Game Preview: Wings at Oilers

Red Wings (48-16-9, 105 pts)
Oilers (35-28-9, 79 pts)

Lets see how the Wings can respond from a 5-3 loss to Calgary last night against a tough Edmonton team.

Edmonton outlook: The Oilers 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. Lubomir Visnovsky, one of the Oilers 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 Oilers may be regretting it. Patrick O'Sullivan, who came over in the deal for Cole, has only tallied 3 points in 9 games, not enough for the struggling Oilers.

Detroit outlook: 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 Conklin respond after giving up a total of 5 goals. We have a good road record while the Oilers have a worse home record than away.

What to look for: 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 Oilers take about 15 minutes worth of penalties per game and have allowed 7 of the 16 goals against the Wings on the powerplay. From Edmonton: Ales Hemsky (leads EDM in G,A, Points), Shawn Horcoff, Dustin Penner, and Denis Grebeshkov are all big parts of the Oilers success. From Detroit: Marian Hossa, Pavel Datsyuk, Jiri Hudler, and Brad Stuart.
Also, look for Zack Stortini to mix it up physically for the Oilers. I would like to see a Wing step up physically, but then again, Stortini would just give us another player with Lilja symptoms.

Puck drops at 9:30 PM ET and as always, GO WINGS!

Flames Down Wings 5-3

The 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.

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.

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.

Player of the game: Pavel Datsyuk

Game Preview: Wings at Flames

Red Wings (48-15-9 105 pts)
Flames (41-24-6 88 pts)

Flames outlook: 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.

Red Wings outlook: 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.

What to look for: 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: Olli Jokinen, Jarome Iginla, Mike Camalleri, and Dion Phaneuf (unfortunately). From Detroit: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, and Nick Lidstrom.

Game starts at 9:30 PM ET and as always GO WINGS!

Wings Blast Thrashers 6-3

The 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.

Brian Rafalski got the scoring started towards the end of the first as he put a pass from Johan Franzen past Kari Lehtonen for his 10th goal of the year. Datsyuk scored the second goal of the game and his 29th of the year from the top of the faceoff circle on odd man rush with Franzen with 8 minutes left in the 2nd period. Jiri Hudler got the Wings on the board for the second time in the period, just two minutes later on a breakway spawned from Brett Lebda's great length of the ice pass, putting the Wings up 3-0 heading into the final period.

The third period saw both teams trading goals three times. Franzen scored his 30th of the year and a powerplay tally on a backhand shot off of a rebound. The Thrashers would get a powerplay goal of their own as Bryan Little put the Thrashers on the board. Hossa would then score his 36th of the year on a pass from Zetterberg as they stretched the defense horizontally and threw off Lehtonen's positioning. Slava Kozlov scored the next goal for the Thrashers on a slapshot over former teammate Chris Osgood's shoulder for a second Thrashers powerplay goal. Hossa had another breakaway and nearly scored but ended up drawing too many Thrashers players to the boards, allowing a pass to a wide open Dan Cleary in the slot for the 6th 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 48th win of the season and earned its 105 point.

Ozzie 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 Rafalski has had in Detroit. He's one of the least talked about defensemen 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.

Player of the game: Henrik Zetterberg (4 A), responsible for setting up 4 of the 6 goals, and Johan Franzen (1 G, 2 A)

Other notes: Second straight game the Thrashers have allowed 6 goals. The Red Wings now have 7 players at 50 points or more; Kronwall is 6 away from joining.

Game Preview: Wings @ Thrashers

Red Wings (47-15-9) at Thrashers (29-36-6)

Atlanta Outlook: 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.

Detroit Outlook: 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.

What to look for: 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 Ilya Kovalchuck (if he plays following an injury), Rich Peverley, and former Red Wing and member of the Russian 5--Vyacheslav Kozlov. For Detroit look for Valterri Filppula, Nick Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, and Johan Franzen. Too much firepower for the Thrashers, Wings win.

Puck drops at 7:30 PM ET and as always, GO WINGS!

Wings Use 3 Straight to Edge Flyers

Apologies 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.

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.

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.

Game Preview: Wings/Flyers

First off. HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! We need Shanny and McCarty to play tonight, but Shanny's a Devil and DMC is Grand Rapids.

Philadelphia outlook: 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.

Detroit outlook: 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.

Who to watch:
Philly: Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, and Mike Richards
Detroit: Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nick Lidstrom

Puck drops at 7:30 PM ET (or 11:30 Dublin time) and can be seen on Versus.

Model of Consistency

Yesterday'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.

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.

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.

Blue Jackets blanked by Osgood

How do you play a team that previously beat you 8-2? Well, how about 4-0.

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.

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.

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.

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 Ozzie.

Next game is Tuesday against the Flyers at 7:30 PM ET on Versus.

Game Preview:

Columbus outlook: 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.

Detroit outlook: 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.

What to look for: For Columbus, watch for Rick Nash, RJ Umberger, Mike Commodore, and Chris Mason. For Detroit, watch for Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, Johan Franzen, and Brad Stuart. 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...

GO WINGS!

Puck drops at 5 PM ET,

Wings Topple Blues 5-2 with 3 Quick Goals

This was good win following the loss to Calgary in overtime. Osgood played well in net for the Wings, stopping 30 of 32 shots.

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.

Zetterberg added the final goal of the game on an empty net shot, sealing the deal for the Wings.
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.

The next game is tomorrow against Columbus at 5pm

Player of the game: Pavel Datsyuk 2 goals, +2

Game Preview: Flames at Wings

Please keep it up. Hopefully the Wings can string together some more wins as we come down the stretch. Only 14 games remain on the schedule for Detroit and every point matters for home-ice and top seed in the playoffs.

Calgary Outlook: 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.

Detroit Outlook: 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.

What to Look For: 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 Jarome Iginla, Olli Jokinen, Mike Camalleri, and Miikka Kiprusoff. 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 Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, and Ty Conklin. 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.

GO WINGS!

Franzen lifts Wings over Coyotes in OT

Johan 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

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.

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.

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.

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: Franzen, Filppula. Both had a goal and an assist.

Game Preview- Coyotes at Red Wings

Sigh. Another game following an 8 goal loss. Hopefully this one works out the same as the Blues game following the Nashville loss did, a 5-0 Detroit win.

Phoenix outlook: The Coyotes are on a two game losing skid and have lost 7 of their last 10. Right now they're looking at an early trip to the golf course but could potentially still make the playoffs. Coming into tonight's game, the season series is 2-1 Detroit. The loss was a 6-3 loss, coming on Jan 20 in Phoenix. Ilya Bryzgalov will get the start for Phoenix more than likely. He's been one of the worst in goals allowed this season but is always capable of playing well if the defense works for him. Phoenix is no doubtedly been on the down hill lately, especially after trading away some of its best players (Jokinen, Morris). I think its obvious that Gretzky and the upper management are looking for future talent rather than immediate results.

Detroit outlook: The Red Wings have won 2 of their last 3 but the loss was the embarrasing 8-2 loss to the division rival Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wings still lead the league in goals scored per game at 3.61 but the goals allowed per game isn't that far away at 2.96. Detroit plays puck possession and will look to continue that way of playing tonight. A big part of the Wings' success with puck possession is their ability to win faceoffs. Draper, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg are all in the top 15 in faceoffs, a big reason for our ability to wear down the other teams. If the Wings can control the puck, they have the talent to out play the Coyotes easily.

What to look for: Detroit's powerplay is still tops in the league at 26.7% efficiency while the Coyotes have one of the league's worst penalty kill units. While the Wings also have one of the league's worst penalty kill units, they also take the 2nd fewest penalties per game in the league. I would look for how the powerplay unit works tonight. Once again, puck possession will dictate Detroit success tonight. Look for the Wings to spread out the Coyotes cross-ice and then late in the game try to get behind the Coyotes defense with outlet passes. Players to watch from Phoenix are Petr Prucha, Shane Doan, and Mikkel Boedker. Wings players to look for are Valterri Filppula, Henrik Zetterberg, and Niklas Kronwall.

Excuse me, while I kiss the sky

Okay so sorry about not really posting anything. I've been out of town. And by "kiss the sky" I meant, "not write on here".

Anyway, so I would do a game-wrap up for the Blue Jackets game but the thought of looking at the highlights from that game is not something that sounds too enticing. All I do know is that the game was that it was 8-2 and my phone wouldn't stop vibrating because we couldn't stop the Blue Jackets. The worst part of it is that it was a home game. Guhhh.

I'll be able to update daily again starting now so hooray!