Detroit Red Wings Clips January 15-16, 2014

Transcription

1 Detroit Red Wings Clips January 15-16, 2014 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Injured Detroit Red Wings remain out; Mike Babcock brings out his pukeinducing comment PAGE 3 Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk named captain of Team Russia at Olympics PAGE 5 Captaincy is nice honor but Red Wings need Pavel Datsyuk to get healthy PAGE 7 Red Wings happy not to travel as far to face Rangers; focus on snapping 0-for-21 power-play slump PAGE 9 Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk 'honored, humbled' to be Russian Olympic captain; still needs few more days PAGE 11 Red Wings' Jimmy Howard will return against Rangers; other injured players remain sidelined PAGE 12 Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk named captain of Russian Olympic team for Sochi Games PAGE 13 Injured players still injured; Datsyuk named captain for Russia PAGE 15 Red Wings need Gustav Nyquist to regain scoring form with teammates ailing PAGE 16 Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist might end scoring drought by driving to net more PAGE 18 Red Wings need Gustav Nyquist to snap slump by getting puck to the net more, getting on the inside PAGE 19 Red Wings recall Tomas Jurco from Grand Rapids as Tomas Tatar's replacement for Thursday's game PAGE 20 Red Wings coach Mike Babcock not sure yet if any injured players will return for Thursday's game PAGE 22 Red Wings battling to stay in playoff contention; Mike Babcock: 'I wouldn't bet against us' PAGE 24 Red Wings continue to deal with injuries PAGE 26 Injured Detroit Red Wings getting closer to return

2 Injured Detroit Red Wings remain out; Mike Babcock brings out his puke-inducing comment 1:37 PM, January 15, 2014 By George Sipple Detroit Free Press Sports Writer Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk said he s not yet ready to return from a lower body injury and won t travel to New York for Thursday s game against the Rangers (7 p.m., FSD). Forward Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) did not practice today. Forwards Darren Helm (groin) and Johan Franzen (concussion) and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (ribs) skated, but Wings coach Mike Babcock said there was no possibility of getting anybody back for Thursday s game. Goaltender Jimmy Howard said he expects to start in net against the Rangers. The only other lineup change will be forward Tomas Jurco taking the place of Tomas Tatar, who is attending his father s funeral. That none of the day-to-day players are ready to return after a three-day break between games seemed to irk Babcock. I ve said this a number of times this year enough to make me want to puke I m going to focus on the players that are here, Babcock said. As for Jurco, Babcock has liked what he s seen. Jurco has two goals and one assist in seven games with the Wings. He has 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 32 games with the Griffins. He s a big, talented guy, Babcock said. Can really skate. Pushing for a job on our team. Last time, I thought he did a real good job, and (he) gets another opportunity this time. You know, the big thing for him is he s gotta make sure we can t send him back. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk named captain of Team Russia at Olympics 3:23 PM, January 15, 2014 By George Sipple Detroit Free Press Sports Writer Pavel Datsyuk is ready to lead. He s just not ready to return to the ice for the Red Wings Thursday night against the New York Rangers. Datsyuk was named captain of the Russian men s hockey team for the Sochi Olympics today. He missed practice on Wednesday for the Wings and will miss his fifth consecutive game with a lower body injury when the Wings visit the Rangers. Datsyuk told reporters after practice that he won t travel with the team to New York. While the Wings practiced at City Sports Center in Detroit, Datsyuk tweeted about being named Russia s captain: I am honored to be named a captain. Our team embraces the opportunity and responsibility of representing our country on the home ice. Datsyuk, 35, will be making his fourth appearance in the Winter Olympics. He has helped the Wings win Stanley Cups in 2002 and Datsyuk helped Russia win bronze in He was part of teams that did not medal in 2006 or Honored and humbled, Datsyuk told reporters when asked how he felt about being named captain of the Russian team. Especially in home country. Lots of pressure for us, but so happy. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who will again be Canada s Olympic coach, hadn t heard the news that Datsyuk had been given the C for Russia: Fantastic. It s a great honor and deservedly so. The Wings will have two Olympic captains, as Henrik Zetterberg was already chosen to lead Sweden. Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who will also play for Sweden, said it made sense for Datsyuk to be named captain. He s the perfect guy to settle things down and make sure they stay focused on the right things, Kronwall said. The NHL will take a break for the Olympics from Feb The Wings have a whole bunch of people going to the Games. Team Sweden also features Daniel Alfredsson, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson and Jonas Gustavsson. Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco made the Slovakian team, and Jimmy Howard is on Team USA. Mike Babcock is coaching Team Canada. General 3

4 manager Ken Holland was part of the advisory committee for selecting the Canadian squad. The hockey tournament runs Feb As for the injury that continues to sideline him, Datsyuk didn t have much to say about what is specifically bothering him. Another couple days and we ll see when team come back, Datsyuk of the possibility of playing again. The Wings are scheduled to practice on Friday and then host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at Joe Louis Arena. Datsyuk said he originally thought he would only miss one game but said he still doesn t feel great. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Captaincy is nice honor but Red Wings need Pavel Datsyuk to get healthy Ted Kulfan The Detroit News Detroit It s nice that Pavel Datsyuk is going to captain the Russian Olympic team, but of more importance to the Red Wings is that he s not ready to play Thursday in New York. Whatever lower-body issue is troubling Datsyuk it was supposed to be a day-to-day injury -- will now have caused him to miss five consecutive games. (I wasn t) expecting this way, said Datsyuk after Wednesday s practice, of which he was not a participant. I thought I d miss one game and come back. But it s not feeling great. I just have to fight through. Datsyuk isn t likely to even make the trip to New York to play the Rangers. He wasn t sure about his availability for Saturday s home game against the Kings. (Take a) couple of days (off) and we ll see when the team comes back, Datsyuk said. Datsyuk was honored to hear about being named captain for the upcoming Olympics in his home country. It s an honor and I m humbled, representing the Russian team, Datsyuk said. Especially (we re) the home country. There s a lot of pressure on us but I m so happy. For many, Datsyuk seemed the obvious choice to be named captain. He s the perfect guy to settle things down and make sure they stay focused on the right things, defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. Datsyuk (Russia) and forward Henrik Zetterberg (Sweden) are two Red Wings named captains for their countries. It s a great honor for him and Z, coach Mike Babcock said. Howard only Wing returning Even with three days off between games, goalie Jimmy Howard (hip flexor) is the lone returnee to the lineup against the Rangers. Howard will start Thursday night. No possibility of getting anybody back, Babcock said. Datsyuk, Darren Helm (groin), Johan Franzen (concussion), Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) and Jonas Gustavsson (groin) all will be unavailable. I ve said this a number of times this year, enough to make me want to puke, Babcock said. I m going to focus on the players that are here. Jurco in lineup With forward Tomas Tatar in Slovakia for the funeral of his father, Tomas Jurco will replace Tatar in the lineup. 5

6 He s a big, talented guy who can skate and is pushing for a job on our team, said Babcock of Jurco, who had two goals and an assist in seven games earlier this season. He did a real good job (last time) and gets another opportunity this time. The big thing for him is to make sure we can t send him back. Ice chips What does Babcock want to see out of a power play that hasn t scored in its last 21 opportunities? I d like to see get us get in the inside, shoot the puck and actually want to be a shooter, and get some second chances, Babcock said. Your ability to get it (the puck) back is also critical to having a successful power play. Win faceoffs, get the puck back and be shooting; you can t pass it around.... After early-season struggles, it appears Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has regained his top form. Early he wasn t quite as good as he normally is, Babcock said. To me, goaltending is everything. When you have it, you don t think about it. When you don t have it, it s everything. Red Wings at Rangers Faceoff: 7 p.m. TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit / 97.1 FM and 1270 AM. Records: Red Wings , 50 points; Rangers points. Notable: The Rangers won the only previous games between the teams this season.... Going over their last 10 games, the Rangers have passed the Red Wings in the East standings.... New York ranks sixth on the power play (21.1 percent).... G Henrik Lundqvist ( ,.911 save percentage) is rebounding from a slow start. Detroit News LOADED:

7 Red Wings happy not to travel as far to face Rangers; focus on snapping 0-for-21 power-play slump Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on January 15, 2014 at 8:08 PM, updated January 15, 2014 at 8:18 PM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings have a tendency to struggle in their first game following a West Coast trip. Three days off before facing the New York Rangers Thursday at Madison Square Garden might help them adjust after flying back home from Anaheim following Sunday s game. Regardless, they re relieved they don t have to go further west than St. Paul, Minn., the rest of the season. I was really tired (Tuesday); it was tough getting home at 5:30 in the morning, goaltender Jimmy Howard said. But, thankfully, both our West Coast swings are over and we ll primarily be in the Eastern Time Zone. I ll be nice from here on out. Of their remaining 36 games, 33 are in the Eastern Time Zone. It is a big difference, no doubt, defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. The Eastern Conference isn t as strong, top to bottom, as the West, but it s still plenty tough for the Red Wings ( ), one of many clubs battling for a playoff spot. The Rangers ( ) are one of those teams, and they re playing much better lately in their past 12 games following a shaky start. They defeated the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 21 at Joe Louis Arena. Good depth up front, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. They ve got their guys back and healthy -- (Ryan) McDonagh and (Dan) Girardi, (Marc) Staal. (Henrik) Lundqvist obviously is one of the best (goaltenders) in the world. To me, goaltending is everything and when you have it you don t even think about it. Jimmy Howard, bothered a bit by a hip flexor the past couple of days, will be back in net for Detroit. He expects to face a more dynamic Rangers team. The defensemen are jumping in the play constantly, Howard said. They re playing a lot more open style of hockey compared to what they have in the past when they were a lot more defensive-minded. Lundqvist seems to be playing a lot better as of late. He s the one that drives the bus for that team. The Red Wings are still without injured forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Daniel Alfredsson and Darren Helm. Tomas Tatar, their most dangerous offensive threat during the just completed four-game road trip, is in Slovakia for his father s funeral and will miss the game. 7

8 Minus all that firepower, it will be imperative to break through on the power play, which is 0-for-21 the past five games. We focused a ton on it (Wednesday) and we have to score more goals, but at the same time we can t give up any, Babcock said. I d like to see us get it on the inside. I like to see us shoot the puck and actually want to be a shooter. I want to see us get some second chances. I think your ability to get (the puck) back is so critical to having a successful power play. You have to win faceoffs, you ve got to be in the offensive zone. You have to be shooting; we can t be passing it around the outside. Prospect Tomas Jurco, recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday to replace Tatar, could help in this area. He had three points (two goals and an assist) in seven games with the Red Wings last month. He s a big, talented guy who can really skate, and he s pushing for a job on our team, Babcock said. Last time I thought he did a real good job and he gets another opportunity. He s just got to make sure that we don t send him back. Growing up in Upstate New York as a Rangers fan, Howard said Madison Square Garden is a special place. I think it s one of the best places to play in the NHL, Howard said. Kronwall said playing at MSG is fun but he wishes the ice was a little better. They do have 500 events a year or whatever; it is hard to keep the ice at the best conditions, but they do as good of a job as they can, Kronwall said. They've kind of renovated it. Maybe it s better now. It s a very special place, no doubt about it. Michigan Live LOADED:

9 Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk 'honored, humbled' to be Russian Olympic captain; still needs few more days Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on January 15, 2014 at 2:01 PM, updated January 15, 2014 at 4:39 PM DETROIT Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk will wear a C on his jersey for the first time in his professional career next month, and he ll do it on hockey s biggest international stage. Being named captain of the Russian Olympic team is even more special for Datsyuk because the Games are in Sochi, Russia. It s an honor, humbled to represent Russian team, especially in home country, Datsyuk said. Lots of pressure for us, but so happy. Said coach Mike Babcock: It s a great honor and deservingly so. Datsyuk got the nod over three-time NHL MVP Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, among others. Lots of talk about (Datsyuk being captain), but coach decide, Datsyuk said. I m happy to help team and the coach. Datsyuk has been an alternate captain for the Red Wings since the season. The Russian team is amazing, Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith said. I think you could find at least three real big candidates (for captain), so it s pretty impressive that he got named. He s the leader in our room a lot and he s always showing by example. I think if he gets speak his own language he d be even a more vocal player for that team so it makes more sense that he d be captain. This will be Datsyuk's fourth Olympic Games. He has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 14 career Olympic games. Said teammate Niklas Kronwall: Well-deserved, absolutely. Big honor. I m happy for him. I think he s the perfect guy to settle things down and make sure that they stay focused on the right things." The Red Wings will have two captains at the Olympics, as Henrik Zetterberg was named last week to lead Sweden in that capacity. Datsyuk didn t practice Wednesday and will miss his fifth game in a row Thursday at the New York Rangers due a lower-body injury. Need another couple days and then we ll see when team comes back, Datsyuk said. Skate with team again (Friday) and then we ll see what happens. He admitted it s disconcerting that he s been out this long. 9

10 Yeah, I m not expecting this way, Datsyuk said. I was thinking I m going to miss one game and come back but it s not feel great. Just fight through. When someone asked Datsyuk about the injury and if it hurts to skate, he said, It s so secret. I know you work for Canada or the U.S. Michigan Live LOADED:

11 Red Wings' Jimmy Howard will return against Rangers; other injured players remain sidelined Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on January 15, 2014 at 12:57 PM, updated January 15, 2014 at 1:05 PM DETROIT None of the Detroit Red Wings injured forwards will return for Thursday s game at the New York Rangers (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). And it s safe to say coach Mike Babcock is getting sick of talking about injuries. I ve said this a number of times this year, enough to make me want to puke, is that I m focused on the players that are here, Babcock said after practice today at City ICE. Pavel Datsyuk (lower-body) and Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) did not practice today. Johan Franzen (concussion) and Darren Helm (groin) skated, but didn t take part in line rushes or many drills. At least goaltender Jimmy Howard expects to be ready after sitting out Sunday's game in Anaheim with a hip flexor sustained in Saturday's 3-1 victory at Los Angeles. Practiced again today and felt fine, so I m good to go (Thursday), Howard said. It sounds like (he s playing), Babcock said. We ll see after the morning skate. Howard said of his injury, I knew it wasn t going to be much from the other night (Saturday). More so than anything the muscle itself just felt really fatigued, felt it needed a bit of a break. Better to take one night off than to go out there and cause further harm and be out 2-3 weeks. Here are the lines and defense pairings they skated with today: Gustav Nyquist-Henrik Zetterberg-Justin Abdelkader Tomas Jurco-Riley Sheahan-Todd Bertuzzi Drew Miller-Joakim Andersson-Mikael Samuelsson Daniel Cleary-Luke Glendening-Patrick Eaves Niklas Kronwall-Brendan Smith Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl Jimmy Howard (starting) Petr Mrazek Jonas Gustavsson (groin, not expected to dress) Michigan Live LOADED:

12 Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk named captain of Russian Olympic team for Sochi Games Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on January 15, 2014 at 9:30 AM, updated January 15, 2014 at 9:54 AM Pavel-Datsyuk Pavel Datsyuk is one of several key Red Wings who've missed extended time due to an injury.melanie Maxwell The Ann Arbor News The Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk has been named captain of the Russian Olympic team, according to reports out of Russia. The honor is even more special because the Olympics are in Sochi, Russia. This will be Datsyuk's fourth Olympic appearance. Last week, Henrik Zetterberg was named captain of the Swedish Olympic squad. The Red Wings have 10 players going to the Olympics: Datsyuk; Zetterberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall,Jonathan Ericsson and Jonas Gustavsson for Sweden; Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco for Slovakina and Jimmy Howard for the U.S. Mike Babcock is coaching Canada. Datsyuk has missed four games due to a lower-body injury and his status for Thursday's game at the New York Rangers is questionable. Michigan Live LOADED:

13 Injured players still injured; Datsyuk named captain for Russia By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 01/15/14, 1:06 PM EST DETROIT Quick update from Detroit Red Wings practice, which took place at Detroit City Arena. Coach Mike Babcock said none of the injured players Johan Franzen (concussion), Jonas Gustavsson (groin), Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), Darren Helm (groin), and Jonathan Ericsson (ribs) will be back for Thursday s game at New York against the Rangers. No possibility of getting anybody back, Babcock said. I ve said this a number of times this year, enough to make me want to puke, is that I m focused on the players that are here. Jimmy Howard will start in goal. Tomas Jurco will take Tomas Tatar s spot in the lineup Thursday. He s a big, talented guy who can really skate and he s pushing for a job on our team, Babcock said. So last time I thought he did a real good job and he gets another opportunity this time. It s a good thing for hm. He s just got to make sure that we don t send him back. The Wings have not scored on the power play in their last 21 chances and face a Rangers team with the ninth-best penalty kill in the league. I don t think we have to worry about anybody s penalty kil, we have to worry about our power play, Babcock said. We focused a ton on it today and we have to score more goals but at the same time we can t give up any. Datsyuk was named captain of the Russian Olympic team for this year s Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Fantastic, it s a great honor and deservingly so, Babcock said. This is Datsyuk s fourth Olympic appearance. Henrik Zetterberg is also the captain for Sweden. We think (leadership is) a big part of what we ve got going on here, Babcock said. Now obviously we d like to get them all back and playing and all of those things but in the meantime it s a great honor for him and for Z. Babcock is the coach of Canada. When I drive my vehicle and my work in my vehicle, that s when I do my calls and my Olympic stuff, Babcock said when asked how much he thinks about the Olympics. Other than that, I mean, I watched the Rangers play last night. (Rick) Nash is in the game so I watched Nash play. I watched (Ryan) McDonagh he s going to play for the 13

14 U.S., but I was watching getting ready for the Red Wings game. So it was easy. When I was out in Anaheim I saw (Corey) Perry play. It s straightforward I guess. (Jonas) Hiller was playing and it s going to play for the Swiss. You just do your job and it s straightforward. Macomb Daily LOADED:

15 Red Wings need Gustav Nyquist to regain scoring form with teammates ailing 5:08 PM, January 14, 2014 By George Sipple Gustav Nyquist made an immediate impact when he was called up from the minors, scoring two goals in his Red Wings season debut against the Hurricanes on Nov. 21. He added two more goals over his next four games. After scoring four goals and three assists for seven points in his first eight games, Nyquist has one goal and two assists for three points in his last 13 games. He has one goal in his last 16 games. Nyquist s recent lack of offensive production is magnified by the number of other skill players who have been missing from the lineup lately. The Wings have already lost 186 man-games to injury, although they don t even crack the top five in the NHL in that category. The Penguins lead the NHL with 279 man games lost, according to mangameslost.com. The Wings rank seventh for the highest total. This is what I d tell you about Gus we talk about it all the time you don t get any points in the league for style, said Wings coach Mike Babcock. You gotta get the puck to the net. So when you re a pure passer and you don t feel that that s your job, you never shoot the puck. Most guys with lots of assists got a whole bunch by passing it off the goalie. That isn t part of his repertoire yet and we re working on it and he s working. Nyquist said he wants to score. Sometimes you go for a stretch where you don t score as much, he said. You just gotta keep working hard. Don t think about it too much. I ve had some opportunities to score, I just haven t put the puck in the net. Just keep going and hopefully it will go in soon. NOTEBOOK:Jimmy Howard practiced today and said he s ready to play. The Wings play next at the New York Rangers on Thursday. Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), Darren Helm (groin) and Johan Franzen (concussion) practiced today, but Babcock said he won t know the availability of injured players until after Wednesday s practice. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (ribs) said he s hoping to be ready to play on Saturday. Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) did not skate. Henrik Zetterberg also had the day off. Asked about Zetterberg, Babcock said: Maintenance day. He s had a lot of them, eh?... Tomas Jurco was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins partly to fill in with Tomas Tatar still out attending his father s funeral and Louis-Marc Aubrywas reassigned from the ECHL s Toledo Walleye to the Griffins. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

16 Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist might end scoring drought by driving to net more Ted Kulfan Detroit The Red Wings need goals; they haven t been scoring much for a while, and forward Gustav Nyquist would appear to be one guy capable of goal-scoring. But Nyquist is struggling, just like many others. He s in the midst of scoring one goal in 16 games (with four assists). That s how it goes sometimes, said Nyquist after Tuesday s practice. You just have to live with it. I want to score and help the team as much as possible, but it hasn t gone in for a few games. Or a while, I don t even know how many games. But I try not to think about it. You just have to work hard, and sooner or later it ll go in. Coach Mike Babcock wants to see Nyquist driving to the net a little more. We talk about it all the time; you don t get any points in the league for style, Babcock said. You have to get the puck to the net. When you re a pure passer and you don t feel that s your job, you never shoot the puck. Most of the guys with lots of assists got a whole bunch by passing it off the goalie. That s not part of his repertoire, but we re working on it and he s working on it. Nyquist realizes he needs to go to the tough areas of the ice more often. It s about getting those second chances on the inside and in front of the net, Nyquist said. Take the puck to the net more, and shoot the puck whenever you can. Again, it s all hard work. Obviously with all the injuries we ve had, I ve gotten an opportunity to play more, and in key situations I feel I can score more, and that s what I want to do. Scoreboard watching The second half of the season has just started, but the Red Wings do realize how tight the Eastern Conference playoff chase has become. All they have to do is look daily at the whiteboard in the locker room by the players lounge and training room, which displays the standings. It s always there, a constant reminder, said goalie Jimmy Howard, whose locker is closest to the board. It s right in front of your face. It s on all of our minds. Every game we play now is big, and we re trying to get points until we get all the guys back. Practice ramped up After taking Monday off after flying all night and arriving from Anaheim at 6 a..m., the Red Wings were back on the ice Tuesday, and there was a definite work ethic on the ice. 16

17 We had a real good practice, Babcock said. Several of the drills had a high level of intensity. Some were good battle drills, which Babcock wants the Red Wings to carry over into the games. We re a team that structurally we do real good things, Babcock said. We can always compete harder. When you don t score, you have to compete, and we re a group that has to be ultra-competitive. We want points (in the standings). Ice chips Babcock will not be sure about who is available and who isn t until after Wednesday s practice. One optimistic player is Howard (hip flexor), who expects to be ready to play the Rangers, after sitting out Sunday. I don t see why not, I practiced, Howard said.... Pavel Datsyuk (lower body) skated but left the ice early. Darren Helm (groin) likely won t play Thursday. Johan Franzen (concussion) practiced but remains day to day, as is Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms), who didn t go on the ice. Henrik Zetterberg stayed off the ice also, but is expected to play against the Rangers. Just a maintenance day. He s (Zetterberg) had a lot of them, eh? Babcock said. I know what we have available and let s just plug away. We ve spent the the entire year talking about this (injuries), let s just worry about who is playing. Jonathan Ericsson (ribs) could be ready Saturday. Detroit News LOADED:

18 Red Wings need Gustav Nyquist to snap slump by getting puck to the net more, getting on the inside Ansar Khan on January 14, 2014 at 7:01 PM, updated January 14, 2014 at 7:08 PM DETROIT Gustav Nyquist has gone cold after a hot start with the Detroit Red Wings. The best way for him to heat up is to shoot more and get on the inside. You don t get any points in the league for style, you have to get the puck to the net, coach Mike Babcock said. So when you re a pure passer and you don t feel that s your job you never shoot the puck. Most guys with lots of assists got it by passing it off the goalie; that isn t part of his repertoire yet. We re working on that. He s working on that. Nyquist has just one goal and four assists in his past 16 games, after picking up four goals and an assist in his first five games following his permanent recall from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Nov. 20. Sometimes you go (through) a stretch where you don t score as much, Nyquist said. You just got to keep working hard, don t think about it too much. I ve had some opportunities to score, I just haven t been able to put the puck in the net. Nyquist is averaging 2.38 shots per game. That ranks fourth on the team, behind Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen. It s always about getting those second chances on the inside and in front of the net, Nyquist said. Take the puck to the net more and shoot the puck whenever you can. Just work hard and it ll go in soon. Nyquist has five goals and five assists in 21 games. With key offensive players injured (Datsyuk, Franzen, Daniel Alfredsson) and Tomas Tatar not available Thursday at the New York Rangers due to his father s funeral in Slovakia, the Red Wings need more from Nyquist. He logged a career-high 22:47 in ice time in Sunday s 1-0 loss at Anaheim. With the injuries we have I ve gotten an opportunity to play more in key situations, Nyquist said. I feel like I can score more and that s what I want to do. I just got to work harder and keep getting chances. Detroit News LOADED:

19 Red Wings recall Tomas Jurco from Grand Rapids as Tomas Tatar's replacement for Thursday's game Ansar Khan on January 14, 2014 at 3:55 PM, updated January 14, 2014 at 4:25 PM DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Tomas Jurco from the Grand Rapids for Thursday's game at the New York Rangers. Because Tomas Tatar is unavailable due to his father's funeral in Slovakia and with none of the team's injured forwards possibly ready, the Red Wings needed another forward. Jurco, 21, had three points (two goals, assist) during a seven-game stint with the Red Wings last month. He has a team-leading 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 32 games for the Griffins. Jurco and Tatar were selected last week to the Slovakian Olympic team. Michigan Live LOADED:

20 Red Wings coach Mike Babcock not sure yet if any injured players will return for Thursday's game Ansar Khan on January 14, 2014 at 1:46 PM, updated January 14, 2014 at 2:07 PM DETROIT Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is tired of talking about all his injured players, but that remains the prevailing theme surrounding the team. After practice Tuesday at City ICE, Babcock said he won t until after Wednesday s skate whether any of the injured players will return for Thursday s game at the New York Rangers (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit). I know what we have available to us, so that s how I look at it, Babcock said. We spent the whole year talking about this (injuries); to me it s a waste of energy. Let s just talk about the guys that are playing. First, let s update the injured players. Johan Franzen (concussion) skated hard again and experienced quite a bit of contact, particularly in front of the net during power-play drills. He did the same in L.A.; I don t know when he gets cleared, Babcock said. He s been dealing with the doctor on a daily basis so we ll see how that goes. It didn t sound promising for Thursday. Didn't feel great today, Franzen said. Get a little dizzy from all the movement, hard time focusing and stuff like that. Going to keep practicing and hopefully one day it s going to be gone. Pavel Datsyuk (lower body injury) skated hard again he has several times now but left practice early. Unlike Franzen and Datsyuk, Darren Helm (groin) did not participate in line rushes. Not bad, not great, not good enough, Helm said. Getting better. Just making sure I don t have any more setbacks. I need to get a couple good skates under my belt; one really good one and then I ll go. I don t know when that s going to be. Jimmy Howard shared a net with Jonas Gustavsson (groin) in practice while Petr Mrazek had the other net to himself. Howard believes he ll be ready to play Thursday. Babcock wasn t sure. I don t see why not, Howard said. Practiced today, so it was fine out there. Babcock said after Saturday s 3-1 win in Los Angeles that he was told Howard had a hip flexor. Howard said, No, nothing. It was probably just more fatigue than anything else. 20

21 Gustavsson said, It s just about getting better and better now and taking the next step. It s good to be able to skate a little bit with the team today and that felt good but I don t know if I m going to be back Thursday or this weekend or when it is. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (broken ribs) said he felt good after his first full practice since getting injured on Dec. 23. He hopes to return Saturday at home against Los Angeles, but that remains to be seen. "I think I'm going to feel some discomfort for a while, but it's just a matter making sure it goes forward," Ericsson said. "I don't want to get any setbacks and have to drag along with that for the rest of the year. I guess there's no rush." He added, "I think it healed up pretty well. I feel a lot better now. I can do pretty much everything on the ice. It's just a matter of seeing if it's good enough for battling in the corners and stuff like that. I haven't really done much of that yet." Henrik Zetterberg didn t practice Tuesday but general manager Ken Holland said he will play Thursday. Maintenance day, Babcock said. He s had a lot of them. Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) did not practice. Tomas Tatar traveled back home to Slovakia for his father's funeral. He will miss Thursday's game but should be back for Saturday. Michigan Live LOADED:

22 Red Wings battling to stay in playoff contention; Mike Babcock: 'I wouldn't bet against us' Ansar Khan on January 14, 2014 at 6:02 AM, updated January 14, 2014 at 2:05 PM DETROIT The swing through Texas and California potentially was the most treacherous trip of the season for the Detroit Red Wings, but they emerged in decent shape by splitting four games. We played some of the best teams in the Western Conference, forward Patrick Eaves said. We just got to keep building. We know if we stick with the game plan we ll get our points. The Red Wings defeated Dallas (5-1) and Los Angeles (3-1) and lost to San Jose (4-1) and Anaheim (1-0). We played a good game in Dallas, captain Henrik Zetterberg said. San Jose, we played OK; had some goals we wanted back. I think in L.A. (we) played one of our best games. (Sunday in Anaheim), we fought hard; we played good enough to win but couldn t find a way. Said coach Mike Babcock: I thought we got good goaltending in three of the four games. We competed in those games. I thought we competed for about 30 minutes in San Jose. After a three-day break, including a couple of practices at home, the Red Wings will play their fifth consecutive road game Thursday at the New York Rangers, one of many clubs competing with Detroit for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Only five points separated nine teams before Monday s games. We got to win another game; we need points badly, Babcock said. We ll get a bit of a rest and get ready to compete hard. Bottom line is we just got to keep plugging, getting better. I wouldn t bet against us. At , the Red Wings are tied for third in the NHL in points on the road (31). Goaltending has been really good on the road; that s been a huge plus for us, Babcock said. We re a team, with the way we score and the people we have out of the lineup, we need goaltending. You get past two (goals against), we re in trouble. The Red Wings won t know for a day or two whether some of their injured players will return for Thursday (Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Daniel Alfredsson, Darren Helm and Jimmy Howard). Tomas Tatar flew home to Slovakia on Monday to attend his father s funeral. He will miss Thursday s game but will be back for Saturday s game against the Kings at Joe Louis Arena. 22

23 Tatar was one of their best players during the trip, picking up four points (three goals, one assist) and creating chances. He s got energy, he competes hard, Babcock said. He s not a big man but he plays hard. He s got ability to score, he loves the game, he s not scared of the puck. There s a lot of guys even in the NHL, it s hard to believe, go out there and hope the puck doesn t come to them. He s hoping the puck comes to him. Babcock also likes how some of the recent call-ups from the Grand Rapids Griffins are playing. The guys we called up play hard, Babcock said. Riley Sheahan, I thought, was great. (Luke) Glendening plays hard every night. (Tomas) Jurco when he was up played real well. So to me we ve gotten a lot of good (play) from Grand Rapids. Said Zetterberg: I think the guys that have come up from Grand Rapids have done a great job for us, played with a lot of grit and a lot of speed and it kind of speeds up us old guys. Michigan Live LOADED:

24 Red Wings continue to deal with injuries By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 01/14/14, 6:43 PM EST DETROIT One of the first questions Wings coach Mike Babcock normally gets asked after practice is about his injured players. And it s a familiar answer he continues to give. I know what we have available to us so that s how I look at it, Babcock said after practice Tuesday at City ICE in Detroit. We ve spent the whole year talking about this, to me it s a waste of energy, let s just talk about the guys that are playing. The good sign is a number of the injured players took part in practice Johan Franzen (concussion), Jimmy Howard (hip flexor), Jonas Gustavsson (groin), Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), Darren Helm (groin), and Jonathan Ericsson (ribs). There are a lot of guys that are dealing with different injuries, a lot of flu things, just injuries that come with the game, Helm said. It's a rough game, a lot of strain on your body. I don't think it's common to see this many guys go out for this long but it's part of it. We ve just got to find ways to continue to win. A lot of the young guys are coming up and doing well. As for when they re returning to the lineup is anyone s guess. We re going to do all again (Wednesday), Babcock said. I ve got nothing more. Until we get to tomorrow I don t know. Franzen competed hard again at practice, but said he s still suffering from dizziness on the ice. I didn't feel great today, Franzen said afterwards. I've been doing all that. That's not the issue. I get a little dizzy from all the movement. I have a hard time focusing and stuff like that. I m going to keep practicing and hopefully one day it's going to be gone. Franzen has missed the last 11 games. There appears to be a difference of opinion when it comes to Howard, who backed Petr Mrazek up Sunday. Babcock said Howard has a hip flexor. I don t see why not, Howard said when asked if he could start Thursday in New York against the Rangers. It was probably just more fatigue than anything else. Howard split time between the pipes at practice with Jonas Gustavsson, while Mrazek had a net to himself. Gustavsson has missed the last six games. It s good to be able to skate a little bit with the team, Gustavsson said. It felt good but I don t know if I m going to be back Thursday or this weekend or when it is. 24

25 Helm said he s still day-to-day. He s missed 16 of the last 17 games with either a shoulder or groin injury. Not good enough (to play), but getting better, Helm said. I m just making sure I don't have any more setbacks. I need to get a couple good skates under my belt, one really good one and then I'll go, Helm continued. I don't know when that's going to be. I'm doing my best to keep coming to the rink, staying positive, doing what I can and doing my job to try to get ready. Datsyuk has missed the last four games with an undisclosed lower-body injury. He lasted a majority of the practice. Ericsson has set his own target date of Saturday I think I'm going to feel some discomfort for a while but it's just a matter of making sure we go forward from here, Ericsson said. I don't want to get any setbacks and have to drag along with that for the rest of the year. I guess there's no rush. It doesn't look like I'm aiming for Thursday right now, maybe Saturday's game. I don't know yet, we'll see. Ericsson has missed the last seven games. I'm not sure if we had a schedule even, Ericsson said. We're just going to take it one day at a time, but it feels good. I think it healed up pretty well. I feel a lot better now. I can do pretty much everything on the ice. It's just a matter of seeing if it's good enough for battling in the corners and stuff like that. I haven't really done much of that yet. Henrik Zetterberg was given the day off for maintenance, but will play Thursday according to Wings general manager Ken Holland. Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms) also didn t practice along with Stephen Weiss (sport hernia) and Tomas Tatar (funeral). The Wings recalled Tomas Jurco from Grand Rapids to replace Tatar in the lineup Thursday against the Rangers. Jurco leads the Griffins in scoring with 13 goals and 19 assists. Macomb Daily LOADED:

26 Injured Detroit Red Wings getting closer to return By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 01/14/14, 2:26 PM EST DETROIT Quick update from Detroit Red Wings practice, which took place at Detroit City Arena. Wings coach Mike Babcock and no real update on the status of his injured players Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), Daniel Alfredsson (back spasms), Darren Helm (groin), Johan Franzen (concussion), Jimmy Howard (hip flexor) and Jonathan Ericsson (shoulder). There are a lot of guys that are dealing with different injuries, a lot of flu things, just injuries that come with the game, Helm said. It s a rough game, a lot of strain on your body. I don t think it s common to see this many guys go out for this long but it s part of it. We ve just got to find ways to continue to win. A lot of the young guys are coming up and doing well. Helm said he s still day-to-day. Not bad, not great, Helm said when asked how he felt. Not good enough, but getting better. I m just making sure I don t have any more setbacks. I need to get a couple good skates under my belt, one really good one and then I ll go, Helm continued. I don t know when that s going to be. I m doing my best to keep coming to the rink, staying positive, doing what I can and doing my job to try to get ready. Ericsson hopes to return Saturday at home against the Los Angeles Kings. I think I m going to feel some discomfort for a while but it s just a matter of just make sure it goes forward with the time too here, Ericsson said. I don t want to get any setbacks and have to drag along with that for the rest of the year. I guess there s no rush. It doesn t look like I m aiming for Thursday right now, maybe Saturday s game. I don t know yet, we ll see. Franzen competed hard again at practice, but said he s still suffering from dizziness on the ice. I didn t feel great today, Franzen said afterwards. I ve been doing all that. That s not the issue. I get a little dizzy from all the movement. I have a hard time focusing and stuff like that. I m going to keep practicing and hopefully one day it s going to be gone. Alfredsson was the only one of the injured guys, along with Stephen Weiss (sports hernia), didn t practice. Henrik Zetterberg was given the day off. (A) maintenance day, Babcock said. He s had a lot of them. 26

27 Howard said he feels fine and doesn t see why he couldn t start Thursday on the road against the New York Rangers. He did split time between the pipes at practice with Gustavsson, while Petr Mrazek had a net to himself. Gustavsson took another step in the right direction. It s good to be able to skate a little bit with the team, Gustavsson said. It felt good but I don t know if I m going to be back Thursday or this weekend or when it is. Macomb Daily LOADED: