Detroit Red Wings Clips January 1-4, 2016

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips January 1-4, 2016 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 3 Red Wings set to get healthier for West Coast trip PAGE 5 Red Wings vs. Devils game day: Time, TV, radio, etc. PAGE 6 Wings D Smith capitalizing on chances with goals, assists PAGE 7 Blashill freezes most of Wings lineup PAGE 9 Wings' Smith 'got going,' gives credit to Blashill PAGE 11 Red Wings' Kyle Quincey hopes to return from ankle injury Thursday in San Jose PAGE 13 Red Wings sticking with line combos that beat Buffalo; goalie vs. New Jersey undetermined PAGE 15 Red Wings notes: Goals vs. Sabres could boost confidence of Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Tatar PAGE 17 Analysis: Jeff Blashill won't say it but Petr Mrazek establishing himself as Red Wings' No. 1 goalie PAGE 19 Smith finally becoming a consistent blue liner PAGE 21 Wings Sheahan stars in front of family, friends PAGE 22 Mrazek makes big stop to seal 4-3 win at Buffalo PAGE 23 Tatar rescues Wings with late winner vs. Sabres PAGE 25 Mrazek jumps ahead in Wings' goalie sweepstakes PAGE 27 Red Wings postgame: Petr Mrazek comes up big in final two minutes to protect lead PAGE 28 World Junior roundup: Finland, with Red Wings prospect Vili Saarijarvi, ousts Canada PAGE 29 Red Wings end three-game skid with win on late goal by Tomas Tatar PAGE 31 Red Wings to shuffle lines vs. Buffalo Sabres; Tomas Jurco still out with upper-body injury PAGE 32 Red Wings Gameday: Rookies Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel both pointless in Detroit-Buffalo games PAGE 34 Watch highlights of Red Wings' 4-3 win over Buffalo Sabres PAGE 35 Daniel Radcliffe is a Red Wings fan PAGE 36 Red Wings stress better competitiveness, special teams PAGE 37 Red Wings-Sabres game day: Time, TV, radio info PAGE 38 Wings will have to solve woes on road PAGE 41 Slumping Detroit Red Wings realize need to play with more intensity as demanding schedule looms PAGE 43 Petr Mrazek to start in goal for Red Wings in Buffalo, the first of six consecutive road games PAGE 44 Detroit Red Wings close out 2015 with a whimper; have several issues to sort out in 2016 PAGE 45 Wings look to snap three-game losing streak PAGE 47 With Jurco injury, Red Wings may make personnel moves PAGE 48 Tatar, Nyquist need to break out of scoring slump

2 PAGE 49 PAGE 50 PAGE 52 PAGE 54 PAGE 56 PAGE 57 PAGE 59 PAGE 60 PAGE 61 PAGE 63 PAGE 64 PAGE 66 PAGE 68 Blashill: Wings must be wary of 'dangerous' Penguins Pittsburgh 5, Detroit 2: Red Wings end 2015 with thud Penguins offense erupts in win over Red Wings Ericsson returns from injury to fortify Wings' blue line Red Wings postgame: Special teams battle lost again as losing skid reaches three games Red Wings start strong but fade in third, losing to Penguins Second-period analysis: Penguins tie Red Wings with pair of power-play goals First-period analysis: Goals by Justin Abdelkader, Brendan Smith spark Red Wings to fast start Detroit Red Wings notes: Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist need to play with urgency to snap slump Red Wings Gameday: Detroit has dominated on New Year's Eve since 1992 Red Wings lineup vs. Penguins: Jonathan Ericsson returns; different look on first power-play unit Red Wings Q&A: Gustav Nyquist on being college hockey's top scorer, adjusting to North America Crosby, Malkin lift Penguins to 5-2 triumph over Red Wings 2

3 Red Wings set to get healthier for West Coast trip George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 3:17 p.m. EST January 3, 2016 NEWARK, N.J. -- Tomas Jurco, Drew Miller and Kyle Quincey won t play Monday night against the New Jersey Devils, but could all return from injuries on the upcoming West Coast road trip. Some might be ready to play as soon as Thursday, when the Detroit Red Wings start the trip in San Jose. The Wings then play the Anaheim Ducks next Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings the next night and the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 14. They re all close, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said after the Wings practiced on Sunday afternoon at the Prudential Center. Miller and Quincey will be available on the trip out West. We re not sure which game. Jurco would be the same boat, I d say. Quincey had right ankle surgery in November. Asked what his last hurdle is before returning, Quincey said: It s the game stuff, which you can t practice. That s going to be the hurdle. Quincey said he s pushed hard to get back quickly. He had surgery on his other ankle in the off-season, so he knew what to expect. My goal is to push the rehab, push the workouts to make that number smaller, Quincey said of the amount of time he would miss. Looking forward to getting back ahead of schedule. The rehab was totally different last time. This year was pushing through pain and pushing through everything to get back as fast as I can. It was different, but at the same time very similar. Asked if he had a target date in mind for a return, he said: On the road trip, yeah. Hopefully the first one. Hopefully get out and help the boys. Miller suffered a broken jaw last month in a game against the Arizona Coyotes. You sit out that long, for a month, you gotta get your timing back a little bit, Miller said. I feel like that s coming back at a good pace. Nothing I m worried about. He mentioned the San Jose game as a possibility, but said it s up to the coaches when he ll be inserted back into the lineup. Hopefully I can jump in and not have that big gap of where I want to be and where I m at, Miller said. Miller said he ll have to wear a chin guard when he returns, at least for a few weeks. It s not the easiest thing to play with but -- if I didn t have that on they wouldn t let me play, he said. Miller joked he can t chew on a jawbreaker or mixed nut, but can have steak or chicken now. 3

4 Jurco missed Saturday s game in Buffalo with what the team called an upper body injury. Jurco told reporters on Sunday he hit a rut in the ice, then got hit in the first period of Thursday s 5-2 loss to the Penguins. Jurco said he wasn t sure who hit him, but didn t feel well afterward. I think I tripped, Jurco said. When I was falling down, he hit me (with) his full strength. I don t know what happened. Didn t see a replay. All day that day I wasn t feeling good. I was kind of like sick. Right the next day I was good. I think my head is fine. Notebook: Blashill said he ll decide on the starting goaltender for Monday s game against the Devils after the morning skate. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Red Wings vs. Devils game day: Time, TV, radio, etc. Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press 2:51 a.m. EST January 4, 2016 Detroit Red Wings ( , 45 points) vs. New Jersey Devils ( , 45 points) When: 7 p.m. Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J. TV: Fox Sports Detroit. Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1; Click here for other radio affiliates). The skinny: Both teams have 45 points and are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Wings are coming off a 4-3 win over the Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Coach Jeff Blashill will reveal who'll start in goal tonight after the morning skate, but Petr Mrazek has started the last three in a row. Expect to see a lot of the same line combinations from Detroit from the Buffalo game. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 Wings D Smith capitalizing on chances with goals, assists George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 11:04 p.m. EST January 3, 2016 NEWARK, N.J. With an assist in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Sabres in Buffalo, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith has seven points in his past eight games. Smith said Sunday after the Wings practiced at the Prudential Center in preparation for tonight's matchup that he doesn't think his game has changed much since his recent offensive surge. "I think I've gradually continued to get better defensively, making good reads," Smith said. "All of a sudden, they're going in. That's always a great feeling and it's good for the team, but like I said before, a month ago they weren't going in. Right now I'm happy, and I just want to keep... I guess my dad said, 'Ride the wave.' So that's what I'm doing." Smith is shooting a bit more, though. He has taken 13 shots over the past eight games. He had 21 shots over his first 23. Smith also has 14 hits over the past eight games and seven blocked shots. "I think he's gotten chances the last 20 games or so," coach Jeff Blashill said of Smith. "He's been active. He's active in the O-zone, he's active on the rush." Blashill said the defensive corps as a whole has been shooting more. "I think Brendan's game has just grown in general through consistency," Blashill said. "Night in and night out, he's a much more consistent player than maybe he was earlier in the year and maybe he was in previous years. "He's managed his game well. He's taken what is given. He doesn't force the puck as much as maybe earlier in his career. If there's a play to be made, he makes it, and if there is not, he lives another day. And that's a big learning lesson I think for a young defenseman, especially one with a lot of talent. So it's been a good step for Brendan." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

7 Blashill freezes most of Wings lineup Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 11:24 p.m. EST January 3, 2016 Newark, N.J. Coach Jeff Blashill said he will keep the same forward lines and defensive pairings against the Devils Monday, despite Kyle Quincey and Drew Miller saying they feel about ready to go and Tomas Jurco eager to return to the lineup, too. The decision on the goalie, with Jimmy Howard struggling lately, will be made Monday, Blashill said. A big win against the Sabres on Saturday, after three consecutive losses in regulation, kept the Red Wings ahead in the race to the playoffs. They woke up Sunday morning in third place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind the Panthers in first and three points ahead of the first team out of the playoffs, the Penguins. With the Wings in their last 10 and the standings densely packed, Blashill is content with the lineup that played well against the Sabres in a big 4-3 win. "They're all close," he said Sunday of the injured trio. "But I don't expect them in the lineup tomorrow night. "We expect them to be available in the trip out West." He plainly liked the way the team played in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon, and seemed eager to sustain that performance. "I thought out compete level yesterday was really good," Blashill said. "I thought our managing of the puck was real good. "I watched Jersey and Dallas last night (Devils 3, Stars 2, OT). There was a lot of moments when I though Jersey controlled the play. They work really hard. "I thought Jersey, through large parts of the game, was the better team," he said. "So, we better compete at a high level. We better manage the puck well. And then, we've got to make a play or two more than them. That's what it comes down to: It's not huge differences, it's little things. "And, obviously, we want to win the special teams battle. That would be the other area I think we can continue to improve in." As for Petr Mrazek and Howard and who will start, he said, "We'll make that decision tomorrow." Permanent plates Miller (fractured jaw, surgery) said he is feeling better, but the plates put in his jaw will remain there permanently to solidify things, and he expects to play with a face shield upon his return. 7

8 The penalty kill has suffered in his absence, with Wings now 11th in the NHL at 79.1 percent. When Miller left the lineup Dec. 3, they stood fourth, at 83.1 percent. "Hopefully, I'll be made available here pretty soon," Miller said. "So, I've just got to continue to get myself back in game shape, and be ready to go. "You sit out that long, for a month, and you've got to get your timing back, a little bit. And I feel like that's coming back at a good pace. So, there's nothing I'm really worried about. "I think it's really up to the coaches, and maybe the San Jose game (Thursday) is when I'll be made available." Quincey feeling strong Quincey said he feels ready, after surgery Nov. 14 to clear up some issues related to damage to his right ankle. "I feel good. I feel strong," he said. "It's still getting better every day. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it." Quincey had similar surgery on his left ankle. But that was in the off-season. "Last time, there was no rush; no rush at all. The rehab was totally different," he said. "This year, it was pushing through pain, pushing through everything, to get back as fast as I can." Jurco awaits OK to play Jurco, who left the game against the Penguins New Year's Eve after just five shifts, revealed that he did not feel well after sustaining a body check in the first period. Head trauma is plainly the concern. "I kind of tripped, there was a hole in the ice or something and my skate kind of went into it," said the 23-year-old forward. "I fell before he was coming to hit me, and as I was falling down he really hit me with a full strength and kind of landed on top of me. "I didn't feel right. All that day, I was kind of sick." Jurco said he is waiting for clearance to play, and hopes to have it "in a couple of days." "I think my head is fine," he said. "It should be all good now." Detroit News LOADED:

9 Wings' Smith 'got going,' gives credit to Blashill Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 8:02 p.m. EST January 3, 2016 Buffalo, N.Y. Maybe Brendan Smith is finally getting it. Maybe Smith, the 2007 first-round draft pick who had a rollercoaster existence under former coach Mike Babcock, has finally learned or is at least learning how to be the stable NHL defenseman some analysts wondered he'd ever become. This is now Smith's fifth season, and at age 26 (he'll be 27 next month), Smith is playing some of the better hockey of his NHL career. Saturday's 4-3 victory in Buffalo was the latest example. Smith had an assist, he and defensive partner Mike Green were a team best plus-2, and in 17 minutes 30 seconds of ice time, Smith was credited with one hit, blocked shot and takeaway, and only one giveaway. When asked about Smith after the victory against Buffalo, coach Jeff Blashill didn't scale back his enthusiasm. "Smitty was great, just his overall game," Smith said. "Offensively he's good, for sure. But with him in particular he needs to have a real good 200-foot game. He needs to be managing his game, and I felt he did an awesome job of managing his game. "I was real happy with him overall." Maybe it's coincidence, maybe not, but Smith's performance seems to have taken off directly after being a healthy scratch Nov. 29 against Florida. The game before, Smith was minus-2 against Edmonton and struggled in his own end against the Oilers' explosive forwards. But since sitting out against Florida, Smith has regularly been in the lineup and, while paired with either Green or Alexey Marchenko, played a sound two-way game. "If you go back for, let's say, a month, you're probably right," said Blashill about Smith's stretch of effectiveness. "He got a bit loose there the last couple of games, I'm not sure what loose would mean, just a little bit maybe on the edge of turning some pucks over. "But I'd say over the last month, he's really done a good job. Really, since he got back in the lineup on a regular basis. "It took him about three or four games once he got going. Once he got going, he's been really good. That's a young guy that we want to make sure we continue to develop, and he's certainly done a good job." What's behind Smith's improved play? 9

10 Smith gives Blashill a significant part of the credit, not taking anything away from Babcock, but responding well to Blashill's approach. "Blash has been good for me," Smith said. "He really communicates well with me and lets me know areas where I can improve and what he's looking for from me. "I know my role." Babcock seemed to be losing patience with Smith's inconsistency last season, and especially the final weekend of the season when Smith batted a puck in play while on the bench. Babcock benched him for the final game of the regular season and first two games of the playoffs. Playing for Blashill has been a new lease on life, although Blashill sat Smith for two games after a poor performance the first month of the season. "It was tough for a while when I was in and out of the lineup," Smith said. "But knowing I'm in the lineup, you can mentally prepare, and knowing you're just not going to take warmups and may, or may not play, those things have been good." Saturday's assist gave Smith seven points (two goals, five assists) in his last eight games, the best offensive stretch of his career. "Points it's hard to score in this league," Smith said. "Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't. Now, they're going in, knock on wood. "Even before, I felt I was making some good plays, but there were no points to come out of it. It's a hard league to score, and I'm just happy the points are starting to come." Smith's ability to jump into the play provides a bonus to the Red Wings' attack. "He's been very good with us in the offensive zone," forward Riley Sheahan said. "Making those little plays and jumping up in the rush. He's definitely a good skater. "When you can have your defense jumping up in the rush like that, it's definitely a lot of help." So, maybe it is beginning to sink in. All the practices at the NHL level, watching others, experiencing and learning from on ice situations. Smith thinks so. "The more repititions in practice, the more you get to see different situations, you can adjust to them and that's something I've been noticing better," Smith said. Detroit News LOADED:

11 Red Wings' Kyle Quincey hopes to return from ankle injury Thursday in San Jose Brendan Savage on January 03, 2016 at 4:04 PM, updated January 03, 2016 at 4:05 PM NEWARK, N.J. Team doctors and coach Jeff Blashill will ultimately decide when Detroit Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey returns to the lineup after being sidelined more than two months with an ankle injury that required surgery. But Quincey says he's ready now. Quincey won't play when the Red Wings visit the New Jersey Tuesday in the second of six straight games on the road but Blashill expects him to be back on the ice sometime during a four-game western swing that begins Thursday in San Jose. As far as Quincey is concerned, San Jose sounds like a good spot to make his return. "On the road trip, hopefully that first one," Quincey said Sunday when asked if he's targeting a game for his return. "Hopefully get out and help the boys. "It feels good, feels strong. Still getting better every day so I'm looking forward to it." Quincey was originally sidelined Oct. 23, when he had to go through concussion protocol after being hit in the head by Calgary's Sam Bennett. While he was dealing with that issue, the Red Wings determined that he would need surgery on his right ankle, which had been bothering him since training camp. He underwent surgery Nov. 14 after having surgery on his other ankle in May. That procedure was to remove bone spurs but that wasn't Quincey's problem this season. At the time of the surgery, the Red Wings said Quincey would be sidelined 8-12 weeks so if he returns this week, it would be ahead of schedule. That was part of Quincey's plan. "I truly believe that the surgeon is always... going to shade on the side of caution and he's going to say a number that's safe," said Quincey, who skated in practice Sunday at the Prudential Center. "My goal is to push the workouts, push the rehab to make that number smaller. So that's what I've done and I'm looking forward to getting back ahead of schedule. "Last time there was no rush. There was no rush at all. The rehab was totally different last time. This year was pushing through pain and pushing through everything to get back as fast as I can. "It was different but at the same time very similar." Quincey, who started skating Dec. 13, has appeared in seven games this season. He has one goal, one assist, a plus-1 rating and no penalty minutes. 11

12 Last season, he was one of the Red Wings' top defensemen. In 73 games, he had three goals, 15 assists and a plus-10 rating that was second to Danny DeKeyser's plus-11 among Red Wings defensemen. Quincey said the only hurdle that remains for him to return is actually suiting up in a game. "It's the game stuff, which you can't practice," he said. "That's going to be the hurdle." Michigan Live LOADED:

13 Red Wings sticking with line combos that beat Buffalo; goalie vs. New Jersey undetermined Brendan Savage on January 03, 2016 at 2:29 PM, updated January 03, 2016 at 3:19 PM NEWARK, N.J. Jeff Blashill isn't going to mess around with a winning combination. The Detroit Red Wings coach shuffled his lines before Saturday's game in Buffalo and the result was a 4-3 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak. So with that in mind, Blashill said he's unlikely to make any lineup changes Monday, when the Red Wings play the New Jersey Devils in the second of six straight games on the road. The lines and defense pairs that beat Buffalo were still together in practice Sunday at the Prudential Center and Blashill expects to go with them against the Devils. "I thought our compete level yesterday was really good," Blashill said. "I thought our puck management was real good. I didn't think we turned many pucks over. I thought we competed a high, high level. So did Buffalo. "We tried to adjust the lines and you're always trying to adjust lines and put them in spots to be as successful as possible." Brad Richards, Riley Sheahan, Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar scored vs. the Sabres, the latter getting the game-winning goal with 2:50 left in the third period. The line of Richards, Sheahan and rookie Dylan Larkin produced the first two goals. Richards scored after taking a pass from Sheahan during a 2-on-1 in the first period and Sheahan tipped in a shot by Brendan Smith in the second to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead. "Zetterberg's line and (Pavel) Datsyuk's line had lots of success together last year and that's how they were yesterday," Blashill said. "We thought Sheahan, Larkin and Richards could be a good line and they certainly were yesterday. That has more to do with individual players playing at a high level. "I thought Sheahan was great yesterday, probably the best player on the ice. Those lines will work well as long as the individuals on the lines play well. The one thing we have to do is play your best every night to have a chance to win." Blashill said defenseman Kyle Quincey (ankle) and forwards Drew Miller (broken jaw), Teemu Pulkkinen (dislocated shoulder) and Tomas Jurco (upper body) will not play vs. the Devils. He expects Quincey and Miller to play at some point when the Red Wings head west for a four-game stretch beginning Thursday in San Jose. Jurco could also return during the western swing. 13

14 Blashill said he'll decide Monday whether Petr Mrazek or Jimmy Howard will start in goal. Mrazek has played in the last seven games, starting five and relieving Howard in two. Here are the lines and defense pairs the Red Wings skated with in practice Sunday: Justin Abdelkader-Henrik Zetterberg-Gustav Nyquist Tomas Tatar-Pavel Datsyuk-Darren Helm Dylan Larkin-Riley Sheahan-Brad Richards Joakim Andersson-Luke Glendening-Tomas Nosek Defense pairs Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson Danny DeKeyser-Alexey Marchenko Brendan Smith-Mike Green Jakub Kindl-Kyle Quincey Goalies Petr Mrazek Jimmy Howard Michigan Live LOADED:

15 Red Wings notes: Goals vs. Sabres could boost confidence of Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Tatar Brendan Savage on January 03, 2016 at 9:09 AM, updated January 03, 2016 at 2:31 PM BUFFALO, N.Y. Henrik Zetterberg hadn't scored in six games and Tomas Tatar had gone eight games without scoring a goal entering Saturday's matinee against the Buffalo Sabres. Both ended their slumps at the ideal time for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring in the third period to help produce a 4-3 victory at First Niagara Center. Zetterberg put the Red Wings in front 3-2 at 2:27 of the third with his first goal since Dec. 18 and Tatar bagged the game winner with 2:50 left, his first goal since Dec. 11, after Buffalo tied it. Now, with five more road games coming up, coach Jeff Blashill is hoping the goals will translate to more of the same from two of the Red Wings' top offensive players. Zetterberg's goal was his seventh of the season to go with a team-leading 22 assist while Tatar picked up his 12th to move within one of rookie Dylan Larkin at the top of the Red Wings' scoring chart. "It's important for Tatar," Blashill said. "I think he's actually played well. We talked about it yesterday. We knew his 10-game stretch or 11-game stretch has been tough but honestly he's played well. He's had chances. He's competed hard. "So when you see that you know the guy is going to come out of it if he can just persevere through it and not let it crush him. And I think confidence is a big thing and scoring breeds confidence so it's important." The same goes for Zetterberg, even though he's in his 13th full NHL season compared to just three for Tatar. Blashill thinks seeing the puck go into the net is good for anyone who is counted on to produce points, even somebody with Zetterberg's impressive credentials. "No matter who you are, as a player you always feel better if you score if you're a scorer at all," Blashill said. "If you're a penalty killer, you always feel better if you block shots and kill penalties. If you're a scorer you want to score. "So a guy like Z, who is such a great two-way player, who is such a great 200-foot player, he still wants to score. So certainly it helps." Tatar's eight-game drought matched the second-longest slump of his career. He also went eight games without scoring in , when he appeared in just nine games, and went eight games without a goal last season before finishing with a team-leading

16 His longest dry spell was 10 games in the campaign before rallying to finish with 19. "It's a good feeling," Tatar said of his goal vs. Buffalo. "When you're on a stretch and the puck won't go in, you obviously think about it. But the most important thing was that we won. We got the two points tonight which is huge and we feel good. "Obviously... you think about it but there's not really much you can do about it. You are getting your chances. You just can't score a goal. Now hopefully the confidence is back on the stick and you can maybe hold on for a second and just do the right thing." Jack be nimble, Jack be quick: Buffalo rookie Jack Eichel didn't register a point in his first two games vs. Detroit. The Red Wings weren't so fortunate in meeting No. 3. Eichel, the second overall pick in last year's draft, scored goals 3:01 apart in the second period to erase Detroit's 2-0 lead and send the game to the third tied. His first goal came on a power play and the second on a breakaway as he tied Larkin for the NHL rookie lead with 13 goals. "He's good when he gets his open ice and his time," Zetterberg said. "It was a nice shot there on the power play and he's pretty high percentage on breakaways I would guess." Seven and counting: Goaltender Petr Mrazek was outstanding for the Red Wings despite allowing three goals. He made 32 saves, the biggest coming with 84 seconds left when he stopped Zach Bogosian on a breakaway. Mrazek was playing in his seventh straight game he started five and relieved Jimmy Howard in two and he doesn't mind the heavy workload. ""It helps the goaltender," Mrazek said. "You want to play lots of games, just to get confident and you get experience." Smith riding hot stretch: Defenseman Brendan Smith was plus-2 and assisted on Zetterberg's goal, giving him seven points in eight games. With three goals and seven assists in 31 games, Smith is more than halfway to his career-high of 19 points in 71 games two seasons ago. "I thought Smitty was great, his overall game," Blashill said. "Offensively he's good for sure. It makes you feel good about yourself. But with him in particular, he needs to have a real good 200-foot game. He needs to manage his game real well. I thought he did an awesome job of managing his game. I was real happy with him overall." Hard to handle: Riley Sheahan was another of the Red Wings younger players who impressed Blashill vs. Buffalo. Sheahan fed Brad Richards during a 2-on-1 for Detroit's first goal and then tipped in a shot by Mike Green to make it 2-0. "I thought Riley was great tonight," Blashill said. "I just thought he was skating. He's such a load when he's got that type of jump in his legs. I've been really happy with Riley all season but certainly he's had moments where he's been great and I thought he was great tonight." Michigan Live LOADED:

17 Analysis: Jeff Blashill won't say it but Petr Mrazek establishing himself as Red Wings' No. 1 goalie By Brendan Savage on January 03, 2016 at 6:06 AM, updated January 03, 2016 at 6:07 AM BUFFALO, N.Y. Jeff Blashill isn't ready to anoint Petr Mrazek as the Detroit Red Wings' No. 1 goaltender. And Mrazek certainly isn't going to be brash enough to say he deserves the job. But it's become more and more apparent Mrazek is establishing himself as the Red Wings top netminder after platooning with veteran Jimmy Howard to start the season. Mrazek was outstanding Saturday, when he made 32 saves as the Red Wings snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center. He's played in seven straight games starting five while relieving Howard in two others and the streak could grow if he gets the nod Monday, when the Red Wings visit the New Jersey Devils. Blashill hasn't ruled out starting Mrazek for the third straight game. "We look at things day to day so I'll (decide in) Jersey who is going to start there but what Petr did tonight was to make a big save at a big moment to insure the win," said Blashill, a former goalie himself. "That's something he's done throughout his career. That's something I think he's real good at. "He's played pretty good hockey overall so we'll continue to evaluate." The big save Blashill refered to came with 1:24 left after Tomas Tatar scored to give the Red Wings a 4-3 lead. Mrazek stoned Zach Bogosian on a breakaway to preserve the lead and get 2016 started on a winning note. "He saved us tonight," said captain Henrik Zetterberg, who gave Detroit a 3-2 lead at 2:27 of the third to end a six-game goal drought. "In the third period, there were some key moments and he had some big saves and not a lot of rebounds coming off him, either. "That makes it easier for us to play defense." Mrazek's numbers are superior to Howard's in virtually every area. He has a record to Howard's 7-5-4, a 2.35 GAA to Howard's 2.66 and a.924 save percentage to Howard's.910. Both have one shutout. Mrazek also hasn't been pulled from a game yet this season while Howard has failed to finish three starts. One came Nov. 8 in Dallas, when Howard was kneed in the head by 17

18 the Stars' Jason Spezza during a goalmouth scramble and the other two games he failed to finish were in his most recent starts. Howard lasted less than 15 minutes Dec. 22 after allowing three goals on six shots against New Jersey and he was yanked midway through the second period Tuesday after the Winnipeg Jets tagged him for four goals on 14 shots. So what does Mrazek, who finished last season as the No. 1 goalie after Howard was benched for the playoffs, think about reclaiming the top job? "I don't want to talk about it," he said. "The season is long, have lots of games left. "I'm trying to work hard on the ice every day, just be big in the net and try to make some saves." The save against Bogosian has to rank among his biggest stops this season since it helped preserve the lead in a game the Red Wings desperately wanted to win. Not only had they lost three straight to end the 2015 portion of their schedule, the win over Buffalo kicked off a six-game road stretch that won't end until they play the Arizona Coyotes Jan. 14. "Again, he's got an ability to seize the moment," Blashill said. "That's one thing he's done real good. Not that Jimmy doesn't. Jimmy does as well but Petr has done it well throughout his career. "You don't want to give up the breakaway there obviously at the end to Bogosian but he made the big save on it." Turning aside Bogosian helped send the Red Wings ( ) to New Jersey in the right frame of mind and eased the sting of blowing a third-period lead for the 12th time this season and third in as many games vs. Buffalo. There's no telling what a loss might have done to the Red Wings' psyche had Bogosian scored and the Sabres ended up winning in overtime or a shootout. "For sure that would be a little bit unsettling to lose the lead again, especially that close to the end," said Tatar, who scored the winner with 2:50 left. "He made a nice save. That guy actually came in there flying and Petr was ready for it. "Good two points and now we have to focus on the next game." Mrazek has been something of a slump-breaker for the Red Wings this season. He hasn't lost in regulation during back-to-back appearances since the first two weeks of the season while Howard has an record in his last five outings. "We're confident when he's in there," said Riley Sheahan, who had a goal and assist. "He makes big saves when we need him to. He's been great for us and we're definitely comfortable when he's in the net." Michigan Live LOADED:

19 Smith finally becoming a consistent blue liner By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily POSTED: 01/03/16, 3:10 PM EST UPDATED: 51 SECS AGO # Brendan Smith seems to becoming what the Detroit Red Wings had hoped, a consistent defenseman offensively and defensively. I just think Brendan s game has grown in general through consistency, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Sunday as his squad prepared to play at New Jersey on Monday night. I think night in and night out he s a more consistent player than maybe he was earlier in the year and maybe he was in previous years. He s managed his game well, Blashill added. He s taking what s given. He doesn t force the puck maybe as much as he did earlier in his career. If there s a play to be made he ll make it if not he lives another day. That s a big learning lesson for young defenseman with a lot of talent so it s been a good step for Brendan. And with consistency came a jump in his offensive numbers with three goals and seven assists in 31 games. That s two shy of matching a career high in goals and seven assists away from reaching that career mark. Right now the points are going in, but my game hasn t really changed, Smith said. I think I ve gradually continued to get better defensively, making good reads and stuff. All of a sudden, they re going in, I mean, that s always a great feeling and it s good for the team. But like I said, before, I mean, like a month ago, they weren t going in. So, you can look at it either way, but right now I m happy and I just want to keep I guess my dad said, ride the wave so that s what I m doing. Smith was a 30-plus point defenseman in Grand Rapids and finished his final season at Wisconsin with 15 goals and 37 assists. The productivity I think has come as we ve gotten better offensively throughout the season, Blashill said. It s showing now with points. I think he s gotten chances the last 20 games or so. He s been active. He s active in the O-zone, he s active on the rush. Once we started getting better at that, I thought our D corps starting shooting more pucks and being more active. Smith also has a plus-4 rating after finishing each of the last two seasons a minus-2. When he manages his game well, takes what is given and doesn t force plays and he doesn t force even gaps he s a really good player and that s what he s done lately. I think the defensive play comes mainly from his decision making throughout games. I think it s been good overall. QUOTE OF THE DAY 19

20 Blashill on the team ending a three-game losing streak with a win Saturday in Buffalo, You re going to go through some rough patches as I said to the team two days ago, everybody goes through some rough patches, but it s the team that finds a way top of the standings are the ones that preserver through them so we better find a way to preserver through them. I m sure we ll have tough days ahead so we better keep plugging. The unacceptable part is the process, he added. If it s lack of effort it s unacceptable. Managing the puck is something we have to get better at or we won t win enough game so those two things to me were unacceptable. If our process is good we re still going to lose games. It might appear to fans we re not playing good enough, but that s not necessarily true. The league is so tough that you can play good and lose. The other team is trying too and they have real good players. I just want to make sure our process is as good as possible every night. Human nature dictates it won t be at 100 percent every single night but I want it to be as close as it can and I m going to hold them accountable and let them know when it s not. That s my job and that s what I ll continue to do. THIS AND THAT Kyle Quincey, Drew Miller and Tomas Jurco all won t play Monday, but are getting closer to returning according to Blashill. Miller and Quincey will be available for the trip out west, we re not sure what game, but we expect them to be available for the trip out west. Jurco would be the same boat I d say. Blashill won t announce his starting goalie until Monday. Macomb Daily LOADED:

21 Wings Sheahan stars in front of family, friends George Sipple 8:38 p.m. EST January 2, 2016 BUFFALO Riley Sheahan assisted on the first goal and added a power play goal to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead in the second period on Saturday. The Wings went on to beat the Sabres, 4-3, at the First Niagara Center. Sheahan tipped in a shot by Mike Green at 7:59 of the second period. It was Sheahan s sixth goal of the season and his third over his last six games. Just tried to stay in front, Sheahan said of being in front of the net. Our guys on the power play do a good job of getting shots through. Just tried to take away the goalie s eyes and get my stick sort of available I got a good bounce off of it. Sheahan said there were quite a few people to see after the game. Sheahan is from St. Catharines, Ont., which is less than an hour away from Buffalo. He said it was special because his family doesn t always get a chance to come to Detroit to see him play. Sheahan said he works on tips after practice. Our D do such a good job at getting shots through, Sheahan said. Green did a great job and I was just fortunate to get a stick on it. When you can contribute on the scoresheet it s huge. Definitely gets your confidence going and makes you feel comfortable. Sheahan impressed Wings coach Jeff Blashill. I thought Riley was great tonight, Blashill said. I just thought he was skating, was on the puck. He s such a load when he s got that type of jump in his legs. We ve been happy with Riley all season. He s had moments where he s been great and I thought he was great tonight. Notebook: The Wings were 2-for-4 on the penalty kill against the Sabres and have given up four goals in their last nine chances over the past three games. We ve gotta be better on the penalty kill, Blashill said. If the penalty kill does a better job there, we probably come out of that with an easier game. We found a way to win and have an area to improve. We ll keep working at it. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

22 Mrazek makes big stop to seal 4-3 win at Buffalo George Sipple 4:34 p.m. EST January 2, 2016 BUFFALO Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek made a big stop on a Zach Bogosian breakaway with less than two minutes left in the third period to preserve a 4-3 victory for the Red Wings over the Sabres on Saturday. Mrazek made 11 saves in the first period and finished with 32 for the game. What Petr did tonight was make a big save at a big moment to ensure the win, said Wings coach Jeff Blashill. That s something he s done throughout his career. That s something I think he s real good at. He s played pretty good hockey overall so we ll continue to evaluate. Blashill said Mrazek has an ability to seize the moment, not that Jimmy (Howard) doesn t. But Petr s done that throughout his career. You don t want to give up the breakaway there at the end to Bogosian, but (Mrazek) made the big save on it. The Wings had a 2-0 lead before Jack Eichel scored a pair of second-period goals for the Sabres to tie the game. The game is 60 minutes, Mrazek said. If it s 2-0 in the first or second it doesn t matter. We have to play hard for 60 minutes and stay sharp in the net. Blashill wouldn t indicate whether he ll continue to start Mrazek when the Wings visit New Jersey on Monday or whether he ll start Jimmy Howard, who has been pulled from his last two starts. Mrazek has played in each of the Wings last seven games. Mrazek said it helps a goaltender to get in a rhythm by playing consistently, but he dismissed talk about that this giving him a chance to establish himself as the No. 1 goaltender: The season s long and there s lots of games left. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

23 Tatar rescues Wings with late winner vs. Sabres Ted Kulfan 5:22 p.m. EST January 2, 2016 Buffalo, N.Y. Tomas Tatar picked a good time to end a slump. Tatar ended an eight-game goal-scoring drought with his 12th goal, breaking a tie at 17 minutes, 50 seconds and giving the Red Wings a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. The goal came just moments after Buffalo forward Evander Kane hit the goal post with a wrist shot that would have given the Sabres a lead. Goalie Petr Mrazek also made a breakaway save on Buffalo's Zach Bogosian with less than two minutes left to preserve the Red Wings' lead. But it was Tatar's goal, a laser from the high slot beating goaltender Chad Johnson, that stood as the game winner. "When you go through a stretch like that, the puck won't go in, obviously you think about it," Tatar said. "There's isn't much you can do about it. Hopefully, the confidence is back and you keep trying to do the right things." Coach Jeff Blashill wasn't worried about Tatar's lack of goal-scoring. "He's actually played well," Blashill said. "We knew his 10 or 11 game stretch has been tough but he's played well, he's had chances, he's competed hard. "So when you see that, you know the guy will come out of it if he just perseveres through it and doesn't let it crush him." The Red Wings ( , 45 points) ended a three-game losing streak with the victory. Brad Richards, Riley Sheahan (power play) and Henrik Zetterberg added goals. The victory also came at the start of this current six-game road trip. "Every win feels good," Blashill said. "What I liked is we wanted to do a better job managing the puck and we did that overall, and we wanted a very high compete level. "Not that the compete level hasn't been high, but we thought it needed to be heightened and it was heightened. Throughout the lineup guys were battling hard." Zetterberg broke 2-2 tie in the third period at 2:27, with his seventh goal. Gustav Nyquist dug the puck out, carried it through the zone, and lifted a shot that Johnson stopped. Zetterberg, trailing on the play, put back the long rebound, Johnson leaning too much to the other side. 23

24 But Buffalo's Sam Reinhart tied it 3-3 with a power-play goal Mike Green had two consecutive penalties (hooking and cross-checking) at 8:38. Tatar, though, broke the tie and Mrazek came through with big stops, especially the Bogosian breakaway, to earn the victory. "Obviously a big win for us after three games we didn't get any points," Mrazek said. "It's a big two points on the road. They pushed hard after we got the 4-3 lead and had some chances." Buffalo tied the game 2-2 on two Jack Eichel goals in the second period. On the tying goal, Jonathan Ericsson and Pavel Datsyuk collided near center ice enabling Eichel to gather a loose puck, go in, and beat Mrazek for his 13th goal tying Dylan Larkin for the rookie goals lead at 17:27. Eichel had cut the Red Wings lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 14:26, snapping a shot from the circle, with Mrazek screened by Jamie McGinn. Sheahan set up Richards with the Red Wings' first goal on a 2-on-1 rush, then tipped Green's shot from the point on the power play, giving the Red Wings a 2-0 lead. Getting a victory to begin a long road trip was a huge boost. "You're comfortable playing at home, you stick to the same routine and when you're on the road you need to gut out wins like this," Sheahan said. "It's big for us." Detroit News LOADED:

25 Mrazek jumps ahead in Wings' goalie sweepstakes Ted Kulfan 6 p.m. EST January 2, 2016 Buffalo, N.Y. Petr Mrazek continues to inch his way ahead in the Red Wings goalie competition. With Jimmy Howard in a slump, Mrazek made his seventh consecutive appearance in net Saturday fifth start and was pivotal in the Red Wings 4-3 victory over Buffalo. Mrazek stopped 32 shots, including a big stop on defenseman Zach Bogosian just after Tomas Tatar s goal had given the Red Wings a 4-3 lead, and had timely saves throughout while ending the Red Wings three-game losing streak. He s got an ability to seize the moment, said coach Jeff Blashill of Mrazek s key saves. That s one thing he s done real good. Not that Jimmy doesn t, Jimmy does as well, but Pete has done that throughout his career. You don t want to give up a breakaway there obviously at the end of regulation but he made the big save on it. Blashill didn t name a starter for Monday s game in New Jersey, although with the day in between games, it wouldn t be surprising to see Mrazek in net again. We look at things day to day, Blashill said. What Petr did tonight was make big saves at the big moments to ensure the win. That s something he s done throughout his career. We ll continue to evaluate. Mrazek wouldn t get into speculation he is putting a stranglehold on the No. 1 goaltender s job. I m trying to work hard on the ice every day and stay big in the net and try to make saves, Mrazek said. It helps a goaltender when you play a lot of games and you just get confident and get experience. I wouldn t talk about it (the starter s job). The season is long and there are lot of games left. Mrazek s earned his 12th victory of the season (12-8-3) with Saturday s win and helping end a three-game losing streak at the beginning of a six-game road trip was a monumental relief. We re confident when he s in the net, he makes big saves when we need them, forward Riley Sheahan said. He s been great for us. 25

26 Said captain Henrik Zetterberg of Mrazek: He saved us tonight in the third period at some key moments. He made some big saves and not a lot of rebounds coming off him, either, (so) it s easier for us to play defense. Sheahan's backyard It was a nice homecoming of sorts for Sheahan, who is from nearby St. Catherines, Ontario. Sheahan had a goal and assist in the Red Wings' victory, his best game since a threepoint streak Dec Quite a few people to see after the game, said Sheahan, after the victory. It s nice, being I m from the area and I m sure we ll have some laughs after the game. It was kind of nice knowing there s a lot of close people to me in the crowd and some of my family that doesn t always get to come to Detroit. For them to be here, it was special. Sheahan was also credited with four shots, two hits and one blocked shot in 17 minutes, 40 seconds of ice time. Riley was great, Blashill said. He was skating, was on the puck, and he s such a load. When he has that type of jump in his legs, I ve been happy all season, but certainly he s had moments when he s been great and he was great (Saturday). Star-struck Tatar Maybe it was meeting Harry Potter that helped Tomas Tatar end his eight-game goal drought with Saturday s game-winning goal. Tatar talked about the excitement of meeting actor Daniel Radcliffe after Thursday s game at Joe Louis Arena. Radcliffe was in town with his girlfriend, Flint native Erin Darke. It s nice he s a Red Wings fan, Tatar said. His girlfriend is from the area, from Flint, and they decied to spend New Year s Eve in Detroit. I watch his movies, too, it was great to meet him. Tatar is a casual Harry Potter fan, but knows about the movies. It s not like I was crazy about it, but it was a great movie, Tatar said. Hands down, he (Radcliffe) did a great job. Everyone who acted in Harry Potter is real famous. Ice chips Tomas Jurco (upper body) missed Saturday s game after getting hurt Thursday against Pittsburgh, with Joakim Andersson returning to the lineup. Henrik Zetterberg ended a six-game goal-scoring drought with his third-period goal. Buffalo rookie sensation forward Jack Eichel had two goals and now has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in his last seven games. Eichel tied Dylan Larkin for the rookie goal-scoring lead with 13 goals. 26

27 He s good when he gets his open ice, Zetterberg said. Detroit News LOADED:

28 Red Wings postgame: Petr Mrazek comes up big in final two minutes to protect lead Brendan Savage January 02, 2016 at 4:44 PM BUFFALO, N.Y. If you missed the Detroit Red Wings' 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres Saturday at First Niagara Center, we've got you covered. Here's a quick snapshot: THREE STARS 1. Petr Mrazek The Red Wings goaltender, playing for the seventh straight game, allowed three goals but he made several outstanding saves while turning aside 32 shots. None of his saves were bigger than one with about 90 seconds left, when he stopped Zach Bogosian on a breakaway to preserve the 4-3 lead. 2. Jack Eichel The Sabres rookie forward scored twice in a span of 3:01 in the second period to erase the Red Wings' 2-0 lead and send the game to the third tied. Those were his first points in three games vs. Detroit this season. 3. Riley Sheahan The Red Wings' big forward made a pretty pass to Brad Richards during a 2-on-1 for Detroit's first goal and then tipped in a shot from the point by Mike Green to make it 2-0 early in the second period. He had a plus-1 rating, took four shots and blocked another. BY THE NUMBERS 7 Shots by Detroit's Gustav Nyquist, the most on either team. 7 Points by Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith in the last eight games after he assisted on Henrik Zetterberg's goal that made it 3-3 in the third period. This is the most productive stretch of Smith's young career. 13 Goals by Eichel this season, tying him with Detroit's Dylan Larkin for the NHL lead among rookie. 19 Shots blocked by the Sabres with Mike Weber's three leading the way. The Red Wings blocked seven. 25 Total hits by the Sabres compared to 11 by the Red Wings. Bogosian led both teams with six. 45 Points by the Red Wings, moving them into third place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind first-place Montreal. TWEET TWEET Tatar puts the Wings up 4-3 with under 3 minutes left in the 3rd pic.twitter.com/ Zm4Y9c2DJ1 28