Heroes of Hockeytown

I have no idea, but I assure you I'm aware that everyone is going to play with everyone.

I like Willy about as far as I can throw him, but at least he's not afraid shoot the puck from the point. *glare at Samuelsson*

New season optimism. They were not selling out the place during the second half of last season and I doubt they will very often on their way to probably 2-14 this year.

2008.

Well, the regulars looked solid. Leino-Flip-Willy is a good line; Dano and Bert are playing well together.

Everybody, standard issue preseason stuff.

Dan is lookin' sharp. I dunno who half of these guys are though, don't recognize any of the numbers. And nice job getting beat to the outside, Brett.

In this instance Okposo was being shoved from behind and couldn't really do anything about it. I wouldn't expect a player to pass it up during the season but during the preseason he ought to have showed some mercy.

Maybe this will put him on the short list of injury call-ups this year.

I hope you can hear this Mike, because I'm groaning as loud as I can.

Won't know until game time. All of the games besides the next Philly game will be televised on some network, so there's a good chance all of the remaining preseason games besides one will find their way online. With the exception of the Sweden game, which is not being covered by any American station but hopefully by a Swedish one and streamed somewhere.

We are defeated, my brothers.

Well done.

Unless your name is Mike Babcock.

I'm looking forward to soft Euros making pretty passes and avoiding confrontations.

I gave it a once over earlier, seems like a really lazy job on TSN's part, most of the player totals are identical to last year give or take 4-5 points.

Also going Iginla for this. Getzlaf outscored him by a slim margin this year, but Iginla had more goals, and has consistently been one of the top 10 scorers in the league for that three seasons and somewhat inconsistently before that.

He also started Draper on the top line for a shift for his one thousandth game. I remember because, impossibly, Mindfly took issue with that.

Yeah, I don't know what the hell the deal with that was. It's one thing to blow the call on CJ tightroping the sideline, but not a reviewable play? A player stepping out of bounds is absolutely a reviewable play! They had a review of nearly an identical play in the Bears-Packers game (the interception return to the goal line). I have no idea what's going on there with that crap. Yeah, I wasn't really expecting them to stop Breesus, or even for Stafford to do anything but struggle -- this was a loss from the get-go. All a part of the decade long rebuilding process here in Detroit.

Everyone knows trading Lidstrom is where it's at.

Just business as usual. At least the Wolverines are back.

Regrettable, but a foregone conclusion with his signing.

Hard to judge based on ND's defense versus the OSU/USC defense, but if they're at all close than obviously Forcier is by far the most impressive of the three. Pryor has a lot of hype and seemingly a ton of potential, and if he can put it all together (he is just a sophomore after all, not everyone is a super hero right out of the gate like our little man Tate ), then his career seems to project above them all, but we'll see. It's all a lot of premature talk on my part until at least the end of the season when UM and OSU clash, though. It's in the Big House this season so that could be huge. If Forcier can have another monster game against them then I'll be pretty darn convinced of his status as a deity.

Is there a certain number of votes you're shooting for? Unless it's significantly more you can probably call the round now because Hank has 11 votes. Well, make that 12, because I'm also voting for Zetterberg.

Joe Montana has found a worthy successor, but he doesn't play for the Irish. That final drive will become the stuff of legends. Forcier is out there, running all over, avoiding pressure, making magic with his feet, then hitting the man down field and winning the game. Pure brilliance.