Hockey's Back, Enjoy

The Red Wings beat the Calgary Flames last night 2-1 in the second overtime to win the series 4-2 and advance to round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Is anyone really paying attention though?

If not, you should be.

I had forgotten how exciting hockey is. I didn’t boycott watching hockey because of the strike. I was not watching because I had become wrapped up in professional basketball and I won’t stand for a team from the south winning the Stanley Cup. Also, they went to wearing the dark uniforms at home. (Please go back to the white home uniforms for the '07-'08 season.)

This year I paid a little more attention to the NHL regular season and found myself enjoying it and wondering why I stopped watching every Red Wing game like I had while growing up. Then the Michigan State Spartans won the National Championship in dramatic fashion and the Wings wrapped up the regular season winning their division by overcoming the Nashville Predators.

I have watched the Wings playoff games this postseason and the 2-1 victory last night in a second overtime rejuvenated my love for hockey. It makes me want to strap on my roller blades and go play for endless hours like we all did when we were young. (There is a very nice roller hockey rink just down the street from my place…)

Anyhoo, DJ recently tried to say Detroit was a baseball town and not a hockey town. Then while in Detroit this past Saturday the entire town was clad in Red Wing jerseys, despite an intense Tigers/White Sox matinee, and he admitted his assessment was way off. “If you want to commit a crime in Detroit, just put on a Red Wings jersey. No one will be able to point you out,” he joked.

So the Wings will play either Dallas or San Jose later this week.

Hockey is alive and well. Take some time to enjoy it.