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Abel to Yzerman

Provincial Digging And, Finally, Signing All Three

by IwoCPO on 11/20/08 at 08:49 AM ET
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Of greatest importance to you?  There is a poll at the bottom of this post asking you to vote for tonite’s featured Live Blog artist.  Yes, I could have gone with Edmonton rock/folk legends, or even Western Canadien(an) artists…but I’m just too lazy.  I think, and I could be wrong, that Sammy Johns—writer and singer of the timeless classic, “Chevy Van”—is from Edmonton, but he’s not in the poll.

Most of our Diggers have apparently made the big trip to Edmonton. I’m assuming MacLeod, thanks to his cheap-ass employer, did not. 

We start with the captain, who gave the league’s statistically worst (other than our bitch Turco) starting goalie—33rd in GAA, 37th in save percentage—a chance to tell us just how special Andy Moog was.

With 370 wins, Osgood is two behind Moog, who ranks 13th on the all-time list.

“(Moog) is one of the guys I idolized growing up,” Osgood said. “I learned watching him play.”

Neat.  Such a riveting story that Helene St. James hit it just as hard.

“It’s an honor because I grew up watching him play and I remember going to hockey schools that he was at, teaching,” Osgood said. “He was one of the guys I idolized growing up.”

Osgood, in case you didn’t know, idolized Andy Moog growing up.

Some might say the similarities between the two are striking…particularly the talent they’ve surrounded themselves with.  Osgood naysayers have been picking fights with the downriver puck bunnies for years, as we all know, based on that fact specifically.

Tonite, after nearly a week off and plenty of practice, Osgood has a chance to re-establish himself as the unquestioned Number 1.  And if he doesn’t?  He’ll get another chance and another one after that.  Me? I would have gone with Conklin one more night and unveiled the new and refreshed Ozzie Saturday in Calgary.

Oh, and after Craig MacTavish said mean things about him to the highly objective Edmonton media the other day, Dustin Penner returned for the BJs, as any of us would. 

Oil Droppings

An exceptional performance from the gentle giant in his 200th NHL game. Responded to his benching with his best game as an Oiler, scoring once and contributing directly to three other goals with his massive presence in front of the net. 3 shots, 3 hits, +2, and a thorn in Pascal Leclaire’s side all night long.

Edmonton was still outshot by 20, 39-19.  Columbus doubles you up after a lackluster performance the night before?  I’d say that light at the end of the tunnel is still a few rinks away. 

The Anti-Digger has a post up at Red Wings Corner about the increase of 5-3’s.  Lots of numbers and statistics that made me glaze a bit. But several tidbits worth noting, this one in particular.

The lengths of two-man advantages are part of the problem. In a 7-6 loss to Pittsburgh last week, Johan Franzen preceded Valtteri Filppula to the penalty box by just six seconds. The Red Wings weathered the first 1:13 of the 1:54 of 5-on-3 time with Sidney Crosby—the 2007 Hart Trophy winner—and Evgeni Malkin—a 2008 Hart finalist—firing away. But finally Malkin found the back of the net.

“Five-on-threes are normally like 20 seconds,” said Babcock. “We killed the first 1:13, didn’t we? We were unbelievable. How long are you going to give Crosby and Malkin the chance to fire away?”

Yeah, the Wings are suffering from too many 2-man disadvantages. Got it.  But the second point about the amount of time spent killing them is absolutely key. And we all know where it comes from.  The Bettman enclave.  Wasn’t hockey just better when you knew that the refs would be a little more forgiving when one team is killing a penalty.  You know, instead of raising the right hand at the slightest hint of a HOOKING PENALTY.  Not anymore, not in LG’s “new NHL.”

And you can’t even blame the refs, necessarily. Back when there was only one he had the outstanding alibi of having “not seen it.”  But now with two of those bastards, nothing goes unnoticed. And if they’re doing their job—in a completely wholesome, honest way—they call what they see. 

Want the 5-3’s to decrease? Bring back the one-ref system.  That, my friends, will never happen because it would mean admitting a mistake.  And that isn’t, you know, the commissioner’s strong suit…despite the fact that he has plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of opportunity to do so.

Jim Matheson at the Edmonton Journal has the standard “embarrassment of riches” story this morning, focusing on the brilliance of Datsyuk and Zetterberg.  The standard “we got lucky” quote from Holland.  The mandatory statement from a teammate (Maltby) that they’re the hardest workers on the team. Humble. Etc.

This line stood out though.

The Red Wings are led by two of the top centres in the world, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

True, and they will be for years to come.  Because—and I guess it’s time to at least broach the subject here since I’m the last blogger on earth who hasn’t yet—we all know Tick Tock’s gonna sign Hank.  Done.  For more than Lidstrom?  I’m thinking no.

But that’s not the worry point and we all know it.  You know what kind of spot we’re in? Let me tell you.  We’re all digging Hossa.  He’s an amazing player. But you’re holding back.  You’re not allowing yourself to get too attached because he’s either going to (a) leave or (2) be the guy who stays when Franzen leaves.

At least that’s the conventional thinking.  That’s what the number guys tell us.  It’s what Tick Tock’s hinted at several times.  The budget just won’t allow us to keep all three.

Really?  I’m not going to get into the guts of the roster and the salaries involved.  But here’s the thing we’re all pinning our hopes on.  Somebody’s gonna have to take a cut.  And not just one.  Zetterberg’s gonna have to do it, so that Hossa sees a fellow superstar making the sacrifice for the good of team.  Franzen’s going to have to look at those two and see that winning and making 5 mil is more fun than getting your ass kicked in St. Louis making 7.5. 

And the Captain?  Well, he may just have to submit to a little re-structuring from 7.6 to 6.5.

If this is gonna work, the big four have all got to conspire in the interests of success.  It can’t be just one guy sucking it up.  It has to be all four. 

I’ll tell you this, if Tick Tock can get this done…4 superstars all taking a cut to stay with a team they love to play for?  It could change the league.  Everyone talks about the rest of the teams following in the footsteps of the previous year’s Cup winner?  Well, this would be something.  It’s not a management technique, it would be a characteristic of an NHL player.  It would be a testament to the Cup itself. 

Everyone talks about winning the Cup and the dreams they had growing up.  The greatest accomplishment in team sports.  The “toughest trophy to win.”  Ok.  Well.  Prove it.  Prove its value and sacrifice that extra million.  Then convince your pals to do the same. 

No chance it could happen in other sports.  None.  Is CC Sabathia going to take a cut to fit into the Milwaukee budget and keep a good young team together?  Ummm.  No.  Is Lebron James going to stay in Cleveland?  Hell, is Terrell Pryor going to stay at Ohio State after two years?  Zero chance of that happening.  They’re going for the cash.  Every one of them.  Championships in other sports are fringe benefits.  In hockey? It’s supposed to be the ultimate.  At least that’s what Gary’s marketing people would tell us if they had a brain cell among them.

We’ll see.  It’s the only way this can work.  If the Cup means a bit more, about a million more per guy, than the cash?  The Big 4 will all be back next year. 

If not?  The charade is not too different than the one played out in every other sport.

Edit: MC Keeper asks a good question below. I’m not sure, obviously, if the CBA allows for “restructuring”. If it doesn’t my theory is blown. Dammit. Or at least part of it is.

So there.  I’ve weighed in.

On to the poll.  It’s our first Provincial Live Blog following my decree that all road games will feature a band/artist from that town.  I’ve decided that we’re going to open it up to a number of Canadian(en) rockers because if Canada was a US state like it should be, that’s how we’d roll. 

Vote early. Vote often.

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Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977.  No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y.  Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation.  There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature.  Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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