Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “Michigan – a team many thought were destined to miss the NCAA tournament halfway through the season – held on for their second victory this weekend, punching their ticket to the national semifinals for the first time in a half-decade-plus.” Continue reading “And Then There Were Four” →
Red Wings Season Update #2
14-16-7, 35 points; 6th in Atlantic Division
As 2017 draws to a close and the Red Wings gear up for their annual New Years Eve game, this time against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, there is a sense of relief that accompanies the turning of the calendar – relief that the Wings’ abysmal season is inching closer to becoming a thing of the past. Let’s face it: there isn’t much more to be added since the last season update; following the 10-1 debacle in Montreal, the Wings alternated between a 5-1 win over the first-place Winnipeg Jets, and a 6-1 loss at the hands of the St. Louis Blues. Perhaps captain Henrik Zetterberg summed this team up best following the St. Louis game: “When we’re good, we’re good, but when we’re bad, we’re terrible.”
I could write about how much of a disappointment this team is, but I wouldn’t be writing anything new. I could give you stats that prove the Wings’ shortcomings, but anyone who’s watched one of their games doesn’t need it broken down for them. Jonathan Ericsson is leading the team in +/- at +3, one of only three non-negative players. Their record speaks for itself; this team hasn’t been unlucky, they haven’t had to deal with injuries, they simply aren’t that good. They can be exciting when they decide to put in a complete effort for a game; that doesn’t happen frequently enough to justify watching in hopes of catching them on a good night.
This Red Wings season seems to be sort of a microcosm of 2017 in general: the year where everything went to shit and made everyone realize how good we had it before. Who would have thought ten years ago that we would be in the situation we’re currently experiencing? Well, it’s almost over, and hopefully we can write them both off as an aberrations, learn form our mistakes, and start anew next year. I doubt 2017 will be missed by many in Detroit.
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? If you’re asking about this season, then the answer is undoubtedly so. Let’s just all agree to forget about this season in the future, when looking back on the days of auld lang syne. On this New Year’s Eve, surely we can think of fonder memories than the present.
Red Wings Season Update #1
11-12-5, 27 points; 5th in Atlantic Division
The Wings will need to step things up defensively if they hope to contend for a playoff spot.
See also – Pt. 1: Feelingsball, Pt. 2: In Which We Actually Talk About Hockey
Well folks, we’re already fifteen games into the 2017-18 NHL season, and I still haven’t gotten around to writing the final installment of my Red Wings preview that I’m sure all my readers have been awaiting with bated breath. I’d like to take this opportunity to personally apologize to both of you; you shouldn’t have to wait this long for my opinions. In this segment I’ll take a look at what Detroit has to offer from a defensive perspective, and we’ll review how the team is looking so far this year.
Spoiler alert: if you thought the forwards preview was grim, you may want to avert your eyes from the first section.
See also – Pt. 1: Feelingsball
We have finally arrived at the regular season! No more waiting, no more speculating; hockey is back y’all. It’s like being a kid and waking up on Christmas, and I can’t wait to see what new shiny toys Santa left for us. Only this year it’s not quite as exciting as it maybe has been in years past, for reasons discussed previously. Still, it’s nice just to be able to watch meaningful hockey on TV again. In this part of the Red Wings season preview, we’ll take a look at the forwards on the roster and see what kind of dangermen the Wings might have.
Spoiler alert: there aren’t many.
Continue reading “Red Wings 2017-18 Season Preview Pt. 2: In Which We Actually Talk About Hockey” →
When I was ten the University of Michigan football team went 7-5 because Tyler Eckert didn’t pitch the ball to Steve Breaston*, and everyone was mad as hell and I thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to Michigan football. Then the RichRod and Brady Hoke eras were a thing, and I realized that my ten-year-old self was way wrong in that assessment, and that Michigan fans were spoiled when it came to long-term success. After not missing the playoffs for a solid quarter century, a similar phenomenon is happening with the Detroit Red Wings. In this first segment of their 2017-18 season preview, we’ll set the mood for the upcoming season as the Wings prepare to enter their own RichRod era by talking about, like, feelings and stuff. Part Two of the season preview will delve deeper into the actual hockey side of things.
* – Seriously, just pitch the goddamn ball to Breaston!
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