Pending Disaster: No Ryane Clowe for Game 6

Damnit Sharks.

Why couldn't you just close out your series with Detroit in four (or I guess five)?  Why couldn't you just play the way you're capable of and send the dreaded Red Wings golfing for the season?   Why couldn't you just end the suffering of Wings-haters everywhere and seal this series up with a pretty teal and black bow?

I have only two possible conclusions: 

1. You're choking.  Again.  And this time, no one will bail you out with "but they played a great series" because flatly, if you blow a 3-0 series lead, you suck at everything,  EVERYTHING.
2. You're just trying to make it interesting.

Please, for the sake of us all, let it be Option 2.

I'm interested, okay?  A little too interested, if you know what I mean.  You allowed Detroit to steal two games in a row, one right out from under you and your two goal lead, and now they have an honest shot at this.  They really could pull off a 2010 Philadelphia Flyers...something people were really only joking about two games ago.

I will never forgive you if Detroit pulls off a 2010 Philadelphia Flyers.

Ever.

Unless you want to dethrone the Bruins as "Choke-Artist of the Decade (and put my happiness in serious jeopardy), I suggest you win tonight, San Jose. And win big. In Detroit. Take it to those talented bastards in red and don't look back. Datsyuk who? Lidstrom what?

But of course, since you couldn't just end it all early, now you'll have to do it with injuries... which is what happens when series trudge on. No Ryane Clowe tonight, folks.

Not good.

As in "Oh, we are effed" not good.

As in "A significant piece of the puzzle of our success is out" not good.

What we have here is drama unfolding, a storyline for disaster.  It would be fun if it didn't mean Detroit was slowly inching their way toward another Stanley Cup.  But that's exactly what's happening here.  Make no mistake about the Red Wings:  You can NEVER (and I repeat NEVER) count them out until the nail is in the coffin.

You brought this upon yourselves, Sharks. When the hockey gods give you a chance to seal a series against Detroit, at home, you do it.  Everyone knows you don't fuck with Detroit.

And now you have to fuck with Detroit in Detroit.

May God have mercy on us all if you can't get it right.

-Shaela

I love (Red Wings-eating) Sharks fans...

Since it will become very clear, in the blogs-yet-to-come, just how I feel about the Detroit Red Wings, I may as well come out with it now:  I. HATE. Them.  I respect them, and who couldn't, but I really, really hate them.

The Wings are a DAMN good hockey franchise.  They've made the playoffs for 20 straight seasons.  They have multiple NHL Award-winning players on the roster (no Dats for Lady Byng this year though.  You fight, you ruin everything...).  and an impressive supporting cast as well (who doesn't love the way Darren Helm plays hockey?) To top it off, they have a rich history and good fans (except during that whole "Dead Thing Era".  Man was that embarrassing...) who are usually fairly well versed in all things hockey.

The Red Wings may in fact be the only thing holding Detroit together.

This changes nothing.

I. HATE. THEM.

In full disclosure, my team is the Colorado Avalanche (right, that explains it all, doesn't it?).  Hating the Red Wings has been about as easy as breathing since 1996 (though the Nords weren't too keen on that team in Detroit either).  It's a permanent fixture in my life and will never, ever change.  Ever.  (And for those of you who have joke about my soul mate being a Wings fan:  First of all, if soul mates existed, mine would not be capable of Red Wings fandom.  And secondly, if that ever happens, fast forward 70 years to a 95 year old me, single and alone with a bunch of cats).

The hatred did NOT get any better when the Wings signed Todd Bertuzzi...and when Todd Bertuzzi starting playing like Todd Bertuzzi again.

That sucked.  A lot.  (And no, I'll likely never let 'the Steve Moore incident' go)

So it's well established.  The Red Wings and I are like the Hatfields and the McCoys (does anyone really understand that reference anymore?  If not,  Wiki saves the day), except there will be no peace, no agreement to stop the hate.  No Family Feud in which the winner gets a pig.

It will never get better.

(Ignore the fact that I've been able to maintain fairly good friendships with various Wings fans...or the example is moot point).

Hating the Red Wings can be inconvenient at times.  Ah, plainly, they win a lot.  A whole hell of a lot.  And always at inopportune times.  (One fact my Red Wings fan brother likes to point out is that the Wings happen to win almost every single year I graduate, thus running an otherwise joyous occasion.  1998-8th grade, 2002-high school, 2006-undergrad.  Mercifully, the Canes took it that year. 2008-nursing school.  I'm in grad school now, with plans to graduate in 2012.  Please Wings, NOT this one...).

One time hating the Red Wings is neither inconvenient nor inopportune?  How about when some inventive Sharks fan, (who you can and should Like on Facebook) crafts an absolutely brilliant costume-representation of the unfortunate, Jaws-like demise of a Red Wings fan.

 

Much better video available at NHL.com

Life is good...

HUGE props to Rogue Shark.

-Shaela