TheXym

Just got in. Glad to see the boys up so far. Having to watch a Chicago feed on NHL network sucks. I assume Howie has made a few average saves already?

Make it count!

Just got in from band rehearsal, what's the short version of the goal recap?

Growing up in Eastern PA, my dad tried to raise me a Philly fan. It worked for the Phillies and, for my early years, the Flyers. Don't give a flying **** about basketball, and will only watch football if no hockey is on. Fast forward to 1983. We travelled to Farmington Hills to visit family who was living there at the time over the Christmas break. My 12th birthday was Dec. 20th, and they knew my dad and I loved hockey. The Wings game on 12/23 was my present. Due to the less than stellar record of the team back then, we had nice seats. A rookie named Steve Yzerman scored his first hat trick against the Toronto Make-Beliefs (or Maple Laffs, take your pick). I thought his name was the coolest sounding, and it started with a Yz, which reminded me of Rush (who I was and still am a huge fan of), and seeing the Wings uniforms live made me realize how awesome they are compared to any other jersey. I was hooked. Dad made lots of "dead things" comments to rib me, and I only got to see games if hey played the Flyers for years. In college I was also able to get the Pittsburgh feeds when they played the Pens and espn2 had several Wings games. I was also very active on the Red Wings listserv out of MSU that Dave Vergolini used to run. When the Blue Band came out for the PSU-UM game quite a few folks on the listserv stopped by the practice field we were using to say hello to the trumpet player in the Yzerman jersey. When I graduated in 1995 and moved to my current town, I was actually able to pick up the WJR radio feeds depending on the weather. Once Time Warner cable started carrying Center Ice, I was a happy man. A big reason why I'm such a diehard fan of the Wings is that, as others have said, the organization, from the top down, has been, since the Ilitch family bought it, has been a class act. Yzerman and Lidstrom are two of the classiest players and leaders the sport has known, or ever will know. I've taken more than my share of harassment living in enemy territory over the years, but rock the jerseys proudly. Games 3 and 4 of the 1998 Cup Finals were the best live games I've seen, and seeing Konstantinov on the ice for that cup was a beautiful moment (and I was glad I wore my Fedorov jersey for game 3 so I had the Konstantinov jersey on for it). Now that the Pens and Sens AHL teams are on both sides of me within an hour, I wish they'd play the Griffins so I could see our prospects live.

Eliot played like he did last year, gotta give him credit. Lots of perimeter shots and glove hunting by the Wings today.

Gotta give Eliott credit for making the saves he had to.

Agreed, however it's also a call where the ref has no discretion and must call it.

Good sequence there, best chances of the day.

Does that qualify as the JUCK F**KING POTT or a kick to the yambag? (apologies for invoking old LGW memes)

One of, if not the best teams in the league at it. But then, hasn't that been a hallmark of Hitchcock-coached teams?

Well said.

Del Keyser again a few times.

Great chance on the one-timer there. Good save by Eliot.

I believe the triggering for too many men call is te offending team playing the puck. That didn't happen on the call today.

If it's there, call it. Blues have done well on the PK today. We can complain about our PP being inept, but the Blues' PK is solid and deserved credit where it is due.

Very well said. BOTH teams and their fanbases deserve a game called fairly, consistently, and evenly. I don't want to lose due to weak officiating, but I don't want to win because of it either. If it's a penalty, call it both ways all the time. If it's not, don't.

The Blues are imho, a better team than 8th place. If they get in the post season, they can make some noise. Our offense is too much from the perimeter. Bring back the one-timer, I've been saying it for a few years now.

Tootoo passed up several shots that he'd have taken in the past early in his tenure here, which surprised me. That is what made me turn around. I understand the physics of a large body making impact. If a guy is vulnerable and you know it, you don't need to absolutely destroy him from behind. FWIW I agree w/the hit on Huskins being clean.

Two minutes for farting into the crease.

Those jerseys are growing on me. The question now is which player to get?

There is a difference between rough and cheap. Backes crosses that line too often imho. There is a difference between hitting hard and hitting to injure. I love a power forward who hits hard. One who hits to injure has no place in the game.

No, but when there are more than enough examples over multiple games in multiple seasons, it can create that perception. That series was only the example that jumps to mind.

Talk about your garbage goals. Plenty of time to get it back. Let's Go Wings!

Watch the 2007 series against Anaheim for exhibit "A".

I think a Blues player would have had to touch it for the whistle.