I can’t believe what just happened to the Atlanta Thrashers. Dany Heatley wrecked his Ferrari and teammate Dan Snyder was seriously injured in the crash. Heatley suffered many broken bones but none of his injuries are life-threatening. However, Snyder is in a coma and remains in critical condition. Heatley has five charges against him with this crash, including reckless driving, serious injury by vehicle, driving too fast for conditions, driving on the wrong side of the road and striking a fixed object. This means that, even if Heatley recovers quicky, which I really hope he does (as well as Snyder), he could be going to jail for the accident (which he should). So one of the NHL’s great young-guns nhl career is in jepordy. This is unreal. I couldn’t believe it when I read it on espn.com, thinking maybe that it was just me and my buzzed mind which had just come from a chemistry exam. But no. Let’s just hope this all works out.
Monthly Archive for September, 2003
The Wings will face the Ottawa Senators tonight at the Joe. The game will be televised, after all, so most Wings fans will get their first look at the Wings in 10 days. This is being touted as a possible Stanley Cup Finals preview but it’s unlikely the game will have that sort of atmosphere, since it’s still the pre-season. Dominik Hasek is supposed to play the whole game, Steve Yzerman will play with Devereaux and Williams and Pavel Datsyuk will play in place of Jiri Hudler with Shanahan and Holmstrom. Devereaux is returning to the ice after missing the first 5 games because of a groin strain and is competing with Hudler and Williams, two of the Wings’ preseason best so far, for the last two open spots on the roster.
I haven’t done a very good job of keeping this thing updated lately. I guess it’s because the Wings have seen fit to keep their pre-season games off the air waves. I haven’t been able to watch a game since the 20th because none have been televised or even called over the radio. I’m not greatly impressed with the results of these games but it’s just the exhibition season, I guess. The real thing starts on the 9th and that will be when I’ll really start to update. That is, unless something big happens between now and then. Not very likely, though.
Here are some comments on the game from someone on an e-mail list I’m a member of:
Just a quick note to give an idea of who was with who in last nights loss to the Rangers, 5-3.King-Hudler-Williams
Maltby-Draper- Wilm
Holmstrom-Zetterberg-Yzerman
Mowers-Kopecky-Picard(not Jean-Luke!!)Kronwall-Hatcher
Fischer-Chelios
Schneider-DandenaultHasek- two periods, Joey MacDonald- third period.
Out-Datsyuk, Hull, Lidstrom, McCarty, Shanahan, Whitney, Woolley.
Sloppy game. Jiri Hudler scored two goals for the Wings and was effective on the ice. One goal was a very nice redirection, right out in front, of a Derek King pass. He looks very small on the ice. Conspicuously so, IMO.
Can’t be any more than 160-165 lbs. Hatcher and Fischer for example tower over him and make him look tooth pick like. Still, he did not look out of place and was excellent with the puck.Kronwall also looks small to me. Tried to play a physical game somewhat but consistently went out of position to do so. Reminds me of a smaller version of Aaron Ward. I see Nick as GR bound to learn the NHL game. Hudler, I just don’t know. I’m concerned about his size once the real season starts.
Hasek looked rusty to me. Hatcher was very low key on the physical side.
Kopecky and Holmstrom both got drilled by BIG hits by the Rangers.
I definitely agree that Hasek looked rusty. He looked bad on at least two of the Rangers’ goals. I really hope he’ll sharpen up for the season otherwise his return will mean nothing. Hudler looked good but he is really small. The Captain played pretty well, didn’t look too slow. McCarty’s hand is not broken, apparently, it’s just a bruise. Great news. Next game: Boston on Wednesday at home.
Just about 5 minutes until our first taste of the Wings since Game 4 of the playoffs on April 17. It feels like forever. Even though this is just an exhibition game and there won’t be many regulars playing, I’m still excited for the game. There are a lot of things I’ve missed (like Pavel turning someone inside out) and a lot of things I’m going to continue to miss (like Sergei weaving through center). I have high hopes for this season, just like everyone else in Hockeytown. GO WINGS!!!
Not a great game last night. The Wings had mostly minor leaguers in while the Caps had their two top lines so it was pretty lopsided. Ray Whitney and Jamie Rivers scored for the Wings but the Caps were in the lead the whole time. Legace and Lamothe shared the goaltending responsibilities for the Wings. Some bad news, Darren McCarty got into a fight with Rick Berry but left the game afterward to get his hand X-rayed. Not very encouraging. Pre-season injuries can ruin a whole season (just look at what happened to Devereaux last year) and the Wings are going to need McCarty to be on the top of his game this year.
Hopefully the Wings will make a better showing tonight when they face the Rangers at the Joe. Hatcher and Hasek will each make their debuts and maybe we’ll see more veterans out there. The game starts at 7:30 and will be on FSN and 1270. GO WINGS!!!
The Captain left early in the third period of the Red/White game (2-1 Red Team) after experiencing pain in his knee. Lewis said “Steve felt a little sore and he didn’t want to push it. He felt really good the whole camp. It’s just one of those things. It could happen to anybody.” The pain was not contact related. That worries me because I’d expect contact to cause pain but when it’s just skating that causes pain, it’s not good. Things had been going well up to then. Hopefully he’ll be okay. He will not play tonight against the Caps (not televised or on the radio) but might play tomorrow against the Rangers.
Very interesting interview with Sergei Fedorov by Mitch Albom in the Free Press today. Kinda makes me re-think that whole situation a little. Not completely but enough to make me less angry towards the guy who used to be my favorite player. Makes me realize how naive and idealistic I was about the Red Wings organization. I still think they’re the best organization hockey but maybe not as much as before. So anyway, go check it out.
Top Red Wings prospect Igor Grigorenko was at camp yesterday but just as a visitor. The Wings brought him over to get him and his family to experience the NHL and get used to with the surroundings. More importantly, they want their doctors to look at him and see how he is progressing in his recovery. Apparently, he is walking without a noticeable limp and looks fit. He started light skating a month ago and is expecting to be playing in the Russian Elite League this winter and come to the NHL next year. I like this quote the best: when he was asked if he’ll be the same player when he returns, he said “I’ll be better.” This is the kid who’s supposed to be a tough Ilya Kovalchuk. I’m really looking forward to seeing him play.
According to Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News, the Wings’ roster is basically set, with 23 of 23 spots filled. He includes Curtis Joseph in that number, which confirms my fears about having to keep him into the season. Hopefully, the Wings won’t have to keep him until the trade deadline and then deal him away. Putting him on waivers would solve that, though it would give us nothing. We’ll see what Kenny does.
Here’s the roster as Kulfan sees it. 3 goalies, 7 defensemen, and 13 forwards:
Goalies
39 Dominik Hasek
34 Manny Legace
31 Curtis Joseph
Defensemen
5 Nicklas Lidstrom
2 Derian Hatcher
23 Mathieu Schneider
8 Jiri Fischer
11 Mathieu Dandenault
24 Chris Chelios
15 Jason Woolley
Forwards (in camp lines)
21 Boyd Devereaux - 40 (or is it 20?) Henrik Zetterberg - 19 Steve Yzerman
14 Brenden Shanahan - 26 Jiri Hudler - 96 Tomas Holmstrom
18 Kirk Maltby - 33 Kris Draper - 17 (#80 for pre-season) Brett Hull
41 Ray Whitney - 13 Pavel Datsyuk - 25 Darren McCarty
That’s 12. #29 Jason Williams makes 13, since Kulfan says he’ll make the team (I sure hope so! I’d take him over Boyd any day, personally). Williams cannot go to the minors any more without going through waivers and since it isn’t likely that he’ll pass, it isn’t likely that he’ll be sent down.
Not so sure I like the last two lines too much. Should be Maltby/Draper/McCarty and Whitney/Datsyuk/Hull, in my opinion. But I’m not the coach, am I? Those will likely change anyway. Kulfan says the only thing to really figure out now is who plays when. There’s not much ice time spread around on such a stacked team. But, as he says, it’s a nice problem to have.
