ANother win for the Wings.

Good start for Detroit after the Olympic break, winning three of their four games. All of the wins were against teams the Red Wings are chasing in the standings (Colorado, Nashville, Chicago.) They are big momentum builders, confidence builders, and point builders. The Wings are one point behind Nashville for the 7th spot and now three points up on Calgary for the 8th spot in the West.

The Red Wings playoff push is off to a big start. The Wings are now fully healthy and throwing out there the best line-ups they've had all season. The returns of Holmstrom and Franzen will make a huge difference this year, especially Franzen. The Wings have clearly missed Franzen's all around ability to just put the puck into the net. He's a big body, hard to take off the puck, and excellent at getting to the net. Add that to his wicked snap shot, and you have a goal scorer on your hands that other teams must always watch out for. He also takes the pressure off Pavel and Hank. Those two were relied on all season for all the offense. Now with Franzen, the Wings can separate Pavel and Hank, which will then in turn provide a more well rounded scoring assault.

The next game is one of the biggest games all year for the Wings. This could change the entire course of the season. The Wings take on Calgary tuesday. Obviously this game is important. If Detroit wins, they move up five points, if they lose, the lead drops down to only one. My official prediction: Calgary's trade moves have left their team with plenty of players, but not performers. They picked up a handful of Leafs for Deon Phanuff. I'll take Deon over the Leafs any day. And to make matters worse, Calgary has to play the red hot Red Wings. I'll take Detroit 4-2 in this important March matchup.

HEY HEY HOCKEYTOWN!

Short Vid

Well I have a video for you children, it's ME at the Breslin. I wanted to talk about how great rivalries are... but this game just stunk. But I love rivalries in general. They bring the best out of each other. Nothing better than Michigan Ohio State or Michigan Michigan State.

Lions Make Splash

So NFL free agency started yesterday at Midnight, and the Lions wasted no time in making moves. The Lions signed Defensive End Kyle Vanden Bosch to a 4-year $26 million, wide-receiver Nate Burleson to a 5-year $25 million deal, and traded for Browns defensive tackle for a mid-round draft pick. They also received the Browns 7th rounder.

I like the moves, I think it shows us, the fans, that they are taking strides in the right direction, for the first time in about... ten years. Probably longer than that... anyways I approve. I think both Williams and Vanden Bosch bolster a less than stellar D-line that needs significant improvement. Burleson gives Detroit a wide receiver to throw to not named Calvin Johnson. Plus, unlike Roy Williams, Burleson is not a head case and does not need the ball thrown at him every play. He's the perfect number two for Detroit if he stays healthy.

Now are they suddenly a good team? Absolutely not. They have a long way to go. They need secondary help, like some corners that can actually cover, linebackers, they need to bring Foote back someway somehow. But most of all, they need guards. They have the worst guards in the NFL. They need guards more than tackles for sure. O-line is dismal, but the guards are the first area to address.

The Lions are the closest they've been to success since the days of Barry. With another draft like last years, they could be good by next (2011) season. I really like the direction of the organization now that Millen is gone. I think Lions fans will be rewarded soon with a .500 season... let's not get crazy though.

MSU holds off Penn State.

Michigan State took on Talor Battle... oh and the rest of Penn State actually showed up for once. It was a very exciting game, and little ol Penn State fought their heart out, but it just wasn't enough. But it was surprising how close it was. It was one of those games where you have no idea it's close until you look up at the score board and say "Holy Crap, it's only a three point game." But let's get a recap shall we?

First half was pretty even, MSU had the better half and led going into the locker room. Nothing really of note happened, Lucas threw a beautiful alley-oop (how the hell do ya spell it?) pass to Durrell Summers that got the Izzone going. But other than that... it was a straight forward half. Austin Thorton scored... that was awesome.

Second half was exciting... mostly because it wasn't a blow out yet. Penn State was able to silently rally to get the lead. They led pretty late in the game, but State wasn't about to lose to Penn State. State promptly took the lead back 62-60, eventually winning 67-65, but it was interesting. Draymond got a steal, then provided a nice outlet pass to Raymar Morgan, who got foulded going for the lay-up. He nailed both free throws to go up four with about 13 seconds left. Penn State quickly goes down and makes a three (not Battle, believe it.) Lucas is intentionally fouled with about 6 seconds left. He makes the first, misses the second, but good defensive pressure prevented Battle from getting anywhere, and he couldn't get the half court heave off in time. He missed it anyways.

But I would like to make a point here, yes it was a nice win, yes Kebler played and I went nuts. But we over looked Penn State. It was evident, it shouldn't have been close. MSU has to avoid this in the future if it wants to take care of business when it counts. Or heck, even Sunday MSU has to avoid that. MSU has rival Michigan in town, and you can never over look a rival, no matter how bad they are. But good win for the Spartans, needed to win to stay in the hunt for the Big Ten regular season title.

To keep up with him

*Ignore the Kansas City... but I thought that looked cool when I did the ol google search

Okay I've been slacking. I think I can just beat my rival in a month and just slack off, well it just doesn't work that way. I gotta get focused. Well I am about to blog the crap out of Friday, I want at least three posts today. I might do four... we'll. But I swear upon thee I shall beat him in 2010. Well here's post numero uno of the day... Enjoy

So yesterday, Riley, Matt, and I were discussing what we would do if we won the lottery. Well Riley would mount a giraffe and Matt would own an absurd amount of cars. Me... I would buy a private jet, a nice American car, season tickets to the Wings... then I don't know what. But it did make me think... what if I was absurdly rich? Not from the lotto, but from my career. I have some Donald Trump like success and I have too much money. Well I decided I would buy a hockey team. I would like to be the 51% owner of a hockey team. Not the Red Wings, I want a crappy team with no fan base. WHy? So I can bring back THE WHALE. Well that is if I could acquire the rights to the Whaler logo from Hartford. If not, I would probably move the team to Wisconsin. Milwaukee being the most likely destination. The Milwaukee Blades. That's what I'm thinking. Sounds good right?

I would buy the Florida Panthers, get rid of that dismal franchise. Why do they get a hockey team? I have no idea. But they would be the team to buy. Well there's a list of teams I would buy, whatever one is for sale the cheapest. Atlanta, Florida, Nashville, Tampa, we went over this before... But I would buy that team and move them It boggles me that Florida has two teams and a northern state like Wisconsin doesn't have one.

Well why do I make such a ridiculous post? Is it because I'm trailing my rival by two? Yes. But I also want to maybe get some feedback for once... So I pose a question to the reading audience. What sport would you buy a team in? Why? Where are you going to have them play? Give me some feedback. Leave a comment here, or on facebook, I don't care. What sport would you ideally own a team in?

Trade Deadline Assessment:

Well the NHL trade deadline has gone and passed, but no real big moves. The Wings made one deal, Kyle Newberry for Jordan Owens. Minor leaguer for minor leaguer, nothing big, Which I am disappointed but not surprised at. But there were deals made, and I am going to assess the winners and losers of the deadline.

Winners:
Colorado Avalanche. They made what I thought was the best and biggest deal of the day. They sent Wolski to Phoenix for Porter and Mueller. I love this deal for Colorado. Wolski is good, but so is Mueller, and Porter has the potential of a very good player. He won the Hobey Baker in his college days at Michigan. Good deal for the Avalanche

Toronto Maple Leafs. They got rid of so many players. The days leading up to the deadline and at the deadline, they dumped a lot of players. How can a seller be a winner? When they are as bad as the Leaf. They accumulated picks and prospects and with a young core with Phaneuf and Phil Kessel, the Leaf are a few years away from being good. But it's coming, so no worries Leaf fans (Matt I'm talking to you) the woes of losing are coming to an end soon.

Washington Capitals. The big winner of the deadline here, the best team in the East getting stronger. They addressed the penalty kill by acquiring Scott Walker. They also got defensemen Milan Jurcina and Joe Corvo. Eric Bellanger is also a new capital. Good deals for Washington as they addressed their one weakness: penalty kill.

And the losers of the deadline:

Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers need one thing, every year... goaltending. They did nothing. With Ray Emery done for the year, who's playing between the pipes for the Flyers? I have no idea but it's not going to be pretty. Maybe they conceded defeat to the Capitals, but they did not address their one big need.

Vancouver Canucks. Another team that pretty much stoop pat. They had a couple deals, but they did not bolster the blue line. I felt with the injuries to their defense they needed some depth defensemen, and they failed to do that. It could be a sticky situation in Vancouver as they try to make a run at the cup. In Roberto they trust.

Calgary Flames: What were they doing? Trading away Phaneuff and Jokinen? Well maybe Oli wasn't working out, but they traded away quality for quantity. Traded Deon for a boat load of Leafs... who are apart of a losing program, not a winning one. I don't like the deals they made, it was quantity over quality. Bad moves Flames, Iginla needs help.

Detroit Red WIngs: This one is just a personal feeling. They did nothing when I felt they needed to make some sort of deal for a scorer or defenseman. They didn't just making one minor deal that won't have any impact this year. There probably wasn't anything to the Wings liking, and Holland doesn't make a deal unless it improves the Wings, so he knows more than me, but I'm still disappointed.

Well there's my assessment, If you disagree... too bad. LEave me feed back, I'm starting to encourage more feedback. Feel free to tear me a new one when you disagree, or blow steam up my ass when my blogs just rock your world. Leave a comment, you know you want tooooooooo

Good win for the Winged Wheel

Well they almost blew it, but they got the win no worries. Red Wings played the Avalanche last night to start the hockey season back up, the only game played in the NHL might I add. This was a crucial game for the Wings; playing a team ahead of them in the standings. This late in the season, it is important to get points out of as many games as possible, picking up two every time you should get the two. The Wings got the job done.

Detroit took a 2-0 lead into the second period, with goals by Holmstrom and Franzen. Homer's goal was set up by a beautiful pass from, who else, Pavel Datsyuk. Franzen's power play goal was a pretty one as well; he drove the side of the net and roofed it over Anderson as he went down to poke check. The Wings dominated play the first period and looked well on their way to getting the two points... then Kerry Frazier happened.

Second period, Wings on a power play, Franzen gets a rebound and puts in the back of the net, 3-0 right? RIGHT? No, Kerry Frazier does what he does best... and that's suck at his job. He called off the goal, saying it was goalie interference. I will admit, Homer was in the crease, but did he really interfere with Anderson? I think not. But the momentum shifts to Colorado and they then proceed to put in the next 2 goals. One of which was a very weak goal... damnit Howard. We were all squared at 2's going to the third.

It looked like the Wings were going to blow yet another two goal lead, but then the Wings got another power play chance. Pavel gets the puck and drags it across the middle, everyone expected a shot, I did too. He had a decent look. But what he did was drop a pass to Lidstrom who let it fly into the open net. 3-2 Wings. That would be our final.

So the Wings jump into the 8 spot and start things off right after the Olympic break... But I think they need to do more. The trade deadline is tomorrow, and Detroit's got to be a buyer. They need a little somethin to get them over the top and into the playoffs. Who or what? I don't know, I haven't seen who's available. But a defenseman or scorer is ideal. I haven't brushed up on my trade rumors, so I can't tell you who's available, but there's always buyers and sellers. Ken needs to find that seller. He's made good deadline deals before (Stuart, Schneider, Lang, Shanahan.) and I think he can pull another one.