redeyedwings

I've posted a Wings essay from my writer buddy's blog before, and people seemed to get a kick out of it. It's not a Wings blog, but he is a Wings fan, and a good writer, too. I got the tinglies when I read this, and thought I would share it with y'all: "The aftermath of that hit summed up all the pussified, pushed-around, intimidated-into-cowardice stereotypes that the Red Wings themselves had almost begun to believe. So a year later, with Lemieux finally coming back to town, that had to change if the Wings were ever going to be a real team. I remember tuning into the beginning of that game, and seeing the pre-game skatearound. There was a different look on their faces. All business. No throwing pucks back and forth or juggling them on their sticks. No f--king around. It was on  you could just sense a different identity." http://dirtygames.wordpress.com/2007/03/27...old-dark-night/

From my buddy's Wings blog, Dirty Games, it's a Mike Babcock motivational speech. Okay fellas, come on in here for a minute. I've got something just tremendous to say to you. Men, you are down two opportunities to nothing to the San Jose Sharks. That's twice now that they've just taken the tremendous opportunity to seize the moment and enjoyed it, and twice that you have done just a fantastic job not seizing the moment. But that's okay. I know all of you play this game for fantastic opportunities like tonight, and I know that our best players are going to do a terrific job seizing that moment. Besides, I can tell you how we're gonna win fellas, because I've killed a shark before. I have -- it was a great white, I found it in a saltwater tank in a little resort on the coast of Africa. I spent my bonus for our finals appearance last year paying to have the tank constructed and the shark trapped in a net, brought onto a boat and helicoptered in from the ocean. It was just a fantastic opportunity to kill something I had never killed before and I really wanted to just be a part of it... And it goes on from there. Pretty funny stuff. http://dirtygames.ca/2010/05/babcock-pre-game/

My favourite preview thus far, from dirtygames.ca: http://dirtygames.ca/2010/04/wings-vs-sharks-eeyore-knows/ Wings in six, baby! Let's do it.

I offer this game recap to anyone still doubting. Henrik Zetterberg will ruin your ish: http://dirtygames.ca/2010/04/the-return-of-hank-the-tank/

From my buddy's blog -- thought this was a nice read this morning. Just posting it for the group. 1-0-0. That’s the only record that really matters. 34-23-12? Ugly, by Motown standards, but utterly meaningless. 0-1-0? That would be the record of the only other team we’re watching now. http://dirtygames.ca/2010/03/1-0-0/ Personally, I think we can even take the seventh spot, but like he says, just get in. That's all.

As of right now, the Preds are one point up with both teams having played 69 games. So yeah, I think seventh is a legitimate goal. That said, I really want the Wings to play San Jose in the first round, and they're currently two points up on the Blackhawks ... so 8th spot is fine for me right now. I'd love to see a Wings/Sharks first-round matchup.

Wanna get fired up? Check it out. The season begins tonight: http://dirtygames.ca/2010/03/the-season-begins-tonight/ Oh Hell yes. Forget everything else. Now it's time to do this thing. Let's go Red Wings!

If anyone is interested, here are the trades analyzed in haiku form. http://thegamesheet.com/?p=232 I enjoyed this one: Carolina Hurricanes trade Aaron Ward to Anaheim Ducks for Justin Pogge and a draft pick: Time is a river Somewhere back there down the banks Is Pogge’s career Anyway, not expecting Kenny to do much, but I'm hoping San Jose trades for another player who doesn't enjoy showing up for big games...

I know this hit home with me -- I personally can't do it. Whenever Pronger's on the ice, I just want Babcock to get him off it. Niedermayer's been a thorn in our sides, but he's good enough and classy enough that I can live with it, and as for Crosby, I just want Canada to win without him scoring too many points -- if Iginla, Staal and Toews could lead the way for us (three of my favourite non-Wings) I'd be even happier. As it is though, I don't wanna see Pronger, Getzlaf or Perry hoisting the damn Tourney MVP trophy or whatever it is... http://thegamesheet.com/?p=216 There's a good essay on it, what do other Canadian Wings fans think? I envy the American Wings fans right now ... team's doing well and Rafalski kicking ass for them!

This is an excellent point. As to the topic at hand ... c'mon guys. The USA program is good, but don't go feeling yourself too much just yet. Can I start listing the Canadian kids who are very, very young and will be welcomed to the team in 2014? Myers (yep, he's on our side) Steven Stamkos (oh yeah, he's not bad) John Tavares (also a decent player) Taylor Hall (this year's No. 1 pick) Matt Duchene (this year's leading rookie scorer) Drew Doughty (right, he's on the team and contending for the Norris at age 20) That was off the top of my head. There are more ... plenty more ... out there. I don't want to take anything away from what is a much, much improved USA program, and they should now be considered one of the world's best hockey nations. But the BEST program in the world? Even if they win gold at these Olympics, they won't be considered the best, nor will they be the favourite in 2014, I can promise you that.

I have loved Toews ever since that WJC shootout vs. Team USA. He's been my favourite non-Wing since he came into the league and every single thing I've seen from him so far reminds me of Stevie Y. I would buy his jersey -- broke as I am -- within an hour of hearing the news, were he ever to become a Red Wing. In fact, he's the only reason I can't bring myself to despise the Blackhawks.

My bad. You're right, I get those teams confused ALWAYS.

I would say that Darren Helm has a decent shot in the sort of role that Draper filled on the 2002 team. Dan Cleary will probably be too old by then, and unless a whole bunch of our best d-men get injured, I'd think Brad Stuart has no chance at all. In the system we have Logan Pyette (who played on the WJC team two years ago) and Brendan Smith, who is getting better all the time ... but it's far and away too much to expect them to be able to make an Olympic team in four years. I think Helm's probably the best bet -- though really, Stevie, Holland and Babcock have a much better chance at being back running the team in 2014 than any Wings' players have of wearing the uniform... barring a trade for, say Jonathan Toews (hey! I can dream, can't I?)

Personally, I hate Getzlaf because he's a punk, a bit of a bully and he looks like an idiot. I don't like the attitude of almost that whole Ducks team. It's better since the Burke days, but not much. Would I like him in Detroit? Yeah, probably, but much like the way I felt about Bertuzzi, I'd need to see him buy into the culture of the organization before I'd really start cheering for HIM, as opposed to the team in general. But for tonight? Hell yeah, f--k those Slovaks up, Getz. This is national pride on the line!

Well hell, look at the many contortions some Wings fans went through to get behind the Todd Bertuzzi signing. And I seem to remember some trade rumours for Ian Lapierre -- who I can personally remember cursing out loud about to my TV -- that had many of us excited. It will always fel wrong though to cheer for Pronger, I think even Ducks and Flyers fans probably know that deep down.

Here's a pretty good take I found on this from a Canadian writer: http://thegamesheet.com/?p=205 Can't believe this kid was the freaking CAPTAIN of the Canadian Junior Team ... what a joke! I agree with this guy though, the Devils should void his rights and he should never play in the NHL.

Not a bad argument from Dirty Games: http://dirtygames.ca/2009/08/you-bring-the...-the-structure/

Nice little essay from my buddy at Dirty Games today: http://dirtygames.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/outcoached/

The more I think about it, the more credit Babcock deserves for yesterday. He didn't let the guys get down at all, didn't let them get involved in Q-stache's bulls--t, played the hell out of Kronwall and Stuart instead of giving Chelios major minutes (no doubt Roenick is PISSED somewhere) and just kept their focus on the game, when it would have been easy for it to wander. He has too much talent to ever get a coach of the year trophy, but he deserves it. It's difficult to win in this league no matter how much talent you have, if you don't have a coach that can get the effort when he needs it, and that's where Babcock excels. That's my $0.02. And glad some of you guys enjoyed the article.

And Mr. Datsyuk don't speak, he just dangle dangle. And Mr. Kronwall shake hands with his shoulder first. And Brad Stuart. Mr. Stuart is the man who come at night and take your family away so you wake up and cry 'Where mommy go?" And Mr. Stuart, he laugh at your tears. Then punch your face. Mr. Osgood. He just watch and maybe he chuckle little bit like kid who watch teacher punish class bully with paddle. (Who needs syntax when you talk to Ducks fans?)

Damn! I can't believe Rafalski didn't get a mention. He's like Schneider, only without the annoying tendency to be absolutely terrible sometimes. And with cup-winning leadership experience. And I will always, always love that clip of Perry acting like a tough guy and nobody even listening to him. It sums up perfectly how I expect this series to go. "Hey Pavel, you're gonna get it. No really, you're gonna get it. You're all gonna get it. WHY WON'T SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO ME?! I'm MAKING THREATS!!!" Ask Mike Commodore how well going out of his way to try and hit Wings worked for him....

If anyone's looking for a fun read this aft while we wait for the game, I though this was pretty solid. According to my buddy, the Sharks don't understand how to follow the hero's journey in the playoffs, unlike the Wings, who know exactly how it works. If you're not a fan of LOTR and/or other adventure/fantasy stories, you might not get it, but I thought it was worth passing on anyway. He does some good work, when he actually writes about hockey. http://dirtygames.wordpress.com/2009/04/20...rks-are-losing/ Can't wait for tonight, boys. Let's get out the brooms!

It's my buddy's blog, that I post here sometimes cause he's a big Wings fan. I dunno what the rules are around here about posting friends' stuff, but I think his hockey writing is great. He's a journalist in Toronto but he doesn't write about sports for a living. He does have a fantasy hockey column in a paper up here tho -- and I finally kicked his ass in our pool this year (thanks Luongo!) anyway, I'm gonna have to send this comment to him tho, cause he's a huge Hunter S Thompson fan and he'll appreciate it.

I will be very upset if after reading this and telling everyone how true I thought it was, the Sucks come back to force Game 7 tonight. I really can't even explain why, since the Ducks have been waaaaay dirtier to our players, but I hate the Sharks a lot more then i hate them.

That's totally true, so don't think I was rooting for us to play Anaheim. But we're gonna play the Ducks or the Nucks, and both those teams are formidable, so it doesn't matter too much to me which one is next. Really, I just hate how everyone was all over the Sharks d--ks all year, and since I spent the entire season telling people that Thornton won't be able to lead them to anything in the playoffs, I'm loving this. That's all. Heck, if the Wings could have played the Sharks in the first round, that would have been perfect, too!