Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Detroit-Red-Wings

Bringing Up The Old-School Stories

by Paul on 02/10/12 at 05:59 AM ET
Comments (3)

from Mike Brudenelli of the Detroit Free Press,

“When Bill (Ezinicki) turned pro, it started all over again,” Lindsay said. “He was traded to Boston, and one night we were playing in Detroit and he hit me over the brow with his stick, and there was blood all over the place. We didn’t have helmets or face masks then.

“Anyway, I thought I can’t let the guy get away with it, so I took my stick and whacked him where he whacked me. He drops his gloves and stick, and I thought, ‘Lindsay, you’ve created a mess for yourself now.’

“Well, we got going, and I don’t know where Bill’s mind was that night ... but I knocked two of his teeth out and put 22 stitches in him. The officials separated us. Bill was bleeding, and I was happy.”

Ezinicki broke away from a linesman and the battled started again.

“I jumped on him and straddled him ... and started punching,” Lindsay said. “Gordie (Howe) says, ‘Ted, he’s out.’ I said, ‘I’m going to kill the SOB.’

“After taking a shower, I headed into the first-aid room. I poked my head in and said, ‘You all right, Izzy?’

“He replied: ‘I’ll get you, you SOB.’ “

read on for Mickey Redmond’s reaction to the Winter Classic…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Ted+Lindsay,

What Will The Next 24/7 Bring?

by Paul on 02/09/12 at 05:34 PM ET
Comments (2)

from Justin Bourne of The Score,

So while there’s bound to be a number of surprises as there have been in the past, there’s also a few things we know we can count on being great, as we knew John Tortorella was going to be.

Here are five of those things:

The coaches: Ron Wilson and Mike Babcock

Get this: when Peter Laviolette was asked who he thought could be the breakout star from a Red Wings/Leafs 24/7 he said….Ron Wilson. Insert Tim Allen question-grunt sound here. (James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail got a number of great quotes from Laviolette on 24/7, which you can read here).

“I know Ron – he’ll have fun with it,” Laviolette said of Wilson, who he has coached with internationally with Team USA. “He’s got a good personality [for the show].

I did not see that coming.

What I DO see coming is the enigma that is Mike Babcock. He’s going to HATE having the cameras in his office, in his dressing room and every way he turns. The man is a serious Canadian beauty who puts hockey ahead of all else (and actually reminds me of a likable Bill Belichick, especially in his preparation).

He’s a great guy who doesn’t reveal his personality much over the course of a season, but I think over those four weeks, we’ll get to see it. If he agrees to go through with it, I can see him ending up pretty high on the list of coaches we’ve seen so far.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Howard And Cleary Both Out Through The Weekend

by Paul on 02/09/12 at 02:22 PM ET
Comments (1)

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said today that goaltender Jimmy Howard and forward Danny Cleary are both out for the weekend and will be re-evaluated next week.

Howard (broken right finger on Feb. 2) has been on the ice before and after practices but hasn’t faced any shots yet because of the vibration he would feel from his stick.

“It’s a four-to-six week injury to heal, the longer we can wait the less risk you take,’’ Holland said today at Michigan Stadium, during the Winter Classic news conference. “He’s been practicing, it’s really up to him. Does he feel any pain. Probably not this weekend. I’m assuming by next week he’ll be practicing and we’ll see where he’s at.’‘

The soonest Howard is likely to return is Tuesday at home against Dallas.

Howard said he is day-to-day.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

2013 Winter Classic Announcement

by Paul on 02/09/12 at 10:11 AM ET
Comments (5)

If available, I will post a stream of the announcement which is scheduled for 10:30am ET.

Streaming should be from both Comerica Park at 10:30am followed by a conference at 11:15am from The Big House.

Stream can be watched below when available…

added 10:26am, Stream is now live below…

Continue Reading »

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Winter+Classic+2013,

The Big House Will Host The 2013 Winter Classic

by Paul on 02/08/12 at 12:38 PM ET
Comments (5)

from Paige Percy and Matt Slovin of The Michigan Daily,

The NHL will pay the University $3 million to rent the Big House and will require use of the stadium from Dec. 1, 2012 to mid-January, according to a communication to the regents from Athletic Director Dave Brandon and Timothy Slottow, the University’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. The Winter Classic game will take place on Jan. 1, 2013 and has an alternate date of Jan. 2, 2013.

During the meeting, Brandon said the NHL is expected to donate a “significant” amount to student scholarships at the University from its charitable foundation….

Brandon said he expects the event to draw in excess of $14 million in economic activity to Ann Arbor.Newman added that the economic boost is one of the key reasons the regents approved the lease.

“One of the factors that we discussed when considering this was the economic value to the city of Ann Arbor and the surrounding community and the goodness this would do for restaurants and hotels and shops and other activity in the area,” Newman said. “I think that at a time of year where it’s otherwise quiet, doing something like this makes a lot of sense.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Winter+Classic+2013,

Afternoon Line

by Paul on 02/07/12 at 12:51 PM ET
Comments (1)

Ken Holland’s reality is that he needs Conklin and MacDonald to piece together six solid outings on home ice and hold the Red Wings’ position in the standings. Both have won in the NHL before, and with no real upgrade available, this is their time. And it will be manageable if indeed Howard returns in two weeks as he predicted.

-Darren Eliot of Sports Illustrated where you can read more on Detroit’s goaltending picture.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Dirty Wings

by Paul on 02/05/12 at 03:48 PM ET
Comments (40)

from Open Ice Hitter at the StarPhoenix, -     

Interesting how the sports news crews and broadcasters refer vaguely to Patrick Sharp’s wrist injury …. Avoiding the mention of Jiri Hudler’s name, or the fact the Detroit Red Wing worm smashed Sharp’s wrist with a vicious slash …. Where is this going ? Yup. TO Brendan Shanahan … ex Detroit Red Wing …. Hudler should have been set down for about 5 games for that slash. It says right in the NHL rules that you can’t be swinging your stick at people. Or in the rules for most teams, anyway. I am beginning to suspect that the Detroit Red Wings, and the refs, have a separate book for calling Detroit penalties …. You watch a Wings game, and how much stick work they are allowed to get away with, it looks pretty bad …. Is it because they don’t dress a goon, because they have such a heavy European flavor, with big name European superstars ? Sure looks that way …. This isn’t to detract from the fact that the Wings are a premier team. Mike Babcock is as good a coach as you will find, but he is maybe overlooked for his contribution because he stepped in and kept the Wings amongst the top teams in the league. It is what is expected in Detroit. Nik Lidstrom is a quiet and classy player, squeaky clean, Hall of Fame bound. But ….. you watch that team play. Watch close, and even Wing fans, be honest about what you see. A lot of worms and a lot of stickwork. Zetterberg is given a lot of leeway with his stick. Hudler was allowed to bust a guy’s wrist with a blatant slash viewed by two zebras. When he was still playing, Kris Draper had an episode of spearing and stick swinging in Phoenix that would have gotten the likes of Dan Carcillo or Andy Sutton banned for life ….. As for Nik Kronwall, he goes airborne a lot, targeting players heads, and is never held accountable by the league.

more plus other hockey topics…

FYI, Open Ice Hitter actually sent me the heads-up on this, guess he wanted some opinions on the piece…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Holland Discusses Howard’s Injury

by Paul on 02/03/12 at 01:59 PM ET
Comments (4)

via Ansar Khan of Mlive,

“The good news is it’s his stick hand and it’s the tip of the finger,’’ general manager Ken Holland said. “We won’t have to wait until it’s totally healed for him to play. He just needs a little time. He wants to stay with the team. He feels he won’t be out too long.’‘

Howard will miss at least the next two games, Saturday at Edmonton and Monday at Phoenix, while Joey MacDonald, recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins, serves as Ty Conklin’s back-up.

“Jimmy will stay with us (on the trip),’’ Holland said. “When we get back to Detroit on Tuesday he’ll see a doctor and we’ll get a little better read on when he can play.

“Does he need a week? I don’t know. We want to give him a little bit of time.’‘

The injury happened in the third period of Thursday’s 4-3 shootout victory in Vancouver, when Howard was hit by a shot from Max Lapierre. Howard skated over to the bench to see trainer Piet Van Zant but stayed in the game.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Jimmy+Howard,

Do The Wings Need A ‘Fighter’?

by Paul on 01/30/12 at 11:38 AM ET
Comments (19)

from Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News,

But the Red Wings rarely fight.

They are dead last in the NHL. The Rangers, who lead the league, fight 543 percent more often than the Wings — 38-7. The next lowest-ranked teams, the Canadiens (11) and Coyotes (11), fight 57 percent more than the Wings.

Two of the biggest criticisms of the Red Wings’ roster over the years are their comparative smallness and lack of combatants. Some critics even assert that the lack of fighting stands between the Red Wings and a Stanley Cup.

But from players, to coaches to management, the Wings say they are little concerned. They believe they can play anyone and win, including the top fighting teams and physical teams in the league.

So do not look for the acquisition of an enforcer in the coming weeks, as the Wings seek to improve their shot at a 12th championship.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Datsyuk In The All-Star Spotlight

by Paul on 01/28/12 at 10:05 AM ET
Comments (13)

from Tim Wharnsby of CBC,

Datsyuk does not possess the determination of a healthy Sidney Crosby, nor the goal-scoring touch of a Steven Stamkos, nor the physical game of an Alex Ovechkin, but Datsyuk is considered the best two-way player in the game.

“He’s a great competitor and a guy who always plays hard,” Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla said. “He’s extremely skilled. He’s not dirty, yet he’s a fierce competitor.

“He’s one of the hardest guys to knock off the puck or knock off his skates. You wouldn’t know it when you see him in the dressing room. But he’s strong, and with all that skill, that combination makes him one of the best players.”

Another attribute his fellow all-stars admire is Datsyuk’s ability to steal the puck and his eye-hand coordination to knock down passes. When current Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa, also considered one of the game’s best two-way players, was a teammate of Datsyuk’s in Detroit, the two would often play a must-see game of keep away against one another.

“He’s just one of those players who is special, especially he is sick defensively,” Hossa said. “I think he’s the best in the world at stealing the puck. To watch him is fun. Sometimes when you have the puck and he steals it from you, you just have to laugh because of how easy he made it look.”

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Pavel+Datsyuk,

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