Hey gang.

Well it's been a busy holiday season thus far. The people here in Phoenix have been complaining about the cold. It's been like 60 and sunny every day. Anyway, the Wings won and I followed along the best I could (auto updates on my phone via ESPN). But in a half an hour, they'll actually be on TV out here and I get to watch. Here are your lines via Khan(!)...

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Ritola-Filppula-Miller
Draper-Helm-Eaves
May-Abdelkader-Maltby

LIdstrom-Rafalski
Lebda-Stuart
Meech-Janik

Howard (starting)
Osgood

Missing from tonight's lineup (to no one's surprise) is Ville Leino. Mike Babcock had the following advice for Matias Ritola...

“He better shoot the puck and he better not be on the outside.''

This from the Free Press...

"We didn't win, it's simple.  Guys tried and I think at this time right now, the Blackhawks are better than us.  They're a good team and they play hard and we play hard. Right now, they were better than us; they were better two nights in a row. It's just that simple."

That's from your head coach, Mike Babcock.

Disgusting.

Pretty glad that I didn't get to catch any of the game during my travels.  Obviously, wearing my Helm jersey while in transit didn't help.  I'm still a little freaked out by how warm it is here in Phoenix in December.  Like I said, I'm going to be pretty busy over the next few days, but I will post when I can.

Just get healthy, boys.  Chicago isn't better than us when we have a full squad.

From the Free Press…This is all legit Seinfeld-esque "Airing of Grievences" in recognition of Festivus:

Chris Osgood on Jimmy Howard and Kirk Maltby

"I have a grievance against Jimmy for calling me five times a day. It's like I have three kids-- two daughters, and a really old and immature son. He has his own dad, he has a grandpa. I'd like to see him call them more and me less. And Maltby, I mean, his lips are always flapping -- just non-stop. I wish he'd get a muzzle."

Leino on Maltby and Kris Draper

"I'm disappointed with Malts because he is just so grumpy every day, it really, really bugs me. Every day I come in and he's grumpy. And Drapes, my grievance with him is he cheats at all the games he plays, like two-touch soccer and anything else."

Draper on Henrik Zetterberg

"I use these softballs to get your hips and glutes loose, right? I'm the one who brought them into the dressing room. And you know what happens to them? Henrik Zetterberg steals all of them."

Maltby on Draper, Osgood and goalie coach Jim Bedard

"Well, my disappointment is with Ozzie and Drapes and Jim Bedard, because any time I make a comment about something on TV, whatever we're watching, news or something about a celebrity, I get a nickname. Like I say something about swine flu, and they call me Dr. Gupta. Or I say something about a movie star, and I'm with 'Access Hollywood,' I can't say anything around them."

Howard on Osgood

"First of all, it's not true I call Ozzie five times a day, so that's my first grievance. My second grievance to air is also about Ozzie, because I really wish he'd get a shirt or something and stop walking around the locker room naked."

That's frickin' hilarious.  Now focus and beat the Blackhawks tonight.  A loss for Chicago, and a Festivus for the rest of us...

Well, my plane leaves in just a few short hours.  This will be my very first Christmas out of the state of Michigan as I'm flying out to sunny Arizona to be with the girlfriend's family.

And thus, I won't be able to post much before the game tonight...even more disappointing is the fact that I won't be able to watch it.  But alas, my Red Wings tour will already hit an all-time record for different venues for seeing the team play in...three.  On January 2nd, Jessie from Bingo Bango, Sullyosis of A2Y's 19, and myself will all be in attendance as the Wings take on the 'Yotes in the desert.

If there are any other Wings fans out there in the desert who are going to make it to the game, shoot me an e-mail ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and maybe I'll give you the details of where Sully, Jess, and I will be meeting up before the game.

Hopefully, Chris will be able to contribute a little more than he has recently, and I should still be able to post while down in the desert.  But, if for some unforeseen circumstance, I don't get a chance to say this over my vacation (returning to MI on 1/4), I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season.  Thanks for everything in 2009.

Well, I'm trying to get a feel for what you people do and do not respond to.  It's been pretty hit or miss thus far...

Vote for who wins the CHI/SJ game last night...0 comments

Ask if we should boo Hossa or not... 11 comments

And yesterday, in my boredom, I decided to try and play around with some crude Paint features and put the face from the NOHS banner onto The Namesake's face in some actual photos.  Then I asked if anyone else could do better and if so, to send them to me.  Well as of today, I've only received one single response.  I don't know how much of Clint's work day yesterday was dedicated to answering my call, but the results are pretty fantastic...

Subtle...but sweet.

So I'd like to take this time to thank Clint publicly for taking time out of this day to make this lowly, un-credentialed, no-access blogger happy.  If I can get a few more out of you people, maybe I'll start using reader submitted gems like this on a rotation for the main banner.

Well I asked and many of you responded.  Should we boo Hossa tonight when he makes his return to the Joe wearing the jersey of our most hated enemy?  Most say 'No'.  Well, according to Khan(!), the Red Wings agree with you:

“I hope he gets cheered.  Hossa was a big part of our team. He played hard, he was well-respected by the guys in the room and by the coaching staff and by our fans.”--Mike Babcock

“Hoss came in and gave it his all last year, he played well for us.  There’s no hard feelings and I don’t think the fans should have any. He’s still one of our good friends in here.”--Brett Lebda

“Hoss was a great teammate and a great guy. He walked away from a lot of money and some long-term deals to come here and win the Stanley Cup, and unfortunately we came up one game short.”--Kris Draper

Cheers might be pushing it, Mike...especially considering his lack of scoring in all but three games during the play-offs and NONE in the seven game finale.  Brett should be worried about whether or not he is getting booed the way he's been playing and Drapes did his usually diplomat PC jargin (just don't forget to shake his hand).

Now I'm all for feeling superior to Chicago and Pittsburgh fans...but I'm not so sure I couldn't bring myself to let the man know what I feel about him if I was going to be in attendance tonight.  Like I said in one of the original NOHS posts that he could have went almost anywhere else and I wouldn't hate him. 

There's still a lot of heart surrounding the Detroit Red Wings.  Despite a disappointing start to the season and an economy that's as bad as it's ever been...the Detroit Red Wings continue to be Detroit's beacon of hope.  Here's a great story from the Free Press that I think was worth noting...

Members of a recreational hockey team in Taylor helped create a special day for children and spouses of military personnel killed in active duty, with help from the Detroit Red Wings.  The children and their families watched the Wings practice at Joe Louis Arena, then toured the team’s locker room. Wings forward Justin Abdelkader stopped to take a photo with the children after practice.

Here's what Babcock had to say about the experience...

“It’s great to have them down.  The sacrifice that so many Americans do for all the world so we can be in a free, democratic society is absolutely fantastic. And everything I have in my life and my family is because of those things. A little thing like this is nothing but a way to say thanks and put some smiles on those kids' faces.“

What a guy.  And what a great thing to do for some families who have befallen tragedy.  You read stories like this, and about how we're trying to bring Herm to Hockeytown, and it just simply amazes me what good can come about in such times.

Detroit rocks.  Enough said.

Anyone who hasn't heard of The Obstructed View, you need to click that link and check it out.  This week, with the Chief from A2Y, Malik from Snapshots, and Jessie from Bingo Bango (links are in the Wings Blogroll) join Chris from Motown Wings.  They discuss things from goaltending, to the Herm to Hockeytown movement, and just before the hour mark of the broadcast, the Chief makes a strong suggestion: Don't.Boo.Hossa.

"We have an oppurtunity to really separate ourselves from the d***head Penguins fan and not boo him with every touch of the puck"

Boo the Blackhawks?  Yes.  Boo Marian Hossa?  Chief says 'No'.  We all pretty much knew it was going to be Franzen or Hossa, and Ken Holland made that choice.

So do we treat Hossa as ingraciously as we have Sergei Federov over the years?

Here's another "Who would you rather see win this game?"...

A.  San Jose -keep those bandwagon bums in check

B.  Chicago - no one better vote for this or you better have a sound reason for doing so

C. Who cares?  As long as it doesn't go into overtime

D.  I'm only concerned about Detroit making the play-offs right now

Khan(!) provides us with what should be the lines for tomorrow's game at the Joe.  Sadly, I will in all liklihood, miss the entire game while flying down to Phoenix... 

Bertuzzi-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Leino-Abdelkader-Miller
Draper-Helm-Eaves

Ritola-Filppula*** (Maltby and May working in)

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Lebda-Stuart
Meech-Janik

Howard (starting)
Osgood

***Hold your horses, ladies.  Wally won't be playing tomorrow, but here's your silver lining:

Filppula practiced hard, competed in all the drills and said he feels good. But he's not playing Wednesday, for sure. So Draper probably will move to center. Perhaps Ritola will play with Helm and Eaves, Draper with Maltby and May.

Ritola, Helm, and Eaves on line three and a new Grind Line for the fourth line?  I kind of like the idea...though breaking up the "Little Red Corvette" line has me feeling a little uneasy.

We'll just have to wait and see.