Bye-bye, Predators

Ah, yes, game over, series concluded. The Wings advance in 6.

Osgood's been outstanding, and the guys in front have played well.

Lidstrom's 110-footer, echoes of 2002 vs. the Canucks. Fantastic.

Now they have a few days off before facing...???

Four down, 12 to go.

YEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Oh, boy, what a goal by Franzen.

3 down, 13 to go, and the Wings back on top in the series.

Of course, to end it in six games, the Wings will have to win in Nashville. That's a tall order, but I think they can pull it off, IF they stay consistent.

The big guns had plenty of good chances tonight, a few of which didn't miss by much. If those start going in, they'll get it done.

Next game is Sunday in Nashville. I hope they pin the Preds to the ice and don't let them up for the full 60 minutes.

I stayed up late for this?

Nashville 3, Wings 2, and Hasek got pulled.

Sad, really sad. Now we're treading on all-too-familiar territory--another great regular-season performance, another embarrassing early playoff exit (potentially).

Of course, they're not any closer to elimination than Nashville, but, based on the first two games of the series, they should have finished them off last night.

There are, of course, worse places to be than in a best-of-three with two of those three at home, against a team that has never won a playoff game in your building.

Still, this should have been a five-game series at most.

Game 5, I don't know when, probably Friday at the Joe. I'm just a bit tired this morning...

That. Sucked. ASS.

What else is there to say?

Preds 5, Wings 3.

The Wings need to remember...if you have a team on its knees, YOU DON'T LET IT STAND UP.

Two down, 14 to go

That was a strange kind of game. It was kind of a donut--all Red Wings except for a hole in the middle. Not that Dom could have been blamed for the freaky off-the-boards bounce that resulted in Nashville's first goal, but that followed by Lilja's giveaway shortly thereafter (he gets one of those per playoff, but this time it didn't cost them the series) had the boys looking down a bit.

Fortunately, Babcock took my advice and used his time-out at just the right moment, after which it was all Wings.

Next game is Monday in Nashville. If they win that one, it's all over but the shouting.

One down, 15 to go

The Wings secured their first victory of the playoffs this evening, defeating Nashville 3-1. Nashville put forth a decent effort, even controlling play from time to time, but in the third period the Wings dominated.

It's a good start, but we've still got two months before the Cup final, and the eventual champions will have to win 16 games to hoist Stanley. So, for the Wings, it's one down, 15 to go.

After that, it's the long, dark tea-time of the soul, until the teams return to the ice in early October.

Are You In?

"Are You In?" is the Detroit Red Wings' tagline for this year's playoffs. As I am a Red Wings fan (in much the same sense as Bill Gates runs a software company), I am definitely "in."

So, for the next couple of months I'll be spending a lot of time glued to my new 40-inch LCD, following the Wings to what will hopefully be another championship.

The competition will be tougher than ever. The Wings start Thursday against Nashville, a team they have owned in the playoffs but which can inflict significant physical damage. (I'm not accusing them of thuggishness, but hey, if the shoe fits...)

After Nashville, who knows? It looks like San Jose is a good bet to be there all the way to the Western Conference final, and they're a team with which the Wings have had playoff troubles in the past. If there's a team that has a chance to dash the Wings' hopes, it's San Jose.

But, this being hockey, there might be a big surprise in store. Which Western Conference team could be this year's sleeper?

One thing's certain: playoff hockey is intense like no other sport can be, and it's a lot of fun to watch, so I'm looking forward to seeing as much of it as possible.

Go Wings!

UPDATE: Looks like San Jose got surpised by the Flames last night. Like I said...this being hockey, there might be a big surprise in store...

Is college "worth it?"

Via Instapundit, this rather interesting article on Inside Higher Ed:

College Isn't Worth a Million Dollars

Miller is particularly troubled by the financial situation in higher education, especially a financial aid system that he considers to be a byzantine mess that, especially as tuitions continue to soar, is ultimately failing to fulfill its primary purpose: expanding access to a college education to those who need it most. And not only do college officials show no serious signs of trying to fix the system’s flaws, he says, but Congress and others keep passing laws that just pour more money into it and even add to the complexity.

Part of the reason they do that, Miller argues, is because they believe college is such a valuable asset for individuals and for society. And they think that, in part, because of the widely embraced assertion that college is worth a million dollars in the bank. If a degree has that much value, how can we as a society not do everything possible to make sure everyone has a shot at the golden ring?

But what if the college premium doesn’t exist, or is greatly exaggerated?

I'll be the first to say college is damn expensive. Unless one has the GI Bill (as I do) or a really good scholarship (as my daughter does), one pays a lot of money for a very long time.

There are also jobs out there that do not require a college degree but pay quite well--for example, in my own field (telecommunications) there are many people earning well into six figures based on their training and certifications, regardless of whether or not they hold a college degree.

The main point this Miller fellow makes is that the often-repeated canard "a college graduate earns $1 million more over his/her career than someone with only a high school diploma" is incorrect. His calculations say the real figure is only about $280,000. ("Only" $280,000?!) Not a million dollars, certainly, but still not chump-change.

I didn't really need to go back to school. I've got a very well-paying job that I'd have gotten anyway, no need for a Master of Science degree. I went back to achieve a goal I set for myself a long time ago. For me, the "worth it" isn't measured in dollars.

Anyway, it's an interesting article, and raises some issues that hit close to home for anyone who has to pay for college.

Now THIS is funny!

Anyone who started using the Internet in the mid-1990s can relate to this amusing little clip. It's well worth the five minutes.

24: The Lost Pilot (Dateline: 1994)

Added Links

I've added a couple of new links into the Link List.

First is The Blue Lobster, by my friend David. He writes on various topics, always interesting.

Second is Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. Mr. Cowen is a professor at George Mason University, close to my home. He's put together a great collection of mini reviews of restaurants in the D.C. metro area.

Enjoy!