Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I’m watching SportsCenter this morning (and they’re nice enough to give hockey highlights two minutes, twice or three times a week…), and I’m having a hard time recognizing some of these teams.

For a league that already had sort of a marketing problem, fighting to compete w/the other three big sports in this country, all this is going to do is confuse new post-lockout fans, and perhaps alienate older fans…great huh??

Those Sharks jerseys stink–and somehow Buffalo’s look worse than last year.

And let’s hope for a better outcome.  AND let’s hope Robert Lang doesn’t score again, making us look pretty stupid for letting him go.  Only redeeming factor about that game the other night was Patrick Kane getting the SO goal; USA hockey needs a new star–Mike Modano can only play for so long, right?  And Chris Drury isn’t exactly the superstar that some American players are/have been.

Anyway, Zetterberg is tied for 2nd in league in points.  Very early in season, yes, but makes me feel good to see him in the top five.  Oh yeah…and Tomas Holmstrom has scored a goal in FOUR STRAIGHT GAMES!!!  He has been my favorite Red Wing for a long time, and he just keeps getting better and better as far as I’m concerned.  Tomas Holmstrom can do no wrong!!  I don’t know what the Swedish is for “president,” or if they have a president at all, but he’d get my vote.

If I have to read the phrase “half-empty Joe Louis Arena” or “two-thirds full Joe Louis Arena” one more time…I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll do something.

Some of us don’t live in Michigan anymore and it’s heartbreaking and frustrating to hear that no one is going.  I don’t like the “local economy” argument any more than I like the “too many Europeans on the roster” argument; my only guess is that metro Red Wings fans don’t realize how good they have it.  Yeah, it hurts that we got bounced in the Conference Finals last year; but let’s think about how much it hurts the players.  At the end of the day we’re just fans, and we Red Wing fans have been some of the luckiest in sports over the last ten years.  They didn’t make it to the Finals last year, but they tied Buffalo for most points in the league, losing the President’s Trophy by just a couple of games.

Starting with the 1994-95, the Detroit Red Wings have won five President’s Trophies and three Stanley Cups.  They’ve seen Hall of Fame players come, go, retire; they’ve seen new starts rise; and yes, they’ve had struggles in the playoffs.  But no other NHL team has had a run like that since the mid-90s.  Some of those Avalanche teams were great, and Dallas always fields a contender, New Jersey always comes on strong in April, but they are not the Detroit Red Wings.  They don’t have history behind them and greatness in front of them.

The post-lockout NHL will provide challenges down the road, but now is the time for Detroit to take advantage of the uncertain landscape by using the tools and pieces they have managed to keep together.  Losing Schneider, Bertuzzi, Markov and yes, even Robert Lang, can  be seen as steps backward.  But Jimmy Howard is growing stronger and stronger, Brian Rafalski is a Stanley Cup winner, Dallas Drake is a proven and gritty veteran forward, and Igor Griogorenko might actually play for us  some day.

There is plenty to smile about, be happy about, be excited about where this Red Wings team is concerned.  Henrik Zetterberg has seven points in three games so far this year; only two players can say they’ve scored more so far this season.  Dominik Hasek and Chris Chelios (who scored against Edmonton last night!!) are somehow playing like men much younger.  Nicklas Lidstrom continues to cement his future in the Hall of Fame with the most adept and graceful defense in the League.  Pavel Datsyuk makes us all forget about Sergei Fedorov.

So I ask you, Detroit–what’s not to like?

Ladies and gentlemen, Johan Franzen is your first injury of the season.  A knee sprain is going to keep him out for 3-4 weeks, and Igor Grigorenko isn’t expected to show up yet.  I doubt it will be a team-critical injury so early in the season, but you never know.  What if Coach Mike had hoped the offense would begin and end with Franzen?

Anyway, Hank Zetterberg had three assists against the Blackhawks, and that’s a good sign.  He’s going to need to chip in a ton of points this year to take some of the pressure of off Pavel Datsyuk.  Looking to Monday night’s game against Edmonton, the guys that worry me are the guys that should worry the rest of the Western Conference: Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, and Sheldon Souray.  I’m a little worried about Dustin Penner as well; he scored 29 goals last year and really got under our skin in the Conference Finals.  But, in my opinion, it’s still too early to count anyone out or anyone in in today’s NHL.

However,  I  do anticipate that Detroit will win by a score of 15-3.  Hasek will make 12 saves in the victory.

There you go, that’s the important thing. Red Wings 3, Ducks 2 (SO). Far as I’m concerned, nothing else matters. Homer got a goal, Dallas Drake got into a fight, and we are on our way to a 14-0 start by November 1st!

But what’s all this crap about nobody bothering to go to the game?? Yeah, it’s bad for the Red Wings, but bad for the Wings equals bad for the NHL. Anybody who thinks different is, well, wrong. One of the most popular and successful franchises in the league, and a classy organization–right now we need success from an entity like that. As the Red Wings go, the NHL will go. And I mean, what was everyone doing instead? Watching the Tigers at the driving range?

Anyway, a win against Anaheim in the home opener is perfect, just too bad Schneids wasn’t playing. Detroit put 40 (yes, 40) pucks into Ilya Bryzgalov’s jersey and only managed two goals in regulation–typical Red Wings performance. (By the way, I’m officially putting Detroit’s over/under on one-goal wins/shootout wins at over 25 for the year.) Also typical Red Wings, a.k.a. Hasek, was two goals against in regulation on just 15 shots–that’s a save percentage of 0.866, a strong indicator of goaltender performance. Still, Pronger took a penalty. and Bertuzzi had two points…but Detroit got the win. At the end of the day that’s all that matters to me.

Let’s go, Red Wings!!!

I love Sidney Crosby.  That’s all.

As I’ve mentioned before, Pittsburgh has always been my Eastern Conference team.  (The Steelers have also always been my AFC team.)  Was I excited for Sid Crosby?  Of course.  Was I surprised when he became the youngest player to post 100 points?  Not really.

Not much about him on the scoresheet really surprises; he has his streaks, he has his flurries of points.  I’m surprised the Pens are winning like they are.  That’s what makes him Gretzky-like, and Modano-like, and Lemieux-like–that he can create a sum larger than the parts.  He’s a wizard, a genius.  He’s untouch