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Deep Diggers Unite: All Agree Zetterberg Ready
by IwoCPO on 04/10/07 at 06:11 AM ET
Comments (3)
Despite blog entries yesterday that looked like the three diggers spoke to Mike Babcock from three different continents, they met over latte last night and conspired to conform. Their stories are heartwarming in their similarity this morning.
Kulfan/Detroit News
There was no doubt in Red Wings coach Mike Babcock’s voice.
When asked about Henrik Zetterberg’s status for Thursday night’s playoff opener against Calgary, Babcock didn’t waffle.
“I know he’s playing,” Babcock said.
Sipple/Detroit Free Press
Monday’s practice at Joe Louis Arena was an important one for Zetterberg, who centered his old line with Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom. Zetterberg’s linemates have confidence he’ll be able to pick up where he left off.
“He’s skating good,” Holmstrom said. “Haven’t really asked (him) how he felt.
“A player like Hank has so much talent. I think it’s going to take a little bit (of time). He’s been one of our best players through the whole year. No doubt he’ll be one of our best players in the playoffs.”
Khan(!)/MLive
Zetterberg has been skating hard for about two weeks but said Monday’s practice was the first time he’s done everything his teammates did, including stops and starts and battling for pucks. He believes he’ll be ready to play in Game 1 of the playoffs Thursday against Calgary at Joe Louis Arena. His coach is even more confident.
“He’s going to play, he’s ready to go,’’ Mike Babcock said. “He’s been (skating) for two weeks, it’s about time he plays.’’
Whew. Thanks Ansar. If Babcock says it, it’s gotta be true.
Meanwhile, in Calgary they’re licking their chops at the idea of getting a piece of Hank.
Veteran Calgary centre Stephane Yelle says the Flames are a confident bunch headed into Thursday night’s opening game at Joe Louis Arena against the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings.
“We know their style and we know how we need to play against them to be successful as we have been this year,’ Yelle said.
Gee, I wonder what style that might be?
“I showed it last year in the first game we played Detroit (in the regular season),” McCarty says. “I ran (Chris Chelios) through the end boards and he’s a good friend of mine. That’s the way we do it. If you’re not dishing it out . . . (Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby), they’re not going to let up, either. That’s the competitiveness.”
Ah, Mac. We like you. But I have a sneaking suspicion you’re just not going to be a factor.
The Calgary Sun has a pretty fair piece this morning, discussing keys for the Flames.
The arrival of Kyle Calder and Todd Bertuzzi adds muscle and meanness to a Detroit club long devoid of such character. Combined with the feistiness of Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper and Tomas Holmstrom, the Wings are no longer a team afraid to get dirty like the Flames used to. Unless the work ethic Sutter instilled returns, the Flames could find themselves losing the bulk of the board wars.
Woops. No mention of the Mule there, who is playing “feistier” than all of the above. Add him to that mix of players and things could get nastier than Calgary recalls from ‘04.
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Comments
Don’t overlook Lilja’s new-found ability to fight! Samuelson and Cleary also can be pests.
Calgary just might be out-muscled.
Posted by w2j2 on 04/10/07 at 08:38 AM ET
Guys with size have to play that way, fo sho.
As such, if I had to name one forward and one defenseman in which the series may hinge for Detroit, I’d have to go with Lang and Lilja (assuming Zetterberg and Bertuzzi play the entire series thus leaving the expected lines in tact).
The first line (Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstom) could very well be shut down. That means the second line would have to produce. Lang has to play big, stop the lazy passes/turnovers and get the friggin’ puck to the net where, hopefully, Calder or Bertuzzi will be stationed either for the screen or the rebound. (He has to play big in his own zone, too. None of his normally wussified waiting outside the scrum along the boards hoping to catch some luck with the puck squirting out).
As for defense, for almost the entire second-half of the season, the Wings have shown a proclivity to fail to get the puck out of the zone, even when having multiple attempts at it. They’ve gotten pinned in their own zone for long periods of time, leading to either prime scoring chances by the opposition, or being forced into taking penalties to negate them. Maybe it ’s been only my imagination, but Lilja, more than any other d-man, seems to have been on the ice when one of those cycles from Hell was underway.
The loss of Kronwall is huge in this regard. Not that Kroner wasn’t prone to getting beat wide from time-to-time or turning the puck over on occasion, but he offered one skill-set Lilja does not possess – the ability to skate the puck out of trouble down low or make the correct read on the breakout, getting out of the Cycle from Hell and get it moving the other way.
Posted by O-Joe on 04/10/07 at 11:25 AM ET
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I wrote about this before but one of my favorite Wings moments down the stretch was one of the last Pred games. Franzen took a nice pas from Datsyuk, scored, came to the bench, called out to “some” Pred and proceeded to spit. Yeah…I think he is going to be a major factor.
Posted by johnnygloveside on 04/10/07 at 07:47 AM ET