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Ready To Hurl? Zetterberg Out
by IwoCPO on 12/22/07 at 02:44 PM ET
Comments (11)
Back spasms, according to Anti-digger Bruce MacLeod.
The biggest news from Saturday’s morning skate is that Henrik Zetterberg won’t play tonight because of back spasms. With Tomas Holmstrom back in Detroit with a bone bruise in his right knee, Mark Hartigan has been called up to give the Red Wings 12 forwards. Hartigan wasn’t at the morning skate.
Zetterberg will rest his back over the Christmas break and see how he feels on the other side.“I’m not too worried,” said Zetterberg. “There’s been a lot of games played. I feel a little bad today. Hopefully, I get three days off, I’ll feel a little better after Christmas. Of course I want to play tonight, but if you think, be a little smart, you get a few days off and hopefully it won’t get worse. ... Today was the first time it was bad enough to not go out there. We decided not to play. It’s been pretty good lately. Overall for the year, it’s been good and bad days, but overall it’s been good.”
Khan(!) said he couldn’t get much out of Babcock as far as tonite’s line combinations go.
Babcock said Dan Cleary will start the game on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula. That’s the only combination he would reveal. Dominik Hasek is starting in goal, as expected.
MacLeod, naturally, has his back.
Here’s a look at the probable line combinations ...
DETROIT
Filppula-Datsyuk-Cleary
Hudler-Franzen-Samuelsson
Kopecky-Ddraper-Drake
Ellis-Hartigan-Downey
Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Lilja
Lebda-Chelios
Hasek (starts)
Osgood
Meech (healthy scratch)
MINNESOTA
Voros-Demitra-Gaborik
Rolston-Belanger-Bouchard
Veilleux-Moore-Radivojevic
Parrish-Sheppard-Foy
Schultz-Johnsson
Skoula-Hill
Carney-Burns
Harding (starts)
Backstrom
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Comments
Ok...no reason to panic just yet. This is a good thing...extended rest for one of biggest stars…
Yes, it’s scary that now we’re only twice as good as the Wild, but still...it’ll be just fine…
Thank you, Xanax.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/22/07 at 03:51 PM ET
I don’t like that whole “good days and bad days” thing. sounds like he’s always struggling with it. He’s had Floppa’s ankle implanted in his back.
Posted by 58Miles2Joe from not toledo on 12/22/07 at 04:22 PM ET
If I had to boil it all down to a one-word reply, I’d go with Pete’s. Yeah, maybe it’s not related to the other back problem. Yeah, maybe there could turn out to be a silver lining. Or maybe not. And that good days, bad days thing scares me, too.
Posted by BobTheZee on 12/22/07 at 04:41 PM ET
I don’t like that whole “good days and bad days” thing. sounds like he’s always struggling with it.
That’s precisely what worried me as well. He may have to have surgery on it in the off-season, which is always a scary prospect. Even without Xanax (need to hit my dealer again), I see this as a moment to show resilience and grit. Our game won’t be as high flying, or circus like, but here is a chance for Dats, Fil, Hudler, and Mule to take more shots and get more time.
We’ll get past this, just breathe, hold hands and keep passing the barf bag around.
Posted by srt on 12/22/07 at 04:42 PM ET
Great, thanks Chief. Hurling in progress…
Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 12/22/07 at 05:09 PM ET
Get that Swedish spine specialist over here.
Maybe you do not play Hank 2 days in a row.
Posted by w2j2 on 12/22/07 at 05:28 PM ET
Forget that, w2j2...we need to seal his Swedish ass in a hyperbaric chamber with a note that says “Do not open until Playoffs.”
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 12/22/07 at 05:36 PM ET
This could be a good thing… maybe now Kenny will feel a little more sense of urgency to get that “top two line scorer” that he talked about in the preseason. I’d be happy with, say a Kovalchuk, maybe…
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 12/22/07 at 06:35 PM ET
In some dark corner of my mind that I try to ignore, I’ve been wondering about Zetterberg’s health for the past five or six weeks. He’s just seemed a smidge less dynamic than he was at the start of the season.
Posted by shep from california on 12/22/07 at 08:29 PM ET
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I puked in my mouth a little when I read this, but after picking myself off the floor and making the jump, maybe there is a silver lining here… Homer’s got a bruise and should miss a couple of games at most, and hopefully we can say the same for Z in a little bit here… Not our best lineup tonight and, presumably for the next little while, but not completely terrible either (I hope).
Filppula-Datsyuk-Cleary
Hudler-Franzen-Samuelsson
Kopecky-Ddraper-Drake
Ellis-Hartigan-Downey
My guess is Kopecky and Franzen both see time on that top line left wing- probably Sammy, too- and Flip winds up centering the second line much of the night. PP and PK should be interesting with Z and Homer out, though.
Posted by mudshark from Denver, CO on 12/22/07 at 03:11 PM ET