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son of sam99
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April 28th, 2015
Wings Bounced by Habs in Gm 7
Detroit, MI- The near silence of the Detroit Red Wings’ locker room after game 7 Monday night was all any observer needed to deduce the outcome of the game. Though Detroit’s roster is stacked with veterans who have been through first round playoff exits before; experience doesn’t lessen the sting of the season suddenly being over.
Game seven appeared to be in the bag for the visiting team as the Canadiens jumped out to a commanding lead with two quick goal in the final five minutes of the first period. Detroit fought back, however, as Gustav Nyquist netted a one timer off of an excellent pass from Stephen Weiss at 5:22 in the second. With less than a minute remaining in the second frame Henrik Zetterberg knotted the contest with an unassisted breakaway goal giving the home team momentum going into the locker room.
The teams battled back and forth in the third with numerous scoring chances at both ends. The Joe Louis Arena crowd nearly erupted with seven minutes remaining in regulation as Pavel Datsyuk drove the net and deked out Habs goaltender Carey Price only to hit the post. Just over two minutes after that Max Pacioretty released a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle onto Brian Elliot which gave Montreal the lead they would carry until the final horn.
“Disappointing is really all you can say.” Henrik Zetterberg said after the game. “You know last year we didn’t have any home ice and were able to win it all then we’ve got that advantage this year and we can’t get past the first round… Just disappointing.”
The Red Wings now enter an offseason riddled with question marks. No one is sure if head coach Mike Babcock will be returning to the club as contract negotiations have broken down. Personnel wise; contributors such as Valdimir Tarasenko, Michael Frolik, Brendan Smith, and Darren Helm have all reached the end of their contracts.
When asked about the impending offseason General Manager Rick Watkins had the following to say; “Just like any offseason there’s going to be a lot of moving parts over the next several months. Ideally we’d have more guys under longer contracts but we’ll make adjustments as we see fit.”
Series Recap
Game 1: Montreal 3 – Detroit 1
Game 2: Montreal 1 – Detroit 2
Game 3: Detroit 2 – Montreal 4
Game 4: Detroit 2 – Montreal 1
Game 5: Montreal 5 – Detroit 3
Game 6: Detroit 3 – Montreal 2
Game 7: Montreal 3 – Detroit 2
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April 14th, 2015
NHL Whiparound Playoff edition
- On fire: Rangers
o The Rangers have gone 16-3-1 since March 1st to storm their way to the top of the Metro Division. Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist have been team MVPs over that time and stand unified under the power of the hockey mullet which is being seen on the streets of New York City for the first time in ages. They’ll need that extra help as they’ll face the Penguins in the first round. First round upsets are a hallmark of the Stanley Cup Playoffs but this year the higher seeds are especially vulnerable in the East as only ten points separate the top from the bottom.
- Something to prove: Ducks
o Anaheim could be dangerous this post season. The team feels they’ve got nothing to lose after winning their last four games of the season, all of which they needed to narrowly edge the Arizona Coyotes for a playoff berth. Their first round matchup with Chicago is going to be a huge hurdle but in the Stanley Cup Playoffs any team that is hot can win a best of seven series.
- Best in the League: Blackhawks
o Chicago has held the best record in the league for nearly the entire season and clinched the President’s Trophy on Saturday. The overriding theme all season has been the last ride of Kane and Toews together as they’re both due for new contracts at the end of the season. They’ll look for a little more magic from those two as the goaltending has been shaky over the last month. If the Blackhawks make it to the conference finals it will be thanks to superior defensive play to complement their powerful offense.
- Defending Champs: Red Wings
o The Red Wings enter the post season with quite a bit more fanfare than last season when no one expected them to make a run at the cup much less win it. However, without top scorer Valdimir Tarasenko, defender Jonathan Ericsson they’ll be behind the eight ball. The key to last season’s cup victory was Brian Elliot’s masterful payoff performance. His regular season numbers have been less than stellar so he’ll need to get sharp if Detroit wants a shot at defending their trophy. With a first round matchup against Montreal the Wings are definitely in danger of being knocked out early.
- Going for it all: Oilers
Edmonton pushed all of their chips to the center of the table at the trade deadline, dealing four prospects and two first round draft picks to acquire Boychuck and Glenncross. The Oilers are all in on this year to make a run at the cup for the first time since 2006. With youngster Ryan Nugent-Hopkins leading the way this is definitely a dangerous team with a shot at making a deep run.
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NHL League Leaders - Updated: Apr 12, 2015 Goals G Assists A 1. P. Datsyuk 36 1. C. Perry 50 2. J. Skinner 33 2. R. Nugent-Kopkins 50 3. T. Vanek 33 3. J. Thornton 49 4. P. Kessel 33 4. S. Stamkos 47 5. M. Gaborik 33 5. J. Toews 45 Points P Plus/ Minus +/- 1. S. Stamkos 76 1. D. Doughty 33 2. P. Kessel 76 2. A. Kopitar 29 3. J. Toews 72 3. G. Landeskog 27 4. C. Perry 72 4. B. Ryan 27 5. C. Giroux 72 5. S. Salo 26 -
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Detroit Red Wings Leaders - Updated: Apr 12, 2015 Goals G Assits A 1. Pavel Datsyuk 36 1. Niklas Kronwall 42 2. Vladimir Tarasenko 25 2. Jakub Kindl 39 3. Henrik Zetterberg 20 3. Henrik Zetterberg 37 4. Johan Franzen 17 4. Gustav Nyquist 34 5. Cal Clutterbuck 17 5. Pavel Datsyuk 31 Points P Plus/ Minus +/- 1. Pavel Datsyuk 67 1. Niklas Kronwall 19 2. Henrik Zetterberg 57 2. Vladimir Tarasenko 14 3. Vladimir Taresenko 55 3. Tomas Tatar 12 4. Niklas Kronwall 52 4. Justin Abdelkader 10 5. Gustav Nyquist 48 5. Pavel Datsyuk 9 -
Detroit Red Wings April 2014-15 Schedule DATE OPPONENT RESULT Apr 3 vs Florida Panthers Lost, 6-5 Apr 4 at Montreal Canadiens Lost, 4-3 Apr 7 vs Montreal Canadiens Lost, 3-1 Apr 9 at Buffalo Sabres Won, 4-1 Apr 11 at Florida Panthers Won, 5-4 -
Entry: April 12th, 2015
April finished up 2-3 including two losses to our first round playoff opponent, the Montreal Canadiens. We reached our stated goal of 46 wins but President Illich has also said he would like for us to make a run into the conference finals. I think that’s reachable but we’re going to have to do so without the services of Vladimir Tarasenko who was diagnosed with a concussion. Unfortunately that means we’re going to have to resort to putting Wojtek Wolski back in the lineup who hasn’t skated a game since December.
The other area of concern is between the pipes. We’ll need another superstar performance from Brian Elliot this offseason if we want to make a run at defending our trophy. Our defensive corps is without Jonathan Ericsson so we’re resorting to Brian Lashoff there which is fine but he’s just inexperienced in playoff hockey.
Since April began all discussion with Coach Babcock has ceased on coming up with a new deal. I think we aren’t able to offer enough money to keep him on our bench. I get the feeling he’s just looking to make a change but I’m not sure.
He’s been with the franchise for ages and brought the city two Stanley Cups (so far) so unless his people pull some sneaky deal behind our back I think we’ll part amicably. That being said I believe in my heart that the Detroit Red Wings is the best franchise in the NHL to work for, that along with his history with the team it’s very surprising to me he wants to make a change.
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Detroit Red Wings April 2014-15 Schedule DATE OPPONENT RESULT Apr 3 vs Florida Panthers Apr 4 at Montreal Canadiens Apr 7 vs Montreal Canadiens Apr 9 at Buffalo Sabres Apr 11 at Florida Panthers -
NHL League Leaders - Updated: Apr 1, 2015 Goals G Assists A 1. P. Datsyuk 35 1. R. Nugent-Hopkins 48 2. P. Kessel 33 2. C. Perry 44 3. A. Ovechkin 31 3. J. Thornton 44 4. D. Backes 31 4. S. Stamkos 43 5. J. Skinner 30 5. C. Giroux 43 Points P +/- +/- 1. P. Kessel 72 1. D. Doughty +31 2. S. Stamkos 70 2. R. Nugent-Hopkins +26 3. J. Toews 67 3. B. Ryan +25 4. R. Nugent-Hopkins 67 4. B. Gallagher +25 5. C. Giroux 66 5. A. Steen +25 -
Playoff Push NHL Whiparound
March 31st 2015
- Who’s Hot?
o EC: New York Rangers (10-3-1)- The Broadway blue shirts entered march fourth in the division and on the precipice of missing the playoffs. However, they promptly kicked it in gear and turned their 14 game slate into 21 points putting tem second in the Metro and in striking distance of the first place Blue Jackets.
o WC: Chicago (10-4-0)- The beat goes on for the Blackhawks who are now five points ahead of Tampa Bay, Columbus & Detroit for the President’s Trophy. They’ve already sewn up a playoff spot and barring a major collapse They’ll secure
- Who’s Not?
o EC: Montreal (6-7-2)- The Habitants quickly went from comfortably in the playoffs to scrambling for one of the final two spots. Worse yet the hated Ottawa Senators are on their heels just two points back. The last month hasn’t been without effort for the Canadiens but for whatever reason the Bell Centre has turned into a house of pain as the home team went 1-6-2 there in March.
o WC: Calgary (2-11-1)- obviously the last place Flames are not hot but winning just two games in a month’s span has everyone assuming its tank job. Not that Calgary needs to tank as they’re already firmly entrenched in second to last place and even if they lose every game from here out its unlikely they’ll (catch?) the Islanders
- No Overtime
o The Dallas Stars leads the league in overtime losses with fifteen. If they had been able to turn only ten of those into wins they’d have 81 points and be in striking distance of the playoffs. As it stands now they’re last in their division.
- Sinking Island
o The hapless Islanders hit the high point of their season by beating the Red Wings on back to back Saturdays. On the 14th the Isles bested the Wings at Nassau Coliseum in a shootout and on the 21st they blanked Detroit in Motown 5-0. John Tavares stated that this was the type of hockey his team has been capable of playing all season.
- Vanek Streaking
o Thomas Vanek has been absolutely on fire s of late. Though the Canadiens have been sliding lately Vanek has maybe been the only thing keeping their playoff dreams afloat as he netted a scorching 13 goals last month. “When you’re hot, you’re hot. I try not to overthink it, just keep doing what you’ve done every day so far and good things will happen.” The Austrian said after Montreal’s home loss to the Jets on March 30th.
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Detroit Red Wings Leaders - Updated: Apr 1, 2015 Goals G Assists A 1. P. Datsyuk 35 1. N. Kronwall 41 2. V. Tarasenko 24 2. H. Zetterberg 35 3. H. Zetterberg 17 3. J. Kindl 34 4. D. Helm 16 4. G. Nyquist 33 5. C. Clutterbuck 15 5. P. Datsyuk 30 Points P +/- +/- 1. P. Datsyuk 65 1. V. Tarasenko +17 2. V. Tarasenko 53 2. N. Kronwall +17 3. H. Zetterberg 52 3. P. Datsyuk +14 4. N. Kronwall 50 4. J. Abdelkader +11 5. G. Nyquist 46 5. T. Tatar +10 -
Detroit Red Wings March 2014-15 Schedule DATE OPPONENT RESULT Mar 2 at San Jose Sharks Won, 3-2 Mar 3 at Phoenix Coyotes Lost, 4-3 Mar 4 vs TRADE DEADLINE Mar 6 at LA Kings Lost, 8-6 Mar 8 at Tampa Bay Lightning Won, 3-2 Mar 10 vs Boston Bruins Lost, 3-1 Mar 12 vs Ottawa Senators Lost, 6-3 Mar 14 at New York Islanders Lost, 4-3 Mar 16 vs New York Rangers Lost, 3-2 Mar 19 vs New Jersey Devils Won, 5-2 Mar 21 vs New York Islanders Lost, 5-0 Mar 23 at Washington Capitals Won, 6-5 Mar 24 vs Philadelphia Flyers Lost, 5-4 Mar 26 at Pittsburgh Penguins Won, 2-0 Mar 28 at Columbus Blue Jackets Won, 6-2 Mar 30 vs Buffalo Sabres Won, 2-1 -
Entry: April 1st, 2015
The Washington Capitals screwed us. Not a ton more to say than that. We worked on a deal for Niklas Backstrom for three days only to find out at the end he wasn’t even healthy to begin with.
We even sent Johan Franzen back to Detroit from Phoenix assuming he’d be traded! I understand these thing happen from time to time but to get stabbed like this in the back it feels is a bad move. I know I don’t have much clout among GMs around the league but Washington just made an enemy.
On the ice the boys went 7-6-2 and fortunately were able to win their final three games at the end of the month or it would have been a very rough lead up to the playoffs. As it stands with five games to go we’ve still got a great shot at winning the division. Despite the fact we can still do that I’m not inspired by this roster or the way they performed on the ice.
It appears that we’re carried only by our top line scorers and are unable to shut down even the worst team in the NHL. Coach Babs has shuffled up our defensive pairings but it seems like Kindl & Ericsson are just liabilities at times and DeKeyser is a promising young player but maybe not ready for the big time. Of course none of this is helped by seemingly constant injuries to our top 6 blue liners. We’re fortunate to have guys like Brian Lashoff and Xavier Oulett ready in Grand Rapids to step in when guys go down but they’re very green.
I’ve grown more confidant in the trade with the Islanders to secure the top draft spot but as I’ve watched this franchise over the last two seasons I’m less and less impressed with their play on the ice outside of the top two lines.
The front office, at my direction, is looking into ways to retool our roster. Guys like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, & Kronwall are all safe of course. But we’ve got to figure out how to shut some teams down. I believe the blue line and goalie will be our biggest focus points in the coming offseason. Brian Elliot is a hard worker and was a playoff hero last year but I believe we just caught lightning in a bottle there. Overall he’s about average.
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March 5 2014
Oilers Go All In at Deadline
To Boston:
Defenseman Mikael Wikstrand, defenseman. Brandon Davidson 2015 1st round pick,
To Edmonton:
D. Johnny Boychuck (DFD 83 31 yrs), LW Shawn Thornton (38yr old)
To Florida:
Goalie Austin Lotz, defenseman M. Vainoen, 2015 1st roubnd pick
To Nashville:
Winger Tomas Kopecky (TWF 83 ovr) rental 33 yrs old
To Calgary:
Defenseman M. Gernat, defenseman A. Lepkowski, 2016 1st round pick
To Edmonton:
Winger Curtis Glencross (84 TWF)
To Winnipeg:
Center Tyler Graovac, defenseman Dylan Labbe
To Minnesota:
Winger Daniel Cleary
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March 5 2014
Backstrom Traded… Then Not
Detroit, MI-- According to league and team sources The Red Wings had agreed in principal on Wednesday Morning to send Johan Franzen, Teemu Pulkkinen, and two draft picks to the Washington Capitals for center Nicklas Backstrom. The deal apparently fell through when Backstrom failed his physical due to lingering concussion related symptoms.
Beat writers covering the Wings knew a deal was in the works when Franzen flew alone back to Detroit and did not skate in their game against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night. It is assumed that Franzen had to be included in the deal for Detroit to take on all of Backstrom’s $6.7 million salary and stay under the cap. In order for Washington to part with their second top scorer Detroit surly would have had to part with their 2015 and 2016 first round draft picks.
The move would have bolstered Washington’s need for young, affordable players and Detroit’s need for goal scorers. However once sources say that once Backstrom failed the physical the Red Wings Front office refused to return to the negotiating table. “We’re disappointed in the conduct of the Capitol’s organization.” Red Wings GM Rick Watkins said when reached for comment. “It is our opinion that they did not deal in good faith on this one.”
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Detroit Red Wings March 2014-15 Schedule DATE OPPONENT RESULT Mar 2 at San Jose Sharks Mar 3 at Phoenix Coyotes Mar 4 vs TRADE DEADLINE Mar 6 at LA Kings Mar 8 at Tampa Bay Lightning Mar 10 vs Boston Bruins Mar 12 vs Ottawa Senators Mar 14 at New York Islanders Mar 16 vs New York Rangers Mar 19 vs New Jersey Devils Mar 21 vs New York Islanders Mar 23 at Washington Capitals Mar 24 vs Philadelphia Flyers Mar 26 at Pittsburgh Penguins Mar 28 at Columbus Blue Jackets Mar 30 vs Buffalo Sabres -
NHL League Leaders - Updated: Mar 1, 2015 Goals G Assists A 1. P. Kessel 28 1. R. Nugent-Hopkins 40 2. J. Skinner 28 2. Z. Parise 39 3. P. Datsyuk 27 3. J. Thornton 38 4. D. Backes 25 4. J. Toews 35 5. B. Marchand 23 5. C. Perry 34 Points P +/- +/- 1. Z. Parise 58 1. M. Duchene +25 2. P. Kessel 57 2. G. Landeskog +24 3. R. Nugent-Hopkins 57 3. A. Tanguay +24 4. J. Toews 54 4. A. Galchenyuk +23 5. S. Stamkos 54 5. A. Steen +22 -
February NHL Whip Around
February 28th 2015
- Who’s Hot?
o WC: Arizona- The Coyotes were under .500 and in 6th place in their division at the end of December. Since then they’ve gone 15-7-5 & moved into second place in the pacific. Though they’re still looking like one of the weakest playoff bound teams, it seems likely they’ll be in the post season and that’s a big save after having won the President’s Trophy last season.
o WC: Nashville- The Preds have managed to navigate the logjam that is the Central division to place themselves second behind Chicago. They’re style of play is gritty and rarely leads to exciting high scoring games but they’re in good position for the playoffs & that should be enough for the fans.
- Who’s Not?
o EC: Detroit- No one could have expected the Wings to keep on the pace they had earlier in the season but 5-9 hockey could turn their season into a disaster if it continues. The results aren’t as concerning as the context. Since returning several key players from the injury report the wins have dwindled as goals against have skyrocketed. Expect the Wings to try once again to bolster their blue line before the deadline.
o WC: Calgary- The Flames have plummeted over the last two months having won just ten games since the New Year. Injuries have plagued the team but from night to night it’s one has to look hard to find the effort and the numerous fundamental mistakes are impossible to miss. No doubt Calgary will be in the market for a new coach sooner than later.
- Justice?
o LA King Robyn Regehr has been suspended by the league for five games following his hit on Carolina Hurricane Nathan Gerbe. While Regeher will be back in time for LA’s post season push Gerbe will likely not see the ice again until next September.
- Refs in trouble
o The February 26th brawl between Ottawa and Boston has put further stress on the officials as Referee Don Richard has been cited by the league for “allowing the violence to escalate.” Richard has been put on paid leave, the officials union plans to appeal.
- Mascot in Danger
o Minnesota mascot Nordy had an interesting second intermission during the Wild’s February 17th tilt against the Blues. The performer botched a high wire type routine leaving him suspended above the playing surface for fifteen minutes while crews attempted to safely lower the mascot to the ice. Fortunately no one was hurt though PETA has filed a complaint with the Wild.
- Player Movement
o Edmonton acquired winger Curtis Glencross from Calgary in exchange for a fisrt round pick in the 2016 draft as well as prospects M. Gernat & A. Lepkowski both of which are defenseman
- Injuries
o Anaheim winger Teemu Selanne incurred a concussion on the 24th possibly ending the winger’s career. Selanne will be 42 this offseason.
o Dallas Winger Mats Zuccarello fractured his wrist on February 4th. If the Stars were to make the playoffs he might be able to play however that seems unlikely.
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NHL Standings Update 3/1/15
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Red Wings Stat Leaders through February 2015
Detroit Red Wings Leaders - Updated: Mar 1, 2015 Goals G Assists A 1. P. Datsyuk 27 1. N. Kronwall 33 2. V. Tarasenko 21 2. H. Zetterberg 29 3. H. Zetterberg 16 3. G. Nyquist 29 4. M. Frolik 14 4. J. Kindl 27 5. C. Clutterbuck 13 5. B. Smith 24 Points P +/- +/- 1. P. Datsyuk 49 1. V. Tarasenko +13 2. H. Zetterberg 45 2. N. Kronwall +12 3. V. Tarasenko 44 3. J. Abdelkader +11 4. N. Kronwall 40 4. T. Tatar +10 5. G. Nyquist 38 5. B. Smith +9 -
Detroit Red Wings February 2014-15 Schedule DATE OPPONENT RESULT Feb 2 at Edmonton Oilers Lost, 3-0 Feb 3 vs Calgary Flames Won, 4-3 Feb 5 at Carolina Hurricanes Lost, 3-2 Feb 6 at Buffalo Sabres Lost, 4-3 Feb 9 at Ottawa Senators Won, 3-2 Feb 10 at Florida Panthers Won, 3-2 Feb 13 vs Montreal Canadiens Lost, 4-3 Feb 16 vs Carolina Hurricanes Lost, 5-1 Feb 17 at New York Rangers Won, 4-3 Feb 19 at Columbus Blue Jackets Lost, 8-3 Feb 21 vs San Jose Sharks Lost, 3-2 Feb 22 vs Anaheim Ducks Lost, 3-2 Feb 24 vs Colorado Avalanche Lost, 5-1 Feb 28 at Vancuover Canucks Won, 5-2 -
Entry: March 1st, 2015
Once again February brought with it a post all-star game slide in February. A four game losing streak punctuated the month where the team won just five of fourteen games. Fortunatly we are still in front of the division thanks to everyone else pretty much succumbing to the dog days of the season.
In order to keep guys fresh coach Babcock has given some of our veteran guys nights off when we’ve had back to back games which I believe is the right call. Unfortunately this effort to keep guys’ legs underneath them may result in lost home games come playoff time. I expect the team to bounce back but once again we’re up against a trade deadline with little to offer potential trade suitors.
We still haven’t been able to nail down Coach Babcock to a contract though both sides are at the table. After not talking for so long his people finally told us he’s looking to potentially test the market basically as a free agent. I’m confident he’ll find a better offer in terms of money but not sure if he’ll find a better situation in terms of winning. I’ve got a meeting set next week with Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill. I’fe Babs hits the road Jeff will be the first person we offer the job to.
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