Detroit Red Wings Clips December 1, 2014

Transcription

1 Detroit Red Wings Clips December 1, 2014 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Detroit 5, Vancouver 3: Why the Red Wings won Sunday PAGE 3 Gordie Howe recovering after another mini-stroke PAGE 4 Datsyuk nets two as Red Wings beat Canucks 5-3 PAGE 6 Players bide time during rare in-game delay PAGE 8 Krupa: Individual improvement lifting Wings PAGE 10 After power outage, Wings zap Canucks PAGE 12 Wings legend Gordie Howe 'doing better,' has less pain PAGE 13 Power outage at Joe Louis Arena stalls Wings-Canucks PAGE 14 There's no shortage of power in offense as Red Wings win season-high fourth straight game PAGE 16 Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader listed as day-to-day with shoulder injury PAGE 17 Red Wings 5, Canucks 3: Power play strikes twice as winning streak stretched to four games PAGE 19 Red Wings legend Gordie Howe resting comfortably, no longer experiencing back pain after mini-stroke PAGE 21 Second-period analysis: Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 PAGE 22 First-period analysis: Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 PAGE 24 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Could first place in overall standings be a possibility by Christmas? PAGE 26 In matchup of Millers, Canucks' Ryan has individual edge, but Red Wings' Drew usually on winning side PAGE 27 Live updates: Detroit Red Wings vs. Vancouver Canucks (chat) PAGE 28 Pat Caputo - Promising start by Detroit Red Wings likely a trend, not aberration PAGE 30 Drew Miller nearly gets one past Ryan Miller PAGE 32 Datsyuk scores twice, Red Wings beat Canucks 5-3 PAGE 34 Wings winning, but still room for improvement PAGE 36 Red Wings' Abdelkader suffers upper-body injury PAGE 37 Gordie Howe remains stable after another small stroke PAGE 39 Brendan Smith could return to Wings today PAGE 41 Duff: Drew still king of Miller time

2 Detroit 5, Vancouver 3: Why the Red Wings won Sunday By George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 10:05 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 At Joe Louis Arena First period: Red Wings coach Mike Babcock reunited Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on a line with Justin Abdelkader. After 29 seconds, there was a stoppage in play as half the arena experienced a power failure. Play resumed after a 34-minute delay. Niklas Kronwall scored at 3:15 to give the Wings a 1-0 lead, ending a shutout streak at 155:20 for Ryan Miller (MSU). The Wings scored 10 seconds into a power play after Alex Burrows was called for high-sticking goaltender Jimmy Howard at 11:06. Zetterberg picked up his second assist of the game, setting up Gustav Nyquist's 11th goal of the season. Radim Vrbata of the Canucks hit the crossbar in the final minute following a turnover by Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson. Second period: Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey went off for hooking Kevin Bieksa at 1:59. Linden Vey scored his fifth goal of the season at 2:37 to cut the deficit to 2-1 for the Canucks. The Canucks went back on the power play after Brendan Smith was called for cross-checking Jannik Hansen at 3:22. Vey went off for interference against Abdelkader at 4:31. Datsyuk was credited with a power-play goal at 14:24 that put the Wings ahead 3-1. It appeared that Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa actually shot the puck into his own net. Jakub Kindl's shot went off the crossbar about a minute later. Third period: Abdelkader suffered a shoulder injury and did not return. Babcock said Abdelkader is day to day. Shawn Matthias scored at 12:26 to cut the deficit to 3-2 for the Canucks. The goal was originally credited to Yannick Weber, who got an assist instead. But Danny DeKeyser, playing in his 100th career NHL game, gave the Wings another two-goal cushion when he scored his first goal of the season at 13:36. With 3:50 left and the goaltender pulled, the Canucks scored. Vey scored his second goal of the game. The puck went off Vey's skate and in off Howard's skate. Datsyuk added an empty-net goal with 49.2 seconds left. Three stars: 1. Datsyuk (two goals); 2. Zetterberg (two assists); 3. Vey (two goals, one assist). Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Gordie Howe recovering after another mini-stroke By George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 6:02 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Mark Howe says dad is overall doing better than he was several weeks ago, resting comfortably Gordie Howe Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe had another mini-stroke Saturday, according to son Mark Howe, but is doing better overall than he was several weeks ago when he had a massive stroke. Mark Howe, director of pro scouting for the Wings, attended Sunday's game at Joe Louis Arena and gave an update on his father. "We were able to get rid of his back pain, so basically he's kind of resting comfortably," Mark Howe said. "I'd say he probably has more good days than bad days. I mean, it's hard. He's not walking. Speech is extremely, extremely difficult. "He knows what we're saying. He understands what's going on. When you're there with him you can interact, it's still a nice thing." Mark Howe said his father has dealt with back pain for awhile. An epidural helped relieve the latest pain, which, on top of the stroke, sent his blood pressure rising. Gordie Howe remains at his daughter's home in Texas. "I think he might have had a little stroke last night," Mark Howe said. "He's probably had eight or 10 of them over the course of the year now. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. "He's not in pain. He's comfortable. I think on Thanksgiving, my sister had him out. It was a beautiful day in Lubbock. Took him out for a stroll around the neighborhood." Mark Howe said the Wings have told him to take all the time he needs to be with his father. "Marty's going down tomorrow and spending a week," Mark said. "Then my brother Murray is going in and I'm probably going back somewhere around the 10th to the 15th or 16th. It gives her a break. "At the same time, it gives us time to be with Dad. It's important for all of us as well. "The Red Wings are great to me. They said I could stay there and do that and not do my work. I said, 'I can't do that.' And Dad wouldn't want me to do that either. I'm just extremely grateful that he's not in pain." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

4 Datsyuk nets two as Red Wings beat Canucks 5-3 By George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 6:36 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Detroit has now won four straight and six of the past seven games The Detroit Red Wings increased their season-high win streak to four games today after waiting out a 34-minute power outage at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings scored two power plays goals against the Vancouver Canucks and went on to win, 5-3. It was the fourth time in their past seven games that the Wings have scored at least two power-play goals in a game. Box score: Red Wings 5, Canucks 3 Henrik Zetterberg assisted on a pair of first-period goals by Niklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist and Pavel Datsyuk added a pair of goals to lead the Red Wings. Danny DeKeyser, playing in his 100th career NHL game, scored his first goal of the season and fifth of his career. After 29 seconds of play, half of Joe Louis Arena went dark. That resulted in a delay as both teams went back to the locker rooms. A club statement blamed the outage on an outside electrical transmission line that feeds power to the arena. "Kind of strange game," Zetterberg said. "When the power went out there. Went back in there for 20 minutes or so. "It was tough to get any momentum for both games but, in the end, we got two points. That's what mattered, playing a good team here today." The teams combined for four goals in the final half of the third period. Ex-Wings draft pick Shawn Matthias cut the deficit for the Canucks to 3-2 at 12:26. But DeKeyser answered 1:10 later to give the Wings another two-goal cushion. Linden Vey, who led all scorers with three points, scored his second goal of the game at 16:10 after the Canucks pulled goaltender Ryan Miller. "We won, I liked that the best," Wings coach Mike Babcock said, who went on to praise the Canucks for being a good team and well-coached. "I didn't think we were near as good as we can be. I thought we turned over some pucks. I thought we backed in a little bit. We did enough good things to win and find a way to win the game." Babcock said he didn't like giving up the second goal to Ley because "we didn't execute like we should. If they shoot it in the net and we're all in the right spots, I don't have any issue with that. When you don't do it right though, we gotta fix that." Datsyuk added his second goal of the game, an unassisted empty-net goal at 19:10 to make it

5 The Canucks (16-7-1) scored on an early second period power play to cut the deficit to 2-1. Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey was penalized for hooking Kevin Bieksa at 1:59 and Vey scored at 2:37. Pavel Datsyuk scored at 14:24 of the second period on a power play to put the Wings (14-5-5) ahead 3-1. After Tomas Tatar's shot was denied, Datsyuk tried to get his stick on the loose puck. It appeared Canucks defenseman Luca Sbisa actually shot the puck in off the skate of another Canuck and into his own goal. Kronwall opened the scored at 3:15 of the first period for the Wings. Kronwall's goal ended a shutout streak of 155:20 for Miller (MSU). Kronwall also moved past Mickey Redmond into sole possession of 28th place on the club's all-time scoring list with 311 points. The Wings took a 2-0 lead at 11:16 of the first, 10 seconds after Alex Burrows went off for high-sticking goaltender Jimmy Howard. The goal was Nyquist's 11th overall and seventh power play goal. Nyquist is now tied with Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins for the most power play goals in the NHL this season. Ley scored an unassisted power play goal at 2:37 of the second period, but Datsyuk scored at 14:24 on a power play to put the Wings back on top by two goals. While Datsyuk was credited with the goal, it appeared that Canucks defensemen Luca Sbisa shot the puck into his own net. Justin Abdelkader left in the third period with a shoulder injury and did not return. Babcock said Abdelkader is day-to-day. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 Players bide time during rare in-game delay Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 9:49 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Detroit When is that new Red Wings arena going to be ready? A lot of fans at Joe Louis Arena were wondering about that Sunday after a minor power outage just 29 seconds into the game caused an almost 30-minute delay. The Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks skated briefly to keep loose, but when it became apparent the delay was going to be more than momentary, the teams were instructed to go back inside the locker room. Baseball players are used to rain delays, and it happens occasionally in football. But hockey players aren't used to this. What did they do? "Everything and nothing," said Niklas Kronwall, noting the oddness of the situation. "A lot of guys were just walking around. We watched television. We were just trying to stay active." Fortunately, in a way, it was a Sunday afternoon and NFL games were on. Like many sports fans, the Red Wings caught a few minutes of the early afternoon games. Plus, the fact the delay occurred so early in the game rather than later made it a bit easier to come back from. "It was almost like we had another warm-up," Henrik Zetterberg said. "We just went back in and regrouped and got ready for the game. There was football on television, (some guys) cycled, and we just got ourselves ready." Coach Mike Babcock didn't feel the delay hampered either team and wasn't a huge factor. "I don't know if I'm a big believer if that matters, you get ready and focused and play," Babcock said. "For a bit there I wondered if we didn't pay our bill, but they said we did and we got the power back on." In all, players simply chalked up the episode to the uniqueness and age of Joe Louis Arena. "That's the beauty of the Joe," Kronwall said. "It's been around a long time. It's kind of the charm. You never know what'll happen." Smith returns Defenseman Brendan Smith returned to the lineup Sunday after missing five games with an infected left hand, after a fight with Columbus forward Nick Foligno. With Smith back in the lineup, defenseman Xavier Ouellet was sent back to Grand Rapids. Smith played 16 minutes 43 seconds in his return on 25 shifts. He was credited with two blocked shots, one hit and one giveaway. 6

7 Ouellet was impressive in his stay with the Red Wings, earning two points (one goal, one assist) in the five games. He had a plus-3 rating, while averaging almost 16 minutes of ice time per game. Doing things rights With Sunday's victory, the Red Wings moved to within one point (34-33) of Tampa Bay and Montreal for the Atlantic Division lead. The Red Wings have won four straight games and are over their last 10 games. Healthy as they've been all season, and with more offensive depth than they've had in recent memory, the Red Wings are a confident bunch. "It means we're doing things right," Zetterberg said of the win streak. "Maybe it hasn't been perfect all the time, but in the end we're winning games. That's a good strength to have when you're not playing the greatest, but you're finding ways to win games. "We did that again (Sunday)." As for the depth, Babcock said this could be the most offensive depth the team has had since "We have more players than we've had since 2009 that score (goals)," Babcock said. "It didn't look like it early (in the season) but it does now. (But) what's happening now is because we're scoring more, we give up more (goals) and that's not the way it's supposed to work." Detroit News LOADED:

8 Krupa: Individual improvement lifting Wings Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 9:27 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Detroit In game No. 24 on Sunday, out of 82 in the NHL season, the Red Wings played another team near the top of the standings, and despite an incomplete effort, they managed another big win, over the Vancouver Canucks. For a team widely considered to be on the bubble for a playoff position at the start of the season, the Wings have opened awfully well. They have 33 points, one behind Steve Yzerman's Lightning, the Canadiens, Penguins, Islanders, Predators and Blues, who are congregated in first place at the top of the league standings. They are 7-2 since Nov. 14 and finished for the month, after going in October. In so-called measuring stick games, they keep measuring up. Victories have come against the highly-touted, like the hot Canucks, who had won three straight and four of five coming in, as well as the Bruins, Penguins, Kings and Blackhawks. They entered the game ninth in the NHL on the power play (21.5) after showing considerable improvement this month. And they got two more power-play goals, one each from Gustav Nyquist and the indomitable Pavel Datsyuk. The sophomore jinx-less Nyquist is tied with Evgeni Malkin of the Penguins for the league lead in power-play goals with seven. They were fourth on the penalty kill (86.8 percent), and killed three of four Sunday. Going well? Oh, yes! Power outage But there are still concerns about their level of play, and how it might affect them as the long regular season continues for another four months. In sum, when they play fast and carefully with the puck and their positioning, they are inordinately difficult to beat for a team that lacks experience at some key positions, and which still seems to pick up a lot of injuries. But when their collective foot comes a bit off the accelerator, it is costly; nearly as costly as some of their occasional deployment issues and brain cramps. "Obviously, it's good winning the game playing against Vancouver, who's been very good so far this season," said Niklas Kronwall, who scored his fourth goal to go with 12 assists this season, moving him into a ninth-place tie with Keith Yandle of the Coyotes in scoring among defensemen. 8

9 They entered the third period leading the Canucks 3-1 and left it with a 5-3 win after giving up 11 shots, and yielding an awful lot of ice in that period. "We have to find a way to be a lot better than that," Kronwall said. "Obviously, playing with the lead is something we like to do. But we have to do better with it." Henrik Zetterberg said a 20-minute power failure at the start lent itself to "a choppy game. It was tough to get any momentum, I think, for both teams." Regardless, the victory is all important. "I thought we played a good team here today, and it's nice to see that we can get some goals," Zetterberg said. Finding the net Indeed, they have been more offensive. The Wings are now sixth in the league in goals scored after spending much of the earlier part of the season trying to figure it out. The remain eighth in goals against, and have shown some improvement defensively, thanks to young defensemen settling in and Jimmy Howard playing better. The recent success, Zetterberg said, "Means that we are doing things right." "Maybe it hasn't been perfect all the time. But, in the end, we are winning games." Much is going well. Last season's breakout scoring stars, Nyquist and Tomas Tatar, lead the team in goals, with 11 and nine, respectively. Brendan Smith is a far stouter defender than two seasons ago. Danny DeKeyser, who scored his first goal to go with nine assists, is on a pace for a 36- to 40-point season enormously good news for a team that struggled to find offense from the back end last season. The injuries continue to be a threat, however. As soon as Smith re-entered the lineup Sunday, Justin Abdelkader playing the best offense of his career was listed day-to-day with a shoulder injury. But even with the strain of having important players out for extended periods, the Red Wings continue to win and impress many around the NHL. "We won, that's what I like the best," Babcock said. But after giving the Canucks credit for their performance to date and in the game, Babcock quickly turned to the tasks at hand. "I didn't think we were nearly as good as we can be," he said. "You know, I thought we turned over some pucks. I thought we backed in a little bit. But we did enough good things to win. "It's a big win for us. We're both tied at 33 points. You know, both teams can play quick and I think are going to go in the right direction." Detroit News LOADED:

10 After power outage, Wings zap Canucks Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 9:29 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Detroit They had to wait a little longer than anticipated Sunday, but the Red Wings earned another victory. Just 29 seconds into the game, a minor power outage caused an almost 30 minute delay but the Red Wings waited things out and eventually defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Gustav Nyquist and PavelDatsyuk had power play goals Datsyuk added the clinching empty-net goal with 49.2 seconds left and NiklasKronwall and Danny DeKeyser added goals, as the Red Wings (14-5-5, 33 points) won their fourth consecutive game and sixth in seven games. "Kind of a strange game," said HenrikZetterberg, who had two assists. "The power went out so we went back in, so it was tough for either team to get any momentum. But in the end we got two points and when you play a good team, it's nice to see we can get some goals." The only potential negative for the Red Wings out of the victory? Justin Abdelkader missed the third period with what was announced as an upper-body injury. Coach Mike Babcock said after the game it was a shoulder injury that will keep Abdekader out day-to-day. "It's not life threatening," Babcock said. "It might be for some guys, but Abby is tougher than most, so it'll be shorter than most." Linden Vey's second goal of the game, at 16:10 of the third period, cut the Red Wings lead to 4-3. But Datsyuk's empty-net goal cemented the victory after a back-and-forth third period. "I didn't think we were near as good as we can be," Babcock said. "We turned over some pucks and backed in a little bit, but we did enough good things to win the game." Shawn Matthias added the other Canucks' (16-7-1, 33 points) goal as Vancouver saw its three-game win streak end. DeKeyser's goal at 13:36 of the third period, his first of the season in his 100th NHL game, gave the Red Wings a 4-2 lead. Seventy seconds earlier, Weber's shot deflected off Matthias before getting past Jimmy Howard (30 saves), cutting the Red Wings lead to 3-2. Vey cut the Red Wings lead to 2-1 at 2:37 of the second period, beating Howard from near the hashmarks on the power play. But Datsyuk restored the two-goal lead with his eighth goal of the season. 10

11 Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller (East Lansing/Michigan State) made a diving stop on Tomas Tatar, but the puck squirted to the side of the net. Datsyuk was on the rebound and banked a shot off CanucksdefensemanLucaSbisa and into the net at 14:24, giving the Red Wings a 3-1 lead. Miller made 25 saves, including stopping his brother Drew Miller on a partial breakaway in the third period, but came up on the losing end of the Miller vs. Miller clash. Datsyuk's goal was the second Red Wings power-play goal of the game Nyquist scored his 11th goal with a first period power-play goal and was seventh time in the last 12 games the Red Wings have scored two power-play goals in a game. The Red Wings are surging offensively with 28 goals in their last seven games (4.0 average). "We're throwing a lot of pucks to the net and we're getting there for second chances," Zetterberg said. "Our power play has been better, that helps. But overall we're playing pretty good with all four lines doing a good job." Detroit News LOADED:

12 Wings legend Gordie Howe 'doing better,' has less pain Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 5:03 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Detroit Mark Howe, the Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman, said Sunday his father, the great, retired Red Wings player Gordie Howe, is "doing better." Mark Howe, the chief pro scout for the Red Wings, said his father has benefited from some recent pain medication for his back, and is more comfortable. "I am grateful he's resting in less pain," Howe said, after an epidural shot provided some relief for his father, who played 25 years for the Red Wings and is considered by many the greatest hockey player of all time. Howe suffered a severe stroke on Oct. 26, a less severe stroke in early November and a mini-stroke on Saturday night. "He's in a wheel chair, but he's wheeled out to the living room to be with people and watch television," Howe said. "He talks, some. He's got his personality, which is good to see. I like that. "If you give him a chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookies, he give it back, because none of the women in the room have been given any, yet." Howe has spent considerable time with his brothers, Marty and Murray, and his sister Cathy, in Cathy's home in Texas, caring for their father. Mark said he would return, soon, and that his brother Marty, who played with Gordie and Mark in Houston and Hartford in the WHL and NHL, would return Monday to be with his sister and father. Gordie Howe is 86 years old. Detroit News LOADED:

13 Power outage at Joe Louis Arena stalls Wings-Canucks Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 9:25 p.m. EST November 30, 2014 Detroit The Red Wings' game against Vancouver on Sunday lasted all of 29 seconds before a partial power outage darkened half the arena. The teams skated and stayed loose briefly, before referees instructed both teams to head into the locker room. The game resumed at 2:45 p.m. after a delay of about 35 minutes. Detroit News LOADED:

14 There's no shortage of power in offense as Red Wings win season-high fourth straight game Brendan Savage By Brendan Savage on November 30, 2014 at 7:29 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 9:22 PM DETROIT - The power went out at Joe Louis Arena Sunday afternoon but there was no shortage of juice in the Detroit Red Wings' offense. Pavel Datsyuk scored twice and the Red Wings ran their winning streak to a seasonhigh four games with a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. It marked the sixth time in seven games the Red Wings have scored at least four goals. That's from a team that struggled to score early in the season, when the Red Wings had two goals or fewer in eight of their first 12 games. "I think the period we weren't scoring that much, we didn't throw enough pucks to the net and I think that's something we've had a lot of emphasis on," said defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season. "Just throw the pucks to the net anytime you get a chance (and you) play more desperate that way." Not surprisingly, the Red Wings have won all six of those recent games when they've scored at least four times. The exception was a 4-1 loss Nov. 22 in Toronto. The offensive outburst has helped the Red Wings (14-5-5) vault within striking distance of first place in the Eastern Conference standings. Yet ask the Red Wings and they'll tell you they haven't played all that well during their hottest stretch of the season. "I don't think we've necessarily played great but we've found different ways to win," Kronwall said. "We've been down, we've been up. All in all, we have to find a way to play better for 60 minutes. Of course, we take the wins any way we can. "But to find even more comfort in our game, I think we have to play better for 60 minutes." Doing the little things correctly has been a key, according to captain Henrik Zetterberg. "We're doing things right," said Zetterberg, who had two assists. "Maybe it hasn't been perfect all the time but in the end we're winning games. When you're not playing your greatest and you can win games, that's good. "I think we're throwing a lot of pucks in and we're there for second chances. The power play has been better, so that helps. All in all I think we're playing good with all four lines and that helps." Two of the Red Wings goals came on power plays. 14

15 Gustav Nyquist and Datsyuk both scored on the power play to give Detroit two powerplay goals for the third time in four games. Since starting the season 5-for-46 on the power play, the Red Wings have been scoring at a 31-percent clip with a manpower advantage. That gave them the sixth-best power play in the NHL when they left the ice after beating Vancouver. Depth has been the key to that, according to coach Mike Babcock. "We have more players than we've had probably since '09 that can score," Babcock said. "It didn't look like it early, but it does now." The game was delayed approximately 33 minutes by a temporary power outage just 29 seconds after the opening faceoff. It was blamed on a lack of power flowing into the building and the teams returned to their dressing rooms to wait out the delay. "I'm a big believer that none of that stuff matters," Babcock said. "You come in, get ready, get focused and you play. For a bit there, I thought we didn't pay our bill but they told me we did so they turned the power back on." When play resumed, it wasn't long before the Red Wings took a lead they never relinquished. Kronwall put the Red Wings in front at 3:15 of the first and Nyquist made it 2-0 with his team-leading 11th goal of the season at 11:16. Nyquist connected on the power play and moved him into a tie for the NHL lead in that department with seven goals. Vancouver pulled within a goal three times but couldn't get the equalizer past Jimmy Howard before Datsyuk scored his second of the game and eighth of the season - in only 13 games - into an empty net with 49.2 seconds remaining. "They were better than us," said Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins. "They were really strong in the corners and through their breakouts. They played well tonight." Danny DeKeyser also scored his first goal of the season for the Red Wings. Linden Vey scored twice for the Canucks, who had won three straight and were in their previous five games. The Canucks (16-7-1) are tied with Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division. Shawn Mattias collected Vancouver's other goal. Michigan Live LOADED:

16 Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader listed as day-to-day with shoulder injury Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on November 30, 2014 at 5:53 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 6:01 PM DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader is listed as day to day with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the third period of Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at Joe Louis Arena. "He's day to day. He's got a shoulder issue," coach Mike Babcock said. "It's not lifethreatening. It might be for some guys, but Abby is tougher than most, so for Abby it'll probably be shorter than most." That's good news for the Red Wings, because Abdelkader is having his best season. He has seven goals and 15 points, along with a plus-6 rating, in 24 games. He provides a net-front presence on the first power-play unit and he kills penalties. Babcock reunited Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg Sunday, playing them with Abdelkader. Michigan Live LOADED:

17 Red Wings 5, Canucks 3: Power play strikes twice as winning streak stretched to four games Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on November 30, 2014 at 5:07 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 6:19 PM DETROIT - The only power failure Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena was with the building's outside electrical transmission line. The Detroit Red Wings' power play continues to crank out goals. The Red Wings scored twice with the man-advantage in a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks that extended their winning streak to four games. Pavel Datsyuk scored a pair of goals, including one into an empty net with 50 seconds remaining to seal it. Gustav Nyquist, Niklas Kronwall and Danny DeKeyser also scored goals. Henrik Zetterberg picked up a pair of assists. The Red Wings have gone 17 for 51 on the power play (33.3 percent) in 12 games, after going 5 for 46 (10.9 percent) in the first 12 games. They have seven games with two PPGs during this stretch. The game was delayed 34 minutes just 29 seconds into the first period, after some lights went out at one end of the building. Power was restored immediately, however the metal halide lighting system installed at JLA requires 15 minutes to reset to full illumination, the team said. Drew Miller Drew Miller nearly has his first goal against brother Ryan on Sunday. Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader left the game after the second period due an undisclosed upper-body injury, the severity of which was not immediately known. Vancouver got to within a goal twice in the third period. Linden Vey scored his second goal of the game with 3:50 left to cut Detroit's lead to 4-3. Datsyuk sealed it with an empty-net goal. The Canucks cut their deficit to one goal at 12:26 of the third period when Yannick Weber scored. But DeKeyser responded at 13:36 with his first goal of the season, a shot from the point that appeared to deflect off a Canucks player past goaltender Ryan Miller. Jimmy Howard made 30 saves to improve to on the season and all-time vs. the Canucks. The Red Wings (14-5-5) are in their past eight vs. Vancouver (16-7-1), which had its three-game winning streak snapped. The Canucks cut the Red Wings' lead to 2-1 at 2:37 of the second period on Vey's unassisted power-play goal. 17

18 Datsyuk responded on the power play at 14:24, swatting in the rebound of a shot by Tomas Tatar, who was set up by Jakub Kindl. It was Datsyuk's ninth goal in just his 13th game. The Red Wings got off to a strong start, applying a lot of pressure on the offensive zone, resulting in a 2-0 lead. Kronwall scored his fourth goal of the season at 3:15. Given time and space, he skated in from the point and fired in a wrist shot while Datsyuk was near the net front. Nyquist tallied his team-leading 11th goal at 11:16, on the power play, after a nice pass from Zetterberg. Nyquist tied Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin for the league lead with seven power-play goals. Michigan Live LOADED:

19 Red Wings legend Gordie Howe resting comfortably, no longer experiencing back pain after mini-stroke Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on November 30, 2014 at 4:22 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 4:35 PM DETROIT - Gordie Howe experienced what son Mark described as another mini-stroke Saturday night. But at least the hockey legend is resting comfortably, no longer experiencing back pain after having an epidural recently. "Basically, all the vital signs are good," Mark Howe said on Sunday. "He's been happy, he's comfortable, he's not in pain with his back. They (his caregivers) are doing a good job. You wish things were a little better but I'm happy with the fact he's comfortable. He has his personality. It's going OK." The 86-year-old Detroit Red Wings legend experienced a severe stroke on Oct. 26, made a rapid recovery but then suffered another stroke shortly after. He has been living at daughter Cathy's home in Lubbock, Texas. "I was in two weeks ago and thank God we had somebody who was willing to do an epidural on him and it helped him quite a bit," Mark said. "Before that, he had been pretty well in bed for about eight days and unable to move. Now since that time, it's nice. "On a nice, warm day my sister and the caregivers get him out, get him for a walk in a wheelchair. On the other days you get him out in the living room and he sits and watches. He's very much aware of what's going on and it's nice when you're there with him because you can still interact with him. He has his personality." He's eating chocolate chip cookies and drinking chocolate milkshakes every day. "Being the person that he is, they offer it to him and he offers to give it back first for the women," Mark said. "Then they make sure he eats it. I'm just thankful that he's not in pain." Mark said his dad is not walking at all and his speech is "very common." "After his first stroke, within a week he was up and walking probably 40 or 50 feet," Mark said. "It took him quite a while. And the use of both arms was coming back pretty well. But then after the second stroke he tried standing twice over the course of about 20 minutes and it took just every ounce of energy he had. It totally drained him. "Right now we're concentrating in re-establishing the connection between the muscles and the brain and hopefully they can get that connection and maybe have a chance." Cathy has been sending pictures to siblings, who are taking turns traveling to Lubbock to be with their dad. "I got a wonderful picture from Thanksgiving dinner," Mark said. "(Brother) Marty is going back down there I believe tomorrow and is going to spend a week. Then (brother) Murray, and I'll probably be going back around the 10th or 11th (of December) and 19

20 maybe spend five or six days. My sister has both of her daughters and their families coming to the house, so they'll be staying with Dad through Christmas time." Gordie has been living with his one of his kids since his wife, Colleen, passed away in "We moved him out of the home 3-4 months after mom passed," Mark said. "We knew Dad couldn't live alone. Actually, I don't think he would have lived a year longer had we not done that. So it's been about 5½ years he's been living with all his kids and we've been trying to take advantage of the quality time. "We would work in 3-4 fishing trips over the course of the year down on the Jersey shore, clamming and fishing as much as we could. That part has disappeared. You take what's available to you and just to have him there... everybody knows his nature. When you're around him it's good to see that again. It makes it all worthwhile." Michigan Live LOADED:

21 Second-period analysis: Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com By Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com on November 30, 2014 at 4:19 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 4:22 PM DETROIT - The teams traded goals in the second period with Linden Vey scoring for Vancouver and Pavel Datsyuk connecting for the Red Wings. Vey cut the Canucks' deficit to 2-1 when he scored on a power play at 2:37 but Datsyuk put the Red Wings back in front by a pair when he scored amid a goal-mouth scramble, also on the power play at 14:24. The Canucks controlled the play early in the period and outshot the Red Wings 12-7 to take a edge into the third period. The Red Wings are 2-for-4 on the power play; Vancouver is 1-for-3. Second-period updates Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 (0:00): Vancouver outshoots the Red Wings 12-7 in the second to take a edge to the third. Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 (5:36): Datsyuk scores his eighth of the season when he slips the puck between the legs of defenseman Kevin Bieksa during a scramble in front of the net. Second power-play goal of the game. Tatar and Kindl with the assists. Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (7:26): Red Wings get their fourth power play of the game when Staton goes off for hooking Jurco. Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (8:12): Red Wings getting outshot 8-2 in the period. Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (15:29): Red Wings catch a break when Vey takes a silly penalty on the power play. He broke Abdelkader's stick with a slash and got called for interference in front of the Red Wings' net. Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (16:38): Vancouver goes right back on the power play when when Smith goes off for cross checking Hansen. Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (17:23): There goes Howard's shutout. scores from inside the right faceoff circle on the power play. Unassisted after Kronwall can't get the puck out. Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 (18:01): Canucks get their third power play of the game when Quincey goes off for hooking. Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 (19:59): Red Wings with a 6-5 edge in scoring chances and 12-7 advantage in faceoff wins during the first period. Vancouver with 12 hits to Detroit's four. Michigan Live LOADED:

22 First-period analysis: Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com By Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com on November 30, 2014 at 3:25 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 3:28 PM DETROIT - The Red Wings were in total control as Niklas Kronwall and Gustav Nyquist scored goals. Kronwall opened the scoring at 3:15, when he fired a wrist shot from the top of the right faceoff circle and it went off Ryan Miller's right arm for his fourth goal of the season. Nyquist made it 2-0 at 11:16 with his 11th goal of the season and seventh on the power play. Both lead the team and he's tied for first in the NHL in power-play goals. Henrik Zetterberg assisted on both Detroit goals and the Red Wings had an edge in shots on goal. The game was delayed for about 33 minutes because of a power outage. The scoreboard and lights at one end of the arena went out 29 seconds into the game and the teams returned to their dressing rooms for about 30 minutes. An announcement on the public-address system said the problem was caused by a lack of power coming into the arena. First-period updates: Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 (0:00): Radim Vrbata bangs a slap shot off the right goal post in the final minute. Red Wings outshoot the Canucks Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 (5:08): Off-setting penalties to Vancouver's Derek Doresett and Detroit's Kyle Quincey. Dorsett for slashing, Quincey for holding the stick. Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 (7:34): Canucks get their first power play when Ericsson goes off for slashing. Red Wings 2, Canucks 0 (8:44): Nyquist scores his team-leading seventh power-play goal when he takes a perfect cross-ice pass from Zetterberg at the bottom of the right faceoff circle and buries it over Miller's glove. Franzen with the other assist. No. 11 for Nyquist. Red Wings 1, Canucks 0 (8:54): Red Wings get the game's second power play, too, when Burrows goes off for high sticking. Red Wings 1, Canucks 0 (9:29): Vancouver gets a good chance with a little more than 10 minutes left, when Mattias goes in on Howard. But Howard makes the save with his right pad. Easily Vancouver's best chance yet. Shots are 6-3 Detroit. Red Wings 1, Canucks 0 (10:58): Red Wings totally in control right now. Canucks can't get the puck out of their zone. Detroit with a 5-1 edge in shots but it could be much more one-sided. Jimmy Howard looks lonely. 22

23 Red Wings 1, Canucks 0 (15:58): Red Wings get the game's first power play when Mattias goes off for hooking Brendan Smith. Red Wings 1, Canucks 0 (16:45): Kronwall fires through traffic and the puck goes off Miller's right arm (Ryan Miller, not Drew) and into the net. Fourth of the season for Kronwall. Ericsson and Zetterberg with the assists. Red Wings 0, Canucks 0 (19:31): After a delay of approximately 33 minutes, play has resumed at Joe Louis arena. Red Wings 0, Canucks 0 (19:31): They just announced that there was a shortage of power coming into the building but everything has been fired up again and it will take minutes before play resumes. That puts the resumption at between 2:43 p.m. and 2:48 p.m. Meanwhile, the fans had some fun by turning the flashlights on their cell phones on and waving them in the air. Good stuff. Red Wings 0, Canucks 0 (19:31): Just 29 seconds after the opening faceoff, somebody pulled the plug. Power went out in part of the arena. The scoreboard came back on after a few seconds but the lights are still out over the Canucks' end of the ice as well as the stands at that end. The teams have went back to the dressing rooms so it could take a while to get up and running again. We'll keep you updated. Red Wings 0, Canucks 0 (19:59): Couple changes as the Red Wings kick off a fourgame homestand. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will start the game on the same line and Brendan Smith has been activated while Xavier Ouellet has been sent back down to Grand Rapids. Michigan Live LOADED:

24 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Could first place in overall standings be a possibility by Christmas? Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com By Brendan Savage bsavage@mlive.com on November 30, 2014 at 9:33 AM, updated November 30, 2014 at 10:19 AM GAME INFORMATION Who: Detroit Red Wings (13-5-5) vs. Vancouver Canucks (16-6-1) When: 2 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena Live coverage: Join the MLive open live updates at 1 p.m. ET and follow Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) and Brendan Savage (@BrendanSavage) on Twitter. TV: Fox Sports Detroit Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) and Red Wings radio network GAME NOTES The Red Wings have quietly crept up in the NHL's overall standings and are at a point where they could make a run at first place overall in the next couple of weeks. Sound far-fetched? Perhaps. But there's no denying the possibility exists since the Red Wings are three points from being part of the logjam atop the overall standings, they're riding a bit of a hot streak and have a home-heavy schedule until Christmas. The Red Wings are in the midst of a stretch that has them playing 12 of 15 at Joe Louis Arena and they'll play four straight at home beginning today vs. Vancouver. The Red Wings have won three straight, five of their last six and have earned at least a point in nine of their last 11 games. They're also at home. Only Nashville (9-1-1) has lost fewer regulation games on home ice this season. Of course, there are some tough games on the docket between now and Christmas. They include outings against top teams like Vancouver, the Rangers and Islanders. But the Red Wings also play bottom dwellers like Florida (twice), Columbus, Colorado and Buffalo. After struggling to score goals early in the season, offensive hasn't been a problem for the Red Wings the past couple of weeks. They've scored at least four goals in five of their last six games and are among the top 10 teams in the NHL with an average of 2.96 per game. That said, they've also allowed at least three goals five times in their last nine so they've needed that extra offensive punch. After going scoreless in four straight games, Henrik Zetterberg has a goal and three assists in his last three.... After getting at least one point in six straight games, Tomas 24

25 Tatar has been blanked in the last two.... Stephen Weiss has three goals and two assists in the last three games.... Jimmy Howard is in his last six home games. Vancouver's Nick Bonino has four points in his last two games.... Canucks goalie Ryan Miller, brother of Red Wings' forward Drew Miller, has won four straight games and is 8-2 on the road this season.... No teams have won more road games this season than Vancouver, which is 9-3. Michigan Live LOADED:

26 In matchup of Millers, Canucks' Ryan has individual edge, but Red Wings' Drew usually on winning side Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on November 30, 2014 at 6:04 AM, updated November 30, 2014 at 6:05 AM DETROIT - When it comes to bragging rights within the Miller family, Ryan can claim that younger brother Drew has never scored on him. But more importantly, Drew's teams have dominated Ryan's. They likely will meet again Sunday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena when the Detroit Red Wings host the Vancouver Canucks in a clash between teams riding three-game winning streaks (2 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). Ryan is expected to start for the Canucks. It would be the first time he has faced the Red Wings with his new team. "It's still fun and unique to play against your brother," Drew Miller said. "No real trash talking. We kind of jab each other here and there when you can. I think a couple games ago he got me with the butt-end across my visor, had a big tape mark." Drew's teams are 6-1 vs. Ryan. He is 5-0 against him since joining the Red Wings. And while Drew hasn't scored against Ryan he assisted on Darren Helm's goal against his brother a couple of years ago. "That got him pulled," Miller said. "I don't think he was too happy about that." Ryan Miller Ryan Miller is off to a 15-3 start with the Canucks.The Associated Press Drew thinks his brother has been energized signing with Vancouver in the off-season. It shows in his record and 2.32 goals-against average. He's a big reason why the surprising Canucks, who missed the playoffs last season, are near the top of the Western Conference at "It's a spot that's been hard on goaltenders in the past," Miller said. "The start for him has been good. If it went the opposite way I think it would be a tough time for him. In his career I think he needed a change with Buffalo, he had that short stop in St. Louis, but he was able to pick where he wanted to go through free agency. Hopefully he can settle in there and have a re-boost to his career." The Millers went to Michigan State and Drew said there will be a "good amount" of friends and family at the game, as there always is when the brothers play against each other. Michigan Live LOADED:

27 Live updates: Detroit Red Wings vs. Vancouver Canucks (chat) Brendan Savage By Brendan Savage on November 30, 2014 at 1:01 PM, updated November 30, 2014 at 8:20 PM FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page for the latest. If you're viewing this on our mobile app, Click here for updates and to comment. THIRD PERIOD Red Wings 5, Canucks 3 (0:00): Red Wings hand Vancouver just its fourth road loss in 13 games. Canucks outshoot Detroit Red Wings win sixth in seven games. Red Wings 5, Canucks 3 (0:49.2): Empty netter seals the deal for the Red Wings. Datsyuk with the goal. It trickled over the goal line but if it hadn't, Helm was outracing Edler to the puck and would have knocked it in. Red Wings 4, Canucks 3 (3:50): After a long review --really long -- Vancouver pulls within a goal for the third time when Vey scores his second of the game, shooting from a sharp angle and putting it off Howard's skate. Vey kicked it toward the net but apparently got his stick on the puck before it went off Howard. Red Wings 4, Canucks 2 (6:24): Danny DeKeyser puts the Red Wings back in front by a pair when his shot from the left point beats Miller low on the stick side. DeKeyser's first of the season from Sheahan and Jurco. Red Wings 3, Canucks 2 (7:34): Jannick Weber pulls Vancouver within a goal when his shot from the point is deflected in front (off Weiss?) and goes past Howard. Vey with the assist. Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 (9:41): Red Wings with a 5-4 edge in shots this period. Vancouver with a advantage for the game. Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 (13:29): Vancouver spends its timeout. Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 (15:33): Justin Abdelkader is done for the day with what the Red Wings are calling an upper-body injury. Red Wings 3, Canucks 1 (19:59): Canucks are controlling the game statistically. They lead in faceoff wins (26-19), hits (23-7) and blocks (10-5). But Red Wings have a 10-9 edge in scoring chances and there's that thing about goals, too. Michigan Live LOADED:

28 Pat Caputo - Promising start by Detroit Red Wings likely a trend, not aberration By Pat Caputo Posted: 11/30/14, 7:16 PM EST It s been a bit under the radar, perhaps lost in the glare of the holidays, football and the idea the Red Wings aren t nearly what they were during their salad days of four Stanley Cup titles from But take a look: The Red Wings won their fourth straight game Sunday at Joe Louis Arena, beating the Vancouver Canucks, 5-3. It was also the Red Wings sixth victory in their last seven games, all but one coming in regulation time. The one shootout victory was Friday at New Jersey, as the Red Wings rallied to overcome a 4-1 deficit. Sunday, they kind of hung on at the end. The Red Wings have gotten in the habit of winning again, regardless the method. At , the Red Wings are out to a fast start. It s not a coincidence. The Red Wings possess more overall talent than they ve had in awhile, and as importantly, have remained relatively healthy. Nobody is saying another Stanley Cup run is a certainty. The NHL is far too unpredictable. So is the Red Wings recent history of injuries. And we ll know a lot more about the Red Wings in March after they ve been through an incredible stretch of mostly road games in January and February. The Red Wings better rack up points now while they are playing mostly at home. Yet, the potential is clearly there. It didn t look like it early, but we have more players who can score than we ve had since 2009 (the last season Detroit was in the Stanley Cup finals), Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said Sunday. But just because you score more doesn t mean you can give up more goals. A good win-loss record in the NHL can be misleading this early on. Entering Sunday, only nine of the NHL s 30 teams were below.500. Conversely, there were 10 teams within three points of having the most points in the league, 34. The Red Wings are one of those teams. For all the clamoring for the NHL to change its overtime system, the impact of every team getting to overtime garnering at least a point is enormous. Except for the absolute plankton in the league, every team is in playoff contention. At times, it seems unreasonable, but it s good for the NHL s business. Close races for playoff spots means more crowded rinks and better broadcast ratings for NHL teams in March, which used to be the dog days for the league. Also, a good seed for the playoffs, and the home ice advantage it brings during the Stanley Cup playoffs, doesn t have quite the same meaning it once did. 28