Thought it would be a cool idea to do a Top 10 moments from last year. I’ll start at 10 and work my way towards moment number 1 from last year’s season and playoff run. Where available, I’ll provide YouTube clips to refresh some memories (mine included) and offer a quick thought following The Jump.
Note: feel free to comment on 6-10 but keep in mind as far as suggestions that there are still 5 to come.
10. Ville Leino scores in first NHL game
9. Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby Milestones
The short: Draper reaches 1000 games in a Red Wings uniform, Maltby plays 1000th game in NHL
8. Marian Hossa‘s goal against Atlanta
7. Chris Osgood‘s “mastodonic” save on Brad Richards
6. Brad Stuart‘s check on RJ Umberger
Check after the jump for why I picked each one. If you are satisfied with just the videos, check back tomorrow for 1-5.
10. Ville Leino’s goal makes the top ten because it might be one of the best “first career NHL” goals you’ll see. He doesn’t go for the quick spin and shoot but rather shows some patience in letting defenders make the first move and go out of position. Shows why so many people are excited about his future in Detroit.
9. Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby are fixtures in Detroit. They haven’t stayed for so long because of their goalscoring but rather their grit, determination, and selflessness. It was good to see Draper join the elite group of players with 1000 games under their belts in Detroit. Maltby hasn’t reached 1000 for just Detroit but did reach his 1000th career game, not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination.
8. Yes, I put a Marian Hossa goal in the top 10. I know he “betrayed” the Wings by leaving for Chicago but he still had some very good moments in Detroit. That goal was one of the better ones I had seen all year and shows why so many fans were sad to see that talent walk out the door.
7. Osgood made a save that few others would have been able to make. To stop that hard of a shot on a one-timer from that range takes some serious effort–and a bit of luck. Oz is no stranger to the great save (or mastodonic as the announcer says) so I had to put him in here somewhere.
6. If you saw this in the playoffs, you likely did what I did. You cringed for RJ Umberger, jumped out of your seat, and probably peed a little bit. After seeing the hit live (before replay), I thought Umberger’s head came off. Stuart makes a a massive, clean hit and everyone in Detroit goes nuts.
