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Leino’s Coming Up…Nevermind
by IwoCPO on 10/26/08 at 06:13 PM ET
Comments (21)
Interesting day in Hockeytown as we waited for the word on the severity of Johan Franzen’s knee injury. Bob McKenzie first reported around 1300 EST that the Mule’s dealing with a Grade 2 MCL and that he’d be out three to four weeks.
From then? The Diggers went all crazy.
Helene St. James, Teddy Kulfan and Bruce MacLeod all posted similar reports, some citing a GR press release claiming Ville Leino’s been called up. In fact, MacLeod posted a ditty confirming the original Griffin report.
Leino could be used as a top-six forward or he could go on the third line with countryman Valtteri Filppula if Coach Mike Babcock decides to put Dan Cleary or Jiri Hudler up on Henrik Zetterberg’s line.
Here’s the press release from the Griffins’ excellent PR staff ...
The Detroit Red Wings on Sunday recalled left wing Ville Leino from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League.
Since then, all the diggers have refuted it and correctly pointed out the Wings don’t have the space to bring up Leino unless Mule’s put on the long term IR, unless they decide to send down McCarty.
Contrary to a report put out by the Grand Rapids Griffins, Ville Leino has not been recalled by the Wings. The Wings are hoping that in 2-3 days, it may emerge the injury is only three weeks, in which case they don’t want to put Franzen on long-term injury reserve, which would need to be done in order to call someone up. The Wings already have 12 forwards ready to go.
No one to blame for the confusion, really. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wings hadn’t technically called him up then rescinded it when they looked closer at the Cap/IR situation. Or maybe they were kindly reminded of it by Gary’s bitches in Toronto. Not sure. Either way, it brings up this.
Leino probably belongs on the roster a hell of a lot more than McCarty does. In case you hadn’t noticed, the Finn’s on fire in Grand Rapids. He’s got nine points in five games and his four goals are second only to Home Keys who’s got frigging six.
Of course, even with Franzen out for a month or so, none of you are concerned with offense. What are you sad about?
This: 3.12 goals against per game. 18th in the league. 29.8 shots against per game. 14th.
That, as pointed out by most of the 19 in the comments here, is just not Red Wing hockey. The 39.8 shots/game for? That is. But the numbers of goals and shots against after six games is a little disturbing.
However, we are talking six games. A few of you have mentioned the fact that Brad McCrimmon may be preaching something different thant Todd McClellan did. Perhaps. Others have said that Babcock’s success could be tied directly to the little dude I assumed did little else than make him tuna melts after every game. A possibility. But…it’s six games. What can we safely assume? I think it’s a fair bet that the defense will work itself out. Mainly because Nick Lidstrom is the most positionally sound player in NHL history. And last time I checked, he’s still a Wing.
But he’s a Wing playing fewer minutes than ever. Uncle Mike’s limiting his ice time to the tune of a 25:39 average, a full minute less than last year. And that average includes the 32 minutes he played Saturday night. Wait. Hold on. Despite his drop in minutes, Lidstrom’s playing 29.5 shifts per game, as opposed to 29.1 last season. You figure it out.
Either way, this defense will right itself because Lidstrom’s still there, so is Rafalski. Almost as importantly, so are Zetterberg and Datsyuk. And Hossa is still learning the system. Offensively, he’s got it. Defensively? Maybe he’s still catching on.
And here’s something else. Offense is fun. Guys like to shoot and they like to score. Defense is not as fun. Backchecking and shot blocking and keeping up with other guys who don’t want you to have the puck they think they deserve…not fun, but necessary.
If there’s a “hangover”, the effect is going to be felt on the defensive end, where guys have to work real hard to ensure those stats are as low as we expect them to be. They’ll come around, because defense is about hustle and Uncle Mike demands hustle. We’re not really doubting our Uncle Mike are we?
Back to Leino for a second. He’ll be up soon enough. Maybe the middle of the week. But if you’re in Grand Rapids, or around there? We’ve said it before. Go watch some hockey. That team is going to be amazing this year.
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Comments
But if you’re in Grand Rapids, or around there? We’ve said it before. Go watch some hockey. That team is going to be amazing this year.
Um, YES, most definitely. I was at last night’s game with seats behind the Hamilton net 1st&3rd;and the play was fantastic. The first period was a blur of amazing. The second and third weren’t as entertaining, but Ericsson made sure to wake our section up in the 3rd with his blast from the GR blue line smacking inches from my face.
I wanted to go back today, but I didn’t have tickets and I did have homework. I’ll settle for next Saturday, even if it’s without the Finn. I mean, I’ll still have plenty of Griffins/future Wings stars to watch.
Posted by movesfan13 from Grand Rapids, MI on 10/26/08 at 07:28 PM ET
Gramps, you know I don’t understand “obtuse.” And was I wrong? I believe there have been multiple commenters who have said the defensive play can be blamed, early, on either Babcock or McCrimmon.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/26/08 at 07:30 PM ET
The wings have to do something to get some cap space for situations like these. Great to hear Leino is on top of his game in GR!
Posted by hankyspanky40 from Michigan on 10/26/08 at 08:02 PM ET
Dammit. I was hoping to catch a few games with him in the lineup.
Posted by SYF from a "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" on 10/26/08 at 08:10 PM ET
I believe there have been multiple commenters who have said the defensive play can be blamed, early, on either Babcock or McCrimmon.
Andrew and MO are among them, as is the person with the Joker avatar (sorry, brain fart bro).
Too early to panic. Sure. But Uncle Mike loves him some good habits and establishing “team identity” quite early, so I’m concerned that “it” doesn’t seem to be taking with the same core group. The consolation, although not entirely comforting, is that it seems to be a collection of small mistakes rather than major systemic issues. It’s not that comforting because the difference between a play that works and one that doesn’t is too small in this league.
Defense is not as fun.
Sorry Chief, but you’re wrong about this. There are few things more satisfying than making another forward your bitch. I used to call out the move they were going to try before taking the puck away.
“Oh, here comes the toe drag….gimme that $HI#” ...and off we go.
I’m sure the boys do the same.
Posted by Osrt on 10/26/08 at 08:23 PM ET
Someone was asking about other members being missing thus far. I think Jennifer was in here a couple of games ago unless my cold medicine is messing with me. I also think baroque mentioned she had a lot of commitments that kept her busy until like December or something.
Posted by hankyspanky40 from Michigan on 10/26/08 at 08:29 PM ET
SYF, I keep expecting your avatars teeth to snap out just like the alien creature from aliens. lol. OUCH!
Posted by hankyspanky40 from Michigan on 10/26/08 at 08:36 PM ET
I have a hard time blaming brain farts on ice on the coaches…. seriously. Many of the errors that we’ve made on the back end aren’t b/c of a coaching style or change of D coach. The cast of characters is unchanged for our D corps… so ya have to point fingers at them as easily and quickly as the coaches. We’ve got the Rock of Gibraltar back there to steady the ship and malay the demons, ya know Norris Nik. Visor or not, I have faith in Nik. We’ll get this flu bug out of our system and march on, it’s a matter of how fast.
Give Leino the shot regardless. Dmac can go back to GR for a stint. We preach over-ripening, but not like Leino’s an 18 year old either. We dragged our feet with Grigorenko and never got anything from him other than a roll over and run home.
Hell if Dmac can put Malts in the press box, why can’t Helm? None of the 3 are a liability and Helm offers something the other 2 don’t have so much of…anymore.
The youth of CHI made us look a step slow… just sayin’.
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 10/26/08 at 08:46 PM ET
Okay, so if ‘Tonight Show’ can’t be called up what are we looking at? Zetts, Sammy and (fill in the blank). Cleary? Huds? Then who plays with Flip? Mac? Kopecky? I’d like to see Cleary with Zetts and Sammy. Then play Flip with Huds and Kopecky. We then have the original Grind Line (Mac, Drapes and Malts). What a great friggin’ time to be a Red Wing fan.
Posted by calquake on 10/26/08 at 08:47 PM ET
I’ve seen a comment or 2 from Baroque maybe in the last month out on the KK page maybe.
I don’t think I’ve called out the coaching staff for ther poor D this year to date…?
We’re going to have to get used to shuffling bodies in and out of the line up this year at this rate with just a few games played & the injuries. The means the system has to be solid, individual boo boo’s happen… we’ve just been making’em in places and at times ya shouldn’t.
I’ve seen Nik get pantsed 3-4 times this year, which is like all of last year total. Stuff like that doesn’t happen for a full season… we’ll get it right.
Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 10/26/08 at 08:54 PM ET
That is all I was trying to say in the other posts. Nicely adjudicated chief.
Posted by SharkBaiter from at play in the Labs of our Lord on 10/26/08 at 09:39 PM ET
Anyone think we miss Drake a little more than we would have thought? Kopecky doesn’t bring almost anything physical to the team and nobody runs defensemen like Drake did. No Drake, no Downey, a 50% Kronwall (with improve hands however, holy crap that was a move late in the game) makes for a Wings team that reminds me a lot of a the teams that got beat first round too many times.
Two differences though - better defense and…
HOSSA (!!!)
Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 10/26/08 at 10:06 PM ET
HOSSA (!!!)
that guy is a pure goal scorer. who scores on a slap shot in a shootout? its like he decided he didn’t feel like putting forth the effort to put on a deke, so hell with it, i’ll just score from here…
Posted by rwingscup19 from Dallas on 10/26/08 at 10:35 PM ET
I wish we could reach Wings fans across the country and tell them not to worry.
Lidstrom has made mistakes, every defenseman has. But we haven’t lost the Stanley Cup. We’re all probably just a little more stressed than usual…if we don’t see the defense improve by 20 games, we’ve got the best management of any team. They’ll deal with it.
Posted by Tyler from Arizona on 10/26/08 at 11:25 PM ET
1. We do miss Drake.
2. It’s called October. The Wings take a month to find their regular season “sea legs” regardless of the year, how far they went in the playoffs, their personnel, etc. Babs’ boys take a while to “sort out” things in their own end properly, and it’s usually this road trip that either shows their stuff or reminds them of what they have to work on as the schedule officially becomes a grind.
The Stanley Cup hangover only affects teams that believe it exists, just like kids only lose sleep because of the monster in their closet if they believe there’s a monster in their closet. I believe that the team’s decision to enforce “normalcy” and point out that play does not carry over from season to season or playoff run to regular season is the right move.
To put it simply, and to use a stupid metaphor, the Red Wings may have summited Mount Everest, but when you start to climb the mountain again, you start at the bottom, and it’s usually at the start where you forget that it’s in the foothills where you first start feeling altitude and stumble around a bit. The boys will have their heads in “now” mode by next week.
Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 10/27/08 at 05:47 AM ET
Yes, Jennifer and Baroque are a little “tied up” at the moment.
Nothing to worry about.
Posted by RWBill from the Land of 12 in 12. on 10/27/08 at 12:08 PM ET
Good one, Gramps. And this one’s for you:
Andrew and MO are among them,
“It ain’t me, babe.” I haven’t said a word against. Eight games do not a measuring stick make.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 10/27/08 at 02:26 PM ET
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A few ...?
Others…?
C’mon Duke, that is a little obtuse.
All I did was ask a question.
But, you are correct that it is too early to panic.
Although…creating fuel for the stress train is what the A2Y19 is all about
Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 10/26/08 at 07:27 PM ET