Talking Lidstrom, Miller, and PP

By Adam W Parks

Thursday, January 14, 2010 Hurricanes 1 @ Red Wings 3

How do you make the stench of a 0-6 blasting from the Islanders in New York dissipate? Return home and play host to the worst team in the NHL. The Carolina Hurricanes have never won at Joe Louis Arena. The last time that franchise got a victory in Detroit was in 1989, over 20 years ago, when they still called Connecticut home.

"We needed two points," Henrik Zetterberg said. "Especially when we gave away two points on Long Island. We had to come back and play good."

Most Valuable Wing

Hank added a much needed insurance goal late in the third as the Hurricanes were threatening to tie it up. It was his first since returning, and his first in 13 games. Nicklas Lidstrom got the Wings on the scoreboard when he put the puck past Cam Ward in the first period. It was his first goal in more than half a season. Jimmy Howard turned aside 37 shots. It was his tenth straight start.

Howie has been the crutch for this limping team. There have been holes in the defense and gaps in the offense, but the goaltending position has remained perfectly healthy, and thanks to Howard, perfectly consistent.

His 2.21 goals-against average is good for seventh best amongst all goalies, and his .926 save percentage has him tied for fourth in the league. How do you sit a guy with stats like that? How do you give a guy like that a night off when your team desperately needs points to climb into a comfortable playoff position?

Apparently coach Mike Babcock asked himself those same questions.

"The way it works in this league is the goalie who is playing well gets to play," Babcock said. "He looks good. He's playing well right now and he's helping our team win. That's what it's all about."

The Wings travel down to Texas to take on the Stars on Saturday. Howard will start. They turn right around and return to Detroit for a 12:30 PM game against the Blackhawks on Sunday. Howard should start.

1 In 3, 2 In 46

Normally, a normal high profile and prolific scorer in the NHL would have knocked his own teeth out if he went 42 straight games without a goal. News flash: Nicklas Lidstrom, 39, arguably the best defender the game has ever seen, isn't normal.

Lidstrom put the Wings up 1-0 when he ripped a slap shot from the blue line over the glove of a screened Cam Ward. It was just his second goal in 46 games this season and his first since his third game on October 8. He expressed a little relief, but deflected personal attention and concentrated on what was best for his team.

"It's nice to see one finally go in," Lidstrom said. "I've been taking a lot of shots, but they've missing the net, got blocked or the goalies have been saving them. I think it was more important that we got it on the power play. We needed some momentum on the power play."

Team first. Lidstrom could have gone the entire season without scoring a goal and, as long as his team was winning, he would probably care little. Both of his goals this season have come on the power play. Does that hold any significance? Perhaps, but more for the power play than the player.

PP Is My Favorite Sports-Related Abbreviation

Lidstrom's first goal came in the same game that Johan Franzen went down with his injury. Then the flies started dropping. Scoring goals, specifically on the power play, became a problem, and Detroit's PP gradually started to stink as the injuries piled up. For Lidstrom, his own offensive numbers became a distant concern compared to his team's porous and turnover friendly defense. When it came to the PP, the captain could not break the seal, and the Wings' PP was reduced to just a trickle of production.

Before Thursday night, the Wings really strained with their PP, scoring just twice in 45 opportunities (14 games). PP is all about momentum and flow. If a team cannot consistently capitalize with its PP opportunities, it all flows in the direction of the team stopping the PP. It's absolutely draining to watch your PP flow slow, and it is extremely exhilarating for others when they are able to endure the PP pressure.

With Brian Rafalski and Lidstrom firing pucks from the blue line, and Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg skating circles and controlling the puck, and Dan Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi grinding in the corners and buzzing around the net, there should be no more PP problems in Detroit. When Tomas Holmstrom returns, and Niklas Kronwall and Jason Williams are back on the blue line, the PP should return to form and flow with more regularity.

The Miller Advantage



What a waiver! Since Drew Miller was claimed from the Tampa Bay Lightning early this season he has become a regular on the roster, mucking it up with the fourth line and grinding it out with the penalty killers. But against Carolina, skating with the man advantage, Miller made the most out of some rare ice time with two PP points.

He assisted on Lidstrom's first period goal and scored what would become the game-winner in the second. His goal, the second PP goal of the game for the Wings, marked the first time Detroit had scored two PP goals in 15 games. Mr. Obvious liked it.

"It's good to get a couple power-play goals," Babcock said.

"I think it was a call by the coach on the bench," Miller said. "I haven't done practice on the power play. To get out there, you just adjust to the spots on the ice, get to the front of the net. Luckily the puck went in for us."

It was Miller's fifth tally and tenth point of the season. In 44 games with the Wings he has a plus-2 rating and only six penalty minutes. When (if) this team gets fully healthy, Miller will be one of several players evaluated for the playoff roster. Personally, I love what this guy brings to the Wings, and not just because he's a Sparty. If management decides against him and he ends up on waivers for another playoff team to gobble up, then it will truly be Detroit's loss.

Return of the Big E

Jonathan Ericsson made his triumphant return to the lineup against the Hurricanes and looked sharp. Ericsson skated for a total of 15:17 of ice time and looked solid in his familiar role killing penalties with 1:43 in short-handed time.

"It was great to have him out there," Babcock said. "He's a big body. He needs to get quicker, but he'll get quicker as he plays."

Big body is right. When E was out of the lineup for 12 games with a bad bone bruise on his knee the Wings defense appeared quite diminutive. He moved the puck quickly, he skated with his head up, and he utilized that massive frame well without getting hurt again.

"It's been a long time, but I can't really complain," Ericsson said. "There's been guys out a lot longer than (me)."

Mickeyism

We all know that Mickey Redmond is old school, if not old fashioned. Referring to a Brian Rafalski wrist shot from the point, Redmond uttered:

"That baby looked like it was shot out of a crossbow!"

Yes, and Lidstrom's slap shot goal appeared to have been launched from a ballista. Gotta love the Mick!

Peace.