From the Detroit News

Maltby was famous for his participation in Detroit’s grind line: a third line of players who embodied what is Detroit blue-collar hockey. Maltby, with his line mates Darren McCarty and Kris Draper, tormented other teams’ top scoring lines. The three were physical, had no fear while they were on the ice, and had the ability to knock an opponent into the boards while scoring a goal. The line played a key role in three of the Wings’ championships.

Maltby continued to thrive in Detroit even after McCarty left the Wings organization. Despite not being known as a scorer, Maltby is +18 in his career and totaled 260 total points. He played total in 1,072 games, most of them with Detroit, and totaled 867 penalty minutes. He would also go on to win one more cup, in 2008, when Detroit defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His style of play is something that is under-represented in today’s game. Maltby showed that hockey was about more than just scoring, or dropping the gloves. While he did bring a lot of toughness to the Detroit roster, he also played with a drive and a desire like no one else. He simply wanted to be a part of a winning team and strove help his teammates. While that may have been with a thundering hip-check, it was help none the less.

Maltby was one of the guys who helped get the Wings over the hump in the ’90s. Another player in his vein—to complement players like Brooks Laich, Matt Hendricks, and Matt Bradley—could be just what the Caps need to get themselves over the hump.

Maltby was certainly no point-getter, nor a dominating enforcer; but he loved the game, and it showed every shift. He enjoyed every second he was on the ice . . . and his efforts were vital to the Detroit dynasty.

OK, not quite a million for the tickets, but still pricey

I just received the annual email from the Washington Capitals to renew season tickets for the 2010-11 season.

This year’s increase in price? Approximately 32%.

Ouch.

Yes, the Caps’ current ticket prices—particularly for my seats in the front row of the upper deck—are not only significantly discounted from face value, but quite a bargain by league standards. According to The New York Times, 20 NHL teams charged more, on average, for tickets than the Capitals did in 2009-10.

Nonetheless, it was a bit of a shock seeing the new total invoice amount in a painfully-enlarged lump-sum. Marketing suggestion: since the per-ticket price is not provided anyway (it required math… “It was my understanding that there would be no math”), why not proffer the bill in easier-to-digest monthly payment amounts? It’d be no less frustrating than obfuscating the individual ticket price, and it would be much be easier on fans’ hearts.

One must admit that this increase, while a bit breathtaking at first, is actually reasonable. After all, aren’t the Washington Capitals the hottest ticket in town? Sure, demand jumps even higher for marquee opponents (Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philly, etc.); but no matter the opponent, D.C. is craving Caps games. One needs look no further than the team’s impressive streak of sold-out home games reaching back to last season’s playoffs… something previously unimaginable for a hockey team in Washington.

As a side note, not all ticket holders received quite the sticker shock I did. For instance, a friend in Section 104 faced the same dollar increase I did… which translates to a much more palatable 14% increase for him.

Even after these increases, the Caps’ 2010-11 season ticket price increase will bring their average price up to approximately the 2009-10 league average — in other words, roughly a middle-of-the-pack ticket price for a top-of-the-pack team.

So yes, after recovering from the initial shock, I’ll be re-upping for season tickets. After all, the chance to see the most exciting team in the NHL play 41+ times a year is a rare and wonderful opportunity, and one worth a premium price even during tough economic times.

Let us hope, however, that this year’s big increase remains an aberration — a one-time “market adjustment” to bring prices more in line with demand — in the Caps’ overall ticket-price history. The last thing the Caps (or their supporters) need is to price out loyal fans and fill the arena with cellphone-talking corporate types who kill the amazing energy level at the games.

It is no surprise that Detroit has taken a dip in the standings, as they lost more than 100 of last year’s goals in the form of departed players. Even though it was expected, no one thought Detroit would be one point out of a playoff spot at the season’s halfway mark. To say they were bitten by the injury bug is an understatement. At one point this year Detroit was without  Johan Franzen, Jonathan Ericsson, Jason Williams, Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Holmstrom, Brad Stuart, and Valtteri Filppula, and they have been without Andreas Lilja all season due to post-concussion symptoms. You know you are in trouble when the call-ups who are replacing the injured players are getting hurt.

Some may say, well, the Caps went through the same kind of thing last year. But the Caps’ maladies of a year ago were nowhere close to as devastating as what the Wings have had to endure this season. At one point the Wings lost their three top scorers, three of their best defensemen, and a solid member of the checking line. Not to mention they have serious salary cap problems and therefore little room to address the injury challenges. Any franchise in sports, no matter how good the front office is, will struggle with that many injuries.

Despite the injuries the Wings have stayed in contention. Detroit has done a nice job staying in contention with a few surprise players stepping up. Todd Bertuzzi, not a widely acclaimed offseason acquisition, has put together a solid 27-point season. Meanwhile, an under-the-radar signing I loved, Patrick Eaves, has seemed to get goals at just the right time. He has only six goals and seven assists, but he has a knack for scoring at just the right times. Of all the players who have stepped up Detroit is most excited about Darren Helm. The speedy center has 14 points on the season and is a player the Detroit media has jokingly dubbed, “the most dangerous man in hockey,” because of his speed. While the title is half joke, he is a guy that needs to be accounted for at all times since he can easily slip by the defense.

Speaking of the Detroit media, and most specifically radio, they are in love with the Washington Capitals. First off the Caps are Pittsburgh’s arch-enemy, and as the old saying goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” It is not just simply a matter of sharing the same hate of the Penguins. Jimmy Howard has been talked about for the Calder Trophy because of his steller rookie season, but when he is talked about on the airwaves they are also quick to mention another young netminder by the name of Semyon Varlamov. Detroit is a hockey town, and it is never afraid to give props to another franchise. As far as the Eastern Conference goes, let’s just say the fans in red and white do like the red, white and blue.

With all this in mind, despite their struggles, the emergence out of nowhere of a promising young goalie, and their 10-9-5 road record, Detroit should be a tough challenge for the Capitals tonight. The Wings tend to get fired up for these kinds of games, but Washington is clearly the better hockey club. And think about this for a moment: when was the last time a Washington Capitals’ club went into a game against the Detroit Red Wings as something approaching a prohibitive favorite? The answer: many of our readers weren’t alive then. I think you have to go back decades!

Even with their stingy defense and strong goaltending it will be hard for the Red Wings to contain the high flying Caps offense, especially in the Verizon Center. Fans should expect Jimmy Howard to start in net and they should also anticipate a Capitals’ ‘W.’

All of this said, however, you don’t become a powerhouse franchise overnight, and in addressing the media at Kettler yesterday, Bruce Boudreau made what I thought were a couple of key observations about his Tuesday opponent. He noted that players seem to put on a Wings’ sweater and become better players. That’s what used to happen with hockey players who donned Bruins’ and Habs’ sweaters, he added. He was referencing what’s become nearly a two-decades’-long legacy of winning in Detroit. That has an impact on players. Call it a culture of winning. Washington is establishing it; Detroit’s had in place for years, and the Wings won’t relinquish it without a fight.

Tuesday marks the opening of what the Caps’ coach termed “a great test week.” He called the Wings “this year’s Anaheim” — a club that will likely qualify for the postseason and one no one will want to face there. The thinking here is that he’s right, and that Tuesday night will reveal less a changing of the proverbial guard and more just a heck of a game between two elite franchises.

This dovetails nicely with Eric McErlain’s find.

The Detroit Red Wing are facing their first championship-deciding Game 7 in over 20 year. After the first two games it looked like it would be a quick series, maybe even a sweep. The Penguins battled back though, and the “Detroit Train of Overconfidence,” as a local radio station calls it, was slowed down a bit.

Slowed, but not derailed.

Even though Pittsburgh have shown that they are no pushovers, Detroit is still confident about Friday’s Game 7. The way callers are talking on the radio, it sounds like the Red Wings have crushed the Penguins in every game and the Penguins have only stolen their wins. While others may think the city of Detroit is being cocky, the city has history on their side — and the Wings fans know it.

In the history of the Stanley Cup Finals there has only been 14 Game Sevens. The home team has won 12 out of those 14. The last home teams to lose in Game 7 of the finals were the Chicago Blackhawks in 1971 and the Red Wings’ loss to Toronto in 1945.
Everybody in town wants to be in that arena. They all want to hopefully see their winged wheelers hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup once again. Most of those people, though, will have to just dream about it. There is almost no way to get inside historic Joe Louis Arena, unless you have money to spend or an inside connection. The cheapest ticket is just a shade over $500 while most expensive is $10,000.

I myself want to be there, so maybe I will just have to as dress a concession chef, or the “Penguins’ team bus driver,” or even as one of the Zebras themselves.

When it all comes down to it, it’s not about missed calls or NHL conspiracies, like many in Detroit think it is. Instead, It is about two of the best teams in the league squaring off in a grudge match.

The most horrific thing about it is that in a Game 7 anything can happen… and while no one knows what’s to come, one thing is for sure it will be a game to remember.

Even with “the Train of Overconfidence Chugging away,” you can bet I will still be screaming at the TV during the game Friday night.

We allowed ourselves plenty of time to get to Houston, stopping outside of Knoxville the first night and ending up in New Orleans the second night.  As it was Memorial Day weekend, Bourbon Street was quite busy.  I had to laugh when I happened upon Boudreaux’s Backyard bar (I was reminded of this item from Japers’ Rink, towards the bottom), though that was only the first nominally hockey-related item we came across during the trip.

When we got to Houston, we had a few days to relax from driving.  Chanuck and I were hoping that the Aeros would still be in the playoffs (we’ve been to Aeros games before and really enjoyed it), but no luck- Manitoba finished them off.  So our consolation prize was going to The Maple Leaf Pub, the only hockey bar in Houston.

We arrived towards the end of Detroit-Chicago’s Game 5, to a full house; all the bar stools were taken and only one table was available.  There were several red jerseys in attendance, as well as a few Chicago fans.  The crowd was all hockey, though; the bar erupted in screams (both happy and disappointed) when the final goal was scored to give Detroit the series.  (The video below captures the crowd’s reaction.) Several of the Detroit fans were gracious and bought a round of shots for the Chicago fans.  We talked to the waitress and asked about the bar’s owners; we figured that the owner must be from Calgary, because of the selection of autographed Flames jerseys on the wall.  Yes, she said, he’s from Calgary and she’s from Houston.  The bar attracts fans of all backgrounds; Chanuck had a conversation with a guy from Ottawa who had been living in the Houston area for three years.  Of course, no evening at a hockey bar would be complete without a few Canadian beers and a couple of games of bubble hockey. 

Then it was on to Dallas.  It almost wasn’t a surprise to see a guy in a Montreal Expos shirt and Whalers hat at our hotel.  During the long drive from Dallas to Memphis, we passed Brashear, TX and I thought of our favorite pummeling pugilist.  It was somewhere in Arkansas that we passed a car with New Brunswick plates.  And I thought our drive was long!

After passing Canada Road in Tennessee, I was ready to get home.  We finally did, ten days and 3000 miles later.  I never thought we’d be reminded so much of hockey during an early summer drive through the South.  Maybe it’s the hallmark of a fan: you want hockey so much that you see it everywhere.  (Sorry, but the current Stanley Cup matchup just doesn’t do it for me; I’m ready for some Caps hockey.)

Now it’s back to the daily grind.  At least I have the memories of crawfish, cowboys, and Corky’s.  I’m already looking forward to our next road trip; Chanuck suggested a drive across Canada.

As Chicago closed out their series against the Vancouver Canucks, fans chanted, “We want Detroit.” Sports talk radio lit up with callers talking about how they wanted to destroy the winged wheelers and closed out every call with the Chicago chant of “Detroit sucks.” The only problem with their enthusiasm was that Detroit had not even advanced to the conference finals yet.

While Chicago was excited for the series against their one-time rival, Detroit didn’t particularly pay much attention to the young Chicago team. Detroit sports radio didn’t shy away from talk of the next series, though. It focused on how to annoy Chicago the most, not how to beat them. The discussion included changing Nikolai Khabibulin’s Wikipedia page to say Bibsy instead of Khabibulin. After the Internet debauchery, many predicted the series would only last four games, with the Red Wings making quick work of the Blackhawks.

Regardless of how long the series went or who won, it was an important step in creating a serious divisional rivalry.

Before the playoffs even started the Blackhawks took shots at the Red Wings in their pre-playoff rally videos. It was something that the Red Wings haven’t had to deal with since the days of Patrick Roy. It was the first time a team went out and attacked the team who has one the Cup twice this decade.

Detroit has been on top of the NHL for the better part of the last two decades. They haven’t won every year but they’ve always been a contender. Detroit hockey fans had everything; they had their heroes in Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov, tremendous regular seasons to follow, a rivalry with the Colorado Avalanche, and of course back-to-back Stanley Cups. 

Even though the team still had their star players and heroes and all that success, Detroit’s fans didn’t have the rivalry that really makes sports fun. The Avalanche had faded away, and no one in the division was relatively competitive. It was something sorely missed in Detroit, but now that’s about to change.

To a degree, the success of the Caps and the Penguins has overshadowed the growth of the Blackhawks’ young stars. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have helped take a franchise that hasn’t been competitive in over a decade relevant again and propelled them into the playoffs. The biggest hockey crows of the season were in Chicago this season, and it was a wonderfully raucous environment. That success has also brought them closer to competing with their once division rivals.

While the Hawks lost the Winter Classic against Detroit contested at Wrigley Field, the outcome of that game don’t really reignite the rivalry. It is playoff matchups, big thumping hits in the postseason, a dash of controversy, that really jumpstart rivalries. The Blackhawks and Red Wings met all of those criteria, brief though their series was. While the series itself helped push the rivalry along a bit, it was Niklas Kronwall’s hit on Martin Havlat that will keep hockey fans in these cities talking about this rivalry a while..

Whether clean or dirty, the hit has increased the physicality as well as the hatred between the two franchises. In game four we saw Chi-town looking for vengeance. The Blackhawks became frustrated after going down 3-0 early in the second, and they went for blood. It is that physicality that will define this rivalry.

Even though their series is over, the rivalry between the two Midwest towns is just getting started.
It has been a long time since Detroit has had a serious divisional rival, or contender for that matter. The Blackhawks show promise to be the next one, and Detroit will join in if Chicago keeps “poking the bear.”