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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

Slumping Blues Meet Red Hot Red Wings; Game Preview

Barely a week ago they lead the NHL, but after a 0-3-1 run in the past 10 days, the Blues are looking to regain that confidence that had them looking down at Detroit and everyone else.

How they're looking
It was all going swimmingly for Blues head coach Davis Payne, whose stingy chargers had won the first 2 games of a small 3-game east coast road trip. In the last 6 games they'd played they'd given up the grand total of 4 goals. That's right... four. Then came the Blue Jackets and the floodgates opened. The Blues were inexplicably smashed that night in Columbus, 8-1. Since their 7-game win streak, the white hot Jaroslav Halak has gone 0-2-1 giving up 12 goals in 64 shots, as opposed to his 15 goals on 239 shots that preceded it. Perhaps he won't be a lock to start the game in Detroit, with back-up and ex-Wing, Ty Conklin displaying in the past he is quite capable of getting a "W" against his former team.

Detroit's recent form has been decidedly better.

The Red Wings have won 9 of their last 11 but will be looking to buck an early trend in the 2010/11 season, of winning streaks peaking at 3 games. Twice this season Detroit has won three games only to lose the fourth.

With the Man Advantage
An interesting factor in this game could be special teams.

Neither team has particularly remarkable stats down a man, Detroit 9th overall and St. Louis 17th and each team's success is even less remarkable on the powerplay (Detroit - 14th, St. Louis - 25th). Chances are however, that Detroit might get a good opportunity to improve their PP% against a team that averages the most PIM/game in the NHL. Take it for what it's worth, but each game the Blues give up 9 minutes of penalties more than the Winged Wheel per game. If that trend holds against in this game, Detroit could ride a win from a strong PP alone.

Injury Riddled Avs Visit Detroit; Game Preview

The Red Wings thought it was bad last year.

Colorado sits tied for the League-lead with 10 players listed on IR putting team depth to the test. Coach Joe Sacco would be pleased however, as the Avalanche have stood strong so far, going without names like Peter Mueller, #1 goalie Craig Anderson and captain, Adam Foote.

The blueline had been stretched so far that Avs' GM, Greg Sherman was forced to make a trade to get Ryan O'Byrne in to help with the rash of injuries to the defensive corps. O'Byrne will be in for his first game as an Avalanche tonight, and another boost could come with the possible return of Adam Foote from his concussion.

The misfortune of the visitors should not be taken for granted however, last night the Avs easily accounted for the Blue Jackets 5-1, a team that had just knocked off the League-leading St. Louis Blues by a record 8-1 scoreline.

Even with all the exclusions, Colorado has some talent that needs to be guarded closely. Youngsters David Jones, Brandon Yip, Matt Duchene are just a few of the names that can leave an opponent in regret.

Detriot on the other hand, has more. If the Wings approach this game seriously and don't underestimate their short-handed rivals, they'll surely use the superior roster to their advantage and take the two points.

I haven't got too much time to get into the Wings, besides it'll just be repetition at this point. One thing I do feel obligated to note is the captain, Nick Lidstrom. Right now he is by far Detroit's best player and easily the best defenseman in the NHL so far. If his season continues this way, I guarantee he'll win his 7th Norris Trophy. This man is a freak.

Red Wings Need More From Top Six Against 'Yotes

In the last three games, the Red Wings have received only 6 points from the first line and 2 points from the second but the good news is that by virtue of some solid goaltending and some pitching in from the third line, they won two of those three. That however, wasn't enough against the streaking Vancouver Canucks who took the game away from Detroit in the final period of Saturday night's 6-4 victory.

The Door Revolves
The rotation will continue in the bottom six, as Drew Miller is a healthy scratch to make way for Patrick Eaves. The big inclusion for Red Wings however, will be Brian Rafalski, who returns after a 3 or so week hiatus from knee surgery. Rookie Jakub Kindl will be a healthy scratch and the defensive core will be shuffled accordingly.

The Hot Hand:
He's only played four games since his belated debut to the season, but what a four games it's been! Young Abdelkader isn't the kind of player expected to appear on a scoresheet to have a good game, but in the last three games Abby has 2 goals and an assist to go along with his physical presence... oh yeah, and a fight just to boot.

A Change of Seasons
The Coyotes have had a tough go of it so far in the 2010/11 season. Their 4-5-4 start is in vast contrast to their fortunes last season. Of their two wins on the road this season though, one of them was at the Joe Louis Arena only a few weeks ago.

Red Wings Visit Canucks to End Western Canadian Road Trip

Divisional leaders square-off tonight with Detroit putting their League-best win% (.773) on the line against Vancouver's 5-game winning streak. Definitely two of the hottest teams in the NHL right now, it promises to be an exciting display of hockey.

Patrick Eaves will be the odd man out tonight as Mike Babcock does the rounds on his bottom 6 forwards. A healthy scratch for last night's 3-1 win in Edmonton, Drew Miller wasn't dropped for any particular reason other than the fact he's on an exceptionally deep team. He'll be back tonight however, to form a line with Darren Helm and Jiri Hudler.

In Goal: Jimmy Howard seems to have shown zero effects from his back problems that had him sitting out two games last week. Howard returned for Detroit's Western Canada road-trip, so far stopping all but 2 of the 47 shots headed his way. The victories over Calgary and Edmonton now have him at a 22 game streak for starts without a regulation loss. They also give him some pretty impressive stats in this early 10/11 season, as seen below.

Roberto Luongo is expected to be in goal tonight for the Canucks, even though his back-up Cory Schneider has had the more impressive start and there have been rumblings that he will get his second straight start.

Step it up: Johan Franzen has gone quiet in November after his sick start to the season with 6 goal in 8 games. The Mule has been held pointless in the last two games, something that hasn't happened since April. Franzen is a streaky player, and Detroit will need another streak from him tonight if they want to make it 3/3 in Western Canada.

Red Wings Vs. Oilers Preview

The cellar-dwelling Edmonton Oilers look to get their season back on the right track tonight as they await a visit from the lofty Red Wings.

Detroit (7-2-1) puts one of the best records in the League on the line tonight against one of the worst (3-5-2) but don't let that fool you into penciling down this result too soon.

While struggling with the challenges of injuries, the positions of these two sides wasn't so different last season. Despite that, the Oilers dominated the season series winning all but one game. They've had a tough time taking points taking points in the last few weeks but the talent Edmonton now boasts on the front-end in unignorable -- even at this early stage.

Rookies Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi (did I spell it right?) are future stars of the game. With the talent these three have, it's almost a foregone conclusion as long as they can avoid serious injuries. Their combined production so far this season hasn't been extraordinary with 19 points between them in 10 games, but some incredible flashes of brilliance have been on display more than a few times already. When these boys mature and begin to develop some consistency they will surely prove to be a handful for even the best of opponents. Right now the rookie trio is lead by Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff, and Lidstrom and the Red Wings' defense would be wise to pay attention and stay on their game against this potent attack.

Red Wings At Flames Game Preview

Detroit kicks off a 3-game road trip tonight, enter the Saddledome in Calgary with the Flames seeking revenge.

These two teams met recently a few weeks ago on October 21 when the Red Wings managed to score three unanswered goals to turn a 2-1 1st period deficit into a 4-2 win.

The same goalies are expected to man the nets as with Kiprusoff backstopping the Flames and Jimmy Howard making his return from a minor back injury that had him sidelined for two games. Just as well too!

Chris Osgood was called upon to be Detroit's last line of defense during Howard's recuperation, splitting his two starts. A tweak of his groin during practise on Monday has unfortunately put him on the shelf, hopefully only for a few games also. Joey MacDonald, called up from the Griffins to be Osgood's back-up, will be staying in Detroit just a little longer.

Unfortunately for the home team, the Flames have received little relief from their early injury bug. With Pardy, Kotalik, Moss, Ivanans and Langkow all injured for the first meeting in Detroit a fortnight ago, it seems none of those men will be available for this game either.

Big Jonathan Ericsson will make his return tonight after having back spasms and missing the better part of a month, resulting in Doug Janik returning to Grand Rapids.

Game Preview; Wings vs. Nashville

Sorry, my flat outness today won't allow me to put together a proper preview of the game. I do however, have some pretty pictures for you to look at!

Struggling 'Yotes Visit Detroit; Game Preview

It's been a tumultuous start to the season for Phoenix. Last season they were considered the over-achievers of the NHL, and now with lifted expectations and high-hopes, the 2010/11 season has had a rough beginning.

Opening with the NHL Premiere in Europe seems to be conducive to bad starts to the season. Of six teams to do so this season, only two have really been able to move forward with some success once returning to North America. Columbus' 5-3 start and Boston's 4-2 start are the best of the bunch, with the Sharks (4-3-1), Wild (3-3-2), Hurricanes (4-4) and Phoenix (2-3-3) all having a tougher go at it. Columbus is the only team of the six, sitting in the top 8 of their conference.

Despite the bad start, the facts remains that Phoenix is a good hockey club and the European hangover can't last forever. Ray Whitney has been inserted back into the Coyotes' line-up since their last meeting with Detroit at Jobing.com Arena two weeks ago. Not to be overlooked however, is Detroit's major inclusion of Johan Franzen -- whose single missed game happened to be against the Coyotes.

Johan Franzen
Scoring goals is not difficult for this man to do. Ignoring October 14 vs. Dallas when he was injured in the first period and didn't return, Franzen has scored 5 goals in 5 games played. The thing that impresses me most about the Mule, is the way he can find the back of the net in situations most could not. So many times Franzen will score a goal many would dismiss as a lucky bounce. But how frequently does one have to do it until you can no longer attribute success to good fortune? For me, Franzen exceeded that a long time ago. In my mind, Franzen is one of the best goal-scorers in the League and with good health will almost certainly become Detroit's next 50-goal scorer.

Henrik Zetterberg
It was a slow start for Hank, who only managed 2 assists in his first four games. But an offensive outburst for 3 goals and 5 assists in his past three actually has the 2008 Conn Smythe winner at #5 in the League for points/game and leading the Red Wings.

Third-Line Woes
Mike Babcock has stated that although the line-up will remain unchanged for this game against Phoenix, if the third line continues to under-achieve a change will be made with a healthy Justin Abdelkader waiting for his chance. Jiri Hudler (2 pts, -6), Dan Cleary (2 pts, -4) and Mike Modano (1 pt, -6) will need to find the back of the net quick. Not only that, but as clearly displayed in the +/- stats, the trio need to shut-down their opponents.

Update on goalies
Add Jimmy Howard to the injured list with back spasms. Apparently, more precautionary than serious, but Joey MacDonald has been recalled from Grand Rapids to back-up Chris Osgood. Another chance for Ozzy to prove he's not a has-been.

Time to Fight Through; Red Wings vs. Coyotes Preview

The embattled Red Wings will have an uphill struggle ahead of them as they enter the ice of the Jobing.com Arena to face the team they eliminated in Game 7 of the Conference Quarter-Finals last season.

Why an uphill struggle? Well, the Wings just had a shocker in Dallas as they never really got out of the gate, losing 4-1. Worse than that however, is the fact that arguably the Wings' best player so far this season, Johan Franzen, has been added to the already crowded list of injured players.

So crowded in fact, Mike Babcock has been forced to dress 11 forwards. With a little luck we'll actually see some returns from injury, with a lot of players "day-to-day" and hopefully not too far away. Maybe with a little more luck, we'll see a cease to this rash of injuries that has been the opening act this season.

The Coyotes have only played two games so far this season as they've sat a week awaiting their home-opener tonight after a split series with Boston at the NHL Premiere in Europe. Whether or not this plays into Detroit's favor remains to be seen.

Wings Look to Rebound in Dallas; Gameday Preview

As the recently humbled Red Wings roll into Dallas today, it looks as though they'll see no help from injury returns, as Ericsson, Abdelkader and Draper are remain sidelined and Rafalski still requiring 3-4 weeks of recovery time from his knee surgery earlier this week.

The line-up that had a disappointing showing against the young Avalanche squad remains unchanged, save for Chris Osgood getting the nod in net at the expense of Jimmy Howard.

Howard had a rough game against the Avs, letting in a few soft goals allowing Colorado to force OT and eventually win in the shootout. The loss however, can't totally be blamed on Howard, who faced 38 shots and was forced to make some big saves on the pressuring opposition.

Osgood re-capturing his form against Chicago last Saturday night will go a long way to getting the Wings back in the 'W' column.

Worth watching will be Detroit's second line of Franzen, Filppula and Bertuzzi. They have been the most dynamic line for the Wings putting up 13 point between them in the first three games.

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.