Post #1

Good day all,

I decided to start this blog for a few different reasons

1) Wings game just ended and there's no other game on (there would be tons of games on if WOW carried NHL Center Ice, but thats a whole different story)
2) I like to talk about hockey but usually can't find many that know what the hell is going on in the league, mainly because of the declining popularity (even here in "Hockeytown")
3) I'm really digging deep to find something to do

So anyway.....here's some of my hockey interest background and where I stand on teams and such

- I'm a pretty hardcore Detroit Red Wings fan, although my intensity in rooting for them declined a little bit following the 2002 cup. It's gaining again, especially after they were an Andres Lilja terrible-f***ing turnover away from going up 3-2 in the Western Finals last year, but it's not the same as it was back then. I think I kind of peaked as a fan at that time because I didn't think it could get any better. It was really the dream season and playoff run... I mean, they had a team full of superstars that all gave up time for each other and it just worked perfectly; they came back from being down 0-2 in the first round and won games 3-4 in Vancouver; they chased the then-hated Avalanche and Patrick Roy out of town in Game 7 of the Western Finals and shut down Carolina in the Stanley Cup finals. However, I am excited about the emergence of some of the players around the stars and how last year's playoff experience will help them evolve this season.

- I love college hockey as much as the NHL. My team is Michigan, and there is NO BETTER place to watch a game than at the age-old Yost Ice Arena.

- I have every single Stanley Cup Finals game on tape all the way back to Colorado-Florida 1996, and several 1st, 2nd and 3rd Round games. I also have highlight tapes off all goals/good fights from Red Wings wins or ties all the way back to 1996

- Teams I dislike are tough to call in the NHL........... I used to hate the Avs back when the teams hated each other, but that's all but dead. The only time I hear about them is when my roommate, who's an Avs fan, watches or talks about them and reminds me they exist. I can't stand Predator fans after going to a game down in Nashville and having snowballs thrown at me by their fans for wearing a Wings jersey, but the Wings knocked them out in the first round that year......I guess that leaves Chicago and St. Louis, mainly because they always chant "Detroit Sucks" at their games and that's all they have to show for it....Chicago hasn't made the playoffs since the fall of the Berlin wall (they probably will this year though) and the Wings have knocked out St.Louis in their last 26 playoff meetings

As for college, I naturally hate Michigan State, and it makes me sick that they came out of nowhere to win the National Championship after getting hot late. I personally think college hockey should have at least best of three playoff series in the NCAA tournament because of the nature of the sport

So that's a little bit of intro.....feel free to comment, talk shit if you hate the wings/michigan, and whatever else

-Dan