It’s been a pleasant six games since the Wings last saw an opponent from Hockey’s Toughest Division.  Six games, six victories, three straight blowouts (yes, last night was a blowout), a goal differential of 26-10, a shot gap of 219-123.  Six games that immediately followed a tough loss to Columbus, which followed an irritating loss to Bubba. 

What we’re talking about is a six-game stretch the Wings hopefully used to remind themselves that dozing through a hockey game is not a recipe for success, even against the Central.

Especially against the Central.

Tonite, and I’m guessing Uncle Mike may be thinking along these lines, should be viewed as an evening of great opportunity.  An opportunity to engage in lively, intellectual discourse with some of Nashville’s more enlightened scholars in the hotel bar? 

No. An evening to pound a Central team into slushy ice of The Gay and make a statement to the rest of Hockey’s Toughest Division that the Wings kind of, you know, own their asses.

I’m thinking that playtime is over.  I’m also thinking that a 4-5-2 record in the division through 10 December may turn out to be one of those “humiliating string of losses that directly reflect a poor work ethic and embarrassing oversight of teams we used to spank, but now serves as something we can look back at and use as a turning point of sorts” scenarios.

MBCQOTD
“Boys, there’s 18 numbers on this chalkboard. I’ve circled every one.  Every one of them has to pay.  And I mean that.  Make ‘em pay the toll, pay the piper, pay for their pudding and pay dearly. Payment is required. Stiff payment. Paid in full. I’m thinking of buying Michael Vick’s house.”

Exactly.

Kidding aside. This turnaround has to start now.  11 games of mediocrity is one thing, the rest of the season and another 21 games is a whole other matter.  Had the Wings given our Central sisters the kind of serious thought they should have, we’d be looking at--conservatively--50 points right now.  50 points with less than 30 games down. 

The military has this cool new acronym: BLUF.  Maybe some of the older bastards out there can clue me in as to whether it’s actually new or I’ve just been fortunate enough to miss that one for 18 years.  What’s it stand for? Bottom Line Up Front. BLUF.  Cool, eh?  Whatever.

Here’s our BLUF as it concerns the Central.  This crap has to end tonite, in Nashville, in The Gay, in front of the 13,000.  Uncle Mike has to pull the motivational card, I think.  Bruce MacLeod tells us both Downey and Drake are in the lineup tonite.  Excellent.  Two targets of opportunity: Arnott and Tootoo.  Two more: Weber and Zanon.  Two more: Legwand and Dumont.  Two more...screw it.  All 18 of ‘em.

The BLUF? Make a statement right out of the box.  And then, afterward, after the same beatdown they gave their Carolina cousins? Talk a little trash. Not a lot, but a subtle reminder through the press that the Central--despite 7 losses already--still belongs to Detroit.

I used to get kind of pumped for the games with Bubba. Now? Not so much. Can’t really muster it without Sullivan or Balboa’s Little Sister in the lineup.  But tonite’s game isn’t about Bubba. It’s the Wings against the Central tonite.  And Bubba just happens to be the skinny guy taking one for the rest of the cell block.

21 games left with Hockey’s Toughest Division.  Prediction? 16 wins.