Brendan Smithsonian Institution

119 Predictions Revisited - Part I

2011-06-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

The Institution is back!

Let me get this out of the way now and let it be known that I am not leaving the fine Gentlemen over Winging it in Motown. I will still be doing some writing over there this summer and over the course of next season. Unless they fire me for writing here instead of over there...which if that's the case...screw you Casey, Graham, and J.J. I never you liked you guys that much anyway. Then again, if they don't fire me, ignore everything I just wrote. Except Casey. Screw him either way.

So by now everyone must be wondering why I'm back posting here. Truth is, I felt like I needed to get back to my blogging roots and fulfill the world's needs of more Brendan Smith love. This blog has a rich history dating all the way back to July 9, 2010 and the legacy that is the BSI must continue to grow.

Last offseason, I presented the world with 119 predictions for the 2010-2011 season. I'll admit right now, I'm just as shocked as you that I didn't get all 119 predictions correct. Over the course of the summer, I plan to look back on my 119 predictions and reflect and wonder what the hell I was thinking when I made these. Today is the first installment of this blockbuster summer series. There is no schedule for when these time capsules of awesomeness will be released. I will post them when I feel like it throughout the summer.

Let's get down to business. Today I look back at the first 14 predictions for the 2010-11 season.

1. Jimmy Howard will not have a sophomore slump.
This one is debatable, but because this is my blog and I make the rules. His regular season numbers (2.79 GAA, .908 SV%) weren't spectacular, but his 37 wins were second in the league. Plus, his postseason was outstanding. I dare you to tell me that this team cannot win a Stanley Cup with Jimmy in net. He proved his postseason doubters this year. Jimmy, Pavel, and Nick were easily the three best players in the postseason.

2. Brendan Smith will play at least one game this season.
Sadly, this prediction did not come true. I did get a chance to see Smith play in Grand Rapids this year though (a 4-3 win over the Marlies. Smith registered an assist). I have a feeling this AHL All-Star will be making the big club sooner rather than later i.e. next season. Thanks Brian!

3. The biggest losing streak the Wings will have all season is three games.
The Wings lost 3-straight games twice this season Both times at least one of the three losses went to OT/SO. So the team never went pointless. Their longest losing streak was 4-straight games (@ANA, @SJ, @PHX, vs LA). The loss to the Ducks occurred in OT and the loss in Phoenix was in a shootout.

4. Detroit will have four all-stars this season.Nope. Just one...Captain Nick. The Perfect Human led Team Lidstrom (second best team name in all of sports behind Red Wings) to a 11-10 victory over Team Staal. Lidstrom registered an assists in the game and was a plus-7. Let me say that again...PLUS-7...in a freakin' all-star game where no one plays defense...not even the goalies. Perfect numbers from TPH.

5. Nick Lidstrom will be a Norris trophy finalist.
Nailed it. Lidstrom was 2nd in scoring among all defenseman. He was third in assists and tied for fourth in goals. Lidstrom's 62 points was the 6th highest point total in his career. I personally expect a 7th Norris trophy.

6. <----- the number of overtime losses for the Wings.
I was off by 4. The Wings had 10 overtime/shootout losses this season.

7. No playoff series involving Detroit will go seven games.
Yup. Missed this one too. I'm glad though, getting this prediction correct would mean that the Wings didn't fight back against the Sharks. I'll take being wrong here.

8. Abby will win a fight.
Abby won more than one fight...I'm pretty sure.

9. GUEST PREDICTION: Jesse Liebman from Last Call Sports and The Good Old Hockey Show - "Mike Modano will put up 35+ points."
15 points in 40 games for Modano. If he doesn't get hurt, I say he hits the 35 point mark.

10. <----- the number of games the Lions will win......just kidding! I prediction six wins.
Six wins for the Lions...crushed this prediction. Ladies and gentlemen, expect 9 wins this upcoming season (if no games are missed due to the lockout).

11. I honestly have no idea which Danny Cleary we will see this season, but I hope it's the healthy one that can put up 20 goals.
68 games? That's relatively healthy for Buckets. 26 goals? A career high. Nailed this one.

12. The Wings will win every home opener that they are involved in.
Wings lost 4-1 in the Stars' home opener. I blame Modano. Also, just retire Mike. Don't come back again. Skate off into the sunset with Willa. This offseason, I'm Nodano...more like NO-NO-NO-HELL NODANO.

13. Detroit will win the first ever game at the Consol Energy Center.
Wings lost 5-1 and Brooks Orpik can suck it.

14. Hank will continue to shut down Crosby.
He didn't have to because David Steckel took care of Sid for everyone.

So by my count, through 14 predictions, I have a mean record of 4-8-2 (Correct-Incorrect-Push). Not the best record in the world, but I'm just a slow starter. I always finish strong.

14 down. 105 to go.

Let's Go Red Wings.

This isn't goodbye, it's see you later

2011-02-23T13:59:00.000-05:00

This is a bit overdue, but the Brendan Smithsonian Institution is now temporarily closed for the season. It's been great ride writing here since July and I truly appreciate everyone who read my blog. No worries though, as you all probably know by now, I will be writing over at Winging it in Motown for the foreseeable future. In my humble opinion, WIIM is one of the premier Red Wings blogs on the internet and it's honor to be able to write for them. For those of you still hoping to get your Brendan Smith fix, don't worry, Casey interviewed him yesterday and the post is now up at the new digs. I still plan to follow his season down in Grand Rapids and will have updates at WIIM. Once again, thank you to everyone who helped me get this blog started. The playoffs are right around the corner...Cup number 12 is in our sights.

Winging it in Motown

Let's Go Red Wings.

Hey! Look what I can do!

2011-02-15T11:57:00.003-05:00

I was checking out A2Y the other day and lo and behold, Malik had posted a bunch of highlight videos from various websites. I noticed the NESN video, decided to take a look, and realized, hey! I edited those highlights and created those fonts! So yeah...check out my work above if you haven't already. I didn't do the editing for the whole video, just the actual game highlights, but I did create the score font and the name fonts for the Naoko and the player sound at the end. I also created the full page graphic at the end entitled "Swept Away." It was one hell of a enjoyable weekend watching the Wings crush the Bruins and demoralize their fan base. They might be better at baseball, basketball, and football, but we still own Beantown in hockey.

We're taking on Team Stevie on Thursday.

Brad Stuart days until H2H2 (and he may return Thursday or Friday too).

Get pumped.

UPDATE:

At the pregame meet up in Boston for Red Wings fans, I was interviewed by the Red Wings official Hockeytown Blog about my blog, all blogs, social media and more. Figured I might as well post this and share in case you haven't seen it.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Round two

2011-02-13T09:47:00.001-05:00

Photo by Stuart Cahill

THE GAME

Boston Bruins (31-17-7) @ Detroit Red Wings (33-16-6)

I'm headed into work early today to cut the highlight of this game for our nightly 10p ET show. It's going to be a nice long 10-12 hours day (Overtime! And I don't mean the Versus show). What is there to say about this rematch? The Red Wings absolutely destroyed the Bruins (...and their fanbase) on Friday night. Nothing like watching the fair weather B's fans collectively jump off the bandwagon as quick as they jumped on after the brawl-filled Montreal game last week. The die-hards are still there though and Friday was just one game. I fully expect Boston to want some revenge and they'll play much better than they showed last game. Babcock calling out the Wings means absolutely nothing if the team only shows up for one game and then reverts back their old habits. Let's hope it's just like February of 2008 when the Wings went on a 1-8-2 stretch from February 7-29. After that they finished the year 12-3-1 and went on to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Johan Franzen - Henrik Zetterberg - Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler - Pavel Datsyuk - Danny Cleary
Kris Draper - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves
Drew Miller - Justin Abdelkader - Tomas Holmstrom

Nicklas Lidstrom - Niklas Kronwall
Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski
Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)
Joey MacDonald

Injured: Valtteri Filppula (knee), Chris Osgood (groin), Brad Stuart (jaw), Mike Modano (wrist)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Tim Thomas gets the start in net in his home state. My guess is that it will take the Wings more than two shots to score two goals...or maybe not?
According to NOHS, we might be seeing some Winter Classic sweater action tonight. I'm a fan of the Wings' classic sweaters and the B's yellow classic sweaters. I love the fact that Detroit doesn't have a third jersey, but I welcome this once a season.
It's the second game of the H2H2 pledge drive. I've already pledged $26 thanks to Hudler's first goal of the season and $11 for Friday's game. Today I'm pledging a $1 for every Red Wings goal, $5 for a win, an additional $5 for a shutout, and $15 if Rig fights Chara.
Speaking of H2H2, we're Darren McCarty days from the big event.
And finally, living in a city full of homer Bawhston fans, it was great to watch them shut up and have absolutely no comeback for anything. It's always, Pats are the best this, or KG is the man that, or Red Sox will win the World Series, well, it was good to see them humbled after a pure ass kicking in their own building. My Lions might never win, the Pistons are in ownership turmoil, and the Tigers could be good or flounder again this season, but at the end of the day, the Red Wings are the model organ-i-zation in hockey and all of sports. That's one thing I've always had over Boston fans...and I'd like to keep it that way.

BRENDAN SMITH

The Griffins lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Lake Erie Monsters. Smith had two shots on the night and that was it on the score sheet. He's got 8 goals, 14 assists, and a +5 rating in 41 games played so far this season.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Welcome back, Red Wings hockey

2011-02-12T12:34:00.002-05:00

What a night.

Such an awesome feeling watching my team come into the city I live in and absolutely dominate the hell out of the Boston Bruins.

The night started at local bar near the Garden. The Red Wings hosted a pre-game party on the road and it was without a doubt a success. At least 90 people showed up throughout the evening and the top floor of the bar was filled with nothing but Red Wings' fans. Hopefully, the Wings will do this again on more road trips.

I had the chance to go to the game with work. At 6:30p ET, I knocked on the door of the Red Wings' broadcast booth and had to get Larry Murphy so we could head down to the suite where we broadcast the Bruins' pre/int/post game shows. He was doing a guest segment for us. Our producer spent some time producing the Wings' pre/post game shows in the early 2000s when the were based out of Seattle with Mickey York and Angie Arlotti. He had worked with Murph when he first started out and also worked with John Keating too.

When I got Murph, Ken Daniels was not in the room. So I unfortunately did not get a chance to meet him. There were also no hot dogs in the booth. Murphy was a lot bigger than I expected. He was extremely nice. We had to go from the 9th floor to the 5th floor. He had a huge pile of notes that his eyes were buried in. There was some small talk, yada yada yada, and all that, but ultimately, I didn't want to bother him too much while he prepared for the game. He crushed his segment for NESN and I took him back to the elevator and back up to the 9th floor. Thanks him again and that was that.

I should mention that I road in the elevator twice with Khan and once with Cam Neely.

The actual game was awesome. By now you've read recaps over at other blogs, so I won't do a straight up recap. I spent the game in the suite watching the game with our producer, Barry Pederson, and Mike Milbury. We picked out specific plays and goals to breakdown during intermission and to use for replays. It was a really cool experience. Pederson was a nice guy. Milbury didn't really talk to anyone but Pederson, Tappen (the show's host), and the producer. At one point during a Datsyuk shift and yelled over to our producer, "He's amazing!" and had awe inspiring smile on his face.

It was pretty somber in the suite once the second period hit. I heard many comments from Bruins' fans like "They're just so good at passing the puck through people and keeping control," and I heard comments like, "They never fight. This sucks." There were more comments about how good the Wings were than how much "they sucked" though. Late in the third a lot of Bruins fans hit the exits and the red took over. A few "Let's Go Red Wings" chants. Not sure if it was heard on TV or not. I received an email from a former producer from where I interned, he said, "If the B's and Wings played in a 7 game series...the Wings would win in 3." That pretty much summed up the night. I'm just glad the Wings of old showed up and dismantled the Bruins and put them back in their place. If the Wings go on a roll here and do end up winning the Cup in June. I think we can look back on this game as a turning pointing in the season. I can't wait to go into work today with my Shirtuzzi, '08 Cup hat, and maybe my Yzerman sweater.

Let's Go Red Wings

Win. This. Game.

2011-02-11T12:28:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: The Triple Deke via TPL (Check out the ugly jerseys)

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (32-16-6) @ Boston Bruins (31-16-7)

This is a big game (to me at least). It's MY team against the team that owns 20% of the company I work for and we cover on a nightly basis. This really is a MUST WIN and it is in no way going to be easy. The Wings have been flat and awful lately. You might be able to argue that they haven't been THAT bad, but guess what? It's the Red Wings and I'm a die hard Red Wings fan. I have very high expectations for this team and losing 3 out of 4 and turning in performances like they did on Wednesday is...well..."unacceptable." It doesn't help the Bruins are playing well right now either. They had their mini brawl against the Stars last week, their all out brawl with the Habs two nights ago, and have won 4 of their last 5. They're saying all the right things about these two upcoming games, saying that no matter how the Wings are playing that they're still an elite team and one of the best. There is no doubt in my mind this game is a measuring stick to them. Let's knock them down a couple notches.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Injured: Chris Osgood (groin), Brad Stuart (jaw), Mike Modano (wrist)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Former Plymouth Whaler and current Boston Bruin Tyler Seguin will once again be a healthy scratch tonight. Seguin has just flat out not played very well this season. Also, keep an eye out for Brad Marchand. He's a real, good young player. Works hard every night.
Still no Filppula tonight, but we get Holmstrom back for a second game. I would really like to see him do some damage on the power play against Timmy Thomas tonight.
You think it was tough scoring against Nashville and Columbus with our lackluster effort? Boston leads to league in goals against. Crash the net and crash it hard. Solid puck movement. Forecheck. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. It's got to be all about effort tonight in the offensive zone. Boston's D is good...but it's not unbeatable.
Tonight! It's the first game of the H2H2 pledge drive. I've already pledged $26 thanks to Hudler's first goal of the season. For the next two games against the Bruins, I'm pledging a $1 for every Red Wings goal, $5 for a win, an additional $5 for a shutout, and $15 if Rig fights Chara.
I don't hate the Bruins, but I hate them tonight and Sunday. I will be in an EXTREMELY foul mood if the Wings do not show up tonight. Pre-game meet-up with Red Wings fans in Boston from 4-7 tonight. I'll be making a brief appearance and then heading into the game with work. I'm "helping out" with pre/post/intermission production tonight and will have to watch the game from the suite where we broadcast from. I'm not sure exactly how everything will all work out, but stay tuned. Could be a fun, interesting post coming late tonight or tomorrow.

BRENDAN SMITH

Not to forget the namesake...He's ready to return after missing eight games with an injured shoulder.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Blogs Rule

2011-02-06T03:57:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, February 6, 2011, the day of Super Bowl XLV (whoopdee doooo), I have just turned 23 years old at the turn of the clock at midnight tonight (today?). I think it's time to reflect.

First off, I need to thank @JillianRM for being the greatest girlfriend ever and taking me out to dinner/to the bar at 11pm when I got off work and surprising me with all my friends (and for ordering me an H2H2 shirt as a gift. Seriously, what an f'n awesome gift).

I've been writing my here at BSI since July, but I've been lurking around all the Red Wings' blogs for the last few years. I still rarely comment, but I can assure you...I'm reading. The first Wings' blog I stumbled upon was The Triple Deke. I don't think I ever stopped laughing. Shortly after, I found my way to Snipe Snipe, Dangle Dangle. From there I ventured my way to Winging it in Motown (NOTE: If Casey, Graham (loved Hole in the Door), or J.J. are reading this, seriously, if any of you stop writing at that site or need someone to fill in or want to add another writer, let me know. I'm shamelessly throwing myself out there. I've always dreamed/really wanted to write for WIIM). And from there I found myself reading Nightmare on Helm Street and their awesome movie posters and shared hate for the Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, there was/is Babcock's Death Stare. Seriously, someone link me to a better blogger who covers the Wings' prospects and future. I dare you. Kyle owns that territory imo. I hope he comes back soon. I still can't thank him enough for his efforts in helping me get an interview with Brendan Smith. I hope he's still kicking major ass with the Griffins.

Then there is the one and only, The Production Line. What can I say? Those guys are the be all, end all when it comes to Red Wings' blogs. Whether it was their game previews, the loss candy, Shetuzzi, posts written by drunk Disch about midgets, I could go on and on. And then of course, Disch and Petrella decide to add Hollis to the mix. Their like the ~~New York Yankees~~ Detroit Red Wings of blogging teams. They have THEE greatest Red Wings blog on the entire planet...ever...in the history hockey blogs. Don't forget their Red Wing podcasts either. Name me a better Red Wings' podcast...that's right...you can't. Suck it to those who tried. It's impossible. And with all of that said, other than Andy (from Fight Night at the Joe. Awesome blog), I can't wait to actually meet Michael Petrella at H2H2. I owe him a ton for welcoming me into the Red Wings' blogosphere. When I had questions...he answered them. When I thought about starting my own blog...he encouraged me. Hell, when I had random ass questions about the real world and applying for a job after college...he was there to help me out and motivate me to go fucking get it (and thank you, I absolutely fucking love my job at NESN. I can honestly say I've never been happier...well that is until I become the producer of Detroit Red Wings games on FSD. It will happen. Just give me 5-10 years). It just goes to show you the true character of Red Wings' fans.

And to those I haven't mentioned yet, you're all included in this post. My twitter friends/followers...@mserven (I still owe you that beer at H2H2 for the hockey socks!), @inhyung, @thetinnishflash, @lolabythebay, @lizzlefoshizzle, @whoabot, @baroque97, @jennyquarx , etc, etc, etc. You guys all make every Wings' season that much more enjoyable. And there is Matt at On The Wings and George formally of MLive and now posting at A2Y (okay...okay...TPL might be the best blog, but you can't argue that Malik is the best out there. Even TPL will agree). I know there are so many others I failed to mention, but I promise. I read you all.

I know I have been AWOL, but I promise to get back to blogging on a regular basis. I've finally gotten adjusted to the new job and working late hours. And on top of it all, I'm oh so very tempted to come up with a pitch/idea for the NESN.com website to write for them. They have plenty of Bruins' coverage, but I'm thinking of trying to come up with a Western Conference view type blog for their site. They're open to employees writing for their site. If you have any ideas, please, don't hesitate to send them my way (bsiblog2@gmail.com).

Oh yeah, we've lost two in a row...shutout in both games. It's a slump. They'll be okay. I'll make sure of it on Friday when I'm at the game (with press credentials...I'll keep you posted).

Let's Go Red Wings.

Hey February...Bring It On

2011-01-30T03:33:00.001-05:00

I can't wait to see that smiling face on Wednesday

I would like to use this post to send a special thank you to the sports television industry for making me nocturnal.

It's the middle of the night and I'm wide awake. I couldn't sleep with the TV on. I couldn't sleep to the noise of drunk college kids running up and down the stairs of the apartment building. And sadly, I couldn't fall asleep with the sweet, sweet sound of Mr. Chris Hollis' voice in my ears on the latest edition of TP:60.

So what is one to do?

Well, crack open a nice Boston lager in the middle of the night and write a much needed post for my sad, oh so very sad looking, dormant blog.

I have to get something off my chest. I feel like I'm stealing money at my new job. There is no way in hell I should get paid for what I do. Is it really considered a job if you look forward to going into work everyday? I hang out with other sports fans, talk about sports, and help produce a sports show. But who cares about me. This isn't the Jeffsonian Institution. It's the Brendan Smithsonian Institution. It's a damn Red Wings blog.

These days I watch the games on DVR when I get home from work between 11:30p ET and 1a ET. The downside of working for the the network that broadcasts the Bruins is that we cover hockey and it's very hard to avoid the score of out-of-town games. So I generally know the outcomes of the games before I watch them. What can we say about this team? Since Datsyuk went down on Dec. 22 against the Canucks (I hate you Mikael Samuelsson), they went 9-5-2. Of course, I always want this team to go 16-0-0 every 16 games, but that's not possible. When you throw in the fact that the Wings also lost Cleary, Stuart, and Holmstrom for most of that stretch...and Filp, Jimmy, and Eaves at times, I'll sure as hell take 9-5-2 and 2nd place in the West at the All-Star break.

But let's not forget what we enjoyed during that 16 game stretch. We saw Darren 'Danger' Helm take his game to another level. We were all witnesses to Hank carrying this team on his back at times. Patty Eaves scored a hat trick. We saw a glimpse of what the kids (Tatar, Mursak, Emmerton) down on the farm are made of. And speaking of farms, we saw the next great WWE tag team champions, the Mac Attack (MacDonald, McCullom)...alright so maybe we didn't enjoy those few days, but at least that led to us raising some money for the children (Thanks Evgeni!).

And now it's time to turn the page on that calendar. My favorite month of the year, February, is almost upon us. In a few days some of the wounded will be back and here's what we have to look forward to:

@ Ottawa - A game this team should win.

vs Columbus - Another game this team should win. Time to put the little, little, little, little brother to bed.

@ Nashville - The biggest threat for the division? Should be a good game.

vs NY Rangers - Original 6 match-up against a team that I personally believe could be a dark horse going forward in the East.

vs Nashville - Another game against the Preds. A potential 8 point swing with two victories.

@ Boston
vs Boston - A home-and-home against the team from the city I live in? These two are MUST WINS on my list. The Wings better show up in both of these games with two 60 minute efforts. This Boston team has potential. They're going to be up for these games to prove themselves. I want...nay...I need Detroit to show up and dominate the hell out of the B's. I currently don't have tickets (they're crazy expensive) and I am scheduled to work the night of the game in Boston, but have no fear. I'll be there one way or another. I'm in the process of switching days with a co-worker to get that night off and, thankfully, I work for the network that airs the local games and is partially owned by the Bruins. I'm working on getting a credential for the game. Stay tuned. ALSO, I don't want to forget, the Red Wings are having a pregame meet-up in Boston before the game on Friday, Feb 11. If you're in the city and you're a Wings fan...be there. You don't need a ticket to the game to attend.

@ Tampa Bay - Hockeytown South. This will be a fun game.

@ Florida - Yawn. Win.

@ Minnesota - Yawn (because they're boring). Should be a win.

vs San Jose - Let's beat the Sharks and make sure they miss the playoffs...and then laugh.

vs Dallas - Top 3 teams in the West. Should be a good contest.

@ Buffalo - This team is not very good, but has been playing better lately. Should be a win.

@ Los Angeles - Not sure how this team is tied for 10th in the West. LA is always tough. (PLUS! This is the NHL trade deadline)

So enjoy Team Lidstrom destroying Team Staal ~~tomorrow~~ today (Team TPL FTW), go create your ugly third jerseys, and enjoy some Red Wings hockey. It's almost February, which means it's almost March, and April is right around the corner, and before we know it the playoffs will be here.

Let's Go Red Wings.

An update from out east

2011-01-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

It has been extremely slow here at BSI the last few weeks. In fact, this is my first post in about two weeks. I just wanted give everyone an update about what is going on with the blog and what to expect in the future.

Around the beginning of November, I applied for a job at New England Sports Network and went through a series of interviews with the company throughout the rest of the year. On December 16th, I completed my degree in broadcast journalism at Emerson College. A week and a half later on December 28th, I received a call from NESN offering me a position with the company (I happily accepted). On the 29th, I bought a car. On the 31st, I went to the Red Wings game. On the night of January 1st, I drove back out east to Boston. It was a crazy two weeks at home in Michigan.

I started at NESN on Monday and will be going through some training the rest of the month. I'm a production assistant so I will be doing a ton of editing highlights, VOs (voice-over), SOTs (sound on tape) and more. I'll also get to work on graphics and updating The Edge, which is the ticker that runs across the bottom of the screen with stories and score updates. I'll be doing a lot of my work for NESN Daily, the Bruins' pre- and post game shows, and the Red Sox pre- and post when their season arrives.

As of right now, I plan to essentially put the blog on hiatus while I adjust to the new job and being a real adult. I will try to post as often as I can, but my top priority right now needs to be my work at NESN. I'm really excited and, so far, my first two days have been great. It's going to be a stress-filled, busy, crazy-hours-of the day, awesome job. But I'm happy as hell right now. It's like fulfilling part of a life long dream...I can truly say that I get paid to watch sports.

I appreciate everyone who has read BSI since it's debut last July. This isn't a goodbye...It's just a see you next time. I'll still be around on Twitter as much as possible and will probably comment much more over at The Production Line, Winging It In Motown, etc. when I can. And last but not least, the good people over at TPL have invited me to join them for the next edition of TP:60. Hopefully we can make it the best episode yet.

Let's Go Red Wings.

It's going to be a Grand night

2010-12-22T12:35:00.000-05:00

Photo by John Kosak

THE GAME

Toronto Marlies (16-12-0-4) @ Grand Rapids Griffins (13-14-1-4)

Yup, you read that correctly. This isn't a preview of the Red Wings' game. It's a Griffins' preview. Why you might ask? Well, I'll tell you why. I'm home in Michigan and I'm making the trip to the west side of the state to see the namesake himself (and his teammates of course). The Griffins find themselves in last place of the North Division. They take on a Marlies team that is in second place in the division, but only five points ahead. The Griffs would surely like to make up some ground in the standings before Christmas.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP BASED ON LAST GAME'S LINES (thanks to Griffinscentral.com)

Tomas Tatar -- Ilari 'Larry' Filppula -- Jan Mursak

Jamie Tardif -- Jamie Johnson -- Frances Pare
Jordan Owens -- Joakim Andersson -- Chris Minard
Pare/Minard -- Brent Raedeke -- Brandon Straub

Brendan Smith -- Derek Meech
Doug Janik/Greg Amadio -- Jakub Kindl
Sergei Kolosov -- Logan Pyett

Joey McDonald
Thomas McCollum
(Who know's who is starting tonight)

In the press box: Brian Lashoff, Willie Coatzee

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Everything. I'm jacked up to go to my first Griffins' game.
Hopefully friend of TP:60 Ilari Filppula and Tomas Tatar can keep up their friendly scoring race against each other.
I have no idea at the moment which goalie is starting, but I'd personally like to see McCollum in net
This is schedule to be the last game of Jakub Kindl's conditioning stint in Grand Rapids. Enjoy it, Jakub. Sadly, he's probably headed back to the Leino Lounge when he gets to Detroit.
Francis Pare needs just one more goal to become the 14th player to score 50 during his Griffins career.

BRENDAN SMITH

Of course, I can't forget the namesake. I'm looking forward to watching him play for the first time in person. Smith's 19 points (7g, 12a) tie him for 10th among AHL rookies and 11th among defensemen. His seven goals tie for third among all blueliners (credit: Griffinshockey.com for the stats). Brendan, if you're reading this or someone you know is reading this, score a goal tonight while I'm in attendance!

MLive.com posted a video recently in their "Getting to know the Griffins" series. Their latest interview? Brendan Smith. Check it out.

Let's Go Griffins.

My night on press row...diary style

2010-12-19T01:29:00.000-05:00


My press credential

Thanks to my good friends at my internship, I was given the opportunity to have full press credentials for the Capitals vs. Bruins game. It was a great experience overall. And I decided to write a running diary of my night. Enjoy!

6:10 p.m. ET: Walked up to the TD Garden like I owned the place and said, "Jeff Hancock, WHDH Sports." Of course, I get a response saying, "you're not on the list." So I whipped out my WHDH 7Sports I.D. card and BAM! The guy writes me a credential (NOTE: my internship is now officially over, but I still have my I.D. card. I could totally take advantage of this situation).

6:15: Headed to the press room. I didn't recognize anyone. Just a bunch of old guys with gray hair wearing some sweet NHL blazers. They look important. I'd love to have one of those blazers.

6:20: Arrived at my seat on press row. Seat number N4-2. I'm sitting so high that I'm above all the banners. The Garden is beginning to fill up.

Free food

6:27: I'm consider press tonight. You know what that means? Free food. I head over to grab some popcorn and ~~soda~~ pop (That's right New England...I said pop, not soda. Deal with it). As I'm walking past the NESN broadcast booth, I run into Andy Brickley. Not literally though. No sign of Jack Edwards.

6:45: Both teams have been warming up for awhile. No signs of HBO cameras. Some players will be mic'd up though. No sign of Gary Bettman either. Although, I doubt he's here. Probably in Pittsburgh. I'm really looking forward to watching Ovechkin live. As I write this, he's taking one timers off passes from Backstrom. Ovie, Carlson, and Green are the last guys off the ice.

6:50: I decided to go to the bathroom before the game begins. There are two urinals in the bathroom. Guess who's using one of them? Jack Edwards. I literally took a leak standing next to Jack Edwards (and no, he does not laugh like a mad man while he pees). After I washed my hands, he sticks his hands under the water and looks at me and says, "GEEZE! This water is ice cold! You think they'd warm this up! It's like they ran it through a refrigerator! It's colder than what comes out of the ground!" We had a very, very brief exchange about the game after that. The man might be crazy, but he's a nice guy.

7:00: Bruins pre-game video montage with Trans-Siberian Orchestra music and crazy Jack Edwards calls. Awesome mix. Nicely done, Boston.

7:08: The puck is dropped.


My view from press row.

7:14: All B's early on. A quick Caps' turnover...Wheeler to Bergeron. Bam. It's 1-0 Bruins. After watching 24/7 on HBO, this doesn't look good early on for Washington. I can only imagine the F bombs from Boudreau and the blank stares in response from his players.

7:20: Ference shot is blocked. Comes right back to him. It's 2-0 Bruins. Timeout for the Caps. They're in trouble. Garden is loud.

7:22: Right off the faceoff, McQuaid and Bradley got a full 12 rounds. Real good fight. McQuaid wins. Garden is even louder.

7:25: Ovie with a great chance right in front. Thomas stoned him. Just announced that it was Ference's first goal in 99 games.

7:30: TV timeout...more free pop and popcorn for me.

7:34: Ovie getting huge boos every time he touches the puck. Silly Bruins' fans. They must think he's Crosby.

7:38: Wheeler scores and it's 3-0 Boston. The Caps look horrible. Can you fire a coach during a game? Ove's line was on the ice for the goal. Backstrom snapped his stick in half over his knee in frustration.

8:01: Second period is underway. More Ovie booing. Green just got smacked into the boards face first by Chara. He went down. Play was stopped. Skated off and went to the dressing room (he would return).

8:04: Seguin stoned on a breakaway. Caps go the other way and score. Bradley gets it. It's 3-1 and the Caps are showing signs of life.

8:09: Caps go on the first PP of the game. Ovie hits the post. If you ever get a chance to see him live, just watch his movement on the ice with or without the puck for an entire shift. It's fascinating.

8:28: Much better period for the Caps, but how 'bout a goal to make things interesting?

8:33: Colin's kid with a nice chance. Good save by Neuvirth. He was hurt on the play. You could almost hear is groin tearing from press row. Surprisingly he's okay.

Tons of stats given to me before the game and after each period.

8:54: Third period is a go.

9:03: Great Caps' pressure all period so far. Ovie and Backstrom two chances point blank in front of the net and Thomas stops them both. Need a goal soon to stay in this.

9:10: The Bruins' do an extremely nice job of blocking shots.

9:18: We have ourselves a ballgame! Alzner scores from the point. It's 3-2 with 5:28 to go.

9:19: Two fans literally just climbed over the glass and ran on the ice! Unreal. I've never seen that before at a hockey game. They didn't get to far though. Running on ice isn't the easiest thing to do. Refs grabbed them pretty quickly.

9:24: Headed down from press row on the 9th floor to the dressing room area on the 3rd floor. As I got off the elevator, the two clowns who jumped the glass were in handcuffs and getting in the elevator.

9:26: Met up with my photog Myron. Looks like he's right off the old crappy Islanders' sweater. He's a real life Gorton's fisherman.

9:30: (watching game on TV in press room now) Ovie somehow goes in all alone! Stoned by Thomas with 10 seconds left.

9:32: Bruins win 3-2.

9:35ish: Headed inside the B's dressing room. Collected sound from McQuaid, Bergeron, Thomas, and Wheeler. I took crappy video on my cell phone, while the photog got the quality video for the station (My crappy video is below. You probably can't even hear what the players are saying. The arm with the stripped shirt? Yeah, that's me.)

McQuaid

Bergeron

Thomas

9:54: Had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Made sure to thank him for doing an interview for my hockey show that I did for my class. He's a ridiculously nice guy.

9:57: Press conference with Claude Julian.

10:05: Grabbed the tape from Myron and literally ran back to the station. My producer needed the tape fast to get the sound edited in time for the sports hit in the 10 p.m. newscast. My cross-country background helped out here.

10:15: Sat down and went over the sound. Helping pick out the good bites for the newscast.

Afterward, I stuck around to observe the 10 and 11 o'clock sports segments from the control room and finally headed home around 11:40. A great last day at my internship and a great experience.

VOTE SMITH

2010-12-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

Red Wing fans have power.

We've brought Herm 2 Hockeytown.

We've gained attention in our Lidstrom for Hart campaign.

We've helped our friends at The Production Line in getting our curly fries back.

...And we're not done yet, Wings' fans.

It's time to vote Brendan Smith into the AHL All-Star game.

Voting for the AHL All-Star game begins tomorrow at noon. You can vote on the AHL's website or on the Official American Hockey League Fan Page on Facebook. Much like the old NHL all-star voting, fans vote for the starting line-up of the Eastern and Western Conference teams. A committee of AHL coaches will select the remaining All-Stars. All 30 AHL team will be represented.

Smith has six goals and nine assists in in 25 games. His 15 points is good for a tie of 9th overall in AHL scoring among defensemen. Smith is in 4th place in scoring among defensemen in the Western Conference. The three players ahead of him are all tied with 16 points. He's only a point away from being the top scoring defenseman in the AHL's Western Conference.

Let's do it, Red Wings' fans.

It's time to vote Brendan Smith into the starting line-up of 2011 AHL All Star game in Hershey, PA.

Let's Go Griffins.

I want it all...and I want it now

2010-12-05T12:07:00.000-05:00

I watched both these games into the wee hours of the morning on the DVR. On Friday night, I was in Providence, RI covering an AHL game between the P-Bruins and the Connecticut Whale. The Whale won 3-1. Former Griffins Kris Newbury (2 assists) and Jeremy Williams (goal) had solid nights. I had a chance to speak with Williams after the game. Nice guy. You'll be able to watch the highlights in my hockey show. I'll post the link here when it's completed. On Saturday night, I was out shooting another package for a different show....but enough with my personal life that no one here cares about...let's talk some Red Wings.

I hate the Ducks. It's always great to beat them and even better to shut them out. Jimmah was absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough about the defense either. Petrella over at TPL nailed it.

There’s a lot of talk about how poorly the defense is playing, and I respectfully disagree. This will be familiar if you read the Spaceballs pre-game, so apologies for that, but there’s a difference between playing weak defense and playing efficient defense. No one should expect to have their goaltender face fewer than twenty shots in any given game. If that happens — and it does — it’s a combination of exceptional circumstances, and probably says more about the horrid offense of the opposition than the stellar defense of your squad. Allowing 41 shots sounds like a lot, but Howard saw each and every one of them clearly, and was able to play them well. When there was a rebound or a scrum, his defense was there to mop up. I’d happily take 40 unobstructed low-percentage shots over 15 quality opportunities every night of the week.

And while we're on the topic of defense...can we talk about the pairings? Uncle Mike's decision to shuffle the pairings at the beginning of the year has been pure genius. Obviously, Lidstrom and Stuart are your top pairing, but there really isn't a 2nd or 3rd pairing. It's pair 2a and 2b. Is there a better 2nd/3rd D pair in the league than Kronwall/Salei? Or Rafalski/Ericsson? Big Rig has been better than anyone could have predicted before the season started. I don't know what it was, but something must have just clicked for him while he was out with his back injury. I love how you can make the case that each pairing has skill type defenseman and a physical type defenseman -- Nick (skill)/Stuart (physcial), Kronner (skill)/Salei (physical), and Rafalski (skill)/Ericsson (physical). These combos have just flat out worked so far. The solid play from the defense is making Jimmah look better out there and Jimmah's excellent play is, likewise, doing the same for the D. They're a solid, in-sync unit right now.

I hated the overtime goal in last night against the Kings. I keep wondering if maybe that goal doesn't happen if Franzen doesn't stuttered before beginning to back check. Maybe he gets back in time to help of the D and picks up the late man. I thought at times the Wings were running around in their own zone, not connecting with clean passes, and it just looked like the last game of a western road trip and the second game in two nights. With that said though, they still played well enough to get a win. That's what is great about this team this year. Even when they're not on top of their game they can still pull out a W.

Speaking of Ws...can this team get to 63? Last night, Ken Daniels mentioned that the Wings were 30-5-4 in their last 39 regular season games. That record now stands at 30-5-5 in their last 40. That is an insane pace. If you take the Wings record this season (17-4-3) they're on pace to go 58-14-10 for 126 points. If everyone stays relatively healthy, there is no question that the Wings have enough depth and talent on this team to make a run at it. At the end of the day though, the team will not be judged on regular season record or success, but whether they're raising Lord Stanley's Cup on the last day of the post season.

I want it all though. I want the records. I want the trophies (Lidstrom for Hart). I want the Cup.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #23: Disney and the Ducks

2010-12-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

This picture is for you, Hollis.

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (16-4-2) @ Anaheim Ducks (13-11-3)

It's only fitting that after the genuinely awesome and ridiculous conversation on the latest episode of TP:60 that the Wings are facing a team that used to be owned by Disney. The Ducks have a little streak going. They've won three straight and Bobby Ryan has six goals in his last six games. However, Detroit has also won three straight, but the Wings are only 3-8-1-1 in their last 13 games in Anaheim. What does this all mean? I have no freakin' clue...but I think we can all agree that Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf suck.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Todd Bertuzzi - Valtteri Filppula - Johan Franzen

Jiri Hudler - Justin Abdelkader - Danny Cleary

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Chris Osgood (charting face-offs)

In the press box: Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch)

Injured: Kris Draper (groin), Mike Modano (wrist)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Randy Carlyle will whine about something.
Teemu Selanne is a game time decision...I suggest he sits out. Kronwall will be playing and, last I checked, he's a "dangerous player."
Fighting. There will probably be a fight at some point tonight. Keep your gloves on, Pavel. I'd like to see Abby rip the mustache off Parros' face though.
Yesterday, I bought a carton of milk at the grocery store. Jiri Hudler's picture was on it.
I hate the Ducks.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Midterm Evaluation

2010-12-01T20:47:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't a post giving each Red Wings' player a grade for their play so far in the season...but Mikael Samuelsson gets a F because I still hate him. I don't care if he's not on this team. I don't like him. In fact, if you do a Google image search of "Mikael Samuelsson sucks" the first picture that comes up is me giving him a thumbs down at the 2008 Stanley Cup championship parade. It's not quite Sports Illustrated...but I'll take it (Also, mad props to TPL!)

This post is about the Brendan Smithsonian Institution. It's has almost been six months since I started this blog and I'm always looking for ways to make it better. I get some comments every now and then, but I'm really looking for some feedback from my readers. What do you like? What do you dislike? What can I do better? Is there anything you want to see more or less of?

I also want to use this post to let everyone know that things will probably be a little slow around here the next week or so. I have two weeks left of my college career and my work load is pretty stacked. For my final journalism class I have to produce my very own news program. I'm doing a 30 minute sports show called "New England Hockey." I've got a lot of stuff about the Boston Bruins for the show. Thanks to my internship at the sports department of a local news station here, I was able to get a lot of great footage of the Bruins' practice and locker room sound. One of my reporters is doing a package on Marc Savard's return from injury. My anchors will also have a phone interview with Kevin Paul Dupont from the Boston Globe. There will also be some AHL stores. I've had a Manchester Monarchs vs. Worcester Sharks game covered and will be going to cover the Providence Bruins vs. the Connecticut Whale this Friday. I'm hoping everything turns out awesome. I've got a lot of writing and editing to do in the coming days.

I'm going to do my best to get some game previews up, but I don't know how much time I'll have to write the post game wrap-ups and other stories. With that said, our good friends over at The Production Line, Fight Night at the Joe (Hey Andy!), and Winging it in Motown will have excellent recaps to fulfill your needs while I'm busy.

My New England Hockey show tapes on the 9th and I have to have my editing complete by the 16th. My internship is giving me full media credentials for the Bruins/Capitals game on the the 18th. I plan to do a post around that. I may do a live blog and updated as the night goes on or maybe a live chat. I'm flying home to Michigan on the 19th and plan to have some great upcoming posts while I'm home on Christmas break (Although is it a break if I've graduated? Isn't that just called unemployment?).

So leave your comments and thoughts about the BSI and don't be shy. I like constructive criticism. Don't hold back.

Let's Go Red Wings.
Lidstrom for Hart 2011.

Game #20: Blue (Jacket) Friday

2010-11-26T14:14:00.001-05:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (13-4-2) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (14-6-0)

How 'bout them BJs? They've won five straight games and are tied with the Wings atop the Central Division and the Western Conference. The Wings have not played their best hockey in the last week or so and the 5-1 thrashing from Atlanta on Wednesday was the culmination of some bad play. Hopefully the team isn't too full on turkey from Draper's house to play a good game of hockey tonight (especially Hudler).

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Jiri Hudler - Valtteri Filppula - Johan Franzen

Todd Bertuzzi - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Justin Abdelkader - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Drew Miller (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Hudler is back in the line-up. Happy needs to show up tonight....
...actually the entire team needs to show up tonight. That Atlanta game was garbage. Hopefully the Wings got a wake up call and are jacked up and ready to go against red hot team trying to challenge for the division. Put the BJs where they belong (the bottom of the division).
Jimmah is 5-0-1 with a 1.31 goals against average in six starts against Columbus.
The PK has dropped to 16th in the league. Unacceptable.
The Blue Jackets will be wearing their brand new third jerseys tonight. Try not to confuse them with every other team in the league that wears a jersey with the same exact colors and essentially the same circle logo design.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #19: Our little half brother

2010-11-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (13-3-2) @ Atlanta Thrashers (9-9-3)

The Wings head to Atlanta for their only game of the season against the Thrashers. We'll see a few familiar faces down in the ATL. Thanks to Chicago's cap mismanagement last year they banished many of their players to the Thrashawks. The Chicago cast-offs have played well. Andrew Ladd is now the team's captain and Dustin ~~Bufflin~~ Byfuglien is a full time defenseman and is only one point behind Lidstrom in defensemen scoring. Hopefully the Wings show up earlier in the tonight's game than they did against the Flames. It's Detroit's first game against the Leastern Conference. Go out and take care of business.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Justin Abdelkader - Valtteri Filppula - Johan Franzen

Todd Bertuzzi - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Jiri Hudler (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Danny Cleary will play tonight. He left last game early with an undisclosed injury, but it turned out to be a precautionary measure. This is good news. Cleary finally got healthy this season and his high level of play showed that. It would be a shame to see him get hurt again.
Hudler is a healthy scratch. Happy hasn't been playing so well. He had a few good games when the pressure was on, but it seems like since he scored that fluke goal from behind the net he has only been decent out there. As long as his spot in the Leino Lounge doesn't become permanent, I'm okay with this. He has to be held accountable due to the team's embarrassment of riches in the line-up. Miller and Eaves deserve the chance. They've played very well when they've been in. Look for a very good PK tonight.
Absolutely love that Abby is playing with Filp and Mule. The Gator gets a chance to move up and play on a scoring line thanks to Miller and Eaves playing. When he's been asked to take a more offensive type roll, he's succeeded. I don't see why that would change. He'll score a goal tonight.
Will Hank, Pav, Nick, and Raf all continue their high level of play? Raf was the NHL's third star of the week and the Euro Twins and TPH seem to keep on rolling. Lidstrom for Hart 2011.

THANKSGIVING

I've left my tiny apartment in Boston and I am currently in Bethlehem, PA spending Thanksgiving with my girlfriend's family. The good news? I'm going to eat very well the rest of this week. The bad news? No Center Ice and I'll probably be busy doing family stuff and won't get to watch the games (so there probably won't be a game recap tomorrow or Saturday). I hope all my readers, fellow bloggers, and Wings fans all over the world have a great Thanksgiving (even you Andy).

Let's Go Red Wings.

Don't call it a comeback! Red Wings 5, Flames 4 (OT)

2010-11-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Yahoo! I didn't see much of the game because I was at my internship from 4-11pm, but I was able to catch parts of the game on the Yahoo! stream during commercials and halftime of logging the Patriots' game. And man, was I glad I didn't miss this one.

The only early goal I saw was the Franzen goal. What a nice pass from Rafalski. It's great to have him back and contributing on the offensive end. The Mule only scores at home it seems so not surprised he cashed in last night.
At halftime of the Pats/Colts when I tuned in it was 3-1 Flames. I was rather disgusted. I had no idea how they scored but no one scored the the rest of the way in the second while I was watching.
After the Pats game ended and I finished transcribing Peyton Manning's post game press conference, I tuned into the game just after Datsyuk scored and the teams were taking the center ice face off.
What was up with the Tanguay goal? Rafalski just got tangled up and tripped over himself and Tanguay was free to go directly to the net. A very strange sequence. I thought that was the dagger.
I was wrong though. Hank made his way into the slot and actually score on his back handed shot. I was a little surprised. It seems like he takes the backhand shot all the time and it always misses the net or is saved. I'll take it though.
I bet I wasn't the only one that thought it was over when Rafalski lost the puck at the line with around 15 seconds left. But when time is running out just get the puck on the stick of Datsyuk. He dangled his way through about three Flames and created a two-on-one with Hank and, well, Hank was not going to miss that wide open of a net. Nice pass by Pav. Nice play all around. You can never count this team out.
Nick Lidstrom...what can you say? He really can do no wrong. Even when you thought maybe he should have shot that puck and he made it a little harder on himself to score...it didn't matter. He scored anyway. Pretty goal to cap off the great comeback.

BRENDAN SMITH

The Griffins have lost three straight games and Smith was held off the score sheet in every game. Actually...pretty much all of the Griffs were held of the score sheet. They lost 3-0 to the Lake Erie Monsters, 5-0 to the Houston Aeros, and then 3-1 to the Monsters again on Saturday. Smith is still tied for third in team scoring with 12 points (5G, 7A) in 18 games.

Highlights of the Griffins weekend games:

Let's Go Red Wings.
Let's Go Griffins.

First win of the year: Emerson 11, RISD 4

2010-11-21T01:04:00.000-05:00

That Wings' loss on Friday night annoyed me and I was in no mood to write a recap. Writing one now would be a little dated, so instead I'm going to present you with a recap my hockey game tonight.

I have no idea what the Rhode Island School of Design's record was before the game, but we were 0-2 entering the contest with two pretty lopsided losses to Berklee School of Music (13-0 and 11-2). We've never lost to RISD...ever. So we were pretty confident we'd get our first W of the season and, well, as you can see by the 11-4 score, we did.

The first period actually started out pretty slow. RISD ended up scoring the first goal of the game in the first few minutes. Our goalie Alfonso "Fonzie" Carrion made a sick save when I think the score was either 1-1 or 2-1. It was a two-on-one and the RISD forward passed to his teammate who shot the puck. Fonzie dove to his right and stopped the shot with his stick. We ended the period on a high note though with a lead of 3-1.

We scored a few more goals in the second period and ended up leading after two by a score of 6-2. At one point during the period one of the RISD defensemen was skating behind their net to start the breakout. I was on the forecheck and laid a nice solid, hard check on the defenseman...who turned out to be a girl. Oops. Now, a lot of teams we play are co-ed and we are not really supposed to check the girls. In my defense, I have to make it known that her ponytail was tucked into her shoulder pads and it looked like she had short hair. Oh, and she totally looked like a dude. I was all jacked up after my shift when I got back to the bench and everyone was looking at me like, 'Dude, you just hit a girl." My bad...my bad.

Now the third period? That was a lot of fun. All game I played right wing on the second line. My line-mates had been lighting up the score sheet all night. My center Scott had 3 goals and 3 assists. My left winger Ian had a goal and 3 assists. I don't have the best hands in the business by any means, so since the first period Scott and Ian kept telling me to crash the net and they'll get me the puck. Over the course of the game they set me up with three b-e-a-utiful opportunities right in front of the net...I'm talking a surefire goal...and I whiffed on the first two and the goalie made a nice save on the third. But finally in the third period I cashed in.

My defenseman passed me the puck on the wing in our own zone for the breakout. The RISD d-man pinched in and I hit Ian with the pass and we off on a two-on-one. He lost the puck just over the blue line but was able to regain control for a shot, the goalie made the save and the puck bounced perfectly to my stick and tapped it home into the empty net. It was our 10th goal of the game.

But wait! There's more! My very next shift Scott ripped a shot from the slot. As usual, I just crashed the net, found the rebound, the goalie stopped my first attempt, but I got a second whack and didn't miss this time. It was our 11th and final goal of the game. After the goal, the ref came up to me as we skated back to the bench and laughed as he told me, and I quote, "that was the ugliest goal I've ever seen." I responded with, "that's the only way I know how." And trust me, it was UGLY. It was a Tomas Holmstrom like garbage goal....just the way I like it.

Game #17: Election season isn't over yet. The Perfect Campaign has just begun

2010-11-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

THE GAME

Minnesota Wild (9-6-2) @ Detroit Red Wings (12-3-1)

Four down and two to go on the home stand. The line juggling will continue tonight. Babcock shuffled things up in the third period against the Blues and the new lines produced four goals in a span of 3:14. Those lines from the third will stick together to start the game tonight (with the exception of Eaves for Miller).

Yesterday I wrote about how that fact that Lidstrom has never been nominated for the Hart during his career is an absolute joke. Well apparently some of my fellow Wings' fans agree and the Lidstrom for Hart 2011 campaign is officially underway. Puck Daddy has taken notice. Chris from NOHS and The Chief over at A2Y are on board....are you?

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Johan Franzen

Todd Bertuzzi - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary
Justin Abdelkader - Valtteri Filppula - Jiri Hudler

Tomas Holmstrom - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Drew Miller (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Danny Cleary has 8 goals in 6 games. The man is possessed.
Pav, Hank, and Mule...that's a video game line right there. I expect nothing less than three goals from that line tonight.
The power play must get better.
Big Rig has play above and beyond my expectations since his return from injury. Take notice. He might actually being growing up into a real defenseman before our very own eyes.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Depth is a beautiful thing

2010-11-18T17:19:00.000-05:00

Last night's game was something, eh?

It really made me think about this season. The Wings have had a tremendous start to the year. They're now 12-3-1 for 26 points. That's good for first place in the the Central Division and the Western Conference. And the Wings have done it in less games than any other team in the top nine of the league standings. It's a great record and start to the season, but it's not the games they've won that I've been impressed with...it's how they've done it.

This team is clicking from top to bottom. In net, Jimmy Howard has come out of the gates playing well. He was questioned going into the season on whether he could sustain his level of play from the previous year. There is zero doubt that he has answered his critics. The sophomore slump has been non-existent. Has he been perfect every game? Of course not. No goalie is. But he's kept the Wings in every game and made some big saves along the way. He's a top ten goaltender in this league and I dare someone to argue otherwise.

And what about the Wings' stars? No slow starts here. Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nicklas Lidstrom all decided to show up right away. Datsyuk and Zetterberg lead the team with 18 points each and Lidstrom is not far behind with 17. The Perfect Human is off to his best start in the points column since the 97-98 season (and we all know how that year ended). I don't care if he's 40-years-old either. The fact that Lidstrom has never won a Hart trophy, let alone be nominated for one, is a joke. He's been the best, most consistent player the last 15 years. Lidstrom for Hart 2011.

You can't win a Stanley Cup without depth. Look at the Wings from 2008 or the Blackhawks from last season. Those teams had the deepest rosters in hockey. This summer Chicago had to jettison half their team because of the salary cap and now they're struggling. Having the ability to roll four lines is the biggest weapon the Red Wings have in their arsenal. Detroit's leading goal scorer is Danny Cleary. He's been on the third line all season. Todd Bertuzzi has moved around from the second to third line and he's been one of the best players for the Red Wings. He leads the team in plus/minus with a +13. Even Petrella thinks he's playing well and that's saying something.

You could ever make the case that Detroit doesn't even have a third line, they have two second lines. That being said, with the way Babcock has been juggling the lines, if he ever split up Datsyuk and Zetterberg, you could argue that the Wings have two or three first lines. Depth is a beautiful thing. As we said on this week's edition of TP:60, the Wings currently have an embarrassment of riches. I would much rather sit here every day and debate whether Babcock should sit Miller or Eaves or give Modano a day off or what to do when Draper returns, than watch Brad May, Kris Newbury, and Jason Williams play on the fourth line.

Don't forget the defense either. The new pairings have been great so far. Brad Stuart has looked rock solid next to Lidstrom. The addition of Salei and his pairing with Kronwall has clicked. The Team America version of Rafalski we are seeing paired with Ericsson is the best second or third defensive pairing in the league. How about Big Rig? He has played very well since coming back from back spasms. If he keeps it up, this could be the best defensive in the league one through seven.

And then we have moments like we saw in last night's game. Miller shoots the puck on net, Halak makes the save and tries to harmlessly slap the puck into the corner out of mid-air, but instead he knocks the puck into his own net. The Wings are catching some breaks this year. Health, depth, and talent are only 3/4ths of the Stanley Cup equation. A team needs to catch a few breaks a long the way. They need good luck on their side. Last year it seemed like all the breaks went against the Wings. Whether it was the Brad May intent to blow the whistle no goal or the controversial Dallas shoot out goal. Those calls always seemed to go against Detroit. This year, we've now seen Danny Cleary knock the puck into the net...along with his entire body and the goal stood. Throw in Halak's mishap and the Wings seem to have karma on their side in 2010/2011.

Don't forget the confidence either. How many times did the Wings blow a one or two goal lead last year? This season, when the Wings get a lead late in a game you get the feeling that they're going to lock it down and win. Even when they're down a goal entering the third or down two goals early, you just get the feeling they're still in the game. Hell, last night they were outplayed by the Blues for the majority of the game and they found a way to absolutely turn it on late in the game and win. As Kenny Holland says, you usually get a good idea of where your team is going to finish by American Thanksgiving. We're almost there and I'd say this Red Wings team has the makings of another special season.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #16: three down...three to go.

2010-11-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

THE GAME

St. Louis Blues (9-4-3) @ Detroit Red Wings (11-3-1)

Ahh, the St. Louis Blues. What a start they had this season. A 9-1-2 record over their first 12 games. That's pretty impressive. Halak was a monster. Their defense was playing well. The young offensive talent was showing up on a nightly basis. And then....well...they ran into the juggernaut that is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Personally, I blame myself for the Blues recent skid. A week ago St. Louis was the HD game on Center Ice. I figured I would finally sit down and watch one of their games and see what all the fuss was about. Instead of seeing a legit Blues team, they were destroyed 8-1 by Nash & Co. They followed that masterpiece up with three more losses to Nashville, Phoenix, and Colorado. They're currently riding a four game losing streak into Detroit. The Red Wings, meanwhile, have won their last three...six of their last seven...and nine of their last 11. If this was last year, I'd be much more worried about this game. It seemed like teams that were struggling always found their cure against Detroit. Not this season though. This is a confident team that has yet to truly play down to the competition. They've gone out an taken care of business when they've needed to. I expect the same tonight. The Blues are struggling. Kick them while they're down now and let's make sure they don't get back up.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Jiri Hudler

Todd Bertuzzi - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Justin Abdelkader - Darren Helm - Drew Miller

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Patrick Eaves (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Wings are halfway done with sweeping their six-game home stand. I foolishly (or brilliantly?) predicted on TP:60 - Episode #5 (Now available on iTunes!) that the Red Wings will win all six home games. Don't let me down, boys.
Uncle Mike wants to see an improvement on the power play. So do I. 14th is unacceptable. Call me a cocky, egotistical, homer of a fan, but you're the Detroit Red Wings, dammit. All I ever remember growing up as a fan is that a power play meant an automatic goal. The Wings used to be lethal. Shanny or Hull in the slot for the one timer. Everyone and their mother knew it was coming, but they could never stop it. I wouldn't mind seeing Mule/Hank/Pav together on the first unit and Homer/Filp/Hudler on the 2nd. If that doesn't work, throw in a little Bert or Cleary.
Jimmah is a top ten goalie in this league and he's going to continue to prove it every single game.

Jiri Hudler...you crazy S.O.B. You've finally gone and scored your first goal of the season. I'm absolutely thrilled (and somewhat annoyed because now I need to come up with a new bullet point every game preview). Now let's back that goal up with some more. I want some curly fries.

BRENDAN SMITH

The Griffins split a weekend series in Hamilton against the Bulldogs. On Saturday, Grand Rapids fell 2-1 and on Sunday, the Griffins won by the same score, 2-1. Smith was held off the score sheet on Saturday, but was a +2 and had an assist on the game winning goal. Grand Rapids is currently tied for third in the North Division with 19 points. They're five points out of first place and have four games in hand on the division leading Abbotsford Heat. The Griffins are in Cleveland to take on the Lake Erie Monsters tonight at 7PM. Also, I'm going to attend my first Griffins' game on either 12/22 against Toronto or 12/26 against Lake Erie. Brendan, if you're reading this, I'm expecting a goal on the night I attend.

Here are the highlights from the Griffs' 2-1 win on Sunday. Smith's assist comes at the 1:47.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Is Jimmah one of the best young goalies in the NHL?

2010-11-16T22:59:00.001-05:00

James Murphy doesn't think so.

Murphy, who writes for ESPNBoston.com and a few other hockey publications, has produced a list of his top ten goalies 30 years-old or younger to build franchise around for Le Hockey Magazine.

Now, I don't speak French nor could I find his article online, but Murphy tweeted his top ten list.

1. Price, 2. Rask, 3. Halak, 4. Bernier, 5. Schneider, 6. Quick, 7. Ward, 8. Fleury, 9. Lundqvist, 10. Miller.

Does Jimmah belong on this list? I think so. At the very least you can make an argument for him to be on the list. I understand seeing names like Ward (Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner), Miller (Captain America), Fleury (Cup winner), and Lundqvist (solid numbers the past five seasons), but what about the rest?

Halak, Price, and Quick have somewhat similar numbers when it comes to goals against average and save percentage. All three are younger and have more experience in the NHL. Schneider and Bernier have less experience and appear to be on this list based on their potential. Rask has about the same experience as Jimmah and very similar numbers (Murphy is a Boston guy too...hmmmm...interesting).

As a Wings fan, I say hell yes Jimmah should be on this list. He's done just as much as a guy like Rask. Should we penalize him because he's three years older? It's not his fault he didn't have the opportunity to play at a young age because he was in the Detroit's system. He has just as much potential as anyone on that list.

Living away from Michigan and going to school with New York, New Jersey, San Jose, and Boston fans, in every and any hockey debate or discussion, I always hear the rebuttal of "yeah well he plays for Detroit." Which, by the way, is really annoying. Last season, Jimmah carried the Wings through some tough stretches. The Wings might not have made the playoffs without him. And Rask? Well, Boston was the second best defensive team last year based on goals against (Detroit was seventh). So if anything, Rask had a better defensive team in front of him.

If I try to look at this objectively, I guess I can understand why he isn't in the top ten. The players his age have more impressive resumes. Many of the younger guys have more experience. The young guys that have less experience may have greater upside? Maybe Jimmah is #11?

What do you think?

TP:60 FTW!

2010-11-16T13:56:00.001-05:00

I had the honor to be a guest on TP:60 last night. For those not familiar with TP:60, it's the awesome podcast that the guys over at The Production Line produce on a weekly basis. I have no doubt that it's THEE best Red Wings' podcast you will find. I'd like to thank Hollis, Disch, and Petrella for having me on as a guest. I hope I didn't embarrass myself too much. They've set the bar pretty high over there.

Click here to head to their site to take a listen. The podcast is also available on iTunes. And of course, if you like the TP:60 music, check out more of Brandon Langer's music on iTunes.

Here is TPL's preview of Episode #5 aka Bangin' it off Budaj:

Two more games and two more wins for the Red Wings, and the TP:60 crew couldn’t be more excited. Petrella and Disch are both back in the saddle this week and join Hollis in welcoming Ellen from Big Red Machine and Jeff Hancock from Brendan Smithsonian Institution to the show. The gang tackles all things Dan Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi and Jiri Hudler, as well as sharing insight into how the Wings should handle the “odd-man out” situation on a nightly basis. The group also shares their thoughts on the Colin Campbell controversy, how Kris Draper fits into the Wings’ plans moving forward and what snacks are a must when it’s date night at the movie theater (as it was for Disch last night.) Of course, it can’t be an episode of TP:60 without having Ellen and Jeff address the Willa/Duff debate that’s been going on the entire season, and the answers don’t disappoint.

Just like Robert Tychkowski, it’s goin’ down on TP:60.

As always, send your questions, comments and feedback to contact@theproductionline.us. Looking to subscribe to the show? iTunes has you covered.

Game #15: Seth, I don't know why we're friends

2010-11-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

THE GAME

Colorado Avalanche (7-6-1) @ Detroit Red Wings (8-3-1)

Detroit takes on the ~~Boston University Terriers~~ Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are playing their second game in two nights. Last time these two teams played the Avs were also playing their second game in two nights...and they came in and won in Detroit 5-4 via the shootout. This time around I expect a different outcome.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Jiri Hudler

Todd Bertuzzi - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Justin Abdelkader - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Drew Miller (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The lines remain the same with the exception of Eaves for Miller. I expect to see some new line combinations if the Wings get off to a slow start.
I hate the Avs. I hope the Wings crush them to a bloody pulp.

Jiri Hudler. Scuttles is never going to score a goal. I'm losing faith. Prove me wrong. Do it, Happy. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it.

THOUGHTS FROM THE ENEMY

My good friend Seth was born and raised in Michigan...but he's an Avs fan. I know it makes no sense. I've given him crap for it since the day I met him. Nowadays, he goes to med school in Chicago and, even though a die-hard Dive fan, he enjoys the Blackhawks and likes them to. Someone remind me why him and I are friends?

Nonetheless, here are his thoughts: "Budaj was able to best the Wings the first time, but I feel like the Wings are too hot right now. The Avs are too injury depleted for a repeat. Wings 4-2."

EMERSON CROSS COUNTRY

Today was the NCAA DIII New England Regional meet. It's was last cross country race ever. Of course, I'll run more 5k races and marathons over the course of my life, but this is my last race as part of a team. I personally didn't run well, but the team did overall. We finished 33rd out of 49 teams. We knew going into the race we would be between 30-40th place. It was a good day. We beat our arch rival Norwich by 42 points (they placed 35th). It's been a good 11 years of cross-country running.

Let's Go Red Wings.

New Lines? No Problem: Wings 6, Oilers 2

2010-11-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

SUH

"I'm expecting the Wings to give Edmonton a good, old fashioned ass-kicking tonight. Somewhere along the lines of 8-2 works for me. It just seems right considering the line-juggling, the few days rest, and a successful road trip last week."

Totally nailed this game in my preview. What? I was two goals short? So what. The Red Wings had this game in their hands from start to finish. There may have been some time in the 3rd period where Detroit coasted, but the game was never in doubt.

Three lines...three goals in the first period. I'd say the new lines are working out pretty well. Happy didn't get a goal, but his pass from Gretzky's Office to Filp was a thing of beauty. Pretty sure Filp knocked that sucker out of mid-air before it touched the ice. Homer added goal number two on a nice play by the Flying Circus (the only line still together). Cleary wrapped up the period with goal three off a nice pass from Bertuzzi. Three goals from three different lines.
Hudler still didn't score, but I thought he played a solid game. He obviously plays better when he's on a more offensive driven line with Filp and Mule than when he plays with Helm/Eaves/Miller in a 4th line grinding type role.
Abby played on the 4th line. He's versatile. He can play on a line with more skilled guys like Modano and Cleary or he can play a grinder role with the 4th liners. I'd really like to see what he can do offensively if given more time with the skill guys, but it's just so hard to move someone else down. Not everyone on this team can move up and down the line-up like Abby can. The future is big and bright for him though. He'll get his shot and he better run with it.
I honestly completely forget about Kris Draper. Babcock is already having to make tough choices of who to sit on a nightly basis...can't imagine it will get much easier when Drapes returns.
I second Petrella's comments on Eberle...and yes, 6-2 does count as a whomping.
The defensive pairings continue to work. I was worried about Rafalski/Ericsson, but I think they've played well together and they're growing on me. I've been completely sold on Stuart/Lidstrom and Kronner/Salei is a nice mix of offensive and defensive minded defensemen.
Someone please comment and tell me if I'm right or wrong...but I swear Jimmah started this game with his Doc Ock mask and switched to his new car mask.
Danny Cleary is a on a four game goal streak. Lidstrom and Datsyuk extended their point streaks to 10 games. The Wings' top nine forwards all had at least a point.
The Avs come to town tomorrow night. Who does Babcock sit?

Game #14: Let's throw some line combinations at the wall and see what sticks i.e. Oilers vs. Red Wings

2010-11-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

THE GAME

Edmonton Oilers (4-7-2) @ Detroit Red Wings (8-3-1)

These guys again? As TP:60 - Episode Amazon pointed out, it seems like we only play the Oilers, Coyotes, and Flames these days. Can't really complain though -- and karma will probably slap me in the face for this -- but the Wings need to get as many points as we can early on and playing Edmonton is a pretty easy way of getting those points. On Tuesday, the mighty Oil Kids from Edmonton were lambasted 7-1 by the Carolina Hurricanes. Taylor Hall was benched in the third period. If I had any money, I'd bet that Hall will have a fire tonight to avenge his benching. Too bad he'll probably be playing against the greatest defenseman of all-time, Nick Lidstrom. And while I'm probably already on the bad side of karma -- in for a penny, in for a pound, right? -- I might as well say that I'm expecting the Wings to give Edmonton a good, old fashioned ass-kicking tonight. Somewhere along the lines of 8-2 works for me. It just seems right considering the line-juggling, the few days rest, and a successful road trip last week. Plus, maybe some of the Oilers' players won't even make it to the rink tonight, eh? I hear the forecast in Detroit is muggy with a chance of murder (NOTE: if you read the article in the previous link...also read this too. Hollis is right.).

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Jiri Hudler

Todd Bertuzzi - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Justin Abdelkader - Darren Helm - Drew Miller

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Patrick Eaves (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

I really hope that Babcock gets 12 pieces of paper, writes down each of the forwards' names, and puts them all in Ozzie's helmet (not like he needs it tonight anyway). Seriously, I love this line juggling fetish he's got going on right now. Give me Abby/Hank/Pavel. I want Franzen/Modano/Filppula. Maybe a little Hank/Hudler/Homer. Triple H style. They could The Cerebral Assassin Line and pedigree Khabibulin into next week.
Mikael Samuelsson sucks. Everyone who said they would trade Hudler for him...FRIENDSHIP OVER! Just kidding...but seriously. I despise Mikael Samuelsson

Jiri Hudler. People want to trade you. You really need to find the back of the net. Tonight is the night! I can feel it. It's going to happen. Do it, Happy. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it.

BRENDAN SMITH

Grand Rapids had a matinee game yesterday. Thomas McCollum registered his first career shutout, but the Griffins lost 1-0 in a shootout. In the shootout, the Griffs were down 2-1 and Smith was their last shooter. Unfortunately, he clanked his shot off the left post to end the game. A disappointing result, no doubt, but the fact that Smith -- a defenseman -- is out there in the shootout speaks volumes of his ability and how much the coaching staff trusts and believes in him.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

I took some time last night to watch some non-Red Wings hockey. Center Ice was showing the Blues/Blue Jackets game in HD and, since I live in Boston, I had the Bruins/Pens game in HD on NESN as well. I wanted to see what this St. Louis team was all about. Turns out I picked a dud of a game to watch. It was already 2-0 when I turned the game on and I tuned in just as Halak made a ridiculous save on a two-on-one. Sadly for the Blues, their defense imploded after the save and Rick Nash was left wide open in the slot for an easy one-timer goal. Long story short: Welcome back to Earth, St. Louis. The Blues will probably be solid the rest of the year, but I'm not expecting them to go 9-1-2 every 12 games. Halak is only seeing 26 shots a game and Oshie is now out with a broke ankle. As far as the Bs/Pens game? In the words of Nelson Muntz: HAHA! Pittsbrugh was up 4-2 after two periods of play and the Bruins just took it to them in the third and won 7-4. I like this Bs team. They're fun to watch (...on mute without hearing Jack Edwards' voice). Horton has been a great addition to this team and Lucic has been playing extremely well to start the year. Krejci is the glue of this team though. He needs to come back soon from his concussion. Long term he is a big piece of their puzzle. I wouldn't mind a Boston vs. Detroit match-up sometime in June (yeah...I said it).

Let's Go Red Wings.

A win is a win is win: Red Wings 3, Coyotes 2 (OT)

2010-11-09T17:26:00.002-05:00

Apologies for posting this late and that it's so short. Due to my last cross-country practice ever this morning, my internship all day today, and WEBN sports tonight, I only had a few minutes to write , but I wanted to make sure I at least posted something.

Those darn pesky Coyotes. Should we have expected anything less than an overtime game? Phoenix always plays the Wings tough. Detroit has now won seven of their last nine games. Sounds good to me. Let's put this one in the win column, shoot some bullet points, and enjoy the next five games at home.

Rafalski made an impact early in his return. His shot appeared to be wide on purpose and Cleary was in the right spot at the right time. Have to imagine that is a play the team practices.
I really liked the fact that Babcock juggled the line last night. It liked seeing Frazen with Modano and Abby. I liked Cleary with Hank and Pavel. Can't say I loved Homer with Helm and Eaves. I was luke warm on Hudler, Bert, and Filp. The possibilities are endless (well not endless, but there are a lot. Someone should do the math for me).
I noticed Salei a lot more on the offensive end tonight.
There was some rumors floating around here in Boston that the B's and Coyotes were talking about a trade. Keith Yandle's name came up (probably just because he's from the Boston area). I don't know why Phoenix would trade him. He's a guy that I wouldn't mind seeing in a Red Wings uniform one day.
Jimmah.
Hudler...seriously...I've always liked you as a Red Wing, but this whole not scoring a goal thing is really getting to me. I know you were gone and have to readjust to the NHL game and rink size, but seriously, just bury one already, would you?
Stuart and Lidstrom together...I like this pairing.
Ed Jovanoski -- can't stand him.
Hank and Pavel were both a minus-1.

Game #13: He's baaaaaaaaaaaaack

2010-11-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

THE GAME

Phoenix Coyotes (4-5-4) @ Detroit Red Wings (8-3-1)

The Wings return home after a solid west coast road trip. Four out of six points isn't bad, but it's one day off to travel and a quick turn around with a home game on national TV against those pesky Coyotes. The Wings lost 4-2 last time these two met (Osgood was in net). The big news of the day though is the return of Brian Rafalski. Raf has been out for the last four weeks. It will be good to have another puck moving veteran defenseman in the line-up.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi

Justin Abdelkader - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Jiri Hudler - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Ruslan Salei

Johnathon Ericsson - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Drew Miller (healthy scratch), Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Rafalski is back and the defensive pairings have been shuffled. I'll be honest, a returning Rafalski with Big Rig is not what I had in mind. I like the way Ericsson has been playing along side Lidstrom and I expected to see Raf pairing with Salei or Stuart. Of course, In Babcock We Trust. I'm sure the pairings will be shuffled during the game if the combinations aren't working.
Can the third line (Abby/Modano/Cleary) keep up their great play?
Where is the Lumberjack Line? I wish we could have all four lines clicking at once. As soon as the third line clicked and started rolling, the second line stopped producing. Mule and Bert need to get back on track.

Jimmy's streak of consecutive starts without a regulation loss as ended. It's time to start a new streak.

Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal)
Shane Doan is out tonight. Sadly, no Doan Face.

BRENDAN SMITH

It was a quiet weekend for Smith, but a decent weekend for the Griffins. On Saturday, Grand Rapids defeated the Chicago Wolves 4-2. Smith was held off the score sheet and finished the night minus-1. He also stayed out of the penalty box. On Sunday, the Griffs travels to Cleveland to take on the Lake Erie Monsters. Grand Rapids won 4-3 in a shootout. Smith was a minus-2 on the night with two shots and not penalty minutes. He also did not score in his shootout attempt. In the three games this weekend, Smith had a goal, assist, no penalty minutes, and was a minus-3. Not too bad of a weekend. The Griffins are now 7-3-0-2 and second in the North Division. They host the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday.

EMERSON HOCKEY

Well, the Boylston Cup was ugly...but fun. We lost 12-2. Considering that last time we played Berklee we lost 13-0, I would say that's an improvement. I started the game on defense, but by the end of the game I was playing wing on the top line. The third period was where the game got fun. We were down like 9-0 and on my first shift on the top line we scored our team's first goal of the season. I had an assist on the play. My next shift, some clown wearing 93 was hit by our defensemen. He landed on top of our D man and started punching him. So naturally, I jumped in and took out 93. He got two solid punches to my head and I got a nice punch and elbow to his gut. We were both tossed from the game. At the end of the day, we lost, but hey, I was a goal away from a Gordie Howe hat trick. I'm going to be staying at forward and I'm the lead story in sports for the school paper next week. We take on Suffolk next Saturday. From what I've been told, they're beatable.

Let's Go Red Wings.

The Boylston Cup

2010-11-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

The Cup is on the line tonight.

Emerson College takes Berklee College of Music for the coveted Boylston Cup. Boylston is a street in Boston that both of our campuses are located on...hence the name.

I'll be playing defense on the third pair tonight and may see a little action at third line center. We'll see. The game is being broadcast over the internet by Nick Coit and Bryan Drozda. They're going to try to set up video, but if they can't the game will definitely have a radio feed. You can watch/listen by clicking here or enjoy the game right here at BSI.

Game #12

2010-11-06T16:54:00.001-04:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (8-2-1) @ Vancouver Canucks (7-3-2)

I hate Mikael Samuelsson.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi

Justin Abdelkader - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Jiri Hudler/Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Johnathon Ericsson

Niklas Kronwall - Brad Stuart

Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Drew Miller/Jiri Hudler (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On STIR: Brian Rafalski (knee)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Mikael Samuelsson will miss the net high and wide multiple times.
Can the third line (Abby/Modano/Cleary) keep up their great play?
According to the Freep, it might be Miller Time tonight. Babs might put Miller back on the fourth line. Which would mean Hudler would be healthy scratch again....or will Uncle Mike go another direction?

Back-to-back starts for Jimmy Howard tonight. First time this season for him. He is going for his 23nd consecutive regular season game without a regulation loss. Jimmah!

Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal)

BRENDAN SMITH

The Griffins lost to the Moose last night 6-5. The game winning goal came when Thomas McCollum stopped a Manitoba shot and the rebound deflected of Brenda Smith and into the back of the net. Tough break for the team. Overall though, Smith played a solid game. He finished the night even with a goal and an assist. His goal came in the 3rd period and tied the game 5-5. It was his third straight game with a goal. Smith is now second in team scoring (5G, 6A) with 11 points in 10 games. The Griffins host the Chicago Wolves tonight at 7PM.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Put it on the board! Red Wings 3, Oilers 1

2010-11-06T16:33:00.000-04:00

It's Abby's world and we are just living in it.

Another solid road win in western Canada.
Another solid effort from top to bottom.
Another kick ass performance from the third line.

Let's get to the bullet points...

James Jimmah Tiberius Howard III. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages, the Detroit Red Wings have themselves a goaltender. Now you must be thinking, 'Jeff, we know Jimmy is goodm' But loyal readers of BSI, enjoy what we are seeing from Jimmah right now. He is continuing to blossom into an elite NHL goalie. If his play continues, we need the TPL store to start printing some Jimmah for ~~President~~ ~~Heisman~~ ~~Vezina~~ Hart t-shirts.
The third line is clicking. Modano looks like he's 34 out there. Cleary is back to his not trying to be too fancy and skilled and just grinding and mucking it up in the corners and going to the net self. Abby has been shot out of a cannon and is showing no signs of slowing down. I hope 2010-11 is known as The Evolution of Abby: the story of a young Michigander (Michiganian? Michiganite?) who began in Muskegon, went on to East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and finally Detroit, started as a 4th line grinder, and evolved into a solid, tough, physical young scorer in the NHL.
The four minute power play in the first period was damn good...except they didn't score. I loved the chances. I loved the puck movement. Now just put the puck in the back of the net.
Nikoali Hasekbulin made a unreal save on Hank.
Clean hit on Pavel...but I was glad to see Big Rig step up and defend his teammate.
Franzen in the fourth line with Helm and Eaves for a few shifts. Not sure if this was just because the lines got juggled because of PKs or PPs, or Babcock wanted Hudler to play with more offensively skilled guys, or the Mule was demoted for poor play. Regardless, it was interesting to see. Every now and then I like to see guys like Helm and Eaves play with more skilled guys. I'm curious what they could do. Hustle (Helm/Eaves) + Skill (Franzen/Datsyuk) = Goals?

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #11

2010-11-05T16:20:00.000-04:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (7-2-1) @ Edmonton Oilers (3-5-2)

I'm excited for this game. The Wings played arguably their best game of the season on Wednesday against Calgary and now they head to Edmonton to play a young Oiler team. I'm looking forward to watching the likes of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. Mike Babcock has come out and said that Jiri Hudler WILL play tonight. Johan Franzen who missed practice this week due to a hip flexor WILL also play. So who sits? I agree with the idea that Mike Modano should take the night off. First night of a back-to-back. Give the old man some rest and have him fresh for a tough Canucks team on Saturday. If Modano plays, we could see someone from the fourth line -- Drew Miller or Patrick Eaves -- take a seat.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi (Hudler worked in)

Justin Abdelkader - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Johnathon Ericsson

Niklas Kronwall - Brad Stuart

Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: ____?____ (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On STIR: Brian Rafalski (knee)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

I didn't notice Jonathon Ericsson last game...and that's a good thing. His pairing with Nick Lidstrom worked in Calgary and the two will be paired up again tonight.

Jimmy Howard is going for his 22nd consecutive regular season game without a regulation loss. Jimmah!
Danny Cleary was the best player on the ice last game. Abby was a monster too. Their line with Modano led the charge. If Mo doesn't sit, their line is key to the overall success of this team. Being able to roll four lines that are clicking on all cylinders will go a long way during the course of the season.
I love me a good PK. The Wings (90.2) are 3rd in the league in PK percentage behind only Boston (91.4) and Tampa Bay (90.4). With that said, as good as the penalty kill is, the power play needs to step it up. Detroit is 15th in the NHL in PP percentage. 8 for 50 (16%) is not going to cut it.

Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal).

BRENDAN SMITH

The Griffins take on the Manitoba Moose tonight in Grand Rapids. The puck drops at 7PM.

EMERSON HOCKEY

You know? I've always hated music. My team, the Emerson College Lions, takes on our arch rival, the Berklee College of Music Cats, tomorrow night. The Boylston Cup is on the line. It's our biggest game of the year. I may be playing defense...or I'll be at forward...but most likely defense? I'm like the better division III college club hockey version of Derek Meech. I'll either be on the third defensive pair, the third line center, or a first or second line winger. There will be a radio play-by-play of the game broadcast over the internet. I'll post a link for everyone in case you have nothing to do on on a Saturday night but listen to a college club hockey on the internet.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #10

2010-11-03T15:50:00.001-04:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (6-2-1) @ Calgary Flames (6-5-0)

BAM! There's a hockey game on tonight and I get to watch it. It's game one of a three game western road trip for Detroit. Two weeks ago the Wings defeated the Flames 4-2 at The Joe. Tonight they battle in the Saddledome. Jimmah and E are back. Abby is still in. A win would give Detroit two straight and put them on top of the ridiculously competitive Central Division (depending on how Nashville and Chicago do tonight).

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi

Justin Abdelkader - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Johnathon Ericsson

Niklas Kronwall - Brad Stuart

Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Jiri Hudler (healthy scratch) and Chris Osgood (groin)

On STIR: Brian Rafalski (knee)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Big Rig is back...and I'm not worried about his play. He's paired with TPH and I'm confident he'll play well tonight.

I wasn't able to watch the last game, but from what I've been told Abby was a beast out there. Can he bring the fire again in his second game?
Will Johan Franzen register a point in his 21st consecutive game (going back to last season and including the playoffs)?

~~Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal)~~

BRENDAN SMITH

'Big Game' Brendan had a big weekend and people are starting to take notice.

H2H2 Pledges

It's that time of year again...time to support the children. Make sure to head over to The Production Line and check out the pledge section. Once again, Wings fans will be doing their part to raise money for Children's Hospital. Don't forget to check out some of the pledges that have already been submitted.

Let's Go Red Wings.

People are starting to take notice

2010-11-03T15:11:00.000-04:00

(Photo credit: Mark Newman)

Red Wings fans know about Smith (especially if you read this blog) and, thanks to NHL.com, hockey fans from around the league are beginning to get familiar with 'Big Game' Brendan.

The League posted an article today on their website about Smith's path to Grand Rapids, his hot start in the AHL, and the improvements he still needs to make to eventually crack the Red Wings' roster.

It's a good read. Check it out.

Wings prospect Smith making adjustment to AHL
Wednesday, 11.03.2010 / 10:27 AM / AHL Update
By A.J. Atchue - Special to NHL.com

Grand Rapids Griffins rookie defenseman Brendan Smith has figured for a while that he wanted to pursue a professional sports career.

For a time, though, the specific sport wasn't entirely clear.

The middle of three boys, Smith grew up in suburban Toronto, and he and his brothers split time pretty evenly between lacrosse and hockey. In fact, older brother Rory wound up sticking with lacrosse all the way through and currently is suiting up for the National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Storm.

CONTINUE READING...

Let's Go Griffins.

A big weekend for 'Big Game' Brendan

2010-11-02T15:57:00.001-04:00

2GP, 2G, 1A, 3pts, +2, 4PIM (and 1 shootout goal)

Not a bad stat line for Smitty.

He currently has 9 points in 9 games this season. If Smith can stay on a point per game pace all season it would be quite the rookie campaign.

Here is the call of Smith's goal from last Friday's shootout loss to Oklahoma City and here is the link to the call of Smith's power play goal from Saturday's win against Manitoba.

Video highlights of both games.

Let's Go Griffins.

Game #9

2010-10-29T23:02:00.000-04:00

THE GAME

Nashville Predators (5-1-3) @ Detroit Red Wings (5-2-1)

I didn't get to watch all of the last Wings' game. The only part I really saw was when Pavel Datsyuk undressed a Coyote defenseman and Twitter was full of comments such as this, this, and this too. I'm just going to pretend that that was the only shift of the game. Detroit is currently 5-2-1 and in LAST place in the Central Division. However, a win against the Preds and the Wings are tied for first. So there is no need to panic, but man, the Central is stacked.

I won't be watching this game live. I have my conference championship meet for cross-country (we're expected to place third), then a post season Halloween costume party at my Canadian friend's apartment. He doesn't have Centre Ice, so I'll watch the game Sunday morning (And for anyone who does have Center Ice, I pray to the Hockey Gods that we get the Detroit feed. I can't stand the constant SMASHVILLE! references).

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi

Jiri Hudler - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary - Justin Abdelkader (someone on this line won't play)

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Doug Janik

Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Chris Osgood (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Jonathon Ericsson (back spasms) and Jimmy Howard (back spams)

On STIR: Brian Rafalski (knee)

On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Mike Babcock expects Jimmah to play on Wednesday. Until then, we must watch and hope that Ozzie can stop a shot in the first period.

Since Abby is playing, someone has to sit. Someone from the 4th line could be a scratch, but Abby was working with the 3rd line in practice. I would expect Modano or Hudler to sit. Jiri could find a comfy seat in the Leino Lounge.
Will Johan Franzen register a point in his 20th consecutive game (going back to last season and including the playoffs)?

~~Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal).~~ This may or may not apply.

BRENDAN SMITH

I know that when I spoke with Smith he said his nickname was Smitty, but I think he's making a push to be called "Big Game" Brendan. I know the box score will show a Griffins shoot out loss, but Smith did his part in the team's effort to get the win. The Griffins found themselves down 4-3 and with 1:07 remaining in the game, Smith found the back of the net. No one scored in overtime and the teams went to a shootout. Grand Rapids was down 2-1 in the shootout when Smith scored on his attempt to make it 2-2. The Griffs, however, would end up losing the shoot out 3-2. On top of Smith's game tying goal, he added an assist in the 2nd period on an Ilari Filppula goal and finished the night as a plus+1. He had one shot and one penalty (two minutes for holding in the 2nd period). Smith is still tied for second in team scoring with 8 points (3G, 5A).

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

Uncle Leon still has no thoughts because he left the other day to go hunting with my cousin (and his son) Robbie. They're probably sitting in the woods somewhere near my Oma's little house up north. If he did have thoughts on the game, I imagine it would got something like this: "What an awful last game. Ozzie was bad. He is key to a victory. Expect a close game with Nashville. Franzen and Lidstrom score and the Wings win 2-1."

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #8

2010-10-28T16:32:00.000-04:00

THE GAME

Phoenix Coyotes (2-3-3) @ Detroit Red Wings (5-1-1)

Phoenix again? I'm so over Phoenix. I looked up their record for this post and was surprised they only have two wins. Can we get a regulation win tonight? No shootouts, please. I have have hockey practice at 11pm, so I'll be DVRing the game tonight and avoiding all contact with the world. No Twitter. No Facebook. No texts from hockey friends. Don't spoil the game from me. When I come home a sweaty and smelly mess on the last Green Line T train of the night at around 1:30am...I will finally sit down for the first time today and watch the Wings. It's been too long. Enough of this Sat/Thu nonsense. Let's play some hockey.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom

Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi

Jiri Hudler - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary

Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart

Niklas Kronwall - Doug Janik

Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Chris Osgood (starting)

Joey MacDonald

In the press box: Justin Abdelkader (healthy scratch), Jonathon Ericsson (back spasms), and Jimmy Howard (back spams...damnit Rig. I blame you and your contagious injury. All in favor of keeping Kindl in the 6th spot forever raise your hand and say 'Aye'...unless they want to call up Smith, of course)

On STIR: Brian Rafalski (knee)
On LTIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Jimmah is going for his 21st consecutive regular season home game start without a regulation loss (Say that 10 times fast. I dare you.) Just kidding...umm....Ozzie is starting now. Here's to a solid effort from Chris tonight in net (raises glass).

Kronwall's dangerous play. Watch out.
Will Johan Franzen register a point in his 19th consecutive game (going back to last season and including the playoffs)?

Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal). I'm not kidding either. If you don't score your line will probably be broken up. If your line is broken up then the 2nd line will possibly be broken up. If anything happens to the Lumberjack Line, I will not be happy. Don't screw this up, Scuttles.

BRENDAN SMITH

He's doing well. I know this for a fact. Why you say? Because I talked to him...literally. Check it out .

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

Uncle Leon has no thoughts because he left this morning to go hunting with my cousin Robbie. They're probably sitting in the woods somewhere near my Oma's little house up north. If he did have thoughts on the game, I imagine it would got something like this: "Grinding and winding is what it will be this Thirsday when our beloved Wings take on the 'Yotes. Modano will be fired up. His line will contribute two goals. Add that to one each from the top two lines and you have a 4-1 victory for the good guys. Franzen and Holmstrom are the other goal getters."

Let's Go Red Wings.

My interview with Brendan Smith

2010-10-27T12:07:00.002-04:00

I had the awesome opportunity to speak with Brendan Smith this morning. First and foremost, I need to give a big shout out and thank you to Kyle from Babcock's Death Stare and the Grand Rapids Griffins. Kyle was a big help in the entire process and the fact that the Grffins gave a blogger a chance to interview one of their players just speaks volumes of their organ-i-zation. There's always talk about how classy the Red Wings are, and well, that class oozes throughout the franchise all the way to their minor league affiliates. And of course, I need to thank Brendan too. He took the time out of his busy schedule to speak with me. He was extremely kind on the phone and seemed like a class act. So if you're reading this Brendan, thank you very much.

To all my loyal followers of the Brendan Smithsonian Institution, I know I've teased a big announcement the last few days, so without further ado, here is my interview with the name sake of this very blog, Brendan Smith!

Let's Go Red Wings.
Let's Go Griffins.

TOMORROW!

2010-10-26T16:54:00.000-04:00

That GIANT MIND-BLOWING announcement?

It's coming tomorrow.

Until then...wait in anticipation...I promise....you WON'T want to miss this.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Update on Nylander/Smith and Cheli's down on the farm

2010-10-26T15:11:00.000-04:00

It was reported yesterday that Michael Nylander of the Rochester Americans received a broken neck on a legal check from behind by Brendan Smith. News has just come out that it was not Smith who checked Nylander, but Derek Meech.

Best wishes to former Griffin Michael Nylander as he recovers from a fractured vertebrae sustained during Grand Rapids’ 4-1 win at Rochester last Saturday. During the second period, Nylander fell awkwardly into the corner boards following a legal check by Derek Meech (not Brendan Smith, as he has been misidentified by media outlets from sea to shining sea). He skated off on his own power while play continued but, obviously, did not return to the game.

No one ever wants to see anyone get hurt and I have to imagine that Derek Meech feels terrible about the situation. The good news is that Nylander's surgery was successful and he's expected to make a full recovery.

And now to some more Griffin news...

The recently retired Chris Chelios spent some down on the farm in Grand Rapids working with the young Griffins. I don't know about you, but I can't think of too many other defenseman that I would want training the future blue liners of the Red Wings than Cheli. Make sure to check out the video below. Brendan Smith talks about working with Chelios at the 1:43 mark.

And last but not least, stay tuned to BSI for more news regarding the big announcement. It won't come today, but I hope that by this evening I will have some more information to pass along. Trust me. This news is BIG. You won't want to miss it.

Let's Go Griffins.

Big announcement coming...

2010-10-25T20:08:00.000-04:00

There's a big announcement coming soon here at the Brendan Smithsonian Institution.

Prepare for some mind-blowing news.

Stay tuned.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Mr. Smith goes to Grand Rapids...and then Rochester...and then Toronto

2010-10-25T16:02:00.001-04:00

Busy weekend for Brendan Smith and Grand Rapids. The Griffins played three games in three nights in three different cities. I briefly recapped the Friday night's game in the Wings/Ducks preview. Milwaukee came to Grand Rapids and beat the Griffins 3-2. Smith had a rough night and ended the game a minus-1 with four penalty minutes, which included a trip to the sin bin with just under three minutes left and the Griffins down one.

On Saturday, the Griffins left Grand Rapids to travel to Rochester, NY to take on the Americans. Similar to the night before, Smith finished the night with no points and a minus-1 rating. He also had four penalty minutes. He had two minutes for tripping midway through the 1st and two minutes for holding early in the 3rd. The good news was that the Griffins won 4-1.

However, the big story from this game is that Smith may have ended the career of Michael Nylander. Smith hit Nylander from behind. The check was described as legal according to The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Nylander was injured when he was checked along the right-wing boards by Griffins' defenseman Brendan Smith.

With Nylander in control of the puck, Smith delivered a solid hit from behind and Nylander fell into the boards at a somewhat awkward angle. The hit appeared to be legal and no penalty was assessed.

You never want to see anyone get hurt on the ice and I'm sure Smith had no intentions of hurting anyone. Nylander will be undergoing neck surgery and his career is in jeopardy. Hopefully, he will make a full recovery and will play again.

On Sunday, the Griffins left Rochester and headed north to Toronto to play the Marlies. The Griffs won the game 6-3. Smith stayed out of the penalty box and was even on the ice. He posted two assists in the game. The first came on an Ilari Filppula goal to put Grand Rapids up 2-0 in the 1st. His second assist came on a Jan Mursak power play goal in the 2nd.

Smith is tied with Francis Pare for second in scoring with 6 points (2G, 4A). He's only one point behind Filppula and Mursak, who have 7 each.

And finally, just over a week ago, some of you may recall that Smith dropped the gloves in his first fight. Well we finally have video! Big thanks to @Joe55167 for sending me the link on Twitter.

Let's Go Griffins.

Game #7

2010-10-23T14:33:00.001-04:00

THE GAME

Anaheim Ducks (3-4-1) @ Detroit Red Wings (4-1-1)

The Red Wings are coming off a nice 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames. The last time Detroit played the Ducks was on opening night. It was arguably the Wings best performance of the season. Anaheim went into Philly on Thursday and beat Leino and the Flyers 4-3.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary
Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart
Niklas Kronwall - Doug Janik
Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)
Chris Osgood

In the press box: Brian Rafalski (knee), Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jonathon Ericsson (back spasms)

On IR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Todd Bertuzzi hurt his foot during the last game. He'll take warm-ups and is a game time decision. If he can't play, Justin Abdelkader will see his first action of the season.

Watch continuing evolution of Jimmy Howard tonight. If he was going to have a sophomore slump this season...well...it hasn't happened yet. He look like a true #1 NHL goaltender out there.
Pavel Datsyuk vs. Corey Perry II?
Will Johan Franzen register a point in his 18th consecutive game (going back to last season and including the playoffs)?

Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal)

BRENDAN SMITH

Tough night for Smith last night. The Griffins fell to the Milwaukee Admirals 3-2. Smith had two penalties in the game. The first game early in the 3rd when he got two minutes for high-sticking. The second penalty, two minutes for interference, came with 17:09 left in the game. It was a horrible time to take a penalty as the Griffins were down 1 and trying to tie the score late in the game. He ended the night with no points, three shots on goal, and was a minus-1.

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

"Wings take a close one 3-2. Franzen and Z are goal getters...along with Hudler."

Let's Go Red Wings.

Hockeytown Loggers

2010-10-22T13:06:00.001-04:00

The Lumberjack Line (and Brendan Smith)

Valtteri Filppula: 2G, 3A, 5 points
Johan Franzen: 4G, 1A, 5 points
Todd Bertuzzi: 2G, 6A, 8 points

Best line in hockey so far? The Lumberjack Line was back in action last night and picked up right where they left off. The Mule, the Sasquatch, and the flashy Finn racked up four points against the Flames (2G, 2A). In his first game back from his concussion, Franzen banked the puck off Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff's head for, according to Kenny Daniels, his 17th straight game with a point dating back to last year's playoffs. Bertuzzi scored a on a two-on-one that saw him roof the puck nicely top shelf. These three have found a great chemistry together so far. Fippula continues to improve to the next level, Franzen works his way into traffic like no other, and Bertuzzi is using his size to create space for his line mates. All together their logging the load for the Red Wings.

Other notes from last night's 4-2 win over Calgary:

Jimmy freakn' Howard. One word: Legit.
The Flying Circus played arguably their best game of the season. Hank notched his first goal, Datsyuk dangled as usual.
Nice to see Lidstrom find the back of the net. Homer wasn't right on top of the crease but his presence in the slot and partial screen impacted Kiprusoff on the goal. Stick tap to #96.
C'mon Huds score a goal.
I love the fourth line. Not sure what Babs will do when Abby is 100% and ready to go.
Once again a note from Kenny Daniels, not noticing Janik is a good thing. Also, Murph...it's JAN-IK...not JAHN-IK.
Orange hat guy's seat has been turned from red to orange for the rest of the season. Just another reason why the Red Wings' organ-i-zation is the classiest in all of sports. Not only do they respect and take care of their players and employees like no other, but their fans as well.
Speaking of class, last night was Breast Cancer Awareness night at the Joe. Make sure to check out Tom Leyden's story from Channel 7.

Game #6

2010-10-21T15:08:00.000-04:00

I betcha this guy scores a goal tonight.

THE GAME

Calgary Flames (3-2-0) @ Detroit Red Wings (3-1-1)

What's that? The Red Wings are playing hockey? Thank goodness. Four days off seemed like an eternity. Last time we saw the our winged heroes they won in OT at their home away from home, Phoenix. Tonight they return to the Joe to extinguish the red hot Calgary Flames, who are on a two game winning streak.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg - Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen - Valterri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler - Mike Modano - Danny Cleary
Drew Miller - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart
Niklas Kronwall - Doug Janik
Jakub Kindl - Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)
Chris Osgood

In the press box: Brian Rafalski (knee), Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jonathon Ericsson (back spasms)

On IR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The "Lumberjack Line" is back!

The Flames have won their last three games at the Joe. Will this trend continue?

Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal)

BRENDAN SMITH

Off until tomorrow when the Griffins host the Milwaukee Admirals, but he spoke about the team's "moose hunting" trip and his fight against Ben Maxwell (Smith appears at the 2:53 mark of the video).

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

"Grinding and winding is what it will be this Thursday when our beloved Wings take on the fastidious Flames. Howie gets the start, victory goes to the home team -- Wings win 3-1."

EMERSON HOCKEY UPDATE
I was going to write an entire post about Emerson's first hockey game buuuuuuut we lost 13-0 (Yes, that is NOT a typo). We have a lot of kids on the team who have never played hockey before or used to play roller hockey and this is their first time playing on ice. Long story short...we've got some work to do. Oh, and I've officially been moved to forward and have been promoted to the second line. I'm going to do my best to score as many Todd Bertuzzi spin-o-rama goals as I possibly can.

Let's Go Red Wings.

What is Brendan Smith's ceiling?

2010-10-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

There is no doubt that Brendan Smith has garnered a lot of attention the last few years (Heck, I named my blog after him). From the moment the Red Wings drafted him 27th overall in the 2007 NHL draft, he was labeled the future of the blue line. He wasn’t expected to be an immediate success. At the time of the draft, he was a member of the St. Michael’s Buzzers in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League and planning to attend the University of Wisconsin and compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. The Wings were more than happy to allow him to spend three-to-four years in college, maturing as both a person and a player.

As a Badger, Smith hit a bump or two on the maturity road, but his game on the ice excelled and improved every season. He went from 12 points in 22 games as a freshman to 23 points in 31 games as a sophomore. in his junior (and final) season at Wisconsin, Smith had 15 goals and 37 assists. An outstanding 52 points in 42 games. He was named one of the top ten finalists for the Hobey Baker award and tied a NCAA record with five assists in 8-1 win over RIT in Frozen Four semifinal in Detroit. After losing to Boston College in the Frozen Four championship game, Smith decides it was time for the next challenge. He left school and year early, signed an entry level contract with the Red Wings, and took his talents to Grand Rapids. And so far, he leads the team with four points (2G, 2A) in four games.

Smith has an excellent college resume and he's exploded onto the AHL scene, but the question remains, what kind of NHL player can Smith be?

If you look at the defensemen the Red Wings have selected in the first round over the past 20 years, his ceiling is MUCH higher than the picks from the early-to-mid 1990s. Anders Eriksson ('93, #22), Yan Golubovsky ('94, #23), Maxim Kuznetzov ('95, #26), and Jesse Wallin ('96, #26). Those four players combined to play 371 games and registered 55 points. Smith has the natural offensive skill set to register 55 points by himself in a single season. I don't expect him to put up that many points in his rookie season in the NHL, but certainly by season three the expectations are there.

Next up is Jiri Fischer ('98 #25). Fischer only played six season in the NHL and, sadly, his career was cut short when he collapsed on the bench in the middle of a game after going into cardiac arrest. Fischer played 305 games and scored 60 points. His point total may not be high, but he had developed into a very solid player in his own zone. Fischer could have been a mainstay on the Wings' blue line even to this day. Smith will no doubt be better offensively than Fischer was, but his physical game might not match-up. Fischer (6'5") has three inches on Smith (6'2") and weighs a good 35-40lbs more.

Niklas Kronwall ('00, #29) was the next Red Wings defensemen to be draft in the first round. Kronwall has spent parts of seven seasons with Detroit and played in 313 games. He has 146 career points. In each of first three full seasons, Kronner improved his point total each season from 22 to 35 to 51 points. Last year, Kronwall missed half the season due to a knee injury. He played 48 games and registered 22 points. Had he been healthy and played 75-82 games, he would have ended up near the 50 point range again. I can see Smith's career following a similar time line. If Smith can reach 50 points by year three, he can become one of the elite defensemen in the league in the offensive zone. If Smith reaches 50-plus points in his second season, he could be thrown into the discussion of young defensemen like Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith.

The Red Wings only drafted one defenseman in the first round between Kronwall and Smith. It was none other than Jakub Kindl ('05, #19). Of course, Kindl is currently four games into his rookie campaign, so his resume is currently incomplete.

Since Nicklas Lidstrom is the greatest defenseman in the history of hockey, I don't think it's fair to compare Smith to him. But if I had to predict where Smith will be in 5-to-10 years, I can comfortably say that he'll fall somewhere in between Kronwall and Lidstrom. He has the offensive talent to put up 50 points a season in the NHL. If he tightens his defensive game up, the kid has Norris candidate potential (then again, Mike Green was nominated for the Norris and he doesn't know what defense is).

Bottom line: the sky is the limit for Brendan Smith and he can be a top pairing defenseman in Detroit for a long, long time.

Smith leading the way in Grand Rapids

2010-10-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

I have yet to find video of the fight...but it's a fact that Brendan Smith won it (griffinshockey).

If you're not on the Brendan Smith bandwagon...it's time to jump on.

On Saturday night the Giffins had their second game in back-to-back days against the Manitoba Moose. They won the first game 1-0. Game two was another victory, this time by a score of 3-2.

And who was the hero of game two?

None other than Brendan 'Big Game' Smith.

The young defenseman scored the game winning goal 12:43 into the third period. Not only did he have the game winner, but he dropped the gloves and registered his first career fight in the second period.

Smith finish the game with 1 goal, 2 shots, 5 penalty minutes, and was a minus-1. He continues to lead the Griffins in scoring (4 points) and goals (2).

Video highlights (Smith's goal comes at the 1:27 mark)

Radio call of Smith's goal

Grand Rapids' next game is at home against the Milwaukee Admirals this Friday.

Let's Go Griffins.

Post Game Post-its: Wings 2, PHX 1 (OT)

2010-10-17T13:42:00.000-04:00

(Paul Connors / AP)

First Period

Both teams played hard - Looked to me like a solid game both ways early on. The Coyotes were out shooting the Wings quite a bit in the first, but the game felt even. I'm not surprised the Coyotes were playing us tough. There was probably some lingering revenge factor left over from the playoffs last year, plus, it was their home opener and they were excited to play well for their 10 fans.
Jimmy - Is there any doubt that Jimmy Howard is a legit NHL goaltender? He just looked so solid out there. He really has come a long way. I was really impressed with his play.
PP still horrible - Goodness was the PP bad in the first period. I never understood with all the talent on this team how it could be so hard to score with the man advantage. The Wings set up nicely in the Phoenix zone, but there was too much passing on the perimeter and not enough shots. When the team did shoot, they usually missed the net.
Late goal...brutal - Killer goal to end the period. Not good.

Second Period

Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Eaves? I'll take it - I mentioned in the preview that I wanted to see Datsyuk play with Helm and Eaves, well Eaves and Zetterberg will have to do. Those three had a good shift together. A great forecheck led to Datsyuk's third goal of the season.
Need more shoot - The Wings were badly out shot in the first period. They dominated the second though and even up the shot total. I'm curious though what Detroit's shot totals would be if they counted all the shots that missed the net. I might keep track of that one game. I always feel like we miss the net a ton.

Third Period

Did I mention the PP sucks? - A four minute power play and you only get two shots?! Another power play with five minutes left in the game and you fail to capitalize? At this point in the game you just knew we were headed to overtime and and probably a shootout (which we'd probably lose). Can someone get Brett Hull or Brendan Shanahan out of retirement, sign them to the league minimum, and only play them on the power play. Their only job is to line-up in the slot for a one timer. Those two were always money.
Bertuzzi - Call me crazy, but Bertuzzi played a real solid game. At times I thought he was the best player on the ice. He was good on the forecheck, the backcheck, and in front of the net. He had some nice passes and played a physical game. No spin-o-ramas either. I hope he keeps it up.

Overtime

Shut up Jovo - Seriously, shut up. You tripped him and you know it.
About time! - Look at that! Kronwall got a shot from the point on net during a power play and he scored! Man, 1 for 8 is awful, but the Wings got the all important two points. Nashville lost in OT, so the Wings are tied for first in the Central with seven points.

Brendan Smith

He gets his own post coming up tomorrow. A big night for the young defenseman.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #5

2010-10-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

Return of the Doan Face

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (2-1-1) @ Phoenix Coyotes (1-1-0)

I didn't get to watch the last game and it sounds like a good thing I missed it. I was busy getting a nice whooping of my own (See Emerson Hockey update below). Apparently Ozzie played awful. Datsyuk was minus-3 and Hank was a minus-2. On top of it all, it sounded like the defense was the worst it's ever been. Phoenix has been off since last weekend when they face the Bruins twice in Prague. I watched both games. Boston was horrible in the first, which Phoenix won 5-2. The Coyotes looked decent in the second game. The biggest thing I took away from those games is that Ilya Bryzgalov is still playing at a high level.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom
Drew Miller-Valterri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler-Mike Modano-Danny Cleary
Patrick Eaves-Darren Helm-Does anyone have Kirk Maltby's number?

Nicklas Lidstrom-Brad Stuart
Niklas Kronwall-Doug Janik
Jakub Kindl-Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard (starting)
Chris Osgood

In the press box: Brian Rafalski (knee), Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jonathon Ericsson (back spasms)

On STIR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The "Lumberjack Line" is missing an important part. Babcock needs to officially sit Franzen out the first five games of every season so he can't get hurt. Miller will be filling in for him. He's no Mule, but maybe he can be a Foal?

The Wings are only dressing 17 skaters (plus two goalies) tonight. Someone is going to be rotating in on the 4th line with Helmer and Eaves. I'd like to see a Datsyuk-Helm-Eavers line at least once or twice.

Detroit is 11th is Goals Per Game, 11th is Goals Against, 13th in PP%, and 10th in PK%. All of these need to improve.
Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it.

BRENDAN SMITH

Brendan Smith and the Griffins won their second game of the season last night 1-0 against the Manitoba Moose. Smith was held of the score sheet and was even for the game. He did however record his first penalty of the season. Smith got two minutes for hooking at 19:39 of the third period.

GANNON'S THOUGHTS

"Could be a tough game with Bryzgalov in net and they definitely can't turn the puck over like they did in Dallas. Wings win 2-1."

EMERSON HOCKEY UPDATE

We got rocked in our scrimmage. Looked like the Wings defense out there. We only had an hour of ice time so we played to 25 minute halves. We were down 2-1 at halftime...and lost 8-2. Pretty brutal. Playing my first game in 6.5 years was a rude awakening. I was a minus-2 and nailed my impersonation of Doug Janik. Let's hope that tonight's game goes better. Puck drops against Berklee at 9PM.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #4

2010-10-14T15:06:00.004-04:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (2-0-1) @ Dallas Stars (2-0-0)

The story of this game is without question Mike Modano's return to Dallas. He was the face of the Stars' franchise and apparently is a pretty good looking guy who sold hockey in Texas. Expect to see Modano receiving cheers before the game if he's introduced to the crowd, but during the game I expect to hear some boos...especially when he scores both his goals tonight (Crazy prediction alert!). For the Red Wings, they can look amazing out there on offense with some of their passing, but I would like to see the defense tighten up a bit more tonight. Janik is still playing too (Are the Wings' doctors sure he wasn't concussed in the beat down he received last game? No? Are you positive? Can we call Brendan Smith? Please?).

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen-Valterri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler-Mike Modano-Danny Cleary
Drew Miller-Darren Helm-Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom-Brad Stuart
Niklas Kronwall-Doug Janik
Jakub Kindl-Ruslan Salei

Chris Osgood (starting)
Jimmy Howard

In the press box: Brian Rafalski (knee), Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jonathon Ericsson (back spasms)

On IR: Kris Draper (groin)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Can the "Lumberjack Line" continue to roll? (I'm leaving this in the W2W4 category until the line is held scoreless in a game)

Ozzie is back in net again. Two solid goaltenders will go a very long way for this team.

The Janik/Kronwall pairing needs to be better.
Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it. (This is staying here too until Scuttles scores a goal)

BRENDAN SMITH

Smith and the Griffins continue their season tomorrow night with two games in two nights in Manitoba against the Moose. Smith is currently leading the Griffins in scoring (1G, 2A in 2GP). Although, if Janik attempts another fight tonight, Smith might not make it through the weekend in Manitoba. Maybe he'll see a call-up and hop on a flight to Phoenix on Saturday (Wishful thinking, of course. I don't actually expect this to happen.)

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

"Modano will be fired up. His line will contribute two goals. Add that to one each from the top two lines and you have a 4-1 victory for the good guys."

EMERSON HOCKEY UPDATE
We have our first scrimmage of the season tonight against Clark University (so sadly, I won't be able to watch the game tonight and there won't be any Post Game Post-its tonight or tomorrow. I will have a Kronwall post up soon). Tonight's scrimmage is big considering we've only had two practices so far and our first real game is Saturday against Berklee. Hopefully I'll play more Lidstrom-like tonight than Janik-ish. Hell, I will be happy with a nice quiet, solid Brad Stuart type outing.

NEWS OF THE DAY

I'm going to be on the Food Network tonight at 10PM. This summer Iron Chef Michael Symon came to Emerson to film part of his new called Food Feuds. I got to eat two different kinds of pizza and choose which one was better. I wore a Red Wings' shirt to the taping, but they made me turn it inside out. I don't know if I made the cut in editing, but you should DVR or TiVo the program since it will most likely air when the game is still on.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Post Game Post-its: Avs 5, Wings 4 (SO)

2010-10-13T09:28:00.000-04:00

(Carlos Osorio/AP)

Meh.

The Red Wings should have won this game. I didn't feel like writing a recap last night and decided to sleep on it, but waking up this morning I still don't like that we list this game. Maybe the team was distracted with Maltby's retirement or blindsided by Rafalski's knee. They seemed out of sync at times. Yeah...yeah...yeah...it's still early and we got one point, but I want two points every night. As Uncle Leon said after the game, "No excuses after 3 days off." I tend to agree with that.

On to the post-it notes!

First Period

Lumberjack Line strikes again - I'm absolutely loving the 2nd line. Franzen, Filppula, and Bertuzzi combined for five points last night. They continue to roll. Bert leads the team with five points, Mule leads the team with three goals, and Filp is tied for second in points with Mule at four. Keep it going, boys.
Janik got owned - Welcome back to the big leagues. Doug. Janik/McLeod I wasn't quite Mac vs Claude. He got it taken to him. Janik needs to take some fighting lessons from Pavel Datsyuk because that was just embarrasing. I can't wait for Janik/McLeod II. Should be a thriller.
Kronwall must finish - How many chances did Kronner have wide open in the slot? Bury it, would ya? Seriously.
Bad 1st period - Overall, I felt it was a very sloppy 1st period. The D didn't look great and it felt like Colorado was taking it to us in our zone most of the period.

Second Period

PP Goal - Wings were perfect on the power play. They were a mean 1 for 1. Surprised the Wings only have one power play, but they capitalized on it. Nice work by Hank and Pavel on the goal...but then again, when don't those two work well together?
Mule! Nice pass! - As prediction here at BSI, the Mule is going to score 40+ goals this season. He's currently on pace for 82. Three goals in three games so far. His second goal was set up on a very nice pass across the offensive zone by Filp.
D stepping up - Stepping up defensively? Not so much. Stepping up into the offensive zone? Yes, very much so. It seemed like the D was pinching a lot. As previously mentioned, Kronwall had some nice chances in the slot. Stuart seemed to be pinching a bunch as well. I like the D taking some chances on offense, just make sure you're still good defensively, and hey, here's a good idea, why don't you finish? Next game I want to see one of the defense put the puck in the back of the net.

Third Period

Janik/Kronwall - Text from Uncle Leon: "Kronner is a real liability this game....real sluggish play....more focused on O than D...needs to get priorities straight." I responded: "Well, he is paired with Janik tonight." Uncle Leon: "All the more reason for focus on D." If Kronwall had scored, maybe we're not talking about this, but his D wasn't very good. Maybe that's because he was paired with Janik. Maybe not. I just thought this pairing was not good at all. If Janik is sticking around (more on this later) the D pairings might need to reshuffled.
Patrick Eaves looks like CM Punk - When Eaves isn't moonlighting as a former WWE Champion, he's scoring short handed goals. Nice pass by Helmer. Glad to see the 4th line guys finally get a goal. Seriously though, Eaves and CM Punk could be long lost brothers. When the Wings play Toronto and Eaves and Versteeg go head-to-head again, I better see Patrick bust out the folding chair, a ladder, and maybe a table that's lit on fire.

Overtime

HIT THE NET! - How many great chances did we have in overtime where we just missed the net?

Shootout

No spin-o-rama - Before the shootout began, I sent a text to Uncle Leon saying, "I'd go Pav, Hudler, Mule here." I was close to perfection on my prediction. Babcock sent out Pav, Hudler, Bert (then Mule, Modano, and Hank). Pav had Budaj beat. He just didn't get the puck up enough. I thought for sure when Bert hit the ice for the shoot we would see the legendary spin-o-rama. Sadly, it just wasn't meant to be. Modano came close, but no cigar. I thought Jimmy looked solid in the shootout compared to what I remember last year. By the way, have I mentioned how much I hate shootouts?

Brendan Smith

Smith should be off for the week until the Griffins play in Manitoba, but I say not so fast! After Janik's embarrassing performance last night (especially in the fight), is it too soon to call up Smith? Rafalski is out for the month. Who knows when Ericsson's will find the testicular fortitude he's been missing since 2007? If Janik continues to suck it up, then let's get Smith some games in Detroit! You've got one week, Janik. Prove you can be a semi-competent defenseman or else it's time to call up the kid.

Let's Go Red Wings

Game #3

2010-10-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

THE GAME

Colorado Avalanche (1-1-0) @ Detroit Red Wings (2-0-0)

If only we could add the Penguins as our next game then the 4 pack of hated teams would be complete (Ducks, 'Hawks, Avs, and Pens). Colorado comes to town on the second night of a back-to-back. They lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 last night. The Wings have been off since Saturday night when they ruined Chicago's banner night. A win keeps the Wings undefeated and on top of the Central. Yes, it's early, but we learned last year that every point matters. A win tonight could go a long way in the distant future. The quest for 82-0 continues tonight.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen-Valterri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler-Mike Modano-Danny Cleary
Drew Miller-Darren Helm-Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom-Niklas Kronwall
Brad Stuart-Brian Rafalski (Doug Janik?)
Jakub Kindl-Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard
Chris Osgood

In the press box: Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jonathon Erisson (back spasms)

On IR: Kris Draper (groin)

***According to Fox Sports Detroit, TPL favorite Doug Janik will be playing tonight. Kris Draper has been put on IR and Janik was called up this morning. It's currently unknown who Janik will replace on the back end, but odds are it's Rafalski, who left practice early yesterday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Can the "Lumberjack Line" continue to roll? Detroit's second line has combine for four goals and four assists in the team's first two games. I'd like to see Filp, Bert, and Mule continue to roll out there.

Jimmy Howard was solid on opening night. Can Jimmah make it two shutouts in a row?

The Wings' power play has been a miserable 1 for 10 and is ranked 23rd. It's still early, but this stat needs improve.
Jiri Hudler. Score a goal. Seriously...Do it...Do it........................Do it.

BRENDAN SMITH

Smith recorded two assists in the Griffins' 5-4 loss to the Rockford Ice Hogs on Sunday night. It was not all good news on the stat sheet though. Smith ended the night -1. It's only two games into the season, but he is tied for the team lead in scoring with three points (1G, 2A). Grand Rapids is off until Friday when they travel to Manitoba to face the Moose on back-to-back nights.

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

"Wings 3-1 over Avs. Franzen, Hudler, and Z do the scoring."

NEWS OF THE DAY

We are expected to learn the fate of Kirk Maltby's career today. He'll either retire or head to Grand Rapids to play and mentor the kids.

Lets Go Red Wings.

Game #2

2010-10-09T14:39:00.000-04:00

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings (1-0-0) @ Chicago Blackhawks (0-0-1)

The little brother gets to raise their Cup banner against the team they hate the most? Well to that I say, GOOD. Bring out that Cup...raise that banner...have your fan base with the biggest inferiority complex in sports chant "Detroit Sucks"...and then prepare for a massive ass kicking. All the pre-game ceremonies and celebrations will just motivate a veteran team to take back what is rightfully theirs. Keep the Cup warm Chicago. Shine it up real nice for us. We're coming for you.

THE EXPECTED LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen-Valterri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler-Mike Modano-Danny Cleary
Drew Miller-Darren Helm-Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom-Jakub Kindl
Brad Stuart-Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall-Ruslan Salei

Chris Osgood
Jimmy Howard

In the press box: Kris Draper (groin), Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jonathon Erisson (back spasms/vagina)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Wings looked pretty solid last night against the Ducks. It's the second game and second day of the season so I don't expect too much fatigue from playing the night before. Plus, it's Chicago and their raising the banner. The Wings will be motivated.

Marty Turco sucks against Detroit. Will this continue? (Hint: Yes.)

Osgood starts in net tonight. Last time I watched Ozzie play was in Chicago with the Griffins. I thought he looked solid that night. Let's hope he can play well with a full line-up in front of him and, at least momentarily, quiet some of the Ozzie doubters.
Jakub Kindl will see his first action of the season. Big Rig didn't play terrible last night...but he also didn't play very long. We don't know how long Ericsson is out, so let's see if Kindl can make Ericsson's return date irrelevant.

BRENDAN SMITH

Smith made his Grand Rapids Grffins' debut last night against the Abbotsford Heat and scored his first goal. Smith and the Griffins will play again tomorrow in Rockford against the Ice Hogs. Puck drops at 5:05pm.

GANNON'S THOUGHTS
(Uncle Leon was unavailable for comment. Gannon is my right hand man when it comes to the Red Wings)

"Wings win 3-2. Hank with the game winner."

NEWS OF THE DAY

It's Michigan State @ Michigan today at 3:30pm. GO GREEN! GO WHITE!

Lets Go Red Wings.

Atta boy, Brendan Smith.

2010-10-09T13:31:00.000-04:00

(Darren Breen - The Grand Rapids Press)

One game played.

One shot.

One goal.

Not too bad for his Griffin debut.

Smith's goal came 3:09 into the game on the power play. Throughout the game, he was paired with TPL favorite Doug Janik. Griffins' coach Curt Fraser had Smith playing in all types of game situations last night. Smith had a lot to say about his debut to Michael Zuidema of The Grand Rapids Press:

Smith logged plenty of ice time in his debut and was a regular on the power play and penalty kill.

"Obviously, the coaches are taking a look at me and how I adjust to the pro game," he said. "I was happy to get out there and play all situations. And hopefully, I played well enough to keep doing it."

Unfortunately, the Griffins lost to the Abbotsford Heat 3-2 in a SO. Here is what Smith and other teammates had to say about the game.

You can listen to the radio call of Smith's goal here.

And finally, here is an interview with Smith from the Griffin's YouTube page.

Let's Go Griffins.

Post Game Post-its: Red Wings 4, Ducks 0

2010-10-08T22:58:00.000-04:00

(David Guralnick/The Detroit News)

To those new to BSI, I write down brief thoughts on Post-its during the game (you'll see those in italics) and then I expand on the thoughts here on the blog in my post game recap. Of course, in addition to my post game Post-its, you'll find a Brendan Smith update at the bottom of every recap.

Overall, a great start for the Red Wings. Only negative was the 0 for 6 on the power play, but that will surely improve over time.

First Period

Mule line good early - I really liked what I saw from the Franzen/Filppula/Bertuzzi line in the early goings. Hell, all four lines were rolling in the first period. Filp looked more confident out there. Franzen got his first of the 40+ goals he's going to score this season (Prediction #41). Bertuzzi wasn't trying to do too much either. I liked what I saw.
MODANO! - Welcome home, Mike. His first shot as a Red Wing found the back of the net. I thought Mr. Willa Ford looked energized and excited to being playing tonight. He's 40? Looked 30 to me tonight. I liked what I saw from the 3rd line tonight as well.
Like the D pairings - At times it looked liked Lidstrom was baby sitting Ericsson on a few shifts, but at least early on no one looked bad out there. Of course, Big Rig left the game with back spasms and the remaining five defensemen rotated for the rest of the game. Could we see Kindl get his shot starting tomorrow in Chicago? I say play him in Ericsson's spot next to Lidstrom and let's see what the kid can do.

Second Period

Jimmy being put to work - Howard didn't have much to do in the first, but the Wings were sloppy in their own zone at the beginning of the second. Howard didn't see too many difficult shots, but when he did, he came up big and made the save. Great performance out of him tonight. Very encouraging to see.
Nice passing by Eurotwins - That Datsyuk goal was pretty. Pav and Hank never surprise me with what they can do out on the ice together. Hopefully they'll stick together on a line for awhile.
That goal counted? - I was shocked (much like everyone else probably) that Danny Cleary's goal counted. Apparently, the ruling was that the puck was in before the net came completely off. Reasonable explanation. If the Ducks had scored that way though I probably wouldn't be happy. Jillian said the goal shouldn't have counted because Cleary didn't complete the process. The NHL probably thought (putting tin foil hat on), "Hey! Let's throw the Wings' a bone here and give them a break now in a game they are clearly going to win anyway. That way when we screw them over with some bogus intent to blow the whistle rule in March we can point back to this and say 'hey! breaks go both ways!" Or (taking tin foil hat off), the Hockey Gods and/or karma is just paying us back for the last few years of bogus calls. Personally, I didn't think it was a goal...but I'll take it.

Third Period

PAVEL FIGHT - First and foremost, thank goodness he didn't get hurt. How awesome was that though? Pavel dropped the gloves and held his own against a bigger Corey Perry. If you didn't absolutely love Pav before this game, you sure do now. Not to mention the fact he had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick (Goal, assist, and a fight in a single game). Attention Martin St. Louis...the Lady Byng is all yours this season. Enjoy.
Same old Ducks - The Ducks got down by four goals and resorted to their usual goon tactics. Shocking, right? Good to see the Wings' stand up for themselves during the game. Bert was in some scrums. Stuart dropped the gloves too. Nice job by the refs by tossing some of the Ducks late in the game.

Brendan Smith

In his first game as a Griffin -- at least on paper -- Smith did not disappoint. In fact, he scored his first goal very early in the game on the power play. I didn't see the goal, but it was described on Twitter by Matt Saler of On the Wings as 'Real nice individual effort. Pulled it down, put it through a block and under the goalie.' I couldn't ask for a better start for Smith. Not only was he manning the PP, but he scored. Smith ended the game as a +1 and his only shot came on his goal.

Let's Go Red Wings.

Game #1

2010-10-08T12:55:00.001-04:00

(Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

THE GAME

Anaheim Ducks (0-0-0) @ Detroit Red Wings (0-0-0)

This is it. This is the game we've been waiting for since May 8, 2010. The regular season is finally here. The offseason is over. The preseason is finished. The games matter now. And, of course, who else do we get to open the season against than the much hated ~~Mighty~~ Ducks.

THE LINE-UP

Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen-Valterri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler-Mike Modano-Danny Cleary
Drew Miller-Darren Helm-Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom-Jonathon Ericsson
Brad Stuart-Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall-Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard
Chris Osgood

In the press box: Kris Draper (groin), Justin Abdelkader (ribs), and Jakub Kindl (healthy scratch)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

First game of the year with a full line-up. The Flying Circus line is back together. How well can the Mule/Filp/Bert line click? Modano plays his first real game in a Red Wings uniform. Happy is back...and that makes me happy.

Jimmy Howard begins his sophomore campaign. Will he put up numbers we saw last season? Probably not. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a sophomore slump. One game at a time Jimmah. One game at a time.

Will Big Rig continue to play horrible? I'm curious how short of a leash he's on. He's paired with Lidstrom tonight. Let's see if he plays like he did in the '09 playoffs against the Ducks. This move reeks of a last ditch effort by Babcock to get Ericsson back on track. Kindl looked better in the preseason. If he's ready to go and Ericsson continues to regress, it might be time to put Kindl in.

BRENDAN SMITH

The dream of Smith making the team this year did not come true. It was a long shot and we all knew it. A year in Grand Rapids will be good for the kid. I want to see him make an big impact with the Griffins and in the AHL. He's got a year to grow up and sharpen his skills. It starts for him tonight. The Griffins open their season tonight at 7pm against the Abbotsford Heat.

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

"Wings 4, Dwindling Ducks 2. Z gets the game winner. Pav has two assists."

STAT OF THE DAY

From Khan(!), the Red Wings are 35-34-14 all-time in season openers for a .506 winning percentage. The Ducks, at 4-12-0 (.250), have the worst winning percentage in season openers among the 30 NHL teams.

VIDEO YOU SHOULD WATCH

Lets Go Red Wings.

Rookie Game

2010-10-06T16:24:00.000-04:00

(NOTE: There is nothing about the Red Wings in this post.)

Last month, I was able to get my hands on a pair of media credentials for the first of two Boston Bruins' rookie games. I had full access to film the game from press row, do player interviews in the locker room, and attend the post game press conference. It was a really fun experience. My package has been edited for awhile, but I finally got around to posting it to YouTube today. Feel free to comment on what you liked, disliked, or what you think I can improve on. I'm always open to feedback to get better at this whole journalism thing! So without further adu, I present to you my package on the Boston Bruins rookie game.

Enjoy!

It's almost here

2010-10-04T13:28:00.000-04:00

(Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Can you feel it? Four more days until Red Wings' hockey is officially back.

Last night the Wings sent 13 players down to Grand Rapids and the roster is all but complete. One of the 13 players sent down was none other than Brendan Smith. I only had a chance to watch two preseason games and parts of others, but I can tell you that Smith to Grand Rapids is the right move. I think it was the expected move going into this season too. I had hoped Smith would've been so good in camp that Kenny couldn't keep him off the roster, but it was a long shot. At times he looked lost on the ice. At other times he had moments that made you think he's going to be something special. The highlight for me was watching him play next to Lidstrom for a few shifts. I'm looking forward to following his progress with the Griffins and I hope he gets called up for a few games late in the season. I fully expect Smith to be a Red Wings in 2011/2012. Other players I was impressed with in the preseason: Cory Emmerton, Jan Mursak, and Tomas Tater.

And now onto the big club. This morning the Wings' waived Mattias Ritola. I've been on Team Miller all offseason and this news is no surprise after Mike Babcock said that Drew Miller has a spot on this team. So where does this leave the club? A few more cuts have to be made and I fully expect to see Joey MacDonald, Derek Meech, and Doug Janik sent down. Kirk Maltby will also most likely be spending time with the Griffins and training the young kids to run their mouths to perfection just like he has done during his career. Here's the line-up I want to see this Friday against Anaheim:

Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom
Johan Franzen-Valterri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Jiri Hudler-Mike Modano-Danny Cleary
Justin Abdelkader-Darren Helm-Drew Miller/Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom-Niklas Kronwall
Brad Stuart-Brian Rafalski
Jakub Kindl-Ruslan Salei

Jimmy Howard
Chris Osgood

Scratched/Injured: Kris Draper (groin), Jonathon Ericsson (vagina), Miller/Eaves

Of course, we'll probably see Big Rig in the line-up instead of Kindl. If Eaves ankle is good-to-go, I think he should get the final spot on the 4th line. If he's not ready, then it's Miller Time.

Four more days.

The road to 12 begins on Friday.

Let's Go Red Wings

(Note: This is my 19th post at BSI, so I felt like it was important to remind the world that Steve Yzerman is the greatest hockey player ever.)

Post Game Post-its: Blackhawks 4, Red "Griffin" Wings 2

2010-09-25T23:29:00.000-04:00

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

I wrote down some notes on Post-its that I wanted to write about...thus begins the first ever edition of Post Game Post-its.

First Period

Tatar w/ Filp + Bert - In my game preview I wrote in the 'What to Watch for' category that Jordan Owens would be starting on the top line along Filppula and Bertuzzi. Well, it turned out that Tomas Tatar got the nod instead. I can't say I disagree with this decision. Tatar has a bright future on this team.
Kopecky = basketball shorts - Anyone else notice the stupid way that Kopecky cuts the inside legs of his pants? It looks like he's skating around with basketball shorts on. This annoyed me.
OsGOOD(?) - Ozzie played well tonight. In fact, he looked a little bit like that goaltender we had back in 2008. He made some big saves throughout the game. If he can play again this preseason the way he did tonight, I think he deserves to start some games.
Ericssucks - 1st goal - Man, things just seem to be going downhill for Big E. He ended up a -2 on the night and I can't say he did much well out there. Maybe it's because he's struggled lately so I'm watching his play more closely, but at this point, I would honestly rather see Kindl in there as the 6th man.

Second Period

Tatar to Bert to Smith - Real nice play entering the zone by these three. Tatar passed to Bertuzzi who found a late Smith trailing the play.
4v2 --> 3v1 --> No chance - Hawks had a 4-on-2 that turned into a 3-on-1 before Duncan Keith scored on a pass from Fernando Pisani. This goal is on the defense.
Emmerton PK (not the best shot) - I thought Cory Emmerton had a solid game. His highlight came on the penalty kill where he took the puck into the Hawks' zone, weaved between two defenders, and had a nice scoring chance. He didn't get the best shot off, but it was a very nice play.
Filp goal! - Valterri Filppula had a pretty goal. This was Val's game tonight. He was the best player on the ice for the Wings...and he knew it. Maybe it was just me, but I felt like he was playing with the kind of confidence out there that we haven't seen before. I think he's ready for a breakout season. It's time for Filp to shine.

Third Period

Pyett to Owens (can't score) - Logan Pyett had a very nice pass to Owens down near the net. Owens went from his backhand to his forehand, but couldn't finish. It was a nice play.
Kindl + Smith PK - I noticed a lot of Jakub Kindl and Brendan Smith playing together in the third. They had a really nice shift together on the penalty kill early in the period. Every time I watched them together on the ice, I couldn't help but think "this could be the pairing of the future."
Bert on D 3rd goal - Bert covering Jack Skille when he scored the Hawks' third goal. Not the ideal match-up. With that said, I thought Bert played a decent game overall. Didn't see any spin-o-ramas from him.
Miller....nice shot - He's fighting for a spot on this team and I can't say I noticed him or heard his name much out there tonight. He did score a goal though and that counts for something. A nice shot from the top of the circle. I'm still Team Miller. Sorry Ritola.
Owens/Emmerton/Mursak - these three played well together and forced the Hawks into a delay of game penalty.
Smith played correctly on Hossa goal - It was a 2-on-1 and Smith took away the pass. It then came down to Hossa vs. Ozzie, and, well, Hossa won.
No McCollum - I don't know if it was announced that Thomas McCollum would play in the third or not. Maybe I just assumed he would? Ozzie played the whole game though. It wasn't until about 4 minutes left in the game that I even thought, "wasn't McCollum supposed to play?"

Brendan Smith

Smith had 23:28 minutes of ice time, which included 4:31 on the power play and 2:17 on the penalty kill. He finished the night a +1 and had 1 shot (though he had a few more shots that ended up blocked, deflected, or he just missed the net). He registered his first point of the preseason when he assisted on Filppula's goal. Overall, I thought he looked much better tonight than he did last night. First game jitters were gone, but he's still got some improvements to make. I still think he'll spend the year in Grand Rapids, but there's no way he doesn't make this team in 2011-2012.

Let's Go Red Wings

Preseason Game #3

2010-09-25T16:02:00.001-04:00

David Guralnick / The Detroit News

THE GAME

Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks

The Wings and Hawks will meet for the second straight night. Last night at the Joe, the Wings won 3-2 in a game that saw goals from Jan Mursak, Tomas Holmstrom, and Henrik Zetterberg. Jimmy Howard looked good in the first two periods and Joey McDonald played the third. The Hawks didn't play their top players. Expect to see them in the line-up in tonight's game.

THE LINE-UP

Jordan Owens-Valtteri Filppula-Todd Bertuzzi
Drew Miller-Justin Abdelkader-Francis Pare
Jamie Tardif-Cory Emmerton-Jan Mursak
Tomas Tatar-Joakim Andersson-Aaron Downey

Brad Stuart-Jonathan Ericsson
Doug Janik-Brendan Smith
Jakub Kindl-Logan Pyett

Chris Osgood
Thomas McCollum

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Jordan Owens seems to have made a name for himself in camp this year. Mike Babcock now knows his name. With Johan Franzen out tonight, Owens gets a chance to play on tonight's top line with Filppula and Bertuzzi. While Owens will not make the main roster this season, it will be interesting to see how he plays next to NHLers and against tougher competition tonight.

Will Chris Osgood bounce back from his brutal performance in Pittsburgh? Granted, he had to face the Pens' top line-up and will see the Hawks' best players tonight, and he hasn't played with the likes of Lidstrom, Rafalski, and Kronwall in front of him, but let's hope he can have a stronger performance tonight.

Jakub Kindl. He will most likely make the main roster because of his contract situation, but it will be interesting to see how well he plays and if he can beat out Ericsson for the 6th defenseman spot.

BRENDAN SMITH

Smith made his debut wearing the Winged Wheel. He finished the night with 19:47 in ice time and was a +2. He had almost 3:57 minutes of power play time and 2:03 minutes on the PK. I missed the first period of the game, but his played was described to me as "shabby" and it looked like he had some first game "jitters." He was schooled Hawk's Smith and bailed out by Jimmy. I can't say I'm shocked that he was shaky early on. I would be a bit nervous too in my first professional game. I did like that he wasn't afraid to jump in the play and try to make something happen. He had moments where he looked really lost and he had moments that made you think 'this kid could turn out to be something special.' I loved seeing him play next to Lidstrom. One final note, I love Ken Kal and Paul Woods as much as anyone, but come on guys...it's Brendan, not Brandon.

UNCLE LEON'S THOUGHTS

"The game is meaningless...as almost all things preseason are...only thing that comes out of it is watching the youngsters."

NEWS OF THE DAY

According to Khan(!), Hudler will play on Sunday and The Mule will be back in the line-up on Wednesday in New York against the Rangers.

Lets Go Red Wings.

The Gamebreaker

2010-09-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

Training camp is officially in the books and I couldn't be more excited.

The Gamebreaker has finally arrived.

From the sounds of it, the namesake of this blog, Brendan Smith, turned in a excellent performance up in Traverse City. I think this news is sweet, sweet, beautiful music to the ears of every Wings' fan. Smith is the future of the Red Wings' defense. I don't know about you, but hearing that he looked good in camp makes me feel so much more comfortable about the Red Wings in the post-Lidstrom future.

To quote Mike Babcock via George's write up over at A2Y with credit going to Chuck Pleiness:

“He’s going to be a really good player,” Babcock said. “I like his disposition. He’s got a lot of upside.”

If the coach likes Smith and thinks he has a bright future, I think that's saying a lot about the kid. Babcock believes he's going to be a gamebreaker for the Wings. He's still young and adjusting to the speed at the next level, but he's going to get there. He'll be a difference maker on this team.

We've all known that Smith has the talent to be a top-end blueliner in the NHL, but there was always the question of whether he could put it all together and succeed. We are seeing the beginning of Smith putting the puzzle pieces together. At prospects camp, he took all his puzzle pieces and flipped them over to the correct side. He saw what he was working with. Smith was once again in Lidstrom's locker. He was counted on to be a leader among the prospects. Now, at training camp, we've seen Smith take the outside pieces and put the border of the puzzle together. Odds are Smith is going to spend the upcoming season in Grand Rapids. This is where he is going to fill in the border and complete the puzzle. He's going to fill in the few holes in his game and tighten up defensively, while sharpening his offensive skills. When he's finished, he's going to look at the completed puzzle and see himself as one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.

I, for one, cannot wait. I've been riding the Smith bandwagon for some time now. He's has the brightest future of the next wave of Wings' defensemen. To me, between Smith, Kindl, Lashoff, and, hopefully, Ericsson (although it seems like he's regressing these days), the Red Wings are in good shape in the coming years.

Here is a video Smith's goal in the Red/White game from yesterday.

Let's Go Red Wings

Adventures in Journalism

2010-09-16T17:37:00.000-04:00

Image from John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Last night I had the opportunity to cover the Bruins/Islanders rookie game at the TD Garden in Boston. It was great experience. I had full press credentials for the game. After I arrived at the rink and got my press badge, I got to hang out the media room with all the Bruins' beat writers and TV guys. Jack Edwards ate a sandwich at the table next to me.

Sitting in press row was great. I never realized just how big the press section was until I got there. Since it was a rookie game, most of the press area was not filled up. There were assigned seats for the regular media. I was told I could sit anywhere there wasn't a yellow name tag. The game wasn't being broadcast on NESN or any other television channel so I was allowed to film the game.

The game itself was actually pretty entertaining. I was surprised at how many fights occurred. There were about 5-6 solid throw downs. This was Tyler Seguin's first game in a Bruins' jersey. I never had a chance to see him play with the Whalers, but he was solid on the ice. He's going to have a great chance to succeed in Boston. Plus, he wears #19 in honor of his favorite player, Steve Yzerman. Other than Seguin, I thought Max Sauve was impressive. He had a goal, but overall, when he was on the ice you took notice. Jordan Caron was easily the player of the game. He recorded his first ever hat trick. On the Islanders side, 2010 first round pick Nino Niederreirter was all over the ice in a good way and really stood out the most for New York. The Bruins won the game 5-2.

After the game ended, I headed down to the locker room for some interviews. There was immediately a crowd around Seguin, so we jammed into the crowd with our camera and mic for some sound bytes. Seguin was very calm and laid back. He was very relaxed and it felt like he'd gladly just hang out with the media and talk to them if they wanted to. Next up was Caron. I got a really good shot of him with his nameplate in the background and the WEBN mic right in front. He was thrilled about his hat trick and said that even though it was a rookie game and didn't officially count, it was still a very big moment for him. The press then left the locker room and headed back to the media room for a press conference with Providence Bruins' head coach Rob Murray and Boston Bruin' GM Peter Chiarelli. After the post-game presser, we recorded our stand-ups for our package down on ice level by the Zamboni doors.

Overall it was an awesome experience. It was great to learn exactly what goes on and how it works behind the scenes. Everyone who worked for the Bruins was extremely nice and helpful with any and every question we asked. When I finish my reporter package I will post it here to on the blog. Hopefully, all will go well and the Bruins will allow us to come back during the season on a regular basis.

These are some still shots of the game I took last night.

119 Predictions for the 2010-2011 season

2010-09-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. Hockey season is upon us. Before we know it, prospects camp will be over, training camp will finished, the preseason will have expired, and the Wings will be opening the season against those pesky Ducks that we love to hate.

It's also that time of year that us bloggers start churning out our season previews. Now, if you're looking for some in depth previews on defensive pairings, like at Winging It In Motown, or previews of the forward lines, like at Fight Night at the Joe, well, then you've come to the wrong place.

Instead, here at the Brendan Smithsonian Institution, I've decided to give some predictions. Not just one or two predictions though...but 119 predictions for the upcoming season. So sit back, grab a cup of Joe, and enjoy.

1. Jimmy Howard will not have a sophomore slump.

2. Brendan Smith will play at least one game this season.

3. The biggest losing streak the Wings will have all season is three games.

4. Detroit will have four all-stars this season.

5. Nick Lidstrom will be a Norris trophy finalist.

6. <----- the number of overtime losses for the Wings.

7. No playoff series involving Detroit will go seven games.

8. Abby will win a fight.

9. GUEST PREDICTION: Jesse Liebman from Last Call Sports and The Good Old Hockey Show - "Mike Modano will put up 35+ points."

10. <----- the number of games the Lions will win......just kidding! I prediction six wins.

11. I honestly have no idea which Danny Cleary we will see this season, but I hope it's the healthy one that can put up 20 goals.

12. The Wings will win every home opener that they are involved in.

13. Detroit will win the first ever game at the Consol Energy Center.

14. Hank will continue to shut down Crosby.

15. No Red Wing will take home an trophy at the NHL Awards.

16. GUEST PREDICTION: Uncle Leon - "Wings will have another 100+ points, take the Central division, and finish 1st or 2nd in the West."

17. Eaves will not have a shootout attempt (thank goodness).

18. This will be Kirk Maltby's last season.

19. Steve Yzerman will still be my favorite player of all time.

20. I really hope Miller doesn't get traded.

21. The Wings will take home their 19th division title.

22. Kenny will not make any major trades at the deadline.

23. Brad Stuart will be quietly solid.

24. <----- number of games the Red Wings will lose.

25. Darren McCarty will get even better at his VS. gig.

26. Happy Hudler won't miss a beat in his return season. He'll put up 60+ points.

27. Brett Favre will retire.

28. Rafalski will miss 15-20 games total.

29. Jakub "Amazon" Kindl will fill in next to Lidstrom when Raf goes down.

30. Ozzie will play better.

31. Joey McDonald will play.

32. I will attend at least two Wings' games this season.

33. <----- number of wins Jimmy will have this season.

34. This will be Kris Draper's last season.

35. My fantasy football team, the Suh Ste. Marie Lionhounds, will win the Fantasy Football FTW! league championship.

36. Paul MacLean will not shave his mustache.

37. I will still hate Mikael Samuelsson.

38. Doug Janik will not play a regular season game.

39. There will be no "intent to blow the whistle" calls against the Wings this season.

40. Hank will lead the team in assists.

41. Johan Franzen will score 40+ goals.

42. I'm really indifferent about the Wings losing Ritola. I'm Team Miller.

43. Helm will score on a breakaway.

44. Michael Petrella will continue to hate Todd Bertuzzi.

45. ...but despite Petrella's dislike, Bert will put up solid numbers and have a decent season.

46. Kindl will play better than we all think.

47. The Tampa Bay Lightning will make the playoffs.

48. Steve Yzerman will win the NHL GM of the Year award.

49. Detroit will beat Tampa 3-1 on February 17, 2011.

50. NHL Center Ice will continue to make me watch games in standard definition on my HD TV.

51. Filppula will score 61 points.

52. <-----number of games Detroit will win.

53. Detroit will sweep their home-and-home series with Boston in February.

54. Mickey Redmond will complain about broke sticks.

55. Kronwall will play 70+ games

56. Seven goals will be the most the Wings give up in a single game.

57. GUEST PREDICTION: Greg, my Canadian friend (and Maple Leafs' fan...poor guy) - "Stevie Y will overheat in Tampa, resign, and move back to Detroit."

58. Helm/Abby/Eaves/Miller = Draper/Maltby/Kocur/McCarty 2.0

59. My girlfriend Jillian will finally attend her first Red Wings' game.

60. She will also finally wear her Pavel Datsyuk shirt that is sitting in her dresser drawer.

61. She will also not leave for her Red Wings' crush Pavel Datsyuk this season (...hopefully).

62. GUEST PREDICTION: my girlfriend Jillian - "Pavel will say something profound in an interview."

63. I hate Chicago.

64. Marty Turco is the starting goalie for the Blackhawks. Take a moment to laugh at that.

65. I'm really not excited at all for the Pistons this season. I find the ego-filled NBA to be really annoying these days.

66. GUEST PREDICTION: Mitch, a Detroit sports fan - "Modano will score the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime of game seven."

67. Michigan State will beat Michigan for the third straight year. Go Green! Go White!

68. ...BUT! U of M will go to a bowl game this season.

69. GUEST PREDICTION: My former high school xc teammate and Red Wings' fan, Petty Office Kyle Harris - "Mike Modano will score 50 goals in 40 games before getting injured. He will come back for the playoffs and score 15 goals in 16 games. Of course, the Red Wings win the Cup."

70. I will hopefully make my TP:60 debut.

71. Eaves will score 15 goals.

72. Tomas Tatar will play a game near the end of the season.

73. MF'n Will Rhymes will be an everyday player next year.

74. I hope we get an iFilp sighting....Filppula x2!

75. No new players will wear an "A" this year.

76. Emerson College cross-country will win the GNAC championship this fall.

77. Emerson College club hockey will sadly be sub-.500.

78. Over/under on the number of goals I score this season is 2 (I highly suggest you take the under).

79. I take pride in being a stay-at-home-defenseman.

80. Hudler will be king of the second power play unit.

81. Murph will be excited for $1 hot dog night.

82. GUEST PREDICTION: Petty Officer Harris #2 - "Ozzie will get his starting gig bac,. It's a fact, son. Can't keep him down!"

83. Lebda will be a minus-3 in his first game against Detroit.

84. The penalty kill will improve.

85. We'll see a lot of Filppula on the PK.

86. Wings will score 10 short-handed goals.

88. The power play will lead the league.

89. H2H2 will be awesome.

90. I'm still SoSodano.

91. The Wings will not win the Presidents' Trophy.

92. Ozzie will reach 400 wins.

93. This is the year The Mule becomes a star in the league.

94. I will miss reading Babacock's Death Stare.

95. ...But I will still love reading TPL, Nightmare on Helm Street, and Malik every day.

96. Holmstrom will not retire after the season.

97. The Wings will design a third jersey inspired by THIS.

98. Ruslan Salei will not have a significant injury, but will not play every game.

99. As much as I'd like to, I will not buy a new Wings' jersey this year. I'll probably wait until Smith makes the team full time.

100. Datsyuk will finally reach 100 points.

101. This will be Nick Lidstrom's last season.

102. Detroit will score nine goals in one game.

103. I will attend a Grand Rapids Griffins game this year.

104. Brett Favre will un-retire.

105. Lidstrom will lead the team in +/-

106. GUEST PREDICTION: Wade Fink of The Honolulu Blue - "Jimmy Howard will have a losing shootout record."

107. <----- number of points the Red Wings will have this season.

108. Mike Babcock should win the Adams trophy...but won't.

109. Bert will spin and blindly throw a pass up ice.

110. ....And it will work at least once.

111. Pittsburgh will win the Atlantic.

112. Boston will win the Northeast.

113. Washington will win the Southeast.

114. Vancouver will win the Northwest.

115. San Jose will win the Pacific.

116. The Capitals will win the Presidents' Trophy.

117. Red Wings vs. Capitals in the Stanley Cup finals.

118. Franzen will win the Conn Smythe

119. The Detroit Red Wings will win their 12th Stanley Cup.

Lets Go Red Wings

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-08-27T12:11:00.001-04:00

I’ve been gone for the majority of the month getting ready for my final semester of college and visiting this guy in PA. The next four months are going to be busy, but awesome. I have one class, but it’s a big one incorporating all of the journalism knowledge I’ve learned in the last four years. I have to produce my own newscast of any kind. I’m thinking a Bruins season preview show sounds good to me. I will be interning in the sports department of WHDH 7 News here in Boston and will be the associate producer of Emerson’s WEBN Sports program (imagine SportsCenter meets college production). Not to mention, I have my final cross-country season and hockey season as well. But have no fear! This blog will be up-and-running. I can’t wait for the season to start.

A lot has happened since my last post examining which free agent could fill the ~~shoes~~ skates as Jonathon Ericsson’s babysitter (i.e. the sixth defenseman). Thankfully no one pays me to write these posts. I listed and wrote about nine potential suitors. So far, one has retired (Aaron Ward), one signed for $2.5 million a season with L.A. (Willie Mitchell), and another signed for $600k with the Thrashawks (Freddy Meyer). Where was Ruslan Salei on the list? Oh yeah...I didn’t include him. I love the pick-up though. Salei will add some snarl to this team. The fact that he previously played for Babcock and enjoys playing for Babcock...I’m sold. Can we give Kenny the GM of the Year award yet?

What else has changed? Helm and Abby both resigned for 2 years of friendly cap-hits. I don’t think anyone actually thought they wouldn’t return. These two have Red Wings For Life written all over them and I think everyone would agree. With those two signed, the Wings roster is essentially set for the season. Meech will most likely be traded. And when it comes to the Ritola/Miller debate? I’m on Team Miller.

Now of course there have been some other big changes lately that need to be mentioned. A big shout out needs to be sent to Petrella, Disch, and Hollis over at the new Production Line. The new site looks awesome, they pulled Hollis out of his brief Favre-like retirement, and The Obstructed View is now The Production Hour (TP:60). Make sure to check out the new digs over at TPL.

And one final congrats to Kyle of at Babcock’s Death Stare. His blog will be going on hiatus for the season, because he will be interning with the Grand Rapids Griffins. We will surely miss his awesome work over at BDS, but wish him the best of luck with the Griffins. Kyle has always been more than helpful answering my Red Wings questions and giving the BSI some shout outs on his blog. And for that, I say thank you.

Lets Go Red Wings.

The 6th D

2010-08-04T20:37:00.002-04:00

Modanogate is now over. For the record, I was not Prodano or Nodano, but actually SoSodano (thanks Petrella ~~Modaneutral (Modanotral? Yeah, that was the best attempt I could come up with~~). If he signed with the Wings...awesome. If he took his talents to ~~South Beach~~ Minnesota or California...it's all good. I was confident Abby could do the job. But, now the vet is on board and it looks like we'll be seeing #90 on the ice for the first time in Red Wings' history.

We had been told by Kenny before that after Modano took his time to decide, we'd see the dominoes fall in regards to Abby and Helm. Well, today that did indeed happen. Darren Drager broke the news on Twitter that Helm had agreed to a 2 year, $1.825M contract. Works for me. The deal comes out to a cap hit of $912.5K. I think many of us assumed he'd come around the 900k and I think this deal is more than fair for both sides. The next domino to fall will be Abdelkader. He made $850k last year and I would expect him to fall in around the $900k mark as well. We don't know the exact numbers with Modano yet. I've seen that he'll sign for $1.25M and I've seen $1.3M. Either way, it will leave the Wings' a little bit of room for that 6th and final defenseman to add to the corps. Let's just assume Modano does make $1.3M. Here's how the cap situation looks:

Of course, I'm also assuming that Derek Meech will not make the team as the 6th defenseman and will be traded and Mattias Ritola will be sent down to Grand Rapids, traded, or selected by another team if he doesn't clear waivers. This would give the Wings just under $1.2M to spend on a 6th defenseman. Of course, keep in mind that Kenny will probably leave a little bit of cap space left over in case of injuries or call-ups. Just who could that last defensemen be? Let's take a look at the candidates, shall we?

Brendan Witt

Witt was recently bought out by the New York Islanders. He was scheduled to make $2.5M from the Islanders, but will receive $1.3M this season and just over $800k next year because of the buyout. We could see a similar situation to what we saw with Patrick Eaves last year. Eaves took very little money to play for the Wings and prove himself, all while he was still being paid by Boston. Witt could sign for a one year deal, say for around $800k and become the Wings 6th defenseman. Last year he played 42 games for the Islanders and registered 2 goals and 3 assists in 15 minutes of ice time. He was a -18 as well. He's 6'2", 223 lbs and could provide a stay-at-home type toughness on the third pairing. And we all know how tough Witt is. He was hit by a car the morning before a game...and still played that night.

Aaron Ward

Wings fans could see the return of Ward this upcoming season. Since being traded by the Wings in 2001, he's won a Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and has also played for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and most recently, the Anaheim Ducks. Last season Ward played 77 games between the Hurricanes and Ducks and put up 1 goal, 13 assists, and was a -15 in 17 minutes of ice time. Ward made $2.5M last season. I watched Ward quite a bit here in Boston during his time with the Bruins. He seemed to be a good locker room guy according to the media here. A lot of B's fans were surprised when he got traded. I wouldn't mind seeing him back in Detroit.

Shane Hnidy

Hnidy is a 6'2" 210lb defenseman who played for the Minnesota Wild last season. In 70 games, he scored 2 goals and 12 assists and was a -6 in 13.5 minutes of ice time. Hnidy made $750k last season with the Wild. Little known fact, Hnidy played 77 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 97-98 and 2 games with the club in 2001 when they were part of the IHL.

Mike Mottau

Mottau is still waiting to hear from the Devils about the chance to resign with them (they must be busy with that Kovalchuk guy or something). Last season Mottau played in 79 games posting 2 goals and 16 assists. He averaged just over 22 minutes of ice time and was a +4. Not bad for a guy making just over $750k on the season. Depending on how much of a raise he wants, I think the 6', 193lb defenseman could be a nice addition. He would have to play much less than 22 minutes though on the third defensive pairing though.

Christoph Schubert

Only 28-years-old, Schubert is a 6'3", 230lb defenseman last seen roaming the ice with Atlanta. He played 47 games and scored 2 goals and 5 assists. He was a -6 in almost 16 minutes of ice time. Minus-6 doesn't seem too bad to me considering he played with the Thrashers. Then again, Atlanta did sign Chris Chelios last season, so that might be an indication of Schubert's talent level? I'd like to see if he was a healthy scratch in favor of Chelios in any games. No offense to Chelly, I mean, it's just that a 28-year-old shouldn't be beaten out by someone who's almost 50. Schubert made $883k last season.

Freddy Meyer

Meyer is a 5'10", 192lbs, and 29-years-old. He played 64 games with the Islanders last season and recorded 4 goals and 11 assists in just under 17 minutes of ice time. He was a -2 on the season. Meyer made $600k last year. He seems like he has decent stats for a potential 6th defenseman. The -2 is a good sign considering he played for a bad team. I'd personally like to see someone signed that is bigger than 5' 10" though.

Andreas Lilja

We all know Lilja's story. He was making $1.25M last season and it sounded like he was looking for a raise and/or more ice time next season. He helped the PK tremendously when he returned from his concussion last year. I would not have a problem having Lilja back on the third pair with Jonathon Ericsson. With the market as slow and quiet has it has been lately, maybe he'll be willing to take less money to come back to the Wings.

Willie Mitchell

Mitchell made $3.5M last season with Vancouver. He suffered a concussion in January and missed the remainder of the year. He's probably the least likely to join the Wings based on his potential salary demands, but it's been reported that Detroit his on his short list of possible destinations. Maybe he will take much less for a true chance a Cup? We'll see. Mitchell is 6'3" and 205lbs. In 48 games last season he posted 2 goals, 8 assists and was a +13 in just over 22.5 minutes of ice time.

In House Solution

Of course, if Kenny wants to save cap space and take a wait-and-see approach into the season, he could just let Derek Meech, Doug Janik, Jakub Kindl, and the namesake of this blog, Brendan Smith battle it out for the final spot. Who knows at this point? One of those guys could have a great camp and blow away the competition (although I wouldn't place any big bets on Meech or Janik). Personally, I'd love to see Smith get some time with the big club this season, but I'm okay with whatever decision Kenny makes to give this team the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Of course, there are other names out there too that could fill the role of 6th defensemen for the Wings. Once Abby is signed the final domino will most likely fall. But I want to know, who do you think should be the teams' 6th defenseman? Leave a comment about who you think would fill the role the best.

Lets Go Red Wings

10 items of excitment

2010-07-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

Hey it's only July, but that doesn't mean it's too early to start looking ahead to the upcoming season. Before we know it the playoffs will be starting and the quest for Cup number 12 will have begun. In my anticipation for the 10/11 season (and for the lack of other news and things to write about this summer), I've put together a top 10 list of things I am personally excited for the most this year. Let's begin...

#10 - Training Camp

I love training camp. It's like the first day of school when you get to see all your friends that you haven't seen all summer. Now, I am not personally going to training camp in Traverse City, but I know that a lot of people are. This is my first camp while being involved in the whole Wings' blogosphere, so I am highly anticipating the coverage of the event. The longer offseason means that (hopefully) everyone will be fully healthy entering camp and ready to go better than ever when the season rolls around.

#9 - Brendan Smith

What? Did you really expect me to leave of the namesake of this blog off the list? Whether he makes the team or not at camp, I can't wait to follow his first professional season. Even if he's in Grand Rapids, I'm going to keep a close eye on how he performs down there and plan to update the blog regularly with his progress. Hopefully he makes the big club and I can purchase my Smith jersey come Christmas time.

#8 - The Rest of the Kids

This goes for the kids in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and the prospects too. I want to see how Tomas Tatar and Thomas McCullom do with the Griffins. I want to see how 1st round draft pick Riley Sheahan does in his second season at Notre Dame. And of course, I want to see Abby, Helmer, and Ericsson take the next step in Detroit and I want to see just how well Jakub Kindl can handle potentially being the 6th defenseman on this team.

#7 - Opening Week

The Wings open with the hated Ducks on a Friday night. I can tell you right now that I will be glued to my TV watching Ken and Mickey on Center Ice that night. It's still July and it has been far too long since I've seen a Red Wings game. But ya know what's even better? After the Wings beat the Ducks, they get to fly to Chicago to play the Blackhawks. What could be better than watching the Hawks' 4 or 5 returning players raise their banner and then destroying the living hell out of them on their home ice. Let them raise their banner and then send an early message but crushing them, let's say, 6-0? Sounds about right to me. We're taking the Cup back. Enjoy it while it lasts, Chicago.

#6 - Jimmah Howard

Jimmy was the surprise of the season last year. He saved the Wings on many occasions and without him, they may not have even made the playoffs. And, he did it all as a rookie. This season is going to be big for Jimmy. We've all seen and heard about the sophomore slump (see: Steve Mason, CBJ) and I think deep in the back of all our minds we have that little doubt or a question asking if Jimmy can do it again this year. I hope he can. I think he can. I believe Jimmy will have a solid follow up campaign. I mention Mason, but the big difference in Howard's case is that he's playing behind the Detroit Red Wings, not the Columbus Blue Jackets. Having guys like Datsyuk and Lidstrom on your side will do wonders for one's confidence. Plus, I don't expect Jimmy to play as many games as he did last year. Let's hope Ozzie has gotten his act together and plays well enough to split the season's starts about 60/40?

#5 - New Years' Eve

I'm going to my first ever New Years' Eve Red Wings' game. It's going to be a family affair too. I'll be there with my uncle Leon (huge fan), aunt Amy, my parents, possibly some cousins, and most importantly, my girlfriend Jillian. I've mentioned her on Twitter before (@JillianRM, follow if you want, but she never tweets haha). The biggest reason I'm excited for this game is that it will be her first Red Wings game and first time inside Joe Louis Arena. She's from the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania and really didn't know anything about hockey when we first met two years ago. Over the past two years she's basically watched every single Wings game with me, learned the rules of the game of hockey, listened to my tin foil hat stories, and put up with all my nonsense. Well, in all this time she became a fan herself. She knows all the players, the rivals (present and historic) and learned all about the Wings' history too. I'm also pretty sure she'd leave me for Pavel Datsyuk if she could too. Bottom line, I can't wait for her to experience her first Red Wings game at the Joe. Ladies and gentlemen of Hockeytown, add one new member to our population.

#4 - The Mule

I don't know about you, but I missed watching Frazen last season. I'm pretty sure his teammates missed him too. The Mule was supposed to be The Man last year. The 09/10 season was his time time to shine. Every Wings' fan knew that Franzen was going to be counted on heavily with the departure of Hossa, Hudler, and Samuelsson (hate him). Instead, Mule was gone in the third game of the year and missed a great deal of the season. If you ask me, if Franzen is healthy, then Pavel and/or Hank would have had at least 10-20 more assists to add to their resume. But The Mule is back. He had an excellent playoff run putting up 18 points in only 12 games. I, for one, cannot wait to watch him this upcoming season. I'm honestly expecting him to net 40-50 goals and battle for the league lead. He has the ability. Everyone get ready to jump on the Mule and go for a ride.

#3 - Detroit vs. Boston

The Red Wings are coming to Boston this year. I'm probably the happiest hockey fan in the entire city. I've never been to a Red Wings game in an opposing building and I can say that I am absolutely thrilled to be doing so this season. Boston is a decent hockey city. Living here the past two years, I'd say they have a solid fan base. I've met a lot of Bruins' fans that are hardcore about their team and you can have a great hockey conversation with them. However, with Boston having so many championships this past decade (none by the Bruins), the B's kind of get the short end of the stick when it comes to sports in this city. I like to see the Bruins do well. I don't mind seeing them win, that is, unless they are playing the Red Wings. And I cannot wait to see the Wings play a home-and-home series with Boston and sweep the floor clean with them. When you're watching the game, look for the loud Wings' fan wearing a Yzerman (or Smith) jersey. That will be me. If there is one thing Detroit's sports teams have over Boston, it's hockey. I want to make sure it stays that way.

#2 - Nicklas Lidstrom

I personally believe this is the last season Lidstrom will spend with the Wings before he retires. I'm looking forward to watching the last games of his amazing career. When I was younger, it was easy to overlook the impact he had on this team. The more I grew up in general and as a Wings fan, the more I was able to understand and appreciate what an unbelievable player Nick Lidstrom is. He is arguably the best defenseman of all time. Without a doubt, the best European born player (of any position), the best Red Wings' defenseman, and possibly the best player of the last 15 years or so. He plays the game so disciplined and at the highest level. He rarely makes mistakes, he always knows where to be on the ice, and he makes it all look so effortless. I don't remember who said it or where I read it, but it's crazy to think that Nick has never won the Hart Trophy...let alone be nominated! But that says something about his game. He's so good at doing the right things that you don't notice him out there. A lot of the times, the best defensemen are the ones you never notice. He isn't super flashy. He doesn't take dumb penalties or take runs at guys. There's always talk of "who can replace Lidstrom?" Well, no one can. You can't replace him. There is no other player like him. He's Nick Lidstrom. He's just one of a kind and I can't wait to watch him end his career with his 5th Stanley Cup championship.

#1 - H2H2

Of course H2H2 is number one! This is going to be the party of the year. I couldn't be more excited for this. Everyone that has ever told me anything about the original H2H as had nothing but great things to say. Most every said it was one of the best weekends of their lives. I graduate from college in December and plan to come back to Boston in the spring until Jill finishes school in May, but there is no way in hell I'm missing this party. It might be hard to top the H2H, but we sure as hell will try. Anyone who has ever tweeted me or read this blog or commented...I want to meet you. I think I'm going to make a list of all the names of the people I need to meet and won't stop until every name is crossed off. I plan to go to the game on the 9th and will be there on the 11th with Gannon, my Uncle Leon and cousin Robbie (his birthday is the 12th). We're all going to be ready to party. So when H2H2 comes along and you're in Detroit, if you see the guy in the Brendan Smith jersey, that will be me. Pretty sure if they make Smith jerseys by then, I might be the only one who owns one! Come say hello and we'll raise our glasses to the best organ-i-zation in the history of sports!

Lets Go Red Wings

"The Numerical Decision"

2010-07-23T14:00:00.026-04:00

Recently, I've had the tough decision of choosing a number to wear on the back of my Emerson College hockey jersey as I come out of retirement this fall. As I stated in a previous post, I've never worn the same number twice (7, 24, 33, 10, 17, 96, 41, and 66) and plan to continue that trend this season. There has been a lot of speculation and information from "sources" regarding what number I've chosen. I've read rumors of me wearing 67 or 29. I've received a lot of suggestions from many people too. My girlfriend Jillian, as well as a secret commenter named Anonymous, think I should wear 5. More ideas include TheNorm41 and my pal Gannon suggested 14 because it's 41 (my favorite number) backwards and Shanny used to wear 14 for the Wings, plus my dog is named Shanny. Liam suggested threve. Baroque suggested pi. Andy suggested 9, 19, 25, or 92.

With eight previously worn numbers off the board, plus 16, 18, and 62 already taken by members of Emerson's team, it left me with 88 different numbers to choose from. First, I decided to eliminate the obvious numbers that I personally refuse to wear. That meant that 87 was out the window and I had to say goodbye to any number that Mikael Samuelsson wore, so 26 (Vancouver), 37 (Detroit/Pittsburgh/NY Rangers), 11 (Panthers), and 28 (Sharks) were all eliminated.

I thought about my the suggestions I received and my favorite Wings' players too. The obvious number choices when it comes to Red Wings are 9 and 19, but I really didn't want to wear those numbers. In the past when I've picked a number because of a Wing, I never picked the obvious, most popular Wings' number. I've picked 33 and 96 for Draper and Homer. There was a big push by Jillian for 5 and it made sense. As a defenseman, I'm a huge Lidstrom fan (in the future, my first born son's name will be spelled Nicklas).

In the end though, I did choose a Wings' number and my choice makes a lot of sense (to me at least). So without further ado...

In this fall...this is very tough...in this fall I'm going to take my talents to downtown Boston with the Emerson College Lions hockey team and wear the number...

...TWO!

Two made the most sense (props to Rob from Wings Win, Eh? for coming the closest to guessing in the comments section).

The reason?

It's Brendan Smith's number with the Red Wings!

He wore 7 in college at Wisconsin and I've already worn 7. I figured he wears #2 with the Wings and I named my blog after him, so why don't I wear his number too. Plus, I used to love Jiri Fischer when he played for the Wings and he wore 2 as well. And we're all defensemen. It just seemed like a fitting choice.

So stay tuned this fall for my on ice debut as #2 with the Emerson College Lions hockey team. I plan to update the team's progress as well as my own statistics this season here on the blog.

Lets Go Red Wings (and Emerson College Lions)

Cooler than me? With that jacket, yes.

2010-07-22T11:29:00.001-04:00

It's been a slow summer for big Red Wings news, but a few friends mentioned a Winged Wheel appearance that was new to me.

I'm not sure if anyone else knows about this or it was common knowledge awhile back in May. I feel like I've been living under a rock when it comes to music and music videos, but apparently the Red Wings have been well represented in the music industry lately (NOTE: I don't have a car here in Boston. Generally my only music listening happens in the car, so I'm really not up-to-date on current music. I just listen to the same songs I've had on my iPod since forever. So I have no idea if this song is/was popular or not).

Earlier this week my Canadian friend Greg (a Leafs fan...poor guy) told me to check out a music video called Cooler than Me because the singer had a sweet Red Wings jacket on. I didn't bother to google it until I got another message from my friend Seth (a hockey fan who was born and raised in Michigan...but is an Avs fan...and is currently a med student bandwagoning in Chicago, but is actually in the Philippines doing med work interning stuff or something at this very moment) telling me to check out the video as well. So I figured I might as well take a look.

Nonetheless, I checked out the video and there was artist Mike Posner wearing a custom made, crazy Red Wings hybrid leather jacket. It kind of looks like a part Winter Classic uniform, part normal Wing's white sweater with a sideways logo. Plus, you've got the late 90s Stanley Cup patch and the alternate captain letter.

It might not be the type of jacket I'd wear, but hey, props to Mr. Posner. He's from Southfield, MI and he's a Red Wings fan. No matter how ~~ugly~~ interesting the jacket is, I'm glad to see people sporting the Winged Wheel wherever they are. I was surprised to see Fedorov's name and number on the jacket. I would've thought it would be Yzerman or Howe, but Fedorov seems more fitting to me. He's more of 'Hollywood' type kind of guy compared to The Captain or Mr. Hockey. I think the Fedorov selection was a solid choice for the occasion.

When I did a google search I found this article on the Red Wings' official website talking about Posner. Apparently, this Cooler than Me song reached #6 on the Billboard 100 list. I'm no music expert, but I think that's pretty good.

Here is the music video below. The Red Wings' jacket makes it's debut in the video at the 2:04 mark. Enjoy.

Lets Go Red Wings

I need a number!

2010-07-21T13:42:00.003-04:00

My second stint with the Rangers. I'm second row, center with the 'A'

There really hasn't been much Red Wings' news lately other than the current Modano will-he-won't-he Brett Favre-like soap oprea...The Young and the Modano...Days of our Modano...General Modano...One Modano to Live...The Bold and the Modano...or All My Modano. Daytime soap opera names with Modano in the title aside, this post is not about him.

This post is about me needing your help!

This fall I will be coming out of retirement to lace up the skates once again. I will be playing competitive ice hockey for the first time since I was 16-years-old and sophomore in high school (I'm now 22 and about to begin my last semester of college). So it's truly been awhile.

The reason for the post though, clearly given away by my clever title, is that I need a number for my sweater. To briefly provide some background for you, I've never wore the same number twice. I didn't start skating super early like most hockey players. The first time I ever played competitively was in the spring of 3rd grade. I played two spring seasons and wore #7 and #24, respectively (and this was before I really knew anything about Chris Chelios).

After my second spring season, I made it off the waiting list and got to join the 'apprentice' program, which was for kids of the 'squirt' level just beginning hockey. I wore #33 that season (I liked Draper).

Then next year, in my first season of peewee hockey, I played for the Lakeland *gasp!* Avalanche (Yes, I wore the Avs logo and colors for a season. I had no choice). That season I wore #10. I wasn't very good my first year. I was small, I wasn't the best skater, and I had no hands (still don't!). My coach moved me back-and-forth between forward and defense all season. Never really found a grove. I have no idea how many points I had. Probably around 5-7 goals? Most all were garbage goals in front of the net. Highlight of the season that I'll always remember is scoring two goals in the opening shift of a game and then hitting the post on a wide open net on my very next shift. Closest I ever came to a hat trick. Honestly have no memory if I have had a two goal game ever again.

Second year of peewee, I played for the Lakeland Rangers. I wore #17 that year because in the offseason I went to Michigan Tech hockey camp and was given #17 for the week. I ended up scoring a goal on a penalty shot in the final game on the final day of camp.

Between this season and the season before, I grew like 8 inches and stood 6'1" (Which is my current height. Yes, I haven't grown since 7th grade). This is were my coach Bobby (and still my current barber back home today!) asked me what position I was. I said I played both offense and defense. He looked at me and said, "No. You'll play defense and you'll protect the net." Worked for me. They slapped an 'A' on the front of my sweater and I've been what I'd like to consider a stay-at-home-defenseman ever since. Clear the front of the net and muck it up in the corners. That's my game. I still credit Bobby to this day for teaching me how to truly understand the game of hockey (but Coach Jeff gets the credit for teaching me my mean poke check). If you're ever in the White Lake, MI area, stop by the White Lake Square Barber shoppe at M59 and Teggerdine and tell Bobby I said hello.

The next season, my first year of bantam, with the Lakeland Prowlers I wore #96. This was the most successful team I've ever been on. A lot of fun too. I wore #96 in honor of Tomas Holmstrom. Still played my defensive role.

My second bantam season I was back with Coach Bobby and the Rangers. This time I wore #41. It's probably my favorite number ever. The story comes from running cross-country all my life. I told my xc coach that I would run 309 miles in the summer before 8th grade...well I ran 41 that summer and my xc coach Mr. Stevenson decided to call my "41" instead of Jeff all season. In fact, he still calls me "41" to this day.

My final season of hockey was in midget. A teammate from the year before, well, his dad owned the ice rink we played at. When Mike didn't make the Brother Rice JV team, he still wanted to play, so his dad created a midget team for him and Mike called all his old friends and teammates to see if they wanted to play. I joined it. I wore #66 that year because it was the only jersey left that was my size.

So long story short, I need to decide on a new number for this upcoming season with Emerson College. Originally, my thought was to go with #41. But, I've never worn the same number twice...so why start now. I've worn 7, 24, 33, 10, 17, 96, 41, 66...and ????????????????? So please, leave a comment and tell my your number suggestion! (So far I know that 16, 17, 18, 24, and 62 are already unavailable.)

Lets Go Red Wings