It's déjà vu all over again...

It was 2:07 am eastern. I was deliriously tired. And the Wings had just lost in 2 OT's, 4-3, after a furious 3rd period comeback. You know what was running thru my mind? The lyrics from an old Aerosmith song.

It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend.

Let's look over the same old song and dance play list, shall we?

The Wings fanbase overly exhausted and somewhat delusional due to the asinine 10:30 pm start? Check.

The Wings goalie being outplayed by the opposition's unhearalded goalie? Check.

Wings fans wondering if the backup goalie is now a better option? Check.

The Wings outshooting the other team, yet having very few actual scoring chances? Check.

The best player on the Wings being a 41 year old with 1 good leg? Check.

That 41 year old getting hurt? Check.

Losing damn near every face off after said 41 year old was hurt? Check.

The checking line and role players doing most of the scoring? Check.

The Wings all stars and sure fire Hall of Famers not scoring, save for Zetterburg? Check.

The Wings not playing with a sense of urgency till they were down 2 goals? Check.

The Wings having trouble with, despite all denials from the Oilers that it's not, a trap? Check.

The entire city of Detroit now in panic mode? Check.

The opposition team's fan base saying the seires is over? Check.

Calmer heads in the media and both fanbases stating the series is far from over? Check.

Dude, I'm having a flashback. It's 2004. No, 2003. I know, 2002! Wait, is it 1997? 1998? You get my drift. It's playoff hockey. Games like this happen. The Wings look great, then average, then clueless, then great again, sometimes all in the the same period, let alone same game.

There is one big ass elephant in the room people are just beginning to acknowledge when it comes to goal. Do you sit Manny Legacy, who has been average at best, and awful at inopportune times, and insert Chris Osgood between the pipes? If so, is that the end of Manny in Detroit? Personally, I'd start him, but I sure as hell have Manny on the shortest leash possible. And it most likely is the end of the road if Manny is benched. He'll join the list of Red Wings goalies banished from Detroit, previous playoff success or not, never to be seen again. Essensa. CuJo. Cheveldae. Stefan. Rutherford. Giacomin. Hanlon. Vernon. The list is endless. Unless you have the 9 lives of Osgood, that is...

Am I disapointed in the Wings performance so far? Hells yeah. Is the series over? Far from it. The Wings looked dominant thru the majority of both OT's. A bounce here or there, and we aren't even talking about this. But Thursday's game looms huge. Wings win, I think they win the series in 6. Wings lose, and you may be reading my obituary on the 2006 season Friday.


It was 2:07 am eastern. I was deliriously tired. And the Wings had just lost in 2 OT's, 4-3, after a furious 3rd period comeback. You know what was running thru my mind? The lyrics from an old Aerosmith song.

It's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend.