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Abel to Yzerman

Breaking 40.  39 More Cup-less Tuesdays.

by IwoCPO on 09/09/09 at 09:26 AM ET
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In the unlikely event you’d forgotten?  We’re looking at 39 Tuesdays until the Cup comes back to Hockeytown, where it belongs, where it’s appreciated.  39 more Tuesdays until Pens fans can stop pretending they know how to be happy about something they realize their team didn’t really earn. 

Now hold on Penguins fans. Don’t get angry. It’s not my intent to get you all worked up. You have a nice team that played a very good half-season last year then took advantage of some good fortune in the Finals. And you get to keep awkwardly celebrating it for just under forty more weeks.  Awesome.

But…when the one-trick Tuesdays come to an end? It’s back to Detroit, where providence says the Cup belongs.  Why?

Well, here’s a reason.  It would appear that Andres Lilja is feeling better.

Whoa, bitches. Whoa.  I’m not saying our former whipping boy is the key to the Wings’ success. Nope.  But I am saying that with his return, we’re looking at a defensive corps that is second to nobody. 

Lidstrom/Rafalski
Stuart/Kronwall
Ericsson/Lilja

More on that in a second from a guy who’s given it a lot more thought than I have. First…Khan(!) with an update.

“I’m a lot more positive,’’ Lilja said. “I’m almost 100 percent sure I’m going to play—it’s just a matter of when.’‘

Lilja, 34, arrived in Detroit on Friday and joined his teammates for an informal practice Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena. He doesn’t know if he will be ready for the start of training camp Sunday or whether he will start the season on long-term injured reserve.

He hopes that the tests he was to undergo Tuesday, including an MRI, will shed light on the timetable for his return.

That was yesterday and, in the same article, Khan(!) also points out that Lilja is still having relapses, good and bad days, etc.  But, apparently, he’s improving. 

Now.  Why is that good?  I’ll direct your thoughts and gratitude toward Mr. Norris Trophy at Winging It In Motown.

If Lilja is healthy:

—Returns to the starting six defenders, no doubt in my mind

—Likely would be paired with fellow Swede Jonathan Ericsson. That’s a very physical third line pairing, averaging 6’4”, 210 pounds.

—Brett Lebda would be the odd man out. To me, Ericsson has shown more in his very short time with the Wings than Lebda has in about 300 games.

—Detroit calls up a cheaper replacement for Lebda

Concur on all.  And this:  if Lilja comes back our PK gets immediately healthy again. Say what you want about his mistakes, both physical and mental, but the guy blocks shots and he can kill some penalties.  I’ve said it and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon: the PK is going to reflect this team’s willingness to take back what Little Gary and injuries stripped them of. 

Norris Trophy’s got a bit more on the ramifications of a longer Lilja absence, but I prefer to stay with this:  if the big boy’s back, the blue line’s the best in the business and that’s the bottom line. 

Alliteration bitches. 

And while you’re at it, start thinking about who put Lilja in that condition in the first place.  As you consider that, you may want to take a guess which team’s coming in at #9 on the A2Y Rivalry Depth Chart.

I’ll give you one more hint: it ain’t the one-trickers who currently, and awkwardly, hold the Cup.  For 39 more Tuesdays anyway.

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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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