Mostly Hockey

But first, a little political-cartoon commentary from Michael Rodriguez Ramirez (sheesh!! I wasn't fully-caffeinated when I posted this morning, and there's a lesson in there.), via Investor's Business Daily:

Much has written about the politicalization... read as: witch hunt... of the so-called enhanced interrogation process and various and sundry other "failings" of the Bush administration. It's pretty ugly, and you're well aware of the fact if you've been following the story at all. If you haven't been following the story a good place to begin is with former DCI Porter Goss' op-ed in the WaPo.

Now... on to things that really matter.

―:☺:―

So. It’s the Ducks in round two. We’ve seen this movie before and the outcome wasn’t good in 2007, when the Ducks eliminated the Wings in the Western Conference Final. Both teams have done some minor re-tooling since then, but both teams continue to play the same style of hockey. Here’s George Malik, writing at M-Live:

The Ducks are bigger and stronger, and play the game the Blue Jackets strove to master--a combination of stifling, trap-based defence, reliance upon a very big goaltender to mop up any trouble spots, and a top-heavy offensive game piqued by an all-around physical edge which can drive teams to distraction and break their desire to go to the "hard areas" on the ice...

But the series boils down to which team can execute its own game better, which team can clear its own crease while making the opposing goaltender's life very difficult, and, in the Red Wings' case...Whether Detroit can play with a Tomas Holmstrom-like sense of discipline and poise, battling through the Ducks' baited traps of slashes, hacks, whacks, and post-whistle scrums to force the Ducks to take penalties out of frustration instead.

Discipline, poise, resolve, and a willingness to smile when a big player wearing an orange-and-black jersey pushes and shoves thanks to whistle-to-whistle-contained intensity. The Wings will either take the Ducks' bait, or they'll out-grind, out-compete, and out-will their opponent by playing (again) the style of hockey which drives Don Cherry nuts, mostly because it works. The Wings can't win an endless stream of intimidation battles, but they can win a determined and composed war.

Well… that’s the “kinder, gentler” politically-correct version of how the Wings should... and probably will... play this series. That said, here’s what Wings fans remember MOST about the 2007 Wings-Ducks series (from M-Live, via Abel to Yzerman):

Pronger is a cheap-shot artist and he got his just desserts with a one-game suspension after that hit to Holmstrom’s head. But I think Chris Pronger will become more than intimate with one Mr. Darren Helm in this year’s series. From the previously-mentioned blog Abel to Yzerman:

Chrissy Pronger? Let me introduce you to Darren Helm. The fastest bastard on the ice and he’s going to hit you like a frigging miniature sledgehammer. Again and again Sasquatch. He’s not going to knock you out but he’s going to whittle you down one little brain cell at a time.

There’s more at the link, and it’s indicative of what Wings fans think of the Ducks.

There will be ugliness in this upcoming series. It will be hard-played and there will be lots of animosity between the two teams… and their fans. But that makes for great hockey, and this series will be a corker. Count on it.

I'm thinking Wings in six, but it could go seven.