Update (6:52 PM): A blogging Helene St. James reports that Andreas Lilja has a back injury and Mathieu Schneider has a groin injury, but has assurance from Mike Babcock that neither is serious. It was enough to keep them from practicing today, though, so we may hear more about it eventually.
She also notes that Filppula was the “odd forward out” today in practice, though Norton still has not come off the IR. If Norton stays out, and the Wings do decide to dress Valtteri again, it means either Tomas Kopecky or Jiri Hudler would have to sit.
Also, here’s your absurd opinion item of the day, via Off Wing Opinion. - Matt
Update (9:25 AM): Bruce MacLeod of the Macomb Daily has a good piece today contrasting the Wings’ newest defenseman, Danny Markov, with their longest-serving defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom. Definitely worth a read. (via Snapshots) - Matt
… Both major Detroit papers have notebook sections dealing with Henrik Zetterberg’s slump today, though they each take slightly different angles.
The Freep’s Helene St. James takes a look at Mikael Samuelsson’s return, and suggests that he could help spark his fellow countryman, being a shooting forward. She reports that the two will be on the same line on Wednesday when the Wings face Calgary at home.
Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News notes opponents have been better at shadowing Zetterberg this season and suggests this is a contributing factor. He also points out that Hank has still be great defensively, and so, despite his lack of offensive production, has been valuable to the team.
It’s interesting that no one mentions his wrist as being a possible cause, as some fans have. I don’t know if that’s because it’s not a problem at the moment or because the papers are toeing the line on injury non-disclosure. If Hank’s wrist is bothering him, I’d hate to see him play the entire season only to have it get worse in time for the playoffs. Maybe a rest would be in order.
… Darryl Dobbs of The Fourth Period took a look at the Wings’ season in light of fantasy leagues in a column yesterday. He notes that though they may have a winning record, their lack of offensive production has made it rough for fantasy owners that have Red Wings on their teams. (I can attest to this)
Dobbs singles out Zetterberg as being in a particular slump, and opines that he will be unable to improve on his point total of last year (85) due to the Wings’ winning games by playing defensively. That may be true, but I’m not trading Hank away on my fantasy league, current slump or not. He will produce eventually.
… After starting the season at #1 in the TSN Power Rankings, the Wings fell to the bottom 15 after a 3-4-1 start through 8 games. Now, they’re tentatively back in the top half, at #13, above the Oilers but below the Avs. (Yeah, I know power rankings are stupid but it’s something)
I’m not gonna lie, it is very depressing to see Hank struggling. There could be a number of reasons, though, and I’m not ready to push the panic button. Part of it could be that the team as a whole is struggling offensively, which may be a reflection on the way they are playing. The entire team seems to have developed Datsyuk-syndrome: pass, pass, pass. Zetter’s 31 shots, while third on the team behind Schneider and Franzen (both with 32), are still somewhat below average when compared with the rest of the league.
It’s possible that his wrist could be bothering him. If this is the case, I’m all for him taking a night off. If it is tendonitis, like we were told way back when, then his pain is caused by overuse. A few practices off, especially, could be beneficial for Hank.