Wings Resign Abdelkader, Rumoured to Sign Colaiacovo UPDATE: Colaiacovo signing confirmed.

UPDATE: Its not just rumours now Colaiacovo has been signed by the Red Wings (SOURCE)

Hopefully Adbelkader will see more of this

The Detroit Red Wings have resigned scrappy forward Justin Abdelkader. To a 4 year deal rumoured to be at $1.7mil a season.

The Michigan Native had a career best year last year playing in 81 games and tallying 22 points. It has also been reported that the Red Wings plan on using Abdelkader more as a Centre this year. The move to Centre is probably for the best considering how many Wingers the Red Wings currently have signed.

Combine this with Detroit's early offseason acquisition of Jordin Tootoo it could seem like Detroit is looking to bring back the "Grind Line" . The line of Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty and Kris Draper gained large success as Detroit's shut down line and helped the Wings win multiple Stanley Cups.

If healthy Carlo could be a big help

There have also been some recent rumours surfacing about the acquisition of former St. Louis Blues Defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo. A twitteraccount reported that he had been signed but after further investigating this it looks like Detroit is only in talks with signing Colaicovo.

The 29 year old blue-liner was the #17 overall pick in the 2001 Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played with the Leafs organization and AHL affiliate for 5 years before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.

Colaiacovo has never played a full season in the NHL as he has been bothered with injuries for most of his career. Despite this he has managed to put up 30+ points in 2 of the last 4 years. 

Detroit still lacks a second first line defenseman to play alongside Niklas Kronwall but the addition of Colaiacovo could strengthen the Wing's D corps.

***

I welcome the resigning of Abdelkader and despite his injury troubles of Colaiacovo I would welcome him to Motown if he eventually signs here. However, all of this could be a moot point if the NHL decides to lockout the players (which in all likelihood will happen).

Recap of Detroit's Off-Season

This Off-Season has seen the Detroit Red Wings pop-up a lot, be it in rumours of chasing down lucrative free agents, trade rumours, or Nicklas Lidstrom's retirement. So let's take a look back at what the Red Wings have been up to this summer.

Nicklas Lidstrom's Retirement

On May 31st, 2012 Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement from the NHL after 20 productive seasons. Many consider him to be one of the Greatest Defensemen of All Time. In his retirement press conference Lidstrom said, "Retiring today allows me to walk away from the game with pride, rather than have the game walk away from me." Losing a legend like Lidstrom was a huge blow to the Wings as he is simply irreplaceable (something I covered earlier in this article). It was very sad to see Lidstrom retire, but he has given Detroit fans (4 cups!) a lot of good memories and it’s always good to see someone retire on their terms.

NHL Entry Draft

On June 22 and 23rd the NHL had their 50th annual Entry Draft. With their first pick in the 2nd round (they gave up their 1st round pick last season for Defensemen Kyle Quincey) Detroit selected Martin Frk. He's had some injury problems that caused his draft stock to drop, but if he can healthily recover Detroit could have gotten a steal of a deal at the draft.

Departing Players and New Faces

With the NHL Free Agency opening on July 1st 2012 Detroit said "Hello" to some new players, "Welcome Back" to others, and good-bye to some others. Defensemen Brad Stuart left the Wings to move closer to his family and play for the San Jose Sharks. Losing Stuart is a huge blow to Detroit's blue-line considering how Lidstrom retired and Brian Rafalski left last year.

Jiri Hudler also left the Wings to head to Calgary. To address Hudler's departure Detroit brought back Mikael Samuelsson signing him from Florida. Samuelsson has as good of a shot as Hudler and despite being older has a lot more experience and strength on the puck.

Detroit also signed former enemy Jordin Tootoo. Signing the ex-Nashville enforcer was a step outside Detroit's comfort zone, but if Tootoo can stay out of off-ice trouble his grittiness and occasional point-production could be much welcomed to the club. 

Gustavsson in his new jersey

Detroit was able to sign ex-Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson. Gustavsson was a bright prospect goaltender, but that bright light was dimmed by the horrible Toronto squad he played behind. Gustavsson seemed thrilled to be signed by the Wings saying, "It’s a great team … and I’m real excited to go there." Though it looks as if he'll be the backup to Jimmy Howard, Gustavsson's eagerness to play on a good team could see him battle for the number one roll. Hopefully he and Jimmy Howard can push each other and by stepping up their game alleviate some of the stress that will be pushed on to Detroit's remaining blue-liners.

It was also announced that Grand Rapids Griffin's Star Defensemen Brendan Smith will be playing be moving up to the NHL with the Red Wings. Last year he tallied 7 points in 14 games. Detroit also signed Swiss Superstar Damien Brunner. The Left Winger is known for his high speed and flashy offence. It will be interesting to see how he transitions to the North American game.

Rumoured Free Agent Signings

Detroit missed out on the Marquee Free Agent Signings in Ryan Suter (who went to Minnesota) and Alexander Semin (who went to Carolina). While they were pursuing Suter they also missed out on some other defensemen in Jay Garrison (who headed to Vancouver) and Sami Salo and Matt Carle (who both headed to Tampa Bay, Damn you Stevie Yzerman! Wow I never thought I'd say that). The only signing I'm actually upset about is the Alexander Semin one. Detroit had lots of cap space this year and Carolina ended up giving him a $7.5 million 1 year deal. It is a lot to pay for someone of his work ethic, though I feel being paired with Pavel Datsyuk could have done wonders for Detroit's offence. I don't feel bad about Suter going to Minnesota because they over paid huge for him. Same with Salo and Carle, Tampa Bay offered them quite lucrative deals. Vancouver kind of sniped Garrison from under Detroit's noses, but at that time it was heavily rumoured that Ryan Suter would be signing with Detroit.

In un-signed Free Agent news, Detroit has had ties with Shane Doan (though just about every team in the league has had some rumour involving Doan). In my mind Doan is a better version of Todd Bertuzzi and throwing him on the top line with Datsyuk with Franzen on the wing would make for a terrifying line.

More recently Detroit has been rumoured to offer Unrestricted Free Agent defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo a 2 year contract. Carlo is a serviceable second or third line defenseman, and this signing would be a good move to try and solidify Detroit’s blue-line after the some big departures.

Trade Rumours

Despite how well he plays, Filppula's name always comes up in trade rumours

The Wings’ name has also popped up in trade rumours around the league. Detroit reportedly offered “a hell of a deal” for Columbus’ Rick Nash, however Columbus GM refused to trade Nash to a divisional rival and opted to trade with the New York Rangers. The deal was rumoured to include Filppula or Franzen, and Darren Helm, and a prospect. Many fans were glad Detroit didn’t execute this trade to get Nash. The two other players that Detroit has been linked to were Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan and Phoenix’s Keith Yandle. Both of these players would likely take a steep price like Franzen or Filppula and a top prospect. Bobby Ryan is a big right handed shot who can score 30+ goals a season and Keith Yandle is one of the finest young defensemen in the league. Detroit’s lack of right handed shooters and need for another first pairing defensemen make both of these trades interesting options.

***

 This next season certainly looks like a new chapter in the history of the Detroit Red Wings which makes the anticipation for the CBA talks to finish and season to start even greater. Go Wings!

I'm Baaack!

That's right after a long absence... I'm baaaaack.

First off, here's why I left for so long. I was quite busy with work and life in general so this blog got pushed to the back burner and eventually forgotten about. To make matters worse the way Detroit ended their season did not give fans anything to be excited about. If you remember watching the end of last season, it was down right depressing. After Detroit's record long home win streak they went from having a shot at the President's trophy to 5th place in the Western Conference.

And then there were the Playoffs. Detroit vs. Nashville. This goal, the first goal of the Series pretty much sums up the entire series for me...



Paul Gaustad centre's the puck and it banks off of Brad Stuart's foot and in. That series was frustrating to watch. Detroit out shot and out played Nashville in all 5 games, but only mustered one win and was the first team eliminated from the playoffs. I will give credit to Pekka Rinne who was absolutely outstanding in this series, and then inexplicably played horrible against Phoenix losing that series.

Well the 2011-2012 season is now over and we sit anxiously awaiting to here how the Millionaire vs. Billionaire drama unfolds and the NHLPA and NHL Owner's duke it out in the board room drawing up the next CBA. Hopefully the return of Gordie Howe's Elbow will keep you occupied amidst all of the season uncertainty.

Cheers!

***

In other news I've switched my Twitter Handle from @GordieHoweElbow to @HowesElbow. Sadly I was one character away from getting @GordieHowesElbow... Damn max character limits!

Weekly Preview: April 1-7th, 2012

Weekly Preview: April 1-7th, 2012

I'm a bit late to the punch here and the Florida game has already happened so this is a Preview/Review post. Other than that this is a big week for the Wings as they have just moved 1 point ahead of Nashville again reclaiming 4th spot in the West and move to 99 points, putting them in place to get their 12th straight 100+ point season.

Game 1:  Florida Panthers @ Home (Win: 2-1 SO)

A tight game from the goal scorers point of view. Detroit had 32 shots to Florida's 28 and both Jimmy Howard and Scott Clemmensen were able to stop all but one shot. Florida's goal came from a Kris Versteeg to Tomas Fleischmann one-timer in the 1st period and Detroit's goal came via some hard work from Valtteri Filppula who brought the puck in fought of checks and shot on net, a big rebound went out to Jiri Hudler who Slapped it in to tie the game and sent it to OT and later a Shoot out.

Pavel Datsyuk  scored as the first shooter but was matched by Wojtek Wolski's goal. Jiri Hudler would be the difference maker as he skated through up the ice slowly and sniped the puck top shelf. This was a big win for the Wings as they reclaimed their home ice advantage in the 1st round. Hopefully they can use this momentum to cary them through the rest of the week.

Game 2: @St. Louis Blues

Detroit takes on the Division Leading St. Louis Blues in Wednesday's contest. The goaltending duo of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have been lights out, which could spell trouble for this Detroit team whose offence has struggled as of late. If they can score like they did in their 7-2 routing of Columbus and get their Power Play chugging like it was earlier this year they should be fine.

Game 3: New Jersey @ Home

The Devils have locked up a playoff spot of their own it looks like they won't be moving from the 6th place in the Eastern Conference. Currently on a 3 game win streak they could be rolling with some momentum and tuning their game for the playoffs. It would be really nice for the Wings to beat up on the Devils to show Zach Parise how things could be if he signs with Detroit this off-season.

Game 4: Chicago @ Home

Detroit will have their hands full against their long time Division Rivals in this contest to close out the year. Its been full of ups and downs and though things are cool as of late the Wings look to be turning it on for playoff mode. There has been lots of talk of how Detoirt/Nashville will be the first round matchup but Detroit needs to put away Chicago in this matchup if they want to avoid Chicago creeping up in the standings.

***

The final week of the season is of course a huge week. Four games against Four Playoff teams. Detroit has been great at home this year and winning all of their games this week will ensure their home ice advantage in the first round - a luxury they seem to need.

Weekly Review: March 25-31st, 2012

Weekly Review: March 25-31st, 2012

Despite a strong start of the week routing Columbus for a 7-2 win, the Red Wings lost both of their other games and handed over the 4th spot in the Western Conference to the Nashville Predators.

Game 1: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Home (Win: 7-2)

Detroit looked like they returned to their old self against the bottom dwelling Blue Jackets as they scored 7 consecutive goals. Tomas Holmstrom scored two Power Play Goals from in front of the net, if he can continue this play it could add a much needed resurgence to the Wings rather pedestrian Power Play. Gustav Nyquist scored his first NHL goal in this game as well, this young guy seems to be the real deal and adds some much needed scoring depth to the Wings. He needs to continue to elevate his game though to remain on the top lines getting the minutes he deserves. Jiri Hudler, Nick Lidstrom, Brad Stuart, and Pavel Datsyuk scored the other goals for the Wings before Mark Letestu and Rick Nash added 2 near the end of the game. This was a good game for the Wings however they didn't cary the momentum from this game through the rest of the week.

Game 2: @ Columbus Blue Jackets (Loss: 4-2)

Detroit gained Johan Franzen back in the lineup but for some reason was unable to play as well they did the previous night. A bright light could be the fact that Detroit was 2-for-5 on the Power Play, but in all honesty, the fact that they failed to score 5-on-5 against Columbus is worrying, especially this late in the season. Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall were the goal scorers in this game for the Wings. The one caveat that you could mention is that 3rd string goalie Ty Conklin got the start for the Wings tonight, but that doesn't negate the sluggish offence in this game.

Game 3: Nashville Predators @ Home (Loss: 4-1)

This game was a total heartbreaker. Detroit played great, but Pekka Rinne played better. Tomas Holmstrom had some nice tips from in front of the net, and Zetterberg had a beauty of a chance but Rinne was all over the puck this game stopping 31 of 32 shots. The first goal of the game came in the 2nd period from Gabriel Borque slapping the puck from the point. A weak clearing chance by Nyquist and some effective screening of the goalie accounted for this goal. Francis Bouillon scored with about 30 seconds left in the 2nd period as Detroit failed to clear the puck out of their zone. Early in the 3rd period Detroit let Alexander Radulov sneak out front as Andrei Kostitsyn sent the puck out front to Radulov who got his 2nd of the season. Jiri Hudler was finally able to snipe one past Rinne with about 3 minutes left, right before Shea Weber would ice the game with an empty netter. Detroit looks like they'll have their hands full in the first round against this Nashville team.

***

Detroit went 1-2-0 this week and the way they have been playing really scares me for the first round of the playoffs where they will face Nashville, likely in the Preds' home arena.

Weekly Preview: March 25-31st, 2012

Weekly Preview: March 25-31st, 2012

I am writing this a bit late and it is currently at the end of the 2nd period in the first Detroit-Columbus game, with Detroit up 6-0. That being said this is a huge week for Detroit if they want to cling on to that 4th place spot in the West and possibly climb back into first place. Two games against the horrible Blue Jackets and a big game on Friday against the Nashville Predators.

Game 1: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Home (Loss: 5-3)

I'm writing this column while the game is still on, but currently Detroit leads 6-0. If I wrote this column on time I would have predicted a similar outcome as Detroit has received much of its big guns back from injury and rookie stand-out Gustav Nyquist has been firing on all cylinders, certainly putting pressure on all of the top 6 forwards. 

Game 2: @ Columbus Blue Jackets

Since I am going to assume Detroit won't let up in the 3rd period of the game and will continue to pummel the Blue Jackets in Monday's game, I will say that Detroit will have a renewed sense of vigour as they travel to Columbus. Now having the taste of 2 straight wins and a much healthier lineup the Red Wings should eat up the Blue Jackets as they did on Monday night. 

Game 3: Nashville Predators @ Home

This is one of the most important games in a long time for the Red Wings. This will likely be a preview of the first round of the playoffs (providing St. Louis doesn't have a collapse) and with all of the recent Alexander Radulov hoop-la this game will certainly have the playoff atmosphere. All-Star net-minder Jimmy Howard is anticipated to make his return, which will mean Detroit will pretty much have all of their A-List cast in this contest. Nashville also has a very tough week this week facing St. Louis, Detroit, and Chicago. Despite their dismantling of Chicago on Sunday facing all the big guns of the Central Division could wear out the Predators down the stretch. Anything can happen in this game, and it is definitely a must watch game.

***

Two, hopefully, easy games against Columbus to ease out the kinks and give time for Jimmy Howard to heal up before the all too important game against the Preds on Friday. Look for this game to be an all out war.

Weekly Review: March 18-24th, 2012

Weekly Review: March 18-24th, 2012

Detroit has finally ended their losing streak at 6 games! This is great news despite the fact that they went 1-1-1 on the week the important things are they have got back into their winning ways and remain in the 4th spot in the Western Conference above the Nashville Predators. Let's look at how the Wings did this week...

Game 1: Washington Capitals @ Home (Loss: 5-3)

Detroit looked sluggish as their skeleton squad chugged on through to a 5-3 loss against the Washington Capitals. The scoring was started on a Washington Power Play as Marcus Johansson took the puck down low and centred it to a wide open Alexander Ovechkin who slapped the puck past Jimmy Howard for his 31st of the year. The Caps would add to their lead as Jason Chimera skated into the Red Wing zone with both Defence on him and dropped the puck to a wide open Mike Knuble who snapped it past Howard. Detroit would then again find themselves on the Penalty Kill and watch as Ovie skated through the middle of the ice, slapped a puck on net, got his own rebound and banged in his 2nd of the game. Detroit would show some life early in the 2nd period as their Power Play got to work. Some nice cycling from Hudler and Brendan Smith would see the puck end up on Kyle Quincey's stick who unleashed a cannon of a slap shot finally putting the Wings on the board. No real momentum was gathered from that goal however, as Washington would score next. Marcus Johansson would flip the puck out of the corner hitting Dan Cleary, Cleary looked stunned as Semin picked up the puck and sent it to Keith Aucoin who wristed it past Howard making it 4-1 Capitals. Detroit would inch closer to tying the game as Gustav Nyquist would send the puck on net and Caps' Goalie Braden Holtby tried to lazily pick the puck up but it was quickly batted in by Bertuzzi. Brendan Smith would then take the puck down low and shoot it on net, Justin Adbelkader would take a whack at it but it would be Dan Cleary who would bank the 2nd rebound in to bring the game to 4-3. That would be as close as the Wings would get however, as Jason Chimera would add an Empty Net goal to secure the win.

Detroit showed some life in this game on offence but their defence and Penalty Kill was bad and led to a loss in this game.

Game 2: @ New York Rangers (Loss: 2-1 OT)

Detroit headed into Manhattan having lost 5 games in a row, and facing the East's best team things did not look good. At least they managed to earn the extra point in this contest to move ahead of Nashville to take 4th place in the Western Conference.

Detroit would open the scoring as Ian White would get the puck at the blueline and sent it to Henrik Zetterberg who sniped his 19th of the year from the top of the face-off circle. Detroit would once again fall asleep on the Penalty Kill and let Brad Richards take the puck from Henrik Lundqvist and skate through the entire Penalty Killing Corps and slide the puck past Conklin. Each goaltender would play perfectly in the 2nd and 3rd period, sending the game to OT. Some nice Tic-Tac-Toe passing from Dubinsky to Del Zotto to Callahan would see Ryan Callahan snap in his 27th of the season and give the Rangers the win. Ty Conklin started for the Wings in this game after clearing waivers due to Jimmy Howard and Joey MacDonald being both out with injuries. Conklin had his trademark wonky plays that made the game "extra exciting" but still managed a great game in a losing effort. Detroit's offence was thwarted by excellent goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist and several goalposts shots. Once again some momentary Defensive lapses would send Detroit home without a win.

Game 3: Carolina Hurricanes @ Home (Win: 5-4)

Detroit finally snapped their losing streak and returned to their winning ways as their ageless captain Nicklas Lidstrom returned to the lineup. However this win would come in sloppy fashion. Jiri Tlusty would score on Ty Conklin only 17 seconds into the game. then in the 2nd period Chad LaRose would sneak in front and score 26 seconds into the 2nd period. Down 2-0, Detroit would finally get on the board after Val Filppula and Hudler cycled the puck down low and sent it to Henrik Zetterberg who broke in all alone and wristed the puck past Cam Ward. Detroit would then go down 2 men giving Carolina a 5-3 advantage. Jamie McBain would score with 1 second left on the first penalty and Jiri Tlusty would score on the 5 on 4 making the game 4-1 Hurricanes. However, Zetterberg would again break into the slot and pick up a pass from Filppula to make the game 4-2. Todd Bertuzzi would bat in a rebound from a Gustav Nyquist shot making the game 4-3 sending the game into the 3rd period. Val Filppula would pass to Brad Stuart who sent the puck to Jiri Hudler in the high slot who slapped the puck in to tie the game. Drew Miller would give Detroit the lead and first win in 2 weeks as he accepted a Dan Cleary pass, broke to the net and backhanded the puck over Cam Ward. 

***

It was good to see Nicklas Lidstrom return against Carolina and seeing him pick up an assist on the Bertuzzi goal was a bonus. Hopefully he can add some poise to this team and they can stop have defensive lapses which costs them against New York and Washington earlier this week.

Weekly Preview: March 18-24th, 2012

Weekly Preview: March 18-24th, 2012

Detroit is on a little bit of a slide. They have lost 4 straight and are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. In their last two weeks they have gone 1-5-1. It looks as if St. Louis is running away with the Western Conference so if Detroit wants to hold on to the 4th spot in the West to get home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs they need to really start winning some games.

Game 1: Washington Capitals @ Home

Washington is in "must win" mode to hold on to the 8th and final playoff spot, however luckily for Detroit, Washington themselves have been on a bit of a slide and come into the Joe Louis arena for game 4 of a 5 game road trip. With Pavel Datsyuk back hopefully he will hit full stride and give the Wings a win in this game.

Game 2: @ New York Rangers

Both of these teams are on similar slides. Detroit 3-6-1 in their last ten, New York 4-5-1 in their last 10. Both teams can chalk their recent woes up to a great deal of injury woes. Due to injuries Ty Conklin will get the start for Detroit. Detroit has been absolutely awful on the Power Play as of late going 1 for 32 in the month of March and will certainly need to pick it up if want to return to their earlier dominance of the Western Conference. 

Game 3: Carolina Hurricanes @ Home

Nicklas Lidstrom is expected to return to Detroit's lineup for this game and hopefully he can return the Wings to their winning ways. Carolina currently sits at the 11th place in the Eastern Conference and looks as if they will stay there as the season ends. They have been on a 3 game win streak and will have suspended forward Jeff Skinner returning for this game. Hopefully Detroit can use this game to snap out of their losing streak and return to their dominating form. 

***

Lot's of injuries for thing Wings but they should get Lidstrom back on Saturday. Hopefully they can end their losing ways this week and work out some kinks as they head into playoff mode.

Weekly Review: March 11th-17th, 2012

Weekly Review: March 11th-17th, 2012

Detroit went 0-2-1 this week getting 1 of a possible 6 points. In this terrible week the only bright light is the fact that Pavel Datsyuk is back from injury and one can only assume Nicklas Lidstrom will be coming back soon too.

Game 1: @Los Angeles (Loss: 5-2)

Last week Detroit managed one sluggish win over the LA Kings however they weren't as lucky this week. Justin Williams opened the scoring for the Kings set up from Drew Doughty and Dustin Brown. Thanks to a Dustin Penner Holding penalty a few minutes later Detroit's disastrous Power Play took the ice. Brendan Smith took had the puck just inside LA's blue-line and then Dustin Brown stole the puck from him and passed to Anze Kopitar who skated down the ice and put the puck in with a snap shot for a Short Handed goal. In the 2nd period Detroit finally got on the board with Jiri Hudler netting his 21st goal of the season thanks to Zetterberg and Filppula. However, Drew Doughty would get a slapshot from the blue line to beat Jimmy Howard putting the the Kings back up by 2 goals. Detroit's special teams dwindled in the 3rd period as well as they gave up a Power Play goal to Slava Voynov off of a Doug Janik boarding call. Johan Franzen would bang in a rebound from Brad Stuart's point shot to make the game 4-2. That would be as close as this game goat as Jeff Carter would wrist in an empty netter finishing this game off at 5-2.

Game 2: @Anaheim (Loss: 4-0)

The Ducks managed to shut out the Red Wings in this contest as Jonas Hiller stopped all 23 shots the Wings through at him. Teemu Selanne opened the scoring by tipping in a shot from Cam Fowler. This goal was Selanne's 660th career goal and his 1,400th career point. Kyle Palmieri had a great individual effort to backhand in his 2nd goal of the season. The Ducks big guns connected for the 3rd goal of the game, Bobby Ryan netted his 26th with assists from Getzlaf and Vishnovsky. Finally Palmieri would back hand in another oal this time set up by Getzlaf for his 2nd of the night. Detroit's Power Play was once again anemic as they went 0 for 3.

Game 3: San Jose (Loss 3-2 OT)

Detroit go their lone point of the week in this contest, however it came in the form of an OT Loss. Detroit fell behind early giving up 2 goals to Joe Pavelski and Martin Havlat but the lead was cut in half thanks to the returning Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk got the puck in the corner from Kronwall and managed to shoot it on net and have it roll over Antti Niemi and in. Valtteri Filppula would even up the game at 2 a side just over halfway through the 3rd period with a beautiful snipe over the shoulder of Niemi. As the game went to OT it would be Martin Havlat who set up his own chance, a scramble in front of the net, where he eventually banged in the game winner.

***

Another poor week for Detroit, Jimmy Howard hasn't looked good since he came back from his injury and now Joey MacDonald is Day-To-Day with Back Spasms. It was good to see Datsyuk back in the lineup and contributing with a goal in Saturday's contest. Hopefully they can turn things around next week.

Weekly Preview: March 11th-17th, 2012

Weekly Preview: March 11th-17th, 2012

The Red Wings are coming off a disappointing week and heading on a 3 game road trip in the Sunshine State. Detroit currently sits 4th in the Western Conference 4 points ahead of the 5th place Predators. It looks like Detroit is a lock for the playoffs but they need to keep winning if they want to get a good seed, and home ice advantage (a big plus for the Wings this season) this post-season.

Game 1: @Los Angeles

Despite a sloppy performance last week Detroit managed to get their lone win of the week against the Los Angeles Kings. Detroit was able to make their shots count, scoring 4 goals on 15 shots against All-Star goalie Jonathan Quick. Such a strategy wouldn't be advisable if the Wings would like to win this one. They will however have Jimmy Howard and possibly Todd Bertuzzi come back for this game. Having Jimmy Howard back is great for this week due to the road-trip as despite Joey MacDonald's great play he isn't experienced enough to play all the games this week. Todd Bertuzzi could add some grit to the top lines giving room for Zetterberg and Franzen to take more shots. LA will be hungry in this game as they are finally in the play-off hunt again in a 3 way tie for 8th place with 76 points for the final play-off spot.

Game 2: @Anaheim

The Ducks are in do-or-die mode now. After having a horrible start to the year they jumped back into the thick of things after the All-Star breaks going on an impressive run fighting up to 12th place in the West, 8 points out of a playoff spot. The Ducks will pretty much need to win out the rest of their schedule so look for them to be playing each game as if it is their last. Anaheim's Corey Perry has scored 5 points in the last 5 games but is listed as questionable heading into their game against Colorado. If Detroit gets some of their big guns healed up (Datsyuk, Lidstrom) in time for this game, the Wings could put an end to the Ducks season.

Game 3: San Jose

San Jose sits in 11th place, 1 point out a play-off spot at the start of this week. Proving that the lower rung of a ladder in the Western Conference is extremely volatile. The Sharks, once an extremely offensive team has cooled down recently and has scored three goals or less in twelve consecutive games. Detroit's defensive and goaltending departments have been playing well as of late and if Datsyuk and Bertuzzi can come back into the lineup and stabilize the Red Wing's top 2 lines, Detroit could easily come out with a win in this one.

***

Detroit hasn't been playing well lately, largely due to the amount of injuries they have had recently, but things look as if they will turn around with a number of these players coming back into the lineup. Look for Detroit to rack up the wins in this one.

Weekly Review: March 4th-10th, 2012

Weekly Review: March 4th-10th, 2012

Another disappointing week puts the Red Wings at 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, but luckily they are still in 4th place in the Western Conference. Some of theses losses can be chalked up to injuries, but the lack of secondary scoring is somewhat concerning if the Red Wings want to go deep in to the playoffs.

Game 1: Chicago @ Home (Loss: 2-1)

Both teams were missing some big guns in this game and Detroit also lost Jimmy Howard to injury after just 4 shots. Despite injuries Chicago was the team to prevail in this one. Off of a Kyle Quincey interference penalty Mariam Hossa set up Patrick Sharp who had a slap shot from the point which gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead. However Niklas Kronwall would answer with a point shot of his own set up by Darren Helm to even the game. Late in the 2nd period Brad Stuart would lazily clear the puck from behind his own net which was picked off by Patrick Sharp and centred to Patrick Kane who sent it into the net giving the Hawks the 2-1 lead. Ray Emery played spectacularly in this game holding off several good chances by the surging Wings. This game was a tough loss to a Divisional Opponent and saw the loss of Jimmy Howard. Detroit had lots of chances out shooting the Blackhawks 24 to 18 but couldn't seem to burry the puck.

Game 2: @Philadelphia (Loss: 3-2)

Claude Giroux showed everyone why he was one of the best players in the game in this contest, and Ilya Bryzgalov showed why he was one of the most highly sought after UFAs last summer with excellent play (he stopped 47 of 49 shots) against the Wings in this one. Henrik Zetterberg though, would be the first to open the scoring with a beautiful backhand over Bryzgalov's shoulder giving the Wings a 1-0 lead. A miscommunication between Joey MacDonald and Doug Janik behind the net would leave the puck sitting there for Jakub Voracek to score with a wrap-around equalizing the game. Claude Giroux would break up the ice accepting a pass from Brayden Coburn fake the shot and backhand the puck past Joey MacDoanlad. Then there would be more Giroux on the Penalty Kill he stole the puck at the blueline from Ian White and broke down the ice, his shot was stopped but Maxime Talbot would bang the puck in for a Short Handed Goal. In the 3rd it seemed as if the Wings would mount a comeback with Johan Franzen snapshot set up by Brendan Smith and Kyle Quincey. Detroit's Power Play has been awful as of late and giving up a goal with the man advantage is simply unacceptable and was the cause of their demise in this game. The team plays great 5-on-5 hockey but they will need to up their special teams to remain a top the league.

Game 3: Los Angeles @ Home (Win: 4-3)

Detroit had a sluggish start and played that way most of the game but were able to end up the victors in this contest with only getting 15 shots on goal. Jeff Carter would open the scoring on LA's Power Play backhanding in his 18th of the year, but Henrik Zetterberg would equalize the game with his 17th of the year set up by Filppula and Hudler. Former Red Wing Justin Williams would accept a Dustin Brown pass and then wrist in the puck restoring the LA lead. Zetterberg get his 2nd of the night set up by Filppula and Kronwall. In to the 3rd period tied 2-2 Dwight King would get set up by Jeff Carter to give LA the 3-2 lead but that would be the end of the night for LA's offence. Zetterberg would set up a Brendan Smith point shot that would get tipped in by Valtteri Filppula tying the game at 3 a piece. Then for the Game Winning Goal Darren Helm would tip-in a shot from Franzen with less than 2 minutes left in the game.

The sluggish play of the Wings was evident in the fact they only got 15 shots on net, however it was enough to hold of the LA Kings and give the Wings a much needed 2 points.

Game 4: @Nashville (Loss: 3-2)

Another disappointing loss to a Divisional opponent in this game as the Red Wings played well but ran in to some hot goaltending in Pekka Rinne. Recent call-up Gustav Nyquist coughed up the puck to David Legwand who broke down the ice and passed to Patric Hornqvist who wristed it passed Joey MacDonald. Detroit would even the scoring thanks to Drew Miller who got the puck out of the corner and skated out wresting it passed Rinne for his 13th goal of the year. Doug Janik would take a high sticking penalty which lead to a Nashville power play goal. David Legwand centred the puck to Sergei Kostitsyn who one touch passed it to his brother Andrei who swept the puck in passed MacDonald giving the Preds the lead. No scoring in the 2nd period but Nashville did take 2 penalties which Detroit's power play failed to capitalize on. In the 3rd period off of a Brad Stuart interference penalty Legwand and the Kostitsyns would connect for another Tic Tac Toe passing from Legwand to Sergie to Andrei for Andrei's 2nd goal of the game. Gustav Nyquist would get his 3rd assist of the year by playing tough in the corner and skating out with the puck before centring it to Justin Abdelkader who netted his 8th of the year. The game would remain 3-2 as the Red Wings would again lose despite out shooting the opponent by a wide margin, 37-20.

***

It was a tough week for the injured Red Wings going 1-3-0, and the only game they won was a game they should have lost. Their power play has struggled tremendously and they have even given up a few Short Handed goals as of late. They have run in to some hot goaltending but that shouldn't be an excuse for their play with the man advantage. Hopefully Datsyuk and Lidstrom return soon and add some zip back to this stagnant lineup. 

Weekly Preview: March 4th-10th, 2012

Weekly Preview: March 4th-10th, 2012

Detroit played really well last week, especially without Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk though the competition they faced pales in comparison to the teams they face this week. The week kicks off with a home contest against Divisional Rivals the Chicago Blackhawks, then the Wings head on the road to face Philadelphia. They then head back to Detroit to face the reinvigorated LA Kings, and then head to Nashville to face their new bolstered lineup thanks to some trade deadline acquisitions.

Game 1: Chicago @ Home

Luckily for the Wings, Chicago is also having some injury woes and won't have Jonathan Toews, Steve Montador, or Niklas Hjalmarsson. Chicago kicked off Detroit's 3 game losing skid last week so Detroit should be looking to make a statement in this game. Coming off of a shut-out against Minnesota, Jimmy Howard is expected to get the start in this game. If he can once again have a stellar performance that would be key to dealing with the absence of Datsyuk's excellent 2 way play, and Lidstrom on defence.

Game 2: @Philadelphia

Detroit walks in to this game knowing that a win could be the difference between first or fourth place in the Western Conference. However, Lidstrom and Datsyuk are still injured and now Jimmy Howard is injured after only 4 shots against the Black Hawks on Sunday, and Todd Bertuzzi who has been day-to-day with a nagging groin injury. The Wings will be calling up 3 AHL prospects to fill in for their injured teammates. Valtteri Filppula has stepped up to the plate for the battered Wings and has had recorded 7 points in the last 4 games. Philly's Ilya Bryzgalov has been hot as of late so Detroit will need to muster up all the offence they can and Jimmy Howard will need to step up if Detroit wants to win this one.

Game 3: Los Angeles @ Home

LA is hungry and desperately fitting for that 8th spot in the Western Conference. They have won 2 straight and have a pivotal game against the Nashville Predators before facing the Wings. Jeff Carter was reunited with former Flyer friend Mike Richards just before the Trade Deadline in exchange for Defenceman Jack Johnson. LA has had trouble scoring but thanks to some stellar goaltending from both Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier has held other teams at bay. If Detroit is still missing some of their top offensive talent they will need a strong effort from their secondary scoring to win this one.

Game 4: @Nashville

Nashville was one of the busiest movers at the Trade Deadline landing Hal Gill, Andrei Kostitsyn and Paul Gaustad at the deadline. The acquisition of Gaustad is the most stinging for Wings fans as he was linked to the Red Wings leading up to the deadline. Hal Gill provides some solid depth on the Predators blue-line, Andrei is reunited with his brother Sergei, and Gaustad provides the grit that the Predators seemed to lack. Pekka Rinne has been playing outstanding as of late and just like in the Wings' game against LA they will need strong scoring if they want to get a win against this offensively starved team.

Weekly Review: February 26th - March 3rd, 2012

Weekly Review: February 26th - March 3rd, 2012

Two wins for the Wings this week as they rebound from 3 consecutive losses. Niklas Lidstrom was injured this week which gave way for recent call up Brendan Smith to crack the lineup. 

Game 1: @Columbus (Win: 5-2)

It was a slow rocky start for the Wings but in the end they prevailed getting 2 points over the Blue Jackets. Not having Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom didn't help either as both were out of the lineup with injuries. Johan Franzen opened the scoring with a wrist shot early in the first period, but Rick Nash was able to equalize the game with a Power Play tip-in goal. There was no scoring done in the 2nd and heading in to the 3rd period Detroit looked sloppy as they gave up a Short Handed goal to Columbus from Derek MacKenzie. That Short Handed goal perhaps lit a fire underneath the wings as they proceeded to score 4 straight goals. Niklas Kronwall backhanded in the tying goal from a Zetterberg set up and then Zetterberg scored the go-a-head goal set up by Valtteri Filpulla and Kronwall. Jan Murask and Valtteri Filppula would add insurance markers to secure the win. Aside from the sloppy Short Handed goal Joey MacDonald looked really good in this game saving 28 of 30 shots.

Game 2: Minnesota @ Home (Win: 6-0)

Coming off of 3 losses and a somewhat rocky win against Columbus it was nice to see the Wings dominate a game. Once again missing Lidstrom and Datsyuk the Wings managed to light up the Wild en route to a 6-0 win. Valtteri Filppula opened the scoring in the first set up by Zetterberg and Kronwall and then later in the first Brendan Smith would get his first goal as a Red Wing set up from Adbelkader and Cleary. In the 2nd period Darren Helm snapped a puck past Josh Harding for his 8th of the year and Valtteri Filppula would score his second goal of the game set up by Zetterberg and Kronwall again. Ian White would add an unassisted slap shot goal to put the Wings up 5-0 heading into the 3rd period. In the 3rd period Henrik Zetterberg would score his 15th of the year from Filppula (who recored his 3rd point of the night) and Ian White. Jimmy Howard stopped all 19 shots to get his 6th Shut out of the year.

***

This was a good week for Detroit to pick themselves up from the rut they fell into last week and it was great to see the team play as well as they did with out Lidstrom and Datsyuk. Big props to Brendan Smith for scoring his first goal as a Red Wing!

Weekly Preview: February 26th - March 3rd, 2012

Weekly Preview: February 26th - March 3rd, 2012

The are only 2 games on the schedule for Detroit this week. A divisional matchup against the league worst Columbus Blue Jackets and against the "12th-in-the-West" Minnesota Wild. Pavel Datsyuk will again miss this week while he recovers from knee surgery he underwent last Tuesday. Playing these teams should be a good "pick-me-up" for the Wings who faltered at the end of last week losing 3 straight.

Game 1: @Columbus

Detroit travels to Columbus to face the league's worst team. Under-performing centre Jeff Carter was dealt away for defensemen Jack Johnson and Columbus All-Star winger Rick Nash was failed to be dealt. There was controversy around Rick Nash as it was revealed he was the one who asked to be moved. Perhaps this awkward relegation could sow some bad chemistry upon the already troubled Bluejackets. Detroit should play hard in this one to get back to their winning ways.

Game 2: Minnesota @ Home

Hopefully the Red Wings can reignite their prowess at home with a win here against the Wild. The Wild surprised everyone by leading the league for the first month of the year but have since fallen far to 12th place in the Western Conference. The Wild have recently bested the road tired San Jose Sharks but in the 

Trade Deadline from Detroit's Point of View

Trade Deadline from Detroit's Point of View

Kyle Quincey returns to Detroit

This year's Trade Deadline was another quiet one with only 16 trades being completed today, and no real "blockbuster" deals. Detroit however did manage to make one deal today and another a few days ago. Last week Detroit was involved in a 3-way trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning. Firstly, Colorado sent Defensemen Kyle Quincey to Tampa Bay for Steve Downie, and then Tampa Bay flipped Quincey to the Red Wings for a 1st Round Pick and prospect Sebastien Piche. Kyle Quincey was originally drafted by the Red Wings in 2003 but failed to crack through the line-up and was picked up of waivers by the LA Kings in 2008. Quincey showed his defensive prowess filling in for an injured Jack Johnson that year. He was then traded to Colorado where he continued solid defensive play. Quincey has had a history of injuries, but when he's healthy he is capable of logging a lot of minutes and putting up 30 points a year. He could become a key part of the Red Wing's if he remains healthy.

The other move the Detroit Red Wings managed to make was trading Mike Commodore to Tampa Bay for a conditional 7th round pick. Detroit has a history of good scouting and perhaps could make use of this late round draft pick, but the real reason for the move was Commodore was buried in Detroit's depth charts and was blocking rosters spots for prospects like Brendan Smith. Now that Commodore is gone the Wings have called up Smith who was Detroit's 1st round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Smith is billed as a physical defensemen and has played 2 seasons in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. In 110 games he has amassed 64 points and 198 PIM.

Kyle Quincey and Brendan Smith both have a great opportunity to make a real impact on Detroit's blueline as the Wings have recently lost Brian Rafalski to retirement and are rumoured to lose Nicklas Lidstrom (also to retirement) and Brad Stuart (to the UFA market) this summer.

In speculation leading up to the Trade Deadline, Detroit's name was linked with Buffalo's gritty Centre Paul Gaustad. However, Gaustad was dealt to the Nashville Predators for a first round pick. Gaustad would have added some much needed grit, and supplied the Wings with another reliable face-off winner. Perhaps the Red Wings over paid for Quincey by sending their 1st round pick to Tampa Bay. If they were able to get Quincey for a bit cheaper, perhaps a 2nd round pick and maybe a slightly better prospect, they could have saved their 1st round pick to acquire Gaustad.

All things considered this Trade Deadline proved to be fruitful for the Red Wings as they managed to add some depth and good potential to their blueline. Kyle Quincey has already contributed a few points to the Red Wings and it seems like the right time to call up a highly touted prospect like Brendan Smith.

Weekly Review: February 19-25th

Weekly Review: February 19-25th

Though the week started off nicely for the Wings with a hard fought win over the San Jose Sharks to get their 23rd straight home win but things quickly faltered as they proceeded to lose the next three games. The good news of ace goaltender Jimmy Howard making his return from injury was marred by the fact Pavel Datsyuk will miss 2 weeks getting knee surgery.

Game 1: San Jose Sharks @ Home (Win: 3-2)

Detroit grew their Home Winning streak in this match by besting the San Jose Sharks. Henrik Zetterberg opened the scoring with a trademark backhand over Antti Niemi in the first. Drew Miller would add another goal thanks to some hard work by Justin Adbelkader. Adbelkader would grab a rebound from Joey MacDonald and skate down the ice passing to Drew Miller, who then passed it back to Adbelkader. Adelkader shot on net and Miller picked up the rebound netting his 12th of the year. A weird bounce of the puck off the top of the net on a Sharks power play would lead to Logan Couture cutting the lead in half. In the 3rd period Darren Helm would restore the insurance marker with a slap shot set up by Drew Miller. Joey MacDonald made a number of key saves in the period however a rebound he left out let Patrick Marleau score his 23rd of the year to bring the game to within one goal, but it would be too little too late as the Wings were able to hold the Sharks off to get the win.

Drew Miller has really showed he can step up when needed in this game and as always its nice to see him clicking with the likes of Adbelkader and Helm.

Game 2: @Chicago Blackhawks (Loss: 2-1)

Jimmy Howard made his return from his broken finger in this game, but it was announced that Pavel Datsyuk would miss 2 weeks with knee surgery. Detroit also continued to slump on the road as they failed to get the win and end Chicago's resurgence in the Central Division. Things started out well as Valtteri Filppula scored five-hole on Corey Crawford on the power play. However that would be the only goal the Wings would score and Chicago rookie Jimmy Hayes would lead the comeback scoring on a wrist shot in the 2nd period and getting an assist on Marcus Kruger's goal as he tried to jam in a wrap around which lead to a rebound for Kruger to net the game winning goal. Corey Crawford had a bunch of key saves late in the game which kept this one away from the Wings. 

Game 3: Vancouver Canucks @ Home (Loss: 4-3 SO)

The Home Winning Streak was ended as the league's hottest road team came to town. This was a disappointing game not only because the streak was ended but because Western Conference Powerhouse Vancouver Canucks were able to march in to the Joe and come out with a win, something the Wings will have to stop if they want to go deep into the playoffs. The speedster, Darren Helm would open the scoring by blocking a Kevin Bieksa point shot and breaking down the ice and wresting it past Roberto Luongo. The lead would be erased in the 2nd as Alexander Elder's point shot would be redirected by Henrik Sedin to brother Daniel who put the puck past Jimmy Howard. New-comer to Detroit, Kyle Quincey would get his first goal as a Red Wing in the 3rd. Left alone in the slot Adbelkader would feed Quincey who roofed the puck for his 6th goal of the year. Cody Hodgson would get a lucky break as he shot the puck on net and it bounced in off of Niklas Kronwall's skate evening the game at 3 a piece. Detroit would regain the lead though as Darren Helm hit the post with a great shot and Justin Adbelkader would bang the puck in. Though the game would get sent to OT and later Shoot Out as Vancouver would pull their goal and score with their big guns on the ice, a nice slapshot from Daniel Sedin set up by brother Daniel and Ryan Kesler. In Shoot Out all 3 Detroit shooters were held scoreless and Alexander Burrows would put the puck past Howard give Detroit their first home loss in 112 days.

Game 4: Colorado Avalanche @ Home (Loss: 4-3)

Detroit would loss again at home after winning 23 in a row. Colorado came out fast and hard and had some superb goaltending by J.S. Giguere en route to their 4-3 win. Gabriel Landeskog would open the scoring as a beneficiary to some grinding down low by Ryan O'Reilly and Steve Downie for his first goal of the night. A turnover on a Detroit power play would lead to David Jones snapping in his 15th of the year sending the Wings to the dressing room down 2-0. In the 2nd period Gabriel Landeskog would score his 2nd of the game by sneaking into the slot and snapping the puck in the net, once again set up by Ryan O'Reilly and Steve Downie. It wouldn't be until the 3rd, on a Red Wings power play that the Detroit would get their first goal. Hudler hid on the left side wing and accepted a Fippula pass to snap in his 19th goal of the season. Detroit's momentum would be quenched as Steve Downie would bounce in a rebound off of Ryan Wilson shot. Now down 4-1 the Wings would not give up as Jiri Hudler would net his 2nd of the night by simultaneously screening J.S. Giguere and redirecting a Zetterberg shot into the net. Valtteri Filppula would bring the Wings within 1 goal by wresting in a rebound off of a Hudler shot, however that would be as close as the Wings would come in this one, losing 4-3.

In a game where hot goaltending held Detroit from a win its clear they miss superstar Centre Pavel Datsyuk.

***

Despite the win against San Jose this week was ultimately a disappointment for the Red Wings. Three losses, including the end of their Home Win Streak and loss of Pavel Datsyuk. Next week they only have two games against bottom dwellers Columbus Bluejackets and Minnesota Wild so hopefully they can use that time to regroup.

Weekly Preview: February 19-25th

Weekly Preview: February 19-25th

Detroit has a busy week with 4 games against some big name opponents. The 3rd place in the West San Jose Sharks, divisional rivals Chicago Blackhawks, 2nd place in the West Vancouver Canucks, and historical rivals Colorado Avalanche. Joey MacDonald has been playing stellar for the Wings but Jimmy Howard is expected to return to the lineup from his broken finger.

Game 1: San Jose Sharks @ Home

The Sharks are currently leading the tight race for the Pacific Division crown and sit 3rd in the Western Conference. Sharks' Captain Joe Thornton has been on a scoring streak getting 9 points in his last five games. Brent Burns has also awoken, the former Minnesota Wild Defenceman had a slow start but managed 3 assists in his last game. The Sharks are on a long road trip and could potentially be fatigued against the Wings who have played their last 3 games at the Joe Louis arena. 

Game 2: @Chicago Blackhawks

After playing 4 games at home, the Wings will travel to the other side of Lake Michigan to face the rebounding Chicago Blackhawks. After losing 8 straight the Hawks have fell from 2nd place in the Central Division to 4th, but they have snapped out of the skid winning 2 games in a row. They play a tough game against the St. Louis Blues on Sunday and if they can muster up a win against the Blues they will has some serious momentum and could be tough to beat.

Game 3: Vancouver Canucks @ Home

Detroit managed a Shoot Out victory against the Canucks a few weeks ago and since then the Canucks have been on fire going 8-0-2 in their last 10 and are clipping close on the heels of the Wings for top spot in the league. Detroit's big guns have been firing on all cylinders but so has Vancouver's top line of the Sedins and Burrows. This game should be a real match of 2 juggernauts, luckily for the Wings this contest will be at the Joe Louis arena and in the middle of a long road trip for the Canucks.

Game 4: Colorado Avalanche @ Home

Colorado sits 11th place in the West and 3 points out of the final playoff spot. They've been lukewarm 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. The bright light for this slumping team has been up-and-comer Ryan O'Reilly who has already set career highs in goals and assists. Detroit has had trouble against subpar teams this year, but if their winning streak is still intact when their historical rivals come in to town look for the Wings to be fired up in this contest.