After last night’s comeback win at Nassau, according to our Deep Diggers, Mike Babcock was either “ecstatic”, “beaming”, or “happy as a school girl on pajama day at school.” Ok, the last one was mine.

But he was a happy kid.  And Dom Hasek said the win was at least partly a result of a passionate Babcock pep talk between the second and third periods.

Khan(!)/MLive

Hasek said Babcock’s second intermission speech lit a fire in the team.

“The coach came in and said we have to find a way, this is not Red Wings hockey, we have to go in front of the net and pay the price to score the goals,” Hasek said.

You mean getting treated like the skinny guy in prison, allowing your forwards to get run every shift, losing gritty battles....isn’t Red Wing hockey? 

Well...nope.  Not this year.  Say what you want about Babcock, but you better admit this team has a different look about it, a different feel.  Does that mean we’re in any less trouble if we don’t win the Central? Nope.  San Jose in the first still spells sadness.  But, persistence like last night--on the road--gives me a little more hope that a first rounder against SJ or the Duckies wouldn’t be a sweep.

Georgie Sipple/Detroit Free Press

We weren’t ready to engage in the physical part at the start, and they backed us off,” said Babcock. “You know, that’s what teams think they can do to us at playoff time. That’s not going to happen this year. ... We’re working on that every single day, and we’re going to continue to work on that. So, tonight’s game was real good for our hockey team.”

I think it’s just plain nifty that the Wings showed some spirit and resolve last night.  That makes me warm (speaking of which, my travels have me in San Francisco today, San Diego tomorrow...55 and sunny, then 70 and, yes, sunny).  But, it’s January and I’m a little jaded.  You know?  Bring me a product in May Mikey.

The Mike Babcock Consolidated Quote of the Day
”Teddy got the shaft. But now he’s back and boy were they back.  They were physical, so physical, real physical, physically tough, lots of physicality.  But I told the boys between the second and third, I told ‘em to load up on those danishes.  Love danishes.  So creamy. With cheese.  Me and Todd took a couple back to the bench with us.  I threw one at Drapes’ head after a shift.  Little tyke.  Love that kid. Bounced it right off his dome then looked away when he turned around.  Todd almost choked he was laughing so hard.  I was cool though, just whistled, looked away.  I think that’s when Hank scored.  Not sure.”

Couple of notes.  I see that the Godfather posted Teddy the Tool Montgomery’s latest manifesto yesterday. Found this interesting.

Ted Montgomery/USA Today

I’ve gotten lots of e-mails asking if there is dissension in the Detroit dressing room, chiefly due to Mike Babcock’s occasionally despotic ways. This question is usually framed in the context of “that must be why Brendan Shanahan bolted for the Rangers.”

Montgomery’s obviously referencing the latest fiction out of St. Louis from Wing expert and “NHL and international hockey” expert Andy Strickland.  Ted actually makes some good points, although they’re ones we’ve brought you from about five other sources before he chimed in.  Oh, and when I say “sources”, I mean people with actual names.  But I digress...as usual.

What I found funny was this, “I’ve gotten lots of emails asking if there is dissension...” Just shut up.  No you haven’t.  You read the Detroit papers. You peaked in here.  You headed over to the Sewer and read Strickland’s BS, then you wrote your column.  But, don’t try to tell us Wing fans are emailing Ted Montgomery, of all people, for insight on this situation.

Finally...a belated kudos to George Malik at Snapshots for working a Tenacious D reference into a current headline:  And I’m Talking About The Road.  I got it, George.  Good on ya.

Actually, here’s finally:  I’ve gotten lots of emails asking....no, I haven’t.  But there have been a few comments the last few days from regular readers/posters asking why we waste time ripping Dwayne Klessel here.  I’ll tell you why:  because he’s a fraud, and every time he re-invents himself and claims different alliances with various NHL parties, it hurts hockey bloggers.  Because, eventually--and it’s going to be soon, and that’s a hint--what he’s done at the expense of hockey fans is going to be brought to full light.  I have no intention, and I think I can speak for Paul here too, of calling off the hounds any time soon.