On the Wings

Update (5:47 PM): Looks like George Sipple has emended his report on the Holmstrom signing. It now says that the deal is believed to be for a little over $2 million a year. - Matt

Tonight is the fourth and final game between these two teams this season. The Wings have won the previous three, beginning with a 9-2 blowout at home on October 11th. The next win came on January 11th, a 5-1 decision on the road, and the most recent game, on February 7th, finished 4-2 Wings.

The Coyotes have lost four in a row, including three after losing to the Wings on the 7th. They dropped the two remaining games of a road trip, first against the Panthers and then against the Lightning, before returning home and losing overtime to Anaheim on Thursday. They blew a 3-goal lead to the Ducks, so that point from not losing in regulation can’t be much consolation. The Coyotes are well out of the playoffs, by the way, so they have little to lose at this point.

On Thursday, Phoenix captain Shane Doan condemned himself to five more years in the desert by signing a $22.5 million contract extension that could be the last of his career as he’ll be near retirement by the end of it.

Former Red Wings goalie Curtis Joseph has allowed 13 goals in his last three games, including five against Anaheim, and has a 6.60 GAA against Detroit this year.

Since beating the Coyotes last week, the Wings have posted a 2-2-0 record. They were shutout by the Blues on the 8th and they followed it up with a commanding 7-4 win over Calgary on the following Sunday. The next night, however, they hit a seasonal low point by losing 6-1 to the dead-last Flyers. The team rebounded on Wednesday, however, with a well-played 3-1 win over Dallas.

They are one point behind Nashville for the Central Division lead and will be keeping an eye on the Preds’ game with Minnesota tonight. It will be Peter Forsberg’s debut with Nashville, but we fans will have to wait a week before we get to see him, as the Wings face them next Saturday. As far as reactions to the trade go, the Wings have a more even keel than some fans or pundits, with Ken Holland saying he won’t react just to react, and Mike Babcock saying, “I really like our team.” I do too, Babs, but an addition probably wouldn’t be a bad thing. The players aren’t worried, though they admit it’s a big deal for the Predators. Danny Markov told the Free Press, “Good for Nashville. I don’t think it’s going to change this locker room.”

Dominik Hasek is slated to return to the ice tonight after sitting out four games with wrist tendonitis. Incidentally, it was against the Coyotes that he last played, as his wrist flared up during the February 7th game.

Ken Holland can put a check-mark on his list of players to sign this summer, as he has locked up Tomas Holmstrom for three-more years, the Free Press reports. Contract terms have not come out yet, but Homer makes $1.5 million this year, and it’s not unreasonable to assume he’ll make that much, not not more, after the season he’s having. It could be a front-loaded/tiered salary plan, with him getting the most next season and the rate going down over the next two seasons. He’s 34 now and it’s hard to see him playing past 37, given how much punishment he takes every night. Anyway, it’s good to see Kenny get that out of the way. It’ll make the more difficult contract negotiations, such as those with Pavel Datsyuk, Mathieu Schneider, and Danny Markov, go a little easier.

The Wings need to win tonight and keep pace with the Preds, who are the favorites over the Wild. They’ve outscored Phoenix 18-5 this season and need to continue that kind of dominance. However, it’s a game they should win, so expect some kind of trouble, despite their easy handling of Phoenix thus far.