vs. 
GAMETIME: 11:30am. Christ.
TV/RADIO: NBC, WGN 720
VOICE OF EVIL: WInging It In Motown
Because Killion can’t be trusted to wake up early enough to get this done, because McClure is on a serious losing streak whenever he does the preview, and because I’ll be spending all morning on Indian duty, I’ll get this up now. I can’t believe the NHL would bend over so far backwards to have a game start before noon. But then again, I have a problem of overdosing on logic. 11:30!!! I can’t stand it. It’ll be intriguing to see how the early start affects the atmosphere and the play on the ice. Will it all be sluggish? Or will it still have a Wings-Hawks feel? Will Kane be too hungover?
The 1st period against the Canucks was the most gratifying period of hockey at the UC this year. Watching Luongo throw two separate tantrums in 20 minutes makes me giggle in places I didn’t know could giggle. Sadly, the Hawks didn’t have the same desire to put up 10 as we did to see them do it, and turned it off for the next forty. This time of year though, it never hurts to take your breathers where you can. Huet will start this game, and Adam Burish’s return will wait at least one more. So expect a fourth line of Tomas Kopecky, Ben Eager, and Dustin Byfuglien again. Which is fine with me, as the demotion seems to have finally lit a fire under Buff. We’ll set the over/under at 3 minutes gone in the 2nd when Kopecky loses his helmet.
Detroit fans are finally facing the fact that maybe, just maybe, they might miss the playoffs. They currently hold the 8th seed, with Calgary one back and St. Louis three back at the time of writing. They’re finally all healthy again, and in outclassing the Preds on Friday showed some of the form that keeps us up at night. But it’s also the same bunch that got donkey-punched on Wednesday by the same Canucks team that the Hawks just undressed. Jimmy Howard is officially the #1 for the run to the postseason, because Chris Osgood has redefined the term “awful” this year. He’ll have plenty of time to memorize his stats these days on the bench.
The injuries have cost Scum a lot, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. It may be illegal to mention this, heaven forbid anyone actually criticize a Wings player, but Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are headed for their lowest point-totals since the lockout. When the Wings needed these two to carry them through injury-ravaged waters, they only sort of did. That’s why they’re 22nd in the league in scoring. Yell about their supporting cast all you want. If they’re so dependent on that supporting cast, then are they not as good as we first thought?
We all still expect the Wings to wake up at some point and charge up the standings. But we’ve been saying that since January. It hasn’t happened. Yet. Still, I don’t want to see the Machine get all the parts working tomorrow.
Have at it through the night.