Details are a bit hazy this late, but word out of Detroit is that Mike Modano is expected to sign his one-year offer on Thursday.

We'll have more as it becomes available -- but stay tuned over the next few days as we get some clarity.

With their fourth round pick, the Red Wings have selected Teemu Pulkkinen -- left wing for Jokerit in Finland. 

More later...

With their third round pick, the Red Wings have selected Louis-Marc Aubry, a center with Montreal of the QMJHL.

More later...

With their second round pick, the Red Wings have selected Calle Jarnkrok, a center from Brynas of the Swedish Elite League.

More later...

If you've followed the SB Nation Mock Draft, you know that I was happy to select Notre Dame center Riley Sheahan with the 21st pick. On Friday night, the Red Wings did the same.

It was an odd draft from the onset: a lot of surprising picks, a lot of guys sliding way further down the list than many experts expected. The top two picks were by the book, Taylor Hall going to Edmonton and Tyler Seguin going to Boston (although there was talk that Edmonton was trying very hard to land the second pick as well as the top pick). After that, things got a little bit interesting. 

Florida selected Erik Gudbranson third, which wasn't too much a stretch, followed by Ryan Johansen (Columbus, 4th), Olympic stud Nino Neiderreiter (Islanders, 5th), Brett Connolly (Steve Yzerman's first selection as Tampa Bay Lightning general manager, 6th), Jeffrey Skinner (Carolina, 7th), Alex Burmistrov (Atlanta, 8th), and Mikael Granlund (MInnesota, 9th). 

The New York Rangers went way off the board, selecting Dylan McIlrath with the tenth pick, about ten spots higher than almost every speculative mock draft had him going. There was a lot of chatter that Dallas was high on Team USA goaltender Jack Campbell leading up to the 11th pick, and the Stars proved it when they selected him. 

Cam Fowler, the expected third overall pick slid all the way down to Anaheim at #12. Speaking of the Ducks, did you know that Kings fans boo the everloving hell out of them? Poor Cam Fowler, sliding a bunch of picks and then listened as he's booed from his seat to the stage. You can see the complete list of first rounders on the Draft Tracker I kept up to the minute during the festivities. 

As the surprises kept coming, it started to become very exciting to be a Red Wings fan. There were going to be some incredibly talented guys available at 21st overall -- the highest the Wings have selected, outside of the post-lockout draft, in nearly two decades. When Pittsburgh used their pick -- the one directly before the Wings -- on California native Beau Bennett, the Wings had their chioce of John McFarland, Jon Merrill, Mark Pysyk, Emerson Etem, Kiril Kabanov, Tyler Pitlick, Brock Nelson, or Riley Sheahan.

They chose Sheahan. 

Continue reading this post »

FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS
1 :: Edmonton :: Taylor Hall :: LW :: Windsor
2 :: Toronto Boston :: Tyler Seguin :: C :: Plymouth
3 :: Florida :: Erik Gudbranson :: D :: Kingston
4 :: Columbus :: Ryan Johansen :: C :: Portland
5 :: Islanders :: Nino Niederreiter :: LW :: Portland
6 :: Tampa Bay :: Brett Connolly :: RW :: Prince George
7 :: Carolina :: Jeff Skinner :: C :: Kitchener
8 :: Atlanta :: Alex Burmistrov :: C :: Barrie
9 :: Minnesota :: Mikael Granlund :: C :: HIFK
10 :: Rangers :: Dylan McIlrath :: D :: Moose Jaw
11 :: Dallas :: Jack Campbell :: G :: USNTDP
12 :: Anaheim :: Cam Fowler :: D :: Windsor
13 :: Calgary Phoenix :: Brandon Gormley :: D :: Moncton
14 :: St. Louis :: Jaden Schwartz :: C :: Tri-City
15 :: Boston Florida Los Angeles :: Derek Forbort :: D :: USNTDP
16 :: Ottawa St. Louis :: Vladimir Tarasenko :: RW :: Novobirsk
17 :: Colorado :: Joey Hishon :: C :: Owen Sound
18 :: Nashville :: Austin Watson :: RW :: Peterborough
19 :: Los Angeles Florida :: Nick Bjugstad :: C :: Blaine HS
20 :: Pittsburgh :: Beau Bennett :: RW :: Penticton
21 :: DETROIT :: RILEY SHEAHAN :: C :: NOTRE DAME
22 :: Phoenix Montreal :: Jarred Tinordi :: D :: USNTDP 
23 :: Buffalo :: Mark Pysyk :: D :: Edmonton
24 :: New Jersey Atlanta Chicago :: Kevin Hayes :: RW :: Nobles HS
25 :: Vancouver Florida :: Quinton Howden :: LW :: Moose Jaw
26 :: Washington :: Evgeny Kuznetsov :: D :: Traktor
27 :: Montreal Phoenix :: Mark Visentin :: G :: Niagara
28 :: San Jose :: Charlie Coyle :: RW :: South Shore
29 :: Philadelphia Anaheim :: Emerson Etem :: RW :: Medicine Hat
30 :: Chicago Islanders :: Brock Nelson :: C :: Warroad HS

TRADES [June 25]
:: Florida trades Keith Ballard and Victor Oreshkov to Vancouver for Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner and 25th overall pick.
:: Florida trades 15th overall to Los Angeles for 19th and 59th overall. 
:: Ottawa trades 16th overall to St. Louis for David Rundblad
:: Phoenix trades 22nd and 113th overall to Montreal for 27th and 57th overall.  
:: Chicago trades 30th overall to the Islanders for 35th and 58th overall.

Join us for a Live Chat during the NHL Draft on Friday evening -- beginning at 6:45pm Eastern, you can comment, ask questions, and enjoy the wheelings, dealings, and draft picks right here. Michael Petrella is on the ground, in the Staples Center, and is here to answer questions, relay rumors, and even ask Brian Burke what he wants for his first round pick in 2016. ENJOY!

With the 21st pick in the 2010 SB Nation Mock NHL Draft, Winging it in Motown is proud to select Riley Sheahan on behalf of the Detroit Red Wings.

Much has been made about a team with a deep talent pool taking a flyer on the highly skilled, but oft-troubled, Kirill Kabanov, but Sheahan is a classic Red Wings pick. No, he's not a defenseman (of the last nine first round draft picks made by the Wings, 8 have been defensemen), but he is a collegiate player, giving him and the team the entire duration of his eligibility -- rather than the usual two years -- to make a decision about signing him to a pro contract. Knowing the Red Wings' penchant for allowing prospects to over-ripen, someone with three years left at Notre Dame could be an attractive commodity.

As a freshman this past season, Riley Sheahan stepped onto Notre Dame's squad and made an impact. His play has been described as "man among boys," with good two-way skill. Sound familiar? 

Assistant General Manager Jim Nill, who runs the draft for the Wings, has made it clear that they'll be selecting the best player available at 21, and it's hard to imagine a better player falls. ISS has him listed as the 22nd best player available, but some mock drafts have him going in the top dozen. Having just turned 18 in December, it's fair to assume he may add a few more pounds to his 6'2", 200 pound frame -- and if he improves on his finishing ability, he could develop into a big bodied scoring threat with defensive prowess. Not bad for the 21st pick...

If he's setting off your Brendan Smith Alarm, it's probably because of the public intoxication arrest this past April. While partying in South Bend with friends and teammates (including Anaheim Ducks first round pick Kyle Palmieri), a trio of Fighting Irish were charged with various alcohol-related offenses. Full disclosure, people! 

To read more about Riley Sheahan, visit Western College Hockey Blog -- who compares the player to Ryan Kesler -- or his profile page at Notre Dame Athletics. 

Where have I been -- I can hear you asking. But the real question is where have you been? 

Wait, that doesn't make sense.

My apologies for the (prolonged) absence from the pages of WIM. I'll spare you the (boring) details of my (insanely busy) life and get right to it. I've long-owed you a season-ending statistics post and the final Fake Award winners from the 2009-10 season, so you'll find them below the break (hint: Brett Lebda says goodbye to the Red Wings with a totally prestigious honor). 

Continue reading this post »

Hey boys and girls! 

Excuse my absence over the last few weeks -- I fully intend on jumping back on the saddle and contributing a bit more, including a season-ending Fake Awards post that puts a cap on the fun times we've shared since October. 

But first -- some important breaking news. It's not really breaking so much as "exciting." Let's go with exciting news...

I'm heading to Los Angeles at the end of the month to cover the NHL Entry Draft on behalf of SB Nation and Winging it in Motown. It's a very exciting thing for us all, and I hope to be able to do you all proud. 

So, in the comments below, let us know if you have suggestions for how we can best cover this event for you -- and if you have any ideas for coverage. I've been told that it might be tricky to get one-on-one time with the draft picks and/or management-types, but I'll do my best to Bertuz-- I mean "elbow" my way into the scrums and get up close and personal.

Things get slow, ya know? Sometimes you need a fresh start.

I'm talking about the chat, what are YOU talking about?

By special request!

My Dear, Sweet Eastern Conference,

I thought that maybe, perhaps, we could work out our differences, put our checkered past behind us, start fresh, and caress one another lovingly. But after what you allowed to transpire yesterday, I'm afraid I've got to say that it's over. Get your shit and get out of here.

Last night in the hockey capital of the world - Sunrise, Florida - with just over three minutes separating the mighty Panthers from a moral victory, you allowed the Nashville Predators to tie the game, which propelled them into a very quick overtime win. I feel like Nashville must have just been playing with your emotions, like a dad letting his son take the lead in a game of horse...until the son gets all cocky and dad shows him what's up. Someone asked me if I was watching, and -- while trying my best to politely mask my laughter -- I told them I had my fill of Pee-Wee hockey in 1994, when I graduated to Bantam. I did, however, watch The Mighty Ducks on cable the other night. Does that count? Charlie Conway does have a bit of a Sidney Crosby-always-crying-for-some-goddamn-reason thing going on. 

But back to the story. For the eleventy billionth time this season, an Eastern team shat the bed against a Western counterpart. In fact, can you look back on this season and show me one time that the Eastern Conference beat a Western Conference team that benefited the Red Wings?

Go ahead, I'll wait.

Continue reading this post »

Well, darn.

The Wings spoiled a chance to take advantage of the NHL-worst Edmonton Oilers, and keep a gap between themselves and the Flames. Instead, they limp into extra time, only to lose in a shootout. The charity point helps, but not as much as it would have if San Jose could take care of business (raise your hand if you're shocked!). With Calgary winning, and Detroit only getting one point out of central Alberta, the two squads are tied with 81 points -- but fear not, Detroit has a game in hand.

The first period was all Edmonton. Andrew Cogliano opened the scoring in the first minute of the game, and the Wings were on their heels from that point on. By the five minute mark, Ryan Whitney had made it 2-0, and Mike Babcock had taken his timeout -- to silently pace the bench and let the guys soak in how little emotion they were showing. 

Patrick Eaves, who would leave the game between the second and third periods with what the team is describing as an upper body injury, got Detroit on the board with just over 8 minutes to play in the middle frame. A great pass from Kris Draper behind the net to the high slot found Eaves, who cut the Oilers lead in half.

The rest of the game was pretty uneventful.

Oh, unless you count the last 0.3 seconds.

Continue reading this post »

For the third time this season, we're able to announce a Fake Award Winner! Winning his second Fake Award of the 09-10 season is....

DEREK MEECH!

Everyone's favorite almost-Red Wing clinched -- for the second year in a row -- the Derek Meech Award (who knew?!) given at the year's end to the Red Wings player that spent the most games in the press box. Meech was a healthy scratch 35 times last season. With thirteen games left in this season, Meech has a big enough lead on any active Red Wing to have clinched the Award again - and could, if he doesn't see the ice again, break his record from a year ago:

2. Brad May (14) -- no longer with the Red Wings
3. Ville Leino (13) -- no longer with the Red Wings
T4. Patrick Eaves (7)
T4. Brett Lebda (7)

Earlier in the week, Casey took a look at Jimmy Howard's numbers compared to the last five Calder-winning goaltenders. It was a great read, so give it a look, but it got me thinking...how do his numbers stack up against other Red Wings starting goaltenders (can we all agree yet that he is, in fact, the starting goaltender?) from the last 25 years? I compared his current numbers (wins, goals against average, and save percentage) to the goaltender that played the most games in each of the last 25 seasons. If it was split nearly down the middle, I took the single 'tender that played the most minutes. Obviously, there's no guarantee that Howard's numbers stay the same -- they could fluctuate up or down (except wins, of course, which is ONLY GOING UP BABY!), but that's why they call them "averages," they are a pretty good meter of your level of play throughout a season or a career

SINGLE SEASON WINS
1 :: 01-02 :: Hasek :: 41
2 :: 95-96 :: Osgood :: 39
T3 :: 06-07 :: Hasek :: 38
T3 :: 91-92 :: Cheveldae :: 38
5 :: 05-06 :: Legace :: 37
T6 :: 02-03 :: Joseph :: 34
T6 :: 98-99 :: Osgood :: 34
T6 :: 92-93 :: Cheveldae :: 34
9 :: 97-98 :: Osgood :: 33
T10 :: 99-00 :: Osgood :: 30
T10 :: 90-91 :: Cheveldae :: 30
T12 :: 09-10 :: Howard :: 27
T12 :: 07-08 :: Osgood :: 27
14 :: 08-09 :: Osgood :: 26
15 :: 00-01 :: Osgood :: 25
For the record, the least amount of wins for a Red Wings starter the last quarter century is Greg Stefan in 1985-86 with 10. TEN! Thus the award named after him below...

SINGLE SEASON GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE 
1 :: 06-07 :: Hasek :: 2.05
2 :: 07-08 :: Osgood :: 2.09
3 :: 03-04 :: Legace :: 2.12
T4 :: 01-02 :: Hasek :: 2.17
T4 :: 95-96 :: Osgood :: 2.17
6 :: 05-06 :: Legace :: 2.19
7 :: 97-98 :: Osgood :: 2.21
8 :: 96-97 :: Osgood :: 2.30
9 :: 09-10 :: Howard :: 2.32
10 :: 99-00 :: Osgood :: 2.40
The worst goals against the last twenty-five years belongs to... YUP! You guessed it. Greg Stefan in 85-86, 4.50.

SINGLE SEASON SAVE PERCENTAGE
1 :: 09-10 :: Howard :: .924
2 :: 03-04 :: Legace :: .920
T3 :: 01-02 :: Hasek :: .915
T3 :: 05-06 :: Legace :: .915
5 :: 07-08 :: Osgood :: .914
T6 :: 06-07 :: Hasek :: .913
T6 :: 97-98 :: Osgood :: .913
8 :: 02-03 :: Joseph :: .912
9 :: 95-96 :: Osgood :: .911
T10 :: 96-97 :: Osgood :: .910
T10 :: 98-99 :: Osgood :: .910
The worst save percentage of this sample group is -- well I'll be damned -- Greg Stefan in 1985-86, at .856. Interestingly, the worst save percentage for a starting goalie in the last 15 years was Chris Osgood from last season, .887.

Continue reading this post »

The Red Wings enter tonight's action with a 31-22-12 record. Obviously, they're off of the pace of years past, but I thought it'd be educational to take a look at where they stood on March 9 in previous years:
2008-09 :: 43-15-8 (Finalists)
2007-08 :: 45-18-6 (Cup Champs)
2006-07 :: 43-16-9
2005-06 :: 42-15-5
2003-04 :: 39-17-10-2
2002-03 :: 38-18-9-3
2001-02 :: 46-11-6-2 (Cup Champs)
2000-01 :: 40-17-7-4
1999-00 :: 40-19-8-1
1998-99 :: 32-27-6
1997-98 :: 34-17-13 (Cup Champs)
1996-97 :: 32-19-14 (Cup Champs)

Moral of the story is...even in the back-to-back Championship seasons, they weren't in much better shape in early March. Yes, the points system has changed since then, and I don't remember any of those seasons being a struggle to qualify for the playoffs. But, in the spirit of optimism, I present you precedent! Homonyms are fun.

The Wings are currently on pace for 93.35 points, which might teeter on the 8th playoff cutoff line this season. In years past, here's what 93 points would have gotten you in the Western Conference:
2008-09 :: 6th
2007-08 :: 8th
2006-07 :: 10th
2005-06 :: 9th
2003-04 :: 7th
2002-03 :: 8th
2001-02 :: 9th
2000-01 :: 6th
1999-00 :: 6th
1998-99 :: 3rd
1997-98 :: 5th
1996-97 :: 4th
1995-96 :: 4th
1993-94 :: 5th

More Red Wings relevant numbers and awards after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

Well, the Olympics are in full swing (did you hear about Team USA??!?) and the Red Wings are dormant. Sort of. The Wings, as a whole, return to action on March 1st - but guys like Nicklas Lidstrom, Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Rafalski, Pavel Datsyuk, Valtteri Filppula, and Griffins Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and Sergei Kolosov, won't get much of a "break." 

This is the fourth Olympics that NHL players are participating in. Arguably, there's never been a team that needed this time to recover as badly as the Red Wings need it right now -- despite the seven Olympians who aren't doing much resting. In two of the three prior Olympic years, the Wings were eventual Cup Champs - with only the Hurricanes interrupting that awesome trend. Let's take a peek at the Wings record at the Olympic Break, shall we?:

2010 :: 28-21-12 (68 points in 61 games) :: Eventual Stanley Cup Champion: ???
2006 :: 39-13-5 (83 points in 57 games) :: Eventual Stanley Cup Champion: Carolina Hurricanes
2002 :: 41-11-6-2 (90 points in 60 games) :: Eventual Stanley Cup Champion: DETROIT RED WINGS
1998 :: 31-15-12 (74 points in 58 games) :: Eventual Stanley Cup Champion: DETROIT RED WINGS

Make sure you keep up with Motown Wings, as Chris Hollis is doing a fantastic job tracking all the Red Wings in these Games. After the preliminary rounds, Hollis notes that Rafalski is leading the way offensively:
1. Brian Rafalski (USA) 4 goals, 1 assist, 5 points
2. Pavel Datsyuk (RUS) 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points
3. Johan Franzen (SWE) 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points
4. Valtteri Filppula (FIN) 1 goal
5. Niklas Kronwall (SWE) +2
6. Nicklas LIdstrom (SWE) +1
7. Henrik Zetterberg (SWE) Even
8. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (NOR) -2
9. Sergei Kolosov (BLR) -2

More Red Wings numbers and Fake Award Updates after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Join us today for a special game thread during today's Olympic contests: 

3:00pm :: Finland vs. Belarus [airing on MSNBC]
Valtteri Filppula is a member of Team Finland, but last I heard he was injured and may not be in the lineup. Grand Rapids Griffin and Red Wing prospect Sergei Kolosov was named to Team Belarus last month.

7:30pm :: Germany vs. The Detroit Red Wings -- I mean, Sweden [airing on CNBC]
Team Sweden is -- like in '06 -- full of Wings. Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom also captains the Tre Kronor, a team that includes Niklas Kronwall, Henrik Zetterberg, and Johan Franzen (who was a late injury replacement for Tomas Holmstrom). Third string goaltender Stefan Liv is a former Red Wings prospect. 

11:55pm :: Czech Republic vs. Slovakia [airing on CNBC]
Come watch as Wings fans boo Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky mercilessly. Playing for the Czech Republic is Red Wing prospect Miroslav Blatak.

Feel free to leave some comments - and enjoy your international experience!

In celebration of Johan Franzen's return to the lineup tonight, let's take a look at the players that have missed the most games due to injury, illness, or rehabilitation assignments to Grand Rapids. Please note that these numbers do not include games in which the players were healthy scratches.

TOTAL NUMBER OF GAMES MISSED: 09-10 SEASON
1 :: Andreas Lilja -- 58 (post-concussion) 
2 :: Johan Franzen -- 55 (torn left ACL)
3 :: Jason Williams -- 38 (right fibula)
4 :: Niklas Kronwall -- 31 (sprained left knee)
5 :: Valtteri Filppula -- 26 (broken right wrist)
6 :: Jonathan Ericsson -- 14 (flu, left knee)
7 :: Tomas Holmstrom -- 13 (fractured foot)
8 :: Dan Cleary -- 12 (separated shoulder)
9 :: Henrik Zetterberg -- 8 (left shoulder)
10 :: Darren Helm -- 6 (left shoulder, wrist)
T11 :: Patrick Eaves -- 4 (right foot, left ankle, flu)
T11 :: Brian Rafalski -- 4 (flu, stiff back. flu)
T13 :: Brad May -- 3 (right eye, lower body)
T13 :: Chris Osgood -- 3 (flu)
T15 :: Pavel Datsyuk -- 2 (upper body)
T15 :: Kirk Maltby -- 2 (flu)

As of February 9th, Andreas Lilja has missed the last ONE HUNDRED Red Wings games: regular season and playoff combined. 

Interestingly, ZERO players have missed only one game due to injury. There have been fives instances in which players missed only one game during a specific injury -- but they were either injured again later (or their one-game stint was after an earlier injury). You may notice a trend (also, Brian Rafalski, if you're reading this, stop licking Patrick Eaves when you've got the sniffles):
1. Brian Rafalski :: November 3rd, with the flu. He would later miss games due to a sore back (and the flu again).
2. Patrick Eaves :: November 7th, with a right foot injury. He would later miss games with a left ankle injury (and the flu, as well)
3. Brian Rafalski :: December 23rd, with the flu again.
4. Patrick Eaves :: December 31st, with the flu again.
5. Brad May :: January 2nd, with a lower body injury. He also missed time after taking a teammate's stick to the eye.

In 2008-09, the Detroit Red Wings amassed a total of 193 man-games lost due to injury. As of February 9th, the Wings have lost 279 man-games this season, and are on pace for a mind-boggling 393.

For what it's worth, losing 278 man-games is the equivalent of 4.8 regulars being out for every game so far this season, or playing all 82 games with 3.3 fewer players than you'd like. 

Continue reading this post »

The Red Wings and St. Louis Blues meet for the fifth time this season. 

The big news right off the top: Johan Franzen is returning after missing the last 55 games with a torn left ACL. Expect to see him on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, if the practices leading up to game time are to be trusted.

Jimmy Howard is getting the start again, his sixth in a row and 24th in the last 26 games. Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock addressed the concerns regarding the possibility that he's overplaying Howard. Hint: he doesn't think so.

While it is exciting that The Mule is returning, there are some new injury woes facing the Red Wings:
Drew Miller (bruise ankle) is healthy enough to be in the lineup. 
Tomas Holmstrom (left knee) is a game-time decision.
Patrick Eaves (sprained ankle) is out.
Niklas Kronwall (knee, again) will sit out again. 
Andreas Lilja (post concussion symptoms) is still in Grand Rapids on his conditioning assignment. More on that in a minute...

If Tomas Holmstrom can't go, Brad May will be in the lineup. May has been practicing as if he'll be playing.

The Blues have won three of the four matchups this season, and have outscored the Red Wings 13-10. 

More news and tidbits after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

Since my pleading with Buffalo Wild Wings on TPL isn't working, I thought I'd give it a try here... 

Wings Wings Tuesday is a big deal 'round the Petrella household. If you're not familiar, every Tuesday, BW-3 (don't ask about the "three," it's a long, strange story) has "Wing Tuesday," offering their delicious chicken wings at  a deeply discounted price. Out here, in New York, they're 50 cents tonight (compared to 30 when I lived in Chicago... thanks, New York!). 

Anyway, every time there's a Wings game on a Tuesday, I make it a point to swing by Buffalo Wild Wings and pick up some Sweet Barbecue Wings, take them home (because they don't have Versus -- SHOCKER!) to watch the Wings with some wings. 

There have been FIVE Wings Wings Tuesdays so far this season. The Red Wings are 2-4. Last season, they were 13-3-1, so there's been a huge drop off on Wings Wings Tuesday. That's flat out not cutting it, Buffalo Wild Wings. Perhaps if I got some FREE wings, I'd be less inclined to blame you for the Tuesday struggles. It's not like that'd cost you a lot... I spend $12 in there every Tuesday. BFD.

Anyway, that got me thinking... which days of the week are the Wings playing their best hockey? Well... I crunched the numbers:

SUNDAY :: (1-1-1) :: .500
MONDAY :: (2-1-1) :: .625
TUESDAY :: (2-4-0) :: .333
WEDNESDAY :: (1-4-0) :: .200
THURSDAY :: (9-1-2) :: .833
FRIDAY :: (1-2-1) :: .375
SATURDAY :: (9-5-3) :: .618

NASTY! They're playing lights out on Thursday (for whatever reason), but TERRIBLE in the Tuesday/Wednesday games. They play tonight AND tomorrow. I'm confident they'll start to improve on those numbers...

Statistics and Awards after the jump...

Continue reading this post »

Since the Red Wings are always showing up late to games, I figured I'd do the same and show up late to Tuesday Numbers. This time, I'll take a look at the method by which the Red Wings lost both games this past weekend: the shootout. The Wings are notoriously bad in shootouts, and here's why...

The Wings have gone to Shootout 8 times, fewer than all but 9 teams. They are 3-5 once they get there. No team has gone to more skills competitions than the Boston Bruins (who are 6-6 in their 12). The Penguins are undefeated (in 6 attempts) in the shootout. 

Eight different players have taken shootout attempts for the Red Wings:
1. Pavel Datsyuk is 5-for-7 (71.4%)
2. Todd Bertuzzi is 2-for-4 (50%)
3. Henrik Zetterberg is 2-for-8 (25%)
4. Jason Williams is 1-for-3 (33%)
T5. Valtteri Filppula is 0-for-1 
T5. Patrick Eaves is 0-for-1
7. Ville Leino is 0-for-2
8. Dan Cleary is 0-for-3 and should never take another shootout attempt again

Jimmy Howard has faced 19 shootout attempts, stopping 13 (68.4%). Chris Osgood has faced 8, stopping 4 (50%). 

Sidney Crosby (BOOO!!!) leads the league with 5 shootout goals (in 6 attempts). 

Steven Reinprecht (WHOO???) has taken the most attempts (11) this season.

19 players have scored on each of their attempts this season: Michael "I Don't Practice" Santorelli (3 for 3); Shawn Horcoff, Jochen Hect, and PA Parenteau are all 2 for 2); Owen Nolan, Drew Doughty, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hagman, Mika Pyorala, Brian Gionta, Chris Clark, Chris Kunitz, David Clarkson, Ryan Shannon, Jason Arnott, Justin Williams, Bryan Little, Vinny Prospal, and (WAIT FOR IT), Steve Ott. 

Anze Kopitar has scored three shootout goals in his 8 attempts. All three, however, were game deciding winners. 

And now it's time for your Fake Awards....

Continue reading this post »

Tonight, rookie netminder Jimmy Howard will be starting his ninth straight game. He's playing well enough to keep veteran Chris Osgood on the bench charting faceoffs, but he's still somewhat flying under the radar. It was impossible to ignore his 51-save performance against the Kings, and he's slowly climbing the league charts in a bunch of different goaltending categories. 

Of goaltenders that have played at least  half of his team's games, Jimmy Howard currently sits SECOND in the entire NHL in goals against average:
1. Ryan Miller :: 2.04
2. Jimmy Howard :: 2.14
T3. Miikka Kiprusoff :: 2.16
T3. Martin Brodeur :: 2.16
5. Cristobal Huet :: 2.17
6. Roberto Luongo :: 2.20
7. Ilya Bryzgalov :: 2.21
8. Evgeni Nabokov :: 2.36
9. Henrik Lundqvist :: 2.37
10. Tim Thomas :: 2.44
(Antti Niemi [1.84] and Tuukka Rask [1.92] are 1-2 on the full list, but have only played 15 and 18 games respectively. Still, nasty numbers from those two young men...) 

Of goaltenders that have played at least half of his team's games, Jimmy Howard is also second in save percentage:
1. Ryan Miller :: .935
2. Jimmy Howard :: .928
T3. Miikka Kiprusoff :: .927
T3. Jaroslav Halak :: .927
5. Tomas Vokoun :: .925
(Tuukka Rask has played 18 games and is saving 93.3% of shots he faces, good for second once he plays a handful more games)

I know there's a long way to go, but for comparison, here's where our goaltenders finished in these categories the last few seasons:
Goals Against Average
08-09 :: Ty Conklin (17th), Chris Osgood (41st)
07-08 :: Chris Osgood (1ST!), Dominik Hasek (3rd)
06-07 :: Dominik Hasek (2nd), Chris Osgood (did not qualify for list)

Save Percentage
08-09 :: Ty Conklin (28th), Chris Osgood (45th)
07-08 :: Chris Osgood (16th), Dominik Haesk (35th)
06-07 :: Dominik Hasek (13th)

OTHER GOALTENDING NOTES
--Jimmy Howard has allowed four more goals than Chris Osgood while appearing in ten more games, and facing 254 more shots.
--Chris Osgood faces 27.5 shots per sixty minutes. Jimmy Howard faces 29.9.
--Jimmy Howard has a save percentage of .883 while shorthanded. Osgood's is .841. Chris Osgood has not allowed a shorthanded goal in 12 shots faced, and Howard has allowed Detroit's one shorthanded goal against while facing 24 shots. 
--At even strength, Osgood has a .908 save percentage. Howard is stopping .938. 

More stats and the Awards after the Jump

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It was all Anaheim early, and the Ducks made it count. The Wings couldn't get much going in the first period, and two questionable goals sucked whatever life was left in the Wings right out of them.

Saku Koivu opened the scoring, with a shorthanded goal at 5:37 of the opening period. Jimmy Howard thought he had the puck squeezed between his legs, but it trickled behind him and just like that, it was 1-0. The Red Wings were the final team in the NHL to allow a shorthanded tally.

Two minutes later, Matt Beleskey scored his first NHL goal on a wrister with assists from Sheldon Brookbank and Brett Festerling.  The fourth liner saw his strong effort rewarded by spending some shifts with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Getzlaf was returning to the lineup after missing time with a knee injury.

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Join us for a little discussion during the Red Wings / Ducks game tonight, starting at 10pm. It'll be keen! The last time these two teams met, it was a 3-2 overtime victory for the Red Wings on December 11th. The Wings are 2-0 against the Ducks this season, outscoring the fowl 10-6 in those games. 

For excellent pre-game coverage, check out the following blogs:

Abel to Yzerman 
Fight Night at the Joe
Nightmare on Helm Street
On the Wings
The Production Line
Red White Black and Blue
Snipe Snipe Dangle Dangle
The Scrappy Octopus
The Triple Deke

For Ducks coverage, check out Anaheim Calling. 

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, former Red Wing defenseman was arrested a few days after Christmas for speeding and driving under the influence. 

Details are a bit sketchy, but sources have revealed that Chelios has a court date scheduled for February 1st. 

Hate to hear something like this... let's hope Cheli stays on the right side of the law from now on. 

So I thought it might be a fun time to take a look at some statistics that the Wings are on pace for. Two reasons: 1) We just passed the halfway mark and 2) it's REALLY easy multiplying by 2 (as opposed to dividing by games played and then multiplying by 82, which really isn't that difficult, either). 

Pavel Datsyuk is on pace for 64 points - a far cry from his 97 points last season. That's a 66% drop in production from one season to the next. 

Last season, Andreas Lilja led the Wings in penalty minutes with 66 (in only 60 games, mind you). At the current pace, Brad May will net 106 minutes...and in only 58 games. 

More numbers -- and Award Updates follow the jump. 

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Only four players have played in all 36 games: Tomas Holmstrom, Nick Lidstrom, Brad Stuart, and Todd Bertuzzi. 

Faceoffs are still the bane of Justin Abdelkader's existence. Of the players to take at least twenty draws, he ranks dead last on the Wings:
1. Pavel Datsyuk (58.5)
2. Valtteri Filppula (54.5)
3. Kris Draper (53.4)
4. Darren Helm (52.9)
5. Henrik Zetterberg (51.2)
6. Dan Cleary (48.8)
7. Justin Abdelkader (42.7)
Abdelkader is also the only Red Wing to be below 50% in the faceoff circle at home AND on the road.

Check out the list of players that have taken the most shorthanded faceoffs:
1. Darren Helm (54)
2. Henrik Zetterberg (45)
3. Kris Draper (37)
4. Pavel Datsyuk (42)
5. Valtteri Filppula (21)

Todd Bertuzzi leads the team in minors (14), and is the only player to receive a misconduct this season. His 38 penalty minutes are second-most on the team to Brad May, who has 48 minutes. His eight majors are good enough for 14th in the league. His latest opponent, Zenon Konopka, leads the league with 15. 

MORE AFTER THE JUMP

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We'll start with the good news: no one was injured.

The Blackhawks were pretty dominant in most areas, out-shooting the Red Wings 35-20, winning upwards of 65% of the faceoffs, and ultimately cruising to a final score of 3-0. The Hawks got goals from Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien, and Brian Campbell. Cristobal Huet stopped all twenty shots for his second shutout in a row.

Former Red Wings Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky were virtual non-factors, as were superstars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Hawks should be thrilled with the effort of their "secondary" guys, who played the Wings hard, blocked a ton of shots, and made their opportunities count. Chris Osgood will probably want the second and third goals back. Both were even-strength goals in the final four minutes of the second period, and were somewhat weak. 

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