Conner

Gill Out, Black Aces Recalled

April 17, 2012

Hal Gill will be out of the Nashville Predators lineup for Game Four, still battling a lower body injury. The hulking 6 foot 7 Gill would give the Wings fits, blocking even MORE shots than they already have throughout the series.

The Red Wings have also toyed with moving Dan Cleary up to the top line, for what reason? I don't know. Cleary is a third line player at best. He doesn't score and isn't a setup man, so having him up on the top line while Gustav Nyquist rots with Cory Emmerton and Tomas Holmstrom makes no sense to me. Speaking of rookies, elevel Grand Rapids Griffins were called up to be Black Aces for the playoffs.

Helm Out for Playoffs

April 12, 2012

Kyle Andrew Busch

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The Red Wings were dealt a blow after last night's 3-2 Game 1 loss to the Nashville Predators; Darren Helm is out for the playoffs with severed tendons in his right forearm. Helm was skating after Alexander Radulov in the Detroit zone and layed a hit on the Nashville forward. As Radulov went down, his skates went up, catching Helm in the wrist and effectively sliced it open. Helm didn't realize for a second, but once he did he dropped his glove and skated hard to the bench. He immediately went to the dressing room with trainer Piett Van Zant and left for the hospital where he underwent surgery to reconnect the tendons.

Skating in the Music City

April 11, 2012

Kyle Andrew Busch

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Strap yourselves in, the Stanley Cup Playoffs start tonight! The Detroit Red Wings will take on the Predators in Nashville in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. This is the third time the two teams have met, with Detroit winning both series in six games (2004, 2008). Many hockey 'experts' are predicting a series win by the Predators, making the Red Wings an underdog, something that they aren't used to being and something they might not be.

Cleary, Bertuzzi Out, Conner Recalled

April 8, 2012

Kyle Andrew Busch

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Chris Conner has been recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins due to an injury to Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi had missed four games with a groin strain and only logged twelve minutes of ice time in Detroit's 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago yesterday afternoon.

Dan Cleary is also still out of the line-up with persistent knee issues. He had fluid drained from it a couple times during the season, but Mike Babcock says he should be ready for game one against the Nashville Predators.

The Wings' line-up for game one is shaping out to be a pretty intriguing one;

Hawks Win, Lot's of Call-Ups

March 5, 2012

Kyle Andrew Busch

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The Detroit Red Wings lost to their Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks yesterday 2-1 in a game that showed that the Red Wings had no jump and could not solve the Hawks' defence.

Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane scored for the Blackhawks and Niklas Kronwall responded for Detroit with his 14th of the year.

The shots were only 24-18 in favour of Detroit, but Ray Emery was solid for Chicago to seal the win. Jimmy Howard started the game but Joey MacDonald was surprisingly in the net to start the second in a 1-1 game. Howard and Jakub Kindl both left the game with lower body injuries. Howard was still on the bench but will sit out next game in Philadelphia.

Sharp sco...

Griffins Update 01/17/12

January 17, 2012

Kyle Andrew Busch

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The Grand Rapids Griffins played a two game road series in Abbotsford on Friday and Saturday, sweeping the Heat in both games by scores of 4-3 and 2-1 in overtime.

In game one, Tomas Tatar, Francis Pare, Brian Lashoff and Landon Ferraro scored for the Griffins and Joey MacDonald stopped 27 shots for the win.

Garnert Exelby scored in regulation and Lashoff won the game in overtime in the second game of the series. Thomas McCollum stopped 32 shots in the win.

The Griffins returned home to face the Houston Aeros a few nights later. Chris Conner and Ferraro lit the lamp but the Griffs ultimately fell 3-2 in a shootout. MacDonald was in net for the loss.

Grand Rapids lo...

Road Woes Need to Stop in Calgary

December 22, 2011

Kyle Andrew Busch

4 Comments

Last night's loss to the Vancouver Canucks was the first regulation loss in ten games for the Detroit Red Wings. At the tail end of a Western Canadian road trip, this game means a lot for a team desperately trying to improve it's away record, which currently is under 500.

The Red Wings and Flames have met twice already this season, both times at Joe Louis Arena. Calgary took the first meeting 4-1 while Detroit ran away with the second 5-3.

Looking at Calgary, they are an enigma. They have talent but can't turn it into wins. Captain Jarome Iginla can hit 500 career goals tonight with a hat trick, and with his line-mates Olli Jokinen and Curtis Glencross, it isn'...

Western Trip Begins in Edmonton

December 19, 2011

Kyle Andrew Busch

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The Red Wings head out West for a three game Canadian road trip starting in Edmonton tonight. The Red Wings are 7-8 away from home this year, but they have had success against their Western Canadian foes. Just this year, Detroit shutout the young Oilers 3-0 on goals by Drew Miller, Valtteri Filppula and Niklas Kronwall.

After Edmonton, the Wings visit Vancouver on Wednesday and Calgary on Thursday.

Detroit is coming off an impressive 8-2 demolition of the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

The Oilers have a ton of young talent, especially their top line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. Edmonton has been winless in eight of its last ten games.

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5 Moves to Make a Good Detroit Team Better

December 14, 2011

Kyle Andrew Busch

5 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings are rolling through this season, on pace for yet another 100+ point season and a 21st consecutive playoff appearance. While they already have a good team in front of them, these five changes could make them into an even better one, and all of them are plausible situations.

1. TRADE FOR A GOAL SCORER

There are not a lot of pure goal scorers on the Wings. Henrik Zetterberg hasn't been a huge threat and Pavel Datsyuk is basically a great set-up man. Johan Franzen is the closest thing to it, but he is inconsistent. A player like Zach Parise is someone who can score every night and would benefit from a move to Detroit. Look for fireworks at the trade deadl...

Filppula Returns Against Coyotes

December 8, 2011

Kyle Andrew Busch

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Valterri Filppula will return from a two game absence because of a cut on his ankle in tonight’s tilt against the Phoenix Coyotes. Apparently he will be wearing Kevlar socks to decrease his chances of being cut again.

Detroit will have only one line-up change tonight, as Filppula is in and Cory Emmerton will sit. Chris Conner will make his third straight appearance tonight, and Jimmy Howard will start in net.

This is the first of four games between the two teams, who have met in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the past two postseasons -- with the Red Wings winning both, including a four-game sweep last spring.

Phoenix is in a tough ...