So, we missed the game due to the birthing class as I said we would. But we caught the last 12 minutes on the radio. And when that faceoff after the puck went into the bench came up, I said “come on, guys, do it.”

And this is what they did.

So. Awesome.

I could watch that play at any point in the rest of my life and still love it: the way Nick sees Z out of the corner of his eye and puts it to that spot along the boards. The way Z immediately rifles it across to Pavel. The way Pavel undresses Ryan Suter and snipes Pekka Rinne. Incredible.

I don’t know what happened the rest of the game. But that moment was sweet. The Wings have something this year: a certain clutchness. It’s great.

Anyway, before we head out to the second birthing class session this morning, three things:

1. Someone tell Ryan Suter that the only way he avoids that ever happening again in public to him is to sign with Detroit.
2. Have Ken Kal and Paul Woods changed formats? Seemed like they were taking turns with calling the game and offering color. As someone who has been conditioned to exclusively associate “on-ice events” with Kal and “uh analysis uh” with Woods, it was weird.
3. See the description of the video I’ve linked here. How does Fox Sports opt to put the terrible Pistons on the main channel versus the Wings? Stupid.