Defending the Cup: Game 37

A Classic: This was more than just Game 37 of the regular season for the Wings. It was the spectacle of the year, the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Blackhawks.

I admit I was apprehensive about the game since it was first announced because the Wings were obviously meant to be a sideshow to the main attraction, the rejuvenated Hawks. I didn't buy the conspiracy theories that had the League orchestrating a Hawks win, but I had a paranoid fear that the calls would go Chicago's way.

It turns out I shouldn't have been worried. After something of a first period penalty parade, the officials let the two teams play and the better of the two came out on top in what I would call the best of the three outdoor games to date.

The game had a playoff feel from the start and an obvious contributing factor in that was the Tuesday meeting between the two teams. Those who enjoyed the Classic can thank the Wings for setting a physical tone in Detroit earlier in the week and setting the stage for Chicago's emotion in the early goings of the game yesterday. I was initially skeptical of the idea of playing the Hawks so close to the Classic, but it turned out for the best.


Disappointment: If there was anything negative about the game, it was Christobal Huet, who was did not have a good outing. For hockey fans hoping for a more even matchup, Huet provided a major letdown. I'm not complaining as a Wings fan, though.

I should say that I was a little underhwhelmed by Ty Conklin's performance. He's still playing better than Chris Osgood was last time we saw him, but he's got to work on his rebound control. A couple of the Hawks' goals were great plays, but shots you'd like to see Conklin stop when it counts.

The Jerseys: I thought the Wings' sweaters looked even better in action than they did the NHL.com catalog. The Hawks' jerseys grew on me throughout the game. As I said in the liveblog, they were ugly, but in a classy, retro way that made them appealing.

Kane: Patrick Kane was the obvious stand-in for Sidney Crosby in the mouths and minds of the media yesterday. Like Crosby, Kane is a great young player, but the commentator's preoccupation with him came at the expense of players as good or better. Perhaps I was oversensitive to the Kane Praise, but more could have been said about a guy like Pavel Datsyuk, whose second period goal should have made everyone forget about Chicago's #88.

Challenge Met: I hope the game reminds everyone (Detroit fans included) that the Red Wings are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. I feel like they've been forgotten in all the hype about the Sharks, Hawks, Bruins, etc. this season. The Wings have had a lackluster season so far, but when they turn it on, they remain the best. It's too early to be handing off their mantle to a new team.

Play of the game: Most everything has already been said about the game, so I leave off with what seems to be the concensus play of the game:



Detroit journalist Bruce MacLeod considers that the game winner over Brian Rafalski's technical winner and there's no disagreement here. Not to take anything away from Rafalsksi, but it was Datsyuk's goal that broke the Hawks.

As a side note, why exactly does Pierre McGuire feel obligated to immediately detract from Datsyuk's accomplishment by crediting the play to the wind? Was the wind a factor? Probably, but give Datsyuk the credit for making the play.