Archive for the 'Niklas Kronwall' Category

Kronwall Ejected For Hit on Havlat (Updated w/ Video)

Published
by
Matt Saler
on May 22, 2009
in Blackhawks, Niklas Kronwall and Playoffs
. 16 Comments

Update (23. May, 12:29 AM): Note that the below is an emotional response to the event. Now that I’ve calmed down, I back off my statement implying that a suspension is automatic, though I will say that if one is handed down, I won’t be surprised.

This does not, however, mean I back off my feeling that the punishment already meted out was excessive. Kronwall’s play was entirely legal and clean, and should not have gotten any penalty, let alone a major and a misconduct. Two minutes for anything would have been too much. That was a hockey play. - Matt

Update (10:00 PM): Found a better-quality video:


Havlat is out for the game.

In-game update: 3-3 tie after two. I’m still shell-shocked following the final five minutes of the period. The Wings turned “it” on in a major way to storm back from a 3-0 deficit. The third is going to be epic. - Matt

Game 3 has not been going the Wings’ way. On top of being down 2-0 at he first intermission, they will be without the services of hard-hitting Nik Kronwall for the remainder of the game for the huge hit he laid on Martin Havlat at 13:08. Havlat took something of a suicide pass from a teammate, lost the puck in his feet, and found himself in dreamland after Kronwall’s shoulder connected with his chin.

Kronwall and a prone Havlat were immediately swarmed by angry Hawks in a scrum leading to penalties for both Franzen and Byfuglien. Kronwall, meanwhile, was slapped with a five-minute interference major and a game misconduct despite the fact that he didn’t leave his feet, hit with his shoulder, and did it all with the puck right there.

Despite the NHL’s leniency so far this post-season, I consider it a safe bet that Nik will get suspended for at least a game. It was a big hit, and unfortunately knocked Havlat out, but was not a dirty play and was not a penalty. It was an awful call, but I have no faith in the NHL to make it right on further review.

You know something’s wrong with the world when everyone on Versus claims it was an excessive penalty.

Video when it appears on YouTube.

In other news, the Wings need to wake up. They’re lucky they’re not down 5-0. I guess they deserve some credit for the fact that it’s just 2-0, but they need to turn the tables in the next forty.

Kronwall on Ribeiro, Ott on Kronwall

Published
by
Matt Saler
on January 9, 2009
in 2008-2009, Niklas Kronwall, Stars and Video
. 1 Comment

Video of Nik Kronwall’s big hit on Mike Ribeiro last night, with evidence of Steve Ott’s bush league followup:

11/21 Lineup Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on November 21, 2008
in 2008-2009, Chris Osgood, Derek Meech, Injuries, Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Holmstrom and Ty Conklin
. 5 Comments

Helene St. James reports that Niklas Kronwall (ankle) will return to the lineup tomorrow after skating today in Calgary. This is great news since we all know Nik’s injury history. A game here and there is a fair return on all of those season-ending injuries he suffered prior to last year.

Tomas Holmstrom (back spams), on the other hand, will not play against the Flames. He’s still feeling the effects of having an Oiler fall on him Monday night, and told St. James that “[i]t feels like somebody stabbed a knife in the back.”

Derek Meech will get at least another game in the lineup, though this time he’ll suit up as a forward, apparently for the fourth line. This obviously neutralizes any hope of seeing Ville Leino or another Griffin join the forward corps, for now anyway.

It looks like Tomas Kopecky remained on the top line in practice today. Unfortunately, Jiri Hudler is still on the third line despite the fact that his recent offensive contributions have overshadowed Mikael Samuelsson’s.

It’s possible that the goaltending situation could be heading for a controversial patch, as Ansar Khan reports that Ty Conklin will start versus the Flames. It seems Mike Babcock may not feel Chris Osgood’s play improved enough over his break last week. Osgood will play Monday in Vancouver, however, so he’s not too deep in the doghouse; he’s just not the automatic starter at the moment. With the Wings shaping up defensively, Osgood needs to be careful to improve apace or he may be charting faceoffs more than he’d like.

Also, this is beyond my skill set, but the Official Blog has a contest going that you might find interesting if you’re capable in graphic design. The goal is to create an “I Voted” badge to be placed on sites by fans who cast votes for the six Red Wings who are on the All Star Game ballot. The prize is an autographed picture by the current Wing of your choice. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, November 25th.

Thoughts on the first televised exhibition game

Published
by
Matt Saler
on September 30, 2008
in 2008-2009, Aaron Downey, Andreas Lilja, Darren Helm, Game Reports, Jimmy Howard, Kyle Quincey, Marian Hossa, Niklas Kronwall, Robert Lang and Ville Leino
. 3 Comments

… How typical of Robert Lang was it that he took an offensive-zone penalty for the Habs right off the bat? 

The same goes for his somehow-not-called slashes on a Ville Leino rush in OT. Typical Langsian “hockey.” Good luck with that, Montreal.

… I was impressed with Leino’s offensive skills. He wasn’t so noticeable the other way, but looks like he’s strong in the opposition’s end. He demonstrated some real nice hands on his goal and showed a solid snap shot in the shootout. 

It’s clear he not quite ready for the NHL, though. Case in point: he took a hit from behind in the first (I believe) that he absolutely could/should have avoided. He’s still adjusting to both the North American game and the North American rink, and the best place for him to do that is in Grand Rapids, not Detroit. He’ll be one to watch with the Griffins this season as long as he stands by his word and actually goes to the AHL.

… Darren Helm really looked good. He’s picked up right where he left off in the Finals. He’s making a strong case for himself, but he may be better off in GR with actual playing time. 

… The way Marian Hossa’s jersey is tucked in his hockey pants had me momentarily seeing #91 just about every time I noticed him. He didn’t stick out in a big way, but it’s still the pre-season and he’s still adjusting to his teammates, so he obviously gets a break. It still would have been nice to see him score in the shootout, though.

The Montreal crowd is something else, to put it politely. Booing Marian Hossa for choosing Detroit over the Habs? Give me a break. 

… I didn’t think Kyle Quincey looked too good. Full disclosure, I’m biased against the guy, having picked him as the odd man out a long time ago. For what it’s worth, he’s conspiciously absent from the Wings’ roster as listed on the official site. 

… Jimmy Howard was strong in regular play, but was victimized in the shootout. 

… Aaron Downey is wearing #44, apparently in an effort at getting some better “energy” over #20. I do not approve. The last two Red Wings to wear #44? Two OtW Unfavorites, Mark Hartigan and Todd Bertuzzi. It does not bode well for you, Aaron, that 44 is your number of choice. 

… Chris Chelios blocked a shot in the third and had to leave the game due to what the AP is calling an ankle injury. He wasn’t putting any weight on his right leg as he was helped across the ice to the dressing room tunnel. Here’s hoping he’s okay. If Quincey isn’t already on the way out, a Chelios injury may at least partially answer the question of space on the blueline. 

… Nik Kronwall looks poised to have a great season as long as his new-found healthiness holds up. 

… No game-breaking gaffes on the part of Andreas Lilja. That’s in spite of Montreal’s speed and the fact that big #3 is not in mid-season shape. That’s encouraging, especially given that the Wings don’t seem to eager to drop the guy.

… The Habs gave the Wings plenty of power play opportunities, but they couldn’t capitalize. Granted, the units were somewhat hodgepodge with the roster split as it is, but I’m hoping for some more power play success this season and the sooner it starts, the better. 

… All in all, not a bad game from an entertainment standpoint. In some ways, it was obviously still exhibition hockey, but in others it was a well-played game between two highly-skilled opponents. It will be interesting to contrast this game with Friday’s televised matchup with our old friend Ron Wilson’s Maple Leafs.

… On a different note, I’m trying to figure out what OtW is going to look like this season. Previously, it pretty much just had school to compete with, but now I’ve got a full-time job, and in a week and a half, another layer of competition gets added when I get married. So we’ll see how it goes from here on out.

Filppula returns; top two pairings adjusted

Published
by
Matt Saler
on May 7, 2008
in Brad Stuart, Brian Rafalski, Injuries, Nick Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Playoffs and Valtteri Filppula
. 11 Comments

Update (1:30 PM): Helene St. James has more from Babcock on the pairing mixing:

“We did it during different times of the year, and we did it during the Nashville series. We have two real physical guys on the back end who hunt down guys, and we like players we play against to be a little bit nervous. We’re just making sure we’ve got everything covered.”

Okay, but I’m with George Malik in hoping this is just to throw the Stars off. - Matt

Update (12:48 PM): MacLeod has added a post-practice update to the same post:

Filppula was off the ice before special-teams drills as a precaution. Coach Mike Babcock said: “We’re going to find out tomorrow. That was the first time he’s skated in a while. We didn’t want to push it.”

- Matt

Bruce MacLeod reports that Valtteri Filppula has returned to the ice after missing two practices with a twisted leg. That should mean he’s in for Game 1, barring a setback today or tomorrow.

As a result of Fil’s return, the lines have reverted to their second round look. Kirk Maltby is the odd man out again.

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filppula-Samulesson
Cleary-Draper-Drake
Hudler-Helm-McCarty

Also, MacLeod notes that Babcock has mixed up the top two pairings, putting Brad Stuart with Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski with Niklas Kronwall.

Lidstrom-Stuart
Kronwall-Rafalski
Lebda-Chelios

I’m not a fan of that idea. It didn’t work so well in the first round, if you recall. It’s certainly an odd decision going in to Game 1, as the Wings have home ice advantage and the last change. They should be able to get the matchups they want without splitting up the pairings that have worked so well throughout the run. Here’s hoping it’s just a practice experiment.

On Nik Kronwall’s latest

Published
by
Matt Saler
on April 15, 2008
in Niklas Kronwall, Playoffs, Predators and Video
. 4 Comments

“When I first saw it live, I thought definitely it was a penalty. I thought he came up. On review, Bonk sort of bent down and tried to duck under it. I didn’t think Kronwall left his feet. It was just a good, clean hockey hit.”

- Barry Trotz (via Bruce MacLeod)

2/28 Post-practice Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 28, 2008
in Brad Stuart, Brian Rafalski, Chris Chelios, Dan Cleary, Injuries, Kyle Quincey, Nick Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall
. 3 Comments

Update (7:00 PM): Red Wings TV has video of Dan Cleary’s talk with the media here. - Matt

Update (6:56 PM): The official blog confirms that Niklas Kronwall has been activated off the injured reserve list and that Kyle Quincey has been returned to Grand Rapids. - Matt

Update (5:27 PM): … Ansar Khan has more on Dan Cleary here.

… Khan also says Stuart will be on the first power play tomorrow and with Andreas Lilja on the penalty kill.

… Unsurprisingly, Chelios was favoring his right leg in practice today, though he soldiered through it. Babcock told Khan he’s not sure if Chelios will be ready to go Sunday in Buffalo. My guess is no.

… Babcock’s also not sure about Rafalski’s status for Sunday. - Matt

… Bruce MacLeod reports that Brad Stuart was at practice today and led the stretching “to hoots and hollers from his new teammates.”

Stuart did drills with Niklas Kronwall, who will return tomorrow night, according to MacLeod’s other update.

During the extended special teams portion of the practice, MacLeod says Stuart got reps on the penalty kill side.

According to an email I got from the NHL Store today, Stuarts new number is 23. I know some people who aren’t going to be happy about that.

… According to MacLeod, Brian Rafalski (groin) stayed as long as the stretches, but left once the team started drills. Obviously he’s still in full-on recovery mode.

… MacLeod also reports that Chris Chelios (bone chip, right leg) took part in practice. That’s a little surprising given the fact that he was described yesterday as barely being able to walk. Apparently, even Babcock was surprised.

… Nick Lidstrom (knee sprain) was not there today. Reports earlier this week suggested he could be ready to skate by later this week. Looks like that means Friday or Saturday. He did work out in the weight room, however.

… MacLeod says Kyle Quincey was sent back to Grand Rapids today.

… The pairings from practice, as provided by MacLeod:

Kronwall-Stuart
Meech-Lilja
Ericsson-Lebda
Quincey-Chelios (practice only)

… MacLeod says Dan Cleary (broken jaw) made an appearance at the rink for the first time since taking a Mikael Samuelsson shot off the face. He’s looking to make it back for the last three games of the season. Before then, he’ll have to regain the 15 pounds he’s lost due to only being able to eat pasta and soups. He’s targeting Sunday or Monday as the day to start skating again.

… Dominik Hasek will start against the Sharks.

(via Bruce MacLeod’s update #1 and update #2)