Gameday: Sharks @ Red Wings

Tonight the Detroit Red Wings host the league leading San Jose Sharks. The Wings currently sit 5 points back of San Jose for the #1 seed going into the playoffs. (SJ has 2 games in hand) At the pre-game press conference, Head Coach Mike Babcock was asked how important is it to be the #1 seed to start the playoffs? In typical Babcock fashion, he replied “We’ve been the No. 1 seed all three years that I’ve been here... It worked for us once and it didn’t work twice. How’s that?”

In addition to the race for first in the West, we also welcome back the most notorious villain in recent Red Wing history. Claude Lemieux. After a crushing hit from behind on Kris Draper in the 1996 playoffs left Kris with a broken jaw, broken nose, broken cheekbone, and a concussion. The current Red Wing roster doesn't include a NHL heavyweight fighter, but I'd be willing to bet that Kronwal & Stuart would love to catch him with his head down at the blue line.

The media has dubbed this as a preview of the Western Conference finals, dropping cliches like "measuring stick" and "do or die". Offering brilliant insight by stating that each team will be "trying to send a message". Bottom line is simple. The two best teams in the West face off tonight in what should be a great hockey game. Will the winner have some sort of mental edge going into the playoffs? no. In 3 meetings this year the Sharks have won 2 of them while Detroit has outscored them 13-10. What does all that mean. It means tonight's game should be close, and full of fast paced hockey. Now we just sit back and enjoy the show.