Archive for the 'Darren McCarty' Category

4/7 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on April 7, 2008
in 2007-2008, Blackhawks, Brian Rafalski, Chris Chelios, Dallas Drake, Darren McCarty, Dominik Hasek and Justin Abdelkader
. 0 Comments

… The Wings wrapped up the 2007-2008 regular season with a 4-1 win over Chicago yesterday afternoon. There isn’t much to say about the game. The Hawks put up a fair fight, but were too shorthanded to do much, and the Wings were too businesslike to let the game get out of hand.

… We can hope that Jiri Hudler’s goal is a sign of more to come in the post-season. Darren McCarty’s feed on the goal may not become a regular event, but it looks like he’s rounding into form. Dominik Hasek’s performance also helped put to rest some doubts about his readiness for the playoffs.

… Two defensemen with minor injuries, Brian Rafalski (neck) and Chris Chelios (groin), sat out the game for rest purposes. Derek Meech filled in for Rafalski and Jonathan Ericsson was called up late to fill in for Chelios.

… Dallas Drake also had the game off, though apparenly not because of an injury. Justin Abdelkader subbed for the elder Wings forward.

… Tomas Holmstrom returned from a groin injury but wasn’t overwhelming.

… The Wings won the Jennings Trophy for fewest team goals-against, though not without some controversy. George Malik covers that here.

… Pavel Datsyuk finished with the best plus-minus in the NHL at +41. He still wasn’t mentioned during the NBC broadcast as a possible Selke candidate. The old stereotype of Pavel Datsyuk, the typically offensive Russian forward, persists.

Nick Lidstrom finished +40, by the way.

… NHL.com is launching a re-design this week. It sounds like it’ll be pretty good

Kopecky’s ACL torn

Published
by
Matt Saler
on April 4, 2008
in Darren McCarty, Injuries, Justin Abdelkader and Tomas Kopecky
. 4 Comments

George Sipple reports that Tomas Kopecky tore his ACL and sprained his MCL last night.

According to Ken Holland, he’ll need surgery when the swelling subsides. He will miss 4-6 months, which puts him out of the playoffs for sure. At latest, he’ll be making his return to the ice around the time the Wings start the 08-09 season.

What a shame. Kopecky has had a solid season, occasional weak games aside. He plays angry, which is always a good thing to see in a Red Wings forward, and has the size to back it up. As Ken Holland told Sipple,

“We’ll miss him. Our depth is getting tested up front.”

The Wings do have that depth, though. Given the size and speed of Justin Abdelkader, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he could find a place on the roster while players like Mikael Samuelsson (groin) and Kris Draper (groin) recover. His lack of experience counts against him, of course, but he stands a fair chance of winning over Babcock, I would think.

Darren McCarty is also an option, though he apparently has a ways to go with attaining NHL-level conditioning (one possible explanation for his being a healthy scratch twice since returning).

Best wishes on a speedy recovery, Tomas. See you next season.

3/27 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on March 27, 2008
in Aaron Downey, Brad Stuart, Darren McCarty, Dominik Hasek, Henrik Zetterberg, Injuries, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom and Valtteri Filppula
. 3 Comments

Update (8:01 PM): From the “why make it public?  file: Dave Waddell got the location of Brad Stuarts broken finger from the man himself:

“I have pretty good grip with my other three fingers (on his right hand), so that’s a good sign.”

For those keeping score at home, that’s his top hand, which should mean his return will come earlier than expected since his lower hand does most of the serious gripping. Stuart is confident about being back in time to play in Game 1. Here’s hoping he’s mostly, if not all, healed by then because that hand will have a big target on it now that the whole world knows the location of the injury.

Waddell also has something on the McCarty versus Downey situation. Key quote from Mike Babcock:

“We’re giving Mac an opportunity (tonight), Downs probably won’t be playing (tonight), but that’s just so Mac can get into a game. That’s no reflection on what Downs has been able to do with us.”

Still, both players will be competing for roster spots. George Malik sums it up nicely:

One might see McCarty’s ready-to-play status is healthy competition for Dallas Drake and, to a lesser extent, Jiri Hudler or Tomas Kopecky as a 3rd/4th line presence who can excel on the forecheck instead of a replacement for Downey’s role as a pure “policeman.”

Of course, McCarty’s ability to excel on the forecheck at the NHL level these days has yet to be proven. - Matt

Update (2:14 PM): … Ansar Khan reports that Dominik Hasek will not play tomorrow and that Chris Osgood will start.

… He also says that Tomas Holmstrom is supposed to undergo further testing today. Apparently Mike Babcock doesn’t know the results of yesterday’s tests, but told Khan that it’s looking positive. I’ll believe it when I see Homer back in the lineup.

… Khan clarifies MacLeod’s comments on Samuelsson by saying the Swede left practice early. According to Babcock, he’s questionable for tomorrow.

… Dallas Drake told Khan he’s ready to go, but Babcock wouldn’t commit to it.

… Brad Stuart told Khan that he’s optmisitc he’ll be back in time for Game 1.

… Khan also confirms that Aaron Downey will be scratched tomorrow.  - Matt

Update (12:56 PM): MacLeod has more:

…  I don’t know why this didn’t register with me before when I looked at the lines: Mikael Samuelsson did not skate today. MacLeod says it’s because he has “tightness in his groin.” Apparently the team is being cautious, so his status for tomorrow is unknown.

… Dominik Hasek could play tomorrow, depending on how he feels tomorrow morning.

… It looks like Blues fans will be disappointed: Aaron Downey will be a healthy scratch, with Mark Hartigan (unfortunately) getting a spot instead.

… It looks like Valtteri Filppula will be back tomorrow. - Matt

Update (11:52 AM): Just after I publish, I see Bruce MacLeod’s latest:

… Hasek did not practice today, so he must be out tomorrow. Jimmy Howard already made the drive down I-96 and practiced with the team this morning.

… Darren McCarty’s debut is still on.

… Tomas Holmstrom “took a quick twirl,” but didn’t stay any longer than that.

… Valtteri Filppula stayed out there the whole time, though MacLeod casts doubt on his status for tomorrow night by saying “[he] might be back in the lineup soon.”

… Lastly, the line combos from practice:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Cleary
Hudler-Franzen-Filppula
Kopecky-Draper-Maltby
Hartigan-Drake-McCarty

Don’t read too much into Drake’s presence on the fourth unit. He practiced Monday as well, but  didn’t play Tuesday. There’s still a chance he could sit out once again.

The defensive pairings haven’t changed:

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Chelios
Lebda-Lilja

 - Matt

… The big news is that Darren McCarty will make his re-debut with the Wings tomorrow night against the Blues. It will be his first game in the Winged Wheel since May 3, 2004, and his first in the NHL in nearly a year. No word yet on who he’ll be skating with, but don’t expect a full-fledged reunion of the Grind Line. He probably won’t be getting third line minutes.

Thanks to Christy Hammond at Behind the Jersey, who was kind enough to give me tickets, Megan and I will be at the game. No pressure Mac, but a repeat of your last home debut would be nice.

… Tim Miller, writing over at Bleacher Report, has a good take on the whole McCarty return. He provides some needed perspective on the situation. Referring to Friday, he writes,

A great game, and a great story, but one that a Red Wings fans should hope ends on April 6th when their top 12 forwards, including Holmstom and Flippula, are deemed healthy enough for the post-season.  The lineup that has driven this team to the President’s Trophy and gives them the best shot at post-season success.

Miller goes on to cite McCarty’s speed problem, his effective disappearance in Calgary, and the fact that he’s returning from a rib injury, which he says is “not a the best injury to have for a grinder.” Indeed.

I’m thrilled to see the success of Mac’s comeback attempt, but I’m keeping my expectations low. I joked about his hat trick above, but I don’t actually believe he can reproduce his AHL performance in the NHL. The question is whether or not he can fill a role on a team that is already very-well rounded. On one hand, I hope he can, but on the other, I’m with Miller. Mac is not going to be the one piece that puts the Wings over the edge because they already have all the pieces. If his addition does nothing more than give them the option of inserting him into the lineup, that’s fine because it’s really all they need.

… Helene St. James reports that Dominik Hasek (flu) is on antibiotics. If he can’t practice today, the Wings will recall Jimmy Howard, who they sent back to Grand Rapids yesterday. Here’s hoping the flu bug doesn’t spread any further.

… Barring a setback in today’s skate, Valtteri Filppula (knee, groin) is expected to return tomorrow night. Dallas Drake, on the other hand, is questionable with a bruised sternum.

With Fil and Mac in the lineup and Drake out, the lines should look something like this:

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

… The status of Tomas Holmstrom (abdomen/groin) for the remainder of the season is still unknown. The results of his tests should come out today. It’s not looking like he’ll be back before the end of the regular season.

… Ted Kulfan reports that Brad Stuart (broken finger) will start rehabilitation today or tomorrow. The goal is to have him back by Game 1 of the first round.

… The Wings will have an open practice on Saturday. The doors open at 11:00 AM and the skate starts at noon.  If you bring new or used hockey equipment, you get in free. Otherwise, it’s a $5 donation. The money and the equipment will go toward inner-city youth hockey programs.

… Ansar Khan has a nice piece on the possible Selke candidacies of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Arguments can be made for both players, who should finishe 1 and 2 in any case. However, I think Datsyuk’s reputation as an offensive forward hurts him. It seems to me that his two-way ability is one of the best-kept secrets in Hockeytown. Zetterberg’s two-way game is well-publicized and has been ever since he entered the League. Datsyuk, on the other hand, is only getting acclaim for his defensive play more recently.

Even I have a hard time imagining Pavel winning the Selke over Hank, but that may just be my homerism for #40 coming through.

…  Over at Abel to Yzerman, IwoCPO suggests the Avs hire Patrick Roy as head coach after they fire Joel Quenneville. That would be … interesting.

… Lastly, I can’t let this pass without comment. The idea that Aaron Downey is a coward or classless is ridiculous. The guy has been the epitome of class all season and, by all accounts, is universally respected in the Wings’ locker room. He has been very smart to pick his fights wisely and so it’s no surprise to me that he turned down King Tuesday night. There’s no law, written or unwritten, that says he has to answer every challenge. Downey’s job is to spark his teammates with big hits and the occassional fight, not to allow himself to be goaded into dropping the gloves.

I’m sorry Blues fans, but if you’re looking for someone to call a coward or classless, look to your own team. Downey is a much better man than, say, Barret Jackman, who was, is, and always will be, a donkey.

If Downey decides to drop the gloves in defense of his character tomorrow night, I fully expect to see him acquit himself well. If he choses to keep his gloves on, I’ll certainly think no less of him.

Ritola, Helm returned to Griffins

Published
by
Matt Saler
on March 17, 2008
in Aaron Downey, Darren Helm, Darren McCarty, Injuries, Kris Draper and Mattias Ritola
. 1 Comment

Update (3:15 PM): I was wrong about Holmstrom.

Bruce MacLeod reports that Kris Draper is a “maybe” for Wednesday, while neither Tomas Holmstrom nor Darren McCarty are expected to be ready. Downey, however, is able to return.

If Draper (or Holmstrom or McCarty) is not able to make it back, the team will recall Mattias Ritola or Darren Helm. - Matt

According to Griffinshockey.com, the Wings have returned Mattias Ritola and Darren Helm to Grand Rapids. As pointed out by George Malik, that should mean two of Aaron Downey (flu), Tomas Holmstrom (abdominal/groin), Kris Draper (groin tear), and Darren McCarty (ribs) will be back Wednesday night.

My guess? Downey, who should be over his flu, and Holmstrom, whose injury seemed less severe than Draper’s. That would make the forward corps look like this:

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

Of course, that’s just speculation. It’s also possible that McCarty could make his return debut at the expense of Downey, though I’d be surprised if Draper plays.

3/8 Injury Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on March 8, 2008
in Brett Lebda, Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, Injuries, Nick Lidstrom and Valtteri Filppula
. 0 Comments

… Helene St. James, Ansar Khan, and Bruce MacLeod all have Tomas Holmstrom out tomorrow with a groin/abdominal injury. Apparently, Homer has dealt with such pain before this season, but it’s more severe this time around. According to Khan, he’ll have an ultrasound on Sunday.

The absence of Holmstrom means Mark Hartigan will be in the lineup.

… All three beat writers say Nick Lidstrom (knee sprain) is still scheduled to play tomorrow, though his status won’t be finalized until after the pre-game skate.

… Brett Lebda did not practice today due to an illness and is not going to play tomorrow. Either Jonathan Ericsson or Derek Meech will fill in for him. Babcock did not specify.

… Khan says Chris Chelios (bone chip, right leg) is in playing condition, but the team is being cautious. Apparently we can expect him back Tuesday.

… According to MacLeod, Darren McCarty has his own locker stall now, but he did not practice today due to his rib injury. He will not play tomorrow.

… Valtteri Filppula practiced today after missing yesterday’s with a sore thigh. He’s expected to play tomorrow.

McCarty recalled

Published
by
Matt Saler
on March 7, 2008
in Darren McCarty, Injuries and Links
. 0 Comments

The official blog reports that the Wings have recalled Darren McCarty from the Grand Rapids Griffins. A rib injury puts his status at day-to-day, but he’s officially a Red Wing again.

Bruce MacLeod has more here. Also be sure to read this interview with the Grand Rapids Press’ Michael Zuidema at Abel to Yzerman.

3/7 Post-practice Update

Published
by
Matt Saler
on March 7, 2008
in Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, Injuries, Nick Lidstrom, Tomas Kopecky and Valtteri Filppula
. 0 Comments

Bruce MacLeod has the latest from the Joe:

… Nick Lidstrom (knee) participated in battle drills today and is headed for a Sunday return. The team will finalize his status on Saturday after practice.

… Chris Chelios (bone chip, right leg) is feeling better and hopes to be ready to play against Nashville. However, MacLeod says it’s unlikely he’ll dress and that he’s it’s a better bet he’ll return Tuesday.

… Darren McCarty is in town, but only to undergo treatment for a rib injury he suffered Sunday. He played through it Wednesday night, but must have aggravated it during that game.  MacLeod says he may play for the Griffins Saturday night. He’ll be back in Detroit on Monday as his conditioning stint will be over.

… Valtteri Filppula apparently has a leg injury that kept him out of practice. Mike Babcock said he’ll be okay for Sunday, though.

…  Tomas Kopecky skated and suffered no ill effects from the big hit he took late in the game Wednesday night.

Q and A with Darren “Graybush” McCarty

Published
by
Megan Hirdes
on March 2, 2008
in 2007-2008, Darren McCarty, Griffins and Stanley Cup
. 1 Comment

Update (3. Mar, 6:19PM): More on the event from the Micheal Zuidema of the GR Press here -Sarah 

Darren McCarty held a Q and A session with Griffins season ticket holders after tonight’s 6-4 win over Lake Erie. We (Sarah and Megan) were fortunate enough to be in attendance. The first question was if he was okay, after a hard hit in the third sent him to the dressing room. For the record, he’s fine. The main thing he talked about was his journey back to hockey. He talked about the tough decisions he had to make when leaving Calgary, and that coming back to Detroit was not about hockey. He said he never expected to get this far, and he’s just taking it one day at a time. He also talked about his experience in Grand Rapids, and what the organization and fans have meant to him.

When asked about what it was like playing with so many young kids, McCarty laughed and revealed his nickname on the team. Graybush. He said he really enjoys having the opportunity to share his wisdom and help guys improve their game. He said the really cool thing was giving advice and watching the young guys put it into action. While talking about this, Darren’s face broke into a huge smile. We got the impression that this gave him a sense of accomplishment and he liked the idea of helping shape future players. It was then that the question of a possible future in coaching came up. He said he’s thought about it a little, but he was worried about the amount of work and time it would consume. However, he did say that when his kids got older he would need something to do. By the end, it really sounded like that was a path he was very interested in.

One fan asked what he expects his role to be in Detroit. McCarty first started with saying how much fun it’s been to play in GR, where he’s on the top line and PP unit. He knows that is far from what he will do in Detroit, but it was a fun change for him. As far as the Red Wings, he expects to once again offer intangibles that will help the goal scorers to do what they do.

There were a lot of questions about his past and what it was like to leave Detroit. One of those questions referred to the reports that he’d had to give up his Stanley Cup Rings during his bankruptcy. He set the record straight, saying that he was able to work something out with the trustees to save the rings for his kids. He also said some friends stepped in and saved some memorabilia for him, though he did not specify.

Darren expressed a tremendous amount of gratitude to the fans for the welcome he has received here in GR. He said that his home opener hat trick was his 3rd favorite game of his career (1st being game 4 Stanley Cup 1997, 2nd being Fight Night in Detroit). He also promised to bring the Cup to Hockeytown West when Detroit wins it this spring. He said it was the least he could do for us.

He said more, but our memories are only so good (in fact, quite bad) and we were a little starstruck. Hopefully the Griffins will post the audio later. If so, we will have a link.

McCarty accepts offer

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 25, 2008
in Darren McCarty, Links and Roster Moves
. 2 Comments

Ryan Doherty reports that Darren McCarty has accepted the Wings’ contract offer.  The official site reports that he’ll stay in Grand Rapids for two weeks on a conditioning stint, after which “he’ll likely rejoin the Red Wings with the hopes of winning a roster spot.”  So, it looks like earlier reports that had Mac in GR for the rest of the regular season were wrong.

On Darren McCarty’s home debut

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 15, 2008
in AHL, Darren McCarty and Griffins
. 4 Comments

Update (11:19 PM): You can read the Grand Rapids Press recap of the game here. - Matt

Darren McCarty’s first game in front of a packed-out Van Andel was a big one. The former Red Wings bruiser scored a  hat trick and added a late assist on his way to being named the arena’s first star. He was a huge hit with the crowd, which took every opportunity to cheer him

His first goal was an easy redirect slam dunk of a the rebound of a Darren Helm pass shot on the Griffins’ second shot.  His second came on the power play in the second period was he stuffed it between the feet of the Lake Erie goalie from the side of the net. He finished the trick with a blast from the right circle that beat the goalie blocker side, just inside the left post. In addition to the goals, Mac dealt out a few big hits and provided just the spark the Griffins needed to overcome two Lake Erie leads.

I was definitely impressed with him. He’s obviously still not in tip-top shape, but he looked good. I was only disappointed he didn’t get a natural hat trick. It’s too much to expect him to contribute three goals every night, but I think his presence in the lineup had the Griffins playing closer to their potential. They certainly looked better than they had in any of the other games I’ve been to and heard about this season. That’s the value he brings to the Griffins and if he can draw crowds like he did tonight, the franchise will do better as a whole.

Because the Monsters are the primary affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, it was interesting to see how chippy the game got as it went on. There were two all-out fights involving Jamie Tardiff and plenty of post-play scrums that got pretty nasty.

I went into the game with the aim of focusing on Jonathan Ericsson as well as McCarty. I was impressed with the big young Swede was well. He’s got great size and has a booming shot to go with a good defensive sense. His goal was a perfectly-placed snapper, just below the crossbar. He looked steady out there and definitely earned the second star. I look forward to seeing him in the Winged Wheel.

Jakub Kindl, on the other hand, was a disappointment. He definitely needs more experience before he’ll be NHL-ready.

I do not regret passing up the Wings’ embarrassing loss to Columbus in favor of Darren McCarty’s home debut and three-goal night. It was a great game and I’m glad I got to see it.