Red Wings start Eastern Conference play vs. Sabres.

*wooooo! first game of the season and first win great job boys!! pp and pk looked terrific although the last few minutes gave me a heart attack.

**Happy to see the intensity from the Wings, but they've been lucky that Buffalo's PP isn't working tonight. If this were Boston, Pitt, Toronto (or Heaven forbid Chicago in a SCF) the Wings would be losing right now.

By the way, am I the only one disappointed that they couldn't figure out a way to keep Nyquist up with the big boys? I was really hoping to see Gus and Tatar flying up and down the ice together this year...

**I hate that puck over glass penalty. Treat it like icing - faceoff in your zone, no changes. Nordstrom got one for the Hawks yesterday in spectacular fashion - he sent it over the glass at the other end of the ice.  
The Wings have had two five on three kills. Although the Hawks 90 seconds of a 5 on 3 kill against the Caps was more impressive. They have a much better PP than Buffalo.

**The Tallinder trade is already paying off, he gets beat to the outside, and Myers lets his guy inside. Glad all those players got sent down to Rochester so Tallinder could make the team. I would rather lose with young guys who are the future, then with guys who are over the hill. Poor Brayden McNabb.


**LOL Blackhawks fans who keep saying you miss the Wings in the West. Thats a load of garbage. As good as your team is you don't miss having a perennial threat to your chances in your division. Let's get real here. You may be selling it but no one is buying it.

**I can't speak for all Hawks fans (or Wings fans), but there is a mutual respect between the 2 organizations that you probably wouldn't understand. Those cities may hate each other, but history is there and we wish our Wings arch-rivals best of luck in their new conference...nothing more, nothing less.

**Exactly. I'm a weird wings fan in that I don't hate the hawks. Wings - Hawks games are fun to watch because you know it's going to be a battle. A hard fought, entertaining game that rarely disappoints.

*In 2004, the Blackhawks were named the worst franchise in all professional sports. Hawk fans knew that was true. What drove us up the wall was that we were always playing a great example of the right way to do things - Detroit. So Bill Wirtz died, his son went all in to not only emulate Detroit but to outdo them. I think we have succeeded. The Hawks have sold out every game since March 2008 - a year we did not make the playoffs. And we have won two Cups. We would be thrilled to play the Wings in the SCF - and beat them.

**I should point out that the Red WIngs also were beneficiaries of bad health and death. Bruce Norris had turned them into the Dead Wings. He sold the team to Mike Ilitch in 1982 and died a couple of years later. Ilitch turned the Wings into the best franchise in the NHL. Hawk fans are astonished that it was Rocky Wirtz who turned things around after his father's death. That was unexpected. We were hoping that the Wirtz's would have to sell the Hawks for tax purposes. Who knew that Rocky is a genius.

**I'm not saying there isn't a great rivalry here and great historic games. Just last year was a fantastic 7 games series. But cmon now. When someone pulls a thorn out of your side you don't complain. You say thank you for making my life a little easier and my road a little more comfortable. You want 'em back? I'll gladly ship the Wings back West because 1 playoff spot that was up for grabs every year now in the East is gone.

 

**Great game so far. It seems to me that Grigorenko looks like the best one out there if the Sabres want to win they need to get offense going on this PP. Detroit is playing simple hockey which is realy helping them.

I think the East is not ready for Detroit. If you respond to them, you will get better. The Red Wings had a large role in making the Blackhawks what they are today. Getting Toews and Kane in consecutive drafts also had something to do with it.