No city sacrifices like Detroit, partly because hockey fans are ruthlessly loyal, partly because other cities don't have to. Detroit is in the Eastern time zone, which means the Wings should not be in the NHL's Western Conference. The only other Eastern-zone team in the Western Conference, Toronto, is moving to the East next season, when expansion Nashville enters the West. The Wings need to gripe loudly to join their traditional rivals in the East, to save their fans from sleep deprivation. When Boston plays Washington, or Philadelphia plays Buffalo, travel isn't an issue.
Players can take cabs from city to city.
The day after, weary dentists reportedly were drilling into gums and tongues. But that Anaheim game wasn't such a big deal. The Wings were up 3-0 in the series. There was no danger, no tension, not like last night, when the Wings took the ice trailing the Coyotes, 2-1. And don't think your fervor isn't felt by the players.