Happy Playoffs!

It’s that time of year again! The NHL playoffs are starting on Wednesday and, according to the NHL, history will be made. And with that, it’s time to mark down in my book of memory this year’s playoff slogan for Detroit’s run:

No fear. No excuses. No mercy. No limits.

Eh, I like it. Better than last year’s The Beard Is Back. And Are You In? for the 2008 Stanley Cup championship run was weak, as noted on this blog. The 2010 slogan is a play on the Wings’ 2010 season slogan: Hockeytown, No Limits. I like that because, hell, I’ve never seen so many opposing team jerseys on the street than when the Wings played the Caps at the Verizon Center in January. Hockeytown fans are all over the place and we make it known (just like University of Michigan alumni—and here I must prohibit jokes about desperately moving out of Michigan because they are old, people, and since I did just that: I GET IT). Adding No fear. No excuses. No mercy to No Limits is nice because a) it acknowledges the Wings’ less than spectacular year (with a last-minute, amazing charge to end up in fifth place in the Western Conference and secure a playoff spot) and 2) tells the fans and opposing teams that the Wings will do all they can to win. That’s my boys!

So you guys know what the means, right? Playoff slogan recap time!

Red Wings slogans since the 1990s (Cup years in bold—snarky commentary sort of updated, lucky you!):

• 94: Paint the Town Red (Cute, eh?)
• 95: A Call to Arms (Al the Octopus rocks)
• 96: I Want Stanley (Thinking about the song still makes me want to sing)
• 97: Get Up! (And cheer for your 2007 Stanley Cup Champions!)
• 98: Raise Your Hands (Ditto—also a sweep of the Washington Caps)
• 99: Are You Ready? (I think my sister pointed out that McBane from The Simpsons says this at one point in the series; however, the Wings were asking us if we wanted a three-peat—we said yes and we didn’t get it)
• 00: Bring It On Home (Tried, didn’t work)
• 01: Get Your Red On (The Nationals were using this as their slogan a few years back; are they now? I don’t know, I go to Nationals Stadium to hang out with friends)
• 02: Let ‘Em See Red (Playing Carolina in the Finals really created a blur of red, but the northerners rightfully triumphed)
• 03: Red Storm Rising (Lame)
• 04: Turn on the Red Light (Also lame)
• 05: No Slogan—DAMN LOCKOUT!
• 06: Bring It! (Um . . . yeah)
• 07: Join the Red Wave (Yay for Wings players being inundated in cranberry juice!)
• 08: Are You In? (Guys, c’mon)
• 09: The Beard Is Back (Just kind of not right, you know?)
• 10: No fear. No excuses. No mercy.  No limits. (This I like)

So, here we go! Good luck to every hockey fan out there who has a horse in the race. May the best team win.

And for your entertainment, Red Wings peeps, here’s the best game-winning goal evah from the 1997 Cup run, courtesy of Darren McCarty: