Detroit Red Wings

[STONE.]

Lovin the fact that Hudler is back in action. 26 in his last 28, up to 8 goals on the season. He actually had a pretty nice stat line for roto leagues tonight, taking two minor penalties as well. I've always enjoyed watching Hudler, so here's to hoping this lasts and he sticks in the top six next year.

Ugh. This post hurts now that Hudler has completely disappeared.

[ross10019]

Ugh. This post hurts now that Hudler has completely disappeared.

After that run, he had a couple of so so games and next thing you know, off Datsyuk's line and directly onto the 4th line and ice time dropped to the 10 minute range. What the hell is Babcock thinking?

[STONE.]

Just a heads up -- Brendan Smith has been out a bit lately with a bad knee (I think). He hobbled out of the game last Friday and didn't play when I was there Saturday.

The Griffins are one of the hotter teams in the AHL right now -- which makes sense considering how much they have suffered as a result of the Wings' injuries this season. Getting McDonald back could be a real bonus for them down the stretch. The AHL standings (and their division in particular) are crazy close.

[Dean Youngblood]

Thanks for the news STONE

The Red Wings have signed G Troy Passingham to an ATO 24 hour contract. Passingham played for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL this season

[Dean Youngblood]

The league-leading Vancouver Canucks will take on the Detroit Red Wings (who currently sit in 2nd in the Western Conference behind the 'nucks)

Last 10
Detroit: 4-3-3
Vancouver: 8-2-0

Season Series
Detroit leads the season series 2-1 after defeating the Canucks in OT 5-4 and in a SO 2-1. Vancouver won the first matchup 6-4 back in November. Tonights game at the Joe Louis Arena is the final regular season meeting between these two clubs.

Team News and Notes
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks may have their playoff birth and Northwest crown clinched but the west-coasters have more to prove yet. Look for Vancouver to use this game to show Detroit that they aren't a pushover team and will compete with them come the postseason. Furthermore, the Canucks are striving to clinch their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history.

The Canucks' leading scorer Daniel Sedin will be in the lineup tonight after his wife gave birth to their third baby yesterday. Daniel will look to extend his 8-game point streak tonight.

Detroit Red Wings
As I mentioned above, the Red Wings had to sign OHL graduate Troy Passingham (Sarnia Sting) to an amateur try-out after Chris Osgood decided that he wasn’t ready to play tonight, Why? Well the Red Wings had to call up prospect Jan Mursak with the slew of injuries up front (see injuries below) which left the Wings without any cap space. Passingham was their answer to their problem. With Howard playing like garbage the youngster Passingham might just see some time in the big leagues tonight.

From Helene St. James,

Passingham, a 20-year-old out of Mississauga, Ontario, has been signed to a 24-hour amateur tryout. He’s just finished up his season with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, going 9-10-3 with a .879 save percentage and 4.76 goals-against average. Passingham was on the sofa hanging out with his girlfriend Tuesday afternoon when his phone rang “My agent called me yesterday and then an hour later (assistant general manager) Jim Nill called me and we got everything set up,� Passingham said. “I was pretty excited. I was just sitting there at my girlfriend’s house in Windsor when I got the call. Obviously there was a lot of excitement and it was a really long day yesterday, but I’m here now, so that’s good

Injuries
Detroit - Datsyuk (lower body), Franzen (lower body), Bertuzzi (upper body) and Osgood (sports hernia) will not be in the lineup tonight. Hudler (neck) thinks he can play but Mike Babcock is going to see how he does in the pre-game warmup

- Datsyuk said he hopes to start skating on Thursday but didn’t know if he would be ready for Saturday’s home game against Toronto (via Khan).

Vancouver - Alberts (wrist), Glass (upper body) and Edler (back surgery) remain out of the lineup tonight. However, Kevin Bieksa (foot) is expected to play.

Leading Scorers vs. Opponent

-Zetterberg will be relied upon even more with Datsyuk, Franzen, Hudler and Bertuzzi out of the lineup and it is a good thing that he has good production versus the Canucks this season

- The Michigan-native Ryan Kesler has been red hot versus the Red Wings so look for him to continue that trend when he heads back home to the Joe tonight.

Red Wing Leaders vs. Canucks
1. Zetterberg: 3GP - 2G-3A-5P
2. Rafalski: 2GP - 0G-4A-4P
3. Kronwall and Cleary: 3GP-2G-1A-3P

Canucks' Leaders vs. Red Wings
1. Kesler: 3GP-0G-6A-6P
2. H. Sedin: 3GP-1G-4A-5P
3. D. Sedin: 3GP-3G-1A-4P

Starting Goaltenders
Detroit Red Wings - Jimmy Howard
Vancouver Canucks - Roberto Luongo

Youngblood's Prediction (I have yet to get one right )
Vancouver - 5
Detroit - 3

Final Thoughts
I will try to post the lineups for the Red Wings prior to the game but I expect them to change throughout the game and depend largely on if Hudler can play. If Babcock decides that Hudler cannot play tonight then he will dress 11 forwards and 7 defenceman. Babcock hinted that Mursak could skate next to Daniel Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg. It seems that Babcock has been switching out RWers on that pairing over the last few games.

I really wanted to jump across the border and make the trip down the I-94 to catch this game LIVE but unfortunately tonight is my final night of my beer league hockey....I am extremely disappointed.

Enjoy the game!


EDIT: It sounds like Osgood will be out until the Playoffs so the goaltending situation will be a very interesting one to watch over the final few weeks

[Dean Youngblood]

Osgood has been place on Injured Reserve allowing for the Wings to recall Joey MacDonald from Grand Rapids

[Dean Youngblood]

Previewing Tonights' Leafs-Wings Matchup @ Joe Louis Arena

The Red Wings and Maple Leafs rivalry used to be huge when the Leafs competed against the Wings in the Norris Division. Honestly, I miss this rivalry because the games always seemed to be exciting.

Tonights' game will be the first and only meeting of the two teams this season (barring the Leafs making playoffs and meeting the Wings in the Stanley Cup final -- you can laugh now). The last Leaf-Wing matchup was back on November 7th, 2009 when the Leafs beat the Red Wings 5-1 at the ACC.

Last 10
Toronto Maple Leafs: 5-4-1
Detroit Red Wings: 4-4-2

Team Notes
Toronto Maple Leafs:
The Maple Leafs are still mathematically eligible to make the playoffs but they cannot afford to forfeit any possible points as they currently sit 5 points out of 8th spot. Every game is do-or-die for Toronto and they will continue to ride one of the leagues' hottest goalies in James Reimer (who has single-handedly given all leaf fans hope)

Detroit Red Wings:
The Red Wings currently hold a 5-point lead in the Central Division so they are unlikely to fall out of third spot in the Western Conference; however, the Red Wings' fan base and organization would like them to play better than they have as of late. Injuries (see below) have caused Detroit to slump a bit lately but it looks as though some key players will be returning to the lineup soon

Who's hot? (via NHL.com)

Phil Kessell scored a goal in Thursday's 4-3 win in Denver, giving the Maple Leafs' leading scorer points in three straight games. Nikolai Kulemin had 2 goals against the Avalanche two nights after he chipped in 2 assists to help the Leafs win in Minnesota. Tyler Bozak also scored against Colorado and, like Kessel, has points in three straight games

Stat pack (via NHL.com)

With Reimer starting the Maple Leafs are 16-7-4. They are 10-1-3 when he makes 30 or more saves.

Injuries
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Colton Orr (concussion)
Colby Armstrong (broken foot)

Detroit Red Wings:
Pavel Datsyuk (lower body) will NOT play tonight
\johan Franzen (groin) will also miss tonights game but is hopeful for Monday's game
Todd Bertuzzi (back) is expected to return to the lineup tonight
Chris Osgood (sports hernia) will likely not play tonight

Starting Goalies
Toronto Maple Leafs: James Reimer
Detroit Red Wings: Jimmy Howard

Prediction
6-3 Detroit Win

[Dean Youngblood]

Last 10
Detroit Red Wings: 5-3-2
Chicago Blackhawks: 5-3-2

Season Series
Tonight's game will be the 4th of 6 meeting between the Wings and Hawks. Chicago has won two of the first three meetings. The Hawks and Wings finish the 2010-11 Regular season with a home-and-home against eachother on April 8th and 10th

Oct 9 - DET 3 @ CHI 2
Dec 17 - DET 1 @ CHI 4
Jan 22 - CHI 4 @ DET 1

Team Notes
Detroit Red Wings:
The Wings are coming off a win over Toronto on Saturday night and will be getting some key players returning to the lineup (Franzen). The Wings plan on holding out superstar Pavel Datsyuk until Wednesday at the earliest, however, Datsyuk could remain out until the weekend games. Jimmy Howard scared the Wings when he left Saturday's matchup with an apparent shoulder sprain. Howard will not miss as much time as initially expected but he will be on the shelve for a few games. The Red Wings are treading in shallow water with their goaltending situation which has no been impressive as of late.

Chicago Blackhawks:
The Blackhawks are playing very important games to finish out the season since their playoff birth is far from gauranteed in a tight Western Conference race. The Hawks will be playing without the valuable Patrick Sharp and will need to dig deep to win tonight to ensure their playoff hopes improve. Tonight will be the start of a three game road trip that will be CRUCIAL to Chicago's playoff hopes. Jonathon Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane have been carrying the team through this tough schedule and that will not change over the final two weeks of the season. Keep an eye on former-red wing Tomas Kopecky as he has 4 of Chicago's 10 goals versus the Red Wings this season.

Who's Hot (via NHL.com)

Daniel Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg have done their best to carry Detroit's beat up offense, with each tallying four points in the last four games. … While Hossa and Kane have each been impressive of late, Toews has been the most productive, with 24 points in his last 17 games.

Injury Report
Chicago Blackhawks' Scratches:
Patrick Sharp (knee)
David Bolland (concussion)
Jordan Hendry (leg)

Detroit Red Wings' Scratches:
Jimmy Howard (Shoulder)
Pavel Datsyuk (Lower-Body Injury)
Chris Osgood (groin)

Update: Johan Franzen (groin) is expected to play tonight. Brian Rafalski and Todd Bertuzzi (back) will continue to play with their injuries.

Top Scorers versus Opponent This Season
Detroit Red Wings' Top Scorers vs. Blackhawks
1. Rafalski - 3 GP, 0G, 3A, 3P
2. Filppula - 2 GP, 2G, 0A, 2P
3. Bertuzzi - 3 GP, 1G, 1A, 2P
4. Ericsson - 2 GP, 0G, 2A, 2P

Chicago Blackhawks' Top Scorers vs. Red Wings
1. Kopecky - 3 GP, 4G, 0A, 4P
2. Brouwer - 3 GP, 1G, 2A, 3P
3. Seabrook - 3 GP, 1G, 2A, 3P
4. Bolland - 3 GP, 1G, 2A, 3P
5. Campoli - 1GP, 1G, 2A, 3P

Starting Goaltenders
Detroit Red Wings: Joey MacDonald; Thomas McCollum has been recalled to back up MacDonald
Chicago Blackhawks: Cory Crawford

Other Media Notes:

via George Malik,
"Khan says that Drew Miller and Jakub Kindl will sit out tonight’s game as healthy scratches.

As for the Wings’ other forward lines, it appears that the Modano-Filppula-Holmstrom and Draper-Helm-Eaves lines will remain as-is, and on defense, it’s Lidstrom with Stuart, Ericsson with Kronwall and, for the moment, Rafalski and Salei.

DY's Prediction
The Blackhawks need to win and I think they will pull it out in the end.
Chicago Blackhawks - 4 (OT)
Detroit Red Wings - 3





OTHER RED WING NEWS:

• Detroit is Celebrating their 20th straight Playoff Appearance Check out the website they dedicated to the twenty years http://www.twentystraight.com/

[ridinryan44]

Ugh. This post hurts now that Hudler has completely disappeared.

I'm beginning to see a pattern

[Bob Loblaw]

Hey guys,

in the final week of playoffs (made final 2) and need to decide between dressing Bertuzzi or Hudler. It's a H2H league with every category imaginable (PPP, SHP, SHOG, etc).

I have Bertuzzi dressed right now but Hudler seems to have had a good week. Is he a better option? I'm skeptical because he's very inconsistent and seems to be in Babcock's doghouse.

Any opinions would be appreciated- gotta dress my lineup before 6:30!

[Dean Youngblood]

I would lean towards starting Bertuzzi over Hudler

[Dean Youngblood]

I would lean towards starting Bertuzzi over Hudler

Can I take this recommendation back? Bertuzzi was given a 5minute major and game misconduct for Elbowing just 5 minutes into tonights game. There could be a suspension coming (possibly)

[Dean Youngblood]

Quick (I have dinner plans) Preview of the Wings vs. Wild @ 5pm EST today

Last 10
Detroit: 5-3-2
Minnesota: 2-7-1

Season Series
Feb 20 - DET won 2-1
Dec 26 - DET won 4-1
Nov 19 - MIN won 4-3

Team Notes
Detroit Red Wings:
- Datsyuk returns to the lineup; Modano will be scratched in his place
- Modano's scratch is a surprise especially since he will not be able to reach the 1500 games played plateau this season as a result of the scratch

This means Westland’s Modano will fall just shy of hitting 1,500 NHL games by season’s end. He stands at 1,496, with four games remaining.

- The Wings have clinched their playoff spot for the 20th straight season (remarkable) and can clinch the Central Division Title with a win today over the Wild

Minnesota Wild:
- The Minnesota Wild have mathematically been eliminated from the postseason.
- Martin Havlat (upper body) was injured last game and will miss tonights game
- Minnesota has struggled recently so this might be the best opponent for the Red Wings to face as they look to get into a groove after a couple lowly weeks.

Injuries
Detroit Red Wings:
- Chris Osgood (groin), Niklas Kronwall (Shoulder)

Minnesota Wild:
- Cam Barker is questionable
- Marek Zidlicky, Nick Schultz, Marty Havlat (upper body), John Madden (lower body), Marco Scandello (finger), Latendresse (lower body), Josh Harding (ACL/MCL), and James Sheppard (knee) will miss the game.

Interesting Stat Pack from NHL.com,

Lidstrom has now made the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons and could reach some potential career milestones this spring. One more playoff point would give him 176 for his career, allowing him to pass Denis Savard and tie Jean Beliveau and former teammate Sergei Fedorov for 13th all-time. Next in line would be Ray Bourque with 180 career playoff points. If the Wings make an extended playoff run and Lidstrom plays in 20 more playoff games, he will pass another former teammate, Chris Chelios, for the most all time.

Starting Goaltenders:
Detroit Red Wings: Joey MacDonald
Minnesota Wild: Jose Theodore

[Dean Youngblood]

The final game of the 2010-2011 is upon the Red Wings and it is probably safe to say that it's been an emotional and physically challenging season. The Red Wings have experienced key injuries to almost all of its key players - Datsyuk, Franzen, Cleary, Bertuzzi, Howard, Osgood, Rafalski, Kronwall and the latest to their leading scorer Zetterberg (80 points).

The Wings will enter Chicago with a chance to end the Stanley Cup defending champs playoff dreams. How is that for motivation?

Season Series:
The Blackhawks have won 4 of the 5 meetings this season versus the Red Wings so that will give them confidence.

April 8, 2011 CHI 4 @ DET 2
Mar 28, 2011 CHI 3 @ DET 3 (OT)
Jan 22, 2011 CHI 4 @ DET 1
Dec 17, 2010 DET 1 @ CHI 4
Oct 9, 2010 DET 3 @ CHI 2

You have to go all the way back to the first meeting of the season to find a Detroit win against Chicago.

Blackhawks Playoff Hopes

The Blackhawks need to get at least a point in order to prevent Dallas from sneaking into the final 8th spot later this evening. The Red Wings can still take over 2nd place in the Western Conference with a win today. Detroit has a few things to play for. One, eliminating a division rival. And, two, reclaiming second place in the West from the San Jose Sharks.

From KuklasKorner,
Not only will a Blackhawks win on Sunday over Detroit at the United Center clinch a playoff spot, it would push the Hawks to fifth place in the Western Conference and earn them a first-round date with Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne andthe Anaheim Ducks

Central Division Champions
The Red Wings have, once again, won the NHL's Central Division. However, Detroit cannot be especially happy at their recent play and would like to pick up some momentum in their final game as they head into post season action.

Red Wing Playoff Matchups
If......

• Detroit wins = Phoenix Coyotes
• Detroit loses = Nashville Predators

Wing fans, Who do you want to face? The Preds own a 4-1-1 record versus the Wings this season.


Who's Hot (via NHL.com)

Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook scored the first goal on Friday and has 5 points in four games. Marian Hossa has goals in Chicago's last two games.

Injuries

Chicago Blackhawks:
- Patrick Sharp (knee) and Tomas Kopecky (ear) missed yesterday's practice but will play in todays final game
- David Bolland (concussion) might be ready for playoffs
- Troy Brouwer (lower body) will miss his second straight game

Detroit Red Wings:
- Henrik Zetterberg (lower body) and Niklas Kronwall (upper body) will not play
- Chris Osgood (groin) remains out.

Leading Scorers vs Opponents
Detroit Red Wings' Leading Scorers vs. Hawks (2010-11)
1. Brian Rafalski 5GP -0G-5A-5P
2. Valtteri Filppula 4GP - 2G-1A-3P
3. Jonathon Ericsson 4GP -0G-3A-3P

Chicago Blackhawks' Leading Scorers vs. Red Wings (2010-11)
1. Brent Seabrook 5GP -3G-3A-6P
2. Marian Hossa 4GP -2G-4A-6P
3. Patrick Kane 4GP-0G-6A-6P


Starting Goaltenders
Chicago Blackhawks: Corey Crawford
Detroit Red Wings: Jimmy Howard


DY's Game Prediction

- Kane is a gamer and loves these big games. Look for a big game from Kane and his linemates (2+ points gauranteed)

- DETROIT 3 @ BLACKHAWKS 5



Great Regular Season Wing Nuts. Check this out for motivation!

[Shake]

So DY what's your gut feeling tell ya about Raffy's replacement this year? Who do YOU feel would be a great fit and or most likely to go to Motown??

You did mention Kaberle in another thread, think that comes to fruition?