Hockeystad Stilla Tro På – Detroit Red Wings 2K10 Franchise

[psymin1]

DARREN HELM THE HERO IN CENTRAL OVERTIME CLASSIC


JIMMY HOWARD ROBS NASVHILLE'S SULLIVAN ON A BREAKAWAY OPPORTUNITY

BY BRANDEN CROW
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

First things first, it is important to mention the changes that Babcock applied to the team before tonight's game. Dan Cleary, who had been out with an injury, returned from the IR tonight and took back his spot from Patrick Eaves on the second line. Eaves was moved to the fourth line. Aside from this, Babcock, concerned about injuries, moved his biggest stars off the penalty kill lines (which might effect the amount of shorthanded goals they end the season with), and gave Valterri Filppula a boost to the PK line, along with the returning Dan Cleary (Helm and Tkachuk are also on the PK lines). Babcock also decided to give hot Ty Conklin the rest and start youngster Jimmy Howard again. With that in mind, let's get to the game, which was a classic.

Detroit came out hitting tonight, and that lasted throughout the entire night as they were able to notch 20 hits to Nashville's 5. And the Predators started the scoring late in the first period (which has been a bit of a curse on Detroit the past few game- late goals giving the opponent momentum in the locker room). But, just a few minutes in to the second period, Pavel Datsyuk put in his league leading 15th goal of the season. The goal came off a rebound chance that saw Pekka Rinne out of position. After being all knotted up in the third, it looked like Nasvhille was going to take the lead with only a few seconds left as they put a barrage on Detroit's Jimmy Howard. Howard held strong and forced the overtime period.

Overtime was all Detroit. Babcock sent out the speedster Darren Helm, hoping to get a clean break, and that is exactly what he got. Helm sped past two defenders, deked right, sending Rinne flying, and punched it in to stick side, giving the Red Wings 2 points, and expanding their lead in the Central Division.

Here are some highlights:

Note that the records in the first table are the team/goalie records COMING IN TO THIS GAME. The records later are after the game.

12-7-2		10-10-1
2	FINAL SCORE (OT)	1
25	SHOTS	26
20	HITS	5
24	FACE-OFFS	22
3	PENALTIES	3
6:00	PIM	6:00
0/3	POWER PLAY	0/3
Jimmy Howard (3-3-0)	STARTING GOALIES	Pekka Rinne (8-9-0)

Scoring Summary
1st Period	Details	Time
	Ryan Jones (2) (Guite)	18:04
2nd Period	Details	Time
	Pavel Datsyuk (15) (unassisted)	2:35
3rd Period	Details	Time
	NO SCORING
Overtime	Details	Time
	Darren Helm (6) (Stuart)	2:04

Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star-


RW, Ryan Jones
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1

Second Star-


C, Pavel Datsyuk
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +2

First Star-


LW, Darren Helm
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1, GWG

Goalie Information:
Winning Goalie- DET, Jimmy Howard, 62:04 (4-3-0)
Losing Goalie- NSH, Pekka Rinne, 62:04 (8-9-1)


Current Record: 13-7-2 (28 points)

[psymin1]

WINGS CAN GET NOTHING STARTED IN LOSS TO "HOTLANTA"


ILYA KOVULCHUK CELEBRATES HIS GOAL AGAINST DETROIT

BY BRANDEN CROW
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Atlanta came in to tonight's game riding a winning streak, and they have been great this season. They showed the Detroit Red Wings that they are not a team to overlook in the NHL anymore as they dominated the Red Wings en route to a 4-2 victory that could have easily of been 7-0. Detroit never got a foothold on the game, and the only two goals they scored came off of breakaway dekes around Hedberg, the Thrashers goaltender. Just 18 seconds in, a puck flopped off of Conklin's glove and found the netting behind him. After that, Conklin looked rattled- something we have not seen happen this year- and he let in another "soft" goal 8 minutes later. Babcock noticed that this was just not going to be Conklin's night, and decided to make the goal switch very early on.

Conklin said of the switch, "I understand what Babs wanted to do- spark the team- and I respect that decision." He continued, "some nights you lace up the pads and something happens early in a game where you realize that tonight just isn't going to be your night...Babs made the right move by putting in Jimmy (Howard)".

Babcock said they will look at tonight as a speed bump and start back on the winning side again tomorrow when they take on Calgary. It should also be noted that right winger Dan Cleary has returned from the IR (actually happened before the last game), and is back on the second forward line.

Note that the records in the first table are the team/goalie records COMING IN TO THIS GAME. The records later are after the game.

11-6-3		13-7-2
4	FINAL SCORE	2
22	SHOTS	20
9	HITS	6
16	FACE-OFFS	26
3	PENALTIES	1
6:00	PIM	2:00
1/1	POWER PLAY	0/3
Johan Hedberg (7-2-1)	STARTING GOALIES	Ty Conklin (8-3-0)

Scoring Summary
1st Period	Details	Time
	Ilya Kovalchuk (11) (White)	0:18
	Brendan Shanahan (3) (Tkachuk, Lidstrom)	5:12
	Bryan Litle (8) (White, Kovalchuk)	8:24
	Nik Antropov (6) (Kubina) PP	16:51
2nd Period	Details	Time
	No Scoring
3rd Period	Details	Time
	Pavel Datsyuk (16) (unassisted)	1:39
	Nik Antropov 2 (7) (Kozlov)	3:47

Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star-


G, Johan Hebderg
18 Saves, 2 GA, 90.0 SV%


Second Star-


LW, Ilya Kovalchuk
1 Goal, 1 Assist, +1


First Star-


C, Nik Antropov
2 Goals, 0 Assists, +/-0, GWG


Goalie Information:
Winning Goalie- ATL, Johan Hedberg, 60:00 (8-2-1)
Losing Goalie- DET, Jimmy Howard, 51:36 (4-4-0)


Current Record: 13-8-2 (28 points)

[psymin1]

CONKLIN AND THE WINGS BOUNCE BACK AGAINST FLAMES


KIPRUSOFF'S TWENTY SAVES ARE NOT ENOUGH AS THE FLAMES FALL TO THE RED WINGS 2-0

BY BRANDEN CROW
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Detroit came into this game looking angry after their loss to the Atlanta Thrashers the other night. They were only able to put two goals past the olympic goaltender, and all-star Miikka Kiprusoff, but that would prove good enough as Ty Conklin made up for his poor play in the last game by completely shutting down Jarome Iginla and the Calgary Flames (this game saw three breakaways by the Flames, including two by Iginla- all three squashed by Ty Conklin).

Babcock noted after the last game that their hitting was down, which he felt accounted for part of the loss against Atlanta; the Red Wings heard this message, and the hitting was up tonight against the Flames.

Another area that Babcock constantly refers to is the power play, where the Wings have struggled all season, including tonight- they were unable to score on the PP even with five opportunities. I expect there to be some line juggling on the special teams before the next game against the Central Division rival St. Louis Blues.

Speaking of the St. Louis Blues- this will mark the first time that the Red Wings will face some of their former teammates, and vice versa for the Blues. In the blockbuster trade that happened earlier this season, the St. Louis Blues grabbed G Chris Osgood, LW Thomas Holmstrom, and LW Ville Leino in return for G Ty Conklin, C Keith Tkachuk, and RW David Backes. It will be great to see the two teams meet for the first time since the trade, as all six players in question are expected to play.

Note that the records in the first table are the team/goalie records COMING IN TO THIS GAME. The records later are after the game.

10-11-2		13-8-2
0	FINAL SCORE	2
20	SHOTS	22
13	HITS	12
18	FACE-OFFS	20
5	PENALTIES	1
10:00	PIM	2:00
0/1	POWER PLAY	0/5
Miikka Kiprusoff (8-9-1)	STARTING GOALIES	Ty Conklin (8-3-0)

Scoring Summary
1st Period	Details	Time
	Pavel Datsyuk (17) (Lebda, Backes)	5:05
	Alexander Radulov (5) (Helm)	6:02
2nd Period	Details	Time
	No Scoring
3rd Period	Details	Time
	No Scoring

Goal Chart:



Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star-


RW, Alexander Radulov
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1


Second Star-


C, Pavel Datsyuk
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1, GWG


First Star-


G, Ty Conklin
20 Saves, 1.000 SA%, SO (2)


Goalie Information:
Winning Goalie- DET, Ty Conklin, 60:00 (9-3-0)
Losing Goalie- CGY, Miikka Kiprusoff, 60:00 (8-10-1)


Current Record: 14-8-2 (30 points)

[psymin1]

RED WINGS WIN THE FIRST MEETING OF FORMER TEAMMATES


EVEN IN HIS RETURN TO ST. LOUIS, CHRIS OSGOOD'S BAD LUCK STREAK CONTINUES,
MANAGING ONLY 3 WINS IN A DOZEN GAMES

BY BRANDEN CROW
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The first two time these two met was in Sweden to start the season, and it saw St. Louis win both games- first in regulation, the second in overtime. But, there were two very different hockey clubs when the season started. Now, Ty Conklin, David Backes, and Keith Tkachuk have swapped teams with Chris Osgood, Thomas Holmstrom, and Ville Leino. I guess it was only perfect that the game would be decided specifically on plays involving at least one of these players.

The game was knotted up coming in to the third period, with both goalies having a very solid game. But, just a few minutes in, Valtteri Filppula was able to find the back of the net on a shorthanded opportunity, giving the Red Wings their ELEVENTH SHORTHANDED GOAL OF THE SEASON. You would expect momentum to have been going the Wings way, but on that same power play for the Blues, they were able to finally beat Conklin, who went 5 shutout periods since his yanking in the game against Atlanta.

Cue the storybook writers.

As the game remained a 1-1 tie after the halfway point youngster Darren Helm did what he does best- find a way past the defenders, and turn on the afterburners with a breakaway. This time, former Red Wing, and crowd favorite, Thomas Holmstrom tripped him up enough for the referee to award Helm a penalty shot. Darren Helm, facing his former teammate, Chris Osgood, skated in and was able to find a very snug spot just under the crossbar to give the Red Wings the one-goal lead. Minutes later, the newly configured power play lines of Detroit was able to feed Helm a pass for ANOTHER breakaway- this time, Helm was able to finish the job without the penalty shot, and put the puck past Ozzie on a great deke to the left. The Blues pulled Ozzie in favor of the extra attacker, when Dan Cleary marked his first goal since returning from the IR via the empty net, giving the Red Wings their 31st and 32nd points of the season.

Note that St. Louis Blues lost their right winger Brad Boyes to a broken orbital that came off a big hit in the corner by Niklas Kronwall. I don't expect any suspensions to Kronwall because it was a very clean hit.

They face the struggling Dallas Stars (10-13-3) in Detroit in two days, which will be the last game in the month of October.

*CHECK BACK FOR VIDEO UPDATE*

Note that the records in the first table are the team/goalie records COMING IN TO THIS GAME. The records later are after the game.

10-13-0		13-8-2
4	FINAL SCORE	1
19	SHOTS	30
18	HITS	6
27	FACE-OFFS	18
4	PENALTIES	3
8:00	PIM	6:00
1/3	POWER PLAY	1/4
Ty Conklin (9-3-0)	STARTING GOALIES	Chris Osgood (3-11-0)

Scoring Summary
1st Period	Details	Time
	No Scoring
2nd Period	Details	Time
	No Scoring
3rd Period	Details	Time
	Valtteri Filppula (8) (Radulov, Kronwall) SH	3:54
	Andy McDonald (4) (Kariya) PP	5:06
	Darren Helm (7) Penalty Shot	12:54
	Darren Helm 2 (8) (Rafalski) PP	18:19
	Dan Cleary (6) (Zetterberg, Sbisa) EN	19:04

Goal Chart:



Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star-


C, Valtteri Filppula
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1


Second Star-


G, Ty Conklin
29 Saves, 1 GA, 96.7 SV%


First Star-


LW, Darren Helm
2 Goals, 0 Assists, +/-0, GWG


Goalie Information:
Winning Goalie- DET, Ty Conklin, 60:00 (10-3-0)
Losing Goalie- STL, Chris Osgood, 60:00 (3-12-0)


Injuries:
STL- RW, Brad Boyes- Broken Orbital (1-2 weeks)


Current Record: 15-8-2 (32 points)

[psymin1]

Alright, and I am all caught up again. In the barrage of new posts, be sure not to miss the post with the youtube clip attached right here! I will post the video for the last game when I make it (probably tomorrow). Thanks for following, guys, I appreciate it!

[psymin1]

STARS STILL CANNOT FIND DETROIT'S NUMBER


JIMMY HOWARD STOPPED 30 OF 31 SHOTS TONIGHT

BY BRANDEN CROW
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

I've already said it once, and I don't think I need to repeat myself...but I will- Marty Turco has the Joe Louis Curse. He is unable to pull of a win in that building this season, with his second loss coming at the back end of a 3-1 outing against the Red Wings tonight. At least he didn't let in 5 goals like last time, right? So, he is improving!

The story of the night has to be back-up netminder Jimmy Howard, who held his opponent to 1-goal game, stopping 30 of 31 shots he took. The defense in front of him, which was lackluster in the finals last season against the Pens, has been improving ten-fold this year. This has been a big reason for the teams success this season. The defense was even able to put up a goal tonight in the form of a Brett Lebda slapshot from the point. The Wings will look to improve their power play, but other than that, this has been a very successful team. I imagine that Conklin will get the start after the short break, because Babcock has made it clear who the Detroit starter is.

Note that the records in the first table are the team/goalie records COMING IN TO THIS GAME. The records later are after the game.

10-13-3		15-8-2
1	FINAL SCORE	3
31	SHOTS	26
10	HITS	14
18	FACE-OFFS	28
2	PENALTIES	3
4:00	PIM	6:00
0/3	POWER PLAY	0/2
Marty Turco (8-12-2)	STARTING GOALIES	Jimmy Howard (4-4-0)

Scoring Summary
1st Period	Details	Time
	Pavel Datsyuk (18) (Helm, Lidstrom)	7:56
	Fabian Brunnstrom (6) (Modano, Eriksson)	11:06
	Brett Lebda (2) (Radulov, Tkachuk)	11:56
2nd Period	Details	Time
	Johan Franzen (4) (Rafalski, Lidstrom)	2:14
3rd Period	Details	Time
	Johan Franzen (4) (Rafalski, Lidstrom)	2:14

Goal Chart:



Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star-


G, Jimmy Howard
30 Saves, 1 GA, 96.8 SV%


Second Star-


C, Pavel Datsyuk
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1


First Star-


D, Brett Lebda
1 Goal, 0 Assists, +1, GWG


Goalie Information:
Winning Goalie- DET, Jimmy Howard, 60:00 (5-4-0)
Losing Goalie- DAL, Marty Turco, 60:00 (8-13-2)


Current Record: 16-8-2 (34 points)

[Bure10Beezer34]

You do a real nice job with your updates...like the format!

[psymin1]

Thanks a lot! Glad you're reading.