Last Friday night I was in Joe Louis Arena standing and cheering and banging on the glass as the Red Wings defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-2. (Check out Lamp The Light on Facebook for more pictures).
I went to the game with Catie--a friend, coworker, and avid-Wings fan--and we were able to sneak our way down to seats right on the glass. Normally I prefer to sit up in higher sections to watch the plays develop on the ice, but to witness the speed and strength of these guys just inches from my face was an entirely different experience!
Anyway, Catie reminded me of a certain annivesary before the puck drop. The date was March 26...exactly 13 years after this:
I watched that game live as well, except I was sitting in front of a television screen instead of a pane of glass.
1997 was a fantastic year to be a Red Wings fan. With the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL parching the throats of everyone in Hockeytown, the Wings were anxious to quench the thirst. But first, they had to get by Colorado.
Claude Lemieux knocked Kris Draper out as the Avalanche knocked the Wings out of the 1996 playoffs. And taboot (taboot), the Avs were threatening to sweep the regular season series from Detroit, having already won three previous matchups in the 96-97 season. Everything was set for an epical game.
Tragedy. Revenge. Triumph. From beginning--the hit on Kris Draper--to end--Detroit's first Stanley Cup championship in over 40 years--the rivalry was poetry.
For me, that game on March 26, 1997 offered the greatest display of camaraderie between teammates and fans I have ever been a part of. Everybody wearing red--whether they were on the ice, in the stands at the Joe, or at home watching on TV--can proudly point to that game, that moment, and say, "That is why I love the Red Wings."
My eyes still well up when I watch replays. The Stanley Cup would not have come to Detroit that season without that game.
On the ride to the Joe last Friday Catie asked me if I had seen the online McCarty/Lemieux interview. She assured me that they did indeed sit down together for the first time ever and discussed the rivalry, the brawl, and whether either would ever want to play together on the same team.
I finally got around to watching the near-20 minute interview this morning, and i have to say it is freaking awesome! And as much as I would have liked to see Mac punch Claude in the mouth one more time, it was kinda cool, in a stomch-churning sort of way, to see them shake hands.
Both guys have a great amount of respect for the game, and it seems at least for each other. To listen and watch them interact off the ice and share differing perspecetives on emotional memories is absolutely compelling.
Here is the entire interview broken up into three videos. The girth on these is too wide for my blogging format, so click on each to view the full videos. Enjoy!
It is still ringing in my ears: "Crosby Sucks! Crosby Sucks! Crosby Sucks!"
The amount of attention from the fans inside Joe Louis Arena last night dedicated to taunting Sidney Crosby might have overshadowed the excitement of the Wings winning a great and meaningful game.
This wasn't just an important game in the standings, it was an important statement to Crosby, the Penguins, and the rest of the NHL. It might even be the biggest statement the Wings have made all season long. We are healthy. We are back. We are the Red Wings!
This was the best all-around game I have seen the Wings play this season. Yeah, I know, I have said that several times before, but it is a testament to how much this team has been improving, how well they have been playing lately, and how much they truly suffered from all the extended stays in the infirmary.
Yet so much focus from the fans was directed straight at Crosby, booing him every time he touched the puck and taunting him with chants before, during, and even after the game. Birthday boy Matt and I were loving every minute of it.
Some Pondering On The Long Ride Home
Sitting in a stand-still on the roof of the JLA parking ramp and waiting for the cars ahead of us to begin moving, Matt and I tuned into 97.1 FM and listened to Jeff Riger's thoughts and comments on the game. We kept listening on the drive back along I-96 towards Grand Rapids. The station stayed with us until we nearly got to Lansing, and we stayed glued to Riger's main topic:
Is Sidney Crosby the most hated athlete in Detroit, regardless of sport?
The question rang loud to me. To hate another player to the degree that I hate Crosby, in my book, means he must be a huge rival to a team that I love. So, here I go digressing...
Who do I hate in football? Terrell Owens--but he has no impact on me as a Lions fan. Brett Favre--sure I find him annoying and he has always been a Lion tamer, but I respect the crap out of him. Larry Johnson--only because I insist on drafting him in fantasy leagues and he insists on screwing me. Honestly, because the Lions are and have been so terrible, there is nobody that stands out.
Who do I hate in baseball? A-Rod--not really, it's just not cool to like him. Barry Bonds--never hated him for steroids and lying, he's just a jerk. Paul Konerko/A.J. Pierzynski/Bobby Jenks--As much as I disdain the White Sox and these guys in particular, the Tigers seem to kill themselves against the South-Siders as much as this trio does. Baseball is a weird sport for me. Detroit's rivalries are good, but they do not seem that relevant and intense in a 162-game season.
Who do I hate in basketball? Lebron James--I do hate him more than Kobe, but it's more for the picture taking, sideline dancing, and constant need to make everything overly dramatic. His rise has come mostly with the decline of the Pistons. Ron Artest--He's just mental. That's like hating a schizo kid for using up all the aluminum paper to make a hat. Kevin Garnett--I used to really like him in Minnesota, but then again, "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!"
No, I don't really hate anyone in the NBA more than Crosby. I just generally hate the NBA as a whole.
My conclusion is that Crosby is my most hated athlete in all of sports. Yes I am a little biased towards hockey (I do not write any other love-fest blogs for any other Detroit teams), but I just can't find anyone as agitating as Cindy Cry-sby.
Anyway, the most common response that Riger received from callers and emailers as to why they hate Crosby so much was because he is a crybaby. I agree.
Everyone admits the incredible skills that this guy has, and as much as we would like to, we cannot take away his accomplishments. All the hatred comes from the whining, diving, and all around cry-babying that he exhibits on the ice and to the media in a sport where bitch-play is least tolerated.
Yet he is Gary Bettman's biggest marketing TOOL, though sales for anti-Crosby jerseys would probably sell just as well. There were so many kids in the Joe last night wearing Penguins jerseys walking around with their parents who were clad in red. I said to Matt, "If I ever have kids, I will encourage them in everything they do...but I will disown them if they cheer against the Wings."
I almost felt bad for the kids in Crosby gear sitting within earshot of my clever and mildly profane verbal barbs. I even taunted one teenager directly. The pimpley-faced, squeaky-voiced kid tried to chant "Let's Go Penguins!" and I very maturely yelled back, "Let's Go Puberty!"
It's not just Detroit. Fans in every American NHL city besides Pittsburgh recognize him for what he is. What is interesting is how long it apparently took us Wings fans to fully embrace and express our hatred for the little bitch. This comment regarding the fans' taunting came from Crosby's post-game interview:
"I was surprised to hear it here," he said. "I don't know, maybe things have changed since February, or because of what happened last year. I'm not saying I'm surprised to hear it -- it happens to me a lot on the road -- but I didn't expect it here."
As seen in other NHL venues, there were several anti-Crosby signs inside The Joe, and there were even a few people with homemade CRYBABY CROSBY t-shirts. The Wings had to win that game for the fans just so we could save face and continue the fun.
"Crosby Sucks!" chants did not end when the final horn blew, they followed out into the hallways, onto the streets, and into the parking structures. It was incredible! I've never experienced so much group animosity!
Despite the guy's elite skills, he gets little-to-no respect outside of Pittsburgh. Hockey fans are smart; they recognize a D-Bag when they see one crying to an official and complaining to the media.
And It's not just the fans who think so!
Detroit fans have a long list of hated players from around the NHL.
Claude Lemieux Patrick Roy Chris Pronger Ed Belfour Adam Foote Peter Forsberg
Where do you, right now, rank Mr. Crosby on that list? Lemieux will always be tops for me, but as far as active players go, Crosby takes the cake...and cries on it too.
As unpredictable and downright weird this season has been for the Red Wings, perhaps the most bizarre and unexpected result has been the demise of Chris Osgood and the subsequent rise of Jimmy Howard. Half a season ago everyone was talking about who should get the majority of the starts in goal for Detroit.
A couple of months ago it was all about whether or not Ozzie should be given an opportunity to win his starting job back from Howie, and if the job in the playoffs was still his by rights of the past.
At the onset of the Olympics all the chatter seemed to surround Howard and if he would return from the break and be able to resume and sustain his stellar season. Should Ozzie get some starts to get him ready in case Howard slips?
Howard has responded, and now all of that goalie controversy talk is as scarce as a start for Osgood. In the year 2010 Ozzie has just two starts, both in January, and both losses. Howard has 29 starts and 15 wins since January 1, 2010. He has started the last 18 straight games for Detroit and has gone 10-4-4. I hate to say it because I still love the guy, but Ozzie who?
The new Red Wing workhorse is the prime reason why Detroit is even sniffing the playoffs, and the rest of the league has noticed. Howard has been gaining a lot of attention amongst NHL rookies in the Calder Trophy talk.
The Calder Trophy for rookie of the year is coming down to Matt Duchene, Tyler Myers and Jimmy Howard. This makes the evaluation close to impossible to measure. I mean, they play three different positions and are on teams that should make the playoffs. I'm thinking the Sabres' Myers will win. The big defenseman logs big ice time and hasn't missed a game. He would be the first Sabres player to win the Calder since Tom Barrasso in 1984. The only other Sabre to win the Calder was Gilbert Perreault in 1971.
A fair enough assessment, I suppose. Myers is huge, 6' 8" and 222 pounds, and is a fantastic offensive talent. He is the leading scorer amongst Sabre defensemen with 40 points and is fifth on the team overall. His +12 rating is third best in Buffalo.
Matt Duchene leads all rookie skaters in points (49) and goals (23), and is third and second respectively for Colorado in those categories. But both he and Myers do not compare in importance to their respective teams to how much Howard has meant for Detroit.
Howard haters will point out that Boston's Tuukka Rask has better overall stats. The big Bruin leads all rookie goalies in goals-against average (2.12) and shutouts (3), and his .928 save percentage is tops in the NHL.
So why didn't Bucci mention Raski? He is in a time share with Tim Thomas, and the Boston brass must not trust him enough yet because they opted to not trade Thomas before the deadline. Rask has appeared in 35 games, started 30, and has logged 1,984 minutes this season. These numbers do not come close to Howard's workload. Howie has started 51 of his 53 appearances, has played a total of 3,128 minutes, and has 28 wins to Rask's 16.
Is Howard deserving of the Calder? The answer is yes. Check his stats and where he ranks in the NHL amongst all other goalies. Tenth in wins. Fourth in save %. Sixth in GAA. 12th in minutes (3,128), shots faced (1,583), and saves (1,462).
The guy that seemed destined to be buried in Grand Rapids has emerged as one of the league's best puck stoppers, and the Wings' most valuable player. As long as Detroit coasts into the playoffs, Howard should take home the rookie hardware.
Saturday, March 20, 2010 Red Wings 4 @ Canucks 3 OT
Are you kidding me? Two games in two nights and two goals with .02 seconds left on the clock.
One forced overtime:
One won it in overtime:
In Edmonton the Wings were buried by a two-goal deficit in the first period, and in Vancouver...the Wings were buried by a two-goal deficit in the first period. Detroit managed a couple of comebacks and earned a combined three points to remain locked into the eighth playoff position.
Important Points
When the Olympics ended the Wings were in a position where they appeared as though they could elevate themselves as high as fourth place in the Western Conference standings. They needed to win games, and they needed teams to lose games.
For the most part Detroit has taken care of their end of the deal by going 7-2-1 since NHL play resumed. Five of those seven wins are against teams currently in the playoff picture (Colorado, Nashville, Chicago, Buffalo, Vancouver), and they have split games with Calgary, the team they are currently holding off.
The teams that needed to help Detroit move up--Coyotes, Avalanche, Kings, Predators--have not cooperated and have all firmly braced themselves by playing at least .500 hockey in each of the teams' last ten games.
The desert rats in Phoenix have played like their miserable franchise deserves to exist, winning eight straight games on the pads of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (who should have been in net for Russia during the Olympics, instead of Evgeni Nabok-suck). Unbelievably they are now just one point away from San Jose for the lead in the Pacific Division, and two away from Chicago for best in the West.
Surprisingly enough, Nashville has also been on fire, winning five straight and seven of their last ten. They are holding onto a four point cushion between themselves and the Wings, though I still believe Detroit will overtake them when it is all done and said.
Colorado and Los Angeles have chilled a little, each winning five in their respective last ten. However the Avs are three points up on Detroit, the Kings four, and both have played one fewer games.
All that said, it was crucial for the Wings to come from behind and save face by stealing a point against the putrid, stagnant Oilers. There are no gimme points in the NHL, but Edmonton is in the NHL cellar with 16 points separating them from the next worst team, Toronto (Go Canada!). You can't skate out of Edmonton without at least one point. You just can't.
Now, about last night. Call that game what you want. Gut check. Cup check. Lucky that it didn't go to a shootout.
The Wings outplayed the Canucks in the first period, out-shot them 17-8, but still slumped off to the locker room down by two after one. Roberto Luongo looked locked in, but the incessant chants of LUUUUUUUU from the fans in Vancouver were eventually silenced in the second period.
Todd Bertuzzi lit the lamp against his old team, his first goal in 20 games ('bout time, Bert!), and then just five seconds later Pavel Datsyuk tossed in a 40-footer. The unlikely duo now hold the all-time Red Wings record for the fastest back-to-back goals scored.
Happy birthday Val! Filppula turned 26 yesterday and earned the first star of the game for his excellent individual effort on that short handed goal later in the second. Check it out:
As important as it was to avoid embarrassment by getting a point in Edmonton, this win in Vancouver was even more essential, especially after throwing 54 shots at Luongo.
This final tour of Western Canada, followed by the Penguins at home, is by far the toughest stretch on Detroit's remaining schedule. How disastrous it almost was! Remember, before the previous two-goal first period deficits in Edmonton and Vancouver, the Wings came back from a 0-1 first period hole to beat Calgary in regulation! A couple of different bounces in the mountains of Canada and BOOM, they'd be returning home to face the Penguins 0-3 instead of 2-0-1!
I don't know about you, but I just took a deep breath.
After the Penguins, the Wings will face six non-playoff teams in their last ten games; the rest of the schedule favors a strong finish for Detroit. Let's all take another deep breath together.
In 1965 documentarian D.A. Pennebaker packed up his camera and travelled to "The Big Smoke", London, to capture a few intimate moments of what became an important transition in American music: Bob Dylan's final solo-acoustic tour.
Dylan had just recently released Bringing It All Back Home, his first venture into the realm of electric rock music. With that album he left the folk world behind, bewildered, bitter, and beside itself. He never looked back.
Monday night the Wings were in Calgary to face a Flames team that, like Detroit, is battling for their playoff lives. Calgary had won four straight--including a crushing 3-2 victory in Detroit less then a week prior--but was defeated by Vancouver on Sunday. Despite the Flames' recent winning streak, the Wings held a one point edge for the eighth playoff spot heading into Monday's matchup at the Saddledome.
Get Sick, Get Well, Scoring 'Round the Rink Well
Now, finally healed and well, Detroit has shown signs of what they could have/should have been like all season long. A healthy Mule has been the spark that we all thought and hoped he would be. In the eleven games he has played since returning from injury Johan Franzen has nine points and six goals. His centerman, Pavel Datsyuk, has seven goals and 12 points over the same stretch. Tomas Holmstrom--who missed the Olympics with nagging leg injuries--has five goals and nine points in his last eight games. The trio combined for two goals and four points last night.
Get Dressed, Get Blessed, Finally Finding Success
Since Franzen's return the Wings have gone 7-3-1. They are 6-2-0 since the Olympic break. After last night's 2-1, come-from-behind, wear-down, grueling win in Calgary, Detroit is now riding a three-game winning streak. In the three games since that awful loss at the Joe to the Flames, and that lucky win in Chicago, the Wings have gotten stronger, more consistent, and have displayed a similar dominance of more recent seasons past.
Look Out Kid, The Wings Are Gettin' It
With an elevated level of play and a relatively soft schedule, the Wings look poised to remain hot down the stretch and secure that playoff spot. They have a couple of difficult contests coming up with the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday, at home versus the Penguins on Monday, and in Chicago for the final game of the season. But then there are the cupcake games against Edmonton (twice), Columbus (thrice), Minnesota and St. Louis and Philadelphia (each once). And don't forget about the two games against Nashville, the team that currently stands one point ahead of Detroit.
The win last night was huge, and to get it in regulation off a Holmstrom tip-in from a Franzen point-shot with 79 seconds left, is huger. Check out the standings; the Wings are doing their part and it's paying off. Boom, three points up on the Flames, one behind the Predators, and just five away from the Kings for the fifth spot.
Forgive my brief digression, but a little while back someone made a comment on The HUGE Show Facebook site in response to one of my blogs. He said the Wings are "irrelevant" this season. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, especially on a forum that I do not run, but this statement rang with ignorant band-wagonry to me. Are the Wings only relevant when they are dominating the NHL and in the Stanley Cup Finals?
Tell me, anybody, honestly, when was there a more relevant regular season for the Red Wings in the past decade or longer? Every game is like a playoff game! I'm pumped like it was mid-April! It's been a long, hard season to watch, but watch out now! It's damn-exciting hockey!
The NHL trade deadline came and went and the Wings didn't do much. However, George Malik, a fellow Wings blogger, believes that the return of Andreas Lilja is as good of a deadline acquisition as Ken Holland and the Red Wings could have made. I agree.
I have had several conversations in regards to Lilja: whether or not he should come back, whether or not the Wings are better off without him. Many have said they never thought he was that good in the first place, citing turnover problems from previous playoffs and a lack of physical play despite his size (6' 3", 228).
I was in complete agreement a few seasons ago. I might have actually been waving the CUT LILJA banner, specifically in 2007 when he was coughing up pucks like phlegm from a freshman after hitting a steamroller. But between then and when Nashville's Shea Weber sent the big boy spinning into eleven months of concussion induced headaches on February 28, 2009, Lilja had been gearing up his game and becoming a very respectable defender.
Seriously. In the 60 games last season prior to his concussion, Lilja was easily one of the Wings top four blue liners. He posted an impressive +13 rating that tied with Henrik Zetterberg's regular season total and ranked him third amongst Detroit defensemen (Nicklas Lidstrom +31, Brian Rafalski +17, Brett Lebda +9, Niklas Kronwall +2). Like Jiri Fischer, Lilja was lost right when he was hitting his stride.
Lilja is one of those stay-at-home, physical, responsible, dependable defenders that the Wings need right now. His return could be an absolute boon to this team. And Holland didn't have to give up anything worthwhile for him! The bum Ville Leino was traded away, Brad May cleared waivers and is in Grand Rapids, and Kirk Maltby announced he would have shoulder surgery, placing him on long term injury reserve.
Here's a fishing simile for you: Lilja's return is like casting for mackerel, and having a big fat tuna follow one all the way into your boat. As much as I like Derek Meech, and appreciate Brett Lebda, neither have the size and experience to match the big Swede.
At 34 Lilja is a veteran defender with nine NHL seasons under his belt with the Kings, Panthers, and this being his fifth in Detroit. He already understands Detroit's system, is familiar with the coaching staff, and knows all the players around him. As a big, physical, and punishing presence, he can only be an asset to the development of the slumpy Jonathan Ericsson.
Barring any setbacks, Lilja will bring a great wealth of energy, enthusiasm, and freshness to a Wings team that has been in desperate need of such intangibles all season long. Make no mistake, Lilja could be a huge factor in Detroit's push for the playoffs.
“His positive attitude is something that everyone’s kind of looked up to. I’m so happy for him to be able to play again. We’re a better team with him in the lineup. He’s huge on the (penalty-kill), very solid in our own end. He brings something to the table that we hadn’t really had this year." ~ Niklas Kronwall.
“(Lilja) Gives us another big body who’ll have a little bit more of a physical presence, block shots, veteran guy with experience. It can only help us coming down the stretch." ~ Brad Stuart.
"He's been a good player on our team, and he's been a big part of our penalty killing over the years. He gives us a big body that we can play against other team's bigger players, as well. I think he just makes us a solid unit of seven or eight defensemen who can play in the league." ~ Assistant Coach Paul MacLean.
"I look at our trade deadline acquisitions as being (Johan) Franzen, (Andreas) Lilja and (Niklas) Kronwall. I still believe we have a good team. I don't foresee us doing anything of any significance." ~ Ken Holland.
Lilja will keep playing his physical brand of hockey as long as the headaches do not return, but don't expect to see him drop the gloves anytime soon.
“I am not allowed to fight, I will try to stay out of that, but you never know," Lilja said. He continued, "If I stay away from playing physical, I might as well start playing bandy. Everybody plays physical. That's what I have to do."
Lilja had two registered hits, one blocked shot, and no giveaways in more than nine minutes of play on Monday in Colorado. Expect his playing time to increase tonight.
The Wings may not have played a very, very good game, but this was a very, very good win.
Momentum is an important aspect in all sports and Monday's game proved just how vital it can be in hockey. A 3-0 lead was taken away from the Wings in the second period when Tomas Holmstrom farted on Colorado's goaltender Craig Anderson. What would have been Johan Franzen's second power play goal of the game was immediately and emphatically waved off by referee Kerry Fraser.
It's always Fraser, isn't it? The most experienced active ref in the game is retiring after this season and each Red Wings game he blows his whistle to is hopefully his last.
Anyway, the good goal was called no good, and the Avalanche used that break to take over the momentum of the game and tie things up at 2-2 going into the second intermission. Uh oh. Same old Red Wings from earlier in the season? That locker room break was exactly what Detroit needed to regain their focus and reload for the third period.
“We owned the first period and they took over the second," Nicklas Lidstrom said. “There’s 20 minutes to fight for two points and we played real well without the puck. We’re hanging in there, waiting for our chances, and the power play really responded."
Captain Nick scored the deciding goal on the power play off a brilliant leave from Pavel Datsyuk.
“Pav and Homer had a give-and-go on the right side," Lidstrom said. "When Pav got it back, two guys laid down in front of him so he couldn’t shoot. I just followed behind him and he made a great drop pass for pretty much an empty net for me."
The win in regulation was crucial for Detroit as Colorado is one of the teams in the middle of the Western Conference pack that they will be chasing over the final quarter of the regular season.
After Olympic Run, Rafalski Ready For The Playoff Push
Some writer, before the Winter Olympic roster/trading freeze in the NHL, wrote a post about how it would be beneficial for Ken Holland and the Wings to trade a three-time Stanley Cup winning and two-time Olympic Silver Medal winning defenseman. I won't go into the details of his motives for such a bold idea, nor name the writer responsible for the proposition (though he did make a pretty damn good point), because Brian Rafalski proved in the Olympics that at age 36 he can still produce offensively and defend against the best skaters in the world.
It was questionable whether Raf would skate against Colorado after playing in the Gold Medal game against Canada a little more than 24 hours before the puck drop in Denver. Nobody could or would have blamed him if he decided to take a bit of a breather. Rafalski was named the best defenseman of the Olympics and led all blue liners in goals (4) and points (8), and tied fellow American Zach Parise for third in points amongst all skaters.
Raf not only played Monday, he played well (even rating, one shot on goal, three blocked shots, one takeaway, zero giveaways), and he played a lot (22:41 of ice time, 2:54 on the power play).
That is the type of leadership and selfless, team-first effort that the Wings' veterans must display every game in order for this team to make a legitimate push for a legitimate playoff position.
That writer mentioned above still believes it would be a smart business decision to move Rafalski, but has changed the tune of his trade trumpet. Raf is an invaluable asset, a championship calibre defenseman despite his age, and he is a native of Dearborn, Michigan. It would be great to see him retire in a Wings jersey...but it would also be great to see him re-negotiate that hefty $12 million price tag hanging around his neck...maybe add one more season to the contract to disperse that sum over three seasons instead of two...
Back To Business For Babs
Mike Babcock possibly faced his toughest challenge amidst the most pressure in his entire career when he took the helm of the Canadian Olympic team. With a win-Gold-or-fail attitude from the entire Maple Leaf-Loving Nation, Babcock delivered the expected medal to his homeland on Sunday, grabbed only a couple of hours of sleep, and was back behind the bench for Detroit on Monday.
Like Rafalski, it would have been understandable for Babs to suffer from an emotional and physical hangover. Like Rafalski, Babs was back to business as usual: “They pay me to have this team in the playoffs."
“We’re a good team, we should have more points than we do," Babcock said. "That was the best lineup we dressed all year. Now we got a chance. This group has got to decide that we’re getting on a run, and then wouldn’t you just love to draw us in the first round?"
Awesome! I @#$%ing love his attitude and passion for the sport/Wings, and the way he uses the media to motivate his team and convey his philosophy. A coworker of mine thinks Babs is a bad coach. Sorry, Bob, you're a great guy and a great Wings fan, but you are WRONG.
One-Line Wonders
Babcock challenged his best players Monday; pointed out to his best scorers that they were nowhere to be found amongst the NHL leaders. His first line responded.
Pavel Datsyuk, surely disappointed with his and his country's rollover against Canada in the Olympics, played with purpose against the Avalanche. His cross-ice feed to Holmstrom in the first period was a perfect set up for the first goal of the game. His drop pass to Lidstrom for the game-winner was perfecter. He not only pulled Anderson across the goal crease and out of position, he also lured two defensemen with him. Datsyuk finished with two assists and five takeaways.
His Swedish wingers, Holmer and Franzen, also looked like they were trying to avenge their own homeland's Olympic upset from Slovakia. Holmstrom, who missed the Olympics and most of the Wings games thus far in 2010 with injury, picked up a goal and two assists and was his usual annoying self to the opposition's defense. D-bag-man Adam Foote is the only Colorado player leftover from the gloriously bloody Wings/Avs rivalry. It was nice to see he and Holmer jaw and jostle like the good ol' days.
Is The Mule unstoppable when he gets the puck on his stick down low in the offensive zone? Foote and the other Colorado D-bag-men certainly couldn't slow him down. Franzen finished the game with just one point-the second goal of the game-but he should have had two and nearly had three.
I am perpetually amazed at how quick his hands are, especially in tight, and how little room he needs to lift a puck into the top corners above a goalie's shoulders. This replay doesn't do it justice, but check it out anyway:
Mesmerized and fooled by The Mule's hoof-and-stick work, Anderson dropped his shoulder with an attempted poke-check as he anticipated a pass. Franzen casually pulled the puck back and roofed it like nothing even mattered, like he had just deked out a shooter-tutor. Amazing. It even made #4 on Sportscenter's Top 10 (only because Cindy and Alex weren't playing).
In the third period, Franzen nearly got back the goal that Fraser stole from him. Again, down deep and in tight, he moved the puck from the corner, all the way across the front of the goal crease, and got a superb scoring chance as he dove to the ice. Anderson was miraculously able to get his skate over to the post, but Franzen's play on the puck was more impressive than the save.
These skaters, this line, looked absolutely amazing. If Henrik Zetterberg can get a little help from Dan Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi, Babcock's top two lines will be downright deadly down the stretch.
Back by no particular demand, Lamp the Light returns just in time for the halfway point of the 2011-2012 season! Yaaaay...
What can you expect out of a guy who hasn't posted since 2010? Probably the same old $hit. Maybe a few new perspectives. Perhaps an exclusive interview here and there. That would be cool.
What you will surely find is the same old dynamic journalistic approach, a hilarious brand of self-deprecating humor, and an overall entertaining experience that will likely keep you from whatever it is you're supposed to be doing.
My goal, my promise, my entire purpose for writing these articles with no compensation whatsover: YOU ENJOY MYSELF.
Anyway, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do or write about. I'm just bored and have the time to write again.
Thanks for reading!
AWP
Last Friday night I was in Joe Louis Arena standing and cheering and banging on the glass as the Red Wings defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-2. (Check out Lamp The Light on Facebook for more pictures). 
