Jimmy Howard's staying. He loves Detroit. He could have gotten equal money in lots of other places. But he loves Detroit. You know who else finds Detroit to be ok? Reggie Bush. Prince Fielder. Torii Hunter. Anibal Sanchez. Yes, all signed for big bucks. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, that new safety. Big name players who could write their own tickets in warmer spots, in cities with better reputations. It's just strange.

Briefly, I'm not buying the "Detroit isn't a nice place to live and play" argument now anymore than I ever have. Good players in other sports are coming here because they feel the teams they join offer good chances to win.

All that stuff needs to be tabled now, until this summer most likely. For now, the Wings hang barely on to 8th. A disgusting place, really, when you consider that Chicago awaits unless Detroit wins a lot and moves up quickly. Disgusting because this team is not getting by Chicago in the first round. The second round? If the Wings get there, have some confidence, a playoff series victory under their belt? Maybe. But not in the first round. No way.

Tonite's a biggie. Tomorrow. The seven after that. Every game is a must-win, because you know they're not winning them all. Make sense?

It's a Live Blog, bitches.