Will this series be worth the staying up late when the Wings play at the Shark's home in San Jose?  It will be for this first reason to see how the Red Wings are going to defend Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo.  This series will have great defense against tremendous offensive skills and puck possession.  The test on the road for the Red Wings will be to generate offense from the defense.  Now this will not assume that the Wings will not score on their chances around the net of San Jose look at Dan Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg after the face off.  These two Red WINGS are good enough without defensive take aways.  The first reason as to why the Red Wings and SHARKS will be good watching is to see how the Wings will matchup and contain the first two lines throughout the seven game series.  Doing this on the road is a must for Detroit.  Otherwise it could out of hand and the Red Wings will have to win all four at home.  This will be another reason for the Shakrs and Wings being a series you will not want to miss.

      The second reason to turn on the television and watch this series is that I think the Sharks will take one when they are the Joe.  I am not going to give away the strategies that I think each team will use to win games on the road, I am not a coach.  But the team who wins two or more games on the road will win the series.  Propelling the team closer to the Stanley Cup.  Now after that I think that the Sharks are tough to beat and the Wings proved that they are to when they they had to better than good against the goalie in the last series against the Calgary Flames.  San Jose will not be shooting at a Red Wings net with Manny Legace but Dominik Hasek.  This is the second reason why hockey fans will want to watch the Sharks in Detroit, for them they will have to play better than good on the road.

     The third reason is to see when Todd Bertuzzi is going to have his game breaking goals and hits.  The other player on the Wings is Dan Cleary.  He shows up, plays tough and he moves the puck to score and that is it plain and simple he is a play maker.  Disagree? Tell me why.  But he was the best Red Wing in the series in Calgary, he is one reason why the Wings closed the series with a win on the road.  And if the Sharks think all they have to do is to take care of Dan that would be only be a small start.  But like Red Wings being tested in reason one the Sharks defense will be tested with four lines who shoot the puck and are not afraid of getting angry around the opponents net.

      Game on and watch Thursday.  It will be worth staying up late for.

 Detroit, Michigan- is a place of hard working people that can work through the roughest and best of times.  In  Detroit sports there are athletes that reach a status of being a fan favorite because of their determination that is part of their character; it is so reminiscent of the life that is part of the reputation of Detroit.  Everyone knows about Detroit's current economic downs.  The upside is not that far away.  And Detroit people do not give up.  Does that sound like America? I would say yes.  The city of Detroit has captured Steve Yzerman's mind.  Now Dan Cleary has found a home in Detroit and these two man and city are twins in some respects.

     Dan Cleary was picked by the Chicago Blackhawks and bumped around in Edmonton playing for the Oilers.  For that team he scored 13 goals and played hard and still did not get a chance for a job and long term consideration for his career.  Then a chance to work  in Traverse City with the Red Wings during training camp.  Seizing the opportunity Dan Cleary put on the winged wheel which would come to symbolize his career taking off with this team that likes to work hard and gritty for the wins.  And this city no wonder is the home of Dan Cleary.  As he earned the respect of the players he reached his regular roster spot through hard work and successfully getting the job done right.  Right now he is a regular on the Penalty Kill unit and is on the same line with Robert Lang and Jason Williams.  He has also earned himself the reputation of being looked at as a leader by his fellow Red Wings.  His determination and goal setting accomplishments are complimentary of Detroit.

   Tonight, Dan Cleary set a new career high in goals scored with a short handed score where he took a clearing pass from Manny Fernandez; able to be done because he pursued the puck with his skating to where the puck would be played, and then he went to one knee much in the same way that Brett Hull did and put the puck past the Wild goalie for his 14th goal this season and the most he has ever scored in his career.  He also an contract extension.  Twins, Dan Cleary needed a chance to get his career going and Detroit will get going again.  Dan Cleary is a gift for the Red Wings because he is the player that exemplifies every good characterisitic about the city, which loves to work and has fun doing it.  Nothing glittery about Detroit except the finished products of hard days work.  The same thing can be seen in the play and character of Dan Cleary, the twin of the city he calls home, Detroit, Michigan.