Then you have the Detroit Red Wings, long the benchmark of NHL excellence with 20 straight playoff appearances. Their season-opening game is as under the radar as I can remember. While my memory isn't great, this is more about the Wings impressing to the point of being taken for granted -- right now, even in home in Hockeytown!
Detroit's attention is elsewhere these days. The Tigers prevailed over the New York Yankees to go on to the American League Championship Series and the once downtrodden Lions are 5-0 for the first time since 1956. Throw in the University of Michigan at 6-0 as it heads for a game against its in-state rival, the Michigan State Spartans, and sports fans in the area have more to cheer about than any others in the country right now.
Sure, the locals showed up at Joe Louis Arena for Friday's perfunctory home opening win over the over-matched Senators. But with everything else going on in the city, please excuse even the diehards if they didn't notice what the Red Wings accomplished next. For that matter, give everyone a pass for failing to measure how impressive the Wings' 3-0 road win the next night in Denver truly was.
Why? Because the Wings have been doing it for so long. We forget that this eastern time zone-based team didn't just win on the road, in a back-to-back situation, it endured the travel, a two-hour time zone recalibration and the energy-sapping thin air of Colorado to prevail over the Avalanche in their home opener.
RTWT, as we bloggers say, coz there's more hockey goodness there. The win over Colorado was a triumph, no doubt. But we WERE concerned during the first period as the Avs came out like a house afire while Detroit looked sluggish, to be kind. It very well could have been Colorado 3, Detroit 0 at the end of the first period if it wasn't for the stellar play of Number Two goalie, Ty Conklin. The Wings got their legs back in the subsequent periods and went on to that 3-0 win in what was a most gratifying game to watch... assuming you're a Wings fan. That's not at all true for some people I know... but Andy was generous enough to send me the photo below on the day after:
Yeah, he was at the game and I was so envious! It's not every day one gets to see The Holy Hockey Trinity... Franzen, Dats, and Z... score in the same game. Those were pretty goals, too... even Dats' empty netter. SN1 and I had a most excellent time watching that one together. "Thank you, Sir... May I have another?"
It's amazing how time flies. I've just noticed that it's seven years since I was in the Joe Louis Arena for a Lions Clubs convention!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a LOT longer than that since I was at The Joe, BP. Thanks for dropping by.
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