tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.comments2010-09-27T20:46:14.868-05:00The Hole in the DoorGrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00697794555787610013noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-66485161470815778532010-09-27T20:46:14.868-05:002010-09-27T20:46:14.868-05:00Congrats! I only found you when you started your 1...Congrats! I only found you when you started your 19 favorite Wings in your time, and have stayed on reading your writing because I like it. Will continue to follow you on WIM for bigger and better ranting.<br /><br />-wingsluver4everAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-44490308717587349802010-09-27T09:16:57.982-05:002010-09-27T09:16:57.982-05:00Welcome aboard!Welcome aboard!J.J. from Kansashttp://www.wingingitinmotown.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-58428929310618740022010-09-21T20:53:34.736-05:002010-09-21T20:53:34.736-05:00Very nice. Having lived in LA and watched this tea...Very nice. Having lived in LA and watched this team over the past few years, here's my two cents:<br /><br />A significant player you omitted is Justin Williams. Both he and Smyth went down at different times last season, and it seems to be a much higher priority for Williams (he of the "missed 116 of 246 games over the last three seasons") to stay healthy than for Smyth. I don't recall Brown being injured last season, but his problem is that he was forcing a lot of unnecessary one-on-one situations that ended up with either a turnover or a pillow-soft shot on goal. Kopitar's slump started when Smyth went down, and it took Kopitar a while to get out of his mid-season funk, but his lack of production came mostly mid-season, not really toward the end. The man who really got fatigued at the end was Quick, as you mentioned, and there was some controversy at various points last season that Terry Murray should have gone with the Kings then-backup Erik Ersberg (a very capable [backup] goaltender in my opinion). There was a mini-controversy last season over whether to keep Bernier in the NHL or not after three consecutive stellar performances (I remember two games against Nashville and Vancouver but not the third one), but the plan from management from the beginning of last season was to send Bernier down to Manchester for the entire year so that he could be the guy on the team and lead the Monarchs on a deep playoff run (went to the Conference Finals before bowing out to the Hershey Bears in, I think, six games). This year, all signs point to Ersberg being the odd-man out, and Bernier could potentially take the starter's job at some point this season.<br /><br />There are actually <i>a lot</i> of players that could take not only that last defense spot but also the spot open for at least the first month since Greene had surgery and will miss the start of the season. Hickey in addition to Johan Fransson (I did a double take the first time I saw that name), Jacob Muzzin, Alec Martinez, and maybe a few other guys I'm not remembering at the moment could be on the opening night roster. As for forward prospects, I think in addition to Schenn (and possibly Moller), other players to pay attention to are Kyle Clifford and Andrei Loktionov; Clifford is a grinder with some offensive punch, and Loktionov is a definite skill player. <br /><br />I really think that, even though the Kings might trade for someone that fills a need or a hole, they probably have an outstanding chance of finding that player (those players) from among the many they've developed over the last few years. Maybe it's because I've been following them closely, but I'm inclined to think that they win the division this season.Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-91334188161078257242010-09-15T14:51:24.003-05:002010-09-15T14:51:24.003-05:00I agree with that completely. He is good with esta...I agree with that completely. He is good with established players and veterans. I've told people before that if the Avs don't get Roy, they never win a Cup. Roy was the player that put them over the top, not Crawford or anyone else on that team.Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00697794555787610013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-1699572644656365022010-09-15T14:37:23.400-05:002010-09-15T14:37:23.400-05:00Marc Crawford is an awful coach with young players...Marc Crawford is an awful coach with young players. Just ask the Kings when he was their head coach.Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-21782128070903412502010-09-15T07:31:45.963-05:002010-09-15T07:31:45.963-05:00The Canucks are over the cap, though I think anyth...The Canucks are over the cap, though I think anything they do won't affect their roster too much.<br /><br />Some Canucks fans seem to want Henrik Sedin as the captain. Ryan Kesler is too much of a emotional roller coaster for them, especially in a market like Vancouver where the smallest comments could get spun out of control. They like Kesler a lot, just not as a captain.<br /><br />After having moved to Rhode Island for college, I'm going to miss being able to catch West Coast games and still go to bed at a reasonable time . . .Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-80176263993696628992010-09-15T07:25:14.682-05:002010-09-15T07:25:14.682-05:00I think the Sharks simply had too much talent comp...I think the Sharks simply had too much talent compared to the Avalanche; I don't think inexperience had that much of a role in that series.<br /><br />Defense is a huge question mark for the team, but I don't doubt that Craig Anderson can have a similar season (except more consistent) to last year, especially if he plays fewer games. <br /><br />Peter Mueller won't keep up the same pace, but I doubt he'll suck; Matt Duchene's going to be better; Ryan O'Reilly probably won't have a difficult time matching last season's numbers, though you wonder if he'll be better.<br /><br />My wild card is TJ Galiardi. He and O'Reilly played significant penalty killing minutes, so it'll be interesting to see if they both can improve on last season's penalty killing and if Galiardi can maintain his offensive production. <br /><br />I don't think the Avalanche have as many questions as you think. For me, it's just their defense corps that is one HUGE question mark. But I see them as a playoff team. <br /><br />I really can't get a hate-on for the Avalanche anymore since Anderson single-handedly saved me in my fantasy league last season, and Duchene and Quincey chipped in occasionally.Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-1646367648128799002010-09-11T23:10:50.907-05:002010-09-11T23:10:50.907-05:00One easy way to tell the difference between Backst...One easy way to tell the difference between Backstrom in Washington and Backstrom the goalie is first name: Washington has Nicklas Backstrom, and Minnesota has Niklas Backstrom.Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-62729891675202187812010-09-03T14:59:53.250-05:002010-09-03T14:59:53.250-05:00Graham -
Thanks for the note - I just now saw it...Graham - <br /><br />Thanks for the note - I just now saw it today - I started reading this post a while back but never got all the way through until now.<br /><br />Truth - I never saw Sid Abel or Ted Lindsay play. I did get Gordie's autograph after a game against Montreal one day (Saturday afternoon game - and how I remember that, I'll never know). It's somewhere amongst my stuff. Olympia was quite the place - trust me, not a place to hang around at in the dark of night, even then.<br /><br />Anyway - thanks again for the comment back and all the memories. Well worth the time.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13080814712398478880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-28581531832506261382010-09-03T10:42:39.689-05:002010-09-03T10:42:39.689-05:00Twitter links to your postings are not working.Twitter links to your postings are not working.hockeytowntoddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-47410062357745962362010-09-01T17:26:54.037-05:002010-09-01T17:26:54.037-05:00Alright alright I'm def gonna be the first to ...Alright alright I'm def gonna be the first to ask this one... Whats up with your brother and playing with Boyes!? I did a little digging and saw that hes from Toronto as well. That really is a cool connection... I mean shit, nobody is my family knows anyone famous.. <br /><br />-BrandonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-71027655359041475322010-09-01T08:36:58.588-05:002010-09-01T08:36:58.588-05:00Brandon,
Thanks. As I read the other goaltending ...Brandon,<br /><br />Thanks. As I read the other goaltending previews, I realized that my views and thoughts were pretty much the same as every one else's, and I didn't want to repeat what they wrote. Plus, I figured that these are the teams the Wings are going to facing every night, so it would be good to know something about them.<br /><br />Last year for the Jackets sure seemed to be all about Mason. However, some of their younger forwards didn't produce the way the team thought, and that really contributed to their overall decline. The BJs will be looking for other players beyond Mason to raise their game to the next level. <br /><br />"The addition of a new coach also brings in that excitement and 'newness' feeling just like when you finally go up your new girlfriends shirt. You don't know what to expect, but you have a feeling its gonna be worth it!" - Absolutely fantastic analogy! I love it!Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00697794555787610013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-13513892257522513002010-08-31T15:45:21.306-05:002010-08-31T15:45:21.306-05:00Graham,
First and foremost, this is a freaking gr...Graham,<br /><br />First and foremost, this is a freaking great idea. Way to go against the grain and provide us with a refreshing spin on season previews. It gets a lil repetitive reading the same preview on the blogs so I commend your efforts!<br /><br />I must confess, I don't really following our entire division closely but it was obvious to all that a major reason for the Jackets failures was somewhat placed on Mason. This proves to me how much psychological factors play into this game; especially between the pipes. I agree their success will in fact weigh heavily on Mason's performance. The addition of a new coach also brings in that excitement and 'newness' feeling just like when you finally go up your new girlfriends shirt. You don't know what to expect, but you have a feeling its gonna be worth it!<br /><br />Good read!<br /><br />-BrandonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-11424998204842799602010-08-28T07:50:50.765-05:002010-08-28T07:50:50.765-05:00I'd definitely like to see how we do against t...I'd definitely like to see how we do against the up-and-comers in the Los Angeles Kings, single game and over the season series. I've been a Red Wings fans as long as I've known hockey, but I've lived my whole life in LA and only started to like (previously I hated) the Kings when they got Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, two of my favorite players currently.Josephnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-53932121096563835442010-08-27T14:52:38.455-05:002010-08-27T14:52:38.455-05:00@Dena - I don't see why you could not be inclu...@Dena - I don't see why you could not be included. I'll be honest in that I am not sure who is planning it, but we'll be talking about it on twitter, and I'll be sure to keep you informed. <br /><br />@Brandon - Congrats on making the school team. I don't know how many games you've been able to get to since they don't travel to Carolina that often, but you'll have a great time. As a player, don't just watch as a fan but also watch to pick up some tips.Grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00697794555787610013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-71270774439535620932010-08-27T10:24:36.905-05:002010-08-27T10:24:36.905-05:00Graham,
This year I have to pick and choose as yo...Graham,<br /><br />This year I have to pick and choose as you did because I'll be graduating in December! I also made my school's hockey team so time will be restricted to say the least. Last year I was able to watch nearly every game except for a few here and there. I'd have to say personally my favorite game will be April 6 when the Wings come to Carolina. We have seats right behind the bench, which will be my first experience being that close. Definitely am gonna be star struck being that close to my idols...<br /><br />-BrandonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-45732317656616544242010-08-26T12:36:15.700-05:002010-08-26T12:36:15.700-05:00I personally cannot wait to see Ovie play in perso...I personally cannot wait to see Ovie play in person. But to witness the Implosion of the Hawks in person, now that will be the best time of my life. And listen, if you guys have room for one more on April 10, count me in. I LOVE confronting the Hawks Ed Hardy wearing douchebag fans and it takes the same amount of time to drive to the UC as it takes to the Joe from the Zoo.Denahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09350071774889506358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-13399168729833841352010-08-25T15:16:38.109-05:002010-08-25T15:16:38.109-05:00Graham: Thanks for the reply. As I said before, it...Graham: Thanks for the reply. As I said before, it has been wonderful going down hockey-memory lane through your series. Hats off to you for all your hard work.<br /><br />Can't disagree with your reasoning on Ilitches #3. However, a few of the reason the Ilitches would be #1 on my list is because if they had not bought the Red Wings:<br />Would Stevie Y ever been there to lead the Wings to become Hockeytown? <br />Would the old regime have even drafted him? <br />If they had would he have been gone like Mahvolich and Dionne before him?<br /><br />I am also a Red Wings fan dating from the Dead Wings era. Since Gordie left '71, my first three Wings including non-players would have been Ilitches, Stevie Y, Gordie. There is no doubt that Gordie is Mr. Hockey, but unfortunately his Wings glory years were before I was born although he is ever present in so many Red Wings discussions. <br /><br />My story: Gordie was a big supporter of hockey in Hockeytown North. Years before TC was Wings training camp, we didn't even have a rink - we had a bubble. It was paid for and supported by local hockey and figure skating enthusiasts and parents. It wasn't even a school sponsored sport and the uniforms were paid for by the coaches. Gordie was often there to help with appearances and donations for fund raisers. <br /><br />For me, the most special thing Gordie did though was for my dad. One year he presented him with a personally autographed stick for all his hard work. That thoughtful gesture to a man who never sought or wanted recognition for what he did is why Gordie is not just a hockey great, but also a great man. <br /><br />-wingsluver4ever.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-83280253801388839972010-08-24T09:40:56.775-05:002010-08-24T09:40:56.775-05:00Graham -
Nicely done buddy. Worth every minute ...Graham - <br /><br />Nicely done buddy. Worth every minute of reading going through them - ALL of them.<br /><br />Not trying to make you jealous here at all, but I did meet Steve once. He was very young, just into the league, and well here's a shock - he was extremely polite and just as you would imagine. The kid was downright nice. Almost shy and reserved. He came into the car audio shop I worked at and bought a system for his car. Probably 1984? I think. He spent a decent amount of $$, but not like the football players today or anything close. We installed the system that day and he was gone.<br /><br />I was already a big Wings fan - I grew up going to Olympia Stadium, watching Gordie, Delvecchio, Nick Libbett and others. Of course, the Wings were not a good team then - so Steve was looked at pretty much as "the savior" (not that he wanted that title mind you, but we were desperate for anything hopeful).<br /><br />It was kind of a fleeting moment for me, and I'm sure he doesn't even remember it - but still very cool, especially for a Wings fan like I was - I was talking with everyone in the shop and it was very clear that I was pretty much the only real hockey fan among them, since no one else really cared much about the Wings or Steve Yzerman.<br /><br />My wife and Steve share a birthday too, so anytime his birthday comes up on Wings TV games, my wife never hesitates to point out their shared day.<br /><br />Anyway, nuff said - I thought you might enjoy a couple personal anecdotes from the Heartland. Your whole series was a great read dude - thanks for bringing back a whole bunch of great memories.<br /><br />Keep in touch - I'll be reading.<br /><br />SmittyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13080814712398478880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-30155449236239211932010-08-23T15:18:19.050-05:002010-08-23T15:18:19.050-05:00I have really enjoyed reading all of these entries...I have really enjoyed reading all of these entries. Great writing and you can tell how much passion you have for the people you have been talking about.Crater from SoCalhttp://michaeljgorman.com/red-wings/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-69343340810305083732010-08-22T00:24:58.485-05:002010-08-22T00:24:58.485-05:00Jiri Fischer didn't really score goals.... I s...Jiri Fischer didn't really score goals.... I still remember his first career goal, about halfway through his second season.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-44406284831645514592010-08-21T17:38:35.885-05:002010-08-21T17:38:35.885-05:00Finally found the time to catch up on the rest of ...Finally found the time to catch up on the rest of these-well written all throughout and I can't argue with any of them. Bravo, good sir. I think we could fill many volumes of books with Steve Yzerman memories from fans, and I'd read every single one of them. My favorite player not just in hockey but in any sport.<br /><br />@TheNorm41Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-3469606443800049442010-08-21T11:45:20.712-05:002010-08-21T11:45:20.712-05:00This summer has been an ride through hockey memori...This summer has been an ride through hockey memories: the unexpected, and tragic, death of Probie; the NHL Networks Top Ten and their replay of the Stanley Cup finals games; your The Greatest Red Wings of MY Time; and Puck Daddys Mount Puckmore. Oh, and there was also that anticipation waiting for the signing of Mo - feeling hope like when Brett, Luke or Dallas joined the team - "cuppy, cuppy, cuppy."<br /><br />All of this has made for an emotional remembering of all the ups and downs of the last 20 hockey seasons. Gratefully most of them were ups and not downs (RIP Probie). Thanks to the Red Wings cast of characters assembled by a great organization that truly treats its players, staff and fans like family. <br /><br />The #1 Greatest Red Wing of MY Time has to be the Ilitches. I realize you were doing players and I agree there, but without them we might never have had the last 20 years to celebrate. Their commitment to making, and keeping, a championship team in Michigan (from Hockeytown North so can't say Detroit) has made all of this possible.<br /><br />-wingsluver4everAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-51825497228632129652010-08-20T20:26:30.515-05:002010-08-20T20:26:30.515-05:00Graham:
I'm more than twice your age. Grew up...Graham:<br /><br />I'm more than twice your age. Grew up on the farm in rural Ontario. When I was nine, our next door neighbours bought the first TV in the area. Went over one Saturday night to watch hockey--Leafs versus Red Wings. Midway through the game, a big, slope-shouldered Red Wing player picked up the puck in his own end; skated through the entire Leaf team; and roofed the puck on Harry Lumley. That's when I became a Gordie Howe fan, and a Red Wing fan for life. So I know how you feel about Steve. His arrival was a ray of light for me, too, after a decade-and-a-half of darkness.dorfarmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010216723186453785.post-56827526592219786172010-08-20T19:18:59.660-05:002010-08-20T19:18:59.660-05:00Breath taking Graham,
I can sense your true devo...Breath taking Graham, <br /><br />I can sense your true devotion to our great team with these past few posts. Definite tear jerker material you've been composing. It's a real shame you never got to meet someone that meant so much to you growing up. Hopefully one day though! <br /><br />It was an honor to read all of these!<br /><br />-BrandonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com