In The Crease

Hasek retires — again, but likely for good this time

For the fans who booed Dominik Hasek out of Buffalo — and I was one of them — it's time to step back and forgive.

Hasek retired on Monday, less than a week after winning his second Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings. But it's only natural not to take Hasek at his word this time. By my count, he's retired officially at least twice (1999 and 2002)... unofficially, well, that's up for debate.

Hasek last retired on June 25, 2002, after winning the first Cup he left Buffalo for in 2001. Remember the mood then?

It was forgotten, almost as if it never happened.

Dominik Hasek was seated on a dais in Detroit's Joe Louis Arena for a news conference to announce his retirement Tuesday. Only when a reporter asked The Dominator about the Buffalo Sabres did he acknowledge his old team.

Hasek finally found his Holy Grail two weeks ago when he and the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. He had won six Vezina Trophies as the NHL's top goalie and two Hart Trophies as the league's MVP -- all with the Sabres.

But the Stanley Cup completed his spectacular career.

"I am and I will be a Red Wing forever," Hasek read in his opening statement.

And just like that, the Sabres were rendered the same discarded fate as Chuck Cunningham on "Happy Days." For those unfamiliar with the sitcom: The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. C was eliminated from the show's consciousness as if he never existed after the first season. -The Buffalo News, June 26, 2002

Hasek added: "I do not feel that I have enough fire in me to compete at the level that I expect for myself.'

On Monday, he said the main reason for his retirement was a lack of motivation. Fire, motivation... sound familiar?

Needless to say, Buffalo fans remember how Hasek forced his way out of town, even telling Darcy Regier that he couldn't take away the good players from the team he was being traded to. (See, the Kozlov years) It was always about Dom. And that worked perfect when he was making 70 saves against the New Jersey Devils in 1994 — but not when he wanted to go an enemy. And that Red Wing "forever" send off stung.

There's no excuse for the way Hasek left Buffalo, or how he treated the Sabres at that retirement ceremony. What you can focus on is today, when he spent the majority of his written speech talk about the very city he left seven years ago. He's 43-years-old now — not that he was young in 2002, but it seems the added years and trials have left Hasek to reflect on how special his time in the Queen City was:

"I had opportunity to play with some incredible players… Dale Hawerchuk, Pat LaFontaine, Grant Fuhr, Dave Andreychuk, Alex Mogilny, Michael Peca and Miro Satan. I want to thank them for all the great work they did in front of me, and helping me to be more successful.

And I will never forget Richard Smehlik and Alex Zhitnik, who played more games in front of me than any other two defensemen. I cannot thank them enough for helping me to have the level of success I could only have dreamt of before we played together.

But it was John Muckler who gave me the chance to be a starting goaltender. I don’t think I disappointed him. But I can tell you, tell all of you for sure, not much of the success would ever have happened without John’s support and encouragement. I want to thank John very, very much for all he did for me in Buffalo and in Ottawa.

Buffalo Sabres president Larry Quinn had helped me through many tough times. He has always stood behind me. I could always turn to Larry for helping hand and thought and in tough times. ...

I want to thank Larry for being there, for being a good friend, as well as congratulate him for his success in selling out 80 Sabres games in a row. That’s not easy to do.

And Mitch Korn, my goalie coach in Buffalo who worked with me to help me adjust my unique style to be more effective in the NHL. Mitch never tried to change me, but he just helped me to be a better goalie. Thanks Mitch.

I would… Buffalo… to our family make many friends who helped us a lot. Unfortunately, I can’t name them all today. I will always remember the fans. Buffalo is a small market, but they supported us in huge numbers. I will never forget the many sold-out games in the old Aud, and especially at the HSBC Arena. They pushed the team forward and helped me in some ways make every save.

Leaving Buffalo was difficult. But in 2001, I knew if I was to win a Cup, I had to move on. I decided on Hockeytown, and I asked for a trade to Detroit and Buffalo agreed to make.

...

"Last time I was talking here, I didn’t mention Buffalo too much, just because it was a different time. But today, it was a great nine years. And now I’m with the Wings, I’m very proud to be a Red Wing also. These are two places in my life that will always stay in my heart."

I almost burst out laughing when he mentioned the Zhitnik/Smehlik pairing. Did anyone else have a goatlord flashback? Those are the days the still-boiling Sabres fans need to remember now. When Hasek and shutout coincided on a nightly basis. When Slinky for a spine wasn't just an old "priceless" Mastercard commercial. When Hasek was winning games for the hometown team, even though they had little business doing so on many nights.

It would be an embarrassment if Hasek's number was not retired next season at HSBC Arena. It doesn't hurt that Larry and Dom sound like they're still buddy-buddy. I don't doubt people will boo — fans just booed Daniel Briere this past season and he wanted to stay. But it's the right thing to do, and it's the right time to do it.

As long as Hasek is truly retired this time, of course.

Complete Audio of the Hasek Press Conference | Video:

Perfect timing for Hockeytown

The Tigers are 10 out. Pistons are talking break up. Detroit sports space is ripe for a takeover.

Enter: The Red Wings, winning their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 seasons.

Suddenly, a sobbing Andreas Lilja was lovable. Darren McCarty received the biggest cheers at the Hart Plaza rally. One million people showed up — in 90-degree plus heat — for a hockey parade in June.

Revival talk in Hockeytown may be premature. But almost everyone is coming back next year and there's cap room to spare.

There's guaranteed to be a lot fewer empty seats next year at Joe Louis Arena. They're not the Steve Yzerman-led teams that Detroit fell in love with. But winning matters — not winning in the regular season or rounds in the playoffs. Big silvery things and silky new banners. And that's why the Red Wings have a marvelous opportunity to recapture the hearts of Hockeytown.

I haven't seen this many people wear red in a very long time. There's lines to grab Stanley Cup paraphernalia at Dick's Sporting Goods. Car flags are flying.

WDIV reporter Katrina Hancock was right when she said Pittsburgh Penguins fans were more rabid this postseason:

But if the Red Wings play their cards right, she'll be proven wrong come October.

Under pressure, Babs and Therrien laugh it off

Shocker — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Maxime Talbot had nothing funny to say Friday at practice, the second off day between Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup final.

But it still seemed like a late-night comedy club inside Mellon Arena, courtesy of coaches Mike Babcock and Michel Therrien:

Babcock:

Q.  Will you give us your understanding of Holmstrom's injury and his chances of playing tomorrow?
    
COACH MIKE BABCOCK:  What are the rules?  Do we have to talk about the injury or just what part of the body or what do we have to do? (Babcock turns to Frank Brown, VP of NHL media relations.)
   
Q:  The type. (Brown responds)
    
COACH MIKE BABCOCK:  I do a lot of stuff with kids cancer, and there's a thing called HIPAA compliance where you can never reveal anything about the person, (Babcock speeds up here) how come we have to do it in the League?  (Laughter.)
    
Oh, anyway, Holmer's just got — Holmer's got the back of his leg, the hamstring.  He's got a little problem there.  We think he'll be fine. He's a tough guy.

Therrien's turn:

Q.  You mentioned before the nervousness of 19  and 20 year olds in the Stanley Cup Final.  Do you think your team maybe gets more of a boost by the crowd here than maybe Detroit does at home?
    
COACH MICHEL THERRIEN:  It's tough to say.  It's tough to say.  It seems like we skate well.  The last game, before the game I was complaining about the obstruction.  And for good reason.  For good reason.
    
I can't sit here and say there's no obstruction.  I'm not going to lie.  If there's obstruction, there's obstruction.  If there's no obstruction, there's no obstruction.
    
When I see this about 13, 14 clips that I've seen that I could tell there should be a penalty regarding the book, I'm expecting   I know how it is.  I'm not expecting they're going to call 14.
    
The last game was a little bit better.  But there's still places to improve.  But that's the truth.  It's not something that I'm preaching.  It's something that we base our team with speed.  And if we can allow us to use our speed, we're going to get effect.  And that's normal.
    
I'm expecting next game the obstruction call, they're going to call it.  I still believe there's some space to improve again.  Because I saw when you break down the game, I know it's a fast game.  When you break down the game, you'll see that there's a few times that they should have been called.  And calls are important. You need those calls.
    
If you don't get those calls at the right time, it could change the momentum of the game.  And you could send a power play at the right time.  If the right call is made and you could get that big goal, get some momentum to your team.  When you don't have it, it could be tough.  And that's why it's crucial. You need breaks to win hockey games.  Obviously you need effort and all those types of things.  But in the meantime, you need to get the right calls.

Q.  I appreciate that answer.  I was asking more about do you think your team, being as young as they are, get a boost from the crowd here at Mellon arena as opposed to maybe Detroit feeding off that at home?
    
COACH MICHEL THERRIEN:  I understand your question, but I want to say my point, too.  (Laughter. Huge smile from Therrien.)
    
We like our crowd.  (Laughter.)

   

Okay, so it's really better seeing it on video. Regardless, it's been amazing to watch Mike Babcock's press conference transformation in these playoffs. Every series he's gotten more refreshingly honest, relaxed and confident. Experience, right?

It was also great seeing Therrien have a little fun out there. He looked dazed and confused in his post-game pressers in Detroit, but he was a gem today.

Hopefully Talbot is back to his old self tomorrow, too...

Detroit: Hockeytown or not? The Freep can't decide

Mitch Albom's column ("Wings come out big, so why don't the fans?") on Wednesday attracted a lot of attention, especially on sports talk radio here in the Motor City.

Albom didn't have any earth-shattering statistics to back up his opinions. They weren't even original — writers took shots at the Red Wings all season as rows of empty seats piled up faster than the $9 tickets sold (the marketing tool the Wings were using to woo fans back).

Those tickets, like the slap-in-the-fan's-face "Joe Bucks" post lockout, didn't work. For the first time in memory, Red Wings are pushing season tickets sales. According to the boxscores, every Wings playoff game in 2008 — unlike 2007 — have been sold out. But there's been empty seats, too many seats to use the excuse that people are in The Olympia Room boozing.

Album summed up his disgust with the fans after Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas this way:

"OK. End of lecture. I don't know if those tickets weren't sold (bad) or just not used (worse). I know only that if the Wings win seven more games, if they capture the Cup, if they keep up this excellence and they do it with this many empty seats, we don't deserve the name Hockeytown. And it'll be our loss."

But who would they be losing the title to? Yea, the Minnesota Wild have sold out every season at the Xcel Energy Center. Buffalo tried to grab away the title of Hockeytown, but hockey fizzled slightly there this year. (Maybe once the Bills leave for Toronto that will change...)

But it's increasingly difficult to bill Detroit as Hockeytown. It's not the town it used to be. It's a Tigers-sometimes Pistons-maybe Michigan or Michigan State football-but rarely Lions-and occasionally Hockey-town now.

As a hockey fan, this is troubling. It speaks not only to problems in Detroit, but also the league at large. But more ridiculous than empty seats at playoff time is the story The Detroit Free Press ran the next day on A1:

"Hockeytown is having a rebirth. ...

Thursday night, Joe Louis was nearly full by the end of the first period. A free T-shirt promotion had created long lines at the entrances and the crowd arrived unusually late. Yes, there were empty seats, but nothing like the recent past.

No one is suggesting this team is shoving aside the Hall of Fame-laden squad of 2002 in the pantheon of Detroit's memorable championship runs. That was the year the team had Scotty Bowman as its coach, and players including Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Luc Robitaille, Sergei Fedorov and Dominik Hasek.

But consider: Playoff ticket sales are up by about 1,000 per game compared with last year. The Wings were the No. 1 page on freep.com in April and gathered twice as many page views as the Pistons. They even beat the Lions.

And for the first time in five years, Detroit's FSN affiliate reported an upswing in the ratings. Last year, the station averaged a 3.6 rating during Wings games in the regular season, the lowest in the history of the station. This year, the number jumped 34% to 4.7.

TV ratings for NHL games have jumped 30% across the country on all of FSN's affiliates. Not so stunningly, said Greg Hammaren, FSN Detroit's senior vice president and general manager, the biggest rating came for a Wings game.

'And it's not even close,' he said. 'It's hard not to like this team.'"

This is disgusting. Yes, Albom is a columnist and the aforementioned story ran in the news section. But this feels wrong. The Freep hasn't been immune from the Wings ticket bashing this season. Running that column and then that front page story the next day just reeks of a phone call made from a dark office in Joe Louis Arena to the Free Press brass.

Either way, the jury is still out on whether Detroit still merits being called Hockeytown, USA. It didn't look good yesterday, when Versus TV crews had to round up fans outside the Joe to produce the "crowd" shot you saw before the game. And the storied octopus is oddly thrown from the same spot in the arena at the same point during the anthem every playoff game.

But the Wings are up 2-0 in their series against Dallas. The Tigers are struggling. And the Pistons aren't garnering the same buzz, either. The Lions are still the Lions.

So maybe there is hope for Hockeytown yet.

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SHOW PHILLY SOME BROTHERLY LOVE: I'm not even fighting it any more — I'm a Sabres fan cheering for the Flyers.

Need another reason? Elliotte Friedman just did a Marty Biron profile on "Inside Hockey" prior to Game 2 between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on CBC. Best quote? Biron, talking about his son, Jacob. His son tells him the same thing before each game — tell Danny Briere to score a goal, have another shutout and bring me home a puck. He talked about Game 1 against Montreal when that didn't happen, and Jacob wouldn't even talk to him.

Great stuff! Sabres fans have to love the Briere-Biron connection; Biron also mentioned how Brian Campbell used to hide his goaltender pads in the locker room, while Marty would hide Campbell's stuff in the ceiling tiles.

Playoff notebook

Since I’ve failed to blog with any regularity, I put together a smorgasbord of off-ice thoughts through two rounds:

-Is it just me or does Madison Square Garden have the most pathetic horn in the entire NHL? It leaves me thinking, “Honey, the buns are ready!” at the end of each period.

-I’ve never liked Ray Emery as a player, but his off-ice antics are annoying, too:

“I’m not a big fan of Buffalo,” Emery said early this week. “There’s not a lot to do on days off.” ...

“He’ll find things to do,” Ruff said with a laugh. “Rent a Hummer truck, go for a ride. Drive around a little bit.” -TBN

Emery had the latest word Wednesday when asked if he'd have anything to say to Ruff if he saw him on the road - Emery quipped he'd greet him with a little ‘nudge.’ ” –CP

Don’t worry, Ray. WIVB has called fans to help him find something to keep him busy in Western New York. The best suggestions so far? “Go to a driving school!” and “Have you ever heard of a little place called Niagara Falls? I'm sure that they can find a barrel big enough to fit your ego.”

-Most hockey players have superstitions, but I doubt most involve a newspaper’s beat reporter:

"Ales Kotalik just one day asked me how my coffee was, I said it was delicious and we left at that. Then that night he scored two goals," said [TBN's Tim] Graham.

"I see him the next day and he says 'Timmy how's the coffee?' And as soon as he asked me that, I knew what he was talking about, and I said it was delicious and he kind of laughed about it and then went out and had a goal and an assist."

Says Kotalik, "It was always when he was holding a Dunkin' Donuts coffee that I had a good game, so I kind of told him make sure you have it before every game."

Check out the video here.

-Yes, Buffalo is crazy for the playoffs:

“I think [Sabres] fever is hot when I drive by the Catholic church near my house, and it doesn’t list the Mass times or the inspirational message,” Sabres public relations director Michael M. Gilbert said. “It says, ‘Go Sabres.’ ” –TBN

I also like the “Welcome to Pominville” sign on Rt. 33.

-Oh, and it’s not just Buffalo. It’s also Buffalo’s collection of fans around the globe. I’m listening to WGR right now, and people have called in everywhere from England to South Africa. Especially here in Detroit, people complain about those “late” west coast games. What if you’re a Sabres fan living across the ocean where the games don’t START until 1 a.m.? Now that’s dedication!

-Even the New York Times is taking notice of Buffalo's obsession:

"On Versus, Buffalo has the highest ratings and the most viewers. 'The Buffalo fans are a force of nature,' said Gavin Harvey, the president of Versus. 'We crushed ‘American Idol’ up there.'

In Game 4, Buffalo had a 24.8 rating from Versus, accounting for 158,000 households. Meanwhile, New York did a 1.5, the highest ever for a hockey game on Versus in that market. In Detroit, which appropriated the nickname Hockeytown in 1996, then backed it up by selling out 452 consecutive home games and winning the Stanley Cup three times, has failed to sell out its first five playoff home games this year. That has caused some hand-wringing in the Motor City, but it may be premature to cede top status to Buffalo and the Sabres."

-I’m begging Larry Quinn: Please get rid of the white pom pons! Doesn't he realize home teams wear COLOR now? And am I the only one that thinks HSBC is less enthusiastic about pom pons than other hockey-crazed cities?

-It’s no secret that Hockeytown has failed to sell out any of its playoff games. Living in Detroit, I have to chuck it up to the economy. With such a large corporate season ticket base and the decimation of the auto industry, businesses and its employees don’t have the disposable income to spend on Red Wings tickets, which are much higher than Pistons playoff tickets or the hottest ticket in town — the Detroit Tigers. Free Press columnist (and former Michigan Daily EIC) Michael Rosenberg wrote about the struggle to sell out:

“I don't blame people for staying home. People can spend their money however they'd like. It is just too bad that Mike Ilitch has chosen to alienate his fan base like this, by acting like the economy is still thriving and the Wings are still the only winner in town.

In the last few years, we have seen the state unemployment rate rise, the Pistons become one of the best franchises in sports, the Tigers make the World Series, Steve Yzerman retire and the Wings' payroll drop from almost $78 million in 2004 to $44 million this year. Yet the Wings expect fans to open the checkbook as they did in 2002.”

-Isn’t it funny how Ryan Miller sounds more and more like Chris Drury in his interviews? “It’s just a hockey game, it doesn’t matter who the opponent it is, I’m just focused on the game…”

-I was listening to the "60s on 6" channel on XM Radio this past Tuesday while driving to work. A Sabres fan called up, and he requested  "A Wonderful Dream" by The Majors, in honor of the Senators matchup. Pretty sweet.

-Best quote of the playoffs thus far, courtesy of TBN columnist Bucky Gleason: “Drury’s heart never skips a beat when everybody else is ready to drop dead.” Of course, it was in reference to Drury’s game-tying goal with 7.7 second remaining in Game Five against the Rangers. Rick Jeanneret’s call was great, too: “Who else? Who else?”

Look ma, no hands!

I've been scared of him since I was a kid, especially after he absolutely broke my heart in May of 1999.

My parents surprised me with game six tickets, Colorado vs. Detroit. After blowing a 2-0 series lead, the Red Wings were on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs following two straight Stanley Cup wins in 1997 and 1998. And sitting in the nosebleeds of Joe Louis Arena, I saw one player -- Peter Forsberg -- take the game and the series into his own hands.

Forsberg's two-goal effort lifted his team to victory then. And last night, he gave the Buffalo Sabres their first taste of post-season defeat.

And the scary part was that Forsberg didn't even need to shoot the puck on net to score. On his first tally, Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell swung at the puck and ended up hitting the puck off Jay McKee's skate and into the net. For his second, Forsberg stationed himself behind the Sabre net and banked the puck off goaltender Ryan Miller.

“I didn’t know, I was just trying to hit something in front of the net, just trying to get it there,” Forsberg told philadelphiaflyers.com. “It was kind of my two luckiest goals ever, but we’ll take them and go from there.”

Lucky? I'm not fooled. Forsberg makes the plays happen through his hard work and superstar talent. Still not convinced? He now has 159 points in 136 playoff games. I've always been scared of him, but I just hope Chris Drury and the Sabres can contain him better in the rest of the series than they did in game two.

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Just like Forsberg: Forsberg isn't the only one using telekinesis to score goals in the playoffs. His old teammate, Alex Tanguay, banked the puck off Willie Mitchell's skate for the OT-winner in game three of the Dallas-Colorado series. Detroit's Robert Lang kept with the trend when his wrister hit both posts before bouncing off Jaroslav Spacek and into the net against the Oilers. Nashville's Paul Kariya added another off San Jose's Kyle McLaren.

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Philly fans have no class:

"Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Denis Gauthier used his stick blade as deftly as a surgeon.

And it hurt Sabres winger J.P. Dumont about as much as the scalpel that sliced him open on an operating table five months ago.

Dumont writhed on his hands and knees for several minutes and needed assistance to leave the ice in the second period." -TBN

But it wasn't the play -- which some perceived as an attempt to injure -- that really bugged me. It was the fans reaction at the Wachovia Center. With Dumont obviously experiencing pain on the ice, the Flyers' PA announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Let’s show our class and cheer the man down on the ice." The fans did just the opposite, booing Dumont as he was helped off the ice by two teammates.

Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret commented, "You get the feeling they'd only cheer if someone was taken away in a hearse."

 

Oh yea, and these are the same fans that tossed hundreds of hats on the ice when Simon Gagne scored into the empty net at the end of the game, thinking that Forsberg had completed the hat trick. Hey fans: 12 is not 21. And an assist isn't a goal.

Back on the ice

I look at the calendar and smile. Training camp opens this week. The first preseason game is Saturday. And there's only three more weeks until opening night.

Minus Alexei Zhitnik, Miro Satan and James Patrick, the Sabres don't look that much different than the last time they held training camp in 2002. The core of the team is still young and many are unproven. Recently signed Jay McKee is the only Sabre left over from the playoff era. Lindy Ruff still holds the reins. But there's also new reasons to be excited as Buffalo takes to the ice:

1) Thomas Vanek: It's no secret that Darcy Regier and company are counting on this guy to fill part of the goalscoring hole left by Satan. The Sabres haven't been more excited about a draft pick since Ryan Miller (we'll talk later on how that's turned out thus far). Regier drafted Vanek fifth overall in the 2003 entry draft. He's excelled at both the collegiate level -- a national championship with Minnesota and MVP of the Frozen Four -- and the American Hockey League level -- scoring 68 points (42G, 26A) last season, good for second overall in goal-scoring and second in points by an AHL rookie. He's a pure goal scorer, but will he be able to take his talent to the NHL level in the time that Buffalo's expecting? Regardless, he will be fun to watch during training camp and is practically a shoe-in to make the opening roster.

2) Three goaltenders: Yes, Marty Biron, Mika Noronen and Ryan Miller are all still here. So why should we be excited for a third straight year of the three-headed monster? It has to be time for someone to step up. If it's not resolved soon, I expect Ruff/Regier to eventually decide to keep two and move the other. Even Regier and many Sabres players have said it's good to have the competition in training camp/preseason, but this team needs to know who the number one netminder is come the regular season. All three have had their moments of glory and disaster. Who's it going to be?

3) A new defense: The addition of Teppo Numminen and Toni Lydman should stabilize the Sabres defense after losing Zhitnik and Patrick. Numminen will be called on to fill the veteran role, while Lydman is expected to replace a lot of the minutes that Zhitnik logged. Dmitri Kalinin is the key man on the backend; if 'Tri has a solid season, the defense as a whole will likely follow. If he's not ready to assume the 1 or 1a position, there will be trouble. It'll be interesting to see the mix of the new players and the dynamics of a defense that had been led by Zhitnik for a decade.

4) Healthy, eager core: From my knowledge, all of the key players -- Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, JP Dumont and Jochen Hecht -- are 100% entering training camp. The Briere-Dumont-Hecht line was almost unstoppable last season when all three were healthy and going strong. Each of them is willing to get dirty around the net and dig for loose pucks until someone scores. Drury's concussion is behind him, which is good news for the Sabres who need his leadership on and off the ice. This is a group that came together down the stretch for an impressive run, but can they string up wins early in the season? The Sabres' early season breakdowns have killed their playoff hopes for three years. Will this year be different?

So while this might not have been the best offseason for Sabres fans that hoped the new NHL would bring parity and bigger names to Buffalo, there is a lot to look forward to. It should be another close race to the playoffs this season. And it all starts in three weeks.

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The Datsyuk mess: Mitch Albom had a funny (but serious) column in the Detroit Free Press today about the Red Wings' contract dispute with forward Pavel Datsyuk:

"Not to be a wet blanket, but Red Wings fans, party at your own risk. Hockey may be back, but when your best offensive player isn't even on the continent, only a fool pops champagne.

Here are two sobering words: "Pavel" and "Datsyuk." Any hockey expert will tell you he's the future of the Wings. And he's not here! He's in Russia, possibly under contract to not one but two teams. Ken Holland, charged with tightening Detroit's belt, has muffed the first lesson of Salary Cap 101: Sign your biggest star."

Albom's best point is that on an aging offense, which includes captain Steve Yzerman and leading scorer Robert Lang, Detroit needs its young offensive more than ever. With Henrik Zetterberg finally signed, all of the spotlight is on Datsyuk. But can you really blame Red Wings GM Ken Holland for not wanting to shell out $5 million a year for a 27-year-old player who had a breakout year last season (68 pts, 30 goals) but has been soft in the playoffs? Datsyuk might not be worth $5 million in the NHL, but he still might be worth it to the Wings.

Holland expected to receive a response on Sept. 13 from Datsyuk and his agent, but was met with another delay (Free Press):

"... they just need more time to make their decision," Holland said Monday morning outside Centre ICE, where the team will begin training camp today. "Obviously my hope is he ends up in a Red Wing uniform. However long it takes, hopefully, eventually we'll get a word saying he's coming back."

Datsyuk, a 27-year-old center of crucial importance to the Wings' success, has signed a contract in Russia with Avangard Omsk, a team partly sponsored by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Moscow Dynamo, Datsyuk's former team, has matched the offer, though reports out of Russia are murky on which team owns Datsyuk's rights. Holland said he thinks it's Dynamo.

The Wings have offered Datsyuk two- and three-year deals, each worth $3.8 million a season, and are not raising their bid.

"We are not negotiating," Holland said."

Darcy: Be patient, but not too patient

The criticism never stops for Sabres GM Darcy Regier, not in the papers, on the radio or even here at In The Crease. For all of the bad moves he's made, though, he has made a few great trades:

3/11/99, Matthew Barnaby to Pittsburgh for Stu Barnes -- Regier picked up a hard-working, all-heart veteran just in time for Buffalo's Cup run. Barnes eventually became the team's captain before being traded to Dallas.

3/23/99, Mike Wilson to Florida for Rhett Warrener and a 1999 fifth-round draft pick (Ryan Miller) -- Warrener and Jay McKee were one of the Sabres' best defense pairings. The franchise is still hoping Miller will be the number-one goalie it has been looking for since Dominik Hasek left.

6/22/02, Two second-round picks in the 2002 draft to Edmonton for Jochen Hecht -- Hecht will be one of the leading scorers on the team this season and will likely pick up an 'A' for his leadership. He's not afraid of the corners and doesn't take shifts off.

3/10/03, Chris Gratton and a fourth-round pick in 2004 draft to Phoenix for Daniel Briere (pictured) and a third-round pick in 2004 -- Briere centers the Sabres' top line and he or Chris Drury should be named captain this season. (Read Tom L's blog, Sabres Rattling, for more great talk about Briere.) Even without Briere, Gratton was addition by subtraction.

Fans are more frustrated with the lack of deals and Regier's endless patience on making moves than many of the deals themselves. Regier didn't endear himself to the fans with his "tools" talk or "education" of Sabres fans, either.

Most fans realize that the Sabres aren't going to sign any free agents right now (except Jay McKee). But even Regier has hinted the team needs to pick up another defenseman. The roster isn't much different than the one that has failed to make the playoffs the last three seasons. Who can the Sabres bump out of the East to make the playoffs this year?

Last year's Eastern Conference standings:

1 - Tampa Bay*
2 - Boston* (NE)
3 - Philadelphia*
4 - Toronto (NE)
5 - Ottawa (NE)
6 - New Jersey
7 - Montreal (NE)
8 - NY Islanders (91 points)

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9 - Buffalo (85 points, NE)

*Division winners, NE - Northeast Division

Buffalo is in the strongest division (Northeast) in the entire league, per last year's results. It's very possible that four NE-division teams will make it again, but each team will play every other team in the division eight times. That should make for tough competition.

A look around the East: The Lightning might not finish first without Khabibulin, but they'll win the division. Boston should be okay. Toronto is older, shakier and will drop in the standings, but enough to miss? Forsberg should take Philly to the playoffs, but they won't go far. Ottawa won't have a problem. Martin Brodeur is enough to get the Devils a one-through-eight seed. The Habs and Islanders have made it a habit of just making the playoffs the last few years and could be knocked out.

The first month of the season should be telling as to how the Sabres will mesh and if the young stars are ready to step up. Buffalo's made great runs in the last half of the season, but it hasn't been enough to make the playoffs. Regier's going to have to rely on his shrewd trade skills to get a couple players and cannot afford to wait for the perfect trade if the Sabres struggle early.

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Yesterday, Jerry Sullivan responded to Tim Graham's article in The Buffalo News about players not wanting to play for the Sabres:

"Surely, there are NHL veterans who would think twice before signing on with a team that twice empowered Larry Quinn, a man whose maneuverings ripped apart the organization during the most tumultuous period in Sabres history. It's hardly a secret that strong-willed players who speak their own minds and question management (Michael Peca, Dixon Ward, Rhett Warrener, to name a few) will eventually be moved out of town.

You can bet that the typical free agent is aware that Lindy Ruff's defensive-minded system has suppressed the offensive statistics of virtually every skilled forward who has played for him in Buffalo.

The stigma is out there. But it's no justification for Darcy Regier's pathetic performance in the new free-agent market."

TBN also ran an article about the luxury a team like Buffalo has, not being capped-out yet. Briere acknowledged the fact, but says it will be up to the team to win:

' "Some teams will have to unload, and that's where we can take advantage," said Briere, acquired for Chris Gratton at the 2002 trade deadline, one of Regier's all-time best moves. "If we as players can put ourselves in good position through the first two or three months and don't fall off the charts right off the bat, we could become a very dangerous team if we can pick up an extra guy or two.

"It's up to the players we have right now to keep us in a playoff spot. When management sees how we have done they'll make the appropriate moves." '

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

-Sens swap Hossa for Heatly: Ottawa GM John Muckler on the deal:

' "We got a young player -- a goal scorer that we feel can help us -- and the Atlanta Thrashers got a terrific player in Marian Hossa. This is just the perfect trade for both teams because what it does is make both teams better." ' -Ottawa Sun

I think both team's did okay on this deal. Muckler slashed payroll without compromising too much talent, while Atlanta now owns two of the top-five scorers in the league and gets a good defenseman in Greg De Vries.

-Lightning sign St. Louis and Lecavalier: Tampa announced a six-year, $31.5 million deal with St. Louis (last season's scoring leader and MVP) today after Lecavalier signed last week for four years at $27.5 million. I think the length of both contracts is very surprising, especially with an unknown future cap. The long deals keep both stars off the market next summer, when they would have been unrestricted free agents.

Osgood is good for Detroit

My Red Wings-fan friends are still in disbelief -- Osgood? In a Wings sweater? Again? Are you kidding me?

In a rare moment when I defend a goaltender, and a mediocre-to-good one and that, I tell them Osgood signing is actually a pretty solid move for Ken Holland and Co. He came at the right terms -- one-year at $900,000 -- and fits nicely under the Wings' tight cap. But more than numbers, Osgood is coming home to Detroit. My friends point to the slappers from the blue line that routenily sailed past Osgood in the playoffs and the pucks that seemed to trickle down his shoulder, down his back and then over the blueline, all while he was watching.

His number in Detroit were respectable: 221 wins in 389 games, 30 shutouts and a 2.40 GAA. For a majority of the time, Osgood played with a team of all-stars and won the Stanley Cup with the Wings as a backup in 1997 and a starter in 1998. But he did the job. Not the stuff of Dominik Hasek, but Osgood isn't expected to be the savior of any team. He knows the ins-and-outs of the NHL schedule, can play a full season as the number one goaltender and has a wealth of playoff of experience.

Best of all, he's not scarred by a three-year absence from the Wings. He didn't sulk when he was waived in favor of Hasek. He's endured the pressure of playing in Hockeytown. His head is fresh and in the right place, unlike Curtis Joseph is has been toyed around with so much in Detroit. He's always been good friends with backup goaltender Manny Legace, and shouldn't have problems splitting duties if he doesn't assume the number one spot. Osgood wants to be a Wing. The Detroit News:

' "I'm thrilled about this," said Osgood, who was traveling Tuesday. "I really missed playing in Detroit. You don't realize what you had until you don't have it anymore." ...

Instead of being bitter, Osgood handled the situation gracefully and even then talked about returning someday.

"I really thought I would be back," he said. "It was fun to play on Long Island (with the Islanders) and St. Louis. But I always missed the atmosphere here. It's just different. You don't see it in a lot of cities." '

Osgood brings stability and fits the team for right now. This isn't a club spilling over in Hall of Fame talent anymore. It has a few big-name veterans -- Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan and Nicklas Lidstrom -- mixed with talented youngsters -- Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall. So remember the Osgood-Patrick Roy fights. Or the pleasure of knowing who will start in net on a nightly basis. I can almost here the chants of Oz-zie, Oz-zie now...

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Other Wings fans are mad at the franchise for not lowering ticket prices after the lockout. Detroit Free Press columnist Mike Rosenberg tries to find the reason for the freeze:

Now the NHL has a salary cap of $39 million. So the Wings can't blame ticket prices on payroll anymore.

But Devellano says he can explain.

And in a way, he can.

The Wings bought out $15 million worth of contracts this summer. That money doesn't count against the cap, but obviously they still have to pay it. They have some time to pay, but figure $8 million in buyout money this season (including bonuses for previous contracts). So effectively, that bumps their payroll up to $47 million.

Then there is revenue sharing. In the old days, the NHL had a very complicated revenue-sharing system in which the Wings were obligated to think nice thoughts about the other teams. Now they have to pay actual money.

This year, Devellano said he expects the Wings to pay "$7-$10 million" in revenue sharing. That effectively bumps payroll up to $54-$57 million. It's not $78 million, but it's a lot closer than I realized when I wrote that the Wings should slash ticket prices almost in half.

Should this make Wings fans feel better? Hard to say. On the one hand, your organization does not appear to be filled with devious, lying, thieving weasels.

On the other hand, a big chunk of your money is going to ex-Wings and other teams.

And costs apparently will shrink by at least $20 million. After a year of neglect, shouldn't the fans get at least some of that?

Apparently for Wings fans, the new NHL costs as much as the old NHL. And incredibly, even though the Wings will pay half as much for the on-ice product, they still say they might lose money."

What Rosenberg failed to mention was the law of Econ 101: supply and demand. Demand for tickets is high in Hockeytown, why lower prices? Already with a season-ticket base of over 17,000 and a waiting list a mile long to get season tickets, the Wings won't hurt in that department. Joe Louis routenily sells out. Average-Joe tickets to most games are hard to come by, especially at face value. And even with the success of the Detroit Pistons and the rising popularity of the Tigers, the Wings are still the number one ticket in town. Even through the lockout, I saw more Wings stickers, flags and bumperstickers on the cars than Pistons, Tigers and Lions combined. News about the Wings makes the front page of the sports sections, if not the whole paper, almost daily. I understand the fans' pain with the high ticket costs in Detroit. It's hardly affordable to take a family to a game and even harder to find the tickets to do so. But that's econ for you. There's still plenty of hockey in town -- Michigan Wolverines, Michign State Spartans, Plymouth Whalers and college hockey tournaments -- to keep the thrifty hockey fan happy.

Circle your calendar

When the NHL released its schedule yesterday, I can't say I was jumping for joy. The Buffalo Sabres open against the New York Islanders on Oct. 5. Last season ('03-04, for those that have lost track), the Isles demolished the Sabres 6-0 on opening night at HSBC Arena. And we didn't beat Michael Peca and his crew a single time in the four meetings that season, either. The last time the Sabres defeated the Isles was Oct. 10, 2002. Ironically, that was also opening night.

Besides the "joy" of playing Boston, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto eight times a piece, Sidney Crosby will visit Buffalo twice -- Oct. 10 and Dec. 17. The later date conflicts with a Bills/Broncos home game.

If previous years mean anything, the Sabres, Canadians and Islanders will fight for the seventh and eight spot in the East the last month of the season. Buffalo plays Montreal in twice in the last four games of the season (Apr. 12 and 15)

Lucky for the Sabres, the change in inter-conference play means only one, three-game swing to the west coast (Jan. 16-21). No more seven-game road trips where every game ends at midnight or later.

More interesting points of the Sabres schedule from The Buffalo News:

"January will be interesting for the Sabres. The month begins with the last five games of a season-long seven-game home stretch but ends with a season-long, six-game road trip. From Jan. 16 to 31, the Sabres will travel to Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Manhattan, Toronto and Atlanta.

The whirlwind happens at a good time because the Sabres will have a chance to recover in February, when there are only six games, including four at home. ...

The home stretch will be a furious one for the Sabres.

Their last nine games include seven Northeast Division games, including three against the Maple Leafs."

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While Sabres fans look at the schedule, knowing it will tough but fun to play divisional rivals eight times, Red Wings fans are shaking their heads at the joy of Columbus, Nashville and Chicago eight times a season. The Detroit News:

' "It's an absolute joke," said David Miller, a 25-year season-ticket holder from West Bloomfield. "It used to be that there were games you wouldn't give up your tickets for, regular-season games you looked forward to.

"That isn't the case anymore." ...

How far has the NHL gone to stress divisional rivalries? Consider this: The Wings play at Columbus on Oct. 22 and Oct. 24, followed by three consecutive games against Chicago."

Hey, I'm glad it's not my team. And I never said I was thrilled about the new divisional-rivalry set-up. It will burn teams in tough divisions like the Northeast and Northwest, while benefiting good teams in the Southeast and Central divisions.

Red Wings fans were also mad that Joe Louis Arena will see four of the six original teams -- Boston, Montreal, New York and Toronto -- only every three years. So much for tradition.

However, the article also mentioned that a change in the playoff format -- which hasn't been announced yet -- could be the reason behind the schedule changes:

"There has been some speculation that the NHL will take the top two teams in each division, along with the next two best records, into the conference playoffs.

The current system takes the three division winners and the next five best records.

"If it's the top two teams (in the division), I can understand all the divisional play (in the regular season schedule)," Holland said. "It's a race within your division." '

In my opinion, this is even worse. Can you imagine taking two teams from EVERY division? And think of all of the teams that would be left out of the playoffs with more points. See: Carolina Hurricanes repeatedly making playoffs due to weak division.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

- Bob Goodenow steps down. Can't say I'm surprised. The players basically went over him to make the CBA deal since he was completely against a salary cap.

- The return of the Dominator. Toronto Star:

"Ottawa Senators GM John Muckler liked what he heard from Dominik Hasek when the two talked recently.

"I could hear that passion in his voice," Muckler said during a conference call yesterday. "He's on a mission and he wants to prove that he can become an elite player again." '

Great, eight times a year.

- Why Jack Johnson should go second in this Saturday's draft. No one is talking about anything but Sidney Crosby, but Johnson's a tough, solid-built defenseman with a good shot. I'm glad he's playing for the Wolverines this season, especially since goalie Al Montoya finally left to join the Rangers.