Detroit Red Wings Clips February 21,...

Detroit Red Wings Clips February 21, 2015

Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Notes: Red Wings to call up Kindl as Quincey is injured PAGE 4 Wings summon Kindl after Quincey goes down PAGE 5 Kulfan: Struggling Bruins know they can be better PAGE 8 Krupa: Wings sit pretty, no issues look insurmountable PAGE 11 With Kyle Quincey hurt, Jakub Kindl returns PAGE 13 Red Wings seeking better starts on five-game trip; it begins in Dallas,

which is missing Tyler Seguin PAGE 15 Jakub Kindl might return to lineup for Red Wings; Kyle Quincey

questionable for Saturday's game PAGE 17 Win over Blackhawks gives Red Wings 'a good feeling' as they head west

on grueling road trip PAGE 19 Red Wings' Jimmy Howard ranked among NHL's top goalies in shootouts

not long ago PAGE 20 Kyle Quincey injured at practice; Jakub Kindl recalled PAGE 22 Gave: Wings, Holland likely to stand pat as trade deadline looms PAGE 24 Visit From Red Wings remains special for Stars, fans PAGE 26 Red Wings recall Kindl after Quincey injury PAGE 27 Duff: Red Wings recall Kindl PAGE 28 Griffins 3, Bulldogs 2 (OT): Andreas Athanasiou goes a long way on

breakaway to win it PAGE 31 After Red Wings stint, goalie Petr Mrazek returns to Griffins to enjoy AHL

style of overtime

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Notes: Red Wings to call up Kindl as Quincey is injured

By George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 5:57 p.m. EST February 20, 2015

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey left the ice early today at the Taylor Sportsplex with a lower body injury and coach Mike Babcock said Jakub Kindl will be called up early from Grand Rapids for tomorrow's game in Dallas.

"He left the ice today," Babcock said of Quincey. "So we'll see. He's got a chronic thing. We'll just see what happens."

Kindl was supposed to play in four games with Grand Rapids (AHL) before joining the team in California. He had been a healthy scratch lately and had not played in an NHL game since Dec.27. he injured his elbow the next day in practice.

Kindl has one goal in two games with the Griffins.

"Just gotta go back and execute with the puck," Babcock said of Kindl. "Real good when he's got the puck, looking up ice."

BATTLE BETTER: Babcock liked that the Wings left Chicago on Wednesday with a 3-2 shoot-out win, but he didn't like the way the Wings started. The Wings were outshot, 17-6, in the first period.

"We tried to do some things things (in practice)," Babcock said. "We watched the game last night. We tried to do things to get ready for tomorrow.

"We liked winning, we didn't like the way we started the game. We didn't like our level of compete on pucks early in the game. We gotta be better at that.

"We've got a pretty good group that way. We address something, it usually gets looked after."

Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, in discussing the Stars, said the Wings need a better start.

"If there's been something that we haven't played well in games that's been the reason — we've been slow out of the gate," Zetterberg said. "Some nights you find a way to dig yourself out of the hole. When you play good teams like we're going to do now, you can't do that. You have to be good from the start."

Zetterberg said at the minimum, the team needs to play with better structure.

FANCY STATS:The NHL announced today that it will partner with SAP, an enterprise software company, to show enhanced statistics on its website, nhl.com.

Among the new stats are shot attempts (a shot on goal, blocked shot or missed shot, also known as Corsi), unblocked shot attempts (shots on goal and missed shots, first developed by Matt Fenwick).

Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin said he hadn't seen the stats rollout yet because he was traveling to Boston to check out a couple of college hockey games this weekend. He thinks fans will like going to league site more now.

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"Analytics is the hot-button topic now for the last couple of years," Martin said. "I think fans love that stuff, whether you're a fan of Team A or a particular player on Team A or if you're interested in the statistics themselves."

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 02.21.2015

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Wings summon Kindl after Quincey goes down

Ted KulfanThe Detroit News 1:36 p.m. EST February 20, 2015

Taylor — Jakub Kindl is returning from Grand Rapids a little earlier than anticipated.

The defensemen will join the Red Wings in time for Saturday's game in Dallas after Kyle Quincey came down with a lower body injury.

Quincey began Friday's practice at Taylor Sportsplex but left the ice shortly afterward and was walking gingerly afterward.

General manager Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock said Quincey is day to day.

"He left the ice early. We'll see," Babcock said. "He has a chronic thing. We'll just see what happens."

Kindl was loaned to Grand Rapids on a four-game conditioning assignment, and has one goal in two games thus far.

Kindl last played Dec. 27 against Ottawa, hurt his elbow the next day in practice, and has not played with the Red Wings since.

Young defensemen Alexey Marchenko, 23, and Xavier Ouellet, 21, both played well after being called up from Grand Rapids during the last two months, with Kindl unavailable, and passed Kindl on the depth chart once he was cleared to play.

What does Babcock need to see out of Kindl?

"He has to go back and execute with the puck," Babcock said. "He's real good when he has the puck and working up the ice. He has to go back and execute with the puck. He does that, and we're (satisfied)."

Babcock felt it was crucial for Kindl to go and play in Grand Rapids and shake the rust off of not playing.

"That's why we sent him down," Babcock said. "He played two real good games. It just makes it easier when you sat out for a long time."

Detroit News LOADED: 02.21.2015

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Kulfan: Struggling Bruins know they can be better

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 10:38 p.m. EST February 20, 2015

Detroit — When will the Boston Bruins begin looking and playing like the Bruins?

Or will they, at all, this season?

The Bruins are hanging on, barely, to the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference while failing to gain any traction.

They had a great January and appeared to be hitting their stride, going 8-1-3 in the month.

But, the Bruins have reverted to their inconsistent ways and went winless (0-1-2) on a three-game road swing through western Canada, including squandering a 3-0 second-period lead against Calgary (before losing in overtime).

Always a good road team, the Bruins are only 11-11-5 this season away from TD Garden.

Bruins president Cam Neely told the Boston Herald he was mystified as to why the Bruins have been so inconsistent.

"Listen, I know we have some new bodies from last year," Neely said. "Last year, take the second round (loss to Montreal in the playoffs) out of it and we had a pretty damned good year. We've got some different bodies now, but we have a lot more players who were here before than new guys.

"I get a player here or there having an off-year. But from our perspective right now, it's disappointing to see what we've watched for the bulk of the season.

"We're a better team than we've shown. It's just disappointing. We're making mistakes we shouldn't be making. We're not playing the game the way we've seen this team play. We can be better in a lot of areas."

The Bruins have mentioned as being active before the March 2 trade deadline, but Neely said general manager Peter Chiarelli can only do so much.

"It is difficult," Neely said. "It's gotten harder and harder to make deals. What the salary cap is going to be next year, everybody is thinking about that. There's uncertainty there.

"The so-called rental market is probably not as big as it has been in the past. And making hockey deals — as much as everyone would like to see more of those — they're as much now about trading money as trading players.

"You can't be complacent, that's for sure. There are high expectations here, as there should be when you're a top team. You may not meet those expectations all the time, but they're still there and we need to be better."

Playing for pride

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The Arizona Coyotes have been here before, essentially playing out the string with over seven weeks of the schedule remaining.

Rumors are circulating that prominent Coyotes players such as forward Antoine Vermette and defensemen Keith Yandle and Zbynek Michalek will be traded before the deadline.

It's not easy being a young player on the Coyotes roster and dealing with the uncertainty and losing.

Shane Doan, who has been the Coyotes' heart and soul through years of losing and uncertainty, appealed to his teammates' pride.

"You see and recognize the situation and we've talked about it over and over and I'm probably more aware of it than most of the other guys," Doan told the Arizona Republic. "You only get so many games in your career to play in the NHL and every day you get to do it is an unbelievable privilege. And when it's gone, it's gone and you don't want to feel like you wasted any of it.

"So you better make sure you bring your best game because it's what you're going to be measured by. For some guys, this is for your (future). For other guys, it's for contracts, for pride. Pride has got to be as big as anything. … But if you can't understand the privilege you've been blessed with and given, then you don't deserve to be here anyway so it won't last very long and you'll be out."

Fighters' code

Ever wonder what it's like being one of the few remaining NHL heavyweights?

Edmonton's Luke Gazdic, one of the last true fighters in the league, fought Winnipeg's Anthony Peluso last week when Peluso asked for one.

Never mind the two were junior hockey teammates and are good friends.

"Buddy is a loose term," said Gazdic, who overlooked the fact they're friends. "He's a good acquaintance. We played in Erie for a number of years, we train together in the summer and skate in Toronto.

"A switch clicks off. I'm not one of those guys who fights to fight, to rack up some majors. When I'm fighting, there's a reason, and I hate to say it but it's to hurt the other person.

"Nothing personal."

Kessel watch

Toronto winger Phil Kessel has looked indifferent on the ice with the Maple Leafs losing and defenseman Dion Phaneuf (lower body) not in the lineup.

Kessel has a clause in his contract that gives him eight teams of his choosing where he'll accept a trade. Kessel has not told the Maple Leafs he wants to be traded, although don't be shocked this summer if that happens.

The Maple Leafs, in general, likely will have a massive reboot.

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"We made it clear when we signed (Kessel) long term that we think he's a good player, despite the fact he's had a difficult time lately," general manager Dave Nonis told Sportsnet radio. "But he doesn't have a no-trade. We do have some teams we can trade him to. You need some flexibility to change your team and we have that.

"I would say there are some (offers for his high-end players), but significant is a little too strong. We've had a number of them. Players at that end of the pay scale usually get moved in the offseason.

"This isn't a fire sale to get people out of here. If there is a deal that helps us moving forward, we'll do it, but there isn't a time frame on it. Scorched earth, clean house ... that's not the way the league works. You have to get value back and there are players here who can be part of the solution. So you have to make sure you're evaluating correctly."


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Krupa: Wings sit pretty, no issues look insurmountable

Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 9:38 p.m. EST February 20, 2015

Detroit – — The Red Wings season is at a critical juncture, with five games remaining in a grinding six-game road trip that has them playing some top teams in the Midwest, on the West Coast and in the South.

Here are five things of particular note, at this juncture:

10 points is 10 points.

No one suggests the Wings ease off the throttle, or that giving into fatigue during the doldrums of the late-February NHL schedule would not hurt their cause.

But one game into one of their two six-game trips this season, they have a significant advantage in the standings.

Unlike the previous three seasons, when they were nip-and-tuck for the final playoff positions, they started the trip 12 points ahead of the Panthers, the first Eastern Conference team lying out of the playoffs.

The gap is now 10, after the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks and Florida won two one-goal games against the Maple Leafs and Canadiens.

A less than expected performance against the Stars, Ducks, Kings, Sharks and Predators on the road, between now and March, would make the last 21 games of the season both more challenging and more critical.

But there is perhaps no greater measure of the Red Wings success in their "rebuild on the fly" than the standings.

After the trip, 12 of the last 21 are at home and all 21 are in the Eastern time zone.

Beware of big men, skating fast.

There are symptoms of the need to improve for any deep run in the playoffs.

In recent games against teams capable of countering the Wings speed with considerable pace of their own, along with some size, the Red Wings have been a bit exposed.

The Black Hawks, especially in the first half of the game, the Canadiens, the Jets and the Lightning have made the Red Wings look average and worse, for significant stretches.

Unless they are at about their best, some teams can outpace them, while winning the physical battles.

They have been reminded.

Tired? Maybe.

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It is the dog days of the NHL season. The Red Wings have surpassed seemingly everyone's expectations — except, perhaps, their own.

Are they tired, as in "fatigued?"

Could be.

But the ability of some teams to "skate them" recently, despite the fact that speed is among the Wings' best weapons, may well be evidence of playing in games 50 through 60 in a long season.

If it is fatigue, Mike Babcock almost certainly knows and will try to help, by adjusting the schedule.

And, in the scheme of things, a second wind is likely on the way.

It often refreshes teams around the start of March.

Five weeks is five weeks.

And if you are a goalie, it means rust collects.

Howard admitted to some lack of timing against the Canadiens, and despite a huge effort to hold the fort against the Blackhawks and winning the game in the pesky shootout, one could still observe a little oxidation.

Conversations, if not controversy, reigned about what to do with the three goalies.

Absent a fortuitous trade, they did precisely as they should.

Howard, their proven No. 1 and a playoff performer having perhaps his best season before he was injured, is the top hammer between the pipes.

Jonas Gustavsson remains a valuable backup, who pushed Howard with a fine performance last season that was essential to making the playoffs.

Petr Mrazek can work on his skills and remain hot as the Griffins mount a run to the postseason. If injuries strike, he will be even more prepared, this time.

Howard is the key.

Before what appeared to be a truly horrific injury in early January in Washington caused a five-week disruption, he was at about his best.

If Howard can recover it and persist, the Red Wings could be awfully tough in the prospective playoffs.

Trades

It would be nice, but let us not hold our breaths.

If the Wings can muster a trade that both improves their prospects in the postseason without mortgaging much of the future, it will be enormous news.

But no group of people would think it bigger than the 30 general managers around the NHL who sit around thinking, "Man, remember when we could make some big deals at the deadline?"

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With the roster redeveloping, the Wings are beginning to reach critical masses at some positions, suggesting that moves can be made.

Eventually, they must be made.

But the leveraging must be wise, and the next moves are critical to the success of all of this rebuilding on the fly.

With so much attained on the project, so far, frittering it away would be splendidly foolish.


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With Kyle Quincey hurt, Jakub Kindl returns

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 8:19 p.m. EST February 20, 2015

Taylor — Jakub Kindl is returning from Grand Rapids a little earlier than anticipated.

The defenseman will join the Red Wings in time for Saturday's game in Dallas after Kyle Quincey came down with a lower body injury.

Quincey began Friday's practice at Taylor Sportsplex but left the ice shortly afterward and was walking gingerly after practice.

General manager Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock said Quincey is day to day.

"He left the ice early, we'll see," Babcock said. "He has a chronic thing. We'll just see what happens."

Kindl was loaned to Grand Rapids on a four-game conditioning assignment, and has one goal in two games.

Kindl last played with the Red Wings on December 27 against Ottawa. He hurt his elbow the next day in practice and has not played with the Red Wings since. In 28 games, Kindl has nine points (two goals, seven assists).

Young defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Xavier Ouellet both played well after being called up from Grand Rapids during the last two months with Kindl unavailable, and passed Kindl on the depth chart once he was cleared to play.

What does Babcock need to see out of Kindl?

"He has to go back and execute with the puck," Babcock said. "He's real good when he has the puck and working up the ice. He has to go back and execute with the puck. He does that, and we're (satisfied)."

Babcock felt it was crucial for Kindl to go and play in Grand Rapids and shake the rust off of not playing.

"Anybody who doesn't play for a long time (lacks confidence), so that's why we sent him down," Babcock said. "He played two real good games. It just makes it easier when you sat out for a long time, you come back and you've haven't played and it's hard. This way, you come back and get going."

Road warriors

This six-game road trip, which started Wednesday in Chicago, ends a two-month stretch in which the Red Wings have played 19 of 26 games away from Joe Louis Arena.

With Joe Louis Arena being used for the auto show, concerts and other functions during the interim, even when the Red Wings were home, they sometimes didn't practice at their home arena.

"We miss the Joe, we haven't been there a lot and even when we had practice days we've been practicing somewhere else," Henrik Zetterberg said. "We haven't seen the

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Joe a lot the last two months. This is the last road trip and then we have a good push a home the rest of the season. It'll be fun."

The Red Wings are 14-6-1 thus far during this two-month stretch, solidifying their hold on a playoff spot instead of losing grip on it which some analysts felt would happen.

"Sticking to the game plan," said Niklas Kronwall, of what the key has been to road success. "I know it's cliché, but it really is sticking to the game plan and doing the little things right. That's something we take pride in here, and for the most part it's worked pretty good.

"And let's face it, we've had excellent goaltending."

Ice chips

Babcock put a little more emphasis on competitive drills Friday, wanting a good, physical start unlike Wednesday's slow start in Chicago.

"We didn't like the way we started the game or our level of compete on pucks early in the game," Babcock said. "We talked about it and with the group we have here, when we address something it's usually taken care of."

... Dallas is on the outside of the playoff picture and needs wins desperately. Losing center Tyler Seguin (knee) for a month will not help matters.

"It's always exciting games, back-and-forth, high-scoring games against them," Zetterberg said. "They're playing well. They've lost Seguin but they're a good team and we just have to focus on what we do."

... The Red Wings will have limited practice time during this weeklong road trip, but Babcock thinks that'll be fine.

"They're tired of practicing," Babcock said. "Let's get out there and let's get playing."


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Red Wings seeking better starts on five-game trip; it begins in Dallas, which is missing Tyler Seguin

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

on February 20, 2015 at 6:01 PM, updated February 20, 2015 at 6:05 PM

TAYLOR - The Detroit Red Wings have fared well in the second period, outscoring opponents 61-41 for a plus-20 goals differential that tops the league.

They would like to display that same kind of vitality in the first period during a rugged five-game road trip that begins Saturday at Dallas (8 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

The Red Wings played the first of six consecutive road games Wednesday in Chicago and were delighted with the result (3-2 shootout win). But they were fortunate to escape the first period scoreless after being outshot 17-6.

"We liked winning (Wednesday) but we didn't like the way we started the game," coach Mike Babcock said following practice Friday at the Taylor Sportsplex. "We didn't like our level of compete on pucks early in the game. We've got to do better at that. We talked about it. We've got a pretty good group that way. We address it and it usually gets looked after."

The Red Wings have been slow starters too often this season. They have an even goals differential in the first period (41 for and against).

"When we haven't played well in games, that's been the reason, we've been slow out of the gates," Henrik Zetterberg said. "Some nights we find a way to dig ourselves out of the hole, but when you're playing good teams like we are now we can't do that. We need to be good from the start. That doesn't mean we have to have 15 shots in the first period, but you have to play structured and play a good road game."

Perhaps their level of desperation is amped up in the second period following slow starts. They've managed well in the period that features the long change (defense further away the bench).

"If you take care of the puck you usually don't even worry or think about it," Niklas Kronwall said. "If you have the puck the other team is worrying about it and being tired in their own zone. It's a long change if you get stuck in your end for a long time. It's really tiring. Stuff like that shows in the third period."

Said Zetterberg: "Maybe we focus a little more about not turning the puck over. I have no idea. It's been a good period and hopefully it'll stay that way."

They also hope to continue playing well on the road, where they are 15-9-3.

"When you're on the road you don't have to worry about matchups; it's easier for us to roll four lines," Zetterberg said. "I think when we're playing our best that's when we do that and we have short shifts to get everyone involved. It's a lot easier to do that on the road when you don't have to worry about matchups."

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The Red Wings have won five in a row in Dallas, outscoring the Stars 22-10, and are 8-1-1 in their past 10 overall against the Stars.

"We try to take some pride in (having a good road record)," Kronwall said. "For the most part it's been going good. It doesn't always have to be flashy, it's just doing it shift after shift. And we've had, let's face it, excellent goaltending (from Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek). That's really helped."

Dallas is six points out of the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Tyler Seguin, their leading scorer with 29 goals and 59 points. is out three-to-six weeks with a knee injury suffered one week ago on a check from Florida's Dmitry Kulikov, who was suspended four games for the low hit.

Michigan Live LOADED: 02.21.2015

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Jakub Kindl might return to lineup for Red Wings; Kyle Quincey questionable for Saturday's game

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

on February 20, 2015 at 1:24 PM, updated February 20, 2015 at 3:52 PM

TAYLOR - Jakub Kind might play his first game with the Detroit Red Wings in eight weeks Saturday when they visit the Dallas Stars to begin a five-game road trip (8 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

Defenseman Kyle Quincey is questionable for the game due to a lower-body injury suffered in practice Friday at the Taylor Sportsplex, so the club recalled Kindl from his conditioning stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Kindl most recent appearance with the Red Wings was on Dec. 27. He suffered a sprained elbow in practice the next day, sidelining him for a month. After that, he couldn't win back his spot in the lineup from younger players Xavier Ouellet, who's since been sent back to the AHL, and Alexey Marchenko.

Kindl had one goal in two games with the Griffins. He was scheduled to join the Red Wings Monday in Anaheim.

"He's just got to go back and execute with the puck," coach Mike Babcock said. "He's real good when he's got the puck looking up ice. If he does that, we're (happy)."

Red Wings work on battle drills in practice The Red Wings didn't win enough puck battles their previous game, so coach Mike Babcock had them work on it in practice Friday.

"Anybody that doesn't play for a long time does (lack confidence), so that's why we sent him down," Babcock said. "We expected him to play two more games (in Grand Rapids) and we expect him to come up on a high. He's had two real good games down there. It just makes it easier. When you've sat out for a long time, you come back and you haven't played, it's hard. This way you can come back and get going."

Quincey has three goals, 10 assists and a plus-5 rating in 52 games. He's formed a strong second pairing with Danny DeKeyser.

"He's just got a chronic thing so we'll see what happens," Babcock said.

Here are the lines and defense pairs they skated with:

Justin Abdelkader-Henrik Zetterberg-Teemu Pulkkinen

Tomas Tatar-Pavel Datsyuk-Darren Helm

Gustav Nyquist-Riley Sheahan-Stephen Weiss

Drew Miller-Joakim Andersson-Luke Glendening

Tomas Jurco rotating in.

On defense:

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Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson

Daniel Cleary (subbing for Quincey)-Danny DeKeyser

Brendan Smith-Alexey Marchenko

Jimmy Howard (expected to start)

Jonas Gustavsson


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Win over Blackhawks gives Red Wings 'a good feeling' as they head west on grueling road trip

Brendan Savage | [email protected] By Brendan Savage | [email protected]

on February 20, 2015 at 10:10 AM, updated February 20, 2015 at 10:11 AM

CHICAGO - The Detroit Red Wings kicked off the most difficult portion of their schedule Wednesday night with a big victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Why was it so important?

•For staters, it came on the road against an Original Six rival that is considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

• They also got strong performances from goaltender Jimmy Howard and the penalty killers, who were 4-for-4 against a team they hadn't beaten in the previous four games on the road.

• And they prevailed in the dreaded shootout for just the third time in 11 attempts this season.

All things considered, the Red Wings (32-14-10) hope the win is a good sign as they head west for five straight games beginning Saturday night in Dallas.

"It's huge," said Howard, who made 32 saves. "Possibly giving away points the other night against Winnipeg and then losing a hard-fought game against Montreal can get you upset a little bit but starting off the road trip with two points in a good feeling.

"Now we can enjoy it for a couple days and get ready for Dallas because this road trip is going to get a lot harder."

Indeed, after facing the Stars the Red Wings will play Anaheim and Los Angeles on back-to-back nights, move on to San Jose and then close out the February portion of their schedule in Nashville.

For anyone who hasn't glanced at the standings lately, Anaheim (35-16-7) is atop the Pacific Division, Nashville leads the overall standings and Los Angeles is the defending Stanley Cup champion.

So beating the Blackhawks after getting outplayed for the first 40 minutes should give the Red Wings a little lift as they head to warmer climates.

"Yeah, I think so, definitely," said defenseman Niklas Kronwall. "Anytime you play Chicago it's an emotional game. They're pretty tight. They're so good out there.

"They create a lot of chances and you got to try to eliminate all the space out there but they're so good and got so much firepower up front that it's hard. They're going to get their chances but after the first period we started playing some decent hockey."

Mike Babcock doesn't like to look too far down the road, preferring to concentrate on the next task at hand.

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But even Babcock admitted beating the Blackhawks was a nice way to start the grueling six-game stretch after the Red Wings dropped a 5-4 shootout to Winnipeg and lost 2-0 to Montreal in two homes before facing the Blackhawks.

"It's important," Babcock said. "We lost last game and lost in the shootout to Winnipeg. You don't want to keep losing. You want to get back on track and Montreal lost (Wednesday) so that's important.

"You want to find ways to get points."

That said, Babcock's focus is on one thing.

"We got to make the playoffs," he said. "We got to get in the playoffs."


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Red Wings' Jimmy Howard ranked among NHL's top goalies in shootouts not long ago

Brendan Savage | [email protected] By Brendan Savage | [email protected]

on February 20, 2015 at 6:06 AM

CHICAGO - There's no denying Jimmy Howard has struggled mightily in shootouts this season.

The Detroit Red Wings veteran goaltender has a 1-7 record and has allowed 13 goals on 22 shots for a save percentage of .409 to rank near the bottom of the entire NHL.

He lost his first seven shootouts of the season before beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 Wednesday.

But Howard hasn't always been this bad. In fact, he ranked among the NHL's top goalies in shootouts not long ago.

Howard tied for fourth in the NHL in shootout wins in 2011-12, when he was 7-2 in the skills competition after stopping 22 of 27 attempts for a save percentage of .815.

The following, he allowed just two goals on 17 shots (.882) and had a 3-2 record. The .882 save percentage was the best of his career in shootouts and his three victories tied for fourth in the NHL during the lockout-shortened campaign.

Last season, Howard had a 3-5 shootout record and .692 save percentage.

So what are his career totals? Thanks for asking.

All of Howard's shootouts have come during his six seasons as Detroit's No. 1 netminder. He has a career record of 20-28 to go with a .679 save percentage.

Howard admitted playing in the Western Conference for the first four seasons of his stint as Detroit's top goalie helped against the Blackhawks and that winning his first shootout of the season in Chicago made the victory even sweeter.

"It definitely does," said Howard, who was named to his second All-Star team before tearing his groin last month and missing almost five weeks. "They're a talented group they send out there in shutout.

"Playing them for so long in the West and knowing their moves, I shouldn't say it makes it easier but it does in a sense because in the back of your head you got the feeling of what's going to transpire out there."


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Kyle Quincey injured at practice; Jakub Kindl recalled

By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily

Posted: 02/20/15, 4:44 PM EST |

TAYLOR >> The Wings could be starting their last long road trip of the season without one of their steadiest defensemen – Kyle Quincey.

Quincey left practice early Friday at Taylor Sportsplex with a lower-body injury.

“He’s just got a chronic thing so we’ll see what happens,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

Just in case he can’t go the team recalled Jakub Kindl early from his conditioning stint with Grand Rapids.

Kindl has a goal in two games with the Griffins.

He last dressed in Detroit on Dec. 27 and then suffered a sprained elbow in practice the next day that sidelined him for a month.

During that span Kindl lost his spot on the blue line to Xavier Ouellet and is now behind Alexey Marchenko. Ouellet is back in Grand Rapids.

“He’s just got to go back and execute with the puck,” Babcock said of Kindl. “He’s real good when he’s got the puck looking up ice. He’s got to go back and execute with the puck. If he does that, we’re (happy).”

Kindl was scheduled to join the Wings Monday in Anaheim.

“Anybody that doesn’t play for a long time does (lack confidence) so that’s why we sent him down,” Babcock said. “We expected him to play two more games (in GR) and we expect him to come up on a high. He’s had two real good games down there. It just makes it easier when you’ve sat out for a long time, you come back and you haven’t played and it’s hard. This way you can come back and get going.”

Kindl has two goals and seven assists in 28 games this season with the Wings.

Detroit plays its next five on the road beginning Saturday in Dallas. Those five will be played over eight nights.

“They’re tired of practicing anyway,” Babcock said. “Let’s just play. We’re ready. Let’s get at it and find out. That’s what we do. We dig in and we find out. We’ve got to dig in for one another.”

After Dallas Saturday the Wings play Anaheim and Los Angeles on back-to-back nights – Monday and Tuesday – before facing San Jose on Thursday. They end the trip a week from Saturday in Nashville.

“Just stick to the game plan,” Niklas Kronwall said about how the team needs to play on the road. “I know it’s all clichés, but it is, just stick to the game plan and keep doing the little things right. We try to take some pride in it here. For the most part it’s been going

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good. It doesn’t always have to be flashy, it’s just doing it shift after shift. And we’ve had, let’s face it, excellent goaltending. That’s really helped.”

The Ducks are atop the Pacific Division and the Predators have the most points in the NHL.

“When you’re on the road you don’t have to worry about matchups,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “You don’t have last change. It’s easier for us to roll four lines.

“I think when we’re playing our best that’s when we do that and we have short shifts to get everyone involved,” Zetterberg continued. “It’s a lot easier to do that on the road when you don’t have to worry about matchups.”

Detroit is 15-9-3 on the road this season.

“We miss the Joe,” Zetterberg said. “We haven’t been there a lot. Even when we have practice days we have practice days somewhere else. We haven’t seen the Joe a lot these last two months. This is the last stretch then we have a good push at home.”

Macomb Daily LOADED: 02.21.2015

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Gave: Wings, Holland likely to stand pat as trade deadline looms

KEITH GAVE

FOX Sports Detroit

FEB 20, 2015 5:01p ET

Charles LeClaire

Alexey Marchenko may not be the quarterback on the power play coach Mike Babcock covets, but he's turning into a reliable NHL defender

Ten days remain before the NHL's trade deadline on March 2 at 3 p.m., and increasingly it looks as though the Red Wings are content to stand pat.

Not that General Manager Ken Holland hasn't been trying.

When his team had a logjam in goal after Jimmy Howard and Jonas Gustavsson returned from injuries, he thought he might be able to make room for Petr Mrazek in Detroit but couldn't find any takers when he let other manager know Gustavsson was available.

And when his coach wanted a right-shot defenseman, instead of trading away prospects or draft picks (or both) for a short-term fix with guys like Tyler Myers (since traded by Buffalo to Winnipeg) or Jeff Petry (now injured and questionable as a trade chip in Edmonton), Holland brought up Alexey Marchenko from Grand Rapids. Marchenko may not be the quarterback on the power play coach Mike Babcock covets, but he's turning into a reliable NHL defender whose ice time continues to increase as he shows smarts and creativity with the puck on nearly every shift.

With Tomas Jurco struggling to score goals after starting the season among the top six forwards in Detroit, the Wings replaced him with Teemu Pulkkinen. And on his second stint in Detroit Pulkkinen is getting to show off one of the most lethal shots in the game since Brett Hull retired by playing on a top line with Henrik Zetterberg. Pulkkinen has been a scoring machine at every level he's competed; he broke a record long-held by Teemu Selanne in Finland's top league, and he is the first player to score 30 goals in consecutive seasons in Grand Rapids.

Meantime, the Wings enter Saturday's game at Dallas -- the second leg of a six-game Western road trip -- just five points back of Montreal and the New York Islanders for the Eastern Conference lead. They have two games in hand on the Canadiens and three on the Islanders.

And while points are precious the Wings have no glaring needs that would force them to fix something that isn't broken -- especially if it means tampering with the kind of depth that most clubs covet.

They've gotten great goaltending, especially from Howard and Mrazek behind a team defense that ranks fourth overall in the NHL with a 2.41 goals-against average. And their surprisingly potent offense ranks ninth in the NHL with a 2.86 goals-per-game

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average. Veteran forwards Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader are having career years, and Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist have emerged as stars, shouldering much of the offensive burden that Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg had carried for years.

Most teams looking at a long playoff run are looking for something specific -- a depth defenseman, a little more scoring or a forward with particular defensive skills. Teams in need of a special player, like a top-six forward or, say, a right-shot defenseman who can quarterback the power play, better be prepared to pay a heavy price.

The Wings have no such critical needs. And when they need a little help, they need to look no further than Grand Rapids. That's where they have a bona fide NHL goalie and perhaps a future star at the position in Petr Mrazek. That's where they have three defensemen with solid NHL credentials: Jakub Kindl, who was recalled Friday to fill in for Kyle Quincey; Xavier Ouellet and Brian Lashoff (and two more in waiting close behind in Nick Jensen and Ryan Sproul).

And that's where they have Jurco, recently demoted to find his finishing touch, winger Landon Ferraro and center Tomas Nosek, the latter two just waiting for an opportunity. Among other promising Griffins prospects: Mitch Callahan, whose season ended last week with an ACL tear in his right knee, and Anthony Mantha, the former first-round pick who is developing nicely but remains a work in progress.

Little wonder why Holland and his staff keep a close eye on this team monitoring the development of so many players on the cusp of their NHL careers, and why the press box at Van Andel Arena is packed with scouts from other NHL teams these days.

"We like our depth. We like our kids," Holland said. "We've got a lot of great kids. They're not all going to make it to Detroit, but some of them are."

Some others may wind up in the NHL as well, although with other clubs. But only for a deal that makes sense, Holland said, hinting that if an opportunity surfaces he won't hesitate to pull the trigger.

"We have lots of cap space, and every day that goes by that space that we're below the cap grows," he said. "So if a player is available that will upgrade our team, we can do something. But I won't trade away our futures for depth."

Whether Petry, the son of former Tigers pitcher Dan Petry, is a player the Wings would give up some depth for is a matter of some debate within the organization. He's a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-shot defenseman in the prime of his career at age 27.

The Wings have scouted Petry, and while some in the organization describe him as "very average," others close who have watched Petry develop in youth hockey around Detroit and now in the NHL see him as very good fit with the Wings. Playing with better players Detroit has throughout its roster will only make Petry a better player. He came into the NHL with strong skating and passing skills, a good, hard shot and considerable offensive acumen. And like his father, he has a tremendous work ethic.

He's also an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and Holland is hesitant to overspend on someone likely to walk away in July. The Oilers have made recent overtures to re-sign Petry. Doubtless any team that trades for him would like to have a contract extension in place before giving up the farm for him.

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Visit From Red Wings remains special for Stars, fans

Steve Hunt

FOX Sports Southwest

FEB 20, 2015 4:47p ET

DALLAS -- The Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars are no longer rivals in the Central Division, and with the Wings only visiting American Airlines Center once each season, games like Saturday's between the two rivals are extra special.

"They have the strongest following in the league," Stars center Shawn Horcoff said after practice on Friday. "It's a credit to how much success they've had for so long. Yeah, it is too bad (they're no longer in the West) because there were a lot of great series and when you lose a team of that quality to another conference, you're going to lose a little bit of that buzz. You've worked all those years to create it and it's just gone."

Detroit (32-14-10) is currently third in the Atlantic Division with 74 points and the Red Wings are an impressive 15-9-3 away from Joe Louis Arena this season.

Longtime Dallas defenseman Trevor Daley has played his share of games against the Wings, both as division rivals and over the past season and a half with them moving to the Eastern Conference.

But for the Stars' current longest-tenured player, it doesn't matter if they're still division rivals or not, every time Detroit visits, it is a must-watch.

"Yeah, the building's always alive, so it's a fun rivalry every time they come. Ever since I came into the league, they've always been the team to try to contend with. I know for me, it's always special," Daley said. "We haven't seen them much. We haven't seen them in a while, so it'll be fun."

Second-year Dallas general manager Jim Nill has a bit of a different perspective because he spent 16 years as an assistant GM with the Red Wings before being hired to be the Stars new GM nearly two years ago.

And even though he hasn't been in the Motor City for several years now, Nill admits seeing the Red Wings pay their lone visit of the season to Dallas is always a cool thing.

"No, it's great. I watch them all the time. I was there a long time. A lot of those kids or young guys playing are guys that we've drafted and helped to develop and stuff, so there's a special connection there," Nill said. "There are great people right from the organization from the ownership all the way down to the coaches and the players and stuff. There's a special bond there."

At least from the Dallas perspective, Nill has only seen how many Detroit fans pack the Dallas barn when they visit to face the Stars once before. But for someone who has seen them have more than their share of fans around the league, it's not really much of a surprise to see half the building in red, which may be the case again on Saturday night.

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"No, the Red Wings, they travel well. Wherever they go, there's Red Wing fans and they've earned that. They've built that brand up and they continue to win," Nill said. "They've earned that respect, which is good."

The Stars (27-23-8) lost 5-2 to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, putting Dallas' home record at a quite pedestrian 12-12-6.

Saturday marks the end of a quick two-game homestand, after which the Stars will have just 24 games remaining in the regular season. And with Dallas on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture in the Western Conference, this game appears crucial to say the least.

foxsports.com LOADED: 02.21.2015

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Red Wings recall Kindl after Quincey injury

KEITH GAVE

FOX Sports Detroit

FEB 20, 2015 2:27p ET

Halfway through what was to be a four-game conditioning stint in Grand Rapids, defenseman Jakub Kindl will rejoin the Red Wings to fill in for Kyle Quincey, who is nursing a nagging lower-body injury.

The Wings play at Dallas on Saturday, and Quincey's availability is questionable. He did not practice on Friday, and general manager Ken Holland described his status as day to day.

Kindl had one goal in two games with the Griffins. He hasn't played an NHL game since Dec. 27. A day later, he injured his elbow in practice. In 28 games for the Wings this season, Kindl has two goals among nine points, with a minus-1 rating and 14 penalty minutes.

Quincey anchored Detroit's No. 2 defense pairing with Danny DeKeyser. In 52 games this season, Quincey has three goals and 13 points, with a plus-5 rating and 55 penalty minutes.

foxsports.com LOADED: 02.21.2015

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Duff: Red Wings recall Kindl

By Bob Duff / Windsor Star

The Detroit Red Wings may be without defenceman Kyle Quincey as they continue their

six-game, month-ending road trip Saturday at Dallas against the Stars (8 p.m., FSN,

postgame coverage at windsorstar.com).

Quincey missed practice Friday at the Taylor Sportsplex and the Wings would only say

he is listed as day to day with an undisclosed injury.

“He’s just got a chronic thing so we’ll see what happens,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock

said.

A whipping boy for fans last season, Quincey finished that season strongly and has

played solidly this season. Posting 3-10-13 numbers in 52 games, he’s already equalled

last season’s point production and he’s plus-five skating in a steady second defensive

tandem alongside Danny DeKeyser.

“We just kind of read off each other,” DeKeyser said. “You get more and more

comfortable with who you’re playing with out there.

“When you play with someone that long it’s pretty easy.”

Defenceman Jakub Kindl, who was on a four-game conditioning stint with Detroit’s AHL

farm club in Grand Rapids, was recalled in case Quincey can’t answer the bell

Saturday.

Kindl hasn’t played for Detroit since Dec. 27, so confidence could be an issue for him.

“Anybody that doesn’t play for a long time does (struggle with confidence) so that’s why

we sent him down,” Babcock said. “It just makes it easier when you’ve sat out for a long

time, you come back and you’ve haven’t played and it’s hard.

“This way you can come back and get going.”

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Griffins 3, Bulldogs 2 (OT): Andreas Athanasiou goes a long way on breakaway to

win it

By Peter Wallner / MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Andreas Athanasiou made the most of a three on three in the

closing minutes of overtime Friday, using a three-quarter length breakaway for a goal to

send the Grand Rapids Griffins past Hamilton 3-2.

In the Griffins fifth overtime in their past six, Athanasiou took short pass near his own

circle, outskated the defense and broke free. He made a move right, then left and

slipped a shot past goalie Joey MacDonald with 2:15 left for the win before 8.388 at Van

Andel Arena.

The Griffins (29-17-5-1) now have points in 12 of 13 games.

Petr Mrazek, after an impressive 20-game stint with Red Wings, started in goal for the

Griffins for the first time since Nov. 17. The third-year pro allowed a goal early in the first

period and late in the third and had 33 saves in all.

Andy Miele, who scored twice on Wednesday - including with .4 seconds in regulation

and in overtime - tipped in a hard shot from Ryan Sproul from just inside the blue line on

the left side to put the Griffins ahead 2-1 with 8:16 remaining.

But the Bulldogs responded five minutes later as Morgan Ellis took a cross-ice pass

from Davis Drewiske and put it past the far side of Mrazek.

Hamilton (26-19-6-1) scored six minutes into the game when, on a power play, Drayson

Bowman got a piece of a shot by Davis Drewiske that deflected in the air and then

bounced past Mrazek.

Marek Tvrdon, who had a goal taken away on review in the first period, scored four

minutes into the third. He stole the puck behind the net and, in tight, lofted a shot over

the shoulder of MacDonald to tie it.

MacDonald stopped 32 shots in his fourth game against his former team. He is the

Griffins all-time wins leader.

The Griffins will play Hamilton again Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS

*Miele continued on a roll. The center, after a three-point game on Wednesday, added

another point and has 50 (18-32-50) and is third in scoring in the AHL.

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* Tvrdon had an active game. Besides his goal, he had a team-high five shots and was

a plus-two rating.

LOWLIGHTS

*Petr Mrazek gave up a goal on just his fourth shot of the game, coming with the Griffins

a man down.

* Anthony Mantha was on for just two shifts in the second period. He played regular

shifts in the first and third.

"Part of my job is to teach habits," coach Jeff Blashill said. "Part of the way is talk and

teach and sometimes it is to take ice time away. And in that particular instance, we took

ice time away."

NOTES

D Jakub Kindl, who was scheduled to remain with the Griffins through the weekend,

was called back up to Detroit earlier Friday. Scott Czarnowczan was activated instead

.... Hamilton's goalie was Joey MacDonald, who holds the Grand Rapids record for wins

(109) and shutouts (20)... Defenseman Brennan Evans was out a second game. He

was injured early on in Wednesday's game .... Andy Miele has been on a roll with 11

points in his past seven outings, which includes two four-point games.

Hamilton Bulldogs 2 at Grand Rapids Griffins 3 (OT) - Status: Unofficial Final

Friday, February 20, 2015 - Van Andel Arena

Hamilton 1 0 1 0 - 2

Grand Rapids 0 0 2 1 - 3

1st Period-1, Hamilton, Bowman 9 (Drewiske, Sorkin), 5:47 (PP). Penalties-Campbell

Gr (delay of game), 4:00; Hudon Ham (cross-checking), 8:16.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Tvrdon Gr (interference), 11:07; Drewiske Ham

(hooking), 14:31.

3rd Period-2, Grand Rapids, Tvrdon 4 4:08. 3, Grand Rapids, Miele 18 (Sproul,

Zengerle), 11:38. 4, Hamilton, Ellis 1 (Drewiske, Dumont), 17:09. Penalties-Frk Gr

(hooking), 4:56.

OT Period-5, Grand Rapids, Athanasiou 11 (Paetsch, Mrazek), 4:45. Penalties-No

Penalties

Shots on Goal-Hamilton 8-14-5-8-35. Grand Rapids 14-10-7-3-34.

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Power Play Opportunities-Hamilton 1 / 3; Grand Rapids 0 / 2.

Goalies-Hamilton, MacDonald 8-8-0 (34 shots-31 saves). Grand Rapids, Mrazek 4-2-0

(35 shots-33 saves).

A-8,388

Referees-Jon McIsaac (45), Ryan Murphy (5).

Linesmen-Jim Scarpace (75), Jesse Pletsch (51).

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After Red Wings stint, goalie Petr Mrazek returns to Griffins to enjoy AHL style of

overtime

By Peter Wallner / MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Petr Mrazek's first game with the Grand Rapids Griffins in more

than three months was just like his last game before he left.

The touted goalie turned back 32 of 34 shots, including eight in five minutes of overtime

Friday, before Andreas Athanasiou gave the Griffins a 3-2 victory against Hamilton.

On Nov. 14, in his last game before he left for an extended stay in Detroit, Mrazek was

part of a 2-1 overtime win against Texas when Teemu Pulkkinen scored in the closing

moments.

Both were on three-on-three in the closing minutes, something he didn't experience in

the NHL, which sticks to five men a side.

"The three-on-three is crazy," Mrazek said. "It's fun for fans and fun for us, too. I like it.

There's a lot of chances, lots of space and one mistake in the 'D' zone makes for a two

on one or a breakaway."

In this case, Mrazek cleared the puck to Nathan Paetsch, who quickly flipped it to

Athanasiou, who skated nearly from his own blueline for a breakaway and winning goal.

Mrazek was even lobbying for an assist on the play.

It was the third-year pro's first game back after 20 with the Red Wings, where he often

excelled. In 20 games, he went 13-5-1 with a 2.55 goals against average and .909 save

percentage. He also had a shutout.

He said there was a brief adjustment period to the AHL game.

"The first five, 10 minutes it was kind of different," Mrazek said. "You have to get used to

the game and your teammates are a little different. I was really focused the first 10

minutes to get used to the game."

Mrazek said there is "a big difference" between the two leagues.

"The game's different," he said after his longest stay in Detroit in his three pro seasons.

(In the AHL), "guys are throwing everything to the net, from the side, off a rebound. It's

just different,"

Mrazek, 23, first was recalled by Detroit as a backup after Jonas Gustavsson injured his

shoulder, and then became the starter for three weeks after Jimmy Howard injured his

groin.

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Griffins coach Jeff Blashill said Mrazek will start again Saturday when the Griffins face

Hamilton again. But he would not say how the starter would be determined over the

long haul.

That's because Mrazek is part of a crowded goalie situation in Grand Rapids, where

there also is Jared Coreau (2.15 GAA, .926 save pct. and three shutouts), who emerged

as a strong starter while Mrazek was gone, and veteran Tom McCollum (team-high 23

games, 2.50 GAA and .904 save percentage).

"I think we're very lucky here to have three great goalies," Blashill said. "We take

everything day by day, and we'll see what happens in the future, but Petr Mrazek will

play tomorrow. I think Tommy and Jared are both excellent goaltenders and have been

real good at showing at different times in their careers they can be elite."

Mrazek also got into nine games with the Red Wings last season - with two shutouts -

and two games his rookie season in 2012-13. That year, he also led the Griffins to the

Calder Cup.

In his previous six games with the Griffins, Mrazek had a 3.25 GAA and .876 save

percentage.

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