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Where’d That Big Lead Go?
by IwoCPO on 12/22/07 at 09:43 AM ET
Comments (23)
Before your eyes glaze over and you stop reading halfway through this post, get to the bottom for details on an epic A2Y Event.
Wasn’t it just yesterday that the Wings were cruising along with a sizable lead in the Division That Gary Built? Those were the days, eh? Well, after Thursday’s loss to the martyr and the little Blues, the Central lead has dwindled to a worrisome 17 points.
Yes, that’s sarcasm. Revel in it. Here’s something. Worried about the Blues? I’d guess that answer is no. But if you are, take note of this number: 42. It’s an amazing number and I’ll tell you why.
St. Louis and Detroit are tied for second in the league with 81 goals allowed (San Jose: 78). That’s nice. Nifty defensive scheme Andy Murray’s employed and it’s working well for them.
But 42? That’s the gap between the Blues and Detroit in goals scored. 124-82. That’s practically obscene. Almost as dirty as a 13 point divisional lead on Christmas--and that’s if the Wings lose tonite and St. Louis wins twice before Tuesday. It’s got my head all foggy. I started the year out saying the Wings would, once again, own this division. Then, because it’s how I roll, I revised that statement to say the Central is much more competitive, which it is...kinda. Now? Now I’m saying it’s a cakewalk, despite the fact that we can’t beat the teams we lead by several kilometers.
And here’s what I mean by kinda. A month ago, the Central featured no less than four teams in the top 8. Now? The world has returned to normal. Calgary’s on fire. Anaheim has its franchise killer back. Minnesota and Dallas are both 7-3 over their last ten. Even the Dive sit 4th in the conference right now. It might as well be 2003. Not a single Central team other than the Wings would join the party if said party started today.
But it doesn’t. The only party on tap for this evening, as far as we’re concerned, is the one in Minnesota--the self proclaimed New Hockeytown. Gaborik’s coming off a five-goal monstrosity of a game, but that’s not what will be on his mind tonite. Oh no. Tonite? With our Czech Miracle of Insanity back in net? This will be the topic of discussion.
As you’re all aware, our boy Homer will sit this one out. And the reports on this are all over the frigging place. I defer to Matt Saler.
According to Ansar Khan, it’s not the same knee that Holmstrom injured in the Carolina game, which means last week’s mystery is solved: it was his left knee that kept him out of two games. The Wings’ press release gets more specific. Khan also has the name of the Blue whose knee did the damage: Jay McClement.
An inconsistency between MacLeod and Khan’s reports: Bruce says Holmstrom flew back to Detroit instead of making the trip to Minnesota. Ansar says he flew back after making the trip. Not that it matters, but which story is right? Looks like it’s Khan, as Sipple says the same thing in his post.
Khan has one more note that is unrelated to the Holmstrom story: evidently there is another Red Wing that may be unable to play against the Wild. The team wouldn’t say who it is, but it’s probably a forward, because Holland said he’d recall someone from Grand Rapids if this player can’t suit up.
No word, that I know of, on how the MRI turned out. I guess that’s because it hasn’t actually, you know, happened yet. I’m sure the Diggers will be all over it when the results are released. Wondering who the injured forward is? Of course you are. My bet? Samuelsson.
We’ve got ourselves an event Monday night. Getting plastered and waiting for Santa Claus? No, but not unlikely. What we’re talking about is A2Y heavy hitter TeamDub popping the question. Because we find that to be serious business, the following is in the works.
We’re going to live blog that frigging thing. One way or another you need to know the answer to that question, and you need to know it the minute it happens. It’s important. Also, we’re going to find an official sponsor for event we will now refer to as “Dub’s Christmas Miracle.” If you have an idea for sponsorship, forward it. The winner will receive a free case of PBR courtesy of the (hopefully) happy couple. The sponsor should be (a) fictional or at least very funny, (b) be accompanied by a Photoshop’d image we can plaster on the blog and (3) Wing related, or not, as long as it’s juvenile and funny.
Send your sponsorship suggestions . We’ll let Dub make the final call.
Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
Comments
Well Chief, I really appreciate it but I couldn’t stand it any more - asked her last night in the hot tub. Tears, laughter, happiness, a nice Italian prosecco… it was great.
It was truly a
We can do a live blog reenactment, overhyped soap opera stylie.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 12/22/07 at 11:51 AM ET
Congrats Dub!! and the to be Mrs. Dub!
[insert clever line here]
Posted by srt on 12/22/07 at 01:10 PM ET
Ha! Congrats TeamDub! I should have read the comments first...here’s 60 minutes of my life I’ll never get back:
Click:
Not exactly a photoshop, but what the hell.
I, apparently, have too much time off during the holidays.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/22/07 at 03:41 PM ET
Gabriel…
words… no words…
(okay, a couple words)
Friggin’. Beauty.
Thanks a million, that is simply awesome - gotta show the wifey-to-be.
Heh, thanks man.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 12/22/07 at 04:10 PM ET
Holy shit. That is an A2Y Classic Gabe. Frigging brilliant.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/22/07 at 04:15 PM ET
Gracias, and glad you enjoyed. It’s funny what someone will do to avoid wrapping presents.
TeamDub, how did the 2 rings go over?
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/22/07 at 04:20 PM ET
Well done old man! She got any friends? : )
Posted by 58Miles2Joe on 12/22/07 at 04:23 PM ET
Nitronize your wedding ring, free with all Darren Garcia references!!!
Beautifully done.
Posted by srt on 12/22/07 at 04:32 PM ET
Hey, Dub and Dubette, congrats. I relayed the other night’s revelation to my fiancée (yeah, me, too) and we both think it’s way cool. Especially the two ring thing.
Gabriel: what Iwo says. Frigging brilliant.
Posted by BobTheZee on 12/22/07 at 04:33 PM ET
Congrats TeamDub! Which ring did she pick?!!
Gabriel...great stuff!
Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 12/22/07 at 05:21 PM ET
Thanks guys - Gabriel, she loved the “movie,” and I mean loved it.
So here’s how it went down:
I decide tonight’s the night, and we had talked about getting in the tub when she got home. For those unfamiliar, we have a hot tub in our ghetto-fabulous ‘Wings viewing area, AKA the garage.
So, I duct tape both rings on the backside of the tub, over on “my” side and proceed to slam a few (several) Molson Canuckians.
She gets home, I pout her a glass of wine and suggest we get right in ‘cause my back was killing me, yadda yadda. She decides it’s a fine time to do some paperwork and proceeds to spend the next 45 minutes doing just that.
I check the duct tape adhesion upwards of 79 times and have more beers.
Finally, she’s ready to get in and we do.
Earlier in the day yesterday she made some crack about us starting to sleep in separate rooms since we weren’t married.
Hello, perfect segue.
So I bring this notion up and relay that it’s an unacceptable situation for me and asked what I could do to avoid it. She gave me a ghettoized, “Pffft, I don’t see no rang on mah fanger!”
So I asked her if I asked her to marry me it would change her proposed sleeping setup.
“Maybe, but that’s not gonna happen soon enough to save you tonight, buddy.”
“Oh yeah?
“Well, what if I asked you now?”
“Oh yeah, right.”
(I reach back and peel off the “fake” ring and get down on one knee (much easier in a hot tub, lemme tell ya) and proceed to basically speak in tongues for a couple minutes. Rambling wouldn’t begin to describe the emotional verbal diarrhea I unleashed.
She cried, I was a rock. (Okay, I wasn’t. Sue me.)
She said “of COURSE I’ll marry you!”
So we’re both shaking like leaves (Leafs?) and all smiles, yadda, yada and I apologize that I didn’t have a more proper ring for her, etc. She says she loves it, it means so much, etc.
So a couple minutes later, after the initial shock was starting to ever so slightly wear off, I reached back and grabbed the real dealio and popped that box open right in her face, announcing that “this one will probably hold up much better.”
More tears, more shaking, some bubbly and a plethora of other unmentionable goodness.
All in all, a great night.
So, I guess I’m getting married.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 12/22/07 at 05:37 PM ET
Well, that’s just GREAT. My wife’s gonna read this, probably has by the time you read THIS, and she’s going to get all 1000 yard stare on me and think about my proposal to her...and wonder why I couldn’t have done better. Thanks Dub.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/22/07 at 05:52 PM ET
This is Bill’s wife. Don’t let him fool you. He did a great job with his proposal, in between periods of a Red Wing game. Just kidding. He did very well.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/22/07 at 06:08 PM ET
Great story! I’m getting all ferklempt here....and there’s a game tonite.
Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 12/22/07 at 06:36 PM ET
TD, I’m not sure which I’m more impressed with...your proposal, or her ability to talk ghetto. My wife tries that from time to time...watching a beach girl who’s been sheltered her whole life try to talk getto is about as uncomfortable as you can possibly imagine.
And Mrs. Iwo, I think I speak for all 19 of Bill’s readers when I say that we would be honored if you would tell the story of Bill’s proposal, and in no way would we consider mocking his softer side mercilessly. Honest.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/22/07 at 06:45 PM ET
Not...gonna...happen Gabe. You guys see way too much of my sensitive side already.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 12/22/07 at 07:02 PM ET
Can’t blame me for trying, you old softie.
Man...I’m seriously doing everything I can to avoid actual work today. Just trying to kill time until the game.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/22/07 at 07:27 PM ET
Is anyone else watching the pregame? Ironically Downey and Drake have been the best Christmas story readers. And Datsyuk’s been the funniest. Then Keating says “God bless Pavel Datsyuk for playing along.”
Posted by Pete K from Chicago, IL on 12/22/07 at 07:45 PM ET
Hi Mrs. Chief - what an extraordinary woman you must be to, um, “merit” the honor.
I keed…
I’m sure El Chief was a right proper gentleman and did it right. I sounded like a bipolar savant off his meds.
Anyway, thanks again for all the kind words and hoopla, it’s both surprising and very, very appreciated.
By the way, the wifey-to-be picked up a couple new items at the store today - wonder where her head was”
Heh.
Off to grub real quick, back in a while.
Thanks again guys, you certainly wouldn’t see this sort of thing on a dive blog, I mean, the casting of characters alone would more than deplete their fan base.
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 12/22/07 at 07:48 PM ET
My most sincere congratulations to the both of you.
I knew she’d like the two rings!
Make sure you guys hang on to the crystal ring. It will be a good reminder, when the wedding planning gets stressful, that no matter what goes wrong, at the end of the ceremony you will still be married, and that matters more than having the correct bridesmaid dresses come in, the cake decorated in the right colors, and having enough forks for all the guests. The wedding is a nice big party - the marriage is the most important thing, though.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 12/23/07 at 06:43 AM ET
Dub, that was an awesome evening, I’m sure. I had your post all copied and pasted to send to my wife to say “SEE!! The internet MORE than just hockey and porn...”
Then I remembered that I proposed on a Monday morning over breakfast, when we neither one wanted to go to work. Quick blood test and trip to the courthouse, 2 nearby deputies for witnesses, 6 hours later, the deed was done.
I always was an incurable romantic.
Nearly twenty years later, I’m still livin’ that down.Rightfully so.
20th anniversary in March, maybe I could do something a bit more thoughtful. Hmmm...I wonder if I could track down those deputies?:-)
Posted by dougie on 12/23/07 at 11:57 AM ET
TeamDub:
CONGRATULATIONS! YAY! GREAT NEWS!!
I’m always late to the party but congratulations all the same! Thanks for the story, what a great one!
Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 12/24/07 at 11:36 AM ET
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Blogs the Chief Likes
Great post on the Central Iwo.
I think Dub may have done the dirty
last night according to his last comment.
Hoping we’ll hear the outcome soon.
Probably never considered just giving him half of his stuff and telling her to hit the road.
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 12/22/07 at 11:15 AM ET