LAMP THE LIGHT

Note to Bert: Light Up, or Leave Me Alone

2012-01-31T15:19:00.000-05:00

I am, at best, a fair-weather Todd Bertuzzi fan. When he's on fire I love the guy, but when he's struggling I want no part of him. Maybe Steve Winwood and Traffic can help me put my emotions to words...

Hey Bert

Just when I was starting to get a read on this guy after posting two consistently inconsistent seasons with the Wings (a sporadic 45 points per season kinda guy), Ber-terd-zzi resurfaced in the first 14 games of this season with just one goal and three points. Leave me alone.

Then, inexplicably, Bert lights up for nine goals, 26 points, and a plus-19 rating in his following 29 games. So now I like the guy. I think. For now at least. With that hot streak he has the potential to skate to one of his best seasons ever...seriously.

With 10 goals and 25 points in 43 games Bert is having what looks like a rather modest statistical season that is on par for his short tenure in Detroit. Check out his stats over his three seasons with the Wings:

Season Games Goals Points Rating

2009-10 82 18 44 -7

2010-11 81 16 45 -7

2011-12 43 10 25 +22

The goal and point totals for this season look consistent, but take a look at that +22 plus/minus rating. In 17 previous NHL seasons, Bertuzzi has only posted a positive rating in five, and his high watermark is +21. This season's rating looks like a statistical anomaly, a grotesque aberration, a sixth toe on your ass if you will. Take a look at his three best seasons, all with the 'Couver 'Nucks:

Season Games Goals Points Rating

2001-02 72 36 85 +21

2002-03 82 46 97 +2

2003-04 69 17 60 +21

From a pure point-production point of view, Bert's not even even close to his heyday and never will be again, but damn, that rating is really good. Nicklas Lidstrom good. In fact he is tied with Lids for third on the team and tenth overall in the league. Even as a forward, if your +/- numbers are comparable with Lidstrom, than you are having a damn good season.

For the sake of argument let's say Bert continues at his prior pace and plays in, oh I don't know, 30 of the remaining 32 games on the schedule. His projected numbers for the full season might look something like this:

Season Games Goals Points Rating
2011-12 73 17 44 +37

Again, the goals and points would be about average for what he has previously done in Detroit, but a season +/- rating anywhere in the 30s would be astounding for Bert. Berrrrrrt. You're being very un-Bert.

Unlikely Linemates

Now, one must take into account the season the Wings are having and the resulting effect on Bert's numbers. The Wings are good. Duh. They boast the best record in the NHL and rank second to the Bruins (+69) with a goal differential of +43. Certainly that has something to do with it.

Plus he's been on the top scoring line with Dangle Dangle and the Mule, both of which have been on fire all season long. But that should not be a knock on Bert. He had to earn that spot and play to keep it.

Credit must be given to where credit is due. Bertuzzi has had a fantastic season thus far, one that could rank amongst his personal best. He will certainly hit the 300 goal mark (currently sitting at 299), and I would not be surprised to see him reach the 50 point plateau this season and shatter his career-best plus/minus rating. Certainly a season to remember for a man who has several to forget.

But then again, he is Bertuzzi. I'm not placing any bets. His hot and cold streaks are irritatingly inexplicable.

Sometimes I feel like he's fading away.

When he can't score a goal, I've got nothing to say.

He makes me so angry with the game that he plays.

Either light up or leave me alone.

Peace. AWP

The Perfect Routine

2012-01-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

In case you missed the Ver...errr...sus...NBC Sports program 36 featuring Nicklas Lidstrom, you can read this dude's awesome article that basically scripts the entire thing without a single bit of the writer's own thought or opinion. C'mon mlive, you can do better than this. I hate to hate, but seriously, who wants to read all the quotes from a television program? Would you rather read Pulp Fiction's screenplay or watch the movie? Would you want to read a full transcript of Mickey and Ken calling a game or listen to them while watching the Wings? Apologies, I did not mean to digress in the opening paragraph.

So, Lidstrom, 36. Cameras follow el Captain (that's Spanish for 'The Captain") throughout his boring-ass game-day routine as he prepares for back-to-back games against Buffalo at the Joe and the Stars in Dallas. Remember those games? The Wings ruined Ryan Miller's Michigan homecoming by running him off the ice in a 5-0 rout and a franchise record setting 15th consecutive home victory. The following night was a grinder that resulted in a shootout win featuring Jiri Hudler's best Henrik Zetterberg impression. Two good games to follow Lids, eh?

If the program were about a guy that did not wear the Winged Wheel I probably would have flipped over to a rerun of It's Always Sunny. Seriously though, as odd as this might sound, watching Lidstrom's daily ritual is kind of like watching him on the ice. It's a ho-hum affair of business as usual. His ordinary life is anything but extraordinary, but it's really amazing how he carries that brand of focused, nonchalant attitude in every aspect of his life, be it dropping his kid off at school or shutting down another team's top line. You'd be as surprised to see him make a mistake in his own zone as you would if he forgot to pick up his son at hockey practice.

But it's the routine that makes Lids so special. That boring day in, day out, same ol' same ol' that helped make him the best ever. It's also what still keeps him ranked amongst the best at age 41. His consistency and ritual make him a model to his teammates. You have to wonder if Thomas Holmstrom would really eat lunch at the same table at the same restaurant every game day if it weren't for Lidstrom sitting across from him. You gotta wonder if Holmer would pick up anybody else in his Ford F-150 before every game if it weren't part of his Captain's schedule. Lidstrom's routine affects others.

And finally, one must wonder if the routine is a big reason why he keeps returning season after season. For a lot of people, quitting something is followed by a grave stone. Just ask the administration at Penn State. Damn, that just turned dark...RIP Joe Pa.

Anyway, what I took away from this installment of 36 is that Nicklas Lidstrom is addicted to this routine, this lifestyle. Let's just hope he continues to struggle with booting his affliction.

Peace. AWP

Calling All Skeptics...Ignore Road Record

2012-01-26T19:50:00.000-05:00

Ouch. I was ready to write my first legitimate post for this season after a strong Original 6 road victory in Montreal. Damnit. Maybe I should go back into hiding…

Anyway, I had an idea for something to write about and I’m not going to let an embarrassing 7-2 loss on national television with no other NHL games scheduled for last night ruin an otherwise well thought-out and perfectly perfect article.

Where the Magic Happens

The Wings have played to quite an amazing first half of the season. The positive and exciting story lines abound with Detroit’s home record shining brightest. In particular the franchise-setting 17-game winning streak at the Joe has garnered the most buzz. Yet with all the illumination showering down on the Joe, skeptical eyes inevitably peek at the losing record on the road. Networks and publications, both national and Michigan-based, seem to support this skepticism.

Wings fans are notorious for wanting their team to be perfect. They also want their Little Caesars pizza to be hot, ready, and actually taste like pizza. My official response to those of you with worries over the road record: relax, remember your pills, sip some Scotch, and let me refill your glass with some confidence looking forward to the second half.

Detroit is 13-14-0 away from Detroit. Sure, that looks bad. It looks even worse when lined up next to the ridiculous 20-2-1 record at home. However, they still have the third most wins and fifth best road record in the Western Conference. In fact, Detroit is eleventh in the league in road winning percentage and only the Philly Flyers, NY Rangers, Vancouver Rioters, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators and Jersey Devils have more road wins than the Wings.

Dr. Munchum and Mr. Pennridge

Now check out the other teams in the Central Division that Detroit will competing most fiercely with from this point on. Chicago is 10-9-2. St. Louis is 8-10-3. Whoooaaaa…what great road teams…

Wanna know what I think? Of course you do cutie, you wouldn’t have gotten this far without yearning for my opinion. Mike Babcock obviously lit a fire under his team’s ass to protect their home ice this season after going just 21-14-6 at the Joe last season. The Wings were considerably better away from home with 26 road victories a season ago. A proverbial Jekyll and Hyde act from last season to this.

“Yeah, but…” If you’re still concerned about the road record, here are a few reasons that should make you stop your whining. The Wings open up the second half of the season on the road at Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Phoenix. Say they go 2-2 and earn four points, that’s about what should be expected on a West Coast run. Detroit then gets to feast on six-straight at home with 11 of the next 14 games at the Joe. After another four-game road trip, the Wings finish off the season with seven of ten games at home.

Fear the 'Puss

At the halfway point the Wings are first in their division. They are first in their conference. They are first in their league. Datsyuk is healthy. Franzen is healthy. Zetterberg is struggling but healthy. Bertuzzi is tearing it up…and healthy. Filppula and Hudler are having career years, both are healthy. Lidstrom is still awesome, and healthy. Ian White (Rafalski who?) is healthy. Kronwall has played in EVERY GAME THIS YEAR and has 11 goals and is healthy. The grinders are producing and are healthy (except for Patrick Eaves). Emmerton, Mursak, Conner, Kindl (ugh), and Commodore are all rotating and contributing and healthy. And Jimmy Howard. I friggin’ love Jimmy Howard. This guy has completely stolen my heart. I love that he’s not the starting goalie in the All Star Game. More motivation. I love that Lidstrom isn’t an All Star. More rest. I love that Zetterberg is struggling now. More time.

Long story, short summation, I’m more confident in this squad than I have been since 2009, regardless of a slight losing road record.

Peace. AWP

First Post Since 2010...What Do You Want From Me?

2012-01-25T19:28:00.000-05:00

Hi kids.

I'm sorry I left you for so long. I had a prior engagement with a morning radio show that put me in bed by 8PM for over a year. Not a conducive schedule for watching Red Wings hockey. Unlike other so-called would-be writers out there, I base all of my opinions on hard stats, cold facts, and what I see with my self-trained eyes.

Ahhhhh so I'm back, and I've been watching, and what a Helluva half a season we've witnessed! We all figured the Wings would be better than last season, but it was virtually unpredicatable as to how good they have been under all the swirling circumstances. You know, like, when did the Blues get good?

mmmmm...I look good...

Who could have possibly guessed that Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, and Nashville would not only be in the playoff hunt at the halfway point, but all be within three to five points of each other (depending on how the Wings fair in Montreal tonight)?

How about that home-winning streak? That's been cool. And those recent shootout victories? Neat-O! Super Duper! Right-on gang!

Anywho, expect to hear back from me periodically throughout the remainder of the season and playoffs. I hope to unveil a few surprises for you, and there are big plans for the future. Thanks for reading, please leave comments below, and help me rejoice in the stupendous splendor of being a Detroit Red Wings fan!

Peace. AWP

Hellos and Goodbyes

2010-10-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

Hello friends and fans, as you know the NHL season has begun and the Wings are back! Plenty has changed for me since last season, and even more has changed in Detroit.

Hello Ruslan, Welcome Back Hedgehog

Not Brett Lebda

Though I will share more in-depth thoughts on each individuals mentioned in this portion of this post, I'd like to give a quick nod to Mike Modano and a greeting to Ruslan Salei, two great additions to the roster. Modano's upsides are obvious, but I really think Salei can be a difference maker on the blue line.

He has looked tough (unlike Derek Meech/Brett Lebda), mean (unlike Jonathan Ericsson), and responsible (unlike Andreas Lilja) in front of Jimmy and Chris thus far this season. Even though I like all those unlike guys, Salei is a more complete defenseman and could be the greatest addition this season.

I nearly threw my elbow out waving goodbye to Jiri Hudler last year...good riddance...chase your money...we don't need you. Well, I think we saw last season how desperate the Wings were for goal scoring and how thin they became after that plague of injuries.

Hedgehog

They call Hudler 'The Hedgehog' because he's tenacious, bristly, and surprisingly tough for such a little guy. He's also not afraid to stick his pointed snout into the tough stuff and can put the puck in the net from anywhere on the ice. With Dan Cleary on the opposite wing and Modano centering, this sick-looking third line could feasibly produce 45-50 goals this season, maybe even more. On a continuously rotating third line in 2009-10, Darren Helm, Kris Draper, Patrick Eaves, and Drew Miller combined for 40.

Fare You Well, Fare You Well

Dear Steve Yzerman, I love you more than words can tell. Tampa Bay is my new second favorite team in the leage. As much as I despise warm weather NHL markets, the Lightning are alright by me.

Dear Brett Lebda, Derek Meech, and Andreas Lilja. Goodbye. Thanks for your effort, good luck with your careers, you won't be missed.

I took this photo from the 2009 Buick
Open Pro-Am...Malts missed the putt.

Dear Kirk Maltby, I was deeply saddened to see that you announced your retirement prior to tonight's game against the Colorado Avalanche. The selfish side of me said, "Damnit! I wanted to watch you play at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids this season!" The better side of me prevails, "Thank you for your contribution on four Stanley Cups in Detroit." Good luck on the golf course; practice the putting.

There will certainly be more to come on Malts very soon, but for now, I want to say that watching him over the years hustling, bustling, grinding, and antagonizing on third lines, fourth lines, penalty-killing units, and that incredible Grind Line with Darren McCarty and Drapes, has been an absolute joy. He might be one of the most underrated Wings during this latest era in Hockeytown, but if you've watched him play you had to have loved his style, dedication, and loyalty to Detroit. Even though his diminished role became obvious last season, and blatant this off-season, his character and accomplishments wearing the Winged Wheel shall never be tarnished.

So long Malts, thanks for the memories.

Peace.

AWP

Why I Already Love #90

2010-08-09T15:00:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

He has lifted the Stanley Cup.

He has worn the letter C on his chest.

He is from Michigan. He grew up idolizing Gordie Howe.

He is 40. So is Nicklas Lidstrom. Both signed on to win because they believe they will in Detroit.

He has played for Mike Ilitch before. He has won a national championship with Mike Illitch before.

I trust Ken Holland. I believe Mike Illitch.

He scored 14 goals and assisted on 16 others in 59 games last season. His new linemate, Dan Cleary, scored 15 times and tallied 19 assists in 64 games last season.

His other linemate will be Jiri Hudler, the guy that posted 23 goals and 57 points for Detroit in 2008-09.

He transforms Detroit's third line into a puck possessing scoring threat, rather than a dump and chase and grind line. In other words, he protects and relieves pressure from the top two lines.

He allows the top two lines to look like this:

#1: LW Holmstrom - C Zetterberg - RW Datsyuk
#2: LW Franzen - C Filppula - RW Bertuzzi

He allows line-o-tologist Mike Babcock to formulate a scary fourth line with pieces like Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader (who will be signed soon), Patrick Eaves, Kris Draper, and either Drew Miller or Mattias Ritola.

He reminds me of Joe Sakic. Wait, let me explain:

Sakic captained the hated Colorado Avalanche through the years when we all hated the Colorado Avalanche the most. But who did you hate the most on that team? Go ahead, leave a comment below, make a most-hated list from these scumbags on the 1995-96 Colorado roster:

Joe Sakic
Adam Foote
Patrick Roy
Peter Forsberg
Claude Lemieux
Adam Deadmarsh
Mike Ricci

Hell, I'll throw Mike Keane, Stephane Yelle, Sandis Ozolinsh, Chris Simon, and Valeri Kamensky on that list, and Sakic would still be my least-hated Avalanche.

Like Mike Modano, I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for Joe Sakic. Both guys were classy leaders. Both guys did things the right way. Both guys reminded me of Steve Yzerman.

Like Joe Sakic, I hated Modano's teams, but could not bring myself to despise the man. Modano's Dallas Stars were about as pesky and annoying as Sakic's Avalanche teams and were Detroit's second toughest Western Conference rival in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s. Big difference: Modano never beat the Wings in the playoffs.

When you respect a player in the NHL you want him on your team, no matter how old he is. At 40 Modano still adds a dynamic to the Wings that makes everyone else better. In Detroit Modano has one last opportunity to raise the Stanley Cup. At 40 Modano still has the drive to do it.

Peace

We Can Blame The Refs, But The Wings Should Blame Themselves

2010-05-03T14:31:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

You may not recognize the names Kevin Pollock and Brad Watson, but you probably wanted to fight them yesterday.

I do not condone such violence against the whistle-blowers, but when they take over a good hockey game like Pollock and Watson did in San Jose on Sunday, I feel helplessly frustrated and angry enough to wish bodily harm against them.

If there was ever a rule in the hockey book of law that is as necessary as it is abusable, it's goaltending interference (go ask a Washington Capitols fan). Think about it for a minute: how often does a referee actually get this call correct? Goalies get touched or slightly bumped and they fall down, and refs love to call it. Yet when was the last time you saw a diving call on a guy in pads? And get this--if the puck goes in the net and there is incidental contact, they wave the goal and do not call a penalty. Apparently when there is incidental contact and the puck does not cross the goal line, it's an automatic penalty.

Three times this penalty was called on Sunday (twice against Detroit) and each time it was a load of horse poop. The call against Todd Bertuzzi in the second period was as ludicrous as the one called against Dany Heatley late in the third. Two entirely different plays, two entirely different ways that the penalty was called, and both incidents were entirely blown by the refs.

Crap! I'm still mad about it!

But as much as I'd like to, all the blame for the Wings' loss cannot simply be thrown at the zebras. Did Pollock and Watson tilt the man-advantage scales in favor of the Sharks? Absolutely. Did they make several awful calls throughout the game? Absolutely. Did the Red Wings blow a great opportunity to tie up the series by playing undisciplined and irresponsible hockey? Absolutely.

“No sense questioning anything,” Mike Babcock said. “We’re in charge, we have to look after it. We can’t be going to the box. We got to look after our own sticks and our own play.”

The Sharks had ten power play chances; the Red Wings only got four. Detroit is one of the least penalized teams in the league but they were whistled five times in the third period, four consecutively, and twice in the last four minutes of the game. It didn't take John Edward to see that San Jose was going to win that game. The Wings were playing great in the second period, controlling the puck and creating opportunities, but they lost all that momentum by shooting themselves in the skates with those penalties in the third.

Yes the whistles were quick against Detroit, but the Wings were also giving the stupid idiot refs plenty of reasons to blow. Playoff hockey should be played, not policed, but calls like slashing (Jimmy Howard, Dan Cleary), cross checking (Pavel Datsyuk), hooking (Niklas Kronwall), tripping (Valtteri Filppula), and too many men on the ice are obvious ones and must be made. The refs need to let them play, but the Wings need to play smart.

Smart like not tripping a guy when you are about to get the puck and begin a break out of your own zone when you are down a goal with four minutes left in the game. Filpp's penalty was not smart, but Kronner's penalty was dumb...just really really dumb. Early in the third, with the Wings clinging to a one goal lead, Bertuzzi pushed Marc-Edouard Vlasic but was somehow called for holding (bad refs), and on the ensuing penalty kill Kronwall hooked down Joe Pavelski to give the Sharks a five-on-three power play for over a minute (bad Wings). You can't do that! You cannot put your team in that situation! Not in the playoffs, not against San Jose!

Did Pavelski dive? It doesn't matter! Don't dig your stick into the ribs of the guy who is getting all the calls, bounces, and goals to go his way! Just don't do it! And of course it was Pavelski who scored the game-tying goal, his second of the game, fourth of the series, and ninth of the playoffs.

Dear Mr. Kronwall,

If you're going to take a lazy, stupid penalty against Joe Pavelski and put your team in a difficult position, please make it count, make it hurt, maybe knock him out for a few shifts so he can't tie the game a minute later.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Adam W Parks

PS. It is apparent that these two teams are equal in almost every aspect of the game, so special teams play is essential for momentum, confidence, and flow. Opportunities on the power play must be taken advantage of, and opportunities given must be limited to a minimum. The Wings played well enough to win on Sunday, and their penalty killing was actually pretty good with all things reconsidered, but they failed by putting themselves in too many tough spots.

Babcock: “Our players felt frustrated. There’s no sense being frustrated. You can’t go to the box. It’s simple. Half the players don’t even get on the ice, sitting in the penalty box all night long. It’s pretty hard to have rhythm, pretty hard to get everyone going.”

If the Wings do not play cleaner and smarter in these next two games at home in Detroit, the Sharks will just cruise around the ice sniffing for the scent of a bloody penalty and keep on attacking with their power play...and Detroit will be lucky to stretch this thing past five games.

Peace

Who's Got My Prileys?

2010-04-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Round 1, Game 7
Red Wings 6 @ Coyotes 1

How is everybody feeling today? This time yesterday I was popping prilosecs like they were Pringles. I don't want to analyze last night's game too much (the Wings kicked ass), rather I will reflect on the myriad and range of emotions that it put me, and most of you, through.

Tony, a valued follower of Lamp The Light, commented on a Facebook post yesterday prior to the game: "For my blood pressure's sake, let's hope this goes like the Game 7 vs. Colorado in 2002, and the Wings just come out and lay a beat-down."

Game 7.

Joe, another great and appreciated follower, wrote this on the same post: "Scared to death about tonight's game...no joke."

Game 7.

Al, a close friend and phellow Phish Head, also commented on the post: "Stomach ulcer on the way for tonight."

Game 7.

After the first period ended at 0-0 and the Wings had outshot the Coyotes 17-6, I sent a text message to Brett, another good friend, and I wrote: "I'm glad I have Left For Dead and the sequel for the Xbox 360. Killing zombies after the game tonight might dissuade me from killing humans."

Now honestly, was I going to kill my poor neighbors if the Wings lost last night? Probably not all of them. Most likely just the guy from Wisconsin who roots against the Wings, Spartans, Tigers, and all my other beloved Michigan-based sports teams. (Hey Tim, sorry about your Badgers' recent 0-5 thrashing from Boston College in the NCAA Championships. At least you'll be able to watch their best player, Brendan Smith, play in Grand Rapids next season.)

Seriously though, I'm not a murderer, but I did share the same sentiments and disagreeable feelings prior to the puck drop that Tony and Joe and Al did. Watching the pregame interviews and analysis on Fox Sports Detroit and Versus was excruciating. "Just drop the damn puck!" My stomach was tossing. My skin was crawling. My bottle of Scotch whiskey was calling.

It does not matter what round or who we're playing against, when it comes down to the final game of the series and we fans are staring at a potentially dismal summer without anymore Red Wings hockey, we get a little sick. Erratic. Nervous. Crazy. But not quite murderous...

Game 7.

Detroit's last two playoff series, and three of the last four, have gone the full distance. Are they trying to kill us? Strokes run in my family. Fortunately, Tony got his wish and the game resulted in a blow-out...though those 30 minutes were a little too intense.

Dave Tippett said his team got "thumped" and they "had no answer."

Ilya Bryzgalov, who looked like he was unbeatable in Game 6, said, "They were unbelievable. The way the played, no team would have beat them."

Mike Babcock gave credit where credit's deserved, "Our big guys were fantastic today. They really came to play."

Certainly guys like Henrik Zetterberg (3 assists, +3), Pavel Datsyuk (2 goals), and Nicklas Lidstrom (2 goals, 1 assist) warrant their respective accolades, but let us (and Babs) not forget the Brad Stuarts, Darren Helms, Drew Millers, and Patrick Eaveseses.

How great were all of those guys attacking the puck and playing physical against the boards in the 'Yotes' zone? Killing it on the penalty kill? On breakaways stepping out of the penalty box? In a game where key faceoffs were the only blemish on Detroit's game, Justin Abdelkader won seven of his nine puck drops.

Everybody played great last night. They played the way we know they can. They looked like the team that we know they are. Bryzgalov is right, nobody can beat the Wings when they play like that.

And that right there might be why we were so nervous last night. Which Wings team was going to show up? The one that looked old? Or the one that looked experienced?

For the first time in the series, that lovely little intangible that we call experience was the deciding factor in the outcome of the game. Game 7 started out a lot like Game 6--the Wings dominated the puck but could not capitalize and get it past Bryzgalov. Unlike Game 6, Detroit did not let up an ounce, did not give up an inch, and completely overwhelmed the Coyotes.

Jimmy Howard said Phoenix got "lucky" in Game 6. Cocky. I like it. He backed it up in Game 7, and the Coyotes' only bright moment was a lucky one off a faceoff. He did not have to work too hard last night, facing 33 shots to Bryzgalov's 50, but he stopped the ones he needed to. His glove was quick, his positioning square, and his confidence strong.

I spoke with my buddy Brent early this day as I was driving around downtown Grand Rapids. We discussed the game last night and he said I had some pep in my conversation, or something like that. Damn straight I do! The Wings are moving on!

The sun always shines a little brighter on the morn after a Wings win, and today is freaking beautiful! I'm breathing easier, my stomach is settled, and my heart has slowed to its typical pace.

Am I too dramatic? Too emotional? Perhaps, but I'm okay with that. That's why I started writing this blog!

GO WINGS!!!

Peace

Belive in Howard! It Feels Gooooooood!

2010-04-23T18:51:00.001-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Damn, Game 4 seems so long ago. Remember when Jimmy Howard stopped 29 shots in his first career playoff shutout? That was awesome!

Facing a potential 3-1 series deficit in front of the home crowd, and In the midst of criticism, doubt, and pressure to be benched from the fans, Howard became a real postseason goaltender right before our eyes. The scrutiny was nothing new for a Red Wings goalie, but it was a fresh experience for Howard, and he handled it with style.

I wrote a full article about the pressure-packed position between the pipes in Hockeytown on Wednesday. I scrapped it because it was too long. I rewrote it on Thursday to focus more on Howard, but lost all focus with the swirling hype surrounding the first round of the NFL draft--Suh! Best!--so I scrapped that one too.

I wanted to get something done before tonight's Game 5. Great timing, late on a Friday afternoon, I know. But Hell, it's always a good time to think, talk, and read about the Wings, so here I am, on my couch, with my dog next to me begging for attention, typing a brand new article just for you.

In my first draft I dissected the perspective that you, me, and all the fans in Hockeytown share on goaltending in Detroit. You know what I'm talking about, win a Cup or get the @#$% out attitude. I went back as far as I can remember, Tim Cheveldae, and ran the gamut all the way to our present netminder, Howard. It was exhausting, but interesting.

My whole point, and please leave feedback and comments below, was that in my lifetime there has never been a goalie that wore the Winged Wheel who has been fully embraced by the majority of the fanbase. Mike Vernon might be the closest, but he was under heavy scrutiny before what he was able to do in the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, and to Patrick Roy's face! Chris Osgood certainly won over many long-time doubters in 2008, but before that he was probably the most maligned Stanley Cup winning goalie ever, and I don't feel he is beloved today as much as he probably should be.

Dominik Hasek wore out his welcome. Curtis Joseph got a bad rap. Manny Legace's era was shortened and overshadowed by the returns of both Osgood and Hasek. Bill Ranford, Kevin Hodson, Ken Wregget, Norm Maracle, Bob Essensa...

Instead of going into an insane amount of detail about each of these guys like I did with my previous attempts, I'd like to know which goalie, in the last 20 years, is held in highest regard. I always go back to Vernon because that season is untoppable to me, though Osgood did eventually win me over.

The reason why I have been obsessed with this topic is that I have become a BIG Jimmy Howard fan this season. From following him in Grand Rapids, to doubting his potential as an NHL goalie, to seeing him become a Calder Trophy finalist, to watching his Game 4 heroics under intense pressure, The Deal has become one of my favorites of all the Wings goalies. When he lost his mask in that game on Tuesday he didn't flinch, he kept his focus, and he covered the puck in the middle of a crowd. I could see the playoff fire in his eyes.

Whether or not the Wings win tonight, or the series, Howard has done something that no other goalie has in Detroit: made me a true believer. Am I a Homer? Perhaps, but I doubted the guy just as much as everybody else when Ken Holland let Ty Conklin go and gave Howard the role as Ozzy's backup. The guy has shown the brass, the sandpaper, and the balls all season long to earn and deserve my respect and admiration. I can forgive him for his follies.

It bothered me when people called for Osgood after Game 3, but that is what we do, what we've always done with our goalies...isn't it? The attitude of the fans may never change in Detroit when it comes to the goaltending position--it is the toughest job in all of Michigan sports--but Howard has successfully altered my perceptions, and the feeling is euphoric.

Peace

Bert Talks Wings With HUGE

2010-04-21T19:48:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Much-maligned amongst fans around the NHL, Todd Bertuzzi has made a career out of, well, pissing off his opponents.

He is in his 15th season in the NHL, and though he was once one of the league's best players and most dominant forces, he is still searching for his first Stanley Cup ring.

Bert played three seasons with the New York Islanders before spending the bulk of his career with the Canucks, but he has bounced around the room since leaving Vancouver, splitting the last four seasons between the Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, and the Wings. This season is his second stint in Detroit.

On Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Bertuzzi chatted with Bill Simonson of The HUGE Show and discussed the series with Phoenix and Tuesday's big Game 4 win. Brett Muller, the talented producer of The HUGE Show and all-around good guy, got me the audio of the interview and I put together this slideshow for your viewing and listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Peace

Don't Blame Howard, Not Yet

2010-04-19T07:40:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Sunday, April 18, 2010
Round 1, Game 3
Coyotes 4 @ Red Wings 2

I've been reading the comments and listening to the mutters. "It's time to put Chris Osgood in."

Starting goalie for the Red Wings truly is the toughest job in Detroit. The guy mopping the floors at Popeye's Chicken on Woodward Ave wouldn't trade positions--at least he doesn't get blamed when someone else burns the biscuits.

What is the reasoning behind the lack of faith for goalies in Hockeytown? What is with the love/hate schizophrenic relationship we fans have with that position? Why does the spotlight of negativity shine brightest on the dude in net over all the 12 forwards and six defensemen in front? How about complaining about how the Wings were unable to take advantage of a team that had lost its best player and captain for the last half of the game? The half of the game that Detroit played its worst!

In Game 1 Howard kept the score within reach by making 19 saves in the third period but the rest of the team got out-worked and out-played. In Game 2 he out-dueled Ilya Bryzgalov in an absolute shooting spree. In Game 3 his team played flat the entire game, got out-shot (14-9) in the third period for the second time when trailing in the game, and at times left him completely vulnerable.

Okay, so Howard's @#$% was weak on that fourth goal, but that was the first goal of the series that I put on his head. Here is a breakdown of the Wings' breakdowns on Phoenix's first three goals.

Goal #1 went to Sami Lepisto who scored just 30 seconds into the game. Nicklas Lidstrom and Johan Franzen played hot potato with the puck in the neutral zone and the Coyotes, as always, pressured the puck and forced it deep into the zone. Petr Prucha got a couple of shots on goal and put the puck in front from behind the net. Martin Hanzal should have scored directly in front, but Pavel Datsyuk made a great play to get the puck out of the crease. The puck squirted out and Lepisto hustled and beat out two Wings to it and found the open net. When the play collapses down low around the goalie and sticks and skates are flashing everywhere, guys have to come to the aid of their goaltender and sniff out and clear those pucks. Howard was left scrambling around the crease because his team was too busy watching the play.

Goal #2 was a rebound put in by Wijtek Wolski, who won a battle for the puck in the neutral zone (again) and moved the puck into the Wings' zone. Matthew Lombardi picked up the puck and got a bad angle shot on Howard, but Howard gave up a bad angle rebound. In these situations the trailing defenders must pick up and neutralize those crashing in on the net. The culprit in this play was Justin Abdelkader as Wolski followed his forward momentum in towards the rebound. Abby was late picking him up and Phoenix got another goal on another open look at the net. Howard directed the shot into play on his left, but he had plenty of teammates around in front of him that could have/should have nullified the rebounded puck.

Goal #3 was Sportscenter's #1 Top Play this morning. Can you really fault a goalie when an NHL goal beats out all other plays from all other games in all other sports on a Sunday? Prucha dropped the puck off the boards to Radim Vrbata who made a quick pass back to put Prucha into a position to skate by Lidstrom and get horizontal with speed in front of Howard. This is a situation where, as a defender, you never want to leave your goalie in. Moving side-to-side following a pass is difficult enough, but to track a player at full speed moving across the top of the crease might be the toughest play for a goalie to defend against. The shooter has an array of options from slipping the puck through the five-hole to elevating an easy wristshot over the goalie's glove/stick when he's down low to take away the ice surface. Prucha had Howard frozen on the near post and with that speed he easily moved got in front and was able to slide it in on the far side.

Even on goal #4, the Wings made a bad turnover in the Coyotes' zone and Jonathan Ericsson and Lidstrom were caught in a change. Phoenix brought the puck up so fast that Lidstrom did not have a chance to get set in his position and left the shooter with an open look. Howard has to stop that shot, and he has stopped those shots all series, but that one bad goal happened to be the the nail in the Game 3 coffin and was the one most remembered immediately after the game.

Notice how I mentioned Lidstrom's name in three of those four goals. Nick is the man, my Wing, has been since I first saw him skate. Barry Melrose said that the Coyotes made him look "average" in Game 3, and he was. He was also slow. He also had a minus-three rating. Yet the game hangs on Howard's head in the eyes of many fans. Nobody would dare say "Bench Lidstrom!" and this writer is nowhere near those words. But I will stand up for Howard and say that Lidstrom played a bad game, and when your best defenseman played like Nick did yesterday, your goalie is going to look like the jerk.

So, to those who are calling "Ozzy! Ozzy!", I now give you three reasons why the Wings must stick with Howard (even though he doesn't deserve to be benched anyway).

1. Chris Osgood is as cold as a Foreigner concert is cool.

In 2008 when Chris Osgood replaced Dominik Hasek in the first round of the playoffs, Ozzy started the same amount of games (40) and appeared in two more than the Dominator in the regular season. He had a better goals-against average and save percentage too. Hasek was on a short leash and Mike Babcock yanked him quickly. Howard took over the starting job in Detroit because he lead Osgood in every single statistical category. In 2010 Ozzy has only appeared in five games and was defeated all of his three starts, averaging four goals allowed per game in those losses. Detroit's problem is not Howard, and Osgood is not Detroit's answer. Not this season anyway.

2. Bryzgalov is better than Howard. The Coyotes have played better than the Wings

I'm not going to show a bunch of statistics for this point, I already did that before the series started. Both goalies had surprisingly great regular seasons. Howard is deserving of the Calder Trophy and maybe is in the discussion for the Vezina. Bryzgalov is deserving of the Vezina and is surely discussed for the Hart Trophy. Bryzgalov has more playoff experience and a Stanley Cup ring. Neither goalie has played exceptional so far in this series. The real difference so far between these two in the series is Bryz's team has played cleaner and tighter than Howard's.

3. History says, "Wings lost two games? No big deal!".

What does this series have in common with Detroit's opening rounds in the Stanley Cup seasons of 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008? Each of those teams lost two games in the first round. In '97 the Wings were tied 2-2 with St. Louis before winning in six. In 1998 they went down 2-1 to...guess who...Phoenix, and won the series in six. The Hall of Fame team went down 0-2 in '02 to Vancouver before ripping up four straight against the Canucks to win in six. Nashville snagged two of the first three games against the Wings in 2008 before the Wings three in a row to wrap up that series in six. Four first rounds all pushed to six-games all resulting in Stanley Cup Championships.

Sit tight everybody. The Wings aren't done, and neither is Jimmy.

Peace.

Mr. Abdelkader Goes To Phoenix, Mr. Zetterberg Goes To Arby's

2010-04-17T16:50:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Mike Babcock is a hockey genius, but I think every fan in Hockeytown knew how much the Wings need Justin Abdelkader in the lineup to add energy and physicality for the playoffs.

Now I'm not saying that Abby is the sole reason why Detroit flipped the physical play on Phoenix (Wings-38/Coyotes 31 in Game 2 compared to Wings-20/Coyotes 43 in Game 1), but he did register five hits in just 8:27.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IN 8 AND 1/2 MINUTES?

Not only did Abdelkader tie for second most hits for Detroit (Brad Stuart-7) with the second least amount of ice time, but he also had two shots on goal, earned a plus-one rating, and had one tremendous takeaway that led to an even more tremendous goal:

“We worked them down low, I came off the bench late, the third guy, they passed up to Wolski," Abdelkader said. “I just came behind him and took the puck away and saw I had a lot of open ice, was able to make a move and get a shot."

The goal gave the Wings their first lead of the game and was a spark that his team desperately needed.

WINGS' PHYSICAL PLAY LEADS TO A SHOWCASE OF SKILLS

By throwing the bodies back at the Coyotes, Detroit was finally able to open up some ice for their snipers, and guess which one tied Abdelkader in hits? #40, Henrik Zetterberg, racked up two more hits than the three goals he scored.

Who's got my curly fries? Z picked up his (and Detroit's) second hat trick of the season and showed the grit and attitude that a team leader needs to demonstrate in the postseason, and everyone else seemed to follow suit.

Hank, Pavel Datsyuk, and Valtteri Filppula all got lost in Game 1, but in Game 2 the trio combined for six goals on 18 shots on goal (six apiece). Zetterberg shot with 50% accuracy and posted a plus-two rating. Filpps scored twice, added an assist, and was also a plus-two. With an Adrian Aucoin blanket draped around him, Datsyuk took a cross ice pass from Johan Franzen and placed a perfect shot just under the cross bar.

Todd Bertuzzi had two assists: one on Filppula's first and the other on Zetterberg's game-winning second goal. That line collaborated for eight points on the night.

“We just knew our line had to step up and put the puck in the net," Bertuzzi said. “We had tons of opportunities to score, it was just a matter of time. Henrik played terrific. Fil did a really good job shooting."

The Wings figured out what they had to do last night. If they can continue to keep Shane Doan, Martin Hanzal (It's that damn Hanzal! He's so hot right now!) and the rest of the Coyotes from owning the boards and controlling the tempo of the game, Ilya Bryzgalov won't stand a chance against all their fire power.

Peace

Video Collage of Bob McNamara's Appearance On The HUGE Show

2010-04-16T19:11:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Bob McNamara, the general manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins, sat down with Bill Simonson of The HUGE Show for a remote broadcast at Huntington Bank on 28th St. in Grand Rapids on Thursday, April 15, 2010.

Bob and Bill discussed Detroit's Game 1 loss to Phoenix; what went wrong, and what needs to be done to win Game 2. McNamara also provided insight on everything from Ken Holland's juggling act, to Steve Yzerman's young career in hockey management, to the development of Justin Abdelkader and what role he will play in the 2010 playoffs and in the future for the Red Wings.

As always Bill provided a light, relaxed, conversational atmosphere for his guest, and McNamara's knowledge of Hockeytown, the NHL, and hockey in general shines through brilliantly.

The interview below is edited from over an hour's worth of audio, so it is a little choppy transitioning from commercial breaks, but the content is top-notch! I added the still photos to the interview to provide a slide-show, visiual narration.

Enjoy!

Peace

People From Phoenix Are Phonecians

2010-04-15T10:19:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Wednesday, April 15, 2010
Round 1, Game 1: Red Wings 2 @ Coyotes 3

What does playoff season mean to me? It means a couple extra beers and a few less hours of sleep. 7:00 AM came very quick this morning--and grogginess and headaches are always worse to deal with the morning after a Wings playoff loss.

PHONECIANS PLAY PHYSICAL

Detroit did not play a bad game last night, but they did lack playoff intensity and were continuously roughed up, especially late in the game. The Coyotes beat the snot out of the Wings to the tune of 43 hits to 20. 43 is a very high number, though nobody should have been surprised by the discrepancy in that category.

The Wings rarely out-hit their opposition and the prototypical game plan against Detroit in the playoffs is to play as physical as possible. Phoenix is a physical team. They're that type of team. They're not the type of team that will go out and score three powerplay goals to beat you...

HOW THE HELL DID THE COYOTES SCORE 3 POWERPLAY GOALS?

Detroit had the tenth best penalty killing unit in the NHL this regular season at 83.9% and gave up only four powerplay goals in the previous 53 shorthanded situations (93%).

The Coyotes ranked 28th (that's third-worst) in the league with their 14.7% power play efficiency and had scored just twice in their last 32 man-advantage opportunities (6%).

"Our PK kind of let us down tonight, which is disappointing because we've been so good lately,'' Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart said. "They won some faceoffs and were putting the puck on net.''

They were also putting the puck in net. Shane Doan screened Jimmy Howard on Keith Yandle's shot from the point for the first goal. Wojtek Wolski got a wide-open one-timer for the second. Derek Morris had a clean look off a clean face-off win and got the game-winning slapshot.

Three powerplay goals is the surprising result of Phoenix just grinding, hustling, and taking advantage of opportunities. Three powerplay goals is an anomaly.

So was Tomas Holmstrom's wristshot against Ilya Bryzgalov.

BRYZZY'S GIMME

Chances are Holmstrom, or any other Red Wing for that matter, will never score another goal against Ilya Bryzgalov quite like this:

Bryzgalov saw the shot. He reacted to it. His glove tried to close on it. He just missed it.

What was Holmer doing shooting a wrister from the blue line anyway? Kids, this is why you always put the puck on the net...you never know what'll happen.

We better believe that Bryz was embarrassed by that goal. His focus will be sharper from here on out because of that goal. The Phoenicians proved how dangerous they can be when they're down by one, and how difficult they can be when they're up by one. Down by a goal for nearly the entire third period, Detroit got out-shot 20-10 and Bryzgalov swallowed everything up with ease. Detroit will have to be more aggressive in order to create more shots against the Coyotes in Game 2.

The Wings lost Game 1 on the road, at least they didn't lose Game 1 at home. San Jose. New Jersey. Pittsburgh.

Peace

Should Babcock and Tippett Fight To the Death for Jack Adams?

2010-04-14T13:39:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

As intriguing as the Jimmy Howard V Ilya Bryzgalov matchup looks, the battle of brains between Mike Babcock and Dave Tippett could be even more compelling.

Both coached their respective teams to surprising finishes in the regular season. Tipps lifted the Coyotes out of the NHL gutters and led them to the fourth-best record in the NHL. Babs held together a proud but injury-plagued roster through one of the Red Wings' more memorable regular seasons in the last 10, 20, 30, maybe 40 years.

Both men are deserving of coach of the year honors, though it appears as if Tippett has the edge (according to media sources outside of Detroit). Babcock has never won the award despite being considered (also by most media outside of Detroit) as the best coach in the league, and he might be most deserving of it now more than ever.

Maybe they could share it? Split the trophy in half. The hockey media could come up with one of those spliced names for them like the tabloids did with BrAngelina. How about CockTipp?

Okay, let's get serious, we're in the playoffs now!

HOW DO YOU REPLACE THE 'GREAT ONE'?

Tippet will probably win the Jack Adams Trophy over Babcock in his first season at Phoenix after supplanting Wayne Gretzky. Does he deserve it? Absolutely, regardless of which team advances to the Western Conference Semifinals.

Tippett's first NHL coaching job was in Dallas where he spent the previous six seasons and took the Stars to the playoffs in every one except his last. The Stars won the Pacific Division twice and once made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2008 under his watch. (Who did they lose to? Damn right!)

In any other situation where someone might be asked to takeover a job that Wayne Gretzky left behind, the expectations would be too high to attain. Not in this case. Gretzky was the "Subpar One" as head coach in Phoenix. His Coyotes missed the playoffs in each of his four seasons, and they peaked at 38 wins and 83 points in 2007-08. They rolled around in the muck of the division, never finished higher than fourth, and in Wayne's final season in the desert they went 36-39-7 and declared bankruptcy. No wonder his head looked like a ripened tomato. He's lucky he didn't have a heart attack or blow a blood vessel in his brain. Don't people normally migrate to Arizona to relax when they get on in age?

Here is a picture gallery of Wayne Gretzky coaching the Phoenix Coyotes...

...wow...that's like a photographic timeline of his coaching demise. Here is one picture of Wayne Gretzky immediately after he resigned...

Tippet stepped into a disaster of a franchise and immediately got focus from his players and attention from the fans. He seamlessly transitioned a young, upstart team from a place of uncertainty and controversy to a very confident and talented fourth seed in the West.

Veteran players like Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski helped that metamorphosis--as did the Vezina Trophy candidate between the pipes--but Tippett deserves the credit. That's some great coaching.

BUT WHAT ABOUT BABS?

"We've had a great run. In saying that, the most remarkable stretch for me is when we had eight guys missing (due to injuries) and the guys hung in there and battled and chipped away and found ways to win games. To me, that's more remarkable than what we've done since the Olympic break."

That was Babcock after the win over Chicago last Sunday. Does he want the Jack Adams Trophy? Probably. Does he care if he doesn't get it? Probably not.

Babcock is the epitome of a hockey coach. Sly, sarcastic, intense, and most importantly: he's successful. Twist what he said and forget what he did with a healthy team in the last 21 games of the season. Rather take a look at what he did with the first 61 games with a tattered roster. It really was incredible that the Wings were even in a position to make a run for the playoffs.

I was a little concerned coming out of the Olympics break. A season in somewhat disarray, and he had just coached a win-gold-or-else team in the biggest hockey tournament in the world (which happened to be held on his home soil).

How does a guy focus on Team Canada when Team Detroit is sitting in ninth place in the West? How does a guy refocus on Team Detroit after winning gold with Team Canada? How does one man balance the highest hockey expectations in the world and in the NHL all in one year?

Babs has juggled more crap this season than any other coach, and he has come out smelling like a winner. Tippett may have the edge on the Jack Adams Trophy, but Babcock has the edge on Tippett in experience and results. Check out his resume:

2002-03 (40-27-9-6): Took Anaheim to the franchise's first Stanley Cup Finals in his first season as a head coach in the NHL.
2005-06 (58-16-8): Coached the Red Wings to a franchise second-best 58 wins in his first season in Detroit.
2006-07 (50-19-13): Led Detroit into its first season without the team's heart and soul (Steve Yzerman) for the first time in 25 seasons...won the Central Division and reached the Western Conference Finals.
2007-08 (54-21-7): Proved that somebody other than Scotty Bowman could bring a Stanley Cup to Hockeytown in the modern era.
2008-09 (51-21-10): Became the first coach in NHL history to win at least 50 games in four-straight seasons...then he coached in the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons and his third in six seasons.

Babcock is a coaching/winning machine. It is either tragedy or dumb luck that he has never taken home the hardware for best coach. It looks like it will be because of the latter this time around. Too bad, because this might be his most deserving season.

But whatever, he has his eyes on a bigger prize.

Peace

Wings Year In Review, Part II: Was This A Fateful Season Turned Around By Fate?

2010-04-13T17:31:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Back in the middle of the season, many people were calling this a fateful season for the Red Wings. Now that they have miraculously climbed their way into the fifth seed many more might say that it has been an act of fate.

I do not agree with either outlook. I'd rather look at the season as a whole and see where things went wrong, went right, and how this team managed to end up with 102 points and the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

If anyone ever wants to know what kind of an impact injuries can have on a team, tell them about the Red Wings of 2009-10. With several offensive absences before the season even started things were already stacked against Detroit. Then Johan Franzen was lost with an ACL injury, and the dominoes began to fall. That bastard injury bug transformed what was supposed to be a semi-transition year in Detroit and into a season of 82 battles in a war to make the playoffs. As player after player got bit, Mike Babcock pushed his depleted lines forward and squeezed all possible production from every ounce of potential.

I'm going to take a looooooong look back on the regular season to all of the departures and the injuries, and just how impactful additions like Patrick Eaves and Drew Miller were to this team.

HOSS-SUCK TO THE SUCK-HAWKS

Let's start with the departed. Most notable would have to be Marian Hossa who signed a 12-year, $62.8 million deal with Chicago for a shot at three straight Stanley Cup Finals defeats with three different teams.

What did we have with Mary-Anne last season? A team-leading 40 goals along with 71 points in 74 games during the regular season, but only six goals and 15 points in 22 playoff games. What have we missed this season? Hossa missed the first couple of months this season but still put up 24 goals and 51 points in 57 games. For comparisons sake, Pavel Datsyuk scored 27 goals in 80 games, Tomas Holmstrom got 25 in 68, and Henrik Zetterberg netted 23 in 74.

He was a hired gun that misfired in the playoffs, that is all. I sat next to a couple of Blackhawks fans at The Joe who drove in from Chicago for the game on my birthday on January 17. I told them, "Good luck with that 12-year contract." They both expressed concern and disappointment in the commitment to Hossa.

SAMI'S CAREER YEAR IN VANCOUVER

Then there is Mikael Samuelsson, the Swede who bounced around the league until landing in Hockeytown for four solid seasons. Sami was never known best for his abundance of scoring in Detroit, but rather his timely goals and ability to annoy the piss out of his opponents.

What did we have with Samuelsson? 19 goals and 40 points in 81 games last season. Modest compared to Hossa, though with those numbers he would rank fourth and seventh in goals and points respectively for the Wings this season. What have we missed? Samuelsson flourished in his first season with Vancouver and, at age 33, achieved career highs in both goals (30) and points (53) in 74 games.

He is a guy that is probably remembered less than others, but we might miss his shot and toughness more than anybody else during the playoffs.

HUDLER THE HEDGEHOG VISITS MOSCOW

How about the Russian immigrant, Jiri Hudler? "The Hedgehog" remains a polarizing player even after he fled for a tax-free contract. Some people hated him to begin with, some despise him for leaving, and some miss his spunkiness and offensive talents.

What did we have with Huds? 23 goals and 57 points while playing all 82 games last season. What have we missed? It's hard to judge the numbers without seeing the competition on the ice, but Hudler averaged a point per game(54) and scored 19 goals for the Dynamo of Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Signs seem to be pointing to a return of Mr. Spunky to Hockeytown next season. His welcome will likely be mixed, but if he can put up 20/50 again, hard feelings will surely be forgotten.

Those three players were all in the top ten in scoring for Detroit last season. (Tomas Kopecky also left and he ranked 13th in points for the Wings last season, though I don't think anybody really misses him that much.) You cannot replace that type of production; not with as of a budget as Ken Holland had.

What Holland did to counteract the departures was masterful work of finding the right pieces that have fit perfectly. These free acquisitions have been as important to the success of this season as anybody.

BERRRRR-TURRRRRD-ZZIIIII!

Let me start with the Turdzzi. In Detroit Todd Bertuzzi has been anything but his old self. He kinda plays physical. He sometimes scores goals. He occasionally shoots when he has an open look. And despite all that luke-warm praise, Mr. Burt has been the Iron Man of forwards for the Wings as he has played in every single game this season (Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart are the only others to do so), whether we want him out there or not.

I have been kind of hard on Bertuzzi all season long for the dumb passes, stupid penalties, and caveman-like decisions. I couldn't stand the guy when he was in Vancouver, and I did not like the move to bring him to Detroit the first time, let alone again for this season.

However, his 18 goals are good for fourth on the team, his four game-winners is third most, and his 44 points puts him at fifth. He has been rotated into virtually every combination on every line thinkable by Mike Babcock, and the guy rolls with it. He has bought in and he loves it here.

Is he perfect? Hell no. Does he take too many penalties in the offensive zone? Hell yes. But that's Bert, the guy you love to hate and hate to love.

WINGS CLEAN UP ON EAVES

It took a while to really notice Patrick Eaves, but now he has wormed his way into our hearts with his endless energy on the penalty kill and forecheck, and his surprising toughness. Check out his fight against Kris Versteeg from my birthday game:

Not too pretty, but he hung right in there, didn't duck nor hide, and got some good shots in on Versteeg.

I love the third line of him and Kris Draper winging for Darren Helm. With all that speed they are a tough matchup for any line in the NHL, and they have the production to prove it. The trio finished ninth through eleventh in points for the Wings, Helm with 24, and Draper and Eaves each with 22.

What a bounce-back season for Mr. Eaves! He showed immense potential with the Ottawa Senators in 2005-06, scoring 20 goals as a rookie and accumulated 32 points with 14 goals his sophomore season. But he slumped after that, only scoring eleven goals over the next three seasons. He has 12 this season.

DETROIT STRIKES LIGHTNING WITH DREW

How happy do you think Drew Miller is that the Tampa Bay Lightning let him clear waivers earlier this season? How happy are you that the Wings snatched him up?

The former Sparty was an Anaheim call-up for the 2006-07 Stanley Cup Champion Ducks. That's him there holding the Cup as his brother, Ryan, forces a jealous smile. Over the next few seasons he continued to split time with the Portland Pirates in the AHL. He never fully cracked the Ducks' egg, and he was goal-less and scoreless in 14 games as a role player without a role in Tampa. The Wings picked him up in November and he finished with double digit goals (10) and 19 points.

Why did Justin Abdelkader stay put in Grand Rapids? Because it's been Miller's time. He has been like a really good Grateful Dead concert from Jerry's final years: a gem from the scrap heap. His gritty work on the fourth line and self-sacrificing style on the penalty kill make him invaluable at the end of the roster.

He has an impressive plus-five rating in a Wings jersey which is tied with Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom and better than Dan Cleary/Helm/Draper (-2), Valtteri Filppula (-4), and Jason Williams/Bertuzzi (-7). Miller reminds me of Maltby in his younger years. Hopefully he remains a Wing for a long time.

Who knows where Miller would have landed if it were not for Wings' depleted roster early in the season? Speaking of a depleted roster, this team's chemistry and character stems from the guys who fell and picked themselves back up this season. Without the injuries this team would be in an entirely different position, though that is not necessarily a bad thing anymore.

WITH AND WITHOUT THE MULE

This team took on an entirely different look when Johan Franzen blew out his ligament against Chicago in the third game of the season. Though he was just the first of many to fall, his absence was missed the most; the Wings' top lines were not nearly as dynamic without him.

When he finally came back in February expectations were high that the Wings would immediately flip the ship around, but they lost two of his first three games back despite his two goals and three points. Franzen played for Sweden which helped with his timing and stamina, so when the Wings resumed their season the mule was ready to pack everyone on his back and lead down the long, treacherous trail towards the playoffs.

The Mule can score from anywhere on the ice, but when he gets the puck around the opposition's net the guy is nearly unstoppable. I also understand that he can even melt red leotards right off of roadies with his work on the guitar...but I have no personal experience watching that.

He opens up the ice for Pavel Datsyuk and draws attention away from Tomas Holmstrom. He changes the complexion of the team and provides great flexibility for Babcock. There is no way, no possible way that the Wings would have made the playoffs without his return.

INJURED KNEE, DONE DIRT CHEAP

Niklas Kronwall was having a breakout season offensively with five goals and 13 points in 21 games before his MCL was blown up from a knee-to-knee hit courtesy of Montreal's George Laraque. Kronwall missed two months. Laraque received a five-game suspension.

Kronner returned in late January, perhaps rushing the knee, but had to go back on the shelf in February. He has been relatively healthy since the Olympics break, and in that 21-game stretch he posted nine points and just two goals, though both goals and five of those points came in the final seven games of the season.

It looks like Kronwall is just now getting back into offensive form for the playoffs, though I'm looking for the bone-splintering hits rather than the goals! (Click on the picture to the left and play Where's Waldo for the four ladies with the "Oh My!" expressions on their faces. Priceless!)

Let's see, who else was there? Valtteri Filppula missed 27 games. Jason Williams lost 38. Holmstrom was sidelined for 14. Dan Cleary for 18, Eaves for 17, and Henrik Zetterberg for eight. Between injury and healthy scratches Jonathan Ericsson missed 20 and Kirk Maltby 30. Did I mention exactly how many Franzen missed? 55! Oh, and Andreas Lilja, who may not be a favorite amongst the fans but still is super solid on defense, missed an entire calendar year. Am I missing anybody?

It has been a ludicrous season when it comes to injury-induced adversity, but these guys persevered and finished better than any team in the league.

Some people believe in fate, that everything happens for a reason, or that God intended things to be a certain way for a certain purpose. I do not. (But then again I believe in Bigfoot.) If it was indeed fate that led to the prevalence of guys like Eaves and Miller, and the revitalization of guys like Draper and Lilja, then it must have also been fate that caused all those injuries too.

Perhaps that is the way of the world works, and perhaps a seven feet hominids covered in hair are tramping around Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It all depends on how you perceive things. I perceive the Wings as a team that worked extremely hard in the face of seemingly insurmountable hardships, relied heavily on each other and their coaches and their fans, and emerged out of a pile of shit shinier than any team in the NHL.

Chalking this season up to fate does not give this team the credit it deserves. I hope that I have.

Peace.

Wings Year In Review, Part I: From Down To Up and How Relevant This Season Actually Was

2010-04-12T19:18:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Detroit's blistering finish to the regular season has been highly publicized and discussed from media outlets local and national. But how good was it really? And how does this almost "down" season compare with the great and relevant teams of recent years past?

The Red Wings have not only looked like the Red Wings of old in recent weeks, they have looked better. To illustrate, here is a breakdown of Detroit's season into four quarters.

1. First 20 games of season: 10-6-4, 24 points, .500 winning percentage.
2. Next 20 games: 10-8-2, 22, .500
3. Next 21 games: 8-7-6, 22 points, .381
4. Last 21 games (since NHL play resumed from the Olympics break): 16-3-2, 34 points, .762

That final stretch has been unbelievable and unbelievably enjoyable to watch. What is crazy about that run is if you subtract eight points from that total of 34, four wins from that total of 16, the Wings would still have attained their best quarter of the season but would not have made the playoffs. That is how necessary and important each of those wins were!

Detroit just barely managed to earn 100 points for the tenth straight season, but get this--they only had ten less points than last season, which has been the measuring stick for this season all along.

This group of Wings accumulated only 13 points less than that great 2007-08 Stanley Cup team, and just 14 less than that Hall of Fame, 2001-02 Stanley Cup team that Mitch Albom referred to as "the best team-ever". Not too "down" of a season in comparison, eh?

This is even more interesting...I was shocked to look back and see this. If you go back to the 1990s, back to the back-to-back Stanley Cup seasons, the Wings earned just one more point in 1997-98 than this season! They earned eight less than in 1996-97!

Are you freaking kidding me? That squad was my favorite roster of all time and will no doubt go down in my books as the greatest Red Wings team that I will ever see! I broke down that 96-97 season into quarters too, check this out.

1. 11-7-2 (2 ties), 24 points
2. 9-6-5, 23 points
3. 10-6-5, 25 points
4. 8-7-6, 22 points

A very consistent, if not outstanding season, and very similar to this year in the first 61 games with 72 points then and 68 now. With 94 points, the 1996-97 Wings were the third seed in the Western Conference. With 94 points the 2009-10 Wings would not even make the playoffs!

So, in case you're just tuning in, that final run was huge, and this season has been special!

I hate to call this guy out again, but someone commented on one of my Facebook posts that the Wings are not "relevant" this year. What the guy probably meant is, "The NHL regular season doesn't matter, and if the Wings aren't in the hunt then what's the point in paying attention to hockey?" I understand this mentality, and I hate it. It reeks of fan entitlement and the Red Wings' band-wagon ride. I also understand that for a lot of people, hockey is a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth sport. That's fine. But how can anyone living in Michigan say that the Red Wings are irrelevant when the football team goes 2-30 in the past two seasons and gets more coverage and draws more fan attention with an offseason free agency signing? Don't get me wrong! I follow the damn Lions' every move too! Relevance!

Sorry for the digression, but I'm not quite done. I don't normally discuss teams and seasons in which my only frames of reference are statistics and stories, but could this be the most relevant Red Wings regular season since 1983-84 when a rookie by the name of Steve Yzerman revived the "Dead" Wings. I don't know, I can't say, I was only two/three years old during that season.

Has this regular season been more relevant than Scotty Bowman's second season in 1995-96? Do you remember what made that season so relevant besides the birth of the Colorado rivalry? Does 62 wins ring a bell. An NHL record jog your memory? Pretty damn relevant, but where was the controversy, the struggle, the adversity to make it so compelling?

The second installment of my Year In Review will be posted soon!

Peace

The West Is The Best! More First Round Predictions

2010-04-12T14:52:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Once again the point totals in the Western Conference destroy those in the East. Check this out:

The Capitols won the Presidents Trophy with a disgusting 121 points, but only three other teams from the East broke the century mark. Seven squads hit triple digits in the West.

Ottawa, the fifth seed in the East with 94 points, would not even make the playoffs if they were located in Manitoba instead of Ontario. The third-seeded Sabres (100) would land behind Nashville for the eighth and final spot if they played in Bmidji, Minnesota (that one's for you, Al and Darnold). Pittsburgh (101, fourth seed) would have to rely on a tiebreaker just to get ahead of Los Angeles in the standings.

It's not just the playoff teams in the West that are superior. Dallas finished the season 12th in the conference, but tied Philadelphia with 88 points. Hell, Anaheim (89) would have been the seventh seed if they were located in Maine instead of California. It's simply pathetic that neither team from New York City, especially the Rangers, could claw their way into the playoffs. And how about that proud franchise in Toronto, finishing last in the conference with 74 points. So sad. Poor Canada.

The Western Conference playoff teams are frightenly good from top to bottom, and they are all led by outstanding goaltenders. Here are the starting goalies in order of their team's playoff position:

1. Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose)
2. Antti Niemi (Chicago)
3. Roberto Luongo (Vancouver)
4. Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix)
5. Jimmy "The Deal" Howard (Hockeytown)
6. Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles)
7. Pekka Rinne (Nashville)
8. Craig Anderson (Colorado)

These guys are all amazing puck stoppers and in many cases (Brygalov, Howard, Quick, Rinne, Anderson) they are MVPs of their teams. With goaltending like that, any team could upset any team, but I only see one actually happening: Anderson and the Avalanche against the Sharks.

With six teams fighting for playoff spots on Sunday, San Jose sat at home and watched the top seed fall to them, thanks to the Wings! With 113 points, the shaky Sharks are the team with home advantage that is most likely to be bounced in the first round. Yes the Avalanche tanked towards the end of the season (three wins in last 13 games), but the Sharks are notorious for blundering away great regular season numbers once they get into the playoffs.

The key to this matchup will be goaltending. Nabokov was nabawful for Russia in the Olympics and owns a not-so-sweet 32-31 record in the NHL playoffs. If Anderson can play like he did in the first 75% of the season, the Avalanche will win this series. I'm betting he does and they do.

Colorado could have made things a great deal easier on the Red Wings if they would have just held onto their one goal lead against the Kings on Sunday. The various scenarios between the Wings and Kings and the seeds in the West made my head hurt (more). As I watched the Wings lose their one goal lead to Chicago, Los Angeles tied things up, and then won in overtime.

Colorado probably lost on purpose! Damn Avalanche! The Wings rule! Get over it!

Quick finished the season sixth in the league with 39 wins and will match up against Canada's golden turd, Luongo, who sits at fifth in the NHL with 40 wins. LUUU led his Canucks to a Northwest Division title and the third seed in the West. Quickie has carried his team on his pads all season, getting 72 starts out of LA's 82 games, but I cannot fathom him out-dueling Luongo. Nor can I imagine the Kings out-scoring the Canucks,

Vancouver has too much fire power with 272 goals scored this season, good for second in the NHL. AND girls look really good in their jerseys. Los Angeles will have to be perfect on offense, perfect on defense, and Quick will have to look as good in goal as this chick does in order to win this series. If their 4-3-3 record over the last ten contests is any indicator, they will not find perfection in four out of seven games. LUUU will get Dank-couver to round two.

Like Vancouver, Nashville watched the action on Sunday, but unlike the Canucks, the Predators were in danger of losing ground in the standings. Nashville was tied with Detroit and one point ahead of LA before the games on Sunday, and if the Wings and Kings would have lost, the Preds held the tiebreaker over both for the fifth seed. Instead they sat idly by, slipped to seventh, and must now face Chicago who assumed the second seed position (demonstrated here by Jonathan Toews).

The Hawks needed the win against Detroit in order to have locked up the top seed in the West. Sucks for them!

It was a hostile, pressure packed environment for the Wings and an emotional game for Chicago. Former Blackhawk Eddie Olczyk was honored before the puck drop. All of the Hawks players gave the jerseys off their backs to a group of lucky fans after the game. The Hyatt Regency of Chicago even bestowed upon the team a chocolate statue for the team's tremendous season...I'm for super cereal on this one. Congratulations on winning second place in the conference! Have some dessert! I guess a life-size sculpted chocolate hockey player is an appropriate gift for the Blackhawks. I mean, girls do love chocolate, right?

The Hawks should not have much trouble against Nashville as long as Antti Niemi keeps playing well and the girls can get the puck past Pekka Rinne. Niemi has only faced the Predators one time out of the teams' six meetings this season, and he allowed four goals in a win.

If the goaltending is a stalemate, this series could be won from the blue-liners. Can Shea Weber and Dan Hamhuis shut down Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Toews? Will Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook be able to handle Patric Hornqvist, Steve Sullivan, and Martin Erat? Okay, so the bulk of the pressure will be on Nashville's defense, but their roster is full of capable and opportunistic scorers like Jason Arnott, David Legwand, and J.P. Dumont. The Hawks, still a young team, will have to limit their mistakes because the Preds will make them pay.

That said, Chi-Town will move on to the second round and keep those dreams of unicorns and princesses floating around in their fairy tale season. Enjoy your chocolate now, ladies. Your Stanely Cup drought will continue.

There always seems to be a surprise team to get an upset and make a run in the NHL playoffs. You know, that team that nobody wants to pick but everybody says, "Don't be surprised...but I just can't see it happening." I guess Colorado is that team for me, even though I'll be rooting against them every step of the way.

That wraps up my Western Conference predictions and previews. Have I forgotten a series? More to come...

Peace

First Round Predictions: Eastern Conference

2010-04-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Sunday was not just a great day for Hockeytown, it was a great day for hockey. Heading into the afternoon games, six of the possible eight playoff seeds were unsettled in the Western Conference, and five were unsecured in the East. The final day of the regular season had the look, feel, and intensity of the first day of the playoffs.

Here's a little review of Sunday's action, and preview the playoff matchups in the East:

The Washington Capitols are the clear-cut favorite finishing with 121 points; that's 18 more than the next best (New Jersey 103) and eight more than the Presidents Trophy runner-up (San Jose 107).

The Caps had nothing to play for yesterday against the Boston Bruins but still unleashed Alex Ovechkin (who scored 50 goals this season despite a nail sticking out of his head) in an attempt to get their super star the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for most goals on the season. The Caps lost in a shootout, Ovie was shutout, and Cry-sby (51) gets to share the award with super sophomore Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Washington is an obvious pick over Montreal in the first round. The Canadians (idle) fell to eighth in the standings after Philly bounced the Rangers (if the Rangers would have beat Philly, Montreal would have been the seventh seed with the tiebreaker over New York). I like the Canadians as a team, but they're just shit-outta-luck with this one.

The game was as meaningless for the Bruins as it was for the Caps as Boston sat snug ahead of both Montreal and Philadelphia despite Sunday's outcomes. However, for a team that has faced nearly as much injury woes as Detroit (ie Marc Savard on a stretcher)--and a similar veteran/rookie goalie controversy--their win over Washington was major for momentum. I like the Bruins, a lot, but not to get past Buffalo in the first round.

It's hard to say that Buffalo has had a disappointing season with 45 wins and 100 points, but with Ryan Miller in net more must be expected. I'm a Sabres fan going back to Pat LaFontaine, Dominik Hasek, Brad May and Rob Ray, but Buffalo is seriously overrated this season. They are lucky to have drawn the banged-up Bruins, and if it weren't for Miller, I would take Boston and rookie goalie Tuukka Rask in a long, ugly series.

The Sabres had an opportunity to snag the coveted second seed from the Devils on Sunday but could not stay out of their own way as the Devils scored a power play goal with only three seconds left in the game to win 2-1. As great as Miller is, his team cannot give the opposition three power plays in the last ten minutes of the game. These penalties were lazy too: Tyler Ennis-tripping, Steve Montador-holding, Mike Grier-holding. Inexcusable!

With the win over the Sabres on Sunday the Devils will face the Orange Mush from Philadelphia. The Flyers are a bad joke; their only saving grace is how poorly the fan base treats Sidney Crosby.

They traded away their future for Chris Pronger, banking on the big, dumb defenseman to help make a run for the Atlantic Division title. Instead they got atrocious goaltending, spotty goal-scoring, finished third in the division behind New Jersey and Pittsburgh, and needed a shootout victory on Sunday just to drag their asses into the playoffs.

As pumped up as I was for the Wings/Hawks game, I really wanted to watch the Rangers/Flyers game as well. Both teams hate each other, both sat at 86 points going into Sunday's game, and both were playing for the final playoff berth. It was essentially a game seven matchup; the biggest loser goes home.

Shame on the Rangers for continuing to suck and allowing the suckier Flyers to get in. But don't blame Henrik Lundqvist, he stopped 46 of the 47 shots he faced. Blame management for not giving Marian Gaborik an elite center to work with.

Anyway, the Flyers will get destroyed by the Devils in the first round...and I hope it's a sweep.

If the Devils would have lost that game without earning an overtime point, then the Penguins would have jumped in and stolen the division and grabbed the third seed. Crosby and company needed six goals and overtime to put away the Islanders on Sunday and will have to face the Senators (idle) in the four/five matchup in the first round.

This is a dangerous opening series for the defending Stanley Cup douche bags. Pittsburgh is not as good as the media thinks they are (the Wings finished with more points!), and Ottawa is either really good or really bad depending on the streak. Yet another rookie goalie, Brian Elliot, started the final nine of the Senators' 11-game winning streak back in January/early February, and also earned every victory in a six-game stretch in March/early April.

Do I think Ottawa can beat Pittsburgh in a seven-game series? Sure. Do I believe that they will? No.

Did I really pick the top four seeds to win their respective opening round series? Yup, I guess I did, because the bottom four teams are so inferior that they alll have less points than the eighth seed (Colorado) in the Western Conference.

Peace.

No, I have Not Forgot About Howard!

2010-04-12T08:21:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

If you have been following Lamp The Light lately you might have noticed that I made no mention of Detroit's goaltending during my Year In Review blogs. Though if you have been following me all season you know how much I'm in love with Jimmy "The Deal" Howard.

The Western Conference Playoffs is overflowing with talented and dominant goalies, though only two (Evgeni Nabokov and Roberto Luongo) have any substantial playoff experience. In fact, the only other goalie that has played in the NHL playoffs is Ilya Bryzgalov. Wait a minute, that can't be right...can it?

I checked with my statistician and...yup! Confirmed! That's incredible! Five different Western Conference goalies are making their NHL Playoffs debuts this season!

Nashville's Pekka Rinne, age 27, used to terrorize the Grand Rapids Griffins for three seasons in Milwaukee and took the Admirals to AHL Playoffs in each season.

Antti Niemi (26) as emerged over Cristobal Huet as the Blackhawks' starting guy, and outside of international play in Finland, he only has two AHL Playoff games with the Rockford Icehogs under his pads.

Jonathan Quick (24) was the third goalie chosen for the 2010 USA Olympics team, but he has played in only one playoff game in his post-peewee career (Manchester Monarchs, AHL).

At 28, Craig Anderson is the "Old Balls" of this bunch. He has the most NHL experience--appearing in games in seven seasons with three different teams--though he spent his previous years with some bad Blackhawks and Panthers teams (at least he had some nice scenery in Florida). Anderson does have eight playoff appearances between the OHL and the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals.

Howard (26) played in 30 playoff games in three of his four seasons with the Griffins. His AHL Playoff record stands at 12-17. Not that impressive, though neither was his overall career in Grand Rapids. That was then. This is now.

Howard V Bryzgalov will showcase two of the best and hottest young goaltenders in the NHL.

BRYZ FOR VEZ?

The mantle may have been passed for Russia's top puck-stopper after Nabokov's poor performance at the Olympics and Bryzgalov's breakout NHL season. The Coyotes hiked up their dresses to play the Cinderella role all season long. They locked up the fourth seed in the West with 107 points, good for third best in the conference and fourth in the league.

Phoenix was dying in the desert a year ago. Bankruptcy and a not-so-great run with part-owner Wayne Gretzky as head coach had the Coyotes choking on sand. The team literally had to be saved by Gary Bettman and the NHL.

Bryzgalov (29) has been as essential to his team's turnaround as rotting carrion is to a coyote's survival.

Here are Bryzzy's stats on the season:

GAMES PLAYED IN--69--7th in the NHL
WINS--42--3rd
SAVE %--.920--9th
GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE--2.29--6th
SHUTOUTS--8--2nd

Those numbers cry Vezina Trophy nomination. Phoenix captain Shane Doan believes his goalie is deserving of the hardware and capable of carrying the Coyotes deep into the playoffs:

"We think we have the best goalie in the league right now, so we think our goaltending is an advantage to us."

Doan is not dumb. Bryzgalov might just be the best goalie in the league. Plus he has appeared in 16 NHL Playoff games with a 9-5 record during two runs with the Anaheim Ducks behind Jean-Sebastian Giguere. He has a Stanley Cup ring. He wants another one, though this time he ain't no backup.

THE DEAL

I started calling Jimmy Howard "The Deal" early this season soon after he stepped in for a flu-ridden Chris Osgood. Watching him in Grand Rapids, he never impressed me all that much. I figured the Wings would keep bringing in the Ty Conklins of the league and Howard would eventually be released. Honestly!

It was November, 2009, when Howard flipped my entire perception of him. In eight starts Howie went 6-2-0 and allowed less than three goals in five games. I remember saying to a friend, "Wow! Howard is the real deal!" The Wings moved forward from there and Ozzy watched from the bench as his job was lost before his and our eyes. The rest is history, wrapped up nicely in this video. (You may want to mute your monitor, the song is unfortunate.)

The Deal! Howie is deceptively quick; he moves around in the crease like liquid. He has tremendous confidence when facing a shooter and when things get thick in front. And he has the best glove my eyes have ever seen on the hand of a Wings' goalie.

Check Howard's numbers and compare them to Bryzgalov's:

GAMES PLAYED IN--63--11th
WINS--37--8th
SAVE %--.924--4th
GAA--2.26--5th
SHUTOUTS--3--20th

The only category that Bryzzy has a substantial advantage over Howie is shutouts! Howard should be a lock for the Calder Trophy for best rookie, but he should also be in discussions for the Vezina!

Yet, as all of us know, the playoffs are an entirely different car grill full of dead Coyotes. We cannot be sure what to expect from Howard once the puck drops tonight. Mike Babcock understands this:

“It’s not like a playoff game until it’s a playoff game. You never know what’s between a guy’s ears until he’s been through it and survived."

Although the Wings have already faced a high volume of intense pressure just in the regular season, and Howard has thrived in the atmosphere thus far.

“The crowd’s going to be into it, the buildings are going to be loud, it’s going to be a lot of fun," Howard said. “I’ve been in pressure situations, I enjoy it."

Howie seems unflappable, and his upbeat humbleness is so refreshing:

“Plus, I got a great partner in Ozzie. I’m sure he’s going to be giving me little tidbits here and there about situations."

I love this guy! This is the product of four years spent wallowing in the minors. Howard, at least to this point, seems to have the perfect, loose, team-first orientation that it takes for a goalie to become a great regular season player to a star in the playoffs.

Let's @#$%ing Go Howie!

Peace

This Is The End...

2010-04-11T11:03:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Well all my beautiful friends, today the NHL regular season ends, and plenty of playoff seeds (and one berth) hang in the balance in both the Eastern and Western Conferences (see Rangers @ Flyers).

The Wings hit 100 points for the tenth straight season on Friday with a 1-0 shootout win over Columbus. The victory lofted Detroit into the fifth spot, but a loss to the Hawks today could drop them down to the seventh seed.

Chicago is riding a six game winning streak, and a seventh against Detroit would clinch the top spot in the West.

The Predators finished their impressive season with a shootout win last night against the Blues to tie the Wings in points. The Kings fell to the Oilers in a shootout, but the point earned in the loss kept them within one of Detroit. Los Angeles is in Colorado this afternoon.

Here is what the West looks like before the games today:

1. San Jose--113 points--0 games remaining
2. Chicago--111--1
3. Vancouver--103--0
4. Phoenix--107--0
5. Detroit--100--1
6. Nashville--100--0
7. Los Angeles--99--1
8. Colorado--94--1

Here is a breakdown of all the possible playoff scenarios based on all the possible outcomes for today:

Detroit Wins

If the Wings beat the Hawks then they will clinch the fifth seed and would play Phoenix in the first round. The Coyotes split the four-game season series with Detroit but needed overtime in each of their wins.

Ilya Bryzgalov is an incredible goalie, the best in the West in this writer's opinion, and has the potential to win a playoff series on his own. However he has not displayed dominance over Detroit. He gave up a total of 13 goals in the series and has yet to face a fully healthy Wings roster.

The fifth seed is ideal because you always want to finish as high in the standings as possible, but something scares me about the Coyotes.

Detroit Loses In Overtime/Shootout

In this scenario the Wings could still clinch the fifth spot, but they would need the Kings to lose. If Los Angeles gets two points then the teams would be tied with 101 points and the tiebreaker would be in favor of the Kings.

The Wings have an ugly-ass amount of overtime/shootout losses with 14. There are only three other teams in the league that have as many or more, and each is eliminated from playoff contention: Toronto (14), Dallas (14), Columbus (15). Why is this important? The first criteria for the tiebreaker is total wins, and the Wings have just 43 to LA's 45.

So, if the Kings win and the Wings only earn a point, Detroit will land in the sixth spot and face Vancouver. The Canucks are a scary team with all of that offense. Only Washington (315) has scored more goals than 'Couver (272) this season (the Wings scored 226). Roberto Luongo has not been stellar this season, but he does have Olympic gold confidence.

But like Bryzgalov, the Wings have been able to put plenty of pucks past Luongo. Detroit scored 15 goals in three wins and one loss against Vancouver this season. I like this matchup, but the Sedin brothers, Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, and the familiar Mikael Samuelsson (30 goals this season) are deadly. The pressure would fall on Jimmy Howard for the Wings to get past the Canucks.

Wings Lose In Regulation

This scenario would also depend on what the Kings do. If both Detroit and LA lose in regulation, then the Wings would place sixth and play Vancouver since Nashville (47 wins) also holds the tiebreaker edge over the Wings.

Say the the Kings earn at least one point. Detroit would then slip all the way to seventh place. There they would have the second place Sharks served up on a platter. San Jose has been just as hot as the Wings over their last ten games (8-1-1), but Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, Dan Boyle, and Evgeni Nabokov do not seem as scary as they should.

The Sharks picked up just one win against Detroit this season, a shootout victory at The Joe back in February. The Wings played especially great inside the Shark Tank, winning two games by a combined score of 8-3. I would love to see Detroit matchup with San Jose in the first round, but I would hate to see it happen from a Wings loss today.

What an exciting Sunday! So much is riding on this last day of NHL play. This is the end! The West is the best! Get here, and we'll do the rest! The playoff bus...is calling us...

Peace.

And Then There Were Three...

2010-04-07T09:07:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

This is the final week of the NHL regular season. The Wings clinched themselves a playoff spot last week, but their position in the standings is as firm as waves in gravy.

With just three games left Detroit could finish as high as fifth or at the bottom in eighth. Currently, as of Wednesday morning, April 7, the Wings sit in seventh and would matchup against the Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs.

Does Playoff Position Even Matter?

NHL talking heads and fans seem to agree that all of the top teams in the West are fearing a first round date with Detroit. Not only are the Wings healthy and playing their best hockey of the season right now, but they have arguably been the best team in the league after the Winter Olympics.

Despite all the injuries and scoring struggles in the first 75% of the season the Wings have faired very well against the top four teams in the conference. Detroit has earned seven out of a possible eight points against the Sharks (3-0-1), and six points from Vancouver (3-1-0) and Phoenix (2-0-2).

Their 2-2-1 against Chicago looks less than impressive at first glance, but those two regulation losses came when Detroit was down in the injury dumps. When healthy Detroit has the edge with two wins and a shootout loss.

A Perfect Matchup?

Ideally, this would be the best possible first round matchup. The Wings are more familiar with the Hawks and they would avoid the long travel to other far-western destinations like Arizona, California, and dumb-Canuckville. Plus, neither Cristobal Huet nor Antti Niemi look that impressive in net. I'd take Jimmy Howard to win four out of seven against those two losers.

It would be a perfect opening round series for the NHL too. If the season did indeed end with no change in the standings in either the West or the East, Detroit Vs Chicago would be the most attractive and intriguing opening round series in all of the playoffs. The story lines write themselves:

Two Original Sixers! A rematch of the 2009 Western Finals! Another chapter in the revitalized rivalry!

There are only two potential toppers to that in any 2010 playoff series: Pittsburgh Vs Washington in the Eastern Finals, or (dare I say?) a Stanley Cup 'Rubber Match'...

Be Careful What You Wish For

Alas, in order for this first round dream series to occur, we as Wings fans will have to hope for a very poor finish out of Hockeytown. Chicago (107) is two points behind San Jose for best in the West and has clinched at least the No. 2 seed.

Detroit lost back-to-back games to Nashville and Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Now they must climb over the Kings for the sixth seed before they can catch the Predators if they want to secure fifth place--the highest possible playoff position.

The Wings have the best chance to win-out the rest of the season with home and away games against Columbus tonight and Friday, and a season finale in Chicago on Sunday.

Los Angeles has two tough games out of their three remaining. They play host to Phoenix on Thursday and Edmonton on Saturday, and then finish out in Colorado on Sunday. Nashville only has two games left and both are potential pitfalls: in Phoenix tonight and at home Saturday against a Blues team that is playing like they haven't already been eliminated from the playoffs.

What is the worst case scenario here if the matchup and seed doesn't matter? As long as the Wings win two or all of these remaining games, I couldn't be happier with the way this regular season concludes.

Damn it feels good to discuss the potential scenarios after stressing slightly over the prospect of Detroit not making the postseason! Three more games before the playoffs! Let's see your @#$%ing beards! Let's throw some @#$%ing octopi! Let's @#$%ing go!

Peace

13 Years Later...

2010-03-30T10:59:00.001-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Last Friday night I was in Joe Louis Arena standing and cheering and banging on the glass as the Red Wings defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-2. (Check out Lamp The Light on Facebook for more pictures).

I went to the game with Catie--a friend, coworker, and avid-Wings fan--and we were able to sneak our way down to seats right on the glass. Normally I prefer to sit up in higher sections to watch the plays develop on the ice, but to witness the speed and strength of these guys just inches from my face was an entirely different experience!

Anyway, Catie reminded me of a certain annivesary before the puck drop. The date was March 26...exactly 13 years after this:

I watched that game live as well, except I was sitting in front of a television screen instead of a pane of glass.

1997 was a fantastic year to be a Red Wings fan. With the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL parching the throats of everyone in Hockeytown, the Wings were anxious to quench the thirst. But first, they had to get by Colorado.

Claude Lemieux knocked Kris Draper out as the Avalanche knocked the Wings out of the 1996 playoffs. And taboot (taboot), the Avs were threatening to sweep the regular season series from Detroit, having already won three previous matchups in the 96-97 season. Everything was set for an epical game.

Tragedy. Revenge. Triumph. From beginning--the hit on Kris Draper--to end--Detroit's first Stanley Cup championship in over 40 years--the rivalry was poetry.

For me, that game on March 26, 1997 offered the greatest display of camaraderie between teammates and fans I have ever been a part of. Everybody wearing red--whether they were on the ice, in the stands at the Joe, or at home watching on TV--can proudly point to that game, that moment, and say, "That is why I love the Red Wings."

My eyes still well up when I watch replays. The Stanley Cup would not have come to Detroit that season without that game.

On the ride to the Joe last Friday Catie asked me if I had seen the online McCarty/Lemieux interview. She assured me that they did indeed sit down together for the first time ever and discussed the rivalry, the brawl, and whether either would ever want to play together on the same team.

I finally got around to watching the near-20 minute interview this morning, and i have to say it is freaking awesome! And as much as I would have liked to see Mac punch Claude in the mouth one more time, it was kinda cool, in a stomch-churning sort of way, to see them shake hands.

Both guys have a great amount of respect for the game, and it seems at least for each other. To listen and watch them interact off the ice and share differing perspecetives on emotional memories is absolutely compelling.

Here is the entire interview broken up into three videos. The girth on these is too wide for my blogging format, so click on each to view the full videos. Enjoy!

Peace

This Just In: Crosby Sucks!

2010-03-23T11:37:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Monday, March 22, 2010 Penguins 1 @ Red Wings 3

It is still ringing in my ears: "Crosby Sucks! Crosby Sucks! Crosby Sucks!"

The amount of attention from the fans inside Joe Louis Arena last night dedicated to taunting Sidney Crosby might have overshadowed the excitement of the Wings winning a great and meaningful game.

This wasn't just an important game in the standings, it was an important statement to Crosby, the Penguins, and the rest of the NHL. It might even be the biggest statement the Wings have made all season long. We are healthy. We are back. We are the Red Wings!

This was the best all-around game I have seen the Wings play this season. Yeah, I know, I have said that several times before, but it is a testament to how much this team has been improving, how well they have been playing lately, and how much they truly suffered from all the extended stays in the infirmary.

Yet so much focus from the fans was directed straight at Crosby, booing him every time he touched the puck and taunting him with chants before, during, and even after the game. Birthday boy Matt and I were loving every minute of it.

Some Pondering On The Long Ride Home

Sitting in a stand-still on the roof of the JLA parking ramp and waiting for the cars ahead of us to begin moving, Matt and I tuned into 97.1 FM and listened to Jeff Riger's thoughts and comments on the game. We kept listening on the drive back along I-96 towards Grand Rapids. The station stayed with us until we nearly got to Lansing, and we stayed glued to Riger's main topic:

Is Sidney Crosby the most hated athlete in Detroit, regardless of sport?

The question rang loud to me. To hate another player to the degree that I hate Crosby, in my book, means he must be a huge rival to a team that I love. So, here I go digressing...

Who do I hate in football? Terrell Owens--but he has no impact on me as a Lions fan. Brett Favre--sure I find him annoying and he has always been a Lion tamer, but I respect the crap out of him. Larry Johnson--only because I insist on drafting him in fantasy leagues and he insists on screwing me. Honestly, because the Lions are and have been so terrible, there is nobody that stands out.

Who do I hate in baseball? A-Rod--not really, it's just not cool to like him. Barry Bonds--never hated him for steroids and lying, he's just a jerk. Paul Konerko/A.J. Pierzynski/Bobby Jenks--As much as I disdain the White Sox and these guys in particular, the Tigers seem to kill themselves against the South-Siders as much as this trio does. Baseball is a weird sport for me. Detroit's rivalries are good, but they do not seem that relevant and intense in a 162-game season.

Who do I hate in basketball? Lebron James--I do hate him more than Kobe, but it's more for the picture taking, sideline dancing, and constant need to make everything overly dramatic. His rise has come mostly with the decline of the Pistons. Ron Artest--He's just mental. That's like hating a schizo kid for using up all the aluminum paper to make a hat. Kevin Garnett--I used to really like him in Minnesota, but then again, "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!"

No, I don't really hate anyone in the NBA more than Crosby. I just generally hate the NBA as a whole.

My conclusion is that Crosby is my most hated athlete in all of sports. Yes I am a little biased towards hockey (I do not write any other love-fest blogs for any other Detroit teams), but I just can't find anyone as agitating as Cindy Cry-sby.

Anyway, the most common response that Riger received from callers and emailers as to why they hate Crosby so much was because he is a crybaby. I agree.

Everyone admits the incredible skills that this guy has, and as much as we would like to, we cannot take away his accomplishments. All the hatred comes from the whining, diving, and all around cry-babying that he exhibits on the ice and to the media in a sport where bitch-play is least tolerated.

Yet he is Gary Bettman's biggest marketing TOOL, though sales for anti-Crosby jerseys would probably sell just as well. There were so many kids in the Joe last night wearing Penguins jerseys walking around with their parents who were clad in red. I said to Matt, "If I ever have kids, I will encourage them in everything they do...but I will disown them if they cheer against the Wings."

I almost felt bad for the kids in Crosby gear sitting within earshot of my clever and mildly profane verbal barbs. I even taunted one teenager directly. The pimpley-faced, squeaky-voiced kid tried to chant "Let's Go Penguins!" and I very maturely yelled back, "Let's Go Puberty!"

It's not just Detroit. Fans in every American NHL city besides Pittsburgh recognize him for what he is. What is interesting is how long it apparently took us Wings fans to fully embrace and express our hatred for the little bitch. This comment regarding the fans' taunting came from Crosby's post-game interview:

"I was surprised to hear it here," he said. "I don't know, maybe things have changed since February, or because of what happened last year. I'm not saying I'm surprised to hear it -- it happens to me a lot on the road -- but I didn't expect it here."

As seen in other NHL venues, there were several anti-Crosby signs inside The Joe, and there were even a few people with homemade CRYBABY CROSBY t-shirts. The Wings had to win that game for the fans just so we could save face and continue the fun.

"Crosby Sucks!" chants did not end when the final horn blew, they followed out into the hallways, onto the streets, and into the parking structures. It was incredible! I've never experienced so much group animosity!

Despite the guy's elite skills, he gets little-to-no respect outside of Pittsburgh. Hockey fans are smart; they recognize a D-Bag when they see one crying to an official and complaining to the media.

And It's not just the fans who think so!

Detroit fans have a long list of hated players from around the NHL.

Claude Lemieux
Patrick Roy
Chris Pronger
Ed Belfour
Adam Foote
Peter Forsberg

Where do you, right now, rank Mr. Crosby on that list? Lemieux will always be tops for me, but as far as active players go, Crosby takes the cake...and cries on it too.

Peace

From Controversy To Calder

2010-03-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

As unpredictable and downright weird this season has been for the Red Wings, perhaps the most bizarre and unexpected result has been the demise of Chris Osgood and the subsequent rise of Jimmy Howard.

Half a season ago everyone was talking about who should get the majority of the starts in goal for Detroit.

A couple of months ago it was all about whether or not Ozzie should be given an opportunity to win his starting job back from Howie, and if the job in the playoffs was still his by rights of the past.

At the onset of the Olympics all the chatter seemed to surround Howard and if he would return from the break and be able to resume and sustain his stellar season. Should Ozzie get some starts to get him ready in case Howard slips?

Howard has responded, and now all of that goalie controversy talk is as scarce as a start for Osgood. In the year 2010 Ozzie has just two starts, both in January, and both losses. Howard has 29 starts and 15 wins since January 1, 2010. He has started the last 18 straight games for Detroit and has gone 10-4-4. I hate to say it because I still love the guy, but Ozzie who?

The new Red Wing workhorse is the prime reason why Detroit is even sniffing the playoffs, and the rest of the league has noticed. Howard has been gaining a lot of attention amongst NHL rookies in the Calder Trophy talk.

Here is what John Buccigross wrote a few days ago:

The Calder Trophy for rookie of the year is coming down to Matt Duchene, Tyler Myers and Jimmy Howard. This makes the evaluation close to impossible to measure. I mean, they play three different positions and are on teams that should make the playoffs. I'm thinking the Sabres' Myers will win. The big defenseman logs big ice time and hasn't missed a game. He would be the first Sabres player to win the Calder since Tom Barrasso in 1984. The only other Sabre to win the Calder was Gilbert Perreault in 1971.

A fair enough assessment, I suppose. Myers is huge, 6' 8" and 222 pounds, and is a fantastic offensive talent. He is the leading scorer amongst Sabre defensemen with 40 points and is fifth on the team overall. His +12 rating is third best in Buffalo.

Matt Duchene leads all rookie skaters in points (49) and goals (23), and is third and second respectively for Colorado in those categories. But both he and Myers do not compare in importance to their respective teams to how much Howard has meant for Detroit.

Howard haters will point out that Boston's Tuukka Rask has better overall stats. The big Bruin leads all rookie goalies in goals-against average (2.12) and shutouts (3), and his .928 save percentage is tops in the NHL.

So why didn't Bucci mention Raski? He is in a time share with Tim Thomas, and the Boston brass must not trust him enough yet because they opted to not trade Thomas before the deadline. Rask has appeared in 35 games, started 30, and has logged 1,984 minutes this season. These numbers do not come close to Howard's workload. Howie has started 51 of his 53 appearances, has played a total of 3,128 minutes, and has 28 wins to Rask's 16.

Is Howard deserving of the Calder? The answer is yes. Check his stats and where he ranks in the NHL amongst all other goalies. Tenth in wins. Fourth in save %. Sixth in GAA. 12th in minutes (3,128), shots faced (1,583), and saves (1,462).

The guy that seemed destined to be buried in Grand Rapids has emerged as one of the league's best puck stoppers, and the Wings' most valuable player. As long as Detroit coasts into the playoffs, Howard should take home the rookie hardware.

Peace

LUUUUUUUUUUUSER!!!

2010-03-21T08:33:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Saturday, March 20, 2010 Red Wings 4 @ Canucks 3 OT

Are you kidding me? Two games in two nights and two goals with .02 seconds left on the clock.

One forced overtime:

One won it in overtime:

In Edmonton the Wings were buried by a two-goal deficit in the first period, and in Vancouver...the Wings were buried by a two-goal deficit in the first period. Detroit managed a couple of comebacks and earned a combined three points to remain locked into the eighth playoff position.

Important Points

When the Olympics ended the Wings were in a position where they appeared as though they could elevate themselves as high as fourth place in the Western Conference standings. They needed to win games, and they needed teams to lose games.

For the most part Detroit has taken care of their end of the deal by going 7-2-1 since NHL play resumed. Five of those seven wins are against teams currently in the playoff picture (Colorado, Nashville, Chicago, Buffalo, Vancouver), and they have split games with Calgary, the team they are currently holding off.

The teams that needed to help Detroit move up--Coyotes, Avalanche, Kings, Predators--have not cooperated and have all firmly braced themselves by playing at least .500 hockey in each of the teams' last ten games.

The desert rats in Phoenix have played like their miserable franchise deserves to exist, winning eight straight games on the pads of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (who should have been in net for Russia during the Olympics, instead of Evgeni Nabok-suck). Unbelievably they are now just one point away from San Jose for the lead in the Pacific Division, and two away from Chicago for best in the West.

Surprisingly enough, Nashville has also been on fire, winning five straight and seven of their last ten. They are holding onto a four point cushion between themselves and the Wings, though I still believe Detroit will overtake them when it is all done and said.

Colorado and Los Angeles have chilled a little, each winning five in their respective last ten. However the Avs are three points up on Detroit, the Kings four, and both have played one fewer games.

All that said, it was crucial for the Wings to come from behind and save face by stealing a point against the putrid, stagnant Oilers. There are no gimme points in the NHL, but Edmonton is in the NHL cellar with 16 points separating them from the next worst team, Toronto (Go Canada!). You can't skate out of Edmonton without at least one point. You just can't.

Now, about last night. Call that game what you want. Gut check. Cup check. Lucky that it didn't go to a shootout.

The Wings outplayed the Canucks in the first period, out-shot them 17-8, but still slumped off to the locker room down by two after one. Roberto Luongo looked locked in, but the incessant chants of LUUUUUUUU from the fans in Vancouver were eventually silenced in the second period.

Todd Bertuzzi lit the lamp against his old team, his first goal in 20 games ('bout time, Bert!), and then just five seconds later Pavel Datsyuk tossed in a 40-footer. The unlikely duo now hold the all-time Red Wings record for the fastest back-to-back goals scored.

Happy birthday Val! Filppula turned 26 yesterday and earned the first star of the game for his excellent individual effort on that short handed goal later in the second. Check it out:

As important as it was to avoid embarrassment by getting a point in Edmonton, this win in Vancouver was even more essential, especially after throwing 54 shots at Luongo.

This final tour of Western Canada, followed by the Penguins at home, is by far the toughest stretch on Detroit's remaining schedule. How disastrous it almost was! Remember, before the previous two-goal first period deficits in Edmonton and Vancouver, the Wings came back from a 0-1 first period hole to beat Calgary in regulation! A couple of different bounces in the mountains of Canada and BOOM, they'd be returning home to face the Penguins 0-3 instead of 2-0-1!

I don't know about you, but I just took a deep breath.

After the Penguins, the Wings will face six non-playoff teams in their last ten games; the rest of the schedule favors a strong finish for Detroit. Let's all take another deep breath together.

Peace

Don't Look Back

2010-03-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

By Adam W Parks

Monday, March 15, 2010 Red Wings 2 @ Flames 1

In 1965 documentarian D.A. Pennebaker packed up his camera and travelled to "The Big Smoke", London, to capture a few intimate moments of what became an important transition in American music: Bob Dylan's final solo-acoustic tour.

Dylan had just recently released Bringing It All Back Home, his first venture into the realm of electric rock music. With that album he left the folk world behind, bewildered, bitter, and beside itself. He never looked back.

Monday night the Wings were in Calgary to face a Flames team that, like Detroit, is battling for their playoff lives. Calgary had won four straight--including a crushing 3-2 victory in Detroit less then a week prior--but was defeated by Vancouver on Sunday. Despite the Flames' recent winning streak, the Wings held a one point edge for the eighth playoff spot heading into Monday's matchup at the Saddledome.

Get Sick, Get Well, Scoring 'Round the Rink Well

Now, finally healed and well, Detroit has shown signs of what they could have/should have been like all season long. A healthy Mule has been the spark that we all thought and hoped he would be. In the eleven games he has played since returning from injury Johan Franzen has nine points and six goals. His centerman, Pavel Datsyuk, has seven goals and 12 points over the same stretch. Tomas Holmstrom--who missed the Olympics with nagging leg injuries--has five goals and nine points in his last eight games. The trio combined for two goals and four points last night.

Get Dressed, Get Blessed, Finally Finding Success

Since Franzen's return the Wings have gone 7-3-1. They are 6-2-0 since the Olympic break. After last night's 2-1, come-from-behind, wear-down, grueling win in Calgary, Detroit is now riding a three-game winning streak. In the three games since that awful loss at the Joe to the Flames, and that lucky win in Chicago, the Wings have gotten stronger, more consistent, and have displayed a similar dominance of more recent seasons past.

Look Out Kid, The Wings Are Gettin' It

With an elevated level of play and a relatively soft schedule, the Wings look poised to remain hot down the stretch and secure that playoff spot. They have a couple of difficult contests coming up with the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday, at home versus the Penguins on Monday, and in Chicago for the final game of the season. But then there are the cupcake games against Edmonton (twice), Columbus (thrice), Minnesota and St. Louis and Philadelphia (each once). And don't forget about the two games against Nashville, the team that currently stands one point ahead of Detroit.

The win last night was huge, and to get it in regulation off a Holmstrom tip-in from a Franzen point-shot with 79 seconds left, is huger. Check out the standings; the Wings are doing their part and it's paying off. Boom, three points up on the Flames, one behind the Predators, and just five away from the Kings for the fifth spot.

Forgive my brief digression, but a little while back someone made a comment on The HUGE Show Facebook site in response to one of my blogs. He said the Wings are "irrelevant" this season. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, especially on a forum that I do not run, but this statement rang with ignorant band-wagonry to me. Are the Wings only relevant when they are dominating the NHL and in the Stanley Cup Finals?

Tell me, anybody, honestly, when was there a more relevant regular season for the Red Wings in the past decade or longer? Every game is like a playoff game! I'm pumped like it was mid-April! It's been a long, hard season to watch, but watch out now! It's damn-exciting hockey!

"Don't Look Back!"

"Give the anarchist a cigarette!"

Peace.

Wings Quiet At Deadline, But Still Got A Difference Maker

2010-03-02T13:59:00.001-05:00

By Adam W Parks

The NHL trade deadline came and went and the Wings didn't do much. However, George Malik, a fellow Wings blogger, believes that the return of Andreas Lilja is as good of a deadline acquisition as Ken Holland and the Red Wings could have made. I agree.

I have had several conversations in regards to Lilja: whether or not he should come back, whether or not the Wings are better off without him. Many have said they never thought he was that good in the first place, citing turnover problems from previous playoffs and a lack of physical play despite his size (6' 3", 228).

I was in complete agreement a few seasons ago. I might have actually been waving the CUT LILJA banner, specifically in 2007 when he was coughing up pucks like phlegm from a freshman after hitting a steamroller. But between then and when Nashville's Shea Weber sent the big boy spinning into eleven months of concussion induced headaches on February 28, 2009, Lilja had been gearing up his game and becoming a very respectable defender.

Seriously. In the 60 games last season prior to his concussion, Lilja was easily one of the Wings top four blue liners. He posted an impressive +13 rating that tied with Henrik Zetterberg's regular season total and ranked him third amongst Detroit defensemen (Nicklas Lidstrom +31, Brian Rafalski +17, Brett Lebda +9, Niklas Kronwall +2). Like Jiri Fischer, Lilja was lost right when he was hitting his stride.

Lilja is one of those stay-at-home, physical, responsible, dependable defenders that the Wings need right now. His return could be an absolute boon to this team. And Holland didn't have to give up anything worthwhile for him! The bum Ville Leino was traded away, Brad May cleared waivers and is in Grand Rapids, and Kirk Maltby announced he would have shoulder surgery, placing him on long term injury reserve.

Here's a fishing simile for you: Lilja's return is like casting for mackerel, and having a big fat tuna follow one all the way into your boat. As much as I like Derek Meech, and appreciate Brett Lebda, neither have the size and experience to match the big Swede.

At 34 Lilja is a veteran defender with nine NHL seasons under his belt with the Kings, Panthers, and this being his fifth in Detroit. He already understands Detroit's system, is familiar with the coaching staff, and knows all the players around him. As a big, physical, and punishing presence, he can only be an asset to the development of the slumpy Jonathan Ericsson.

Barring any setbacks, Lilja will bring a great wealth of energy, enthusiasm, and freshness to a Wings team that has been in desperate need of such intangibles all season long. Make no mistake, Lilja could be a huge factor in Detroit's push for the playoffs.

“His positive attitude is something that everyone’s kind of looked up to. I’m so happy for him to be able to play again. We’re a better team with him in the lineup. He’s huge on the (penalty-kill), very solid in our own end. He brings something to the table that we hadn’t really had this year." ~ Niklas Kronwall.

“(Lilja) Gives us another big body who’ll have a little bit more of a physical presence, block shots, veteran guy with experience. It can only help us coming down the stretch." ~ Brad Stuart.

"He's been a good player on our team, and he's been a big part of our penalty killing over the years. He gives us a big body that we can play against other team's bigger players, as well. I think he just makes us a solid unit of seven or eight defensemen who can play in the league." ~ Assistant Coach Paul MacLean.

"I look at our trade deadline acquisitions as being (Johan) Franzen, (Andreas) Lilja and (Niklas) Kronwall. I still believe we have a good team. I don't foresee us doing anything of any significance." ~ Ken Holland.

Lilja will keep playing his physical brand of hockey as long as the headaches do not return, but don't expect to see him drop the gloves anytime soon.

“I am not allowed to fight, I will try to stay out of that, but you never know," Lilja said. He continued, "If I stay away from playing physical, I might as well start playing bandy. Everybody plays physical. That's what I have to do."

Lilja had two registered hits, one blocked shot, and no giveaways in more than nine minutes of play on Monday in Colorado. Expect his playing time to increase tonight.

Peace.

Refocus and Reload: Wings Take First Step Towards Playoff Push

2010-03-02T09:14:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Monday, March 1, 2010 Red Wings 3 @ Avalanche 2

The Wings may not have played a very, very good game, but this was a very, very good win.

Momentum is an important aspect in all sports and Monday's game proved just how vital it can be in hockey. A 3-0 lead was taken away from the Wings in the second period when Tomas Holmstrom farted on Colorado's goaltender Craig Anderson. What would have been Johan Franzen's second power play goal of the game was immediately and emphatically waved off by referee Kerry Fraser.

It's always Fraser, isn't it? The most experienced active ref in the game is retiring after this season and each Red Wings game he blows his whistle to is hopefully his last.

Anyway, the good goal was called no good, and the Avalanche used that break to take over the momentum of the game and tie things up at 2-2 going into the second intermission. Uh oh. Same old Red Wings from earlier in the season? That locker room break was exactly what Detroit needed to regain their focus and reload for the third period.

“We owned the first period and they took over the second," Nicklas Lidstrom said. “There’s 20 minutes to fight for two points and we played real well without the puck. We’re hanging in there, waiting for our chances, and the power play really responded."

Captain Nick scored the deciding goal on the power play off a brilliant leave from Pavel Datsyuk.

“Pav and Homer had a give-and-go on the right side," Lidstrom said. "When Pav got it back, two guys laid down in front of him so he couldn’t shoot. I just followed behind him and he made a great drop pass for pretty much an empty net for me."

The win in regulation was crucial for Detroit as Colorado is one of the teams in the middle of the Western Conference pack that they will be chasing over the final quarter of the regular season.

After Olympic Run, Rafalski Ready For The Playoff Push

Some writer, before the Winter Olympic roster/trading freeze in the NHL, wrote a post about how it would be beneficial for Ken Holland and the Wings to trade a three-time Stanley Cup winning and two-time Olympic Silver Medal winning defenseman. I won't go into the details of his motives for such a bold idea, nor name the writer responsible for the proposition (though he did make a pretty damn good point), because Brian Rafalski proved in the Olympics that at age 36 he can still produce offensively and defend against the best skaters in the world.

It was questionable whether Raf would skate against Colorado after playing in the Gold Medal game against Canada a little more than 24 hours before the puck drop in Denver. Nobody could or would have blamed him if he decided to take a bit of a breather. Rafalski was named the best defenseman of the Olympics and led all blue liners in goals (4) and points (8), and tied fellow American Zach Parise for third in points amongst all skaters.

Raf not only played Monday, he played well (even rating, one shot on goal, three blocked shots, one takeaway, zero giveaways), and he played a lot (22:41 of ice time, 2:54 on the power play).

That is the type of leadership and selfless, team-first effort that the Wings' veterans must display every game in order for this team to make a legitimate push for a legitimate playoff position.

That writer mentioned above still believes it would be a smart business decision to move Rafalski, but has changed the tune of his trade trumpet. Raf is an invaluable asset, a championship calibre defenseman despite his age, and he is a native of Dearborn, Michigan. It would be great to see him retire in a Wings jersey...but it would also be great to see him re-negotiate that hefty $12 million price tag hanging around his neck...maybe add one more season to the contract to disperse that sum over three seasons instead of two...

Back To Business For Babs

Mike Babcock possibly faced his toughest challenge amidst the most pressure in his entire career when he took the helm of the Canadian Olympic team. With a win-Gold-or-fail attitude from the entire Maple Leaf-Loving Nation, Babcock delivered the expected medal to his homeland on Sunday, grabbed only a couple of hours of sleep, and was back behind the bench for Detroit on Monday.

Like Rafalski, it would have been understandable for Babs to suffer from an emotional and physical hangover. Like Rafalski, Babs was back to business as usual: “They pay me to have this team in the playoffs."

“We’re a good team, we should have more points than we do," Babcock said. "That was the best lineup we dressed all year. Now we got a chance. This group has got to decide that we’re getting on a run, and then wouldn’t you just love to draw us in the first round?"

Awesome! I @#$%ing love his attitude and passion for the sport/Wings, and the way he uses the media to motivate his team and convey his philosophy. A coworker of mine thinks Babs is a bad coach. Sorry, Bob, you're a great guy and a great Wings fan, but you are WRONG.

One-Line Wonders

Babcock challenged his best players Monday; pointed out to his best scorers that they were nowhere to be found amongst the NHL leaders. His first line responded.

Pavel Datsyuk, surely disappointed with his and his country's rollover against Canada in the Olympics, played with purpose against the Avalanche. His cross-ice feed to Holmstrom in the first period was a perfect set up for the first goal of the game. His drop pass to Lidstrom for the game-winner was perfecter. He not only pulled Anderson across the goal crease and out of position, he also lured two defensemen with him. Datsyuk finished with two assists and five takeaways.

His Swedish wingers, Holmer and Franzen, also looked like they were trying to avenge their own homeland's Olympic upset from Slovakia. Holmstrom, who missed the Olympics and most of the Wings games thus far in 2010 with injury, picked up a goal and two assists and was his usual annoying self to the opposition's defense. D-bag-man Adam Foote is the only Colorado player leftover from the gloriously bloody Wings/Avs rivalry. It was nice to see he and Holmer jaw and jostle like the good ol' days.

Is The Mule unstoppable when he gets the puck on his stick down low in the offensive zone? Foote and the other Colorado D-bag-men certainly couldn't slow him down. Franzen finished the game with just one point-the second goal of the game-but he should have had two and nearly had three.

I am perpetually amazed at how quick his hands are, especially in tight, and how little room he needs to lift a puck into the top corners above a goalie's shoulders. This replay doesn't do it justice, but check it out anyway:

Mesmerized and fooled by The Mule's hoof-and-stick work, Anderson dropped his shoulder with an attempted poke-check as he anticipated a pass. Franzen casually pulled the puck back and roofed it like nothing even mattered, like he had just deked out a shooter-tutor. Amazing. It even made #4 on Sportscenter's Top 10 (only because Cindy and Alex weren't playing).

In the third period, Franzen nearly got back the goal that Fraser stole from him. Again, down deep and in tight, he moved the puck from the corner, all the way across the front of the goal crease, and got a superb scoring chance as he dove to the ice. Anderson was miraculously able to get his skate over to the post, but Franzen's play on the puck was more impressive than the save.

These skaters, this line, looked absolutely amazing. If Henrik Zetterberg can get a little help from Dan Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi, Babcock's top two lines will be downright deadly down the stretch.

Peace.

Not Quite A Miracle, But A Definite Message

2010-02-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

The United States Olympic hockey team did not just run Canada on its home ice last night, they made a statement to the rest of the world: watch the @#$% out for the Americans!

Anyone who watched that game last night, hockey fan or not, had to be impressed with how the superior skill from Canada was bested by the toughness and determination from the US. There were moments of doubt last night, but in the end they made a believer out of me and the whole world.

The American team got off to a great start (courtesy in large part of Brian Rafalski!), and did not let up for 60 minutes. After Dany Heatley tied it at 2-2 early in the second period I figured that would ignite the Canadian team, and Sidney Crosby and company would begin to roll.

But they withstood the waves of the storm. Each time Canada's momentum built to a tall crest it was diverted by Ryan Miller, and shifted back in favor of the US with goals by Chris Drury and Jamie Langenbrunner. When Miss Crosby scored late in the third on the power play, I thought that was it--this is when Canada wakes from its preliminary slumber and realizes its roster's fire power.

Miller was unbelievable after that goal, and the effort by Ryan Kesler on that empty net goal was inspiring...Olympics style. I have never seen an American ice hockey win that momentous in the Olympics--I was negative one in 1980, 30 years ago today, for that miraculous win in Lake Placid. I can only compare that game to Stanley Cup-clinching goals in 1997, 98, 02, and 08, and also the blood bath of March 26, 1997.

Maple leaf worshippers can talk all they want about how that was just a preliminary game, which it was indeed. Canada is still alive, wounded, but well enough to push for gold down a rough road.

Standing in the way will be Germany, a pushover, but then there is Russia, a team that I thought had been playing the best Olympic hockey before the USA/Canada matchup last night. If Canada makes it past Alex Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Evgeni Nabokov, they will have to face Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall, and a bunch of other really good Swedes who do not play for the Red Wings. Sweden has not looked dominant, but did get two shutouts in the preliminaries (including a 3-0 matchup against Finland late last night).

The Stars and Stripes earned themselves a first round bye and the top overall seed in the Olympic playoffs. If the US has any sort of hangover from the win over Canada, they are fortunate to face either Switzerland or Belarus in the Quarterfinals. The Semifinals will be tougher (either Finland or the Czech Republic, barring an upset by Latvia over the Czechs), but nothing like what the syrup-suckers will face.

Perhaps this game was not a miracle, the circumstances much different, the players more talented, but that victory just set the table for American gold.

Peace. Respect.

The Absence of the Mule Made the Heart Grow Stronger

2010-02-12T08:38:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Thursday, February 11, Sharks 3 @ Red Wings SO

It is impossible to accurately measure just how much the Red Wings missed Johan Franzen during his four month absence. The closest that I can calculate is a whole bunch.

Where have these types of goals been all season long? Bestill my aching Hockeytown heart. Open ice and passing lanes on the power play have been as scarce on the ice as Chris Osgood has been in net. That shot looked so effortless and was so fast off his stick that I did not believe that it went into the net. Pavel Datsyuk thought it looked easy.

As much as I missed him, I am not prepared to say that The Mule is ready to bear the weight and lead his team down the long and dusty trail and into the playoffs. But judging by his numbers in his first two games back he is certainly trying to do so.

On Tuesday in St. Louis, his first game back, Franzen picked up an assist on Datsyuk's third period goal that sparked the Wings comeback to tie and force overtime. On 25 shifts and 17:28 of ice time he threw four shots on net and threw three hits on Blues players; both tied for second best for Detroit on the night.

Thursday night The Mule looked possessed. Expert talking heads all say and said that the first game back from injury is an adrenaline-fueled romp that leaves the returning player fatigued and slow for the following few games after. Not Franzen, he only got stronger, faster, and more aggressive. He was third amongst forwards in ice time (20:44 on 28 shifts) and tied Darren Helm for the team lead with seven hits. He scored the one goal off of his team-high six shots (tied with Henrik Zetterberg) and was aggressive going to the net. Evgeni Nabokov stopped a career high 50 shots and a few of his most spectacular came against a crashing Franzen, like this one:

Franzen is a difference maker on this team. He can score from anywhere on the ice. He throws his weight and agitates the opponents. In just two games he has shown how much lift and energy he brings to the lineup, but this difference maker has yet to make a difference in the win column.

The Wings are winless in their last four and host a deadly Ottawa Senators team on Saturday that has recently been tearing the Eastern Conference apart). The Sens rode an eleven game win streak from mid-January into February and have gone 13-1-0 in their last 14 games. Not exactly a team that the Wings (3-5-6 in their last 14) need to or want to meet in the final game before the Olympics break.

"I think we played good, we played with a lot of speed," Franzen said about Thursday's game. "It looked like last year, not like the past two months here."

It may have looked last year but it still resulted like the past two months. I do not want to get started on shootouts, but during this current 14-game stretch the Wings have won just one in six shootouts and are 0-1 in overtime periods.

Franzen might be The Mule, but he is not The Savior. The Wings need to take a page out of the book of Franzen and play stronger, faster, better as a team game after game if they want to make the playoffs, because picking up single points in losses will not get them ahead of Calgary or Nashville, nor keep them ahead of Dallas and Anaheim.

The Clock Is Ticking, And As Of Now...

I must return to work shortly, so I will not be able to give an update on what the Wings do if they make another move before the 3:00 PM roster freeze today. Here is what they have already done.

Bad boy Brad May, signed shortly after the season started, has been placed on waivers. He is not expected to be claimed by any other team by Saturday noon deadline. If he clears and does not retire, May will likely skate with the Griffins and be available to the Wings down the stretch if needed, though Justin Abdelkader is certainly a better option for the playoffs.

This and any other moves the Wings make today are necessary to clear room on the roster and under the salary cap for the return of Andreas Lilja. In order for the defenseman to return to the roster, the Wings must wipe away $1.2 million from the payroll. May's contract is for only $500,000.

This means if the Wings want Lilja back now, then Ken Holland must move another player. It was whispered that Jason Williams and his $1.5M would be traded, and that could still happen, but it is more likely now that Brett Lebda ($650K) will be moved. Mike Babcock will not need eight defensemen and moving Derek Meech, who makes less than $500K, would not clear enough salary.

If the Wings do not make anymore moves then that means Holland is not convinced that Lilja is set to return and will not play on Saturday. The freeze ends at 11:59 PM on February 28th, and the NHL trade deadline is on March 3.

A Controversial Proposition

2010-02-05T19:32:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Andreas Lilja is playing hockey again. It has been nearly a year since the big-bodied defenseman has seen game action due to concussion-related headaches delivered from a Shea Weber punch to the head. If he experiences no set backs with his stint in Grand Rapids he could be back in a Red Wings uniform after the Winter Olympics.

Unlike the return of Johan Franzen, Lilja's possible impending comeback could really throw some screws into the decision process for Ken Holland as the Ville Leino trade does not allow enough cap space for a return from Lilja. More bodies will have to move out. More money will have to be cleared out.

The most probable outcome of Lilja's return would be that Derek Meech or Brett Lebda will be traded for a draft pick and another player to be placed on waivers (similar to the Leino deal). Mike Babcock is expected to keep seven defensemen on the roster for the playoffs (assuming the Wings get there), and with Lilja included, that makes one of these guys on the outside looking out of Detroit.

But maybe it doesn't have to shake down like that. Here is a different, more contentious solution to the situation.

Trade Rafalski

Seriously, what if Holland decided to trade Brian Rafalski? In this hypothetical scenario the Wings would have to carefully assess their situation this situation and make a decision that will be better in the long run. I worked out a little debate with four reasons to trade Raf. Here it goes...

Argument #1: Rafalski is having a down year for the Wings and for his career. In his past three seasons (two with the Wings, one with the Devils), Raf posted at least 55 points and has reached double digits in goals in the last two (both with the Wings). He has just four goals and 25 points this season.

Rebuttal #1: Who isn't having a down year offensively for the Wings? Pavel Datsyuk amassed 97 points in each of the two previous seasons and 87 in two more before that. He has just 45 in 55 games this season. Henrik Zetterberg put up 73 points in 2008-09 and 92 with 43 goals in 07-08. He has 43 points to date this season.

Result #1: Rafalski has just one point less than Lidstrom. Compared to everyone else, he is on par offensively for the season.

Argument #2: With 53 giveaways, Rafalski leads all Wings and is averaging exactly one per game this season. He topped Detroit skaters last season too, but only served up 51 pucks to the opposition.

Rebuttal #2: Datsyuk is right behind Raf with 50 turnovers, but the 'King of Takeaways' has 89 swipes and is second in the league in that category (Evgeni Malsuck has 94). Mr. 'Do Nothing Wrong' Lidstrom is third for the Wings with 46 giveaways.

Result #2: Rafalski is not Datsyuk or Lidstrom.

Argument #3: At 36 years of age, Rafalski is no spring Wing anymore; his age might finally be showing. After all, Lidstrom, at 36, racked up 62 points, a disgusting plus-40 rating, and won his fifth Norris Trophy.

Rebuttal #3: Again, Rafalski is not Lidstrom and never could claim to be. No. 5 is a freak of nature, a gift from the hockey gods, it is unfair to compare anyone to him. Like Larry Murphy and Mathieu Schneider before, Raf is a very capable second defenseman and would be so on any NHL team. Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart are sure-fire third and fourth blue-liners, if not better, but Jonathan Ericsson has proved that he is still a rookie and not quite ready to step into a No. two, three, or even four role just yet.

Result #3: Raf's veteran experience is invaluable, especially in the playoffs. That said, he is an aging star that is certainly on the decline; his stock will not get any higher than now. Kronwall and Stuart have outplayed him and either could slide into the No. 2 role. Raf may only be in his tenth season in the NHL, but he played four seasons with the University of Wisconson and four seasons in the Euro League prior to his rookie season with the Devils in 1999-00. At 36 he is logging a ton of minutes and not playing particularly well.

Argument #4: Here is the kicker, the main reason why I even bring any of this up: Raf's contract is a hefty one. Five years, $30 million, until 2012. He will be 38 when it expires. As it stands for next season, he will be the third highest paid player on the Wings roster behind Datsyuk ($6.7M) and Zetterberg ($6.083M). Lidstrom will be an unrestricted free agent and, if he does not retire, will likely sign for significantly less than the $7.45M he's banking this season. Stuart is set to make $3.37M next year, Kronwall $3M, Lilja $1.25M, and Ericsson $900K. Hell, our goaltender of the future, Jimmy Howard, is looking at just $717K.

Rebuttal #4: ...

Result #4: Rafalski, as much as I and you like him, is not worth that much money. No way.

Conclusion: Think about the flexibility that Ken Holland would have with an extra $6M to spend in free agency. Rafalski's trade stock is at its highest right now, this season, for a team (preferably in the Eastern Conference) that is seeking a reliable and proven veteran defenseman to help push for the playoffs.

Say Rafalski could be moved this season for an unrestricted free agent like Olli Jokinen (forward, Rangers, $5.25M) to be either re-signed or let go in the offseason. Would that be a step back in regards to the roster this season? I don't think so. Would it be a huge leap forward for next season. Absolutely.

Either Lebda or Meech would be capable of carrying the weight the rest of the season if Rafalski were to be traded, and f Lilja can return to the active roster it would be an instant upgrade on the blue line. The defensive pairings would look something like this:

Lidstrom-Kronwall
Stuart-Ericsson
Lilja-Meech/Lebda/$6,000,000

Peace.

Mule On the Horizon, Problems With the Roster

2010-02-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

One game. Just one more game before Johan Franzen is set to return.

The Wings finish off another West Coast/California swing on Saturday in Los Angeles, and when they take the ice in St. Louis the following Tuesday they will have the Mule back in skates. And the fans rejoiced.

We all know how much Franzen means to this team, but his return will have a major impact on the roster as Ken Holland will have to make a move or two by Monday to create space on the bench and under the salary cap.

From my understanding, Detroit will have to clear approximately $700K in order to activate Franzen to the roster. Justin Abdelkader has already been sent to Grand Rapids to pave way for the return of Tomas Holmstrom, so who is next on the block?

May

The obvious, simplest solution is Brad May. The 38-year-old tough guy, with one assist and a minus-five rating, has little trade value and is predicted to clear if put on waivers. In this scenario, assuming that no other team grabs him, he would be able to join Abdelkader with the Griffins and be available in the playoffs if needed.

The problem with May? He is the second lowest paid Wing at less than $500K. He won't be enough.

Leino

Ville Leino gets my resounding vote. This guy had such high expectations before the season, now the Wings will be lucky to get a sixth round pick for him. He has been a healthy scratch for the last six games going back to the last time Detroit faced Los Angeles (January 23). Four goals. Seven points. Minus-10 rating. See you later, Ville, it's only imminent now.

"You can't really think about it," Leino said. "Obviously, it's crossed everybody's mind who's on the (bubble). It's going to happen if it's going to happen. Nothing you can do about it right now."

Like a chicken with its neck stretched across a tree stump, Leino is already mentally prepared for the axe. His days are numbered in Detroit. If Holland can get any kind of trade for a draft pick or future consideration to move his $800K contract he will probably leap at it. If not, he will be placed on waivers.

Meech and Lebda

Derek Meech and Brett Lebda are probably safe for now, especially with Niklas Kronwall slightly re-injuring his knee. Both make less than Leino, but both have higher trade values, so they might be easier to move if Holland is stuck. Expect to keep seeing them, either on the ice or as healthy scratches, until the possible return of Andreas Lilja, who is playing with the Griffins in Grand Rapids tonight.

Peace.

Trampled By Replays and Pecked By the Ducks

2010-02-05T14:37:00.001-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Wednesday, February 3, 2009 Red Wings 1 @ Ducks 3

I'd like to drive to Toronto and rip the video replay judges apart, limby by limb. I don't want to blame this loss on (another) failure of the replay system, so I won't, but here is the video of Anaheim's game-winning goal that was questioned:

Here is what the official NHL rulebook has to say:

78.5 Disallowed Goals –
Apparent goals shall be disallowed by the Referee and the appropriate announcement made by the Public Address Announcer for the following reasons:
(i) When the puck has been directed, batted or thrown into the net by an attacking player other than with a stick.

The rule is as clear as Kyle Chipcheater's free hand moving in a downward motion, in the same type of motion that he would make if he were directing a tip-in with his stick.

Jimmy Howard, who was standing with a perfect view, directly behind Chipcheater, figured the rule reaction:

"I asked the ref why it was a goal, and he said because he didn't intentionally (direct it in)," Howard said. "I figured when it went in off the glove, whether it was intended or not intended, it was no goal."

You would figure that, you know, since it is the rule.

Boy, Did The Ducks Trade The Right Goalie?

On Sunday, January 31, Anaheim traded the superbly talented and overtly disgruntled Jean-Sebastien Giguere (pictured left) to Toronto. Giguere earned the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort in 2003, but raised the Stanley Cup in 2007. After the championship he signed a four-year, $24 million contract and went on to post his career highs in goals-against average (2.12), save percentage (.922), and shutouts (4) in the following season.

But now his days of being a dumb duck are over, and, needless to say, he got his wish. "I would rather retire than be a backup goalie," said Giguere to the L.A. Daily News in November of this season.

In that '03 playoff run Anaheim upset the Wings in the first round on an unbelievable and unpredictable path to the Finals. Mike Babcock was the coach for those Mighty Ducks. He acknowledged the great achievements of Giguere, but understands Anaheim's decision to trade.

"Obviously, Giggy did a great job here," Babcock said. "There's a banner hanging up in the air here and everyone has a Stanley Cup ring because of him. When I was here, he got us to the finals, as well. That's the measure of a goalie. And yet, the sport is all about the next guy coming in and taking your job."

Who thought that the next guy would be a 92-year-old actress/comedian and a one-time disciple of Bob Hope? Yes, the brick wall in Anaheim that was J-S Giguere has crumbled, and now stands the impregnable Phyllis Diller in net, and boy is she flexible and quick for her age.

Before lacing up the skates and putting on the pads, Diller cut her teeth in the entertainment business during the 1960s with television appearances, shows on Broadway (Hello, Dolly!) and films like Boy, Did I Get The Wrong Number!. More recently she has played memorable cameos like Mimi's grandmother on The Drew Carey Show and Peter Griffin's mother Thelma on Family Guy.

Who ever said you can't teach a crazy old lady new tricks? Diller not only earned a job goaltending with the Ducks last season, but she supplanted Giguere during the playoffs, and now she is the future between the pipes in Anaheim.

The bitch was spectacular against the Wings on Wednesday night, stopping 46 of Detroit's shots and 36 in the final two periods. Congratulations on reinventing yourself, you old battle axe.

It's Only One Game, But...

Jonathan Ericsson looked like a different player on Wednesday, like the guy we saw last season in the playoffs. It was a humbling couple of days for the big guy after Mike Babcock made him a healthy scratch in San Jose. He might have sat even longer (what with his replacement Derek Meech notching the game-winning goal) if it were not for Niklas Kronwall tweaking his knee.

His plus/minus rating has been atrocious and he seems to lack confidence with the puck, evident by a plethora of turnovers. But what has bothered me the most about E this season is his lack of physical play.

Perhaps watching other guys throw their bodies around against the Sharks had an effect:

That was such a good check, Ericsson should have at least one crunch like that per game. Here is another solid hit:

Ericsson finished the game in Anaheim with three hits, tied with Darren Helm for most amongst Wings. Although he was a minus-1 for the game, he made his presence known early and often without hurting his team. His stat sheet looked appropriate for what we should expect from him: 1 blocked shot, 3 hits, and 0 giveaways on 26 shifts and 17:02 of ice time. He stood tall and accepted the challenge from his coach, and Troy Bodie. Ericsson could be, should be, an imposing and intimidating figure in red and white, and the Wings will be better when he fully realizes that.

Hopefully he has found a corner in order to turn this season around for himself.

Peace.

Holmer Returns, Wings Win, Ericsson Sits

2010-01-29T08:56:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Red Wings 4 @ Sharks 2

The Sharks bit first, and second, but they were merely flesh wounds as the Wings rallied from a 0-2 deficit for a big win Tuesday night. If the regular season ended immediately after that game, the Wings would probably not be too upset with where they ended up in the playoff picture.

On a hockey night that saw the four teams in front of Detroit earn at least a point, the Wings took two away from the league's top team to move ahead of Calgary and into the eighth seed. If the playoffs were to start now, the Wings would face San Jose at the HP Pavilion where they are 2-0 this season; they are 3-0 against the Sharks overall.

Babs, Adam Parks from Lamp The Light, what's the deal with completely owning the best team in the NHL and struggling against everyone else?

“If you can do it against good teams, why can’t you do it every night?"

Right...

Detroit's first victory on San Jose's ice came in a 4-1 trouncing back on January 9 which, ironically enough, was the Sharks' last loss in regulation before Tuesday night. The Wings have limped through January despite seeing several injured players return during the month. Hopefully, in these handful of games in February before the Winter Olympics break, we will see a healthy, consistent, and confident group of Red Wings gain some momentum heading into the final 20 or so games of the season.

Good Things Come In Pairs

Two reasons why the Wings were able to overcome a two-goal deficit on Tuesday are a pair players who have recently returned from injury: Valtteri Filppula and Tomas Holmstrom. Each assisted on a pair of goals against the Sharks.

Holmstrom is the most recent damaged Wing to heal and return and contribute, as this was his first game since breaking a foot during practice on January 6. He made his presence known instantly by getting helpers on both of the Wings' first period goals. He also registered six shots on Evgeni Nabokov.

Despite missing nearly an entire month, Holmstrom still leads his team in goals (15, tied with Todd Bertuzzi). He looked quick and aggressive along the boards, and the power play appeared normal again with him parked in front of the crease. Detroit's offense is just not the same without him antagonizing defensemen and annoying goaltenders. Welcome back Holmer, you weren't gone long, but you were missed.

Filppula returned from injury in late December and has been a rare bright spot for the Wings in an otherwise dismal month worth of games.

He may only have four goals and 20 points on the season, but half of Val's goals and 12 of his 16 assists have come post-broken wrist. Filp beefs up the second power play line and provides some much-needed flexibility and play-making ability to Babcock's top two lines.

With Filppula and Holmstrom and everyone else back, Ken Holland had to make the tough but inevitable decision to send Justin Abdelkader West to Grand Rapids. When Franzen comes back (Tuesday in St. Louis), Holland will face a larger dilemma: how to cut $1.5M from the roster. Brad May? Ville Leino? Brett Lebda? Derek Meech? Dare I say...Brian Rafalski?

(There will be more to come on salary cap restrictions, possible trades and waiver moves here on Lamp The Light real soon.)

Rotating D: Ericsson Out, Meech In, Kronwall Out, Meech Scores, Ericsson Back In

Detroit's D has not been very tenacious all season long. Sure they have shored things up, somewhat, with the turnovers and sloppy outlet passes in their own zone. They have even managed to get into the NHL's top ten for team goals-against average (2.55). But how many times do you still see defenders out of position and/or handing the puck over to the opposition on a game-by-game basis?

Jonathan Ericsson has become Babcock's scapegoat, and deservedly so. With lofty expectations following an errorless playoff run, the Big E has looked like the Big Rook-E this season. Even with all that size, 6' 4"/220, Ericsson has looked dainty and tentative in the defensive zone (even before he missed time with the knee injury).

Here are his stats on the season through 41 games, let's start with the positive: three goals and ten points. Not too bad for a guy who sees very limited, if any, power play time (Brad Stuart has two goals, eleven points in 56 games and plenty of PP time).

Now the negative. Ericsson has 39 giveaways this season, averaging nearly one per game. That is not the worst on the Wings roster (Rafalski--53 in 52 games), but his minus-12 rating is. Following E on the horrible plus/minus list are Abdelkader (-11), who is wearing a Griffins jersey right now, and Ville Leino (-10), who will likely be waived or traded for a late draft pick to clear cap space because he has been an even bigger turd-disappointment than Ericsson.

Did I mention that Ericsson is gigantic? He is tied with Kris Draper and Drew Miller with 68 hits on the season. Need more perspective? Abdelkader leads the Wings with 152. Darren Helm (113) and Patrick Eaves (100) are third and fourth respectively. Kirk Maltby, who is in a constant battle for playing time on the fourth line, has 81. Granted, all these players have played more games, and they are all gritty guys getting after it with the forecheck, but none of them are quite as gigantic as Ericsson.

Babs drew a line on the ice and scratched the healthy, young defender and gave him a seat next to Holland to watch Tuesday's game.

“We’ve talked over and over and over again, he’s known this has been coming,” Babcock said. “We think he’s a good player. We like what he’s done in the past. We like his size and his talent. It hasn’t gone (well) for him, for whatever reason. He’s got to get that fixed."

Babcock took a breath and then continued talking about Ericsson, as if he had not talked enough:

"We’ve talked enough now. He’s got to decide that he wants to be in the lineup each and every night. Maybe sitting (Tuesday) is what he needs."

Babs, Adam Parks from Lamp The Light, would you say that Ericsson has been 'rolled up' with his problems as the season has progressed and that he has been unable to find a response to said problems?

“This has snowballed on him and he hasn’t been able to respond. By all the meetings and all the help we provided, we’ve really tried to be supportive, and it hasn’t worked.”

WOW WOW WEE WAA! First Leino, then Osgood, now Ericsson. Babcock has a sharp and calculating tongue when it comes to discussing his troubled players with the media. Is it fair? Who cares, these are grown men making a lot of money to play the same game that I work to pay to play in my spare time. There are a lot of guys busting their asses for ice time, getting hurt, playing through pain. I love it--two thumbs up for Babcock--if it does not motivate the individual it is sure to motivate the rest.

With E out, Meech got the nod. Me like Meech. It is unlikely we will see him much more this season, especially if Andreas Lilja, who is playing in his first game in nearly a year as I type, does well in his conditioning stint in Grand Rapids and returns to the Wings roster. Anyway, back to Meech. Remember Kyle Quincey? He's been killing it in Colorado this year. His 22 points (five goals) is second most amongst Avalanche defensemen. The Wings chose Meech over Qincey. Oh well. Me still like Meech, especially when he does things like this:

He wasn't even supposed to be out there on that power play. Niklas Kronwall and Jason Williams own the blue line for the second PP unit, but Kronner tweaked his knee, er ankle, er knee, during the game. The injury is not serious, but he will miss at least one game, opening the door for Ericsson to step back in and show what he has learned and prove he belongs on the ice. Kronwall is confident 'Johnny' will be just fine:

“I went through the same thing. It’s not easy, but at the same time you try not to be too hard on yourself. Just try to keep it simple. Johnny’s just going to improve even more after this. He’s going to get back and be even better for us in the long run. Sometimes this is what you need.”

BTW, FYI, WTF, I hate phrase abbreviations, and Meech's goal was his second of the season--both were game winners. Me like Meech.

Peace.

What The Hell Happened Last Night?

2010-01-27T16:25:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Coyotes 5 @ Red Wings 4 OT

Mike Babcock should change his name to Bob Lawblaw.

Blah, blah, blah. I love Babs. I love his stoic demeanor, how he keeps his emotions in check with the media. But after Tuesday's bumbling and crumbling defeat to Phoenix, a part of me was kinda/sorta hoping to see a bit of a meltdown. You know, NFL style.

After the loss to the 'Yotes, this is how my dream press conference with Babcock would have gone:

Adam: Coach Babcock, why did your team even play that game?

Babcock: You play to win the game.

A: Why have you lost so many two-goal leads recently?

B: I resent you bringing it up.

A: Is it because your team is unable to match the intensity of their opponents?

B: You don't know what you're talking about. You're a jerk.

A: What did you say to the team in the locker room?

B: What do you care?

A: What couldn't your guys do in the last 90 seconds to prevent the Coyotes from scoring two goals?

B: We couldn't do diddly poo.

A: How do you think Wings fans reacted after this loss?

B: I'm sure people vomited in the stands.

A: Where does this leave your team in terms of the playoffs?

B: Playoffs? Don't talk about...Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win another game!

A: Why are you so highly critical?

B: I'm highly critical because of the way we give games away.

A: In your opinion, what was your opinion of that game?

B: In my opinion: that sucked.

All Joking Aside, I'm Still Pissed

Do I really want to see Babcock have a meltdown? No, of course not. That is not constructive behavior. Do I think that Babs should rip his players, starting with his leaders? Yes, absolutely I do. They deserve it.

This recent complacency that the Wings have demonstrated is enough to drive this writer bananas. If I were in that locker room I'd be tearing it apart, destroying random inanimate objects, and blaming myself before encouraging everyone else to look in the mirror and do the same. Henrik Zetterberg had a different, calmer approach:

Again, like Babcock, it would be nice to see a little more fire in those eyes, hear a little more venom in those words, if only to satiate my own anger and frustration.

A 'What If' Scenario That Pisses Me Off Even More

Here's the skinny over the last six games: Detroit has one victory. They have given up third period leads in four straight and five total. Of those five they won one in a shootout (Minnesota). Of the other four they lost two in regulation (Los Angeles and Washington), and two in a shootout and in overtime (Dallas and Phoenix).

Now let's break down the point dispersal for these five games. The Wings earned two points with the victory over Minnesota, and one point in each of the losses to Dallas and Phoenix. That gives them...2 + 2 = 4...out of a possible ten. Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Washington each came away with two points a piece. Minnesota got one. Take Washington out of the equation since they are in the Eastern Conference, and that is still seven total points handed over to in-conference rivals.

Vancouver currently holds the coveted non-divisional winning fourth seed in the Western Conference, while Phoenix retains its grip on the fifth spot. Here is what the standings from the Canucks down to the Wild look like after last night:

4. Vancouver (66)
5. Phoenix (65)
6. Los Angeles (63)
7. Nashville (61)
8. Detroit (59)
______________________
9. Calgary (58)
10. Dallas (55)
11. Anaheim (55)
12 Minnesota (54)

Okay, so here comes the 'What If' scenario I alluded to in the title of this segment. What if the Wings won all five of those games, in which they held the lead in the third period, in regulation? Instead of four points they would have earned ten. Subtract two points away from the Coyotes, Kings, and Stars, and take one away from the Wild. Now look at the 'What If' standings:

4. Vancouver (66)
5. Detroit (65)
6. Phoenix (63)
7. Los Angeles (61)
8. Nashville (61)
______________________
9. Calgary (58)
10. Anaheim (55)
11. Minnesota (53)
12. Dallas (53)

Be honest. That is about where you expected the Wings to be at this point, with all the guys coming back and all. A month ago I would have guessed the seventh or sixth seed at least. As interesting as it is frustrating, this type of analysis surely does not slip by the attention of coaches, but it must be lost on players who have to remain focused, look forward, and learn from, not dwell on, past. Could the Wings have won those four games? Sure. Should the Wings have won those four games? Yes. Does it do any good to spend a bunch of time thinking and writing about it? No. It only pisses me off more. 'What Ifs' should remain relegated to the realm of fiction.

So...Why The Collapse To The Coyotes?

Reasons to answer that question were tossed all around after the game. Here are the top four. The theme is what were the Wings lacking?

1. Confidence:

“You got to do good things over a long period of time in games to earn confidence, and tonight, the last few minutes killed us.” ~Babcock

2. Execution:

“It’s unfortunate, we had won the draw on the tying goal and didn’t execute. Thought we were going to the half-wall and Pav (Datsyuk) would be there to get it out. That never happened, never got it out. Then, they got a bounce when they threw it off Stewie’s skate, came right out front and scored.” ~Babcock

3. Aggressiveness:

“But tonight, when we were ahead 4-2 with about five minutes left, we got a little tentative instead of going after them.” ~Babcock

4: Desperation:

“We got to play with a little more desperation out there.” ~Jimmy Howard

Peace.

Talking About A Season In Ernest

2010-01-26T16:36:00.001-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Wednesday, January 27, 2009 Red Wings 2 @ Wild 5

America's finest novelist would sympathize with the season that America's finest hockey franchise is having. All of Ernest Hemingway's great characters all had great conflicts, and the Wings have faced nothing but thus far this season.

The Sun Also Rises, Even In Detroit

In Hemingway's most definitive and epochal novel, the surly and slightly depressed Harvey Stone (who is lost in his own generation) looks the naive Robert Cohn right in the eye and makes this blunt assessment: "You're not a moron. You're only a case of arrested development."

Sitting at a buddy's house watching the game on Wednesday I muttered in utter disgust, "What the @#$% is going on?" He replied, "We suck."

In regards to the turd the Wings left in Minnesota, you were absolutely right Pat. After their sixth loss in seven games, perhaps it is a proper summation of the last couple of weeks. However, I am not ready to admit that this team, in this season with all the obstacles, sucks.

The Pistons suck this year and have ever since they traded away Chauncey Billups. The Tigers sucked after blowing their lead in the Central Division last fall. The Wolverines and Spartans both sucked on the football field in 2009. And the Lions are the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.

(Sorry, but I could not decide which photo best represented how much the Lions suck, so I used them both.) Due to redundant reasons, the Wings have lacked a certain chemistry all season long. Now they lack confidence. They cannot seem to match their opponents' intensity and determination through 60 minutes of play. That said, we have not yet seen what this team, complete with all of its pieces clicking and working together, can do. Could it be time to wonder if we ever will this season?

I like to think that the Wings have something in common with Robert Cohn. We, or at least I, expected to see somewhat similar successes from previous seasons despite all the changes and new faces. Instead we have witnessed the Wings' growth and development as a team get stunted to the point where they lack any identity that resembles what has become accustomed.

They skate around the NHL in the same red and white with the same formidable Winged Wheel, but opposing teams are not intimidated like they used to be. Their mystique has been reduced to that of a crappy magician. The Phoenix Coyotes can look up at the scoreboard hanging at center ice in Joe Louis Arena, read Coyotes 2 RED WINGS 4 late in the third period, and know they still have good odds to come back and get a point, if not a win.

A less intrepid Wings fan than myself might panic and get pissed off when Detroit loses after blowing a two goal lead, or when they have a 1-3-3 record over the last seven games, but I am practicing the same patience that I have consistently expressed all season long. Chalk it up as a case of arrested development. Confidence can come and go, ebb and flow. The Wings might just be trapped in an eddy right now. Sometimes you have to paddle backwards in order to go forwards, hit rock bottom before making an ascension, like the old man and the...

What Was I Thinking?

Normally I can write myself into a more optimistic outlook. It's not working right now. As I watched the Wild dismantle Detroit's defense and make Chris Osgood look like he was no good, I thought to myself, I picked a Helluva season to start writing a Red Wings blog.

In my years of watching the Wings I have never witnessed something quite like this. Sure I have seen plenty of let downs, disappointments, and early playoff exits, but I honestly cannot recall a time when I looked at the NHL standings in January and did not see the Wings in a secure playoff position. This is ludicrous! Absurd! Who can I blame for this?

I was too young to remember the poor teams of the early and mid 1980s. I never watched the fresh-faced Steve Yzerman when he was an offensive juggernaut, pushing Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for scoring titles and Hart Trophies. I watched him mold into a Selke Award winner and rightfully earn his eponymous nickname: The Captain.

I don't personally remember names like Harry Neale, John Ogrodnick, and Kelly Kisio. I know Dave Lewis as an assistant coach and the unsuccessful successor to Scotty Bowman, but not as a player. I have little to no recollection of the Wings prior to Nicklas Lidstrom or Sergei Fedorov or Tim Cheveldae. I did not live through 42 years of Stanley Cup drought, only 17.

I HAVE NEVER EVER WATCHED A RED WINGS SEASON WHERE THEY MISSED THE PLAYOFFS.

That is it. I am a spoiled brat of a fan. I admit it. Now I feel a little better.

This season has been a test, as a writer and as a fan from a younger generation. Year in and year out since the mid 1990s my expectations for this team have been Stanley Cup or bust. With more busts than Cups, the Wings have always at least made an argument for themselves, always been a menace for the rest of the league.

So, here is my conclusion about the timing of the blog: this is a great time to start writing about the Wings. It's like when they were swept in the Finals by New Jersey in 1995 and then upset by the incorrigible Avalanche in '96 before finally reaching the promised land in 97. By suffering through these tough times I will appreciate the upcoming good times even more, and my writing will reflect that. After all, what would Hemingway have ever written without experiencing his own conflict?

Peace.

Kronner Returns With 10 Games Until the Olympics Break

2010-01-26T12:58:00.001-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Remember this? Martin Havlat doesn't.

It has been since November 21 that we have had an opportunity to see an opponent of the Red Wings get Kronwalled. Do not expect to see too many organ-pulverizing hits tonight, but do expect to see #55 back on the ice against Phoenix.

Niklas Kronwall missed over two months due to a sprained MCL and a prolonged rehab period due to unexplainable complications. The Wings have sorely missed his punishing physical play and his underrated offensive skills.

“We need a boost right now,” Mike Babcock said. “(Kronwall) gives you a dynamic guy on the back end, whether that be physical, defending, on the rush offensively, on the power play, on the penalty-kill.”

“Words can’t describe how important he is to our team," Dan Cleary said. "He does everything great.”

“It’s been a long time, and I can’t wait to get back out there,” Kronwall said.

Neither can we Kronner, neither can we!

Just In Time

Kronwall will make his triumphant return to the ice at home against a Coyotes team that sits like a speed bump on the Wings' path up the playoff ladder. The time is now for Detroit to make a serious push and some real headway heading towards the Winter Olympics break in mid-February.

Of the ten games remaining on the Wings' schedule before the break, just three matchups are against teams currently on the outside of the playoff picture: Minnesota, Anaheim, and St. Louis. All three are from the Western Conference. All three are also jostling with Detroit for a spot in the top eight.

Six of these last ten games are on the road. There is another tour of the California Coast with games against the Sharks, Ducks, and Kings. There is also the first of two bouts with the Penguins; a rematche of the last two Stanley Cup Championships. Ideally, Detroit would win all ten. Hopefully, they can earn 16 of a possible 20 points. Realistically, the Wings should get six wins.

"There's going to be lots of big games in the West between now and the end of the year," Babcock said. "These battles are going to go back and forth. You're hopeful your ups are going to be longer than your downs. It's pretty apparent San Jose and Chicago have separated themselves from the group, but the rest of us are in a battle."

As I look at the schedule, I see victories tonight against Phoenix, Wednesday in Minnesota, and Friday at home against Nashville. That would be three in a row. An emotional loss in a hostile Pittsburgh environment (sorry James, I know you'll be there), followed by a close defeat to the Sharks in San Jose. I think they then drop another to the Ducks in Anaheim for a third straight loss, but then back-to-back road victories over the Kings and the Blues will give them five wins in eight before returning to the Joe. A home win over San Jose and then a thrashing of Ottawa in Detroit will give them four straight and...seven wins.

At least one of those wins will probably end up being an overtime/shootout loss, thus my realistic prediction of six wins and a 6-3-1 record, earning 13 out of a possible 20 points. Losing to Pittsburgh will hurt nothing but pride. Dropping one or two to San Jose won't matter too much as they are secure at the top of the conference. Another loss to St. Louis would be annoying but probably not detrimental. The must wins are Phoenix, Nashville, Los Angeles, and maybe Anaheim; those teams are Detroit's peers right now.

"Every year, as a coach, you think every game you're playing is the most important," Babcock said. "I dont think that's any different this year. In saying that, there's no question it's different when you're locked in (a playoff position). But it's like every year, we're just trying to be a work in progress, trying to get better every day."

So often, when a coach speaks, it sounds like political, fallacious optimism. But I don't think Babcock screws around much with his words.

Peace.

Climbing A Broken Ladder

2010-01-25T15:57:00.001-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Saturday, January 23, 2009 Kings 3 @ Red Wings 2

The Wings gave up their third two-goal lead in four games and lost at home to the Kings. The loss dropped them back out of the top eight spots in the Western Conference, but a Flames loss put them back in. It seems as though win or lose the Wings are just stuck in one place. Each time they look poised to move up they slide back down, unable to hold their grip.

Shakedown in the West

Here is what the situation looks like as of Tuesday morning: two teams (San Jose and Chicago) are battling for the top spot, two are writhing at the bottom (Columbus and Edmonton), and eleven others are separated by only twelve points. Leading the middle of the pack are Colorado and Vancouver, tied with 66 points, in a fight for the Northwest Division. Phoenix has all but waved goodbye to the Sharks and the Pacific Division title and are parked with 63 points, clinging to the fifth seed.

L.A.'s victory over Detroit gives them 61 points and a bit of breathing room as they are now tied with the struggling Predators. Nashville is 5-5-0 in their last ten. The Wings are 4-4-2. Despite losing six Detroit still managed to earn the same amount of points and remain just three points behind their Central Division rival.

Although Calgary and Detroit are tied with 58 points, the Flames have been doused in their last ten (1-8-1) and have lost six straight. The future looks brighter in Detroit, and if Calgary is unable to find some consistent ice to skate on, they could get easily get bitten by one from the rest of the pack.

Here Come The Snakes

So shut your windows lock your doors
Here come the snakes you best be sure
To keep your conscience bolted tight
'Cause they'll be lying waiting... ~Eric Bachman (Crooked Fingers)

Of all the teams dwelling outside of the playoff picture that should be most feared of striking with their disgusting venom are the Anaheim Ducks. They appear so friendly and harmless, but if you give them a chance they will crap all over your yard. If the stupid Ducks are able to waddle their way into the playoffs, they could be the most dangerous team in the West.

Like the Wings, though not to the same extent, the Ducks have battled through injuries all season long. Unlike the Wings, they have put together a long stretch of consistent and strong play and victories. Anaheim boasts the second best record in the conference in the last ten games at 8-2-0 (the Sharks are 8-1-1). Currently residing three points behind Detroit, the Ducks gained seven points on the Wings during that stretch.

Another team to possibly keep an eye on is St. Louis. With 54 points, the Blues have a solid goaltending duo (Chris Mason and Ty Conklin) and are well-balanced in the scoring department with ten skaters with 20+ points and eight with double digit goals. For comparisons sake, Detroit has just seven guys with 20 or more points, and only five with ten or more goals.

The most interesting thing about the Blues is that they tend to sing tunes true to their namesake at home. The team has five less wins (9) and twice as many losses (14) in St. Louis than it does in other NHL cities. Teams that comfortable on the road can often times become pitfalls late in the season.

Ponderin' and Predictin'

The Wings have 31 games left. Will Mike Babcock get 50 wins for the fifth straight season? No. Will Detroit win its ninth straight Central Division title? No. Will the Wings make the playoffs?

There is little to fear about that final question. Of the teams currently positioned below Detroit, Anaheim has the best opportunity to slide in there. The Flames have a lot of work to do to turn their season around, but I cannot see them getting back in unless more than two currently contending teams fall out of contention. Despite the weak argument above for St. Louis, I do not like the Blues to supplant any team in front of them. Dallas and Minnesota should mire away in mediocrity and slowly slip out of the discussions.

So if the Wings are in, and Anaheim is in, and Calgary is out, then who is the one likely team to fall? The Avalanche and the Canucks are in a tight race for the third and fourth spots and are not likely to relinquish either any time soon. Phoenix has slipped a little, but Ilya Bryzgalov is likely to return to form and get his fellow Coyotes into the playoffs. The Kings showed a great deal of toughness and resiliency on Saturday, and Jonathan Quick is the real deal. They should be fine.

That leaves the Predators. Nashville is the prime suspect to tumble. They are not necessarily a bad team, but they are just a big fat phony. They widened a gap between themselves and Detroit early in the season, but that has shrunk considerably. Now with the Wings getting healthier, and with four more matchups with Detroit left this season, the Predators seem doomed.

As long as the Wings can secure a good foot hold relatively soon, they will begin to climb the ladder to the fifth seed in the West. Mark it, Dude.

Peace.

Wings: More Desperate than the Other Guys

2010-01-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Thursday, January 21, 2010 Red Wings 4 @ Wild 3 SO

It was a game between two desperate teams. One, Minnesota, sat five points behind the other and were six away from a playoff position. The other, Detroit, sat one point behind Los Angeles and two back from Calgary and Vancouver.

Both teams came into Thursday night's game having lost three straight.

Getting Wild in the North

The Minnesota Wild is one of few teams in the NHL that I do not mind that much. Perhaps it is because they have the second coolest logo behind the Winged Wheel. What is that thing anyway? A bear? A Cougar? I like how the moon is the mystery animal's ear, how the eye resembles the North Star (an homage to the old Minnesotan franchise), and how its mouth looks like a river cutting through the north country.

Or perhaps my slight soft spot for the team comes from my admiration of Minnesota's wilderness. On two occasions, once backpacking, the other houseboating, I have spent extended periods of time in the Boundary Waters area in the northern part of the state. Now, I have lived in and explored Michigan's Upper Peninsula, from Taquamenon Falls to the Pictured Rocks to the Porcupine Mountains. I have seen parts of the Appalachian Trail and rafted down white water in West Virginia. I have done the Rockies north and south, Montana to Arizona. But I'm telling you, nothing compares to the waterways of Northern Minnesota

The most likely reason for my lack of hatred for this team is because of the Wings' dominance over the Wild. On paper Detroit holds history's edge with an 11-1-2 record over the last 14 matchups. But as this season has proved to be true on so many occasions in Detroit, history has no bearing on the present. The Wings needed to play a great game to get a good win, and they nearly let one slip away, again.

Howie Back In Net

"They got a couple of lucky bounces," Jimmy Howard said. "But for the most part, I thought we controlled the game.''

After his first breather in 12 games against Washington, Howard was back in net in St. Paul to face a struggling yet dangerous Wild team. Howard stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced and was excellent in the shootout for his 18th win on the season and improved to 10-4-3 in his last 17 starts.

Babcock has shown immense confidence in his rookie goaltender this season, hence the increased playing time over Chris Osgood. Howie has been quicker, sharper, and more aggressive around the puck than Ozzy. This helps with the intangibles that a goalie must inevitably face in every game, such as the bad bounces that Howard referred to, or simply being in the right place at the right time when things get thick in front. Check out this save:

Notice where Howard is perched to make that first save. He is out in front of his goal crease, challenging the shooter, cutting down the angle at the net. The rebound comes out to his left and he is able to move over and make another save. By staying out of the crease, the rebounded puck stays out of the crease, which keeps the Wild from crashing in around the net. This also allows Howard's defensive support a better opportunity to tie up their men and reduce the chances of a quality scoring chance off the rebound as the puck is nowhere near the goal line.

I hate to say it, but when I watch Osgood in net he looks tentative, and I have very little confidence that when things get hairy in front of him that he will be in the right position to sustain the pressure. Whenever there are a lot of bodies around Ozzy, I do not feel as safe about losing sight of the puck as I do when Howard is in net. As far as the playing time dispute between Babcock and Osgood, I do not see how Babs has any option but to continue to play Howie whenever possible. He gives the Wings the best chance to win because he is the best goalie on the team right now.

Know Your Role

The big name scorers have taken on defensive roles this season, and a large portion of the goal-scoring has come in large part from the role players. Leading these guys have been Darren Helm, Patrick Eaves, and Drew Miller; each played great on Thursday. Eaves, who was an assist shy of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick on Sunday against the Blackhawks, put the Wings up 2-1 in the third period when he capitalized off of Helm's hard work:

It was Eaves' seventh goal and 14th point of the season. Miller put the Wings up 3-1 shortly after Eaves with this tip-in goal off of Derek Meech's shot from the point:

That goal should have sealed the deal for Detroit, but Minnesota got a quick two goal spurt just a few minutes later to tie the game. Miller was called upon in the eighth round of the shootout to do what Henrik Zetterberg, Todd Bertuzzi, Ville Leino, Dan Cleary, and Patrick Eaves could not. It was his first NHL shootout attempt. He is now 100% for his career.

"In the minors, I never did too hot in them, but you got to get your first sometime," Miller said. "He's a pretty big goalie (Minnesota's Nicklas Backstrom), stays with the puck well, so I decided to come in and shoot a little bit farther out, try to catch him thinking another deke. You've got to get your first one sometime, and it feels pretty good."

Babcock tipped his hat to his role guys.

"That's who's been coming through all year," Babcock said. "We wouldn't have any wins if it wasn't for those guys. It's not like our big guys are scoring like crazy. It's been a team thing all year long. Because our power play's been like it was tonight again, just stagnant and standing around a lot, we need those guys."

"It's a huge win for us," Miller said. "We feel we've been playing well, just not getting the results we want. We battled hard tonight and came through with the 'W' in the end. You don't ask how, you just get it done."

Here is the shootout in all its glory:

Peace.

Wings Slip Up On Washington's Ice

2010-01-19T16:27:00.000-05:00

What a game, and opportunity, to let slip away. The Wings doubled the Washington Capitals in shots on goal (46) but could not get enough past Jose Theodore for the win in D.C. They shut down the most exciting, entertaining, and all around best player in the world (in this writer's opinion), holding Alexander Ovechkin to zero shots for just the third time this season. They controlled the play for most of the game and scored tough, timely goals.

And yet they skated off the ice without a point to show for their efforts. C'est la vie, such is life, in the NHL.

Just One Game, No Big Deal

Coach Mike Babcock always seems to find a diamond in a pile of crap. Here he discusses his team's good play and what it means for the near future:

“I feel good because I thought our team played real well, real hard. We basically dominated from start to finish. They’re an opportunistic team. They got real good offensive flair and they were able to capitalize. Their goalie was outstanding. But I like the way we played. We played fast, we were on top of them. If we continue to play the way we’re playing we’ll be just fine."

For such a surly looking dude, I am often surprised by his optimism and positiveness, especially after his team blew a chance to leap frog its way into a playoff position.

Coming into the game with 56 points, the Wings sat just one point away from the Los Angeles Kings for the eighth and final playoff spot, and only two points behind both Vancouver and Calgary. Both the Canucks and the Flames were idle on Tuesday, and the Kings were spanked by the Sharks 5-1. The loss negates an opportunity for the Wings to slide into the seventh seed, thusly knocking the Kings out and jumping ahead of Calgary (the Canucks have a game in hand on the Wings).

Now, all of this is moot; fodder for the fans, media, and banthas to chew on. But sitting on the outside looking in is not where we are used to planting our butts as Red Wings enthusiasts. Pundits and talking heads all agree that Detroit is, and always was, a playoff team this season, and I am not doubting that. It just would have been nice to go into our nation's capital, get a win against a Stanley Cup contender from the Eastern Conference, and hit the road again in a better position than where they were to begin with.

After all, the Wings are not the only team with their eyes on the playoff prize, as Dallas and Anaheim both sit just three points behind Detroit. Going back to that 4-1 victory over the Wings on January 5, the Ducks have been on an absolute tear to get back into postseason discussions, winning seven of their last eight. The Stars have not been as hot, but they have hung around all season, and they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with three victories over the Wings.

“You can say we played a good game, but in the end we didn’t score enough goals," Henrik Zetterberg said. “We had a lot of chances, we should be able to put more pucks in."

46 shots. 2 goals. 0 points. Bt as long as Babcock is cool with it, I guess I will be too.

Approaching A Rift?

Chris Osgood, remember him? The guy who went from back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals goaltender to the backup for Jimmy Howard. Ozzy got the nod Tuesday for the first time since December 20 after relinquishing 12 consecutive starts to the rookie, Howard.

Howard has earned his playing time this season and deserved all those starts, but Osgood has been openly frustrated with his own lack of time between the pipes. Does he have a point with statements like this?

“At the start of the year Howie didn’t play for about a month and then I didn’t play for a month. To me that’s not a good way of doing things, to let one guy get stagnant. You have to have both guys going, especially with the amount of games we have, especially coming back after the Olympic break we have a ton of games in March. So we have to have two guys in case something happens."

In theory, this makes perfect sense. But then again so does Communism. If the Wings were sitting atop the Central Division, as they were last season and every other season this decade, I would absolutely agree with Ozzy's sentiment. However, Detroit is 16 points behind Chicago, and Babcock is in a position where he must do everything, say anything, and play anyone who he deems fit to give his team the best opportunity to win.

It is interesting, though, that Babs would give Ozzy his first start in a month against the highest scoring team in the league. To give you an idea of how potent the Capitals are this season, they lead the NHL with an average of 3.69 goals per game. San Jose is a distant second with 3.26, and the Wings currently land in 27th with 2.49.

“It was tough. I haven’t played in a month,’’ Osgood said. “I think if I played a little more...they were good goals, but still I would have stopped them if I were in more of a groove. It was tough, especially against a team that doesn’t shoot a lot but waits for their best chances."

"You practice every day, you get ready every day, so let's play," said Babcock.

No love lost there. Remember this, in the 2005-06 season, Babcock's first as coach of the Wings, Steve Yzerman was just a Robert Lang groin injury away from retiring midseason due to a lack of playing time. Stevie Y only got the playing time because Babcock was forced to play him.

Is this a similar situation? Was Babs setting Osgood up for failure against the Capitals? Or was this a test to see where the disgruntled goalie's head and heart are.

Maybe I'm making too much out of something that might actually be nothing, but, last night, during moments of the game, my thoughts were indeed adrift, "and coasting a terrace, approaching a rift." ~ Tom Marshall

Rusty, or Icy, or Both?

Osgood had plenty of rust on the pads Tuesday night, though they could have been iced over from a slow first period. Washington did not register a shot on goal until nearly 15 minutes into the game and only got three in the first period. If Ozzy was looking for a groove, he had little chance of finding one in this game.

When Osgood struggled last season it was because he was not aggressive enough, not getting outside of the goal crease and challenging the shooter. Take a look at where he is on Nicklas Backstrom's power play goal:

That was a sick move on Brad Stuart, but if Ozzy had been out of the crease he may have been able to poke check the puck, or at least cut down the angle that Backstrom had to shoot with.

David Steckel tipped in the game winner just 46 seconds later. Ozzy started the play out front, challenging the original shooter, but slipped backwards when he lost sight of the puck.

Perhaps this is an entirely different type of goal as Ozzy was reacting to the first shot, but what I see is an unsure, rusty goaltender relying on bad habits. Osgood is a trusted veteran in this league. He should not have to rehash the basics in the middle of every season. Does he have a beef about playing time? Maybe. Should he be prepared and ready play at a high level at any given moment? Absolutely.

Babcock:

“It’s real important to have good goaltending. You can’t win without good goaltending. We’ve been real fortunate that Howie has been excellent for us, gave us an opportunity on a nightly basis."

Nugs and Notes

Attention Darren McCarty: in no way am I saying that Chris Osgood is done, past his prime, or undeserving of an opportunity for playing time. I love Ozzy for all he has done for the Wings, and I hope he comes around and can contribute wins on a more consistent basis this season. Also, I whole-heartedly agree that he has earned his spot in the NHL Hall of Fame.

Peace McCarty, Peace.

Even The Blackhawks Could Not Ruin My Birthday

2010-01-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Sunday, January 17, 2010 Blackhawks 4 @ Red Wings 3 SO

Mom had never been to a Wings game. I had never been to a game that the Wings had lost. Despite the outcome, we had a great time at Joe Louis Arena.

Following the Lodge Freeway we arrived in downtown Detroit. It was a chilly morning, but not too cold for a walk around the arena. I wanted to go down by the river, check out the Canadian side of things, and walk across Steve Yzerman Drive. Once we made it inside, I wanted to show Mom all the sights that the Joe had to offer. She really liked the "Production Line" statues, even though Howe was the only name she recognized. Funny because she would soon meet one of the other guys shortly thereafter.

Not-So-Terrible Ted

As we walked circles around the arena, searching for the perfect lunch amidst all the food vendors, we passed a booth with a table, a stack of books, a short line, and an elderly looking gentleman getting his picture taken. Once I recognized Ted Lindsay, I whispered to Mom, "He's one of the Production guys."

"Go get in line, I'll take a picture of you two," she said. So I did. What the Hell? I thought, I may never get another opportunity to shake 'Terrible' Ted's hand again. I bought his book and he wished me a happy birthday. I asked him, "Do you remember how many goals you scored when you were 29?" He replied with a laugh, "I don't remember what I did last year."

I looked it up when I got home. At age 29 Lindsay hit a professional lull during the 1954-55 regular season, playing in just 49 games with just 19 goals. His 38 points were his lowest output since his first two seasons in the NHL. However he did net seven goals and 19 points in the playoffs in what would become the last Stanley Cup Championship Detroit would see until 1997.

During his playing days Lindsay was one of the most feared players to ever lace up the skates and lay the lumber. Standing just 5' 8", he was considered undersized by even the 1940-50s NHL standards, but his nasty disposition was as notorious as his elbows were fearsome. At age 84, the scars on his face were scarcely noticed amidst the wrinkles, and his handshake was warm and genuine. Nothing terrible about Ted that I could tell.

Although I never got to see the man play, I greatly admire his place in Red Wings lore and what he accomplished wearing the Winged Wheel for 14 of his 17 NHL seasons. It was a huge honor to meet him.

Onto the Game

Mom and I found our seats and I proceeded to inhale an Italian beef sandwich. Our seats were up high in one of the corners, the perfect place to sit and get a true scope of the inside of the arena. We gazed upon the retired names and numbers: Howe (9), Abel (12), Lindsay (7), Delvecchio (10), Sawchuk (1), and Yzerman (19). I pointed out the 11 Stanley Cup Championship banners and refreshed Mom's memory on the Wings most recent successes.

There were several Blackhawks jerseys mixed intermittently throughout. I wondered how rowdy it might get and whether any of the visiting fans would be moronic enough to partake in their idiotic tradition of cheering through the National Anthem. Sure enough, two degenerates a section to our right rapidly clapped throughout Karen Newman's entire rendition. Mom was visibly annoyed. I waited until after the song was over (because that is what respectful Americans do when the National Anthem is being sung/played) to inform her of the ridiculous ritual. She was not impressed, "That's just stupid, disrespectful to our country."

Note to Chicago Blackhawks fans: Do whatever you want in your own home. Do not take your BS tradition on the road with you. You look, and sound, like complete A-holes.

Breaking the Silence

Wings fans had little to cheer about during the first period until Nicklas Lidstrom scored with less than a minute left in the session.

That was the first Detroit goal against the Blackhawks in over 161 minutes. With all the damn Chicago fans in the arena we had to endure plenty of cheering when Troy Brouwer and Patrick Kane put the Hawks up 2-0, and had to continuously stifle "Let's Go Blackhawks" chants with booing and "Let's Go Red Wings" mantras of our own, so it was nice of Nick to give us something to scream about. After Henrik Zetterberg tied it up 2-2 in the second period, the somewhat lethargic crowd sprang to life, and a rivalrous playoff-like atmosphere enveloped the Joe for all fans.

Patrick Sharp scored, just minutes after Hank, to give the Hawks the lead again, but Wings fans kept the noise levels up. This game wasn't over, not yet. Two guys sitting next to me had driven in from Chicago for the game. They were polite, respectful, and good hockey fans. One admitted during the second period that the Wings look "scary good" and nothing like the team that was shutout by his Hawks in back-to-back games in December. During the intermission I joked with them, asking, "So how long has it been since your team won the Cup?" I wished them good luck with Marian Hossa, his 12-year contract, and his playoff ailments. Referring to Detroit's situation with the salary cap, I told them, "Your team better win it this year, because you won't have all these guys back next year."

Emotional Eaves

The player of the game for me was Patrick Eaves. He tied the game 3-3 in the third period with his sixth goal of the season, and roughed it up with Kris Versteeg in the first period for his first fight of the season.

He may not be the guy to call in when the going gets tough, but Eaves held his own against the scrappy, if not pesky, Versteeg. Coming into the game Eaves had just eight penalty minutes. With the fight and a high-sticking call he nearly doubled his season total in that category.

The referees tried to give the game away to Chicago with power play opportunities in the first period. All seven of Eaves' PIM came in the first and Derek Meech, Brad Stuart, and Todd Bertuzzi were all called for minor penalties during the opening session. Evening things out, the Wings were awarded all the PPs in the second period as Colin Fraser, Brent Seabrook, and Sharp were all whistled. With the nation watching on NBC, the refs got out of the way and pocketed their whistles during the third period, allowing the teams to play physical and decide the matters at full strength.

Speaking of NBC, anyone at home watching the game missed out on Eave's goal live as the crew were dissecting replays while the puck went in the net. Here is what you already saw if you were watching on TV:

From our vantage point we could see the shot leave his stick and sneak by the unsuspecting Blackhawks goaltender, Antti Niemi. We were in perfect position to see the screen in front of Niemi and watch the puck sail our way and into the corner of the net. "He didn't even see it!" Mom yelled. Neither did anybody tuning into NBC.

Talking Breakaway Blues

Eave's goal forced overtime and the momentum seemed in the home team's favor. Just seconds into the extra session Zetterberg poked the puck away from Seabrook at the Chicago blue line and walked in alone on Niemi.

A few minutes later Pavel Datsyuk had his turn at a one-on-one with the Hawk's backup goalie, but like his superstar counterpart, came up empty handed.

"We had two breakaways in overtime, it would've been nice to score on one of them," said Mike Babcock. Yeah, Babs, because that would have won the game...

The Wings outplayed and outshot the Hawks four to two in overtime but could not end it against Niemi. Those missed breakaways were to be remembered after the shootout and the game was over.

A Datsyukian Deke and Bertuzzian Spin-O-Rama

Even though the Wings lost in the shootout, everyone was buzzing about the two Detroit shootout goals after the game. First was Datsyuk's little lazy lofter (these are my videos):

If Datsyuk's goal wasn't amazing enough, Bertuzzi followed up with a mad rush to the net and displayed incredible nimbleness and artistry:

"In that situation, you have to be creative," said Bertuzzi.

The game was immensely entertaining and just slightly disappointing. All in all, the outcome was a formality for me; the Wings got a point. The entire experience was just amazing, and the opportunity to spend my birthday with Mom at a Detroit Red Wings game may not come around again. Thanks Mom!

Peace.

When The Playoffs Get Here, Who Will Be There In Detroit?

2010-01-16T11:52:00.003-05:00

By Adam W Parks

The Red Wings roster has looked like a patchwork quilt this season with the loss of certain free agents, the additions of others, a slew of injuries, and a few fresh prospects from the Grand Rapids crew. Assuming that Detroit will get healthy and string together some wins down the stretch, they will certainly make it into 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

So what will that playoff roster of 23 skaters look like? Who will be in and who will be left out?

If healthy, the usual suspects will all be there, but who will round out that all-important fourth line? Who will act as the reserves to the top defensive pairings? Who has earned the opportunity to be this season's Justin Abdelkader? Here is a rundown of what a possible playoff game lineup might look like:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filppula-Bertuzzi
Cleary-Helm-Williams
Eaves-Draper-Miller

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Ericsson-Lebda

Now if all of the players listed above are uninjured, active, and still on the roster (could Drew Miller end up back on waivers?), then there will be five spots left to fill. On defense it seems obvious who will be there.

Feeling Peachy 'Bout Meechy

Wow, that was a lame headline. Apologies. Derek Meech may not see much ice time in the playoffs but he will surely be counted on as a backup. Though his statistics are unimpressive in 33 games this season (one goal, two points, minus-9 rating), Meech has played sound and solid in the wake of the injuries to Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson. He has logged plenty of ice time this season, skating double digit minutes in 17 straight games and over 19:00 in four so far this season. With the lack of point shooters like Kronner and Jason Williams, Meech has logged plenty of power play minutes over the last month or so.

The 8-Ball

Jakub Kindl might be a future top four defenseman in Detroit, but Doug Janik looks to me to be the clear favorite, if not the most deserved, for the eighth blue-liner for the playoffs. Janik, 37, is a veteran who has never sustained a consistent NHL career, but he proved he can fill in admirably when called upon. In 13 appearances with the Wings he has as many points as Meech and a better plus/minus rating with a -3. (Ironically, Janik's last game with the Wings was the 0-6 rout by the Islanders, and he was a -3 in that game.) Janik was called up after Ericsson was lost and showed grit and toughness, amassing 18 penalty minutes with two fighting majors.

A Spot For Abby

Even though he was supposed to start this season wearing a Griffins jersey, Justin Abdelkader has secured himself a playoff spot. In all rights, Abby should have been a regular in the playoffs last year when he scored his first and second career goals in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Penguins. It was the first time a rookie had scored in consecutive Finals games since 1981 when former Wing Dino Ciccarelli did it with the Minnesota Northstars. Forget that he has only three goals this season, Abdelkader is a gamer, a big game gamer, and a physical player with a scorer's nose for the net. He's a Michigan kid. Muskegon. East Lansing. Grand Rapids. Detroit. He has already been a hero once when it mattered most.

Can't Pass On Malts

There are four guys on today's roster that are leftover from the last four Red Wings Stanley Cup Championships: Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, Kris Draper, and Kirk Maltby. Drapes and Malts were question marks heading into this season, but loyalty runs red in Detroit, and each were brought back. Draper has shown positional flexibility to match his world class speed, moving from center to a wing position with Darren Helm. Maltby, 37, has held firm to his grinding wing position on the fourth line and has skated in 41 games this season, more than Patrick Eaves, Brad May, and Ville Leino. Never a prolific point-getter in the NHL, Malts has just three goals and five points this season and has been held pointless since Halloween (32 games), but it is his inexplicable talents on the penalty kill that keep him a valuable commodity in Detroit and a must have on the playoff lineup. Who knows where he will be next season, but I know where I want to see him in late April.

And Then There Were 2

So that rounds out 22 of the 23 available slots, and it comes down to a pair of players with diverse skill sets: Brad May and Ville Leino. If this writer were Mike Babcock it would not even be a question worth pondering. But I am not Babs, I am a writer, and I like to ponder...so here we go!

May Day-The off season signing of Brad May was reminiscent of when they brought in Dallas Drake for the 2007-08 season and subsequent championship. The Wings needed a peg to fill a tough hole. Voila. Brad May. At age 38, the man can still hang with the kids, and knock 'em out too. Now, fighting is a relatively unnecessary enterprise in the playoffs, but May also brings along Stanley Cup experience. He raised the cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks and has played in 88 NHL playoff games with five different teams. Those kind of credentials are vital for a team that will likely be a statistical underdog without home-ice advantage in every round of the playoffs.

Lackluster Leino-What a disappointment this guy has been this season. With all the high hopes and anticipation Leino could have doubled his goals (4) and points (7) at this point in the season and I would still say he was underachieving. He was the guy that had us all saying, "See yah, Hudler! Don't forget to bring a sweater! I hear it gets cold in Russia!" Is there anyone out there that actually thought, before the season started, that Helm (8), Draper (6), Patrick Eaves (6), and Drew Miller (5) would have more goals than Leino? Shut up, you're lying. He had more goals (5) in 27 less games last season, and he has been a healthy scratch often due to a lack of hustle and strength on the puck. Players need to elevate their games in the playoffs. If Leino elevated his level of play right now, he might be a third-liner in Grand Rapids. Babcock has shown patience with him, citing Eaves as a similar wait and see situation/success story.

“Patrick Eaves is an example of a guy we were very patient with and he rewarded us for our patience,’’ Babcock said. “We’ve done that with a number of guys in my time here. We’re just going to keep being patient."

Fine, but for how long? Do any of the other guys who are hustling to loose pucks and grinding in the corners deserve to lose ice time to him? If, and that is a big IF, Leino can get his game together, he would be a valuable scoring option on a lower line, but as I see him right now, he would only be a liability and a waste of a roster spot in the playoffs.

Then again, the Wings need to secure that playoff spot before any of this becomes relevant anyway!

Peace.

Talking Lidstrom, Miller, and PP

2010-01-16T11:52:00.001-05:00

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.

One In, Many Still Out

2010-01-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

In his eighth season as the athletic trainer for the Red Wings, Piet Van Zant has had to install a revolving door to the Detroit infirmary. As soon as Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary trickled back, Tomas Holmstrom fell during practice with a broken foot.

Each game I watch I hold my breath after every collision. Every day I search and seek the internet for injury updates. Who is healing well and coming back early. Who has had setbacks. The organization has remained positive. The coach has remained focused. The team has remained just a fair distance away from the playoff picture.

At times like the 4-1 road de-finning of the Sharks, the Wings look like their old selves. Then we see the mistake prone, turnover happy version against a lesser team like the Islanders. I am a realist. I do not expect the Wings to win every game. However I do expect them to fight and be competitive, especially when they are just one point away from knocking the Kings out of the last playoff spot.

Frustrations have been tempered this season, but excuses for poor play are running thin. If the broken Wings can mend and return without any other significant losses, Detroit should, nay better make a run for that fourth seed, as the Blackhawks might already be too far from reach.

Here is a rundown of a few guys on the shelf.

Ericsson Suits Up

Jonathan Ericsson will play tonight for the Carolina game. Not that the Wings necessarily need the additional help against the worst team in the league, but after the turd they laid on Long Island, coach Mike Babcock will take all that he can get.

"Now we get to have the Big E back playing, moving the puck, killing penalties and doing what he does," Babcock said. "He's been practicing a lot. If we didn't think he was ready, he wouldn't be playing."

Ericsson missed 12 games from a nasty bone bruise to his knee. He has been on the ice, but is anxious to get back into game action.

"I’ve been skating now for the last week and a half. It feels good,'' Ericsson said. "When you skate out there, there’s not a lot of game situations. Not a lot of battling, going hard in short spurts, things like that. That’s been the problem since I got back on the ice, small things, quick movements. It’s a real test, the first game I’m playing.''

Doug Janik returns to Grand Rapids to make room for the Big E.

Kronner Skates, Still Unsure of Return

"He can pinpoint the spot where he feels the pain, but everything is normal."

Those were the words from Wings general manager Ken Holland after Niklas Kronwall visited a nerve specialist on Wednesday. Kronwall also had an ultrasound on Tuesday that revealed nothing wrong.

Kronner went down with a sprained MCL back in November 21 when the king of goons, George Laraque, stuck his fat stupid leg out and clipped Nik with a knee-to-knee hit. It's the cheapest play in hockey, and Laraque deserves to experience the pain and frustration that Kronwall has had to face.

A month ago it was believed that Kronner would be back by now, but the pain has not yet deserted him. Holland continued to vent his vexation:

"This is frustrating because we've put him through numerous tests and he's seen numerous doctors and they can't find anything."

Despite skating this morning, his first time on the ice since December 20, he is still feeling discomfort.

Mule Trying To Get Back On His Skates

There is a date for Johan Franzen's return. March 1. There are hopes that he could still make it back before the NHL breaks for the Olympics, but Holland would rather have a fresh Mule for the final leg of the regular season.

"Will he play earlier than that (March 1)? We’ll see," Holland said. “But that gives him 20 or 21 games (to prepare for the playoffs). We’ll have him back for a quarter of the season."

If ready, and Babcock wants/needs him, Franzen could possibly play a few games before the Olympics, but Franzen was not selected to the Swedish roster, so there should not be any pressure for him to rush back.

Peace.

Forget the Disappointing Game, Remember The Memorable Disappointment

2010-01-08T00:58:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Red Wings 0 @ Islanders 6

In 1982 Mike Ilitch purchased the Detroit Red Wings for $8 million. In 1983 he had the fourth overall selection in his first draft as owner. With the help of general manager Jimmy Devellano, Ilitch scouted out the prospects, seeking someone to become the face of his team, someone to restore the Red and kill the 'Dead' in the Wings...He settled for Steve Yzerman.

Yes, all eyes were on Pat LaFontaine. The rookie that bested all other skaters in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League during the 1982-83 season (including Mario Lemieux) by racking up 104 goals and 234 points. The all-American that grew up in Waterford Township, Michigan. Yes, LaFontaine was the local kid believed to have the destiny to become the local hero in Detroit.

This Devellano quote came from an archived Detroit Free Press article from Bill McGraw: "He was a local boy who would have been a super marketing tool. We had 4,000 season-ticket owners and had just missed the playoffs (for the fifth year in a row). The cupboard was bare."

The Wings wanted LaFontaine with that fourth pick because they thought he could lead Detroit's restoration process back to NHL respectability and greatness. Instead, the New York Islanders nabbed him with the third pick in an attempt to rekindle a ripening roster and reinforce a declining dynasty.

In 1983 the Mike Bossy-led Islanders won their fourth straight Stanley Cup. In 1984, in LaFontaine's rookie season, they made it all the way back to the Finals only to watch Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers skate away with Lord Stanley's silver, onto a dynasty of their own. It would be the last time the Isles would make it to the Finals, and for LaFontaine, his only shot at raising the Cup.

Yzerman and LaFontaine would always be linked by that moment during the 1983 draft. Had New York gone in another direction, Ilitch and Devellano would have landed their prized pig. And then who knows how Hockeytown history would have been written? Would Yzerman have become The Captain on Long Island? Would Scotty Bowman have ever taken the job? Would we still be mired in a Stanley Cup drought, counting the years since 1955?

Up until Detroit's Championship in the 1997 Finals, Yzerman's career ran along paralleling tracks as LaFontaine's. Both realized impressive individual accomplishments and achievements without laying their hands on the hardware. Yzerman endured trade rumors only to remain in Detroit for all of his 22 seasons. LaFontaine spent his entire career in the state of New York, although he was traded from Long Island to Buffalo in 1991, and returned to New York City in 1997 to finish his NHL playing days with one season with the Rangers.

Yzerman was troubled with knee injuries but persevered through the pain and prolonged his career. LaFontaine, who was also hampered with knee problems, was forced to cut his career short due to a series of concussions. Yzerman played a vital role as the veteran model to an amazingly skilled Russian born skater in Sergei Fedorov. In Buffalo LaFontaine skated alongside hockey's original "Alexander the Great", Alexander Mogilny, former linemate of Fedorov in the Soviet Union.

Both scored game-winning goals that are remembered as two of the greatest series-ending moments in NHL playoff history. Here is LaFontaine's "Easter Epic" goal:

And of course, Yzerman's St. Louis-sized dagger in 2006:

One career was cut short without ever reaching true glory. The other a truly glorified story we know, cherish, and love to retell whenever possible. Yzerman was just inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame a few months ago with former teammates Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. LaFontaine entered the Hall in 2003, ironically enough along with Mike Ilitch. The player that the owner wanted, and the owner that got lucky. What was at the time a bit of a disappointment for Ilitch in 1983 became his greatest decision since the Pizza! Pizza! marketing campaign.

Now, wasn't that much more enjoyable than reading about that horrifying 0-6 loss to the Islanders on Tuesday?

As for that game, this is all I want to say about it:

"It's been that kind of night, Where nothing's gone right," Ken Daniels.

Peace.

Here They Come!

2010-01-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

By Adam W Parks

Great news for Red Wings fans who are used to bad news this season: Wings beat writer Ansar Khan dropped this little nugget last night...

January 6, www.mlive.com: Reinforcements are arriving in the nick of time for the Detroit Red Wings, who are five points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and are in danger of drifting away from the pack.

Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary return Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings, bolstering the Red Wings' top two lines and their ailing power play.

The team will be as healthy as it has been in weeks, missing only two regular forwards, Johan Franzen and Jason Williams.

"It's time," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We got to put some runs together, and it's going to take good runs over a long period of time to get us in a position we want to be."

Cleary missed 12 games with a separated shoulder, Zetterberg eight games with the same injury. Zetterberg will be reunited with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom. Cleary will play with Valtteri Filppula and Todd Bertuzzi, giving the club the strongest second line it has had in some time.

"Obviously, they're real good players; now, they got to get playing," Babcock said. "I'm putting (Zetterberg) on the wing, so Fil can skate for one group and Pav can do the skating for the other group because it's going to take them a bit to get their legs the way they want them to be."

King of Kings

The return of Zetterberg and Cleary could not have come any...quicker. Meet Jonathan Quick, LA Kings workhorse goaltender. The 23-year-old American leads all NHL puck-stoppers in games started (39) and is tied in wins (23) with Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov, trailing only Martin Brodeur (27), Ryan Miller, and Evgeni Nabokov (both 24). His goals-against average (2.56) and save percentage (.907) are rather average, but make no mistake, he is the main reason why LA is currently holding down a playoff position.

In his second season Quick has already surpassed his win total from a year ago (21) in two less starts. He has won his past three contests allowing only five goals on a total of 103 shots, including a 47 save effort against San Jose on Monday.

With Zetterberg and Cleary back tonight, Mike Babcock will finally have some flexibility with his scoring lines again. Any of the following combinations have the potential to put pucks past Quick on any given shift:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom
Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Cleary
Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Bertuzzi

Cleary-Filppula-Bertuzzi
Cleary-Filppula-Holmstrom
Holmstron-Filppula-Bertuzzi

The Wings' power play should feel a major surge in the upcoming games with a rotation of these players. Detroit's man-advantage has slipped to 20th in the league at 17.1% and has slowed to a relative trickle over the past 11 games (5.1%). Against Anaheim, and nothing against these players, the second power play unit was Filppula centering with Justin Abdelkader and Matias Rittola...one of those forwards has already been sent back to Grand Rapids, another could join him once everyone else is back.

Pressure Relieved?

It will remain to be seen how much of an immediate impact that Hank and Cleary will have on the lineup, but it should be safe to expect an explosion of good Detroit hockey soon. I will be watching to see how the rest of the team reacts tonight; whether guys like Patrick Eaves, Drew Miller, Kris Draper, and Darren Helm will be able to breathe a little easier as they slip back into their typical roles. Keep an eye on Pavel Datsyuk, who has three goals and ten points during Zetterberg's eight-game absence, as he will get to see even more room to move. And Nicklas Lidstrom and the defense should feel some relief in their own zone as the returning skill will keep more pressure at the other end of the ice.

And we as fans, whether the Wings win or lose tonight, can take a big sigh. From here on out, barring anymore unfortunate and significant setbacks, we should be able to watch Detroit get better and better game in and game out. Now, not everyone is back yet. Niklas Kronwall and Jason Williams are due back fairly soon, as is Jonathan Ericsson, and Johan Franzen might even have a tentative target return for February!

By The Way...

If you read the story about Chris Osgood being unhappy with his playing time and Babcock's decision making, you might be interested to know that Jimmy Howard will get his seventh straight start tonight in LA. The Ozzy situation will be closely monitored, though hopefully there will be nothing else made public in regards to his disgruntlement.

Welcome Back Hank and Dan.
RIP Phil.
Peace.