Hockey is Finally Back

The clock continues to tick the moments by, and the realization that every second that passes carries the arrival for of four A.M. even closer make each one seem wasted. Common sense tells me I should be sleeping, but that’s simply not an option. I no longer experience these nights with any reliable frequency. Stability and happiness can have that affect, and I much prefer my current state, but I will admit that I sometimes miss these nights. I’m unsure if it’s from a genuine longing or pure nostalgia, but the desire is there. Granted, this insomnia is generally the result of what I perceive to be justifiable apprehension in preparation for a presumptive devastating catastrophe related to a girl that is unknowingly causing me such distress. But, tonight, well, this is entirely different. Tonight I am not plagued with worry, regret or sadness, but excitement. Only 15 hours separates the present from the future that I’ve been waiting for since June 5th. At 7:30 tonight rubber will meet ice and the hockey season will have begun. Arguably the season started on Saturday, considering the first regular season game was played that afternoon, and three more games have been played since, but for me the season doesn’t really start until the first Detroit Red Wings game has started. In addition, the four games that have been played thus far were played in fucking Europe, a fact even more tenable to uphold that the season hasn’t really begun. I am the proverbial schoolgirl, having recently attained the knowledge that my genitals are capable of achieving complete control over the opposite sex and giddy with anticipation of the consequent enjoyment that I’ll receive from causing havoc by practicing this dominion.

Okay, maybe women aren’t as evil as I’ve been known to say. And, in addition to being false, maybe that isn’t a great analogy, either. Give me a break, it’s late.

With sleep out of the question, I’ve chosen to attempt to extract entertainment from television, a difficult enough task at a reasonable hour and nearly indomitable now. Thankfully I don’t require much reliance on it at the moment, as my mind is crowded with thoughts that demand contemplation. The new season offers many questions. Will the acquisition of Marian Hossa prove to be as beneficial as expected? He’s a great player, there’s no denying it, but where will he be best placed? During pre-season he was placed on a line along with Datstuk and Holmstrom while Zetterberg was moved to the “second” line along with Franzen and Hudler. Personally, I disagree with the decision to split Pav and Hank, known collectively as the “Euro Twins.” The two have developed a playing style that is seemingly dependent on their pairing at times. They individually do things that I don’t think would be possible if not for the other one being on the ice. They have an inexplicable awareness of each other at all times. They are, without being aware of it, the strongest argument for the existence of extrasensory perception that I’m aware of. I’m curious how much Babcock will demand of Hossa on that line. If he holds him to the same expectations that he had of Zetterberg, then I fear that Hossa will be ground to dust under the pure weight of it all. I’m also unsure of Hudler’s promotion to the second line. I’ve got nothing against him, but I think there are a couple other players that have proven themselves more worthy. I think after some further development that both Hudler and Valterri Filppula could be solid material for a second line, but right now I think Dan Cleary is much more deserving of the position. He’s shown tremendous dedication and he’s played on the top line in the past so he’s more familiar with the pressure associated. Of course, this could all change at any time…

For the first time in recent memory, the goaltending situation actually seems to be almost entirely decided before the season is starting. Chris Osgood will be starting with Ty Conklin acting as backup. It’s good to see Osgood finally being given this opportunity after consistently performing so well throughout his time here in Detroit, especially during the playoffs last season when he took over for Hasek in the first round and was solely responsible for the position after that. I’m sure Conklin will be playing a fair amount of the games during the season, perhaps 10 – 20, but I’m excited to see how well Osgood can do with an entire season as a starter.

Defense continues to essentially be a non-issue. Every defenseman we had last year has returned for this season, which has actually created the advantageous problem of having an abundance of qualified candidates. There are several of our prospects that appear to be ready to make the jump to the NHL from the minor leagues, but there simply isn’t room for them. Meech proved last season that he was capable of holding his own in the league, and I’ve heard that Jonathan Ericsson will almost definitely be added to the roster for next season. Although he’ll be out for a month and a half or so, Chris Chelios is returning for a remarkable 25th season, although he’s not likely to log a lot of playing time. Lebda will be back, and hopefully will improve on his performance from last season. For better or worse (almost certainly for worse…), Andreas Lilja will be back to haunt us for at least another two years. We were fortunate enough to hang onto Brad Stuart, who will remain paired with Niklas Kronwall, which proved to be a very effective combination in the playoffs. And then, of course, there is The Defense Pair. If I didn’t know any better, I’d probably feel bad for Brian Rafalski. He’s an outstanding defenseman, and on almost any other team, he would be the defenseman, but instead his talent is dwarfed by the mere idea of The New Captain. But I’m fairly positive that any potential lack of recognition is being more than compensated for by the fact that he has been deemed worthy of playing alongside the man known as The Perfect Human. I’m speaking, of course, of Nicklas Lidstrom. He will be gracing our team in his third year as captain. There’s little that needs to be said of the man. He is almost unquestionably the best defenseman of his era, and arguably the best of all time. And yet, he still seems to be underrated by some. Based strictly on numbers, he is impressive, but to truly appreciate what he’s capable you have to really see him play and study him. At first, some of his decisions seem almost inexplicable. He appears to be out of position, but somehow the puck always comes right to him in a spot where no one ever expected it to go. The first couple times that you notice this you’re prone to simply write it off to pure chance, but after he repeatedly accomplishes this every game, you’re forced to rationalize it some other way. He demonstrates almost impeccable prescience with a consistency that most people would not fathom possible. But he does not execute his unique style of play in a way that would ever draw attention to him. He is subtle in everything he does. He rarely ever hits anyone, and he gets hit just about as often. You won’t often catch him in a situation where he’s forced to rush back. He plays the most minutes of anyone on the team and, almost, more than anyone in the entire league, but also manages to spend barely any time in the penalty box. His approach to leadership can be likened to how he plays; he does not rely on spectacle, but subtlety. The logic is simple. Every game he plays more minutes than any other player, and he outperforms every other player, but he never draws attention to it. He doesn’t brag, he doesn’t complain, he doesn’t make excuses. And if he doesn’t then no one can. Ironically, his humility is one of the things often bragged about by other people.

Ehem… well, I said that there isn’t much that needs to be said about him, but there’s certainly plenty that can be said about him. I have the tendency of going on for much longer than I expect to when I get on the topic of Lidstrom.

I was planning on writing on a variety of other topics tonight, but it’s getting rather late, there’s absolutely nothing good to watch on television, and I’ve already gone on for longer than I probably should have. There will likely be further updates in the very near future.

we walk together forever