Detroit Red Wings Clips January 14, 2016

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips January 14, 2016 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Red Wings seek more time in offensive zone PAGE 3 Guns, bats & Powerball tickets: Wings enjoy Arizona sun PAGE 5 Wings at Coyotes, time, tv, game information PAGE 6 University of Detroit hoops could help close The Joe PAGE 7 Wings get away from grind with desert respite PAGE 9 Wings tradition of goalie controversies has old roots PAGE 13 Red Wings Q&A: Riley Sheahan on life at Notre Dame, a memorable NHL debut, playing guitar PAGE 16 Red Wings will go back to dressing six defensemen as Alexey Marchenko expected to be scratched PAGE 18 Red Wings spent day off hitting baseballs, shooting guns and enjoying the sun PAGE 20 Wings focused on getting more pucks on goal PAGE 22 Griffins allow 3 goals in third, lose at Charlotte

2 Red Wings seek more time in offensive zone Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 5:59 p.m. EST January 13, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Even as they ve won four of their last five games, the Detroit Red Wings have some glaring areas to improve. One of the chief focal points as they approach Thursday night's game at Arizona is spending more time with the puck. The most shots on net they ve reached during their stretch is 27. The other games have been in the low-to-mid 20s. I think we ve got to spend some time in the offensive zone, forward Justin Abdelkader said after Wednesday s practice at the Ice Den. We got caught the last handful of games kind of playing up and down hockey, not spending quality time in the offensive zone for us, so we ve got to do a better job cycling. Coach Jeff Blashill echoed that thought, saying: We haven t had as many stretches of real O-zone time as we did from the 15-game-ago mark to the 10-game-ago mark. We had tons of O-zone time. We talked about it today: We ve got to do a better job spending more time in the other team s zone. When you do that, you tend to accumulate more shots. The power play is another area, as it has been unable to convert in five of the last six games. Some encouragement comes from getting four shots on net during one power play in Monday s 4-2 loss at Los Angeles. Power play is a real important thing to judge it on the process, Blashill said. Because if you just judge it on pure results, in terms of goals, you can make mistakes. You can actually make it worse by making changes when you don t need to. If you are getting the shots we got the other night, if you are getting the zone time, the entry level we had, you are going to score over time. Blashill acknowledged that at 17.2%, it s halfway through the year and it hasn t good enough. I get that 100%. But I do think if we have power plays consistently like the other night, we ll score. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall suggested the Wings need to get some greasy ones. Last year, it felt like we had a lot more of those than we do this year. There will be few changes to the lineup: Goaltender Petr Mrzek gets the start, and Alexey Marchenko gets the boot as the defenseman who ll sit, even as Blashill acknowledged it was a tough decision. Nobody certainly deserved to come out, he said. We looked at a number of factors. The partners is one thing. And we just decided this was the six that gave us the best chance to win. Note: General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press that Drew Miller will have surgery Friday for the torn meniscus suffered Sunday. The team will then have a clearer picture of how long he will be sidelined. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Guns, bats & Powerball tickets: Wings enjoy Arizona sun Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 6:19 p.m. EST January 13, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Some went shooting, others went for batting practice - and many went for Powerball tickets. The Detroit Red Wings returned to practice today at the Ice Den, fresh from spending Tuesday and reviving and reinvigorating. Their four-game trek west ends Thursday when the Wings take on the Arizona Coyotes, with Petr Mrazek in net. Niklas Kronwall, Mike Green and Jonathan Ericsson were among a group of seven teammates who spent Tuesday with guides from Arizona Outdoor Fun. "We actually went on a little tour up in the desert on UTVs on some trails," Kronwall said. "Also got a chance to shoot some guns and rifles. It was fun. It was something I hadn't done before. "Usually we just kind of lay around, but we actually did something yesterday. Later at night, we all got together and had a good dinner. All in all, a good day." Justin Abdelkader's day included "pool time, went to the spa, enjoyed the sun. "It is a long season, now we're kind of on the downswing, past the halfway point. It's been a nice road trip for us, got to spend a lot of time with the guys away from the rink, which is positive." Jeff Blashill and the coaching staff went with a friend of Tony Granato's to the Chicago White Sox spring training facility at Camelback Ranch. "In the morning, we went and took batting practice," Blashill said. "Shagged fly balls, it was like I was a 15-year-old kid. It was awesome." The Detroit Red Wings having some fun in Arizona. The group took in the Arizona Coyotes game in the evening, finding a balance between work and play - or play, then work. "I'd argue with anybody in terms of our preparation," Blashill said. "I guarantee we're as prepared as anybody, but also, you enjoy life." Even as well-to-do as the players and coaches are, the lure of the Powerball's $1.5 billion is too much to ignore. Many bought tickets. "We did on the train, yesterday," Kronwall said. "It feels like everybody is talking about it. There's always a chance, I guess. It's so much money, you couldn't even fathom." Abdelkader said, "I got some last night. A number of guys have bought their tickets. I think it's one of those things you can say at least you bought a ticket, so you give yourself a chance. The odds of winning are obviously really slim, but at least you can say you had a chance." It turns out Mike Green is not a gambler. 3

4 "I know it's at $1.5 billion, but what are my odds?" Green said. Blashill liked them enough to say he was off after practice to "buy some, for sure. That is absolutely for certain." Brad Richards said, "I told my wife to go every day. I might go today. Who knows, retirement might come earlier than I thought." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Wings at Coyotes, time, tv, game information David Darby, Detroit Free Press 12:07 a.m. EST January 14, 2016 NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Los Angeles Kings Tonight's game information Detroit Red Wings ( ) at Arizona Coyotes ( ) When: 9 p.m.. Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Ariz. TV: Fox Sports Detroit Plus. Radio: 97.1 FM and 1270 AM (List of Red Wings' radio affiliates) Game notes: The Red Wings reach the end of a six-game road trip having won four of their last five, losing in Los Angeles, 4-2, on Monday night. Petr Mrazek is expected to get the start in goal for Detroit. The Coyotes have won four straight, most recently beating Edmonton, 4-2, at home on Tuesday. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 University of Detroit hoops could help close The Joe Tony Paul, The Detroit News 4:09 p.m. EST January 13, 2016 There have been preliminary discussions about Joe Louis Arena closing its doors the same way it opened them. With a Detroit basketball game. The University of Detroit played the first game at The Joe on Dec. 12, 1979, against Michigan. The Red Wings played their first game there two weeks later. The Red Wings are scheduled to move into their new $627-million arena for the season. If Detroit is to play the last game at The Joe, that game likely would occur sometime in the fall or early winter of Fox 2 first reported there have been discussions between Olympia Entertainment and the University of Detroit. I know our administration is talking to Olympia, said Detroit coach Ray McCallum, who said he couldn t comment much beyond that. McCallum did say some of the discussions involve logistics for the Horizon League basketball tournament, which will be held at Joe Louis Arena starting this season. It s not clear what team Detroit would play to close out The Joe, though a spokesman for Michigan basketball said the school hasn t been contacted about participating. Oakland, Detroit s Horizon League rival, would seem like the best possible matchup. On Dec. 12, 1979, Michigan, in Johnny Orr s last year as coach of the Wolverines, beat Detroit, Detroit News LOADED:

7 Wings get away from grind with desert respite Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 10:26 p.m. EST January 13, 2016 Scottsdale, Ariz. In a workaday world, they are sometimes call them mental health days, and they often seem just as important to getting the job done as the work itself. On Tuesday, a day off in the desert sun albeit a bit cool, given the El Nino winter in Arizona brought a soothing time away from hockey for the Red Wings, at the halfway point of the regular season. I don t know if our record s good enough for me to tell you what I did yesterday, joked coach Jeff Blashill, standing before the media outside the Coyotes practice facility, the Ice Den, as everyone took advantage of the warming sun and conditions less crowded than in the small dressing room. Blashill and some of the Red Wings coaches headed to the White Sox spring training facility, on the rare day off. To be honest with you, yesterday in the morning we went as a coaching staff and took batting practice at their facility and shagged fly balls. And it was like I was a 15- year-old kid. It was an awesome morning. At night, he sized up the Coyotes, in their game against the Oilers, in Glendale. Nicklas Kronwall and six other Wings went to an outdoor center, saw the gorgeous desert and mountains and did some Old West stuff. We went on a little tour up in the desert on some UTVs (utility task vehicles) on some trails, and we also got a chance to shoot some guns and rifles and things like that. It was fun, Kronwall said. It was definitely something I hadn t done before. Justin Abdlekader spent a bit of time poolside, drinking up the desert sun. I had a nice relaxing day by the pool, Abdelkader, a physical and offensive leader of the team, who has 13 goals and nine assists. For sure, it s really important. You know, it s a long season, and now we re on the downswing. It s past the halfway point. So, it s been a nice road trip for us. Had a chance to spend a lot of time away from the rink with the guys, and that s a positive. And even after their vigorous practice, when Kyle Quincey iced down his surgically repaired ankle, he moved an ice chest and bucket outside a back entrance of the rink, sat on the chest in the bright sun and plunged the foot into the ice-filled bucket. It provided a decent view of part of the McDowell Mountains, 20 miles northeast of Phoenix. Tough whittling 7

8 After playing seven defensemen against the large, physical forward lines of the Kings, Blashill said he will return to the more standard 12 forwards and six defensemen today. As of this morning, Alexey Marchenko would be the guy out. Given Marchenko s fine performance and considerable reliability on the back end, which already has resulted in Jakub Kindl playing in Grand Rapids, it was a tough decision, Blashill said. I would say certainly not just (based) on his play. I think all of them played good enough to stay in, but when you go from seven to six, one has to come out. Among the determining factors, Blashill said, is the pairings. At practice, it was Kronwall with his old partner Jonathan Ericsson, Danny DeKeyser was with Quincey, and Brendan Smith with Mike Green. We just decided with that six, it gave us the best chance to win tomorrow night, Blashill said. Marchenko scored his first goal of the season against the Kings, in the loss on Monday. Long time for Miller The penalty kill, which began to improve when Drew Miller returned to the lineup, is without him again. And Miller s knee injury (torn meniscus) is likely to have him out, possibly well into February. Certainly, personnel matters in terms of the success of your specialty teams, and Millsie is an elite penalty killer, Blashill said. We know that. We refocused ourselves about three weeks ago, on working on some things in the penalty kill. And I think that s shows in our game. Blashill complimented Abdelkader s play on the kill and said Dylan Larkin has done well, in spot duty. The coach said he did not have a specific time for Miller s return. We know it s going to be a long time. He s on long term injured reserve. I can t answer, beyond that. Red Wings at Coyotes Faceoff: 9 p.m. EST Thursday, Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona TV/Radio: FSPlus, 97.1, 1270 AM Notes:Petr Mrazek will start in net for the Red Wings, as they seek to begin another winning streak and increase their points total to 10 out of a possible 12 in six straight on the road. The Wings continue to look for offense, entering the game with five fewer goals for than against ( ). The Coyotes, under coach Dave Tippett, are playing better than expected. Rookie sensation Max Domi ended a 15-game scoring drought Tuesday with a hat trick. The Coyotes lead the NHL in hat tricks with five. Domi is second on the team in goals, with 13. Captain Shane Doan has 15. 8

9 Wings tradition of goalie controversies has old roots Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 12:30 a.m. EST January 14, 2016 Detroit Beating the Maple Leafs in the playoffs was the problem for the otherwise victorious Red Wings teams immediately after World War II. Goalie Harry Lumley dispatched the deficiency with a transcendent performance in the playoffs, which was essential to the Wings winning their fourth Stanley Cup on April 23, Less than three months later, they dumped Lumley. Only seven games into his career, Terry Sawchuk went between the pipes. The Red Wings disappointingly did not repeat as champions, but Sawchuk proved indispensable to three cup victories in the following four seasons. Sawchuk lifted the third on April 14, Six weeks later, the Wings dumped him. Minding the net draws attention. All goalies are scrutinized in ways that defensemen, despite their difficult, intricate jobs, and high-scoring forwards, with all their allure and flair, escape. It is particularly so in Detroit. The demanding perspective is handed down from parent to child, older sibling to younger. The roots of the obsession lie in the shocking decisions of longtime general manager Jack Adams and the dramatic events of the first eight years of the Red Wings most glorious decade, the 1950s, when they won four Stanley Cups. Provided with outstanding goaltending, the Wings stressed defense with forwards who routinely played a 200-foot game. And great goalies arrived as if Adams got them off one of the assembly lines dotting the city and driving the boom of what was then its heyday. The franchise delivered three future members of the Hockey Hall of Fame in goal with the timing of shiny new models. Lumley, Sawchuk and Glenn Hall each established their dazzling careers, secured the Wings position as the best team in the game and alternately thrilled and deeply divided fans during one of the greatest stretches in the history of the franchise. From 1950 to 1957, loyalties were proclaimed and parried concerning which of the best goalies in the league was the best goalie for the Red Wings. A goalie controversy? Compared to it, the immediate circumstances of Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard hardly rise to the level of a debate. Howard s inconsistency led to the further ascendance of Mrazek, who was already leading despite Howard making the 2015 All-Star team just 12 months ago. 9

10 At this juncture, Mrazek is lightning quick, stalwart in performance, forceful in bearing and seemingly possessed of unshakeable intention. Howard seeks to recover his consistency. The facts prevail. At an undetermined point in the future, perhaps as early as this summer, given salaries, the cap and the exigencies of developing an NHL roster, some dramatic determination is likely. For the moment, mostly, harmony reigns. Shocking deal But back in the 1950s? Different facts drove a narrative unlike anything seen at that position, or perhaps any other in the long history of the city s four dominant professional sports franchises. The Red Wings were an increasingly effective team after the war, and finished in first place for a third consecutive season in 1950, part of a stretch that would eventually include eight of the nine first places from 1948 to But in 1945, 1947 and 1949, they lost to the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, including two sweeps in the Stanley Cup Final. Finally, in 1950, Lumley lifted them. Playing without the team s dominant player, Gordie Howe, who nearly lost his life in an on-ice collision with Teeder Kennedy in the semifinals, Lumley recorded three shutouts and a 1.85 goals against average, a playoff record, in two thrilling seven-game series. It was the fourth Stanley Cup for the Red Wings. The town was smitten. Lumley had arrived as a 17-year-old goalie in 1943, when most young men including much of the rosters in the NHL were at war. Unlike many of the war fill-ins, the floridfaced kid known as Apple Cheeks in the era before masks stuck, becoming one of the best goalies in the NHL. But, that summer, Adams shipped him off to Chicago, then the NHL equivalent of Siberia. The trade was astounding in scope at the time. Adams traded Lumley; his toughest defenseman, Black Jack Stewart; Pete Babando, who scored the Cup winner in overtime in the seventh game against the Rangers; Don Morrison; and Al Babando for the diminutive forward Metro Prystai, Gaye Stewart and the journeyman goalie Sugar Jim Henry. The trade not only dumbfounded fans, it shocked the Red Wings, too. We were stunned when the news broke, Gordie Howe wrote in his autobiography, Mr. Hockey. The press was equally shocked and our fans didn t seem to know how to feel about the trade either. Among other things, Lumley was the local hero and Sawchuk mostly unknown. 10

11 Having played in seven games that season, including one shutout, Terry sufficiently impressed Adams that he negotiated the biggest trade in NHL history to that time, wrote their longtime doctor John Finley, in a book titled Hockeytown Doc. Part of it was Adams conviction that players became overly content on winning teams. After one of Detroit s Stanley Cup wins in the 1930s, he stood pat, only to watch the Wings, in his mind, become less hungry the following season, said Howe, for whom Adams was like a father. He told himself it was the last time he would become complacent. From then on, regardless of how well his team did the year before, he remained unsentimental about his players. Anyone could be traded. As the years went on, Sawchuk proved to be one of the best to ever put on pads, so making room for him in the lineup worked out, in retrospect, Howe said. At the time, though, seeing Lumley moved to the Black Hawks with little more than a nod didn t make us feel very warm inside. As much as I loved playing hockey, it was moments like those that reinforced the business side of the sport. The Detroit News summed it up in a headline the morning after the trade, Big Hockey Trade Boils Down to Gamble on Sawchuk. It was about the goalies. Gamble backfires After finishing first again in 1951, with the 20-year-old Sawchuk as the Calder winner for rookie of the year, the Red Wings lost to the Canadiens in the semifinals. Despite the successful regular season, fans blamed the trade for the catastrophe in the playoffs. But Sawchuk continued to play well. As the city flexed its industrial might, the Red Wings won Stanley Cups in 1952, 1954 and Although Adams continually hectored him about his weight and an already self-critical Sawchuk sustained a series of injuries, the young goalie was the best in the game, at age 25. He was an All-Star for five consecutive seasons and routinely the leader in goals against average and wins. It was during those years that Sawchuk began amassing shutouts for the career record of 103 that stood for 39 years. But Adams dumped him. Again, the trade shocked the hockey world. Young Hall was developing in the minors, but it seemed he would likely wait years to replace the best goalie in the league. But Sawchuk, Marcel Bonin, Lorne Davis and Vic Stasiuk went to the Bruins two months after the Wings third Stanley Cup in four years, for Gilles Boisvert, Real Chevrefils, Norm Corcoran, Warren Godfrey and Ed Sandford. 11

12 We let Sawchuk go because we found ourselves with two top goalies, Adams said, according to The Detroit News. Hall is more advanced now than Sawchuk when he joined us and all the players insist Glenn has been NHL material for the past year. It was a case of trading one of them and Sawchuk is the established player. Consequently, he brought a better offer. The Bruins rookie general manager Lynn Patrick was so daunted by the major deal, Adams said he did quite a bit of hand-holding in the negotiations. But Patrick reveled in the results. In our wildest dreams, we didn t think we could pry loose a guy of Sawchuk s status, Patrick said. It might have seemed like another master stroke for Trader Jack Adams. But it was not to be this time. The trade was part of what Howe and a generation of Red Wings fans considered the dismantling of the best franchise in the NHL. It would be 42 years before the Wings finally won another Stanley Cup. You ve got to guess right, Adams said, according to The News, the day after the trade. If we ve calculated correctly, the Red Wings will be better next season. They were not. Trading Sawchuk was such a bad idea, Adams had to get him back. To do so, two seasons later he parted with the John Bucyk, who would score 556 career goals, win two Stanley Cups and enter the Hockey Hall of Fame in a lengthy career for the Bruins. The controversy would continue through much of the 1960s. With Sawchuk s career fading, Hall excelled and when the Red Wings narrowly missed some Stanley Cups many fans thought Hall would have made the difference. In more recent years, the Red Wings had to trade Mike Vernon after Stanley Cup in order to retain a young, but accomplished, Chris Osgood with a waiver draft approaching, and Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph and Manny Legace made for some awkward moments in the room. Talk of the trio of terrific goaltenders and the tempestuous trades went on and on. Wings fans passed on word of the comings and goings of the great goalies as part of the lore of the franchise. Sawchuk dominated the league in his first stint in Detroit, and was among the best goalies in the second. Lumley won the Vezina Trophy for the Leafs in 1954 and amassed 330 career wins. Traded to the Black Hawks in a deal in which Adams jettisoned Ted Lindsay for trying to organize the players union, Hall was a 10-time All-Star, three-time Vezina winner and won both a Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the playoffs. The trio and their iconoclast of a general manager were sources of controversy that, across generations, became an obsession. 12

13 Red Wings Q&A: Riley Sheahan on life at Notre Dame, a memorable NHL debut, playing guitar Brendan Savage January 13, 2016 DETROIT Center Riley Sheahan has developed into a key player for the Detroit Red Wings during three seasons in the NHL. After scoring a career-high 13 goals last season, he's teamed with veteran Brad Richards and rookie sensation Dylan Larkin during the past month to give the Red Wings a dangerous third line. With seven goals and six assists in 43 games, Sheahan is on track to finish with 13 goals and 11 assists although those numbers could jump if he continues a recent pace that has seen him register four goals and three assists in the last 10 games. The Red Wings selected the 6-foot-3, 222-pound native of St. Catherines, Ontario in the first round (21st overall) of the 2010 NHL draft and Sheahan spent three seasons playing at Notre Dame before making his NHL debut late in the season. Sheahan, 24, sat down after practice recently and discussed his days at Notre Dame, that memorial NHL debut and his guitar skills during a Q&A with MLive. MLive: How did you end up at Notre Dame? Sheahan: Kind of just saw the whole packing of good education and good hockey program and obviously it's a prestigious school. I actually had a cousin that graduated the year before I got in there so I just kind of continued the Sheahan name on the back of a Notre Dame hockey jersey. It was a combination of different things. MLive: What was the whole experience like? Sheahan: It was amazing. I played with some really good guys and I still keep in touch with them today. They're some of my good friends. It was awesome. School was amazing. I kind of wish I was a little more focused on the education aspect but hockey was awesome and the people there were amazing. MLive: It seems like there's a mystique or a mythical thing around that place. Do you sense that when you're there? Sheahan: Yeah, for sure. Everybody upholds the Notre Dame standard and I think the Notre Dame name kind of travels. Globally, there's a lot of alumni everywhere. I think when you can say you went there it's definitely something people take seriously. MLive: What was the coolest part about going there for three years? Sheahan: Just campus. Walking through campus, especially football weekends on Fridays when people starting filtering in. It's pretty beautiful. The buildings and architecture is amazing. Just walking through there definitely is pretty cool. MLive: What do you remember about your first NHL game? I imagine that's got to be a little overwhelming. 13

14 Sheahan: Yeah, it's definitely pretty overwhelming. My first shift, I took a four-minute penalty, a high stick penalty, definitely wasn't my ideal first shift but it was definitely cool. I had a lot of family in the crowd and it was definitely special to share that with them. MLive: Did you splurge on anything special with your first NHL paycheck? Sheahan: No, nothing really. I bought a car. I bought a Jeep. I still have it so I think I'm going to hold on to that just because I guess that was the first thing I ever really bought. MLive: What do you think is the biggest misconception fans about NHL players, life in the NHL? Sheahan: I guess when you hear people say how easy it would be to be a professional athlete. It's a grind for 82 games mentally and physically. Obviously it's what we want to be doing and it's our dream but we gotta go through some things and sacrifice some things. You've got to be pretty disciplined. I think some people, because they see the glory on TV and things like that, think it's pretty easy but it's something you gotta work hard for. MLive: What about this budding basketball career? (Sheahan and Tomas Tatar were throwing wadded-up tape across the dressing room after practice, trying to make it into each other's waste basket.) Sheahan: Playing small games in the locker room trying to get tape in the garbage can. Usually I win but Tats beat me today. I was a high school basketball player. Both my parents played. MLive: What kind of player were you? Sheahan: Actually I was more of a guard type. Kind of did everything, rebounding and distributing. That hockey player mentally I think crossed over well to the basketball court. MLive: If you weren't playing hockey, what do you think you'd be doing? Sheahan: Both my parents were teachers so probably following in their footsteps. If I could have it any way I'd probably want to do something musically, play guitar and stuff like that. MLive: Do you play guitar now? Sheahan: Yeah, I play mostly acoustic stuff. It's a good thing to pick up and kill some time. MLive: Is it relaxing? Sheahan: Yeah, it definitely gets your mind off the game. Kind of learn some new songs and work at it. It's fun to pick up. MLive: Have you played anywhere publicly? Sheahan: No. Not at all. For the guys sometimes. I have some of the guys over sometimes and it's fun to pull out around a campfire and things like that. MLive: What's your favorite rink to play in other than Joe Louis Arena? 14

15 Sheahan: I love Chicago. I think the Madhouse is pretty special, just the atmosphere in there. The city of Chicago is amazing. I'd say either there or getting to go to Toronto and Buffalo, they're close to my hometown and to see all my family and friends there is pretty cool, too. MLive: What do you see yourself doing in 20 years? Sheahan: I don't know. Tough to say. I don't really think about it. I'd like to finish off my education. It's tough to do but it's something I've thought about and it's something I've got to think about a little more and take it seriously. Staying in the game would be cool, coaching younger kids. That's something I could see myself doing. MLive: How close are you to getting your degree? Sheahan: I was there for three years but I wasn't the most dedicated to my education so I probably have close to two years left. It would be hard (now) because you'd have to spend your summers down there and stuff like that. But you could always transfer those credits over to another school and do it online or something like that. MLive: Do you get back to Notre Dame at all? Sheahan: Yeah, I get back every summer for a week. We have all the guys that play professional now go back before training camp to get our legs and we usually put it together with a football game and have some fun. It's good to be back there and see some old teammates. Michigan Live LOADED:

16 Red Wings will go back to dressing six defensemen as Alexey Marchenko expected to be scratched Ansar Khan January 13, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Alexey Marchenko's strong, steady play has made him a fixture in the Detroit Red Wings lineup since late October. But with Kyle Quincey's return and a healthy defense, somebody has to sit. Marchenko apparently will draw the short straw for Thursday's game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena (9 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). "As of this morning, Alexey Marchenko will be out," coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday, following practice at the Ice Den. Blashill dressed seven defensemen in Monday's 4-2 loss at Los Angeles because he didn't know how Quincey would react in his first game in more than two months following ankle surgery. He'll go back to dressing 12 forwards and six defensemen against the Coyotes as forward Joakim Andersson will be inserted into the lineup. Marchenko scored his first goal of the season Monday during his 36th consecutive game after being recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Oct. 24. Blashill said it's a tough decision deciding who to scratch and it doesn't mean Marchenko won't return the following game. "I'd say certainly not because of his play, all seven played good enough to stay in," Blashill said. "One has to come out. We looked at a number of factors. "We certainly feel comfortable putting Alexey in and that might be the case the next game. This isn't long term; this is a day-to-day decision right now. The partners is one thing. We've liked some of the different partners. We just decided that this is the six that give us the best chance to win (Thursday)." Blashill said Petr Mrazek will start against the Coyotes. He has won his past four starts and has allowed only two goals in past three. Here are the lines they skated with today: Gustav Nyquist-Henrik Zetterberg-Justin Abdelkader Tomas Tatar-Pavel Datsyuk-Darren Helm Dylan Larkin-Riley Sheahan-Brad Richards Tomas Jurco-Luke Glendening-Joakim Andersson On defense: Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser 16

17 Brendan Smith-Mike Green Alexey Marchenko skated with forward Teemu Pulkkinen (dislocated shoulder), who is about 1-2 weeks away from returning. Michigan Live LOADED:

18 Red Wings spent day off hitting baseballs, shooting guns and enjoying the sun Ansar Khan January 13, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. It's always important to unwind and have some fun away from the rink during a long and grinding season. The Detroit Red Wings enjoyed themselves on their day off Tuesday in Arizona, during their longest trip of the season. Some players went to a shooting range, others got some sun. Coaches took batting practice. And it seemed like everyone was buying tickets for the $1.5 billion Powerball drawing Wednesday night. Coach Jeff Blashill and his staff took batting practice and shagged fly balls at the Chicago White Sox spring training facility in Glendale. Assistant coach Tony Granato, a Chicago native, had connections. "It was like I was a 15-year old kid," Blashill said. "It was an awesome morning. Then we went and watched Arizona play (the Coyotes beat Edmonton 4-3 in overtime). "We're as prepared as anybody, but you also need to enjoy life. Look at this (beautiful) day." Justin Abdelkader said he had a 'nice, relaxing day by the pool", went to the spa and enjoyed some sun. "It is a long season, now we're kind of on the downswing, past the halfway point," Abdelkader said. "So it has been a nice road trip for us, got to spend a lot of time with the guys away from the rink, which is positive. Hopefully we can finish it off here in Arizona and then look forward to going home." Niklas Kronwall was among a group of seven players that went on a tour up the desert on UTVs to Arizona Outdoor Fun to shoot guns and rifles. "It was definitely something I haven't done before," Kronwall said. "It's nice to just kind of shut-off even though it's just for a day, but do something completely different. For us, we usually just lay around, but we actually did something (Tuesday) and then later at night we all got together and had a good dinner. So all in all a good day." Red Wings Red Wings (clockwise from bottom left) Luke Glendening, Darren Helm, Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Ericsson, Mike Green, Riley Sheahan and Niklas Kronwall enjoyed shooting guns and rifles.courtesy of Red Wings Who was the best shooter? "I'm thinking that either Greener (Mike Green) or E (Jonathan Ericsson)," Kronwall said. "Looked like they at least knew what they were doing." Many players purchased Powerball tickets. Blashill said he would as well. "We got on the train yesterday; it feels like everyone is talking about it," Kronwall said. "There's always a chance I guess." 18

19 Kronwall said it's the first time he has purchased Powerball tickets. "You couldn't even fathom how much money it is," he said. "But it's just fun to be a part of it." Said Abdelkader: "I think it's one of those things where you can say 'At least I bought a ticket,' so you gave yourself a chance. The odds of winning obviously are really slim but at least you can say you had a chance." Michigan Live LOADED:

20 Wings focused on getting more pucks on goal By Chuck Pleiness, Posted: 01/13/16, 6:25 PM EST Scoring goals have come at a premium of late for the Detroit Red Wings, which is why their ability to grind out close games is helping them stay near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. We ve been in a lot of one-goal games, Justin Abdelkader said. The one-goal games we ve lost we ve given up some empty-net goals, too. I just think it s the league is really tight. Detroit is in one-goal games this season. We re not necessarily a team that s going to go out and score five or six a night, so we re going to play with good structure, we want to keep opponents goals down obviously, so we re going to commit ourselves to defense, Abdelkader said. Through 43 games, the Wings have scored 106 goals and have given up 110. To score goals in this league you ve got to shoot the puck and get more pucks on net, Abdelkader said. Hopefully we can spend more time in the offensive zone and goals will come. Detroit ranks 25th in shots per game (28.4), 21st in goals per games (2.47) and 25th on the power play (17.2 percent). We have to spend more time in the other team s zone, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. If you think back we haven t had those real long stretches and when you do that you tend to accumulate more shots. I can t answer the goal differential situation, Blashill added. We ve been in real tight games. We haven t had many empty net goals for and have given up a few against certainly. We hope it improves as we go along. Detroit, which has won four of its last five, has scored four goals in a game just once in its past 10 games and has scored a total of 21 goals during that stretch. We still have to play better, Blashill said. We re not dominating teams, or our shot totals have been unreal or our scoring chances have been unreal. We ve found ways to win tight games, but we have to find a way to play better whether it s at home or on the road. Blashill has picked his six defensemen for the Wings last game of a six-game road trip Thursday night against the Arizona Coyotes. And it doesn t include Alexey Marchenko. I d say certainly not because of his play, all seven played good enough to stay in, Blashill said. One has to come out. Blashill dressed seven defensemen Monday with Kyle Quincey returning to the lineup after missing more than two months following ankle surgery. 20

21 We looked at a number of factors, Blashill said. We certainly feel comfortable putting Alexey in and that might be the case the next game. Marchenko had played 36 consecutive games since being recalled from Grand Rapids on Oct. 24. And he scored his first goal of the season in Monday s 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. This isn t long term, Blashill said. This is a day-to-day decision right now. The pairings are also one thing. We ve liked some of the different partners. We just decided that this is the six that give us the best chance to win (Thursday) night. Petr Mrazek will start in goal Thursday. He has won his past four starts and has allowed only two goals in past three. Blashill had no timeframe on when Drew Miller, who s sidelined with a torn meniscus, will return to the team. It s going to be a long-term thing, he said. Not sure on weeks or months, but it s not short term. We don t expect him back anytime soon. I can t answer beyond that. Macomb Daily LOADED:

22 Griffins allow 3 goals in third, lose at Charlotte By MLive.com CHARLOTTE, N.C. The Grand Rapids Griffins surrendered four unanswered goals, including three in a 4:56 third-period span, falling to the Charlotte Checkers 4-3 on Wednesday at Bojangles' Coliseum. The Griffins ( ), winners of 20 of their last 24 games, saw their winning streak end at three consecutive games. The result also spoiled the AHL debut of Jake Paterson, who stopped 38 of 42 shots. Anthony Mantha started the scoring on a 5-on-3 power play with 5:13 left in the opening period.andy Miele's pass from the right corner found Mantha at the right circle, who placed a wrist shot inside the far post for his 11th of the campaign. Martin Frk added to the Griffins' lead 38 seconds later. Shortly after the power play expired, Tyler Bertuzzi's feed from the bottom of the right circle found Frk near the high slot, firing a snapshot past Rasmus Tirronen's blocker side for his 14th of the season and third in two games against the Checkers. Louis-Marc Aubry gave the Griffins a three-goal advantage with 10:10 remaining in the middle frame. Zach Nastasiuk's initial effort from the right circle grazed off Tirronen's arm and hit the near post, with the rebound rolling behind the Charlotte netminder in the crease for an Aubry tap-in. Ethan Werek scored on the power play to put Charlotte ( ) on the scoresheet with 4:43 to go in the second. Justin Shugg's pass from the right circle found Werek at the goalline to Paterson's glove side. Werek worked his way towards the front of the crease, lifting the puck past the blocker side, matching Frk with his third goal of the midweek series. The Checkers controlled the play to open the final frame, with Zach Boychuk scoring on the power play at the 1:34 mark. Sergey Tolchinsky's diagonal pass from behind the goalline found Boychuk at the bottom of the right circle for a one-timer past the glove side to make it a 3-2 contest. Rasmus Rissanen tied the score for Charlotte on a terrific individual effort with 16:16 left in regulation. Starting at center ice, Rissanen gained the zone and sent a wrist shot from the left circle towards the glove side. Brody Sutter scored what proved to be the game-winner, giving the Checkers their first lead of the contest shorthanded with 13:30 remaining. While Boychuk was serving a roughing minor, Sutter intercepted a Jakub Kindl cross-ice pass at the point and went 22

23 on a breakaway, scoring on his forehand when he pushed the puck around the left pad of a sprawling Paterson and in. Grand Rapids finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while the Checkers scored twice on five opportunities. Tirronen stopped 27 of 30 shots to earn the victory. The Griffins return to Van Andel Arena looking to extend their franchise-record 13-game home winning streak on Friday when they face off against the Lake Erie Monsters at 7 p.m. Notes Tonight was the first time the Griffins have lost this season when scoring three or more goals ( ) and when leading after one period ( )...Grand Rapids is (.615) against opposition with a winning percentage of.600 or higher and (.545) on the second night of a back-to-back during the current campaign. Grand Rapids Griffins 3 at Charlotte Checkers 4 - Status: Final Wednesday, January 13, Bojangles' Coliseum Grand Rapids Charlotte st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Mantha 11 (Miele, Tangradi), 13:47 (PP). 2, Grand Rapids, Frk 14 (Bertuzzi, Nosek), 16:25. Penalties-Kindl Gr (interference), 2:05; Rissanen Cha (cross-checking), 13:50; Lowe Cha (high-sticking), 14:22; Campbell Gr (tripping), 16:45; Carrick Cha (interference), 18:43. 2nd Period-3, Grand Rapids, Aubry 7 (Nastasiuk, Jenks), 9:50. 4, Charlotte, Werek 4 (Shugg, Chelios), 15:17 (PP). Penalties-Tolchinsky Cha (hooking), 5:52; Kindl Gr (hooking), 6:34; Frk Gr (elbowing), 14:55. 3rd Period-5, Charlotte, Boychuk 6 (Tolchinsky, Hensick), 1:34 (PP). 6, Charlotte, Rissanen 2 3:44. 7, Charlotte, Sutter 7 6:30 (SH). Penalties-Mantha Gr (hooking), 0:41; Boychuk Cha (roughing), 5:01; Rissanen Cha (boarding), 9:14. Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids Charlotte Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 1 / 6; Charlotte 2 / 5. Goalies-Grand Rapids, Paterson (42 shots-38 saves). Charlotte, Tirronen (30 shots-27 saves). A-4,417 23

24 Referees-Jamie Koharski (84), Dave Lewis (46). Linesmen-John Grandt (98), Brent Hooks (20). 24