Red Wings Rant - 4/1/2019

Another day, another Red Wings victory.

I didn’t think I’d be using a phrase like that the remainder of the season, but here we are! 7-1 in their last 8 has Detroit flirting with the idea of, oh yeah that’s right, nothing. It’s hard because instinct says cheer but logic says “TANK IT UP!” Did I love seeing Dylan Larkin get to 70 points? Duh. The sense of joy seeing the captain, I mean future captain, of the proud Hockeytown franchise reach that milestone in points was amazing. After sitting a few games of the last couple weeks, it was in doubt whether or not Larkin would even play the rest of the season, let alone score 30 goals. This guy is the heart & soul of a franchise in desperate need of some sense of hope. Despite what some around the league may think, this guy is a bonafide, number-1 center. Think Patrice Bergeron. Larkin’s is not the only season that’s been impressive in this recent stretch.

Between Taro Hirose, Tyler Bertuzzi, Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou I’m not sure who’s sweater I’d rather have right now. Alright, the real answer is Tyler Bertuzzi. I’m going to say it right now, I love him. Probably more than I should, but the guy is freakin’ great. It may be an unpopular thing for a life long Red Wings fan to say this, but I really hope that he’s a direct clone of Brad Marchand. 93 points and counting, the guy has most certainly overachieved based on his 71st overall selection in 2006. Lil’ Bert has already banked 19 goals and 25 assists this year, his first full season in the NHL, and with a bit of help and hard work, he could be a 50+ point guy for years to come. And GOD does Detroit need anything good to cheer about after this season.

Which brings us back to the other face of my conflicted fandom coin; WHY THE FUCK ARE WE WINNING!? This little heater has thrust the club up the standings, which is not a good thing for bad teams to do down the stretch. Detroit has moved from 3rd to 5th in the odds to win the draft lottery to draft 1st overall. Despite the fact that odds are just that, odds, it still helps to have as good a chance as possible. There in lies the rub, as some might say. I want to see my team do well and lose simultaneously. It blows. Maybe some day there will be things in sports that make sense. Maybe. I’m gonna go back to flipping that fan emotion coin until then.

Red Wings Rant - 3/11/2019

It is with heavy heart that I write to let you know that the Detroit Red Wings season is over… Oh you already knew that? Well with most things in this blog, I’m late to the party. More specifically: Filip Zadina’s first seven games in the NHL.

The course of this “rebuild-on-the-fly” has caused me to question a lot.

Does it work?

Are we ever going to be good again?

When does football start back?

None of those compares to, “why did Zadina slip and is he a bust?” The AHL is tough to get highlights of, therefore I’ve spent the entirety of this season relying on others for my updates on the kid. I hate that! I have an itch; to be able to watch someone and get a feel for what they can and can’t do.

That itch was scratched on February 24, and he is as advertised. Despite only having two points through his 7 games, Lil Z has been multifaceted. He’s silky, smart and hardworking. But the thing that’s impressed me the most is his ability to transition the puck. Typically with young players, they rely on pure, straight line speed to get the transition game going. With Zadina, there is an additional element, an understanding, which is astonishing. It’s eerily similar to Nikolaj Ehlers. I don’t know any zone entry stats to say whether this is true or not, but the kid has IT. I was scared for a while thinking he might not, but I’ve been proven wrong.

Filip Zadina is the best thing that happened to the Detroit Red Wings organization in 2018. Let’s hope this isn’t not the only year we can say that about him.

Red Wings Rant - 1/30/2019

The holidays have come and gone, though the pounds remained. A great allegory for the gents with the Winged Wheel on their chest.

Finally, Detroit is exactly where everyone thought they’d be: the bottom. Alright, maybe there are a few teams below them, but in general they’ve sank to exactly where the roster projected to be. With only 7 games played since the All-Star break, the Red Wings are tied with Chicago and New Jersey for 3rd best odds in the 2019 Draft Lottery. They trail Los Angles (44 pts) and Ottawa, I mean Colorado, (43 pts).

Quick side note, FUCK THE SENS! Alright, now that I’ve got that out of my system…

With the “Jackin’ Off in the Corner for Jack” in full effect, everyone should keep this number in mind: 18.5. That’s the best possible odds for drafting number 1. Yes, it’s the best odds possible, but it’s certainly not a guarantee. That’s why this slightly pudgy Wings lover has shifted focus. Not from the games the red and white play, but to the guys not named Jack Hughes.

With every passing game each prospect plays, the question of who’s #2 gets more difficult to answer. Right now, most have Kaapo Kakko as that guy; hell some even argue he should go first. Though I would have to agree, I don’t know if that will continue to the end. The man, and I do emphasize MAN, who has stolen my heart is Kirby Dach.

I will admit, I’ve not seen a lot of Vasili Podkolzin or Dylan Cozens. That still doesn’t mean that Dach isn’t a beast. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted from a forward: big rig with soft hands. IQ that jumps off the charts and the give a fuck to pursue the puck when it’s not on his stick. Even though he towers over his peers the junior level, this shouldn’t detract from him as a prospect. On the contrary, he is exactly what the NHL is deficient in right now; big body bad boys.

Despite that terrible alliteration, the point still remains, market inefficiencies are opportunities. And skilled big men are the inefficiency, therefore I’d be ecstatic to see Kirby on the stage with Kenny in Vancouver.