Howard, Wings Fend Off Vancouver Onslaught

By Adam W Parks

Thursday, November 12, 2009 Canucks 1 @ Red Wings 3

The Wings scored four goals in the first period of a 9-1 win over the Blue Jackets in their previous game. Conversely, the Canucks gave up four first period goals to the Blues in a 6-1 loss in their most recent game. The strategies for both teams on Thursday were simple-Vancouver: score more goals, Detroit: keep scoring goals. The Canucks received a big lift with all-star goaltender Roberto Luongo getting his first start since October 27, a thrilling 5-4 come from behind win for the Wings in Vancouver. He sustained cracked ribs in that game and had not started since. Luongo was anxious to get back to the ice and was looking forward to showing off his Olympic-style skills in front of Steve Yzerman, the Executive Director of Team Canada. After Thursday he may be looking for a new line of work. Unfortunately for Luongo Joe Louis Arena has not been a site of success for the Canucks. After Thursday's 3-1 loss, the Wings are 2-0 on the Canucks this season, Luongo is now 6-10-2 for his career and his team is 18-45-8-3 all-time at the Joe, and Vancouver has not won in Hockeytown since October 5, 2006.

Howard The Puck-Stopper

It was supposed to be Chris Osgood's start against Vancouver but he was buggin' from the flu, so Jimmy Howard was asked to make a back-to-back nods for the first time of his career in Detroit. The young goalie has taken some lumps in this, his first true chance as a legit NHL goaltender, but was coming off a 25-save/one-goal effort in Columbus. Howard looked rock-solid early in the first period stopping 15 shots and turning away two good scoring chances off of two bad Wings turnovers. An outstanding beginning as Vancouver would unleash a barrage of pucks on net all game long.

Howard looked sharp on the puck, often perched confidently on the top of the crease challenging shooters. His positioning was great, evident from all the blind saves he made through attempted screens. He reacted quick and controlled rebounds well, limiting second-chance opportunities. The only time he looked out of sync was off a long outlet pass that caught all the Wings off balance. Ryan Kessler walked in from the blue line on a breakaway and rang a wrister off the post about five minutes into the second period. Howard was showing a lot of net on the glove side and Kessler just missed it. It was the only shot that beat Howard, as Mason Raymond's power play goal came off an inadvertent deflection from his skate; Howard had no chance on the unfortunate ricochet.

The victory is Howard's third of the season and fourth of his fledgling NHL career. His goals-against average is down to a respectable 2.66 and his save percentage jumped up to a nice .907. He drew an interference penalty on Alexandre Burrows late in the first period, a power play that resulted in the first goal of the game, a tip-in by Tomas Holmstrom (9) from Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Howard also picked up the first NHL point on Niklas Kronwall's empty net goal. Howard made a smart play with about a minute left, opting to keep the clock running by playing the puck to the boards instead of covering it up for a faceoff in his own zone. Luongo watched from the bench as Kronwall's clear took a good bounce off the glass, slid the entire length of the ice, and eventually trickled across the goal-line. Jimmy Howard played his best game of the season, and his career, in a game that he needed to.

A Drew Debut

Such was the case with Osgood, Kirk Maltby was also sidelined with the flu, giving a brand new, shiny Wing an opportunity to take the ice. Drew Miller was signed off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday and reunited with fellow Spartan Justin Abdelkader on the fourth line. The duo played together at Michigan State in the 2005-06 season, and Abdelkader was happy during the pregame to have Miller as a teammate once again: "He's a great player, a good two-way player...I think he'll fit into this system well."

It did not take long for the hard-working fourth line, that also included Brad May, to demand attention and make its presence felt. May found himself in an ol' time hockey fight (eh?) with Rick Rypien in the first period. Here is how the combatants weigh up:

Rypien: 5' 11"-170 lbs-age 25

May: 6' 1"-213 lbs-age 37



May has the size, strength, and experience over the younger Rypien, though each fighter exchanged a succession of rapid punches. May landed several left hands before Rypien was able to get the jersey up over the head of the Wings enforcer to end the bout. May brought his own personal audience for the battle; his wife and kids made the trip from Toronto for the game. The fight energized the line, and the trio applied a lot of pressure with the forecheck and kept the Vancouver defense deep in its zone with every shift. Abdelkader got three shots on goal, Miller one, and May none, but the line created several more scoring chances throughout the game.

Griffin Eggs

GR Security-With Osgood out of the lineup, Daniel Larsson got the call up from Grand Rapids. Larsson has been excellent for the Griffins this season with a 5-2-0 record and one shutout, a 2.70 GAA and a .916 SP. He was a third round pick by the Wings in the 2006 Entry Draft, and he has been a prominent factor for the high-flying Griffins. Larsson is 5-0 in his last five starts during the current eight-game winning streak for Grand Rapids. When the season started, question marks swirled around goalies within the Wings organization. Nearly a month and a half in and Osgood, Howard, Larsson, and Thomas McCollum (4-2-0 for the Griffins) have provided several answers.

Nugs and Notes

We're Goin' Up To the Quad and the Gymnasium!-The Wings are 6-1-1 in their last eight games and there is some potential streaking going on. Zetterberg has one goal and four points in the last two games and 14 points in the last 13. Datsyuk has a goal and three points in the past two and 13 points in ten games. Kronwall has been on fire in the last two games with three goals and two assists. Zetterberg (17) and Datsyuk (15) are at the top of the Wings roster for points, and both are averaging a point per game. Kronwall (11) moved into fourth place in points and is tied with Zetterberg for second on the team in goals (5).

Stevie's Plaque-Thursday was Steve Yzerman night at the Joe and fans received a replica Hall of Fame plaque commemorating #19. Stevie Y dropped the ceremonial puck before the game, and the Wings offered him a better effort than the 5-1 debacle at the Hall of Fame Game in Toronto.

Mickeyisms

Brad Stuart was called for a questionable high-sticking penalty in the second period. Upon further review, it was actually former Wing Mathieu Schneider's stick that caught the face of his teammate, prompting this short Mickey Redmond diatribe: "If you're not sure, DON'T MAKE THE CALL! You're guessing!" The play was in front of Howard, the call came from center ice. Damn right, Mick!

Peace.