Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

[Tonic]

Detroit, MI - Shocking news out of Detroit today as Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland has announced his retirement. Holland led the team to 4 Stanley Cup titles in his 17 seasons as General Manager, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest GMs of all time.

"I loved my time in Detroit. I had the pleasure of working with tremendous people and truly enjoyed representing this world-class organization. However, my time has come to retire. I look forward to spending more time with my family and enjoying my retirement," said Holland.

His press conference was relatively short, but owner Mike Illich added this:
"It's been a pleasure working with Kenny (Holland) over the years, and he's certainly had tremendous success here with 4 Stanley Cup titles. This is a very demanding job, and I understand his desire to retire to spend more time enjoying the rest of his life. The search for a replacement will begin immediately."

When asked about Assistant GM Jim Nill taking the reins as GM, Illitch stated "That's definitely something that I will consider. I have no further comment at this time."

An intriguing candidate for GM is former Red Wing Steve Yzerman, whose jersey hangs in the rafters at Joe Louis Arena. Yzerman served as the Red Wings vice president from 2007-2010, before leaving to serve as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his first year as GM of Tampa Bay, he helped propel the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, after not qualifying for the playoffs the previous year. He was nominated for General Manager of the year. In the 2011-2012 campaign, Tampa Bay finished 8 points out of the playoffs. When Yzerman left Detroit for Tampa Bay, many assumed he would take over for Ken Holland whenever he retired, so look for Yzerman to have the inside track on the job.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings



Detroit, MI - The vacancy at GM for the Detroit Red Wings is no more. Former Red Wing great Steve Yzerman will be the new GM. Said Yzerman: "I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to serve as GM of the Detroit Red Wings. There's obviously a strong will to win and high expectations here in Detroit, but I look forward to the challenge. I had a tremendous time here as a player and hope to bring the Stanley Cup back to Hockeytown!"

When asked about his first changes to the roster as GM, Yzerman stated, "I haven't thought much about it yet to be honest. We obviously have two world-class centers in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. We have solid 2nd tier guys, solid depth, and several exciting up-and-coming prospects. Howard provides stability in goal. You'll have to wait and see about any changes," he added with a wink.

After suffering three early playoff exits the last three seasons, Yzerman already faces some pressure from the fanbase and owner Mike Illich. The Red Wings have made the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons, the highest active streak in professional sports, and 7 seasons shy of tying the Boston Bruins for the all-time mark in the NHL.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Nyquist, Brunner Impress Babcock


Detroit, MI - The Red Wings enjoyed a very impressive preseason, as show by their 4-0 record. Even more impressive, however, is the immediate impact of youngsters Gustav Nyquist and Damien Brunner. Both players had a productive four games (Nyquist 2-5-7 & Brunner 5-1-6), catching the eye of coach Mike Babcock. "We knew these guys would be good eventually, but not necessarily so quickly. I gave them an opportunity to succeed and they both capitalized on the opportunity." It appears that both players will make the Red Wings roster, as Cory Emmerton was sent down to AHL affiliate Grand Rapids earlier today.

Brunner, 26, signed as a free agent this offseason on a one-year contract. Brunner had previously played for Zug in Switzerland's National League A. His potential as an NHL player was a little uncertain, but the Red Wings were willing to take the risk in signing Brunner, with a two-way clause in his deal allowed him to be sent to Grand Rapids in case things didn't work out for him at the NHL level. Brunner has great speed, passing, and offensive instincts, coupled with an accurate shot.

Nyquist, 23, was Detroit's fourth-round selection of the 2008 entry draft. He was projected to start the season in Grand Rapids due to great depth at the NHL club, but Babcock believes that he can have an immediate impact for the Wings. Like Brunner, Nyquist has excellent speed, offensive instincts and passing ability, but seems to excel at setting up plays, while Brunner excels at finishing them. The future looks promising in Detroit with the immediate impact of these two youngsters.

Babcock had Detroit skating with these lines today at practice:

Detroit Red Wings Depth Chart - 2012-2013
	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH
LW	Franzen	Nyquist	Cleary	Miller
C	Datsyuk	Zetterberg	Filppula	Helm
RW	Bertuzzi	Brunner	Samuelsson	Abdelkader
LD	Kronwall	Kindl	Smith
RD	Ericsson	Quincey	White
G	Howard	Gustavsson
Scratches	Eaves	Colaiacovo	Tootoo

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Datsyuk, Franzen Lead Wings to Season Opening Win

Detroit, MI - Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne is known for having one of the best gloves in the league. His glove is like a black hole - any pucks fired in the general vicinity are sucked into it. Not this shot. Pavel Datsyuk scored on a wristshot to Rinne's glove side with just under 10 minutes to play in the 3rd to tie the game, as the Red Wings defeated the Predators 3-2 in a shootout. Valtteri Filppula capped the shootout with a forehand-backhand deke, beating Rinne 5-hole, as the Detroit Red Wings won their season opener over the Nashville Predators.

Nashville, who knocked Detroit out of the playoffs last season with a decisive 4-1 series victory, scored two goals in the 2nd period to take a 2-1 lead going into the 3rd period.

Todd Bertuzzi opened the scoring in the 1st period with a backhand shot off a rebound that snuck under Rinne's blocker. Kevin Klein and David Legwand both scored 2nd period goals for Nashville. Klein scored on a slapshot from the blue line which beat Howard 5-hole, and Legwand added a wrister from the slot. He won a battle along the boards against Nicklas Kronwall, brought the puck to the slot, and fired it over Howard's blocker.

Nashville Predators at Detroit Red Wings
Oct 12, 2012 1 2 3 F NSH (0-0-1) 0 2 0 2 DET (1-0-0) 1 0 1 3 Three Stars Datsyuk GTG, 1G 1A, 3 shots, +1 Franzen 2A, 3 hits, 6 shots, +1 Rinne 1.85 GAA, .931 SV PCT, 27 saves	Team Stats Comparison NSH DET Shots on Goal 23 29 Hits 10 12 Faceoffs Won-Lost 20-17 17-20 Penalty Minutes 0:00 4:00 Power Plays Converted 0 0 Power Play Opportunities 2 0 Time on Attack 5:25 7:17
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD DET 8:06 Bertuzzi (Datsyuk, Franzen) SECOND PERIOD NSH 2:22 Klein (Borque, Erat) NSH 6:01 Legwand (Ellis) THIRD PERIOD DET 10:18 Datsyuk (Franzen, Kronwall) SHOOTOUT DET Filppula

Game Notes:

After a strong preseason, Damien Brunner and Gustav Nyquist were each -1 for the game...Brunner had 4 shots on goal while Nyquist added 1...Kyle Quincey left the game early in the 2nd period after blocking a shot...It was later revealed he is out 2-3 weeks with an upper-body injury.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Offense Sputters in Buffalo

Buffalo, NY - Ryan Miller stopped 32 of 33 shots and the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Thomas Vanek and Mikhail Grigorenko each scored goals for Buffalo, while Datsyuk had the lone tally for Detroit. Detroit falls to 1-1-0.

Game Notes:

Carlo Colaiacovo recorded 19:07 TOI with 3 shots in his first game as a Red Wing, replacing the injured Kyle Quincey in the lineup...Grigorenko's goal was the first of his career...Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith left the game in the 3rd period with a lower-body injury...He is estimated to miss a week of action and will be replaced by Brain Lashoff.

[timbeau0805]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Definitely following!

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Definitely following!

Good to hear

I'm planning on playing about a quarter of the games and simming the rest. The first game I played and the 2nd I simmed, so those will be the general formats. I'm also going to keep things super realistic! Enjoy!

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Halak outlasts Howard, offense sputters again in Wings 3-1 loss

St. Louis, MO - Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves on 27 shots, as the St. Louis Blues defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-1. David Perron was credited with the game-winner by burying a rebound past Howard, while Detroit defenseman Jakub Kindl was unable to tie up Perron's stick on the weak side.

David Backes opened the scoring in the 2nd period in a similar fashion to Perron, but this time Nicklas Kronwall was Detroit's scapegoat as he was unable to tie up the opposing forward. Detroit tied the game at 1-1 with Damien Brunner's wristshot to the short side of Halak early in the 3rd period. Perron scored the game winner with just under 8 minutes to play, and Blues forward T.J. Oshie added an empty netter with under a minute to play in the game.

Detroit Red Wings at St. Louis Blues
Oct 18, 2013 1 2 3 F DET (1-2-0) 0 0 1 1 STL (3-0-0) 0 1 2 3 Three Stars Halak 1.00 GAA, .963 SV%, 27 SV Perron 1G, 1A, 5 shots, +1 Oshie 1G, 1A, 6 shots, +1	Team Stats Comparison DET STL Shots on Goal 27 27 Hits 8 10 Faceoffs Won-Lost 12-17 17-12 Penalty Minutes 8:00 0:00 Power Plays Converted 0 1 Power Play Opportunities 0 4 Time on Attack 6:24 5:23
Scoring Summary SECOND PERIOD STL 17:22 Backes (Stewart, Cole) THIRD PERIOD DET 3:23 Brunner (Nyquist, Colaiacovo) STL 12:17 Perron (Oshie, Shattenkirk) STL 19:51 Oshie EN (Berglund, Perron)

Game Notes:

Brunner's goal was his first in the NHL and first as a Red Wing...The Blues remain undefeated at 3-0-0 on the season.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Offense sputters again, Hawks beat Wings 2-1

Chicago, IL - Sometimes things just don't go your way. Not just in hockey, but in life too. That was the case tonight, as Brent Seabrook's wristshot from the blue line hit the leg of Jonathan Ericsson and found its way in the back of the net. This ended up standing as the game winning goal.

Damien Brunner started the scoring in the 1st period, beating Chicago goalie Corey Crawford with a wristshot under his glove, giving Brunner goals in back to back games. Michael Rozsival scored on a wristshot on a faceoff to tie the game just mintues later. Seabrook's goal came with over six minutes left to play in the 2nd period.

Said coach Mike Babcock after the loss:

"I thought we did some good things out there tonight. Obviously Chicago is a deep and talented team. We spent too much time in our own zone and that will cost you in this league. It certainly did tonight."

A reporter also asked Babcock about the line shuffling he did midway in the 3rd period. "I thought Abby (Abdelkader) and Gus (Nyquist) were playing well. Pav (Datsyuk) is Pav and is always playing well. I wanted to see those guys play together and I think they did a good job other than Gus' penalty late in the 3rd. Abby took pucks hard to the net which I like to see."

Babcock was also unsure of his lines for the next game but assured the reporters that he will be shuffling some of the lines to provide a spark for the team.

Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks
Oct 20, 2013 1 2 3 F DET (1-3-0) 1 0 0 1 CHI (3-1-0) 1 1 0 2 Three Stars Howard 2.01 GAA, .939 SV%, 32 saves Crawford 1.00 GAA, .950 SV%, 19 saves Seabrook GWG, 3 shots	Team Stats Comparison DET CHI Shots on Goal 20 33 Hits 13 4 Faceoffs Won-Lost 18-12 12-18 Penalty Minutes 8:00 0:00 Power Plays Converted 0 1 Power Play Opportunities 0 4 Time on Attack 5:13 7:13
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD DET 3:45 Brunner (2) (Zetterberg, Nyquist) CHI 5:32 Rosival (Bolland) SECOND PERIOD CHI 6:39 Seabrook (Hossa, Toews)

Game Notes:

Detroit has now gone two consecutive games without a powerplay...In just his 2nd NHL game, Brian Lashoff logged 19:06 on the ice

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Offense awakens, but Canucks too much for Wings

Detroit, MI - Detroit scored 3 goals, the same number they've scored in the last 3 games combined, but Vancouver scored 4 2nd period goals en route to a 5-3 victory. Alex Burrows had a goal and two assists, while the Sedin brothers each tallied 2 points. Henrik Zetterberg scored 2 goals, but was -1 on the night, and Jakub Kindl added a goal and an assist. Tonight's loss drops Detroit to 1-4-0 on the season, their worst start in 14 years.

"It's still early in the season, but obviously we've hit a bit of a bump in the road right now. I'm very confident in our veterans and leaders to step up, take control, and right the ship. I have no further comment at this time," said coach Mike Babcock after the loss.

Look for backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, who was signed this past offseason, to start in goal tomorrow in Columbus, as Howard has started all 5 games this season.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Bobrovsky dominates, shuts out Red Wings

Columbus, OH - Sergei Bobrovsky recorded a 28-save shutout and Fedor Tyuin assisted on all three Columbus goals, helping his team to a 3-0 victory over Detroit. RJ Umberger and Vinny Prospal scored goals 15 seconds apart in the 1st period for Columbus, and Derick Brassard added a goal of his own in the 2nd period. The Red Wings are now on a 5-game losing streak and are 1-5-0 on the season.

When asked about Jimmy Howard's performance the last two games, Babcock snapped, "Jimmy's great. He came in to my office after last night's game and said he wanted to start today too. He's a big part of our team. I let him start because I liked his confidence." Howard allowed 3 goals on 24 shots.

Babcock said he is giving the team tomorrow to collect themselves before coming back to practice on Thursday. The team hosts San Jose on Friday.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Wings losing streaks extends to 6 games

Detroit, MI - There's a rough patch, then there's what the Detroit Red Wings are going though right now as their 6-game losing streak is the longest in 18 years.

Patrick Marleau scored from a sharp angle in the 3rd period to give San Jose a 3-2 lead and goalie Antti Niemi made a huge save on Daniel Cleary as the time expired as the Sharks held on to defeat the Red Wings 3-2.

James Sheppard got the party started with a goal in the 1st period. He was left all alone in front for Detroit's goal and converted the feed from the corner by Michael Handzus. Late in the 2nd period, Red Wing captain Henrik Zetterberg forced a turnover and scored on a breakaway, beating Niemi 5-hole. Justin Abdelkader provided the go-ahead goal four minutes later by making a nice deke around a San Jose defender, but that lead would be short-lived. Andrew Desjardins scored on a rebound less than a minute later to tie the game going into the 3rd period.

"It's just frustrating right now. We're doing everything we can to win (out) there, but just can't get one. We'll be ready to go tomorrow in Winnipeg," said captain Henrik Zetterberg.

Mike Babcock said he will make no line-up changes other than Jonas Gustavsson making his first start of the season in goal.

San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings
Oct 26, 2013 1 2 3 F SJS (5-0-1) 1 1 1 3 DET (1-6-0) 0 2 0 2 Three Stars Marleau GWG, 4 hits, 2 shots, +1 Desjardins 1 G, 3 hits, +1 Zetterberg 1 G, 3 shots, +1	Team Stats Comparison SJS DET Shots on Goal Hits Faceoffs Won-Lost Penalty Minutes Power Plays Converted Power Play Opportunities Time on Attack
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD SJS 7:07 Sheppard (3) (Handzus, Burns) SECOND PERIOD DET 15:03 Zetterberg (3) (Unassisted) DET 19:22 Abdelkader (1) (Smith, Cleary) SJS 19:55 Desjardins (1) (Wingels, Demers) THIRD PERIOD SJS 12:46 Marleau (3) (Havlat, Murray)

Game Notes:

Jordin Tootoo was -1 with 2:00 penalty minutes in his first game as a Red Wing...Defenseman Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson played under 20 minutes for the first time all season.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Gustavsson leads Wings to win, ends losing streak at 6

Winnipeg, MB - Jonas Gustavsson made 32 saves and only allowed two goals, leading Detroit to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets and more importantly, snapping Detroit's losing streak at 6 games. Niklas Kronwall scored the go-ahead goal with under nine minutes left in the game with a slapshot off a faceoff. Gustav Nyquist and Valtteri Filppula also scored for Detroit, while Charlie Thorburn and Andrew Ladd had goals for Winnipeg.

Mike Babcock announced that Gustavsson will start Detroit's next game in Vancouver. He also announced that defenseman Jonathan Ericsson will be out approximately one week with an upper-body injury. He will likely be replaced in the lineup by Carlo Colaiacovo.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Luongo outduels Gustavsson, Wings fall 2-0

Vancouver, BC - Roberto Loungo stopped all 34 shots he faced, Alex Gordon and Alex Burrows scored 3rd period goals for Vancouver, and the Canucks shut out the Red Wings 2-0. Jonas Gustavsson made 25 saves for Detroit.

Coach Mike Babcock announced after the game that Jonas Gustavsson will make the next start in goal for Detroit.

Game Notes:

Johan Franzen went down with a lower-body injury in the 1st period and expects to miss a week of action...Dan Clearly led all forwards in ice time with 22:35.

[Tonic]

Re: Motown Mojo - Detroit Red Wings

Datsyuk leads Red Wings in thriller!

Calgary, AB - Pavel Datsyuk is a special, special player. Datsyuk scored with 1.1 seconds left in overtime, putting his own rebound past Calgary goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff, leading the Red Wings to a 4-3 victory.

Jakub Kindl scored a goal in the 1st and 2nd periods, and captain Henrik Zetterberg followed with a goal of his own to give Detroit a 3-0 lead. Mike Cammalleri scored with 6 minutes remaining in the 2nd period to cut Detroit's lead to 3-1 entering the 3rd period. Alex Tanguay and former Red Wing Jiri Hudler each scored in the 3rd period to tie the game at 3-3. Then came Datsyuk's heroics.

With under 10 seconds in the period, Datsyuk received the puck at his own blue line, carried the puck into the Calgary zone and fired a wristshot that was saved by Kiprusoff. Datsyuk then willed his way to the goal, collecting the rebound and firing the puck past Kiprusoff, sending the Red Wing bench into a frenzy.

"It fun to score goals," said Datsyuk. "I do to help team win big games. Tonight big was game. I was happy to score goal."

Jonas Gustavsson made 33 saves on 36 shots for Detroit. Coach Mike Babcock said Gustavsson will continue to start in goal for Detroit