John Niyo has the latest on the NHL’s decision to quash a distinctive piece of Detroit hockey heritage, the octopus twirl. IwoCPO responds.
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Update (4:46 PM): Forsberg is maintaining that he’s “day-to-day” and that a decision on his status for Game 2 has not been made. - Matt
George Malik summarizes a Joel Quenneville press conference in which the Colorado coach says first line winger Wojtek Wolski is unlikely to return during this series due to an “upper body injury.”
Peter Forsberg is “questionable” for Game 2 with the groin injury that kept him out of Game 1.
Both injuries are obviously bad news for the Avs, but gret news for the Wings.
According to Macomb Daily reporter Chuck Pleiness (via Bruce MacLeod), Pavel Datsyuk opted out of practice today. The official story is that he’s ill.
MacLeod says “it’s pretty clear that Datsyuk is banged up,” and goes on to point out that it hasn’t stopped him from being effective. As long as that’s true, I don’t mind him missing practices.
Update (4:49 PM): Bruce MacLeod relates that he had the three finalists finishing 1) Datsyuk 2) Madden and 3) Zetterberg on his ballot. - Matt
Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk have been named two of the three Selke Trophy finalists. John Madden of New Jersey is the other. Congratulations to them both. I just hope the votes don’t get split between them.
The Free Press has a piece in which an unnamed blogger tests the NHL’s premise that “matter” flies off a twirled octopus and endangers the Wings’ opposition. The result? If boiled properly, there’s no danger. Bring back the twirl! (via Snapshots)
Update (3:54 PM): Tapeleg of Jerseys and Hockey Love has a post up on the use of the term “bandwagon” in sports.
Clearly, we need adopt a definition of “bandwagoning” that differentiates actual hockey fans who support a new team post-elimination from those non-fan leeches who ride the coattails of a team’s success and bail at the first sign of adversity. It’s one thing to follow a team that’s not your own in as a show of support for the League. It’s another to act like you’ve been there for years. - Matt
Update (1:52 PM): James Mirtle points to an interesting quote on the octopus question in a New York Times article from last season. The League’s sudden turnaround on the issue becomes even more mystifying. - Matt
… With the Ducks getting eliminated last night, the LA media is pointing to the defense as the reason. A former Red Wing is getting particular heat:
… Schneider is incurably soft and untrustworthy defensively.
Soft maybe relative to the Ducks’ hardboiled goon squad, but then again, so are most actual hockey players. Schneider had a definite edge to him, as anyone who ever saw him react to being hit could tell you.
As for defensive untrustworthiness, he worked out pretty well in Detroit.
As Steve Ovadia points out, the problem in Anaheim can’t be pinned on one player. IwoCPO has some thoughts on this as well.
… Speaking of the Ducks, the League has belatedly decided to fine Scott Niedermayer for not showing up for training camp, as stipulated by the CBA. Why this is happening now and not in December is a mystery. James Mirtle suggests that someone in the front office of another team pushed for the fine.
… Mike Chen thinks that the officiating has been awful across the board so far in the playoffs. Dead on.
… Apparently, Wolf Blitzer doesn’t know who Sidney Crosby is. I can’t decide whether that’s sad for Blitzer as a professional journalist expected to be aware of the world around him or sad for the NHL as a professional sports league that has been pushing Crosby with all its might with that kind of reward. Probably both.
… It looks like a Wings/Blackhawks outdoor game is likely to happen (scroll way down) next season. Does anyone really think the League will foot the $200,000 bill necessary to get the Rangers and Bruins into Yankee Stadium? I didn’t think so.
… Larry Brooks says (so take it with a grain of salt) that the League is looking at eliminating the “Wayne Gretzky jersey tuck” in a bid for NFL-like uniformity. I guess it wouldn’t be surprising given the fact that the League spent tons of money on adopting sweaters that lack excess material. However, there are good ways to imitate the NFL and there are are bad ways. This is the latter.
Congratulations to the guys over at Red Wings Brasil on completing their first year at that address.
Update (3:57 PM): “Is the President’s Daughter Dating a Ranger?” asks Eric McErlain. - Matt
Update (3:49 PM): Tom Benjamin has more thoughts on the firing of Dave Nonis. Meanwhile, Nonis defends his actions as Vancouver’s GM. - Matt
Update (12:13 PM): According to the Washington Post’s Tarik El-Bashir, former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov will play between Alexander Ovechkin and Viktor Kozlov tomorrow night in Philadelphia.
Rookie Niklas Backstrom has been moved down to the second line. - Matt
Update (8:31 AM): George Malik has the latest on the Brunnstrom saga. - Matt
… The Sidney Crosby Beard Watch: Day 8.
… The Sharks avoided going down 3-1 in their series with Calgary last night with a 3-2 comeback win.
… And San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov continued his excellent post-season by … allowing two goals on ten shots. Maybe playing him in 77 games was a mistake, Ron Wilson.
… The Avalanche took apart the Wild 5-1 last night. It was the first time in the series that the game did not go to overtime. It’s now tied up 2-2.
… Anaheim staved off a Dallas sweep last night with a 4-2 win on the road. Ah well.
… The Caps are having trouble carrying through on their impressive regular season finish. They dropped another game to Philadelphia last night, falling behind 2-1 in their series. They must now win on the road and display some defensive ability in the process.
… Montreal did what we hope the Wings will do tonight: go up 3-1 in their series.
Bruce MacLeod reports that the Wings had no practice today. Instead, they had some team meetings. The definitely beats some kind of penal bag skate.
Babcock did not rule out the possibility of a lineup change or two, but said it depends on the health of the team.
Update (8:12 PM): At the Globe on Hockey blog, James Mirtle has more on Fabian Brunnstrom. I’m starting to wonder if this kid isn’t overrated. - Matt
Update (3:21 PM): The guys at Orland Kurtenblog have been looking for the greatest hit in NHL history and after five months of polling, a consensus has been reached: Scott Stevens’ hit on former Red Wing Slava Kozlov in the 1995 Finals. - Matt
Update (2:58 PM): If you’re into hockey stats, check this site out. (via Mirtle) - Matt
Update (2:41 PM): I missed posting reactions to the Nonis firing from two of the biggest Canucks bloggers because I got distracted and then forgot. Sorry.
Alanah of Canucks and Beyond, and Orland Kurtenblog. - Matt
… The Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes may not be over after all: the Canucks fired GM Dave Nonis last night in a surprise move.
Brunnstrom had apparently narrowed his choices down to Vancouver, but this latest development has him reconsidering, as Ken Holland told Helene St. James.
My guess is he’ll still opt not to come to Detroit for the same reason he was rumored to be headed to Vancouver: guaranteed playing time. The Wings still can’t give him that, but whoever takes over in Vancouver may be more amenable to the idea.
… Reactions to the Nonis firing: James Mirtle, Tom Benjamin, Eric McErlain,
… Elliotte Friedman discusses the speculation that Brian Burke could return to Vancover to fill the vacancy left by Nonis.
… I thought the Senators hit a low point with that mural near the visitor’s lockerroom. I was wrong (video here).
… Speaking of the Senators, Pittsburgh is on the brink of eliminating them from the playoffs after last night’s 4-1 win.
… Marty Turco’s not a fan of asking the crowd to wear black tonight in Dallas.
… The Avalanche/Wild series went to overtime for the third straight game. Minnesota came out on top for the second time to take a 2-1 series lead.
