do it. The post-Olympic streak Wings? If they start showing up, there’s a slim possibility. The NHL’s playoff slogan is “History will be made” after all. I hope for the sakes of all of the #redwingscommune members in attendance tonight that they don’t have to see a handshake line.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Red Wings 3, Sharks 4 (OT) (0-3): Post Game Snipes...

  • I went down to the #tinfoilflashmob with every intention of dancing with the crowd and then heading back to Hockeytown to watch the game with the Commune. Instead, an incredibly generous and as yet anonymous member of the flash mob provided me with an extra ticket for free. I started out in the second to last row of the upper bowl, right in front of the press box. By the first intermission, Sara had located a seat near her in the second row of the lower bowl and I headed down there. Halfway through the third period, the people in the seats next to her and TPL Mom left, so I scooted down into the front row. It was quite an upgrade. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful Red Wings fans.
  • Why was Brett Lebda in the lineup? Even better question: why was he ever out on the ice with Jonathan Ericsson?
  • You know why I love Detroit fans? From the back of the upper bowl, we saw San Jose commit a hand pass in the offensive zone and all started screaming in unison. I challenge you to find that kind of detailed hockey smarts in Phoenix or Nashville.
  • I literally spent most of the game hunched forward, clutching my rally rag like a security blanket. I occasionally put on the tin foil hat that was smuggled into the Joe for me. Why do I even bother going out in public?
  • If I’m not mistaken, I have now witnessed five goal reviews in the last four games I’ve attended at the Joe. Zetterberg’s was the first that’s gone against the Wings.
  • I made it on the big screen at least three times. This has been a lifelong goal of mine that I finally realized last night.
  • How was Pavel Datsyuk’s line that bad defensively last night? Pav should never be -2.
  • Oh Jimmy, you broke my heart last night. The Wings needed more from him. I understand that he’s a rookie, but he should want some of those goals back.
  • Zetterberg scored his goal right in front of me. If there hadn’t been glass in between us, I could’ve reached out and touched him. I even caught it on film (in pixels?):
GP Review:
12. STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!! Even if it means playing no-contact girly hockey.
Six penalties is still way too many for this team to take. It wasn’t nearly as ridiculous as it has been, but the really killer things were the non-calls that should’ve gone the Wings’ way. I don’t know how much of it was on camera on the broadcast, but missed trips, high sticks, cross-checks, and holdings had us reaching for our smuggled in tin foil hats more than once.

11. The Wings need to start better. The beginning of Game Two was a disaster wrapped in a blanket of nightmares.
The first period was actually pretty good. The Wings were all set to head to intermission with a two-goal lead until San Jose got on the board with literally two seconds left in the period.

10. I want to see more production from the second line. If I’m not mistaken, the Zetterberg unit hasn’t tallied a point yet this series.
Early on, I had Z tagged for a goal. It was one of those things where you could just tell by the way he was skating. I was more than a little excited that he was standing within an arm’s reach of me when he scored his goal (that counted).

9. Somebody needs to shut down Pavelski. He’s scored half of San Jose’s goals so far this series.
He still picked up an assist, but the Wings did managed to prevent him from putting the puck in the net himself.

8. On the off chance that the Wings get any powerplays, they need to make them count. Special teams have been make or break all playoffs.
One of their powerplays only lasted seven seconds. The other was unsuccessful. If you look me in the eye and tell me that the Sharks only committed two penalties all night (plus the one that led to the penalty shot), I’ll call you a liar. Go ahead. Try it.

7. San Jose has had too much success at getting traffic to the front of the net. The Wings need to adjust their game and keep them to the perimeter.
No, no, no, no, no. This needs to happen.

6. Home sweet home: They’re back at the Joe where the Hockeytown faithful will be out en masse. Take advantage of the love from the crowd.
They did start strongly, but faded toward the end. By the beginning of overtime, you could feel a sense of dread in the building. People were still chanting and cheering, but I don’t think there was a lot of optimism.

5. What ridiculousness will have you reaching for your tin foil hat tonight?
The tin foil hats themselves were banned, which is awesome for fans of irony. The goal reviews in and of themselves were enough to be diving for the safety of a tin foil hat.

4. Would it kill somebody to win a faceoff here and there?
Abdelkader was actually the only one who lost more faceoffs than he won for the Wings. Somehow, it still seemed like they never won one. Maybe they just kept losing the really important ones.

3. The Wings haven’t done a particularly good job entering the Sharks’ zone. They’re losing too many rushes at the blue line.
Case in point: the overtime winner.

2. Jason Williams (Who?) is in the lineup again in place of Patrick Eaves. What are the chances that he does something useful this time around?
Do not get me started. I’ve gone from general indifference and honestly forgetting about him at several points this season to a strong dislike.

1. The Wings have made a habit of playing best when their backs are against the wall. I know they’re not facing elimination tonight, but they absolutely can’t afford to go down by three games. They can still pull this out if they play like the Wings team we saw in Game Seven. Make it happen, boys.
Well, so much for my pep talk...

Hero: Henrik Zetterberg
He was the best player on the ice for the Wings. That was most definitely Playoff Zetterberg last night.

Villain: Jason Williams (Who?)
During the final two periods, he shot no less than two pucks directly at my face. I’m convinced that he stumbled across SSDD and saw my gentle mocking and wanted to put another puck through the glass and my head. Oh, and his 49-foot wide slapshot in overtime led to San Jose’s break the other way and their goal. We miss you, Patrick Eaves.

Final Thought:
I’m trying to cling to optimism, but it’s not working very well. I really did have a great time at the pre-game festivities and during the game though.

The Tin Foil Diaries...

We pulled off the #tinfoilflashmob last night with mixed success. I like to think that we amused some people, but I imagine we scared away just as many. Most people seemed to have a good time with it. This is the gallery of pictures from the hat-distribution phase/insanity packed bus ride over from Hockeytown, and here are some links to Freep and News pictures of our little group. This is the official video (graciously recorded by Rob):



I was supposed to make a bunch of hats the night before, but ran into real life obligations and was unable to do so. Instead, I headed down to Detroit right after work and set up shop in the Public Library. I never realized just how loud tin foil is until I tried to work with it in a library. After two hats, I couldn’t deal with being that obnoxiously loud and packed up. I headed across the street to Wayne State’s campus, and set up shop on a bench by a fountain. There, I proceeded to fold two economy-sized rolls of tin foil into hats to hand out at the event. While doing so, I was pondering at what point my life had taken the turn that led me to be making tin foil hats out in public in preparation to storm the steps of JLA and dance like a fool. Was it that fateful moment when I started SSDD? Or have I been heading down this path since that night in ’95 when my dad made me watch my first hockey game?

We gathered in front of the box office and began passing out homemade tin foil hats to passersby in order to recruit them to our little conspiracy theorist brigade. Malik came up with the awesome slogan, “Question authority!” We also discovered that people will take just about anything if you tell them it’s free. Seriously, yell, “FREEEEEE ___________________,” and people will stop and listen, even if it’s just a folded piece of tin foil.

At 6:45, Sara headed up to one of the landings on the famous Gordie Howe steps, and began calling the masses with a LGRW chant. We ran up the stairs one person at a time, until I arrived with the boom box. This was our first semi-fail of the event, as it would not start playing. Talk about an awkward moment…

Eventually, we got the boom box going and started doing our awkwardly cramped version of the Hustle on the landing. Do NOT try this at home, kids. We’re professional crazies. Seriously though, there were a couple of us who almost met our demise toppling backward down those deathtrap stairs. The song seemed to last forever, especially since I generally refuse to dance in public. We were completely disorganized and out of sync (you try adding an extra beat to the Hustle), but we had a blast.

Unfortunately, building security felt that the tin foil hats could be balled up and thrown on the ice (as opposed to everything else that could be carried into the arena?), and we were informed that people were being asked to throw their hats away before they took them inside. We were disappointed, but not enough to ruin our fun. Some of the hats did manage to find their way into the arena though, as the big screen showed fans in tin foil several times throughout the night. Sara, TPL Mom, and I even made it up there (with Bobble Rig):


We’ve been mocked by fans of other teams, and even called out by an SI writer, but these folks clearly missed the point of our little rally. None of us actually believe there’s an NHL conspiracy out to get us. Everybody knows that the NHL isn’t even remotely competent enough to pull something that epic off. We were there to have a little fun at our own expense. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what do you have left in life? We’ve embraced the notion of being the Tin Foil Hat Brigade over the course of this season (see: H2H), and wanted to do something ridiculous and random for laughs. Just wait until next time when we have more time to plan.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Tin Foil Flash Mob...

For those of you who haven’t heard (and seriously, it’s nice of you to venture out from under your rock now and then), we’re organizing a flash mob to dance the hustle to The Hockey Song outside the Joe this evening. I know it’s short notice by now, but I haven’t had internet access all day. We’re gathering at the Gordie Howe entrance at 6:45 and there will be more than enough tin foil hats to go around. For more information and up to the minute updates, follow Sara, Sara, or me on Twitter. Don’t listen to the haters who are utterly lacking a sense of humor. This is all in good fun. People should really learn to laugh at themselves. The world would be a much better place if everybody just lightened up for a minute or two. After the game, we’re going to be heading out with the #redwingscommune to watch the game downtown, so there’s no need to have tickets to the game. Anyway, please do join us. We’re going to look ridiculous otherwise…

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Three GP...

12. STAY OUT OF THE BOX!!! Even if it means playing no-contact girly hockey.
11. The Wings need to start better. The beginning of Game Two was a disaster wrapped in a blanket of nightmares.
10. I want to see more production from the second line. If I’m not mistaken, the Zetterberg unit hasn’t tallied a point yet this series.
9. Somebody needs to shut down Pavelski. He’s scored half of San Jose’s goals so far this series.
8. On the off chance that the Wings get any powerplays, they need to make them count. Special teams have been make or break all playoffs.
7. San Jose has had too much success at getting traffic to the front of the net. The Wings need to adjust their game and keep them to the perimeter.
6. Home sweet home: They’re back at the Joe where the Hockeytown faithful will be out en masse. Take advantage of the love from the crowd.
5. What ridiculousness will have you reaching for your tin foil hat tonight?
4. Would it kill somebody to win a faceoff here and there?
3. The Wings haven’t done a particularly good job entering the Sharks’ zone. They’re losing too many rushes at the blue line.
2. Jason Williams (Who?) is in the lineup again in place of Patrick Eaves. What are the chances that he does something useful this time around?
1. The Wings have made a habit of playing best when their backs are against the wall. I know they’re not facing elimination tonight, but they absolutely can’t afford to go down by three games. They can still pull this out if they play like the Wings team we saw in Game Seven. Make it happen, boys.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Red Wings 3, Sharks 4 (0-2): Post Game Snipes...

  • This game was a joke. There’s nothing more to it. There are days when I can’t stand the NHL. This is most certainly one of them. And yet, for some reason, I keep coming back time and time again.
  • That first shift was horrifying. We were absolutely shocked that the Sharks didn’t score there.
  • For the last, you know, decade or so, haven’t the Wings been pretty good at winning faceoffs? Because I’m really curious about what happened to their ability to do so all of a sudden. I’ve never had to worry about this before.
  • There were several occasions when we were screaming at the TV because Versus was zoomed in too close. We were inches away from missing one of the Wings’ goals because the net wasn’t in the frame, even though they were cycling in the zone. Honestly, the kids in the video production class who used to run the school announcements when I was in high school could put together a better broadcast. ZOOM OUT. We wanted to start a Twitter campaign to that effect. Thank goodness we get FSD back on Tuesday.
  • As soon as Nick Lidstrom’s stick broke in the third period, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that San Jose was about to score. It was just one of those moments that was too perfect. You could see it coming, but there was nothing you could do about it. Ditto on the goal on the 5-on-3.
  • The third period was one of the most frustrating periods of hockey I’ve ever watched. It began with anger, and ended up with just quiet resignation as I accepted the fact that the Wings were not going to come back to tie the game. The worst part is that the Wings looked just as frustrated and disheartened as I did. By the time it came down to that too many men on the ice call, I wasn’t even annoyed. Normally, I would be all over them for giving up and surrendering, but honestly, how long can you put up a fight against absurdities like the officiating in that game before you give up? It’s hard to blame them for being discouraged when so much as looking at a Shark the wrong way seemed to be enough to earn a trip to the penalty box. I know it’s not something you ever want to see, but it’s understandable.
GP Review:
12. Keep testing Nabokov. He looked very beatable on Thursday.
At one point, I’m told that his save percentage was only .667. That’s not even respectable.

11. For the love of god, cover Joe Pavelski. Please.
That man is on fire. He scored two goals again. Where is the Zetterberg-shaped blanket that’s supposed to be draped over him?

10. Can the Wings’ special teams beat San Jose’s? This has been a huge factor so far.
I’m just…I'm going to leave this one alone

9. Franzen finally broke through with a goal in Game One. Here’s hoping that gets him on a roll.
No seriously, earth to Franzen. Earth to Franzen. (Am I the only one whose parents used to say that all the time? Because my dad used to wander around stores looking for my mom while yelling, “Earth to Vic!” It’s unclear whether or not his difficulty in locating her was due to the fact that she was hiding. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone else say that before though.)

8. The Wings need to come out strongly in the first few minutes of the game. They’ve got a chance to catch the Sharks off guard after an extra day of rest at home. This is also contingent on the hope that the Wings aren’t the ones sleep-walking through the opening of the game.
How about that first shift, eh? Multiple heart attack-inducing scoring chances for San Jose, plus a penalty? Let’s just say that’s not exactly what I had in mind.

7. This probably goes without saying, but 90-second mental lapses like the one we saw in the first period Thursday can be killer. Avoiding incidents like that one will go a long way toward assuring that the Wings win the game.
Wouldn’t it be nice if that was the only thing we had to complain about today?

6. A win tonight negates San Jose’s home ice advantage. Make it happen, please.
They’re now down 2-0 in the series. It’s not impossible to come back from that, but my hopes aren’t high.

5. Don’t forget your tin foil hats.
Boy did we ever need them last night. This is the perfect opportunity to announce that we are coordinating a flash mob that will meet on the steps at the Gordie Howe entrance to the Joe at 6:45 on Tuesday before Game Three. We’ll be dancing with our tin foil hats. All info can be found here. Please do join us, and bring a friend (or 7).

4. Jimmy probably wants a couple of those goals back from Thursday, even though I really can’t fault him for much. Hopefully he’ll come out with a point to prove.
Again, not Jimmy’s fault. He even survived getting run by Brad Stuart twice (I count the time he checked Day Heatley into Jimmy as one.)

3. The Wings need to find a way to get traffic through the center of the ice when in the attacking zone. The Sharks were way too good at keeping them to the perimeter in Game One.
They spent way too much time defending and not nearly enough time attacking. Part of that is because of the excessive amount of penalties they had to kill, and part of that is lack of puck control. Both of those things need to get better.

2. The fourth line looked great on Thursday. Can they keep it up?
Did they even make it out on the ice? The Wings spent so much time on the PK, I'm not sure they even got to play last night.

1. Patrick Eaves is day-to-day with an arm injury. How effective is he going to be if he’s in the lineup?
He wasn’t able to go, and instead we got treated to Jason Williams (Who?). I think the Wings missed Eaves on the PK, and they sure could’ve used another penalty killer in the lineup to spread the minutes around. Please, please be okay for Game Three.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
His goal was magnificent. When he scored, I really had a good feeling about the evening. I though things were going to be okay. I had no idea what was about to transpire.

Villain: The referees
I know Brad Watson was one of them, but I’m not willing to put in the effort to look up the other guy’s name. This game was an embarrassment. It was worse than Game One, which is actually kind of an accomplishment. It’s like the refs are caught in some kind of sick game of one-upsmanship (Yes, I just invented that word.) to see who can call a more miserable game. I really don’t think it’s too much to ask to let the players decide the outcome of the game. And yes, I realize that the Heatley goalie interference call was a joke, but as others have said, one bad call doesn’t even out a handful against the Wings.

Final Thought:
I truly, honestly hate the NHL. And Versus. It’s a testament to the extent to which we are all addicted to hockey that we keep coming back night in and night out.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Two GP...

12. Keep testing Nabokov. He looked very beatable on Thursday.
11. For the love of god, cover Joe Pavelski. Please.
10. Can the Wings’ special teams beat San Jose’s? This has been a huge factor so far.
9. Franzen finally broke through with a goal in Game One. Here’s hoping that gets him on a roll.
8. The Wings need to come out strongly in the first few minutes of the game. They’ve got a chance to catch the Sharks off guard after an extra day of rest at home. This is also contingent on the hope that the Wings aren’t the ones sleep-walking through the opening of the game.
7. This probably goes without saying, but 90-second mental lapses like the one we saw in the first period Thursday can be killer. Avoiding incidents like that one will go a long way toward assuring that the Wings win the game.
6. A win tonight negates San Jose’s home ice advantage. Make it happen, please.
5. Don’t forget your tin foil hats.
4. Jimmy probably wants a couple of those goals back from Thursday, even though I really can’t fault him for much. Hopefully he’ll come out with a point to prove.
3. The Wings need to find a way to get traffic through the center of the ice when in the attacking zone. The Sharks were way too good at keeping them to the perimeter in Game One.
2. The fourth line looked great on Thursday. Can they keep it up?
1. Patrick Eaves is day-to-day with an arm injury. How effective is he going to be if he’s in the lineup?

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Red Wings 3, Sharks 4 (0-1): Post Game Snipes...

  • The general sentiment around Red Wings nation has been quiet optimism. This loss wasn’t nearly as devastating as any of the three in the first round. Sure, I left Hockeytown angry, but my bad mood had more to do with that 5-on-3 than anything else. The Wings are by no means out of this series.
  • The back-to-back joke calls were bad enough on their own, but the fact that they led to the game-winning goal makes it that much worse.
  • Franzen apparently went to the box for the rarely called “two minutes for being high-sticked” penalty. We did, however, have a good laugh when he was shown on the bench during the third with dried blood still on his face. My brother, who was attending his first ever #redwingscommune meeting, said, “I didn’t think it was possible for Franzen to get any sexier.”
  • If I were one of the referees, I would be legitimately angry at that dive Setoguchi took. I mean really, have some self-respect.
  • The frustrating thing is that we have to spend the two-day break banging our heads against the wall, haunted by the series of blown calls (which at this point should really just be a regularly scheduled part of your routine). The good new is that except for that minute and a half in the first period, this was not a bad game at all. San Jose did a better job capitalizing on mistakes, but by no means dominated.
  • I had a blast with the Commune again. You guys make my life. Even getting evicted from our H2H nostalgia fest was better with you crazies around. Ugly sweaters, sitting IN the TV, collecting free stuff, and hating our waitress together made the night fun despite the loss. And I left with this, thanks to another trivia victory assisted by Commune members with some backup from Twitter. We never did find out if 99 was the right answer to the unofficially retired numbers question, since they didn’t give us the answers.
GP Review:
12. The most important thing for Game One is to keep up the momentum from the last round. The Wings played one of the best games we’ve seen them play in a long time, and they need to keep it up.
They didn’t exactly get off to a blazing start. It goes without saying that the first period left a lot to be desired. That being said, they carried the play for most of the game. That’s encouraging.

11. Coming out strong and aggressive is going to be really important. They can’t afford to be tentative and passive at the start of the game.
I should probably just copy/paste the last answer.

10. The Wings’ stars led the team in a big way during Game Seven. They’ll need to keep shining to take the team past the more threatening Sharks.
They really weren’t bad, aside from those breakdowns. This wasn’t one of those games that was lost because the stars disappeared.

9. This is going to be Zetterberg’s first chance at a real shut-down assignment. Watching him frustrate opposing stars is a thing of beauty. Who is Babcock going to assign him to? My money’s on Pavelski.
I’ll admit that I was a little distracted with #redwingscommune festivities so I wasn’t really watching matchups. I do know that Pavelski had way too much room last night.

8. Make no mistake: special teams won Game Seven. The powerplay and PK need to keep clicking and avoid any Game-Six-like disasters.
Yeah, about that…

7. The Wings need to solve Nabokov early and keep him from getting into a groove.
He made some good saves, but he looked beatable.

6. This is a battle between the fresh-from-the-first-round Wings and the well-rested Sharks. Who is going to look better?
The Sharks definitely got off to a better start, although I’m skeptical as to the extent which fatigue impacted the Wings’ play. We’ve seen those kind of starts consistently all season regardless of how much time they had off between games.

5. Now that Jimmy’s got a whole round of playoff experience under his belt, he just needs to settle down and do his thing.
You can’t pin this one on him, but I’m sure there were a couple of goals he’d like back.

4. Here’s hoping that Franzen’s been stockpiling all of his goals for the later rounds. Assists are nice, but he makes the big bucks to score goals.
He ripped a nice shot past Nabokov. Here’s hoping that goal plus anger over the missed high stick are enough to wake him up for real.

3. Don’t let the Sharks carry the physical play.
This didn’t seem like an issue to me.

2. The second defensive pairing needs to get things under control. I want to see fewer turnovers and at least one Kronwalling.
Alas, there were no Kronwallings.

1. Start Round Two off on the right foot, boys. We’re all counting on you.
Well that didn’t happen.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
Best player on the ice again. He does things with the puck that just shouldn’t be done every single night.

Villain: Devin Setoguchi
That was just embarrassing. Seriously. Even for a guy whose wikipedia page lists one of his nicknames as Dive-O-Guchi. (Not sure if that's a recent addition or well-established.)

Final Thought:
It should not be this frustrating to love hockey. Thanks, NHL.