On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas, The Red Wings Gave to Me...

As kids (and maybe some adults, I'm not trying to crush any dreams here) eagerly await the gifts provided by a jolly fat guy in a red-and-white suit, I thought of another group of guys in red and white who could make my Christmas especially joyous.

From Dec. 14 to Dec. 25, I will mimic the pattern of the "12 Days of Christmas" song by asking for one thing on the first day, two things on the next day, and so on until Christmas.

But, as this is the season of giving, I'd love for all of you to give me your thoughts on what you'd like from the Red Wings for Christmas, so please, post away!

If you've been following along the past few days, you might notice that much of what I've asked for, is simply what Detroit has had before.

The Red Wings have endured loss after loss, in the form of games and players.  Neither can be sustained much longer if the Red Wings are to enter 2010 as a potential playoff team.

The largest loss of late has been Henrik Zetterberg, who sustained a separated shoulder on Dec. 18 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This was the last time the Red Wings won a game, having now gone 0-3 without Zetterberg in the lineup.

He is our leading scorer and heir-apparent to the captaincy, once Nicklas Lidstrom retires.

In short, we can't succeed without him, so, I'm asking for an...

...Eleven day countdown to Zetterberg's return.

Now, lest you think I'm pulling eleven out as some arbitrary number, realize that this is actually Hank's earliest possible return date.

The Wings will be on the road during this time, a trip Zetterberg is planning to make.

Sunday, Jan. 3, if I get my eleven-day wish, would be Zetterberg's return date.

This would be ideal, as the earliest game action he'd see would be Tuesday, Jan. 5 in Anaheim.

This would give him two days of practice with the team before he'll be counted on, once again, to put the team on his back, in what is sure to be a tough game against the Ducks.

While it is true that the Wings can ill-afford to be without any of the players currently on the IR, the Wings need Henrik Zetterberg the way humans need oxygen.

The Wings are dying without him.

...10 ferocious minutes of play in the first period, nine Red Wings resting (during the Olympics), eight seed position in the West, seven points for Ville Leino, six straight games without an injury, five players clicking on the power play, four wins in a row, three solid periods of hockey every game, two defensemen scoring, and a dominating performance by Pavel Datsyuk!