Winging It In Motown

Don't Look Now...

2009-11-07T00:00:39Z

Pavel Datsyuk has started to get going.

Actually, do look now. Things are starting to return to normal for this team as the season progresses. Following a 3-4-2 start, the Red Wings have turned it around by going 4-0-1 in their last five games contests. Four of the five teams they've played in those games were playoff teams last year, including knocking off last year's regular season conference champions in both the East and West. In fact, Detroit has earned points in 8 of its last 10 games--totaling 13 of a possible 20 points. What's behind the reason for the recent winning ways? Let's take a look at a few things:

Coaching: You had to know that Mike Babcock could only tolerate the poor performance for so long before whippin' the boys into shape. To me, the biggest sign of this was yanking Chris Osgood from the net against Vancouver after surrendering two quick goals. Babcock showed that it doesn't matter how Cups you have; if you don't play well enough to be in there, you won't be. Same has been true as line-ups have been juggled very often to accommodate the up and downs of the players.
Better execution: The first half of the season so far was filled with sloppy passing and ineffective chances in the offensive zone. The stars have stepped up following the loss of guys like Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen to injury and others to illness. In the past five games, Pavel Datsyuk has 8 points and is really finding his stride while carrying the team. That Henrik Zetterberg guy isn't that bad either...
Just a matter of time: The least statistically tangible of the bunch, this is more for our own personal sanity. This team is too good to sit under .500 for too long so it's good to see that indeed the team is more on track than the beginning. A lot of new guys-so maybe the old saying that chemistry has to be built before you can win is ringing true. Bertuzzi's starting to factor into the equation and so is Williams. Datsyuk/Zetterberg can get the puck to these guys or benefit from their passing so it's good to see them getting going.
Tightening of defensive/goaltending: Don't know if I have to go further than saying the defense is playing much much better and so is Chris Osgood. Being pulled like that in Vancouver will do a lot for motivation and drive any sort of complacency out the window. Nick Lidstrom is solid as always and the other guys are starting to come around in his footsteps.
Hopefully it lasts is all I have left to say

What do you think about it?

Poll

What has been the reason for the turnaround?

Friday Prospects -- Seasoned Vets

2009-11-06T20:23:09Z

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

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Six full weeks of Friday Prospects. Getting tired of this yet? Good, because neither am I. In this weekly look at the world of Detroit Red Wings prospects, we turn to the American Hockey League to look at a trio of Red Wings prospects who might be ready to make an NHL push soon.

Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, Justin Abdelkader, and Ville Leino represent the biggest influx of Griffins talent to Detroit ever. That would lead you to believe that the Grand Rapids system is depleted, void of high-end talent, and that just isn't the case. Grand Rapids started the season with a long road trip that saw them start the season 1-4. But the Griffins have rattled off five straight wins en route to climbing out of the North Division cellar.

Part of this was due to the two-week tryout of 600+ point NHL scorer Michael Nylander. But the Griffins are getting key contributions out of their young players as well. Here are three young players who might be ready to step up to the NHL, should Detroit's injury woes get any worse.

Jakub Kindl, D, 22, 6'3, 210 lbs, drafted 1st round, 2005 -- Remember the 2005 draft? The NHL lockout saw the draft get delayed by the lack of collective bargaining agreement. Rather than use the 2003-04 season's standings to determine draft order -- which would have made Sidney Crosby a Washington Capital -- the NHL devised a system to hold a weighted draft lottery to determine the order of 1-30. The system was based on how many times you've made the playoffs in the past few seasons. This led Detroit to their highest draft position since 1991, when they selected Martin Lapointe 10th overall, when they made Jakub Kindl the 19th overall selection.

Kindl was a big deal at the time, considered a top five draft pick on talent alone prior to the season. He was coming to North America from the Czech Republic, where he excelled in the Czech junior leagues for years, making his professional debut at 16. However, despite his high level of skill, Kindl only scored three goals in his draft eligible season, sliding him well out of the top five.

However, the following season, he re-established himself as a big time prospect. He scored 12 goals and 58 points for the Kitchener Rangers, becoming one of the most dangerous offensive defensemen in the league. Kindl made a lot of noise at training camp, and nearly squeaked his way onto the team then at age 19. He followed up this performance with 55 points in 54 games, playing upwards of 40 minutes a night, and showing that he had a bit of a mean streak with 142 penalty minutes.

He turned pro the following season, and things started to go south. Kindl had a tough time adjusting to North American hockey, and was exploited for his sloppy play in his own zone. This led to a lack of confidence in him by the coaching staff, so he didn't even get much powerplay time -- which is where he excels. His -34 rating was the worst in the league.

However, Curt Fraser restored confidence in Kindl, and with the loss of Ericsson to injury/NHL, Kindl became a top four defenseman and saw regular time on the first powerplay unit. Kindl started the season red hot, earning himself an appearance in the AHL All-Star Game. He slowed down in the second half of the season, finishing the season with 33 points and a -14 rating -- not the worst on the team, but disappointing because it was in the pluses at the all-star break.

Detroit rewarded Kindl with a tremendous shot of confidence in the form of a three-year contract extension that kicks in after this season. It's a one-way deal, so Kindl will be in the NHL next season. In what form is completely up to him. He's showed through numerous pre-season games that he has the talent to quarterback a powerplay at the NHL level, but he also showed an inconsistent defensive game and a tendency to make poor decisions under pressure. He has not started strong in Grand Rapids this season, and recently, Doug Janik was called up for injury time over Kindl. Kindl will need to turn it on offensively to avoid entering the NHL as a seventh defenseman, as he has the potential to be a top four. However, at 22, Detroit will have some time to develop him in the NHL once he gets there.

Mattias Ritola, LW, 22, 5'11, 205 pounds, drafted 4th round, 2005 -- In the same drafted that netted Kindl, Detroit picked up a player that Hakan Andersson described as the most offensively talented of any Swedish 1987-born player outside of Washington's Nicklas Backstrom (drafted in 2006, late birth date).

That was an awfully large compliment for a young player, and Ritola had trouble living up to that billing throughout his career in Sweden. Ritola was always on the radar as a prospect, playing internationally for Sweden every year since he was 15. He never posted ground-breaking numbers, but did manage over a point-per-game in the Swedish junior leagues in his draft year.

He made his SEL debut the following season, posting only three assists in 30 games for Leksand, and only six in 14 games with the J20 team when he was sent down. Leksand struggled all season and was demoted to the Swedish Allsvenskan (SWE-2), where Ritola netted five points in 23 games, but he also spent significant time with the J20 team again, as well as another team in SWE-2 and even a 11 games in the league underneath that, the Swedish First Division (SWE-3).

Despite his inconsistencies, Detroit signed him prior to the 2007-08 season and Ritola immediately made an impact with the Griffins. The skilled winger, once dubbed one-dimensional and lazy, had evolved into a very competitive two-way player with good offensive touch. Ritola put up only 22 points (on a low scoring team) but the stat that really opened eyes was his +10 rating. Only three players had positive ratings on that Griffins team, and the rookie Ritola was one. He was rewarded with a two game callup to the NHL, where he picked up an assist.

Last season was a bit of a setback for Ritola. He broke his rookie offensive production with 42 points, but was limited to just 66 games due to injury. He was unable to rise up the depth chart the way Helm, Abdelkader, and Leino were, and he did not see any NHL action.

Ritola is off to a slow start in his third professional season, with five points in ten games. He must clear waivers next season, so he will need to take his game to the next level in Grand Rapids this season to get a look in Detroit. He looked very strong in the pre-season, like a typical Detroit Red Wings player -- very strong two-way play with a definite high skill level, though he keeps his game simple. However, he's getting the opportunity to take a scoring role in Grand Rapids, and Detroit would certainly take notice if to took it.

Evan McGrath, C, 23, 6'0, 200 pounds, drafted 4th round, 2004 -- Coming off of an underage (the OHL only allows for three 16-year-old players on a team at one time, just as they only allow three 20-year-old "overagers") campaign that saw him put up 47 points in 64 games, McGrath was considered to be a late first or early second round pick heading into the 2003-04 season. However, 51 points in 68 games was not quite the increase in scoring that scouts were looking for, and McGrath slid all the way to the 128th pick until Detroit grabbed him.

The following season, playing on the same Kitchener Rangers team as then-rookie Jakub Kindl, McGrath gave Detroit a little return on their investment, putting up 87 points in 68 games. He took his game even further the following season, leading his team with 114 points in 67 games (45 more than the next best scorer), signing with Detroit following the season.

His transition to professional hockey was a rocky one. He was unable to stake out a regular spot in Grand Rapids, and needed some time with the ECHL's Toledo Storm before returning to Grand Rapids. He looked stronger after his ECHL stint, but still didn't grab regular ice time in the AHL. In fact, he had one more point in the ECHL (15) than the AHL (14) despite the vast difference in games played -- 9 to 59.

In 2007-08, McGrath was able to find his own niche in the AHL, scoring 18 goals and 35 points, best among Detroit prospects. The dynamic playmaking ability that saw him score 100+ in the OHL was leaving him, but he was able to reinvent himself as a hard-working checking line player who had some ability on the powerplay. He continued his strong play last season, with 47 points in 68 games, centering one of the hottest lines in the AHL alongside rookie Francis Pare and Francis Lemieux.

He was signed to a one-year extension before training camp, and was able to clear waivers to enter his 4th full professional season. Now an alternate captain, McGrath has the opportunity to become one of the team's top two centers. He's off to a good start so far, with six points in ten games. In the pre-season, McGrath excelled, showing a very mature and smart game that make him a good candidate for a 4th line job. While he may not get that opportunity in a crowded Detroit system, there is still some NHL hope left for him.

Notes: Adam Almqvist and Nick Jensen are two Detroit prospects in the World Junior A Challenge, a tournament held every November by Hockey Canada, pitting the best of Canadian players not playing "major junior" hockey (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) against representative under-20 teams from other countries. Almqvist has one goal for the struggling 0-3 Swedish team, while Jensen has a goal and an assist for the 2-1 American club ... Almqvist also received the news that he's been signed by the HV-71 senior team, and may get a chance to make his SEL debut in the near future ... Jesper Samuelsson has been back and forth between the SEL and SWE-2, and now finds himself back in Sweden's highest division, with Timra ... Landon Ferraro returned to action after missing ten games with a knee injury, he currently sits with three points in seven games

Who's Hot: Ferraro's teammate, Willie Coetzee, has continued his rabid scoring frenzy with 29 points in 17 games now. Coetzee was named to the WHL All-Star team for the annual Subway Super Series, pitting All-Star teams from the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL against a Russian under-20 team. The games are considered an informal tryout to the World Junior Championships, so Coetzee has a major opportunity to land himself among the prospect elite ... Brendan Smith has continued to respond well from being benched, now sitting at nine points in five games, also being named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week ... Although his linemate, Columbus Blue Jackets' draftee Tomas Kubalik, was named CHL Player of the Week, Andrej Nestrasil has equaled Kubalik's point totals, now sitting at 26 points in 19 games ... Mitchell Callahan had three points and a +3 rating in two games last week, and for all fighting fans out there, he sits with 47 PIM at the moment.

Who's Cold: The Griffins only had one game since the last update, but players like Jakub Kindl, Cory Emmerton (three points in nine games), Sebastien Piche (zero points in six games), and Francis Pare (two points in eight games) will need to pick it up offensively, as the tryout for NHL veteran Michael Nylander has now ended ... He's not getting huge minutes, but Max Nicastro does not have a point through his first five games as a freshman at Boston University ... Jordan Pearce continues to struggle in the AHL, with a 4.67 GAA despite a 2-1 record.

Red Wings beat Sharks 2-1 in Shootout

2009-11-06T04:32:21Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Henrik Zetterberg scores the game-winner in the shootout against San Jose.

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On Budd Lynch bobblehead night, it was Henrik Zetterberg's who helped put away the San Jose Sharks.

Zetterberg scored the lone Detroit Red Wings goal with 14:22 left in regulation, then scored at the end of the shootout to seal a 2-1 win over San Jose. It broke the Shark's six-game winning streak and extended the Wings winning streak to three games

Zetterberg took advantage of a shot by Darren Helm. Evgeni Nabokov seemed to cover the puck, but did not get a whistle, Zetterberg kept charging towards the net and swatted the puck into the net to even the score at one.

In the second period, Logan Couture netted his first NHL goal off a nice setup from Joe Callahan (who picked up his first NHL point) and Joe Thornton.

In overtime, Darren Helm had two incredible chances in overtime on a two-on-one, but couldn't put either shot past Evgeni Nabokov. The Red Wings put heavy pressure on the Sharks with five shots in the overtime period.

The shootout saw a series of back-hand shots: Pavel Datsuyk opened with one that easily faked our Nabokov. Dan Boyle and Ryane Clowe each tried backhanders that failed to get past Chris Osgood. Then Zetterberg ended the shootout with a simple shot that got past Nabokov for the second time of the night.

Osgood finished the evening with 34 saves; Nabokov ended with 36.

The Red Wings will take on Toronto Saturday night in an Original Six matchup in Toronto.

Catch the high lights below from NHL.com.

[Game Thread] Red Wings vs. Sharks

2009-11-05T23:15:18Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Henrik Zetterberg has nine points over the last nine games and is tied for the team lead with 12 points.

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The Detroit Red Wings take their two-game winning streak against the red-hot San Jose Sharks at Joe Louis Arena tonight. The Sharks are on a six-game winning streak, leading the Pacific Division with 23 points and trailing only the Colorado Avalanche (24 points) in the Western Conference.

San Jose comes in having beaten the Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday night 3-2 via a shootout. 8-2 in the last 10 games, Patrick Marleau has scored a point in his last nine starts for the Sharks. Dany Heatley is tied for sixth in the league in goals with 10. Meanwhile, Evgeni Nabokov has a sparking 10-3-1 record in 2009, with a 2.38 goals against average.

It's the first meeting of 2009-10 for these two teams: they split the regular season series last year, with the home team winning every game.

The game is on FSN-Detroit and CSN California. Comment away below!

Quick Hits: 11/5

2009-11-05T23:00:31Z

Holmstrom on Olympic Bubble

All Healthy Defense Core to Play Sharks

Lilja's Headaches Finally Gone?

Miami Herald's Preview of DET/SJ

NOHS's Pointless Preview: 11/5 vs Sharks

Looking at the San Jose Sharks

2009-11-05T17:29:26Z

San Jose Sharks: 11-4-1, 23 points

Key Wins: 6-3 over CBJ, 7-3 over NYR, 4-1 over PHI, 3-1 over COL

Winners of six straight, the Sharks are on fire after a 2-2 start. Coming into tonight's game, both teams look to extend winning streaks in what will likely be a good defensive battle.

Category	Stat	NHL Rank	Leading...	Stat	Player
Goals per game	3.31	7th (5A)	Scorer (Points)	22 (11 G, 11 A)	Patrick Marleau
Goals against per game	2.44	7th (16A)	+/-	+7	Jason Demers/ Kent Huskins
Power Play	25.8%	5th (5A)	Hits	25	Scott Nichol
Penalty Kill	83.6%	7th (20A)	PIM	42	Jody Shelley
Shots per game	31.3	11th (6B)	Shots	51	Patrick Marleau
Shots against per game	29.2	12th (3B)	Blocked Shots	37	Rob Blake
Faceoff percentage	57.4%	1st (14A)	Faceoffs	63.9 %	Scott Nichol
PIM per game	14.6	20th (19B)	Wins	10	Evgeni Nabokov
PP drawn	66	5th (8A)	GAA (>5 games played)	2.38	Evgeni Nabokov

*The A and B next to the ranking is how many spots Above or Below the Red Wings the team is

The Sharks are in the top half of the league in nearly every category and are on of the best in the league. Head coach Todd McLellan took the Detroit game west to San Jose with him and has implemented the system in a very effective way. The solid defensive play and offensive attack make the Sharks a big threat to the hobbled/sick Red Wings.

Players to watch on offense: Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton

Players to watch on defense: Rob Blake, Kent Huskins

Fear The Fin is the SB Nation affiliate of the Sharks and will have anything you want to read Sharks related.

Quick Hits: 11/4

2009-11-04T23:00:36Z

Raf/Big Rig are Feeling Better

Prospect Smith Getting Noticed

NOHS's I can say, "I was there" (again)

Eaves Happy in Detroit

SSDD's Reaction to DET/BOS

Two early goals, Osgood shut down Bruins

2009-11-04T02:51:00Z

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Zetterberg's face. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Must be good to be home for the Red Wings. Two first period goals were all the Red Wings needed in the return to Joe Louis Arena with Chris Osgood in great form in net.

Boston's Marco Sturm went to the box for hooking Brett Lebda in the Bruins' offensive zone, putting Detroit on its first power play of the game. Henrik Zetterberg wasted no time, firing a loose puck off the face off over Tim Thomas' shoulder for a 1-0 Red Wings lead two seconds into the man advantage. Zetterberg's third goal of the season came at 14:21 of the first period from Pavel Datsyuk. Shortly following Zetterberg's goal, Tomas Holmstrom scored his 8th goal of the season on a great drop pass from Datsyuk. Todd Bertuzzi got the puck to Datsyuk with a great outlet pass and Datsyuk dropped the puck to Holmstrom in the slot for an easy shot past Thomas.

The second period was dominated by more physical play and close calls on offensive chances, including a blown 3-on-1 for the Bruins that Chris Osgood stopped. The Bruins also spent the first 1:20 of a power play in their offensive zone, applying constant pressure on Osgood. The Red Wings killed off the remainder of the penalty and got two minutes of their own, creating several chances and most importantly, killing two minutes of game clock.

Osgood stopped all 29 shots in the process of earning his 50th career shut out and the Bruins were shut out for the second consecutive game. Detroit's second consecutive win ties the season streak but more importantly the Red Wings pick up two points against a very talented and physical Bruins team. Boston out shot Detroit 29-26 and had a +11 edge in the faceoff circle. Despite the numbers against them, Detroit was able to maintain the two goal lead throughout the duration of the game.

Detroit takes on the San Jose Sharks on Thursday at Joe Louis Arena at 7:30 p.m. while the Bruins face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

MrNorrisTrophy's Wing of the Game: Although tempting to sneak Pavel Datsyuk in there, I have to give credit where credit is due. Chris Osgood played great in net tonight and along with a few posts, his pads were in the right place at the right time.

Chris Osgood

#30 / Goalie / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Born: Nov 26, 1972

[Game Thread] Bruins @ Wings

2009-11-03T23:00:41Z

The Wings return to the Joe from the road trip on a good note following the win over Calgary. As if facing Ilya Bryzgalov, Roberto Luongo, Craig Anderson, and Miikka Kiprusoff weren't enough, the Wings get the defending Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas to shoot at tonight. Thomas also benefits from a good defense around him to help keep shots to the outside. Although the offense isn't nearly as potent this year as last year, the Bruins still have undeniable talent and much like the Red Wings are trying to simply coordinate it all in an effective manner.

Two teams on the relatively same page in terms of dominance last year and sputtering thus far this year are realizing the points are going to be precious this year. Should be a hard fought game with lots of effort from both sides.

What to look for: The physicality of Boston versus the injured/sick Red Wings. I'm looking forward to watching Pavel Datsyuk versus Zdeno Chara. Will Tomas Holmstrom continue on his offensive resurgence?

Puck drops at 7 p.m. ET and will air on Versus or TSN. As always, GO WINGS!

Stanley Cup of Chowder is the SBNation Bruins site.

Quick Hits: 11/3

2009-11-03T23:00:41Z

OTW's Game Notes: DET vs BOS

'01-'02 Wings Ranked Best Team of the Decade

NOHS's Pointless Preview

TTD's Morning Bru

Lineup for Tonight's Game vs Boston

Looking at the Boston Bruins

2009-11-03T20:36:40Z

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

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Extremely pressed for time, this is about all I've got for the "Looking at..." feature prior to this game.

Boston Bruins: 6-6-1, 13 pts

Key wins: 7-2 over Carolina, 3-0 over Dallas, 2-0 over Edmonton

Category	Stat	NHL Rank	Leading...	Stat	Player
Goals per game	2.38	26th	Scorer (Points)	8 (4G, 4A)	Patrice Bergeron
Goals against per game	2.62	9th	+/-	+3	Sturm/Stuart
Power play	12.2%	29th	Hits	33	Zdeno Chara
Penalty kill	78.3%	20th	PIM	22	Zdeno Chara
Shots per game	29.2	18th	Shots	31	Zdeno Chara
Shots against per game	29.7	16th	Blocked Shots	20	Derek Morris
Faceoffs	50.8%	13th	Faceoffs	56.2%	Patrice Bergeron
PIM per game	11.8	9th	Wins	4	Tim Thomas
Penalties drawn	49	23rd	GAA	2.41	Tuukka Rask

Stanley Cup of Chowder for all Bruins related topics.

Numbers! Glorious Numbers!

2009-11-03T15:15:24Z

More photos » by Larry MacDougal - AP

Halloween 2009: I was working in the lab late one night, when my eyes beheld an eerie sight, for my monster from his slab began to rise, and suddenly to my surprise... Helm did the mash, Helm did the monster mash

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The Red Wings went 2-0-1 since my last Numbers post. Am I good luck? Obviously. I think I might just keep these posts coming every Tuesday after all. But, things haven't always been pretty. Our defense is still getting beat up - and our goaltenders are letting in some weak ones. Which leads us to this:

Last Tuesday, Chris Osgood was pulled seven minutes into the Vancouver Canucks game, marking the second time this season there has been a goalie change in a Red Wings game. Last season, the second goalie change came on January 29th, when Ty Conklin relieved Chris Osgood during a 4-1 loss to Dallas. Mike Babcock is the new Mike Keenan. But with less mustache. That's MacLean's business...

Theeeeeerrreee's the Nick Lidstrom we know and love. King Lidas is leading the Wings with a +7 rating, three ahead of Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby.

Interestingly, the players with the lowest +/- against teams outside of the Central Division are Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary, and Todd Bertuzzi. Okay, maybe that last one isn't all that surprising.

Valtteri Filppula has taken the most faceoffs at home (74), while Henrik Zetterberg has taken the most on the road (108). Expect Zetterberg to overtake the injured Flip in tonight's home game against the Bruins.

Tomas Holmstrom has more goals on the road (5) than any other Red Wings player has goals, period (3 - KIRK MALTBY AND JONATHAN ERICSSON. Lolwut?).

Brad May is tied for 14th in the NHL in Majors (3), two behind the co-leaders Zenon Konopka, Matt Carkner, Colton Orr, Ian Laperriere, Brandon Prust. That's just a big ol' list of game changers, ain't it?

Speaking of those two, Tomas Holmstrom and Brad May are the only two forwards who haven't taken a faceoff (I smell next week's poll!), which - by the way - is only one less than Brad Stuart has taken. Somehow.

Derek Meech has played a total of 40 minutes and 11 seconds this season, which is less than Nicklas Lidstrom averages in five periods.

The LAST RED WING TO BE PENALIZED is down to two candidates: Darren Helm and Patrick Eaves. Take your pick in the updated poll...

The LAST RED WING TO SCORE A GOAL is also down to two candidates: Derek Meech and Bray May. I got Meech...

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON AWARD UPDATE:
1. Todd Bertuzzi (14)
T2. Jason Williams (13)
T2. Henrik Zetterberg (13)
4. Ville Leino (11)
5. Tomas Holmstrom (9)
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wing forward with the most shots to miss the net.*

DEREK MEECH AWARD UPDATE:
1. Derek Meech (8)
2. Patrick Eaves (6)
3. Brad May (4)
4. Brett Lebda (3)
T5. Kirk Maltby (2)
T5. Justin Abdelkader (2)
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wing with the most games spent as a healthy scratch.*

GREG STEFAN AWARD UPDATE:
1. Jimmy Howard (3.42 GAA, .879 sv%).
2. Chris Osgood (3.10 GAA, .889 sv%).
3. Ty Conklin (2.34 GAA, .921 sv%). Oh wait, sorry.
*Given to the Red Wings goaltender that makes you question how he's in the NHL and you aren't.*

CHRIS CHELIOS AWARD SUPDATE:
1. Derek Meech (0G, 4GP)
T2. Brad Stuart (1G, 12GP)
T2. Brian Rafalski (1G, 12GP)
T2. Nicklas Lidstrom (1G, 12GP)
5. Brett Lebda (1G, 9GP)
6. Niklas Kronwall (2G, 12GP)
7. Jonathan Ericsson (3G, 11GP)
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings defensemen with fewest goals scored in the most games played*

Poll

So who's it gonna be? Which of the following will be the LAST to get penalized this season?

Back on the grind...

2009-11-03T14:14:02Z

More photos » by Larry MacDougal - AP

Appropriate players for the title...(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Larry MacDougal)

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Hey folks, sorry for the lack of content over the past few days. Halloween weekend takes more out of you than you'd expect I guess. Add on some surgery for me and various other things, I just wasn't able to get my mind in that mode. But after a brief break, we're ready to continue bringing you the Red Wings coverage and insight you've come to expect.

With that said, here are a few things for you to peruse prior to tonight's game against the Boston Bruins:

We've got a new layout! You may have noticed the subtle but good changes to the layout and design of the site. This is a SBN wide change and I personally think it looks great.
NESN (the FS-D of New England) did a Q&A with us and the link to that can be found here. Give it a read through.
The Wings went 2-1-2 over the West Coast road trip, earning 4 much needed points and now sit four points behind Chicago in the Central Division. Maybe this wasn't needed quite yet?
More than just four potential points were lost over the road trip as the Wings lost a crucial part of this year's offense with Valtteri Filppula being injured for 6-8 weeks following a broken wrist.
To add to the injury/inactive woes, three defensemen have come down with the flu. Niklas Kronwall, Brian Rafalski, and Jonathan Ericsson. We probably won't see until later in the day which players actually are fit enough to dress for the game tonight.
Don't look now but Pavel Datsyuk is starting to roll. Six points in his last three games as he finally starts to gain some momentum with his play heading into tonight's game against a banged up Bruins team. Speaking of those injuries, the Wings will get to go the whole night without having to think about Milan Lucic and Marc Savard.

Check back later for an abbreviated--and I mean abbreviated--look at the Bruins stats for the season.

Quick Hits: 11/2

2009-11-02T23:00:37Z

CBS Sports Previews Wings/B's

Brad May to see Another Doc

Examiner's Preview of Wings/B's

Can't Score Goals? Play Detroit.

The Arrogance Discussion at A2Y

Game Thread: Wings at Flames

2009-11-01T00:00:34Z

by Paul Sancya - AP

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The Detroit Red Wings finally wrap up their five-game, 11-day road trip tonight in Calgary against the Flames.

The biggest development for the Wings this week was the loss of forward Valtteri Filppula, who broke his wrist on Thursday evening in a game against Edmonton. He will be out 6-8 weeks.

"Obviously, I feel terrible," said Filppula, who recently was moved up to the second line. "But there's nothing I can do about it now."

The injury occurred on a hard, clean check by Gilbert Brule.

"It's a big blow, obviously," Babcock said. "We're going to have to buckle down as a team. It doesn't matter who's not here. It's about who is here. We are going to miss Fil. You don't replace good players like that. But we have to find a way to win games."

In other news, Ville Leino has been scratched from the lineup today which I find surprising since they lost Filppula to injury, but head coach Mike Babcock has made it clear he has not been pleased with Leino's play so far this season.

"Ville’s not working on any line. That’s clear. He’s having a day to watch,'' Babcock said. "He hasn’t played hard enough, so he’s going to watch the game and the other guys are going to play.’’

Chris Osgood will get the start in net tonight and here's what he told The Detroit News about it:

"I feel good," he said. "I have to play better than I did in Vancouver, but it was only (seven) minutes. I would have hoped to stay in but I didn't get that opportunity. I have to let that go and move on."

The Calgary Herald spoke with Todd Bertuzzi, who played for the Flames last year, about his return to the Wings this season.

You can catch tonight's game on CBC and FSDetroit Plus when the puck drops at 10 p.m. EDT. Don't know which channel FSDetroit Plus is on? Visit this page at FoxSports.com for that info. Go Wings!

Friday Prospects -- The Sleepers

2009-10-30T17:30:36Z

by David Zalubowski - AP

13 days ago: Detroit Red Wings center Kris Draper, second from left, celebrates his goal with teammates, from left, Dan Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi and Jonathan Ericsson, of Sweden, as Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson, back, looks on in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

View full size photo »

Welcome to the fifth week of Winging it in Motown's new feature, Friday Prospects. I've described what this feature is in the other posts, so if you don't know yet... then you don't read WIM enough. Here are the archives:

10/2 -- Helm, Leino, Ericsson, Howard

10/9 -- Andersson, Samuelsson, Almqvist

10/16 -- Ferraro, Tatar, Nestrasil

10/23 -- Larsson, McCollum, Pearce

Today's feature is very specific. Detroit has made a living off of players that other teams have given up on. Pavel Datsyuk passed through two drafts before Detroit took him in the 6^th round. Johan Franzen was 24 when Detroit drafted him – you can't even draft players older than 22 anymore. Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, and Nicklas Lidstrom all passed through at least one draft before Detroit snapped them up. Dan Cleary, Brett Lebda, Jason Williams, and Patrick Eaves (hopefully he'll look impressive in this company) were all young players that Detroit took a chance on through free agency that have found a home in the NHL.

The common theme here is Detroit has taken a lot of chances on players that other teams have given up on, and found success. Today's profiles look at three players that Detroit has signed through pre-season tryouts after they were all passed over in the draft.

All three of these players were signed by Detroit less than three months after they were draft eligible. This is a clear indication that, if Detroit had more draft picks, they would have taken them late. So far, they've gotten immediate payoffs on of all three.

–

Brent Raedeke, C, 19, 6'0, 197 lbs, signed in September 2008 – Detroit made six picks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, only missing a 2^nd round pick from the trade that brought in Brad Stuart. However, they invited a plethora of intriguing prospects to the prospects camp in September, and Raedeke was the lone forward that came out with a contract.

Raedeke was definitely a player worth keeping an eye on, even if he didn't have all that impressive of a draft season. He played for the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings, who suffered through a disastrous first season. Raedeke put up 31 points in 72 games – poor by major junior standards. But when you consider he was tied for fifth in team scoring and was only eight points behind the team leader, it's not too bad of a season.

Detroit hosts a July prospects strength and conditioning camp, where they basically look at all of their recently drafted players and compare them against a few prospects drafted in the two seasons before that. It's nothing too professional – college prospects pay their own way so they don't show up too often, and Detroit really only invites some local prospects, nobody too highly touted. But they invited Raedeke to this camp, and then again to their September Traverse City tournament team.. Detroit took advantage of a two-week window to sign players passed over in the draft, but not officially free agents yet, and signed Raedeke following camp.

Raedeke is an excellent skater with a solid work ethic, thought to be a player who could potentially contribute down the road on the next generation of The Grind Line. The key for him was to prove that he is a legitimate NHL prospect by contributing more to his major junior team – in the mold of, for example, the unranked Darren Helm, who put up 79 points after his draft eligible junior season, albeit on a much deeper team than Raedeke. Raedeke put up a respectable 55 points in 70 games as a second-year player, finishing third in team scoring. He joined the Griffins following his junior season, but did not make much of an impact.

This season, Raedeke returns for a third junior season where he is serving as captain for the Oil Kings. He is off to a red hot start, leading the team with 18 points in 17 games. He will most likely turn professional following this season. It's a big risk for Detroit in signing 18-year-old players to guaranteed three-year contracts once they turn 20 like Raedeke. Fortunately, the less-than-productive Raedeke has turned around his offensive input since his draft-eligible season. While his offensive totals won't concern Detroit too much, good junior numbers will translate to confidence that will only help him through his professional transition.

–

Brian Lashoff, 19, D, 6'3, 204 lbs, signed in September 2008 – Once upon a time, a player named Matt Lashoff was thought to be the next big two-way defenseman, selected by Boston in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Thus far, Matt hasn't panned out in the NHL, just as his brother Brian didn't show much consistency in his first draft-eligible season. However, a team called the Detroit Red Wings invited him to their prospect's camp, and Brian earned an NHL contract just three months after every NHL team passed him over in seven consecutive rounds.

In his draft season, Brian scored 20 points in 50 games, on a team that boasted a deep enough blueline that limited him to second or third pairing minutes, with not much special teams time. He wasn't expected to be drafted, but as a mobile blueliner with decent size, there was a decent chance that some team would take a chance on him. No team did, but one team did him one better – by signing him to an NHL contract at the age of 18.

Too young to play in the AHL, obviously, Lashoff returned to the OHL with the Barrie Colts. He got off to a decent start with added minutes and responsibility, with 13 points in 25 games. Barrie then pulled off a blockbuster trade that saw Lashoff traded to the bottom-feeding Kingston Frontenacs. Playing immediately in all situations for Kingston, including major special teams minutes, he played well. The highlight of his season came when he joined Grand Rapids on a tryout and cracked the top six, immediately becoming an offensive force. A concussion ended his playoff run early, but caused Griffins fans to yearn for the days where he would be a regular.

Now considered one of the top defensive prospects in the system, Lashoff has translated his professional confidence into a final season in major junior hockey, where he is the captain for the Frontenacs. He hasn't exploded to quite the start some expected, given his AHL production, with only eight points in 14 games. At the same time, he isn't a player who will score a bunch of points at the professional level – his skillset is tailored more to that of a bottom pairing defenseman. Given Detroit's current woes at that slot, it might not be too long until the once undrafted rearguard is wearing the winged wheel.

–

Willie Coetzee, 18, RW, 5'10, 186, signed September 2009 – For all intents and purposes, as the 32^nd overall pick, Landon Ferraro was Detroit's first round pick this past draft. They acknowledged that at pick 29, they had five or six players slated for the first round, and they were comfortable enough in landing a winner to trade down three spots and add a third round pick (Andrej Nestrasil). When they invited his linemate, Willie Coetzee, to prospect's camp that year, they couldn't have possibly imagined what would happen next.

Coetzee was well-known entering his draft year, but didn't quite get the exposure needed to be selected. Part of this was due to the fact that the Red Deer Rebels club that both Ferraro and Coetzee were on was among the weakest in the league. Adding to that, Coetzee's 18 goals and 42 points weren't nearly as impressive as Ferraro's 37 goals and 55 points. However, Coetzee's strong two-way play and all-around solid game earned him a tryout with Detroit either way, in a year when they only had a few tryout spots to give. Coetzee earned a contract after a statistically unimpressive camp, and returned to Red Deer.

Since then, everything's been backwards. While "first round" pick Landon Ferraro is still rehabbing a knee injury, Coetzee has taken the WHL over by storm. He is second in the entire league in scoring with 26 points in 15 games – on a team that's still below .500. It's uncertain how serious Ferraro's injury is, and whether or not his eventual return will hurt Coetzee's minutes. But Coetzee is clearly playing with a lot more confidence than he had last season, and is well on his way to a career year no matter what minutes he gets for the rest of the year.

The caveat to all of this is that Coetzee, the first South African-native in the Wings' organization (born there, but raised in Canada.. I'm not sure how common the surname is in South Africa, but I'm pretty sure I'm reading one of his uncle's or grandfather's poetry in one of my classes right now) is a late 1990 born opposed to a 1991 born. You need to be born by September 15 of your draft year to be drafted into the NHL. So players, for example, born in November 1990, who have been trained and raised with other players born in 1990, all draft eligible in 2008, have to wait a full extra year because they were born three months late. This has traditionally led to a lot of players overachieving with their "draft class," even though Coetzee wasn't in this group, but started producing once he had an NHL contract.

Either way, Detroit has the option of Coetzee going to the AHL (or ECHL) next year with Lashoff and Raedeke, or they could send any back to their major junior leagues for an extra year, called an overage year. Basically, what I'm trying to say is it would be more impressive if Coetzee was a true 1991-born player. Still, he's literally on pace for more than triple the amount of points he put up last season, if he keeps up his current pace and scores 124 points this season. That's unlikely, but he's still on pace for a career year and is definitely on Detroit's radar going forward.

–

Notes: I caught my first Griffins' game this season and was most impressed by Dick Axelsson and Tomas Tatar … Travis Ehrhardt recorded his first professional fight a day later when after Brent Sutter ran Daniel Larsson … Logan Pyett, who's spot on the depth chart is threatened by rookies like Ehrhardt and Sebastien Piche, picked up his first two points of the season last weekend and looked much better than last season … Tomas Tatar scored his first professional goal on Thursday. Detroit was supposed to make a decision on his future on Monday, they didn't send him back so he may be a Griffin for the year (he doesn't look out of place) … The Griffins have been battling the flu … Dick Axelsson missed the 3^rd period of the game I attended as well as the following game, and Sergei Kolosov missed a game as well, but did go +3 in the two games he played ... Jakub Kindl finally recorded his first points of the season with three assists in the past four games … I reported that Jesper Samuelsson was recalled back to the SEL last week after on game in SWE-2, but I was most likely looking at inaccurate stats, as he played two games for SWE-2's Sundsvall last week, recording a goal and an assist.

Who's Hot: Griffins' captain Jamie Tardif has exploded already this season, recording his second professional hat trick on Sunday, giving him the prospect's lead in Griffin's points scoring with six point in nine games … Brendan Smith responded to a benching in Wisconsin's second game of the season with three points in the next two games, including a first star effort … Daniel Larsson has won his past three starts and has improved his embarrassing 6.56 GAA and a .795 save percentage into a very respectable 2.85 with a .916 save percentage, including a shutout … Nick Oslund recorded three points in his past two games. The 7^th round pick in 2006 is well on his way to besting his career high of seven points … Andrej Nestrasil had a busy week with six points in five games while going +2.

Who's Cold: By his standards, though he still leads the league (and all non-HV 71 players) by seven points, Adam Almqvist's three points in two games just aren't quite up to the pace that has seen him (again, as a defenseman drafted in the 7^th round– I can't stress that enough) score 29 points in 13 games … In real cold news, Johan "I will go back to Sweden if I don't make the NHL" Ryno only has three points in nine games in second-tier Sweden. He's behind the eight-ball already after needing a miracle to begin with to get another NHL contract … After being named the QMJHL's defensive player of the week, Gleason Fournier cooled down considerably with one assist, a -2 rating, and six penalty minutes in his last three games … Jordan Pearce has two starts in the ECHL out of his team's six games, and his second start didn't go nearly as well as the first. After letting up two goals in his first start, his stat line currently reads a 4.50 GAA and .847 save percentage.

Wings lose 6-5 in shootout to Oilers

2009-10-30T04:42:37Z

More photos » by Jimmy Jeong - AP

8 days ago: Detroit Red Wings center Darren Helm (43) celebrates his goal with right wing Patrick Eaves (17) in a game against the Edmonton Oilers during second-period NHL hockey action in Edmonton, Alberta, on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Jimmy Jeong)

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The Edmonton Oilers snapped a three-game losing streak, partially due to the H1N1 infestation of their team, with a 6-5 shootout win in Edmonton on Thursday evening. The Detroit Red Wings found a way to earn a point on the road, storming back from a 4-0 and later 5-2 deficit at the end of the second period with three markers in the third frame to send the game into overtime. Only one player scored in the shootout for either team, Patrick O'Sullivan, which handed the 'W' and the two points to Edmonton.

The Wings got some bad news when Valtteri Filppula fell awkwardly after a hit along the boards at some point in the second. Coach Mike Babcock told FSDetroit after the game that he broke his wrist and will unfortunately be out 6-8 weeks.

We're just going to skip the first-period recap as the Wings allowed three tallies on 12 shots. Heading into the second period, Ales Hemsky scored his second goal of the evening just 58 seconds into the period when he beat netminder Jimmy Howard five-hole on a breakaway.

The Wings would finally get on the board at the 6:15 mark into the middle frame with forward Darren Helm scoring his first regular-season goal ever on a blast from the top of the right faceoff circle. Coach Mike Babcock had him as a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against Vancouver, hoping that it would spark his play. Helmer told FSDetroit during the second intermission that while Babcock's decision was frustrating, "I thought it was good for me."

Less than three minutes later, the Oilers responded in a mad scramble in front of the net on a power play. Forward Shawn Horcoff ultimately got the puck past Howard for his third point of the night (he posted two assists earlier in the game).

Forward Henrik Zetterberg brought the Wings within three 12:50 into the second stanza after throwing the puck at the cage, which surprisingly went in from the weird angle he was at below the left faceoff circle. Teammates Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk registered assists on the play.

Detroit kept the pressure on Edmonton in the second, hitting the post twice in a short span of time. Edmonton took a narrow lead over the Wings in the shot and scoring chances categories (23-22 and 10-9 respectively) as the two squads heading to their respective locker rooms.

The Wings made it a game in the first half of the third period, scoring twice in a span of 1:12. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson earned his third goal of the season at the 6:32 mark. Kris Draper backhanded a pass to drop the puck back to Ericsson, who was stationed atop the left faceoff circle, for a quick release that beat Khabibulin.

Just a short time later, Datsyuk deked an Oiler to find room to slide a pass to to Todd Bertuzzi, who popped it in from just above the inside hash of the left faceoff circle, to make it a one-goal difference.

Patrick Eaves evened the game up at 5-5 on his first goal of the year. He got a shot off through an Oiler's legs to beat Khabibulin gloveside. Helmer and Ericsson notched the assists. He spoke with FSDetroit after the game:

"We would have liked to get off to a better start...We just came together as a group and everyone did their job, pulled their weight...I'm just trying to make the best out of the time I got."

It was mainly Detroit in the third as they outshot Edmonton 20-6 in the period, but the game went into overtime with a 5-5 tie at the end of regulation. Despite numerous solid chances for both teams, the teams went scoreless in extra time resulting in a shootout.

Howard stays with his man, stuffing the first Oiler of the shootout. Jason Williams went first for the Wings, but Khabibulin got his pad on the shot. Hemsky tries to deke a couple times, but sent the shot wide of the net. Datsyuk goes next and opts for head-on shot instead of trying to deke, but no luck. O'Sullivan hits the back bar on his shot and gives Edmonton the lead in the shootout. Zetterberg cannot find a way to beat the Oilers' goalie, giving the 'W' to Edmonton.

Coach Babcock spoke with FSDetroit following the game:

"It was a heck of a comeback. It was good character and good grit...Obviously we weren't ready to go and it cost us a point...Filppula broke his wrist and will be out 6-8 weeks. It'll give someone an opportunity."

Christy's Red Wing of the Game: Darren Helm

Darren Helm

#43 / Center / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Jan 21, 1987

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Darren Helm	5	0	1	1	-1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0.0

We saw an offensive effort from some unusual suspects today. Eaves, Ericsson, and Helm recorded a goal and an assist. Helmer and Eaves earned their first goal of the regular season this year in the game. Datsyuk posted two helpers.

The Wings finish up their five-game road trip in Calgary on Saturday night at 10 p.m. EDT.

Poll

Which Red Wing did you think played the best in tonight's game?

[Game Thread] Wings @ Oilers

2009-10-29T23:45:23Z

Detroit comes off a much needed win over the Canucks, scoring five times on one of the league's elite goalies Roberto Luongo. They'll need some more of that type of offensive production again tonight against the Oilers. Nikolai Khabibulin will likely start for the Oilers and Jimmy Howard will start in net for Detroit, coming off his first win of the season in relief effort of Chris Osgood. The top line of Dustin Penner, Sam Gagner, and Ales Hemsky has been good for the Oilers and could make things hard on Detroit if the wrong lines are out there against them.

For my statistical preview of the Oilers from yesterday, click here or simply scroll down.

What to look for: Look for Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk to try and continue on their recent success tonight. Valtteri Filppula is another guy to watch that could get some good offensive chances--passing and shooting--against this Oilers team that allows a good chunk of shots.

Puck drops at 9:30 PM ET and will air on FS-D and TSN. As always, GO WINGS!

Oilers SB Nation member: The Copper & Blue. Derek Zona of The Copper & Blue had this interesting bit on the Oilers:

The Oiler flu has struck. At least 13 players have now been affected by some version of the flu, including H1N1 carrier Ladislav Smid.
Some have played through it - Dustin Penner, Smid, Tom Gilbert - others have either left games or been a scratch - Ales Hemsky, Gilbert Brule, Mike Comrie, Lubomir Visnovsky. Combined with concussions for Sheldon Souray and Steve Staios and a lingering back problem for Fernando Pisani, the Oilers are suffering at this point. Their red-hot start has ground to a halt with the onset of the flu. If Visnovsky is unable to go tonight, the Oilers will have Jason Strudwick, Taylor Chorney, and Theo Peckham in the lineup. It could get ugly.

Complete game coverage here: Red Wings vs Oilers coverage

Edmonton Oilers: 6-5-1 13 pts

Key wins: 6-4 over Columbus, 2-1 over Vancouver

New note on the table, the NHL Rank will now feature a indicator if the ranking given for that team is above or below Detroit's ranking. A=Above, B=Below the ranking that Detroit is currently at.

Category	Stat	NHL Rank	Leading...	Stat	Player
Goals per game	3.08	15th (1A)	Scorer (Points)	15 (8 G, 7 A)	Dustin Penner
Goals Against per game	2.92	16th (9A)	+/-	+8	Dustin Penner
Power Play	19.2%	17th (7B)	Hits	45	Jean-Francois Jacques
Penalty Kill	77.8%	18th (7A)	PIM	30	Zack Storntini
Shots per game	25.1	28th (23B)	Shots	36	Patrick O'Sullivan
Shots against per game	33.3	28th (16B)	Blocked Shots	22	Ladislav Smid
Faceoff percentage	48.4%	22nd (7B)	Faceoffs	52.1%	Shawn Horcoff
PIM per game	14.6	18th (15B)	Wins	5	Nikolai Khabibulin
PP drawn	52	6th (12A)	GAA	3.07	Nikolai Khabibulin

Quick Hits: 10/29

2009-10-29T22:00:26Z

Datsyuk Back for Tonight's Game vs Edmonton

Red Wings vs Oilers = ESPN's Game of the Week

OTW's Game Notes

NOHS's Pointless Preview

Wings Fight to Avoid H1N1

Looking at the Edmonton Oilers

2009-10-29T01:19:33Z

More photos » by Jimmy Jeong - AP

Browse more photos »

Edmonton Oilers: 6-5-1 13 pts

Key wins: 6-4 over Columbus, 2-1 over Vancouver

New note on the table, the NHL Rank will now feature a indicator if the ranking given for that team is above or below Detroit's ranking. A=Above, B=Below the ranking that Detroit is currently at.

Category	Stat	NHL Rank	Leading...	Stat	Player
Goals per game	3.08	15th (1A)	Scorer (Points)	15 (8 G, 7 A)	Dustin Penner
Goals Against per game	2.92	16th (9A)	+/-	+8	Dustin Penner
Power Play	19.2%	17th (7B)	Hits	45	Jean-Francois Jacques
Penalty Kill	77.8%	18th (7A)	PIM	30	Zack Storntini
Shots per game	25.1	28th (23B)	Shots	36	Patrick O'Sullivan
Shots against per game	33.3	28th (16B)	Blocked Shots	22	Ladislav Smid
Faceoff percentage	48.4%	22nd (7B)	Faceoffs	52.1%	Shawn Horcoff
PIM per game	14.6	18th (15B)	Wins	5	Nikolai Khabibulin
PP drawn	52	6th (12A)	GAA	3.07	Nikolai Khabibulin

Much like Detroit, this team has been up and down. Detroit needs to take advantage of the amount of shots the Oilers give up per game and keep the shots down from guys like Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky. Resident brawler Zack Stortini and some other Oilers bring a physical aspect to this team so it will be interesting to see how the Wings match up against them.

Players to watch on offense: Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner, Sam Gagner (top line)

Players to watch on defense: Lubomir Vishnovsky, Denis Grebeshkov

The Copper & Blue is your source for any and all things Oilers related.