Let’s leave the “What’s wrong with the Detroit Red Wings?” question at the door right now before we even start. That’s another article completely.

Many Red Wings fans were given good news on Halloween when the turned on their computers and went online and/or opened up the sports section of a newspaper and saw that Ken Holland worked his magic again:

Niklas Kronwall remains a Red Wings defenseman for seven more years.

And why wouldn’t he? He was given the title of “Alternate Captain” this season, swapping out with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. The Red Wings need that physical kind of force on their ranks, and keeping Kronwall around is a smart move. Plus, with Nicklas Lidstrom on his way out at some point in the future, the team needs some defensemen on which they can rely and not have to worry about re-signing every other year.

Kronwall signed for seven years, $33.25 million; at thirty years of age, this lengthy contract pretty much guarantees he’ll be wearing a Winged Wheel for his entire career, unless otherwise traded. His contract gets a little tricky. The salary cap hit will be $4.75 million, but the breakdown is more intricate than that (naturally).

2012-13 sees him making $4.25 million. The following three seasons, he ears $6 million, then $5.5 million in 2016-17, and the last two years of his contract will be $3.5 million and $1.75million.

Kronwall will earn $4.25 million in 2012-13 and $6 million in each of the next three seasons. He’ll make $5.5 million in 2016-17 and $3.5 million and $1.75 million, respectively, the final two years of the deal.

With a cap hit of $4.25 million, it puts him in the same ranks as Chris Pronger, Kevin Bieksa, Mike Komisarek, Dan Hamhuis, Jack Johnson, and Tomas Kaberle, to name only a handful.

So how does Niklas Kronwall compare statistically with these other defensemen?

Firstly, he’s always been fairly prone to lengthy injuries (one to two months of the season); the 2008-2009 season only saw him missing two games and getting 51 points and 50 PIMs. 2010-11, he only missed five games and hit 47 points and 36 PIMs. Twelve games into the season, he has two goals and two assists, though let’s not forget the Red Wings went through a six-game slump of only scoring six goals total.

Now let’s compare these stats to some of the previously mentioned defensemen. Kronwall’s stats are fairly similar to Pronger’s, if you can believe it. However, Pronger has come close in several recent seasons to hitting sixty points whereas Kronwall still struggles to hit fifty. Last season, Pronger only played fifty games, but still scraped up 25 points, almost identical to Kronwall’s 48 game, 22-point season.

Against a player like Bieksa, Kronwall has more offensive output (and a lot fewer penalties), with Bieksa’s highest offensive season coming in 2008-9 with 43 points. The same goes with comparing him to Komisarek and Hamhuis.

Kronwall is also pretty identical to Jack Johnson, both in offensive output and penalties. They both get around 35 to 45 points per season and hit somewhere around 40 PIMS.

His comparison to Kaberle is very similar to that of Pronger. Kaberle hits anywhere between forty and sixty points per season while keeping his penalties to a minumum. One thing is for sure, Kaberle really hasn’t missed a majority of a season like Kronwall has in the past. But if the Swede can stay healthy and aggressive, anything is possible.

Now after comparing all of these stats, would you find it strange to compare Kronwall’s output to Pronger’s output? People usually rank Pronger up there with Lidstrom, Zdeno Chara, and Shea Weber, but Kronwall gets lost in the mix, and is usually only known for his bone-crunching hits. Well, it all started from the scouting level…

As Hakan Andersson, the director of European scouting for the Red Wings, once said, “I know one scout who tried to bring up Niklas Kronwall’s name with his team. They just laughed at him. They never even had a serious dialogue. They just stopped him. They said ‘a 5-11 Swedish defenceman?’ [The Red Wings] organization is more open-minded than that.”

But the Red Wings like their players to be under the radar and overlooked.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

Dear Mr. Lidstrom,

How is your summer going? For us Michiganders, we’re finally getting a taste of summer, though, like always, the state’s weather is teasing us.

For us hockey fans, we’re finally getting rid of that nervousness on our tongues. It’s been there from the moment we wake up in the mornings to the moment we fall asleep at night, all just because of your “indecision.” “Indecision” as in last year you had decided by June 1 and this year it took until June 20 for the news to come out.

We wouldn’t have been this on-edge the whole time if Brian Rafalski, our #2 defenseman, hadn’t retired (slightly unexpectedly) at the end of May. Losing one of the league’s best passers and the man who would switch sides with you on the power play to set up your winding slapshot is unnerving. Then again, maybe we still would be this on-edge even if Rafalski hadn’t retired.

Your constant assurances of giving Ken Holland an answer before July 1, then before the draft, then before the NHL Awards, didn’t help us, either. You did make an announcement at the beginning of June, but it was out on Belle Isle along with Chris Chelios and Kid Rock to announce a Kid Rock concert this coming August. That’s not the kind of announcement we want to hear (though maybe it’s better than hearing your plans of retirement).

But now, on Monday, June 20, 2011, a wave of relief has crashed through Detroit, Michigan, parts of Canada, and anywhere else around the world where there are Detroit Red Wings fans. $6.2 million is the price tag, the same as last year. Some people may claim it’s too much, but for a Norris, Lady Byng, four-time Stanley Cup Champion, All-Star, and one of the greatest defenseman to ever grace this league, I think it’s a fair price.

No matter when you decide to finally retire, the Red Wings will hurt. No team – and I mean no team – can recover from losing a player like you. But with this extra year of you on our roster and another year to keep our defense evolving, fans can be a little more at ease with the idea of you leaving, whether we want to admit the end is coming or not. It’s been reported that you asked Holland about the defense with the departure of Rafalski, and it seems as though he gave you the right answers if you’re sticking around. It won’t be easy whenever you leave, but you’re giving us another year to be prepped and ready.

But we won’t be ready. No matter when you leave, we won’t be ready.

We promise to not take you for granted. We promise to love and cherish every moment you’re on the ice. We promise to cheer you on through the good times and the bad. We promise to keep holding you up to that “Perfect Human” standard you’ve set for yourself.

But above all, we promise to support you and enjoy every single moment you grace our team’s roster.

Thank you for giving yourself the chance to tie Bobby Orr in Lady Byngs won. Thank you for giving yourself the chance to be named to yet another All-Star game. Thank you for giving yourself the chance to get that fifth Stanley Cup ring for your thumb.

Most importantly, thank you for coming back for another season. We doubt you’ll regret it.

With all our love,

Your fans in Michigan and all around the world

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

If you’re reading this, then congratulations! You have made it through the onslaught of playoff games and the heart attacks and heartbreaks that come in tow and you are now looking at a solid three months without any National Hockey League games. You are asking yourself the same question as me and millions of others:

What the hell do I do now?

Hockey is part of your daily diet. Without those sixty-to-sixty-five-minute games, what are you supposed to do? It leaves you with two-and-a-half hours open in your evenings, and what good is that time now? Get work accomplished around the house? Please. Do homework? That’s what all-nighters are for. Catch up with friends? They know where to find you if they wanted to hang out (and chances are with your obsession, they stopped trying years ago). Go outside? It’s freezing out! Wait…unseasonable warmth…? Wait, it’s June?!

You’re wondering how you can face these next coming months with your chin held high and confidence built up in your chest.

Do you want the honest answer or the sugar-coated one?

The honest answer is: You can’t. It’s not possible. When you’re so immersed in the sport, living without it for three months is worse than torture.

The sugar-coated answer is: There’s help out there for you. We all go through this every year, and every year we don’t understand how we made it through the year before. Well, at least this year I was smart enough to create this helpful little survival guide to the off-season. It gives you different options on how you can make it through the next 90-odd days or so.

Plus, you would think with the league going on one hundred years old, they would understand the hockey grieving process in the off-season so that by this point, they would have an official Youtube channel with legitimate grief counselors helping us fans make it through the next twelve weeks or so. But I digress…

ITEM NUMBER ZERO

First, I have to ask if you completely shut yourself off from hockey for these three months. If you do this because you think it’s better to get rid of all hockey rather than hearing a vague mention and getting your hopes up that it’s closer to October than you think, then stop reading now. This will only make things much worse.

Or if your team just won the Stanley Cup, you’re not allowed to complain. You get a summer of bliss and partying. We all kind of hate you just a little bit. I say “a little bit,” but I really mean “definitely.”

If not, please continue on.

ITEM NUMBER ONE

Hockey timeline. Hockey is still alive and active for summer – there just aren’t any games. Space out all of the big hockey dates throughout the summer. Mark them on your calendar at home and at work. Think of them as benchmarks to get you to October. Case in point:

June 22 – NHL Awards

June 24-25 – NHL Entry Draft

July 1 – Free Agency Circus. Be prepared to constantly refresh TSN, CBC, Facebook, Twitter, The New York Times, The Winnipeg Free Press, ESPN, and any relevant apps on your phones every ten minutes starting at 12pm sharp.

Mid/Late July – Release of 2011-2012 Schedules

August 1-7 – Select Which Games You Will Be Attending

Mid August – Ken Holland ends up making a quiet signing that will more than likely lead the Detroit Red Wings to the Cup. But there’s only like a 90 percent chance of this happening.

Mid September – Training Camp Begins

End of September – Preseason

October – DROP THE PUCK ALREADY

Once free agency begins, it’s kind of a stretch. Hockey news gets slow and there isn’t much to digest. But you have to make it work or you’ll never make it to training camp in September.

ITEM NUMBER TWO

Stay away from Youtube. If you’re the kind of person who can make it through the off-season hearing about hockey without losing your composure, but completely fall apart if you catch even a second of a game, do not go to Youtube to watch any sort of hockey highlights from any time period. Trust me, you will just end up relapsing. And it gets ugly. That happened to me in the summer of 2009; I watched Darren Helm’s breakaway goal against Anaheim in Game Seven of the the semi-finals sometime in mid-July and I was lost for the rest of the summer.

Instead, find something else to watch.  Instead of watching Don Cherry rant about Matt Cooke, watch a video on how to cook a cherry pie from scratch. Just don’t look up “Panther Attack” or you might view a clip about the Florida Panthers.  Wait, scratch that.

However, if you’re the kind of person who can’t make it through the off-season without seeing hockey every single day, then set Youtube as your home page for the next three months. Watch a clip when you first wake up, watch one at lunch, watch one or more during the afternoon lull, watch one around dinner time, watch an entire game at night. Thank goodness for Youtube!

(And as an added bonus to the Youtube part, don’t forget about hockey movies, too. Those are pretty good cures for the hockey hunger pangs.)

ITEM NUMBER THREE

Open ice skating at your local ice arenas.

It’s not the same thing in the least. But hey, hearing the sound of skates on ice, seeing the boards, the benches, the penalty boxes, the lines, the creases, the faceoff circles…you will definitely feel at home. It may just bring tears to your eyes reminiscing about the highs and lows of the year.

On the same note as this, you could also join an intramural league. Or if you’re not one for playing the sport, go to your local arena and watch random games. It may be pee-wee, it may be teenage girls, it may be fifty-year-old men, but it may just fulfill your desire to watch a game of hockey again. And hey, there’s a fight no matter what league you’re watching (trust me, my fourteen-year-old neighbor started a full-out team brawl on her hockey team. Twice).

ITEM NUMBER FOUR

Baseball. It’s America’s pastime. And it always seems to be on television, so why not give it a chance?

And hey, it’s a sport. And it’s better than basketball (which just ended anyway). Baseball has always been that backup-channel staple. You’re reading this section of the guide and giving your computer screen one of the two following looks:

1. Baseball is a given temporary solution to a lack of hockey.

2. Baseball is even more boring on TV than it is in real life, and it could never compete with hockey.

So this option can be a hit or a strike for you.

If it’s a strike, and you’re lucky enough to either live in Canada or live close enough to get some of their channels, start tuning in to the CBC at random times. Whether you want to catch a curling match or just the soothing sound of a Canadian accent, the CBC fulfills those needs. And if The Red Green Show just happens to be on, you’re in for some excellent entertainment.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE

Video games. Specifically hockey video games. I’ve been told that NHL ’11 for XBox is absolutely amazing. This virtual hockey can easily fulfill your hockey needs. Pick your favorite team, start the 2010-2011 NHL season all over again, and play the next three months away.  Just don’t freak out when you can’t pull that monster trade off in the game like your team did in real life.

Unless, of course, you’re that person who can’t watch hockey over the summer and you still continued reading this. Thanks for that. But if that is the case, then hockey video games don’t work. Instead, play anything non-hockey related. Super Mario Brothers Wii is terribly addicting when you play with two or more people. There’s always the new-ish Portal 2. Or really any games that don’t involve hockey.

ITEM NUMBER SIX

Spending time in the summer weather. It is, in fact, now summertime. And it always arrives around this time of year, every year. There’s much less reason to stay inside now that it’s in the eighties outside (or hotter/colder, depending on where you live) rather than in the heat of the NHL season when, on a good day, it’s somewhere around 20F.

So go out to the nearby park and do stuff. Go swimming in your neighbor’s pool whether they like it or not. Bask in the glorious sunlight we don’t see for weeks at a time come six months from now. Do things that take your mind away from the sport you’re missing.

Just try not to be too afraid of natural light, or bees, or your crazy neighbor down the street whose team just lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Don’t forget, too, that you can always start playing roller or street hockey. If you’re in desperate need for any sort of hockey fix (and this goes along with the open-ice skating option), this will do the trick. Trust me – I’m quite thankful all of my neighbors are home this summer so we can set up the tarp and net in front of their garage and practice our shootout attempts on a goalie whose pads are pretty much the size of shin guards.

ITEM NUMBER SEVEN

Shopping spree. Specifically, a hockey shopping spree. I’m not one for shopping (at all), but I have found that in my times of desperation (or severe depression), buying any sort of hockey-related items makes everything seem a little bit better. Head out to your local mall, go directly into the sports store and surround yourself with the familiar memorabilia. I can’t tell you how elated I feel when I walk out of that store with a new shirt or blanket or puck with that winged wheel imprinted on the front.

And this works for the non-hockey-watchers, too, because you’re not watching hockey. You’re just facing the logo of your team; you’re not actually watching them play. It gives you that little connection to them to add that spark of happiness into your day. And that little spark can easily fuel you through the following days and bring the official puck drop that much closer.

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT

Lots and lots of beer. I won’t lie to you – I had to ask for help from people on this article. After about Item Number Three, I was all out of ideas. It’s hard to survive the off-season. So I turned to friends and Twitter followers and one major consensus was beer. We are hockey fans after all, and there’s always beer at games. Why not indulge in it during the off-season as well? Heck, maybe the days will go by a little faster, too.

————

If you’re still lost after reading all of this article, I really can’t do anything else for you. Just know that there is help out there for you in the most unlikely places.

Never forget that you’re not alone. We’re all in this off-season together.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

It’s officially the off-season, which means it’s officially time to start the crazy rumors of big name players signing with teams that don’t always make the most sense. Example: Marian Hossa signing a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. How much crazier can you get? Oh wait…

Ever since Jaromir Jagr had a hat trick in the 2011 World Championships, the rumors have been flying around about Jagr coming back to the NHL and which teams were attempting to pursue him, the main ones including his ex-teams, the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with the Montreal Canadiens.

But now it’s been reported that Jagr’s agent has reached out and contacted the Red Wings. All Ken Holland has said in response is that yes, he has been contacted and is exploring the idea. He wouldn’t be Ken Holland if he said anything more.

By this point, I don’t need to tell you the draws of Detroit and how many veterans have gotten a first, second, third chance to make it to the Stanley Cup and taken that “Detroit discount” to play here (Dallas Drake, Mike Modano to name a few recent ones). Is Jagr this year’s Modano, with the “media circus” following his moves and the pursuing teams during the off-season?

The question really is: Is signing the 39-year-old who hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2007-2008 season worth it for the Red Wings?

The comment has been made in past seasons that Detroit’s roster needs to get younger, not older, and signing these veterans doesn’t really help that. But when they come to the team, more often than not, they do produce. Before Modano went out last season with the fluke wrist injury, he had seven points in as many games and was finally finding his groove with the team.

Jagr could easily do the same thing. In his 82 games with the Rangers back in the 2007-2008 season, he had 25 goals and 71 points. Even in the KHL, he was almost a point-per-game player, which is pretty good considering his age. Jagr is also known for being able to hold onto the puck; he would fit well onto the puck possession-focused Red Wings team. Just imagine him on a third line with Jiri Hudler and Darren Helm. Or Justin Abdelkader and Valtteri Filppula.

But there are drawbacks, as there are with any player. Of course, he hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2008, so his pretty good offensive numbers could have easily slipped. And, of course, his age is a factor. Jagr is no Nicklas Lidstrom (heck, no one is Lidstrom) and it’s tough to say whether his age will catch up to him at any point in the season. Are these factors enough of a risk to prevent a one-year deal?

If the Red Wings can get him for fairly cheap and know he can produce offensively and be an asset for this team, I think it would be a smart signing. Then again, it’s all up to Holland and the coaching staff.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

This off-season, all of the worrying for the future of the Detroit Red Wings’ defense revolved around whether Nicklas Lidstrom would be returning for another season with so much quality hockey left in him.

It was surprising when news arose about Brian Rafalski reportedly calling it quits and hanging up the skates. Only a little surprising, though.

For the past few seasons, Rafalski has been plagued with injuries. If it wasn’t his knee, it was back spasms. And if it was neither of those, it was an undisclosed minor surgery to delay his return four or six weeks, which pretty much meant it was either on his back or knee.

The opinions on Rafalski’s departure are very mixed; some see it as a good sign, what with his $6 million salary now giving the Red Wings more wiggle room this off-season, while others see it as the obvious: losing one of our top-two defensemen.

And then there’s the Lidstrom factor. Does this give him incentive to stay and help the team out for another season to aid in that transition period while they try to find their defensive legs again? Or does it give him incentive to leave, knowing they may be more than just a little crippled with Rafalski departing?

It just makes waiting for Lidstrom’s decision that much harder.

I won’t jump to any rash conclusions about the fate of the Detroit Red Wings until deals are done, trades are made in the off-season and August rolls around. Really, what can anyone else really say? There are some good free agent defensemen out there this summer. Ken Holland will probably end up working his magic like usual, which is why I won’t freak out too much just yet.

Official news will be coming Wednesday at 11am; the Red Wings will be holding a press conference with Rafalski and Ken Holland. I would watch, but I’m hockey-less in Disney World until Saturday. A more thorough response post coming after, as well as some fun, lighthearted articles!

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

In the final weeks leading up to the Detroit Red Wings‘ final two games against the Chicago Blackhawks, had you asked me (like many people at my work did) how I thought the Red Wings would fare in the playoffs, I would honestly and quickly reply with, “They’re going to lose in the first round.”
When Henrik Zetterberg went down with a lower body injury, I knew it to be true.

And when Chicago trounced us on Friday night 4-2, I wasn’t holding my breath for a miracle.

That Saturday, I chatted with a friend briefly about the game (he had been in attendance). He was just as pessimistic as me and what he told me certainly didn’t help. He had had dinner at the Olympia Club at Joe Louis Arena, the club you need a membership to get into. Rumors were flying around, things I thought, but prayed weren’t true: The team wasn’t playing for Mike Babcock.

Was there really any other explanation? This team is one of the most talented ones in the league and we could be absolutely dominant, but that hadn’t happened in weeks. It’s all in the players’ mindsets, and from what us Red Wings fans could see, they were in the wrong mindset. Mike Modano had been a healthy scratch a few games earlier to tally his total NHL games played to 1499, missing the 1500 mark by that one game; according to my friend, Modano was relatively ticked off at Babcock and had stopped trying.

Basically, too long; didn’t read – First round exit. We’re doomed.

And then Sunday’s game against the Blackhawks began, and that playoff-ready Red Wings team took the ice. Hopes soared. That eighty-second game of the regular season felt like a Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals.

But can we base the Red Wings’ playoff future on one game? Is there any truth to the rumors of the team not playing for Babcock?

I can’t give you any definitive answers on these questions, and if I could, I would be discussing them with general manager Ken Holland and then telling you guys. But what I can give you is my preview of this first round match-up.

Detroit Red Wings versus Phoenix Coyotes

It’s the same match-up as the first round last year. In my opinion (because I’m sure other Red Wings fans will completely disagree), not much bad blood really formed between these two teams; the animosity created was more due to inconsistent reffing, namely several high sticks that went uncalled (especially that one on Nicklas Lidstrom in Game One).

Last year, we were tired; we had been playing “playoff hockey” since the Olympic break just to make it into the playoffs due to so many injuries plaguing our roster. Last year, we had a healthy but exhausted roster. Last year, we had a veteran goaltender who had started one game in the previous thirty and a rookie starting goaltender who had played out of his mind in the regular season, but was untested in the playoffs. Last year, we had played more games since 2006 than any other NHL team. Last year, the Phoenix Coyotes didn’t know if they would be playing in Glendale this season; their future was still uncertain.

So how much of that is different this year? The team struggled with injuries again this year, but did so well in the first half of the year that our spot in the top eight was relatively secure.

Our roster is healthy (save for Henrik Zetterberg, but I’ll get to him in a bit). They are less exhausted than last year after losing in the second round rather than the conference finals or Stanley Cup Finals; those extra few weeks may have paid off, as inconsequential as they may sound. The same veteran goaltender that went untested last year hasn’t played since January 4 and won’t even be used as a backup; our backup will be a rookie, but a rookie who has looked like Dominik Hasek at times. This year, our starting “rookie goaltender,” our 2010 Calder Trophy finalist, has experience and showed in the last game of the season that he’s ready (or so we all hope).

The Coyotes are still fighting for their future. Everything is more up in the air than it was last year. No one knows if they’ll be in Glendale or Winnipeg. Or Hamilton. Or Quebec. Or even Atlanta. (Hey, you never know.)

Does this make us more prepared? I underestimated the Coyotes last year and I know better this year, despite still wanting them to be our first round foe (I really do not want the Nashville Predators).

With Zetterberg day-to-day with a lower body injury, many Red Wings fans wonder if that will be our downfall. A regular customer at my work is dead set on us losing in the first round solely because Zetterberg is out. But is losing one player enough to destroy us? I think we can point to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ entire season, first losing Evgeni Malkin, and then Sidney Crosby.

Our team is deep. We shouldn’t have to rely on just one player to get us through the playoffs, but Zetterberg’s absense will definitely hinder us.

What the Red Wings need is for a player to step up and take his place. Valtteri Filppula would be my vote. But he needs to start shooting the puck more and reassert himself. If you’ve noticed him play, he still has a hard time not passing the puck, even if he has a clear shot. Likewise, if he’s trying to rush into the zone and battling against someone from the opposition, he usually loses that physical battle. It’s not that he’s a small guy (though he’s not the biggest guy in the world either), but he just doesn’t assert himself enough physically. If he can adjust that part of his play, he would be a lot more successful.

Of course, there’s always the obvious choice of Johan Franzen. This is his time of year to shine. This could be the series where he scores more goals than the entire Coyotes team, much like the sweeping of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2008 semifinals. But even if it’s not, he has always had success in the postseason; with his performance being lackluster since the goal-fest against the Ottawa Senators in early February, he looks prime. Or as we say in Hockeytown, The Mule’s looking hungry, so feed the Mule.

This series may just come down a goaltender showdown. Jimmy Howard versus Ilya Bryzgalov. This year, Howard has a little more experience, but then again, so does Bryzgalov. It depends on which goalie wants it more; their stats are pretty similar, though Bryzgalov’s are better. But the other key factor will be which defense learns to tighten up (you would think that wouldn’t be necessary with Lidstrom on our team), which power play is more successful, and which penalty kill is the more dominant. (So keep a lookout for Darren Helm and Drew Miller).

It all starts Wednesday night at 7pm from Hockeytown, Michigan. (I have to miss it, but I’ll be getting text updates and checking my phone every ten seconds) Let’s see where this postseason takes us.

Be there and be square!

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

While this was an Original Six hockey game, you could definitely tell the difference between Monday night’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks and Saturday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. There certainly weren’t as many Blackhawks fans as there were Leafs fans, and that electricity wasn’t in the air.

That isn’t to say it wasn’t an exciting game, of course.

The first period was all power plays and penalty kills, or so it seemed. The Blackhawks got a quick goal from Jonathan Toews in the first period to take an early lead, but it was canceled out on a four-on-four situation with a Nicklas Lidstrom snipe from the blue line.

All of this, however, was overshadowed by Todd Bertuzzi‘s five-minute major and game misconduct for elbowing Ryan Johnson in the head. I saw the hit (I was in the corner where it happened, albeit in the upper bowl) and my thoughts at the game were that yes, it was a high hit, but a game misconduct?! Upon seeing replays and videos online afterward, I can see why he got it.

Now let’s not try to hash this out more than it needs to – after all, no further disciplinary action is happening to Bertuzzi. If you watch the hit (video here!), yes it is a high hit. It’s not exactly an elbow, but it’s definitely upper arm. Was there intent to injure? No. Was it a blatant headshot? No. And under the rules, Bertuzzi isn’t a repeat offender. Granted, it wasn’t the prettiest hit in the world, but the outcome and consequences could have been a hell of a lot worse.

The evidence people have against him? That infamous suckerpunch that took place in 2004. But when someone starts to argue that he is a dangerous player, just ask them: “What has he done since then?”

Because what has Bertuzzi done since the Steve Moore incident? Since his return to the NHL after his indefinite suspension (and the lockout), has he really done anything bad? Has he pulled any stunts like Matt Cooke? Honestly, has he even had a fight since 2004? Sure, he still takes a hell of a lot of penalties, but that’s because he’s an enforcer. He hasn’t seemed to step one toe out of line since then and it’s not like he’s had a good reason to do so.

I’m not sticking up for Bertuzzi in the Moore incident (because that’s just hashing out what’s already said and done); I’m just saying that he’s changed his style of play since then. There are times when Red Wings fans want him to lose his cool and get in a fight with a player who’s picking on our guys or our goaltender, but he hasn’t yet and I don’t think he ever will. Knowing Mike Babcock and Ken Holland, they probably have him on a tight leash.

With Bertuzzi kicked out for the rest of the game, the lines were scrambled for the Red Wings. By the end of the first, they were down 2-1. Henrik Zetterberg tied everything up at two just a few minutes into the third period, and my brothers and I quickly realized we have witnessed Zetterberg’s last five goals (two against Washington, one against Pittsburgh, one against Toronto, and one against Chicago).

Going into overtime, I was simply thankful we had gotten a point out of it at all; with how crummy we played in the first period and how well Chicago was keeping us to the outside of the ice, it seemed like a miracle we had tied it up at all. When Chicago got a power play with four seconds left in the third, I knew it was only a matter of time.

And I was right. Marian Hossa sniped one in past Joey MacDonald, who should not be blamed for this loss. I don’t think many fans are blaming him; after all, the “Jo-ey! Jo-ey!” chant started at one point in the second period after a monster save. And as a side-note, almost all of his losses over the course of this season have been by one goal.

The reason this Original Six game was different from the rest because we lost (though it was in overtime). So my record for Original Six games this season was 4-0-1, undefeated in regulation.

I’d say that’s not half bad.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

Hockeytown is abuzz right now with all of these crazy rumors about ex-San Jose Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov possibly signing with the Detroit Red Wings.

Not much has been said. GM Ken Holland has only said that he has expressed interest and talked with Nabokov’s agent. And we know now that he would be at $570,000, pro-rated to about $250,000 – or in other words, an extremely great deal. In his last year with the Sharks, his cap hit was $5.375 million.

As of 11pm Thursday night, Holland has confirmed that if Nabokov clears waivers, he will be signed to a one-year, $570,000 contract. He hits waivers tomorrow at noon.

It’s also been confirmed that the Red Wings didn’t lump on a multi-year deal or no-trade clause to keep others away. Holland’s playing it smart; he wants to see how Nabokov will fare. Better to risk losing him than to sign him for two or three years and have him be absolutely horrible.

I really can’t tell you anything different than what’s already out there on the Internet. But I can give my own speculation.

The concern now that the initial surprise at the news has passed is that Nabokov will be claimed off waivers. Put yourself in the shoes of a GM who has a team struggling with goaltenders (I should just come out and say it – the Ottawa Senators are the most obvious). You’re not going to let the juggernaut that is the Red Wings take a good goalie for so cheap and make them even stronger. You’re going to snag him for yourself. So the theory on that one is that the Wings are just doing a “courtesy signing” for a team. Which is possible, though I don’t know how much I buy into that.

The initial concern is what this means for the futures of Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard. George Malik over at Kukla’s Korner said that if signing Nabokov does happen, it does not affect Howard’s future. Osgood, however…that’s another story. There’s a lot of speculation around that.

If Chris Osgood has already set his heart on retiring, then signing Nabokov to a multi-year deal would make sense. The Red Wings are treating backup-backup goaltender Joey MacDonald much like they did to Howard: giving him enough time in the minors to feel prepared when he makes the final jump into the NHL. But if Osgood hasn’t decided quite yet or thinks he’ll be playing pretty fantastic, there’s no sense in signing Nabokov long-term.

Which brings me to my main concern: that this will turn into the Dominik Hasek / Curtis Joseph / Manny Legace debacle from 2003. That was just a mess. It gives me nightmares just thinking about it. Three goalies at the top of their game all competing for the starting position…we don’t need that again.

The major speculation that seems the most accurate is that Osgood is more hurt than Holland’s leading on. Sports hernia surgery is a tough surgery, though Kris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom have bounced back. But Osgood’s could be worse than theirs. Holland has said that as far as he knows, Osgood’s on schedule, so Nabokov would be signed solely if Howard happens to go down for longer than a game or two.

I did have a lengthy conversation with my oldest brother this afternoon. His thoughts were that ideally you don’t need Nabokov after this year because Howard is most likely going to be signed to a long-term deal. And if you feel as though MacDonald or Thomas McCollum isn’t ready just yet, sign Osgood to a one-year deal for $27,000, and bring one of the Griffins up when they’re ready. Or if Osgood comes back and is really bad, freak everyone out and sign Nabokov for a multi-year deal.

(And yes. We understand that you cannot sign Chris Osgood for $27,000. It’s a joke. Laugh.)

That is all of the speculation I have. At this point in time, anything could happen. Nabokov could be picked up by anyone. We’re just going to have to let this unfold and see where it goes.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com

Prior to opening a 4 game Eastern road trip (beginning with a shootout loss tonight in Carolina) the Calgary Flames were informed that Tom Kostopoulos was suspended for six games for a hit on Brad Stuart. Following the suspension, both Kostopoulos and GM Jay Feaster emphatically stated that they disagreed with the disciplinary action and that any suspension was handed down at all.

While viewing the above video evidence, it is hard to agree with the Flames organization, however, when one examines similar incidences around the league, the Flames may have a valid argument.

The league has recently attempted to begin a crackdown on hits to the head, with the theoretical intent of disciplining players who do violate this policy, and there are notable examples this season:

Joe Thornton received a two game suspension for levelling David Perron with this hit to the head. A similar incident earned Shane Doan a three game suspension for his hit on Dan Sexton.

When viewing these incidences, one finds it difficult to comprehend why Kostopoulos was assessed a whopping six game suspension. If the league is attempting to crack down on hits to the head, six games is indeed a reasonable length, however, why were the other hits only worth two and three games respectively? I fail to see the difference in principle.

Now, for every hit that is disciplined by the league, there are countless examples of hits to the head (often resulting in severe long term injury) that go unchecked.

Very recently David Steckel delt Sidney Crosby a blow to the head (resulting in a concussion, and a serious loss for the Penguins) that did not draw a penalty, nor did Steckel receive a suspension.

Earlier this season, Marc Staal crushed Matt Stajan with a vicious hit to the head, once again unpenalized and undisciplined.

Perhaps one of the most significant and cowardly attacks to the head was dealt by Matt Cooke on Marc Savard, once again no discipline was handed down by the league.

Tonight even, Curtis Glencross was laid out by a hit from Jeff Skinner, who left his feet with a deliberate hit at Glencross’s head. Now I am no mathematician, but if Kostopoulos received six games for his hit, and Skinner undertakes a similar action, shouldn’t he get six games as well?

It would be nice if the NHL worked that way, but unfortunately NHL discipline is the “responsibility” of Colin Campbell.

Campbell is now very well known for his unprofessional and biased behavior. It is well documented that Campbell had sent emails to an NHL official citing that Savard was a “little fake artist”. Upon confrontation he defended himself by suggesting that he didn’t think others would read his emails.

Hmm, well it now makes sense to me why the Cooke hit on Savard went unpunished, but there are so many other hits that go ignored, I wonder who else Campbell dislikes, or likes for that matter!

After the Kostopoulos’s hit on Stuart, Detroit coach Mike Babcock was very vocal in his opinion that Kostopoulous should receive a suspension. It went to the extent that the team’s GM (Ken Holland) phoned Campbell to raise his displeasure. I wonder if this influenced Campbell’s fickle opinion?

If Sutter or Feaster raised hell over tonight’s hit, would Campbell care? Probably not. With dictator-like management at the highest level, this creates a rather unfortunate parity in the NHL at a fundamental level.

I’m by no means suggesting that hits to the head should not be punished – they should – players need to be protected. I am merely advocating for a lack of bias and increased consistency from the league office. In my opinion, this means either getting rid of Campbell – for his record is rather unflattering, or creating a committee to oversee disciplinary action within the NHL.

Based on evidence from around the NHL – I can see why the Flames organization was shocked at the length of suspension for Kostopoulos when similar hits are going unpunished. It seems to this writer, that discipline is dependent upon who is involved in the incident – not exactly a model for successful practice. I just hope that the NHL gets it right and adopts a consistent model before more players become seriously injured.

Shahbaz Syed
Twitter: DDxDino

After a four-day break between games, the Detroit Red Wings looked as though they had forgotten how to play proper hockey against the St. Louis Blues.

That is, until the third period.

Through the first two periods, they were unable to hold a lead for more than two minutes; Drew Miller kicked the scoring off in the third, but Brad Boyes tied it up ninety seconds later. In the second, Brad Winchester scored on the power play and it took the Red Wings five minutes to tie it up from a goal by Justin Abdelkader. Danny Cleary scored with four minutes left in the second, but Andy McDonald buried one not even forty seconds later.

It was at this point in the game, with the lack of being able to hold a lead and a young St. Louis team fighting for every inch of the ice, when I thought the Red Wings would be lucky if they got a point out of this game. Thankfully, they proved me wrong.

Whatever was said in the locker room during the second intermission must have been one of these options: a really inspiring speech made by one of the veteran players, coach Mike Babcock giving every single player his patented death glare and not saying a word, or the team casually conversing and saying, “Okay, let’s stop pretending to suck and play hockey for the third.” No matter what it was, it definitely resonated with the team.

Danny Cleary of the Red Wings

In the span of three minutes and fourteen seconds, the Red Wings scored four goals to blow the Blues out of the water. Cleary kicked off the scoring, followed by Henrik Zetterberg, Brad Stuart (on the power play), and Tomas Holmstrom (also on the power play). St. Louis didn’t have much time to recover.

The Michigan natives really had an impact in the game last night: Abdelkader and Miller both had a goal an an assist each, Brian Rafalski had three assists, and Mike Modano had an assist. The Red Wings’ fourth line has been working the hardest as of late and always seem to work together well, despite Miller and Patrick Eaves swapping as a healthy scratch every few games.

One thing the Red Wings need to take away from this game is that their power play still needs work. While they were two for five last night, their power play is hovering right around 15%. Babcock has made comments that they have been working on it in practice, but until the top line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Holmstrom find their magic again, they need to keep working on it.

A special shout out goes to Jaroslav Halak for kicking the scoring off in the game. I really do like Halak a lot and it’s always a little humiliating when you toss the puck into your own net, but I can’t lie; when this happened, I just started laughing. Was it a premonition for a weird game? Maybe.

Additional notes/cool facts
- Cleary now has a six-game goal streak.
- Nicklas Lidstrom‘s eleven-game point streak ended after he was held pointless in last night’s game.
- The Red Wings are 9-0-1 when scoring first.
-Todd Bertuzzi is currently second in the league in plus/minus as a +13.
- Last night’s game was Ken Holland‘s 1000th as the general manager, and the team’s 600th win under Holland. Not a bad winning percentage.

Christina Roberts
NHLHS Detroit Red Wings Correspondent
Twitter: @franzenmuth
Email: christina.roberts@nhlhotstove.com