Holmer Returns, Wings Win, Ericsson Sits

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?

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

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

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

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

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.