Considering we went into the break with games against San Jose and red hot Ottawa, taking three out of four points is pretty good. Really good, in fact, when you consider the Wings actually mounted some comebacks leading up to the break instead of just blowing leads, and then beat an Ottawa team that had lost once in something like 13 games. Sorry, not beat, but dominated.

Naturally, any momentum built by this is destroyed because Detroit's best players are about to go up to Vancouver, risking injury, and frankly, Detroit's playoff spot for a chance at national glory.

Good things:

• Andreas Lilja and Patrick Eaves will be back after break.
• Tomas Holmstrom is not going. It must be a bummer to get removed from the team, but he clearly has not been healthy.
• Jimmy Howard is going to get some much needed rest -- yep, you better believe he's carrying the load into the playoffs.
• Jonathan Ericsson will have some time to better learn how to play defense.

Now, what happens here the next two weeks? Who knows. I don't really have a plan to cover the Olympics. I don't want to dedicate myself to force coverage on the United States, but if they're doing well I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about them. There's a couple interesting players on each team, like the Griffins' Sergei Kolosov (Belarus) and the recently acquired Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Norway), not to mention Norway's Mats Zuccarello Aasen, who Detroit has been rumored to be scouting. I'll probably keep tabs on their progress at well. A lot of blogs have set out to cover the progress of the rest of the Wings, so I'll figure I'll let them do that and sit back and relax.

Anyway, the country's attention will now turn to the team the man on top here assembled, and I'm at a total loss who to root for. I'm all about the United States, but they only have Brian Rafalski, who I'm lukewarm at best to. If Canada wins, accolades and superlatives will be dripped all over Mike Babcock and Steve Yzerman, which is always a ton of fun to read. From a Wings perspective, Sweden makes the most sense to root for, but Canada losing on home ice is a virtual guarantee for a few articles blasting Yzerman's decisions, even though the only one he's really at fault for is putting Corey Perry on the team and giving the 'C' to Scott "Captain Hook" Niedermayer. The ideal situation, in my mind:

Comments (14)

waltdetroit1 said:

	... Don't sell the USA too short. A hot goalie does wonders. Another Buffalo (& wing) goalie took the Czechs to gold. USA has great D & hard-working forwards. If the Canadians don't take gold, it'll be because Green was left off the roster(just so I can say"I told you so" later)
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February 15, 2010
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datfan said:

... Only one team to root for in this tournament. It has to be the stars and stripes. The Olympic mens hockey tournament is really the only time I can get pumped up and make negative comments on Babs and Pav. It's fun to pull a complete 180; I'll hope Z fails while I root for Cabbie Kane. It only happens every 4 years and I feel no qualms about it (hoping no one, from any team, gets injured). The reason I feel this way is because there is no sporting event that Americans, as a nation, root their heats for as a nation. Summer Olympics mens basketball? We are so favored if we lose we don't mind someone else gets to win one. World Cup? It's nice if we do well, but no one really cares. The only two nations I can think of that literally live and die is hockey in Canada and "football" for the English. For us red blooded American's I'll take my patriotism where I can get it... for the next two weeks.

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February 15, 2010
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Rob R said:

	... I agree with you in that Babs and Stevie Y will probably take a lot of criticism from the Canadian press if they don't bring home the gold on home turf ice. If the U.S. doesn't win, I want to see Canada take the gold, with an early exit for Sweden to minimize injury risk and maximize time to rest for the Wings.
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February 15, 2010 | url
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voline said:

... What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? What happens when my inability to root against Steve Yzerman runs up against my inability to root for Sidney Crosby and Corey Perry? I'm not sure. But since I don't have a nationalist bone in my body I'm going to root for the team that plays the best skating, passing, puck-possession game be they Russia, Sweden, USA (under Ron Wilson?), Slovakia or whomever. I'll also be rooting for Datsyuk to dominate. Go Pav.

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February 15, 2010
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Baroque said:

	... Sidney Crosby, Scott Just-For-Men-Beard, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf. And Chris freaking Pronger. Not even Yzerman can overcome that. Go Russia! I read that Pavel practiced centering the first line with Ovechkin and Semin, and I can't wait to see that on the ice.
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February 15, 2010
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Joe L said:

	... So...you'll be doing nothing?
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February 15, 2010
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Chris (NOHS) said:

	... If you're American, you have to be rooting for the United States. Maybe not for each US player, but for the team as a whole. It is your duty. If you don't, you're a damn dirty hippie. USA USA!
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February 15, 2010
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KyleKujawa said:

... Joe, I don't think I said that. I'm just saying I'm not going to commit to doing recaps of every American game, because the readership of this blog is pretty diverse and not by any means an American majority. And since just about every other blog out there is going to cover the progress of the Wings, I figured I would stick to just whatever games I watch. So, less coverage, but still some sporadic updates (likely picking up as the games get more intense and we get down to the "must wins"). And for everyone else, yeah, I'm rooting for the US. I just can't SAY I'm rooting against Yzerman, it just feels wrong. A 6-5 OT win on the heels of a Perry turnover would be the absolute ideal situation. What I'm going to do is a few things on the Griffins, game recaps and such, in addition to Olympic coverage.. just nothing overly regular.

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February 15, 2010
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r0bert8841 said:

... I am really excited to see MZA against NHL talent on NA rinks. I have been wanting the Wings to sign him, from what I have seen he is extremely talented but small. Maybe the Wings have been trying to get him on a 2 way deal but he doesn't want to play in the AHL so we traded for fellow countryman OKT trying to change his mind? All I know is I hope MZA has a breakout tournament and gets signed by the Wings because their is no way that kid doesn't become a star with mentors like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Hudler.

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February 15, 2010
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r0bert8841 said:

	... Is this a mistake? NHL.com has MZA at 6 foot 200.lbs http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=60525
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February 16, 2010
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KyleKujawa said:

	... Certainly a mistake, just look at highlights of him. He's a generous 5'7. They even call him 'The Hobbit." Quality fact-checking as usual by the NHL.. or else Norway's coach just wanted a laugh.
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February 16, 2010
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r0bert8841 said:

	... wow MZA has looked really good considering his opposition. I hope he makes an impression on babs.
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February 16, 2010
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Joe L. said:

	... Corey Perry the Goat?
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February 22, 2010
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hari said:

	... DFVGKLFFDBDVBDVBFBFNFNFN
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February 25, 2010 | url
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