11/27 Quick Links
The Detroit sports blog Out of Bounds writes about how the Wings are a team without anyone to hate.
I seriously doubt whether the average Red Wings fan could name more than three players off today’s Avalanche roster, when that same fan could have rattled off 12, easily, during the height of the two teams’ struggle for supremacy in the West.
And it’s not as if the teams sunk in terms of success. The Avs are still a solid playoff contender, and this morning are in first place in their division. Just like the Red Wings.
Yet things are nowhere near the same.
Looking around the NHL the other day, I couldn’t come up with a single team that elicits anything close to the hostility that the Red Wings mustered up against the Colorado Avalanche a decade ago.
Aaron Downey is really making a name for himself and his teammates and Wings’ fans alike are taking notice.
Downey’s getting even with Jody Shelley and Jared Boll (a former Plymouth Whaler) of the Blue Jackets are examples things are different this season. There’s protection for skilled Wings, where there might not have been in the past.
“He’s done a great job for this hockey team,” Kris Draper said. “He’s one of those guys; he’ll do anything to pick up his teammates. Just a great guy. He never has a bad day; he’s glad every day he’s a Red Wing, and just a great guy to have in this dressing room.”
Downey’s fight with Boll in last Saturday’s game against Columbus:
The Toronto rumor mill is running rampant with media speculating that either Scotty Bowman or Steve Yzerman would make their way to the Maple Leafs organization. It ain’t gonna happen. But IwoCPO at Abel to Yzerman has some personnel/players that Toronto can have from the Red Wings. Consider it our gift to a fellow Original Six team.
So we, the Wing fans, aren’t angry with Toronto for trying to steal away everyone from the janitors on up. In fact, because the staffers here at A2Y appreciate the O6 and TO’s place within that legendary group, we’d like to help. You can’t have Kenny, and you can’t have the Captain. And, no, you can’t have Scotty either…even though you feel you’re owed a stop on the Bowman tour of hockey towns.
But there are plenty of other Wing icons to choose from.
New defenseman Brian Rafalski was asked to describe Newark, where his former team’s new arena is. Chris Chelios tried to make sure Rafalski said the right things.
“It’s, uh, it’s, uh . . . ,” Rafalski says after the Detroit Red Wings practice Monday morning at Joe Louis Arena. “Newark is . . .
“Careful what you say,” lectures Chris Chelios. “Just say you’re not familiar with it.”
Responds a chuckling Rafalski: “But I can’t say that.”
A pause.
“It’s definitely not the safest neighbourhood,” re-starts Rafalski.
Orders Chelios: “Don’t say it.”
Replies Rafalski: “But it’s not safe. Look at the statistics. And hey, Detroit just got rated the most dangerous city (in the U.S.).”
Chides Chelios: “Well, don’t say that, either. Block and bridge, block and bridge. Just do what the league told us — just lie.”
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2 Responses to “11/27 Quick Links”
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November 28th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Weird, I could have sworn I left a comment before? Oh well.
Chelios is teaching the young’uns to lie. Shame shame. I’m not actually sure how old Rafalski is, but I am sure that he’s younger than Cheli.
December 4th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Rafalski is 34, I believe. So he’s 11 years younger than Cheli.