Detroit Red Wings Clips October 13, 2015

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips October 13, 2015 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Game thread: Red Wings vs. Lightning PAGE 3 U-M vs. MSU game hot topic in Red Wings' locker room PAGE 5 Tigers, Red Wings stick with 97.1 in new agreement PAGE 6 Lightning's Cooper 'smoother' than Blashill but similar PAGE 8 Coaching buddies Jeff Blashill, Jon Cooper meet as Red Wings face 2015 playoff foe Lightning PAGE 10 Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry extends to Red Wings dressing room, bragging rights on the line PAGE 11 Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader named first star of opening week by NHL PAGE 12 Red Wings' Darren Helm hopes to return Tuesday; Jimmy Howard to start against Lightning PAGE 14 Detroit Tigers, Red Wings extend radio partnership with 97.1 The Ticket PAGE 15 5 things to WATCH: Roster move looms for Red Wings, who face tough tests with Lightning, Canadiens PAGE 17 Abdelkader has picked up right where he left off

2 Game thread: Red Wings vs. Lightning Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free Press 1:32 a.m. EDT October 13, 2015 Tonight's game information Detroit Red Wings (2-0-0) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3-0-0) When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit TV: NBCSN Radio: List of Red Wings' radio affiliates Game notes: It's a rematch of last year's first round playoff matchup, won by the Lightning in a thrilling 4-3 series victory.... Both teams enter tonight undefeated. The Wings opened with a 4-0 home win over Toronto and a 4-3 victory at Carolina. Meanwhile, the Lightning defeated Philadelphia, Buffalo and Boston, with the latter two wins coming on the road.... Wings forward Justin Abdelkader was named the NHL's star of the opening week after tallying four goals, including a hat trick against the Leafs, and the winning goal in Carolina the following night.... The Lightning have a powerful offensive attack, led by Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, and are solid in goal with Ben Bishop. They lead the NHL with 13 goals scored. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 U-M vs. MSU game hot topic in Red Wings' locker room Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 2:27 p.m. EDT October 12, 2015 Justin Abdelkader plays and sits next to Dylan Larkin. Luke Glendening plays and sits next to Drew Miller. As they prep for a fun week ahead with the Detroit Red Wings -- Tuesday offers Tampa Bay, the team that ousted the Wings from last season's playoffs -- the four can't help but get caught up in the excitement of Saturday's big Michigan vs. Michigan State football showdown. "Glennie already came to me, first time he has come to me this early," Abdelkader, a former Spartan, said today. "Usually, he waits until the last minute and says, 'Ah, we don't need to bet anything, because we are not going to win.' But he seem pretty confident this year." To Glendening's delight, his status as a Wolverine no longer is a lonely and losing experience. "It's pretty exciting now that Michigan is back on the map for football," Glendening said. "It is a big, emotional week. Usually, I am the only one, and they're not any good, so I am getting it from all angles. But this year, they're proving themselves. And Larks is here to help me out." Part of the wager has been settled. "We've got the shirt of the other team the next practice day," Glendening said. "So I'm hoping to see Millsie and Abby in maize and blue." The Lightning offer a good chance for the Wings to prove that their 2-0 start is no fluke, as Tampa Bay is one of the best teams in the NHL. Abdelkader's line is likely to see a good deal of Steven Stamkos' group, while Glendening earned high marks in the playoffs for shadowing Tyler Johnson. "They won the Eastern Conference, so they are the team to beat," Abdelkader said. "We took them to seven games; I think we match up really well against those guys. We play similar type of hockey. It should be a lot of fun. It is a new rivalry for us with a division opponent and it should be fun." Abdelkader is having fun himself, playing with Larkin and Henrik Zetterberg. His fourgoal start underscores his coach's high opinion of Abdelkader. "He has got a great combination of physicality and skill set and he has got offensive smarts to go with it," Jeff Blashill said. "As a physical-presence-type guy, sometimes those guys don't have the offensive smarts to play with elite offensive thinkers. Well, he does." Goaltender Jimmy Howard will get the start. Forward Darren Helm is nearing a return, after being a sidelined by a concussion and separated shoulder. Danny DeKeyser and Pavel Datsyuk skated, but neither is close to returning. 3

4 Note: Abdelkader today was named by the NHL as the league's first star of the week. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Tigers, Red Wings stick with 97.1 in new agreement James Jahnke, Detroit Free Press 10:40 a.m. EDT October 12, 2015 The Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and 97.1 the Ticket (WXYT-FM) today announced a "comprehensive, multiyear agreement" that includes play-by-play rights for both teams plus marketing and promotional activities. The teams, both owned by Mike Ilitch and operated by Olympia Entertainment, have aired on the station since "We've enjoyed a tremendous relationship with CBS RADIO as the broadcast home for the Red Wings for the last 14 seasons," said Tom Wilson, president and CEO of Olympia Entertainment, said in a released statement. "The fans in Hockeytown and throughout the state of Michigan have come to know 97.1 The Ticket and its extended radio network as the broadcast home for Red Wings action, and we're excited to extend the relationship as we celebrate our final two years in Joe Louis Arena and transition into the new Detroit Events Center." "There is something special about listening to a Tigers game on the radio, and the team at CBS RADIO continues its standard of excellence in their coverage of Tigers baseball," Duane McLean, Detroit Tigers executive vice president of business operations said in the statement. "97.1 The Ticket and the Tigers radio network, in addition to the partnerships with the local CBS RADIO stations, play an integral role in engaging fans with the ball club. This partnership is a commitment to connect the community, Michigan, and Tigers fans across the country with the old English D." Highlights of the agreement include: Play-by-play announcer Dan Dickerson will continue to host Tigers pre- and postgame shows and "Hot Stove," a weekly off-season show on WXYT. Red Wings announcer Ken Kal will host "Inside Hockeytown" weekly throughout the hockey season. WWJ-AM (950) will add three one-hour shows: "Inside The Arena," to keep fans upto-date on the development of the new Red Wings arena; "Inside The Ballpark," which will include news and information about the Tigers' upcoming season, and "Inside District Detroit," focusing on all things related to the expansion of "The District." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 Lightning's Cooper 'smoother' than Blashill but similar Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 5:19 p.m. EDT October 12, 2015 Detroit The Jeff Blashill Friends in Coaching Tour continues Tuesday when the Red Wings host Tampa Bay. Over the weekend Blashill faced Mike Babcock (Toronto) and Bill Peters (Carolina); he worked with both with the Red Wings. Now Blashill takes on Jon Cooper, one of Blashill's best friends in or out of the hockey world. The two met while coaching the Team Michigan squads at the USA Hockey Festival, and the friendship developed from there. "Coop is one of the really good friends," Blashill said. "We met through hockey originally about 15 years ago. Time flies, for sure, but him and I are alike. "In some ways, maybe not -- he's a lot smoother than I am." The two coached against each other in junior hockey. Blashill would recruit some of Cooper's players when Blashill was at Western Michigan, and the two have maintained contact from there, making sure to spend time together in the summer. Cooper took Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup Finals last season defeating the Red Wings in the first round to get the ball rolling. "I'm not surprised at all by Coop's success," Blashill said. "If you know Coop, he's a very smart, intelligent person and he has a great way about him. He commands players' respect and players appreciate who he is. "I don't know what a 'players' coach' means. He holds his players accountable but they also seem to like him and they have his respect. I would hope it's the same for me." This will be the first time the Red Wings and Lightning meet since last season's exciting playoff series. Being up 3-2 in the series, only to see the Lightning rally, was tough for the Wings to forget this offseason. "It's never easy to lose like we did in Game 7 (2-0), and see Tampa do as well as they did hurts that much more," said Justin Abdelkader, who was named the NHL's First Star of the Week for his four goals in two games last week. "We know we're close. We have work to do, maintain the level of play throughout the year and give yourself a chance in the playoffs. "They're a team that won the conference; they have a big target on their chest. We took them to seven games and we feel we match up real well with them. We play similar type of hockey and systems and it should be a lot of fun." Ice chips Goaltender Jimmy Howard will get the start against Tampa, said Blashill.... Darren Helm (concussion, shoulder) skated on a line with Luke Glendening and Drew Miller during Monday's practice and appears capable of returning for Tuesday's game. 6

7 Helm said he needs to talk to doctors Monday, and Blashill said a decision on activating Helm will come Tuesday. Activating Helm will make for a tricky personnel decision, as someome will have to be sent to Grand Rapids.... Danny DeKeyser (foot) skated briefly Monday but is likely another couple weeks away from being close to playing. Lightning at Red Wings Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Joe Louis Arena. TV/radio: NBC Sports Network; 97.1 The Ticket, 1270-AM. Outlook: This is a rematch of last season's exciting Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, which Tampa Bay rallied to win in seven games. This will conclude a three-games-in-four-days trip for Tampa, which played Monday in Boston. Detroit News LOADED:

8 Coaching buddies Jeff Blashill, Jon Cooper meet as Red Wings face 2015 playoff foe Lightning Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on October 12, 2015 at 11:01 PM, updated October 12, 2015 at 11:02 PM DETROIT Jon Cooper made a successful transition to the NHL shortly after winning a Calder Cup championship in the AHL. Jeff Blashill hopes to do likewise. Blashill and Cooper have much in common. They're close friends who worked together and coached against each other. Their teams will be competing for the Atlantic Division title this season and meet for the first time on Tuesday in a clash of unbeaten clubs that squared off in the first round of the playoffs last season. Cooper's Tampa Bay Lightning, the reigning Eastern Conference champs, visit Joe Louis Arena to face the Detroit Red Wings (7:30, NBC Sports Network exclusive). "I've learned a lot from Coop," Blashill said. "I'm not surprised at all by Coop's success. He's a very intelligent person. He has a great way about him. I think he has a way of commanding respect, but yet I think players still appreciate what he is. "I don't know what a players' coach is. I know he holds his guys accountable, but they also seem to like him. They have his respect and I certainly hope that's the same here for me." Tampa Bay is 3-0, Detroit is 2-0. The Lightning defeated the Red Wings in a sevengame series last spring. Blashill's first game was against the coach, Toronto's Mike Babcock, who hired him as an assistant for the Red Wings in Blashill's second game was against the coach, Carolina's Bill Peters, he served an assistant with in Detroit for one season. And now the reunion tour continues against Cooper, who Blashill met 15 years ago through hockey. Cooper coached Norfolk to the AHL title in 2012 and was promoted by the Lightning late in the following season, after Tampa Bay changed its affiliation to Syracuse. Blashill won the AHL title with the Grand Rapids Griffins in "Time flies, for sure, but him and I are probably real alike as people," Blashill said. "I guess in some ways and some ways not, he's a lot smoother than I am. We're great friends. We spent time together this summer, a couple weeks over different times golfing. He's somebody I have a great friendship with." Blashill and Cooper first starting coaching Team Michigan at the USA Hockey Fesitval. "I would recruit off his teams when he was at Honey Baked when he was in Junior," Blashill said. "I coached against him when I was in Indy for the two years in the USHL (Cooper coached Green Bay)." 8

9 They'll be seeing a lot of each other going forward; their teams meet four times a season and there's always a chance they could square off again in the playoffs. "They're the team that won the Eastern Conference, so they're the team to beat," Detroit's Justin Abdelkader said. "They have a big target on their chests, obviously. We took them to seven games. I think we match up really well with those guys. We play similar types of hockey and systems. They skate really well. I think we're a team that skates well, too. It should be a lot of fun here, kind of a new rivalry for us." As frustrating as it was to lose a series they led 3-2, it gave the Red Wings hope for the future. "It's never easy to lose like we did in Game 7 and to see how well Tampa did (advancing to the Stanley Cup finals, where it lost to Chicago), it hurts that much more," Abdelkader said. "We know we're close. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to maintain your level of play throughout the year, give yourself a chance in the playoffs, you hope to get home ice -- you see how important that is when it comes down to a Game 7." Michigan Live LOADED:

10 Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry extends to Red Wings dressing room, bragging rights on the line Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on October 12, 2015 at 4:01 PM, updated October 12, 2015 at 9:09 PM DETROIT The Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry quickly has been rekindled this year under first-year Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh. The interest in Saturday's showdown between the schools is as high as it has been in years and it extends to the Detroit Red Wings dressing room, where bragging rights are on the line for Michigan products Luke Glendening and Dylan Larkin and Michigan State alums Justin Abdelkader and Drew Miller. Abdelkader said Glendening already approached him regarding the game. "It's the first time he's come to me this early," Abdelkader said. "He usually waits till the last minute and says we don't need to bet anything, because we're not going to win, but he seems pretty confident this year." Said Glendening: "It's pretty exciting that Michigan is back on the map with football. I'm looking forward to it." With the rookie Larkin in the room, Glendening no longer is outnumbered by Spartans. "Usually, I'm the only (U-M guy) and they're not any good, so I'm getting it from all angles, but this year they've proven themselves, and I've got Larks here to help me out," Glendening said. Michigan State (6-0) dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 in The Associated Press poll following an unimpressive win at Rutgers. Michigan (5-1), which has recorded three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1980, moved up to 12th. "I haven't been able to watch, but it's fun to see the newspaper clippings and see them on SportsCenter," Glendening said. "Obviously, it's a big emotional week, we'll see what happens." Could Michigan State, which has dominated the rivalry in recent years, return to "Little Brother" status? "I hope it turns into that, but we'll see," Glendening said. The Red Wings will be in Montreal on Saturday. Will Glendening forego the pregame nap to watch his Wolverines? "I don't think so, but we'll see how close the game is," he said. They are still working on the terms of the wager. "So far, we've got the shirt of the other team the next practice day, so I'm hoping to see Millsie and Abby in maize and blue," Glendening said. Michigan Live LOADED:

11 Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader named first star of opening week by NHL Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on October 12, 2015 at 1:28 PM, updated October 12, 2015 at 9:01 PM DETROIT The NHL has recognized Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader for his strong start by naming him the first star of the opening week of the season. Abdelkader had four goals, including his second career hat trick in the season opener vs. Toronto and the winning goal the next night in Carolina, and one assist in two games. "I'll take a star here," Abdelkader said. "It's two games, still a long ways to go. Our line did a lot of good things out there, created a lot of scoring chances and we had fun doing it." His linemates could have been honored as well. Henrik Zetterberg has one goal and four assists and rookie Dylan Larkin has a goal and two assists and is tied for the league lead in plus-minus rating (plus-6). "Obviously, Z being the center men, controlling a lot of the play, Larks skates so well and has a great skill set," Abdelkader said. "I'm just trying to be around the net, be on the forecheck for those guys. I think we all bring something different to the line and that can make for some good chemistry." The 28-year-old Muskegon native has picked up where he left off in , when he collected career highs in goals (23) and points (44). "You always have to prove yourself each and every year," Abdelkader said. "It's a tough league." Coach Jeff Blashill believes Abdelkader can provide consistent offensive production. "I think every player has different assets, and I think he's got great combination of physicality and skill set and he's got offensive smarts to go with it," Blashill said. "I think one of those things of having a physical type presence on a line sometimes those guys don't have offensive smarts to play with elite offensive thinkers. He does. "I've known Justin for a long time. I coached him when he was 16 years old. He's been a high-end offensive guy through lots of his career. I think what he's done at this level is learn how to be very good defensively and build his offensive game back up. He's certainly done that, not only last year but this season." New York Rangers center Oscar Lindberg (three goals in two games) was the second star and Arizona Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith (2-0-0, 1.00 goals-against average,.971 save percentage) the third star. Michigan Live LOADED:

12 Red Wings' Darren Helm hopes to return Tuesday; Jimmy Howard to start against Lightning Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on October 12, 2015 at 12:33 PM, updated October 12, 2015 at 1:16 PM DETROIT -- Darren Helm continues to inch closer to returning to the lineup for the Detroit Red Wings. Helm skated on the fourth line today, preparing as if he'll be in the lineup Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, NBC Sports Network exclusive). Coach Jeff Blashill said Helm's status will be determined in the morning. Helm has been out since the first day of training camp, Sept. 18, when he suffered a concussion and slightly separated shoulder in a massive collision with prospect Jerome Verrier. "Just got to talk to doc; voice a few concerns and see what everyone thinks and then make a decision after that," Helm said. Asked if there's a benefit of waiting a few extra days until Friday, Helm said: "Absolutely there's a benefit. There's also a benefit of me getting in there and getting into game mode quicker than possible. So we just got to weigh the pros and cons and see what's the best choice for myself and the team and move on from there." If Helm is activated from injured reserve Tuesday, the Red Wings must clear a roster spot. They didn't place anyone on waivers Monday, so the only option appears to be sending defenseman Alexey Marchenko to Grand Rapids, at least temporarily. Blashill said Jimmy Howard will start in goal. He's coming off a 4-0 victory over Toronto Friday in the season opener. Blashill made a couple of line changes in practice: Justin Abdelkader-Henrik Zetterberg-Dylan Larkin Tomas Tatar-Brad Richards-Johan Franzen Gustav Nyquist-Riley Sheahan-Teemu Pulkkinen Darren Helm-Luke Glendening-Drew Miller Landon Ferraro, Tomas Jurco and Joakim Andersson were wearing gray jerseys (players usually scratched the next game). Defense pairs remain the same: Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson Kyle Quincey-Mike Green Brendan Smith-Jakub Kindl Alexey Marchenko 12

13 Danny DeKeyser (strained ligament in foot) skated today and practiced briefly. He was projected to be out 3-4 weeks from the time of his injury on Sept. 30. Blashill said he didn't watch DeKeyser closely enough to assess where he is at. "He seemed to look all right," Blashill said. "When Danny's out there he looks good, he's a good skater." Jimmy Howard (starting Tuesday) Petr Mrazek Michigan Live LOADED:

14 Detroit Tigers, Red Wings extend radio partnership with 97.1 The Ticket James Schmehl By James Schmehl on October 12, 2015 at 11:15 AM, updated October 12, 2015 at 11:57 AM DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings are staying put. Olympia Entertainment and 97.1 The Ticket have reached an agreement that will keep the Tigers and Red Wings on WXYT-FM and its extended radio network. The multi-year contract was announced early Monday. WXYT-FM radio has served as the flagship radio station for the Tigers and Red Wings since Terms of the extension were not disclosed. "We're excited to extend the relationship as we celebrate our final two years in Joe Louis Arena and transition into the new Detroit Events Center," Tom Wilson, President and CEO of Olympia Entertainment, said in a statement. The radio team of play-by-play announcer Ken Kal and analyst Paul Woods will return for their 18th season for the Red Wings. Kal, who has served as the radio play-by-play voice for the Red Wings for 19 years, will continue to host "Inside Hockeytown" -- a weekly show that will air throughout the season. The season will mark Dan Dickerson's 14th season as radio play-by-play voice of the Tigers. He will continue to host the Tigers pre- and postgame shows. "There is something special about listening to a Tigers game on the radio, and the team at CBS Radio continues its standard of excellence in their coverage of Tigers baseball," said Duane McLean, Tigers vice president of business operations. Along with 97.1 The Ticket, CBS Radio also owns and operates WWJ-AM, WXYT-AM, WDZH-FM, WOMC-FM, and WYCD-FM. As part of the agreement, WWJ-AM will program three one-hour shows, including "Inside The Arena" -- which will provide updates on the development of the hockey stadium. "Inside The Ballpark" will include news about the Tigers and "Inside District Detroit" will provide details related to the expansion of "The District." "We truly believe the Tigers and Red Wings are the best partners in sports," said Debbie Kenyon, senior vice president of CBS Radio Detroit. "It's an exciting time for Detroit, largely because of the Ilitch family and the work their organizations are doing to bring new life to downtown." Michigan Live LOADED:

15 5 things to WATCH: Roster move looms for Red Wings, who face tough tests with Lightning, Canadiens Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on October 12, 2015 at 6:01 AM, updated October 12, 2015 at 3:06 PM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings are 2-0 with victories over Toronto and Carolina, but tougher tests await them this week with Tampa Bay and Montreal, clubs that finished ahead of them in the Atlantic Division in Here are five things to watch this week: 1. Roster move looming with Helm's return Darren Helm (concussion, separated shoulder) got in a couple of full practices last week and said he's close to returning. If he's not ready this week he should be back by next week. Unless the Red Wings have another injury, they'll need to trim a player to open a roster spot for Helm. The most likely candidate is center Joakim Andersson, a healthy scratch the first two games. He would need to go on waivers before being assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Another option is to send down Alexey Marchenko, who is waiver-exempt. But that would leave them with six defensemen and they're not likely to travel anywhere without a D-man in reserve. 2. First matchup with Lightning The Red Wing host Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay on Tuesday, their first of four meetings against the Lightning, who eliminated them in Game 7 of the first round last spring. The Lightning (2-0) play at Boston Monday afternoon while the Red Wings will be rested. Petr Mrazek shut out Tampa Bay three times last season, including twice in the playoffs. But if coach Jeff Blashill sticks with a strict rotation, Jimmy Howard would start. Tampa Bay is 7-2 against the Red Wings since Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference in including the playoffs. 3. Looking to continue success vs. Carolina Carolina dominated the first two periods against the Red Wings on Saturday and finished with a edge in shots, but Detroit rallied in the third for a 4-3 win. The clubs meet again Friday at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings are 10-2 in their past 12 against the Hurricanes and have won four in a row in the series since Bill Peters, the former Detroit assistant, took over in Carolina. 15

16 4. Trying to snap streak vs. Habs Montreal (3-0) has Detroit's number, having won six in a row against the Red Wings, with two of those games going to overtime. The Red Wings will try to snap the streak Saturday at the Bell Centre. Carey Price, the reigning winner of the Hart (MVP) and Vezina (top goaltender) Trophies, is 2-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average. It will mark the second time this season the Red Wings will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back (the Canadiens will be rested). 5. Will Jurco play this week? Tomas Jurco was a healthy scratch the first two games, after essentially getting beat out for a spot in the lineup by Teemu Pulkkinen, who in a span of 1:57 scored the tying and go-ahead goals during the third period in Carolina. Blashill would probably like to get Jurco into a game, but he might not want to change a winning lineup and he's certainly not going to remove Pulkkinen after his big game. Once Helm returns, it will be that much more difficult for Jurco to crack the lineup on a consistent basis. Michigan Live LOADED:

17 Abdelkader has picked up right where he left off By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily POSTED: 10/12/15, 5:23 PM EDT UPDATED: 40 SECS AGO # COMMENTS DETROIT >> Just two games into the season, Justin Abdelkader is showing that last year s offensive uptick wasn t a fluke. Coming off a career-high 23-goal campaign last season, Abdelkader has four through two games this year. I think he s got great a combination of physicality and skill set and he s got offensive smarts to go with it, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said after practice Monday at Joe Louis Arena. I think one of those things, having a physical type presence on a line, sometimes those guys don t have offensive smarts to play with elite offensive thinkers. He does. He s been a high-end offensive guy through lots of his career, Blashill continued. I think what he s done at this level is learn how to be very good defensively and build his offensive game back up. He s certainly done that, not only last year but this season. After a hat trick to open the season last Friday, the second of his career, he added the winner in the Wings 4-3 win over Carolina to go with an assist on Saturday. I think it s always important to get off to a good start regardless of the year, said Abdelkader, who was named the NHL s First Star for his past week s performance. You always have to prove yourself each and every year. I don t think there s more importance this year or the year before. I m happy with the start, but it s only two games. You have to keep improving and keep getting better. Abdelkader also had a career-high 21 assists last season. HELM PROGRESSING Darren Helm dropped the gray jersey, reserved for injured or healthy scratch players, and skated with the fourth line at practice Monday. Just got to talk to doc, voice a few concerns and see what everyone thinks and then make a decision after that, Helm said. There s a benefit (to waiting till Friday), but there s also a benefit of me getting in there and getting into game mode quicker than possible. So we ve just got to weigh the pros and cons and see what s the best choice for myself and the team and move on from there. Helm, who is still on injured reserve, has been out since the first day of training camp when he suffered a concussion and slightly separated shoulder in a massive collision with prospect Jerome Verrier. Playing a little bit slower and not as quick mentally as I usually like to be at this part of the season, but that s part of getting injured early, Helm said. I really haven t been too concerned with anything that s been bugging me. There are a few things to worry about that I will discuss with the doc and move on from there. 17

18 If Helm is activated Tuesday the Wings will need to clear a roster spot, which could be done by sending defenseman Alexey Marchenko to Grand Rapids. THIS AND THAT Blashill tabbed Jimmy Howard as the starter Tuesday at home against Tampa Bay. Blashill put Dylan Larkin back with Henrik Zetterberg and Justin Abdelkader on the top line. Danny DeKeyser skated and practiced briefly. He s been out since Sept. 30 with a strained ligament in his foot and was projected to miss three-to-four weeks. I can t say I noticed him enough, Blashill said. He seemed to look alright. Landon Ferraro practiced in gray along with Tomas Jurco and Joakim Andersson. Macomb Daily LOADED: