How do you follow up one of the best goaltending exhibitions that most people have seen (myself not included, as I went to bed, as I am old and work super early in the morning)? You dominate the second-best team in hockey.
After a fairly even first period, the Wings dominated the remainder of the game, rattling off four unanswered goals. It was kind of a needed performance after allowing poor Jimmy to get shelled against the Kings. The defense looked decent, the offense looked good. In this game, the team looked closer to the Red Wings we're used to and against a good Sharks team. That's encouraging. As usual when I fill in, a few observations from the game:
1. It's fun to watch Jimmy grow this season. Opinions in the preseason ranged somewhere between "Let's give the kid a chance" to "I wonder if Beachball Cloutier will still be available after he fails". To be fair, it was easy to doubt. This kid has stepped up. It's almost to the point where you don't really know what else can be said. Great game by Jimmy. Again. The game looks easy for him right now.
2. Also fun to watch - the evolution of Darren Helm. I hope this kid is around for a long time.
3. 70 goals Heatley, while having a good season, is going to have to pick up the pace a bit, isn't he?
4. Thank you, St. Louis. I know it's early, but being in 9th is worrisome anytime.
5. Non-Red Wing related, this video is fun! Kick ass Russian fighting.
6. I did not think Dan Cleary had wicked, well-placed wrist shots in him.
7. My thoughts on this team overall - right now, I know we're in ninth, but this team is endearing, isn't it? I mean, we're all Wings fans, and we have our favorite moments. Yzerman's toughness, the Russian Five, Hasek, Bowman, et al. This year's team is interesting and chocked full of all kinds of stories. This is the closest I've seen the Wings to being a team of "cast-offs". Look at some of the players who have stepped up. Todd Bertuzzi, bane of TPL's existence, has stepped up in a big way with everyone injured. Tomas Holmstrom, given up for dead by so many (sadly? I'm slightly guilty of this. I love him, but I was worried he was done after last year), has hooked himself up to the rejuvenation machine. The evolution of Darren Helm from young spark plug to dynamic force you can't take your eyes off of (lest you miss something amazing). Young players like Abdelkader stepping up before they're ready. Cast-offs, people who were either waived during the season (Drew Miller), getting no offers in the off-season (Bert, Doug Janik), or completely given up on (think Carolina wishes they had Patrick Eaves)? They're really hanging around with this crew? This year's team is gritty. The fact that the Wings are even 9th right now in the West is largely due to coaching and leadership. We're lucky to have Uncle Mike and company and a great front office who time and time again find these spare parts on the scrap heap.
I guess what I'm saying here is this is a team I'll remember, what they've overcome and how they've hung in there. Maybe Jimmy is our goalie of the future; maybe he's Jim Carrey. Maybe some of our young players won't pan out. Maybe some of these guys who are around this year will flame out. One thing is for sure - this is a team I'll remember, and I like where they're headed. They are playing good, sound, tough hockey. Missing all the players they've missed, and they survive. This team is going to be even more ready to go once players start trickling in from IR. By the time Franzen gets back, everyone SHOULD be healthy, and won't that be around the time this team is hitting its stride? You think the top folks in the West want to play this team in the first round?
Next year's team is going to look different from this one. I'm certainly enjoying this year's team, though. This was a good win tonight. Go Wings.
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A team full of superstars is admirable and breathtaking to watch.
ReplyDeleteA team of survivors that has to scuffle through injuries, slumps, and players being given more responsibility than the team wanted to give them out of necessity and still hanging in there fighting is lovable.
I agree with you Natalie. And as much as we might all be bitching about you know, wanting to kill ourselves if we'd known this in October, I have to ask, can someone remember a more exciting regular season?
ReplyDeleteokay. I agree with you Brian, then. Way too not read who posted this...
ReplyDeleteand way to misspell
ReplyDeleteBrian, this is an excellent description of this year's team and how far they've come. We often take for granted coaching and leadership, but when you look at all the individual parts of the team, which you did here, and wonder how they've managed to play well together and hang in there, it's obvious that we all need to bow down and tell Babcock we're not worthy.
ReplyDeleteI love the conclusion you make about the team hitting their stride in the spring. Fingers crossed.
(Also, I'm so happy you said publicly that you were a Homer naysayer. I recognize that you have to compete with him for my affections and that that might be tough for you, but thanks for admitting to all TSO readers that you were dead wrong.)
Great post, B-Rad. It's nice to see what you can do when you're not too busy with your intoxicated dancing.
Hahaha. No worries, Andy. I make weird grammatical errors all the freakin' time, especially on other people's sites. Also, the other night, I went back and carefully reread the gigantic post I put up the other day (which I had written wayyyy too late at night), and I found approximately 824 mistakes. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone thinks I'm a giant tard.
ReplyDeletehehe, we're just too cool to spell check. That's it...
ReplyDeleteThis year's team is something Red Wing fans haven't had the pleasure of watching for a quite awhile. Every game in January, February and March is going to matter. When was the last time that happened? 1994?
ReplyDeleteThey are having to fight for everything they get this year and in the process are showing us how strong they really are. This team has tons of sandpaper. They are just tough to play against. When/if Darren Helm gets the hands to go with the speed - Katie bar the door! Even now he is scary good. He could be terrifying to defend against. If this team overcomes and makes it into the playoffs, then all bets are off. These guys could pull it together and make a deep run with a bunker "us vs. the world" mentality. It's gonna be awesome to watch.
Natalie - as awesome as it is to go to a game at the Joe, come up to Traverse City in September for training camp. I promise you will love it. Spend a week and go to the prospects tourney as well. It's a fantastic experience.
Michael, I probably shouldn't have waited until now to comment back, considering the horrible, abject failure of last night.
ReplyDeleteWe would LOVE to go to training camp one year; we considered doing it this year, but the timing just wasn't right. I imagine it being quite the experience. Do you go every year?
P.S. I love how you used the great Mickeyism of "Katie bar the door". Makes me realize how much I've missed Mick during this road trip.