Never Eat Beans Before You Play Hockey

By Adam W Parks

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 Blues 1 @ Red Wings 0

Wednesday's contest was an absolute must win if playoff hopes were to be realized this season. Sitting at 1-3 in a ten-game season and having been outscored 27-17, the Storm faced an arch-rival: the Blades of Steel. The Blades, also at 1-3, dominated the Storm last season by sweeping the regular season series 2-0 and knocking us out of the playoffs in the first round.

Outside, the winds were whipping and the snow was accumulating. Inside, the concrete floor of the locker rooms at Rivertown Sports in Grandville, MI was like ice, and I had difficulty warming my toes before lacing up the skates. My stomach was tied up in knots from a combination of game-related tension and gas...I had eaten a large bowl of delicious three-bean soup prior to the game. Not my best idea ever.

With a belly full of beans I knew I would be lacking my usual break-out speed, so I decided to play a more conservative game than usual. Skating on offense, I concentrated more on my defensive duties and settled for sending outlet pass after outlet pass to my linemate, Cole Pinder, instead of jumping up and joining the rush. Goalie Mike Endres always gives us a chance to win and he was his usual solid, steady self between the pipes, and the dynamic defensive duo of Don "Old Balls" Kuitula and Mark "One Ball" Samp kept the area in front of Endres clean. Pinder and Ryan "Dirty D" Dirheimer each scored twice to propel us to a 5-4 victory, and I sent several blistering wrist shots wide of the net to remain scoreless on the season.

After most games I will generally swing by my favorite watering hole in Grand Rapids, a place that brews some of the best damn beer in the country. This particular night I was joined by Kuitula and Dirheimer to celebrate our victory over a couple of brews. As I took my seat and settled into a basket of peanuts and a pint of hoppy goodness, I directed my attention to a TV behind the bar and watched the Wings postgame coverage on Fox Sports Detroit. The joy of my team's victory washed away when I saw the final score: St. Louis 1, Detroit 0.

Troubling Troubles That Are Troubling Me

What is happening in Hockeytown? The blanking of Detroit by the Blues is the third shutout against the Wings in their last five home games. Joe Louis Arena, once a place of fear for opposing goalies, has become a safe haven for visitors and a virtual scoring desert for Detroit.

Since scoring ten combined goals in back to back home wins against Vancouver (November 12) and Anaheim (November 14), the Wings have only earned three points in the last seven games at the Joe (1-5-1). During that dreadful stretch they scored more goals in the lone win than they did in all of the six losses combined. The 4-1 victory over Dallas is the only game out of the seven that Detroit scored more than one goal.

The Blues scored the only goal of the game less than two minutes into the first period. I said it before, and I'll say it again: the Wings need to start games with more energy and stop allowing teams to score first in games.

Detroit is 6-2-2 when scoring first this season. That is a pretty good record, right? Well the Wings have played 30 games so far, and that means that they have given up the first goal in the other 20 games (8-9-3). In the last 12 games the opposition has scored first...nine times. Nine times? Nine times...and in those games they have been outscored in the first period by a total of 14-5.

It is hard enough to win in the NHL, but it is even harder to come from behind and win, and the Wings have been making it their personal business to prove that hypothesis. Detroit outplayed and outshot St. Louis 13-4 in the first period, but it made no difference with a 0-1 deficit going into the intermission.

Backup-vs-Backup

It was a battle of backups on Wednesday night. Jimmy Howard-vs-Ty Conklin. Conklin was the backup goaltender to Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh when the Wings beat the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2008. Last season he was the backup to Chris Osgood and won 25 regular season games with Detroit. He signed with St. Louis after the Finals last season when the Wings decided they could not afford his services and is now the backup to Chris Mason.

Conklin stopped all 42 shots that the Wings through at him en route to his second shutout of the season. He has a record of 5-2-1 in eight starts in relief of Mason, a goals-against average of an even 2.00, and his save percentage is an outstanding .939. Detroit went 0-6 on the power play as Conklin made 13 saves with his team down a man. Three of those 13 shots came on a 5-on-3 opportunity for Detroit.

Conklin was just the next goaltender in line to have a great game against a team that has forgotten how to score at home. As far as the home shutouts go for the Wings, this one was right on par. They outshot St. Louis 42-26, Calgary 40-17, and Atlanta 40-25. I loved what Conklin did in Detroit last season, spelling the struggling Ozzie and winning some big games for the Wings, but this shutout stings. It always burns a little hotter when a player leaves for more money and then returns to town to showcase what his former team is missing out on. Andy Murray, coach of the Blues, had this to say after the game:

"That's why you pay goalies."

What a prick.

Howard was the backup to the backup when Conklin was in Detroit and only received one start last season. After four seasons of ripening and maturing in Grand Rapids, Howie was brought up to replace Conklin as Osgood's primary backup, a role he has flourished in thus far. Howard stopped 25 shots against the Blues and 17 in the second period alone. As he has done in nearly every game this year, Howard kept his team in the game and gave the Wings a chance to win. Mike Babcock was disappointed in the loss, but pleased with his young goalie's play:

"He made some big saves to give our guys an opportunity to come back and did a great job of holding down the fort."

This win for St. Louis gives them the bragging rights on the season over Detroit as the Blues (3-0-1) have already wrapped up the six-game series over the Wings (1-3-0). It also makes Conklin 2-0 on the season against his former team as he also beat out Howard 5-3 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Blues Like Boyes

Apparently Conklin really likes Boyes. St. Louis center Brad Boyes picked up the lone goal of the game and his first game-winning score of the season with a one-timed slapshot that Howard had little chance of stopping. Boyes is tied with Paul Kariya for second on the Blues roster with eight goals, and he is third with 17 points. He had his best offensive output a season ago when he scored 33 goals and 72 points, but was a minus-20 on a bad Blues team.

He has been a thorn in the Wings so far this season, scoring nearly a quarter of his total on the season (three goals and four points) in the four games against Detroit. That may not sound too impressive, but consider this: the combination of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Nicklas Lidstrom have only produced a total of five points with one goal in those same four games.

Griffin Eggs

Ericsson Gets Tanked-I did not want to do this because I really like the guy, but Jonathan Ericsson now joins another former Griffin, Ville Leino, as the only Wings to have gotten on my bad side this season. Leino landed there after the 0-2 shutout loss to Atlanta on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Ericsson deserved a calling out after his horrendous performance against the Rangers, but I gave him a pass as the Wings were able to ink out a 3-1 victory. In a shooting gallery of a game, Ericsson only registered one shot on net, whereas Lidstrom had four, and Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart each had three. Giveaways have been the biggest problem for the big guy and he had two more of them against St. Louis; Stuart and Derek Meech each had one while Lidstrom, Rafalski, and Brett Lebda had none. Ericsson's saving grace: six hits, but that should be expected on a nightly basis for somebody his size.

So, until further notice, Jonathan Ericsson is officially in my Turtle Tank.

Nugs and Notes

Zilch for Zetterberg-Zetterberg leads all Wings in scoring this season, averaging a point per game, and his ten goals are just one behind Tomas Holmstrom for the team lead in that category. He has racked up 123 shots on goal this season which is the third most in the NHL, and on Wednesday he led all skaters with seven shots sent towards Conklin. However, Hank has not scored in his last five games and only has two since his hat trick at home against Anaheim on November 14 (12 games). Alas, Zetterberg may find relief in the form of a Duck as Detroit will host Anaheim again on Friday.

Peace.

Wings Get the Blues In Detroit Tonight, Leino Scratched, Filppula Skates

By Adam Parks

The Wings (12-11-5) are host to the Blues (14-10-5) tonight at Joe Louis Arena. It is the fourth of six matchups on the season for the two Central Division rivals, and St. Louis leads the series 2-0-1.

Detroit is coming off an emotional win in New York and earned three of a possible four points on a previous two-game road trip that also included a shootout loss to New Jersey. The Wings will begin a five-game stretch tonight that will include four in Detroit. Normally this would be considered a good thing, but they have gone just 1-4-1 in their last six home games, and St. Louis is 6-2-3 on the road this season.

Jimmy Howard will get another start in net after his stellar debut performance at Madison Square Garden. If Howard shows another strong performance and earns another win, expect to hear more about him becoming the desired starting goaltender over the struggling Chris Osgood.

Tonight's Lineups

Coach Mike Babcock's lines will look similar to what he presented at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers, which means Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk along with Tomas Holmstrom will spend more time together during even strength situations.

It was interesting and slightly shocking to see Justin Abdelkader's #8 jersey on the ice with the second line in New York, but he was effective centering Todd Bertuzzi and Dan Cleary. With three goals and five points, the 22-year-old rookie has been sure-skated and steady for the Wings this season and his confidence continues to grow. Abdelkader is looking forward to another opportunity to play on a top line.

“I have confidence in myself that I can play with those guys and keep up and skate with them,” Abdelkader said. “The best part is I don’t really have to change too much. Just kind of play the same type of game.

As long as Pav and Hank are skating together, look for the rook to grab more ice time on that second line. The speedy third line of center Darren Helm and wingers Kris Draper and Patrick Eaves will remain intact. The productive trio have a combined 11 goals and 27 points on the season. As long as Abdelkader remains up, Drew Miller will get opportunities to center the grinding fourth line with Brad May and Kirk Maltby.

Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski will be paired together as Detroit's top defensive unit and will hopefully encourage the offense with their dual point shots from the blue line. Lidstrom is coming off a two-assist performance in New York, and Rafalski is finding his rhythm after missing two games with a sore back. Brett Lebda will move up to skate with Brad Stuart as Jonathan Ericsson moves down to skate with Derek Meech. Ericsson's demotion surely has something to do with his poor performance against the Rangers, though Lebda has been playing much better of late. He has a quick step and good instincts in the offensive zone if Babcock needs him on the power play.

O Leino, Where Art Thou?

Ville Leino has lost his way. Expectations probably could not have been any higher for this guy heading into the season. He was supposed to pick up the scoring slack left by the departure of Jiri Hudler, but instead has struggled to find a role on any given line. The Fin was quite flashy a season ago when he scored an amazing turnaround goal in his first NHL game and netted five goals and nine points with a plus-five rating in 13 games. He has just three goals and five points with a minus-eight in 27 games this season. He only has two points in his last 19.

Babcock scratched the struggling winger once earlier in the season, then again in New York, and tonight will make the it three total and two games in a row. Here is what Babcock had to say before the game against the Rangers:

“I don’t know if it’s a message,” coach Mike Babcock said. “The bottom line is we went through it today, talked about. It’s about trying to win, so we dressed the best guys.”

Maybe it's me, but Leino sounded a little nonchalant about the subject:

“It’s never fun to be off the ice, especially now,” Leino said. “Obviously, you want to be a part of the group. But something had to be done and I guess it was my turn to be out.”

No no no, Leino, you do not take turns sitting out anymore. Turns are reserved for gym class and pee-wees. If you are supposed to be an every day starter and you are sitting out healthy for the third time in 30 games, it is because you have been playing like crap and your coach took notice.

“From the past, I noticed when you got tough going you just got to get going,” Leino said. “It’s all about mental toughness in this league. You just want to try to get through it and do your best and, hopefully, it gets you tougher.”

Yeah...mental toughness...that and skating, you know, moving your feet. Leino forgets to move his legs when he gets the puck and defenders in the NHL routinely make players pay when they stop skating and start coasting. This isn't baseball, his third strike does not make him out, but it might result in him handling towels rather than pucks on a more regular basis. Hopefully Leino will take this time off to reflect, wash away prior transgressions and struggles, and rediscover the right path to the back of the net.

One Fin Out, Another Fin Still Out (But Getting Closer)

Good news from the injury front!
Leino's countryman, Valtteri Filppula, took a big step towards rejoining the active roster by having the cast removed from his broken wrist on Sunday. Filppula sustained the injury when he was checked awkwardly into the boards in Edmonton way back on October 29. At the time of the injury, Filp was centering the Wings' second line along with Jason Williams and Leino. The line did not produce a bunch of goals, but they generated a ton of chances and were considered Detroit's best line game in and game out.

Filppula has already resumed skating with a splint on his wrist, but it will still be a little while before he fully returns.

"Got to get the strength back first, then I can start stick-handling and do other stuff on the ice,'' Filppula said. "I think I’m pretty much on track. It’s going to take a while, but hopefully not too long. It’s really stiff, so I have to be patient with it.''

Look for Filppula to see game action later this month if his rehab time goes as scheduled.

Peace.

Mac Makes It Official

By Adam W Parks

A jersey bearing the #25 may never be raised to the rafters at Joe Louis Arena, but Darren McCarty still had a legendary career in Hockeytown. On Monday Mac, 37, announced his retirement officially ending his 15-season NHL career, 13 of which he spent as a fan favorite in Detroit. With a face that only his mother, family, and fans could love, McCarty will always be remembered as a fan-favorite and one of the best all-around Red Wings of the past couple of decades.

Whether using his fists or his stick, McCarty had a propensity for making a big play and changing the momentum of a game with a timely goal or a powerful punch. He was a central figure during the mid-1990s when Detroit returned to glory. No other Red Wing epitomized the grit and intensity and emotion of that era for Detroit more than Mac, and he continued to bring that fire to the ice for nearly another decade after. He, along with Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, Kris Draper, and Kirk Maltby, are the only players to receive four rings from all four of Detroit's recent Stanley Cup Championships (97, 98, 02, and 08).

“I’m very proud to have played for as long as I did, with so many great teammates and to have been a part of all those strong teams, especially the four Stanley Cup-winning teams in Detroit,” said McCarty. “Playing with and against the best players in the world for the past 15 years has been an amazing experience. I’d like to thank my family, teammates, coaches, the Red Wings and Flames organizations, and the fans for helping me realize my dreams.”

McCarty played in 758 NHL games and racked up 127 goals, 288 points, and 1,477 penalty minutes, but he saved some of the best hockey of his career for the postseason. Mac collected 49 points and six game-winning goals in 174 playoff games. His best season came in that 96-97 championship season when he scored a 19 goals with 49 points, both career highs. He scored three goals in the playoffs that year and clinched the Stanley Cup with his spectacular game-winning score in Game 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

On a personal level, McCarty is one of the greatest Detroit sports figures in the past 20-30 years. He may not have had the speed or the flash or the skill of some, but his determination to win and protect his teammates combined with his unbridled passion for Hockeytown and the fans puts him up there with everybody else. His story both on and off the ice is an emotional and bittersweet tale of defeat and triumph, heartbreak and redemption. Here are my three favorite Darren McCarty moments in chronological order:

1) March 26, 1997: The greatest game I have ever seen. The summit of a blood-splattered rivalry, and McCarty was the guy to plant the flag directly into the faces of the Colorado Avalanche. This was the game when all Wings fans fell in love with Mac. He enacted revenge on Claude Lemieux's face for the blind-side hit on his best friend, Kris Draper, and he scored the overtime goal for a win that propelled the Wings into and through the playoffs towards the Cup, including a six-game Western Conference series against Colorado. There are several videos of this game on the web, some with much better quality of picture, but I love the editing to the music on this one. Prepare for goosebumps.



2) June 7, 1997: It was one of the greatest goals I have ever seen. McCarty turned Janni Niinimaa inside out and put a move on Ron Hextall that froze the Flyers' goaltender solid. Mac capped an incredible season for himself and his team by by ensuring that the Stanely Cup would return to Detroit for the first time in 42 years, the longest drought in the NHL at the time. When he scored that goal, it was the first moment that I was certain the Wings were going to win it all, even though they were already up 1-0 in the game and 3-0 in the series. The goal brought me to tears then, and it still does today.



3) After Mac left Detroit in 2005, his life both on and off the ice began a steady and drastic downward spiral. Eventually his playing career derailed, his wife divorced him, and he became disconnected with his children when he hit rock bottom with alcohol abuse and gambling addiction. If that's not low enough, he had to pawn his first three Stanley Cup rings to help pay off his debt. McCarty was able to turn around his personal life and made a triumphant return to his family and the Wings in 2008 for one more Stanley Cup championship. Along his comeback trail, Mac spent some time in Grand Rapids, and I was in attendance for his first game at Van Andel Arena when he scored a hat trick with the Griffins. The unlikely comeback to hockey could not have been scripted any better. The game was halted after the third goal and a McCarty montage was played on the screens at the arena. Even the opposing team stood and banged their sticks against the boards throughout the entire celebration.



Please share your memories of Darren McCarty by posting your comments below.

Peace. Thanks for the memories Mac.

Howard, Wings Get A Win On Hockey's Greatest Stage

By Adam W Parks

Sunday, December 6, 2009 Red Wings 3 @ Rangers 1

New York, New York! The Wings went into the city that very rarely rests and wrangled the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Detroit was able to avoid dropping three straight games (despite going down 0-1 and allowing yet another first period goal) with a fiery intermission rally session from Kris Draper, a streak-snapping goal by Pavel Datsyuk, a Dan Cleary game-winner (with a little help from Henrik Lundqvist), and a career game from goaltender Jimmy Howard.

If You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere!

New York City can be intimidating to even the coolest of cats, but Howard stepped up and played his best game of the season in his first NHL appearance in the Big Apple. Hailing from Syracuse in northern New York, the Wings' rookie goalie grew up watching the Rangers and idolizing fellow American and Stanley Cup winning puck-stopper Mike Richter. Howard stopped 28 of 29 shots he faced and could not contain his exuberance from the victory in his home state during a postgame interview with Fox Sports Detroit's Trevor Thompson:

"This is a very very special win. Growing up, a northern New York kid, I watched whenever I could, the Rangers on the MSG Network. And to get a chance to go out and play in this building and get a win, it's something really special."

Howie's best stop of the night is sure to be a highlight of his hopefully bright career. Amidst a barrage of Rangers shots in the first period, New York winger Ryan Callahan was awarded a penalty shot after he was hooked down by Jonathan Ericsson. The stage was set for the most exciting play in hockey inside the most exciting venue in the NHL, and Jimmy Howard stole the spotlight by kicking out his left pad to make a tremendous toe save.

“I figured when he was going out there wide, he was going to do that little stop-back move,’’ Howard said. “When he got to the top of the crease, he continued going and it was basically desperation, get something over there, and luckily I was able to get a toe on it.’’

Most of Howard's 28 saves were nothing short of spectacular as several of New York's shots came off of excellent, high-quality scoring chances. Coach Mike Babcock to said of his rookie backup goalie, "He had Velcro on him, the puck stuck to him." Howard got the start after Chris Osgood continued his struggling ways in a 3-4 shootout loss across the Hudson River in New Jersey the previous night, and now whispers are getting louder that Howard may supplant Osgood as the Wings' #1. Ozzie fought through rough play last season, but the Wings had Ty Conklin and enough offensive fire power to rely upon. Howard is proving to be just as solid of a backup as Conklin and gives the Wings a chance to win every night. Howard will get the start at home against the Blues on Wednesday, and for the time being, should be the regular starting goalie for Detroit until Osgood can reclaim the job.

Howard's New York Breakthrough Debut Just A Routine Event at the Garden

Jimmy Howard, stopping 28 shots, got his first victory in New York in the same building that Michael Jordan, scoring 33 points, played his first ever NBA game.

MSG. The Garden. "The World's Most Famous Arena." That giant freaking building on 8th Avenue between 31st and 33rd. Whatever you refer to it as, Madison Square Garden is the entertainment epicenter of America's epicenter. The current Garden was constructed in 1968 and is actually the fourth Garden built in New York. It has been the host of numerous memorable and historical events in the realm of sports, music, and popular culture. It was the site of the "Fight of the Century" in 1971 between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, and the first rematch in 1974, "Ali-Frazier II". Marilyn Monroe sang the famous "Happy Birthday...Mr. President" line to John F. Kennedy there during his 45th birthday party. And Hulkamania was born at The Garden when Hulk Hogan made short work of The Iron Sheik to win the World Wrestling Federation Championship in 1984.

As far as live concerts go, the Garden is the meccha for indoor venues in the United States. Michael Jackson made his first ever concert appearance there with the Jackson 5 at a Miss Black America Pageant in 1969. John Lennon made his final concert appearance at The Garden in 1974 by making a surprise cameo during an Elton John show. The Who through down in 1974 at MSG for four consecutive concerts that only needed a few hours to sell out sold off of just a single radio announcement, broadcasted six months prior. Three years later, Led Zeppelin sold out six-straight shows with just word of mouth and street demand. The Garden got psychedelic 54 times with the Grateful Dead as it was a favorite East Coast spot for Jerry Garcia and company to get weird...and if you know me at all, you probably know where I'm going next...

Yup, Madison Square Garden is also a favorite place for Phish, who has played the venue 16 times. On four occasions Phish has performed New Year's Eve celebrations there, and their December 31, 1995 show was dubbed by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the "Greatest Concerts of the 90s". Read about it here. Listen to it here. My own first Phish experience came at Madison Square Garden, another New Year's bash on December 31, 2002. It was my first trip to New York, an all-night road trip with my friend James from Coldwater, MI to his girlfriend Katrina's apartment in Manhattan (so much thanks to the Paleski's for graciously offering their living room, and bathtub, for me to sleep in). It was a special night (besides being in New York for the New Year) as Phish was playing their first concert after a more than two-year hiatus. We were fortunate to have tickets in hand as extras were scarce; I saw a girl burst into tears of pure joy as she shelled out $500 for a single ticket. Another not-so-lucky girl held a sign that she had scrawled: I DROVE ALL THE WAY FROM ANCHORAGE, PLEASE SELL ME YOUR EXTRA.

It was an exhilarating experience trying to soak in the Madison Square Garden mystique as I wandered around aimlessly with my good friends James, Katrina, and Tim. There is a sign as you enter MSG that reads: THIS IS THE PLACE. In an email conversation, James recalled, "The Garden is the place. No more needs to be said." From the streets outside, to the long corridors inside, to our seats slightly behind the stage (Page side), I was absolutely astounded at the size and grandeur of the venue. Completely overwhelmed by the circumstances of my visit, I hope to return to The Garden sometime to take in a hockey game. Until then, my memories of the venue will remain similar to this video:



Anyway, I've rambled on long enough about non-Wings related things, so back to the game.

Intensity the Key, Detroit Matches Drape's

For the rest of the Red Wings not named Jimmy Howard, this was not necessarily a picture-perfect win. Detroit out shot New York 14-6 in the first period, but gave up four good scoring opportunities and a goal in the opening session. In the previous ten games (3-5-2), the Wings had been outscored 5-12 in the first periods of play and had lost six after allowing the first goal of the game. After Brian Boyle scored a tip-in goal with about five minutes left in the first, alternate captain Kris Draper ripped himself and his teammates in the locker room.

“I just got in there and had a little bit of a snap and kept on going,’’ Draper said. “I was embarrassed (by) the way I played in the first period. I look at myself as one of the leaders on the team, work ethic-wise and emotion-wise, and I didn’t think anything was there.’’

Draper continued to rant about his rant:

“This one just kind of came from the heart. I started and things kept coming to me. There’s so much tradition, it’s such a great jersey to put on day in and day out. I have a lot of pride being a Red Wing. I just kind of felt we weren’t playing with enough pride. That was one of the things I tried to hammer home.’’

Sounds similar to something that Steve Yzerman might have said in his day. Draper is the second-longest tenured Wing on the team and is more of a vocal leader than captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Usually positive, loose, and joking around (that is him kissing the lathered face of Kirk Maltby), Drapes must have struck a nerve with his teammates as Detroit came out in the second and third periods and looked like a different, more Wing-like team.

Datsyuk Gets Team and Self Going

With 8:01 left in the second period, the Wings had just come off a power play and Pavel Datsyuk had just ended an eight-game goal-less streak. Henrik Zetterberg shoveled a backhand pass towards the front of the net that snuck through the legs of Tomas Holmstrom and came bouncing sloppily for Datsyuk to clean up. Lidstrom also assisted on the play and both he and Z got another helper on Dan Cleary's third period goal.

Dating back to his last game with a goal on November 21 in Montreal, Datsyuk has just three points in eight games. His line has been diluted from injuries, and Babcock has been incessantly rotating players between the top two lines. Bertuzzi and Cleary, Cleary and Leino, Leino and Holmer, Holmer and Bertuzzi, etc. Against the Rangers he unleashed the Dats/Hank/Holmer line a little more frequently and it paid off just when he needed it to. The goal did not come off a dazzling Datsyukian deke, rather the puck barely squirted underneath Lindqvist's pads, but whatever. Who cares? They all don't have to be stylish.

Pav got himself in the boxscore and his team on the scoreboard. The most important thing for the Wings right now is to find consistent scoring, and that starts with their best players. At a crucial time like this, 29 games into the season, when ravaged with injuries and losses, Babcock may need to rely on this line a little more often until players start returning to the roster.

From A Bad Angle, Cleary Scores A Good Goal

Dan Cleary's locker is adjacent to Draper's in the locker room. He had a front row seat for the emotional pep talk:

“It set in everybody’s head for sure,’’ Cleary said. “(We) took it to heart, made sure we came out and played with a little more emotion.’’


It took a little while for Cleary to personally demonstrate that Draper's words had indeed sunk in as he snapped the 1-1 tie and netted the game-winner for Detroit with 2:03 left to play in the third period. As Cleary skated toward the net he was clearly interfered with by a Rangers defender (no call) but was able to collect the puck and send it towards the goal. Lundqvist stopped the zero-angle shot but pushed it in with his own pad as he moved in the crease. In a third period that saw the referees give New York every chance to score (the Rangers received three straight unanswered power plays in the first ten minutes), Cleary got an timely goal in an unlikely way. It was his seventh of the season and third in four games and was his first game-winning goal of the season.

Lidstrom Vs. Gaborik

In his first season in New York sniper Marian Gaborik leads the NHL with 21 goals on the season. It was the obvious duties of Lidstrom to match shifts with the dangerous winger, and Nick skated 26:15 of ice time to his adversary's 23:44. Lidstrom had this to say about the league's scoring leader:

“He’s so good at anticipating plays, taking off on that far side. You have to pay special attention to him all the time because he’s a fast skater. He knows when the puck’s coming to him.”

Cleary's game-deciding goal was set up by a tremendous defensive play by Lidstrom in the Wings zone as he took the puck from Gaborik and started a rush in the other direction with an outlet pass to Zetterberg. Gaborik did not register a shot on goal the entire game, not even in his 4:27 of power play time, whereas Lidstrom earned two assists for himself. It was just his second two-point performance of the season and first since October 15 against the Los Angeles Kings.

Griffin Eggs

Less of Ericsson, More on Howard-Don't get me wrong, I love Jonathan Ericsson and his potential as a top defender for the Wings, but he is going through some growing pains in his first full season in Detroit. In New York he looked slower and weaker than I have ever seen him, and he was caught out of position on several crucial occasions.

Howard bailed out his former Grand Rapids teammate with that spectacular penalty shot save...twice. First, Ericsson turned the puck over, and then he was called for tripping Callahan on the ensuing breakaway. Howard makes the save, no harm no foul. Earlier in the game however, on the only New York goal, Justin Abdelkader, another former Griffin teammate of Howard's, made an ill-advised pass in the Rangers zone that was intercepted and taken the length of the ice. Abdelkader hustled back into the play but could not catch up to his man, Boyle, and Ericsson could only watch as Christopher Higgins slipped a pass to the trailing Boyle for the tip-in score. Ericsson was in position, but failed to pick up the goal scorer.

Ericsson (-1) was the only Detroit defender that finished with a negative rating while skating for 20:08. He has been thrust into a difficult role for a young blue-liner as he is one of the Wings' top penalty killing defensemen, and his role has only expanded with Niklas Kronwall on the injured reserve. At times, he appears to be a shut-down and foreboding physical presence, but at others he has shown careless judgement and poor decision making. He has looked very sharp for much of the season, but the mental side of the game needs to develop to match his size and strength. When that happens, opposing teams watch out, because this guy can hurt you on both ends of the rink.

Nugs and Notes

-Osgood the Backup?-Babcock has not made anything official, but the 'Wizard of Oz' is heading down a yellow brick road towards the bench. He has a sub-par 6-5-4 record on the season, is winless (0-3-2) in his last five starts since returning to the lineup from the flu, and he has not won since November 5. The Wings have had plenty of reasons to point to for their lackluster season thus far, but Osgood points a big finger in his own direction.

“I got to get to the level I’ve been in the playoffs for this team,” Osgood said. “Maybe last year, we were so far ahead I didn’t have to. But the position we’re in right now, I got to get to that level now and continue the rest of the regular season.”

Fortunately for Ozzie Howard has been tremendous in his stead. In three less starts and one less appearance, Howard leads Osgood in every statistical category save shutouts (Ozzie one to Howie's none). Howard is 8-5-1 on the season, has faced more shots (410 to 395), and has allowed less goals (37 to 41). However Ozzie, 37, is a true Red Wing, through and through. He has never really shown an ego in Detroit and he could not be happier for his young counterpart's success (and he appears to enjoy saying ‘Jimmy’).

“Awesome for Jimmy,” Osgood said. “We’re going to need Jimmy to be there. I’m behind Jimmy 100 percent.”

The Wings need to do whatever it takes to get into the playoff picture. If Howard does takeover the starting goaltending position, then it is for good reason and for the team’s best interest. I will never think anything less of Chris Osgood, whether he is stopping pucks or riding the bench. He has earned my respect more than once over and I am grateful for the great memories I have witnessed him in a Wings jersey. Hopefully he can regain his form, but worst case scenario for him, Detroit will have the best backup in the business.

Mickeyism

Artem Anisimov will have a very short NHL career if he does not realize the simple fact that if you skate with your head down in the NHL, you are going to pay a hefty price.



If you are unable to listen to the audio of the video above, here is a transcription of Mickey Redmond's response to Stuart’s hit:

"This kid had no perception, at all, that he might get hit. Watch him! He's got no idea that he's going to get hit! That is unbelievable! We are playing hockey! That's unreal! No wonder these guys are getting hurt. You know you got a cannonball coming at you in Stuart who likes to hit. I don't care what you're doing with the puck...he didn't react at all. There's a few Tweety Birds up there right now. Holy jumpin'. Ding dong. He'll remember the next time he sees #23 with a Red Wings jersey on. 'This guy might hit me. it just might happen'".

Peace.

ps. Since I could not resist, here are a few excellent quality videos from Phish's recent run at Madison Square Garden for you to enjoy. The last one goes out to the memory of John Lennon who was murdered in New York City 29 years ago today. Enjoy Phish's take on The Beatles' "A Day in the Life".

Imagine Peace (for John).

My Head Hurts

By Adam W Parks

Saturday, December 6, 2009 Red Wings 3 @ Devils 4 SO

I will admit, I did not watch any of this game. It was a college football day. My Grand Valley State Lakers won their matchup in the NCAA Division II Semifinals against the Carson-Newman Eagles, 41-27, at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale, MI. GVSU won back-to-back national titles under former coach Brian Kelly in 2002 and 2003. Kelly's current team, Cincinnati, completed a 21-point comeback against Pittsburgh as the Bearcats finished off a perfect undefeated season. (ps. Coach Kelly is good, really good, and should be the next coach at Notre Dame). Alabama tapped out Tim Tebow, and Texas narrowly averted an upset from Nebraska. All that and killing zombies in Left 4 Dead 2 on my buddy's X-Box 360 is what I did on Saturday.

Another buddy of mine, an avid Wings fan transplanted into dangerous territory near Pittsburgh, PA, texted me in the middle of the GVSU game to ask my opinion of Detroit's matchup against New Jersey. I wrote back, "Not a good feeling. At NJ. Brodeur." The Devils are one of those teams that I kind of wished I liked. Martin Brodeur is an unbelievable goaltender (soooo much better than Patrick Roy) and they have always had a great defense. Really, they have basically been the Red Wings of the Eastern Conference for the last 20 seasons. Going back to the 1989-1990 season the Devils have three Stanley Cups and have only missed the playoffs once, in 1996. Ironically, it was the season prior to that particular rare playoff absence that is the root for my hatred for the garbage-filled state of New Jersey.

Wings Nearly Reach Hockey Heaven, Get Trapped In Hockey Hell

1995 was an interesting and special year for the NHL, and it was nearly a magical one for the Wings...if it weren't for those nasty, trap-playing Devils. It was the lockout season and teams only played 48 games as the season did not begin until January. The franchise that used to be the Nordiques were still cool and had not yet left Quebec City for the Rocky Mountains (Quebec had the most points in the Eastern Conference that season, it still amazes me that a great team can be uprooted like that--stupid Canadians, spend your Loonies and go watch your teams). Everybody's second favorite team, the Whale, was still kicking it in Hartford. Fox snagged the rights to put the NHL back on network television; the broadcast agreement was the first in America for the league since 1975. For two Original Six teams it was a case of hello/goodbey as it marked the final season for the Bruins in the historic Boston Garden, and it was the first season for the Blackhawks in the United Center. And, most importantly of all, a rule change that required two zambonis to handle the ice-resurfacing duties was implemented. Double the zamboni, double the sweetness.

The Red Wings were the best team of that shortened season, winning the President's Trophy with 33 wins, 11 losses, and 4 ties. They had the third-best offense in the NHL behind the Nordiques (185) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (181) with 180 goals scored. Only the Blackhawks (115) had a more stifling defense than Detroit as the Wings only allowed 117 goals on the season. With Scottie Bowman behind the bench and Stevie Yzerman captaining Paul Coffey, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dino Ciccarelli, Keith Primeau, Ray Sheppard, Dougie Brown, Bob Errey, Darren McCarty, Martin Lapointe, Kris Draper, those five Russian dudes, and Mike Vernon in net, the Wings were hands-down favorites to bring home the Stanley Cup for the first time in 40 years...just one season after the New York Rangers ended their 54-year drought.

Everything was in line for the Wings; they merely had to follow their celestial navigation to find the holiest of grails. Oh! how they appeared like they were going to get that Cup too. Detroit breezed through the Western Conference playoffs, beginning with a 4-1 Texas-sized stomping of the Stars. They then cleanly de-finned San Jose 4-0 in the second round, leaving the Sharks impaired and aimless. This set up what was supposed to be a classic Original Six showdown in the Western Conference finals against Chicago. I hated that Blackhawks team almost as much as the Avalanche teams during the bloody years. Chris Chelios led the Suckhawks along with Gary Suter, Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick, Joe Murphy, Bernie Nichols, and Brent Sutter. And then there was Eddie 'The Dumbass Eagle' Belfour. How I despised him most of all. Chicago had gone seven games with the Maple Leafs in the first round, and like the Wings they got a sweep in the second over the Canucks. But the Hawks were just a speed bump for Detroit as Sergei Fedorov and company rolled over them 4-1 and onto the first Stanley Cup Finals appearance for the Wings in 29 years.

Fedorov led all players in the playoffs that season with 24 points, but he and the rest of the Wings could not put enough pucks past Brodeur and the Devils in the Finals and New Jersey pulled a stunning upset over Detroit to the shocking tune of a 4-0 sweep. Oh! how the Hockey Gods can be so crule! Those were the worst four straight games of Red Wings hockey that I have ever been witness to. In every game Jacques Lemaire's trap-style defense annoyingly clogged up the center ice making it virtually impossible for the more skilled Wings to carry the puck into Devils zone. The Wings would push and press and any shot they could muster at the net was most-often turned aside by Brodeur, and every Detroit mistake seemed to prove costly as New Jersey scored timely goals off of turnovers. It was devastating to watch; my middle school Stanley Cup dreams were destroyed right before my eyes as jerks like Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens got to raise the Cup. I had to stomach watching idiots like Stephane Richer and Bobby Holik, John MacLean (not the Die Hard dude), Neal Broten, Randy McKay, Brian Rolston and Bill Guerin celebrate on their home ice in the Hell that is New Jersey. The seeds for every Wings fan's hatred for Claude Lemieux were planted there in the putrid soil of New York City's disgusting skutt bucket. Garden State? Please! Meadowlands? My ass!

Anyway, that is why I do not like the New Jersey Devils.

The Importance of Scoring First

As for the game on Saturday, the Devils netted a pair of first period goals on Saturday that put the Wings down 0-2 early in the game. Detroit was able to overcome the deficit, but the odds of winning games under such circumstances are never very good, and are even worse for the Wings this season.

Something was bugging me about the way the Wings were performing early in games, so instead of watching the Lions lose to the Bengals, I decided to do some sniffing around for some stats, even though numbers make my head hurt (more) on Sundays. I really hate charts and graphs and crunching and carrying ones, but I was able to come up with this synopsis: the Wings really need to concentrate on getting that all-important first goal. On the season, Detroit is 6-2-2 when scoring the first goal of a game, but have lost 11 of 18 games when giving up the first goal. I decided to take a sample of the season, a ten game cross section, and performed some further analysis.

Going back to the November 18th 3-1 defeat from the sticks of the Dallas Stars, the Wings have gone 3-5-2. In those seven losses, they have been outscored by a total of 2-9 in the first periods. In those same seven losses, the Wings have given up a first period goal in six of the games. Detroit has faced 0-2 deficits in each of those six defeats and even stared at one in the shootout win over St. Louis. In the three victories, they scored the first goal of the game twice, and tied their opposition 3-3 for first period goals. So in those ten games, the Wings have been outscored 5-12 in the first periods of play.

Okay, that sucked, but hopefully I made my point. The Wings have not started games well and they blow when they give up first period goals.

Separating The Goods from the Garbage

Kris Draper scored the first goal of the game for the Wings, a wrist shot for his fifth on the season. Tomas Holmstrom got a power play goal in the second period for his team-leading eleventh of the season, and Henrik Zetterberg received an assist on the score to give him a team-high 28 points in 28 games. After missing a couple of games with a sore ankle, Patrick Eaves earned an assist on the Draper goal and forced overtime for the Wings when he tipped in a Justin Abdelkader shot for his second of the season. Eaves had been out after he caught his skate in a rut during the pregame skate against Dallas back on Monday. Yes the Wings gave up two goals in the first period and went down 0-2 for the seventh time in the past ten games, but they responded by getting three pucks behind Brodeur and earning a much-needed point against a really good Eastern Conference rival.

Griffin Eggs

A friend of mine had an extra ticket for me to see the Griffins play on Friday. Fridays are the best night to see a hockey game in Grand Rapids because from 6-8 PM hot dogs and beers are only $1. The Griffins lost the game 2-1, but my entire section was more than entertained by the drunk guy that could not keep his head up and shirt on. He was passed out before the first intermission! Hilarious. Thanks Brett.

Meech 'n Kindl-The Griffs appeared to be lacking defensively as Jakub Kindl was still in Detroit supplanting the sore backed Brian Rafalski. He and Derek Meech put up solid numbers for the Wings against the Devils as Kindl finished the game with an even rating in 11:40 of ice time. Meech was a plus-1 in just 8:33. Neither defensemen registered a shot on goal, but Meech skated for 0:54 of power play time. After sharing blue line duties on the power play with Lidstrom on Thursday, Kindl did not see any ice with the man advantage.

Peace.

Detroit Slicked By Oilers, Grand Rapids Smothered By Snow

By Adam W Parks

Thursday, December 3, 2009 Oilers 4 @ Red Wings 1

As snow fell onto the streets and slowed the traffic in Grand Rapids, oil leaked onto the ice and slowed the Wings in Detroit. As I was brushing the eight-inch blanket off of my car Friday morning I nearly puked onto my ice-scraper thinking of the Wings game from the night before. I will spare myself the rise of my lunch and let Mike Babcock describe this game for you:

"I didn't think we were any good. I thought this was our worst game since we played in Buffalo (6-2 loss Oct. 13)," Babcock said. "I think we've been a very competitive, organized, structured, hard-working team and I never saw any of that tonight. I saw continuous turnovers, guys getting beat up the ice. We weren't good. They were better than us from start to finish."

To find a positive element for the Wings in this game is like looking for a clear patch of water in the middle of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It was just ugly and tragic all around. Those poor birds. Babcock continued to vent:

"When you are playing against a team and a kid in net that's not exactly got a ton of confidence right now, you should be jumping all over them, and yet, they did the opposite," Babcock said. "They worked hard, they competed hard, they did it right, they looked after the puck, their goalie made saves, they cleared the front of the net. They did everything the way they should have and we didn't respond."

Oiled and Feathered

The Wings were embarrassed by Edmonton on Thursday in a public display of humiliation leaving them in a rather undignified manner on their home ice. The team that Babcock was referring to is an Oilers team that was in last place of the Western Conference heading into the game. A team that had lost three straight. A team that has had more injuries than the Wings. He was talking about an Oilers team that had not beaten Detroit in regulation in the last 12 meetings (0-7-5), and was 0-11-4 in the past 15 games at Joe Louis Arena.

The kid Babcock referred to is Edmonton's backup goaltender Jeff Deslauriers who made 27 saves filling in for Nikolai Khabibulin (back spasms). He is the third backup goalie to smother the Wings in their past six home games. Detroit is 1-4-1 during that stretch. Deslauriers was scarcely tested with quality scoring chances as the play was predominantly down in the Wings zone. Edmonton ripped 36 shots at Jimmy Howard who played much better than the score dictates; half of the Oilers' goals came off the sticks of Wings defenders in front of their own goalie.

This was a game that the Wings had to win if they were ready to make a serious push towards getting into the playoff picture in the month of December. With the loss they rest just five points ahead of Anaheim for last place in the Western Conference and are 13 points behind San Jose, the leaders in the West. However, a slight ray of hope shines down on the mess, as the conference is in a tight race after the Sharks. Only seven points separates second place Chicago from the Detroit as ten teams range in the 30-37 points total. If the Wings can clean up their act a little bit and find a winning groove, they could still find themselves in the middle of the playoff pack by Christmas.

A Good Sign from a Bad Game

Dan Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi, the two forwards for Detroit that have perhaps the most pressure on their shoulders in the wake of the Wings injury wave, have both gone through their fair share of slumping this season. Against Edmonton Cleary picked up the only goal of the game for Detroit and Bertuzzi assisted on the score. For Cleary it was his second goal in as many games and his sixth of the season. Since getting the game-winning shootout goal against St. Louis, Bertuzzi has racked up four points in the last three games after not registering a point in the prior six-straight games. The two were paired together on Henrik Zetterberg's line as Babcock switched things up in an attempt to get Pavel Datsyuk's line going. Datsyuk was joined by Tomas Holmstrom and the perpetually struggling Ville Leino. Personally, I would like to see Datsyuk share some ice time with Darren Helm somehow. The combination of speed (Helm) and ridiculousness (Datsyuk) would be sure to create more room on the ice and generate some scoring chances.

The New Nick

Nicklas Lidstrom received the other assist on Cleary's goal, an occurrence that has become eerily rare. It has been an unusual season for the captain as he only has one goal and nine points thus far. His assist against the Oilers was just his third in the last eleven games, and he has not scored a goal since the third game of the season, way back on the eighth of October against Chicago. Defensively, Lidstrom has been his usual steady self with a plus-five rating and only four penalty minutes. He has turned the puck over in his own zone more than I have ever seen him do, though this is a problem he is sharing with his entire team. Lidstrom's Norris Trophy years are most likely behind him, but he is and always will be (until the sad day of his retirement) the most trust-worthy defenseman in the NHL.

Griffin Eggs--Re: Kindl

Jakub (pronounced yah-cub) Kindl (pronounced kin-dl) has been blossoming in Grand Rapids for a few seasons now and Thursday night he finally got his first shot at skating with the big kids as Brian Rafalski was out of action with a sore back. Here is a little video preview of Kindl's debut



In the first of many more NHL games to come for the young defenseman, Kindl registered a minus-2 rating and got one shot on goal on 19 shifts in 14:18 of total ice time. As was predicted, he got one shift and 0:59 of power play time paired with his idol, Lidstrom, on the only man-advantage for the Wings of the game.

Kindl was the first-round and 19th overall draft pick by Detroit in 2005. At 6'3" and a generous listing of 199 lbs, the 22-year-old has yet to fully grow into and realize his size, though he is not the same style of defender as his fellow Czechoslovakian countryman, Jiri Fischer. It took Fischer several seasons to figure out that he could crush just about anybody else one the ice at will, and just when he did his heart stopped. Literally. It was one of the scariest scenes I have ever witnessed in hockey. But I digress...Kindl is not the smash you against the glass type of guy, though he does have a mean-streak in him. His game is more comparable to Lidstrom's. He has excellent offensive abilities and is a tremendous skater with good speed, and he prefers to take the puck away from the opposition rather than separate the body from the puck.

In his third season in Grand Rapids Kindl leads the Griffins with eleven assists through 19 games. Mike Babcock did not hesitate throwing him in on the power play unit with Lidstrom because he has a hard, accurate shot from the point and can move the puck well. In a game where every skater in red looked slow and unmotivated, his effort and hustle stood out. His idol had some kind words for him:

"He's a very skilled defenseman and a very good skater," Lidstrom said. "As he gets more comfortable he can make more plays. He can get up in the play if it's there, but keep it simple to begin. (Our) system is what they play in the minors, but it might be a little faster pace (here). It's something he'll have to adjust to, but we've seen him here at camps and we know the type of player he is."

Wings general manager and resident hockey genius Ken Holland talked about patience and potential with Kindl:

"We believe he's an NHL defenseman, but there's growing pains, that's just the nature of the NHL," Holland said. "The people that step into this league and don't miss a beat at the age of 21 or 22 are probably going to be stars and Hall of Famers. Everybody else has growing pains. With Kindl, he's got two years under his belt. He's much better defensively than he was his first year or two of pro. He's always been good at moving the puck. He's a part of our future, so let's give him a chance."

Translation: Jakub Kindl will not be the next Nicklas Lidstrom, but he will be a top-four defensman for the Red Wings in the near future, probably next season. Kindl is an exciting prospect to keep your eyes and ears open for. I will provide more information on him from Grand Rapids as the season progresses.

20 Years Later...We're Still Upside Down

Two decades ago last March was the anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, one of the worst man-made environmental tragedies this side of Chernobyl. Since the accident, little has changed in America as our reliance on crude oil is as strong as ever and the crusade for cleaner and safer energy sources is still considered by many as science fiction. As important as it is to remember destructive events like the attacks on September, 11th and Pearl Harbor, it is just as necessary to remember the mistakes we have made and the consequences we have dealt with in regards to our environment.



Peace.