Guess who will be joining our corner of the hockey world?

Thursday May 01, 2008 @ 02:51 PM EDT

Thorsten currently plays wealthy casino owner, Zach Slater, in ABC’s daytime drama, All My Children. For that role, he received a Daytime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actor” in 2006. He has also appeared in films, The Silencers, Deadly Desire, and The Bone Collector. An avid rugby and hockey fan, Kaye will chronicle the Detroit Red Wings run to the Stanley Cup.


So I have a pretty big announcement here, and I am going to try to save it for the end of the blog, if I can. I’ve been speaking with the Red Wings recently, who are trying to set up something very cool for this blog, and I believe that we have most of the details ironed out.


And, as you can tell, I’m pretty excited about it.


But first, some playoff thoughts:


Adept at ‘The Knockout Blow’


For Colorado/Detroit, I hope we get it done tonight, but honestly, selfishly, I am looking forward to possibly going to Detroit for Game 5. I don’t like saying something like that in a blog, but it might be only chance of the series to attend a Wings game, so I’m torn.


Well, I was torn. As a Red Wings fan for far too long, I know that allowing an opponent off the mat can be your undoing. And obviously, this team outweighs my own selfish desires. I’m looking for a good 1-2 knockout punch from the Wings tonight, possibly in OT or late in the third.


From Calgary and San Jose last year, to Game 6 in Nashville this season, the Red Wings have been showing me that when they have the chance to put an opponent out, they take it. So as a fan, I want to see this trend continue.


Props


One of my fellow bloggers, Michelle Stafford, who is doing a blog for the Sharks (meaning she basically has another two days of blogging remaining) was recently nominated for an Emmy! Well I just wanted to say that it is well-deserved, she’s a great actor.


Congratulations to her for that.


Teaser


Ok, I told you, I’m excited about this, and I’ll give you a hint. We’ve got a member of the Production Line coming to join us on the blog. Yes, that production line!


A hint: he lead the line, and the league (winning the Art Ross trophy) in scoring in 1950, the only year on record that three linemates ever went down as 1-2-3 in league scoring.


Got it yet?


OK, OK, if not, it’s coming – but you can’t blame me for having too much fun with this.


Calm, Cool, Collected


Some people have been talking about Detroit’s “easy road” through the playoffs so far, but from what I’ve seen, it hasn’t just been easy. It’s been difficult, and downright stressful at times. But the Wings, they’re so calm, and those passes; it’s like they never hear or feel the pressure from the other players on the ice at any time, and because of that, they make it look easy.


And, hey, while we’re talking about cool and collected: the Datsyuk and Zetterberg goal? Six passes back and forth before Z slides behind the net and buries the one-timer? Even Quenneville said that it was an “All-World” kind of a play.


The score was close, but those kind of passes (that wasn’t the only one), they just keep coming. There’s no nerves out there, it’s business-as-usual.


And part of that goes to Babcock.


I’m glad he’s up for the Coach of the Year Award, because he deserves it. It’s third straight season he’s had 50+ wins, so it’s about time he gets some respect.


In fact, back when he was still coaching the Ducks, I was at the game when we were eliminated by that team. The best thing about it was, he wasn’t cocky, he wasn’t screaming at his players or carrying on, he took it in stride, he acted professionally, and he moved on.


Don’t think that didn’t impress the Red Wings’ management.


A Look ‘Round


So I think the Sharks are going to win another one in this series, at home, and force Game 6 back in Dallas. The series has been far closer than it looks, and I think at times, San Jose has outplayed them, Nabokov has played the way he should play, and their stars have been showing up to be their stars, shift-in shift-out.


But it hasn’t happened nearly often enough.


For the Rangers, I hope they’re able to win one, at home, for their fans. But it looks to me like that Pittsburgh team is just too confident, too fast, too smart and too skilled for the Rangers to beat more than once, maybe twice.


Especially without Avery. Say what you want about him, the kid is one heck of a player and they’re a better team with him in the lineup. Here’s wishing he makes a full recovery, and soon.


And now, the most important thing…


The “Terrible” Third of the Production Line


OK, here goes…my announcement:


Terrible Ted Lindsay


That’s it, that’s all I can say. What else could be said except this man has agreed, through the Red Wings, to join us on this blog and answer some of our questions. I for one can barely believe what an opportunity this is, and I’ve already thought about some of the questions I’m about to ask.


And the best part? You get to join in on the fun.



Ted Lindsay, one of the most feared competitors in the history of the NHL – a man who won an Art Ross scoring title, who captained the Detroit Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups and who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 – will be joining our little corner of the hockey world for a sit-down discussion (so to speak).


Submit your questions to the bottom of this blog as a ‘Reply’ and I will select a few of them to ask to the man himself. Honest. So please, post away – post often, whenever you can come up with them. I’m hoping to catch up with the man himself sometime this weekend, so if you can, post your questions by Saturday morning to ensure they’re included in the interview.


And thank all of you for continuing to join and to blog along with me – if it wasn’t for you fans, there would be no way we’d get someone like Ted to join us.


And I look forward to hearing some of your questions!


TK

• Email to friend

Email address Message