Red Wings vs. Avalanche GP...

Red Wings: 16-7-1

Avalanche: 12-13-1

Season Series: 2-0

Red Wings Zen:

Point and Laugh:

Video Candy:

Red Wings 2, Sharks 5: Post Game Snipes...

• Sure, most of the game looked like a trainwreck on skates, but, hey, the Wings scored TWO powerplay goals. I guess that's a good sign.
• This one hurt because things looked so good for most of the first period. The Wings looked great until that shorthanded goal at the end.
• After San Jose got on the board, the Wings pretty much completely shut down and went through the motions until the very end of the game.
• Their too little, too late push toward the end was encouraging, but not nearly enough to overcome the hole they dug for themselves.
• I miss the good old days when this blog's namesakes would do things like snipe and dangle. I want my Eurotwins magic back.
• Why does Larry Murphy not have a reality show?
• Brendan Smith looked pretty good in his NHL debut. He made some mistakes, but he didn't look horribly out of place. That's not too shabby for a rookie defenseman.

Red Wings 5, Stars 2: Post Game Snipes...

• I'm a little bit rusty here. It's been so long since I got to watch a Wings game that I had to re-teach myself the concept of icing during the first period.
• In one play during the third period, Ian White blocked a shot with his face,and then Henrik Zetterberg made a kick save on the goal line to keep the puck out of the net. White ended up with several stitches and a hospital visit out of the deal.
• Wouldn't it be nice if Fil's and Franzen played the way they've been playing all the time?
• Win five, lose six, win four. Nobody can accuse the Wings of not being streaky.
• For a while there, I thought last night was going to be one of those games where the Wings fire 100 shots at a no-name backup goalie and make him look like an All-Star starter. Obviously, they figured things out in the end, though.
• The broadcast had several nice tributes to Mickey Redmond. He deserves all of them. I sure do love that flannel-wearing, ginger-ale-drinking, bingo-bango-saying, composite-stick-hating guy. He's one of a kind.
• I particularly enjoyed Homer's analysis of the goal that was originally credited to him before being switched to Kronner. I also enjoyed the fact that he told Murph that the goal didn't go in off of him, but asked him to do him a solid and say it did anyway.
• Kindl got into a fight at the end of the game. I like the effort, but he didn't really do so well.

How to Craft a Red Wings-Tigers T-shirt Blanket...

Last summer, I decided to undertake the most epic craft project I've ever done. I made a giant, over-sized t-shirt blanket with Wings shirts on one side and Tigers shirts on the other. It's now one of my most prized possessions of all time. As promised (you know, a year ago...), here's a step-by-step account on how I created this super-comfy tribute to my two favorite sports teams.

First of all, I spent the better part of three months scouring local Salvation Army stores (They really should have a frequent shopper rewards program) for t-shirts (Obviously I did other things during those three months, too.). I came across lots of random things during my search, like oddly titled records, *NSYNC bobbleheads, Han Solo cutouts with beach hats, some incredibly awesome money pants, and some really hideous shirts from the '90s. Originally, I was only on the hunt for Wings ones, as I was planning on covering the back with soft denim as I had done on previous blankets. However, while I was t-shirt hunting, I kept coming across tons and tons of Tigers ones, and I had the brilliant idea to put the Tigs on the back. Naturally, as soon as I started hunting for Tigers shirts, I was unable to find any, but that's another story. I visited at least ten different Salvos multiple times during the summer, picking up a few shirts here and a few there for a dollar or so each. Eventually I had all the t-shirts I needed, plus a few extras, and it was time to get going.

First I created a template out of some yarn-weaving plastic.  (I'm sure this stuff has a specific name, but I've never bothered to find out what it is.)  I wanted the regular squares to be 12 inches x 12 inches, plus 5/8 inch seam allowance. I also made a half-sized template to pair up shirts with skinnier logos into one larger square.

This laundry basket full of shirts was waiting to be cut down to size with those templates.

But first, I had to make a bar graph out of Tigers shirts. Not really. I was counting how many I had of each color so that I could make a perfect, checker-board style mixture of colors on the blanket.

I also made a pile of Wings t-shirts.

My dog, Penny, decided to help me out. By laying in the middle of the pile.  She's really helpful to have around the house.

I made a rough layout of the Wings side of the blanket first.

I had a secret fantasy of burying myself in the pile of Wings shirts. So I did.

After that, I laid out the Tigers side.

Penny liked my layout so much that she laid down in the middle of it. Like I said...helpful.

Not all of the shirts that I bought made it into the blanket. Example: this one. See if you can figure out why.

I also made a hard copy of my layout, complete with secret codes that only I could understand, really bad sketches, and atrocious handwriting.

Next, I had to trace the template onto all of the t-shirts. This was tedious. This shirt had a little logo in the corner, so I had to piece it together with panels from the rest of the shirt in order to center it.

This one had an extra-long screen print, so I added the small template to the regular template so I didn't have to cut any of it off.

Tracing things is more tedious than it sounds.

This is what happens to your hands when you trace washable marker all over cloth and plastic.

Then it was finally time to cut my first t-shirt. I started with the panels that needed extra work. I chose to start with this one since it was the only vertically split panel.  I don't really know why there is an Olympic Cabbage Patch Kid there. I remember owning it in the mid-'90s, but I can't figure out what it was doing on my kitchen table last summer. Same goes for the Play-Doh. Anyway...

Freed from Crosby!

Next up was the Pudge Rodriguez sort-of jersey that I picked up for a couple dollars when I was planning on using a jersey as a centerpiece for each side. I couldn't bring myself to cut up the spare Wings jersey I'd bought though, so I gave it to my brother and scrapped that idea. This one just became a panel. I cut the back open and pinned the front together. Then I ran it (extremely slowly) through the sewing machine so that I could follow the seams as closely as possible to make sure that it couldn't be unbuttoned. I also added a scrap of white fabric from another t-shirt around the collar to fill in the gap and make it into a square. This is one of my favorite parts of the blanket.

Since Penny was clearly so excited about the project, we thought she'd love to wear this mini Tigers shirt that wasn't going to make it into the final product.

Then my little brother decided to see if he could put on all 69 of the shirts at the same time. He usually has a neck.

These were the scraps of the shirts that I cut up.  I wish I could've found a way to reuse them for another project, but there aren't a whole lot of uses for t-shirts with only a back and sleeves.

The shirts are all stacked neatly in the order in which they'll eventually be sewn together.

Time to iron on the interfacing! Interfacing is the difference between a decent t-shirt blanket and a great t-shirt blanket. It helps the shirts keep their shapes and prevents them from stretching.

The only downfall of interfacing?  You have to go back and cut out all of the panels AGAIN.

Then, at long last, it was time to start sewing. I started with the Eurotwins panel. The Datsyuk half was the only one of the shirts that wasn't a thrift store purchase. I'd gotten it as a gift from my parents in high school. It was a hard decision to cut it up, but I really wanted something to pair with the Zetterberg one.  Luckily, I came across a Datsyuk shirsey at a Salvo near Metamora along the way, so I didn't really lose anything.

Then I went to work on the rest of the Wings side, putting each column together individually.

Then I sewed the columns together. This is the Wings side (obviously).  I've got shirts from all four of the most recent Stanley Cups, as well as one from the '95 playoffs.  The oldest one is the big black one right in the middle of the blanket, which dates all the way back to 1991.

And the Tigers side.  It's a little less illustrious because, well, you know what the last 25 years have been like.  I've got a couple from the '06 World Series, and one that dates back to 1993.  My favorite parts are the shirts for Tiger Stadium, Briggs Stadium, and Comerica Park.  Cutting up the Briggs one kind of killed me because it was so soft and comfy.  I also love the panel with four logos in it.

I lined the inside with a layer of plain fleece. I also used a permanent marker to write important things like championships, retired numbers, and milestones on the backs of some of the shirts. They're a nice, secret little thing hidden inside the blanket just for me (Except for the one Tigers panel where some of my writing bled through to the front). There may also be a tiny scrap of my tinfoil hat from H2H in there. Maybe.

I put a lot of hours into this, and it truly was a labor of love.  My hometown teams are never far from my heart, even here in the sports wasteland known as Florida.

Caption Fridays Volume Two...

Here's the lovely Sara Neuie's caption from last week:

Z: Ugh, shouldn't have eaten that last cheeseburger...

Cleary: Just aim away from my skates, k?

Kronner: Gross dude.

Here's this week's photo.  Caption away!

Caption Fridays Volume One...

Raise your hand if you're excited for the start of the Wings' season!  Everyone?  Ok, good; that's what I thought.  Now raise your hand if you're excited that last season's photo caption game has been moved to Fridays.  Nobody?  Nobody?  Bueller?  Ok, well, not quite what I was hoping for.  Anyway, here's the 2011-2012 season's first installment:

This one was taken during last year's pre-season.  What are the boys up to here?

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game Six GP...

2 Red Wings vs. Sharks 3

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

(Might as well stick with the cake theme, eh?)

Three things:

• Showing up—Which Wings team will show up tonight? And for how long? The team that played the third period of Game Five is nearly unstoppable. The team that muddled through the first period? Not so much.
• Taking charge—Despite facing elimination, with the series shifting back to Detroit, anything could happen. The Wings' fate is still in their hands. Win or lose, the outcome is going to be their own doing.
• Mule—He's still a huge question mark. Babcock wants to play him if he's able to go, but is it worth it to risk being down a man if he re-tweaks it again? The injury's obviously been affecting him this series as it is.

Red Wing Zen:

Henrik Zetterberg

1-5-6, +/- 4, 2 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings vs. Sharks Game One GP...

0 Red Wings vs. Sharks 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Shaking off the rust—It's been an eternity since the Wings last played. The Sharks will want to get an early jump and catch them sleeping. Here's hoping the Wings are ready to bring it right from the opening faceoff.
• Z is back—It goes without saying that this is a huge boost for the team. Their first round sweep was all the more impressive because they did it without him setting foot on the ice.
• Penalties—Last year in their series against San Jose, the Wings' constant parade to the box was killer. With their penalty kill struggling mightily during the first round this season, it's crucial that they stay out of the box. Then again, Babcock can always pop Datsyuk, Z, and Lidstrom onto the PK for an instant boost. It's not a bad ace to have up your sleeve. It would also be helpful if the refs managed to not fall for the Sharks diving this time around.

Red Wing Zen:

Pavel Datsyuk

2-4-6, +/- 6, 0 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings 6, Coyotes 3: Post Game Snipes...

• Pavel Datsyuk's pass to set up Homer's goal was just ridiculous. We should be used to him doing crazy things by now, but it's impossible not to marvel at the things he does with the puck.
• Homer's shot as he was falling was equally awesome.
• Phoenix got lucky as their first goal deflected in off of Ericsson's skate.
• As distressing as Franzen being a last-minute scratch was, it's kind of nice to be able to just pop a guy like Mike Modano into the lineup like that. Mo even picked up an assist on the first goal of the game.
• Darren Helm is everywhere. He's giving the Coyotes absolute fits. They don't even know what to do with him. It's deliciously fun to watch.
• Jimmy looked shaky in the first period, but got stronger as the game went on. That's better than the reverse.
• In hindsight, these late games aren't so bad. Watching hockey in the middle of the night means that my roommates who do not get hockey at all don't have to see me during the third period of a close playoff game. It's probably for the best.
• The Wings swept the first round without Henrik Zetterberg. And they played Game Four without the Mule. That should be scary for future opponents.
• So do you think Doan wants to rethink his proclamation of Bryzgalov as the best player in the series?
• Hopefully the Wings figure out their penalty kill between now and the start of Round Two. They did at least come up with a big kill in the third when the game was tied.
• I loved Jimmy's post-gamequote: “I'll smile in June.” Swagger is a beautiful thing when it comes from the Wings.
• I've been on the leave-Phoenix side of the debate from the beginning, just from a practicality standpoint. There's no point in forcing a franchise to stay where it can't be financially successful and causing all kinds of drama. The Coyotes' salute after the handshakes and seeing Shane Doan (who I still dislike) fighting back tears before starting his post-game interview did make me feel bad for the fans who do live in Phoenix.

Hero: Dan Cleary
He had a goal and two assists, and his game-winner gave us an excuse to do the Newfie Stomp. He also led the team in shots and was buzzing all night.

Villain: Shane Doan
Why does he hate Nick Lidstrom?

Final Thought:
This long wait for Round Two should give my blood pressure a nice break.

Red Wings 4, Coyotes 3: Post Game Snipes...

• Though I was at first devastated to discover that this game had been scheduled for Saturday afternoon (a time during which I'm at work), it turned out to be a rather fortunate occurrence. Since our office is dead on Saturdays, I was able to watch almost the entire game on the break room tv. The HD flatscreen we have in there was a huge upgrade over the choppy feeds to which I've been relegated since temporarily setting up shop in this hockey wasteland.
• My game recap will be posted over at CWGAP shortly, but I had a few more Wings-centric things I wanted to throw out there since I've been trying not to rant and rave too much about the only side that matters.
• Pavel Datsyuk was playing on a completely different level than anyone else today. Some of the things he does with the puck just aren't fair. That subtle move he pulled when he scored his goal? Disgusting. His cheeky between-the-legs shot that led to Helm's goal? Even more ridiculous. If he continues to play like this, the Wings are going to be very, very hard to beat.
• While Datsyuk excels at his shifty, sneaky, dangly, puck-on-a-string schtick, Tomas Holmstrom is every bit as good at his particular job. His deflection was impossibly good. He managed to reach behind him with his stick and tip a puck as he skated the opposite direction in front of the net. His screens played a huge factor in the Wings' offense all night. Simply put: nobody is better at Homer's job than Homer. Nobody.
• I don't necessarily think that Doan's hit on Franzen was dirty, but I also don't think it was necessary. That's one of those times when there's no need to finish a check on a vulnerable player. I feared the worst when Mule went down, but it looks like he got lucky and won't be missing any more time.
• I was oddly amused by the fact that he didn't even bother to wash the blood out of his mustache before returning to the game. He kind of looked like he tried to make out with a weed whacker. That's playoff hockey for you.
• That clip of Zetterberg practicing didn't exactly inspire hope that he'll return soon. At the beginning of it, I was excited thinking that it was a good sign, but when he limped off after stopping awkwardly, my heart sank.
• The first period was gloriously fun. It was the kind of hockey that brings joy to faces all over Hockeytown. The Wings were dominant and pressured Phoenix to the point that they started taking stupid penalties. I was feeling pretty good until they decided to take their foot off of the gas and let the Coyotes back in the game. It sure did make for an interesting ending, though.
• The Wings' near collapse in the third gave the Coyotes some hope, which needs to be eradicated early in Game Three. There's no need to drag this series out any longer than it has to, especially with Shane Doan intent on destroying everything wearing a Winged Wheel.

Hero: Pavel Datsyuk
Who can keep up with this guy right now?

Villain: Shane Doan
There's something about the playoffs that brings out the wrecking ball in Shane Doan. He was hitting everything in sight and managed to score two third period powerplay goals. Somebody stop him, please.

Final Thought:
Watching playoff hockey at work takes a lot of self-control.

Red Wings vs. Coyotes Game Two GP...

1 Red Wings vs. Coyotes 0

Random picture from a google images search of "Red Wings" that caught my fancy:

Three things:

• Showing up—The way the Wings looked during the second and third periods? Good. The first period team? Not so good. The Wings need to get going at the beginning of the game.
• Penalties—Despite the fact that their penalty kill looked phenomenal during Game One, the odds of the Wings surviving another parade to the penalty box like the one on Wednesday night is pretty slim.
• Mule—The Wings need him to keep going, especially since Zetterberg's absence is looking more and more like it's going to span most of the series. The Coyotes are going to be hoping his goal in Game One wasn't a sign that he was preparing to go into full playoff mode.

Red Wing Zen:

Patrick Eaves

0-0-0, +/- 0, 2 PIM

Red Wings Youtube video of the day:

Red Wings vs. Hurricanes GP...

Red Wings: 46-23-10

Hurricanes: 38-30-11

Red Wing Zen:

Henrik Zetterberg

24-56-80, +/- -1, 40 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Jeff Skinner

29-29-58, +/- 3, 46 PIM

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Twenty-two...

Caption Mondays: Jeffy Neuie won for the second week in a row.

Ref: That's it! No more hockey until you clean this ice up!

Trivia Tuesdays: TimFill managed to continue his impressive trivia run.

This week's question: Who was the most recent Red Wings goalie to lead the league in regular season goals against average?

The Answer: Chris Osgood led the league with a 2.09 GAA in the 2007-08 season. That year, he and Dominik Hasek combined to win the Jennings Trophy. Prior to Ozzie, the last Wings goalie to lead the league in GAA was Terry Sawchuck. Pretty good company, eh?

Caption Mondays Volume 22...

What are the guys saying as they watch Pavel Datsyuk's fight in the season opener?

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Eighteen...

Caption Mondays: Friend of SSDD Sara Neuie was at it again this week.

Hank: ...and then Millsie totally Eavesed in front of everyone!
Stuart: Ha! I can't believed I missed that! Anything else happen while I was gone?
Hank: Well, there was this time Millsie...
Rig: *interrupting and nodding toward Drew* Uh, Hank...
Millsie: Not this story again...

Trivia Tuesdays: Clark got the answer again this week. I went a little off the reservation with the question, but it was sort of Wings-related.

This week's question: The NHL's all time leader in penalty minutes spent a small part of his career in Detroit. What was his name and how many minutes did he rack up?

The Answer: Tiger Williams (How glad are you that I didn't make a tiger blood joke there? It would've been so easy, too. It was practically teed up for me.) racked up 3,966 minutes in 962 games. That averages out to 4.12 minutes/game. If he would've served all of his penalties to completion, he would've spent 66.1 hours in the box (not to mention the fact that his teams would've had an unbelievable PK%). He was only a Wing for part of one season, but still managed to accumulate 158 penalty minutes in 55 games in Detroit.

Caption Mondays Volume 18...

Here's one I took during warm-ups before the game at Tampa Bay.  I was really excited to see Stuart making his return.

Weekly Wrap-Up Volume Seventeen...

Caption Mondays: The general consensus this week was that the gentlemen in the stands were checking out Henrik Zetterberg. In light of that, here are two sets of captions for your reading pleasure.

From Norm:
Linesman: "Hey 40, those guys behind the glass-are they checking you out too, or just me?"
Zetterberg: (silence)

From Sara Neuie:
Zebra: I just don't get it man... I'm not a bad-looking fella, I'm tall, I've got a job with authority, why can't I get a girl?
Hank (gnaws on mouthguard): I'm telling you, chicks dig beards. Especially Swedish chicks.
Zebra: Really? You think that'd work?
Hank: Well, whatever you do, don't go around making faces like the guys behind us...

Trivia Tuesdays: Clark beat TimFill to the punch this week. That'll teach you to read things, Tim.

This week's question: The Wings hold the record for most home overtime losses in a single playoff run. How many OT losses did they have? What year did they set this record?

The Answer: They set this record during the '02 Cup run with four home overtime losses. One was against Vancouver, two were against Colorado, and one was in the Finals against Carolina.

Caption Mondays Volume 17...

What's going on here?

Red Wings vs. Lightning GP...

Red Wings: 34-16-6

Lightning: 43-17-6

Red Wing Zen:

Henrik Zetterberg

17-44-61, +/- 11, 28 PIM

Point and Laugh:

Teddy Purcell

12-24-36, +/- -4, 10 PIM