Archive for the 'Niklas Kronwall' Category

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)

2/27 Post-Practice Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 27, 2008
in Brad Stuart, Brian Rafalski, Chris Chelios, Dominik Hasek, Injuries, Jiri Fischer and Niklas Kronwall
. 0 Comments

Update (9:31 PM): In a piece meant for Thursday’s edition, Helene St. James suggests again that Niklas Kronwall will be back Friday night.

I still think the Wings aren’t 100% sure on that, as evidenced by Kyle Quincey’s continued presence on the roster, but that must only be a precautionary measure in case of a setback. Given that the Griffins could badly use their defensemen back, you have to think Quincey will be headed to GR soon.

I should also say that it’s possible Jonathan Ericsson will be the next to follow Stafford to GR, but I’d be surprised if the team doesn’t want to continue to get a look at the big Swede in the NHL.

Also, St. James  characterizes the battle for the bottom end of the defensive corps as a four-way affair between Derek Meech, Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda, and Chris Chelios. However, I have a hard time seeing Chelios get knocked off the playing roster, so it’s more of a battle between the other three. - Matt

… George Sipple reports that Dominik Hasek has completely recovered from the hip flexor that has kept him out since the Wings’ February 9 loss in Toronto. Sipple quotes Hasek as saying,

“I don’t know what the coach’s decision is going to be like, but I’d like to play twice a week. There are not even six weeks before the playoffs, so now it’s very important for me to get into good rhythm.”

I’m sure the brain trust is thinking the same thing, so don’t worry Dom. You’ll see the ice plenty in the coming weeks.

A better Hasek quote comes via Ted Kulfan:

“I feel healthy.”

Let’s hope so.

… Sipple also reports on Chris Chelios’ situation. Evidently, he’s undergone treatment on his right fibula, but still feels what Chelios calls “discomfort.” For us normal people, that’s “pain, significant pain.”

For those of us hoping for a speedy recovery for #24, HockeyTownTodd set the record straight in the comments Monday:

Anyone that has ever chipped a bone does not expect Cheli back very soon.

Here’s hoping Chelios bucks the odds and makes it back faster than expected, as he did with his recovery from knee surgery a few years back.

… It looks like Brian Rafalski (groin) isn’t close to returning. Sipple says he “skated briefly” today, but Mike Babcock doesn’t sound very optimistic:

“Obviously things haven’t progressed like we anticipated early with him. So we’ll have to re-look at it and go from there.”

Despite the fact that the Wings are hemorrhaging points because their four most important defensemen are out, I can’t advocate rushing Rafalski (or any of them, for that matter) back. They need him (and them) too much in the playoffs to do anything but let him (and them) recover fully now. It sucks, but it’ll pay off.

… Bruce MacLeod reports that Garrett Stafford has been sent back to Grand Rapids. I forgot him altogether in my speculation yesterday (3:50 update) on who would get sent down as a result of the trade, but with Brad Stuart now on the roster, Stafford became extraneous.

Because Kyle Quincey also did not get demoted today, it’s probably safe to assume the status of Niklas Kronwall for Friday is still undetermined, today’s Helene St. James piece notwithstanding. If the team were certain Kronwall would be back for the Sharks game, Quincey would be on his way to GR, too. That doesn’t mean he won’t play, but we probably won’t know for sure until Friday sometime.

… Lastly, some links via Abel to Yzerman:

2/27 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 27, 2008
in Brad Stuart, Henrik Zetterberg, Injuries, Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall, Oilers, Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula
. 2 Comments

Update (10:26 AM): The comments on IwoCPO’s response to Drew Sharp are worth reading, as usual. Particularly Baroque’s from 8:36 AM. - Matt

Update (10:04 AM): Brennan at Gloveside has a great discussion on the Wings’ breakout troubles here. The post includes what has to be the line of the week at the end of third paragraph. I won’t spoil it for you.

As for the solution to the breakout issues: Nick Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, and Chris Chelios. As talented and impressive as Derek Meech, Kyle Quincey and Jonathan Ericsson have been, they can’t measure up to the masters of that particular art form.  - Matt

Update (8:35 AM): IwoCPO responds to Drew Sharp’s column here. - Matt

… The Wings lost last night in Edmonton, 4-3 in a shootout. They overcame a two-goal lead in the third and then gave up a goal in the final minute of the period as the Oilers forced overtime. Robert Nilsson scored the only goal in the shootout to give Edmonton their 13th shootout win this season.

I was not able to watch the game, but judging from the highlights, it was an exciting one.

… Good news: Valtteri Filppula scored last night and now has two goals in a little over a week. That’s closer to the correct rate of scoring, Fil.

… More good news: Jonathan Ericsson notched his first NHL goal to put the Wings on the board. Hopefully that’s just the first of many, many more.

… Anyone else want to see Pavel Datsyuk shoot the puck like that more often? I love it when he breaks out that rocket snap shot of his.

… It was nice to see Henrik Zetterberg try something a little different in the shootout. That brings the number of shootout moves in his repertoire to a grand total of about 4. Maybe someday he’ll come across a goalie that hasn’t seen the Forsberg Deke™ and he can use that one again!

… Post-game links

… The papers are understandably stocked with stories about Brad Stuart today:

Helene St. James has a straightforward piece about the new defenseman, complete with quotes from Ken Holland. It looks like he won’t join the team until tomorrow, though he is expected to play Friday. The man slated to be his defensive partner, Niklas Kronwall, is expected to return that night as well.

Ted Kulfan’s lede says it all:

The Red Wings found out last season a team can’t have enough defensemen during the playoffs.

Very true.

Drew Sharp, of course, second-guesses the move and wonders why Ken Holland wasn’t able to land a forward when guys like Martin Lapointe and Sergei Fedorov went to the East for a song. Two words Drew: Central Division. Two more: Eastern Conference. Put them together and you have a simple concept: the Wings are in the same division as Chicago and Columbus, and those teams aren’t looking to do the Wings any favors. And vice versa.

The Caps and Senators, on the other hand, are in the Eastern Conference and therefore not immediate threats to the success of the franchise. Do you get it? Sure, it’s disappointing that the Wings were able to bring in some scoring help, but the simple fact that the Jackets and Hawks are in the Central meant the asking price was too high for them.

Also, Martin Lapointe, Drew? You’re upset that they didn’t bring that loser back?

John Niyo has a refreshingly positive look at the move and makes a great point. Whereas teams like Dallas, Colorado, and San Jose are placing their hopes in their new acquisitions,

… teams like Anaheim and Detroit, the presumptive Cup favorites before Tuesday’s wheeling and dealing, are banking on something else: Themselves.

When Jiri Hudler’s turn came up at the shootout last night, Ken Daniels said a goal there would have be a much-needed boost to his confidence. He didn’t score, but you have to think that his not being traded was a boost of sorts. The same goes for the other struggling forwards. The management showed faith in the current squad and that counts for something. Whether the guys will honor that faith remains to be seen, of course, but it’s hard to believe that they won’t.

Niyo also points out that the Wings did not give up any of their “kids.” That will pay off in the future and, with the team they have at the moment,  shouldn’t hamper their chances now.

For another blogger’s perspective on the trade, see Gorilla Crouch.

2/25 Post-practice Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 25, 2008
in Brian Rafalski, Chris Chelios, Dominik Hasek, Injuries, Lines, Nick Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Trade Rumors
. 2 Comments

… Ansar Khan reports that Nick Lidstrom (knee sprain) could skate as soon as later this week and could return 10-14 days from today. 14 days would put him at three weeks from the injury, while 10 would be closer to the original estimate. Khan makes sure to address the “Internet rumors” about a possible Lidstrom concussion by assuring us Ken Holland and Mike Babcock are denying any such claim.

… Contrary to reports last week, Niklas Kronwall (clavicle) is not expected to play tomorrow night in Edmonton. The

… Dominik Hasek (hip flexor) may be healed enough to perform backup duties for Chris Osgood tomorrow night. If so, the team will send Jimmy Howard back to Grand Rapids.

… Chris Chelios (right leg, chipped fibula) has not skated since going down with his injury and is day-to-day. It looks like he may not be back until after the San Jose and Buffalo games this weekend.

… Brian Rafalski (groin) hasn’t been on the ice since the 21st and remains day-to-day, though he told Khan he’s feeling better.

… Khan provides the lines from practice today:

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

… Lastly, Holland said he’s looking to address the secondary scoring problem by acquiring a second line forward. He also is looking to add a depth defenseman. As I said earlier today, I’m now convinced that the Wings are pretty well set on defense, so hopefully Kenny won’t spend too much time looking for a veteran blueliner when he could be on the phone for a forward.

2/16 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 16, 2008
in Brian Rafalski, Chris Osgood, Dominik Hasek, Injuries, Johan Franzen, Lines and Niklas Kronwall
. 0 Comments

… Both Ansar Khan and Bruce MacLeod report that Jimmy Howard will start tomorrow in Dallas. He has not started an NHL game since December 13, 2005, when he was pulled after allowing three goals on sixteen shots during the Wings’ 7-6 loss to Atlanta.

Given that the Wings seem to play more carefully in front of the young goaltender, this is probably a good move. They have not been giving Chris Osgood much support and he could probably use a game off to regain confidence in his teammates.

… Dominik Hasek (hip flexor) will not make the trip to Denver and Colorado, and it does not look like he’ll be back until  next Saturday in Vancouver.

… Brian Rafalski (groin) will make the trip, but it looks like he won’t be back until Monday against Colorado.

… Niklas Kronwall (clavicle) is also going along with the team, but Khan says he won’t be back until the Calgary game on Friday at the earliest.

… With Kronwall and Rafalski remaining out, Kyle Quincey will stay with the team at least one more game.

… Khan also provides some mixed-up lines that Babcock tried in practice:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Filppula-Zetterberg-Samuelsson
Kopecky-Draper-Maltby
Hudler-Drake-Downey (Ellis working in)

As he points out, that top line skated together at the start of the season prior to Franzen’s knee sprain.  As I wrote when Dan Cleary went down, Johan should benefit greatly from inheriting a larger role in Cleary’s absence. Let’s hope he takes advantage of the move to the top line.

2/6 Kronwall Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 6, 2008
in Injuries, Links and Niklas Kronwall
. 8 Comments

Ryan Doherty of The Hockeytown Blog has the latest. Basically, he’s feeling better, but not good enough, and is looking to return before the end of the month.  That’s not the best news, to be honest. I’m with George Malik on this:

… if this doesn’t cement the concept that the Wings need to acquire a depth defenceman or two, I don’t know what does

2/4 Practice Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 4, 2008
in Injuries, Lines and Niklas Kronwall
. 0 Comments

… Bruce MacLeod reports that Niklas Kronwall skated today with the team for the first time since his injury on Wednesday.

As good as that news is, it was countered by some bad news: new MRI results have indicated that Kronwall will be out longer than the 10 days originally reported. No specifics were provided, though Kronwall used the words, “a little bit longer than 10 days.” That could mean anything from two to three weeks.

Any setbacks in the recovery process would likely force Ken Holland to make a move for a defenseman, as the trade deadline is fast approaching.

Ryan Doherty says Kronwall wanted to be back by Saturday’s game in Toronto, but that is obviously not likely due to this latest development.  Nik will make the trip to Minnesota with the team, however, so that he can continue on-ice rehab.

… In another post, MacLeod shows that Mike Babcock has mixed up the lines a little since the Boston game, promoting Valtteri Filppula back to the second line:

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

That third line has some good size to it, and Cleary’s wrecking ball style should give Hudler anf Filppula plenty of room.