Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Malto Marko]

I've been fortunate enough to see games in venues commonly known as the "homes" of the Original Six. The old Forum WAS magical. Maple Leaf Garden was OK, as was the old Madison Square Garden, while the Boston Garden was a shithole. Chicago Stadium and Detroit's Olympia were about the same......Old buildings that were great if the home team was winning, and the crowd was electric. I miss Olympia quite a bit.

Me too.

Olympia had an escalator.

JLA makes you walk up the steps or park in their garage.

[Mike]

If you take the people mover it drops you off on the parking garage level.

[madootra]

I usually have a drink or two at the Old Detroiter, and ride over......much easier, and then Greektown after the game.

[lineygoblue]

I usually park at Greektown, go play a couple favorite table games, then head to the Joe on the People mover. Free parking that way.

[Hannibal]

There are few teams that will be "throwing" game 82 as well.

Little surprised, expected NJ to take their foot off the gas, they want to open against Florida (#3 seed in EAST) although NJ may finish 10 points ahead of the Panthers in the Eastern Conference!

SI:

The most troubling aspect of this was raised in a Monday column on The Hockey News website by Ken Campbell. He looks at a possible scenario in which Detroit plays Chicago on the last day of this season and the loser ends up in sixth place. That would mean a first round matchup against the weaker third seed instead of the fourth-seeded Predators, who neither of those clubs would like to draw as a first round foe. The implications are obvious: this could be a game that each team would want to lose.

?It?s this kind of recipe for disaster the NHL creates with its ridiculous rule that stipulates the winner of each division takes one of the top three seeds in each conference,? Campbell writes. ?If that does come to pass, you can bet the Red Wings will sit out Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg and the Blackhawks will give the day off to Jonathan Toews (assuming he has returned from his concussion by then), Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. And they?ll be able to use the excuse they?re resting their stars for the playoffs when really all they?re trying to do is lose the game.

Interesting. I wonder if this game could end up like that one episode of South Park where both Little League baseball teams are desperately trying to lose because they don't want to play anymore games.

[Optimus Prime]

Mike, for the pending "Battle of Pennsylvania", Pens call-up Steve MacIntyre from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL).

At 6 foot, 5 inches and 250 lbs, this big Saskatchewan farmboy along with Asham will keep the Flyers honest, if that is even possible.

Enjoy the film......

[youtube]iox3StG0V4I[/youtube]

[Rob F]

"His nose looks like a stick of butter in July"

(comment by the play-by-play guy towards the end of the fight on OP's video)

LOL!

...but one helluva fight---even better than anything the Hanson Brothers did in Slap Shot ! Thanks, OP

[Optimus Prime]

Art imitating life Rob, so true. Although Slapshot was set in the fictional "Federal League" it actually portrayed violence that was used to sell minor hockey in the real-life American Hockey League. The play-by-play commentator's language is too colloquial.

The 1977 comedy was filmed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and upstate New York (Utica Auditorium and the Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse).

[madootra]

And the "Hanson Brothers" were actually guys who played for the old Marquette (MI) Iron Rangers......the Carlson brothers, and Dave Hanson.

Great clip OP!

[Optimus Prime]

Here is some obscure trivia ( Wiki) I read this morning......

Jack Carlson was unable to act in the film as the Edmonton Oilers called him up for the WHA playoffs. In his place, Dave Hanson (born April 12, 1954, in Cumberland, Wisconsin) filled the role.
While the film's 'Hanson Brothers' were based on the real Carlson Brothers, the character of "Killer Carlson" is based on Dave Hanson-whose real hockey nickname was "Killer" Hanson. Thus, Dave Hanson filled in for Jack Carlson as one of the fictional Hanson Brothers - while another actor played a character modeled after Dave Hanson. Jack Carlson, the man Dave "played" in the movie, was also very well known throughout his career as an enforcer, and did pick up the real hockey nickname "Killer" Carlson.
In the movie, the Hanson Brothers speak with a typical North Central American accent, owing to their hometowns, in areas where hockey is prevalent. The United States Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Eveleth, Minnesota, only a few miles from Virginia, home of the Carlsons. The Iron League, from which the Hansons are supposedly bought, may be a reference to the Marquette Iron Rangers or the Iron Range, a hockey hotbed in Northern Minnesota.
Along with their time on minor professional teams like those depicted in the film, all three of the actors playing the Hanson Brothers played in the major leagues. Steve Carlson played in 225 games, in both the NHL and the WHA. Dave Hanson played in 136 games in the NHL and WHA. Jeff Carlson played 7 games in the WHA. Like their characters, both Dave Hanson and Jeff Carlson were known for a willingness to "drop the gloves". Steve Carlson did have some fights in his professional career, but was known more as a finesse player. Dave Hanson's son, Christian Hanson currently plays in the Washington Capitals organization.
Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson and Dave Hanson continue to make personal appearances as the Hanson Brothers, typically at minor league hockey games as of 2007. The brothers latest appeared at the first Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Alumni Game in Wilkes-Barre, PA on April 4, 2009.

Steven Edward Carlson (born August 26, 1955) is a retired American ice hockey forward and a former minor league hockey coach.
Carlson was born in Virginia, Minnesota. He appeared in the movie Slap Shot as one of the Hanson Brothers.[1] Carlson played in the World Hockey Association with the New England Whalers, Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Fighting Saints and in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, scoring nine goals for the Kings.[1] While playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the WHA, he was the roommate of Wayne Gretzky during his rookie season.[1] Carlson is the only player to ever be on a team with Gordie Howe and on a team with Wayne Gretzky. Since retiring from hockey, Carlson runs a power skating school in Northern California.

[madootra]

That's a great bit of Howe/Gretzky trivia.....

[Paul L]

Wings lose in the SO; as has been the case the last 6+ weeks, they blow another opportunity at home ice in the 1st round.

Not only that, but they avoid a weak Pacific winner (SJ/LA/Phoenix).

Way to go guys!

[Hannibal]

Nashville will win in 5.

[Optimus Prime]

Nashville may have one of the best goalies in the League but that is it. (Weber doesn't hurt either). At this moment the Predators are not happy about playing the Wings, nod goes to the Team with a plethora of Playoff experience, it's 0-0, a whole new season!

[madootra]

The Wings have WON several times in the SO the last few weeks, Paul. That was a good, close game.....with the OT being as good a 5 minutes of hockey as you'll see anywhere. Are you this pessimistic in every aspect of your life? OP is right....it's a new season, with goaltending, health, and luck playing huge parts.