Jeremy Laura: Wings face Avalanche in continued pursuit of post season

Lemuix is a @**&*##

Ras has always come across as a humble individual.... I expect he has a mark in this game as a nod to the organization...... and as we have seen when his line is on the team follows suit.....

The NHL had a serious chance to become a mainstream sport in the '90s. DET v AVS was an EPIC clash of titanic proportions. Teams laden with talent and bruisers looking for their next victim. Blood was a reward for fierce play......truly, Gladiators roamed the coliseum. It was, simply, the best of times. The Wings set a pace few could match, brought in monumental line-ups without regard for cost. Vladdy was crushing those who dared get in his path to glory. I cannot lie, Vladdy was the best there was in my eyes. He could pass, skated like the wind, incredible shot, hit like a freight-train....he literally struck fear in the hearts of opponents. He was a beast. And his drive to survive has kept me going through some very trying times.........He DESERVES to be in the Hall. Just my opinion, I know many will disagree.

Tonight's tilt won't be like what we remember. Hockey has gone soft in some ways, but thankfully there's a focus on head injuries. If DRW can pull this one off, I think the pathway to the SCPO gets a bit easier to navigate. These guys are good, y'all. Yeah, there are a few gaps, some guys who maybe need to move on to greener pastures. But this team has the core of a good team. The Captain has done an incredible job of forming a nucleus of talent surrounded by a smartering of pros who've lelvated their game. This is one I will watch, for sure.....wondering what might have been if not for that horrible night.

We've GOT to get points, for sure. I feel good about this run. Go get 'em, lads. This is the time to line up a legacy.......

Hey Mike...I think the NHL made a ton of mistakes in the 90s and into the 2000s. They did not want Detroit or Colorado to be the top dogs of the NHL. They were really pushing NYC, CHI and LA as the sport's largest markets. They hated the fact that Detroit trademarked Hockeytown.

The NHL kept trying new gimmicks like neutral site games to try to grow the fanbase. I'll never forget the empty arenas when they played in Hamilton and Minneapolis. Do you remember when they temporarily repealed the mandatory helmet rule in the early 90s, hoping the players would become more recognizable to the fans? I don't remember exactly, but only a handful of players took their helmets off and one of them had it back on in no time. Then there was the glow puck. I actually liked the concept but the rollout of it was a disaster. It felt more like watching a video game. I think with modern technology, they could make the puck easier to see for new fans, while not having it look gimmicky.

For me though, the biggest mistake the NHL made was thinking the game would naturally grow if scoring increased. They believed soccer hadn't captivated viewing audiences in the US due to low scoring. This resulted in a comical change in penalties being called each game for the most minor infractions. Coaches responded by building teams to make 5v5 a stalemate, building lock-down systems for the SH situations and trying to get W's on the PP. Worse, Bettman believed (and probably still does) that physical play and fighting is keeping the game from growing. He's been to a crap ton of games, but apparently hasn't noticed how insane the crowd gets after big hits and especially during fights. It seems to me that the NHL was willing to drive away their fanbase, hoping to replace them with a new and even larger fanbase that wanted soccer on ice.

Today, they are making a monumental mistake of not promoting their stars anywhere near as much as they should. The world should know the names McDavid, Matthews, Makar, etc., but the truth is, only hockey fans know those names. I would bet that more non-hockey people know the name Bedard than do McDavid, because he was in the news so much over the past year. The NHL needs to fire all their marketing people and start fresh.

Thanks for the old rivalry memories. That stuff never gets old. That’s when I became more than a fan… it became personal at that point, forward.

Thanks for the old rivalry memories. That stuff never gets old. That’s when I became more than a fan… it became personal at that point, forward.
- NC_Scott

Yeah, it actually caused family fights (have some in Colorado that still won’t let it go).

I want to go back. Dallas is pretty disgusting but... it's just not the same. Come back to the West and be the bad guys again.

I want to go back. Dallas is pretty disgusting but... it's just not the same. Come back to the West and be the bad guys again.
- ddMoose

I’ve had this conversation with my friend. He really missed the West. My biggest issue is game time starts. Being in the east is way easier. But, I don’t think we’ll ever see so much energy like we did in those days.

Management showed some of those game clips to the younger players a couple years back and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was chaos and we loved it!

Per Daily Faceoff... LaLonde has really shaken up the forward lines tonight. Not a fan of them either.

Rasmussen - Larkin - Kane
DeBrincat - Compher - Raymond
Perron - Copp - Veleno
Fabbri - Fischer - Sprong

Putting Rasmussen on the top line is plain dumb. Equivalent of when Babcock put Abdelkader on the top line with Datsyuk and/or Zetterberg. Rasmussen is most effective playing wing in the bottom 6. He's not a finisher. Perron needs to be in the top 6. Lyon in net tonight.

Wings are gonna have their hands full... it will be a good test for them though. Colorado's puck retrieval behind the other team's net is pretty impressive. Lyon is gonna have to stand on his head tonight to give the boys a chance to win.

I’ve had this conversation with my friend. He really missed the West. My biggest issue is game time starts. Being in the east is way easier. But, I don’t think we’ll ever see so much energy like we did in those days.

Management showed some of those game clips to the younger players a couple years back and they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was chaos and we loved it!
- Jeremy Laura

What does he miss about the west? I can understand about game time starts; I'm EST but I don't mind that much, I'm a nightowl anyhow. Unfortunately the rivalry had been cooling for a long time before the Wings even left the West anyhow, but couldn't hockey use a rivalry like they used to have, no matter which teams?

I was a teenager back in those days and to me it's kind of what hockey IS. The level of intensity, the vitriol, the fighting, that's hockey. The awesome talent of the players isn't so bad either.

I want to go back. Dallas is pretty disgusting but... it's just not the same. Come back to the West and be the bad guys again.
- ddMoose

No thanks, but you can come to the East if you want it that badly.

What a banger of a game!! I listened to it, of course. After several years of extolling the virtues of LArkin, can we now agree that he is a solid 1C? When he got a supporting cast that could carry the mail, he's exploded. The Cat & Kane have opened lanes for Larkin, teams have to acofemale genitalia for several guys thus cannot focus solely on Larkin; that was keeping his game in check for the most part. Now....this kid's legit. Heard some discussion a couple of weeks ago on Chicklets podcast about DRW; Bis was pretty impressed overall about how far this team's come and mentioned how Larkin is someone to fear and continually account for.......

GREAT GAME!!!!!

Hey Mike...I think the NHL made a ton of mistakes in the 90s and into the 2000s. They did not want Detroit or Colorado to be the top dogs of the NHL. They were really pushing NYC, CHI and LA as the sport's largest markets. They hated the fact that Detroit trademarked Hockeytown.

The NHL kept trying new gimmicks like neutral site games to try to grow the fanbase. I'll never forget the empty arenas when they played in Hamilton and Minneapolis. Do you remember when they temporarily repealed the mandatory helmet rule in the early 90s, hoping the players would become more recognizable to the fans? I don't remember exactly, but only a handful of players took their helmets off and one of them had it back on in no time. Then there was the glow puck. I actually liked the concept but the rollout of it was a disaster. It felt more like watching a video game. I think with modern technology, they could make the puck easier to see for new fans, while not having it look gimmicky.

For me though, the biggest mistake the NHL made was thinking the game would naturally grow if scoring increased. They believed soccer hadn't captivated viewing audiences in the US due to low scoring. This resulted in a comical change in penalties being called each game for the most minor infractions. Coaches responded by building teams to make 5v5 a stalemate, building lock-down systems for the SH situations and trying to get W's on the PP. Worse, Bettman believed (and probably still does) that physical play and fighting is keeping the game from growing. He's been to a crap ton of games, but apparently hasn't noticed how insane the crowd gets after big hits and especially during fights. It seems to me that the NHL was willing to drive away their fanbase, hoping to replace them with a new and even larger fanbase that wanted soccer on ice.

Today, they are making a monumental mistake of not promoting their stars anywhere near as much as they should. The world should know the names McDavid, Matthews, Makar, etc., but the truth is, only hockey fans know those names. I would bet that more non-hockey people know the name Bedard than do McDavid, because he was in the news so much over the past year. The NHL needs to fire all their marketing people and start fresh.
- bluelineenforcer

Howdy, Blue! Sorry it took so long to reply...Listen, I think you hit the nail squarely on the head above. It's natural to want to grow a product, no sense in NOT wanting to. But where the NHL failed even more deeply is in working with kids, sponsoring tournaments/teams, etc... This game is hella expensive. Parents shell out huge $$ in gear, rink fees, travel (hotels, food, gas....), etc... MY daughter is a champion Irish dancer; we travel to TX for comps, comps in neighboring states, etc... I can attest to how expensive Irish dance is, hockey is about the same (custom Irish dance dress = $3k, hockey gear = $2-$3k, gas, travel, hotels....). If the NHL TRULY wanted to "grow the game"; they'd find a way to help Families off-set those costs. In addition, I agree; the league didn't want the AVS-DRW rivalry to place a dark-spot on the game (goalies duking it out at center ice??? THE SHAME!!!). Bullship; let them go, within reason of course (head shots, etc...).

But this goes back to, I think, ho Bettman has been so ardently against the Wings ("lottery" results, letting a team in the SCPO get the #1 draft pick vs a team (let's say.....oh, I dunno....DETROIT) not in the SCPO get it, etc... The NHL is a bad-news story evidenced by ARI, OTT's burgeoning debt, an so forth. This game is one of the most-physically demanding there is along with rugby (I played both, not pro or anything but I played....). Accentuating the grace, the sheer power, the physicality, the grit to play... Instead, we bail out loser organizations that can barely fill a 5k seat arena and spread the "Winter Classic" and out-door games across screens like butter over toast. Yeah, this league is a pratfall of errors, the Three Stooges of sports, they can't even mete out equal discipline. Embarrassing......

What a game last night! I watched it after, knowing it was 1-1 in OT when I put it on. Of course a friend texted me after a little bit, but I had a feeling we’d have an OT winner. I loved how Larkin deferred to Kane on that winning play, as opposed to the other way around. Sometimes I see Larkin trying to do too much, and it’s so nice to see him play with some legit finishers.

So happy to see this win. It’s still very meaningful. I’m sure Larkin knows this best as a DRW fan growing up. Now he is leading the charge with some guns. Man, DeBrincat is a threat. So many posts hit. He could have easily had 2 goals last night, given an inch.

What a game last night! I watched it after, knowing it was 1-1 in OT when I put it on. Of course a friend texted me after a little bit, but I had a feeling we’d have an OT winner. I loved how Larkin deferred to Kane on that winning play, as opposed to the other way around. Sometimes I see Larkin trying to do too much, and it’s so nice to see him play with some legit finishers.

So happy to see this win. It’s still very meaningful. I’m sure Larkin knows this best as a DRW fan growing up. Now he is leading the charge with some guns. Man, DeBrincat is a threat. So many posts hit. He could have easily had 2 goals last night, given an inch.
- NC_Scott

I recorded it, will watch all the televised missed games next weekend...bingin' the Wings!!! I did listen tot he game, however. And I got a chance to watch the GWG in OT.

I go back to what I said earlier; Larking is quickly becoming (if he hasn't already) a LEGIT #1C. He leads this team, make no mistake. Now that he has others around him to take off the pressure from opposing teams, expect even better things from him. Kane & The Cat give opponents a couple of other options on which to focus, but then throw in Sprong (could've had a couple himself last night...), Petry's boomer slap-shot, Perron's devastating drive, Ras's bull-work around the net....Detroit's getting loaded with potential scorers. When Eddy, Mazur (I am NOT going to be surprised to see him on the ON roster in October...), and a few others announce their presence, Detroit's going to be a hard out......and I seriously think, even if we don't make the SCPO this year, the gauntlet's been laid......and it's starting to run straight through Hockeytown.