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.

Strong week pushes Wings to top of TSN Power Rankings

Firstly, sorry for the lack of posting recently and no game preview of the Wings and Ducks on Saturday. I've been having some major PC issues of late which culminated in the mysterious and still unexplained inability to log into any of my google accounts. This, of course, makes it difficult to update a blog hosted by Blogger.com (ie. Google). Anyway, all that's in the past (hopefully) and we're now back on board and good to go.

So, it was a pretty successful weekend for Detroit, who find themselves with a somewhat leisurely schedule right now. The Wings week began with a four day break to prepare for home games against the Flames and Ducks on Thursday and Saturday respectively, and now are in the midst of another four day hiatus with another Thursday, Saturday home stand ahead.

The offensively embattled Calgary Flames found ways to find the net early on Thursday and give Babcock's boys more than a few headaches. Calgary was able to double their season total of first-period goals on the back of a strong display of offensive potency from 21-year-old future star Mikael Backlund. Henrik Zetterberg also nabbed his maiden tally of the season with the Wings sporting a 2-1 deficit at the first break.

Detroit's top two lines then began to take over as the Wings scored three goals unanswered to take a 4-2 victory for Jimmy Howard. Bertuzzi, Zetterberg and Datsyuk all getting two points each with Franzen scoring his fourth of the season and his second game-winner.

The Winged Wheelers were able to snatch another victory from behind two nights later, this time against Anaheim.

The Ducks had a one-goal lead midway through the third period and a 2-goal lead midway through the game, but Henrik Zetterberg with his 2 goal, 4 point night lead Detroit to victory, with a little help from his magical friend Mr. Datsyuk. Franzen also added another lazy goal for the game -- a feat he seems to find as difficult to achieve as a bowel movement. With continued health, this man will surely be Detroit's next 50-goal scorer.

#13 roofed the puck over Curtis McElhinney with under 12 seconds left in the game to steal the win as Anaheim agonized over two more points lost.

The game was not without controversy however. Early in the game Teemu Selanne his head down was rocked with a front-on shoulder hit from Niklas Kronwall. The play was without penalty due to the hit being completely legal.

A usually classy Selanne complained about the hit after the game claiming Kronwall was dangerous and got his elbow up. He also admitted he hadn't seen the hit. Perhaps if he actually looked at the hit he might understand that to outlaw a hit like this is to outlaw hitting from the game. The Flying Finn is understandably frustrated with the recent fortunes of his team and the harsh nature of their loss on the night.

The victories give Detroit a 5-1-1 start to the season and gave Jimmy Howard his 20th consecutive start without a regulation loss, tying his teammate Chris Osgood's post-lockout record. The team's recent success seems to have caught the attention of TSN, as the Winged Wheel moved from #7 to #1 in their Power Rankings, leading Central rivals St. Louis in #2 and Nashville third.

Detroit now awaits visits from Phoenix on Thursday, followed by Nashville on Saturday.

Wings and Flames Attempt to Warm Up Offense; Game Preview

I feel like it's not too often that Detroit plays a team with a longer injury list than them. Unfortunately for Calgary, they'll make the first opponent for the Red Wings of the season to fit this bill.

It has been confirmed that Johan Franzen will play against Calgary -- a much needed boost for a team that has scored 3 goals in it's last 6 periods. Franzen's addition will also allow Mike Babcock a full compliment of forwards for use on the powerplay, though one of our PP quarterbacks on defense, Brian Rafalski will remain sidelined for the next 2 weeks at minimum.

Hot Goalies
Jimmy Howard and Miikka Kiprussoff will most likely be given a chance to build on their stingy stats early in the season. Flames' rookie back-up, Henrik Karlsson is a possibility to start however. Brent Sutter and Karlsson himself are keeping their cards close to their chests, but it seems all but a certainty he will start one of the Flames next two games in Detroit and Columbus.

Zetterberg Warmed Up?
Henrik Zetterberg got a couple of assists in the last game vs. Phoenix. Look for another multi-point game from Hank as a return to form for him will be paramount to the success of the Red Wings, particularly if Franzen, Bertuzzi and Filppula continue to light the lamp.

Stone Cold Attack
This might sound like pointing out the obvious, but I think against a team like Calgary moreso than usual, putting the puck in the net more than 3 times will make it tough for them to get the win. Three times in their first five games the Flames have been shutout in regulation -- an incredibly damning stat for Calgary's forward corps. The fact they've been able to go 3-2-0 despite these offensive woes could be taken as a positive however. Another considerable stat is their shooting percentage. The Flames actually get 35 shots a game on goal but goalie's have a .949SV% on them!

Franzen Cleared to Play

Finally some good news from the medical room.

From the beginning of this young season, Red Wings' fans have been forced to watch addition after addition to the injured reserve list, with no subtractions until perhaps now.

Ken Holland confirms Johan Franzen has cleared his baseline test and could be available to play Thursday against the Flames. If Franzen does play, he will only have missed one game from his concussion -- a win against the Coytes, making the 4-day break a very handy one indeed.

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.

A Cruel Return to Dallas for Mo

His #9 will one day hang from the rafters of the American Airlines Center, but of all the memories Mike Modano has had in the building, this would rank among the most forgettable.

The Dallas Stars franchise's greatest on-ice servant received a classy standing ovation from the locals but that proved to be the highlight of his night as the Red Wings skated to a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of his former team-mates.

From the get-go nothing seemed to go right for Detroit. Whilst only sporting a 1-0 deficit at the first break, the signs weren't good. A horrible Lidstrom turnover and a Franzen injury... uh oh!

But the second frame was where it got ugly.

The puck seemed to bounce off skates and in on one end, but just couldn't do likewise at the other. Throw in some sloppy coverage and a puck or two off the post, and you got a 4-0 game after two.

Osgood was not good, but neither was anyone else. A consolation PP goal in the third period gave the Wings a semblance of respectability on the scoreboard but not much else.

Moving forward it didn't look to be getting any better. Franzen's concussion was never good news and just to make things worse, Daniel Cleary crashed into the boards in practise earlier today. The updated diagnoses of both were good however, as Franzen said he felt good today and hopes to be able to go Saturday night against the Coyotes and Dan Cleary's knee injury scare appears to be just that... a scare.

It was looking for a while like the Wings may have been forced to dress 16 or 17 skaters in Phoenix, hopefully that's not the case. A reprieve from this tumultuous tackle with the injury bug will go a long way to getting the Red Wings back to winning form.

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.

Red Wings Await Another Rival; Gameday Preview

Detroit will look to continue their solid start to the 2010/11 season as they face the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 7:30pm ET.

The Red Wings have been successful in their last two starts against their two most recent arch-nemeses; the Blackhawks and the Ducks. A win over the Avs will make it a 3-peat over the last 3 significant rivals of Detroit Red Wings history.

Colorado has had a more mixed start to the season, as they split their first two games.

The Avalanche provided the other loss for Chicago this season as they edged out the defending Champs in a shootout in the season opener at the Pepsi Center in Denver. They weren't so lucky last night however as they fell by a 4-2 decision to Chicago's opponent in the 2010 Cup Finals, Philadelphia in Philly.

There are no excuses for the Red Wings in this one.

While they are sporting a few injuries from Ericsson, Abdelkader and Draper, Colorado is probably hurting just as much, as they'll need to get it done without the services of Peter Mueller and David Koci.

The Wings always prefer to have their encounters in front of a friendly audience at the Joe, but an additional advantage is availed to the locals as they await a team that is travelling from Philadelphia in the second of back-to-back games.

Last year I did two 16 hour trips between Philly and Detroit in a week; and probably couldn't have made a pass with a 4-man advantage afterwards. I sure hope the Avs aren't travelling by Greyhound too!

While I'm sure they'll be on a nice jet for no more than an hour in their journey, the Red Wings will still be raging favorites to win this one.

After taking two points from a visit to the United Center with a modest return from the top line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom, this game against will be an ideal opportunity to build on their momentum and get the #1 trio back on the scoresheet.

UPDATE: Brian Rafalski underwent knee surgery and will be out of the line-up for at least 3 weeks. Doug Janik has been re-called from Grand Rapids as his replacement.

Lilja Needs to Fire His Agent

Andreas Lilja has signed a one-year $600k contract with Anaheim. This about 3 months after his agent, Todd Diamond reportedly turned down a $1m offer from Detroit because he thought Ken Holland was low-balling his client.

Lilja will now join possibly the worst defense in the Western Conference and a team destined to sit at or near the bottom of their division for $400k less. It was a gamble, and Lilja lost. Big time!

The deal is believed to have up to $150k in bonuses for playing 30, 40 and 50 games in the season. Each milestone earning $50k respectively.

While it's nice to see that Andreas finally has found himself a job and a new home, you can't help but think that as he signed the deal, he regretfully reflected back to the time when he could've signed with the Wings for a significantly better deal.

A quote from him just over a month ago:
"Of course, I regret it (not signing with Detroit. Now that we got here yesterday, got into my house -- we’ve been here five years, it feels like home. The kids like it here. I think I was looking for something else, I guess."

Good luck, Andreas!

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.

Let 'Em Loose; Wings' Season Opener

It was a seemingly endless offseason. They all are, but this one was a little longer than the two preceding it but... it's back. Well it will be tonight.

The NHL took off last night to begin its 2010/11 season, but conspicuous [for Wings fans] by their absence was the Red Wings, for whom the first puck will drop tonight against Anaheim.

While the Ducks are no strangers to Detroit, this is a very different team to the Anaheim that traded playoff series' wins with the Wings in '07 and '09. The once feared defense is now a shell of its former self with the retirement of captain Scott Neidermayer and the movement of the ever-hated Chris Pronger to Philadelphia last season. That said, the Ducks forwards are about as dangerous as it gets.

Having talent like Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, veterans Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne as well as the new captain Ryan Getzlaf up front is enough to make any GM grin. The group will surely prove to be a handful and a major priority for the Nick Lidstrom and Detroit's defensive core.

So how do the team's match-up against each other? Well let's find out with Word on a Wing's brand new graphical game preview. OoooooOOOooooo... fancy. Enjoy!

One of the unfortunate things about Game 1 of the regular season is the lack of stats and data. So all the figures used in the game preview are from the 2009/10 season.

As expected, Jimmy Howard will start in net with Ozzy as the back-up. Todd Bertuzzi is questionable with some back soreness, but is most likely to play. If not, Kirk Maltby might be called-up to play what could possibly be his final NHL game.

Abdelkader and Draper Out for Weekend; Is Maltby Done?

Just in case someone thought there might be a chance the Red Wings would have an idyllic beginning to the 2010/11 season, grab a brush and wash away those crazy thoughts. Mike Babcock ruled out Justin Abdelkader and Kris Draper's availability to play this weekend.

Abdelkader, who is suffering from a cartilage problem with his ribs was ruled out for the two opening games of the 2010/11 season against Anaheim on Friday night and the Wings' visit to Chicago on Saturday night.

Likewise for Kris Draper, who has been having groin problems since a training camp scrimmage on September 18.

Todd Bertuzzi skated on Thursday and says if he feels the same on Friday, he will be ready for the Ducks. Bertuzzi has seen the return of his back problems of late and was unable to practise for about a week.

While it seems slightly more likely that Bertuzzi will be good to go against the Ducks, his absence coupled with that of Abdelkader and Draper creates an opening in the roster that will require the calling-up of a Griffin. Given the loss of Ritola via waivers to Yzerman's Lightning, Kirk Maltby would be the leading candidate for recall.

Kirk Maltby recently cleared waivers to be sent down to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The veteran is now considering his future; whether to report to the Griffins or to retire. After Friday morning's skate Maltby will know if Bertuzzi will play in the season opener and if he's required to fill in.

Bring On 2011

For the Detroit Red Wings, the 2010 pre-season has now drawn to a close, leaving the Red Wings faithful eagerly awaiting the season opener this Friday (Oct 8) against the Ducks.

It wasn't the most auspicious lead-in to the season, as Detroit went 3-5 in their 4 home-and-home series'. The Wings were able to split each series with Chicago, Toronto and the Rangers, but lost but their games to Pittsburgh. I could go in-depth into the performance of the team and some individual efforts, but what's the point? The pre-season is seldom if ever even a rough reflection of what to expect from the upcoming regular season. 3-5 record or not, the Red Wings have a damn good team [again] and here's why:

Top three lines
Detroit will be icing the same first line that won the 2008 Stanley Cup, an unignorable threat for every opponent in Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Holmstrom. This trio will form one of the most formidable top lines in the League, but the real danger comes from depths below.

Unlike the Blackhawks, the Red Wings will be one of very few, if any, teams to boast three lines that are genuine scoring threats. Babcock can think himself a lucky coach to have the likes of Filppula, Hudler, Bertuzzi, Franzen, Cleary and newcomer Mike Modano at his disposal for a 2-3 punch combo. This poses quite a headache for opposing coaches when added to the stress of dealing with Hank, Dats and Homer.

On the back end, it's more of the same; stability, experience and offense.

It's fair to say veterans Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski have probably seen the peak of their careers, but their value on the PP and first pass out of defense make them of great assistance to the forwards corps. Also worth mentioning, is the fact that in Lidstrom, Detroit will be receiving just about the best non-physical defensive skill-set in the world today.

A little further development from younger guns Nik Kronwall and particularly Jonathan Ericsson could act as an addition to the team to go along with free agent acquisition, Ruslan Salei. Interestingly, the blueline pairings will begin the season a little juggled from last. Earlier today Babcock announced a few switches:

Lidstrom -- Ericsson

Stuart -- Rafalski

Kronwall -- Salei

In net, we just need to hope for more steadiness from sophomore, Jimmy Howard. You don't have to look too far back to see examples of major slides from great rookie seasons (Mason and Price), but it can be done. But Niklas Backstrom and Pekka Rinne will tell you great second seasons are possible. If in this case it is not, you could do a lot worse than have a 3-time Cup Champion goalie come in and hold down the fort.

How that's a good hockey team right there. Even Pierre LeBrun knows it. Bring on 2010/11!