Abel to Yzerman
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Christmas Deep Digging
by IwoCPO on 12/25/06 at 11:48 AM ET
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Updated 1156 CST to include Bruce MacLeod’s story on Nik Kronwall.
First, and most importantly, I amazingly succeeded. A 38-year old man should be smart enough to avoid buying gifts like purses for their wives. Why? Because that gender is so frustratingly picky about stuff like that...it’s just a losing proposition to attempt that kind of purchase. But I did...and she claims she likes it. I’ll be monitoring that situation closely.
On to your Wings, as brought to you by our erstwhile DD’s.
Bruce MacLeod’s the only DD with anything substantive today. He talks with Nik Kronwall, who is hopeful his offense will come around.
This season, Kronwall is still hunting his first goal. He has just five assists in 25 games although he averages more than 20 minutes of ice time per game. (That ranks third among all Red Wings behind Lidstrom and Schneider.)
“I’m aware of it, but it’s not something you think about all the time,” said Kronwall of his lack of goal production. “You just keep working hard and it will come.”
Hard-hitting interview with Kris Draper in today’s Detroit News. Joanne Gerstner treads where no reporter has.
Q. Is there a food you won’t eat under any circumstances?
A. If I see those large chunks of onion in salad, or in our pre-game meal having cloves of garlic in the spaghetti sauce, I just can’t do that. Those are probably the worst. If I see raw onion, I have to pick it out.
Q. Eggnog—good or bad?
A. Good. I always like a few eggnogs with rum during the holidays.
JV DD George Sipple has a nice little Christmas piece on Wings and their dads, singling out Matt Ellis and the presence of his father for his first NHL game.
“Right from Day One, the first day you pick up a hockey stick your father is the one that’s always there taking you to practice, picking you up when you’re done, just being there for you. It’s something a little bit special when Dad’s able to make it in. To have him be there to see you play in the National Hockey League, which has been a dream from Day One, that’s something special.”
No current Wing is probably happier this Christmas than Dan Cleary. Leading the team in goals, home with the family and content.
“My wife’s going to cook turkey and I’m going to play with the baby and we’re going to open some gifts together,’’ Cleary said. “It’s going to be the best Christmas ever.’’
If, before the season, you had ranked, in order of probability, who on Christmas Day would be leading the Red Wings in goals scored, Cleary might not have cracked the top 15. But, here he is, 35 games into the season, tops on the team with 14 goals, one more than Henrik Zetterberg, twice as many as Pavel Datsyuk. He is by far the Wings’ most surprising player.
Ted Kulfan probably still thinks the Fitzpatrick All Star campaign is a legitimate run. He’s that out of touch. Thankfully, his colleague John Niyo sees it for what it is. And, I can see where he’s coming from in this statement.
Frank Brown, a former hockey scribe who’s now the league’s spokesman, compared this phenomenon to Rocky and the Bad News Bears.
Pretty accurate. And for once, I have to admit, they’ve got it right. (Sorry, Wayne.)
Let the fans have their fun. They’ve earned it, even if Rory hasn’t.
He’s right. They have, we have, earned it. If a bunch of Canuckians want to make a statement, in the witty fashion Canadian hockey fans seem to have mastered, let ‘em.
Merry Christmas.
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