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Of All The Nights Not To Sell Out

by IwoCPO on 04/13/07 at 07:34 AM ET
Comments (2)

Gotta be brief this morning…heading to the airport. 

One thousand people made statements last night.  They’re not coming back, not spending their extra cash, until the Wings prove the money isn’t a downpayment on disappointment.  Last night may have convinced a few of them that this Spring may be a little different.

Game 1 isn’t a series, but it can set a tone.  The Wings established a presence last night.  And all of a sudden, they don’t look quite so squishy soft as more than a few mainstreamers claimed.  And all of a sudden, a few writers in Calgary were searching for cheesy metaphors.

Eric Francis/Calgary Sun

Punctuating several days of hype during which the Red Wings promised they’d become a grittier group, The Artists Formerly Known As Princes proved their point.

George Johnson/Calgary Herald

Thursday’s burlesque comedy act should’ve been billed as Miikka and the Stooges, because Miikka Kiprusoff was the only one who emerged from this foul off-colour joke with his dignity intact, without taking a pie in the moosh, a shot of seltzer down the baggy pants or—nyuk! nyuk! nyuk!—a finger-poke in the eyeball.

The rest were pure slapstick.

If you’re a Calgary Flames’ fan, Hockeytown is Shockeytown today.

Nothing gets those creative juices flowing like an 8 seed favorite losing to the 1 seed underdog and getting their egos bruised in the process. 

One game doesn’t make a series, but it can justify a coach who--admit it or not--is on the hot seat.

Bandwagon Bobby/Detroit News

“We’ve been working on this for 82 games, to try to be more physical,” Babcock said. “We’ve been a skilled, puck-possession team. I think we have skill and we can possess the puck, but we can get after you, too.”

Lots to prove over at least three more games.  Game 1 didn’t win this series, but it sure as hell woke some people up.  This wasn’t a fluke Kirk Maltby goal to escape with a victory you didn’t earn. This was eleven months of frustration exorcised in sixty minutes. 

Getting on a plane.  Later today I’ll try to get to bring you some blogger reaction.

In the meantime, check the Round 1 and the Head to Hockeytown sections on the port side.

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

Comments

With all the hype coming out of Calgary leading up to the game, I expected the Flames to be steam-rolling every Wing in sight.  Jeez, they didn’t hit at all.  Maybe the early slashing call on Huselius shelved that strategery [sic].

“No one…I mean no one…comes into our house and pushes us around.”

Heh…it seems a long time since the A/V guy at The Joe has been able to cue up that sound bite. 

Interestingly, the actor who delivered that line in the movie, “Rudy” has a first name of Chelcie.  That could be a bad sign if you’re a Wings fan.  We’re screwed Sunday…probably.

Posted by O-Joe on 04/13/07 at 07:06 AM ET

Chief:  You will like this line from Mitch Albom, in which he refers to himmself:

The Red Wings began their real season Thursday night, the only one anyone around here cares about, the playoffs, the opener, and if you haven’t watched them since Yzerman was wearing the “C,” well, they looked different.

Posted by w2j2 on 04/13/07 at 09:11 AM ET

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