Red Wings Health in Decline in Dallas

Detroit could potentially suffer yet another setback tonight, as Henrik Zetterberg left this morning's skate with some back soreness. He along with Brian Rafalski, who coincidentally missed the Colorado game two nights ago with a similar problem, will be game-time decisions. Both players are desperately needed in a line-up already missing Mike Modano, Dan Cleary and Pavel Datsyuk.

Preview looks like this:


Looks like the boys will need to be switched on for 60 minutes in this one. I really don't rate Dallas as that good, the Wings have just had two bad games against them so far. I stongly feel their position in the standings will slip before the end of the season, but not enough to miss the playoffs.

One more quick note, it was good to see Hudler score the other night. Hopefully he can build on that and get that confidence back and become that regular contributor we all expect him to be. God knows, especially if Z and Raf are out, someone will need to step it up or there'll be more disappointment in the Big D.

Detroit's Depth Will Be Tested as they Visit Colorado

Lead-Up: The Wings play their second of back-to-back games tonight after defeating the Minnesota Wild 4-1 last night. Prior to that, Detroit had lost 3 of their last 4 games, giving up 4 goals on each occasion.

After riding a 6-game winning streak that began December 10, the Avs have lost their last two prior to the Christmas break. The highest-scoring team in the NHL faltered a little in their meetings with the Los Angeles and Minnesota, managing only one goal in the 120-minute span all at their home, the Pepsi Center. The Avs however, have enjoyed a 3-day break in preparation for tonight's clash with the Red Wings.

More Injury Woes: En route to notching a solid 4-1 win last night in Minnesota, the Red Wings received more bad news from the doctor's office, as the Dan Cleary was revealed to have suffered a broken ankle during the 3rd period of the victory. Cleary joins Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Modano on the Red Wings IR, and will remain there for at least 4 weeks.

In his place will be Jan Mursak, called up from Grand Rapids to make his NHL debut. I can't imagine the excitement he must be experiencing in anticipation of the achievement after spending the last 2 and a half years playing for the Griffins. The Slovenian has notched 10 goals and 13 assists in his 33 AHL games this season.

Less Injury Woes: On the flip-side, the Avs been heavily challenged this season with the most unenviable slew of injuries seen so far. At one stage having up to 10 regulars on IR, the Avs will gladly see the return of both Milan Hejduk and Cody McLeod for this game, slowly getting back to health.

Third Time's the Charm? Red Wings' back-up Chris Osgood makes the start in goal for his third chance at nabbing win #400 for his illustrious career. He vies for the W with Colorado back-up Peter Budaj, who will start in net for the first time since a 6-5 loss in Tampa against Steve Yzerman's Lightning on December 4.

Datsyuk-less Red Wings Face Wild; Game Preview

Game Notes:
- Jakub Kindl will play his first game since Nov. 6, as he fills in for Ruslan Salei. The Wings' brass decided to give Salei an extra day back in California with his family before he returns to the line-up. Rusty has been away from his family all season with his wife pregnant, thus the classy decision to allow him to stay. Another display of why I love this orgnaization.

- Detroit seeks their first win since Datsyuk went down with a hand injury. The first game was a 4-3 loss to St. Louis three nights ago.

- Some hot hands in Detroit include Brian Rafalski (8 assists, last 5 games), Henrik Zetterberg (2 goals, 7 assists, last 5 games) and Nick Lidstrom (5 goals, 1 assist, last 5 games).

- The Wild are riding a 3-game win streak on the back of some hot defense and goaltending. Niklas Backstrom only gave up 1 goal in each of the three wins getting a .970SV% along the way. The opposite has been true for Detroit however, as the Wings have given up 4 goals in each of their last 4 games.

Osgood Seeks #400 Against Blues

Take 2.

After the disaster that befell him against the Stars a few games ago, Chris Osgood gets his second opportunity at reaching the illustrious career milestone of 400 wins. He'll have to get the win however, with a forward line that will be missing its primary component -- Pavel Datsyuk.

Datsyuk was injured in the first period of the Wings' overtime win against the Canucks last night and isn't expected to return for another 4 weeks while he nurses his broken hand. On the bright side, this provides someone with an opportunity to step it up and show they are a top 6 forward. Jiri Hudler, I'm looking at you!

Frankly, Happy Hudler has had a DOG of a season so far (1g, 5a, -7). We've always known he has the skills and the intuition for finding the net, but this season not so much. Why? The only thing I can think, is confidence.

It was a slow start to the season that provided the snowball. That snowball seems to have been growing exponentially to avalanche-like proportions to the point where Hudler seems to be consistently making the wrong decisions with the puck. He's reverted to a "pass-first" mentality which oftentimes, has been his downfall. He also seems to be lingering out of the hotspots he had such a knack for finding in the past. I recall one instance against the Canucks where a big rebound came out to the circle with no defenders around and Hudler skated up from the blueline only to get into a battle for the puck. At that moment I thought, "Two years ago Hudler would've been in position to one-time that one." But sometimes all it takes it one solid game, and all this uncharacteristic play by Hudler will fall by the wayside.

There haven't really been too many hot hands for the Wings of late. Infact, Pavel Datsyuk had been Detroit's most consistent scorer throughout December. But worth mentioning, is the field day Nick Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg had 8 days ago against the Blues. Zetterberg notching up 4 assists with Lidstrom adding an assist to the first ever hat-trick of his incredible career. No doubt the play of this pair will weigh heavily in the minds of the Blues when in their own zone.

A Big Test Ahead as Canucks Come to Town

It was expected to be a tumultuous month of December for the Wings, who after only 10 games, have as many regulation losses as they did in the two months to begin the season. The busy schedule seems to have negatively impacted the Wings' defense, who have given up 15 goals in the last 4 games, getting just the one victory from them. The news gets no better however, as next up is the surging Canucks.

Vancouver's fortunes have quite divergent from the Wings', as the 'Nucks have earned an impressive 19 of their last 22 contested points, with Roberto Luongo heating up in net. Their former captain has won 9 of his last 10 letting averaging a measly 1.69GAA in that span. In the past however, the Wings haven't had too much trouble with the widely touted goalie, scoring 3 or more goals on Vancouver in Luongo's last 7 starts against the Red Wings dating back to 2008.

Preventing goal will need to be the biggest concern however for Detroit. The Canucks have been scoring just a touch under 4 goals a game in their last 11 games with balanced scoring across the board not unlike the contribution seen amongst the Red Wings four lines. An obvious priority will be the Sedin twins and the threat they pose each shift.

It's difficult to say where it's all falling apart for the Red Wings. They haven't been flat out awful, they just don't seem to have been able to make things go the way they want. They have at times, imposed their will on situations within games, but it usually ends with no reward. You can't help but feel this change of fortune for Detroit has impacted the confidence of some of the players a little. Still, all it takes is a couple of big games, and the Red Wings are usually most ready for these 'top-of-the-table' showdowns.

Detroit recently relinquished top spot in the Conference to Dallas however remain leader of the Central Division with Vancouver breathing down their neck at third in the West. A win for Detroit will see them leapfrog the Stars back into first, however a win for the Canucks will tie them with Detroit only staying arrears to the Wings because of the 'shootout win' rule.

The Battered Core of Chicago Gets a Test in Chi-Town; Wings vs. Hawks

The Blackhawks lost a lot after winning their first Cup in a billion years. Unfortunately for them, tonight that list will include Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, two integral pieces of the incredible "core" everyone kept hearing about.

The good news for the 'Hawks is they get back Fernando Pisani -- a monumental bolstering to the line-up, and possibly the biggest, most intimidating ECHL 4th-liner in history, Ryan Johnson. Babcock should definitely have cause for concern. [/sarcasm]

Seriously, there's no excuse for losing this game. The 'Hawks have a 16-14-3 record. Their roster is not that good anymore. This is a team that just shouldn't be beating the Red Wings. If the Wings stay away from the easy areas and are prepared to put their bodies on the line, they will score a lot of goals and win the game.

Sorry, no more time to make a better preview. I suck right now I know. Go Wings!

Back on Track, Wings vs. Kings

Firstly, sorry it's been so long since my last post. I missed a few game previews and such, it was a really busy weekend for me and things still aren't letting up at this stage. Anyway, the good news is the team play stats will be back pretty soon (save for the +/- because of some major, seemingly insurmountable, issues going from PC to Mac) and WOAW will become a little more interesting.

But the first order of business is the Red Wings.

It was a positive weekend for Red Wings' fans, who saw their best players get it done to push the Winged Wheel back on track. Some brilliant goaltending coupled with some Datsyuk magic, got the Wings the full four points from their back-to-back meetings with Montreal and New Jersey.

Onto the game...

The Kings haven't played too much lately. Since the previous meeting on December 4, the Kings have only played two games while Detroit has played four. The Kings, like Detroit, have split results going 1-0-1, beating Calgary but losing a few nights ago to Minnesota in overtime.

The Kings have shown they are a very good young team. But are they ready to take the next step? They sat atop the Western Conference for a little while earlier this season, but it all came crashing down with a few injuries and some slumping stars. Things seem to be headed in the right direction again, but a victory in Detroit would be a very solid affirmation of that. More than just turning things around though, is the importance of those two measly points.

The Kings sit dead last in a Pacific division race that is... well, it's just ridiculous. The fifth-placed Kings are only 3 points in arrears of co-leaders Anaheim and Dallas, but fortunately have two games in hand on Dallas and several on Anaheim. That division is so tight though, that no team can afford to let up. Each team has its dangers and each one has a very real shot at a strong playoff push.

Detroit, well they have a 5-point break on second-placed Vancouver with equal games played. A loss wouldn't hurt too much, but it's not a healthy habit to be dropping games because you can. Especially in this Conference. If the Pens could amass 12 straight wins in the West I would gladly take my hat off and pay my respects to them. But this season seems to be carrying on the old tradition of imbalance between the quality of the two halves of the League.

Team stats below, enjoy the game!

So it's a slump then, is it??

I was wrong. I was so certain the Wings would turn this funk around and get back in the W column. They've been pretty unimpressive of late and unfortunately it didn't change tonight for Detroit. With this 3-2 loss to the Preds at home, the losing streak extends to three, getting just 1 of a possible 6 points. So I guess that means the Red Wings are officially in a slump.

Credit has to go to the Predators who, as usual, played a tight disciplined game and made life frustratingly difficult for Detroit's forwards. The consistent pressure on the man forced some unfortunate errors from the Wings all 'round and Nashville were good enough to capitalize and strike when they could, getting 2 goals from turnovers. Still, the Wings aren't looking as sharp and dangerous as they have in the past.

Anders Lindback, (boy, that guy can cover some crease) was very good, but the Wings didn't make it difficult enough for him. Too many saves from point shots that he could see, too many pucks on the ice that just aren't going to teleport through those monster pads, monster pads that seems to be flat on the ice most of the night. It was painfully obvious that he got into the butterfly whenever the puck was on its way, but I saw way too many shots hit pads that were already in position several seconds earlier. Perhaps it's just because of a little lack of confidence. Luc Robitaille used to say, when you're in a slump just go 5-hole. That probably worked back in the 90's, but in this butterfly dominated world of superior goaltending, not as much.

To be fair, it's pretty difficult [impossible] to go a season without losing three straight games. There are inevitable peaks and troughs throughout the long campaign, but the most polished and consistent teams are those that find a way to minimize those troughs in length and regularity. Detroit needs to end this trough as soon as they can. That won't be too easy though, as Montreal strolls into Hockeytown in two nights time with their new Patrick Roy (yes, one day they will run him out of town too) Carey Price. The kid is playing some beautiful hockey, it's not just hype, so Detroit's forwards will need to get their act together to find some net.

In closing I just want to say one thing: I hate the Habs. Please, PLEASE don't make it four losses in a row. I have too many friends in Quebec.

Red Wings Need to Bounce Back!

It began with such promise two nights ago, as the Red Wings dominated the early play against the Sharks. It all fell apart fairly quickly though, and Detroit fell 5-2 to Todd McLellan's boys, for the first regulation loss at the Joe since October 28.

The Red Wings remain at home for the next few games, the first of which will be a meeting with Nashville. On paper, the Preds aren't quite the team San Jose is, however if Detroit can't avoid a repeat of that sort of capitulation, the Predators will find themselves receiving two points without too much hassle.

Nashville has been enduring some battles of their own. With the loss of #1 netminder Pekka Rinne, will likely have an even more difficult time catching its rivals in the frustratingly tough Western Conference. The 6-foot-6 monolithic rookie Anders Lindback has taken the reigns the last two games going 1-0-1 with a disappointing finish in Atlanta blowing a 2-goal lead to lose in OT during the Red Wings meltdown.

So how do the Red Wings avoid a disaster akin to the one we saw on Monday?

Pretty simple: play Red Wings hockey for 60 minutes.

That's it. Just 60 minutes of hockey. There'll be no excuses for the mental collapses we saw against the Sharks. Some might call it a 'schedule loss' and God knows, in an 82-game season, you'll have them, but this isn't one.

Good news though: it won't be.

The Wings will win this game. I know it. That is all.

Old Enemies Meet Again; Sharks vs. Red Wings

The little hot streak was going to be difficult to maintain dragging it all the way across the continent on a West Coast road-trip, but the Wings performed admirably with their 5 points from a possible 6 effort.

Things don't really get any easier back home though, as the Red Wings get straight back into it with the Sharks, one of their two California victims.

There a few minor changes to the teams that met last week, mostly on the Sharks side with some returns from injury.

The Sharks will enjoy the insertion of both Jason Demers and Niclas Wallin back into their blueline, while Antti Niemi will start with Niittymaki his back-up. For Detroit, the only change form their last meeting with San Jose is having Osgood as Howard's backup. Kris Draper was inserted into the line-up two nights ago in L.A., however he'll be a healthy scratch tonight in favor of Patrick Eaves to make the same line-up that beat the Sharks 5-3 in San Jose.

California Trip Success

Three games against three tough teams all vying for contention in their conference. Getting 5 of 6 points from San Jose, Anaheim and L.A. is no mean feat.

It was unfortunate it had to end with a loss, but there are really very few negatives I can derive from the defeat.

Goaltending -- success! In my opinion, Ozzy had a very solid return after a month off. Los Angeles, while a little banged up right now, are a very talented team and Osgood stood up to the challenge well. Both regulation goals scored by the Kings took fortunate deflections a goalie can do very little about. Howard? Well, as usual Jimmeeehhh was the man.

Work ethic -- present! The Wings had an excuse to take a night off last night, but I was pleasantly surprised to see hard work from all four lines and the defense for most of the game. The top lines did some good things, the third and fourth lines were physical, and the powerplay was pretty unlucky. The team didn't click 100% but I didn't expect it to in the second half of back-to-backs, on the other side of the continent against a Kings team battling to get back into form.

The top forwards -- not too shabby. The top two lines were pretty solid throughout the road-trip, with 3 points each for Filppula, Franzen and Cleary, with Zetterberg and Datsyuk picking up 5 points each over the 3-game span.

The Wings now head back home for a short home-stand to face San Jose, Nashville and Montreal before heading to New Jersey for a quick 4 games in 6 days.

With the exception of the Mike Modano, the Wings are a very healthy bunch after Osgood and Draper's return. One thing I have to say though; is Patrick Eaves sat out last night for Drapes, and I couldn't help but wish he hadn't. Draper didn't do too much, not that you'd expect much, but Draper won't earn a permanent spot on this roster unless he shakes off the rust. He'll get his chance, and so he should -- he's earned the opportunity, but he'll need to make the most of it. As Kirk Maltby will attest to, there are some young, fast, hungry guys down there that want to wear the Winged Wheel every night. And God I love it!!

Red Wings Look for Sweep in L.A.; Game Preview

It's no mean feat to sweep the California road-trip, but the Wings have a chance to do just that tonight. The unfortunate part however, is they have to go through the Kings of Los Angeles to do it.

Admittedly, the Kings have been struggling of late, winning only two of their last 9 games, while the Red Wings have been the opposite, losing only two of their last 11. It's never a simple task to win in Los Angeles though (0-2 in 2009/10), particularly when it's the second of back-to-back games.

Babcock makes a few small changes to the line-up that blanked the Ducks 4-0 last night, with the return of a few injured vets from their ailments. Kris Draper will in his first game of the season after his groin injury suffered in training camp became a sports hernia and ended up setting him back another month or so. Osgood missed all of November with his strained groin but will make his first start since October 30.

It'll be a challenge for Ozzy. There's no doubt he's a champion player and a great servant to the Red Wings organization. He's had some tougher times of late and seems to be finding it difficult to settle into the role of back-up for Jimmy Howard. I hope Ozzy can find a way to get back to form and help Jimmy out with the workload a bit. It's a very serious concern for me how much Howard is being played and I just hope Osgood can make himself a reliable alternative when needed.

It's going to be a tough test, there's no doubt about it. Most of the signs point to a Detroit loss to be honest. Back-to-back games after a rough opponent, [possibly] rusty Chris Osgood in net and just the fact that the Wings have a tendency to lose after some solid wins makes me a little iffy about this one. I guess we'll see just how good the Winged Wheelers are.

Red Wings Head South to Face Ducks; Game Preview

The Red Wings were able to hold serve in the first two matchups of the season between these two teams, shutting out the Ducks on opening night 4-0, followed by a 5-4 comeback victory late in October involving some Datsyuk magic with 12 seconds to spare. However, with the recent upswing in form for Anaheim, tonight's game is shaping up to be even more of a challenge.

The Ducks will, just like the Red Wings, be putting a 3-game win streak on the line as they attempt to take top spot in the Pacific Division. The Red Wings don't have quite as much to play for as they sit loftily atop the Central Division and Western Conference with a few games in hand. That lead however, is likely to decrease as the Red Wings head into their monster December schedule. Games like this and tomorrow night's against the Kings are were you lose points. This little California road trip is a great way to gauge just how good the Wings are.

Detroit's team is unchanged from the one that knocked off the Sharks three nights ago. The main priority for Mike Babcock will be to shut down the Ducks' top line of Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. The trio is without a doubt Randy Carlyle's biggest threat and difference maker.

Sorry for the short and sweet preview this time around guys. Time is limited today. Go Wings!

Osgood is Back, Will Start Saturday Against Kings

Chris Osgood is now back at full health and ready to compete sending Joey MacDonald back down the Grand Rapids.

Howard will start Friday night's meeting with the Ducks and Osgood will have the task of shutting down the L.A. Kings on Saturday night. Osgood missed about a month with a groin injury.

This is great news in my opinion, as Osgood's return (hopefully) will allow Howard to f=sit out more games so he's not burned out from a Kiprusoff-like schedule come April.

The West Coast Trip Begins; Red Wings vs. Sharks

After successfully defending the #1 spot in the Western Conference with a sweep of the home-and-home with Columbus, Detroit heads west for a short tour of California starting with the team that eliminated the Wings from the 2010 playoffs, the San Jose Sharks.

The HP Pavilion was a happy hunting ground for the Red Wings this past regular season but in May, when it really mattered, it was a source of frustration and heartache. I told myself not to comment on the officiating that occurred during that series, but I just wanted to acknowledge it. Yep, I remember. The Wings lost 3 tight games, they could've won which ultimately lead to the series defeat 4 games to 1.

The same Red Wings outfit that knocked off the Jackets 4-2 have made the trip to NorCal, along with a couple extras -- Kris Draper and Chris Osgood. No word has arisen yet on their availability for tonight's game, however it has been confirmed Draper will play in one of these games in CA, and Osgood is a good chance to do the same. Ozzy might even dress as Howard's back-up, however Mike Babcock has stated that Jimmy Howard will not start the game in LA, the second of back-to backs, if Osgood is good to go by then he'll make the start.

The mighty Sharks that ousted the Wings in 5 have had a tougher go if it so far in the 2010/11 season. The team underwent some changes in the off-season and so far the adjustment could've been better, going 11-7-4 and winning just two of their last 6 games.

The biggest change for the Sharks is in net, as Todd McClellan is now working with two new goalies Antero Niittymaki and Chicago's Cup-winning starter, Antti Niemi. Niittymaki's start to the season has been decidedly better than his coutryman's, seemingly winning the starting role for now. He's far from a star goalie however, and Detroit could really take advantage of this. Nitty's no Mason, and if the Wings play the Sharks as well as they did Columbus, they'll surely give Howard a fair bit to work with.

Special teams is a bit of a wash between these two teams. The Sharks wins have fallen, mainly it seems, due to their 5-on-5 play. Special teams are still very strong as one would expect with a roster such as theirs.

Other previews:
On the Wings
Wingin' It In Motown
Nightmare on Helm Street

Howard Lifts Wings to Complete Sweep of Blue Jackets

It was a very solid 4-2 victory with input from all lines and good defensive accountability. The Jackets held a lead midway through the game on the back of a last minute goal from a Derek Brassard tip. It seemed goals would again be hard to come by with Chris Mason dominant up until that point. It must suck to be a goalie against the Wings though, as Nik Kronwall banged away and finally found the net followed by Darren helm taking advantage of a broken play just 14 seconds later to give Detroit the lead. Filppula added a very valuable goal to start the 3rd period but the biggest victory of the night came during a 4-minute period in which Detroit killed off two minutes of 5-on4 and two minutes of 5-on-3 PP time for the Blue Jackets with very little difficulty. That set up the win from there as Detroit moved to 15 wins on the season.

I don't normally make a habit of criticizing other teams, but Columbus will never be a serious threat to contenders with a powerplay like that. Howard had a good game and the PK from Detroit was solid yes, but it wasn't invincible and Columbus was just completely inept with the man-advantage almost all game. Even the late goal was borne of a pretty weak 72 secs of powerplay time. The way the played the 4 minute and most importantly, the full two minutes of 5-on-3 powerplay time was just disgraceful. They took long shots for easy blocks, they made in lanes that weren't open and barely made the Wings chase at all with poor cycling. I'm sorry, but I just had to get that out of my system. Arniel, you gotta fix this ASAP.

Anyway, this is a Red Wings blog so back to them...

It was another game with limited offensive input from Detroit's top scorers. Zetterberg and Lidstrom held pointless however Datsyuk got two assists, with one being on Cleary's EN goal with under a minute left. And this is the difference between this season and last. This is probably a game Detroit would've lost about 12 months ago, when they didn't have the depth they do now. Val Filppula had another two-point night with his second straight GWG and Franzen got a couple of assists. Mike Babcock is usually able to rely on at least one of the bottom three lines to step up if the top line is struggling.

To be fair though, "struggling" wouldn't describe the top line's performance tonight. Zetterberg and Datsyuk were dynamic on several instances and I think they (particularly Z) were very unlucky to not hook-up for some scoring of their own. Hank created several chances but it wasn't meant to be for him, as Mason was up to the task and made things tough for the Wings' forwards.

I mentioned in the preview that I thought this was a very important game to win.

The victory gives the Wings a 4 point lead in the Central (and Western Conference) over Columbus with a game in hand. This gap will definitely come in handy as Detroit heads to San Jose tomorrow to finish off November and head into a 16-game December.

Game Two; Jackets Seeking Revenge in Detroit

Detroit and Columbus will complete the Michigan-Ohio weekend with a matinee affair that frankly, I'm a little worried about.

Detroit was a greatly improved team on Friday, after getting thrashed [pun intended] a few nights before. It was undoubtedly a better defensive effort, however not without its faults. Fact is, Jimmy needed to be outstanding to take the victory. That was mainly because his opponent Steve Mason, was just as prolific as the two young goalies combined for 64 saves with only 3 goals allowed.

Whether or not those two men will start the second game of the home-and-home remains to be seen. For Detroit, Howard has played a lot of games of late and could definitely use a break with a hectic December right around the corner. For the Jackets, while Steve Mason's thrid-star performance was encouraging, back-up netminder Mathieu Garon has had the best start to a season in his career and could help Scott Arniel solve the Red Wings and get back within striking distance of top spot in the Western Conference.

So back to my opening statement in which I expressed concern for the outcome of this match.

I'm still not very pleased with Detroit's performances of late and what I saw of Columbus impressed me greatly. For some reason the Blue Jackets have had great success on the road this year, and I feel they'll be a very determined team heading into the Joe. If the Red Wings cannot match this determination, they'll surely be beaten. I only take solace in the fact that they won Friday's game by the skin of their teeth. A wide margin would surely result in Detroit's patented complacency that kills them in so many winnable games. Also, Detroit sucks before 7pm. I don't know why, but ever since I could remember the Winged Wheel has seemed to struggled in daytime or twilight scheduled games.

It's not all doom and gloom though. At the end of the day, the Wings won without any offense from their top 3 scorers Lidstrom, Zetterberg and Datsyuk. They also spent a good portion of the first half of the game short-handed without any ill-effects. With this in mind, there's a lot more good that could happen to help them pick up two points in this one.

It's an important two points up for grabs in my opinion. Our boys might be sitting in a pleasant position right now, but it's been a pretty leisurely schedule so far. December's schedule is flat out with several road trips, it'll be terribly difficult to maintain .750pt%. Let's get 'er done while we can!

Top Spot Up for Grabs in the West; Detroit @ Columbus Game Preview

I have a very vague memory of the last time Detroit lost a game 5-1. It was about this time last year, I was blind drunk at the Madison Ave Pub in downtown Toronto, in my Yzerman jersey watching the Wings get destroyed by the Leafs. As shocked as I was at the ineptitude displayed the Detroit on that night, even more shocked was I when I witnessed the next game:

Detroit 9 @ Columbus 1

Interesting...

Am I being over-zealous in my pursuit to find some positives from the debacle in Atlanta? Probably, but I guess the point I'm really trying to make is that when they get smashed this team responds. Such is the command Mike Babcock has on them.

But while Detroit's team tonight will be significantly better than the one that walloped the BJs last year, the Jackets have improved their fair share too.

One important stat that sums up the challenge this game should be:

Pts%
Detroit - .737%, 1st NHL
Columbus - .700%, 2nd NHL

Columbus have been on fire of late winning their last five games for their best start in franchise history. A huge part of their record-setting takeoff has been on the road. Columbus has gone an incredible 8-1-0 so far. To juxtapose this stat and make it even more unbelievable, in 2009/10 the BJ's won the grand total of 12 games! They already have 67% of their total wins from 09/10 in just 9 GP.

Luckily for Detroit, this game will be at the Nationwide Arena where Scott Arniel's team have looked more human, going 6-5-0. If however, Columbus are able to please the home crowd and improve their modest record tonight, they will leapfrog the Wings for top spot in the West. I'm not sure if Columbus has been there ever, let alone at this point in the season.

For the Wings, Jiri Hudler returns to the line-up as Drew Miller is the rotated scratch tonight.

A Game Best Forgotten

Thrashers 5, Red Wings 1 -- I think this one falls under the "Never happened" category.

The Wings just never seemed to be too interested in putting in what was necessary to win. A nasty little habit had been creeping up before this game, and for the most part Detroit had been getting away with it, but it had to catch up eventually and in Atlanta it did... big time.

Being the irritatingly fair guy I am, I have to say, Atlanta isn't a terrible team. I daresay they've improved quite a bit since they last upset us 12 months ago. They've got a great young group there and I never realized this, but their defense is actually very solid. A great mixture of experience and offense. This should be a playoff team really. They seem to be coming on of late, but it's difficult to see why their record is so mediocre at this point in the season.

Detroit heads north to Ohio to face the Blue Jackets tomorrow night. I sincerely hope they're more prepared this time around. I seem to recall getting destroyed by Columbus even worse than this not too long ago. I don't want to harp too much on the negatives, but we really gotta watch those turnovers and help the goalie out a little. Jimmy wasn't at his best [again] but he could've gotten by with a little help from his friends. No points for recognizing the Beatles reference.

Perhaps Howard might get a rest. Osgood isn't expected to be ready to play until next week so maybe Joey MacDonald will get his first start as a Red Wing since, I dunno... I guess the days of Manny Legace?? This is just pure speculation, but maybe Howard could benefit from the rest. While I agree with giving Howard a #1 goalie amount of starts, I do not want to see the Nabokov, Kiprusoff, Brodeur type of work overload that kills a team come May. There's no advantage to giving Howard 70 starts a season, particularly with Detroit's lofty position in the standings. The NHL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

So anyway, let's move on and get back on track with a W. Go Wings!

Detroit to Face Hot Goalie in Atlanta; Game Preview

He doesn't have the best winning record of the two Thrashers netminders, but Ondrej Pavelec's stats up against his counterpart, Chris Mason's have won the young "future franchise goalie" the starter's job... for now.

He held a shutout streak that lasted a touch over two hours last week which included a 5-0 drilling of the run-and-gun Washington Capitals. Not to be forgotten is Pavelec's performance in Detroit almost exactly one year ago. The Thrashers held off the Red Wings to a 2-0 win, with the Czech goalie stopping all 40 shots that came his way. Of course, 12 months later this Red Wings team is a little better.

So much so in fact, Mike Babcock's biggest decision right now is which of his fourth-liners sit in the press-box. For the past three weeks or so Drew Miller and Patrick Eaves have been the unlucky pair to be frequent healthy scratches under Babcock's current rotation. Neither player has played particularly bad in fact, both Eaves and Miller traded 2 point games just last week, but such is the depth of the Detroit Red Wings. But will someone else be facing the axe this time around?

The way they're playing now, both Eaves and Miller would be walk-up starts for any other team, perhaps they've earned that status with Detroit. Perhaps Modano, Helm and Hudler should watch themselves. That's the beautiful thing about having this sort of depth -- players can't coast, they've gotta earn it!

Dan Cleary seems to have pulled up nicely after his early exit from the Calgary game with a sore shoulder. Mike Modano also appears to be at full health and ready to go for Atlanta.

Now onto the game.

Anything's possible in the NHL, but I think it's a fairly safe bet that this game won't be a repeat of last year's shutout victory for the Thrash. The Red Wings scoring is very balanced from top to bottom including the blueline, and while there have been off games here and there, the consistency of this attack usually proves to be unfriendly to a goalie's stats -- just ask Jaroslav Halak.

Atlanta will probably need to score at least 3 goals to win, probably more and that's not going to be easy either. Jimmy Howard wasn't stellar against the Flames or Wild, and that's why I believe he will come out very sharp in this one. Howard's not one to get rattled, and doesn't seem to care too much for losing. Atlanta will have their work cut out for them.

Enjoy the game!

UPDATE: As it happens, the speculation was correct; Miller and Eaves are in with Hudler the tonight's healthy scratch.