Oh Captain, My Captain

RED WINGS VS DUCKS

We did it for the captain.

Steve Yzerman has been the Red Wings captain since the year I was born. Up until this year I have never known my team (and they are my team, as much as I love Toronto, as much as I love Edmonton, I live in Hockeytown, and they are my team, and he is my captain) under anyone but Stevie Y.

We were hopefully going to have tickets to this game, but it didn't end up happening, so I watched the ceremony on FSN and the game on CBC. The ceremony was nearly two hours long, but it was two hours well worth it. It's still almost hard to believe he's finally retired.

For anyone who didn't see it--I can't get over bringing in Sid Abel's grandson and Terry Sawchuk's son, and then obviously Lindsey and Delvecchio and Howe, and Konstantinov... And then all those coaches and former players and the current roster in uniforms from all of his former teams (Jiri in a Petersborough Petes jersey was absolutely adorable, too). And Stevie refusing to even talk about himself and spending nearly the whole time on Scotty Bowman and his teammates was so typical. The guy is just such a class act, more than any other hockey player I can think of, and what an amazing way to honor him.

WINGS VS DUCKS 2-1 WIN

20 seconds into the game, holy fuck Hasek is crazy. And Ilya is in net for the Ducks! I've missed him.

4 minutes in Hasek makes ANOTHER insane save. Seriously he just laid down on it, on his back, and let Samuelsson knock Ducks away.

The Wings aren't looking bad tonight, but they seem to be having some issues completing passes--no one seems to be taking them all that well. Hopefully this is just because they're a little cold after waiting so long through the ceremony. They got through the first ten minutes fine and got themselves a pp, but they really need to work on actually getting some plays completed.

One of the Wings just yelled out Shannon's name, and Shannon rewarded him by passing him the puck. Maybe we should try this more often (or maybe Shannon should learn his teammates' voices).

Bryzgalov pulled off a nice save--the guy's so big that he can sometimes nab some pucks he has no business stopping, and this was definitely one of those.

This has officially been the most boring period of hockey I've seen all year. It's like watching Devils hockey. With about sixteen seconds left in the period Dom makes another awesome save to wake us all up, and then it's over.

In the second period we decided to start playing some Toronto style hockey. AKA taking a stupid amount of penalties. Other than that, though, and the two goals, not a whole lot happened yet again. At least it was more interesting to watch.

I really really liked seeing Getzlaf take all those penalties.

Nice Zetterberg goal. Poor Ilya though, I really like him. I'll cheer for him Saturday in Columbus.

There were approximately zero actually good Detroit shots on net for 90% of the third period, and Ilya stopped everything really easily in typical stoic Russian fashion. I started really hoping the game was not going to revert to period one, but it was at least still a little more interesting than that. Eventually we pull off a nice second and then we just have to hold it for the rest of the game.

Around 10 minutes left the Wings go back to very boring bat it around a bit, dump the puck, change the lines, lather, rinse, repeat. But hey, they have the lead, why not. Samuelsson does eventually get a nice shot off but somehow Ilya stops it.

Valtteri Filppula has been playing some really nice hockey lately. I'd like to see him back with Hudler (of course I'd always like some more Hudler, but really). I miss Kopecky.

And victory! Good to see them win it for Yzerman, especially against the Ducks, who we now move within seven points of. The Wings are out to prove that there's no reason any of us should expect any less of them this season even without Yzerman--and what a night to do it.

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In other news, Hemmer tearing it up out there with a goal and Pisani, Torres, and finally Smytty as well to make it 4-1. Apparently they do better when I don't watch, but thank god, a victory at last.