SB Nation - Drew Miller

Howard, Wings Blank Bolts 3-0; Lose Zetterberg to Injury

MrNorrisTrophy — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:38:49 -0000

Jimmy Howard earned his first career shutout as the Red Wings defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 on Thursday night. But the win came after a huge loss as Henrik Zetterberg was injured on a collision with Swedish teammate Mattias Ohlund. Zetterberg's long term status is unknown as of now and leaves the Red Wings without 9 regulars...9 I said.

Zetterberg was injured in the first period while reaching for a stray pass from Ville Leino. Zetterberg was outstretched and the much larger Ohlund put his shoulder into Zetterberg--a clean hit by all means--and dropped him to the ice. Patrick Eaves took immediate exception to the play (finally, someone standing up) and was shoving Ohlund along the boards.

The Wings scored at 8:24 of the first as Drew Miller and Brian Rafalski combined for a great goal. Miller came off the bench and Rafalski spotted him from deep in the defensive zone and chucked a puck up ice that Miller knocked down to have a breakaway against Tampa Bay's goalie Mike Smith. Smith went for the poke check and Miller flipped it up over just before the attempt to score his 4th of the year, also coming against his former team. Take that TB front office!

Todd Bertuzzi continued his recent hot streak by scoring his 9th goal of the year during the 3rd period. The play started with a Pavel Datsyuk trademarked offensive zone takeaway. Datsyuk got it to Tomas Holmstrom and Holmstrom's pass was tipped in by Bertuzzi for a 2-0 Detroit lead at 6:48 of the third. Patrick Eaves tapped a Nick Lidstrom pass in behind Mike Smith for a 3-0 lead with 9:10 remaining; more than enough with the way the Howard was playing.

The Detroit win was also head coach Mike Babcock's 300th career win. Along with Howard's first career shutout, the two accomplishments were overshadowed by yet another injury. More on the injury to Zetterberg as it is made known. Howard's shutout marked his 11th win of the year as he stopped all 30 Tampa Bay shots. His GAA is creeping down with his great performances lately and he has won 6 of the last 8 games he started.

MrNorrisTrophy's Wing of the Game: Jimmy Howard. Howie played great in net tonight, stopping every single Tampa Bay shot. He stonewalled excellent scorers like Vinny Lecavlier and Alex Tanguay. The confidence train is a-rollin' for Jimmy.

Jimmy Howard

#35 / Goalie / Detroit Red Wings

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Born: Mar 26, 1984

Post Game Analysis: Bertuzzi wins it again

MrNorrisTrophy — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:22:21 -0000

More photos » by Kate Humphrey - AP

6 days ago: Detroit Red Wings right wing Todd Bertuzzi (44) backhands a shot past Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, of Finland, for the winning goal in the overtime period of an NHL hockey game on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 in Nashville, Tenn. The Red Wings won 3-2. At right is Predators defenseman Kevin Klein (8). (AP Photo/Kate Humphrey)

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Todd Bertuzzi wins it again in overtime. Yes you read that right, Todd Bertuzzi won it AGAIN. If he keeps this type of production up then we will be in good shape. Do I expect it to stay like this? No, not really but I'll take it for now. Detroit needs secondary scoring and he's starting to get the confidence needed to do so.
Chris Osgood had some pretty sick saves last night. To quote Winston Churchill (sort of), Osgood is "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." There are nights when he can't stop the easiest of shots but then there are nights when he looks like he should have about 8 Vezinas on the mantle. He wasn't really either last night (why he's an enigma) but he was solid and kept the game within reach for the Wings with some incredible saves.
Remember the time when the Red Wings were absolutely dominant in the circle? I miss those days. We did better last night--winning 29 to Nashville's 28--but I sure miss the days of winning about 75% of the draws taken. Can't wait for Fil to get back in the circle that's for sure.
Drew Miller, you were a quality find. Out shadowed by Bert's 4 in 2, Miller had a goal and an assist last night in 12 minutes of play. Sure, he only has 4 points on the season but he brings more than just points. He has been great on the forecheck, PK, and in the corners. Unfortunately, I don't know if there's room for him when Filppula, Franzen, Williams and Cleary come back.
I'm glad I didn't play a drinking game last night for everytime I heard the word "Smashville" used. I was forced to watch the Nashville broadcast (thanks Center Ice) and every commercial break there was someone saying something or other about Smashville. Yeah, I get it. It's a cool nickname but you can't over do it. If I had played a drinking game for that, I surely would be in the ICU or morgue right now.
Bertuzzi's second goal was a thing of beauty. The play started with Datsyuk forcing a turnover and giving Bertuzzi a great outlet pass. He was neck and neck with Nashville defender Klein and protected the puck on his stick before sliding it past Rinne's poke check attempt and then a backhand into the net for the second straight win for Detroit. Highlights of the goal below.

Bertuzzi's two points, Howard's 29 saves leads Wings over Stars 4-1

joehass — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:18:15 -0000

On a night that saw the Red Wings snap a 157-minute scoring drought at home, have a balanced scoring attack, a stretch of 10:18 without a stoppage in play, and their first opening goal in five games, what may be the most interesting takeaway from their 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars was the 29 saves of Jimmy Howard, making back-to-back wins for himself.

While his four-game stretch earlier in November showed what he could do with Chris Osgood out of commission, it's in the last two nights, where head coach Mike Babcock had the option of going with either goalie but has chosen Howard, where Howard has shone, putting Babcock in an embarrassment of riches situation heading into Thursday night's game against Edmonton.

In addition to the balanced scoring attack, the Red Wings penalty kill continued their streak, with eight straight penalties killed including the four tonight.

In the first period, after going over 10 minutes without a stoppage in play, the Red Wings shot a puck down the ice in what appeared to be an icing call. But the Stars miscommunicated, failing to touch the puck. Drew Miller, who was skating down the ice at the time, quickly jumped on the untouched puck and took a shot, that went off Trevor Daley's arm and past Marty Turco to make it 1-0 Red Wings.

With 15 seconds left, just after Tomas Holmstrom left the penalty box, Stephane Robidas fired a 60-foot shot that went off Brenden Morrow and got past Howard to tie the game at 1. It was Morrow's 11th goal of the season.

In the second, Kris Draper got Turco to go down on his shot, only to pass the puck to Darren Helm. With a wide-open net, Helm didn't miss, and the Red Wings were back on top 2-1.

Later in the period, Henrik Zetterberg put the puck on Dan Cleary's stick behind the goal line. Cleary brought the puck up in front of Turco, then put the puck into the net to make it 3-1 on his sixth of the season.

Finally, in the third period, Todd Bertuzzi came in to the left of Turco and fired a 35-footer that bounced off Daley. That turned the puck into a knuckler, which just went off the elbow of Turco and into the edge of the net to wrap up the scoring.

Player of the game: Todd Bertuzzi. With his goal and assist, he seems to be awakening very nicely.

Two Fake Award Winners in a Row?! It's like Christmas in...well, almost December.

mpetrella — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

In his infinite awesomeness, Darren Helm has learned how to control the puck using brainwaves. (Note: does not work on breakaways)

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Well, they were on a bit of a run there for a while. Our boys in red have lost three of four. On the bright side, they've earned points in 13 of their last 17 games played, and Henrik Zetterberg has come alive.

The Red Wings have lost 76 man-games to injury this season. And it's only going to get worse for the next few months. Anyone want a piece of the man-games over/under? If Lilja, Kronwall, and Williams are all out until February, it'll be right around 200 at the Olympic break. Let's call it 200 on Valentine's Day.

A tale of two seasons:
Detroit is 6-3-1 in November. They were 8-2-2 last November.
On November 24, 2009, they are 11-7-4 for 26 points. On November 24, 2008, they were 14-2-4 for 32 points.
They had four losses in only one month last season: January (7-4-2). Reaaaally hoping they win out November...

Of the six players who have taken more than 30 faceoffs, only Justin Abdelkader (40.8) and Henrik Zetterberg (49.2) lose more than they win. The others: Pavel Datsyuk (58.3), Valtteri Filppula (54.5), Darren Helm (50.5), and Kris Draper (50)

Henrik Zetterberg has more than double the amount of points (15) at Joe Louis Arena than his closest competitor (Pavel Datsyuk - 7). He also has the same amount of goals (8) at home as the next three closest players combined.

Only two players have negative +/- ratings at home AND on the road. They are Brett Lebda and Todd Bertuzzi.

After the jump, some more statistical analysis and your Fake Award updates...

93.75% of Brad May's penalty minutes this season have come in the form of majors.

Coming on the heels of last week's dedication of the Patrick Eaves Goodfellas Award, we have a winner of a fake award for the second week in a row!

And the AARON DOWNEY AWARD WINNER is (drumroll, please......) Derek Meech. As a reminder, this honor is reserved for the final Red Wing to score a goal. The award is named for Aaron Downey, who scored his first and only goal as a Red Wing during his 60th and final game. The final three nominees for the 2009-10 version of the Downey Award were Drew Miller, Derek Meech, and Brad May. Drew Miller scored the lone goal against the Predators, and I don't care what LaRue says - Brad May scored, dammit. So, even though Derek Meech has only played six games (by the way, so has Miller), he's the lone guy without a goal.

CHRIS CHELIOS AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings defensemen with the fewest goals scored in the most games played. The player must have played in at least 3/4 of the team's games. The award is named for Chris Chelios, who scored 23 in his EXACTLY 600 games as a Red Wing (regular season and playoffs combined).*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (1 goal in 22 games)
2. Brett Lebda (1 goal in 19 games)
3. Brad Stuart (2 goals in 22 games)
4. Brian Rafalski (2 goals in 21 games)
5. Jonathan Ericsson (3 goals in 20 games)
6. Niklas Kronwall (5 goals in 21 games)

DANNY CLEARY "SACRAFICE YOUR FACE" AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most blocked shots. The award is named for Dan Cleary, who is used to becoming synonymous with "black eye" and/or "broken jaw."*
1. Darren Helm (11)
T2. Dan Cleary (10)
T2. Henrik Zetterberg (10)
4. Pavel Datsyuk (9)
T5. Justin Abdelkader (7)
T5. Ville Leino (7)

DEREK MEECH AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wing with the most games spent in the press box. The award is named for Derek Meech, who was a healthy scratch 35 times in 2008-09.*
1. Derek Meech (15)
T2. Patrick Eaves (6)
T2. Brad May (6)
4. Kirk Maltby (4)
5. Brett Lebda (3)

GREG STEFAN AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings goaltender that makes you question how they're in the NHL and you aren't. The award is named for Greg Stefan, who played nine seasons for the Red Wings, but only three that featured goals against averages under 4.*
1. James Tiberius Howard (5-3-1, 2.76, .898)
2. Christopher Robin Osgood (6-4-3, 2.73, .901)
3. Michael Superfly Petrella (0-0-0, 0.00, 1.000)

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most shots to miss the net. The award is named for Mikael Samuelsson, who literally must have been aiming for the 11th row.*
1. Henrik Zetterberg (42)
2. Ville Leino (23)
T3. Todd Bertuzzi (21)
T3. Tomas Holmstrom (21)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (16)

VLADIMIR KONSTANTINOV AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings player that leads the team in plus/minus. The award is named for the legendary Vladinator, who led the NHL in +/- in 1995-96 with +60, a mark that hasn't been met since.*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (+7)
2. Patrick Eaves (+6)
T3. Kirk Maltby (+5)
T3. Tomas Holmstrom (+5)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (+4)

HONORARY CHRIS HOLLIS/MOTOWN WINGS AWARD
*This is a new one. Its reserved for a Red Wings related player, coach, or situation that - like Hollis's CSSI statistic - I only KINDA understand. It will be given out when deserved.*
November 24, 2009 :: The premiere Hollis Award goes to the Justin Abdelkader. When Brad May scored that obvious goal on Alex Auld, Abdelkader looked right at the puck for about a second or two before he raised his arms. A little quicker reaction, and things may have turned out different. But, its not all bad - he's the only one who actually knew that was a goal. So, like the CSSI, we was very right, but...wait, what?

Wings fall to Predators 3-1

Christy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:29 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

25 days ago: Detroit Red Wings left wing Drew Miller (20) scores a goal against Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (35), of Finland, in the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. Also defending for the Predators is Kevin Klein, center. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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After escaping Montreal with a narrow 3-2 shootout victory on Saturday, the Wings headed to Nashville with the hopes of earning their first win streak on the road. Unfortunately, it was not to be as the Wings dropped the game in a 3-1 loss to the Predators.

Chris Osgood got the start in goal, making allowing three goals on 25 shots while the Wings got off 31 shots in their losing effort.

The Wings' penalty kill woes continued, allowing two goals on four penalty kills. Jason Arnott got Nashville on the board first with a power-play tally at the 10:24 mark in the opening period.

The Predators grabbed a two-goal lead just 1:21 into the middle frame with another power-play marker, but this time from Martin Erat. He scored Nashville's insurance goal with 2:20 remaining in the contest.

Once again, the Wings stumbled out of the gate before firing on all cylinders in the third period just a little too late. Detroit's lone tally came at the 6:38 point in the second stanza when former Spartan Drew Miller registered his first goal as a Wing. According to MLive.com, "it was his first goal in 20 games this season, his first in 27 games dating to last season when he played for Anaheim."

The Wings now have lost the last three of four games. Detroit returns to play on Wednesday against Atlanta at Joe Louis Arena at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Red Wings claim Drew Miller

mpetrella — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:34:49 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

7 months ago: Anaheim Ducks winger Drew Miller celebrates teammate center Todd Marchant's goal during the third overtime period of Game 2 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series, Sunday, May 3, 2009 in Detroit. The Ducks defeated the Red Wings 4-3. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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Today, the Red Wings claimed Drew Miller off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Drew is the 25-year-old brother of Buffalo Sabres star goaltender Ryan Miller. Like Ryan, Drew Miller played at Michigan State, even serving a season as the Spartans captain.

He's played 67 NHL games over the past three seasons - most with the Ducks. He's entering the final season of a contract that pays him $525,000 at the NHL level (and $105,000 if he's demoted to the AHL). He will be a restricted free agent, giving the Red Wings the right to match any offer that he may receive in July.

On the surface, it seems like a great depth move, especially given the rash of injuries our boys in the Winged Wheel have endured lately. With Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, and Jason Williams all on long-term IR, there's more than enough cap space - and the need for bodies was becoming somewhat comical.

He will be the 13th healthy forward when he joins the team tomorrow, in time for the game against the Canucks. Whether or not he plays remains to be seen, but NHL.com has him listed as #20 for the Red Wings. Take that, Robert Lang/Aaron Downey/Mickey Redmond/Brad May/Luc Robitaille!

Lots of Wings blogs have picked up the story - many with some great analysis of the move. Be sure to check them out:

Babcock's Death Stare

Bruce MacLeod

Motown Wings (who, by the way, called this waiver pick up yesterday)

Nightmare on Helm Street

Snapshots

The Production Line

Poll

Will Drew Miller take playing time away any of the fourth liners?

Yes, he'll replace Brad May from time to time

24 votes

Yes, they'll finally send Justin Abdelkader back to Grand Rapids

11 votes

No, he'll come in when someone needs a rest or is nursing an injury

29 votes

64 votes | Poll has closed

Drew Miller returns to Michigan: Claimed by Red Wings off waivers

John Fontana — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:37:58 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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The Tampa Bay Lightning lost forward Drew Miller to a waiver claim by the Detroit Red Wings . Miller, who is alumnus of Michigan State University, could be re-claimed by the Lightning if the Red wings were to attempt to pass him through waivers themselves.

Miller has zero points in 14 games this season and has bounced between left and right wing between the lower two lines for the Lightning.

[Note by John Fontana, 11/11/09 4:37 PM EST ] Our friends over at Winging It In Motown have a post up with links to more sources discussing this move from a Wings perspective.

Drew Miller reportedly on waivers

John Fontana — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:51:07 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Drew Miller (16) has reportedly been placed on waivers. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

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Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star Tribune reported this afternoon via Twitter that Drew Miller was among several NHL players that have been placed on waivers today. This has been confirmed by St. Pete Times beat writer Damian Cristodero.

Miller, 25, has yet to find his way into the scoring column (no points) in 14 games this season and is a -3.

If Miller was to clear waivers, he would be assigned to Norfolk of the AHL.

The looming transaction - Ryan Craig on re-call waivers

John Fontana — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:23:30 -0000

Ryan Craig is currently on re-entry waivers and may be recalled by the Lightning... image via cluster.leaguestat.com

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The Lightning are carrying a total of 23 players - the league maximum.

23 players -- nine defensemen, twelve forwards, two goaltenders.

That's what makes the news that Ryan Craig was placed on recall waivers (meaning the Bolts are trying to call him up) so intriguing. Craig, sent down to the Norfolk Admirals before the season, has 7 goals and 2 assists in 11 AHL games this season.

It's not a poor move to make whatsoever, though the Bolts risk losing Ryan if another team claims him off waivers... But having fresh forward depth would be a great thing to have...

But at what cost?

In order to add Craig to the roster, if he indeed does clear waivers, the Bolts will have to move someone off the current roster. Who that could be and why is currently a mystery. Damian Cristodero at the St. Petersburg Times pointed out:

...Defenseman Paul Ranger is on an indefinite leave of absence for a personal matter. Also, wing Drew Miller, with zero points in 13 games, played just four minutes in Tuesday's victory over the Maple Leafs.

One would think that Ranger may be designated unable to perform and tagged as something-or-other that creates a roster spot for the Lightning. There's also the potential that Miller is hurt (no word from the team on that) and may be placed on IR -- again, creating a roster spot.

Or... Maybe the Bolts have a pending deal for one of their extra defensemen? What was supposed to be only two roster spots reserved for extra defensemen, designated so over the summer by GM Brian Lawton, turned into three after the pre-season... Every time Lukas Krajicek hits the ice, there is speculation he is being showcased... But not a thing has materialized besides rumors and innuendo among hockey fans.

This may end up being moot, as Craig may be claimed by any of the other 29 NHL franchises. If that were to happen and Craig's four year career with the Lightning came to and end, the Bolts woudl ahve to seek other avenues to gain a 13th foward for the roster.

What will remain a mystery, for a few hours longer at least, is the why this transaction is taking place and who it's displacing.

Tampa Bay Lightning Game 12: at the Philadelphia Flyers

Cassie McClellan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:20:32 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

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The Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2.

I think that moving Vincent Lecavalier to the third line seriously backfired. Not on him specifically, though. Vinny had five shots on goal and was trying to play more physical, though he was a -3 on the night. And frankly, I thought that, so far, he's had the most chemistry with Stephane Veilleux and Drew Miller. No, moving Lecavalier to the third line backfired on the rest of the team.

The first rule of trying to manipulate your team is you've got to really know your team. And while Martin St. Louis might be the heart and soul of the Lightning, Lecavalier is their identity. He's their top guy, their star, their captain. And if he's not on their top line in that role, no matter how poorly he may or may not be playing, then suddenly they're not who they think they are anymore.

(Sports psychology should really be referred to as sports sociology when it comes to team sports - but I guess that's an entirely different story.)

The bottom line is that Lecavalier was moved to the third line, and the team crumbled like a bunch of stale cookies. St. Louis played particularly poorly - for him. He was still better than half the league, though. He did snap his 11-game point scoring streak, however.

Jeff Halpern seemed to be one of the few exceptions. He thrived with James Wright and Alex Tanguay. And Tanguay seemed to have played a bit better as well. Halpern scored his first goal of the season, which was a long time in coming.

The forward lines, while looking very insecure, are in a good configuration. As they stand right now, how they were tonight was the best so far this season in terms of chemistry. And yes, I can say that with a straight face even after watching the entire game.

The real problem, besides confidence, is the defense. I'm not sure what's going on with that. And I don't think the defensemen themselves know, either. I used to watch Mattias Ohlund very regularly when I lived in Washington State, so I'm very familiar with how he plays, and he's playing very poorly as compared to his time with the Vancouver Canucks.

And the rest of the defense doesn't look much better. They're good players, but they seem to lack direction and focus. Many of the mistakes that have led to goals so far this season have been made by the defense. And quite a few of the penalties that have been taken have also mostly been made by the defense.

And I think that's the problem for Mike Smith. The defense is inconsistent, so he's inconsistent - and lacking in confidence as well. Antero Niittymaki's steady and no-nonsense play probably doesn't help him much, either. At this point, the most consistent player for the Lightning has been Niittymaki.

The next game is against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre tomorrow at 7:30 pm ET.