Freep Wings notebook 3/29/03…. Defenseman Jiri Fischer said he had improved in the past week and felt better during practice than he had since his left anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. He will see a doctor Monday, and he could return as soon as Thursday night against the New York Islanders.
Monthly Archive for March, 2003Page 2 of 6
Well, the playoff teams are all set for the Western Conference: Detroit, Dallas, Vancouver, St. Louis, Colorado, Anaheim, Minnesota and Edmonton. Colorado and St. Louis are tied with 97 points and will probably play eachother in the first round, since they are both winning and neither will most likely pass anyone but Colorado/St. Louis. The Wings are behind the Stars by 1 point (103 to 102) but they have one more game than Dallas has left in their season. They also have one more game than Vancouver who has 101pts. The bottom 3 teams could end up in any order, like the rest of the playoff teams can. Anaheim is at the top of the bottom 3 with 90 points with 4 games to go but Minnesota has 89 with 5 to go. Edmonton has 87 with 5 to go also. I’m not 100% sure which team I’d rather have the Wings play. I’d probably the Ducks, because we’ve beaten them in the past (though it took a couple multiple-OT games to do it in ‘97). I’d like to see the Wild go farther in the playoffs and I think a series with Dallas would be awesome for their fans, since they both are really Minnesota teams. I’m not so sure about the Oilers. They usually seem to play well against us. No matter what, it’ll be an interesting first round and a very tough playoff run for the Wings.
The East only has 6-playoff-spot clinched teams: Ottawa, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington. I don’t know much about the East, so I won’t try to analyze it, though I am pretty sure the Rangers won’t make the playoffs, which I think is hilarious. They really make big-market teams look bad. It’s probably because of them that Bettman hates teams with money because I’d think it would be pretty tough to hate a team as successful as the Wings. I don’t care if Ottawa wins the President’s Trophy, as long as they get eliminated before the Finals so if the Wings make it there, they’ll have home advantage. The Sens have 105 points so they have a good chance of doing it. | NHL standings
Here is some news that will have an effect on the rest of the Wings’ season. Blues captain defenseman is coming back on Saturday for their game against the Wings at St. Louis. He hasn’t played since he tried to nail the Captain last year in the playoffs. This makes the Blues a lot stronger and that much harder to beat. Especially since there are only 5 games left and just 5 points separating them from the Wings. The Blues have had injuries all year and are now getting healthy, just in time for a playoff run. Valeri Bure will also be back Saturday and Tkachuck is practicing now. Pronger won’t be wearing the “C” because he wants MacInnis to wear it until they lose in the playoffs (-;
[San Jose head coach Ron] Wilson weighed in on the races for the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) and Norris Trophy (best defenseman). Wilson said St. Louis defenseman Barret Jackman had made more of an impact as a rookie than Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg. But, Wilson added, “Three or four years from now, you’ll say Zetterberg’s the better player. I have no doubt there.” As for the Norris, he said St. Louis’ Al MacInnis had been more valuable to his team than the Wings’ Nicklas Lidstrom. But, Wilson added, “The best defenseman, without a doubt, is Lidstrom.”
Wilson makes a good point about Jackman. Being on such a good team probably hurts Zetterberg’s chances. It’s not like Jackman’s on a terrible team either, though. Too bad they both can’t win it……
More from Wilson.
Sharks center Vincent Damphousse can’t squeeze the puck past Wings goalie Curtis Joseph in the first period.(AP)
I was not able to watch more than the 1st period last night so I can’t say much about the game. The Wings lost 3-0 and fell to 2nd in the conference because, even though they lost, Dallas got a point. I did see the Wings kill off a 5-on-3, fail to score on a 4-minute PP and Yzerman get taken hard into the boards by #14 and look a little shaky after that. Shanny had a good SH chance at the end of the period after Zata got a cheap holding the stick penalty. The Sharks scored their first goal off a turnover at the blue line and the resulting 2-on-1, where Igor made a bad decision that left CuJo helpless as Marleau backhanded it in. The Blues won last night, they are 5 points behind us now. This was the Sharks goalie’s first shutout, he spent a lot of the season in the minors. The Wings have only lost 3 games in regulation in the past 22 games but this was the second in three. Next up: @ St. Louis on Saturday at 1:30pm. | full recap | box score
More on Zata from ESPN’s Rookie Report: Henrik Zetterberg
Brett Hull will return next year, whether he scores 35 goals or not. He signed a 1 year, $5 million contract with the Wings today. That’s a half-million $ raise for Hully. One of the best bargains in the league. This really is great news. | the story
Ouch……..
“I’ve gotten a lot of nonhockey-related calls lately. They want to know, ‘Who is this Sergei Federov guy?’”
– IMG agent Pat Brisson on media requests since the news of his client’s marriage (and divorce) to Anna K.
………that hurts. ESPN had this under the heading “Take that, Mr. Bettman.” What that man has [not] done for hockey is amazing……
Brett Hull for commissioner!
Tonight’s game is one that would have been important had things gone for the Sharks as they were expected to go this year. I had expected the Sharks to be right up there at the top of the conference this year, instead they are near the bottom. Now it’s just a game, with no other importance than that if the Wings win, they stay #1 in the conference. I wish it wasn’t on so late…. Wings @ Sharks tonight at 10:30. | preview
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