Abel to Yzerman
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It’s Christmas…and It’s Ok To Hate
by IwoCPO on 12/20/07 at 05:05 PM ET
Comments (145)
Updated 2024: Ted Kulfan, former Deep Digging Captain, reports that Chris Chelios did not take the news he’d be staying home tonite well.
“What do you want me to say? I’m happy about it?” said Chelios, who definitely was not happy with the news.
Derek Meech will take Chelios’ spot in the lineup. This is the third time this season that coach Mike Babcock has sat Chelios, 45, for the second of back-to-back games.
“I could play him, but I’ve said from day one, and we’ve had this same conversation all the time, I told him the first half of the year this is going to happen,” Babcock said. “We’re going to need him at the end of the year. He doesn’t like it, but that’s life.”
Sometimes, when I’m kicking the bejesus out of Dive fans, just drilling them day after day because it makes me smile? Well, sometimes, I get sad because Bitter Blues fans think I’ve forgotten them.
That’s not true. It’s not true at all. It’s just that, well, the little Blues have never defeated the Wings in a playoff series so it’s kind of a debate ender, you know?
But there’s an ingredient there that can’t be overlooked. Oh, the Blues fans, they hate them some Wings.
And you know what? I’m not real fond of Blues fans either. That’s the cool thing about me. I make no claims to be mature. In fact, yesterday at my youngest daughter’s school Christmas holiday party? Some (army) idiot was wearing a Blues jersey. Here’s what happened.
Iwo: Blues fan, eh?
Dumbass: Yep
Iwo: We’re kicking your ass tomorrow night.
Dumbass: Oh. Detroit fan.
Iwo: That’s right. Feeling inferior right now aren’t you?
Dumbass: Not really. The Blues are much improved. Love the McDonald trade, Kariya…
Iwo: Yzerman. ‘96.
Dumbass: Oh. That.
There was more, but it’s not as funny as I remembered it to be.
Here’s a nifty little post over at a blog named St. Louis Game Time. You’ll have to click from here because it’s not in my blog roll to the left. It’s in the supersecretbookmarkedblogrollfeaturingbloggerswhohatetheWings. Their Hockeytown hatred would only be rivaled by the Hockey Dumb in Denver if only Denver had more than 13 fans left.
I’m not going to get into the whole “take the Central more seriously” thing. There is zero chance the Wings fall into that trap again. Does that mean they win tonite? Am I predicting that? No. I’m out of the prediction business. But it does mean it’s time for another Sack o’ Mail. That’s right Skippy. Gather the family ‘round because it’s time for some wholesome fun courtesy of the faithful A2Y readers.
The Honorable Denny Wisniewski, Saginaw--Were you one of the bastards who passed out in my tool shed on several occasions in 1986 and 1987? Should we be concerned with the Poultry now that Scott Niedermayer decided to return?
Iwo: No, sir. That wasn’t me. I rarely drank in high school and Saginaw was in a dry county when I lived there. Still is as far as I know. Scott Niedermayer doesn’t necessarily make me any more wary of the Poultry than I was before. Re-phrase: they were very good, despite their early season malaise, before he came back. Now they’re better. I see them as a 2 or 3 seed and our opponent in the WCF.
We’re going to let this serve as the starting point for tonite’s live blog and I’ll update the Sack during the game. It’s a 2030 start so “the letters” I pick may be a little less formal than Denny’s. Stand by.
Updated: 1940 EST. See what happens when games start one hour later than usual? I take ZERO responsibility.
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Comments
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Sorry troopers. Little wireless problem here in the Iwo house. Hope I didn’t miss any more wedding planning.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/20/07 at 10:05 PM ET
Just fired up the wide screen desktop for the DAL/VAN game. Yahoo better not disappoint tonight.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 10:06 PM ET
Khan’s got a not-so-informative update on Holmstrom. He basically says Holmstrom injured his right knee and that it’s “unclear if he injured the same knee” that kept him out of two games last week. Oh, okay, it’s not really important either way.
Not! If it’s the same knee, it could be a bigger deal.
You have to wonder how the beat writers, who presumably saw Holmstrom around JLA while he was recovring, never noticed which knee was hurt. I’m assuming he had a limp or had ice on it at some point.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:17 PM ET
Baroque, I wish I had the insight that you possess. One month after marrying my first wife, we declared bankruptcy. Less than 2 years later we were divorced. A blessing. 10 years later she is on her 4th husband, living with mommy and daddy while her current hubby is in prison.
In April, my bride I will be celebrating my 8th anniversary.
I can’t help but laugh whenever I run into my ex.
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/20/07 at 10:19 PM ET
After the past couple of games, Murph’s hair doesn’t look so bad does it?
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/20/07 at 10:22 PM ET
I’m supposed to want to be married right.
I’m sure you will. I just happened to find one of the guys who doesn’t really want a wife, just a steadily-employed purse to sleep with. My really bad luck.
*****
Okay, as long as we’re talking proposals, this is how my brother-in-law proposed to my sister -
She had to take one of their dogs to a vet appointment, and came home to see her boyfriend talking with his dad, and he seemed annoyed about it. She was tired from work and just wanted to make dinner and relax. He asked why she was home so early - he had thought the vet appointment was later than it was. He was going to grill some steaks and asked my sis to go out and get potatoes because he thought they were out. She said, no, I just got them this week.
Then he asked her to go out and pick up some A-1. She siad, fine, whatever, and left to go shopping. The first place she went to was out, so she went to another store and got some A-1. Then while she is driving home, she thinks, “wait a minute - we HAVE A-1!”
She opens the front door of the house to hear some romantic music on the CD player, a vase of roses on the coffee table, and a note sitting next to it.
Then basically she goes on a scavenger hunt through the house, with each note reading something like “if you love me in spite of all my flaws, then go to the microwave” where there was another note, and so on.
The last note read, “if you want to be with me and love me forever, open the bedroom door” - and he was waiting on one knee with a ring.
At that point the retractable ball point pen that she was nervously clicking the whole time exploded and she started crying.
(That was why he was so annoyed when his father showed up unexpectedly - he had just had everything set up, and you can’t propose while your dad is around!)
Obviously, she said yes. 
(My brother said she shouldn’t have opened the bedroom door and waited to see how long before he would come out, but she was understandably a little muzzy-headed at the time.)
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 10:26 PM ET
Best of luck HTT!!!
Geez, we have Gaborik with five tonight, Dom may just have to meet him again at the blueline on Saturday.
Plus Crosby with a Gordie Howe hat trick.
Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 12/20/07 at 10:30 PM ET
@ cementslinger -
I just wished I’d figured out he only wanted a purse, not a wife, earlier. I’d have dumped the leech more quickly and saved myself some trouble.
Not surprisingly, I’m quite content to be single now. A relationship like that can make a person a bit gunshy.
About your ex-wife - I think every family has a Jerry Springer wing. In my family it’s my uncle’s psychotic w***e of an ex-wife. All we can hope is that it isn’t under the same roof as we live under.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 10:33 PM ET
I guess that wasn’t such a good penalty to take after all…
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:36 PM ET
Heh, Matt, thought the same thing. It’s going to be an interesting finish.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/20/07 at 10:39 PM ET
Baroque,
heh, if I ever get an invite to a Jerry Springer show, I’ll be getting a new roof to live under, without question!
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/20/07 at 10:41 PM ET
Datsyuk looks determined to do something tonight, but the Blues are about as determined to shut him down.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:43 PM ET
Jeez Babs, you could have at least worn your lucky tie.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 10:44 PM ET
Nice dive there by Stempniak. Good to see the ref had enough self-respect not to call a trip.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:48 PM ET
Quiz time from Paul Woods:
Only 10 players in NHL history have 1,000 assists. Two of them played for the St. Louis Blues. Who are they?
My guess:
Gretzky and Adam Oates.
Posted by srt on 12/20/07 at 10:48 PM ET
I don’t think his lucky tie would match that sky blue shirt.
I wouldn’t have figured Mike Babcock for a windowpane plaid guy.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 10:49 PM ET
Is that weasel Hinote avoiding Lilja.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 10:51 PM ET
I’d love to see Datsyuk stick it to the Blues by scoring the go-ahead goal one of these shifts where they’re busy knocking him around.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:51 PM ET
What a load of fricking BS. That would have been waived off had it been Holmstrom.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:54 PM ET
I was thinking - the Blues have made the playoffs a lot, and have had pretty good teams for the most part. Why haven’t they ever won a Cup? Was it always the Wings that knocked them out of the playoffs?
Poop. :(
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 10:55 PM ET
That scoreless Van game looks like a preseason compared to this.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 10:57 PM ET
Whatever happened to icings being waived off due to being an intended pass?
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 10:58 PM ET
Do I have to say it again? Jackman is a loser. That whole thing was calculated to give the Blues a rest, when the puck should have been dropped in half the time.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 11:04 PM ET
I wonder how much of the 0.500 record against the Central is because of the familiarity of the teams with the Wings? Since they have played them a billion times a season, it makes sense that they would be better able to make adjustments than a team that doesn’t see them as often.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 11:05 PM ET
Good point, Baroque. You’d think the Wings would gain a similar edge, though.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 11:07 PM ET
The ref was looking right at Franzen when he got dumped in front of Legace. What could possibly have been going through his mind to not make that call?
Posted by Clark on 12/20/07 at 11:10 PM ET
@ Clark
I wonder if they’re live blogging this? Did I leave the coffee pot on?
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/20/07 at 11:13 PM ET
Maybe the rest of the difference is that the other teams get hyped up to face the Wings even if they don’t get hyped to face other teams. Or else, the Wings are an easier team to make adjustments against just because they have played the same style for so long, while the other teams’ style changes as they try to rebuild.
(sigh)
Oh, well. Time to start a new winning streak next game.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 11:14 PM ET
That is 4 losses in a row for the Wings on St Louis ice.
I wanted Jackman in a Wings Jersey from his rookie year.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 11:15 PM ET
Clark,
“He’s wearing white and has that Winged Wheel on the front, so I’m just going to ignore whatever those guys in blue do to him.”
I know Nick was waiting for an opening through which to shoot, but it might have been better to lob it at the net rather than wait like that. Oh well.
Why do I feel like the Wings got robbed? Oh yeah, because of the blown goaltender interference call on the game-winner. Whatever you think about how the Wings played over the course of the whole game, they didn’t deserve to lose because of a blown call.
The Franzen thing was just the latest of a number of blown calls. I try not to use this too often but I think it’s warranted: the refs sucked tonight.
I’d be somewhat less disgusted had the game at least gone to overtime, even if the Wings eventually lost. Or if they’d gotten a few more power plays for the Blues riding roughshod over them all night, not always legally.
Todd,
The Blues can have “Pronger Lite” Jackman. I can’t stand the guy and have no desire to ever see the Wings play his “style” of hockey.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/20/07 at 11:20 PM ET
We’ll be back in six day bitches! ‘cept this time, we’ll bring our own refs… Get McGeough on the line!
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/20/07 at 11:21 PM ET
@Matt
Agreed about Jackman. I mentioned over at my GDT that he roughed it up with Datsyuk and Samuelsson tonight. Was Hudler not available? For a guy who’s supposedly so tough, he sure does pick on weaker players.
Posted by Clark on 12/20/07 at 11:23 PM ET
“Pronger Lite” Jackman ?
Have you forgotten how effective Konstantinov was?
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 11:24 PM ET
Oh - and Happy Everything!
Drive safely, too - the weather on Sunday around here looks to be miserable.
And good luck Monday, TeamDub. If she has any sense, she’ll say yes (or no sense - sometimes it’s really hard to say). Let us know how many gallons of tears were shed by all! 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/20/07 at 11:26 PM ET
Holy hell, Babcock actually complained about the goalie interference non-call. Nice.
Posted by Clark on 12/20/07 at 11:27 PM ET
That’s just Hockey.
Fans of the losing team always rag on the Officiating. Wins weren’t playing the Caps, Panthers or Kings so they went 0-5 on the PP, and 2-4 on the PK. Manny made 34 saves, and Ozzie made 21. Gotta give Murray and the Blues some credit.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/20/07 at 11:39 PM ET
Couldn’t participate in the live blog last night. Sigh one of these days.
TeamDub, Best of luck to you and congratulations! I like the plan very much.
I thought the Blues got away with a lot in the 3rd period (especially towards the end). I wish this game could have happened without the Wings playing the night before. I liked the intensity. I hated having the Blues feed. John Kelly drove me crazy when he was doing the Dive games and I see he is still 20 seconds behind every play and saying the puck was cleared when it isn’t and things like that. I’m glad I only have to put up with him occasionally. My name for Kelly and McNabb used to be “Dumb” and “Dumber”. Now with Haynes doing the Dive tv, I call it “Homer” and “Dumber”, not quite as catchy.
I don’t like the back to back scheduling for games when one team has to travel quite a distance. I’m off to the Can tonight to see the Dive/Rangers game. Rangers played in Minnesota last night so I expect they will be flat.
O.k. I think I have rambled on enough for today.
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 12/21/07 at 10:48 AM ET
Todd,
I don’t remember Vlady all that much because the Wings weren’t televised so regularly in my early days as a fan. What I do remember is that Konstantinov was a different player than Jackman. He had offensive skill and a penchant for big hits. Jackman has neither.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 12/21/07 at 10:58 AM ET
“I don’t remember Vlady all that much”
evidently
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs dont live up to my expectations on 12/21/07 at 02:21 PM ET
Thanks for the good wishes and comments everyone, I simply can’t wait and I’m going to ask her tonight.
Updates as warranted - still waiting on the official A2Y sponsorship via a 30-pack of PBR.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 12/21/07 at 09:28 PM ET
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Head to Hockeytown
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Engagements to bitchy sweethearts and sweet bankrupters; I’m supposed to want to be married right.
I hope Dub’s evening is going well. A soy candle maker…
Where do you find these people? Why can’t they be normal and just work on PhD while posting on a Wings blog hosted by the cheese and transvestite obsessed? Is that too freakin much to ask?
Posted by srt on 12/20/07 at 10:04 PM ET