Why I Want the Red Wings to Win Tonight

I feel like a traitor for rooting for the Red Wings over the Pens.  The truth is, I used to hate them with a passion.  But after watching these playoffs, I’ve found that I actually kinda like the Wings. 

Blame it on the comedic stylings of Pavel Datsyuk, a guy who has a great sense of humor that sounds even better with a  Russian accent.

However, I’ve stopped liking Sidney Crosby since the playoffs started.  I’d always felt sorry for all the heat the Kid takes for diving and whining.  I’d always though people made that stuff up to have a reason to hate him.  But then, I saw him whine to the refs to make the crowd stop throwing hats for Ovechkin, and then I watched him dive left and right throughout these entire playoffs.  I watched one game during the Carolina series, and I was completely disgusted with Sid’s fruitless attempts to draw calls.

Another reason I like the Red Wings is that they’re usually ahead of us in the standings, so rooting for them won’t hurt our place much.  Now, if we were battling a close race for first or something, then I’d go back into my “Detroit-loathing” mode.

I’ve pretty much forgiven the Wings for beating us in the West finals last year.  We won the season series 3-1, and that revenge felt really good.  Beating Detroit just feels differnt than beating any other team. It puts me in a good mood for weeks and it just feels more rewarding.  Embarrassing them at home by exposing their weak penalty kill was just plain awesome.  Some wounds run pretty deep, but as long as I don’t think about the heartbreak of last spring, I don’t mind Detroit winning.

Lastly, I’m only 14 and a half years old, so I want to see an actual hockey dynasty.  I’m not old enough to remember the Oilers or the Islanders at the height of their greatness.  It’d be cool to say in, like 20 years, “Hey remember when the Red Wings used to be really good?” By then, we’ll be talking about the Dallas Stars dynasty *wink, wink* and how awesome it is.

Oh, and another reason I’m rooting for Detroit tonight is that I like Nicklas Lidstrom.  You just can’t help but respect the guy, and I’d like to see him win a fifth Cup.  Plus, he’d be the very first European-born captain to lead his team to back-to-back Cups.  With that said, Go Wings!