Quick Hits - 9/28

We're halfway through the pre-season, and less than 2 weeks away from the start of the season. Are you excited? I'm excited.

Night and Day for Mikey Mo - Drew from NOHS takes a look at how Mike Modano is adjusting to being in a training camp where he has to skate and work harder than he did in Dallas. He points out that Brendan Morrow had similar comments about Mike Babcock back in August. Maybe this would explain why the Wings, despite their "age", never seem to run out of gas at the end of the year. Oh, and there's a little eye-candy for the ladies.

Power Rankings Panel's Predictions - USA Today gathered a number of journalists and bloggers and asked them to give their predictions on everything from who will win some awards to who will win the Cup. 5 of the 12 panelists believe that the Detroit Red Wings will be lifting the Stanley Cup in June; the other 7 are going to look funny when they are proven wrong. Ironically, only one panelist picked the Hawks to win the West, and even he did not have faith that they could repeat as champs. Trust us when we say it's pretty hard to do.

The Hockey News: Where Logic Does Not Apply - Jordan from Eight Legged Freaks has an issue with Bob Duff's assessment of how the Red Wings will fare once Nicklas Lidstrom retires. He points out that even when TPH does decide to end his glorious career, it's not like the Red Wings will have a bunch of scrubs on the roster. While I agree it will be a huge loss when he does hang up the skates, I think the Wings will be ok.

On Kindl's Fight - Matt Saler at On The Wings makes his case for why Jakub Kindl should be the Red Wings' 6th defenseman over Jonathan Ericsson. Like a lot of us, Matt hasn't been that impressed with Big Rig so far this preseason, and he thinks that Kindl should be given a shot at a spot on the third pairing with Ruslan Salei. Head on over and let Matt know whether you agree or disagree (for the record, I agree).

Help Others. Enjoy Cheap Hockey - Hollis over at The Production Line lets us know about a promotion that the Grand Rapids Griffins are holding in conjunction with a local vehicle dealership. They are looking for new and gently used winter coats, hats, gloves and blankets to help out those less fortunate. Check it out for details on how you can help, and make note that Hollis reminds us on how to stay warm without the aid of some of these items.