tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55459788439882700762024-03-13T03:06:34.591-04:00Mr. Norris TrophyA blog devoted to the Detroit Red Wings and other NHL news.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-62801358886660678212009-04-09T18:01:00.003-04:002009-04-09T18:04:59.187-04:00As of this week...Hello all, as of this week I have been asked to join a larger Red Wings Blog community . From now on you can find posts by me on <a href="http://www.wingingitinmotown.com">Winging It In Motown</a>. This is a big opportunity for some great experience and working for one of the best Red Wings blogs and of course I'm going to take the offer. From now on, this blog will see very little posting, and in a matter of time it will just be a link to the Winging It In Motown only. Thanks for visiting and continue to look for my stuff on WIM. ThanksCaseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-87807862820400529872009-04-06T22:21:00.005-04:002009-04-06T22:45:12.929-04:00Hossa's Pair Powers Wings Past SabresDear Rest of NHL,<br />Look out.<br /><br />Marian Hossa might be getting back on track and getting hot just in time for the playoffs. Hossa tallied goal 39 and 40 tonight in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brad Stuart</span> started the scoring for the Wings, ripping a shot past Ryan Miller with Holmstrom screening out front on the powerplay late in the 2nd period. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa</span> opened the third period with his 39th goal, a backhand on a rebound from a Lidstrom shot. Midway through the 3rd, Hossa added another on a great pass from Pavel Datsyuk, firing short side past Ryan Miller.<br /><br />Paul Gaustad got a goal back for the Sabres less than a minute later on a scramble in front of Ozzie's net, a relatively easy goal but a goal none-the-less. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ozzie</span> played well again, stopping 32 of 33 for his 26th W of the year. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lidstrom</span> added an empty netter for his 15th score of the season and secured the 51st win of the year.<br /><br />I didn't get to watch the game because like many people I don't get Versus, but the highlights on NHL.com showed some incredible saves from Ozzie and some great passing from the Wings. Also, I saw that Ericsson got in a fight but haven't seen the fight yet. Good for him though, use that big body youngin'. You're a big part of the Wings future.<br /><br />Player of the game: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa</span>. No doubt #1 star of the night- 2 G, 1 A, +2. Zetterberg, Holmstrom and Lidstrom are honorable mentions with 2 points each (Z and Holmstrom with 2 A each, Lidstrom with G, A)<br /><br />Next game is in Detroit on Thursday against the Preds.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-1845897423109292792009-04-06T11:45:00.002-04:002009-04-06T11:45:00.481-04:00Game Preview: Wings @ SabresRed Wings (50-19-9, 109 pts)<br />Sabres (38-31-9, 84 pts)<br /><br />Coming off a big win at the Joe, the Wings look to make it two in a row against a Buffalo team fighting for a playoff berth down the stretch.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabres outlook:</span> Buffalo is in need of a win if it wants to stay alive for a chance at the post season. The Sabres have been treading water lately at 4-4-2 over their last 10 and need to win out to ensure their own destiny. The team has lacked big name star power but still finds a way to get it done, thanks in large part to Ryan Miller minding the goal. The problem with the Sabres winning out? The schedule is as follows: Wings, Maple Leafs, Canes, Bruins. Only one of those is one that they're expected to win.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Wings outlook:</span> Detroit is coming off a big win on the stick of Marian Hossa late in the third period against the Wild. Not much else you could ask for out of a player like him than to come through when its needed the most. Anyway, the Wings have four games left before the season ends and need all four to win the Conference most likely. San Jose has three games left and all three are against sub .500 teams so the President's Trophy and Western Conference title looks out of reach. Nevertheless, we need to win as many as possible to get ourselves on a roll for an opening round bout with a division rival most likely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to look for: </span>The Sabres have a mediocre home record while the Wings have one of the league's best road records. Look for Detroit to tighten up it's defense but the Sabres could be able to stretch the Wings with their speed. From Buffalo: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Derek Roy, Craig Rivet, Tomas Vanek</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ryan Miller</span>. From Detroit: I'm going with underdogs, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Val Filppula</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomas Kopecky</span> (if he plays), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brett Lebda</span>. Okay...and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Henrik Zetterberg.</span><br /><br /><br />Puck drops at 7 PM ET and the game can be seen on Versus, if you have it. GO WINGS!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-59797153611945398002009-04-05T20:19:00.003-04:002009-04-06T14:32:50.852-04:00Breaking Down the Problem AreasThere have been a lot of reasons lately for me to be skeptical about our chances of repeating as Stanley Cup Champions. So many in fact that I am scared to make a prediction beyond first round. And here are the five reasons why I'm not making that prediction but also an upside to each:<br /><ol><li>Goaltending</li><li>Defense</li><li>Penalty Kill</li><li>Playoff Matchups<br /></li><li>Drive to win</li></ol>I'll start with <span style="font-weight: bold;">goaltending</span> as it seems to be the biggest problem we face by far. We have two very capable goalies in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Osgood</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ty Conklin</span>. However, how good are they going to be when the playoffs hit? I know I know, Ozzie did incredible in the playoffs last year but can he do it again? I hope so. Last season, Ozzie and Dom combined to win the Jennings Trophy for least goals allowed. When one would struggle, you could count on the other coming in to play lights out, no goals allowed hockey. Nine times last year, following a loss by Hasek/Osgood, the other goalie came in the next game and got a win. I know that's a very circumstantial stat but it does show the effectiveness that they had as a duo. Now I'm not writing off the Conklin and Osgood duo as one inferior to Hasek/Osgood, but somehow we've seen a worse performance. Osgood is playing well but at times he has let in goals that he knows there should be no excuse for him pulling the puck out of the net. Conklin, on the other hand looks like the seasoned vet and in fewer games than Ozzie he has one more win. Our goaltending though, as many around the league have noted, is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> what it needs to be to repeat. The good part of this though? Osgood can catch fire at anytime and so can Conklin. Given the healthy competition for starting goalie in the playoffs, I think both of these guys will step up their game for the run to Stanley.<br /><br />On to the enigma of the year, our <span style="font-weight: bold;">defense</span>. I don't know what has changed since last year but for whatever reason we are not the same team defensively. Last year, we gave up a league low 184 goals. This year? 230. That's 46 more than a year ago and there are still games to play. We've gone from +73 goal differential to +53.Granted a lot of that is probably Hasek/Osgood in net but the defense has been very questionable at times this year. It certainly does not look like the same defense as last year that had 2-3 Hall of Famers on it, yet its the same lineup. Maybe Babcock changed the way the players are matching up with opposing forwards or maybe teams around the league have just become wise to the Wings' ways. Or maybe it's just a half-hearted effort. I don't know the reason really and I don't know enough to break down tape other than the fact that our defenders are simply just out of position a lot of the time. I've also noticed a lack of blocking shooting and passing lanes this year in comparison to last year. Our defense is suspect, and teams are starting to realize that. They're finding the creases in our back line and finding ways to get to the goal. The good news? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nick Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski</span> (having his best offensive season), and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brad Stuart</span> are continuing to play well. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kronwall</span> is still evolving as a player and I think he's our next Lidstrom (hence his nickname Nick Jr.). He shows excellent knowledge of the game,shows great positioning, has offensive skills that are growing with time, and as every team that faces him will tell you, he can hit with the best of them. Brett Lebda, Derek Meech, Andreas Lilja, and Jonathan Ericcson are all also big parts of our defense and will play a big role in the playoff run. Lebda contributed big in the postseason last year and will likely need to step up in the absence of Lilja. Also, its a good thing our offense is the most productive in the league.<br /><br />Guh. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The penalty kill</span> this year is awful, and I don't know why. Here's the thing. Last year, we took 933 penalty minutes, 2nd fewest in the league and had a 84% (8th) kill success rate. This year, we've taken 765, 2nd fewest in the league but have only a 77% (26th) success rate. It doesn't make much sense to me as to why we've had a dropoff in penalty killing ability with 160 less minutes than last year.The weird thing is that percentage of total goals allowed that are powerplay goals allowed are the same this year and last year at 30%. So it still makes me wonder what's going on. Maybe it's just who is taking the penalties that makes our PK worse this year. Granted we didn't have him last year but Marian Hossa is a good penalty killer but his PIMs have nearly doubled from last year. I still can't figure out why we're so bad on the PK but the good news? We have the best powerplay in the league. So I guess you have to give a little to gain a lot.<br /><br />The fourth thing is who could be matched up against in the first round of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">playoffs</span>. Most likely the Blue Jackets won't fall down to the seventh/eighth seed and I hope that they don't. I don't want to play against <span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Mason&Co.</span> in round one, they've played us really well this year and could easily take the series. Another possibility is the Anaheim Ducks, which I also don't like. Anytime you have to face <span style="font-weight: bold;">JS Giguere</span> in the first round, you're gonna be frustrated y the end of the series because he can transform into a brick wall in the playoffs. A third potential matchup is intra-division rival Nashville. This would be a rematch of last year's opening round. Yet another team I don't want to face. The 6'5" <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pekka Rinne</span> has become a formidable force in net and the Preds are a physical team that knows how to play us and ruffle our feathers, thanks to Barry Trotz. A fourth potential matchup would be the Minnesota Wild. I do not like this matchup either because of their goaltending star <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nicklas Backstrom</span>. The Wild are weak in many areas so this is one of the few that I would not feel too uncomfortable with. The last and very likely first round matchup is with the St. Louis Blues. Although they recently made our defense look like a joke last time out, we're 5-1-0 against them this year and Chris Mason has some very exploitable flaws in his game. The good news? All of my fears for playoff matchups are based on goaltending, but we score the most goals in the league.<br /><br />The fifth worry that I have is probably the one that I need to worry the least about. It's just hard to envision at times how some of our players will have the same <span style="font-weight: bold;">drive and motivation</span> that they did last year. Except for two players (Hossa, Conklin) all of the current roster had their name etched into the Cup last year. There've been times this year that I've questioned the drive of the team but in the end I think it comes down to professionalism and passion for success. Every player has put in their heart and soul and I think their passion is only going to increase as the Finals draw closer and closer. I think Hossa and Conklin will help contribute to this having been on the losing end of it last year after coming so far.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I know teams around the league would kill to have the problems that we have but they are still problems nontheless. But coming off a Stanley Cup win and signing one of the most dominant offensive forces in the offseason in Marian Hossa, expectations are only for excellence and another banner in the rafters, anything short would be a failure in a city that's seen a little too much of it lately.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-56220217053922877812009-04-05T18:34:00.004-04:002009-04-05T19:01:36.986-04:00Hossa's Late Goal Lifts Wings<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa</span> once again proved his worth as he scored with 55 seconds left in a tied game to put the Red Wings up 3-2. The goal sealed the deal for the 50th win of the season and a much needed win following three straight L's.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jiri Hudler</span> opened the scoring for the Wings at 11:21 of the 1st with a one time shot past Backstrom on a pass from Zetterberg. Hudler showed his great sense of rink awareness by positioning himself in the low slot and waiting for Zetterberg to make a play to him. It was his 23rd of the season.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pavel Datsyuk</span> added another goal for the Wings, his 32nd, on an excellent play. Pavs outwaited Backstrom while skating across the front of the goalmouth and backhanded one top-shelf at the last moment, putting the Wings up 2-0. The Wings would not escape the first unscathed though as a failed clearing attempt by Chris Osgood landed right on the stick of enforcer Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck, who leads the league in hits, showed his quick thinking and fired the puck on net while Osgood was still in motion back to the crease, 2-1 Wings after 1.<br /><br />Marian Gaborik tied the game late in the second period on a scramble in front of Ozzie's crease. Bodies were everywhere but Gaborik somehow squeaked the puck through the mess and made it 2-2 going into the final period.<br /><br />Enter <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa</span>. Hossa had 5 shots on goal during the game and added an assist on Pavel's goal. That wasn't enough for him though and he showed why he's the $7M man. Datsyuk passed to Holmstrom who brought it into the offensive zone and dropped it off to Hossa. Marian wasted no time snapping a shot past Backstrom for his 38th of the year and the late Detroit lead.<br /><br />The Wings outshot the Wild 44-23 and Osgood stopped 21 for his 25th win of the year. Osgood made some great saves and maybe it came by way of extra confidence after Babcock named him the starter for the playoffs.Both teams stayed out of the box, only 8 total minutes during the game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Player of the game:</span> I'll have to give this to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Datysuk</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hossa</span>. Both had incredible goals and an assist each. Hossa with the slight edge for his +2. Other candidates are Hudler and Zetterberg, who registered 9 shots on goal and an assist.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other notes:</span> It was good to see <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Chelios</span> (or as I affectionately call him-Methuselah) playing and skating so well before the playoffs. He will be needed big time in the run to the Cup with Lilja being injured and Rafalski having some problems.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-82677475057694768002009-04-04T22:15:00.004-04:002009-04-04T23:07:04.942-04:00Game Preview: Wild @ WingsDetroit (49-19-9, 107 pts)<br />Minnesota (37-32-9, 83 pts)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Minnesota Outlook:</span> The Wild are a bit of a jigsaw when it comes to predicting what you're gonna get out of them. They're second in fewest goals allowed in the league, as I write this San Jose allowed 2-knocking them down to 3rd. So they've allowed 189 goals but have only scored 11 more than they've allowed, but at least they're in the positive range (unlike fellow 8th seed candidates St. Louis, Nashville, & Edmonton). They're 2 pts down for a playoffs spot and are gonna be hungry for the playoffs coming into Hockeytown.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit Outlook:</span> The wings have been a bit on a slide recently (0-3, 5-4-1 last 10), but then again we don't <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> to win any of these games to keep our playoff hopes afloat. Vancouver/Calgary/Chicago can't catch us for 2 seed and we could finish with the 1 spot and home ice for the duration of the playoffs. Still we very much need to start getting back on the winning path. You can only take it so easy for so long or you're just going to end up hurting yourself for the start of the postseason. I don't know if Rafalski will be back but we sure did miss him in the lineup against the Blues :-/<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to Look for:</span> A relatively low scoring game. From the Wild: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, Owen Nolan, Marian Gaborik,</span> and the impenetrable <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nick Backstrom. </span>From Detroit: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen, Nick Lidstrom, </span>and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Jiri Hudler</span>.<br /><br />Puck drops at 12:30 PM ET, Game is on NBC! Yay for watching it on a regular tv instead of my laptop!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-71416680662328541732009-04-04T10:29:00.002-04:002009-04-04T10:30:16.323-04:00In Case You Missed It...Here is Johan Franzen's spectacular goal against the Blues on Thursday night. Unfortunately, it was in a losing effort.<br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vsbzsPKfu5g&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vsbzsPKfu5g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-10048468022463577122009-04-02T09:38:00.003-04:002009-04-02T10:44:14.047-04:00Game Preview: Blues at WingsRed Wings (48-19-9, 107 pts)<br />Blues (37-31-9, 83 pts)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blues Outlook</span>: The Blues are on fire lately. 6-3-1 in their last 10 while pushing for the playoffs. I had previously written them off for playoff contention but they've done everything to prove me wrong. They currently sit one point behind Nashville/Anaheim for 7/8 spot in the Western Conference. They dropped their last contest to the Blackhawks by a score of 3-1 but had won their previous 5 matches. The Blues are a dangerous team down the stretch, with nothing to lose and everything to gain.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Wings Outlook</span>: Lately, we've looked really vulnerable. And that's bad, really bad. It seems that either teams are figuring out our defensive scheme or that we're just not playing 100% which is a dangerous trap to fall in heading into the first round of the playoffs. We've gone from being ahead of San Jose to 4 points behind them for top spot in the West/League with a mere 6 games remaining, all against playoff bound teams or teams just points shy. I think the loss of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Andreas Lilja</span> has been bigger than people have made it out to be. Although Grand Rapids call up and future fulltime Wing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jonathan Ericsson</span> is a little taller, I think Lilja uses his body more effectively and engages opposing players more often. Hopefully our young and speedy defense can step it up in anticipation of Round 1. Another note for tonight, Brian Rafalski (groin) is listed as out for the game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to Look for:</span> A lot of physical play. Longtime bitter rivals only show more aggression and heart when one of their post-season life is on the line. From St. Louis: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brad Boyes, David Perron, Keith Tkachuk, </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Mason</span>. From Detroit: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa, Dan Cleary, Johan Franzen, </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brad Stuart</span>.<br /><br />Puck drops at 7:30 PM ET and as always, GO WINGS!!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-43578347908706250222009-03-31T15:15:00.002-04:002009-04-01T10:23:42.158-04:00I've Been Slackin'So I feel bad for how little I've been posting on here. I haven't been watching all the games though recently and don't want to pretend like I have. Its a busy time of the school year and the games are just falling at times that I'm unable to watch.<br /><br />In good news, we're obviously still in first place and we clinched the Division. I'll try to get better, especially as the playoffs draw closer and closer but I can't guarantee anything. Not that anyone relies on me as their soul source of Wings info anyway :PCaseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-79390390734285274342009-03-29T10:20:00.000-04:002009-03-29T10:20:03.159-04:00Game Preview: Preds @ WingsHow do you follow a loss to the NHL's worst team? Hopefully its with a win over one of the better post All-Star break teams this season and a division rival.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nashville Outlook:</span> Nashville has won two in a row and are 4-2-4 in their last 10. That third column in that line is very important. They had the chance to win 4 games but were unable to win them in overtime/shootout. Thats a four point turnaround no matter which way you turn it, all losses or all wins in regulation. All losses in regulation could have very well put them out of playoff contention but the fact that they were able to get a point out of all four of those games, is one of the reasons they're still in the playoff race.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit Outlook:</span> Like I said, how do you follow a loss to the worst team in the league? You know that that type of loss is demoralizing. I didn't see the entire game but from what I did see, we were completely outplayed by the Islanders. It looked like a classic case of role reversal. They looked like the team in 1st place in the league while we looked like the last place team. Hopefully it was just "one of those nights" but I think it may be part of a bigger problem. Our defense and goaltending has been suspect all year and it could be showing more weakness as the postseason draws near. Good news? We didn't have to win. Bad news? We should have won.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to Look for:</span> A high energy, refocused, and reenergized Red Wings as Babcock tries to get us back in playoff shape. From Nashville, watch for playmaking by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont,Shea Weber,</span> and the underrated <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pekka Rinne</span>. From Detroit, watch for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jiri Hudler, Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson,</span> and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Nick Kronwall</span>. Kronner made a name for himself in the playoffs last year for laying out Predators players.<br /><br />Hopefully Shea Weber doesn't bash any of our players heads in again in our pitiful attempts to fight.<br /><br />Puck drops at 5 PM ET. I won't be able to watch it due to prior plans but as always, GO WINGS!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-2400643704981008992009-03-26T09:53:00.002-04:002009-03-26T10:01:53.486-04:00Oilers and Free Agent TalkMy bad on not posting a follow-up for the Oilers game. I fell asleep at 1-0 Oilers and woke up at a 3-2 final for the Red Wings. Awesome result, I just wish I had seen us storm back and take the win.<br /><br />Not much going on this week and I haven't posted much. Been busy with school and work and the like.<br /><br />Nevertheless, I found a good article on the offseason possibilities for the Wings:<br /><br />http://www.freep.com/article/20090325/SPORTS05/903250433/1048/SPORTS/No+rush+in+signing+Hossa++Franzen<br /><br />I wish we could keep Hudler, Hossa, and Franzen but it might be impossible.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-64483831501244090822009-03-24T12:54:00.004-04:002009-03-24T12:58:27.327-04:00Division NotesI've been watching this over the past few weeks and as the season winds down, it could easily come to fruition. All 5 teams in the division are currently above .500 and 4 of the 5 are in playoff spots. The Blues are 3 points behind Nashville for the 8 spot. Now, for all 5 to make it, Edmonton would have to slip and the Blues would have to excel. Its weird to say but go Blues and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Preds</span>, as long as you're not playing us that is.<br /><br />I just think its a really awesome possibility that the entire division makes the playoffs. It really shows people that say the Red Wings don't play in a tough division where they can put their words.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-65116943181878441772009-03-24T12:18:00.004-04:002009-03-24T12:51:02.679-04:00Game Preview: Wings at OilersRed Wings (48-16-9, 105 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pts</span>)<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Oilers</span> (35-28-9, 79 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pts</span>)<br /><br />Lets see how the Wings can respond from a 5-3 loss to Calgary last night against a tough Edmonton team.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Edmonton outlook:</span> The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Oilers</span> are kind of treading water at this point, hoping to hold on to that 7 spot. In all likelihood they won't climb any higher than 7 but could very easily drop out of the race all together. They're 4-2-4 in their last 10 and haven't had much recently to celebrate about. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Lubomir</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Visnovsky</span>, one of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Oilers</span> best players, has been out of the lineup since February following surgery. Erik Cole going back to Carolina has left a gap yet to be filled and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Oilers</span> may be regretting it. Patrick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">O'Sullivan</span>, who came over in the deal for Cole, has only tallied 3 points in 9 games, not enough for the struggling <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Oilers</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit outlook:</span> With only 9 games left and 8 of the games against +.500 teams, this stretch will be a good test for how well we can prepare and stay healthy for the start of the playoffs. The good news for tonight's game is that we're 3-0 against Edmonton this season, outscoring them 16-6. Hopefully we can continue our streak against them and catch up to the Shark a little bit. Important thing to watch is how Ozzie and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Conklin</span> respond after giving up a total of 5 goals. We have a good road record while the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Oilers</span> have a worse home record than away.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to look for:</span> Detroit, as I always say, plays puck possession hockey and can force you to take penalties. This could be a big part of tonight's game as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Oilers</span> take about 15 minutes worth of penalties per game and have allowed 7 of the 16 goals against the Wings on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">powerplay</span>. From Edmonton: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ales <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Hemsky</span></span> (leads <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">EDM</span> in G,A, Points), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shawn <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Horcoff</span>, Dustin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Penner</span>,</span> and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Denis <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Grebeshkov</span></span> are all big parts of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Oilers</span> success. From Detroit: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Hossa</span>, Pavel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Datsyuk</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Jiri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Hudler</span>,</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Brad Stuart.</span><br />Also, look for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zack <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Stortini</span></span> to mix it up physically for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Oilers</span>. I would like to see a Wing step up physically, but then again, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Stortini</span> would just give us another player with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Lilja</span> symptoms.<br /><br />Puck drops at 9:30 PM ET and as always, GO WINGS!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-86295169790620219922009-03-23T22:03:00.005-04:002009-03-24T08:28:47.847-04:00Flames Down Wings 5-3The Flames got the best of the Red Wings again, posting 5 goals on 27 shots. The Red Wings put 3 on the board on 33 shots but Miika Kiprusoff was too much.<br /><br />Dion Phaneuf opened the scoring for the Flames by firing a drop-pass from Daymond Langkow off the tip of Ozzie's glove to give the Flames a 1-0 lead midway through the 1st. Ozzie let in a pretty weak goal to Jamie Lundmark and Langkow got his second assist of the game early in the 2nd period. The Flames got another goal a few minutes later as Mike Camalleri scored a powerplay goal and ended Ozzie's night, bringing in Conklin.<br /><br />Pavel Datsyuk got the Wings back within 2 with his 30th of the season on a shot from a tough angle, following a rebound given up by Kiprusoff. This is when I kind of fell asleep. Glencross scored for the Flames, making it 4-1, and then Johan Franzen scored (31st) to make it 4-2. Jiri Hudler scored less than two minutes later to make it 4-3. But it wouldn't be enough, the Flames added another goal and another victory, leaving the Red Wings with a bitter taste in their mouth heading into Edmonton.<br /><br />Player of the game: Pavel DatsyukCaseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-66891640501453355712009-03-23T10:15:00.003-04:002009-03-23T10:38:26.026-04:00Game Preview: Wings at FlamesRed Wings (48-15-9 105 pts)<br />Flames (41-24-6 88 pts)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flames outlook:</span> The Flames enter tonight's game on a bit of a skid, losing 6 of 10 and seeing their lead over the Canucks rapidly diminishing. Kiprusoff hasn't been exactly what he has been in the past but is still one of the best in the league and can see a rise in productivity with Phaneuf and Leopold anchoring the defense.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Red Wings outlook:</span> The Wings are red hot as of late, winning 4 straight and 7 of 10. Osgood has been playing exceptionally well lately and has looked like the same goalie that won the Stanley Cup last year. Last time out against Calgary, Detroit lost 6-5 in a shootout after blowing a lead. I'd expect Babcock would have these guys refocused and ready to go and get that one back, especially following a break since Friday's game in Atlanta.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to look for:</span> Either a high scoring slugfest or a very sound defensive game by both teams. Both teams have the offensive capabilities to make it a slugfest but also have the goalies and defense to make it a 1-0 game. From Calgary:<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Olli Jokinen, Jarome Iginla, Mike Camalleri,</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dion Phaneuf</span> (unfortunately). From Detroit: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, </span>and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Nick Lidstrom.</span><br /><br />Game starts at <span style="font-weight: bold;">9:30 PM</span> ET and as always GO WINGS!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-88403798685387761972009-03-21T09:59:00.004-04:002009-03-21T10:30:30.935-04:00Wings Blast Thrashers 6-3The Red Wings got big time production out of its star players as they scored three goals in the third to put the game too far out of the reach of the Thrashers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rafalski</span></span> got the scoring started towards the end of the first as he put a pass from Johan Franzen past Kari <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lehtonen</span> for his 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> goal of the year. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Datsyuk</span></span> scored the second goal of the game and his 29<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> of the year from the top of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">faceoff</span> circle on odd man rush with Franzen with 8 minutes left in the 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nd</span> period. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Jiri</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Hudler</span></span> got the Wings on the board for the second time in the period, just two minutes later on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">breakway</span> spawned from Brett <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Lebda's</span> great length of the ice pass, putting the Wings up 3-0 heading into the final period.<br /><br />The third period saw both teams trading goals three times. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Franzen</span> scored his 30<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">th</span> of the year and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">powerplay</span> tally on a backhand shot off of a rebound. The Thrashers would get a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">powerplay</span> goal of their own as Bryan Little put the Thrashers on the board. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Hossa</span></span> would then score his 36<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">th</span> of the year on a pass from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Zetterberg</span> as they stretched the defense horizontally and threw off <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Lehtonen's</span> positioning. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Slava</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Kozlov</span> scored the next goal for the Thrashers on a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">slapshot</span> over former teammate Chris Osgood's shoulder for a second Thrashers <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">powerplay</span> goal. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Hossa</span> had another breakaway and nearly scored but ended up drawing too many Thrashers players to the boards, allowing a pass to a wide open <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Cleary</span></span> in the slot for the 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">th</span> Wings goal. The final goal of the game was scored by Colin Stuart but it was too little too late for the Thrashers as the Red Wings put up their 48<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">th</span> win of the season and earned its 105 point.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ozzie </span>had some outstanding saves and is starting to make me believe that he's just really gearing up for the playoffs. He did let in 3 goals but in my opinion, only one was uncontrollable. And when you get 6 goals a game you can afford to let 3 in I suppose. I really like to see the continuing success that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Rafalski</span> has had in Detroit. He's one of the least talked about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">defensemen</span> in the league for his skill set. He can play as a good of a defensive game as anyone and can also score like a forward on the other end of the ice.<br /><br />Player of the game: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Henrik <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Zetterberg</span></span> (4 A), responsible for setting up 4 of the 6 goals, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Johan Franzen</span> (1 G, 2 A)<br /><br />Other notes: Second straight game the Thrashers have allowed 6 goals. The Red Wings now have 7 players at 50 points or more; <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Kronwall</span> is 6 away from joining.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-47052679748904021042009-03-20T10:20:00.001-04:002009-03-20T10:20:06.023-04:00Game Preview: Wings @ ThrashersRed Wings (47-15-9) at Thrashers (29-36-6)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Atlanta Outlook:</span> Atlanta, ugh...where to start...The Thrashers are actually not as bad as it looks in the standings. Before Tuesday night, the Thrashers had won 6 straight games but were dismantled by the Penguins...but then again who aren't the Pens picking apart these days? The main problem for the Thrashers is that they just give up goals left and right. Having the second most goals allowed makes even Ilya Kovalchuck useless. Despite the recent surge by Atlanta, its obviously too little too late and this is gonna be a game of pride more than anything.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit Outlook:</span> The Wings have 3 straight wins and look for a fourth tonight. Ozzie has won those three games and I don't know if Babcock&Co. will start him again or not. I would imagine he starts given the amount of time off from Tuesday to tonight. We've been playing pretty well since the return of Hossa and Holmstrom and hopefully that will continue. We still have some problems defensively and give up too many goals but it could be worse. The Thrashers play aggressively at times and we can easily exploit that with the speed of plays like Hudler, Filppula, Datsyuk, and Hossa. Look for the Detroit trademark--superb passing--to play a big factor in putting pressure on the Thrashers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to look for:</span> Look for a high scoring game. I could be wrong but the fact that the Red Wings scored the most goals per game and the Thrashers allow the second most per game makes me think that it could be an ugly-one for the home team. From Atlanta, look for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ilya Kovalchuck </span>(if he plays following an injury), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rich Peverley</span>, and former Red Wing and member of the Russian 5--<span style="font-weight: bold;">Vyacheslav Kozlov.</span> For Detroit look for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Valterri Filppula, Nick Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg,</span> and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Johan Franzen.</span> Too much firepower for the Thrashers, Wings win.<br /><br />Puck drops at 7:30 PM ET and as always, GO WINGS!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-35300143864208753082009-03-19T20:13:00.005-04:002009-03-19T22:04:06.108-04:00Wings Use 3 Straight to Edge FlyersApologies for not writing a follow up from the Flyers game until now. Getting back into the swing of things for school after a week off has been tougher than expected.<br /><br />Anywho, that game was particularly satisfying if you're a Wings fan. It was one of those "character" games. We could have very easily packed it in but we stuck with and fought back and ultimately got the game tied and then in our favor. Franzen, Zetters, and Datsyuk all scored typical goals for themselves. Datsyuk tricked Biron into thinking he was gonna pass it then fired it over Biron's shoulder. Franzen used his body to position himself perfectly for a Datsyuk pass and top-shelfed it to tie the game. Then Zetterberg showed patience in receiving a pass, waiting for Biron to get in position and then read the weak spot. Ozzie let in two goals but settled down and played well the rest of the game, allowing the offense to get going.<br /><br />The win put us 3 points ahead of San Jose and 4 ahead of Boston. It was also our third consecutive win and shows be returning to top form following all of the injuries this season. Hopefully I'm right. but only time will tell. We could use this as a big momentum swing heading into Atlanta on Friday.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-29190207543831061232009-03-17T10:00:00.001-04:002009-03-17T13:36:49.885-04:00Game Preview: Wings/FlyersFirst off. <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!</span> We need Shanny and McCarty to play tonight, but Shanny's a Devil and DMC is Grand Rapids.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philadelphia outlook:</span> Philly currently represents the 4 seed in the East but have streaking Pittsburgh fast approaching in the points column. Last time the Flyers won in Detroit? 1988. Biron will likely get the start for the Flyers as they look to make a big statement on nationwide television following the loss to the Rangers on Sunday on NBC.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit outlook:</span> The Red Wings come into tonight's game hoping to increase their point total and head for the top seed in the West. The league's highest scoring team looks to also improve upon their stellar home record. Hopefully Hossa and Holmstrom will continue their recovery and will soon have the Wings firing on all cylinders.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Who to watch: </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philly: </span>Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, and Mike Richards<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit:</span> Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nick Lidstrom<br /><br />Puck drops at 7:30 PM ET (or 11:30 Dublin time) and can be seen on Versus.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-32074043313950866812009-03-16T15:46:00.003-04:002009-03-16T16:22:09.400-04:00Model of ConsistencyYesterday's win saw the Red Wings lock up their 9th straight 100 point season. They also wrote their name in the playoff bracket for the 17th straight season.<br /><br />The 17th straight playoff appearance is very impressive. But I think the 9 straight 100 point season is a better measuring stick. To play at the level that they have for 9 consecutive years shows not only great contributions by players through that span but also the front office.<br /><br />Stars came and left, played and retired, gave their all and were rewarded. Yet the organization remains the icon of modern hockey (sorry Montreal). All the credit should go to those involved in the front office and the fans that filled the Joe.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-12217632939788248822009-03-16T10:07:00.004-04:002009-03-16T11:00:43.905-04:00Blue Jackets blanked by OsgoodHow do you play a team that previously beat you 8-2? Well, how about 4-0.<br /><br />Marian Hossa scored the first goal of the game when he followed up his own shot and somehow put the puck past Columbus goalie Chris Mason. Hossa's goal was his 35th of the year and his first since returning from injury. Niklas Kronwall made it 2-0 with a powerplay goal midway through the 1st period, tallying his 4th goal and 43rd point of the year.<br /><br />Mikael Samuelsson scored his 18th of the year on a two-on-one breakout during the 2nd period, snapping a shot over Mason's shoulder to give the Wings a 3-0 lead. Johan Franzen scored his 28th of the year, and put the game out of reach in the process, on a great individual effort deking out Mason.<br /><br />The best part of the game was the way Osgood played in net. He stopped all 23 Columbus shots and had a few spectacular saves. This was big for him following his last outing against Columbus in which he surrended 7 of the 8 goals, on 23 shots as well. Hopefully he's getting in shape for the playoffs.<br /><br />Player of the game: Well I'm tempted to go with Franzen and Kronwall who had a goal and an assist each but am gonna have to give it to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ozzie</span>.<br /><br />Next game is Tuesday against the Flyers at 7:30 PM ET on Versus.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-91814670600905204382009-03-15T13:20:00.004-04:002009-03-15T14:04:11.580-04:00Game Preview:<span style="font-weight: bold;">Columbus outlook:</span> Columbus has won 4 straight and 6 of their last 10 and currently hold the 6 seed in the West. The 4 straight wins have all come against teams at or above 80 points (Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago). The last time the Blue Jackets played the Wings, they put 8 goals on the board to Detroit's 2. The Blue Jackets are on a big surge right before the playoffs and are a dangerous matchup for the Wings.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit outlook:</span> Detroit followed up a OT loss to the Flames with a 5-2 manhandling of the Blues. Hopefully we'll be able to continue the good play and win again and likely seal up a playoff spot. The best thing about the 8-2 loss to the Blue Jackets is how Babcock is able to refocus the team for the next time they face off. If we can force Columbus to make mistakes, we easily have superior talent (except for maybe in net) but can only put forth our highest effort when our defense isn't constantly pressured.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to look for:</span> For Columbus, watch for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rick Nash, RJ Umberger, Mike Commodore, </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chris Mason.</span> For Detroit, watch for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, Johan Franzen, </span>and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Brad Stuart</span>. I don't know how to call this one, I wanna say Wings win but the Blue Jackets are unpredictably good at times, in any case...<br /><br />GO WINGS!<br /><br />Puck drops at 5 PM ET,Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-3142849826303772362009-03-14T23:28:00.004-04:002009-03-14T23:41:34.741-04:00Wings Topple Blues 5-2 with 3 Quick GoalsThis was good win following the loss to Calgary in overtime. Osgood played well in net for the Wings, stopping 30 of 32 shots.<br /><br />TJ Oshie put the Blues on the board first late in the 1st period. Then, the Red Wings opened the floodgates. Datsyuk, Kopecky, and Lebda all scored within 46 seconds to put the Wings from 0-1 to 3-1 in a matter of seconds in front of the St. Louis fans. Woywitka scored for the Blues to bring the game within one but Datsyuk added his second goal of the game with only 34 seconds left in the second period to put the Wings ahead 4-2 going into the final period.<br /><br />Zetterberg added the final goal of the game on an empty net shot, sealing the deal for the Wings.<br />Hossa played 15+ minutes, which is good following his neck injury that occured from the last game against the Blues. Detroit was outshot (which is a rarity) but still managed to win big.<br /><br />The next game is tomorrow against Columbus at 5pm<br /><br />Player of the game: Pavel Datsyuk 2 goals, +2Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-82502176616461048112009-03-12T14:29:00.007-04:002009-03-12T15:04:17.268-04:00Game Preview: Flames at Wings<span>Please keep it up. </span><span>Hopefully the Wings can string together some more wins as we come down the stretch. Only <span style="font-style: italic;">14 games</span> remain on the schedule for Detroit and every point matters for home-ice and top seed</span><span> in the playoffs.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Calgary Outlook:</span> Calgary comes into tonight's game with 3 straight losses and a 6-4 in the last 10 record. However, Calgary is the best team the Wings have played (in the standings) since San Jose on Feb 25. Calgary is however one of the better teams in the league and has been built around goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. The additions of Jordan Leopold and Olli Jokinen at the trade deadline have yet to turn them into an unstoppable force but I think it's only a matter of time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Detroit Outlook:</span> Detroit looks to win two in a row following the win over the Coyotes in overtime on Tuesday. The Red Wings have won the first two meetings between these two teams and look to lock-up the regular season series. I would expect Ty Conklin to get the start in net tonight at home. He was the winning goalie in both games against the Flames prior to tonight's meeting. The Wings continue to be effective on the powerplay and could get several chances tonight against a Calgary team that gives up a man quite often.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What to Look For:</span> Look for both teams to play a physical game. The Flames are built as a more physical team than the Wings are but lately Detroit hasn't backed down from physical play. The call-up of Aaron Downey has added a little bit more of a physical mentality while still playing puck possession hockey. Calgary will look for a big game from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen, Mike Camalleri, </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miikka Kiprusoff</span>. If Miika is on tonight there's little hope for the Wings but the fact that Calgary takes around 17 penalty minutes per game could play a big part in a Wings win. Detroit will look to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ty Conklin.</span> I think Holmstrom could be getting back to normal following his injury, and if he gets back to 100%, the rest of the league should be on the lookout.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">GO WINGS!<br /></div>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5545978843988270076.post-87653466311564656702009-03-11T16:55:00.004-04:002009-03-11T20:37:01.932-04:00Franzen lifts Wings over Coyotes in OTJohan Franzen scored his 27th goal of the season in overtime on Tuesday night to end the game with a 3-2 Detroit win. Conklin got the win in goal for the Wings stopping 23 of 25 shots for his 24th win of the year<br /><br />Valterri Filppula scored his 9th goal of the year and continues to return to his normal offensive production for the Wings. Franzen and Kronwall assisted on the Filppula goal that gave the Wings the early 1-0 lead. Martin Hanzal tied the game late in the 1st period on a scramble in front of Conklin.<br /><br />The second period saw no goals but several close calls for each team. In the third, the Red Wings capitalized on their only power play opportunity of the game when Brian Rafalski put the puck past Bryzgalov. Shane Doan tied the game with about 9 minutes to play with a shot from the high slot with the help of a screen by Peter Mueller in front of Conklin while the Coyotes were on the powerplay.<br /><br />Franzen's goal came with under 2 minutes to play in the supplemental period following a faceoff win by Filppula. Filppula got the puck back to Brad Stuart who left it for Franzen. Franzen skated through the middle of the ice and gave himself a more favorable shot and put the puck past Bryzgalov.<br /><br />It's good to see Franzen and Filppula back to their normal selves after both going through slow periods. Another good thing was to see Tomas Holmstrom back in the line-up after missing 18 games from his hernia injury. Players of the game: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Franzen, Filppula.</span> Both had a goal and an assist.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11548956934913164051noreply@blogger.com0