The Best Thing About 21

I kinda remember when I turned 21 on a typical balls-cold night in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.  At 11:55 PM on the eve of the anniversary of my birth the bartender at the Satisfied Frog asked me to leave the bar and return after midnight.  When I came back the table was full of shots...and that's about all I can recall.

mmmm...beeeer...

I have a similar fuzzy memory from Tuesday when the Wings broke the NHL record with their 21st consecutive home victory.  Instead of shooting tequila with my college buddies, I enjoyed a Lagunitas double IPA at Hopcat with my girlfriend for Valentine's Day.  Alas, I did not watch the game.  Oh! the sports sacrifices we make!  I did notice on the television behind the bar that Detroit had defeated Dallas 3-1 to set the record.  My girl was not impressed by the victory, or enthused with my diverted attention.  After all, it's just another game.  Just another win.  At least that's what I remember telling myself Tuesday.

Best thing about a home-winning
record?  Setting it at home!

I've had an opportunity to think about the record and I've read a few online articles and their corresponding comments from readers.  I've enjoyed the praise and I must say I do not give other teams' fans enough credit.  Shockingly enough there has been a good amount of congratulating the Red Wings from fans around the league.  There's still the haters that mentioned all the shootout victories, and a few Beanheads brought up how the Bruins actually won 22 straight sprawled over two seasons (the NHL does not recognize such records), but for the most part credit is being paid to a much-deserved milestone.  There was even praise from the losers on Tuesday.



The Wings Need an Ott

 I got a kick out of Stars forward Steve Ott's comments after the game.  "It's incredible, it truly is.  Twenty-one games in a row at home, let alone five in a row at home, is amazing. It's a tremendous accomplishment for their organization." 

An unexpected classy statement from an expectantly crassy guy.  Ott is one of the most annoying guys in the league and is always amongst the rafters in penalty minutes.  He's the type of dude that will do anything to spoil someone else's party.  He's the guy that pulls you out of bed and onto the floor and takes pictures of you on your 21st birthday.  A real jerk.

But the jerk is right.  21 consecutive victories is truly an astonishing achievement, accomplished by an incredible team.  It is a testament to the dedication of coach Babcock and all the players to reach a team goal of improving on last season's home record which bolstered just 21 wins total at Joe Louis Arena.  It is a sign that Lidstrom and the gang are on a mission to reclaim the Stanley Cup for the third time in eleven seasons, and fifth in 16. 

Ah yes, the Stanley Cup.  That's all that really matters, isn't it?  Cup or bust!  We all remember the record-setting 62-win season in 1995-96, just to get bounced by the Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals.  Remember that?  I just got pissed thinking about it.


Saluting the Crowd

Anyway, the underlying sweetness of this record in regards to the postseason is it has been necessary.  Take a look at the conference standings.  The Wings are just a handful of points ahead of Vancouver and divisional rival St. Louis, and they have played more games than either team.  The Central Division is terrifyingly good this season too--three of the top four teams come from the division.  If the playoffs started today, half the teams in the West would come from the Central.

With a Clark Kent record on the road, Detroit has had to be Superman at the Joe.  At this point in the season the home-winning record is not just a regular season novelty, it's a postseason necessity.

Peace. AWP