Winging It In Motown

Wings use creative time management to best Canucks

2010-03-21T05:31:33Z

Todd Bertuzzi capitalizes on Kevin Bieksa's excellence.

The Red Wings earned themselves three points this weekend, doing the majority of the damage in under one second.

Twenty-four hours ago, things weren't too pleasant. Detroit managed to scrape a point out of a game that they didn't quite totally deserve, forcing a game against Edmonton to overtime and an eventual shootout. Tonight, they earned two points, beating the Vancouver Canucks with the exact same numbers on the clock courtesy of a well-placed backhander from Henrik Zetterberg.

Oddly enough, tonight's game started much like last night's. Vancouver went up early on two seeing-eye shots. The first came off the stick of defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, which could have hit any number of things before ultimately deflecting off the stick of Kyle Wellwood and through the equipment of Jimmy Howard. Later in the period, Shane O'Brien took a pass from Mason Raymond and put a puck through traffic that went over the shoulder of the screened Howard.

Unlike last night, Detroit's effort level was there in the first period. They were unable to solve Roberto Luongo on any of their 17 first period shots. In total, they fired 54 pucks his way.

Time management was the name of the game in the second period as well. Todd Bertuzzi broke his legendary goal slump with an absolute gift of a goal. Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieksa was unable to locate a puck in his skates for seemingly three full minutes, and Bertuzzi had the presence to crash the net and poke home the loose change. Pavel Datsyuk lost the ensuing faceoff, but shook loose, scooped up the lose puck and beat Luongo with a wrist shot just five seconds after Detroit's first goal. The Bertuzzi/Datsyuk combination set a new franchise record for Detroit for two consecutive goals, breaking the old and slow record of seven seconds.

The Wings were not done in the middle frame. After Alex Edler misplayed a clearing attempt and tripped over the blueline, Valtteri Filppula broke in on a clear breakaway from center ice and beat Luongo with a backhander for his first goal as a 26-year-old.

Despite 20 third period shots from Detroit, Vancouver managed the only tally of the frame when Daniel Sedin knocked down a puck with his glove on the side of the net and tipped it home with his stick to tie the game at three. The goal was briefly reviewed, but as it happened to Vancouver and not Detroit, it rightfully was counted.

In an overtime largely controlled by Detroit, Ken Daniels wondered aloud with roughly 20 seconds left if we would see any "late game heroics." His thought was soon answered. Filppula aimlessly carried the puck about the Detroit zone before sending a pass to Zetterberg, who cut to the middle of the ice and beat Luongo on the glove side to give Detroit the much needed two points -- more importantly, keeping them away from a shootout.

Detroit now sits two points ahead of Calgary in 8th place, each with 71 games played. Glancing at the standings, Detroit trails Colorado by three points, and Nashville and Los Angeles by four. Detroit takes on Pittsburgh on Monday, while Calgary has a critical game against Minnesota tomorrow afternoon.

Notes: In addition to missing Patrick Eaves, who left last night after second period collision, Dan Cleary missed the game with a lower body injury. As a result, both Brett Lebda and Derek Meech played forward. Lebda, however, didn't see a single second of ice time, while Meech played 5:36.

Player of the Game: Even though I made up my mind in the second period that it had to be Datsyuk, with his consistent ridiculous antics with the puck, Henrik Zetterberg firing nine shots on goal and keeping Detroit out of that terrible shootout has earned him the honor.

Overflow thread: Red Wings at Canucks

2010-03-21T04:02:46Z

May the anteater be with you.

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Two goals five seconds apart in the second followed by a shorthanded goal from birthday boy Valtteri Filppula put the Red Wings up 3-2 heading into the third period of play.

Daniel Sedin ties the game early in the third at 3-3 off a high pass that he puts on the ground and across the ice.

Comment away below and GO WINGS!

Game Thread: Red Wings at Canucks

2010-03-21T01:19:21Z

wings nucks

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Vancouver Canucks (44-24-3, 91 pts)	Game 71	Detroit Red Wings (34-23-13, 81 pts)
	vs.
Arena: GM Place--Vancouver, BC

Starting goalie:	Roberto Luongo	Starting goalie:	Jimmy Howard
	37-19-2, 2.45 GAA		27-15-9, 2.31 GAA
SBN Blog:	Nucks Misconduct	Last meeting:	6-3 Vancouver win
Time:	10:00 p.m. ET	TV:	FS-D, CBC

Detroit looks to get back on the winning track after a sluggish 3-2 SO loss to Edmonton. The game is the last of the three game trip to Western Canada and the Wings look to pick up 5 of a possible 6 points on the trip. Patrick Eaves is out of the line-up tonight with a head injury (probably precautionary) and the chances are that Jonathan Ericsson will play, likely at forward instead of his regular defensive position.

Puck drops at 10:00 p.m. ET and the game will air on FS-D and TSN. Comment below and as always, GO WINGS!

Pre-game notes: Eaves out, starting goalies, etc.

2010-03-20T22:02:54Z

More photos » John Ulan - AP

2 days ago: The Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Potulny, left, makes a pass between the legs of Detroit Red Wings Patrick Eaves during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton on Friday, March 19, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)

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Patrick Eaves will be out of the line-up tonight following a hit to the head in the loss to Edmonton. Eaves is definitely out but the more surprising thing is who might be in for him. Jonathan Ericsson, according to Ansar Khan, might be filling in for Eaves as a forward. Many know that Ericsson started originally as a forward before transitioning to defense. Who knows, what if it turns into a huge bonus and he is great? I doubt it, but you never know.

Calgary won last night against San Jose (of course) so even with a point from the tie, the Wings are tied in points but ahead in the standings by way of the number of games played.

Roberto Luongo will start for the Canucks tonight. Luongo has a 37-19-2 record with a 2.45 GAA.

Jimmy Howard will start his 18th straight game in net for the Red Wings. He didn't get much support from the Detroit offense last night and he'll need much more support tonight against a tough Vancouver team.

Wings tie game with 0.3 seconds left, lose in shootout

2010-03-20T05:24:05Z

More photos » John Ulan - AP

No, the puck isn't up there during the shootout, James. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Ulan)

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Well, darn.

The Wings spoiled a chance to take advantage of the NHL-worst Edmonton Oilers, and keep a gap between themselves and the Flames. Instead, they limp into extra time, only to lose in a shootout. The charity point helps, but not as much as it would have if San Jose could take care of business (raise your hand if you're shocked!). With Calgary winning, and Detroit only getting one point out of central Alberta, the two squads are tied with 81 points -- but fear not, Detroit has a game in hand.

The first period was all Edmonton. Andrew Cogliano opened the scoring in the first minute of the game, and the Wings were on their heels from that point on. By the five minute mark, Ryan Whitney had made it 2-0, and Mike Babcock had taken his timeout -- to silently pace the bench and let the guys soak in how little emotion they were showing.

Patrick Eaves, who would leave the game between the second and third periods with what the team is describing as an upper body injury, got Detroit on the board with just over 8 minutes to play in the middle frame. A great pass from Kris Draper behind the net to the high slot found Eaves, who cut the Oilers lead in half.

The rest of the game was pretty uneventful.

Oh, unless you count the last 0.3 seconds.

When it seemed like all was lost, and with Jimmy Howard on the bench for a sixth skater, the Wings were scrambling. The puck was under an Oiler in the corner as the clock ticked down, but with a second left -- the rubber scrambled across the crease, finding a streaking Brian Rafalski who found some Olympic heroics in his back pocket. The game was tied with less than half a second on the clock and we were headed for overtime.

Like usual, things didn't go the Wings way in the extra frame and shootout. Of Detroit three shooters (Pavel Datsyuk, Jason Williams, and Valtteri Filppula), only Williams could get past Devan Dubnyk, who earned his first career NHL win, as two Oilers shooters got past Howard in the ridiculous skills competition that we use to determine winners in this alleged team sport.

No word yet on Eaves' status for tomorrow's game against the Canucks. A little less than 24 hours to recover from this one, and it's Northwest Division leading Vancouver.

Game Thread: Red Wings at Oilers

2010-03-20T00:30:15Z

Jimmy Jeong - AP

4 months ago: Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Eaves (17) gets tripped up between Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin (35), from Russia, and Edmonton Oilers' Robert Nilsson during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009. Edmonton defeated Detroit 6-5 after an overtime shootout. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jimmy Jeong)

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Edmonton Oilers (21-42-7, 49 pts)	Game 70	Detroit Red Wings (34-23-12, 80 pts)
	vs.
Arena: Rexall Place--Edmonton, Alberta

Starting goalie:	Devan Dubnyk	Starting goalie:	Jimmy Howard
	0-8-2, 4.16 GAA		27-15-8, 2.32 GAA
SBN Blog:	The Copper & Blue	Last meeting:	4-1 EDM win
Time:	9:30 p.m. ET	TV:	FS-D, TSN

Detroit comes into Edmonton tonight following a three game win streak. The Wings will look to make it four straight after some time off this week following Monday's 2-1 win over Calgary. Edmonton has lost 5 straight games and is practically sprinting to an early off-season. Detroit looks to gain more ground on Calgary (facing San Jose) with a win tonight. Jimmy Howard starts his 17th straight game in net for the Red Wings while Devan Dubnyk is looking for his first win of the season as an Oiler.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you all for the game thread but you've done spectacular with out us at time so hop right in and talk it up between yourselves!

Puck drops at 9:30 p.m. ET and will air on FS-Detroit. Comment below and as always, GO WINGS!

Quick Hits: 3/19

2010-03-19T22:00:20Z

The Oil Crash- The next two pre-game movie posters may not seem like it, but they were probably the ones I spent the most time searching for. I submit to you tonight's poster for our game vs Edmonton.

Striking Oil: Gameday Time! (Finally!) - Some strange soul by the handle discoelephant provides us with this post from Eight Legged Freaks. It's an interesting look at tonight's match-up with a very bold and unfavorable prediction.

Red Wings vs Oilers GP - Yet another solid post from Kris over at Snipe Snipe, Dangle Dangle. She's got questions, the Red Wings have answers.

I Bet the Purple Gang Win Sixteen Stanley Cups in a Row- After a short hiatus, the ladies over at Hockeytown Static are back. This image-driven post is definitely worth a look-see. Welcome back, girls.

GDT - Game #70 Red Wings at Oilers- Okie is back and...do I really have to explain these A2Y game day threads still? Just click the link, it's a game-day must.

Friday Prospects -- In the sweepstakes again

2010-03-19T17:06:40Z

More photos » Kathy Willens - AP

Just when you thought you might be past seeing that #21 jersey forever...

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Two years ago, The Hockey News compared a young Swedish prospect by the name of Fabian Brunnstrom to Ottawa Senators' star Daniel Alfredsson.

What they meant to say was this: it's really impressive that this then 23-year-old star was producing such impressive numbers after jumping straight to the SEL from Swedish Division 1 (which is the 3rd highest division in Sweden). What a lot of people read was this: there is a superstar free agent Swedish prospect who is going to be the next Alfredsson.

The next few months became nothing but chaos. Nearly every team in the league admitted to actively pursuing Brunnstrom. Naturally, because Detroit tends to like those Swedish types (really?), Hockeytown became the #1 destination for Brunnstrom on the rumor charts. His courtship took several months, leading a lot of impatient fans to believe that Brunnstrom was a bit of a prima donna who just like the limelight, when in actuality, these same people would not have heard of him were it not for the one article The Hockey News chose to run.

And that's not a slight to THN -- I read every word of their publication every week, and I have for years. But it was one seemingly harmless comment from them that set off one of the most publicized free agent chases in recent NHL history, and for what?

Forty points. Two years and forty points for Brunnstrom. Obviously, Fabian went with Dallas over Detroit, citing a chance to play in the NHL right away (always take the dollars over proper development, folks). He had a decent rookie season, producing 17 goals, but has managed just two this year and was reportedly actively being shopped midseason. He's been a fairly regular omission from the Stars' lineup.

Less than a week later, Detroit signed The Tonight Show with Ville Leino. Despite the fact that Leino had several successful seasons in Finland under his belt and was the reigning MVP of the league, instead of just one decent year in Sweden, nobody made a big deal about the chase for Leino. Rightfully so, possibly, because Leino hasn't accomplished all that much more than Brunnstrom in the NHL -- although he has appeared a little more frequently on the highlight reels.

This year, we begin the chase anew. The new hot prospect is Norway's own Mats Zuccarello Aasen. It was actually said before this season that Detroit might be interested in the diminutive Norwegian scoring sensation. MZA hasn't been on the seen very long, with this being his first full season in the SEL after 39 games last year, preceded by a career developing in Norway (most top prospects make the jump to a more competitive Sweden sooner than that). But after a relatively impressive run in the Olympics with Norway, not to mention

Detroit is still said to be hot on his trail, but there's a catch: MZA is looking for a one-way contract, reports mLive courtesy of Swedish and Norwegian news outlets. With a fairly crowded forward picture already for next year, not to mention the failures of Brunnstrom and Leino still fresh in their minds, it's tough to imagine Detroit caving and offering a one-way deal to a player who has never played in North America.

MZA's skill is undeniable. Despite his hilariously disadvantaged size at 5'7, 161, he's got great puck skills and a nose for the net, fearless in front of bigger defenders (read: everybody) and high traffic areas. He's got good speed and he sees the game very well. But that size means he's no lock for the NHL -- he's going to need to work for it. And that's something that makes Detroit fans all too hesitant about, having just seen Leino shipped away from being a talented player that never quite fit right in the system.

I'll be more than happy to take him, but I'd prefer seeing him a bit in Grand Rapids before we burn a roster spot on him. Who knows, his agent could just be playing the hype game -- what better team to rumor a young prospect to than Detroit. It makes every other team automatically think, "man, if Detroit wants this guy he might be something special."

Statistical report comes after the jump, alongside a quick look at the chances for two Wings' prospects to capture college hockey's most prestigious individual honor.

The Hobey Baker

Detroit has never had a prospect win the Hobey Baker, and since I've been following prospects, they haven't had anything close to a nominee. This year, of the short list of ten players -- two are future Red Wings. Hopefully this comes as no surprise to anyone who has read this feature all season long. And the two (of ten) nominees are...

Brendan Smith, defense, University of Wisconsin
What he is: Smith is a tremendously gifted offensive defenseman and one of the best skaters in all of college hockey. His success comes with the puck, as he loves to quarterback the play and produce offense. Defense has always been the flaw in his game, but Wisconsin has a great reputation for producing NHL defenseman and Smith's game has undergone some serious changes for the better.
Why he'll win: Smith has led the nation in scoring by a defenseman since one of the first weeks of the season, and he led Wisconsin (one of the top teams in the nation) in scoring for most of the season. He finished tied for 19th in the nation in scoring, and has been the only defenseman in the nation's top 50 for most of the season. Smith was considered "the" favorite to win the award early on in the season.
Why he won't win: Even though his game didn't slip off, a lot of Wisconsin fans are rallying behind the team's other nominee, Nashville prospect Blake Geoffrion. At the very least, Geoffrion's presence as one of two dominant players for Wisconsin will split some of Smith's votes. In good and bad news, Badger coach Mike Eaves (Patrick Eaves' father) runs a very tight ship. Even having a potential Hobey Baker winner like Smith on the ice, Eaves still rotated pairings so Smith didn't play nearly as much as he could have at other schools. That may have hurt his chances to have an even bigger offensive season, but you could also make the argument that he wouldn't have developed into the same player.

Gustav Nyquist, forward, University of Maine
What he is: Nyquist could very well be the most underrated prospect in the Detroit system. Despite the fact that he has produced earth-shattering numbers all season long, Nyquist is actually known for a great two-way game. He doesn't have great size, but he's Zetterberg-esque (don't get carried away -- remember THN's mistake) in the way he carries and protects the puck in addition to looking out in his own zone.
Why he'll win: Well for starters, it's slightly impressive that Nyquist led the nation in scoring with 59 points, six better than second place. You could also make the case that of the nominees, Nyquist is the most important to his team's success. Maine was pitiful last year, but Nyqust helped them to a three-way tie for 3rd place in the conference. Nyquist has been among the top scorers in the nation all season, but the heat he put on down the stretch has him looking like a good bet for the Hobey.
Why he won't win: Because he's a sophomore, sadly. You would think this is something that would be more impressive, but it's extremely rare that sophomores win and people have been bringing it up as if it's a negative for him. What also could hurt him is that he didn't win his conference's award for player of the year -- that went to free agent Bobby Butler, who is also up for the Hobey.

Both players have very real chances of getting it done. The list is whittled down to three on April 1st, with the winner being selected on the 9th.

American Hockey League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	Last week	Notes
3	Logan Pyett	Grand Rapids	68	9	19	28	+4	29	1A, +1, 2PIM in 3GP
4	Travis Ehrhardt	Grand Rapids	38	0	5	5	-10	34	DNP	healthy scratch
5	Jakub Kindl	Grand Rapids	61	3	22	24	-10	59	1A, -1, 4PIM in 3GP
7	Sebastien Piche	Grand Rapids	9	0	0	0	-1	4		Playing in Toledo (ECHL)
8	Cory Emmerton	Grand Rapids	64	10	19	29	-1	16	1G in 3GP
9	Evan McGrath	Grand Rapids	56	8	11	19	-18	25		Loaned to Syracuse (AHL)
12	Dick Axelsson	Grand Rapids	17	2	3	5	+1	6		Playing in Farjestad (SEL)
13	Jan Mursak	Grand Rapids	67	20	15	35	+11	42	1A, 4PIM in 3GP
17	Francis Pare	Grand Rapids	66	13	19	32	+17	16	1A, +1, 2PIM in 3GP
18	Mattias Ritola	Grand Rapids	61	16	18	34	-6	46	1G, +1 in 3GP
25	Jamie Tardif	Grand Rapids	65	13	13	26	-11	74	2A, +1, 4PIM in 3GP
27	Tomas Tatar	Grand Rapids	48	13	14	27	+8	10	DNP
28	Sergei Kolosov	Grand Rapids	54	1	4	5	-7	17	1A, +1 in 3GP
31	Daniel Larsson	Grand Rapids	45	20	21	1	2.83	.905	2-0, GAA down, sv% up
35	Thomas McCollum	Grand Rapids	27	7	14	2	3.58	.878	0-0-1, GAA down, sv% up	Hasn't won since Dec.13
36	Jordan Pearce	Grand Rapids	5	1	2	0	3.82	.875		Playing in Toledo (ECHL)

ECHL

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
20	Travis Ehrhardt	Toledo	3	1	1	2	+4	0		Playing in Grand Rapids
25	Sebastien Piche	Toledo	40	5	20	25	+1	55	2A, -1, 4PIM in 2GP
30	Thomas McCollum	Toledo	4	2	1	0	4.48	.864		Playing in Grand Rapids
35	Jordan Pearce	Toledo	31	12	13	2	3.69	.888	0-0-1, GAA down, sv% up

NCAA

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	Last Week	Notes
7	Brendan Smith	Wisconsin	36	15	29	44	58	4A in 2GP	In WCHA tourny vs. St Cloud St.
7	Max Nicastro	Boston U.	36	3	12	15	26	2GP	in HE tourny vs. Maine
16	Nick Oslund	St. Cloud St.	39	4	5	9	22	3GP	In WCHA tourny vs. Wisconsin
81	Julien Cayer	Clarkson	22	2	3	5	16		Season over
89	Bryan Rufenach	Clarkson	34	5	15	20	53		Season over
89	Gustav Nyquist	Maine	37	18	41	59	16	3A in 3GP	in HE tourny vs. Boston U.

Swedish Eliteserien -- Regular season completed

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
31	Dick Axelsson	Farjestad	15	6	4	10	+2	24	2PIM in 1GP	playoffs vs. Skelleftea (0-1)
16	Anton Axelsson	Timra	50	5	6	11	-19	6	1GP	playoffs vs. HV71 (0-1)
18	Joakim Andersson	Frolunda	55	6	12	18	+6	42	2PIM in 1GP	playoffs vs. Linkopings (1-0)
24	Jesper Samuelsson	Timra	23	0	1	1	+0	8		Playing in SWE-2
28	Adam Almqvist	HV71	27	2	6	8	+11	10	1GP	playoffs vs. Timra (1-0)

Swedish Allsvenskan -- Regular season completed

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
3	Jesper Samuelsson	Sundsvall	35	3	13	16	-12	36	1GP
16	Johan Ryno	AIK	47	9	11	20	+7	34	4PIM in 2GP
--	Adam Almqvist	Troja/Ljungby	0	0	0	0	0	0		Playing with HV71 (SEL)

Swedish J20 League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
4	Adam Almqvist	HV71	15	5	29	34	+14	14		Playing with HV71 (SEL)

Kontinental Hockey League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
21	Gennady Stolyarov	HC MVD	1	0	0	0		0		Finally made season debut
26	Jiri Hudler	Moscow Dynamo	51	19	32	51		16		Eliminated from playoffs

Ontario Hockey League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
10	Stephen Johnston	Windsor	18	4	5	9	-3	19	1A, -1, 2PIM in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Erie (1-0)
11	Stephen Johnston	Belleville	18	6	4	10	-3	16		Traded to Windsor
18	Brian Lashoff	Kingston	58	6	21	27	-10	71	-1 in 3GP	Playoffs vs. Brampton (0-0)

Western Hockey League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
9	Brent Raedeke	Edmonton	39	17	14	31	+4	60		Traded to Brandon
9	Brent Raedeke	Brandon	33	7	18	25	+12	35	1G, +2, 4PIM in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Swift Current (1-0)
13	Landon Ferraro	Red Deer	53	16	30	46	-18	55	-5, 4PIM in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Saskatoon (0-0)
19	Willie Coetzee	Red Deer	72	29	52	81	+10	32	1A in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Saskatoon (0-0)
24	Mitchell Callahan	Kelowna	72	20	27	47	-3	165	1G, -3 in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Everett (0-0)

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
11	Andrej Nestrasil	Victoriaville	50	16	35	51	+4	40	1G, 1A, +2, 2PIM in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Shawinigan (0-0)
14	Gleason Fournier	Rimouski	58	13	37	50	+4	76	1A in 2GP	Playoffs vs. Chicoutimi (0-0)

United States Hockey League

#	Name	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	Last Week	Notes
6	Nick Jensen	Green Bay	47	6	19	25	+30	35	1A, +3, 2PIM in 2GP	Regular season doesn't end until 1st week of April

Morning Skate: Edmonton

2010-03-19T15:00:39Z

More photos » Jimmy Jeong - AP

ouch, Homer.

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After a couple of days off, the Red Wings start back up tonight against Edmonton.

Jimmy Howard will start in net again tonight, his 17th straight start. King Tiberius has given up 2 or fewer goals in 3 straight games after giving up 4 goals in two straight games. In Jimmy's previous two start's against Edmonton, he surrendered 4 goals and 5 goals +SO loss. Fear not though as he has come a long way since then.
Detroit's looking for its 4th straight win and to continue its push for the playoffs. The Red Wings had some great momentum but how will the time off affect them? Will it rejuvenate the team and make them even better or will it kill the momentum?
Edmonton is the cellar dweller of the League with an astounding 21-42-7 record for a total of 49 points. Detroit has a 31 point lead on them for eighth spot in the West and the second worst team, Toronto, has an 11 point lead on them. Just about everything that could have gone wrong for Edmonton this season, went wrong.
Edmonton's lost 5 straight and 7 of the last 10 in regulation. That would be a big reason behind their -69 goal differential. By comparison the top team, Washington, has a +78.
Big Jonathan Ericsson will start for the first time in three games, filling the sixth spot for Brett Lebda. With the Oilers floundering in last place in the League, I think Babcock figured why not start Ericsson to get him time in and maybe build his confidence a bit. Ericsson has a team low -17 in his first full season with Detroit.
Pavel Datsyuk is absolutely on fire. The guy has been a completely different player since the Olympic break. Since returning from the Olympics and a demoralizing loss at the hands of his coach Mike Babcock and the Canadian team, Pavel's tallied 9 points (5 G, 4 A). He's scored a goal in 5 of the last 6 games for the Wings and is starting to return to a dominant player.
Again, with Datsyuk, he leads the league in takeaways. Datsyuk has 106 on the seasoon. The next closest player, Ryan Kesler, has 73. I don't think there's a gap that big in any category in the league. Pavel's playing himself towards another Selke Trophy.
The Oilers won both of the prior meetings: 6-5 SO and a 4-1 win. Hopefully they don't suck the air out of this Detroit team.
Edmonton's top goal scorer is Dustin Penner. Penner leads the team in goals and points with 26 goals. and 53 points. Patrick O'Sullivan is a team and League worst -32 on the ice.
Detroit sits one precious, magical point above the Flames for that 8 spot. Detroit needs San Jose to win tonight against Calgary and win themselves against Edmonton to move back to a 3 point lead.
12 games left including today. Chris Hollis, our Motown Wings buddy breaks down the point scenarios
The Copper & Blue is your source for Oilers information. C&B is an excellent site, very well written and very insightful.

Another Fake Award Winner! And Additional Tiberius numbers

2010-03-19T14:04:41Z

More photos » Paul Sancya - AP

Poor Derek Meech. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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For the third time this season, we're able to announce a Fake Award Winner! Winning his second Fake Award of the 09-10 season is....

DEREK MEECH!

Everyone's favorite almost-Red Wing clinched -- for the second year in a row -- the Derek Meech Award (who knew?!) given at the year's end to the Red Wings player that spent the most games in the press box. Meech was a healthy scratch 35 times last season. With thirteen games left in this season, Meech has a big enough lead on any active Red Wing to have clinched the Award again - and could, if he doesn't see the ice again, break his record from a year ago:

1. Derek Meech (26)

2. Brad May (14) -- no longer with the Red Wings
3. Ville Leino (13) -- no longer with the Red Wings
T4. Patrick Eaves (7)
T4. Brett Lebda (7)

Earlier in the week, Casey took a look at Jimmy Howard's numbers compared to the last five Calder-winning goaltenders. It was a great read, so give it a look, but it got me thinking...how do his numbers stack up against other Red Wings starting goaltenders (can we all agree yet that he is, in fact, the starting goaltender?) from the last 25 years? I compared his current numbers (wins, goals against average, and save percentage) to the goaltender that played the most games in each of the last 25 seasons. If it was split nearly down the middle, I took the single 'tender that played the most minutes. Obviously, there's no guarantee that Howard's numbers stay the same -- they could fluctuate up or down (except wins, of course, which is ONLY GOING UP BABY!), but that's why they call them "averages," they are a pretty good meter of your level of play throughout a season or a career

SINGLE SEASON WINS
1 :: 01-02 :: Hasek :: 41
2 :: 95-96 :: Osgood :: 39
T3 :: 06-07 :: Hasek :: 38
T3 :: 91-92 :: Cheveldae :: 38
5 :: 05-06 :: Legace :: 37
T6 :: 02-03 :: Joseph :: 34
T6 :: 98-99 :: Osgood :: 34
T6 :: 92-93 :: Cheveldae :: 34
9 :: 97-98 :: Osgood :: 33
T10 :: 99-00 :: Osgood :: 30
T10 :: 90-91 :: Cheveldae :: 30
T12 :: 09-10 :: Howard :: 27
T12 :: 07-08 :: Osgood :: 27
14 :: 08-09 :: Osgood :: 26
15 :: 00-01 :: Osgood :: 25
For the record, the least amount of wins for a Red Wings starter the last quarter century is Greg Stefan in 1985-86 with 10. TEN! Thus the award named after him below...

SINGLE SEASON GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE
1 :: 06-07 :: Hasek :: 2.05
2 :: 07-08 :: Osgood :: 2.09
3 :: 03-04 :: Legace :: 2.12
T4 :: 01-02 :: Hasek :: 2.17
T4 :: 95-96 :: Osgood :: 2.17
6 :: 05-06 :: Legace :: 2.19
7 :: 97-98 :: Osgood :: 2.21
8 :: 96-97 :: Osgood :: 2.30
9 :: 09-10 :: Howard :: 2.32
10 :: 99-00 :: Osgood :: 2.40
The worst goals against the last twenty-five years belongs to... YUP! You guessed it. Greg Stefan in 85-86, 4.50.

SINGLE SEASON SAVE PERCENTAGE
1 :: 09-10 :: Howard :: .924
2 :: 03-04 :: Legace :: .920
T3 :: 01-02 :: Hasek :: .915
T3 :: 05-06 :: Legace :: .915
5 :: 07-08 :: Osgood :: .914
T6 :: 06-07 :: Hasek :: .913
T6 :: 97-98 :: Osgood :: .913
8 :: 02-03 :: Joseph :: .912
9 :: 95-96 :: Osgood :: .911
T10 :: 96-97 :: Osgood :: .910
T10 :: 98-99 :: Osgood :: .910
The worst save percentage of this sample group is -- well I'll be damned -- Greg Stefan in 1985-86, at .856. Interestingly, the worst save percentage for a starting goalie in the last 15 years was Chris Osgood from last season, .887.

RED WINGS STATISTICAL LEADERS :: March 19, 2010

Games Played :: Todd Bertuzzi, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brad Stuart (69 - that's all of them)
Goals :: Pavel Datsyuk (22)
Assists :: Henrik Zetterberg (38)
Points :: Pavel Datsyuk (58)
+/- :: Nicklas Lidstrom (+17)
PIM :: Todd Bertuzzi (72)
Power Play Goals :: Tomas Holmstrom (10)
Shorthanded Goals :: Darren Helm (3)
Game Winning Goals :: Tomas Holmstrom (5)
Shots :: Henrik Zetterberg (241)
Shooting % :: Tomas Holmstrom (19.0%)
Time on Ice Average :: Nicklas Lidstrom (25:31)
Shifts Per Game :: Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart (29.3)
Faceoff % :: Pavel Datsyuk (55.4)
Faceoffs Taken :: Henrik Zetterberg (876)
Hits :: Brad Stuart (175)
Giveaways :: Pavel Datsyuk (64)
Takeaways :: Pavel Datsyuk (106) [1st in the NHL]

CHRIS CHELIOS AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings defenseman with the fewest goals scored in the most games played. The player must have played in at least 3/4 of the team's games. The award is named for Chris Chelios, who scored 23 goals in his EXACTLY 600 games as a Red Wing.*
1. Brett Lebda (1 goal, 62 games)
2. Brad Stuart (2 goals, 69 games)
3. Brian Rafalski (6 goals, 65 games)
4. Nicklas Lidstrom (8 goals, 69 games)

DANNY CLEARY "SACRAFICE YOUR FACE" AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most blocked shots. Award is named for Dan Cleary, who is used to becoming synonymous with "black eye" and/or "broken jaw."*
1. Darren Helm (43)
2. Patrick Eaves (39)
3. Drew Miller (35)
4. Henrik Zetterberg (30)
T5. Kirk Maltby (25)
T5. Dan Cleary (25)
T5. Pavel Datsyuk (25)

GREG STEFAN AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings goaltender that makes you question how they're in the NHL and you aren't. Award is named for Greg Stefan, who played nine seasons for the Red Wings, but only had three seasons with goals against average under 4.*
1. Chris Osgood (7-8-4, 2.97, .890)
2. Jimmy Howard (27-15-8, 2.32, .924)

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most shots to miss the net. Award is named for Mikael Samuelsson, who literally must have been aiming for the 11th row.*
1. Henrik Zetterberg (97)
2. Todd Bertuzzi (66)
3. Pavel Datsyuk (59)
4. Darren Helm (49)
5. Tomas Holmstrom (47)

PAST WINNERS
The GoodFellas Award (final Red Wing to be penalized) :: Patrick Eaves
The Derek Meech Award (most games as healthy scratch) :: Derek Meech
The Aaron Downey Award (final Red Wing to score a goal) :: Derek Meech

Quick Hits: 3/18

2010-03-18T22:00:24Z

Yell Help, Wednesday Night, Ugly - It's an Elton John song. Day #2 of 3 Red Wing-less days ended on St. Patty's yesterday, and as sure as there was green-colored vomit that was probably spewed when Wings fans caught site of this, there were three games played yesterday, so let's discuss.

Red Wings vs Oilers; Preview for Friday Night - RC from Word on a Wing gives us a short, but impressive look at tomorrow's game including team stats and "scary pairs". Check it out.

Blame Game Update: Just in Time, a Hearty About Face - Captnorris from The Winged Wheel gives us a real in-your-face take on what's going on and what's been going on in the Red Wings universe. "They're all big games", indeed.

Vacation Free Agents, Part Three - Ryan Weiss of Hockeytown USA gives us his third installment of upcoming Free Agents currently on the Detroit Red Wings. This post could have actually been called, Vacation Free Agents, The Throw Aways (except for Andreas Lilja).

Play-off Picture: 3 1/2 Weeks to Go! - Rob from Wings Win, Eh? takes a look at both Conferences as we head down the stretch with less than a month to go in the regular season. I'm a sucker for posts that end in questions, so head on over to WWE and let him know what you think.

Who's on your all-time Red Wings team?

2010-03-18T13:26:59Z

More photos » Tom Pidgeon - AP

Browse more photos »

There's been a lot talk recently about which numbers from the current era will be retired. Be it Osgood, Holmstrom, Federov, Draper, etc. the talk has been really good. It got me thinking about who the all-time team would roll out on the ice and the lines to follow. A lot of the top six is pretty much "well, duh." but as it gets down into the later lines it gets interesting.

Starting six:

Goalie: Terry Sawchuk: Clear cut choice who's number one for this department.
Defense: Nicklas Lidstrom: Like Sawchuk, no doubt about number one here. Lidstrom's not only the best defenseman Detroit has had, he might be the best ever.
Defense: Vladimir Konstantinov: Seems like it could be a case of the sentimental choice at first but Vlad was incredible in his short time in Detroit. 9th for points by defensemen, 2nd in +/- with +185. Vlad was on pace for a potential Hall of Fame career before the accident that ended his career.
Left Wing: Ted Lindsay: Terrible Ted won an Art Ross Trophy and four Cups with the Wings while racking up 728 career points in Detroit.
Center: Steve Yzerman: Nothing needs to be said about Yzerman that already hasn't been said. The example of leadership and determination.
Right Wing: Gordie Howe: The greatest hockey player pre-modern era and consider by some still as the greatest player to play the game, Howe helped define the Red Wings and is symbolic of the franchise.

On the bench:

Forwards

Norm Ullman-Alex Delvecchio-Pavel Datsyuk
Brendan Shanahan-Sergei Federov-Henrik Zetterberg
Tomas Holmstrom-Sid Abel-Mickey Redmond

Defense

Chris Chelios-Larry Murphy

Red Kelly-Reed Larson

Goalie

Chris Osgood

I had a hard time putting Zetterberg, Datsyuk , Holmstrom in there over Kris Draper but the numbers don't lie. It's weird seeing so many modern players in that line-up but sometimes we forget exactly how big of contributors these guys are. For example, Datsyuk's already 9th in all-time points for Detroit and Zetterberg/Holmstrom at 16/17th respectively. Weird looking at some of the line combinations, that's for sure: imagine Homer playing with Mickey and Sid.

I'm sure there are some spots where people will disagree with me so go ahead and post your top 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and two goalies.

Howard's numbers in perspective

2010-03-17T22:18:30Z

Most Wings fans all know how well the play of Jimmy Howard has been in his rookie campaign. How does he stack up against the past couple of winners of the Calder Trophy and the rest of the current league leaders for goalies.

The last five goalies to win the Calder Trophy are Steve Mason (2008-2009), Andrew Raycroft (2003-2004), Evgeni Nabokov (2000-2001), Martin Brodeur (1993-1994), and Ed Belfour (1990-1991).

Player	Wins	Loss	OT	SV%	GAA	SO
Belfour	43	19	7	.910	2.47	4
Brodeur	27	11	8	.915	2.40	3
Nabokov	32	21	7	.915	2.19	6
Raycroft	29	18	9	.926	2.05	3
Mason	33	20	7	.916	2.29	10
Howard	27	15	8	.924	2.32	1

As you can see from the stats above, Howard fairs quite well in comparison to all of them. Although he's tied for the lowest number of wins, his season is also not over yet. Currently, his save percentage is 2nd of the 6 listed above and his GAA is 4th of the 6. This is no guarantee that the rest of his season will range out to maintain, improve, or decline these numbers but it's easy to say it's looking good.

So how does Jimmy stack up against the current rest of the league? Here's a quick numbers break down:

5th in save percentage
6th in goals against average
6th in power play save percentage

His numbers stack up pretty well against the rest of the seasoned veterans and only Tuukka Rask fairs better amongst rookies. Given that Rask has played about 17 games less than Jimmy has it's hard to consider Rask over Howard for Calder.

Quick Hits: 3/17

2010-03-17T22:00:24Z

Tuesday's Gone - With Detroit's "spring break" in full swing here until Friday, I turn to looking around the league at Western Conference scores. Basically, Tuesday sucked for us. Click to see why I think so.

I Can Haz Happy Back - Cody from Wings Win, Eh? explores the possibilty of Hudler's return. This was actually posted yesterday, but it's worth talking about...especially during the lull.

Fedorov's Jersey - Andy from Fight Night at the Joe has something to say for all you "#91 should be in the rafters" people...and those that don't should get a kick out of this as well. He really doesn't like Fedorov much...at all.

Vacation Free Agents, Part Two - Hockeytown USA takes a look at some of the guys that will become Free Agents (restricted and unrestricted) once this season / post-season) is over with. There's a couple players that we can't afford to lose.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

TOV is back! Episode 12 is here

2010-03-17T16:40:40Z

TOV is back! Episode 12 is here

I joined our buddies Chris Hollis from Motown Wings, Rob Discher of The Production Line/WIM, and Matt Saler of On The Wings for a very fun edition of The Obstructed View.

We talked about the Ericsson situation, the recent success of the team, a H2H update, and a little bit of trivia. Heck of a good listen so check it out!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T13:52:57Z

View full size photo »

Ah, St. Patrick's Day. The day that the majority of the United States celebrates as an official drinking day. However, I also think of it in a different light given the success of one Red Wing on the ice this season.

Today is indeed St. Patty's Day, the day of celebrating Patrick Eaves. St. Patrick, the patron saint of "off-season signings that have turned into something far better than expected", casts approval upon the way that Eaves has fit in with the Red Wings.

Eaves, who is still young at only 25, has proved to be an excellent linemate to Darren Helm and Kris Draper. Between the three of them, they're probably the fastest line that any team trots out onto the ice each night. Eaves has also found a resurgence in his scoring touch. Last season with Carolina, Eaves played 74 games and racked up 6 goals and 8 assists. So far this season, he's played 55 games and totaled 10 goals and 9 assists; his best numbers since his sophomore campaign.

Aside from his statistical improvement, Eaves has quickly become a fan favorite. Night in and night out he's adding to the reasons that Detroit fans want him re-signed in the offseason.. One of the biggest examples was the fight against Kris Versteeg. Eaves threw some heavy punches and took a few himself but got up with a grin on his face and the crowd loudly voiced their approval.

More recently, Eaves proved a great individual effort against the Sabres by taking a pass from Darren Helm and pretty much singlehandedly working his way past 3 Sabres along the boards en route to the goal and putting a shot past Ryan Miller to give the Red Wings an early 2-0 lead.

The type of game that Eaves plays with hustle and determination just adds to the reasons Detroit fans are waiting for him to sign a 3 or 5 year deal for the hometown team. Add in some stats that are great for a fourth liner on a team that has struggled mightily at times and his value is incredible. Considering the Wings signed him for $500,000 from Carolina, he was an incredible bargain and worth every cent of that contract.

The Murph

We all know the legendary Larry Murphy and his approval of this holiday considering following the Wings 2-1 win in Calgary he said St. Patrick's Day starts at 8 a.m. in his book. So today we tip our glasses to you, Larry Murphy. May today be a great alcoholiday for you.

Quick Hits: 3/16

2010-03-16T22:00:32Z

Numbers to the Rafters?- Who (besides Lidstrom) will be heading to the rafters from this era? Osgood? Holmstrom? Fedorov? The discussion started at Nightmare on Helm Street started last night and I thew in a doctored photo to help you picture what could be...

H2H Update *IMPORTANT* - The Production Line is cutting the pledge drive game they were playing a little short for logistical reasons. If you are currently participating, you need to read this. If you are not participating, you need to read this so you can begin before it's too late.

Game #69 -- Red Wings @ Flames- Notes and thoughts on last night's big win in the Saddledome. The usual hilarity from the Triple Deke, but for God's sake, someone teach those guys how to insert the Western Conference Standings that doesn't require a magnifying glass to read.

Heating Up: Red Wings 2, Flames 1 - Chris Hollis of Motown Wings uses a powerful word to describe last night's contest: perfect. His explanation is much more in-depth, so check it out.

Yeah, yeah, yeah! What a Huge Win!- Andy from Fight Night at the Joe proves that using exclamation points in post titles isn't just for the ladies. Everyone's favorite Norwegian Red Wings blogger gives us a recap, plays, and keys to last night's triumph.

Late Holmstrom goal gives Red Wings two huge points

2010-03-16T05:04:20Z

More photos » Larry MacDougal - AP

Miikka Kiprusoff got used to this image as the Red Wings knocked off the Flames 2-1.

Browse more photos »

Detroit and Calgary faced off for a huge 2 points in the race for the Western Conference 8th seed. With a win, Detroit jumped up 2 points to a 3 point lead on Calgary for that final spot. In a game that could have very easily turned into a 3-point final by way of overtime, the Red Wings found a late third period goal to push them to a 2-1 victory and more importantly, 2 points.

Calgary got on the board first, under 2 minutes into the game. A pass from Andreas Lilja to Darren Helm went through Helm's legs and landed on the stick of Nigel Dawes. Dawes took the puck to the net and put a shot on net. The rebound landed on the tape of Craig Conroy. A handful of Detroit chances and a Brian Rafalski shot off the post were about all that the Red Wings had to show for the first period.

For two teams battling each other for the last spot in the West at the time being, the first period was very tentative and sloppy. Each team registered 10 shots on net but very few were quality scoring chances. The pace picked up considerably in the second period and both teams put their offense on attack. The Wings equaled their first period total in shots with 10 in the second. The biggest shot came with 50 seconds left in the period.

But before that all important shot could be made, another shot had to be saved. Detroit had a power play after Steve Staois was given two minutes for interference on Kris Draper. Curtis Glencross corralled a loose puck and was in on Jimmy Howard with two Detroit players trailing. Henrik Zetterberg got called for hooking and Glencross got a penalty shot out of it. Glencross came in with a ton of speed and didn't deke much, just putting a shot on Howard that he stopped with ease.

Seconds after Howard stopped Glencross' attempt, Pavel Datsyuk picked up a pass from Brian Rafalski and with Tomas Holmstrom standing in front of Miikka Kiprusoff, fired the puck top shelf stick side for a tied game with 50 seconds remaining in the 2nd period. It was Datsyuk's team leading 22nd goal of the season and his 6th in 7 games. The power-play goal continues the team's streak to a whopping 10 games.

The third period was full of chances for both teams. Brian Rafalski took a double minor for high-sticking and it looked to be a crucial turning point in the game for Calgary. Instead, it turned out to be a huge momentum boost for the Red Wings. The Wings killed off the full four minutes and got some spring back in their step. The teams wound up quality chance after chance on net and it wasn't until the dying minutes of the third that the Wings ended the tie.

Detroit managed to keep the puck in the zone on a clearing attempt by Calgary with under 1:30 to play. Even though three of the five Red Wings had vacated the zone in an attempt to get back on defense, Johan Franzen cranked a shot up from the blue line. With Holmstrom in his office in front of Kiprusoff, he deflected a shot that was going well wide of the net into the top shelf for a 2-1 Detroit lead with 1:19 to play.

Holmstrom did what he does best by deflecting the puck and the Wings survived a 6 man attack with Kiprusoff pulled to get the 2-1 win.

Player of the game: Tomas Holmstrom. It was hard not to give this one to Jimmy Howard who played a very solid game for Detroit. But if it weren't for Homer's derriere blocking Kiprusoff's view all night, the two goals wouldn't have been scored.

Tomas Holmstrom

#96 / Left Wing / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 6-0

Weight: 198

Born: Jan 23, 1973

Overflow Thread: Red Wings at Flames

2010-03-16T03:06:51Z

Pavel Datsyuk tied the game with a top corner shot on the power play for his 22nd of the game; seconds after Jimmy Howard stopped a penalty shot attempt by Curtis Glencross.

A much better second period overall for the Wings and a tied game is the result heading into the third.

Comment away below and GO WINGS!

Game Thread: Red Wings at Flames

2010-03-16T00:30:17Z

Calgary Flames (34-25-9, 77 pts)	Game 69	Detroit Red Wings (33-23-12, 78 pts)
	vs.
Arena: Saddledome Arena--Calgary, Alberta

Starting goalie:	Miikka Kiprusoff	Starting goalie:	Jimmy Howard
	30-21-9, 2.22 GAA		26-15-8, 2.35 GAA
SBN Blog:	Matchsticks and Gasoline	Last meeting:	4-2 Calgary win
Time:	9:30 p.m. ET	TV:	FS-D, TSN

Detroit takes the ice looking to continue their recent success. Of the last 5 games the Wings have played, the only loss came to Calgary last Tuesday. Detroit sits one point ahead of Calgary heading into the game tonight and could make it 3 point lead to their advantage or a 1 point deficit. Three point games are bad for both teams in this situation so it should be a spirited game and effort.

The puck drops at 9:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on FS-D and TSN. Comment below and as always, GO WINGS!