by true Citizens of Hockeytown
Today’s must see video (keep an eye out for IwoCPO near the start of the bloggers segment):
It’s always good to see bloggers get such good press. Hopefully having Ron MacLean and Elliotte Friedman talk about blogging will make some people sit up and take notice.
I’m sorry for not posting on the game, but I went to Holland to watch it and spent the night there due to the weather. I didn’t get back until this evening and have to do some school-related things.
Because I couldn’t watch the game last night, I’m deferring to IwoCPO of Abel to Yzerman and Baroque of HockeyTownTodd. Iwo’s got a great post on the situation following the Wings’ sixth (regulation plus overtime/shootout) loss to a Central Division team. Baroque’s piece complements Iwo’s with some nice statistical analysis. It’s still too early in the season to be too concerned, but the Wings’ trouble with Central Division opponents has to end eventually or it’s going to be a bumpy season. Let’s be thankful the team is done with that nine-game intradivisional stretch.
If you haven’t seen it yet, go there now. Looks great, Paul!
Congratulations to Christy Hammond of Behind the Jersey, who will do internship work for the Wings throughout this coming season. Talk about a dream job!
George Malik has a great round-up post with the latest on Igor Grigorenko here. Be sure to check it out, as it’s sort of a mix of good and bad news. Also, you might want to read this interview with Igor if you haven’t already.
Dave at Gorilla Crouch has a good post up on Hudler’s situation here.
If you’ve been around the hockey blogosphere over the past couple weeks, you’ve probably heard of the project Ken and JP, the bloggers of Japer’s Rink, have going.
If you haven’t, the idea is simple enough: they want pictures from your seat wherever you watch your team in the playoffs, whether it be at the game, in your home, or anywhere else. They’ve got a growing album over at Flickr, if you want to check it out. If you’re interested in sending in a picture, shoot them an email at Japers.Rink.Photos@gmail.com with your name and the game info.
As fans of a team that did not make this playoffs, this is their way of participating in the post-season and I think it’s a great idea.
We here at OtW create a shrine around the TV in the hall lounge for the games we watch here, so if my camera batteries aren’t on the verge of dying, I should have a picture of that for the project after tonight.
Update (6:55 PM): Ansar Khan responded to my email about the report on the Calder/Samuelsson injuries, saying, “The Wings are denying it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true.” He goes on to remind us that the team is not exactly going to be free with information on these types of injuries (no kidding, but how did some guy from Columbus find out about it when no one in Detroit mentioned it?). Both are expected to play tomorrow, apparently.
Khan also suggests we be more concerned with the fact that Zetterberg sat out practice today. Duly noted, Ansar. Still, I wonder if Hank isn’t just sitting out practices the same way Steve Yzerman did in 2002 during their Cup run. The Captain always played, though obviously in great pain, which is the key thing. As long as Hank is playing, I’m not so concerned that he’s not practicing. That said, while Babcock asserts that he’s ready to go in Game 1, it sounds like there’s a possibility he’ll sit. We’ll just have to wait and see. - Matt
Update (6:40 PM): James Mirtle relates a radio report out of Toronto that both Kyle Calder and Mikael Samuelsson are dealing with a broken bone in their hand. James doesn’t say whether or not the report included speculation on the status of the two for Game 1. Given that none of the Detroit media outlets have picked this up, I’m viewing it with skepticism, at least until I read it in one of the papers.
If they are dealing with that type of injury, it can’t be very serious because we know from Bruce MacLeod that Samuelsson and Calder practiced today. I’m therefore inclined to believe there’s little or nothing to that report, especially given the fact that the AHL wire is silent about a call-up, which would be a certainty if either Calder or Sammy (or both) were unable to play tomorrow. - Matt
Update (3:40 PM): Ansar Khan has checked in with his report from practice. After reporting things we already knew about Homer and Lebda, he says that Babcock told him he has not decided who will fill in that winger spot on the top line. Apparently, Khan didn’t notice that Kyle Calder skated with Pavel today because he sticks to his suggestion that Mikael Samuelsson is the most “likely candidate.”
Maybe he knows something Bruce MacLeod doesn’t, because MacLeod’s evidence below seems to suggest that Calder would be the most likely guy. - Matt
Update (2:50 PM): You may have noticed below that Bruce MacLeod wrote Henrik Zetterberg did not skate today, though he didn’t say much about it beyond that. Well, Helene St. James has more. Basically, Mike Babcock told her that Hank didn’t skate because he’s old enough to need breaks now, but she points out that he’s only 26 and suggests that he must be hurt, since he hasn’t skated since Sunday. She goes so far as to say it could be his back again. Could be, yes, but I don’t think we need to be too concerned yet. If he doesn’t skate tomorrow, that’s different. - Matt
Update (2:30 PM): Bruce MacLeod reports now that both Lebda and Holmstrom are out for Game 1. He also provides a list of the lines from practice today:
EVEN STRENGTH
Calder-Datsyuk-Kopecky
Franzen-Lang-Bertuzzi
Cleary-Draper-Maltby
Hudler-Filppula-Samuelsson
Lidstrom-Markov
Schneider-Lilja
Quincey-Chelios
Keep in mind that Zetterberg isn’t on the ice, but is slated to play Thursday, which would obviously bump Kopecky off the top line.POWER PLAY
Calder-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi
Cleary-Lang-Hudler
Lidstrom-Schneider
Samuelsson-
Nothing all that surprising there, except for the placement of Calder on the top line. Hmm. I really thought we’d see Fil get some big minutes in this situation. Still, I think his role will increase as the Wings’ fourth line will become more important in this series than in the last. As for Calder, playing with Datsyuk and Zetterberg will certainly be good for getting him going offensively again. - Matt
Ted Kulfan reports that Tomas Holmstrom has been “ruled out” for Game 1 because he still has blood in his eye after taking an errant Craig Conroy stick to the face Sunday.
Obviously, that means Jiri Hudler will be back in the lineup, and the situation raises questions about the Wings’ top line. I still believe a Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Filppula line is possible, because Hudler is capable of centering the fourth line at the minutes he’s likely to get.
Kulfan says that it’s looking like Brett Lebda will not be ready to play, either.
Also, Dave has an update on our Wings Blogger Playoff Pick’em Contest
Ansar Khan has the latest:
Khan also makes some suggestions as to what the lines may look like with Holmstrom’s absence. I think Babcock will be loathe to break up either the second or third line, so a Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Filppula top line seems likely. Still, Khan rightly points out it would mean a high concentration of centers on there, but I think he’s wrong to assert it would be at the expense of the fourth line (Calder-Hudler-Samuelsson). Jiri is a capable center and I think he would do fine centering for a game or two.
Lastly, a Sharks blogger has posted a series preview, but the author lost just about all credibility with me when they referred to Valtteri Filppula as “Valeria Flipaburger.” And, the “Wings-are-ancient” meme has grown really, really stale. I could go on, but I’ll restrain myself. Do go read it, though, and learn about the Sharks, a team, I must confess, I don’t know much about. Believe me, I’ll be studying up on them, though! Expect my own preview on Thursday.
You may have noticed that the sidebar has been updated to include links for the second round as well as the schedule. If I missed anything, let me know.
Also, IwoCPO introduces us to a member of the Sharks blogosphere with a bit of a smackdown. Just remember, though, that long-time blogger PJ Swenson, proprieter of Sharks Page, off-sets the kind of blunted analysis Iwo lays bare there.
