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.

Police Contacted After Red Wings Rob Flames

That was something.

I remember early in this third period thinking to myself, "Looks like one of those 'Write-Off' nights for the Wings -- we're just not getting it done."

Well, the Wings got it done and the Flames must be wondering exactly what it takes to get a W against the Winged Wheel. Some might say less penalty calls from the refs would do it, and that may well be true, but I'm a member of the happy party so I'll dwell on the positives.

Firstly, Detroit played well below standards and Calgary, from my estimation, was very good. Jarome Iginla was a star again and Alex Tanguay looked like he was back in Colorado 10 years ago. Calgary played the Wings hard and looked like a playoffs team. For the first two periods, the Wings not so much. And as a result, the Wings faced two 2-goal deficits in the final frame.

This looks like a job for the Eurotwins!

It's been a while since the Hank and Pav led the boys to victory. With the recent surges from the bottom two lines, heroics from the pair had become much less of a necessity. But it had to happen eventually, and this was the night. In the third period, Pavel Datsyuk got a goal and an assist while Henrik Zetterberg netted two goals -- including the game-tying goal with 3 seconds left.

Not to be upstaged however, was the immortal Nick Lidstrom, who continued his great game (and amazing season) with the game-winner in overtime from a beautiful finish to a play started by hard work down low by Darren Helm and Todd Bertuzzi. Lids finished with a goal and two assists taking his season points total to 20 to lead all defensemen.

One might look at the PP stat 3-7 and think the Detroit powerplay was on fire on this night. But like many stats, this one is very misleading. The Flames were very unlucky to have such a glaring figure result from their efforts. Basically my view of Detroit's powerplay is 4 atrocious PPs, 1 good 6-on-4, and two others they managed to score on. The Wings could just as easily have gone 1-7 and lost this one big. In this way, I think the Flames were extremely unlucky to lose.

You could say it's a good thing, you could say it's a bad thing. I choose to be a member of the former, encouraged by the fact that despite the sub-par performance, the Wings managed to steal two points from a game they had no business getting points in. The thought of what they might do when at their peak kinda excites me. I'm just hoping that becomes a frequent thing after March.

The major negative that deserves to be mentioned is the apparent injury to the red-hot Dan Cleary. Disco Dan left the game in the second period with an apparent upper-body injury. Hopefully details will surface soon.

The win gave Detroit a near-perfect 6-game homestand getting 11 of 12 possible points as they head to Atlanta to face the Thrashers in their first Eastern Conference meeting of the season.

A Huge Opening Weekend for the Wings

What's a great way to start the season? Make Blackhawks' fans boo at the final buzzer on the Stanley Cup banner raising night. And just for kicks, throw in a 4-0 shutout win over the Ducks.

It was a perfect way to begin this heavily anticipated season for the Wings, who currently sit atop the Western Conference with Dallas, with 2 wins. Of course, standings don't mean much 3 days into the season, but it's still pleasant to see Chicago sitting on the bottom of the division with just a single point in their 2 games played.

Friday night's affair with the Ducks proved to be a challenging one, for reasons other than the battle on the scoreboard, as Detroit got the win without too much hassle. But true to form, the Ducks continued to be an unignorable physical presence -- one that needed to be matched.

Three fights on opening night?!?

No, just two. But it was almost three. Ruslan Salei's mini-scrap with Andy Sutton was given just a minor for roughing. So Detroit are well on their way to surpassing last season's NHL-low, 19 fighting majors. But that's not the best part. Oh no...

...Pavel Datsyuk!

Yes, that's right. Dats got down and dirty with a much larger, much more experienced (in fights) Corey Perry. Not just that, Pavel held his own as the fight ended with Perry beneath the Russian Roughian™ when the linesmen stepped in. Chuck in a beautiful tip-in goal and a an assist and you've got yourself a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick. I could be wrong, but I believe that would be Detroit's first since Brendan Shanahan. Maybe someone can correct me on that.

A shower, sleep and quick jet west and we're in Chicago to see the 'Hawks unveil and raise their 2009/10 Stanley Cup banner before a rapturous audience at the United Center.

The excitement was quelled, then restored, repeated and finally quelled as the game was neck and neck all night. By the end of the second period the Red Wings twice gained the lead and twice gave it up. It was a see-saw affair played in spurts where each team had their moments of controlling the play. But the Wings improved in the 3rd period.

Filppula scored his second goal of the night, the eventual game-winner as the Red Wings held onto a 3-2 lead to take the two points form the defending Champs and now await the Avs arrival on Tuesday night.

The good news:
Filppula - 2 goals, 1 assist
Bertuzzi - 1 goal, 2 assists
Franzen - 1 goal, 1 assist
Cleary - 1 goal, assist

The secondary scorers have answered the call so far, taking the heat off of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. If this continues and guys like Flip and Mule can get north of 70 points this season, Detroit will certainly prove to make a dangerous competitor for all.

The best news:
Howard - 0 goals against, 21 saves
Osgood - 2 goals against, 26 saves

Solid isn't even fair. Howard didn't need to stand on his head against the Ducks, but he could easily have given up a goal or two if he wasn't so sharp. When challenged, Howard was up to the task and made a statement that last season was no fluke for the sophomore.

Osgood was just as good. With the tougher task of shutting down the Blackhawks, Ozzy was brilliant. The two goals given up were tough to fault him on. A lapse in defense during a 'Hawks powerplay gave Seabrook a lay-up and a fortuitous deflection for Brian Bickell were the only blemishes for Osgood, who was forced to make several outstanding saves to give Detroit the victory.

Up next is Colorado at the Joe Louis Arena at 7:30pm on Tuesday night.

Big Rig Out, Kindl In for 'Hawks Banner Raiser; Gameday Preview vs. Chicago

The Red Wings began the season out of a cannon last night, as they trounced the Ducks 4-0. Better news than the result was the strong performance from Detroit's best with points from Zetterberg, Franzen, Filppula, Modano, Rafalski, Cleary with Datsyuk throwing in a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick for good measure. If that wasn't enough Jimmy Howard stopped all 21 shots for the shutout.

The Wings now face a more uphill battle against the defending Champ Chicago Blackhawks in their home-opener and 2010 Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony.

In the second of back-to-back games, Detroit will be without the services of Abdelkader and Draper again, with Jonathan Ericsson also joining the list of injuries. Big Rig left last night's game in the first period with back spasms. Jakub Kindl will take his place.

Mike Babcock also confirmed Chris Osgood will start in net, as was always the plan with back-to-back games to start the season.

New Red Wings Wallpaper; Red Wings Skyline

Visit the Wallpapers page to download the new Detroit Skyline wallpaper which features Jimmy Howard, Johan Franzen, Nick Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. It wasn't the original intention but it's almost turned out a little bit mafia-style. Anyway, please enjoy.

Datsyuk Wins Third Straight Selke, the Lone Award for Red Wings

Pavel Datsyuk became the first man since Bob Gainey won the first 4 Selke trophies awarded, to win the honor of being the League's top defensive forward on three consecutive occasions.

Three awards had a Red Wing up for nomination -- Jimmy Howard for the Calder Trophy as well as Datsyuk up for both the Selke and Lady Byng but only the one will make its way to Detroit. The lone award makes it the leanest Awards night for the franchise since 2003/04 when Kris Draper also took home the Frank J. Selke Trophy.

The night extends one streak for Datsyuk but ends another. After winning the last four Lady Byng Trophies for sportsman-like play, he lost out to Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning missing his chance at a fifth.

And to own up to my predictions -- it wasn't too bad of a result. Out of the eight predictions, five of them turned out to be correct, including the 'certainty', Dave Tippett. The three stumbles were the newly-named Ted Lindsay Award and two Red Wing nominated awards, the Selke (yes, I believe Kesler was a deserving winner but was ultimately done in by his +/- rating) and the Calder Trophy (close call, I knew if it wasn't Jimmy it'd be Tyler Myers). So 5/8 ain't so bad. I'm just glad the Wings got something. I believe the last time the Red Wings as an organization received no awards was in 1998/99. Good to keep the streak going!

NHL Awards Predictions

So it's just two more sleeps to the ever-tacky NHL Awards are once again handed out to honor the NHL's best. The 2010 version will be emanating from Las Vegas, NV for the second consecutive year and features Snoop Dogg as well as some of music's most irrelevant acts. It will also be hosted by big baseball fan, Jay "Hockey Sucks" Mohr. A fine choice indeed, NHL.

Anyway, onto the part of the show that matters... it'll probably be a relatively lean night for the Red Wings. With Lidstrom not being nominated for his trophy and Pavel having a lean year (but still getting two nominations) Jimmy Howard is probably the Wings' best shot at an award.

Vezina Trophy

Awarded to the best goaltender as judged by the League's 30 General Managers. Currently held by Tim Thomas.

Finalists:

Martin Brodeur (NJD) -- 45-25-6, 2.24 GAA, .916 SV%

Ilya Bryzgalov (PHX) -- 42-20-6, 2.29 GAA, .920 SV%

Ryan Miller (BUF) -- 41-18-8, 2.22 GAA, .929 SV%

WOW Winner: Ryan Miller

For most of the season Ryan Miller was the most talked about as the Vezina-favorite, and with good reason. With little help to speak of, Miller lead his Buffalo Sabres to the best record in the Northeast division and was second only to Tuukka Rask in SV% and GAA while playing in 24 more games.

James Norris Memorial Trophy

Awarded to the best all-round defenseman in the League as judged by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Also known as the Lidstrom Trophy. Currently held by Zdeno Chara.

Finalists:

Drew Doughty (LAK) -- 16 goals, 43 assists, 59 points, +20

Mike Green (WAS) -- 19 goals, 57 assists, 76 points, +39

Duncan Keith (CHI) -- 14 goals, 55 assists, 69 points, +21

WOW Winner: Duncan Keith

In my mind, Duncan Keith was without question the NHL's best defenseman. The gold-medallist and Stanley Cup-winner deserves one more trophy to top off his outstanding 2010 season. While his +/- rating is significantly lower than Mike Green's and his point total is slightly lower, he is still light years ahead of Green in terms of defense. Coupling that with a massive 69 point season, he takes the Lidstrom Trophy home in my eyes. Having said this, it wouldn't surprise me to see it go to Mike Green. His Coffey-esque numbers usually garner more attention than they necessarily deserve.

Calder Memorial Trophy

Awarded to the best player at his position in his first year of competition as judged by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Currently held by Steve Mason.

Finalists:

Jimmy Howard G (DET) -- 37-15-10, 2.26 GAA, .924 SV%

Matt Duchene C (COL) -- 24 goals, 31 assists, 55 points, +1

Tyler Myers D (BUF) -- 11 goals, 37 assists, 48 points, +13

WOW Winner: Jimmy Howard

Many non-Red Wings' fan might accuse me of being biased, and this may prove to be the case. But I truly believe this award is out of Howard and Myers. Jimmy has had an exceptional season in a tough situation in Detroit. With Chris Osgood faltering for the second straight regular season, Ken Holland and Mike Babcock looked to Jimmy Howard to take the reigns, and that he did. Backstopping a heavily injured team, Howard finished the season 5th in the League in both SV% and GAA.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

Awarded to the who combine sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with outstanding play as judged by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Currently held by Pavel Datsyuk.

Finalists:

Pavel Datsyuk C (DET) -- 27 goals, 43 assists, 70 points, +17

Brad Richards C (DAL) -- 24 goals, 67 assists, 91 points, -12

Martin St. Louis RW (TBL) -- 29 goals, 65 assists, 94 points, -8

WOW Winner: Martin St. Louis I guess...

I dunno. I mean, how do you seriosuly judge this award? I really give no thought to this award during the year, so I'm just going by numbers now. Datsyuk had a big drop in production this season, we all know that. St. Louis had a great year and has the numbers... so I guess I'll pick him. Whatever.

Frank J. Selke Trophy

Awarded to the forward who demonstrates the best defensive skill in the NHL as judged by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Currently held by Pavel Datsyuk.

Finalists:

Pavel Datsyuk C (DET) -- 27 goals, 43 assists, 70 points, +17

Ryan Kesler C (VAN) -- 25 goals, 50 assists, 75 points, +1

Jordan Staal C (PIT) -- 21 goals, 28 assists, 49 points, +19

WOW Winner: Ryan Kesler

Probably not the most popular choice among Red Wings' fans but I honestly believe Ryan Kesler deserves this one. Datsyuk had a pretty rough season compared his preceding campaigns and Kesler's 75 points while taking on the oppositions best is too much for me to ignore. Staal will get it one day. Not on Wednesday though.

Jack Adams Award

Awarded to the NHL coach of the year as judged by National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association. Currently held by Claude Julien.

Finalists:

Joe Sacco (COL) -- Record: 43-30-9

Dave Tippett (PHX) -- Record: 50-25-7

Barry Trotz (NSH) -- Record: 47-29-6

WOW Winner: Dave Tippett

This must be the most obvious of all the awards to be handed out. Dave Tippett did extraordinary things with a pretty ordinary team. With no stars to speak of, the Phoenix Coyotes smashed franchise records of 40 wins and 95 points with their 50 wins and 107 points. The marks also set records for the Winnipeg Jets franchise records in the NHL. Ilya Bryzgalov was the only real outstanding player on the team, so Dave Tippett gets a lot of the credit for the team's turnaround since Wayne Gretzky. If there is one certainly during this whole night, it is surely Tippett.

Ted Lindsay Award

Awarded to the most outstanding NHL player as judged by the NHL Players' Association. Currently held by Alexander Ovechkin.

Finalists:

Alexander Ovechkin LW (WAS) -- 50 goals, 59 assists, 109 points, +45

Sidney Crosby C (PIT)-- 51 goals, 58 assists, 109 points, +25

Henrik Sedin C (VAN) -- 29 goals, 83 assists, 112 points, +35

WOW Winner: Henrik Sedin

I never used to think that Henrik would have had this in him. His ability to shoot the puck alone was one hinderance I thought would keep him from being a genuine elite player but his 29 goals have silenced me. For the first time in his career, he finished a season over 1 point per game, and this year he easily eclipsed the mark. Sedin lead the League with his 83 assists and 112 points which is enough for me, to give him the Award. Crosby could get this thing, but Sedin is my choice.

Hart Memorial Trophy

Awarded to the most NHL's MVP as judged by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Currently held by Alexander Ovechkin.

As above. It's the same damn thing, with the same damn finalists!

Red Wings Partnership Awards 2009/10

The NHL Awards are coming up and the 2010 Alternative NHL Awards from "On the Forecheck" have also been handed out. Now it's time for the inaugural Red Wings Partnership Awards for the 2009/2010 regular season. All stats are based on 5-on-5 scoring only.

These awards are based purely on the statistics that reflect a particular pair's chemistry (or lack thereof). So now we'll start off with the less esteemed honors. There are only two -- and poor old Jonny Ericsson found himself winning both of them.

Firstly, we have the "Any Time Now" Award -- which goes to the pair that spent the most time on the ice together without appearing on the scoresheet together for a goal.

Yep, on the ice for over 327 minutes and no hook-ups. It's a little more acceptible considering they're defensemen. But still, Janik hooked-up with four different Red Wings in only 156 minutes of ice time total.

The "Bad Influence" Award goes to the pair with the lowest +/- of any other pairing in the team.

It's kinda surprising to see how bad Brad Stuart's plus/minus is this year. He hasn't been awful but the numbers suggest otherwise. Ericsson's stats on the other hand, not as surprising. This pair was on the ice for 12 more goals against than for -- ouch!

Now onto the good Awards. For some of these we'll have a little countdown...

The "Joined at the Hip" Award is for the pair with the most TOI together.

5th: Lidstrom & Zetterberg - 621.9 mins

4th: Datsyuk & Rafalski - 636.5 mins

3rd: Lidstrom & Datsyuk - 680.4 mins

2nd: Datsyuk & Holmstrom - 716.9 mins

Pretty obvious really. The only thing worth noting about this is Brad Stuart, who had the most 5-on-5 ice time of any skater on the the team, seemed to spend it with no-one in particular as he's doesn't partner with anyone enough to make even the top 7 in this category.

The "One For Me, One For You" Award is for the pair that most demonstrates that sharing is caring. It's for the duo that reciprocates the most goals and assists with each other. No countdown necessary.

That's right, there's a lot of love between these two. Four times Hank set up his man Bert for a goal and four times Bert returned the favor.

The "Giving Man" Award is an individual honor for the player which has been the most selfless in his relationship with his teammate. The Best Giving Man in Detroit is the one whose assists to his partner most outweighs his assists from him. Also, no countdown needed.

Pavel Datsyuk: the ultimate giving man. Well, for Homer anyway. It was a bit of a one-way relationship between the two this year -- Homer got 7 goals from Pasha, and only gave 2 in return. Selfish, selfish sod.

Following on from that...

The "Hook A Brother Up" Award is for the pair with the most hook-ups during the season.

Tied-4th: Zetterberg & Bertuzzi - 11

Tied-4th: Lidstrom & Zetterberg - 11

Tied-2nd: Eaves & Helm - 12

Tied-2nd: Datsyuk & Zetterberg -12

Datsyuk and Holmstrom's ability to click isn't too surprising. But one thing I'd like to highlight is Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm getting on the scoresheet together 12 times -- good for second in the team. That's quite impressive for two guys who aren't scorers. Great synergy, I hope they do it again next season.

The "Quickest Hook-Up" Award is for the pair with the best hook-up rate during the season. To be counted, a pair must've had at least 3 hook-ups to give the data some integrity.

5th: Miller & Draper - 36.08 mins/HU

4th: Franzen & Holmstrom - 35.70 mins/HU

3rd: Cleary & Miller - 33.80 mins/HU

2nd: Cleary & Filppula - 33.43 mins/HU

Hank and Homer get it done the most consistent and quick, hooking-up once every 32.76 minutes. Very impressive. Also impressive was Miller apprearing in the top 5 twice -- with Draper and Cleary. I hope we retain the Detroit-native for the 2010/11 season.

The "Net Gain" Award to me is about the best single indicator of a pair's effectiveness together. The duo with the highest plus/minus for the season get this award as the biggest "Net Gainers". This excludes goalies.

5th: Rafalski & Zetterberg - +12

Tied-3rd: Datsyuk & Holmstrom - +14

Tied-3rd: Lidstrom & Datsyuk - +14

2nd: Datsyuk & Rafalski - +16

It's not a particularly surprising revelation that the two players with the highest +/- on the team pair up for the best simultaneous +/- but again this season, this was a very effective pair. Ralf and Lids are still two of the best D-men in the league and provide Detroit with a first-class top pairing.

And now, the biggie...

The "I Love You, Man" Award is for the pair that share the truest, most undying love for each other. This is an award based on my own estimations factoring into it all the pair statistics, for the best overall Red Wings partnership of the 2009/2010 season.

5th: Zetterberg & Filppula - 5 Hook-Ups, 43.20 mins/HU, 216 mins, +5

4th: Franzen & Holmstrom - 8 Hook-Ups, 35.70 mins/HU, 285.6 mins, +1

3rd: Datsyuk & Zetterberg - 12 Hook-Ups, 36.13 mins/HU, 433.6 mins, +5

2nd: Lidstrom & Rafalski - 3 Hook-Ups, 349.17 mins/HU, 1047.5 mins, +17

Overall, the stats these two put up together couldn't be ignored. They were only tandem to combine a large hook-up total with a great +/- rating. The love between these two is strong. Every time they gaze into each others eyes there is an eternal flame that burns... burns the competition. Goalies hate them, but they don't care. They have each other and that's all they need.

Homer + Pasha 4eva.

Game 5; Red Wings vs. NHL Referees Preview

The Western Conference Semi-Final series between Detroit and uhh... San Jose continues tonight back in Northern California in Game 5.

I successfully managed to keep quiet about the awful officiating in Games 1-3, in an attempt to not sound too bitter about the losses. So I waited 'til we won to whine about it.

Even after the huge 7-1 performance on Thursday night, Detroit still finds themselves in a big 3-1 hole in the series. A win in this game will however send the series back to Motown for a chance to tie it. That would certainly makes things interesting, but... a win tonight is needed first.

There are a number of keys to getting the victory in this one.

Firstly, stay out of the box!! The refs seem to have been constantly looking for excuses to hand the Sharks a powerplay throughout the series, a bit of extra discipline to not give them the excuses will go a long way to winning. This I cannot stress this enough when already down a man. The Sharks have scored 3 goals in this series with a 2-man advantage. That hurts!

Another key is shutting down Pavelski. We did it in Game 4, but one would think Little Joe would come out with a little more fire back in his own barn. Keeping him quiet will go a long way!

Two other important factors are associated with the Scary Pairs for tonight.

Scary Pair Numero Uno is obvious. Franzen and Bertuzzi combined for 5 goals and 6 assists in Game 4 in a monumental performance from the duo. The Sharks will look to keep the Zetterberg-Franzen-Bertuzzi line quiet which leads me to Scary Pair Two...

...Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom may just find themselves with less attention than usual tonight. Todd McLellan is very familiar with Johan Franzen's 9 goals in 4 games destruction of the Colorado Avalanche in 2008 and will keep that at the forefront of his mind when sending out his lines. Dats and Homer could see some opportunities tonight and they'll need to take advantage of them. They've both been relatively quiet in the series so far.

Brad Stuart's undisclosed lower body injury is said to be fairly minor and he's likely to play, while a larger question mark floats over the head of Patrick Eaves and his elbow.

The puck drops and about 10:10 tonight.... GO WINGS!!!

Game 3 Preview: Coyotes vs. Red Wings

The Red Wings find themselves with a great opportunity in the next two games to stamp out any confidence the Coyotes can muster and take control of the Western Conference quarter-finals.

The Red Wings line-up remains unchanged from the one that took a 7-4 decision in Game Two in Phoenix to steal home-ice advantage. The Wings will hope to tighten up on a so far potent Coyotes' offense that has scored 7 goals on Jimmy Howard in the first two games. Luckily, the Detroit attack has been slightly more dangerous, with 9 goals of their own.

Vezina-contender Ilya Bryzgalov will hope to bounce back after giving up 6 goals on Friday night; a night he'd probably rather forget. Jimmy Howard's night wasn't much better, giving up 4, but taking the win.

The Red Wings Have Gained My Respect

On October 26:
Detroit - 12th Western conference, 3-4-2

On November 27:
Detroit - 11th Western conference, 11-9-4

On February 11:
Detroit - 10th Western conference, 27-21-11

End of Regular Season:
Detroit - 5th Western conference, 44-24-14

Not bad, Red Wings. Not bad at all. It's been a very challenging season -- probably the most challenging since the early-90's -- but as displayed by the late climb through the standings, the adversity has been met with admirable character.

Since just before the Olympics on February 11, Detroit has gone 17-3-3 to shoot from 10th to 5th in the conference against some fierce compeition. The late-season tear has put the league on notice, with strong wins over highly-rated Cup-contenders like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Vancouver and Buffalo.

The surge, as impressive as it was, was still not enough for the Wings to nab home-ice advantage. It has however, allowed them to stay away from Chicago and San Jose for the first round at least. Having said that, playing Phoenix should prove to be just as challenging.

The year has seen man-games lost through injury like no other Red Wings season I can remember. Guys like Franzen, Kronwall, Filppula, Williams and Holmstrom are costly players to lose, but the effect is compounded when you look at how the Wings' best players struggle with the loss of their teammates.

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have both had difficulty excelling without the support cast. Both players put up 70 points on the season. For both players, it's their worst point total since 2003/04, except for Hank's 68 points in 63 games in 2006/07.

Both players showed a return to form with the returns of Williams, Filppula and Franzen, and it's no co-incidence.

The one constant in the final two-thirds of the season was, shockingly enough, the goaltending. 26-year old rookie Jimmy Howard has surely been the MVP for the Red Wings this season, with consistency that will no doubt get him a Calder trophy nomination and a continued solid presence between the pipes will go a long way to the Red Wings going deep in the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

Whatever the case, while the Red Wings can be proud of the last two months of hockey, if they can't be proud of the next two, it's a failed season. Such is the pressure of being part of this great franchise.

"To whom much is given, much is expected."

Wings Seek Seventh Straight; Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets Preview

Detroit looks to do something they haven't done in two years; win 7 in a row. More importantly, Detroit looks to do something they haven't done this season; sit 5th in the West.

Tonight's game vs. Columbus marks only the fourth game of the season between the divisional rivals, who will play another pair of games against each other before the conclusion of the regular season.

Columbus has been pretty hot lately under the guidance of new coach Claude Noel, going 7-2-2 in their last 11 games. Two of those wins against the Central division leaders, the Chicago Blackhawks, by a combined score of 12-5.

Detroit on the other hand, has been the hottest team in the NHL after the Olympic break with an impressive stretch of their own going 12-2-1 since Canada won Gold in Vancouver.

This surge has pushed the Wings from 9th in the West to a solid 6th position and all but a certainty to continue their playoff qualification streak to 19 seasons. A victory tonight would give Detroit an almost insurmountable 8 point lead over the Calgary Flames in 9th, with only 5 games to play in the season.

Other Previews:

Winging It In Motown

As mentioned on FSD: Nightmare on Helm Street

The Pens Visit Detroit

All the Time in the World; Red Wings 4, Canucks 3

If Mike Babcock was anything like my dad, and the Red Wings were me in high school, he'd be criticizing his players to no end about "Always leaving everything to the last second!"

Nevertheless, two points is two points and what I like most about this victory, is that the Red Wings had every excuse to lose this one to the NW division-leading Canucks.

With a few injuries, short bench with only 10 forwards, second of back-to-back games and a few bad bounces early, one might've expected this one to become somewhat of a blowout after heading into the first change with a 2-0 deficit, after having outshot their leading opponents, 17-8.

But in the second period, fortunes changed as the Wings continued to apply the pressure and were eventually rewarded for it much to the chagrin of the Vancouver crowd, as Todd Bertuzzi snapped his 19-game goal-less drought.

Then irritation turned to outrage for the Canucks' faithful, as they witnessed a tying-goal only 5 seconds later. A Vancouver Canucks record for quickest successive goals allowed as well as a Red Wings franchise record for goals scored.

5 seconds!!

What can you do in five seconds?

In five seconds, I can get one shoe on my foot and begin begin to tie the laces. Pavel Datsyuk on the other hand, can win a face-off, deke through a few defenders and fire a 40-footer past an Olympic gold-medal winning goalie. Not bad, eh?

But more goodness was still to come in the second period as while on the penalty kill, Valtteri Filppula seized on a mis-handled puck from Alex Edler and streaked in all alone and backhanded it by Roberto Luongo for his eighth of the season, giving the Red Wings a 3-2 lead after 2 and stunning the Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks were however, a league-leading +37 in the third period of a hockey game and added to that despite being outplayed again by the gutsy Detroiters, and tied it up with a goal from the Sedins that seems almost mandatory in a Canucks game these days.

Overtime comes and much of the same happens, with the Wings outplaying the 'Nucks outshooting them 4-1, the last of which came under all too familiar circumstances, with 0.3 seconds left in the OT frame from the stick of Henrik Zetterberg. A shot which happened to get by the goalie to end the game, giving Detroit the two points.

Detroit now sits 2 points ahead of Calgary with 11 games to play for both teams. Nashville is 4 points ahead with 10 games left and Colorado now sits 7th with a 3-point lead over Detroit but have a game in hand of the Wings.

WOW Factor
There were two obvious WOW moments in this game for the Wings, but Pavel Datsyuk's long-range goal on Roberto Luongo seemed to instill a confidence into the Wings that this game was theirs to lose and while the scoreboard wasn't lopsided, the Wings thoroughly outplayed the Canucks and deserved the win.

Special Teams
The refs weren't too busy in this one with only 2 PP's each way, but Detroit's special teams were again a big reason for the win. While Detroit weren't able to convert with the man-advantage, they were very effective down a man, and without Flip's shortie in the second, the Wings probably would have had nothing to show for this game.

In Net
- Jimmy Howard stopped 29 of 32 shots for the Wings in his 18th consecutive start.
- Roberto Luongo faced a whopping 54 shots for Vancouver, stopping 50 of them.

Next...
Detroit heads home today and prepares for a 3-game home stand, the first game being tomorrow night against the defending Stanley Cup-champs, Pittsburgh.

Preview; Red Wings vs. Canucks

After a dramatic comeback loss to the last-placed, lowly Oilers, the Red Wings will now have to get it done in Vancouver against the Oilers' division leader, the Canucks.


The last meeting at GM Place saw a Red Wings victory, and the same will need to happen as the Calgary Flames refuse to let up on the playoff race after a narrow win at home to the Sharks last night.


The Red Wings still hold the eighth and final playoff spot over Calgary by virtue of win%, having a game in hand, but the two teams share equal points. A regulation loss will see Detroit slip to 9th and out with 11 games to play.

Red Wings vs. Oilers; Preview for Friday Night

Revenge Served; Red Wings 2, Flames 1 Recap

It was a red-hot start for the Flamers, in stark contrast to the one they'd had the night before but they weren't able to build on the early goal, as the Wings slowly took control and in turn, control of the playoff race.

The Flames were quick to get on the board, as Craig Conroy nabbed his first goal in 2010 only 1:47 into the game to take a 1-0 lead.

The Red Wings then took over in the second piling the pressure on the Flames, but goalie, Miikka Kiprusoff, was equal to the task. The Wings first and only powerplay of the game came late in the second and it didn't get off to a great start as Curtis Glencross forced a breakaway early in the PK. In an attempt to stymie the chance, Jason Williams was forced to hook the streaking Glencross, resulting in a penalty shot. Jimmy Howard made the save and pumped his fist in relief which proved to be the turning point for the Wings.

40 seconds later, Pavel Datsyuk ties it up, to enter the final period all square.

After a big 4-minute penalty-kill for Detroit, in which Calgary mustered almost no offense, the third period was a stale-mate most of the way. The game looked destined for overtime until, with just 79 seconds remaining, Tomas Holmstrom tipped in a shot from Johan Franzen silencing the rabid Southern Albertan fans.

Jimmy Howard was able to withstand the barrage of the final minute to record his 27th win of the season and give Detroit a 3-point lead over the Flames with equal games remaining.

WOW Factor

The obvious turning point of this game was Howard's penalty shot save on Curtis Glencross. Without that, the Flames would've owned a 2-goal lead in a very tight game and the Wings would most likely be sitting out of the playoffs right now.

Special Teams

Only 16 PIM's were handed out in this game resulting in 4 powerplays but the Red Wings dominance of special teams was where the game was won. Going 1-1 on the PP and killing Calgary's 3 chances, including a 4-minute double-minor for high-sticking in the third period set up the victory.

In Net

- Jimmy Howard stopped 22 of 23 shots for Detroit including a penalty shot from Curtis Glenscross.

- Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 26 of 28 for Calgary.

Next...

Detroit heads to Kelowna for a few days before meeting the last-placed Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place on Friday night. Calgary will meet the Avs in Colorado on Wednesday.

Wings Top Sabres in OT

Brian Rafalski continued the Red Wings 9-game powerplay goal scoring streak, at a most appropriate time, overtime to be exact.

With 47 seconds remaining in a Tyler Myers delay of game penalty to start OT, it took only 31 of them before Rafalski drove in a Lidstrom pass with a one-timer from the top of the left circle to net the overtime winner and grab the all-important two points for the Red Wings.

The Wings were again off to a great start against the Sabres, as they took 2-0 lead only 3:15 into the game on the back of some Datsyukian magic and a great individual effort from Patrick Eaves. Vezina-favorite, Ryan Miller steadied the ship though, as the Sabres slowly battled back to take a 2-2 tie heading into the final frame thanks to two Jochen Hecht goals. The teams were unable to decide it in the third period needing overtime to decide the victor.

For Lindy Ruff's Sabres, a point is better than nothing as it gives them a 3 point advantage with 2 games in hand on the Ottawa Senators who were blown out in Vancouver later last night, 5-1.

For the Wings, the extra point was much more needed, giving them a one point lead of the hot Calgary Flames, who play their catch-up game tonight, also in Vancouver. The Wings are also within a point of the Predators with the same games played.

Jimmy Howard stopped 24 of 26 shots with Michigan-native, Ryan Miller stopped all but three of the 37 Detroit shots.

The Wings were 1/4 on the PP whilst killing off all three Sabres man-advantages extending their successful penalty killing streak to 5 games.

The Red Wings meet Calgary in Alberta on Monday night in a pivotal Western conference tilt, to begin their 3-game Western Canada road trip.

Detroit Blast Wild 5-1

Two out of three ain't bad: Detroit came up big over Minnesota, Nashville loses 8-5 to the Sharks, but Calgary rolls on, shutting out the Senators, 2-0. All this means that Detroit remains out of the playoffs -- in 9th for now, but draws within a point of 7th-placed Nashville with all three teams having playing the same amount of games.

In this game, not always does the score reflect the game but in this case it was fairly accurate, as Detroit steam-rolled over the Wild, 5-1.

The Wings got off to a start quick which, in the end, set up the victory. Johan Franzen opened the scoring at 2:25 as the Wings piled the pressure on Wild goalie, Josh Harding, the puck barely exiting the Minnesota zone for the first five minutes. Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterberg added two more mid-way through the 1st to make it 3-0. Some hope came though, as Andrew Ebbett gave the Wild a chance, just 11 seconds before the 1st intermission as the puck went in off his skate making it 3-1.

Detroit controlled the game from that point on however, Howard shutting the Wild out the rest of the way with Miller adding a shorthanded goal and Franzen netting his second late in the game, to seal to win.

Henrik Zetterberg answered the call from his coach to be better, adding 2 assists to his 1st-period goal, to tie Pavel Datsyuk for total points this season for the Red Wings lead. Johan Franzen's 2 goals is also a welcome sight for Wings' fans. A hot Mule come April can decide the winner of a playoff series and all signs seem to show that Franzen can once again, be a hassle for defenders in the second season.

Chris Osgood's patient wait on the bench looks like it will continue as Jimmy Howard doesn't seem to be showing signs of faltering. Howard stopped 21 of 22 shots, but didn't need to be spectacular for the win with a lot of help from his skaters.

Detroit will play their last home game before a 3-game Western Canada road trip next week when they meet the Sabres at the Joe.

Red Wings Fail; 4-2 Flames

So close, yet so far; the Detroit Red Wings again fail to reach the lofty accomplishment of winning 3 games in a row. A feat even the best of the best are seldom able to achieve.

Now that the sarcastic ridiculing of the Wings inconsistency is behind me, let's take a look at the circumstances.

This loss is disappointing for a few reasons. Detroit had a lead in the 3rd period only to let it slip resulting in a loss that pushes the Wings out of the top eight in the West. It also means that in mid-March 2010 -- granted they weren't easy teams to beat, in Nashville, Chicago and Calgary -- Detroit has once again failed to win three straight games.

Consistency like this is of no use in the playoffs, so maybe sitting in ninth doesn't matter as much.

The good news for Wings' fans is that there is still much to be improved on. Key players like Zetterberg, Filppula, Stuart and Franzen had slightly off nights, but credit must be given to Calgary, who was solid and seemed pretty switched on for most of the game. Miikka Kiprusoff also had a stellar game for the Flames and out-played his opponent Jimmy Howard.

It also must be noted, that when the Red Wings play with energy, they play good hockey, particularly with their wins over Nashville and Chicago. The main concern is why that energy seems unsustainable for more than a few games.

For Detroit, Datsyuk and Holmstrom were the scorers, while Flames captain, Jarome Iginla broke his 20-game goal-less streak against Detroit, with Daymond Langkow, Rene Bourque and Chris Higgins rounding out the 4-2 result.

Calgary returns home to meet Ottawa on Thursday night, while the Red Wings remain at the Joe to visiting Minnesota. Fans of the Winged Wheel will also be paying attention to Nashville's visit to San Jose that same night.