I mean seriously.  What a great day to be a Red Wings fan.  After waiting through an incredibly long off-season following our 5 game series with San Jose, we were treated to our greatest current rival (IMO) the Anaheim Ducks for the home opener.  (I consider them our greatest rival just due to the sheer animosity, combined with recent playoff series against them.  Obviously arguments can be made for and against...perhaps in a different post).

Just to recap the game.  4-0 win.  On home Ice.  

The goal scorers?  Started with Franzen...the guy we all had hopes would be our 40-50 goal scorer.  Feels good. 

What's that...Mike Modano!?  Yes.  He scored in his first game in Red and White and it looked like it was gonna be a fantastic year.

Pav.  No slow start this year.  Love when your big time players show up big.

And then Cleary.  Secondary goal scoring will be alive and well!

And then to top it off...my favorite moment of the entire year, happened on the first game of the season.  Datsyuk lighting up Corey Perry.  OK maybe he didn't light him up, but it sure fell like it.

And of course, Jimmy gets the shutout.  

What a game.  Probably one of my favorites of all time...and I think it's largely because it was such a great emotionally awesome victory after being without hockey for 4 months.

Let's hope Friday night in Ottawa can possibly equal 1/10th the satisfaction.  Sooooo pumped that hockey's back!