It isn't very often you get a night-of recap here at NOHS (due to the fact that Drew goes to almost every game and meets his quota of at least three 24oz Molson XXX and I'm way too ADD past the hour of 3 PM), but damn, that was a fun game to watch.   Detroit played fairly well, but most notably took advantage of their chances (I like that...less blue balls for all) and when they fell apart, Jimmah was there in the net, shutting down almost everything Bettman's Coyotes could fire at him.  It is two huge points in the standings which puts them 3 points out of 8th place with a game in hand.  In addition, they are only six points out of fourth place with two games at hand.

By the way, the Wings would find themselves in 6th place if they played in the lessor conference out East.

Random Thoughts:

• Where would we be this year without the team chipmunk, Tomas Holmstrom?  15 goals for the Swede, still leading the team.  By the way, how the hell doesn't Homer have a real nickname?  Or did I miss it?  So much potential...
  
  
• I didn't realize how injured the team was (well I did, but this put it in persective) until Val came back a few games ago and made Miller and Abby look like the fourth liners that they should be right now.  It still kills me a little to think that our #2 powerplay is Abby, Ritola, Miller/Eaves, with Meech and Lebda on the back end.  That would struggle to be powerplay in Midget hockey, let alone the Wings.  (Remember #2 last year?  Franzen, Hossa, Hudler, Kronwall, Sammy...ok, forget about Sammy, but still.)
  
  
• Turns out Anders Eriksson is NOT dead.   He's literally been on 13 different teams in the past decade and somehow is sticking around.   Loved how he said he was taking it easy until he got the call from PHX and told them it'd be a few weeks before he was in shape.  Guess that fatass nickname was valid.
  
  
• Jimmy Howard is not only beginning to look like the team starter for the regular season AND playoffs, he's also starting to be a serious contender for the Calder Trophy.   Has there been another rookie this year that has meant as much to their team as Jimmah has to the Wings?  Right now, if we have regular season Osgood instead of Jimmah, we aren't waiting to get healthy to make a run for it, we are in contention for the lottery pick.
  
  
• Random, watching the Edmonton game and boy, do they ever need a goaltender named the Bulin Wall to return. 
  
  
• Speaking of Osgood, he's not too happy about sitting.  He had an interesting response to Babcock saying that he is going to play whichever goalie is playing better.   Per an interview with digger Chris McCosky (via A2Y):
  
  

  "I don't think I have to prove that. I know how to play, I just have to play -- that's all there is to it. It's not a matter of earning an opportunity. You have to get into some games and get into a groove and then I can play like I can. It's not that I don't know how to do it. "But if you don't play, it's impossible to get to that point. I'm a goalie,

OK, and I've been playing for 20-some years since Juniors. What I say (about goaltending) is closer to the facts than what he (Babcock) would say."

And:

"The games that I've played, I don't think I've played badly. I feel like I've played pretty good. The third goal in Chicago was a bad goal, but I played real good in the third period.  "I don't feel like I should not be playing."

• First off Osgood, come on man, you aren't Chris Pronger.  It is "real well," not "real good."  
  
  And more importantly, the main point.  I'm a stupid goalie as well and can sympathize with you a bit.  I have a story that is a little like yours.  In college, I was the starter for my first 3 years.  Going into my last year, a new guy comes in and gets most of the starts right out of the bat.   The season prior, I was named to the all-region team and thought my place was secure as the number one guy.  It clearly wasn't and I was pissed. The other goalie was good, but I never felt I lost the spot and didn't know why I wasn't playing.   I barley got any games at first and when I did, I was rusty and played, at best, average.   I struggled for the entire first half the season.  Finally, over the X-mas break, I finally got over myself.  I realized that no matter if I deserved more of a shot or not, I needed to take advantage of whatever games I got.  I pulled it together, took advantage of a couple chances and got my way back into the net, enough to be the starter for the second half of the season again and made it back on the all-region team.  (Damn, I miss college...well I guess I am still in college: round 3, but you know.)
  
  What does this have to do with you Osgood?  Get over yourself, soon.  You've been a good goaltender in the playoffs for the Wings, but that's all the past.  And you did earn something with your past play.  You earned a chance to start the year as the #1.  But it wasn't that Babcock magically or unfairly took it away from you.  You lost that spot to a goalie that has simply done one thing and has done that one thing consistently.  That one thing is this: he's completely and utterly outplayed you on a nightly basis. 
  
  But you aren't all wrong.  You aren't far off that you have played pretty good (well compared to last year's reg. season).  But that won't cut it.   We need great now and if you can't provide it, then you can sit on the bench.  And if you don't realize this, then that is where you will stay.  And with that attitude, that is where you should stay too.  
  
  Now I'm always thought Jimmah was a talented goaltender, but he will falter eventually and you will get a game or two.  So you'll get your chance.  Who knows, maybe it is this year that we see what Osgood really has once he does.  
• I was planning a post to call out Bertuzzi haters everywhere, but this will do.   He's simply been great over the past month.  Datsuyk's goal was almost entirely off his hard work in offensive zone.   He has 11 points in the past ten games, and that includes three games where the Wings as a whole were shutout.  So you haters, repent now or Bert will go all Steve Moore on you...
• Oh yeah, lately, Datsyuk has been also been giving a big "F' You" to everyone who was calling him out for having an off year.  I'd still rather have Datysuk than Crosby any day of the week.  Snipe Snipe bitches.
• It should be illegal how fast Helm is. 

The Triple Nightmare Deke on Helm Street Red Wing Players of the Game:

1. "Jimmah" Howard - Simply outstanding.  Made at least 4 saves that should have been goals.  This kind of performance will help my fantasy team out tremendously.
2. Nick Lidstrom - He's heating up.  Another two point night which makes for six points the past three games.   Heading back on track for #7?  Just saying...
3. Bertuzzi/Datsyuk/Homer -  Seriously, all three of them should have stars, they all had great games.  So they will.  Report me, I dare you.

Damnit Lebda.

So playing on Google while watching the Winter Classic, I noticed Google hot trends matched up with something I was searching.  After clicking it, it showed that hockey related items dominated the searches. Here's the most popular searches on Google for the USA (not including Canada).

1. Bobby Orr
3. Bobby Clarke
4. Drop Kick Murphy's
5. Fenway Park
12. Winter Classic
16. Stealth Bomber

Here's a screen cap of the whole list.

 

On behalf of Drew and myself, I apologize for the lack of posts here at the Nightmare for the past few days. A combination of travel for the both of us is the main culprit, but you could also blame a little burn out on the internet, a puppy, and a new phone that I’ve spent way too much time playing with lately. Anyways, during this time, it isn’t that I haven’t been following the team and the happenings on the internet. Almost everyday I get the urge to post about one topic or another, but laziness prevails.

Thinking about it now, it turns out I am an angry, angry man. Almost everytime I want to put together a post, I want to call someone out for being an idiot. Finally, I’ve gotten to it and there will be a few more popping up here and there. So here it is, the first Christmas Callout (or the beginning of NOHS’ New Years Airing of Grievances.)

The NHL & Colin Campbell

Much has been written about the gongshow that is the NHL and its suspension policy. Puck Daddy’s Greg Wyshynski, someone whom I feel that, unlike a few other excellent Wings bloggers, does a great job finding stories to write about each and everyday and making those stories interesting and somewhat impartial (but, haters, don’t worry, I do have a beef with him later on), has well documented this in multiple posts. It is clear that the NHL has no actual policy or reasoning for suspensions and really does seem to play favorites, not only with players, but with teams as well.

It’s embarrassing to try and defend the NHL to the college football retards down in Ohio when the NHL doesn’t have a clue what should and shouldn’t be allowed. Is fighting in the last five minutes a automatic game misconduct? Are hits to the head allowed (Yes? Maybe no?) What is the point of a suspension, to punish the player or to rehabilitate? Should injuries be taken into account and if so, why? Right now, the NHL doesn’t have an answer to a single one of these questions, and that, my friends, is utter –incompetence.

A Possible Solution

So Gary, I’m going to do your job for you here. Here’s a quick and dirty solution that will, at the very least, help. I’m not saying that it will fix everything and there will always be bitching in some form, but the NHL right now has a policy that confuses players, fans, coaches, children, librarians, law professors, and puppies. In fact, only one person to has actually been able to figure out the NHL’s current policy for suspensions (warning, link is pure genius). If nobody understands the policy, then what is the point of it? So here is a quick and dirty recap, with no details provided. Gary, you gotta earn a little of that $7.1 million a year, so you get working on the details. WARNING: I’ve applied a decent bit of legal theory to hockey situations below….

First, start over from the beginning by firing Colin Campbell. Get rid of all previous notions of what a suspension is. Simply put, this mean that Colin Campbell has to be let go of his position. If simply for the outward appearance of change alone. I would fire you too Gary, but if you must keep your job, then, fine. Campbell must go.

Second, adequately define the rules. You can’t have wishy-washy “I know it when I see it” BS. Players have to know when they enter suspension territory. Is a headshot illegal? Yes or no? Figure it out. Now. Should there really be an automatic game misconduct for all instigators in the last five minutes? I’m not arguing in this post for either way. But choose and stick with it. You can’t resend something like this because it is the Stanley Cup finals. If you want it automatic (basically strict liability, as you take the risk), then it is automatic. The suspendable penalties have to be clear, definite and open to as little interpretation as possible I would argue for different categories of suspendable penalties as well.

Third, decide what the goal of the suspension is and why is the punishment is given. Is a player suspended because he chose to commit a dangerous act and therefore he deserves to be suspended and punished? Or is it for the betterment of the game and thus we are hoping to improve the future of the game using suspensions as deterrence and for the rehabilitation of violent players (the current best example of this is rehab for a certain someone from saying, uh naughty words) .

This distinction between the two schools of thought of reasoning for the punishment matter. If we are using deterrence as the main reason for suspensions, then the suspension given must be enough to deter that act in the future. Otherwise, what is the point? If a two hander to the fact is only a one game suspension, then maybe it is worth it to a player to slash someone in the face. If a deliberate elbow to the head were a ten game suspension, then maybe a joke of a captain would choose restraint in the Stanley Cup playoffs rather than try and hurt the opposing team’s best player. In this approach, we would look to see if a person is a repeat offender, as it shows the player is more dangerous to the league as a whole and it may make the league safer to have him out longer.

If rather, you are suspending a player someone because want to punish them for their choice to break the rules, then the league has a duty to suspend the player, as he is gaining benefits of playing in the league and is not following the restraints. For this approach, the punishment must fit the infraction (as that is why we are suspending the person) and the fact that one person is a repeat offender doesn’t matter for the punishment.

Now, notice for either approach nowhere do we look at the injury of the other player in determining punishment. It simply doesn’t make sense in either approach taken. If two players commit the identical act, why should one be punished while the other not simply because of how the other reacts? A hit from behind is a hit from behind. The fact that one player managed to put his hand up to protect himself from injury, while the other player didn’t causing a major injury isn’t related at all to the offending players’ actions. The one approach wants to deter the act. The other approach to punishment wants to punish the act. Nowhere do we look at the harm the act actually caused through fluke, but we should rather look at the act generally to see what harm the act potentially or usually would cause and apply punishment based on that idea. Otherwise, varying punishments will prevail for identical incidents.

Fourth, set up standard punishments for each infraction. This is an extension of the second step. For example, maybe have deferent levels of checking from behind. Maybe a normal check from behind that otherwise would be legal is a one game suspension. Maybe a check from behind that would be a charge is a two game suspension. A check that is a charge with intent to injure (which would be decided upon in the next step) would be a 10 game suspension. And so on and so forth. If deterrence is the main point of punishment, then figure out how a system to apply repeat offenders (maybe something like 2x the punishment or something) Again, just throwing random numbers out there as examples. Hell set up like the criminal law system in degrees. The first example would be checking from behind in the 4th degree. The second one would be in the third degree. Simply do something so it doesn’t look like you are picking numbers from a hat. The NHL has lost its right to use discretion.

Of course, the amount of suspension should be applied to the offense using whatever theory chosen from above. So if deterrence was the point, maybe a one game suspension would be enough to deter players from checking from behind. Maybe not. But the league would have to do its best figure it the right amounts for each offense and have that offense on the book.

Fifth, apply the charge to the offending player using a committee. Basically, the first step is to take away one person’s arbitrary power to assign suspensions around the league. The league could create a five person committee, comprised of whomever (though maybe allowing the NHLPA to chose two or three members would make sense to foster a cooperative relationship) to decide which offense (and degree) applies to the player charged. I would argue for a majority rules sort of decision and a simple explanation from each committee member released to the public for their choice, stating why they felt each element of the offense was either met or not met. This would give a little accountability for decisions. Again, it cannot be stated enough that the injury should not affect the committee’s decision. So there, Gary, is a way you can return a little respectability and maybe order to the NHL’s discipline policy. Because, right now, anything is better (though admittedly not funnier) than what you have going right now.

Suggestions and issues with my plan are totally welcome.  Gary, if you are listening, feel free to leave a comment in the comment box.

Anyways couple of other topics I might have coming up, depending on time, are callouts of: Puck Daddy and The Hockey Media in General, KuklasKorner (not much of one, don't worry), Bertuzzi Haters, Humor Magazines, and Chicago, the entire damn city.

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.