Abel to Yzerman
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That Was A Statement? I’ve Got A Statement For You
by IwoCPO on 12/19/08 at 11:10 AM ET
Comments (18)
And it goes something like this: Don’t make us wait another two months.
Don’t make us wait again to see the team we watched last night.
Last night could very well serve as a stepping stone, or just a big tease at what could be. Obviously motivated. Clearly angry and, according to our Uncle Mike, “excited.”
“Our guys, since I’ve been here, when they’re excited, they can play pretty good. It was pretty apparent we haven’t been that excited this year.
Excited? Cool. Me? I was frigging terrified. Evidence? I didn’t watch the game until 2200 last night. And by that time I was well aware of the outcome. How? Because, as our Wings were laying waste to the “league’s best team” I was watching the Capital(ol)s drill the Bitter Bitch Blues live from the Verizon Center.
It would make for a much better tale if I were to say that the stress was just too much, that I walked out of my house at 1830 and headed to a place where the hockey was pure and the bad thoughts were hidden. But no. Free tickets to watch the game in a swanky restaurant with free beer, plus the chance to see St. Louis lose in person? Hard to pass up. And I kinda accepted before I realized who the Wings were playing last night.
So that was fun. And here’s what I noticed once I sat down and calmly watched the surgical demolition of Toddy’s boys.
—The stress relief after Franzen’s goal was probably very similar to what many of us felt on May 31st, 2002 soon after Homer scored to start the onslaught against Patty and Petey and Joey. And when Datsyuk scored soon after, both on bad goals? Thank you.
—Tired? I’m sure they were. An OT loss the night before. Got it. Well, too bad. Sympathy? None. Any of the MSM’s who annointed San Jose kings of the league after their defeat of Detroit provide the Wings that kind of alibi? Nope. But just know this: until these teams play a game on equal footing it’s hard to say who is better.
—Weaknesses? If you want to discuss the similarities between these two teams, as everyone seems to, I think the only real viable spot is in the net. Neither team is getting the consistent goaltending they’ll need in May. And in San Jose’s case, Nabokov may have been exposed last night since the Wings showed them something few others have: that a large number of shots may just be his undoing. We’ll see.
—Hank Zetterberg’s your Selke winner. Where was Big Joe Thornton last night? Anyone? Two shots and invisible. Zetterberg was largely offensively invisible also, but guess what? It was by design. Uncle Mike gave him the shutdown assignment and said anything else he did would be gravy.
—Goalie controversy? In Detroit? Stop the wackiness. Nah, not yet. But only because of the type of defense the Wings played last night. Osgood would have shut San Jose out too. Hell Rumbear would have shut them out. But don’t let that stop you from wondering whether Conklin deserves more and more time. Because, you know, we’ve pointed it out time and again here…it’s not just the way the goalie plays, it’s the way the team plays in front of that goalie.
—Woops. Is there a chance the captain exerted some leadership last night, or this week? I’m thinking he may have. Obviously, if Nick Lidstrom does any speaking to this team at all, he picks and chooses his spots very carefully. With three days off since Monday’s…event…I’m starting to sense he may have chimed in a bit.
“We played one of our best games, the way we played for 60 minutes,” captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “We played real solid defensively. All five guys on the ice and our goalie, too. We were coming back hard and we weren’t having too many turnovers. We waited for our chances.
“I thought the team was really focused and ready to play. I thought we responded well.”
—Babcock. Had the Wings lost last night, would the torches have come out? Nope. But here’s the thing: they had to come out with a great effort last night. Because if not then, when? Eh Mike? If not against San Jose, who could we expect this team to get up for? Uncle Mike just may have convinced this team that last night was, as someone put it in a comment that I’m too lazy to find right now, the “end of summer break.”
—Does that mean a huge winning streak is on the way? I have no idea. I think that’s as likely as the Wings getting beaten by LA after giving up five odd-man rushes this Saturday. Either could happen. But you have to think this game could serve as a family pleasing stimulus toward greater success, consistent success.
—Anyone notice Hossa sitting the final eight minutes last night? Shane just mentioned in the comments of the live blog, but I hadn’t heard anything. I did see this from the Anti-Digger though.
Hossa passed at being the first star of the game. Never heard of that before and it speaks to how good of a person that he is and where his priorities are. I didn’t even know that players were tapped for the stars before the game was over. But when Hossa was told, he said that he didn’t deserve the top star. That’s pretty humble .
Tick Tock Kenny. Tick. Tock.
Update: Paul’s heard it was a precautionary move to rest Hossa (groin).
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Comments
But just know this: until these teams play a game on equal footing it’s hard to say who is better.
True enough. All the same, I’m going to soak in this victory for awhile. A full 60 minutes of hockey!
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 12/19/08 at 12:14 PM ET
it was pretty to watch from the 5th row (after half a period of obstructed view from the $9 seats)...an all around effort that make the Seafood not only look human…but mediocre. I don’t care if they were tired from losing (to Columbus), never should the “best team in the league” ever lose 6-0 to anyone.
I’m going to enjoy this day off from work, and continue to search for the song that now plays during the pre-game video, the one where the wings are wearing all of their trendy little sweaters and collared shirts (no collars popped, thank god). can anyone help me find out who the song is by?
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 12/19/08 at 12:25 PM ET
^ Congrats on watching a great game Drew, you lucky bastard.
Do you have a clip of the song? Either from your own or someone’s camera recording of the intro? I’m sure we (Andrew, Voox and I) could identify it for you, unless it’s a boy band, then the Chief will be all over that.
Posted by Osrt on 12/19/08 at 12:30 PM ET
Agreed Osrt, if the video’s song is the Jonas Brothers, Chief will be all over it. Drew, are all the $9 seats obstructed view? I was hoping to catch a cheap game, but not if I have to dodge pillars to see the game.
Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 12/19/08 at 12:44 PM ET
Oh, and Chief, as much as I think Crosby and Malkin are great talents (don’t tell Pensblog), for my entertainment dollar Ovechkin is the better show to watch. He has the same intensity as Pavem with a bigger frame. Pure stud. Although watching the Wings play great for 50 minutes (the first 10 they sucked) AND a shut out for our Conk Blocker must have trumped the Ovechkin Experience.
Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 12/19/08 at 12:49 PM ET
Pavel not Pavem. F’ing iPhone keyboard.
VooX out.
Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 12/19/08 at 12:50 PM ET
I had not been too concerned about the lack of full 60 minute efforts. That the Wings had trailed in 11 straight games was disconcerting, but they were still winning. Now this: a 6-0 Wings victory. Yikes. That score put me squarely on the stress train. It gave me flashbacks to 12/2/1995, a December blowout that in the spring of ‘06 cost the Wings their first cup since 1955. It still irks me to this day that the Dive won a cup before Yzerman.
The Wings needed to beat the fish, not humilate them…
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 12/19/08 at 01:03 PM ET
Have you seen the Wrigley Field Zamboni accident?
Here it is, if I can remember how to post a pic…
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 12/19/08 at 01:10 PM ET
HaHa, my strategy of boycotting last night worked. Now I can watch it tonight with a couple cold ones in the back of the Hasek.
Onward and upward!!!
Do the Bitter Blues look ripe for next week Chief?
Posted by Jeff from Loveland, CO on 12/19/08 at 01:37 PM ET
Great post Chief. See you guys next live blog.
Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 12/19/08 at 02:46 PM ET
Thanks Jenn.
To all you bitches and your claims of my infatuation with boy bands: that’s horrible and you’ll all pay.
Jeff: the Blues looked like absolute garbage. The Cap fans were laughing at them, so was Brashear.
Ovechkin is amazing.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 12/19/08 at 04:05 PM ET
http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=398282&page=NewsPage&service=page
I just found out about this Wed. and ended up going to the game yesterday night, and I am so glad I did. $15 is a great deal to me and the seats weren’t all that bad (section 211A Row 18), if you have the time I suggest doing it, I’m not sure how long this promotion is going to last. I would suggest calling the Box Office before you leave and asking them how many tickets they had available, I did that and the women assured me I would be able to get tickets, and I did. Kudos to the Wings doing this, I’ve been waiting for them to help us poor college students out.
Posted by Sp4r7an on 12/19/08 at 04:14 PM ET
Wow, Sp4r7an, that is a good deal. I wonder if they would accept my 1981 Plymouth Salem High school ID???
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 12/19/08 at 04:40 PM ET
my 1981 Plymouth Salem High school ID???
Daaammnnnn, how are you still alive? 
So how goes the jogging Chief? Do you look like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty yet?
Posted by Osrt on 12/19/08 at 05:25 PM ET
osrt: Suarez is still kicking my ass on a variety of challenges, but i’m up to about 35 miles/week and he’ll soon be my bitch.
I haven’t reached Spacey level, but i’m getting there.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 12/19/08 at 05:28 PM ET
Daaammnnnn, how are you still alive?
C’mon now, I’m not that old! Chelios is older than me.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 12/19/08 at 05:58 PM ET
i don’t think there was any stress in that 2002’ game 7 against the Dive, it’s just a great blowout memory for me. The stress relief in that serie happened with the statue of liberty of this #ss of Roy in game 6 
Dom made him pay for his stupidity the rest of the way and into retirement, eheheh 
)
back to the Franzen goal vs the sharks, it was (finally) good to see an easy shot pass through their goalie instead of ours for a change. The 1st was pretty similar to the game on Monday vs the Dive, except it was reversed. After that, we took control and played the way we want, but it’s easier to do when you are not behind by 2 goals like it has been happening way too often lately…
Posted by yannick on 12/20/08 at 06:02 AM ET
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Good post Chief.
I think most of us agree that the team that showed up last night is not the one we see nightly. And we have no idea which team will show up next.
It’ll be fun (terrifying) to watch the Wings and San Jose play at full ability, but I don’t care about how they stack up right now. I’m worried about our motivation, our ability to step up to big games, play full games etc.
Hossa is proving to be more of a Wing than I gave him credit for. Very classy move.
Posted by Osrt on 12/19/08 at 11:48 AM ET