CSN Chicago: Wings/Blackhawks at Wrigley Field
Joe Hass here. Comcast SportsNet in Chicago is reporting that the NHL and the Chicago Blackhawks will announce as early as today (but probably Friday) that they’ve chosen the Red Wings and the Blackhawks for the 2008-09 outdoor game at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
As both a Red Wings fan and a Cubs fan, there are no words to describe how incredible this would be for me. Combine the facts that it’s an Original Six matchup, the large number of former Michigan residents (and likely Wings fans) who already live in the Chicagoland area, and the limited seating capacity of Wrigley (40,000, give or take a bleacher bum or two), and I think this could be even more incredible than the Pens/Sabres game last year.
Franzen To Play In Game 2
Joe here. The Wings announced today that Joann Franzen was cleared by doctors to play in Game 2 and that Mike Babcock will put him in the lineup tonight. No word on how Babcock will shuffle lines to accommodate Franzen.
Obviously this is the last thing the Pens wanted to hear. Michel Therrien’s already started juggling lines, adding Gary Roberts and dropping Georges Laraque. Now they get the Wings’ best scorer in the playoffs back on the ice.
I’ll throw out one thing: it’s an embarrassment of riches problem, but why not, especially after the beating the Pens took in Game 1, let Franzen sit? It’s crazy talk, and you’re not going to see me digging up the pitchforks in protest, but I’m also a subscriber to the theory of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And after game 1, there ain’t a whole lot broke except the zebras’ belief that if Tomas Holmstrom is within 10 feet of the goal crease, it’s gotta be goaltender interference.
See you back here at 8:00 p.m. ET.
On Clothing…
Joe here. I know we’re all happy that the Wings are back in the Stanley Cup Finals. But I want to take a moment here to talk with you about an opportunity you face now.
Sure, it’s easy to see those “Conference Champions” t-shirts out there, and there’s a Jackson burning a hole in your wallet. NHL.com has at the top of their home page the opportunity to buy the locker room t-shirt and hat.
Don’t.
When you buy that t-shirt, here’s what you’re saying: “I don’t expect to have to purchase any more Red Wings clothing: therefore, I feel that the team will not be manufacturing, say, a ‘Stanley Cup Champions’ t-shirt.”
That’s right: when you plunk down your hard-earned money before a team is eliminated or wins the whole thing, you’re sending the message that you don’t have any faith in the boys with the winged wheel.
You think I’m joking. You think I’m making this up.
I’m so not.
“Joe,” you’re thinking, “but all I want to do is show my support and congratulations for this hard-working team! Is that so wrong?”
Of course it’s not. But just as it’s inappropriate to riot in the streets after winning a first round matchup, it’s just as wrong to slap down your hard-earned money for making it three-quarters of the way home. They don’t hand out medals to the runner that’s leading at the 19.66 mile mark of a marathon. You can’t find a list of teams leading the Super Bowl after three quarters. And hockey players don’t touch the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (nice job, Nick).
“Well, Mr. Sports Apparel Etiquette, what can I do?”
The first option is to simply wait. That $20 isn’t going to gain much more interest in the next three weeks. And won’t it feel even sweeter to head to Hockeytown Authentics the day after that final game? Trust me: it will.
But you want to buy something now? Fine: buy something non-event specific. Get a simple t-shirt: may I suggest an Old Time Hockey t-shirt? Go with a classic jersey: get a Terry Sawchuk #1.
“But I want to buy something that commemorates this great matchup,” I hear from someone in the back. “Can I buy a Stanley Cup Finals t-shirt?” From personal experience, I can tell you this is mildly acceptable, though not preferable. You’re talking to someone who bought a Wings/Devils t-shirt in 1995. How’d that work out for us?
If the inexplicable happens, those shirts will still be there. But really, Red Wings fans, you know the right thing to do.
Save that money. You’re only four wins away.
The Lions And Red Wings Have Something In Common
Joe here.
There was much comment about 9 months ago when the Red Wings announced that season tickets were available as they had exhausted their wait list. There was much hand wringing, and one thing that came up was that there was only one Detroit team (at that time) that still had a waiting list: the Detroit Lions.
That list is long gone. In fact, it’s so gone that they’re now offering half-season plans and single-season plans that include the Club level, which the Lions swore up and down would never be available (you had to buy Club Level seats as a three-year-minimum package).
I can tell you that when I canceled my Lions season tickets after last season, the person I spoke with made it abundantly clear that he didn’t care: that there were plenty of names on that waiting list who would love my tickets. Guess they didn’t want them as badly as I thought.
To Mitch Albom:
I’m Joe Hass. Let me declare my biases in advance.
Wall Street Journal: The Return Of A Great Game
Joe here. The NHL has an unbelievably good article in today’s Wall Street Journal online. Entitled “The Return Of A Great Game,” it leads with a stunning piece of news: Don Cherry is going to file reports for ESPN during the Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals. If you recall, last year Cherry went on NBC during an intermission and verbally beat down Brett Hull.
Beyond that, the article gives a great overview in a place that you’d hardly expect it. Not a long piece, but one that has to make them happy in Toronto and New York, especially in light of the Fortune fiasco.
Fortune: You Did Not Watch That Wings Game On NBC
Joe here. Imagine, if you will, working in the NHL Public Relations office when you get a call from Forbes magazine. They want to do an article on Gary Bettman, road warrior.
(Stop laughing.)
Thrilled with the idea, you set up the interview. They come out to take a picture of Bettman at the offices, everything sounds great.
Fast forward to the issue of Forbes hitting the newsstands, and there’s the article! Let’s see what they wrote…
Going to 60 hockey games a year might sound like fun, but for Gary Bettman it’s just another day at the office. In 15 years as NHL chief, he has more than quadrupled revenues to $2.5 billion, added four teams, and changed the rules to speed up the game. But America’s fourth major sport is still without a network TV contract after the 2004-05 lockout, and attendance is well below pre-strike days. That keeps Bettman, 55, on the road shaking hands, doing deals, and catching scores on his cellphone. Fortune caught up with him in his New York office to see how he pulls it off when not on home ice.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! No network TV contract? Attendance down? I mean, it’s one thing to say that Bettman is quite possibly one of the worst commissioners in the history of professional sports, but even my wife knows those two facts are wrong. And not just mildly wrong, but flat-out, black-is-white, sun-rises-in-west, Toronto’s-about-to-turn-it-around wrong.
But here’s where things get odd. Search for the article online and you get this: (emphasis mine)
Going to 60 hockey games a year might sound like fun, but for Gary Bettman it’s just another day at the office. In 15 years as NHL chief, he has more than quadrupled revenues to $2.6 billion, added four teams and, more recently, signed TV deals with NBC and Versus, and led the league to record attendance levels even after the 2004-05 lockout season.
But meeting with team owners, business partners and season ticket holders keeps Bettman, 55, on the road shaking hands, doing deals and catching scores on his cellphone. Fortune caught up with him in his New York office to see how he pulls it off when not on home ice.
Boy, maybe things have changed from when I went through journalism class, but I remember hearing about this thing called a “correction” that newspapers and magazines would publish when they printed an error.
NHL TV Notes
Joe here. A couple notes on the NHL, television, and the start of the most miserable part of the NHL playoffs: cable exclusivity.
The NHL has noted that games 1 and 4 of the Wings/Avs series will be exclusively on Versus (meaning not on FSN Detroit) in the U.S. That means if you don’t have Versus (or don’t feel like paying the extra $20/month for the digital package), you’re out of luck (TSN has the rights for that series in Canada). Remember that Versus has cable exclusivity for the conference finals and the Stanley Cup finals. That’s why you always root for the Canadian teams: CBC would’ve had the series had the Flames won last night.
Also this morning, the NHL announced they’re renewing their contract with NBC for another year. There had been rumors during the second half of the season that the NHL was going to try to convince ESPN to pick up the entire NBC package (which would’ve required renegotiating their exclusive cable deal with Versus).
Guest Post: A look from One Fan’s Perspective
PB @ One Fan’s Perspective wrote the following post as a preview so us Wings’ fans could learn a bit more about the team he blogs about, the Phoenix Coyotes. The two teams play Wednesday night at 7:30pm in Detroit. If you don’t already read his blog on a daily basis, you’re missing out on some quality posts even if you aren’t a Coyotes’ fan. And now onto PB’s post…
With everyone selecting the Phoenix Coyotes to be in the cellar of the NHL, having them mere points away from the eighth playoff spot is next to remarkable. Of course, picking up a top-flight goaltender doesn’t hurt either.
The Coyotes were never expected to score goals, to stop goals, or to win games. Teams used to be able to count on an easy two points from the Coyotes, especially if they had a losing streak to break and needed a team to help them feel better about themselves. The Coyotes were easy prey for such a game and it became rather expected. However, now, teams have to be ready for a high-energy hockey club that will not quit and as a result are stealing games from teams when it used to be the other way around.
Radim Vrbata was a great off-season acquisition for the Coyotes when they traded Kevyn Adams to Chicago for his services. Vrbata has 21 goals for the year, a career high for him that has eclipsed his earlier career best of 18, and Adams has been on the shelf for Chicago for the better part of the season. Earlier in the summer, Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney put Adams on waivers, but being able to trade for a player to get something in return was a bonus.
Peter Mueller has developed into a solid rookie for Phoenix. He has 13 goals on the season, second only to Jonathan Toews and in front of Patrick Kane. Mueller can be used in virtually any situation as he has become an extremely versatile player. Mueller has been playing on the top line with Shane Doan and the two have developed a chemistry on the ice where when Mueller passes the puck, it ends up on Doan’s stick.
Shane Doan has a ten-game point streak and has a point in twelve games played. He is second on the team in goals scored with 16. Doan’s game has stepped up in intensity as he finds ways to lead his team into new situations and to find ways to win hockey games instead of lose them. He is now the ranking veteran on the young hockey club and as Shane Doan goes, the Phoenix Coyotes go as well.
Obviously, the acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov has been a catalyst to push the franchise forward in their development faster than expected. The team plays confidently in front of him and are not afraid to make mistakes as Bryzgalov will be there to make the important save. The goaltending position is the most important one in hockey to fill, like the pitcher in baseball, or the quarterback in football, and if the goaltending is not there, the team usually follows suit.
With their record five games above .500 at 26-21-2, and better than average road record of 15-10, the Coyotes begin the next half of their season in their comfort zone starting with a game Tuesday night in Columbus, and Wednesday night against the Red Wings in Detroit.
To say that the Red Wings have owned the Coyotes is a gross understatement. For the past three seasons the Coyotes have only won two games and that was back in the 2005-2006 campaign where the two hockey clubs split their series 2-2. After that, the Red Wings have won seven straight. However, with the last two games, the Coyotes have played their counterparts tough, almost squeaking by with a point in the last contest, except for an ill-fated pass by Steven Reinprecht and then Pavel Datsyuk takes the turnover and does what he does best by scoring timely goals.
Based on the recent success of the Phoenix Coyotes, the home arena in Glendale, Arizona should be full of screaming Coyotes’ fans, right? Unfortunately, it has yet to take place, even though momentum is swinging over some fans who have seen exciting hockey of late. Each time the Red Wings roll into town, the building is jam packed with Red Wings fans, some who are residents that only come out to hockey games when the Red Wings are in town. The marketing staff has taken some creative efforts trying to keep the numbers of Coyotes’ fans higher such as raising ticket prices for only Red Wings games.
The opinions vary greatly as to the success of this marketing endeavor - if one is a transplant Red Wings fan, it is not fair that tickets are higher for those games only - if one is a Coyotes fan that has a difficult time cheering for their team because tickets are easy to come by for the opposition, then the strategy, to them, is a good one.
However, I still state that winning causes these issues to resolve themselves, and the Red Wings, with all of their championships and history, are an easy team to cheer for. Besides, if any fan of the opposing team, Red Wings or otherwise, want to get tickets at or above original face value, there are plenty of places to find them.
The Coyotes have been steadily improving their performances against the Red Wings for each game this season, I don’t expect the last one to be any different. In fact, in many ways, the Coyotes strive to be as successful a franchise as the Red Wings are right now. Head coach Wayne Gretzky feels that from Ken Holland on down that the Red Wings are a classy organization and they win games the right way through hard work and execution.
The Coyotes haven’t quit yet, and I don’t expect that they will against the Red Wings Wednesday night.
Guest Post: A look from Sens Army Blog
Peter and Ben, the brains behind Sens Army Blog, agreed to share a little bit about their team, the Ottawa Senators, as a sort of preview for tomorrow’s game between Detroit and Ottawa. I also sent Peter and Ben a guest post about the Wings so be sure to visit Sens Army Blog here to see what I wrote. Here’s what they had to say about their Sens…
It all comes down to this: The matchup hockey pundits have been looking forward to since the first couple of weeks of the season, the Ottawa Senators versus the Detroit Red Wings.
It is unfortunate that these teams only meet once a season—if that—and hopefully one of the wild card games under the new scheduling structure is a meeting of the beasts of the east against the best of the west. Anyway, onto this game’s preview, from the forwards on back:
FORWARD
On forward, the Sens are goliaths. So are the Red Wings. The Sens are goliather, though; with Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza the league’s fifth-, sixth-, and tenth-highest scoring players in the league, the CASH line (as we like to call it; Captain Alfredsson, Spezza, Heatley) is the most powerful in the league.
After those three the stats fall off pretty steeply, but support players like Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette can still be counted on for some clutch performances. Heavyweight Brian McGrattan probably won’t be dressed since you guys are lame fighter-haters, but he is one of the best in the league and could explode Henrik Zetterberg’s ugly mug with one punch.
DEFENCE
I will concede that Nik Lidstrom is good.
You know who else is good, though? Anton “The A-Train” Volchenkov. Possibly the toughest player in the league, Volchenkov often blocks as many shots as the goaler, and he can throw punishing hits like nobody’s business. When his power is combined with that of stalwart Chris “Big Rig” Phillips, fuggedabout any offence.
Our offence often benefits from the prowess of Joe Corvo, Wade Redden, and Andrej Meszaros on the goal-scoring side of the puck, although they can be a bit of a defensive liability at times. When that happens, Volchie, Phillips, or wily veteran Luke “The One-Punch Machine Gun” Richardson should be back to cover.
GOALIE
Whether you’re facing Martin “Darth” Gerber – Ottawa’s #1 goaltender for the majority of this season - or “Sugar” Ray Emery, the goaltender whose fists do not discriminate between positions or teams, the Red Wings may have a hard time. Sure, each goalie has their weaknesses, but either one has the ability to steal a game when they’re playing well. Who are you facing? It’s one of Head Coach John Paddock’s incredibly genius tactics to tell neither his enemies nor his allies who will be playing.
No matter how you look at it, the Sens will win. If you have any doubt, look at Jason Spezza’s sick two-goal game last time, in which he made Domink Hasek and his ticking-time-bomb of a groin look more like the dominated than the dominator (see it here). Oh yeah, and 1998 called: they want their goaltenders back.