Abel to Yzerman
Note to Farber: Eat It
by IwoCPO on 12/23/07 at 06:08 AM ET
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Michael Farber can point to December 4th as the day he became the Minnesota Wild’s worst enemy. After months of serious research, that was the day he declared St. Paul as “America’s new Hockeytown.”
Three days after that the Wings outshot the Wild 34-19 and swirlied them to the tune of 5-0. And three weeks after that? All it did was get worse.
After another dominating victory over the Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper packed his bag in front of his locker and was asked where he was headed.
“I’m going back to Hockeytown,” he said with a smile.
F’ing A right you are.
Great quote from Draper, eh? Yeah, that’s from the AP. None of the Diggers jotted that one down. Whatever. Baby steps.
“Hockeytown,” huh? I’m thinking that the on-ice product had little to do with Farber’s decision. Getting outshot 85-38 over the course of two games? Outscored 9-1…which should be 10-0 if not for the leg of a ref in a crease and the stick of a cranky hall of famer? Yep. “Farber’s Hockeytown.”
Give the Wild credit. Heading into last night sitting in second place in the West, theoretically they’re the conference’s second best team. But now they realize the gap is larger than a two-game 47 shot gulf.
Pioneer Press/Bruce Brothers
“They’re so efficient it’s amazing,” the Wild’s Mark Parrish said.
“That’s the best team we’ve played, for sure,” Rolston said.
I don’t know what the answer is. The Wild’s best strategy appears to be to finish high enough in the standings to avoid Detroit in the first round of the playoffs. The Red Wings are very good and give a lot of teams trouble. But Lemaire admits they really, really have the Wild’s number.
“They’ve got more than our number,” he said.
The Minnesota announcers, who were complimentary of the Wings all night, said early in the third that if there was a game to be had against the Wings, this was it. Zetterberg, the league’s second leading scorer (28 spots ahead of Gaborik) and the league’s leader in power play goals (26 spots ahead of Gaborik) was out. Tomas Holmstrom, second in the league in power play goals (25 spots ahead of Gaborik) didn’t play either. Undoubtedly, shutting Detroit down would be a little easier than on most nights. Because we all know that if you stop the Circus, the rest of the team will fold up the tent.
What did Uncle Mike ask Santa for Christmas? Depth, secondary scoring. Merry Christmas tough guy.
7 points from forwards outside the Circus looking in.
“We’re not going to replace Homer or Z, but it’s a good opportunity for guys like myself, Fil, Sammy (Mikael Samuelsson), Franzen to step up offensively,’’ Cleary said.
The Wings’ scoresheet the last ten games has been littered with guys we were stressing about a month ago. Five of those games have featured at least three goals from players not named Holmstrom, Datsyuk or Zetterberg. But, the scoresheets don’t even give you the real indication of how the rest of the team is coming together. You’ve got to see the product to really judge that.
If you just looked at the scoresheet from last night you wouldn’t have any idea how dominant—yes, dominant—Valteri Filppula was with the puck. For the first time, I saw Wild defenders backing off him as if he were Datsyuk. His rushes up the wing were lethal. Franzen was dominant in front of Backstrom. Cleary had 8 shots on goal—seven of them before the second period was even over.
“We controlled the game,” goalie Dominik Hasek said, as Christmas carols blasted from a locker-room boom box. “They scored one power play which was kind of lucky. We knew we were missing two big shots, but it was a complete team effort from everybody. What can I say? We beat them every period, all 60 minutes.”
A beatdown in “Farber’s Hockeytown” is what the Miracle is saying right there.
Alex from San Francisco commented late last night that it’s about time we started talking about augmentation. You know…enhancement. Cosmetic, if you will. C’mon…trade deadline. “Augmentation”? Get it? Stay with me. Well, if he wants it, Holland has the money to play with. But, man, it’s tough to argue with this team’s success right now. It’s hard to imagine any team in the West, any team in the league, beating Detroit 4 times. Well, except for Chicago.
But…but. The real vomit-inducer is Zetterberg’s back. Many of you, because you’re a bunch of old bastards, know more about the frustration of back injuries than I. Fortunately, my ailments have been restricted to those incurred on liberty and mostly as a result of street signs or fists coming out of nowhere to find my nose. What I know about back pain is what I read about Zetterberg or Shanahan or Krupp or Rick Mahorn. What I know is that it doesn’t just go away.
And that makes me, yes, want to throw up in my mouth a little bit. And it’s a subject you just know Ken Holland, Uncle Mike, Steve the Exec and Babbling Jimmy have been throwing around. I don’t care what Zetterberg says to the Diggers. All lies. Lying liar is what he is.
Yesterday/Khan(!)
“It’s a little stiff today,’’ Zetterberg said. “I don’t know if that (last year’s injury) has something to do with it, hopefully not. I don’t know if we get too worried, it’s been a lot of games lately. Feel a little bad today, hopefully getting three days off it’ll feel a little better after Christmas.’‘
Yeah. Hopefully. Don’t know if last year’s injury has something to do with it? Umm. It’s not like we’re talking about a separated shoulder and shin splints here. “Back spasms” and, what was it…a herniated disc? Seems awfully “related” to me. Wasn’t that disc in his back somewhere? Isn’t that were the disc lives, the back?
So…Kenny’s on the hunt. No? Maybe? At least considering it? Looking for the mythical “second line scorer”? Who’s on his list?
Selanne. Book it. The Wings, like everyone else, would be stupid not to give that one a spin. Five million to play with. Me? I doubt he comes back at all, new baby and all that. But if he does, the smart people are saying St. Louis. Have at it, Teemu. They’re not going to the playoffs with or without you, if that matters. Will the Wings get in that bidding war if he gives the sign he’s willing? Again, of course they’ll make a pitch. It’ll be up to Selanne to determine where his priorities lie. If they’re with winning another Cup, we’ve got a chance. If not? Nope.
Jokkinen. Dammit. I already told you guys this is the one we want. Gritty. Offensively gifted but still mean and dirty. A captain. Makes 5.5 though, so Florida would have to eat a little of that, unless Holland included Samuelsson’s 3.5 going back. A deal like that would bring me great joy, Cup or not.
Fedorov? Oh. Here we go. Let’s split the whole damn fanbase right down the frigging middle. No middle ground on this one, not in “the former Hockeytown” (haven’t forgotten about you Farber…Ass). Me? I think he’d be a brilliant pickup. I think he’d return motivated and flying. Let me put it this way. Would you rather see Sergei Fedorov QB’ing the power play or Mikael Samuelsson? Hate him or not, that’s a no brainer.
Woops. He makes 6.08 MILLION DOLLARS. I have no idea how the hell Kenny, or anyone else, could afford to make that deal. Some smart dude will have to figure it out, because I’m not and I can’t.
And maybe just one rumour for you, because I’m feeling generous.
If the Rangers decide to trade W Jaromir Jagr at the deadline, Detroit is a possible destination. There is no way New York GM Glen Sather will deal Jagr to a team in the East
.
Thanks to Brochu Is Hockey for the pointer. Like Spector, a site that actually cites sources of rumours rather than making them up then claiming they were relayed via Fischer Price phones or telepathy, right Dwayne?
So there’s four for you Alex. I’m thinking Christmas morning may bring with it a whole list of gifts we want the rest of the year, so stay tuned for that.
One more for you from “Hockeytown”.
Pioneer Press/Tom Powers
Meanwhile, Gaborik’s superhuman status was short-lived.
“I didn’t feel that bad,” he insisted.
He didn’t look that good.
The Wild next face the Red Wings on Jan. 10 at Detroit. That means they have seven games to rebuild their confidence ... before it gets shattered again.
Eat it Farber.
Ok. One more. Just for you Mikey.
It’s not even a contest when these two teams meet, as you’ll read in tomorrow’s paper.
“That’s our measuring stick and we’ve got a long way to go,” Brian Rolston said. “And we know that. We’re not close to that team right now. We’ve got to get better and that’s a good, humbling thing.”
Marian Gaborik followed up his five-goal game with a poor game. His line had one assist to extend his point streak to seven games — one off tying his career high — but he had had two shots, two penalties, two giveaways and he was a minus-2.
Lots of two’s, but none of them goals.
How about this for efficient? Every line scored for Detroit tonight. Dominik Hasek improved to 9-0-2 against the Wild, although most games I’ve seen him play the Wild is virtually a night off the Hall-bound goalie.
If Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom played tonight, it would have been REALLY ugly. And this was ugly, folks.
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