Territorial Bloggings

You can sense it…

You can feel it…

You can almost even taste it…

The rematch is almost here…

Wings – Pens II

-ghp

Once again, it’s that time. Time for the real season to start. The best season there is.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs.

When real men begin their march to greatness.

When the Red Wings begin the defense of that which is rightfully theirs.

First up: the Columbus Blue Jackets

Game 1: Thu 4/16 6 pm (CDT) @DET
Game 2: Sat 4/18 5 pm (CDT) @DET
Game 3: Tue 4/21 7 pm (CDT) @CBJ
Game 4: Thu 4/23 7 pm (CDT) @CBJ
Game 5: Sat 4/25 7 pm (CDT) @DET (if necessary)
Game 6: Mon 4/27 TBD (CDT) @CBJ (if necessary)
Game 7: Wed 4/29 TBD (CDT) @DET (if necessary)

Let’s. Go. Red. Wings.

-ghp

Let’s Go Red Wings!

Crosby & Malkin?

Bring ‘em on!

I’ll take the Wings’ top two of Zetterberg & Datsyuk.

Not to mention Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Franzen, Hudler, Kronwall, Rafalski, Samuelsson, Filppula, & Osgood.

I think this has all the earmarks of a great series. That said. The Wings will prevail in 7. Ozzy will be the MVP & Lidstrom will be the first European born Captain to hoist the Cup.

Here’s the full Stanley Cup TV Schedule:
May 24 Game 1: Penguins @ Red Wings – VERSUS
May 26 Game 2: Penguins @ Red Wings – VERSUS
May 28 Game 3: Red Wings @ Penguins – NBC
May 31 Game 4: Red Wings @ Penguins – NBC
June 2 *Game 5: Penguins @ Red Wings – NBC
June 4 *Game 6: Red Wings @ Penguins – NBC
June 7 *Game 7: Penguins @ Red Wings – NBC
* If Necessary

-ghp

[Edited 070103, after the ceremony & game]
Steve Yzerman’s number 19 was retired by the Red Wings Tuesday night. It joined the 5 legendary numbers previously retired by the Red Wings (shown above — to be followed, I would wager by Nick Lidstrom’s number 5 within the decade…).

The coverage at the two Detroit newspapers (the News & Free Press) will be more than thorough, but an article over at ESPN.com really does a great job of illustrating why Steve Yzerman is held in such high esteem by the folks of Metro Detroit & Wings fans everywhere. The Captain wasn’t just a great hockey player – that alone wouldn’t generate the affection that he receives.

Nope, he’s just a great guy. Decent & honest. A good man.

That’s why he’s beloved.

Additional coverage can also be found at DetroitHockey.net and Detroit Red Wings.com

-ghp

Just last night I was thinking about the NHL, and more specifically about how it’s a travesty that the Red Wings are in the Western Conference even though Detroit is obviously in the Eastern time zone. I was also thinking about how so many hockey pundits wail & moan about how to "fix" the NHL, when one of the most obvious problems is that there are too many teams. So, as I drifted off to sleep, I thought about how I’d fix things via contraction & realignment.

Then, just a little bit ago, I visited ESPN.com and saw the article on how the NHL is considering another realignment, shifting from the current 6 division (3 in each conference) structure to a more sensible (IMO) 4 division (2 in each conf.) structure. You can read more about the proposal here. Among the stated goals of any realignment are to develop more consistent rivalries, minimize time-zone disruptions (thus benefiting television ratings), & decrease travel costs (fiscal and physical). I agree with these goals, and I would even take a few additional steps. More specifically:

• Eastern Conference – North Division: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
• Eastern Conference – South Division: Carolina, New Jersey, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia, Washington
• Western Conference – North Division: Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis
• Western Conference – South Division: Calgary, Colorado, Edmonton, Portland, San Jose, Vancouver (Note: Portland is relocated from Pittsburgh, as Pittsburgh seems bound & determined to drive the Penguins out of town…)

• 12 games – Rotating Home & Home vs. one division from the "other" conference (sort of like baseball rotates non-rival interleague play).
• 24 games – 2 Home & Home vs. the "other" division’s teams.
• 40 games – 4 Home & Home vs. the 5 divisional rivals.

• The top 4 teams from each division make the playoffs (i.e., 16 out of the 24 teams).
• Round 1 is divisional, with teams ranked 1 through 4 – this is where bitterness can be bred!
• Round 2 would see the 4 winners re-seeded based on regular season conference finish, thus minimizing divisional inequities & the chance for anti-climactic conference finals.
• Round 3 would be the normal conference finals.
• Round 4 would be the normal Stanley Cup Finals.

The combination of a regular season focus on playing the same teams (while maintaining a reasonable sense of geography, time-zone, and history), a hearkening back to the divisional playoffs structure that made rivalries in the 80′s so special, and contraction (which will strengthen the talent pool & retrench the league in more sustainable, hockey-friendly areas) would go a long way towards getting the NHL back to it’s rightful place as a major North American sport.

-ghp