Archive for January, 2008

I couldn’t have said it better myself

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Update (11:05 PM): Clark Rasmussen of DetroitHockey.Net, posting a comment at Abel to Yzerman, just noted that the FSN broadcast team of Ken Daniels and Larry Murphy said Rafalski was asked to go to the Game by the League, but declined.

That lessens the blow somewhat so far as the Wings fan part of me is concerned. The pure hockey fan side of me still feels the outrage of Niedermeyer’s being named a replacement for Zubov at the expense of any number of more-deserving candidates in the West. In that respect, I stand by my post below.

(By the way, I’m not watching the LA game because I’ve gotten maybe 17 hours of sleep over the past 48 and I have to be up at 5:30 in the morning. I’d like to be able to attain the standard level of consciousness tomorrow, so I’m going to bed.) - Matt

IwoCPO has an excellent post over at Abel to Yzerman that you have to read.

Every once and a while, the NHL does something that forces fans to weigh the benefits of continuing to follow the game against the complete and utter stupidity that so often comes from the League offices. This is one of those times.

In my judgment, the League passes once again, but only just. The All Star Game is simply too meaningless for this to do anything more than royally piss me off.

More on Zetterberg

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Update (4:37 PM): A few more details have emerged:

First, Zetterberg told Ansar Khan that he hopes to be back in the lineup next week. In the meantime, Matt Ellis will fill in.

Second, the injury is apparently unrelated to his past back problems. Ted Kulfan reports that Zetterberg “said the pain is in the lower back, but is not related to the disc.” As George Malik suggests, it’s possible this is all strictly due to bruising caused by the hit he took late in the game Saturday.

Now we just have to wait and see if he does only miss two games. - Matt

Update (3:40 PM): It’s official: Zetterberg will skip the All Star Game for the second year in a row. The NHL has added five players to the Western roster as replacements and Hank is listed as one of the players being replaced.

This is good news for the Wings. Zetterberg should be in the Game, but he’s showing once again that his priority is the team rather than personal accolades. Hopefully he’ll come out of the Break healthy and ready to go. - Matt

Update (2:47 PM): It’s straight from the brand new “official” Hockeytown Blog“: Henrik Zetterberg is out for tonight.  (via Snapshots)

We know from last time this happened that Hank deals with back pain on a regular basis and that it is only when it becomes particularly bad that it gets reported. If this higher level of pain becomes a more frequent thing, we have a problem.

Until now, it may have been possible to delude ourselves into thinking this was just one time that the Wings’ PR machine let news of a health problem leak prematurely or unnecessarily. Now, however, is a good time to get concerned.

Mario Lemieux played with severe back problems for years. The fact that he at times had to have other people tie his skates is well known. However, it was his cancer and heart problems that forced him to retire (twice).

So, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Zetterberg’s career won’t end the same way Mickey Redmond’s did.

The parallel to Mario may be misplaced, as we can’t compare Hank’s pain to his, nor do we know their respective pain thresholds, but Lemieux did set a precedent of sorts, I suppose. - Matt

I get the feeling that if this were the playoffs, Henrik Zetterberg would be playing tonight, no question.That’s the key thing to remember here: The team is being extra cautious because it’s the regular season and they don’t need him to maintain their lead on the League.

On a team so focused on the playoffs, ensuring a manageable level of post-season health is the primary thing. The Wings don’t want to aggravate his back to the point where he’d have to sit out in April, May, or June. I’m sure we’ll see him sitting out more than just the All Star Game so that he gets some necessary rest.

He can play through the pain, but at this point, he does not have to. It’s premature to think his career will be shortened because of this. After all, the Captain dealt with knee issues for years and his career wasn’t shortened a day because of it.

What is for certain is Hank will have to deal with this however long he plays. For now, we should just assume the team is being cautious, rather than overreact by thinking this is an issue on par with Peter Forsberg’s ankle and foot problems.

I’ll say it again: The fact that this latest aggravation began because of a hit on Saturday seems to me to be another argument for keeping Aaron Downey in the lineup, even at the expense of young Tomas Kopecky. I would include Dallas Drake as an optional player, but HockeyTownTodd has pointed out that he brings too much to the defensive table and helps relieve the penalty kill load for the forwards.

That leaves Kopecky as about the only “expendable” forward.

As far as I’m concerned, Downey should be in the lineup every game Zetterberg is. Why? If Downey’s presence causes the opposition to ease up even a little bit, Hank will be better off. Every little bit will help.

The above is me trying to be optimistic. My pessimistic side, however, sees some sense in IwoCPO’s suggestion:

Sure, go ahead and sit him and he won’t aggravate it playing hockey. But, while you’re at it, immobilize him completely. Put one of Hasek’s straight jackets on him, put him in John Travolta’s plastic bubble (oh…look out.  You don’t remember the “Boy In the Plastic Bubble”? Classic.) Seal him up until the playoffs. No movement whatsoever.


When you read that he hurt his back last month “while picking up his laundry bag,” (my emphasis) you get a little concerned. Does he do his laundry once a month, or what? I know those things can get heavy, but if you do it regularly…

By the way, no GameDay post today. I apologize. Tomorrow should be a different story.

Zetterberg’s back acting up

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Update (6:25 PM): Helene St. James has a “revealing” quote from Zetterberg:

“I think you don’t want to miss 19 games,” he said, meaning better to miss an All-Star Game than risk aggravating anything. “That’s my main concern. I don’t want to let it go that far. I just have to do the things we do to not make that happen. I don’t right now what that is, but we just have to stay on top of it.”

Like I said below,  it’d probably be better for the Wings if he sat out once more. Maybe the League can put Tomas Holmstrom in the lineup in his place!  - Matt

According to Ansar Khan, Henrik Zetterberg missed practice today due back trouble. Apparently, the problem began after Hank took a hit from an unspecified Shark late in the game Saturday night.

Although the issue is not as serious as that which kept him out of five games in December, he is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game in LA and may not go to the All Star Game after all. Zetterberg was named to the Game last year, but chose to opt out due to tendonitis in his wrist. In light of this current flare up with his back, it would probably be better for the team in the long run if he chose to opt out again.

The fact that this was brought on by a hit further strengthens the argument for keeping Aaron Downey in the lineup. Hank will always have to deal with physical defensemen, but having a guy like Downey on the bench may serve as a deterrent to particularly harsh treatment.

Checking in

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I apologize for the lack of posting yesterday. I did watch the Sharks game, but I’m not going to say except that, though I’m glad for the win, I hope the Wings get back to their game-management style. Things got a little too wild at the Shark Tank.

I don’t have time to do a regular post today, but I will point you to a couple Henrik Zetterberg-related pieces.

Also see this piece by Ansar Khan on the possible signing of Fabian Brunnstrom by the Wings.

Lastly, thanks to PJ Swenson of Sharkspage for sending me some excellent photos from the game. Four of my favorites:

sharks_detroit1.jpg    sharks_detroit11.jpg    sharks_detroit25.jpg    sharks_detroit26.jpg

I hope to return to regular posting tomorrow with the GameDay post, but it’s possible that I may not be able to do so. If nothing else, I should have a post up for the Anaheim game on Wednesday.

GameDay: @ San Jose (25-14-7, 57 Pts) 10:30 ET

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Update (6:55 PM): HockeyTownTodd has a suggestion: keep an eye on Jeremy Roenick tonight. Why? Six of his nine goals this season are game-winners. - Matt

Update (6:43 PM): Well, it looks like the goalie rotation has ended. Ansar Khan reports that Mike Babcock will go with the “hot hand,” Dominik Hasek, instead of Chris Osgood tonight.

I think Osgood’s getting the shaft a bit here given that his “poor” performances in his last two starts were due more to the Wings’ not playing in front of him than actual bad play. However, Hasek was in net when the Wings pulled out of their skid and looked good enough to get the nod in San Jose.

Apparently, Osgood will start in LA.

Khan also reports that the Eurotwins and Tomas Holmstrom will be together in warmups and perhaps throughout the game. Dallas Drake is out for the third straight game and Aaron Downey will take his place. - Matt

Update (3:15 PM): It has nothing to do with the game tonight, but Sharkspage’s PJ Swenson has posted a great interview with James Mirtle. Be sure to give it a read, if you have a chance. Wings fans will like James’ comments on the team near the end. - Matt

Tonight is the third of four games between the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks. The Wings lead the season series 2-0 with wins October 18th (4-2) and October 26th (5-1). The Sharks will make the trip to Detroit for the final meeting on February 29th.

San Jose is 3-2-2 in 2008. They started off the year with a 3-2 overtime loss to Calgary, but rebounded with three consecutive wins. They started with a 3-2 decision over Columbus on the 5th, continued with a 3-1 win over Vancouver on the 10th, and finished the stretch by putting away the Leafs, 3-2. Since then, however, they have dropped three straight, including two in regulation. A road overtime loss to Anaheim the night after the win over Toronto kicked off the skid, which continued with games dropped in Phoenix and at home to Dallas on Tuesday and Thursday.

Tonight’s game is the second of a four-game homestand for the Sharks, who are 9-10-4 in HP Pavilion this season.

The Sharks are three points behind Anaheim for the lead in the Pacific Division and currently hold the fourth playoff spot in the West.

Milan Michalek leads the team in goals with 16, but has only 28 points to Joe Thornton’s 56. Thornton (15) and Steve Bernier (11) are the only other Sharks with 10 or more goals. Three players, Joe Pavelski, Jeremy Roenick, and Torrey Mitchell, have nine. Jonathan Cheechoo has just 6 goals and 13 assists.

Ryane Clowe  (ankle) and Kyle McLaren (knee) are both on the IR for San Jose.

Evgeni Nabokov should get the start for the Sharks. He has a 2.10 GAA and .914 save-percentage this season, but posted a 4.49 GAA and .860 save-percentage over the two games against the Wings.

For the Sharks’ side of things, be sure to stop by Fear the Fin,  A San Jose Sharks Blog,  Sharks Hockey Odyssey,  Sharkspage,  San Jose Sharks, and Two for Elbowing.

The Wings pulled out of a three-game nosedive on Thursday with a 3-2 shootout win over Vancouver. The game, while not perfect by any means, was a marked improvement over their performances in their three prior contests. The obvious negative was the fact that they blew a two-goal lead, as pointed out by HockeyTownTodd, but the team’s overall effort was such that the score could very well have been 6-2. Without Roberto Luongo’s stellar play or the fact that at least three Red Wing shots went off the crossbar or post, the game never would have gone into extra time. The blown lead is of course worrisome, but is just more evidence that the team still has some things to work on to get back to 100% form.

The lack of power play scoring is another area in which they need to see improvement, of course. I thought they did a better job of creating chances on the power play Thursday night than they have been doing lately, so we can only hope that they keep working at it and break out of that particular slump soon.

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have been in a bit of a slump themselves and have combined for just one goal since the Wings’ loss to Minnesota.  They were somewhat more effective Thursday night, however, and are due for a big game. Expect Babcock to keep them together at even strength in hopes that they’ll spark each other out of this downswing.

No hard news on any roster changes, though the Freep does list Dallas Drake (knee) as questionable for tonight. If he can’t go, expect to see Aaron Downey for the third-straight game.

As for the lines, here are my projections:

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Cleary-Filppula-Samuelsson
Draper-Franzen-Maltby
Downey-Kopecky-Hudler

And my projected defensive pairings:

Lidstrom-Kronwall
Lilja-Rafalski
Lebda-Chelios

As Todd suggested in the post linked to above, these pairings, incongruous as they may be, are probably an attempt by Babcock to acclimate the blueline to different combinations in preparation for the playoffs. He has been doing much the same thing with the forwards all season.

As per the goaltender rotation policy, Chris Osgood should get the start tonight.

For more of the Wings’ perspective, see Snapshots, Abel to Yzerman, HockeyTownTodd, Behind the Jersey, No Pun Intended, Red Wings Nation, yzerman is god, Detroit Hockey, LetsGoWings, and Winging It In Motown.

Todd has his usual pre-game numbers posted and OklahomaWingNut has his usual excellent GDT at Kukla’s Korner Forums. Be sure to stop by the A2Y chat room for the liveblog tonight.

Tonight is an important game for the Wings as they would like to start off their road trip on the right foot. The Sharks are struggling lately, but they are looking at this game as a measuring stick and will no doubt be on top of their game. The Wings, on the other hand, will be looking to build on what they started Thursday night and will hopefully elevate their play rather than revert to that which led to their three-game skid.

As with Vancouver and Roberto Luongo, the Wings will be facing a slumping-yet-All-Star-caliber goaltender in the person of Evgeni Nabokov. If they put up 49 shots again tonight, let’s hope more than two of them make it into the net.

Wings 3, Canucks 2 (SO)

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The Wings halted their three-game skid with a 3-2 shutout win over the Vancouver Canucks last night. We won’t know for sure until tomorrow night’s game in San Jose, but it looks like we saw something of a return to form. The game wasn’t perfect, but their performance was better than anything they’ve put on since the win over Colorado last week.

Some thoughts:

… I thought Dan Cleary was the best player in red-and-white. His level of individual effort all night was incredible and would have made him a star in my book even without his two goals.

… In spite of myself, I was impressed with Roberto Luongo last night. He played a heck of a game and made a number of incredible saves that weren’t necessarily a direct result of his physical size combined with large padding. The Wings kept him working hard all night and he was nearly the difference.

… At the other end of the ice, Dominik Hasek was strong as well. He wasn’t tested nearly as much as Luongo, but he was forced to make some good saves. He could have controlled the rebound on the Sedin goal better, perhaps, but he had no chance on Naslund’s goal as the puck went in off Rafalski’s skate.

… Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were kept off the scoreboard, but I thought they played fairly well. Still the occasional  bonehead pass by Hank, but that’s not the end of the world. It’s interesting that Babcock will put a slumping forward with one of those two in order to get them going, while he’ll put them together if they’ve both hit a bit of a dry patch. If they continue to play on the same line, we can expect a breakout game sometime soon.

… Valtteri Filppula fell inexplicably at least three times last night. I’m thinking it’s time to keep track. And for someone to convince him to try different skates.

…  Still not sure about the Kronwall/Lidstrom, Rafalski/Lilja experiment. The latter two have some complementary flaws in their game that you’d think Babcock would want to avoid.

… Is it just me or does Datsyuk only use one move in the shootout?

… It was good to see Hank try a move other than the Peter Forsberg Deke™.

… I think this was a game that would have been a relative positive, even if the Wings had lost. They put forth a strong performance and have something to build on as they head into San Jose tomorrow night.

Links

GameDay: vs. Vancouver (25-17-4, 54 Pts) 7:30 ET

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Tonight is the third of four meetings between these two Western Conference teams. The Wings lead the series 2-0 with 3-2 wins October 24th and October 28th. The Canucks will play the host in the fourth and final game, on February 23rd.

Vancouver is 3-3-0 thus far in 2008, with wins over the Rangers and Islanders starting out the year. They followed that with a pair of losses beginning with a 3-1 decision in San Jose on the 10th and continuing the next night at home with the Coyotes winning 4-3. On Sunday, they went to a shootout in St. Louis and pulled out a 4-3 win. They then lost to the Blue Jackets 3-2 on Tuesday. They have not won in regulation since January 3rd at Madison Square Gardens. Tonight’s game is the last stop in a tour of three Central Division cities.

Henrik Sedin leads the Canucks in points with 48, but his brother Daniel leads the team in goals with 22. Three other Canucks have 10 or more goals: Markus Naslund (15), Ryan Kesler (12), and Tyler Pyatt (11).

Vancouver will be without Kevin Bieksa (cut calf) and Brendan Morrison (wrist) and may be without Mattias Ohlund (neck).

Roberto Luongo will get the start for the Canucks. Luongo has posted 6 shutouts, a 2.04 GAA and a .927 save-percentage through 38 games this season.

For the Canucks’ side of things, see Canucks and Beyond,  Canucks Fangirl, The Canucks Genome Project Blog, Canucks Hockey Blog,  Orland Kurtenblog,  Stick in Rink,  Waiting for Stanley, and  Yet Another Canucks Blog.

The Wings are 4-2-1 in 2008, with losses coming in each of their last three games. The skid began with a 6-5 shootout loss to Minnesota a week ago and continued with a 3-2 decision in Ottawa on Saturday. They failed to pull out a win on Tuesday, falling instead to Atlanta, 5-1. They will be looking to avoid going into a three-game road trip on a losing streak.

The team’s offensive leaders, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, have combined for just one goal over the three-game skid, though they have put together six points.

It looks like Dallas Drake (swollen knee)  will be out for the second game. Aaron Downey should be in the lineup again, as a result.

Bruce MacLeod’s projected lines are as follows:

Filppula-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Franzen-Zetterberg-Samuelsson
Cleary-Drpaer-Maltby
Hudler-Kopecky-Downey

He also provides projected defensive pairings:

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Lilja
Lebda-Chelios

Hopefully Babcock will stick with those. I noticed that he had Lidstrom paired with Kronwall and Rafalski paired with Lilja against Atlanta, for the first and second periods at least. I stopped keeping track after that. Needless to say, it didn’t go all that well.

Dominik Hasek will get the start tonight. He faced Atlanta on Tuesday after Chris Osgood was pulled and made seven saves.

For more of the Wings’ perspective, stop by Snapshots, Abel to Yzerman, HockeyTownTodd, Behind the Jersey, No Pun Intended, Red Wings Nation, yzerman is god, Detroit Hockey, LetsGoWings, and Winging It In Motown. Todd has his usual numbers posted at HTT and OklahomaWingNut has an excellent GDT posted at Kukla’s Korner Forums.

This is a big game for the Wings. They could really use a win here as they prepare to go fly to California for a three-game trip that includes back-to-back contests in LA and Anaheim next week.  The Canucks have not had an easy transition to the new year and should be vulnerable to a Red Wings team looking to get back on its feet.

The most encouraging thing the claim by the Vancouver Province that Roberto Luongo is off his game, as it has been three hot goalies that have caused the Wings fits during this skid. The fact that the Canucks’ offense isn’t humming along should also be a good sign, as the Wings’ defense has struggled during the loss streak as well.

Still, those things cannot be taken for granted and you can bet the Wings know it. The question is whether they’ll be able to put that knowledge into action and bring the level of play that’s been missing since their too-close 1-0 win over Colorado  last week. The noticeable drop in their game began against a Northwest Division team, deepened against another, and will hopefully end tonight against a third.