NHL FanHouse

Gary Thorne Watches From Afar

Susan Slusser — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: NHL General, NHL Media Watch, FanHouse Exclusive

Gary Thorne's resonant voice is synonymous with this time of year. He called a dozen Stanley Cup Finals for ESPN and ABC, a job he did with great passion and skill.

For the past four years, however, Thorne has been on the outside. While he broadcasts Baltimore Orioles games or does baseball work for ESPN, he's got the Finals games on a TV at the back of the booth, but he's no longer a hockey announcer, except for the Frozen Four.

Could that change? Thorne's contract is up October 1. The last time he was available, Versus and NBC didn't offer Thorne enough to jump over, but things can change quickly in TV land. Plus, the NHL's contract with Versus is up after 2011 and an expected extension with NBC should be ending then, too.

There's no doubt that Thorne's heart remains with the NHL.

"I miss the hell out of it," he told FanHouse when the Orioles visited Oakland to play the A's this weekend. "There's nothing like it, a month and a half of the last man standing."

Thorne likes the fact that the NHL has found, in Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, some faces for the league, personalizing the game with highly identifiable athletes and creating interesting matchups in the process. "The NBA does that, the NFL does that, baseball has done it," he said. "There are so many players for the fans to really know all of them. But the first thing you have to have is talent, and if all things are a-go, a great story, a great background and some PR ability, then you're on your way."

Thorne called three of the Red Wings' Stanley Cup championships, in 1997, 1998 and 2002, and like many, going into the current Finals, he saw the series as a possible changing of the guard. Of course, Thorne said, he felt the same way about the Western Conference Finals, when the Wings played the up and coming Blackhawks, and look how that turned out.

"They won't die," Thorne said with a laugh about Detroit. "Do they ever get old? They seem to have no end to grind-it-out players. And Ozzie has been outstanding."

Spending as much time in Baltimore as he does, Thorne was particularly taken with the Capitals' run, which concluded with a tremendous battle with Pittsburgh in the conference semifinals.

"I can't believe the interest that generated," Thorne said. "The Capitals took that city over the latter part of the season and the playoffs -- they were the talk of the region. It was just like Detroit, everyone was running around, 'Who's playing? Who's hurt? What's the score?' People were big-time into it."

But at least for now, Gary Thorne is away from the sport that made his name. He generally doesn't attend games, he said, and when he does, he doesn't visit the broadcast booth. He doesn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. And he goes on, fondly remembering his time behind the mic in June as teams hoisted the Cup.

"I try to stay positive," he said. "I was lucky to do as many Finals as I did."

Gary Thorne Watches From Afar originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holland On The Hossa, Franzen Talks

Matt Saler — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:35:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press has the latest from Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland on the contract talks with Johan Franzen and Marian Hossa, and the team's economic situation. George Malik of mLive's Snapshots blog picks up the discussion with a look at the tough questions the Wings face. [Free Press, Snapshots]

Holland On The Hossa, Franzen Talks originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit's Holmstrom Out With Knee Strain

Matt Saler — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom will sit out Tuesday's game against Philadelphia with a knee strain. He apparently suffered the injury during the team's 4-0 win over Columbus Sunday when his skate caught a rut. He is listed as day-to-day.

Holmstrom has already missed 26 games this season due to injury. He underwent his second sports hernia surgery in less than a year in early February, and was only four games into a return from that injury after sitting out 18. For a player who takes such a ridiculous amount of abuse on a nightly basis, he's been remarkably resilient over the years. This just hasn't been his season.

The Wings will dress all eight active defensemen they have in order to fill in the holes left by Holmstrom and Valtteri Filppula, who is out with back spasms. Derek Meech will make yet another appearance as a forward tonight, the simlarly smooth-skating Brett Lebda will likely remain on the blueline despite filling in at center this morning in practice. Chris Chelios will appear in just his 22nd game this season.

Holmstrom will be missed against a Philadelphia team already talking up a physical strategy for tonight's game, but if the Wings play anything like they did this weekend, they'll find a way to cope.

If this turns out to be something that keeps him out longer than a couple games, the bright side for Wings fans will be a rested Homer for the playoffs.

Detroit's Holmstrom Out With Knee Strain originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit's Hossa Set to Return

Matt Saler — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

Marian Hossa is slated to return to the lineup Saturday in St. Louis after four games missed due to neck, back, and knee injuries. It looks like he'll skate with Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary against the Blues and the player that caused his injuries a week and a half ago, Roman Polak. [mLive]

Detroit's Hossa Set to Return originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zetterberg Lays Out Phaneuf

Matt Saler — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:51:00 EST

Filed under: Flames, Red Wings, NHL General

Buried in Detroit's wild, exciting, disappointing, dominant, pathetic, frustrating and strange shootout loss to Calgary Thursday night was an unequivocal bright spot for Red Wings fans: Henrik Zetterberg's thundering center ice shoulder check on the Flames' Dion Phaneuf.

Zetterberg, not known for physical play, was no doubt looking to exact some revenge for Phaneuf's earlier hit on linemate Dan Cleary. Cleary had to leave the game for half a period with an ankle injury as a result of yet another example of the kind of numbskull play Phaneuf has made his trademark. Whether it was revenge or not, tt was good stuff in a game full of things for Wings fans to be depressed about. Video below:

Zetterberg Lays Out Phaneuf originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit's Hossa Looks To Return Thursday

Matt Saler — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:56:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

Update: The latest out of Detroit says Hossa is out Thursday, but possible for Saturday. - 3:58 PM

Detroit Red Wings forward Marian Hossa is about ready to come back from a bout with soreness that came as a result of an awkward collision (YouTube) during the team's 5-0 win over St. Louis on March 3rd. He has skated this week and will return to the lineup Thursday night against Calgary if he checks out in the morning skate.

The big Slovak has missed four full games already with a combination sore knee, sore neck, and sore back. Fortunately, tests following the incident did not reveal any long-lasting damage. Hossa and the Wings dodged a big bullet. They'll now hope he won't get injured in his second return from similar injuries in a week and a half.
The Wings have missed his size and jump in addition to his passion despite the fact that they won three of the four games without him. That loss was Saturday's 8-2 debacle against Columbus, a game that has the team and the fans wanting all hands on deck going forward.

Still, the circumstances of his injury, which involved a frightening head-first collision with the end boards and being taken off on a stretcher, have the Wings not taking any chances on the recovery timetable. If he isn't comfortable in the morning skate, he's out again.

Knowing Hossa, he should be able to fire on all cylinders quickly once he returns. A combination of a Hossa looking to end the season strong and a Wings team looking to correct its game ideally will lead to an exciting finished product.

Detroit's Hossa Looks To Return Thursday originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Takes Hit On Blueline

Matt Saler — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:42:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

The troubled defense of the Detroit Red Wings took a hit Monday with the news that Andreas Lilja would be placed on the long-term injury list in order to allow him time to recover from a concussion suffered during a fight in the team's 8-0 loss to Nashville on February 28th. The big Swedish defensemen has been dealing with daily headaches since about the third punch of the tussle with Shea Weber (YouTube).

Lilja left the game after the fight, and hasn't returned to the ice since. He underwent tests in the days following the game, but had further tests Monday when his symptoms didn't abate. He has missed three games already, and will miss his fourth tonight when the Wings face Phoenix. He is not eligible to return until March 27th, after ten games out of the lineup.

For the time being, his nominal replacement in the lineup will be young Jonathan Ericsson, who is on recall from the Wings' AHL affiliate. The placement of Lilja on the LTIR allows the Wings the cap space to keep Ericsson despite the return of Tomas Holmstrom off the same list tonight. Ericsson is slated to be a major part of the next Wings blueliner corps, so the extra time in Detroit will only help the Wings evaluate him before his waiver-free eligibility runs out and a decision must be made on his future.

The coming recall of Darren McCarty from his two-week conditioning stint may force the Wings to send Ericsson down, however. In that case, Derek Meech or Chris Chelios would fill in for Lilja.

Lilja is a favorite scapegoat of Wings fans for his subpar skating, offensive skills (relative to the other Detroit defensemen and virtually everyone else on the team), and tendency to make high-profile gaffes (YouTube), but this is a blow to a team looking to improve defensively going down the stretch.

On top of the fact that he's been one of the Wings' better and more consistent all-around defensemen this season, Lilja is a key penalty killer. His absence will make that much more difficult for the Wings to get their PK out of the gutter. His physical presence and willingness to drop the gloves for his teammates (again, relative to everyone on the team) provide a dimension the Wings will miss over the next seven games.

A head injury is definitely not something you want to see happen, even to a scapegoat. Personally, I feel for the guy because of the circumstances of his injury. He was the one Red Wing that night who showed passion and that he cared about the outcome of the game, and this is how he gets rewarded. It wasn't pretty, to be sure, but I definitely took notice as I watched the Wings skate to one of the worst blowouts they've ever suffered while demonstrating the about the lowest level of interest I've seen from them.

Concussions are sticky injuries. Here's hoping Lilja can get out of the woods and back to the lineup at the end of the minimum term on the LTIR.

Detroit Takes Hit On Blueline originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit's Defense Reaches Critical Mass

Matt Saler — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

The defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings have hit a couple significant road bumps this month in their bid to repeat. Those bumps came in the form of a pair of Saturday losses in which they surrendered a total of 16 goals to possible first-round opponents. The losses provided a stark reminder of the team's major issue this season: defense.

In March 2008, you could easily make the argument that the Wings had the best defense in hockey. They had an incredible group of defensemen together with an impeccable overall commitment to team defense, from the blueliners to the forwards. It was this quality that led to their eventual championship as much as their offensive skills. This year, however, anyone arguing that the Wings are tops defensively would be a fool and a liar.

At this point in the season, the Wings are 21st in the league with 2.96 GA/G. With 16 games left in the season, they've allowed 195 goals in total, which is 16 more than they allowed all last season. Even a player as consistent as Lidstrom has been "off" enough this year to be a side story in Norris discussions.

What changed? Not personnel. As far as defensemen go, this team is identical to last year's squad. They still boast such names as Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, and Brad Stuart. That's a pretty solid group of players that most fans would like to have.

Up front, not much has changed for the worse. Dallas Drake retired, and cost the team a hard-checking forward, but Tomas Kopecky has been able to fill in ably, more or less. They brought in a defensively-responsible Marian Hossa and retained players committed to two-way play such as Pavel Datsuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen, Dan Cleary, Kris Draper, and the list goes on.

The answer may lie behind the bench, where there was a major change when Todd McClellan left for San Jose in the off-season. Although McLellan was the forwards coach, anyone who's watched what he's done in San Jose can easily make a connection to that team's defensive success and the Wings' lack of it.

The Sharks were already an organization that placed a premium on defense, but it's safe to say they've reached another level under McLellan. It doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility that he played a similar role for Detroit from the forwards coach spot, especially when you consider that the Wings' main trouble stems from a lack of team defense, not necessarily bad play on the part of the defensemen themselves. If not having McLellan instilling defensive thought into the forward corps on a daily basis is leading to the disruption of the flow between the front and the back of the Wings' formation, it's easy to see that the problem is less personnel than it is mindset.

So the team has changed its mindset. That's the problem. What's the solution? Obviously it's not McLellan. He's gone and doing his work for the Sharks now. What, then? They have to change their mindset back and start making the sacrifices that a team defense-first game requires.

That's easier said than done, of course, since it's been said all season. One thing this team hasn't lacked this year is talk. And talk has earned them an 8-0 loss to Nashville and an 8-2 loss to Columbus on consecutive Saturdays. With the playoffs just around the corner, and a race with McLellan's Sharks reaching the final turn, the team has to figure something out, or they're headed to a first-round shocker.

It's a cliche, but I think it applies in this case: it will take a return to basics. As the team has had to adjust to their defensive shortcomings, they've developed a tendency to be overly cute with the puck in an effort to generate enough offense to stay ahead of their opponents. It's worked well enough to take them to 94 points and the second spot in the West, but it's also led to the kind of hideous turnovers that defined Saturday's game with Columbus. If the Wings can slow things down a bit and make calculated plays rather than overly-artistic ones, they'll be in infinitely better shape.

Whether it's the loss of McLellan or just a simple case of Stanley Cup hangover, the Wings are in trouble unless they can get this corrected. Fans of other teams may be wondering how we in Detroit can complain about a second-place team. As an answer, I say this isn't about regular season success. We Wings fans know that the world's greatest record through 82 games played means nothing if you don't bring your absolute best to the playoffs. 94 points or not, the Wings have not been their best.

Two eight-goal games ought to provide the motivation to fix that.

Detroit's Defense Reaches Critical Mass originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Recalls Jimmy Howard, Puts Chris Osgood On Shelf

Matt Saler — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

The big news out of Detroit today is the call-up of goaltending prospect Jimmy Howard from the team's AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The move comes at the expense of a struggling Chris Osgood, who will sit out the next ten days " to get a mental breather and clear his mind and work with (goaltending coach) Jim Bedard," as GM Ken Holland told mLive's Ansar Khan.

Howard will back up Ty Conklin in tonight's home game against Anaheim. He will start tomorrow night in Minnesota and is expected to be sent back to Grand Rapids after the game. The move allows the Wings a chance to get a look at Howard at the NHL level, something they have not gotten since this time last year (Februry 23rd).
Some see the recall as a turning point in the Wings' goaltending situation this season, with Howard taking Osgood's place. However, that perspective doesn't jive with the Wings' public stance to this point in the season. As I wrote on my blog today, "Osgood's troubles provide an excuse to call Jimmy up, not a problem to which Howard is the solution." Far from having given up on Osgood, the team still seems intent on getting him going for the playoffs. Hence the "breather," something you wouldn't see the team handing out to someone they don't expect to use.

Obviously, it's a big-time message to Osgood, but it's also a sign that the Wings aren't done with the guy. They're still giving him a chance to turn his season around.

Despite Conklin's success this regular season, there's a sense in Detroit that he may not be the man to take the Wings on a repeat bid. Osgood showed himself capable of winning the Cup last season, but his troubles this season have provoked emotionl reactions from the fans.

On the one hand, you have the Abel to Yzerman crowd, who have vocally written off Osgood and are looking for other solutions. On the other, you have fans like myself, who feel Osgood is the Wings' only available route to playoff success. We are thus no less frustrated with the player who's looking more and more like the movie Wizard of Oz (i.e. a betrayal of expectations) with every game. We just haven't given up on him yet.

A lot is riding on this "breather" Osgood is getting. In all likelihood, Osgood will have to win his playoff starting job back when he returns or else he'll only see time in the postseason should Conklin fail. We of the Osgood party, so to speak, hope he uses the time wisely by getting both his attitude and play right.

In the meantime, the Wings will be able to gather data on two of the main contestants of the future. If Howard does in fact get sent back after Saturday's game in Minnesota, it stands to reason that the team's other goaltending prospect, Daniel Larsson, will see some time in Detroit.

The unfortunate side of all this is tht the Griffins will be without Howard's services for at least the next two games as they begin a three-games-in-three-nights home stint tonight against Manitoba. With Larsson currently sick, the team had to sign Joel Martin to a professionl tryout. My wife went to the game tonight expecting the worst.

She said before leaving that their meeting with the Moose tonight is like the Wings going into a game with San Jose without Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Nick Lidstrom and with a guy off the street in net (stud forwards Ville Leino and Darren Helm are with Detroit, and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is injured).

Detroit Recalls Jimmy Howard, Puts Chris Osgood On Shelf originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit's Franzen May Return Wednesday

Matt Saler — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

Johan Franzen has declared himself ready to return to the lineup, reports Detroit beat writer Ansar Khan. The big Swedish forward has been out since taking a teammate's shot off his hand in the team's February 7 win over Edmonton.

Franzen's return will bump a forward from the lineup, though head coach Mike Babcock would provide no information on who will sit. He told Khan that he may keep Ville Leino in the lineup, which narrows the choice down to the veteran Kirk Maltby and the young Tomas Kopecky. Given his somewhat lackluster season, Kopecky may be the odd man out here.

Franzen has missed 11 games this season due to injury, continuing a troubling trend that has marked his career. His injury frequency adds another dimension to the question of whether he or Marian Hossa should be the Wings' priority from a contract extension standpoint. Hossa's resiliency combined with his proven production capability make his case compelling, especially in light of Franzen's unproven offensive upside.

For now, though, the Wings are banking on being able to sign both Franzen and Hossa, as reported by Helene St. James in the Detroit Free Press today. More progress has been made on the Franzen side, but GM Ken Holland seems confident he'll be able to find common ground with Hossa. Signing both will come at a cost, however.

To make room in the salary structure, the team will be forced, baring a miracle, to trade a regular such as Mikael Sameulsson or Jiri Hudler. Not many fans in Detroit would mourn the loss of Samuelsson, but a Hudler trade would be much more unpopular. The young Czech player has worked his way from a somewhat lazy prospect to one of the hardest working players on the team and one of the most underrated players in the League.

Unfortunately, that's what may make him so valuble on the trade market. His status as a potential restricted free agent would also make the trade more attractive to teams looking to avoid the loss of a deadline-aquired free agent. It's his status as a potential RFA, though, that may cause the Wings to keep him around for the playoffs with the knowledge that they'd receive some compensation should he take another team's offer sheet and go.

In the debate over Franzen and Hossa, the Wings really face a question of which homegrown player is more valuble: the big Swede or the little Czech. As the process continues to develop, the answer is becoming more and more solidly Franzen, and this fan isn't entirely convinced.

Franzen can start his latest argument for himself tomorrow night. If he really is ready to return.

Detroit's Franzen May Return Wednesday originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Defending the Cup: Nashville More Trouble Than Expected

Matt Saler — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:53:00 EST

Filed under: Predators, Red Wings, NHL General

The Central Division rival Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators met for just the second time this season Tuesday night in Tennessee. The result was 5-3, which is about the score you'd expect, except when you drop Pavel Datsyuk's late empty-netter.

The Wings outshot the Predators 51-21, but came disturbingly close to losing. They led 3-0 after five minutes into the second period, but the game was within a goal of being tied by a minute after the halfway mark. Detroit pulled head again, only to see the Predators come within one goal, again. What should have been a clear-cut win turned out to be in doubt until the final minute.

The Wings' main issue was an obvious loss of concentration. They let up defensively and the Predators nearly made them pay. Credit to Nashville for being opportunistic, but had the Wings played the defense they're supposed to, the opportunities wouldn't have been there. The second Joel Ward goal was just the worst example of defensive breakdowns of the night. He burned Brian Rafalski and beat Ty Conklin to the post on a play that never should hve happened.

A few Wings had solid nights, namely Marian Hossa, Pavel Datsyuk, and Henrik Zetterberg. The latter two had a pair of goals each, while Hossa's one could have easily been joined by a couple more had the bounces gone more his way. Zetterberg and Datsyuk continue to play together, as they have since Zetterberg's return to the lineup, and it's paying off. Hossa has good linemates, but has been so strong lately that he looks like something of a one-man show out there.

Conklin continues to answer the goaltending question in Detroit, though three goals against last night won't look good on his record. He really only looked bad on the second Ward goal, which required a big save he couldn't come up with. Otherwise, he looked sharp, but despite that, I'm guessing Chris Osgood starts Thursday against Minnesota.

The Wings still have a lot of work to do to get themselves into a place where they can be successful in the playoffs. The most important thing at the moment is the penalty kill, which had a bit of a relapse last night after some solid efforts the past few games. One PPG allowed to the 29th-ranked power play in the NHL going into the game (now 28th) is not a good thing.

The team showed this weekend that it can get up to play big-name opponents like Pittsburgh. Thursday they'll need to show that they can do the same for mid-range opponents. Although they pulled out the win, in my book, they failed the test against Nashville by allowing the Preds to get back into the game.

Defending the Cup: Nashville More Trouble Than Expected originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Roundtable: Red Wings, Penguins Meet Again In Pittsburgh

Matt Saler — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Penguins, Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet for the second time this season Sunday afternoon on NBC. The Penguins hold a 1-0 advantage in the regular season Finals rematch series with a come from behind win on November 11th.

The two teams have had trouble since that game, but have found success in their recent games. Detroit won its third in a row Saturday with an 8-3 decision over Edmonton, and Pittsburgh has won its last two. Both teams will look to continue their respective turnarounds today. Hit the jump to read the discussion resident Pens guy Adam Gretz and I had on the game Saturday afternoon.Saler: I see the Pens have won their last two. What's the early verdict on the ministreak? Is it the beginning of a turnaround or just a brief reprieve?

Gretz: Well, hopefully it's the beginning of a turnaround. The past two seasons the Penguins have hit second half surges and, obviously, they haven't hit one yet this season. I'm not sure how much wins against Tampa Bay and Columbus without Steve Mason mean, but it's a good start.

They looked dreadful for two periods on Wednesday against the Lightning. They went into the locker room after the second period trailing, 3-0, when Evgeni Malkin supposedly went crazy in the locker room. There was something about him putting $1,000 on the board if the team won. He played like it in the third period and overtime, essentially putting the team on his back.

We'll see how much this two game winning streak means on Sunday when they face a much more difficult test in Detroit. Speaking of which ... what's the story up there? They had the big five-game losing streak a week ago, and now they've won two straight.

Saler: Well, that five-game skid was the longest of the season and included some of their worst games. The two wins since then honestly haven't been much better. They beat St. Louis despite putting on one of their worst performances of the season, and won over Phoenix with some pretty poor goaltending.

Wins are definite improvements over five consecutive losses, but this team still has a way to go. As I type this, they're up 3-0 against Edmonton and are looking pretty good. I hope it's a sign of things to come.

Malkin's the guy I'm interested in tomorrow. He was pretty ineffectual in the Finals, so we Wings fans haven't really seen what he can do. How can the Wings get him off his game?

Gretz: Yeah, the finals was probably the worst hockey Malkin has played in his entire career in Pittsburgh, but this season he's been the Pens' best player pretty much every single night. As for what the Wings can do to knock him off his game? Honestly, I have no idea. Nobody's really been able to do it on any sort of consistent basis this season.

The big story, of course, is the return of Marian Hossa to Pitt sburgh. Statistically, it looks like he's been a monster this season which really isn't a surprise, simply because that's what he does.

I expect he's going to get the Jagr treatment whenever he's within booing distance of the puck. Whatever, we knew what we were getting when the Penguins traded for him -- hired help for a cup run -- so I can't really begrudge the guy for taking advantage of his rights as a free agent. Though, I still wish he was skating on Crosby's wing this season. Even so, I would hope that general manager Ray Shero would make the same move 100 times out of 100. He was a crucial part of that dismantling of the Eastern Conference through the playoffs.

Saler: Yeah, the Wings will be hard-pressed to keep Malkin silent unless they have a major turnaround from a team defense standpoint. This Edmonton game is giving me hope, however. How is Sidney Crosby handling Malkin's taking over the mantle of best player on the team?

I admit I've had a hard time understanding some Pens' fans reactions to Hossa's departure. As you say, he was brought in to help with last year's effort, with no guarantee that he'd stay. I can see how some of his comments on departing can be considered offensive, but it's too bad he's such a bad guy in Pittsburgh these days. I'd hate to see him booed tomorrow, but I guess that's sports.

He's been great for Detroit this year and fits here perfectly. I think there's a very real chance he'll sign a long-term extension, which no doubt will seal his reputation as the devil in some circles.

How's the goaltending in Pittsburgh this year? That's the big story in Detroit right now as fans look for the easy scapegoat for the team's troubles (not to in any way exonerate Chris Osgood for his basically atrocious play).

Gretz: Regarding Hossa's departure I think it comes down to two things:

1) He turned down a longer, more lucrative offer with the Penguins to sign in Detroit for one year. People weren't even expecting a one-year offer to be on the table or something that he would consider, and I think Shero even hinted towards that in the wake of his departure.

2) He signed in Detroit.

I think if Hossa would have gone to say, Edmonton, people probably wouldn't care as much because, well, it was expected that he was going to leave. But the fact he went to the team that beat the Penguins, and for less years and money than the Penguins were offering, well, that was a shock. Not only did it make a seemingly unbeatable team that much stronger, but he is a perfect fit for the style of hockey that Detroit plays.

As for the goaltending in Pittsburgh: Marc-Andre Fleury has been up and down at times, though, the defensive play around him has been worse than it was a season ago. He's been left out to dry on some nights, including even the past two wins. He missed some time this season with a groin injury, and Dany Sabourin wasn't able to stand on his head the way Ty Conklin did a season ago in his absence. As a result, Sabourin was recently traded to Edmonton for Matheiu Garon and his one start to this point was a disaster. He gave up six goals in Toronto and hasn't played in a game since.

What can the Wings do in net if Osgood continues to struggle? Would they really feel confident going into the playoffs with Conklin or a struggling Osgood in net?

Oh, and regarding Crosby being the No. 2 man, I don't think he really cares, nor is it much of an issue. I think the Penguins have always viewed he and Malkin as 1A and 1B.

Saler: This probably won't make it any better, but he only did the one-year deal with Detroit because he was willing to give them the flexibility to sign Henrik Zetterberg without his own contract getting in the way. That's not a common attitude among free agents, and to me it makes him a good guy, though I can see why it might piss off Pens fans who wish he was as flexible with their team.

If Osgood continues to struggle, the Wings will give Conklin a go, but I know I'm not confident in his ability to carry the team to a repeat. I'd much rather Osgood just get it together, and at this point, there's no reason to believe he won't. He'll need to do it quickly, though.

Having his teammates play better will help. It's not just Osgood who's been subpar this season. The rest of the team, except Jiri Hudler and Hossa, have been playing a notch or more below where they were last season. It's been a pretty light hangover (second in the West), but it's definitely been a hangover and for a team with such a high standard, it's been unacceptable.

What's been the Pens' biggest issue this season? For Detroit, it's defense, which is disturbing given their defensive talent (both on the blueline and in the forward corps).

With the 1A and 1B designation of Makin and Crosby, they're similar to what the Wings have with Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Between those four players, you have four of the top five best forwards in the NHL.

Gretz: The biggest problem for the Pens has been the loss of Sergei Gonchar, and frankly, everything else is a distant second. He's getting closer to a return, which is good, but his loss has rendered the Penguins power play, for the most part, awful. Combine that with the fact Ryan Whitney, their No. 2 defenseman on the power play, also missed a large chunk of the season, and you had them throwing a 21-year-old Kris Letang and a 23-year-old Alex Goligoski to the wolves. Granted, Letang and Goligoski are oozing with potential, but they're not ready to be the top guys just yet. Letang is playing better lately, but he still struggles with consistency. Goligoski was just sent back down to the minors.

Beyond that, they're still struggling to find top-six wingers. Petr Sykora is having another strong season offensively, but after that, their options on the wings leave plenty to be desired. It's not uncommon to see Crosby centering a line of Pascal Dupuis and Tyler Kennedy. Recently, they've tried putting Crosby and Malkin together on a line with Matt Cooke. Miroslav Satan was off to a nice start, but for the past three months he's looked like the player that was sleep walking on Long Island a season ago. He was nearly a healthy scratch on Wednesday but begged Michel Therrien to put him in so he could play in his 1,000th game.

So, long story short: Gonchar and lack of quality depth on the wings has been a problem.

Saler: The Wings have been fortunate not to have major key injury like the Gonchar one this season. Their root of their biggest issue seems to be motivation. They seem to have trouble finding it within themselves to bring their "A" game for a mid-season meeting with the Columbus Blue Jackets. They're caught up in the regular season grind and their defensive game has suffered for it.

Last season, they were one of the most cohesive defensive groups I'd ever seen. Everyone on the team was commited to it and was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make defensive plays that set up their offensive opportunities. This season, there's been a certain amount of apathy in the team defense department and it's lead to a breakdown of their whole game. They've been able to win on pure defensive talent more often than not, but that's definitely not going to cut it in the post-season. Until they start to pay attention to detail in their own end, they'll continue to look like a team headed for an early fall in April. I have too much faith in the team's coaching and personnel to think they won't turn their defensive game on before April, but it's definitely a concern as February goes on.

What do you think of the Pens' playoff chances? They're in 10th place today, so they still have to qualify, of course. I assume they'll at least slide in. Do you see them making another long run?

Gretz: I think the Penguins will hit a hot streak in the second half and end up in the lower half of the playoffs. They're still within shouting distance of the No's 4 and 5 spots, so if they can string a few wins together and maybe add a player at the deadline, I think they should be okay as far as getting in.

As for how far will they advance? Tough call. I suppose Fleury could get hot again in the postseason, and it's tough to bet against Malkin and Crosby, but I don't see them -- at this point -- going very far. Especially if they have to get a first round draw with somebody like, say, Boston.

Saler: Got a prediction for the game? I'm pretty hopeful after today's win over Edmonton, but fatigue could be a factor. Still, I'm going with 4-3 Detroit.

Gretz: I'd love to see the Pens win, but something tells me Detroit, coming off a huge win, and perhaps remembering that blown lead back in November, might be a bit much for the Pens. I see a 5-3 Detroit win.

Saler: That's it, folks. Enjoy the game!

FanHouse Roundtable: Red Wings, Penguins Meet Again In Pittsburgh originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Pulls Off Second Consecutive Win

Matt Saler — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:45:00 EST

Filed under: Coyotes, Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit Red Wings continued their sluggish recovery from five-game losing streak Wednesday with 5-4 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. The game came two nights after an ugly win over St. Louis and was just the Wings' fourth in ten games.

It was a game of role reversals relative to Monday's against the Blues. Whereas Monday it was Chris Osgood who kept his team in it and put them in a position to win in shootout, Wednesday it was Osgood's teammates who carried their goaltender to a tick up in his win column.

Osgood started the night out well, making some big saves and generally looking sharp in the first period. Unfortunately, his mental game slipped as the night went on, leading to a couple preventable goals that came as a result of his not holding the post properly. On the third period tying goal, he looked like a goaltender on the receiving end of a tic-tac-toe play, when in actuality the play setting up Joakim Lindstrom's shot was pretty pedestrian. Osgood just looked slow.

With the playoffs just a couple months away, Osgood's play is becoming a rising concern, leading to outbursts such as this. He has got to get it going.

The rest of the team was markedly improved over Monday's game, though still not up to the team's high standards. They continue to have issues in the defensive end, and fans are still waiting for their team, which in the past has taken enormous pride in its defensive prowess, to fix those issues.

Their sloppy play in their own end leads to a breakdown of their puck possession game, as their breakouts are rarely as smooth as they were last year. The team's overwhelming offensive talent has treated this like a speed bump thus far, but that won't continue in the post-season as opponents get better.

A few players stood out for Detroit Wednesdy: Marian Hossa, Valtteri Filppula, Pavel Datsyuk, and Henrik Zetterberg all had strong outings. The former two looked like they had good chemistry on the second line, while the latter two made reuniting them a strategy that may stick. Zetterberg seemed to be celebrated on his goal by the fans at Joe Louis Arena on a level second only to the cheers following Lidstrom's game winner.

The Wings have a couple days to practice and rest before facing Edmonton on Saturday and Pittsburgh on Sunday. It's a big weekend and if they improve at the same rate over the next two games as they did over the last two, they'll be firing on all cylinders to start next week.

Detroit Pulls Off Second Consecutive Win originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Halts Skid With Ugly Win Over St. Louis

Matt Saler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:50:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the St. Louis Blues, 4-3, in shootout Monday night to bring an 0-4-1 skid to a halt. It was perhaps their ugliest win of the season, as they allowed 33 shots to the last-place Blues while mustering just 21 of their own.

The win should provide a boost to a team struggling under the weight of injuries to key players such as Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Brad Stuart. Their troubles in recent weeks have been reminiscent of last season's awful, injury-plagued month of February, their worst of the season. Last night may have been what the team needed to snap out of it.

They still have much to work on, first and foremost being their work in their own end. This was a team last year whose primary attribute was hard work and, even before the skid, that has been lacking this season. This is particularly noticeable in their own end, where they often fall victim to a hard-working forecheck.

They also tend to make bad decisions with the puck in their zone, which leads to a complete breakdown of their game. Their puck possession game begins behind the net with the first steps of their particular brand of the breakout. All too often this season the defenseman makes the rushed play rather than the calculated one. This leads to choppy breakouts at best, but more often results in turnovers and scoring chances for the other team.

Last night was no exception on both above counts. The Blues are a young and energetic team who came gunning and ready to play in Detroit. The first period was a dud, but St. Louis outworked Detroit for most of the game and forced seven awarded giveways. In the end, however, the game came down to goaltending.

The Blues' rolled the dice with Manny Legace last night, hoping he could continue to have some measure of success against his former team. That they'd lost the bet was made evident by Kirk Maltby's goal and reinforced by Marian Hossa's first. He was pulled after the only one of the two that most goalies would have had trouble stopping, a tricky snapper from Hossa that came on just the Wings' eighth shot. Chris Mason was capable in his relief duties.

Chris Osgood, however, was more than that. Although the record shows he allowed three goals, he looked bad only one of them. That was a freaky play that included the puck getting lost in Nick Lidstrom's equipment. The other two were the result of a defensive breakdown and a redirect. Osgood's 30 saves should go a long way in restoring his confidence. He had a great game.

The Wings face Phoenix on Wednesdy and Edmonton on Saturday. The big upcoming opponent, however, is Pittsburgh on Sunday. Although the Pens have been struggling, that game is a big one. However, they should focus first on building on last night's win with a couple improving efforts this week. That way they can be in a position to put on a strong performance in front of a national crowd Sunday.

Detroit Halts Skid With Ugly Win Over St. Louis originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday Matinee Roundtable: Detroit Goes to Washington

Matt Saler — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit Red Wings and the Washington Capitals face off today at 12:30 ET for the one and only time this season. Although the game could be considered a potential Stanley Cup Finals matchup, it hasn't received a lot of hype this week. Eric McErlain and I discussed the game Friday, covering topics ranging from the matchups to the future of both franchises. To a fan who rarely gets to see Washington in action, Eric had a lot to offer. Hit the jump to check out what he had to say.

Saler: Well, first off, what do you think of the matchup between the Caps' top forwards and the Wings' top forwards? Henrik Zetterberg's out, but Pavel Datsyuk and Marian Hossa are sure to play. Is this a clash of titans or just another game for Alexander Ovechkin and Company?

McErlain: If that is the matchup -- and we can never really know until they drop the puck (click here for the line combos from Friday's practice) -- I like it for Ovechkin. He'll easily be the most physical player on the ice, and as we've seen from his games against Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, Ovie isn't shy about dealing out some punishment to those who have prodigious offensive talent. In that case, I'd suggest Datsyuk and Hossa keep their heads on the proverbial swivel.

Then again, you can get too physical, and there are some indications that the refs are calling Ovie tighter these days (click here to read the latest salvo in Don Cherry's media war against Ovechkin). He actually leads the team in minor penalties with 28. That's a real concern for Washington because the team's weak spot is its penalty killing. If they take a couple early in the game, I can see them getting behind right quick -- which is not the way you want to play against the Red Wings.

What I'd like to know about the Wings is the situation in goal. Every time I take another look, it seems as if Ty Conklin has demonstrated that he deserves the starting job, yet he still seems stuck in a rotation with Chris Osgood. Just last night Osgood was yanked in the game against Dallas. If you take a look at the numbers, it's not even close -- Conklin is the man. Heck, he even got the start in the Winter Classic. Come April, Babcock has to pick a horse. Who's it going to be?

Saler: I don't doubt that Ovechkin will be the most physical guy out there in this matchup, but he should be careful going after Datsyuk. Pavel's shown a remarkable ability to deal out punishment to guys who go after him. In Detroit, it's called the "hip check of death." He's a wily guy and if he doesn't make you miss, you may find yourself with a shoulder in your jaw. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Datsyuk play his fellow Russian. He'll take Ovechkin's reputation as a challenge.

As for the goaltending situation in Detroit, it's still playing itself out. Even though Conklin has the numbers, the sense is that Osgood would be the guy if the playoffs started today. The Wings are taking advantage of the regular season in an effort to get Oz going. So far, it's not been too successful.

Last night had nothing to do with Osgood's play. His teammates left him out to dry on two of the three goals he allowed and may have deflected the other into the net. To be honest, that's the concern I have: that they play so poorly in front of him. He's not been at his best, to be sure, but most of the time he's in net, his teammates seem to take a night off. Conklin seems to get the support. I'm not sure what's going on there psychologically.

I see the Caps have lost two straight. How have they looked in those games? The Wings are on a four-game skid and have been pretty pedestrian in each of them. Are we looking at a clash of two teams currently in a funk or is it just one of them (Detroit)?

McErlain: I don't know if that qualifies as a funk, as one of the losses came on the other end of the All-Star break. Then again, the team is 3-4-1 in its last eight games and 3-1-1 in its last five as the Devils have caught them in the East and slipped back into third place overall in the Conference. If there's any disturbing trend to identify with the Capitals it's that they seem to have developed a tendency to play down to the level of their opponent. I didn't have a moment's concern about the way they played in the OT loss to Boston, though another PPG might have put the game away early in the 3rd period.

The games that absolutely kill you are the tight ones against the Islanders, and the more recent losses to teams like Ottawa, Edmonton and an injury-depleted Blue Jackets team that arrived in town without Rick Nash. Those are points your team must have against squads that need to be beaten. And, as it turns out, those points are the difference right now between being in 3rd place overall and challenging for the top seed and home ice throughout the playoffs.

Speaking of which -- can your guys catch San Jose? That recent 6-5 loss to the Sharks in the Bay Area may have been the best game in the regular season so far. And I have to ask: What do you really think about the return of Claude Lemieux?

Saler: That whole playing down to their opponents thing? The Wings do it too. And lately they haven't been playing "up" to their opponents at the other end of the scale. They have been floating through the season so far and while most fans seem to trust in their ability to turn it on down the stretch, some of us are getting worried. It may be difficult to get fired up for game #47 or whatever when you've gone all the way the year before, but this group has to find a way to step it up a notch before April. The wins still come (this skid aside), but right now they look like a team primed to get beat by some upstart in the first round.

Catching San Jose is a tall order, even if they get it in gear. The Sharks would have to fall off some and the Wings wouldn't have much margin for error. Honestly, though, I'm not too concerned about that. They may actually be better off going into the playoffs at a seed other than first. Of course, if they get fired up about catching San Jose and chase them down by playing top-level hockey down the stretch, that'd be a great thing. I'd love for them to go into the playoffs on a roll rather than coasting.

Does this Caps team look like one capable of making an extended run? The pure hockey fan in me would love to see a guy like Ovechkin play for the Cup, though as Wings fan I'd be a nervous wreck if it was against Detroit.

On Lemieux. My take is that I don't get it. Why San Jose? If this were Colorado or New Jersey or something, I would understand it. Then it'd be like the Wings taking care of an old warrior like McCarty. But what's the connection with San Jose and what do they see in him? It's been years since he was an effective NHLer. I have the obvious anti-Lemieux bias from the Rivalry days, but even when I push that aside, it's a mysterious move to me. It's not as though the guy is thought of as one of the great leaders of the game and can bring that to the table at his age.

McErlain: On Lemieux: He's old friends with San Jose GM Doug Wilson, which is how the whole comeback story started. I'm guessing Wilson figured if Lemieux was willing to go all the way to Shanghai to play with their Chinese affiliate, then he must be pretty serious about making a comeback. I exchange some notes with some folks in the front office in Shanghai, and they had nothing but complimentary things to say about him. In any case, I don't think Wilson would do anything to risk disrupting the San Jose locker room when there's a chance to win the Cup. He must figure Lemieux can provide that sort of veteran presence that always seems to become that much more valued the deeper you get into the season.

As for the Caps going deep into the playoffs, my answer is different now than a few months ago. While Jose Theodore's numbers aren't as good as Brent Johnson's, his play of late going back to the end of December has been more than solid and a real improvement over the start of the season where he seemed to be giving up goals on the game's first shot as a matter of habit. If Theodore keeps it up, I could see them challenging for the Cup.

Saler: In that case, I can understand the move better, but I'm not sure I'd like it if I were a Sharks fan.

Well, yeah, if Hart Theodore shows up, the Caps have a great shot. If Western Conference Semifinals Theodore shows up, no amount of Ovie heroics will get them beyond the second round. Still, I'm viewing this as a potential Finals match-up. If any one skater can carry a team to the Finals, it's Ovechkin.

An interesting aspect of this game for me will be Ville Leino, who's reportedly making his NHL regular season debut after being called up Thursday. We Detroit fans have been itching to see him in the Winged Wheel since he came over from Finland and the delegation of Brad Stuart to the LTIR Thursday finally made it possible. I've seen him play in Grand Rapids a few times and have generally been impressed.

I like the timing of this: he had a great start to the AHL season, but trailed off as the grind of the three-games-in-three nights-plus-bus-travel schedule got to him. Finally getting the call might give him some jump going down the stretch for the Griffins. He looks like the kind of player who could have an immediate impact at the NHL level. The Wings were loathe to send him down, but had no room for him.

McErlain: Ahh, yes, the dreaded salary cap. Here in Washington the Caps are hard up against the cap, so much so, that they can't afford to keep one of their best defensemen up with the big club. I'm talking about Karl Alzner, who has actually played more games with the Caps this season than he has at Hershey. He's got absolutely nothing left to prove at the AHL level, but thanks to Michael Nylander's loadstone of a contract, he's only able to play with the Caps when they've got too many players stuck on IR.

It's funny how things work out. 18 months ago Nylander was one of three key offseason free agent acquisitions for the Caps along with Viktor Kozlov and Tom Poti. They expected him to be Ovechkin's center and to help bring along Nicklas Backstrom. Now he's nothing but the most prominent occupant of Bruce Boudreau's dog house. We can't be terribly surprised, given the up tempo style Boudreau favors. Like it or not, Nylander just doesn't fit here anymore, and his contract makes him nigh impossible to trade.

Don't know if you remember, but the Oilers though Nylander had made a commitment to them before suddenly signing with Washington that Summer. I'm sure Edmonton doesn't mind anymore.

To be completely honest, at the time of the signing, the acquisition of Nylander was seen as a real coup. The Caps so obviously needed a front line center, and Nylander, coming off several seasons of dishing off to Jaromir Jagr in New York, seemed to be the perfect fit. Funny how things work out, eh?

Saler: That was always my big gripe about the cap. It can severely limit teams' ability to balance established talent with the up-and-coming. If Alzner's as good as you say, there's no reason he shouldn't be able to play in the NHL. Of course, my sympathy for the Caps' cap situation is diminished by the Nylander contract. That seemed like a bad one to get into from the start.

The Wings have had some bad contracts in the past, but those mostly came before the lockout. They've been real smart to this point, but their luck may be running out. They're at a bit of a bottleneck this summer and are pretty vulnerable to any possible downward fluctuations of the cap. They're almost certainly going to lose a couple pieces of home-grown talent this summer and that's a real shame.

McErlain: Which leads me to ask -- who's up next year with the Wings who isn't there right now? The organization just seems stacked right now.

Saler: Darren Helm is one guy who could make the leap. Helm has already acquitted himself well at the NHL level and would have fit in well with this year's team had there not been organizational loyalty to Kirk Maltby.

Leino has yet to prove himself at the NHL level, but he's doing well in the minors and could make it in Detroit. Of course, they'll have to sign him to another contract since he's on a one-year deal. Part of that may involve more assurances that he'll be in the NHL next season, since he may not want to stick around if he's going to spend another year in the minors.

Justin Abdelkader has shown some promise and became popular with Wings fans when he suited up for the team last spring. We'll get a look at him in this game, as he was called up today.

Those are guys who could fill in spots likely to be vacated by guys like Jiri Hudler (homegrown, RFA) and Mikael Samuelsson. Or, if it shakes out like it will, Marian Hossa or Johan Franzen.

On defense, Chris Chelios is up for another contract as a UFA. He may be gone, given how little ice he's seen this year. If that's true, Jonathan Ericsson is ready for the NHL. He and Derek Meech (who's showing himself to be a good swingman this year) would have to duke it out.

Aside from Alzner, do the Caps have anyone coming down the pipe?

McErlain: For anyone looking for a refresher on the Caps minor league prospects, you could do worse than the look that Japers' Rink published a couple of days ago. In short, there will be room come Hell or high water for Alzner next season. Chris Bourque will be up with the big club next year as well, though I'm still not convinced his total upside for the organization will come in a Caps uniform. Russian goalie Simeon Varlamov has a good chance of sticking next year too, given that Brent Johnson is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The one prospect who seems ticketed for absolute stardom is physical and puck moving defenseman John Carlson, a product of the USHL and now playing for the London Knights. He's got 37 points in 40 games this season, and seems to impress every time he's in camp with the team. As to why he was left off of the U.S. roster at the WJC this year, we'll never know. What I do know, is that they might not get a chance to ever see him play in that tournament because he could very well make the roster out of camp next season. He's that good.

Saturday Matinee Roundtable: Detroit Goes to Washington originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Gives Henrik Zetterberg 12-Year, $72 Million Extension

Matt Saler — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:46:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General

The big news out of Detroit early Wednesday morning is that the Detroit Red Wings will announce the signing of forward Henrik Zetterberg to a reported 12-year, slightly-over-$72 million contract extension at a 2 PM press conference. The deal will make Zetterberg a Red Wing until he hits 40.

According to mLive's Ansar Khan, the deal is structured in such a way that allows the Wings a roughly $6 million yearly cap hit while Zetterberg will receive $1 million a year in the final two seasons of the contract. It is the largest and longest deal in Detroit franchise history, far surpassing Pavel Datsyuk's seven-year, $46.9 million deal. Zetterberg will make much less on a yearly basis than he might have on tthe open market.

In Detroit, the news of the deal is somewhat tempered by the fact that Zetterberg left Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Columbus in the first period due to back spasms. He did not return, as a precautionary measure. Zetterberg has had back trouble in the past to go along with a continuing tendonitis problem in his wrist, but has demonstrated a toughness that seems to mitigate concerns over his longevity.

A 12-year deal comes as a surprise given recent reports that indicated something more along the lines of 10 years. It's an unprecedented show of faith by the Wings to commit to a one player so much and for so long. Given the open grooming of Zetterberg for the captaincy in Detroit, perhaps it shouldn't be such a surprise that they would work to make the man a lifetimer.

I've been a fan of Zetterberg since he was just a prospect about to come over from Sweden. This is the best I've felt as a Wingnut since they won the Cup last summer.

Detroit Gives Henrik Zetterberg 12-Year, $72 Million Extension originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shorthanded Wings Face Bubble Jackets

Matt Saler — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:39:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets face off for the third time this season Tuesday night in the first game after the All-Star Break for both teams. The series stands at 2-0 Detroit with three more meetings to come.

Detroit will play the game with an empty lineup spot due to a combination of injuries and a punitive measure meted out by the league office. The former is Brad Stuart's sore neck, an injury suffered when harmless contact with Phoenix's Steven Goertzen resulted in a head-first collision with the endboards. Stuart narrowly avoided major injury. He did not skate Monday and is listed as day-to-day. The Wings will also be short Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, in part because of injuries.

The two players were named to the Western Conference All Star team, but withdrew last week due to injury. On Friday, news broke of a likely punishment for that withdrawal: suspension for Lidstrom and Datsyuk should they not show up in Montreal and at least take part in off-ice activities. The suspension stemmed from a gentleman's agreement between the League and the GMs in which players withdrawing from the Game due to injury would sit out the game prior to or following the Game. Over the weekend, the suspension became official.

The unrepentant pair, talking to the media for the first time since the suspension was handed down, said Monday they were not aware of the policy regarding off-ice attendance until Friday. Lidstrom said he still would not have gone to Montreal, telling mLive's Ansar Khan that he felt it was best for Detroit if he worked to get his tendonitis treated. Datsyuk told Khan he might not have been able to play in Columbus in any case due to a hip soreness that caused him to leave the game in Phoenix. He skated yesterday, but opted out of sprint drills.

Because of the Wings' salary cap situation, they are stuck dressing 17 skaters (and two goalies) against the Blue Jackets rather than the usual 18. They would have been down two men had Johan Franzen (hip) not healed to the point of being able to play. Because of their cap situation, no call-ups from the team's AHL affiliate can be made.

Chris Osgood will get the start for Detroit.

The Blue Jackets are 5-4-1 in 2009 and 1-2-1 in their last four. They stand three points back of Anaheim for the 8th seed in the West and are just one of a number of teams on the playoff bubble in the conference. They're sure to have jump tonight.

Chris Mason will get the start tonight, despite skipping out on the All Star Game festivities as well.

The holes in the Wings' roster brings the odds as close to even as the Jackets are likely to see this season. It'll be up to them to take advantage. They certainly have the skilled personnel to take a game from a depleted Detroit team. It will be up to those men in the Wings' shorthanded lineup, however, to make up for the absence of Lidstrom, Datsyuk, and Stuart. A Detroit win tonight won't make the suspension a moot point, but it will avoid some the backlash likely to come with a loss.

Shorthanded Wings Face Bubble Jackets originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lidstrom, Datsyuk Drop Out of All Star Game

Matt Saler — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Red Wings, NHL General, NHL All Star Game

A morning NHL press release dropped something of a bomb on Detroit fans Wednesday. The release, picked up by Paul Kukla, included the official announcement of the injury replacements for Sunday's All Star Game in Montreal.

Stephane Robidas' inclusion was not a surprise to anyone who read Mike Heika's blog Sunday. Patrick Marleau's inclusion was less surprising, perhaps, given the year he's had. The real surprises, however, came with the news that both Detroit defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Pavel Datsyuk would sit the game out due to injury, leaving the Wings without ASG representation aside from Mike Babcock.

That Datsyuk was injured was not news after last night's loss to Phoenix. The assumption among frequentors of the Detroit hockey blogosphere was that he would not play in the Game, chosing to rest. The unspoken assumption, it seems, was that one of his teammates would be invited to go instead. Someone like Henrik Zetterberg or Marian Hossa, the thought went, should go over Marleau.

The reported injury to Lidstrom was a definite surprise. It did not seem likely that he had suffered an injury the night before, since he finished the game and looked good doing it, with two goals to his credit. I wrote on my blog that it must be the kind of small injury that players develop over the course of a long season, which is what it did turn out to be. Brian Rafalski seemed the logical replacement, as he has had a strong year playing as Lidstrom's partner. That Robidas was going over Rafalski was ludicrous.

Of course, the explanation for the apparent slight is that the League offered Hossa, Zetterberg, Rafalski, whoever, a spot but they declined, choosing instead to spend the weekends with their families. Ansar Khan confirmed this by emailing the League, since PR head John Hahn did not know himself.

As strange as it is that the ASG won't have any Red Wings on the ice, this Detroit fan is content in the knowledge that his whole team got nearly a week off after a tough road trip. I'm glad the League can't force anyone to go, even though this move doesn't do the NHL many favors on a marketing level.

Lidstrom, Datsyuk Drop Out of All Star Game originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Injuries Bite Wings in Loss

Matt Saler — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:49:00 EST

Filed under: Coyotes, Red Wings, NHL General

The Detroit's 6-3 loss in Phoenix Tuesday would have been hard enough for Wings fans to take without two key injuries adding to the pain. The team lost defenseman Brad Stuart in the first period and Pavel Datsyuk in the third en route to being embarrassed in the final stop of their pre-All Star Game road trip.

The two injuries added to a missing players list already including big forward Johan Franzen. The loss of Stuart's big frame and Datsyuk's seemingly effortless offensive abilities added to the team's road fatigue turned out to be a losing combination. The injury to Stuart was perhaps the most important of the two.

It came when he and Phoenix's Steven Goertzen were chasing down a puck in the Detroit end. Some minuscule contact between Goertzen and Stuart caused the latter tumble head-first toward the endboards. There was nothing malicious about the play. It was just bad luck that Stuart lost his balance in such a vulnerable position.

Replays showed Stuart literally hit the boards headfirst, which raised the immediate concern about a serious neck injury. That he lay motionless while the trainer ran out added to the concern. Stuart told Booth Newspapers' Ansar Khan after the game,

"I couldn't breathe for a little while Piet (trainer Van Zant) was asking me if I was OK and I was trying to talk and I couldn't. That worried him a little bit, but I was finally able to get something out. It was a sense of relief after I was able to pick myself up.''

A relief not just for Stuart, to be sure. He was able to get off the ice on his own two feet, though not without the help of Kris Draper and Datsyuk. The team later told the media that he was sore, but otherwise okay, and would not return. The Wings and Stuart certainly dodged one of sports' biggest bullets last night.

The loss of Stuart jumbled the lineup. Fortunately for head coach Mike Babcock, he had "swing man" Derek Meech in the lineup playing forward. Meech was able to move to the blueline and play a reasonable game as a defenseman. The move put extra pressure on the shortened forward bench, however, and that may have contributed to Datsyuk's eventual departure from the game.

Datsyuk played last shift at 5:06 of the third period, leaving just after the first TV timeout. The FS Detroit crew had no information until after the game when Mike Babcock told them Datsyuk had a sore hip. By the third period, the Coyotes had the game well in hand, so the absence of Datsyuk did not have much to do with the outcome. It does, however, likely mean Datsyuk will not go to Montreal for the All Star Game. Even if he feels good enough to play, the best thing for him and the Wings would be to take the break.

Last night was one of the Wings' least inspiring efforts of the season. The Coyotes played a heck of a game, but Detroit looked like they just wanted to go home. Now they can. The hope here, obviously, is that they come back refreshed and healthy Tuesday in Columbus.

Injuries Bite Wings in Loss originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Western Conference: A Marvelous Mass of Mediocrity

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Avalanche, Blue Jackets, Canucks, Coyotes, Ducks, Oilers, Stars, Wild, Western, NHL General, NHL Fans

There are certainly at least two really good teams in the NHL's Western Conference. Defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit and fast-starting San Jose appear in the clear to duke it out for the right to play for the Stanley Cup later this year.

Of course, we know that anything can happen in a best-of-seven series. In addition, we still have half a season left to play. What we don't know is which team in this conference is set up to challenge either the Red Wings or Sharks. They've beaten - at least once - pretty much everyone who has stood in their way, including each other.

While the top of the conference appears to virtually locked in place at this point, there are still serious battles to be fought, especially for the last four positions in the West. Currently, eight teams are separated by just six points. St. Louis, the last-place team in the West, is just nine points out of eighth.

With that in mind, let's examine the field. For the sake of argument, we'll leave Nashville (20-23-3, 43 points), Los Angeles (17-20-7, 41 points), and St. Louis (18-23-4, 40 points) out, even though they're far from out of the race.

Records are through Monday, January 19.

The Upstarts

Steve Mason has been quite a find for the Columbus Blue Jackets (22-19-4, 48 points). Even with Rick Nash sidelined, they remained competitive thanks to the NHL's best goaltender. Bad news, fellow playoff contenders: Nash is back. Take Mason's otherworldly numbers and combine them with a bona fide star like Nash, and you have the makings of a surprising playoff push. Summer signees Kristian Huselius and R.J. Umberger have both fit in well.

Surprising? Absolutely. Columbus was an afterthought before the season started. Yeah, they have a solid, Cup-winning coach in Ken Hitchcock. But no one knew how they were going to keep the puck out of the net. As long as Mason is the answer there, the Blue Jackets have a serious shot at this. On the down side, injuries have left this team dreadfully thin, especially up front. The loss of Derick Brassard, a promising youngster, may spurn the Blue Jackets to go shopping before the trade deadline. Of course, that's assuming they're still in the race by then.

Meanwhile, amid stories of financial ruin and dumb puppet gimmicks, the Phoenix Coyotes (23-19-5, 51 points) continue to sit among the top eight in the West. They may not draw flies to Jobing.com Arena, but they do have some real talent. Ed Jovanovski continues to anchor the blue line, but he has gotten some help. Keith Yandle and Zbynek Michalek have both played well, and veteran Ken Klee is sitting at a nifty plus-nine in 36 games for the 'Yotes. Captain Shane Doan and offseason acquisition Olli Jokinen lead the offensive attack, but youngsters like Peter Mueller and Mikkel Boedker are also finding the net.

The problem? Well, besides money and fans, it's goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov was supposed to solve the Coyotes' woes in net, not make them sort of worse. But his maddening inconsistency, combined with a defense that's improved but still a bit thin, could doom the Coyotes before it's all said and done.

It's probably weird calling a team like the Edmonton Oilers (23-19-3, 49 points) an upstart. After all, they played for the Stanley Cup just three years ago, and there are veterans all over the place. However, there is also a good group of younger players who don't have the experience of even making the playoffs yet.

The Oilers don't have great defense. They don't have great goaltending. They don't have stars along their top line. They aren't very good at all on special teams. Instead, they just find ways to win. Forwards Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, and Andrew Cogliano are leading the way. Offseason acquisition Erik Cole is coming on strong, and fellow newcomer Lubomir Visnovsky has been nothing but solid on defense.

In all, Edmonton boasts seven players who have reached double digits in goals, while 14 players have at least 10 points each. It's a balanced group, and as long as goaltender Dwayne Roloson can keep them in games, they're going to be in the mix.

The Enigmas

They won a Stanley Cup in 2007, but things haven't been rosy for the Anaheim Ducks (23-19-5, 51 points) since. They were lucky to avoid a sweep against the Dallas Stars last year. At this point, it's not a total certainty they'll even make the playoffs this year.

What's gone wrong? Well, Anaheim's penalty kill is quite pedestrian so far, and star defensemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer are each sitting at minus-three, which is quite odd for them. Meanwhile, Jean-Sebastien Giguere has a 3.04 goals against, ranking him ahead of only Marty Turco among Western Conference goalies with at least 30 appearances.

There is still plenty of good, as Ryan Getzlaf continues to round into form as a perennial All-Star type of player. Bobby Ryan is averaging a point per game, and Corey Perry is having a very nice season. Pronger and Niedermayer aren't likely to be minus players forever, and the Ducks may use more of effective backup goalie Jonas Hiller if Giguere continues to struggle.

The assumption was that signing Mats Sundin and getting Roberto Luongo back would make a world of difference for the Vancouver Canucks (22-19-6, 50 points). I drank the Kool-Aid, thinking that Vancouver had become a legitimate contender in the West.

Wrong.

Sundin has been fine, and Luongo will be fine, but the Canucks may have too many other warts. It's hard to tell, because every time I see them play really well, they turn around the next game and lay a massive egg. The top line and the power play still click thanks to the Sedin twins, but Daniel and Henrik can't do it all themselves. Vancouver still needs more out of the likes of Pavol Demitra, Ryan Kesler, Kyle Wellwood, and Mason Raymond. The Canucks have an impressive challenge in the amazingly tight Northwest Division, and if they can earn a playoff spot out of that bloodbath, a first-round series against either a Northwest foe, Detroit, or San Jose awaits. It's a tough road for an inconsistent team.

Of course, a healthy and effective Luongo changes all of that. We'll see.

Improvement has been there in recent weeks. Let there be no doubt of that. However, the Dallas Stars (19-18-7, 45 points) still have a long way to go. They've crept within four points of a playoff spot thanks to improved play in the back. Turco wasn't going to get worse, and his numbers have indeed started to moderate. Brad Richards and Mike Ribeiro are playing better, Loui Eriksson and James Neal have been scoring goals at an impressive clip, and the defense is getting better despite the fact that Sergei Zubov hasn't played since November 30. Give credit to guys like Stephane Robidas, Trevor Daley, Matt Niskanen, and Darryl Sydor, who continue to battle against long odds.

The Stars are terrible on the power play, worse on the penalty kill, and are still facing an uphill battle to reach the playoffs.

Turco, however, has made a career out of his up-and-down play. Unless something really odd happens and Turco stops the trend, the Stars probably don't have enough offense to make the playoffs.

The Gritty, Gutty

For different reasons, these teams still have a shot, despite a pile of injuries and plenty of questions.

Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny headline the missing bodies, but the Colorado Avalanche (23-22-1, 47 points) forge ahead. Even with two star forwards out, they're still scoring goals. Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk, who each hit 300 for their career in Sunday's game against Calgary, are atop the team leaderboard. The Avalanche work hard defensively, and they have gotten serviceable, but not great, goaltending out of Peter Budaj and Andrew Raycroft.

Besides the goaltending, the major wart on Colorado is their special teams. Both the power play and penalty kill are ranked in the bottom third of the league. If it doesn't improve soon, it's hard to imagine Colorado staying in the race until the end of the season.

(Even if they bring Peter Forsberg back.)

Missing a player of Marian Gaborik's caliber is enough to sink most teams. It almost sank the Minnesota Wild (23-19-3, 49 points). However, Jacques Lemaire continues to find ways to coax wins out of a team that many people justifiably left for dead a long time ago. All-Star goaltender Niklas Backstrom has been the key. Whether the Wild score one goal or six, they have a chance to win with Backstrom in net. His .928 save percentage is not a fluke. He does get help from a rather nondescript but stout defense. Brent Burns played forward for a time, but has settled back to the blue line, and he gets help from Marek Zidlicky, Marc-Andre Bergeron, and steady ironman Nick Schultz.

Up front, Mikko Koivu is averaging nearly a point per game, and veterans Andrew Brunette and Owen Nolan have both played well. But only Koivu, Brunette, Nolan, and Antti Miettinen have hit double digits in goals. The Wild are living with their defense, goaltending, and special teams. It's a dangerous formula, because if one of those three units has a bad night, they're probably screwed.

But it's a formula Lemaire is capable of winning with. A lesser coach, and this team is probably in a hopeless state. Instead, they have as good a chance as anyone of making the playoffs.

The Western Conference: A Marvelous Mass of Mediocrity originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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