Gustavsson leads Wings to 3-2 win in Boston.

**I'm a little backed up with everything going on in Detroit sports right now plus work obligations but I will be catching up asap!!**

The Red Wings were not happy with their performances against Boston and Phoenix so Mike Babcock switched up his line up against Philadelphia and it paid dividends with a 5-2 victory.  The
Red Wings were hoping that their line changes would help them avenge a loss just 10 days earlier in the same building against the Bruins.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period:
One line up change was made for this game and it was an unexpected one, as the newly activated Jonas Gustavsson got the start for Jimmy Howard, who is nursing a bruised left hand.  Boston  had the first chance and tested Gustavsson early as Chara hit the post to the right of Gus and the puck bounced harmlessly to the corner and was cleared by Detroit, who came back down the ice as
Abdelkader skated up the near boards and threw a pass over to Franzen on a two on one but Franzen sent the wrist shot wide of the net glove side.  Marchand had a great scoring chance as he was able to walk into the slot from the half boards and send a wrister on net but Gustavsson made the save, and Chara skated in from the blue line but sent the rebound just wide of an open net.  Drew Miller had a good chance at the other end, throwing the puck from the slot between a bunch of legs that Rask had to fight off with his right pad, then Brian Lashoff, playing his second consecutive game replacing Brendon Smith, jumped in from the blue line to keep the puck in the zone and had a blast on net that Rask was able to hold.  Chara had another big rip from the point with a screen set in front but Gustavsson was in the right position to make another save on the big defenseman.  Datsyuk then stole the puck from Bergeron at center ice and turned back into the Boston zone, dipped his shoulder to get around the 6'9 Chara and backhanded a pass across to a streaking Zetterberg, who was patient before taking a sharp angle shot that beat Rask and rattled in off the far post.  Boston responded by ratcheting up the pressure as Siedenburg blasted a shot from the point but Gustavsson flashed his glove and held on.  Boston pressured Detroit behind the net and forced a turnover that came back to the half boards to Boychuk who stepped in and threw the put towards the net and it deflected off of Loui Eriksson's knee and past Gustavsson to tie the game 1-1.  Kindl was called for interference and Boston went to the power play for the first time with 4 minutes left in the period but they created no significant chances and the period closed with the score still tied 1-1. 

Second Period:
Jonathan Eriksson got the first chance of the period but his slap shot from the right point sailed over the net.  David Krejci tipped a shot into Gustavsson on the other end but the Red Wings goalie was able to cover up.  Dekeyser had a nice shot through a Bertuzzi screen but Rask was in position and was able to make the save.  Iginla took a cross ice pass from the half boards into the slot and was wide open for a one timed snap shop but Gustavsson came across the crease and made a huge save.  Daniel Paille streaked up the near boards and blasted a shot at from the top of the circle but again Gustavsson was in the right position to make the save.  Tory Krug had an opportunity to give Boston a lead as he came in from the point after a scramble in front of the Detroit net and collected the puck but his shot was denied the open net by Alfredsson saving Gustavsson, who was sprawled on the ice.  Back down the other end Franzen entered the zone and pulled up waiting for help, he found Weiss behind two Bruins defenseman and Stephen Weiss was able to chip the puck over the far shoulder of Rask into the top corner for a 2-1 Red Wings lead.  Just two minutes later, Alfredsson controlled
the puck behind the Boston goal and centered to a streaking Dan Cleary, who snapped the puck passed Rask to push Detroit's lead to 3-1.  The Bruins went back to the power play after Tory Krug's
shot from the point was tipped over the net and into the corner, Brian Lashoff was called for cross checking.  The Bruins power play was set up in the Detroit zone and they moved the puck well but it did not lead to many open chances or shots on goal as the Detroit penalty killers closed down shooters and blocked shots all game long.  After the penalty kill Thornton skated up the right wing and blasted a shot on Gustavsson that he kicked aside with his right pad.  A turnover off of a linesman by Franzen at center ice led to a Krug chance and a scrum in front of Gustavsson that ended with matching roughing minors for Dekeyser and Krejci.  It was 4 on 4 for the last 30 seconds of the period but nothing of note transpired, the period ended 3-1 Detroit.
     
Third Period:
Bergeron Started the period with a good chance from the top of the circles but Gustavsson made the save.  Jordin Tootoo made his presence felt as he flew around the ice in his limited action but he
had a good shot on Rask and Datsyuk followed up with a spinning backhand that Rask had to stop with his right pad.  Kronwall was called for a penalty 5 minutes into the period and Boston went to their 3rd power play of the game.  Six seconds into the penalty, Dan Cleary was called for a tripping penalty as he took out the skate of Matt Barkowski giving the Bruins a near full 2 minutes of 5 on 3.  The Bruins peppered the net with heavy shots as Chrara had four blasts from the point that were either stopped by Gustavsson, blocked in front or shot wide of the net.  Iginla also had two chances blocked in front, and one knocked away by Gustavsson.  The Wings were able to escape unscathed from the danger and killed off both penalties.  Shortly after, Bertuzzi intercepted a pass in the slot and went right in on Rask but he was stopped and pushed over top the Boston goalie and his face smashed into the far goal post, then the ice.  He left to receive 9 stitches on a cut over his right eye.  The Bruins, trailing by two had zero shots on goal for nearly 10 minutes after the 5 on 3 kill, until the Wings were called for their 5th penalty of the game when Alfredsson was whistled for boarding.   Boston could not create any chances again on the 5 on 4 advantage as Glendening and Miller had big clears for the Wings.  With 1:30 left in the game, a bouncing puck found its way to Milan Lucic in the slot and he was able to back hand it past Gustavsson's left shoulder into the top corner to cut the Wings lead to 3-2.  The Red Wings would hold on under the Boston pressure the last 90 seconds and escape with a 3-2 win in Boston.

Game notes:

• Shots: Detroit 27, Boston 30.
• Faceoffs won: Detroit 24, Boston 22.
• Power plays: Boston 0-5, Detroit 0-0.  Seriously, no penalties for Boston?
• Abdelkader's streak is broken after just 5 games, recording only 2 hits.
• Gustavsson was outstanding in net in his first start of the year.  This will be a big confidence booster coming off an injury in the preseason. 
• Detroit blocked 22 shots, they were much better as a team defensively then the last time they played in Boston.  

   

Up next:  The Wings return home Tuesday night to host the fellow newcomer to the eastern conference, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Wings beat Flyers 5-2 as power play wakes up

The Red Wings were coming off back to back losses in which they were out played and outworked in each game.  That obviously didn't sit well with Mike Babcock and he made some line up changes going into the game Saturday night with the Flyers, looking for improved effort from his team.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period: 
Bertuzzi was moved up to the first line not as punishment to Abdelkader but to help the second line of Weiss and Franzen get going.  Alfredsson moved down to the third line and Emmerton was replaced by Glendening, Tootoo replaced Samuelsson on the 4th line.  On defense, Lashoff replaced Brendan smith, who had been too turn over prone in the early going of the season.  Speaking of turnovers, Dekeyser drew an early penalty for hooking after turning the puck over in his own zone, sending the Flyers to the power play.  Philadelphia created only one chance, a shot from the point was deflected by a screen in front by Simmons but Howard was up to the task, helping to kill off the penalty.  The Flyers controlled the action early, continuing to throw pucks at the net from any distance but none of the shots posed any real threat to Howard.  The Red Wings got their first power play 6:49 into the first period as Raffl was called for hooking and Detroit became the last team in the NHL to score a power play goal as Kronwall entered the offensive zone with speed but the puck was knocked off his stick and ended up behind the net where Bertuzzi picked it up and wrapped it around and into the net between Emery's legs.  Howards left pad kept the Flyers at bay on consecutive stops of Brayden Schenn and Tye McGinn as Howard made reflex saves kicking the puck out of harms way.  Zetterberg had a chance breaking in on goal after Datsyuk took the puck away at center ice and fed it to Abdelkader at the near boards at the blue line who centered to the Detroit captain but the puck was poked just wide of the net.  Andersson and Alfredsson had a nice give and go before McGinn drew a tripping penalty to put the Wings back on the power play.  Zetterberg sent a rink wide pass to Alfredsson streaking in from the point and he tried to feed a wide open Bertuzzi in front of the net but the pass was just out of his reach and the Wings couldn't create any other opportunities this time, but would return to the power play with 25 seconds left in the period as Coburn drew a holding penalty.  Datsyuk had two shots that were stopped by Emery before time ran out on the period with the Wings leading 2-1.
 
Second Period:
The Detroit power play carried over from the end of the first period and Kronwall had the best chance on the man advantage but shot the puck just wide of the net off the one time pass from Zetterberg.  Read had a short handed chance when Alfredsson gave the puck away at the blue line and had to race back to prevent a better chance and Howard was there to shut the door.  Glendening, making his NHL debut out of the University of Michigan, was whistled for holding shortly after the Detroit power play had expired.  Howard was sharp and busy, making a glove save on Brayden Schenn down the wing, then stopping Schenn again on a one timed opportunity just above the circles, before blanking Raffl and Schenn one more time.  The Wings needed a good shift and they got great puck control in the offensive zone from Zetterberg who was supported by Datsyuk and Bertuzzi was able to work his way to the front of the net with the puck and draw a penalty.  The Wings took advantage with sharp passing and after 3 or 4 good chances on net, Alfredsson sent the puck across the ice to Kronwall moving in from the point and he blasted it short side over Emery's shoulder into the net for a 2-0 lead.  That lead wouldn't last long as just 43 seconds later Philadelphia would tie the game as the Flyers amped up the pressure and Howard stopped shots by Schenn and Raffl before Erik Gustafsson threw a bouncing puck at Howard from the right point and it hopped over his stick and pad and under his arm into the back of the net.  Read broke in shortly after the goal and nearly tied the game going down the left wing, backhand to forehand off the short side cross bar and over the net.  Philadelphia kept the pressure on as Sean Couturier missed over the net aiming for the far corner after he walked out from behind the net untouched in front of Howard.  Eriksson then coughed up the puck trying to break out of the zone and drew a penalty for hooking because of the turnover.  The Flyers were set up in the Detroit zone but didn't create any chances before Simmons was whistled for holding trying to keep the puck in the zone.  The 4 on 4 play was uneventful, and Datsyuk had the last chance of the period for Detroit on a 2 on 1 but the shot missed just wide, hitting the side of the net as the Wings took a 2-1 lead to the 2nd intermission.     

Third Period:
The Flyers started the third with a flurry of good chances, the first by Nicklas Grossmann but Howard was in position for the save.  The Flyers set up after a faceoff win in the Detroit zone and the puck was thrown off the end boards and bounced right out front to Simmons who's shot was stopped by Howard off of his left arm and Lashoff did a great job at the side of the net tying up Raffl, not allowing him to slam the puck into the open net as it continued to bounce around and Simmons had another attempt on goal but the puck bounced off his own player standing in the crease.  On the other end of the ice Todd Bertuzzi drew another penalty battling for the puck, a high stick grazed him from Coburn.  The Wings would again take advantage as Kronwall and Alfredsson passed the puck across the blue line before finding Datsyuk in the between the circle and he spun and back handed the puck past Emery who was screened by Bertuzzi and never saw the puck.  The Wings led 3-1 but two and a half minutes later the Flyers would bring it to a one goal game again as McGinn would backhand the puck into an open net as Howard had come out to save a slap shot from Giroux and the puck deflected off his blocker right to the open McGinn.  Kronwall made a great defensive play to break up a 2 on 1 opportunity shortly after the goal for the Flyers after Bertuzzi's errant pass at center ice led to the odd man rush.  Schenn came off the boards and drew a slashing penalty to put the flyers on the advantage with 10 minutes left in the period.  Glendening made a great read on a 2 on 1 play right in front of Howard to take the puck away as he and Miller created a 2 on 1 the other way but nothing really came of the opportunity.  Shortly after the penalty was killed off, Datsyuk skated into the offensive zone down the left wing and threw the puck back towards Zetterberg who took what appeared to be a harmless shot at Emery but he whiffed and the puck went under his glove into the net for a 4-2 Detroit lead.  The Flyers pulled emery with a faceoff in Detroit's zone and 2:11 left but the Wings never allowed the Flyers to get comfortable on the puck and eventually Zetterberg would break free on a pass from Datsyuk and fire the puck into the empty net to close the game, 5-2 Detroit. 

Game notes:

• Shots: Detroit 30, Philadelphia 34.
• Faceoffs won: Detroit 36, Philadelphia 27.
• Both teams were coming off loses to the Coyotes.
• Abdelkader had 7 more hits, leading the Wings for a 5th straight game.
• Howard was fantastic, saving 32 of 34 shots.
• Detroit was 3 for 7 on the power play, Philadelphia 0 for 4.
• The Wing have not allowed a power play goal at home this season, killing off all 13 short handed opportunities thus far.   

Up next:  The Wings travel back to Boston to take on the Bruins in a columbus day afternoon game.

Wings cant win a face off, lose 4-2 to Phoenix

The Red Wings had four days off to practice and rest up after their beat down in Boston last Saturday.  Phoenix is the first western conference game for Detroit this season and they should be used to the Coyotes having played them in the playoffs just two seasons ago.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period:  The wings started the Franzen, Weiss, Alfredsson line hoping to get the second line going offensively but it was Abdelkader and Zetterberg who hooked up for the first scoring chance of the game as Zetterberg was alone on the near boards at the blue line and broke in on Phoenix goalie Mike Smith and hit the crossbar on the forehand, as the puck bounced into the stands.  Phoenix controlled most of the play in the first ten minutes of the first period, winning nearly every face-off in the offensive zone and blasting pucks on net from the point on multiple trips down the ice.  Derek Morris scored on one of the shots, as it went through a crowd of players legs and past Howard to the far post and into the net.  The next face-off in Detroit's zone was won by the Coyotes and the puck rang off the crossbar from the point and the Wings narrowly avoided going down 2-0.  Datsyuk put the moves on the Coyotes defenses, crossing over inside then outside and looked to have a shooting opportunity but passed across to Abdelkader who was stopped by Smith.  Phoenix continued to throw pucks at the net from the point as the Coyotes won 20 of 27 face-offs in the first period.  Abdelkader and Kyle Chipchura got a little chippy after the whistle at center ice and it led to matching minors and a 4-on-4 but neither team was able to score with the extra open ice.  The Wings had the next scoring chance as Dan Cleary skated up the right wing and flipped a back handed centering pass to Stephen Weiss.  The puck got underneath the pads of smith and the Red Wings forwards jammed away but the officials ruled the whistled was blown and the puck had not crossed the line.  Datsyuk again raced up the middle and as he tried to split two defenders, he drew a penalty to put the Wings on the power play.  It was short lived however as Franzen was whistled for hooking just 15 seconds into the man advantage, so we went back to 4-on-4 with 2:31 left in the period.  The play was up and down the ice the rest of the period but no real chances emerged the rest of the period as Phoenix took the 1-0 lead into the intermission. 

Second Period:
Kyle Quincey started the second period off with a diving defensive play to knock the puck away from Mikkel Boedker who would have had a wide open scoring chance in front of the Detroit net.  Drew Miller followed that up with a great chance as he skated across the blue line and let go of a wrist shot that bounced off Smith's shoulder.  Kindl then took the puck up the right wing and flipped the it to a hard charging Cleary in front of the net, the puck bounced off Smith and Andersson slammed home the rebound top shelf to tie the game at 1.  Just 53 seconds later, Jonathan Eriksson held the puck in at the point and threw it at the front of the net where Abdelkader was standing alone for the redirection, but he missed the puck all together.  However, the distraction was enough to fool Smith as the puck sailed passed him for a 2-1 Detroit lead.  the lead was short lived as Phoenix came right back a minute later and off a deflection in front of Howard, the puck squirted free to Boedker and he patiently waited for Howard to sprawl to the ice, found the open side of the net and tied the game at 2.  Play was fast and furious with no stoppages for over seven minutes as the Wings had two point blank scoring chances from the Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Abdelkader line.  First Datsyuk took the puck up the right boards and fought off a defender all the way to the end line before centering the puck across the front of the crease to a wide open Abdelkader who was absolutely stoned by Smith.  On their next shift, Datsyuk passed to Zetterberg at the blue line next to bench, he sent the puck across the zone to a streaking Abdelkader who passed back to Datsyuk and the puck went underneath smith but just wide of the far post.  DeKeyser made a great defensive play on a wrap around attempt, knocking the puck off the  stick of Vrbata before he could put it into the wide open net, keeping the game 2-2 at the end of the second period.

Third Period:
The first 5 minutes of the third period were up and down the ice but no team really created any scoring opportunities until the Coyotes had a 4 on 2 but failed to move the puck and settled for a fairly easy save by Jimmy Howard on Lauri Korpikoski .  Phoenix had another odd man rush but Andersson hustled back to negate the 2-on-1 and the centering pass sailed harmlessly to the corner.  The Wings got their offense going as abdelkader missed just wide of the net glove side from the right circle after a Coyotes give away in their own zone.  Weiss, Franzen, and Alfredsson had a beautiful break out passing play that led to a wide open chance for Daniel Alfredsson who is still looking for his first goal with his new team, but Smith was up to the task with a big right pad save.  Detroit got its first full power play with 12:06 left in the third as Kindl was tripped behind his own net, but the Wings failed to get set up in the offensive zone until there was only 30 seconds left on the man advantage, and managed only one shot from Zetterberg.  That shot hit smith on the left wrist and he was visibly hurting the rest of the game.  Phoenix went on the power play with just under 7 minutes remaining as Weiss was called for hooking in the offensive zone.  Andersson broke his stick on the penalty kill but Howard made a congested save on a wrist shot and held on to stop play.  The Wings technically killed off the penalty but before Weiss could get out of the box and back into the play, Michael Stone's slap shot from the right point sailed past a screened Howard and off the far goal post and into the net for a 3-2 Coyotes lead.  The Wings didn't really create any significant chances the rest of the way, even as they pulled Howard they couldn't keep the puck in the Coyotes zone and Phoenix would add the empty net goal to put the game away 4-2.


Game notes:

• Shots: Detroit 30, Phoenix 38.
• Face-offs won: Detroit 24, Phoenix 46.
• Detroit has allowed 75 shots against their last two games, both losses, compared to just 45 in their first two wins. it feels like the wings don't have that same aggressiveness on defense right now to close down time and space, they are sitting back and waiting for things to happen.
• Phoenix had lost their last two games by a combined score of 10-2, they held a players only meeting and they sure came out with energy and fire tonight.
• Detroit's power play is now 0-10 on the season.
• Abdelkader had another 5 hits, leading the team for the 4th game in a row this season.
• The Franzen, Weiss, Alfredsson line was on the ice for each of the Coyotes 4 goals. 

Up next:  The Wings host Philadelphia Saturday night, looking to end their two game skid.

Wings lose first game of season to Bruins 4-1.

The Red Wings dominated play against the Hurricanes but had to rally in the third period to tie the game before Stephan Wiess won it for the Wings in OT.  Detroit travels to new division rival Boston in the first Original Six tilt of the season.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period: 
The first 5 minutes of the game were up and down the ice but chances were limited.  The Bruins found themselves with a 4 on 2 but they never moved the puck and the spacing was poor forcing a shot by Loui Eriksson that was stopped by Howard.  Kyle Quincey and Dan Cleary combined for the first Detroit chance as Cleary screened Tukka Rask as quincy shot from the point, Rask stopped the initial shot and Cleary sent the rebound wide on the backhand.  There have been multiple times this season where Detroit's defenseman allow players to carry the puck into the zone with no pressure and let them wind up and take a blast at net, Howard made a big save in a the first on that exact situation on Torey Krug.  Kronwall was called for holding and on the ensuing power play, Krug was wide open at the point, while Chara was a wall in front of Howard and Krug blasted the puck into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.  Detroit responded well with a couple of chances of their own, Zetterberg threw the puck across the crease and it hopped over a wide open Datsyuk's stick and Boston cleared the zone.  Brendan smith had a chance to shoot as he moved in from the point to the top of the circle but choose to try and make an extra pass and it was tipped away by the Boston defense and it led to an rush up the ice for the Bruins but Howard was up to the task, saving the back hand attempt by David Krejci.  Abdelkader was able to walk into the Bruins zone and get a good chance on Rask, who made the save but the rebound bounced to Zetterberg who beat the Boston goalie over his shoulder from the left circle to tie the game at one.  Boston almost re-took the lead as Kronwall turned the puck over in front of his own net to Bergeron but Howard was able to cover up before any damage was done to end the period.   

Second Period:
The Bruins got the offense started early in the period as Brad Marchand skated up the right wing and with his left handed shot was able to beat Howard as he seemed to over commit his angle allowing the puck to ring off the far post and into the back of the net less then a minute into the period.  The Bruins kept pushing the play and had a two on one opportunity but the pass was blocked away nicely by Kindl.  The goal scorer Marchand was injured on an accidental collision with Abdelkader in front of the Boston goal, but he was able to return later in the game.  Howard made another big save on Jordan Caron before the net was knocked off and play was halted.  After back to back icing calls, the Wings were unable to change and the Bruins took advantage, even though the Wings won the faceoff, a turnover in their own zone got the puck to the front of the net and as two Wings went to cover Riley Smith, they left Caron wide open as Smith found him and Caron put it into the back of the net extending the lead to 3-1.  The Wings again responded with some chances as Alfredsson had a chance up the right wing denied by Rask, and Tatar had a one on one chance but he tried to spin around the defender and never got a shot away.  Andersson drew a penalty to put the Wings on the power play after an energetic shift full of puck possession from Alfredsson but the Wings power play looked awful and created no chances over the two minute span.  Bertuzzi drew a penalty near the end of the period and while the Boston power play was unable to score, they set up in the Detroit zone, moved the puck around, got the puck on net, and created chances.  It looked like a power play.  Boston had a late chance as Howard sprawled across the crease to stop Eriksson, who hesitated too long or he probably would have scored.

Third Period:
The third period was played at a high tempo early but, just like in the opening period, there weren't a lot of great scoring chances.  Drew miller had the best chance early for the Wings as Tatar centered the puck on his backhand from behind the net and Miller almost poked it home.  Boston's first chance came from Krejci as he skated into the Detroit zone crossing the ice left to right and fired a wrist shot between the circles across his body but Howard made the save.  Dekeyser was called for an interference penalty and Patrice Bergeron hit the outside of the post from the right half boards but the Bruins were unable to increase the lead.  With the Wings trailing by two they were playing too much in their own zone, unable to make any real effort to come back, including taking back to back penalties as Franzen was whistled for a holding penalty giving the Bruins another power play.  This time Boston would take advantage and put the game out of reach as they created a turnover at the blue line and Milan Lucic fed Chara right in front of Howard and he scored easily off his backhand.  The game was essentially over at that point and the final 8 minutes didn't offer any excitement as Boston would go on to win by the final margin of 4-1.  

Game Notes:

• Shots: Detroit 26, Boston 37
• Faceoffs won: Detroit 32, Boston 25.
• Abdelkader led the Wings with three hits, that's three games in a row!
• Tomas Tatar was active for the first time this year, replacing Mikeal Samuelsson in the lineup.
• Detroits special teams units have not been good thus far through 3 games.  The power play is 0 for 12 and the penalty kill has given up 3 goals already.
• Detroit was playing its third game in 4 days, while this was just Boston's second game of the season, they had been off since Thursday.  The Wings looked tired in the 3rd, and really unable to match the Bruins intensity all night.
• These two teams will meet in Boston again in 9 days.
• Brendan Smith played against his brother Riley Smith. 

   Up next:  The Wings are off until Thursday when they host Phoenix at the Joe.

Wings rally late, top Hurricanes in OT

After opening the season with a 2-1 win against Buffalo, the Wings hit the road to take on Carolina in the Hurricanes season opener.  Though Carolina is an Eastern Conference team, they are in the Metropolitan division.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period: 
Carolina got the first offensive chance right off the opening faceoff as the Red Wings were changing the defense pairing in order to match up, the Hurricanes Nathan Gerbe brought the puck across the blue line and ripped a shot at Howard, who knocked the puck to the corner.  The Wings first chance came from Kronwall as the puck bounced out from behind the net and the defenseman stepped in at the top of the circle to one time a slap shot that bounced off Cam Ward.  The action was back and forth early as Carolina took the puck back down the ice and Nash almost snuck a wrap around past Howard, but the puck hit the outside of the post and stayed out of the net.  Carolina started the game with a lot of energy and they play an aggressive fore-checking style, but Skinner was too aggressive drawing a penalty trying to take the puck away in the Detroit zone.  The Red Wings power play didn't get set up for any great scoring chances because of Carolinas aggressiveness.  Andersson gave the puck away in his own zone at the end of the power play and the puck bounced to a wide open Alexander Semin but before he could shoot he was knocked off the puck.  Zetterberg had the wings best chance of the period as he wove his way through the Hurricane defense and around Cam Ward but his shot hit the short side post from a tough angle.  back the other way, Andersson made up for his previous giveaway bye hustling back to stop an odd man rush, from there the Wings had a plethora of chances the last half of the period but just couldn't find the back of the net as Cam Ward stopped Zetterberg again after a Carolina giveaway, then a left pad save bye Ward off the faceoff.  Alfredsson had a wrist shot into wards glove, Datsyuk an attempt knocked away by the blocker.  While the Wings were dominating play, Carolina was able to light the lamp first, as Skinner threw the puck at the net from the blue line, just out of the reach of three Red Wings, including Howard and Dvorak chipped the puck up and over Howards glove into the back of the net.  The Wings had more chances, but datsyuk fanned on a shot attempt after a great set up from Brendan Smith moving in with skill from the blue line and Quincy sent a shot just wide after a great backhand pass from Franzen under the goal line back to the top of the circle.  The last four minutes of the period were up and down but no real cahnces materialized.  1-0 Hurricanres.
 
Second Period:
Detroit had the first chance of the period as Datsyuk dropped the puck crossing the blue line to a wide open Abdelkader but Ward was up to the task.  Carolina came out of the intermission and started the second period with a lot of energy, the same way they started the first period and it led to some early chances, including their first real susstained pressure in the Detroit zone of the game.   Carolina had a 3 on 2 but the shot bounced off legs in front of Howard and the puck wound up in the corner.  Carolina had back to back wide open chances at the top of the circle and sent one wide and one was Jimmy Howards best save of the game up to that point as he came out, cut down the angle, and blocked the puck out of harms way, then shut the door on Dwyers wrap around attempt.  Carolina continued to pressure as a big shot from the point bounced off Howards left pad and sat in the crease for the taking but Franzen was there to clear it to the corner.  Cory Emmerton took the puck and went down the right side and created a nice chance getting around his defender but Ward was there to deny him again.  Abdelkader then drew a penalty to give the Wings their second power play opportunity.  A Carolina penalty killer broke his stick and the Wings took advantage, zipping the puck around and setting up a great chance for Alfredsson at the left face off dot but Cam Ward was there again and Carolina killed off the penalty.  Ericsson was penalized for boarding but the Wings penalty kill unit didn't allow any real chances.  Bertuzzi and Abdelkader had open shots but there was no traffic in front and Ward was easily able to get in front of the puck.  Brendan Smith was whistled for interference when he was beaten in a one on one situation and had to hold up his man from getting to the front of the net.  Datsyuk had a semi break away as Semin was closing in on him hard and datsuyk had to shoot from a little further out then he might have wanted and again Ward made the stop.  Back in Detroit's zone, a shot from the point bounced off two legs, to a wide open Nathan Gerbe and he swept the puck through Jimmy Howards legs for a 2-0 Carolina lead to end the second period. 

Third Period:
The wings opened the third with Datsyuk giving the puck away right in front of Howard but Stall sent the puck wide.  The wings came right back up the ice and Zetterberg's pass that was intended for Datsyuk at the front of the net was deflected and went to a wide open Abdelkader cross ice and he fired the puck through Ward to close the gap to 2-1.  On his next shift, Zetterberg controlled the puck up and down the Carolina boards, and drew a holding penalty but the Wings were unable to get set up and had no real threating chances on the man advantage.  Ericsson blasted a shot after the power play had ended and Abdelkader was screening and Ward stopped both the initial shot and rebound attempt.  Nathan Gerbe almost scored his second of the game as Stall stole the puck in the Wings zone and threw the puck at the net and Gerbe's rebound attempt was kicked aside by Howards left pad at the last second.  Alexander Semin had back to back chances and hit both posts from nearly the same place on the ice, just inside the top of the right circle.  Carolina went to the power play as Alfredsson was called for hooking.  The Hurricanes had one big one-time shot from the point but Howard held on to the puck in his midsection.  Zetterberg, then,  had a great wrap around attempt but Cam Ward was there once again.  Howard was almost burned behind the net again tonight as he played the puck and didn't get back fast enough after a Detroit turnover and had to make a shaky stop.  Andersson took a shot from between the top of the circles, staking one way and shooting back the other way and Ward made a nice stop off his shoulder, the puck bounced free down at his feet but he was able to cover up.  Alfredsson had a chance on the back hand after catching the puck out of mid air, dropping it but Cam Ward was up to the task.  The Wings were in desperation mode and sent Howard to the bench with 90 seconds left.  After a mad scramble in front of the crease, the Wings took five whacks at the puck and finally it bounced to Zetterberg, who spun and shot the puck through a crowd of sticks and bodies over Cam Wards shoulder to tie the game at 2-2 with 16.4 seconds left in regulation.  On to overtime we go!

OT:
Daniel Alfredsson had the best chance in the opening half of the 5 minute overtime period as he let go a quick shot from the right faceoff dot, but it was also Wards best stop of the night.  Just a minute later, Carolina decided to change and Kronwall took advantage as he skated the puck into the Hurricanes zone, threw it to the front of the net towards a driving Franzen and nobody picked up Stephen Wiess who banged home the loose rebound to score his fist goal as a Red Wing to win the game for Detroit 3-2. 

Game notes:

• Shots: Detroit 38, Carolina 25.   
• Faceoffs won: Detroit 23, Carolina 24.
• Zetterberg had 10 shots on goal tonight, he was clearly the wings best player tonight, dominating the puck in the Carolina zone, single handedly creating chances.
• Weiss and Kronwall were both +3 tonight.
• Abdelkader had 7 hits, leading the team for the second consecutive game.  We may have to do an Abdelkader hits streak watch to see how many consecutive games he leads the wing in hits.
• Dekeyser had 3 giveaways, no other red wing had more then 1.
• Wings are 0 for 6 to start the season on the power play.   

   

Up next:

Detroit is in Boston for an original 6 matchup with the Bruins Saturday night.

Wings win in Eastern Conference opener

The Red Wings kicked off their season with a home opening game against new division rival Buffalo.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period:
The Red Wings were quicker to the puck early, controlling play the first few minutes after the puck was dropped to start the season.  The Wings were pressuring the puck in the offensive zone forcing Buffalo to turn it over at the blue line.  The Wings attack was slowed when Zetterberg was called for high sticking in the defensive zone after being hit, he was careless and his stick came up.  While on the penalty kill, Jonathan Ericsson lost an edge, fell, and closed his hand on the puck allowing Buffalo a minute and a half of 5 on 3.  The Wings killed it off and when Zetterberg came out of the box, he helped set up a scoring chance when he dropped the puck to a charging Kindl who passed across to Stephen Weiss but Weiss was unable to jam it home.  Weiss had another chance as a bad change by the Sabers allowed him the space to make a move on his defender, get around Miller and center the puck to Alfredsson but Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen recovered and knocked the puck out of the crease.  The Red Wings continued to control the puck and the fourth line started off the scoring for the year as Cory Emmerton drove down the wing and centered to Samuelsson who tipped the puck short side over Ryan Millers shoulder, off the underside of the bar and into the net.  Just 36 seconds later the Wings made it 2-0 as Jonathan Ericsson charged into the offensive zone, lost the puck, then forced a turnover to Datsyuk who came across the middle on the backhand and lifted the puck over Millers glove hand for the goal.  The Wings went on the power play looking to extend their lead but had a tough time entering the zone and didn't get much going.  Alfredsson did showcase his heavy slap shot from the point however, and that should be a huge asset for the Wings this year.  Justin Abdelkader came close to stuffing the puck home on a wrap around attempt after the power play had expired, but the Wings looked to take the last minute of the period off, allowing the Sabers to walk right into the zone and pressure Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey into taking a penalty in the last minute that extended into the second period. 

Second Period:
The Red Wings killed off the carry over penalty by blocking most of the long distance shots by the Sabers power play.  The teams traded rushes as Detroit's defense continued to jump into the play trying to create offense but there was little going on in terms of actual scoring opportunities at either end.  Zetterberg was whistled for his second minor penalty of the game for tripping in the neutral zone, trying to catch up to prevent an odd man rush.  The Sabers got pucks on net this time and jammed at Howards pads when the puck bounced down off his chest but it was to no avail as the Wings killed off the penalty.  After the penalty kill, Detroit had three chances to increase their lead but were thwarted each time.  First, Cleary came down the wall and centered the puck much the way Emmerton had earlier on Detroit's goal, Kronwall tipped the puck on net and it bounced past Miller but was knocked away by the Sabers defenseman Christian Ehrhoff.  The Red Wings went to the power play after Tyler Myers was whistled for high-sticking, and they moved the puck well, created chances and shots but were unable to find the back of the net.  With one second left on the power play, Kronwall's shot from the point was deflected past miller, but miller got a piece of it and slowed it down enough that the screener, Dan Cleary had to spin off Miller and jam the puck into the back of the net, however, Cleary was called for goalie interference and the goal was disallowed and a penalty was called on Cleary.  I thought it was not the right call as Cleary's Contact with Miller did not impede him from preventing the puck from going into the net.  The Red Wings had the best opportunity on Buffalos ensuing power play as the buffalo defense pinched in and the Wings stole the puck and head manned it to Cory Emmerton who was tripped up from behind and awarded a penalty shot.  Emmerton was unable to cash in however as he tried to shot between Millers pads but was denied.  Buffalos effort level picked up the last 5 minutes of the period, and it led to a Samuelsson penalty after Detroit turned the puck over twice in its own zone.  Cory Emmerton flipped the puck over the boards while killing the penalty to put the Wings down two men for the second time in the game.  And for the second time in the game, Detroit killed off both penalties as Buffalo was unable to really create any significant chances.  The period ended with the Wings still leading 2-0.

Third Period:
The first half of the third period lacked any sense of flow or creativity, play was choppy as there were more icings then shots but the Red Wings controlled the puck, the tempo and the play for the majority of the first 10 minutes.  Datsyuk and Zetterberg were the main pieces in Detroit's effort as they created the only real chance in the first half of the period out of nowhere after a take away in Buffalos zone.  The Sabers picked up their play the second half of the period as they picked up there fore-checking effort forcing a couple of turnovers deep in the Detroit zone.  Kronwall was fought off the puck and buffalo centered to Thomas Vanek who beat Howard under his glove but the puck rang off the far post.  Buffalo continued to pressure the Wings and Howard turned out to be his own worst enemy as he turned the puck over behind the net, Buffalo was able to center and Zemgus Girgensons back handed the puck over Howard as we went sprawling in front of the net trying to make up for his mistake but Buffalo cut the deficit to 2-1.  The Sabers continued to pressure the Wings and they got the puck to the net and were jamming away at the front of the net, desperately trying to tie the game but the Detroit goalie held strong.  With about 6 minutes left in the period, Todd Bertuzzi had a great shift, creating chances off two faceoff wins, setting up a chance on a centering pass for Andersson and then a shot of his own but Ryan Miller was up to the task.  With 3:58 left in the period, Kronwall pinched in from the blue line down the wall and poked the puck free for Abdelkader and as he headed towards the net he was tripped up for a penalty.  The Red Wings power play was unable to score but again had great puck movement and Franzen had a wide open wrist shot that Miller deflected off his shoulder for the Wings best chance, but two minutes passed with Buffalo unable to threaten the lead.  Ryan Miller made his way to the bench for an extra attacker with just under a minute left, and a faceoff deep in the Detroit Zone.  Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Alfredsson controlled the last minute of play as the Sabers couldn't keep the puck in the Red Wings zone and Detroit held on for a 2-1 win.

Game notes:
Shots: Detroit 34, Buffalo 20.  
Teams combined to go 0 for 10 on the power play.
Detroit is the second oldest team in the league, Buffalo the second youngest.
Faceoffs won: Detroit 35, Buffalo 23

Up next:
Detroit plays at Carolina on Friday night. 

Red Wings look to keep up winning ways in changing NHL

This should be one of the most intriguing seasons, and most difficult to predict, in a long time for the Detroit Red Wings and their faithful followers.  The NHL division realignment over the off season has moved two teams into the Eastern Conference, including the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Winnipeg, having recently relocated from Atlanta,  is now in the Western Conference, as the NHL aligned teams more geographically.  The playoff format has also changed as now the top three teams in each of the 4 divisions are guaranteed playoff spots, while the two teams with the next best records in the conference get the wild card spots.  Changes are also being made on the ice, as the NHL is adopting a new hybrid icing rule to make play safer.  The linesman will now blow the play dead if the defenseman is clearly ahead of the forward in a race for the puck when he crosses the faceoff dot.  If the race is close, play continues.  The Olympics will stop play for a few weeks in February and we will see how the layoff for some and the added workload for others, effects the second half of the season.  The Detroit Red Wings will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium for the now traditional New Year’s Day Winter Classic this season.  Let's take a closer look at this years team: 

Realignment:
The Red Wings are now in the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference.  They join Boston, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Florida

Key Additons: Weiss, Alfredsson
Stephen Weiss should step in as the center on the second line and bring a little more offense and more size in that role, from '08-'12 he averaged 21 goals, 36 assists and 57 points on a bad Florida Panthers club.  Daniel Alfredsson has had a long and productive NHL career, spending his entire 17 year career in Ottawa before this season and has been one of the best players in the NHL, but most casual sports fans don't know who he is.  He is at the twilight of his career to be sure, but he can still offer experience and goal scoring ability on a second line and power play, also bringing a sense of desperation to make a run at the Stanley Cup which should be infectious throughout the locker room.  Both players were on Eastern Conference clubs last year as well, so they will be leaned upon to help the Wings make the transition this season.  

Key Departures: Coliccavio, Filpula, Brunner
The loss of Filpula and Brunner have been offset by adding Weiss and Alfredson but it was disappointing to see Brunner sign essentially the same contract with New Jersey that the Wings offered him earlier this off season.  Coliccavio would have been fighting for the 6th defenseman spot. 

Top six forwards: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Abdelkader, Franzen, Weiss, Alfredsson.
This group has been upgraded with the additions of Weiss and Alfredsson and is the strength of the club.  This is the deepest set of forwards the Wings have had since they last hoisted the cup.  The Red Wings struggled to score goals last years, averaging just 2.54 goals per game, their lowest total in nearly 35 years.  The power play struggled to a league average mark of just 18.4%.  If the Wings are going to compete with Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston and the other cup favorites, this group has to score goals.  In a recent player ranking survey on ESPN.com, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrick Zetterberg were ranked, respectively, as the 4th and 10th best forwards in the NHL.

Third and fourth lines: Cleary, Andersson, Tatar, Samuelsson, Emmerton, Miller.
The Red Wings have made the playoffs 22 consecutive seasons and during that incredible run since 1991, they have been at there best when they have had production from young up and coming players and secondary role players on their third and fourth lines.  The third and fourth lines don't get all the headlines but often times they make the little plays that can change or win a game or series.  Young guys like Andersson, Tatar, and Emmerton will benefit from playing with a guy like Dan Cleary.  Watching his effort and understanding the success he has had as a player that gives 100% at all times will be a good example for the young kids to follow.  The Wings are deep up front and if the likes of Helm, Eaves, Tootoo and Bertuzzi get healthy this group can get even deeper.  Also worth noting that Gustav Nyquist will most likely join the group at some point this season as roster spots open up.

Defenseman: Ericsson, Kronwall, Smith, Dekeyser, Kindl, Quincey.
Not that this group is poor by any means, but there are no sure fire all-stars on the blue line either.  Last season was the first year of hockey without Nick Lidstrom, one of the two best defenseman of all time, and by the numbers the defense did a nice job, Detroit only allowed 2.29 goals per game last year.  The Red Wings missed that offensive presence at the blue line, though as they don't have a Nick Lidstrom, Paul Coffey, or Brian Rafalski type of threat back there anymore.  This groups offensive output will be the biggest weakness for the Red Wings this season and if GM Ken Holland is looking to upgrade an area throughout the season it would be finding a scoring threat from the blue line.  With that being said, this is a group of solid NHL defensive talent that most teams would be happy to have.  The penalty kill was slightly above average at 81% last year and should be an area the Wings focus on improving. 

Goalies: Howard, Gustavsson, Mrazek.
Jimmy Howard has been very consistent in goal for the Red Wings since taking over full time three seasons ago.  He proved he can play against the best as Detroit took the eventual cup champions Blackhawks to 7 games, riding Howard the entire series.  He finished last season top ten in wins, goals against average and save percentage, even as the Wings struggled through the regular season, Howard may have just been there best player.  Howard was ranked as the 6th best goalie in the NHL, according to ESPN.  Gustavsson will start the season on the injured list so Mrazek will back up Howard for the time being. 
         
Prediction:  There will be plenty of ups and downs for the Red Wings this season as they adjust to life in the Eastern Conference.  They may get off to a slower start then expected but this team is built for the playoffs.  I think the Red Wings season may play out somewhat like last year did, a slow start and a strong finish.  I think they finish a somewhat disappointing 3rd place in the Atlantic Division but they will make noise come the postseason before losing in the Eastern Conference finals to Pittsburgh in 7 games.