Wings-Avs Non Rivalry

Pavel Datsyuk scored his 200th career NHL goal tonight, which was is 595th of his career. Datsyuk is playing in his 609th career game.

The Wings are currently being outplayed by the Avs, being outshot 21-10, but still hold a 3-1 lead with about five minutes to go in the second. Val Filppula’s pass to set up Franzen for the Wings’ third goal and his second of the night was absolutely beautiful. The continued improvement of the line will make the Wings dangerous all season long.

Update: Well, the Wings dominated the last five minutes of that period and after a fantastic cycling shift by Modano-Hudler-Cleary, a turnover led to a weak second goal for the Avs.

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Wings-Ducks

Who would have thought the Wings would have a season opener that is very nasty. Detroit is absolutely dominating Anaheim tonight, in all aspects of the game, and the Ducks have basically just decided to start fighting. Multiple after the whistle scrums and even a few fights; Brad Stuart went at it with Sheldon Brookbank and ….wait for it…..Pavel Datsyuk fought Corey Perry!!! Datsyuk actually held his own in the scrap, getting in multiple shots on that little bitch. Who tries to fight Datsyuk?

Will have the video up once it comes online…

Training Camp Notes

There’s Lidstrom doing his best impression of a Leaf in April….

Red Wings training camp opens up today and here some things that have already come up:

– Niklas Kronwall should be ready to start scrimmaging as early as today.

– Ken Hitchcock has been invited to camp by Mike Babcock to “learn” and see how other teams run thing. There is obviously no on ice role in this situation for Hitch, but it’s cool to see the two build on their Olympic experience.

– Babcock mentioned that the Wings are planning to head into the season with some new defensive pairing, which will see Lidstrom and Rafalski split up at even strength.

Lidstrom-Kronwall
Stuart-Rafalski
Ericsson- Salei
Kindl

Confusing Schedule

I must say that I am shocked Game 1 of the Finals isn’t going to be Saturday afternoon in front a NBC audience that doesn’t care, but I am even more shocked at how much this Finals differs from last year.

This season, the two Conference Finals series ended on Sunday May 23 and Monday May 24; the Finals begins Saturday May 29, with Game 2 on Monday May 31. Last season, the Wings knocked out the Hawks on Wednesday May 27, but started the Finals just three days later on Saturday. Then they played Game 2 less than 24 hours later on Sunday. While Detroit won both of the opening games, the common consensus is that they just ran out of gas over the next five games of the series.

Could this be because Gary Bettman doesn’t have his poster boy in the series?

Babcock on Jiri Hudler

From the Detroit Free Press:

“That’s 70 points we didn’t have. That’s a second power-play unit that can score. It’s more goals for everyone because of the plays he can make. Huds is gonna be committed. He’ll go and he’ll train all summer long, and he’ll come back in great shape, and he’ll be all fired up. We’re going to give him an opportunity to be a top-six forward. He’s gotta show he can be one, and we’ll see what happens.”

Hudler highest total before leaving for the KHL was 57 in 2008-09, but he was averaging under 14 minutes per game at the time. Aside from his game evolving since then and that he is entering his prime, a spot in the  top six likely means a spot on a line with either Datsyuk or Zetterberg.

In past years, Hudler spent most of his regular shifts on the third line, mainly with Filppula at centre and either Cleary or Samuelsson on the other wing. He was always one of their key power-play players, but always on the second unit.

The thing with this prediction is that I’m still not sure if Detroit has plans to add some more offense through free agency. That decision will depend on what happens with UFAs Tomas Holmstrom and Todd Bertuzzi, and RFAs Drew Miller, Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm. I think Helm, Holmstrom and Eaves are locks to return, while Bertuzzi has stated he wants to, but it’s going to depend on cash. I don’t think Drew Miller should be the shoe-in that everyone in Detroit thinks he is; he was good, but the Wings need more scoring from their third and fourth lines.

Round 2 Predictions

Round 2 begins just one day after Round 1 ended. I got six of the eight series right in Round 1, let’s see how Round 2 goes. I will throw up the Wings/Sharks series predictions first because they start tonight:

Stuart Defines the Series

Define: Humilation

When your team is dominating out of the gate, need a win to put away the series, and are given a very early powerplay….and you do this:

Define: Backbreaker

When a team, down 3-1 in game 7 in their own barn, fails to capitalize on a 1:25 two man advantage

x 2 : When the second player’s penalty expires and he gets a breakaway and scores with 4 seconds to go

Define: Retribution

When that player is Brad Stuart