On the Wings

Mike Babcock breaks down Andreas Lilja’s game perfectly:

“I think he’s just gotten better and better. He’s one of those guys — because he’s not a puck (carrying) D-man — he makes a turnover. His hockey sense and his ability to play the game are better than his hands. Once in a while, the way we play gets him in trouble. But, he’s a great shot-blocker, our most physical guy, stands up for his teammates all the time, penalty kills, plays great in match-up situations, lets Junior (defense partner Niklas Kronwall) be up the ice all night long.”

As Ansar Khan notes, Lilja gets a lot of attention for the times he makes mistakes like turning the puck over. I think that’s more due to our tendency to seek out a goat on even the best team, but if you look at it like Babcock, there’s not much to complain about. Watching games on TV, it’s sometimes hard to notice all the positive things Lilja does because, as Babcock says, he’s not a puck carrying defenseman, and his best work is not generally the focus of the play.

It’s time to start watching him more closely, I think.