This is your Red Wings starting goalie for the 2012 season

(The Tigers can wait a few days. It’s only the ALDS. Remember, they were supposed to be here.)

This Week In a Season that Already Happened has officially started. It’s opening day. From now on anything that happens in the season is happening in real time.

Whew. That lockout was a crazy one. I’m glad Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr settled it with a good tickle fight just in time for the season. Elmo knew what he was doing.

Looking at the opening day roster, the changes are amazing. The front office seems to be listening to all the thoughts nonsensical fans have had over the past few years.

Mike Babcock: gone. He ended up back in England as a player coach for the Whitley Warriors.

Jimmy Howard: also gone. He’s back in Ogdensburg, NY, being three years old. In his place are a couple of fellows by the name of Glen Hanlon and Greg Stefan. Risky, risky move by the front office. Judging by the picture of Hanlon above, I’m not sure he’s the most fundamentally sound goalie the Red Wings have ever had. Also, the JOFA lives on.

All that crying about how Detroit needed a tough guy: solved.  This Bob Probert character and Joe Kocur both seem like the type of people willing to take a punch to throw a punch.

And finally, the offense has been switched to find more scoring. That’s going to be interesting. Most of the guys on the roster I’ve never even heard of. I hear Adam Oates, Jon Chabot and Gerard Gallant are pretty good, and this Steve Yzerman guy seems like the type of player who is going to lead the Red Wings to three Stanley Cups.  Bold prediction: Yzerman becomes one of the top two players in franchise history (him and Gordie Howe) when it’s all said and done. Although that didn’t help in the opener. Here’s a recap of what is going on today.

October 8, 1987 2012

Calgary (1-0-0) 5, Detroit 1 (0-1-0)

Calgary goals: Brian Glynn, Hakan Loob, Al MacInnis, Jim Peplinski, Carey Wilson

Detroit goals: Lee Norwood, (1) (Adam Oates, (1))

Your Detroit Player of the game: Adam Oates. He set up the Red Wings’ only goal and was one of just three players on the team to be a plus, finishing +1.

Honorable mention: Joe Kocur and his 10 penalty minutes

Boston 4 (1-0-0), Washington 3 (0-1-0) 

Boston goals: Cam Neely, Willi Plett, Bob Sweeny 2

Washington goals: Mike Gartner 2, Greg Smith

Minnesota (0-0-1) 2, Buffalo 2 (0-0-1) 

Minnesota goals: Neal Broten, Brian MacLellan

Buffalo goals: Scott Arniel, John Tucker

Toronto (1-0-0) 7, Chicago (0-1-0) 5 

Toronto goals: Dan Daoust 2, Tom Fergus, Miroslav Frycer, Todd Gill, Mark Osborne 2

Chicago goals: Bob Murray, Brian Noonan, Gary Nylund, Duane Sutter, Doug Wilson

Montreal (0-0-1) 2, Philadelphia (0-0-1) 2 

Montreal goals: Chris Chelios, Claude Lemieux

Philadelphia goals: Magnus Roupe, Ikka Sinisalo

Quebec (1-0-0) 5, Hartford (0-1-0) 1 

Quebec goals: Tommy Albelin, Jeff Brown, Michel Goulet, Jason Lafreniere 2

Hartford goals: Sylvain Turgeon

New York Islanders (1-0-0) 4, Los Angeles (0-1-0) 1 

Islander goals: Pat LaFontaine, Brent Sutter, Bryan Troittier, Randy Wood

Los Angeles goals: Mark Hardy

Pittsburgh (0-0-1) 4, New York Rangers (0-0-1) 4 

Pittsburgh goals: Randy Cunneyworth, Wilf Paiement, Charlie Simmer, Craig Simpson

Rangers goals: Walt Poddubny 2, Tomas Sandstrom 2

Vancouver 8, St. Louis 2

Vancouver goals: Greg Adams 4, David Bruce, Barry Pederson, Doug Wickenheiser, Dan Woodley

St. Louis goals: Rick Meagher 2