I was graciously given a pair of tickets to last night's Rangers/Wings game. Some thoughts.

• There's no better feeling than paying cash to park, then when leaving seeing the sign changed to "Prepaid passes only"
• The pregame "ceremony" for Ted Linsday was very disappointing in its shortness. No video of the pre-opening dedication ceremony; some SVP of business operations pulling the black curtain off the print that everyone had seen.
• I have absolutely no qualms with giving Ted, Alex, or Gordie statues. However, given the limited amount of concourse space, I grow frustrated with putting more things fans have to work their way around.
• We sat directly in front of a group of fans who were a bit rambunctious (read: drunk). They didn't feel the team was being physical enough. And I have to agree with them to a point.
• There's nothing I like more than a quick goal to penalize those who feel that there's no need to get there for the start of the game.
• Full and complete credit to Bill McCreary and Tom Kowal for calling a great game. They kept the whistles out of it and let two teams play. Hey, Gary Bettman: send this tape to the rest of your officiating crews and tell them this is how to do it.
  
• For all intent and purposes, Budd Lynch isn't doing PA anymore. Yeah, he announces the Wings starting line-ups, and the shot totals after the periods, and that it's the "last minute of play in this period," and the three stars of the game. But someone else announces the goals and penalties. I'm kinda surprised this hasn't gotten more play. I have more to think about this, but I'll save it for another post.
• Whomever told "Tunes By T" (the JLA Musical Director) to stop playing the line "it's nine o'clock on a Saturday" from Billy Joel's "Piano Man" at 9:00 on Saturday night games: take an extra $20 from petty cash.
• The Hossa goal was as pretty as you'll see in hockey. Magnificent job by Pavel Datsuyk to set him up.
• Based on the way these two teams played tonight, I think we could see this matchup again in eight months.