On the Wings

Update (5:30 PM): Looks like Dominik Hasek is the starter, according to gjberg in the comments.

I can understand Babcock wanting extra-strength goaltending tonight against Thornton and Company, especially with Chris Chelios out (and Andreas Lilja in), but I hope Chris Osgood gets a couple starts on this trip. Now that he’s healthy, the Wings have a chance to make good on their promises not to overplay Dom in the regular season by starting Ozzie more often.

It’s glamorous for Dom to continue to post shutouts and as well as a GAA below 2.00, but it’s even more glamorous for him to do so in the playoffs. They need to strike more of a balance between overplaying him and underplaying him, since either way, there’s an increasing danger he could break down. For now, they definitely seem to be leaning toward the overplaying side. Starting Osgood more often would bring things towards the center and keep Dom fresh going into the postseason.

So, he’ll Saturday night in LA, right, Babcock? - Matt

Update (2:32 PM): Thanks to Mike in the comments for pointing out that Evgeni Nabokov is likely to be in net tonight because Toskala got the last start.

I should have known that, but Toskala’s player page lists him as having played in the last three games (two starts and one substitution), while Nabokov’s lists him as having started two games in a row last month (December 23rd and 26th). At first glance, those two facts contradict the idea of a goalie rotation, despite the fact that it’s common knowledge that San Jose does it.

Sorry for the mistake. - Matt

Tonight is the fourth and final game between these two teams this season. The Sharks lead the series 2-1, with wins coming on October 19th (5-1) and December 2nd (3-2). The Wings won the October 25th meeting 2-1 in Detroit.

Since winning in Detroit last month, the Sharks have gone 7-7-0. They had dropped three in a row - including two against the Coyotes - before winning their last game, 4-2 in Dallas. The win followed up an 8-0 rout by 27th place Phoenix the previous night. Tonight is the first game of the New Year for the Sharks, who are obviously hoping for a change in fortunes.

Victor Chi of San Jose’s Mercury News focuses on the fact that the Sharks have not won consecutive games since a three-game streal from December 9th to the 12th. In order to motivate the players to play harder, the coaching staff and front office have sent their leading defensive scorer, Matt Carle, and their fourth-highest scorer, Steve Bernier down to the AHL. The team has also had to sit through a video made up of clips in which players were lazy or non-aggressive.

Vesa Toskala should be in net tonight for the Sharks. He is 15-6-0 this season with a 2.39 GAA and a .912 SV%.

In contrast to the Sharks, the Wings had an excellent month of December, posting an 11-3-1 record over 15 games. Since losing to the Wild in overtime on the 23rd, they have won four in a row, with the most recent win coming over the Ducks on Tuesday night. The Wings are kickinng off a five-game road trip that will take them to LA, Anaheim, Colorado, and Phoenix after they leave San Jose. They won’t be back in Detroit until the 12th, according to Ted Kulfan.

Kulfan reports that Babcock had not settled on a starter yesterday. If I had to guess, I’d say it’ll be Chris Osgood. He’s played every other or every third game since coming back from his wrist injury and is due for another start.

Pavel Datsyuk (groin) is going to be re-evaluated today, apparently, but given the team’s caution with injuries this season, it’s unlikely he’ll be in the lineup until Saturday at the earliest. Josh Langfeld will play in Pavel’s place.

Chris Chelios did not fly out with the team, choosing instead to deal with the double homicide that took place in his restaurant Tuesday morning. He’ll join the team when he’s ready. No one has been called up to fill out the roster because the team still has six healthy defensemen.

The Sharks have been having troubles but they’re still a very talented and capable team, with stars like Joe Thornton, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Patrick Marleau, as well as a good goalie in Toskala. The Wings often have trouble on Western road trips (such as their 1-3-0 effort in October), but they do have momentum. They are weaker offensively without Datsyuk, but still have scoring punch and even without Chelios, they have as strong a defense as any team in the league. It should be a good game.