Note to readers: this post started out as normal as any other. I have no idea where or why it took the turn that it did. I’m just sayin’.
Man, there is no better way to start the short work week than a frigging 2200 faceoff way out West. Uncle Mike’s found you a reason to stay up.
Vancouver Province
Babcock sang the praises of the Canucks emerging young speedsters, the team’s disciplined play without the puck and the team’s solid back-end.
And, he said with a big grin, he was intrigued by a Pavol Demitra quote in Sunday’s Province:
“I read in the paper that Demitra and the Sedins are the best line in hockey, so we’ll see if that’s true.”
Actually, it was a little milder than that...
Demitra has talked openly about his love of Vancouver and how he believes his union with Henrik and Daniel Sedin has the potential to be the league’s top line. Well, that might be a stretch, but it speaks to how an often-misunderstood Demitra has bought into the program.
...but whatever works.
So…the Wings win tonite and they’ll have a 15-2-3 record after twenty games. Yet…we bitch. Can you believe that? And I’m not pointing fingers. I’m guiltier than all of you. I’m sitting in my car this morning, literally stressing about goaltending. Seriously. In the parking lot at work literally staring off into space worrying about whether Conklin should be starting tonite, but if he does what does that do to Osgood’s psyche but Osgood’s psyche has never been a problem it’s his GAA and save percentage that are the real issues but since when have stats really defined Osgood or any other Wing goalie man I’ve got to get into work I’m late I wonder if Homer’s back is some sort of degenerative thing or is it a result of all the MFing slashes he takes from dirty filthy horrible people like Turco or whoever the last bastard was to lay the wood to his back and do I even know what degenerative means?
Oh, don’t you sit there and laugh at me. Don’t you do it. You frigging hypocrites. You’ve all done that. Hell, you’ve probably done that three times today already. That, my friends, is our communal lot in life.
They talk about you, you know. Fans of other teams. They wonder where you get the frigging GALL to worry about a team so talented. I have no answer for them. It is what it is. It’s who we are.
I read HockeyinHD’s comment this morning on this post. You see, I’d moved on from the goaltending straight to the Big Three. I was focused. Walking into the office I had convinced myself that Hossa was going to call Tick Tock tonite and say this, “It is love that I have playing for these Red Wings. Please allow me to do so for a term of 36 months and for money not more than 6 million dollars per year. That is the love that I have.”
I’m not kidding. I imagined that conversation. Then I read HinHD’s comments.
It’s not going to happen. All three aren’t staying. Get over it.Now, if any or all of them decide to play for peanuts, sure… but we’re talking about Z and Hossa both signing for <7 mil a year and Franzen signing for <4. That’s the only way you can even begin to make a valid case for all three returning, and those expectations are irrational at best.The depth guys already make ~ a mil, so replacing all of them with kids who make barely less than that doesn’t provide any room. The team IS NOT going to trade a Cleary or a Filppula, the only forwards besides Datsyuk who have long term deals above a million bucks. The team IS NOT going to trade Stuart, or Kronwall, or Rafalski… they have NTC or NMCs and it’s just stupid to trade them.\Unless the cap climbs north of 60 mil the room to retain all three guys simply does not exist.Hell, keeping just TWO of them may be more than the Wings can manage if the cap drops to 55 as has been reported by ‘sources’.
If someone were to say that to me in person, to offer that argument, to provide that kind of rational thought…I’d tell them to shut their whore mouth. I like my Hossa/Holland confab a whole hell of a lot better.Oh…I forgot. We’re supposed to be enjoying this year. We’re supposed to think in the now. Oh yes. I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere.Just who the hell do you think you are? Do you not understand your role? You are Red Wing fans. You must stress. It is mandatory.15-2-3. What fan of what team wouldn’t kill for that mark after 20?Not us. Nope. What are we looking at now? Six in a row after the Pittsburgh loss? Has there been one mention of that on any comment the last few days? Not that I remember. I certainly haven’t brought it up. Not appropriate. Who are we to talk about a little six gamer when the last loss was so horrific? Absolutely in…appropriate.You know what. I give up. It’s not even possible to enjoy the games anymore. Our expectations are so high, so unrealistic, that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to just…like the sport.So, I’m taking a stand. I’ve decided I won’t be watching the game tonite. I’m going to watch the 24 I DVR’d last night and be amazed at the tenacity and perseverance of one Jack Bauer.Bauer. Bauer…my first skates were Bauer turbos. Who plays Jack Bauer? Oh, that’s right. Kiefer Sutherland. Every time I hear his voice it reminds me of those Stanley Cup commercials. Those were cool. Now if this was a playoff game would I be watching 24 or the game. It’s not the playoffs. It’s November. I’m not watching the game. I vowed I wouldn’t. Plus 24’s on. But it’s DVR’d. You can watch it any time. It’s a Wing game. Wonder how Osgood’s playing? He needs to play well, needs to snap out of it, can’t let in three goals again, need to get him out of that funk, what can I do, can I somehow fix that?See you at 10. Live blog starts at 9:30.
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