What Songs Describe The Red Wings’ Season So Far?
January 11, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Tomas Tatar (21) is congratulated after scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
It’s more than halfway through the NHL season, just weeks away from the Olympic break where there’s threat of more players becoming injured. And from what I see on Twitter, Red Wings fans don’t know what to do with themselves.
How do we even go about describing this season so far? The only term that comes to our minds right now is “groin injury.” And maybe “concussions.” We try not to think about the playoffs because we break out in a cold, cold sweat. So we sit and wait and hope that the next game is better than the previous one.
I find that in times like these, music speaks louder than words can. And being a music nerd, I’m probably going to go too in depth with this. As a disclaimer, my main music interest is classic rock and blues, so there will be very little new music, which you will either enjoy or ask if I’m secretly 65 years old. (Answer: I’m secretly 65 years old)
Here we go!
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Preseason – “We’re Not Here For A Long Time (We’re Here For A Good Time)” by Huey Lewis & The News
We tried not to get our hopes up in the preseason too much. Promises of Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss joining our ranks, plus Ken Holland‘s word that Tomas Tatar would be on the roster. It was one of those situations where you said, “This will either be really awesome or the team will implode! Let’s see what happens!”
And so we set ourselves up to see what would happen. Because, you know what? Let’s just have some fun. Even if we’re convincing ourselves to have fun and are actually dying on the inside.
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Reality of the Regular Season – “Can’t Let Go” by Lucinda Williams
Maybe we psyched ourselves up too much. Maybe it was our faults for getting our hopes up. But this team has its way of lifting you up for two or three games and then crushing your heart for another four or five. Let’s not even get into the shootout issues.
Our inflated expectations popped far too soon. We try to convince ourselves that things will get better, it’s just a fluke (and of course there’s a chance that there still is if you look at our list of injured players), but it’s like the song says, maybe it’s over and we can’t let go. We can’t get past the fact that we’re struggling so much.
(Bonus song: “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra. Now that’s taking it old school! And maybe a little too far…)
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Gustav Nyquist‘s Arrival – “Good Luck Charm” by Elvis Presley
He was shunned to Grand Rapids for far too long. He was our lord and savior. He spawned his own “cult” following on Twitter (@ChurchofNyquist). Fans claimed that he would be the key to fixing the team. And while the problems with this team won’t (and haven’t) come down to just one single player, him scoring not even twenty seconds into his first game was a sign that he needed to be on this team.
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All the Groin Injuries – “Nadine” by Chuck Berry
Why did I pick “Nadine” of all songs? 1) Because no one ever responded to my tweet giving me anything better (minus one person), and 2) It’s all about chasing down the person you need. And anytime you think you catch a glimpse of them, they disappear again. And it keeps happening. There’s no making it better, there’s no stopping it. You’re stuck chasing them and hoping one day they come to you.
What hasn’t been said? It’s a serious problem. It’s frustrating. Let’s move on before I lose my cool.
(Bonus song that was suggested on Twitter: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones)
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In Regards to Dan Cleary, Mikael Samuelsson, Kyle Quincey, etc. – “Dimes for Nickels” by JD McPherson
We all have our feelings about these guys. They probably shouldn’t be on the team anymore because we have so many young guys that need their chance.
And it didn’t help that Scott Cullen from TSN tweeted that Tootoo and Samuelsson are two of three forwards with lower average time on ice than Matt Hendricks while getting paid more…
They are taking up salary cap space that could be used on the players who honestly deserve it. Especially with how well the many call-ups from Grand Rapids have played.
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Current Fan Morale – “Doom and Gloom” by The Rolling Stones
It’s tough. Two decades of playoff appearances. Two decades of near-constant domination makes it hard to be a fan nowadays. We’ve been spoiled. And we only have ourselves to blame.
It’s easy to get bogged down by all of the negativity. Doomsday sayers and all that. The majority of this season, I’ve just sat and watched my Twitter feed go at each others’ throats. It’s hilarious. When you look at the negativity, it’s almost like they’re channeling this song:
“We’ll be eating dirt/Living on the side of the road/There’s some food for thought/Kind of makes your head explode.” Not really, because you’re going to the very extreme. But hey, it’s fun to watch!
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The Future – “Waitin’ On A Sunny Day” by Bruce Springsteen
Honestly, the most fittingly titled song would be “Tomorrow Never Knows” by the Beatles, but I hate that song and also the lyrics don’t fit, so you get The Boss instead, who I at least like better than “Tomorrow Never Knows” (but that doesn’t say much).
When we think about the future, we’re honestly just hoping that there’s some consistency. We’re waiting on that sunny day that may not get here for a while. But when it comes, oh man, will it be worth it.
We’re Red Wings fans. We’re resilient. It’s the sport we love, the team we support. We’ll stick with this team through thick and thin, whether we like it or not.