Preview: Wings Look to Ground Blackhawks

Detroit (2-2-0) @ Chicago (5-0-0)

The Red Wings seem to have found life as they enter the 2nd week of play in the 2013 season, but now face a team with much different fortunes of late.  The Blackhawks' perfect start to the season has been a talking point in the media, but is no reason to underestimate a Detroit squad that looks like it is finally getting its wings back--both figuratively and literally.

Despite the shaky start, Detroit's top lines are starting to produce goals and the defence is starting to settle in--mostly.  Though there is still much concern about the play of Kyle Quincey--and, to a lesser extent, Brendan Smith--Brian Lashoff has played admirably and Kent Huskins has also helped fill the void on the blueline quite well.  The Red Wings' powerplay has also found some spark, but face a Chicago PK that has done its team proud thus far, killing 16 of 17.

Jimmy Howard will most likely have the start tonight in net and should continue his solid play from last week's games.  If Howard and the forwards can both get going at the same time, it should help ease the strain on an admittedly weak defensive unit.

A win tonight in Chicago for the Red Wings would deny the Hawks a record-setting evening, as they aim for their longest season-opening winning streak in club history.

So not only can the Wings creep closer to the top of the division, but they would do so while rubbing salt in the fresh wound of an old enemy.

Geek Week: A Look Back at Opening Week 2013

It's nice to go into a weekend and be able to smile with regards to one's favorite hockey team.

Welcome to Geek Week, a week-in-review article where the Detroit Red Wings go under the microscope and we take a closer look at some key points that arose over the last 7 days.  Last week was opening week for the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 NHL season, and the Red Wings were likely well aware heading into the start of this campaign how significant each game would be.

So, how did the Red Wings do in their first week back? Take a look:

01/19 @ STL: 0 - 6 (L)
01/21 @ CBJ: 4 - 3 (SOW)
01/22 V DAL: 1 - 2 (L)
01/25 V MIN: 5 - 3 (W)

A number of variables came into play with regards to last week's results.  Yes, there was lockout rust.  Yes, there were mounting injuries from all directions.  Yes, Nick Lidstrom is still retired.  The Red Wings looked out-worked in three of these four games, only really coming to life by the time Minnesota came to town.  Take away the final game of the week, and Detroit was outscored 11-5.  An even worse area to examine was the powerplay.  Until the game against the Wild, the Wings went an unimaginable 0 for 15 with the man advantage.  They also squandered a 5 on 3 in the Minnesota match, but ended the night 2 for 4, which earns them a bit of mercy.  The only consistent player on the ice for Detroit seemd to be Jimmy Howard, who has played better over these four games than his numbers would suggest.  In all four games, Howard has given his team chances to win, they just had not been responding in kind until Friday night.

Weekly Leaders
Goals: Datsyuk, Bertuzzi, Brunner (2)
Assists: Datsyuk, Kronwall (4)
Points: Datsyuk (6)


Successful Experiment of the Week
Out of everything that's happened this last week, the one aspect that has been the biggest surprise is the play of one Brian Lashoff.  Apologies to Damien Brunner, who has been sensational in his own right, but with the main concern for the Red Wings being their depleted blueline, the way Lashoff has stepped up to the task of playing in the NHL has been admirable.  There have been stretches where one can make the argument that Brian Lashoff has been the best Detroit defenseman on the ice.  As someone on Twitter mentioned, management needs to talk to this kid and tell him to look into Metro Detroit housing, because if he keeps playing like this he isn't going anywhere.

Failed Experiment of the Week
Most of last week was dismal for Wings fans, but the bane of many was number 27 in red, Kyle Quincey.  How far can one fall?  Quincey started his career in Detroit and was a promising looking young defender, but after he was sent away, then brought back at arm-and-leg prices, the return was far from prodigal.  Kyle struggled at the end of last year and many felt (and hoped) that he just hadn't been given enough time to gel with his teammates and get back into the system properly.  Sadly, that does not seem to be the case, as Quincey seems worse this season than he was in the last.  In four games he is -2, despite Detroit having scored 5 goals in last night's game.  Apparently that was just good enough to erase everything except the two terrible breaks he gave up to St. Louis rookie Vladimir Tarasenko in the season opener.  Some fans think fellow blueliner Brendan Smith is also struggling at the start of this season, but at least Smith has kept himself out of the penalty box all but once this year thus far.

Key Ingredient
If the Minnesota game showed Hockeytown fans anything, it showed that health may be the dealbreaker for the Red Wings.  Todd Bertuzzi's return to the lineup was greeted with an onslaught of Detroit goals the likes of which was not even fathomable over the previous three contests.  The defense is still very banged up, and it will take a lot of effort for the Wings to keep themselves competitive as more and more bodies get back to 100%.

With the first week of the season behind us, there is still a little bitterness in the back of the throat, but the week ended on a high note, and promises bigger and better things to come.  Next week looks like this:

01/27 @ CHI
01/29 V DAL
02/01 V STL
02/02 @ CBJ

Not a favorable week by any stretch, but one that Detroit can walk away from on top.  With momentum now on their side, Detroit must keep the energy going and pile on more wins now if they want to keep themselves in the playoff picture.

Preview: Detroit Dances with Dallas in Home Opener

The Wings look to add to the success they found in Columbus and bring home a win in Detroit's home opener this evening, when the Red Wings face off against the Dallas Stars.  After a terrible start in St. Louis, Detroit battled hard for a win against the BlueJackets, coming out on top by way of a shootout victory thanks to Swiss star Damien Brunner.  Now sitting at 1-1-0, the Wings need to keep the momentum going, despite a rash of injuries that is plaguing their roster.

Detroit's opponent tonight, the Dallas Stars, have managed the same start, just in reverse order of the Red Wings.  Having claimed victory in their home opener against the Coyotes, the Stars went to Minnesota and came away with nothing, losing to the Wild 1-0.

It will be interesting to see now, after one terrible game and one not-so-terrible game, how Detroit's defence holds up against the Stars, including the newest addition to the Detroit blueline, Kent Huskins.  Huskins was brought in to shore up the defenses after Jonathan Ericsson and Carlo Colaiacovo both were lost to injury.  It was hoped that Huskins would be ready to jump in for tonight's match.

They will be dealing with the likes of Loui Eriksson, Ray Whitney, and newly acquired star Jaromir Jagr, who seems to be set to continue his age-defying play as he already leads the Dallas Stars with 4 points.

Which Red Wings squad will show up tonight: The scrappy, tenacious team that took a win by tooth and nail, or the sloppy, lethargic team that looked out of its league in St. Louis?  If Detroit realizes how important these early games are, the answer should be obvious.

Wings Survive BlueJackets, Feels like it Means Something

You've gotta love when young guys produce, especially when they put on a show and win you hockey games in the process.

Detroit went from leading the Columbus BlueJackets 2-0 to trailing in the third 3-2, but clawed their way back thanks to the talents of our resident EuroTwins, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, tying the game back up at 3-3.  Overtime settled nothing, but did set the stage for a dramatic and electrifying performace by Swiss phenom Damien Brunner.

It wasn't even the simple fact that Brunner scored the game-winning goal for the Red Wings, but moreso the fact that he did so with such obvious calm and confidence, pulling a right-handed version of Datsyuk's trademark deke and stuffing the puck past Sergei Bobrovsky's pad.  It was the fact that, on the very first Columbus attempt, the Jackets seemed to take an early 1-0 shootout lead, but Detroit was granted mercy by the hockey gods, as Cam Atkinson looked to have double-tapped the puck before it crossed the goal line and the goal was waved off.

It was also the fact that, after the shellacking we took from St. Louis, we were desperate.  We were desperate to see Detroit win a game and put the previous match behind us.  When we almost let that slip away, it made Brunner's spectacular goal all the sweeter.

Have you forgotten yet that I've talking about a game against the Columbus BlueJackets?

The concerns for this team are obvious, and a trip to Columbus has always been thought of as the write-off, the obvious 2-point night.  Much as we hate to admit it, the NHL doesn't work that way anymore, and anything is possible.  That statement is compounded when you lose two legendary veterans like Nick Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom.  The two areas these players excelled in, Lidstrom's defensive poise and both players' powerplay presence,  have been sorely missed in these last two games.  Detroit is a pitiful 0 for 11 on the man-advantage, and surrendered a shortie in St. Louis.  It was admittedly nice to see Detroit find a way to fight, tooth and nail at times, for a W.  It doesn't always have to be pretty, it just has to be a win at the end of the night.

And speaking of fighting, how about Jordin Tootoo earning his keep this evening? The opening puck-drop brawl between Tootoo and Jared Boll was just the thing Detroit needed to get their energy up and help build a 2-goal lead before Columbus stormed back.  Considering Bobrovsky's circus act in the Columbus net to keep most of the Detroit shots out of his net, had Toots not lead with the knuckles this game could have ended much differently.

I mentioned young kids at the beginning, and how can we not smile and congratulate Brian Lashoff for his 1st NHL goal in his 1st NHL game!?  Way to go, kid.  You played your heart out tonight.  Our D got even more banged up this evening, and you might be looking at an extended stay up top if you keep it up!

Next on the docket is the home opener, and it's going to be another sad one.  Before the game, Tomas Holmstrom will hold the press conference where he will officially announce his retirement.  Afterwards, the Red Wings will host the Dallas Stars and their newest high-profile acquisition, Jaromir Jagr.

Should be interesting, Wingnuts. Till next time!

Let's Go Red Wings!!