Wings Shut-out by Atlanta

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

After coming off a loss Monday in Nashville, the Detroit Red Wings were shut-out 2-0 by the Atlanta Thrashers Wednesday in Detroit.

Atlanta opened the score sheet only five minutes into the game with a goal by Nik Antropov. Then in the second, Vyacheslav Kozlov added a breakaway goal on the powerplay.

Detroit outplayed the Thrashers in the box score, but on the ice the Wings looked lethargic and gave the puck away many more times than they were credited for. Although they amassed 40 shots on net, most of the Wings' shots hit Ondrej Pavelec directly in the logo of his jersey. In fact, Pavelec made less than five good saves the whole night, most of the time the puck simply just hit him. If the Wings play like this again on Friday, they’ll be blown out by Calgary.

In Play! Man of the Game: Kris Draper. Draper forced Pavelec to make two glove saves on close range slap shots in the third, but also looked good all game long. He also finished the night winning 75% of his face-offs.

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Detroit Unable to Stop Predators

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Coming off several good performances, the Red Wings just couldn’t muster the same effort against Nashville and lost 3-1 on Monday.
Jason Arnott and Martin Erat scored goals for Nashville, both on the powerplay to open the first two periods. Drew Miller would net his first goal for the season, and as a Red Wing, to get the Wings on the board. In the closing minutes of the game, Erat would score his second goal of the game.

The Wings were shut down by Nashville for the first two periods while the Predators were averaging 10 shots a period. While they did manage to put on a clinic in the third, it was too little too late and Pekka Rinne played a great third period. The Red Wings have struggled lately as it seems that every goalie they face has an outstanding game. Detroit did seem to struggle without Niklas Kronwall, who has been the best player on the Wings' defense for the last two weeks. Detroit will need to win both its remaining games this week or they will be burying themselves deeper in the standings than they might be able to get out of.

In an update on the Kronwall situation, Montreal enforcer Georges Laraque, who kneed Kronwall and injured Kronwall's knee for the next four to eight weeks, was suspended today for five games.

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Detroit vs. Nashville November 23

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will play the Predators in Nashville tonight. Neither of these teams has played each other yet this season. Last season, Nashville bested the Wings in the season series.

The Red Wings are coming off a shootout win in Montreal on Saturday while the Predators are coming off five straight wins, the last two being in a shootout. In its last three games, the Red Wings have played well despite a pair of losses.

The biggest issue facing the Wings is the loss of Niklas Kronwall, who will miss four to eight weeks after being kneed on Saturday. While this is bad, originally is sounded like Detroit was expecting Kronwall to miss as much time as Johan Franzen, so the news that Kronwall could be back around Christmas is good. Detroit will need its top defensive line to step up tonight. While the offense has looked good, both Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Lidstrom have struggled in the last three games. With Kronwall out, look for Rafalski to see some time with Brad Stuart and Lidstrom to play with Jonathan Ericsson.

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Wings top Canadiens on Road

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Red Wings’ 3-2 shootout victory in Montreal was overshadowed by the injury sustained by Niklas Kronwall in the first period.

Brad Stuart scored the Wings first goal during the second leg of an unusual triple minor given to Georges Laraque (four minutes for high sticking and two for tripping). Later in the first, Pavel Datsyuk would score, again on the powerplay, on a shot-pass from Brian Rafalski. The game remained 2-0 until Montreal's Mike Cammalleri tallied a pair in the third, the first of which came only nine seconds into the period. Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg scored in the shootout.

The big news of the game was the injury sustained by Kronwall, which is likely going to be the talk in the NHL for the next several days. After recklessly drilling Darren Helm in the mouth with his stick, Laraque skated down the ice and maliciously kneed Kronwall, who did not return to the game. Laraque was only given two minutes for tripping Kronwall, but should be suspended sometime in the next 48 hours for the play.
In Play! Man of the Game: Brad Stuart. Stuart netted his second goal of the season and recorded 10 shots in the game, eight of which came in the first period. Stuart played a great game, but will likely feel it in his arms tomorrow.

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Detroit vs. Montreal

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Tonight, in Montreal, the Red Wings will play the Canadiens for the only time this season.

Montreal is coming off a 3-2 win in Washington, last night, where they were outplayed by the Capitals but managed to steal a win. Detroit is coming off a loss, also last night, where they outplayed the Panthers in Detroit but were stopped in overtime. Even though this game is being played in Montreal, Detroit actually traveled a shorter distance than Montreal last night to get to the Bell Centre.

With Carry Price having been in net last night, it is possible that Montreal’s backup Jaroslav Halak could be in net tonight. Detroit has played backups in both of its last games and lost. “It was just a case where they put in their backup and he had his best night of the season,” Wings’ coach Mike Babcock told media last night.

Montreal has struggled this season and is not known for their goaltending. If the Wings play like they did last night and can get another 40 shots on goal, they will likely walk away with a win today.

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Panthers Grind Out Wings in Detroit

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Despite completely outplaying Florida, the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Panthers Friday in overtime.

After a goalless first, Pavel Datsyuk scored his fifth goal of the year on a short powerplay opportunity. In the third, Florida scored off a pass that redirected off of Chris Osgood to the stick of Stephen Weiss in the crease. Only 40 seconds into overtime, Bryan McCabe blasted a one timer by Osgood.

Detroit simply dominated this game and shouldn’t be happy with the fact that they only will walk away with one point. Darren Helm, who played a great game, came up with nothing despite two breakaways. Including blocked and missed shots, Detroit fired 75 pucks at Scott Clemmensen. Including blocks and misses, Florida only managed 39 shots. This should have been a blowout for the Wings, who play again Saturday in Montreal.

In Play! Man of the Game: Scott Clemmensen. Clemmensen posted a .975 save percentage and made 39 saves. Clemmensen also psyched Darren Helm into loosing the puck on his first breakaway, and made the quick save on Helm’s second opportunity.

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Red Wings and Stars November 18

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Tonight the Dallas Stars come into Detroit to play the Red Wings. It is the first meeting of these teams this season.

Detroit comes into tonight on a three game win streak, coming off a 7-4 victory Saturday against Anaheim. Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg has four goals and nine points in his last three games. Jimmy Howard will be starting for the Wings in goal. Howard has been in goal for all three of the Wings victories in this streak. Wings goalie Chris Osgood is still suffering from the flu. Marty Turco will start in goal for Dallas.

Detroit will need to continue with their offensive dominance that has been the characteristic of their recent success. Against Columbus and Anaheim the Wings looked as they did last season. With Howard struggling like he did against Anaheim, Detroit will need to have their offensive game going if they are going to continue their win streak to four.

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ZETTERBERG, KOVALCHUK, MILLER NAMED NHL 'THREE STARS' OF THE WEEK

In Play Magazine

NEW YORK (November 16, 2009) -- Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg, Atlanta Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller have been named the NHL 'Three Stars' for the week ending Nov. 15.

FIRST STAR -- HENRIK ZETTERBERG, LW, DETROIT RED WINGS
Zetterberg led all scorers with nine points (four goals, five assists), tallied two game-winning goals and recorded a +5 rating, helping the Red Wings (10-5-3) post three consecutive victories. Zetterberg notched a pair of assists and a +2 rating in a 9-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Nov. 11 and tallied the game-winning goal, an assist and a +2 rating in a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks Nov. 12. Zetterberg completed the week by posting a career-high five points (three goals, two assists), including the game-winning goal, in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks Nov. 14. Zetterberg scored all three goals in the third period in notching his fourth career hat trick. The 29-year-old Njurunda, Sweden native leads the Red Wings in scoring with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 18 games.

SECOND STAR -- ILYA KOVALCHUK, LW, ATLANTA THRASHERS
Returning to action after missing six games with a foot injury, Kovalchuk ranked second among NHL scorers with eight points (three goals, five assists) as the Thrashers (10-6-1) won three consecutive games. Kovalchuk recorded a goal and two assists in a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers Nov. 12, notched four points (two goals, two assists) in a 7-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings Nov. 13 and tallied an assist in a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Nov. 15. Kovalchuk is off to the fastest start of his eight-year NHL career with a club-leading 12 goals in his first 11 games.

THIRD STAR -- RYAN MILLER, G, BUFFALO SABRES
Miller posted a 3-0-0 record with a 1.30 goals-against average and .953 save percentage, helping the Sabres (12-4-1) open a five-point lead in the Northeast Division. Miller stopped 28 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers Nov. 11, turned aside 25 shots and three of four shootout attempts in a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames Nov. 13 and made 29 saves in a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers Nov. 14. Miller improved to 12-2-1 with a League-leading 1.77 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage and two shutouts in 15 appearances.

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Red Wings Top Ducks in 7-4 Night

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings came out fast and hard in an attempt to take advantage of the fact Anaheim played last night. Despite walking all over the Ducks for the first two periods, it was the third period that really marked the game.

Dan Cleary broke the score sheet in the first period. Brian Rafalski put another goal up for Detroit with only seconds left in the first. Corey Perry scored the only goal of the second period. Bobby Ryan tied the game up in the third and from that point forward it just wasn’t good to be a goalie. After Ryan, the goals in the third were Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit (D)), Joffrey Lupul (Anaheim (A), Henrik Zetterberg (D), Ryan Getzlaf (A), Zetterberg (D), Darren Helm (D), and Zetterberg (D).

It was a bad night to be a goalie, but a good night to be a shooter or to be in the stands at Joe Louis Arena. The third period was so exciting that “the wave” made its first appearance of the year in Detroit. The Wings succeeded in getting lots of shots at Jonas Hiller, many of the shots were redirected helping them find a way behind him.

Jimmy Howard did not look great in net for the Wings, but managed to grind through, not allowing Anaheim to score any unanswered goals in the third. For the second time in three games the total goals scored made double digits, again Detroit came out on top and is now on a three game win streak.

In Play! Man of the Game: Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg had three goals and two assists including the Game Winning Goal. Zetterberg also took his second penalty of the year in the game.

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Red Wings Welcome Ducks to the Joe

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will play the Anaheim Ducks today at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings are coming off of back to back wins. In those two games the Wings have scored 12 goals. Niklas Kronwall has three goals and an assist in his last two games. On Thursday, Tomas Holmstrom and Henrik Zetterberg scored goals, both had been held goalless in Detroit’s 9-1 win on Wednesday.

Anaheim comes into Detroit off of a shootout loss in Columbus on Friday. The Ducks are 2-2-2 since loosing four games of a six game home stretch in the end of October.

This is the first meeting between the Wings and Ducks this season. The Ducks have struggled without Chris Pronger, who was traded over the summer to the Flyers. Detroit will need to get pucks on net if they plan on winning. The Ducks are hurting defensively and are involved with a goalie crisis with Jean-Sebastien Giguere threatening to walk out if he’s not the starter, putting Jonas Hiller under a lot of pressure to maintain his starting position. It is likely Hiller will start as Giguere played Friday. Anaheim is also not well rested having played to a shootout Friday.

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Steve Yzerman Ceromonial Puck Drop + Wings Post Game Interviews

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

November 12, 2009 Post game interviews with Red Wings Nick Lidstrom, Jimmy Howard, Head Caoch Mike Babcock and newly aquired Drew Miller. In the 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, Wings goalie Howard recorded his first NHL point.



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Red Wings Win Back to Back Games

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings stole a 3-1 win from the Vancouver Canucks only 24 hours after topping Columbus 9-1.
Tomas Holmstrom broke onto the score sheet late in the first to put him only two goals short of 200 in his career. In the second period, Mason Raymond scored on the powerplay to tie the game up. Midway through the third Henrik Zetterberg shoveled a backhander over the shoulder of Roberto Luongo for the game winner. Niklas Kronwall would add an empty-netter with an assist by Jimmy Howard, Howard’s first NHL career point.

The Wings were simply out played, out matched, and out worked by the Canucks. Luongo, who had his first start back from a broken rib, did not look outstanding in net. Howard, on the other hand, played an excellent game. The one positive note on Detroit’s defense was that they managed to avoid allowing the Canucks second chance opportunities. They also held Vancouver to only 6 shots in the third period.

In Play! Man of the Game: Jimmy Howard. Howard made 31 saves tonight, having come off of a 25 save night yesterday giving him 56 saves in the last 24 hours. He also got his first NHL career point and looked great all round in net tonight.

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Red Wings Almost Net 10 in Columbus

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Detroit came into tonight trying to recover from a horrendous loss in Toronto and managed a 9-1 victory against Columbus. Every Red Wing that scored tonight netted their third goal of the season.

Dan Cleary opened scoring for Detroit in the first period. Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, and Niklas Kronwall would soon follow. Rick Nash scored Columbus’ only goal to make the game 4-1 halfway though the second, but Todd Bertuzzi and Ville Leino would both score within a minute of each other before the period ended. Kronwall added a second goal in the third and Justin Abdelkader scored twice in the third.

The Wings came out and simply just took advantage of a Blue Jackets team that didn’t want to play defense. Columbus let the Red Wings free wheel the puck and do whatever they wanted.

The real victim of the night was Steve Mason. He let a few weak goals in, but on half the Wings tally’s he needed the support of his team, but never got it.

On the other side of the ice, Jimmy Howard looked uncomfortable in net and had problems setting himself up early but was always bailed out by his team. He did find his game by the end of the third.

In Play! Man of the Game: Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall recorded his third and forth goals of the season and an assist. Kronwall also rang the post and crossbar in the game and was robbed by Mason late in the third.

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RED WINGS CLAIM DREW MILLER OFF WAIVERS

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

...Former Michigan State Spartan To Join Team In Detroit On Thursday…

Detroit... The Detroit Red Wings announced today that the club has claimed forward Drew Miller off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 14 games with Tampa Bay this season he registered no points and two PIM.

Miller, 25, was originally a sixth round pick (186th overall) of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played in parts of three seasons with the Ducks before joining Tampa Bay for the 2008-09 season. In 67 career NHL games he has registered 15 points (6-9-15) and 25 PIM. He also appeared in 16 postseason games for Anaheim from 2006-2009.

Miller played three seasons at Michigan State University before joining the NHL. In 2005-06, he was named Michigan State’s Most Valuable Player and was selected as the CCHA’s best defensive forward. Drew’s older brother, Ryan, is the current starting goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, while his cousins Kip, Kevin and Kelly have also played in the NHL. Kevin played with the Red Wings from 1990-91 to 1991-92 and again in 2003-04.


Drew Miller, Forward
Born Feb 17 1984 -- Dover, NJ
Height 6.02 -- Weight 178 -- Shoots L
Selected by Anaheim Mighty Ducks round 6 #186 overall 2003 NHL Entry Draft

--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----

Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003-04 Michigan State University NCAA 41 4 6 10 39

2004-05 Michigan State University NCAA 40 17 16 33 20

2005-06 Michigan State University NCAA 44 18 25 43 30

2005-06 Portland Pirates AHL -- -- -- -- -- 1 0 0 0 0

2006-07 Portland Pirates AHL 79 16 20 36 51 -- -- -- -- --

2006-07 Anaheim Ducks NHL -- -- -- -- -- 3 0 0 0 2

2007-08 Portland Pirates AHL 31 16 20 36 12 16 1 7 8 12

2007-08 Anaheim Ducks NHL 26 2 3 5 6 -- -- -- -- --

2008-09 Iowa Chops AHL 53 23 15 38 10 -- -- -- -- --

2008-09 Anaheim Ducks NHL 27 4 6 10 17 13 2 1 3 2

2008-09 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 14 0 0 0 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 67 6 9 15 25 16 2 1 3 4

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Hall of Fame Induction

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Four of the greatest players to have played hockey were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 9. Three of the 4 players at one point in their careers, wore the winged wheel for Detroit.

Brett Hall, third in the NHL for career goals scored, two time Stanley Cup Champion, and former Detroit Red Wings player was an easy choice for his first year of eligibility. In fact, all four players were first ballot inductees. Hull was one of the greatest snipers to ever play the game.

Brian Leetch, long time New York Ranger and the only American born player being inducted this year, is arguably one of the best defensemen to ever play the game. In 1992, Leetch became the fifth, and last, defenseman to amass 100 points in a single season. He finished his career with over 1000 points. He won his only cup in 1994.

Luc Robitaille, another magical goal scorer and one of the NHL’s greatest ninth round draft picks ever, was the only inductee to split his speech between English and French. Robitaille only hoisted the cup once in his career, that being with the 2001-2002 Detroit Red Wings, but played with the poise that should have earned him many more.

Steve Yzerman, sixth all time in points (1755) scored, over 1000 career assists, and a three time Stanley Cup Winner. Steve was the crown jewel of the induction. Yzerman currently holds the record for most NHL seasons as a single team’s captain. On November 9, he captained the 2009 induction class.

A reoccurring theme through the weekend and induction night itself was the Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings of 2001-2002. Only eight years ago that group graced the ice surfaces of the NHL, but already it is considered to be the greatest single team ever assembled. A team that held anywhere from 5-15 future hall of fame players, only time will tell exactly how great of a team it truly was.

Many people thanked the Wings and the Illitchs, or at least referenced to the dynasty that they created in Detroit. Some year there may be a whole hall dedicated to the 2001-2002 Red Wings, but for today we must only look back to November 9, the night that many people have said was the 2001-2002 Red Wings Hockey Hall of Fame Induction.

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Red Wings Blown Out by Toronto

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Detroit saw their three game win streak snapped in Toronto on Saturday in a 5-1 loss against the Leafs.

Toronto stuck first with a snapshot from Wayne Primeau that beat Chris Osgood. Then with less than 30 seconds left in the first period, Phil Kessel scored on a redirecting puck that bounced off multiple players before rolling through Osgood’s five-hole. Toronto’s Jeff Finger scored in the second. Primeau, Kessel and Finger’s goals were their first of the season. Dan Cleary put Detroit on the board with his 100th career goal on a breakaway before Toronto scored two more goals.

Toronto did a good job of blocking shooting and passing lanes. Detroit left lanes open and allowed Toronto full access to Osgood. The result was a game they never had a chance to win. The worst part of the game for the Wings came when forward Jason Williams suffered a broken leg when his skate caught a grove in the ice while he was falling and was trapped underneath him when one of the Leafs fell on top of him.

In Play! Man of the Game: Jonas Gustavsson. Gustavsson made 35 saves on 36 shots. Recording a save percentage of .972.

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Budd Lynch Celebrates 60 Years with the Red Wings - The Interview

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

In Play! Magazine sits down for an exclusive one on one interview with Red Wings PA announcer and hockey historian Mr. Budd Lynch.

The interview is in depth and broken up into three segments.

In part one, Mr.Lynch drops the ceremonial puck to celebrate his 60 years with the Wings, then the interview begins.

Watch and listen as Mr. Lynch talks about WWII and how he came to work for the Wings.

Old time hockey fans will absolutely love this candid interview.

Budd Lynch Interview Part 1 of 3



In part two, Mr.Lynch talks about Clarence Campbell's suspension of "The Rocket" Richard and the ensuing riot in Montreal, the atmosphere at the old Olympia and his friendship with Ernie Harwell.

Original Six fans, you have to listen to this segment.
Budd Lynch Interview Part 2 of 3



In part three, Mr.Lynch talks about Steve Yzerman, the Production Line, NHL expansion into Europe and Mr. Lynch's view on fighting in the game.

Classic hockey at its best.
Budd Lynch Interview Part 3 of 3


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Red Wings Stop Sharks at 6 Wins

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Bobbleheads, Bud Lynch drops the face-off, a Wings third period comeback, and a 2-1 shootout win, there wasn’t much that tonight’s game lacked.

Budd Lynch ceremonial puck drop. Photo by AJ Petronzi/In Play! Magazine

San Jose opened scoring with a goal by Logan Couture, his first NHL career goal. That tally came in the late second period. Early in the third period Henrik Zetterberg stuffed a goal through Evgeni Nabokov off a Nicklas Lidstrom blast from the point. Chris Osgood would stand on his head throughout the rest of the third to force overtime.

Nabokov would return the favor in overtime by coming up huge on several multi-chance opportunities for the Wings. In the shootout, Osgood put up his best effort of the year stopping both San Jose’s chances. Pavel Datsyuk and Zetterberg pulled great dekes out of their bag of tricks and recorded goals in the shootout. Jason Williams was stopped by Nabokov who slid to the boards searching for the puck which he’d though had gone into the net.

Pavel Datsyuk Scores in the Shootout. Photo by Jack Rosenberg

The Wings played well in the latter stages of the game, but effectively stole a point from San Jose who played better throughout the game. The Sharks had won their last 6 games coming into tonight. The Wings did play the body tonight recording a team total of 32 hits, but only blocked 8 shots. Osgood stopped 34 of San Jose’s 35 shots on goal.

Henrik Zetterberg shootout game winner. Photo by Jack Rosenberg

In Play! Man of the Game: Henrik Zetterberg. Zetterberg recorded 3 shots on goal, one of which found its way to twine. He also gave the Wings a goal in the shootout with a great deke.
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Sharks visit Red Wings

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Tonight’s game will be between the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings. Every fan in attendance will receive a Budd Lynch bobblehead at the game as the Wings will be celebrating the 60 years Lynch has worked for the organization.



San Jose has won their last six games coming into tonight. The Wings have only won their last two, but goalie Chris Osgood only allowed 1 goal in those two games. San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov was named the NHL’s third star for last week. Dany Heatley, who demanded to be traded from Ottawa in the summer, has seemed much more at home in San Jose and has 2 goals and an assist in his last 3 games.

Detroit will need the goaltending of Chris Osgood to be as good as it has the last two games if they are going to stand a chance against San Jose. While the Sharks gave away some offense in the Heatley trade, they have no shortages of goals and Nabokov will make scoring difficult. The Wings will also need to play the body like they did against Boston on Tuesday and block shots if they want to have their first three game win streak of the season.

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Red Wings Overcome Bruins, Osgood Earns 50th Shutout.

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Chris Osgood established a wall in front of the Wings' goal with a flurry of great saves while lying on his stomach in the first period. Boston never cracked that wall despite taking 29 shots, giving Osgood his first shutout of the year and the Wings a 2-0 victory.

The Wings opened scoring in the first with a power play goal by Henrik Zetterberg only two seconds into the man advantage. Tomas Holmstrom then added his, team leading, eighth goal on a drop pass from Pavel Datsyuk only two minutes before the first intermission. Before tonight, the Bruins had been the only team Holmstrom did not have a goal against.

Boston was sluggish on defense and seemed to give the flu ravaged Red Wings their space on the ice. Detroit did not return the favor, playing the body most of the night and frustrating the Bruins in their offensive zone by blocking shots. Goalless Bruins captain Zdeno Chara could have had several chances tonight on the powerplay, but lumbered around at the blueline and never stepped into a scoring position.

In Play! Man of the Game: Chris Osgood. Osgood made 29 saves, many of them in waves and highlight reel capable, for his 50th career shutout. He was helped out by the rest of the team which blocked 20 shots before they could reach Osgood.

Head Coach Mike Babcock talks to In Play! Magazine after a 2-0 shutout over the Boston Bruins Nov 3,2009


Tomas Holmstrom talks to In Play! Magazine after a 2-0 shutout over the Boston Bruins Nov 3,2009


Chris Osgood talks to In Play! Magazine after his 2-0 shutout over the Boston Bruins Nov 3,2009

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Bruins Visit Red Wings November 3

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will play the Boston Bruins tonight in an original six match-up. It is the only time the two teams meet this season.

The Red Wings returned home Sunday from a five game road trip having improved their record to 5-4-3. Unfortunately the Wings did not return with Valtteri Filppula and Brad May. Despite the best efforts of the team, Jonathan Ericsson also caught the flu, but will likely play tonight.

Bruin’s goalie Tim Thomas, who is a Davison, Mich. native, will look to make a strong hometown appearance. Thomas, winner of last season’s Vezina and Jennings Trophies, won 6-3 last time he played in Detroit.

The Bruins have failed to win two games in a row this season; they also haven’t lost two games in a row either. They lost their last game. The Wings are looking to win a second straight game to start a two game home stretch before going to Toronto on Saturday for the Hall of Fame Weekend. Detroit’s trick to success will be to pommel Thomas with pucks all night.

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Red Wings Win to End Road Trip

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Calgary held the Detroit Red Wings to only 30 shots, but the Wings were able to walk away with a 3-1 win to finish their longest road trip of the year 2-1-2.

Daymond Langkow opened the scoring in the second period for the Flames, but the Wings quickly answered with goals from Brad Stuart and Tomas Holmstrom within a minute and a half. Other than an empty net goal by Kirk Maltby, all the game’s offensive action came in that minute and a half of play.

Halloween was a scary day in the NHL with several players going headfirst into the boards in multiple games. At the Saddledome in Calgary, Todd Bertuzzi was kicked in the face early in the third period and Brad May was hit by Jason Williams’ stick in the eye while on the bench. While Bertuzzi returned to the ice, Brad May was taken to the hospital, where he will stay overnight for observation and will not fly back to Detroit with the Wings tonight.

There were not a lot of things Calgary could have done to change tonight’s outcome. After two periods, they had blocked 15 shots and had not spent a lot of time in their own zone. In fact, for much of the game the puck was stuck in the neutral zone. The Wings played a good game but could not get anything done on the powerplay.

In Play! Man of the Game: Chris Osgood. While not a highlight outing, Osgood finished with 20 saves and many of them came off multiple shot chances. The only goal he let in was batted out of the air and just missed Osgood’s shoulder.

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Calgary a Fitting Halloween Location for Red Wings

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will play tonight against Calgary, a team that has a reputation for dirty play against Detroit over the last couple seasons. With Calgary Captain Jarome Iginla taking fire for a potentially dirty hit early this week, the Pengrowth Saddledome may prove to be the Red Wings' personal house of horrors.

The Wings will miss the services of Valtteri Filppula who will sit his first game after suffering a broken wrist on Thursday. Calgary forward Dustin Boyd missed practice today with the flu, but skated by himself after the Saddledome had cleared. It is not clear if he will play tonight.

The Flames will be looking to continue with the offensive production that has been the mark of their season. The Wings will be looking to continue their nearly 40 shots on goal average for the last three games. Chris Osgood will get the start tonight and will need to be good if the Wings want a shot making it back to .500.
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Red Wings Shot Down in Edmonton

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings just couldn’t cap off a remarkable comeback and lost 6-5 in a shootout to Edmonton.

Edmonton opened the game with goals from Jean-Francois Jacques (0:42), Dustin Penner (9:09), and Ales Hemsky (12:24). Ales Hemsky added a second goal only 58 seconds into the second period on a breakaway.

Darren Helm would net his first career regular season goal to put the Wings on the board, but Shawn Horcoff responded a couple minutes later. Then Henrik Zetterberg played some pinball and sent the Wings to the dressing room only three goals down.

Somewhere during the second intermission someone told Patrick Eaves that his career is on the line this season and he played like it from that point on, recording an assist, his first point as a Red Wing, on Jonathan Ericsson’s goal and netting the tying goal on a misplayed puck off the stick of Darren Helm. Todd Bertuzzi also scored for Detroit.

In overtime Nikolai Khabibulin stood on his head and Jimmy Howard did likewise on the opposite end of the ice. In the shootout, Patrick O’Sullivan beat Howard off the post, but Howard came up big on the first two shooters. The Wings did little in the shootout, just skating in and dumping the puck into Khabibulin without effort.

The Wings dug themselves into a hole and then got out of it. Edmonton looked like the flu began to show its effects as the team just seemed to die off halfway through the third period. Unfortunately for Detroit, Valtteri Filppula suffered a broken wrist during the game and will miss the next six to eight weeks.

In Play! Man of the Game: Patrick Eaves. Finishing the game with a goal and assist and plus-3 on the night, Eaves put to rest some of his naysayers for at least tonight.

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Red Wings and Edmonton - October 29

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

Coming off their first road win of the season, the Detroit Red Wings will play in Edmonton in an attempt to add another road win.

Edmonton, who had been producing tons of offense this season, has been shut out in their last two games. Detroit has averaged 45 shots on goal in the last two games and is looking to continue to take large numbers of shots Thursday.

Nikolai Khabibulin, who has historically struggled against the Wings, will likely start Thursday’s game for the Oilers. Jimmy Howard, who is coming off two strong performances, will start for Detroit. Detroit coach Mike Babcock stated that it had been his plan to start Howard all along and was not a response to the bad play of Chris Osgood as of late.

If Detroit plays in Edmonton like they did in Vancouver and Colorado, they will have a good shot at winning. However, they will need to make sure that Edmonton cannot break out into the offense that highlighted the beginning of their season and led to their 6-2-1 start.

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Red Wings Finally Win 5-4 On The Road

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings started off on the wrong foot tonight in Vancouver. Chris Osgood allowed two bad goals on 4 weak shots and was pulled. Jimmy Howard was left to pick up the pieces. Howard made several great saves and held Vancouver off long enough for Tomas Holmstrom to score a goal off a tap pass from Henrik Zetterberg late in the first period.

The second period started with a freak accident involving Vancouver forward Ryan Johnson, who tripped over himself skating around Nicklas Lidstrom and went head first into the boards. Johnson was attended to on the ice before leaving on a stretcher. Other than a fight between Brad May and Tanner Glass, the second period held a somber tone.

However, early in the third period the offense exploded with goals from Niklas Kronwall, Mathieu Schneider, and two from Pavel Datsyuk, all in the first 10 minutes of the period. On a 5 on 3 powerplay, Henrik Sedin tied the game at 4 a piece, but with 5 minutes left Jason Williams scored on the powerplay to give the Red Wings their first road victory of the season.

The Wings kept lots of pressure on Roberto Luongo who has struggled this season when facing large numbers of shots.

Good news came when it was announced that Ryan Johnson was not as badly injured as he had appeared to be after colliding with the boards.

In Play! Man of the Game: Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk had two goals on 4 shots and an assist. He also finished with a plus-3 on the night.

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Detroit Red Wings in Vancouver

by AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will face off against the Vancouver Canucks tonight in an effort to break their winless streak on the road. Vancouver has returned from a rough start and, for the second game in a row, Detroit will face off against a hot goalie.

The key for Detroit is going to be to shut down Vancouver offensively. This shouldn’t be too difficult as they have struggled in that department since losing Daniel Sedin to a broken foot. Bound to have a great game is former Red Wing Mikael Samuelsson, who currently has five goals and five assists for the Canucks, more points than any Red Wing has amassed this season.

Detroit will need to put a lot of pressure on Roberto Luongo, who was pressured heavily in Vancouver’s first two games, giving up 6 goals in each. Applying pressure tonight could give the Wings a big win on the road, and the first of their season.
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Red Wings Still Winless on the Road

AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings lost another game to move to 0-4-1 on the road.

Detroit opened scoring in the 2nd period when Kris Draper stuffed the puck through Anderson on a backhand; it was Draper’s 150 career goal. Colorado’s Galiardi tied the game with 5 minutes left in the 2nd.

Todd Bertuzzi scored a goal, but the goal was called back by virtue of referee Brad Watson claming he intended to blow the whistle before the puck was in the net. This would have been impossible since Bertuzzi stuffed the puck straight into Anderson who was sitting inside the goal by his own free will. Watson was also involved in the bad goal called against Detroit that cost them the game in Phoenix on Thursday.

Colorado forward Chris Stewart scored a goal on Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard to give Colorado the lead. The goal would prove to be the game winner.

Detroit took the game to Colorado recording 49 shots on goal and only getting two by Anderson; one again was called back. Any other goalie in the NHL, other than Ryan Miller and Roberto Luongo, would have let far more goals in on 48 shots. Detroit failed to score a goal on eight powerplay attempts, the first time the Wings have failed to score a powerplay goal this season.

In Play! Man of the Game: Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi rightfully scored a goal, but had it taken away. He also played a strong offensive and defensive game, recording 3 shots on goal, two of which were quality scoring chances resulting in a goal called back and a post hit, which actually doesn’t count as a shot on goal.

In Play! also feels obliged to acknowledge the play of Craig Anderson, who will walk away with 48 saves and a .979 save percentage.
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Red Wings’ Mile High Rematch

AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will meet the Colorado Avalanche in the mile high city to bring revenge for the shootout loss at the hands of the Avalanche last Saturday; only the Wings will be relying on Jimmy Howard to lead them to victory.

Howard will be getting his second start of the season, the first having come in Sweden. He hasn’t seen action since Chris Osgood what routed by the Buffalo Sabers on October 13.

Photo by Jack Rosenberg/In Play! Magazine
If Detroit wants to end this loosing streak, they’re going to have to play 55 minutes in Colorado’s zone and keep Howard from seeing more than 10 shots. Otherwise they’re going to dig themselves a hole they can’t get out of.

Good news for the Wings is that last Saturday’s villain, Cody McLeod, will not play today; it will be the second straight game missed by McLeod after being hit in the eye with a stick on Wednesday.

Red Wings Dead In The Desert

AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk stormed into Phoenix and played like he hadn’t missed the last couple games. Datsyuk dazzled the crowd with several Datsyukian moves including one on Ed Jovanovski that (to borrow a great line from Mickey Redmond) still has Jovanovski fishing his jock-strap out of the rafters.

The Red Wings continued to produce on the power play, giving them at least one in every game played this season. The Datsyuk goal was an answer to a powerplay goal scored by the Phoenix Coyotes, the first that Detroit had allowed in nine chances. A highlight real pass by Datsyuk to the tape of Brett Lebda gave him a wide open cage to hit and the Wings a 2-1 lead.

Phoenix tied the game with two and a half minutes left on a questionable goal that was reviewed. In fact both of Phoenix’s goals were reviewed, but there was no question that the first goal counted. On the second goal, Chris Osgood was pushed into the net along with the puck, but the goal stood anyway.

In overtime, Wings forward Valtteri Filppula was robbed of a breakaway when the linesman failed to get out of the way and interrupted a pass. Almost immediately afterwards, Adrian Aucoin sent a weak wrist shot at Osgood that bounced off Osgood’s right pad and stick and wound up in the net.

In Play! Man of the Game: Pavel Datsyuk! Datsyuk came back from a two missed games from injury to net two assists and a couple takeaways; though in an effort of sportsmanship, Datsyuk should help someone find Jovanovski’s jock.

What's your take?

No More Lester B Pearson Award?

AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

While the Lester B. Pearson award may have a permanent residence in the personal trophy case of Alexander Ovechkin, it may not have a permanent name. There is speculation that the award may be changing names.

The reason? Toronto recently renamed its airport in honor of Pearson, who was a one of Canada’s most popular Prime Ministers. However, the National Hockey League Players Association’s (NHLPA) award may change to honor someone who had more to do with the players union.

In fact, the person who is proposed to be honored by the renaming is none other than Ted Lindsay, Hall of Fame forward for the Detroit Red Wings. Lindsay was very influential in the formation of the NHLPA, putting his career on the line to organize players to vote for its creation. The union was Lindsay’s dream and it would be fitting that its player award be named after him.

So maybe this year Ovechkin will not walk away with the Pearson Award, but very well might get the Ted Lindsay Award.

Red Wings and Avalanche go to Shootout

AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings took an early two goal lead, but in the third relaxed and let the Colorado Avalanche back into the game.

Colorado defensemen and Windsor native Ryan Wilson, or “Willy” as his friends Jason, Kevin, Dawn and Mike call him, made his hometown début, finishing the game +1.

AJ Petronzi talks with Windsor native Avalanche Defenseman Ryan Wilson

Detroit kept to their usual “only play 40 minutes” strategy, unfortunately they chose not to give a full effort in the third period.

Cody McLeod played a great game, scoring twice in the third to force overtime.

Craig Anderson, for Colorado, and Chris Osgood, for Detroit, were stellar in overtime and took the game to a shootout.

Anderson and Osgood both were less than stellar in the shootout. Jason Williams was the only skater for Detroit that put forth an effort. In the shootout, Williams scored for Detroit, but both Marek Svatos and Milan Hejduk made great moves and the Avalanche were rewarded with the win.

Photo by Jack Rosenberg/In Play! magazine

My pick for Player of the game: Cody McLeod, Two Goals and a fight.

Also Ryan Wilson, welcome home kid.

Post game interview with Detroit Red Wings head Coach Mike Babcock after a 4-3 shootout lose to the Colorado Avalanche.



Post game interview with Detroit Red Wings Captain Nicklas lidstrom after a 4-3 shootout lose to the Colorado Avalanche.



Post game interview with Colorado Avalanche Defenseman Ryan Wilson after a 4-3 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings.

Red Wings and Avalanche

By AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Colorado Avalanche come to Hockeytown to face the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The Wings will not play Pavel Datsyuk on Saturday because of an upper-body injury.

While the old days of the bench emptying brawls between Colorado and Detroit are gone, the Wings need to get their season back on track and a win against Colorado, who are in 1st place in the conference, would silence a lot of critics.

Photo by Jack Rosenebrg/In Play! Magazine

Detroit, who are 3-3-0 going into tonight, have struggled on the road. With 5 away games in the next two weeks, Detroit will be looking to go into the trip above .500.

Look for Henrik Zetterberg to continue to produce offensively; he currently leads Wings with 6 points but only one goal. Also look for Kirk Maltby to be banging away for another goal; he’s off to a hot start and Kris Draper has been calling Malts “hot hands” since his goal Thursday night.

On local note...
Look for Windsor Minor Hockey Association (WMHA) graduate Ryan Wilson (#44) to suit up for the Colorado Avalanche. Wilson made his NHL debut Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

FRANZEN UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL SURGERY

Detroit, MI…Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen today underwent successful surgery to repair the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his left knee. The procedure was performed by Dr. William Clancy in Birmingham, AL.

The injury occurred during the Wings’ 3-2 victory over Chicago on October 8, in which Franzen scored the game-winning goal. He is expected to be out of the lineup a minimum of four months from the date of the injury.

In Play! Magazine

Red Wings King LA

By AJ Petronzi
Blog live from JLA
In Play! Magazine

The Red Wings took out Los Angeles when they walked out to a second period lead. The Joe was rocking but again fans complained about the addition of an organ at the game. Everyone was on their feet to watch, and applaud, a video shown after Nick Lidstrom netted his 1000th career point on a shot-pass deflection from Zetterberg.

The Wings gave up a goal midway through the third, but Kirk Maltby slammed a goal home shortly after to return the goal margin to two goals. The Joe went crazy.

The Wings finished with a full ice, empty net goal by Brian Rafalski in the closing seconds. It was an exciting night at the Joe and the Wings looked more like the team that everyone is familiar with.

In Play! post game audio with Head Coach Mike Babcock




In Play!post game audio with goaltender Chris Osgood




In Play! post game audio with Red Wings Captain Niklas Lidstrom
after registering his 1000th NHL point!

Red Wings See Red In Buffalo

Anthony Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings decided to take a couple days off and dress a little league team to take their place for tonight’s game. Unfortunately, that’s only what it looked like.

Buffalo, who had a season total of 4 goals going into the game tonight, scored 6 against Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard to more than double their season totals.

Osgood, who was chased from net after giving up 5 goals, was not responsible for Detroit’s troubles. The only consistency that the Wings displayed during the game was a total breakdown defensively.

The Wings need to prove themselves on the road; if they can’t, the extended road trip that begins next week is going to be a difficult one.

Detroit’s road game has been three horrifying showings; that is going to have to change if the Wings want to be around come post-season.

Darren Helm Goes Buffalo Hunting Tonight

AJ Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Detroit Red Wings will sit Kris Draper in order for Darren Helm to make his first appearance of the season tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Also starting tonight is Chris Osgood, who has preformed well in the last two games.

The offensive power of Detroit will be tested against by the Sabers, who have only allowed 3 goals against this season.

Look for Detroit to put pressure on Ryan Miller, Buffalo’s goaltender. The Wings did a good job of putting Jose Theodore under pressure Saturday and it paid off with a big win.

They will likely do the same tonight.

Red Wings Cap Washington Saturday Night

By Anthony Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals were topped by the goaltending of Chris Osgood and the defense of the Detroit Red Wings.

The Capitals, thanks to the Wings, have now lost three straight games, but when asked after the game, Ovechkin said he was not frustrated and that, “It happens.”

Detroit, who was playing their first game since loosing Johan Franzen to a torn ACL, did not look like a team that was concerned about offence.

The Wings are also not suffering from a lack of energy in the Joe Louis Arena. For the second game in a row, the Joe was packed and full of energy. It will be interesting to see if that energy will carry over when the Las Angeles Kings visit Thursday.

Click on links to to go to our facebook page for audio post game interviews with Jose Theodore, Brian Pothier and superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin.

Travel to Toronto With Ted Lindsay for Steve Yzerman HHOF Induction

In Play! Magazine is a proud supporter of the Red Wings Alumni Association.

FRANZEN OUT MINIMUM FOUR MONTHS WITH KNEE INJURY

Detroit, MI…Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and expected to be out of the lineup a minimum of four months.

The injury occurred during last night’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in which Franzen tallied the eventual game winning goal during the second period.

In Play! Magazine

Red Wings Top Blackhawks

By Anthony Petronzi

The Red Wings took the first game in the season series against the Blackhawks and the Joe Louis Arena rocked all night long.

The game started with a new hockey tradition at the Joe. The Wings are going to have an organ at games where they play original six teams; however, the organ was a bit too much.

The energy in the Joe erupted in the first period when the new Red Wings Brad May and Hawks’ Radek Smolenak had words for half the TV timeout and duked it out as soon as the puck dropped. The energy after May won the fight never died away, even after Chicago scored the first goal early in the second.

The Wings and the Hawks are going to have some good, fun to watch games this season if this game was any indicator.

In Play! Magazine

RED WINGS SIGN VETERAN LW BRAD MAY

Detroit, MI…Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President/General Manager Ken Holland today announced the signing of forward Brad May to a one-year contract. In keeping with club policy, additional terms were not available.
May, 37, was Buffalo’s first round selection (14th overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He has played in 1,001 career NHL games with Buffalo, Vancouver, Phoenix, Colorado, Anaheim and Toronto.

May has scored four goals and 11 assists for a total of 15 points in the last five years.

In Play! Magazine

Red Wings’ Howard…?

By: Anthony Petronzi

Many fans around Michigan are questioning the goaltending of Jimmy Howard and asking whether or not he actually deserves to be in a Red Wings uniform.

Why wouldn’t Howard deserve to play for the Wings? With all the money the Illitchs have spent on his development, he has to be tested. This is the last year of his contract, so if he doesn’t make it, he’ll be gone come the end of the year or maybe at the trade deadline.

If Howard is still struggling at the end of October, then the Wings should look at picking up a free agent like Manny Legace.

In Play! Magazine

Red Wings Fight the Good Fight

By: Anthony Petronzi

A good cause comes to Joe Louis Arena on October 10th. While the Red Wings take on Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, the Wings will also be raising money to fight cancer off the ice.

The night’s events have yet to be released, but Coach Mike Babcock and commentators will wear the famous lavender stripped ties that have come to symbolize the Hockey Fights Cancer movement.

The NHL is hoping for fans to dig deep, and will be releasing a line of clothing in an effort to raise funds for the cause. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Wings will also be auctioning off game worn, and signed, items to support the effort.

To date, the NHL has raised over $10 million dollars to fight cancer.

In Play! Magazine

Red Wings Leave Sweden 0-2

By: Anthony Petronzi

Someone needs to tell the Red Wings that summer is over and that they aren’t playing drop-in hockey, because that’s what both Swedish games looked like.

Like Friday, the Wings came out and dominated the first period, but were nowhere to be seen afterwards.

That’s because St. Louis simply just outworked the Wings, who seemed content to give the Blues the space they needed to stickhandle with the puck and set up plays in the Wings’ zone. St. Louis, rather than let Detroit free wheel the puck, played the body and shut the Wings down inside the Blues’ Zone.

If you can’t set up plays, you won’t score many goals. The wings need to learn how to take the body, both offensively and defensively, or losing will become a theme for the season.

In Play! Magazine

Wings to Try Again in Stockholm

By: Anthony Petronzi

The Red Wings started out great in their season opener, but by the middle of the game, looked almost as shoddy as the ice conditions, which slowed the game down considerably.

There isn’t much the Wings should consider changing going into Saturday’s contest. I think the Wings are going to be in trouble if they let St. Louis control match-ups like they did in Friday’s loss.

The biggest problem for the Wings is that it looks like Derek Meech will play for Jonathan Ericsson (ankle) who left the game early. Though, if that is their biggest problem, the Wings should have high hopes for Saturday.

In Play! Magazine

Wings in Stockholm

By: Anthony Petronzi
In Play! Magazine

The Red Wings are in Stockholm and play the first of the two games with St. Louis Friday. While I do not like these European games, for the Wings or for any NHL team, many of the Red Wings seem to be excited about the opportunity.

Going into Friday’s game, Dan Rosen of NHL.com has made it clear that Andreas Lilja and Darren Helm are definite no-goes for the weekend. Lilja (post-concussion) is already on the IR and Helm (Shoulder) is likely to be joining him. The Red Wings also brought a third goalie, Daniel Larsson, as an emergency call up who will not play unless there is an injury to Chris Osgood or Jimmy Howard. Justin Abdelkader will likely as a healthy scratch.

For the Blues, Alex Pietrangelo, Cam Janssen, Derek Armstrong, and D. J. King look as if they will be scratched. Rosen doesn't give any reasons for the scratch of Janssen and Armstrong; however, Pietrangelo skated with King in practice, who is currently on the IR.

RED WINGS SIGN TATAR TO THREE-YEAR ENTRY LEVEL DEAL

…Team Also Assigns Goaltender Jordan Peace to Grand Rapids…

Detroit, MI…The Detroit Red Wings announced today that the club has signed forward Tomas
Tatar to a three-year entry level deal. In accordance with team policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed. The team also announced that goaltender Jordan Pearce has been assigned to Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Tatar, 18, was Detroit’s second pick (second round, 60th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The Ilava, Slovakia native appeared in two games for the Red Wings during the 2009 preseason.

Pearce, 22, was signed by Detroit to a two-year entry level deal on April 10, 2009. With the cut, Detroit’s active training camp roster stands at 38 players.

In Play! Magazine

LIDSTROM NAMED NHL PLAYER OF THE DECADE BY SPORTING NEWS

…Red Wings Team, Babcock And Holland Also Earn Honors…

Detroit, MI… Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who twice in this decade has three-peated as the winner of the Norris Trophy, is Sporting News‘ NHL player of the decade. The Red Wings are SN’s NHL team of the decade. Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock was named NHL coach of the decade and Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland was named NHL executive of the decade.

The honors are part of a 14-page tribute to the athletes, coaches and teams of the 2000s in the new issue of the magazine, which arrives this week at all Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets. SN honored one athlete in each sport and enlisted the help of teammates, coaches and legends to make a case for both the winner and runner-up.

Said former Red Wings center Steve Yzerman: “Nicklas Lidstrom won the Stanley Cup in ’02. He won the Cup in ’08. I don’t know how many Norris trophies he’s won, but throughout that entire time, throughout the entire decade, where he’s only missed a handful of games, he was the Red Wings’ best player. He’s one of the top defensemen on both ends of the rink. He’s got really good instincts, and he’s incredibly skilled. He’s a really, really intelligent hockey player. Nick is your best player in training camp. He’s your best player in preseason. He’s your best player in the regular season. He’s your best player in the playoffs. I’m not sure what else he could do.”

Lidstrom’s pick for his favorite moment of the decade? “The first thing you think of is the Stanley Cup wins, whether it’s the one in ’02 or the one (in ’08). Those two were special. In 2002, I won the Norris and Conn Smythe as well. Winning those two trophies, along with the Stanley Cup, makes that year stand out. We had a heck of a team that season. We signed Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Dominik Hasek—you can go down the line with the great players on that team. We had a real strong team and then lost the first two games of the playoffs against Vancouver in the first round. It was a tough playoff run, but the team responded well. We had some pressure on us, and it was gratifying to win with that team. Really gratifying..”

SN chose Lidstrom over Devils goalie Martin Brodeur. “The goaltender is the most important position for any Stanley Cup contender,” former Devils coach Larry Robinson argued. “You look at anybody who has won a Cup and you always point to the goalie. When we won in 2000, we wouldn’t have even gotten there if Marty didn’t stand on his head. He’s a terrific athlete, and he has that inner strength. The worst thing you can do is beat him because you know darn well the next game, you’re not going to come close against him. He’s the backbone of our club in Jersey. He makes the big stops, and he’s the No. 1 reason we’ve been successful. I compare him to all the great ones.”

Lidstrom also made SN’s NHL all-decade team:


FIRST
F Joe Sakic
F Jaromir Jagr
F Jarome Iginla
D Nicklas Lidstrom
D Scott Niedermayer
G Martin Brodeur


SECOND
F Sidney Crosby
F Vincent Lecavalier
F Alex Ovechkin
D Chris Pronger
D Zdeno Chara
G Jean-Sebastien Giguere


NHL

Athlete of the decade: Nicklas Lidstrom, Red Wings D, over Martin Brodeur, Devils G

Coach of the decade: Mike Babcock, Ducks/Red Wings

Team of the decade: Red Wings

Game of the decade: Game 4, 2000 Eastern Conference semifinals, Flyers 2, Penguins 1 in 5 OTs

All-decade first team: F Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla; D Nicklas Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer; G Martin Brodeur

All-decade second team: F Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier and Alex Ovechkin; D Chris Pronger and Zdeno Chara; G Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Executive of the decade: Ken Holland, Red Wings GM and executive VP

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2009 COMPUWARE NHL PREMIERE STOCKHOLM

The Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues will open their seasons in Europe at the 2009
Compuware NHL Premiere Stockholm. The Red Wings and Blues will play home-and-home
games Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, in Stockholm, Sweden at the Globe Arena.

In Play! Magazine

RED WINGS SIGN COETZEE TO THREE-YEAR ENTRY LEVEL DEAL

...Young Forward Makes Favorable Impression During Training Camp…

Detroit, MI... The Detroit Red Wings announced today that the club has signed forward Willie Coetzee to a three-year entry level contract. In accordance with team policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Coetzee, 18, was invited to training camp on an amateur tryout. The Maple Ridge, British Columbia native spent last season playing with fellow Red Wings prospect Landon Ferraro (second round, 2009 NHL Entry Draft) on the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. He finished the season with 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 72 games. He also posted 42 penalty minutes.

In Play! Magazine

RED WINGS TRIM NINE FROM TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

Traverse City, MI…The Detroit Red Wings today trimmed nine players from its 57-man training camp roster. Seven players were assigned back to their respective junior teams while two players were released. With the cuts, Detroit’s training camp roster stands at 48 players.

Mitchell Callahan RW, 5-11, 175, Whittier, CA Assigned to juniors
Landon Ferraro C, 5-10, 165, Trail, BC Assigned to juniors
Gleason Fournier D, 6-0, 176, Ribouski, PQ Assigned to juniors
Austin Fyten LW, 6-0, 185, Sundre, AB Released
Stephen Johnston LW, 6-1, 175, Guelph, ON Assigned to juniors
Brian Lashoff D, 6-2, 185, Albany, NY Assigned to juniors
Andrej Nestrasil C, 6-2, 200, Prague, Czech Repub. Assigned to juniors
Brent Raedeke LW, 6-0, 190, Regina, SK Assigned to juniors
Chris Whitley G, 6-1, 215, Oshawa, ON Released

In Play! Magazine

RED WINGS HOST NHL PROSPECTS TOURNAMENT

Action at Centre ICE in Traverse City Begins Sunday

Detroit, MI…The Detroit Red Wings host the 2009 NHL Prospects Tournament at Centre ICE in Traverse City, MI beginning Sunday, Sept. 6.

The eight-team tournament includes the best prospects from Detroit, Dallas, Columbus, Atlanta, Carolina, St. Louis, Minnesota and the NY Rangers. The Red Wings’ roster includes 2008 1st-round draft pick, goaltender Thomas McCollum and the Wings’ first pick in the 2009 draft, center Landon Ferraro.

The tournament consists of four games on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Admission is just $5 per day. Tickets are available at the door beginning one hour before each day’s first game.

In Play! Magazine