Tonight begins the Detroit Red Wings 23rd consecutive appearance in the NHL Playoffs. I could get all hype on it and call it "Quest for the Silver Chalice" or "Road to Lord Stanley's Grail" or "Six Weeks Trying to Explain the Significance of The Big Purple Octopus"*, but in reality- right now it's just an opportunity.
Actually, a couple of those playoff appearances the Wings arrived in a carriage that was already a pumpkin, and other times they were heavily favored but suffered the jinx of the President's Trophy. Okay, it's not really an official jinx, more like a bad omen; like your $500 escort having tissue on her face where she cut herself shaving.
Bruins Jarome Iginla, Patrice Bergeron and
Loui Eriksson enjoying the Boston Marathon
Boston, who currently totes the President's Trophy, is overwhelmingly favored to get their names etched on the Cup ( most of them for the second time ), but Vegas would just be a boring hot place with Elvis impersonators and roller coasters on rooftops if the favorite won every time.
Mike Babcock, who could win a game of Texas Hold 'em with a Three Card Monte hand, has been grooming Detroit's youngsters all season. Regardless of the overall record, the just-post-pubescent Wings have won three of four against the Bruins and they aren't exactly rookies anymore. Sure, Brendan Smith still occasionally uses his stick like he's Paul Reubens at a peep show and far-from-rookie Kyle Quincey sometimes looks like he'd be more comfortable taking Luke Glendening's old roster spot on the Toledo Walleye, but the Wings are capable of winning this damn series. At the very least, they are capable of making it enjoyable for their fans and way more of a pain in the ass than Claude Julien wants to deal with in the first round.
Whatever happens, there are no fans of major professional sports teams from any other city in North America that have had the privilege of seeing their team vie for a championship 23 years in a row. And that's worth toasting even with a red plastic Solo cup.
Thanks for a fantastic franchise, Ilitch family.
LGW
*The four hockey divisions used to be Hanna, Barbera, Warner Bros, and King Features…wait…maybe not...
Actually, a couple of those playoff appearances the Wings arrived in a carriage that was already a pumpkin, and other times they were heavily favored but suffered the jinx of the President's Trophy. Okay, it's not really an official jinx, more like a bad omen; like your $500 escort having tissue on her face where she cut herself shaving.
Loui Eriksson enjoying the Boston Marathon
Boston, who currently totes the President's Trophy, is overwhelmingly favored to get their names etched on the Cup ( most of them for the second time ), but Vegas would just be a boring hot place with Elvis impersonators and roller coasters on rooftops if the favorite won every time.
Mike Babcock, who could win a game of Texas Hold 'em with a Three Card Monte hand, has been grooming Detroit's youngsters all season. Regardless of the overall record, the just-post-pubescent Wings have won three of four against the Bruins and they aren't exactly rookies anymore. Sure, Brendan Smith still occasionally uses his stick like he's Paul Reubens at a peep show and far-from-rookie Kyle Quincey sometimes looks like he'd be more comfortable taking Luke Glendening's old roster spot on the Toledo Walleye, but the Wings are capable of winning this damn series. At the very least, they are capable of making it enjoyable for their fans and way more of a pain in the ass than Claude Julien wants to deal with in the first round.
Whatever happens, there are no fans of major professional sports teams from any other city in North America that have had the privilege of seeing their team vie for a championship 23 years in a row. And that's worth toasting even with a red plastic Solo cup.
Thanks for a fantastic franchise, Ilitch family.
LGW
*The four hockey divisions used to be Hanna, Barbera, Warner Bros, and King Features…wait…maybe not...
Continuing the streak was more important to me than winning another cup. The last few weeks have been insane for Wings fans, but (fortunately) mostly in a good way. I said a month ago as long as they get in that's all that matters to me, if they got swept in the first round I wouldn't care as long as the streak is alive. I stand by that. But now that they're in I would LOVE nothing more than to see them knock the Bruins out. It would be talked about for years. This is going to be fun, the Wings for once have absolutely nothing to lose, every analyst is predicting a Bruins win, even our hometown writers. Couldn't be a better situation, especially for the kids. All of the pressure is on Boston. And their media is already losing their minds too, it's fucking hilarious. I just read an article on the Boston Globe titled Bruins Built For A Cup. I also read an ESPN interview with Iginla yesterday where they talked about how Chara would hand him the cup first. Hahaha!
ReplyDeleteHahahhaha. Never liked Iginla. But I don't wanna say anything to jinx it. Someone has to "name" that Datsyuk goal. It deserves a name.
DeleteProps to Abdelkader for wiping out the D on the play...Let's call it the Rahmani!!! -Fargin
ReplyDeleteHe was face down when that puck went in, no wonder neither of them celebrated.
ReplyDelete