Pavel Datsyuk got a Gordie Howe Hat Trick tonight as the Wings won their season opener against the Formerly Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 4 - 0. Here's Dats doing what he RARELY does...
Well, there goes the Lady Byng trophy, eh? That was Dats' first-ever regular season fight in his 12 NHL seasons; he has one other fight... in the post-season... according to the analysts on my Very Expensive Radio. Mike Modano scored his first goal as a Red Wing; Franzen and Cleary added to the Wings' total.
An auspicious beginning, indeed.
Yay Wings! That's right, isn't it? we're supposed to pull for the Wings?
ReplyDeleteNot only pull for them... watch them, cheer them, love them... from now until about the first week in June. Your final Act of Devotion will be to watch the parade down Woodward Ave. ;-)
ReplyDeleteUm, I gleefully dissent. But your boys handled the Lame Ducks, that's for sure. And that was a really, really good fight between the two lightweights. I begrudgingly give a slight victory to Datsyuk, though Perry got his shots, too. Tons of fun!
ReplyDeleteTuesday, buddy, Tuesday. As you mentioned at my place, my Avs looked really good the other night. I love their speed, and though they took too many penalties, they were downright dangerous shorthanded. Auspicious beginning for me, too.
I should mention that I was up til almost 1:00 AM watching that game in a hotel in Montreal, and had to get up at 5:00 AM to get to the airport. I've been dragging ass ever since. Wore my Avs hat and Forsberg jersey around the hotel for a little while, and surprisingly received no comments. In Quebec, for cryin' out loud.
Lightweights? Perry ain't no lightweight, and Dats ain't a fighter, period.
ReplyDeleteDunno how much you've been keeping up with all the hockey pundits... for what THAT'S worth... but there are a LOT of folks predicting another Cup for Detroit, the latest being the good folks at TSN/Canada. The key, of course, is for the Wings to stay healthy.
And yeah: Tuesday. We should be 3-0 by midnight Tuesday night. ;-)
OK, so maybe he just plays small. I always thought of Perry as a little speedy guy. I guess 6'3", 206 ain't little. At least that's what Yahoo has him listed at. Dats 5'11", 197.
ReplyDeletePredicting a Wings cup? Shocker. Gee, more free-thinking sports punditry from the suits, eh? That's like Bettman saying nice things about Crosby. It's like the 2008 election out there, with Jimmy Howard as Obama. He can do no wrong!
Er, uh, I mean, best of luck to Detroit!
...with Jimmy Howard as Obama.
ReplyDeleteHeh. I could take offense at that and prolly should. That said, there are also a whole HELLUVA lot of naysayer-pundits where Dee-troit is concerned. The "too old, past their prime" refrain is gettin' REALLY old, yanno?
And, uh, yeah. Best o' luck to the Avs, too. Heh.
Yeah, the "too old" theme is pretty rampant at my favorite Avs hangout, Mile High Hockey. I could do with less of that.
ReplyDeleteGo ahead. Rub it in some more.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were a (sorta) Kings fan, Glenn. I KNOW you love those Habs... but the Ducks?!?
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Buck. Who the hell is a Ducks fan? Ewwww.
ReplyDeleteThey got Saku Koivu!
ReplyDeleteThey got Saku Koivu!
ReplyDeleteSo? The Avs had Super-Joe but I never was a fan, respectful as I might be of Sakic's skill and longevity. (Sorry, Andy.) There are other teams that fall in this category, any one of which would be more deserving of respect than the goons in Anaheim.
Ducks fans are an endangered species. There ain't no "culture of hockey" in Anaheim... they're ALL bandwagoneers. And the wheels are coming off that particular bandwagon.
No sweat, Buck. The Stevie-Y thing is the same for me. All the respect in the world, but still, down with the Wings. You and I know each other well, in that regard.
ReplyDelete