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I completely understand that, Skip. I hope your surgery goes well and you're both back to full health soon.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Wings 7-3-0 in their last 10, three points out of a Wild Card spot.

I've read that Mo Seider is back to killin' it after Lalonde finally took the 234-lb. weight off his back known as Ben Chiarot and paired him with Jake Walman, who is legit good.

Now the biggest question remains...what do the Wings do with Dylan Larkin? Yzerman once gambled and won with Stamkos, don't know if he should go that route this time though.

I think a deal gets done. Larkin is too valuable to this team. Just a consistent force, game-in game-out.

Sometimes I think see Walman up front and I can't tell if its Veleno or him. I'm not watching enough.

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Larkin gets booted from last night's game against the reeling Caps with a bad cross check to T.J. Oshie's face. Didn't look intentional but yeah, that was the right call.

I guess it depends on how close Marco Kasper is to making the Big Show, can they continue the rebuild with a top center tandem of him and Copp? Seems like it would be a giant step back regardless.

Larkin has never really played hockey for a team outside of the Michigan area. I'd be pretty shocked if indeed he and the Red Wings couldn't come to terms.

Left at lunch on Saturday, got to Windsor at around 3:30, unpacked at our hotel right next to the tunnel and got dressed, then hopped into the car and drove across the border and parked near Woodward, the main drag.

The area around Comerica, Ford Field and Little Caesar's is really nice. Couple of old gothic churches, lots of restaurants and open space. While the Joe's spot on the river was cool, this is way more central. Comerica in particular is so open, it almost doesn't look like a stadium, just looked like part of downtown. We were about a 15 minute walk from the rink as parking before 6pm was completely booked, probably because the Raptors were in town to play the Pistons earlier in the day.

We stopped at Hockeytown Cafe and had dinner there. Got seated right in front of an Yzerman display of course Tons of Wings gear but a noticeable amount of Tampa gear as well.

The rink opened at 6:30 for an 8pm game but it was already lined up when we arrived around that time which was great to see. The inside of the new rink is fantastic. Nods to history all over the place. Tons of restaurant and food options everywhere in the clean open concourse, DJs playing music, a drum line. Lots of staff. Bought some stuff from the store but the hat selection was unfortunately very limited.

We had seats in the upper bowl. Good views, not a ton of leg room. There were tvs up top and you could watch replays of Vasilevsky just goalieing the shit out of the Wings. He had an incredible game with multiple unbelievable stops.

Rasmussen got hurt and is out when he blocked a shot that you could literally hear in the top of the opposite side of the rink.

Brayden's first goal was a beauty. A little saucer pass from Kucherov to Point at full speed that he put a cross-body top-shelf snipe on Husso. Kucherov is inredible to watch but he's also blink and you might miss it. Just needs a touch to make ridiculous plays that are easy to miss.

Man can Walman ever skate. He got a ton of shots, can push the play in the offensive zone but get back. He and Seider both kind of got caught on the Point goal but the Wings had 4 guys there and got caught flat-footed on a great play.

The Wings played a great game overall. The atmosphere was fantastic, really engaging. Great experience overall and we'll gladly be back. The Joe was fun and a lot of great memories there but the new barn is fantastic.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

And not to forget, Seider's hands and vision at the blue line are just so calm and cool. Looks like he's about to be stripped under pressure but makes one quick move or a little saucer and its out of trouble. Just amazing to see.

Walman extended 3x$3.4. Excellent. Man, what a trade Leddy for Fabbri and Walman was.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Larkin stays! 8 X $8.7 million.

Methinks this is one of the rare staring contests where Yzerman may have had to concede. That's okay, it's all part of negotiation. Would've been a setback had he left.

Now you have a 1C in place who could slot down to 2C depending on how good Kasper is. For now, a Larkin/Copp tandem should make for a good team.

Red Wings somehow sucker the Canucks into taking Filip Hronek and a 4th for a 1st (from the Islanders) and 2nd rounder.

Like, seriously? Why!?

This gives the Wings the cap room and the needed resources to swing a Jakob Chyrchun deal. They now have the requisite 2 first rounders that the Coyotes demanded, and no shortage of prospects.

If that happens, that's some Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon shit goin' down.

Good deal on Hronek, but Yzerman waited too long to act with the Nucks. I still maintain that he should have taken Benning to the cleaners years ago. Oh well.

The Bertuzzi deal is fine. He was a pending UFA who most likely was not going to take anything less than what he thinks he's worth on the open market and someone is going to pay him a TON of money.

While they are good moves in a vacuum, it's tough to reconcile some of last offseason singings with these moves. I fucking hate that Chiarot contract so very much and they have to move out a better, younger defenseman in Hronek.

It'll be interesting to see if any of Kubalik, Perron, Sundqvist or Suter are moved.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Sundqvist moved for picks.

Vrana moved for 7th or something and an AHLer. They wanted him the fuck away from the team, despite producing when he was on the ice(which was not frequently).

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

I find the almost-deal for James van Riemsdyk curious. Why would Yzerman want a rental like that when he was clearly selling assets? I guess he thought JvR could be a decent depth addition and what not, I guess we'll see if he continues to pursue him in free agency.

Apparently he was going to flip him immediately but something happened.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Then I'm even more confused. If that was the intention, then why wait until the last hour to try and pull it off? At least that's what I understand it from Chuck Fletcher's presser, that he didn't even get a call until, like, twenty minutes beforehand.

Anyway, what's done is, well, not done.

Went to the tilt between the Wings and Leafs last night. Anam decided to wear my Dad's Mahovlich sweater since the game was in Toronto.

Wings got off to a fast start up 3-1 after the 1st and the shot count/score effects reflect that. Ned played well and made an excellent glove save on Matthews really early that made me think he was going to be on.

Murray got hurt after getting wiped out and hitting his head when Raymond lost an edge and took him out. Then Samsonov looked like he injured his arm or shoulder after a shot hit the post and he reached back for it but stayed in.

Bunting got called for a coincidental dive after a cross-check then got a 10 at the end of the 2nd period, which I missed. Looks like he was skating away with a stick and pulled it away multiple times and the refs had enough of his shit.

2022 8th overall pick Marco Kasper made his debut and was in the middle of things. Great skater. A few scrums happened and I had to laugh because it was all the young guys in the middle of it. Kasper, Raymond, Seider and Edvinsson.

Larkin with a hat trick to set a new career high in points and one off of his highest goal total.

The 90's can all fly. Walman, Veleno and Kasper.


I believe this is the first Wings win I've seen in person since my Dad, his buddy, Anam, Skip and I attended this tilt almost 15(!) years ago to the day.

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxsco ... 60DET.html

I'd seen them lose at the Big House, The Joe, BMO in Toronto, Little Caesar's and they finally won this game.


Funny moment on the Leafs PP when I was telling Anam to watch 91 Tavares because he's so good around the net and seconds later he tipped it in.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

So any amusing chirps from Leafs fans this time around? Did '94 come up in conversation?

The collision between Raymond and Murray was obviously unintentional, Raymond came over and apologized almost right away. What Mike Johnston on NHL Radio pointed out and I agree with is, why is that not tripping!?

Wings look like they're in good shape. They finally figured out the perfect partner for Mo (Walman is an interesting guy to boot) and their 1-2 center tandem going forward. Now it remains to be seen how they fill out their roster and if they can get stable enough goaltending until Big Man Cossa is ready. I think Husso should be good enough, but I don't think Neddy is.

Haha no, no talk of 1993. There were some playoff chirps which are hilarious. Guys, I know you've watched your team in the playoffs. Detroit's won a playoff series and a Stanley Cup since you last won a playoff series regardless of how bad they are right now. How is it you think playoffs is a chirp?

I agree that it should have been a tripping, however accidental.

Ned definitely isn't the answer so hopefully Cossa will develop.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Geez Walman, I like you but WTF was THAT!?!?

At least it wasn't in OT of the conference finals.

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Detroit was busy in free agency, signing Compher to a mega deal, Holl and Gostisbehere.

I don't get the logic of having both Copp and Compher making huge money. The low event Seattle model?

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Neither Copp nor Compher is likely a full time center. It’s possible they both take turns at 3C and the other just moves to the wing.

I’m happy for Jimothy Timothy, he finally gets to cash in and in a spot that’s not far from his native Illinois, though I’ll admit that’s a bit more than I think he can provide.