I know my buddy Patrick Hickey (www.thedriveforfive.com) is very happy right now. He has Hunter on the banner at the top of his page.

I am sure that he was disappointed that he only tallied 12 times last season. He has said that he wants to improve his offensive scoring punch.

He has not disappointed so far.

You have all the reports that you could muster. I am not going to add any more that just these comments of mine:

1. Joey Mac had a good game. He let a soft goal in but the other two, not many would have stopped. He has performed admirably.

2. DP - just get in there and play…..

3. Are you impressed with Nielsen’s play? Denmark should be thrilled that he is starting to make his career take shape.

But now to the focus of this piece:

Bruno - alias Pizza Man (ask any Booster Club member…)

He was one guy that I hoped would make some strides this season, and pick up his play to the point that he would become a leading d-man on this team for years to come.

In the first few games this season, he has accomplished just that. Getting two helpers in the home opener on Saturday, and getting an assist on the first goal of the night, he is logging major minutes on the blueline and is involved in all situations.

Taking advantage of the opportunities, along with the fact that he is a media darling, has made his visibility shine more this season.

However, it is going to make things even more tougher for Chris Campoli to just jump back in and be a force. It is interesting over the careers of these two guys, how much flip-flopping has happened. Now Gervais is at the top, and Campy is looking up. Get better soon Chris, and move that teeter-totter back to even.

Tomorrow - Sunrise, FL and the Panthers. Without McCabe, but be cognizant of their defense. It is their strongest point. Voukon has always played well against the Isles. Will be interesting to see how well the Gordon team plays after a good performance.

Is Scott going to say this to the guys before the head out to the Pru ice tonight?

The screen test is over, the action scenes are going to begin.

What to expect: Tough question… However, from what I can see from Scott, I can see that he will be one that will make 100% sure that his guys will not only be focused, but ready to breathe fire on those Devils.

How will Ricky respond? Being a former goalie, I think Scott has more of an idea what is going through DP’s psyche than most… Will DP go all 3 games in this weekend? I hope not. I could easily see MacDonald into action, probably on Monday against Buffalo.

Bailey, I can safely assume will be out of the lineup tonight, and possibly tomorrow. I am sure that the disappointment will be mounting. If it was me, I really would send Josh to Windsor. He will be the captain, and get to work on the leadership skills, and be the ‘MAN’!

Interested to see the new line combinations. I think Hunter would look good with Tambellini and Nielsen. He would be the grinder and mucker to get the other guys the puck. I would assume that Guerin and Weight will be together. They know each other like peas and carrots.

Who on “D” will sit? Hillen has impressed, and I wonder if he will get the nod over Pock, or Gervais. It will be a difficult decision.

Although the Devils are a stronger team on paper, the Isles have done well against them, going 6-1-1 last season. Ricky always like to play against MB30, so it should be a good matchup.

We are under 12 hours from the start of our season, and under 36 hours from the home opener. I really am excited for the start of play. I enjoy watching the team that wins the cup the prior year hoist the banner up. And Detroit does not disappoint. They had Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, and Alex Delvecchio among others, present the banner to the Wing Captains (Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lindstrom), and they brought it over to have the picture of the organization with it, before it was raised. Nice touch.

Game on!

Congrats and Happy Birthday Josh!

Nice to see that the team has confidence in you to sign. We all know what Garth did to get you, and he feels that he got a steal by moving in the draft to get you. He (Garth) had you pegged all along, and getting an extra few players in depth, allows the team to grow.

Get better soon, and let’s see what you got!

As far as the game the other night, I was unable to go. Work has been nuts lately, and I am averaging about 14-15 hours a day of work/commute. So it was impossible to make it. It is going to be tough to make certain weeknight games, so it was get words from others and make my own opinions…

It seems like it is going to be a tough year of scoring goals again. Hopefully, as the team futher understands and develops the “Gordon system”, the offensive capabilities increase. If we managed to get that .25 goals per game average last season, we could have been playoff bound. That can make a big difference.

Sutton’s loss will be a big blow. We were expecting much more from him this season. Hopefully, he gets back soon. His size is a big factor. Campy too. This is a tough loss, especially for his development. Tomas Pock could be a help. He just was not able to crack the Ranger lineup. Although he is not the fighter that Eric Carins was, let’s hope that another Ranger defensive castoff can pay dividends to us.

As Newsday reported, Tambellini can be a person that can really help this team, or bring it down. It is totally up to him, to bring his AHL play up to this level. Franz Nielsen is also in this situation too. It is time for these guys to take the “put up or shut up” attitude and get it going.

Well - back to work… Eight days until the home opener… Tailgate party - 3:30 PM - South West Corner of parking lot… Be there, aloha!