The “Ocho”: Fighting for the 8 spot in the 19th. Anyone else see the dripping symbolism?

As I watch tonight’s game against Calgary I hold my breathe awaiting a perilous outcome. I have it in my mind (without regard to mathematics, number of games left or strength of upcoming opponents) that winning this game in regulation means the Detroit Red Wings will secure their 19^th consecutive trip to the playoffs.

And I can’t bear to think about what this irrational belief means if the Wings lose tonight's game in the Saddledome. That nagging feeling that if the Wings can’t find the will drive and desire to push past Calgary tonight, then how can push into the 8^th and final playoff spot in the West, much less into 7^th and securing a first round against Chicago rather than Nabby San Jose?

And it boggles my mind that I am even sitting here on pins and needles awaiting the outcome of a regular season game to learn the post season fate of my Beloved Red Wings. It just floors me that I have to even consider the idea that for the first time in 19 years, there is even a question as to whether the Wings will make the playoffs.

All this despite the fact that the Wings have been stellar (relatively) since the Olympic break. Scores and points aside, the 2010 Wings I watched during the first 2/3 of this season slept through first periods, scratched their asses and punched in during the second and then made a bit of effort in the 3^rd. Game after game. Injury, infernally juggled lines and questions about chemistry and the strength of goaltending held all Wings fans in suspense.

Since the Olympic Break, the Wings play the first second and third periods, like the 2008 Champs they are. Oh to be sure, tonight we fell on our heels as Calgary came out looking like they would cram the Ocho down our throats. After that first goal, the Wings dominated the game, controlled the puck, better neutral zone play, with Jimmy Howard once more playing well beyond his years and experience. From the 10 minute point on, it looked like it was only Kipper keeping Calgary in the game.

And as I hold my breath for the next 40 minutes wondering if we can get another damn goal in regulation, I just keep wondering how in the Chelios did we ever get here, fighting for our playoff lives?

Talent? Injuries? Age? Exhaustion? What happened this year?

Question this Talent? You can’t handle this Talent.

HEDHS No.  No, nyet, nein, no, no, no. Look. On paper, these Wings are closer to the 2008 SCCs than last year’s sniper-loaded team. This team is basically the same as 2008, give or take a few players. In some ways we have gotten a bit older (Nico, Ozzie, Malts and B-Raf), a bit younger (Cheli, Helmer and Howie) a bit tougher (cough- Bertz and May-cough). Some guys, wet behind the ears in 2008 (Filps, Mule and Kronner) are stepping up and into their role as the next gen of Red Wings Superstars and our current superstars, D & Z are working as hard as ever.

Talent is not the question. In fact if anything, the talent difference this year is that I think there are more talented, balanced teams in the entire league than in the past 5 years. Chicago, LA, Washington, Vancouver all loaded with new hot young talent. San Jose, Philly, Colorado,  Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Nashville- perennial playoff contenders holding strong in their core talents, Buffalo and the Avs stepping it up considerably this year.

You say parity, I call bullshit. This is an incredibly exciting league and the injuries and brutality aside, the game gets faster and more skilled every year. It’s a beautiful thing.

Injuries? We don’t need no stinkin’ Injury excuses.

All “healthy” now, many will say the Wings regular season has been marred by too many key injuries. Frankly, if you strapped a bandana’ed mullet on Chelios who then kidnapped me & Z, in a limo full of Guinness and mint chocolate chip ice cream and headed for Tijuana, you couldn’t convince me right now that Zetterberg isn’t injured and hiding it.

Lilja, Franzen, Z, Homer, Filps, Malts, Kronner, Stuie, Nico, Williams (Did I miss anyone? sheesh) all out for significant periods this season.  Until the Olympic break, this team hasn’t played enough as a healthy whole team to gel.

And if this were anyone besides the Detroit Red Wings, who are legendary for depth, I would allow that injuries are the cause of the current circumstance. But I can’t do it.

I will allow this:  This Wings team we are seeing now is gelling and playing like they want it. I just worry that we are in mid-season form, rather than Playoff form. One thing seems certain, no matter how far the Wings go this year: heart, will and experience will be far more important to this Wings team than in any other playoff season. Including Game 7 of the 2009 SCF.

Age? You can take that Bucket List and shove it up your Chelios….

The average age of a Red Wing is 30, and for once, everyone is under 40. Next question.

Exhaustion? “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?”

HEDHS, no! (“forget it he’s on a roll”)

The longest playoff streak in all of professional sports. 18 years: 6 Conference championships, 6 Finals appearances, 4 Stanley Cups.   How do you maintain the drive, passion, hunger for a third trip in a row to a Stanley Cup Finals Series? How do you play 9 months of hockey, of which more than 2 of those months are spent playing your very very best, year in and year out for 19 years? Exhaustion might be plausible.

Some would say.

And by “Some” I mean the Juice in LA who sat down and watched the first 10 minutes of this game against Calgary. 

Luckily,  Ecstatically, a  sub-2 minute slapper from the Mule at the blue tipped in by Homer, followed by a lovely Jimmy Howard save @ 14 seconds and Zetter channeling Stevie Y with the body block on an Iginla wrister saves the day, the playoff streak, maybe the season.

Eight is enough? Sure, if we are talking legendary Russian centers (and I do not mean “Ovie”). But right now, we have more important things to think about: 

Like the Number 19.

The No. 19 hangs from the Rafters at the Joe. Arguably it’s the most important number in Hockeytown.