lordstanley

Can’t lose Robertson.

I mentioned here before that I had my 9th birthday party in the lower deck in left on the Fidrych Yankees Monday Night game. The last day of school was the Friday before. Summer was starting. I was going into surgery in a week. All night I was surrounded by friends and family, some no longer with us. We expected a crowd of 20k, it was jam packed with 48k. The cheers on every out. The post-game curtain call, which was a rarity back then. From memory, almost 50 years later, I could write a 5,000 word essay on that night. Easily the most memorable day of my childhood. But ask me to write 500 words about anything I did in 2017 and I’d be stumped without checking emails or a calendar from that year. I’m so silly that whenever I watch a replay of that game I still hold out the faint hope that when the camera pans the crowd I might spot us, somehow having never noticed before. If someone offered me a chance to go back to that day for 6 hours in exchange for $100,000 I’d write a check in a heartbeat.

Chef’s hat Look at what our old bud Ned was up to tonight

Kasper, finally given good linemates, has almost doubled his season point total over the past 4 games. After 2-5-7 in his his 35 games, he is 3-3-6 in the past 4 games.

At least in Canada we don't call this a hat or a beanie or a stocking cap or some other bland term.

You’re not the only one. It’s the single worst development in my hockey viewing experience. Worse than Fox’s glowing puck. Worse than alternate jerseys. Worse than patches on jerseys. Worse than logos on the ice. If there was a choice in watching a game in color with moving ads or in b&w without moving ads, I’d choose the b&w. I mostly hate the moving ads because they’re distracting and interrupt my focus on the puck, but I also hate them because it distorts reality by showing ads geared to my own market when watching games played in an away rink. I’m not seeing the same thing people in the arena are seeing.

Bobby Wagner off the injury report, a full go for Saturday.

Impressive. Wings beat the defending Cup champs, on the road, 5-2. Florida was all over the Wings in the 3rd period 23-5 shots on goal) but Talbot stood tall

Subban wearing the Wings’ jersey designed for their outdoor game at Columbus later this season.

Bobrovsky pulled.

Kasper! Wings are surging.

Again! 3-2. PP is lethal.

Held the lead for all of 29 seconds. 2-2.

ANOTHER power play goal for the Wings. 2-1.

1-1 with 13 minutes left in 2nd. Florida was a step ahead of the Wongs throughout the 1st. Wings holding their own so far in the 2nd.

Berggren snaps Wings into 1-0 lead midway through 1st period in Florida

If we get a comp pick for losing a minority coach, can we use that draft pick on any player or would we be forced to use it to select a minority, like a white cornerback?

Cossa will always will be linked with Wallstedt. Wallstedt has played 5 NHL games only. I may have had issues with drafting a goalie #15 overall, but once they did I see a way different timeline than with forwards or even defenceman. I fully expected a 22 year old, even a highly touted one, to still be in the AHL.

An oddity tonight.

Per this week's Athletic/NYT piece ranking goalies, of the 32 NHL starting goalies only two are under 26 - Luukonen in Buffalo (25) and Wolf in Calgary (23). Cossa is 22. Not to say there aren't some 1As or backups younger than 26. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6048097/2025/01/13/nhl-goalies-2025-tiers-rankings/

I consider the Wings to be back in playoff contention, but their lousy first few months left little margin for error and the remaining schedule will not help.

The Rams taking the risk of resting their starters even though it meant facing the Vikings instead of the Commanders turned out ok.

I hope Benjamin Capp is still alive.

Funny, in a few short years Holmes and Campbell have totally wiped thoughts of Same Old Lions out of my mind. It’s almost like a different franchise. Even after losing the 24-7 halftime lead to SF, I felt that was a huge missed opportunity but never felt the loss was because the Lions were cursed or destined never to win or it’s the latest in the long line of crazy losses. It just seemed like the moment getting a bit too big for the Lions and losing to a slightly more talented team on the road. Similarly, if the Lions lose to Washington it will feel like a stand-alone fluke and horrible loss, nothing to do with history. If they lose in the NFC Championship game, it will be frustrating but not SOL. I don’t expect them to lose even while knowing they very well might. In contrast, I don’t think Red Sox or Cubs fans really put thoughts of a final crazy twist out of their mind until the final out.

Way to go, thanks a lot guys! 😉