Superstitions

As I sit here, already tense and stressed about Friday's looming game seven, I've thought about all the superstitions I have kept, broken and considered during these playoffs. There's just so many that it's hard to keep them straight.

In this series, the Wings are 3-1 on NBC, 0-2 on Versus. Good thing game seven's on NBC, but I thought the same before game six. The Wings are 2-0 when I watch the game at my house on my couch (games one and two), 0-2 when I watch the game in Gloucester (games four and six), and 1-1 when I'm watching the game at a bar. I prepared food for myself before game four and they lost, so I ordered pizza from Dominos before game six on Tuesday. Still lost. I couldn't find a clean Red Wings t-shirt to wear underneath my button-down for work on Tuesday so I Febreezed the hell out of my Lidstrom jersey tee and threw that wet mess on. It was gross, but I thought it would help. It only made things worse. Sweat, Febreeze and a game six loss is a dangerous cocktail. Here are some other choices I'm pondering as game seven draws ever nearer...

I wore my unbelievable Christmas present signed Datsyuk sweater for the first game of the Blue Jackets, Ducks and Blackhawks series. I forgot to for the Finals, but I made up for it by wearing it in game five. I thought I had found some luck so I wore it for game six too. Do I wear it for game seven? I think so. Decision: Wearin' it.

I've worn at least one item of Red Wings memorabilia for every single Red Wings playoff game except one. Game six of the Ducks series, I had nothing clean and wore a bright red short sleeve Polo and my bright red Converse Chuck Taylor high tops with 19 SY drawn in black sharpie on the sides. The result was a devastating loss. So I'll definitely keep the memorabilia train going, but what's worthy of a game seven? My Datsyuk sweater, as mentioned above? My Datsyuk t-shirt? My Lidstrom t-shirt? My green St. Patty's day Red Wings logo t-shirt? My 2008 Cup Champions roster t-shirt? My green St. Patty's day Red Wings thermal? My black 2002 Cup Champions t-shirt? Any of the numerous Red Wings hats I own? What in Yzerman's name do I wear for a game of this magnitude? I feel like Tobey Maguire before the MTV Awards. Decision: Datsyuk sweater, as mentioned above. Maybe my red Chucks too. Maybe that's overdoing it. I'll make the decision based on gut feeling Friday morning.

In exact opposition with the Red Wings' beard slogan, I've shaved every single day the Red Wings have had a playoff game, again with one exception -- game two against the Ducks. The result was a triple overtime death wish. Clearly, I'm awesome at this whole superstition thing. I think this superstition will stick around for game seven, since I started it at the beginning of last year's playoffs and look how well that turned out. Decision: I will shave.

I've jumped around singing "My little Pony" after every time Samuelsson has scored in this year's playoffs. Don't ask me why, but it seems to work. Sometimes though, when I hum the melody in my head when he's on the ice, the opposition scores a goal and Sammy is usually the culprit. Do I risk singing if he scores with the chance that it'll get stuck in my head for the rest of the game and whenever he's on the ice from then on the Penguins will score? Decision: This was not true. Like I said, this game seven is turning me into a crazy person where I would concoct such a scenario as this one.

I pick one sitting position at the start of every game and stay there until someone scores. If it's the Wings, I ain't movin' for anything. If it's the other team, I'm switching to a new spot real quick. But how do I pick the right spot? And since the Wings have indeed won later after I'd moved once or twice during a 0-0 game, do I even consider this superstition to be helpful? Decision: I'm going with what's comfortable. But I'll rest my head on a freshly sharpened ice pick if, Yzerman forbid, the Penguins score first.

Black cats are said to be bad. I have a black cat at home. She pees on things. I'm going to my cousin's graduation on Friday afternoon and will be either driving home early to get back in time for the game or staying really late and leaving after the game. Do I stay as far away as possible from Mittens and see if the Wings can win it on my cousin's TV in Portland, Maine or do I venture home, stay away from the cat and watch it on the big screen in HD on my comfy couch? The Wings did win games one and two of the Finals on that couch two weekends ago. Decision: I'd like to get home and watch the game, but we'll see what time allows with the graduation and reception and all. I may need to stay in Portland or drive like the wind. It remains to be seen.

I haven't played a video game in ages, but I've been itching to play NHL 08 during this entire postseason. Do I break the streak now and play my own simulation of a Wings-Pens game seven to boost my morale tomorrow night, or do I keep pretending that the PlayStation's only purpose is to play DVDs? I reeeally want to see somebody in red and white throw a late hit to Crosby or Malkin without any real punishment afterward, but I'm scared of the consequences of such a virtual action. Decision: This is game seven; it's not about fun and games. I can wait it out.

I started posting after Wings' playoff games to check my ego after wins and to keep me sane after losses. I did a few pregame posts, but the last one I did was before game three in Chicago. The result was an overtime loss. In fact, I've kept the posting to a minimum except for game recaps since the middle of that series. I'm breaking that by posting this now but somehow I feel okay about it. Admitting these problems is the first step back to sanity, I'm told by the imaginary bearded Madonna creature behind me. And if anything's clear from this post, it's that I need some professional help already, let alone if the Wings crush my soul on Friday. Decision: It's already been made by writing this. I've posted after one game and before the next. Let's see if it pays off/matters.

I've got nothing left in the tank. There's probably some other superstitions I've got hidden deep down that I can't think of because they've just become human nature by now, but I need rest. Another tough day of work tomorrow with this fried brain of mine before I can become completely enveloped in a fantasy world for crazy people inside a stress bubble on Friday. Storm's a brewin'. Go Wings.