Bet you’ve never seen this Yzerman…
We all love The Captain, but I wonder how many of you have seen this side of him?
Two Ford commercials starring #19 from 1989 - I was only two then.
Stevie Y in an actual fight against Maguire with Probert in the mix. Yes, you’ve seen this at a few other blogs, but I’m the one who put it up on YouTube.com - I was just waiting until today to post it and fellow bloggers beat me to it!
Now this is a normal Yzerman moment, but I just like it so much! It’s a shootout against Nashville from this past season. And while the Wings lose, Yzerman makes this critical goal and it was just beautiful. If you want to see just his shot, go to second #19!
The Wings vs. Avs Rivalry
IwoCPO @ Abel to Yzerman interviewed Adrian Dater, the Denver Post’s Avs guy, regarding his book Blood Feud that is coming out in October. Blood Feud
A2Y: Since “Blood Feud†is the work of a Denver writer, can we (Wing fans) expect an even-handed approach to this topic?
Dater: Yes, you can. Like I said, I approached the book from a historian’s perspective, with a deep appreciation for both sides and how great the rivalry was. I write about the different perspectives of the media in both cities a lot in the book. I used many quotes from columnists from both cities, although probably more from my paper than any other – the Denver Post.
YouTube.com videos
My personal favorite Wings-Avs rivalry video montage made by RedWingsCentral.com.
This clip highlights the playoff series between the Wings and Avs in 1997 (as we know, it ends well for Wings fans). Â
Let’s review:
Lemieux cheapshots Draper and shows no remorse.
Darren McCarty makes Lemieux turtle and shows no mercy.
I don’t think Lemieux has been heard from since.
And here’s something for Avs fans…and if you like the Canucks, you won’t like the ending…
Behind the Blog: Behind the Jersey
Today’s Behind the Blog will feature me, Christy Hammond. I got a little caught up in setting up my new laptop that I forgot to send out more email interviews for BtB in time for Monday’s weekly post. So I’m basically asking myself the basic questions I usually ask my previous interviewees so enjoy my laziness!
Q.1 - When did you create Behind the Jersey and what made you do so?
I started BtJ in the fall of 2003. At that point in time, I’d had my third knee surgery and could no longer play basketball or run track. I decided to refocus my passion for sports into sportswriting. I wrote for my high school paper and finally decided I would like to have a place to openly express my hockey opinions to people who might actually care about the Wings (my high school has always been a Pistons school). I had also recently interviewed a couple of players and the alternate governor (Denise Ilitch) of the team because my best friend was family friends with the 2nd generation Ilitch family so BtJ was a place where I could post these interviews.
Q.2 - When did you start contributing to MVN, On the Wings, and FantasyHockey.com?
I’m not sure when I joined OtW, but I know that it was before I started BtJ. I had come across Matt and Brian’s blog and had a lot in common with Matt so I dropped him an email. After awhile, he invited me to help out with the blog and I gladly accepted the offer.
I started my BtJ mirror site at MVN when I received an email from the head hockey guy at MVN. He asked if I’d be interesting in running the Wings weblog for them and I was certainly eager to gain more readers. I’ve been posting there since June 2005.
I become a writer for FantasyHockey.com this past year after receiving an email from Ray Flowers. I write the Detroit Red Wings monthly team reports about that month’s goaltending, defense, offense, and special teams.
Q.3 - What’s your favorite piece of Wings memorabilia?
I love Wings memorabilia - I’ve spent too much money on it already (easily over $1000). My favorite has to be either this 16×20 Steve Yzerman autographed photograph or the Sweden Gold 2006. This 16×20 photograph shows all 5 golden Swede Red Wings players right after receiving their gold medals and it’s signed by all 5 (Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Kronwall, Samuelsson, and Holmstrom). Sorry Jes Golbez, but gotta love the Swedes (the only bright spot of this season for some Wings players)!
Q.4 - What advice would you give to fellow bloggers, especially newcomers?
Blog for yourself. People won’t always agree with you, but they’re going to keep coming back to read about your opinions. For me, BtJ is an outlet and an expression of my passion for the game. If I’m busy, I don’t “force” myself to blog because then I’d lose the enjoyment factor. And have fun, it’ll show in your posts!
Q.5 - What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
I’d obviously like to expand my readership and I’d really like to have readers who interact like Tom Benjamin’s readers. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with my blog.
Q.6 - When did you become a Detroit Red Wings fan?
I’ve been a Wings fan ever since I can remember. I’ve always lived about a half hour outside Detroit so it’s in my blood. The earliest I can remember is back in the 1993-1994 season. I don’t remember events or details, but the players - Ray Sheppard, Paul Coffey, Vladimir Konstantinov, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Federov, and my favorite (at that point) Dino Cicarelli. I loved Dino and the force he was in front of the net. I actually recently purchased a 1993-1994 Wings Media Guide with 41 autographs including those individuals I just listed.
Unfortunately, I was only 10 when the Wings won in ‘97 so I don’t remember much of those victories aside from staying up late with my Dad watching the games. I never went to a game until I was 14 so I followed the team closely through the TV. The 2002 Cup win was a defining moment in my fanship. It was that season that I became an obsessed Wingnut and not just your typical fan. And as much as Hasek bothers me now, it was so amazing to have a sweet goaltender come playoff time. Plus, the 20 bazillion future Hall of Famers were pretty nice too.
Q.7 - What changes, if any, do you feel necessary for the Wings to become a Cup contender?
We need better goaltending. I won’t be surprised if they keep Manny Legace or Chris Osgood as a backup goalie, but we cannot keep the same tandem as this past season. I don’t know who Holland will get, but an Ozzie and Manny duo will not work again. We need grit and speed desperately. Our defense isn’t too shabby (minus Lilja) and our offense does fine in the regular season. We just need to inject some passion or fire into the players come playoff time - I don’t know how you go about fixing that unless you seriously redo the roster and have Hank, Datsyuk, and Kronwall as our building blocks.
Q.8 - When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
I actually can’t remember my first game and that’s really sad. I know my first game was at the Joe and I want to say it was for my 14th birthday but I could totally be wrong. I think I’ve gone to less than 20 Wings games in my lifetime (7 this season). Since my 14th birthday, I’ve gone to every home game that the Wings have had on my birthday (January 26th).
Q.9 - What first attracted you to the sport of hockey?
At first, it was probably wanting to spend time with my Dad and he always followed the team especially come playoff time. I enjoyed the action of the game and you can’t beat the fighting. Especially when the blood is spilling at a Wings vs. Avs game. My first years as a fan were spent in the height of the rivalry - I don’t know hockey without it. For that, I hate the Avs and any current or past player of theirs (aside from Joe Sakic).
Q.10 - Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
The Captain - Steve Yzerman. He’s an amazing player who doesn’t have the skills he did at the start of his career, but who seems to outplay the Wings every postseason with his passion and fervor for the sport. He’s a leader who is honorable, respectable, and dignified. He tries to keep his private life, well private. Plus, he is my role model when it comes to fighting through debilitating knee pain. I mean he’s the only professional athlete to return to their sport after an osteotomy, which is usually done to help the elderly walk. It’s freaking amazing! If, and when he retires, I will be truly saddened to seem him go. He was named captain in the 1986-87 season (I was born in ‘87) - I don’t know the Wings without him.
I loved this excerpt from a Mitch Albom column right at the start of this year’s playoffs about Yzie:
And now, with the younger Red Wings, I ask, do they see you that way?”Oh, it’s like I’m ancient, yeah. They don’t want to go for dinner where I go to dinner. They don’t want to see the movies I want to see. … Music. They’re all into hip-hop and I just don’t get it.”
What music are you into?
He laughs. “The same music you’re into.”
And that’s the thing about Yzerman, isn’t it? The young fans admire him because he’s The Captain. The older fans admire him because he handles it with dignity. And people his own age admire him because he listens to their music — yet he’s still out there, banging with the kids. I mean, how do you not like a guy who moans of his young teammates: “They don’t even know who Led Zeppelin is.”
Q.11 - What did you do to pass the time during the lockout last year?I blogged and that’s when I noticed people started reading my blog on a more consistent basis. It was so depressing when it looked like there might be a short season in Jan/Feb, but the negotiations fell apart. I was soo upset at that point in time - I still blame the silly owners. I also watched more TV and got addicted to a couple shows (namely House and Lost).
I was also my high school’s superfan, especially the guy’s soccer team, so that kept me busy. My class won 10 state titles in the four years we were there in women’s basketball (3 straight!), men’s soccer, men’s track, women’s tennis (back2back), men’s lax (twice), and women’s soccer. And we’ve won countless runner-up titles because Detroit Country Day owns all. 
Q.12 - Which team has surprised you the most this season? Disappointed you? Why?
The Oilers have probably surprised me the most. I wouldn’t have picked them to be close to the Conference finals at the start of the season. Now I was terrified of them before the start of the playoffs, but that fear certainly wasn’t there at the beginning of the season.
I don’t know which team has disappointed me the most. I’m bitter that the Wings lost in the first round and still feel that the Wings had a team to make it to the finals (but the Oilers played better, not denying that). I thought the Penguins wouldn’t have sucked as much as they did. I wasn’t expecting an amazing season, but they were just so awful.
Q.13 - Name a player who should be put in the Hockey Hall of Fame that is not currently a member.
Aside from the obvious big (I mean big) name players, I’d pick Igor Larionov. Aside from being an amazing player (he wasn’t called the Professor for nothing), he had a real impact on the game especially with helping to open the game up to fellow Russians.
Q. 14 - Aside from hockey, what other sporting events do you enjoy watching?
I watch the Detroit Pistons once in awhile during the regular season and then closely around the 2nd round of the playoffs (Deeetroit Basketballl). As much as the Lions suck, I religiously watch them play every Sunday and my fall weekends are spent at the Big House (cheering on my University of Michigan football team) and watching the NFL.
During the summer, I am glued to OLN watching the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong is my second favorite athlete (behind Yzerman) and I so enjoyed watching him race over the past few years. I expect a movie to be made of his trials and victories in the years to come. It’ll be interesting to see who takes it this year: Floyd Landis? George Hincappie? Ivan Basso? Jan Ullrich? Alexandre Vinokourov? Levi Leipheimer? I can’t wait until July!
Q.15 - Is there any hockey blogs or websites that you look to for inspiration?
When it comes to opinions and humor, I absolutley love Jeff & Alanah at Vancouver Canucks Op Ed, Jes Golbez @ Hockey Rants, and IwoCPO at Abel to Yzerman.
For the more newsy type (with opinions inserted), I enjoy reading James Mirtle and Off Wing.
And where would I be without Paul at Kukla’s Korner?
Chelios remains in Detroit for one more year
44 year old defenseman, Chris Chelios, re-signed with the Red Wings for a one year contract worth $850,000. Last season, he made the same amount of money. It will be his seventh full season in Hockeytown and his 23rd in the NHL. “This is where I want to stay, because of the organization, the team, the coaching staff. This is where I want to play,” Chelios said.
I think most people expected GM Ken Holland to re-sign Chelios because of his strong play over the last season, especially when he stepped up after Niklas Kronwall suffered a knee injury and Jiri Fischer had the heart problem. Sadly, our oldest player was one of our better defensemen in the playoffs.
“When we had injuries to Jiri Fischer and Niklas Kronwall (last season), he really bailed us out,” Holland said. “He was a big part of us finishing second in the league in goals-against average and third in penalty-killing. Those are key situations to having a successful season.”
How’s the rest of the defense coming along?
Cory Cross, the defenseman that Oilers fans loved to poke fun at the Wings for, will not be returning to Detroit next season. Holland informed Cross that his option will not be picked up. I’m not sure hot much that option is actually worth. The Detroit Free Press says it’s $912,000 while MLive says $893,000.
The Wings also don’t expect Jiri Fischer to get clearance to play from his heart ailment that sidelined him last season. Next year’s defense will look pretty similar to that of last season’s. Mathieu Schneider, Andreas Lilja, and Niklas Kronwall are all under contract and will retun for the 2006-2007 season. Chelios is returning and it looks like Lebda will be as well. “He’d have to play his way off the team,” Holland said. “We think he’s certainly going to make it.”
Now that Brad Richards signed a ridiculous contract worth $7.8 million/year for five years, Nicklas Lidstrom’s agent (Don Meehan) will be vying for the maximum salary allowed. Holland hopes to start negotiations with Meehan later this week. Don’t get me wrong, Richards is a great player but not enough to cost Tampa Bay around $20 million for three forwards! And with Lidstrom most likely getting his fourth Norris Trophy this season, Holland will have a hard time convincing Meehan to take a lower than max salary.
Goaltending…
There isn’t a whole lot going on in this front. Holland hasn’t had his exit interview with goaltender Manny Legace yet and hasn’t made a decision on whether he will offer him a contract or not.
GM Holland has talked with Chris Osgood’s agent, Rollie Thompson. They plan on talking in early June. “If we don’t see him as a No. 1 guy, does he want to be the backup here or pursue a No. 1 job somewhere else?” Holland said.
Offense
Captain Steve Yzerman’s future is still undetermined, but Holland has told him that he doesn’t need a decision until the middle of June.
“When he feels he’s made his decision, I’m sure he will call me. He is making a decision on his career. I want him to have all the necessary time, but there is a time frame, heading into the draft on the 24th of June, that I would like to know.”
Last week, Holland talked with Shanahan for a couple of hours in Latvia. “Brendan said he’ll talk with his wife and his agent and get back to me. Then we’ll decide if we’re going to negotiate or if he wants to hit the market,” Holland said.Last season, Shanny made $2.28 million and the Wings will probably be willing to make an offer similar to that, but since he’s an unrestricted free agent he might get an offer from another team that the Wings won’t be able to match. “I would like Brendan back, and I expressed that to him,” Holland said. “But money is everything in this new CBA (collective bargaining agreement). There’s a limited amount of money to spend.”
Prospects
Forward prospect Igor Grigorenko just signed a one year contract with a Russian club for $1 million. Holland is confident he’ll be able to sign Grigorenko for the 2007-2008 season. “I don’t think another year in the Russian League would be all that bad for him,” Holland said. “Skating was the area he needed the most improvement on.”
Evan McGrath, forward for Kitchener an OHL team, was the Wings fourth round draft pick in 2004. The Wings have been trying to sign a deal with McGrath for over a month. If he isn’t signed by June 1st, he goes back into the draft.
Staff Meeting
All of Detroit’s scounts and front office personnel will meet June 4-6 to talk about free agents and possible trades.
Behind the Blog: Tom Benjamin’s NHL Weblog
Today’s Behind the Blog will feature the writer of Tom Benjamin’s NHL Weblog. Tom is a very opinionated guy, which is pretty clear when you visit his blog. His readers are very passionate and love to leave comments, which are almost posts of their own.Q.1 – When did you create Tom Benjamin’s NHL Weblog and what made you do so?
I started it in September of 2003. I had been annoying people with my hockey opinions on various internet message boards since the early ’90s and so when blogging became big, it was a natural for me.
Q.2 – Have you always been connected with CanucksCorner.com and what made you join that webite?
Brian knew me because I’d played on the message board at Canucks Corner. About the time I decided to try a blog, Brian asked me to do some writing for him. It was a coincidence, but we both think it has turned out to be a good fit.
Q.3 – You seem to have the most involved readers who leave passionate comments regarding whatever topic you discuss. When did you first realize that you had developed a following of hockey fans who desired that interaction with the blogger?
My stuff has always drawn a fairly strong reaction in both directions. Some people really like my ideas about the sport, others really dislike them. It’s great that more than a few really smart people regularly contribute comments. They produce as much content for the blog as I do. As long as everybody plays nice, it works, and so far everybody has played nice. .
Q.4 – What advice would you give to fellow bloggers, especially newcomers?
First Find a voice and go for a different slant. I think blogs are popular because readers crave a diversity they can’t find in the mainstream media. It follows that we should be diverse.
Don’t take it personally. If you are going to start publishing your views - particularly ones that offer a different slant - at least some people will think you are an idiot and they will tell you so in no uncertain terms. (Sometimes, of course, at least some people will be right.) Disagreement is healthy and fun as long as nobody is mean spirited about it.
Q.5 – What do you hope to achieve with your blog over the next few years?
I don’t have any aspirations for it. I regularly resolve to give it up. I’ll be satisfied with the blog if it still exists in five years. If so, I’ll probably still be regularly resolving to give it up.
Q.6 - While you certainly discuss NHL issues in your blog, you are a Vancouver Canucks fan first and foremost. When did you become a Canucks fan?
When the Canucks first came into the league, I promised myself I would stay loyal to the Red Wings forever. The resolution didn’t last through the first season’s exhibition schedule.
Q.7 – What changes, if any, do you feel necessary for the Canucks to make the playoffs next year and become a Cup contender?
They have to become much better without the puck.
Q.8 - When did you attend your first hockey game and who was playing?
My Dad took me to an exhibition game at the old Forum in Vancouver. It was the Montreal Canadiens playing against the Western Hockey League Vancouver Canucks.
Q.9 – What first attracted you to the sport of hockey?
Again we can blame my Dad. Every Saturday night, it was Hockey Night in Canada. In those days, the game was picked up in progress about halfway through the first period. Dad watched Bugs Bunny with me until HNIC picked up the game and then I watched hockey with him. It was the only night of the week we got to eat in front of the TV. Mom always served burgers.
It was great.
Q.10 - Who is your favorite hockey player (either current or retired player)? Why?
Pavel Bure. I had more fun watching him play than any other single player.
Q.11 – What did you do to pass the time during the lockout last year?
I was blogging so I watched the labour dispute pretty closely. I watched more movies, read more books and I rekindled my relationship with baseball.
Q.12 –Which team has surprised you the most this season? Disappointed you? Why?
Carolina was the most positive surprise, Minnesota the most negative. I didn’t think the Hurricane would be good and I thought the Wild were going to take the next step.
Q.13 – Where do you see the NHL in 5 years? Why?
I’m not optimistic. I have zero faith in the people who own the league. I’d like to think that the game is good enough to thrive despite the greed and incompetence, but I doubt it.
Q. 14 - Of the teams left in the NHL Playoffs, who do you predict to win the Stanley Cup? Why?
Anaheim, almost entirley because I’m hoping for them. Any of the four teams left could win. Any of the 16 teams that made the playoffs could have won. I like the idea of Cinderella winning once in a while, but I also think we should be able to identify a favourite and be right once in a while.
Q.15 – Is there any hockey blog or website that you look to for inspiration?
I read most of the blogs. Jamie Fitzpatrick, Sisu Hockey, Mudcrutch and about a dozen other bloggers I feel guilty I’m not mentioning are favourites. James Mirtle is the most likely to get rich and famous
2005-2006 Best of Goals
DetroitRedWings.com has a collection of the 2005-2006 season “Best of Goals,” which you can view here.
I love sports…
I go through phases in my life when I watch my Wings and that’s it. Other times, I am just so caught up in sports. I’m usually reminded of this passion every week when my Sports Illustrated comes in the mail. Anyways, I’m just going to ramble about various sports today, including hockey. (Oh, there will be a Behind the Blog feature up next Monday.)
First Runner Up, with 27% of the vote was Christy (feel better and entertain us again soon!) Hammond over at Behind the Jersey. She may be the one person out there that was hurt more by the Red Wings first round shut down than I was. Instead of calling it the consolation prize, we’ll say it’s the Presidents Trophy. Wings fans are used to settling for that booby prize by now.
Anaheim Mighty Ducks’ bloggers: Battle of California (is there really no other Anaheim hockey blogs?)
Carolina Hurricanes’ bloggers: Red and Black Hockey, Casonblog, Lets Go Canes, Hurricane Season, and Sweet Tea, Barbecue, and Bodychecks.
Buffalo Sabres’ bloggers: Sabre Rattling, Sabres Fans, and BFLO Blog.
For DIII in Michigan, I was 6th in my region for the 100m and 5th in the region for the 4×100m. My most memorable track moment was actually while running in the 4×400m. The 400m is the most demanding race (or the 800m) in my eyes because you have to sprint the entire way to be successful. I would ask my coach to let me run in the B relay team to improve my sprinting endurance. Before my first ACL reconstruction, I ran around 71 seconds in the 400m. Not great by any means, but not awful. After the surgery, I continued running in that race. At one relay meet, I ran the last leg and my team was 8th out of 9 teams. It was my last race of the year and I went all out to go 64 seconds and improve our placing. To improve by that much after surgery is pretty darn amazing and I’ll always be proud of that personal improvement.
Ok, I’m done with my rambling for today - I’m a trackster at heart so I tend to ramble about my “glory days.”
NHL Playoffs - Round 2
I haven’t been able to watch any of the second round games because my TV doesn’t work in my room and I’m on bedrest right now. Anyways, I had picked Carolina to make it into the finals so I don’t care much about the Eastern Conference playoffs. I find it very interesting that the Western Conference top four seeds failed to make it into the second round - ouch.Edmonton Oilers vs. San Jose Sharks
I just don’t want the Oilers to go onto the next round; they made my surgery recovery a lot suckier! And yes, I’m bitter. It’ll be interesting to see how the Thornton/Pronger matchup works out in future games. The Wings didn’t have any problems with the Sharks (aside from the one game after the Olympics when we were missing all our Swedes) because Lidstrom and the rest of the defense were able to shut down Thornton, which apparently is the key to the game’s score result. Here’s some thoughts on this series from around the blogosphere…
Jon @ Sharkspage: Sharks in 6
Earlier in the season when asked how he would prepare for a specific opponent, Sharks head coach Ron Wilson said “I don’t care. They are going to have to prepare for us.” San Jose is going to roll Cheechoo-Thornton and the MBB line with an air of confidence that they can not be stopped. The Sharks have to focus on staying out of the penalty box, and putting forth a solid 60 minute effort each night. Edmonton will have to get on the board early, and apply constant pressure on offense.If the Oilers build a lead and let the penalties stack up for S.J., they could edge the Sharks in a seven game series. On the other hand, if both coaches roll 4 lines and let the players fly on the ice, this could be the most entertaining series in the playoffs for sheer speed and offensive ability. More likely, phantom slashes and trips will result in a parade to the penalty box and a lack of 5-on-5 play.
Sacamano @ Battle of Alberta: Edmonton in 6
It looks to me like the Oil have the advantage on the back end and in net, but that San Jose has some pretty good scorers. In other words, it looks an awful lot like the last series. Calculator has all the numbers, and they pretty much confirm that the two teams are pretty well matched and it is going to be a heckuva series.Conditioning might also play a factor as the Eggheads at the NHL head office again gave Edmonton a bizarre schedule — back to back Sunday/Monday games, and three games in four nights. I’m not sure what to think of this. Detroit seemed to have more jump than Edmonton in the OT periods, but in the short-rest afternoon games, Edmonton ran the show.
Mudcrutch79 @ mc79hockey.com: Edmonton in 6
The other way? If the hockey gods are against Edmonton. This series is close enough that I figure it comes down to whoever gets the bounces, with a possible slight edge to the Oilers based on their goaltending (which should hopefully nullify the Sharks apparently superior ES offence) and penalty kill. After witnessing the third period of the sixth game against Detroit (not to mention the Flames’ humiliating home ice exit from the playoffs), I believe that the Gods are with the Oilers. Edmonton in six. I would have said five, but if the Flames have taught us anything with the asskicking that they took in front of what was apparently a crowd of 19,000 mimes on Wednesday night after their fans insufferable behaviour since their team choked the Cup away in 2003-04, it’s that the Gods hate hubris.
James Mirtle: Edmonton in 6
Much like in the Ottawa-Buffalo series, the Sharks simply don’t have anyone on the blueline who is even close to the calibre of blueliner as Chris Pronger. What I expect coach Craig MacTavish will do is task Pronger with neutralizing Joe Thornton, which would go a long, long way to crimping the Sharks goal scoring. At the other end, Sharks coach Ron Wilson will lean heavily on Scott Hannan and Kyle McLaren, as his remaining four defenders are all very inexperienced. What the Oilers need to do is work the forecheck on this team, press hard and generate the kind of shovel-garbage goals they got in the Detroit series. Vesa Toskala has been phenomenal in the Sharks net since February, and Dwayne Roloson needs to match his first-round performance.
Anaheim vs. Colorado
As a loyal Wings fan, I hate the Avs. Ever since the rivalry, I root for anyone playing against the Avs - even if that means I root for the Mighty Ducks. Seemingly, there aren’t very many Anaheim and Colorado blogs…James Mirtle: Anaheim in 6
One of the great secrets of this Ducks team is how strong defensively its forward core is. Sam Pahlsson, Rob Niedermayer and Todd Marchant all played more than 17 minutes a game in their first-round series, and it’ll be that trio that tries to key on Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk and Alex Tanguay. Colorado hardly generated any offence from anyone outside of their top four forwards in the first round, which should make it easy for the Ducks to key on those players. Much like the Calgary series, this will be a low-scoring affair, and Jose Theodore is going to really have to hold the fort and now allow any bad goals.
Surgery
Thanks to all of you for your good wishes regarding my knee surgery on Wednesday morning. Fortunately, it went as perfect as it could’ve possibly gone.
- My surgeon used a previous incision (3″ or so) so I’ll have no new scars (he even cosmetically made it better).
- He used someone’s patellar tendon to replace my previously loose ACL graft (which was my own patellar tendon) and that went really smoothly.
- I had a lot of scar tissue from my previous 6 surgeries. Aside from clearing out some scar tissue, a branch of one of the knee’s major nerves was entrapped in scar tissue. So everytime I moved my leg, the nerve would go haywire. He burned/cut the entrapped nerve.
- I’m really swollen and in a good amount of pain (especially when I move around).
I just wanted to update you all on my surgery for those of you who wondered how it went. I probably won’t be posting for a couple more days so see ya then!
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
These groupings are based on how the rest of the team performed and in comparison to what they are capable of doing from the regular season’s performances.
The Good
- Steve Yzerman: He may only have had 4 assists in the four games he played this series and a -2 rating, he was out there working harder than the rest of the team in a desperate attempt to reach the second round. A torn rib muscle (ouch) sidelined him for Game #4 and Game #5. Most people expect him to retire in the next week or two; Wings fans hope he plays for one more season. If he does retire, I had the honor to watch him play in his last game at the Joe (Sunday, Game #2) since he did not play the last time the Wings were at the Joe, Game #5.
“You’re so wrapped up in the game, and then they score with a minute to go, I don’t really have a whole lot of thoughts other than, it just came to a quick end,” said Yzerman, who turns 41 next week and is the longest-serving captain in NHL history. “As far as my personal situation, it’s best to wait a few days, then I can pretty much make a quick decision.”It’s amazing that such a long career — 22 seasons, all in Detroit — actually could end so quickly. The spirit is always willing but Yzerman’s body, ravaged by injury and time, has betrayed him often, and that’s likely to be the deciding factor.
- Henrik Zetterberg: Hank had twice as many goals as the second highest Detroit goal scorer with 6 goals. He had 2 PIM, 0 assists, a -2 rating, and four power play goals. Zetterberg appeared to be one of the few who saw Yzerman’s vision and played at that same level. Whenever Yzerman retires, I would really consider making this guy the new captain.- Robert Lang: Sure he may not have been all that amazing during the regular season, but he’s one of the few Wings who actually picked up their play. He had three goals and three assists (6 points), 2 PIM, and -2 rating. Two of his goals came while on the power play. He also won 55% of his face-offs.
- Kris Draper: Draper is never going to lead the team in scoring, that’s not his purpose on this team. He may not have earned a single point this series, but was one of five players to actually have a + rating (Draper: +3). And in the elimination game, Draper was out there grinding away.
- Kirk Maltby: I actually noticed Maltby in the postseason. He scored two goals in Game #1, including the game winning goal in 2OT. He also had one assist for three total points this series. Like Draper, he was out there trying to generate chances.
- Chris Chelios: How is this 44 year old defenseman playing better defense than guys half his age? He played with more passion and just plain better skill than many of the other defensemen. He had zero points, 6 PIM, and a +2 rating.
The Bad
- Pavel Datsyuk: What is with Datsyuk in the postseason? I realize he had an injury and needed to catch up, but not even one little goal? Datsyuk got three assists in the five games he played. He had 0 PIM and a 0 +/- rating. Aside from some decent scoring chances and nice set up plays to Zetterberg (who would then score), Datsyuk wasn’t so hot this series. When you lead your team in points, I expect at least one goal in the playoffs.
- Nick Lidstrom: What happened to Lidstrom, Mr. Norris? After a fantastic year with some high offensive numbers, Lidstrom gets two points (one goal, one assist), 2 PIM, and a -4 rating. -4! His one goal (the controversial “pick” goal) came on the power play and was also the game winning goal.
- Mathieu Schneider: Surprisingly (at least in my opinion) was the fact that one of our defenseman actually led the team in points this series. Schneider had 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists). He also had 6 PIM and a -1 rating. He didn’t look too sharp this series; I’m not sure how much had to do with just returning from a groin injury that looked like it hadn’t even healed yet.
“We came out and did the things in the third period we didn’t want to do,” defenseman Mathieu Schneider said. “We didn’t play well enough to win. We put ourselves in this position. The only thing that would have made this a successful season was to win the Stanley Cup.”
- Manny Legace: Ah yes, the goaltender always gets blamed upon for the loss. Well, I don’t think Legace was the primary reason for our loss (our team just had a total and complete meltdown). He played decent and even had some strong saves (as well as allowing some pathetic goals). But we needed him to be great. It’s looking like Legace can’t handle the pressure of being the starting goaltender in the playoffs. Plus his constant whining about his teammates did not help the matter. In this series, Legace had a 2.65 GAA and a .884 save percentage. His opponent’s goalie, Dwayne Roloson, played these six games and ended with a 2.50 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Manny Legace, who took the defeat hard in his first playoffs as a No. 1 goalie, summed up his mood, and possibly some of his teammates. “I feel like going out and hanging myself,” Legace said. “I really feel hollow inside.”On the winning goal, Legace said, “I didn’t even see (Hemsky). I thought it was a one-and-one and (Samsonov) threw it across and bang, he was there.”
- Brendan Shanahan: For having so much experience and actually reviving his game in the regular season, what happened? He had 40+ goals during this season and could only manage one goal and one assist in this playoff series. I wonder what he’ll do this off-season: retire? Or will Holland offer a significantly reduced contract?
“We were in such control, and then to give it away like that, it’s just embarrassing,” Brendan Shanahan said. “It summed up the whole series. We were playing great hockey, playing great hockey, and then it was a 6-7 minute collapse. Who has an answer for that?”
The Ugly
- Jason Williams: He had two points this series (1 goal, 1 assist) and that’s all the good he did in the past six games. I like the guy, I’ve personally interviewed him and whatnot. But he had so many errors (-3 rating) that really impacted the game and series. His stupid penalty caused a power play allowing the Oilers to tie it up in the elimination game. The Wings need to get rid of him - I don’t care if we have to send him to Grand Rapids, we cannot afford his mistakes and he has too many of them.- Andreas Lilja: He had one assist and a -4 rating. Yikes. His poor defensive coverage resulted in numerous goals at critical points in the game. Unfortunately, Holland recently signed him to a 2 year, 2 million dollar deal. I don’t have much else to say aside from yikes.
- Mikael Samuelsson: He’s been streaky all year and then the Wings go and sign him to a bloody three year deal! He had one assist, -1 rating, and 6 PIM (4 of which came in the elimination game). Why did Holland not wait until the postseason to sign Samuelsson to a contract? Why?
Mediocre
I’m not going to detail this guys; they weren’t bad/ugly but they weren’t good either.
- Tomas Holmstrom (3 points, 6 PIM, -1 rating)
- Johan Franzen (3 points, 4 PIM, 0 rating)
- Niklas Kronwall (3 points, 2 PIM, 0 rating)
- Dan Cleary (1 point, 6 PIM, +2 rating)
- Brett Lebda (0 points, 4 PIM, +3 rating)
+/- Rating
Only five Detroit players actually had a + rating in this series: Draper, Maltby, Chelios, Lebda, and Cleary.
Thank You
I’d like to thank all my readers for checking out my blog, especially during the postseason. I enjoy writing for BtJ and I plan to continue doing so over the summer and into the 2006-2007 regular season. I appreciated your comments on games, signings, and other random stuff I have posted on in the past.
I will not have internet connection while I’m in Cincinnati for surgery. So until I return home and feel up to posting (either Thursday night or later), there will be no further updates on this blog. Please check out Abel to Yzerman, On the Wings, and Kukla’s Korner for any Wings updates or playoff reactions during the next week. Also check out the blogs that I’ve linked to on the right side of this page for comments on playoff action around the league. Thanks again!