Detroit Red Wings Clips December 13, 2015

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips December 13, 2015 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Wings' Blashill unsuccessfully challenges tying goal vs. N.J. PAGE 3 Homegrown Dylan Larkin makes impact, Wings' next star? PAGE 12 Blashill will stick with Mrazek-Howard goalie rotation PAGE 13 Overtimes often mean 'frustration' for Red Wings PAGE 15 Having goalies Jimmy Howard, Petr Mrazek is 'luxury' for Red Wings, says coach Jeff Blashill PAGE 17 Jimmy Howard: 'We let it slip away' after Red Wings blow another thirdperiod lead, lose in OT PAGE 19 Wings' goalie tandem working out as planned PAGE 21 Grand Rapids Griffins run win streak to 10 games PAGE 23 Red Wings a confident bunch as they face Devils PAGE 24 Red Wings vs. Devils game day: Time, TV, radio, etc. PAGE 25 Red Wings' Helm works back on Datsyuk line, all over ice PAGE 26 Pair of goals spell relief for struggling Helm PAGE 28 Red Wings squander lead, settle for one point PAGE 30 Despite point streak, Wings guard against complacency PAGE 32 Red Wings Gameday: Detroit seeking longest points streak since 20 straight in 2006 PAGE 34 A more confident Darren Helm finds his step, having bigger impact on games for Red Wings PAGE 36 Red Wings postgame: Jimmy Howard's 35 saves not enough in OT loss PAGE 37 Despite blowing third-period lead, Red Wings extend points streak to 13 games in OT loss PAGE 39 Second-period analysis: Red Wings 2, Devils 0 PAGE 40 First-period analysis: Red Wings 0, Devils 0 PAGE 41 Open thread: Detroit Red Wings at New Jersey Devils (chat) PAGE 42 Palmieri scores in OT, Devils edge Red Wings

2 Wings' Blashill unsuccessfully challenges tying goal vs. N.J. Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 3:27 a.m. EST December 12, 2015 NEWARK, N.J. -- Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is 1-2 when throwing down a coach's challenge, showing the difference between what's objective and what's subjective. He challenged Sergey Kalinin's third-period goal Friday at Prudential Center, where the Wings ended up losing 3-2 in overtime to the New Jersey Devils. Kalinin deflected Kyle Palmieri's shot while standing by the crease late in regulation. Blashill said he thought the stick made contact with Jimmy Howard, but the NHL situation room ruled that "no goaltender interference infractions occurred before the puck crossed the goal line," and the goal stood to make it 2-2. Howard said he thought it was going to be a high-stick. Blashill first used the coach's challenge Dec. 3 against Arizona, successfully overturning Klas Dahlbeck's goal as video review showed Arizona's Connor Murphy was off-side prior to the goal. This week, Blashill twice has challenged goaltender interference. The Wings challenged Alex Ovechkin's goal Tuesday at Washington, but officials ruled T.J. Oshie not guilty. In all cases, Blashill checks with video coach Dave Noel-Bernier. But offsides is easy to judge, because it's not subjective. "The offsides is way easier," Blashill said. "It's 100% or not, most of the time. Goalie interference is up for interpretation, and we've seen some interesting ones. I can't get inside the ref's head, so if I don't challenge it, I don't know what he is going to determine once he looks at it." Contact Helene St. James Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Homegrown Dylan Larkin makes impact, Wings' next star? Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press He came from nowhere fast, a blur ripping across the ice, from the edge of the right face-off circle to a spot behind the net. Once there, Dylan Larkin swiped the puck from a defenseman, then squirted out toward the left corner. What happened next? A spin, a no-look centering pass, a goal. But really, what we're talking about here isn't a way to catalog a scoring chance. We're talking about something more kinetic. We're talking about the movement of the most electric hockey player to come out of this region in years. Here was a sequence built on speed, anticipation, photographic memory, touch and vision. He is that good already. The team knows it. His teammates know it. You know it. At least judging by the decibel spikes when the announcer mentions his name. And judging by the number of "Larkin" jerseys popping up on the backs of fans standing in their seats. Larkin's popularity has risen so unexpectedly and so rapidly that during last week's game against the Arizona Coyotes his jersey was sold out. "I hear we're having trouble keeping up," said Ken Holland, the team's general manager, who drafted Larkin with the No. 15 pick in June The team can't make his jersey fast enough, partly because he's young Larkin is 19, the first teenager on the Wings' roster since Jiri Hudler in 2003 and partly because he grew up in Waterford and played at Michigan. Which is to say he's one of us, which makes for a better story. He spent his pond hockey days pretending he was Nicklas Lidstrom. Or Kris Draper. Or Henrik Zetterberg, the current Wings captain, with whom he shares a line and from whom he receives advice, while he sits next to him on the bench between shifts. Imagine that? Larkin can't. Or couldn't, anyway. "I still have a few pinch-me moments every now and again," he said. But not too many. He can't afford them. He's playing in a man's league, fighting to keep the job he took from someone else. So, yeah, starry-eyed won't keep him in Detroit. Production will. Not that he predicted this start, leading the Wings in scoring, earning the NHL's rookie of the month honor for November, leading the league in plus-minus. And whether we dismiss the plus-minus stat or not, because a player can control only so much whether the puck goes in the net while he is on the ice, we can see with our own eyes the beginning of something special. 3

4 Holland isn't ready to say publicly that Larkin is the next Steve Yzerman. No general manager wants to heap that sort of pressure onto his up-and-comers. But he did say this: "Dylan Larkin is going to be a very important player for this franchise." What that means is hard to say. The business of projecting in sports is tough. Think of it this way: Fourteen other teams didn't see Larkin as a franchise player. It's possible all those teams didn't know what to look for while the Wings did; they've plucked Hall of Famers from unlikely spots before. But even Holland will tell you teams never truly know. They can interview and scout and research and still miss an essential part of a player, something that doesn't reveal itself until the player arrives at camp. The question is: What part? With Larkin, Holland and his scouts saw his speed and vision and two-way pluck. What made him Dylan Larkin? They couldn't know, but took the plunge anyway. Taking off Let's go back to the late 1990s. Specifically, let's go back to the late 1990s in Waterford, a Detroit suburb marked by its abundant lakes, which makes it paradise for kids who live to play pond hockey in the winter. Waterford isn't a bad place to play soccer, either, a sport Larkin played growing up, a sport his father, Kevin Larkin, played in college, and a sport that shares hockey's spacing and movement and geometry. "Dylan liked soccer," his dad said, "but he loved hockey." He remembers the first time his son put on skates. Dylan was 21/2 or so. He was enjoying a pacifier. His older brother, Colin, and a few of their cousins were playing street hockey in the driveway using roller blades. Dylan wanted in. The father grabbed a pair of Fisher-Price roller blades and tried to put them on his son. "He cried," Kevin said. He took them off and found a pair of intermediate roller blades. Dylan rejected those, too. Finally, the elder Larkin decided to let his son try on real roller blades. "And he took off," Kevin said, "pacifier and all. I ran along with him." He didn't need to. His little boy had made a statement. He wasn't going to be stopped. A decade later, young Larkin was still racing past everybody, only now he was doing it for one of the premier youth hockey clubs in America. Joe Smaza recalled the first time he realized Larkin was a little different than the rest of the players on his Belle Tire AAA team. 4

5 They were at practice, and Smaza, who played some minor league and college hockey, was rushing up the side through the neutral zone when he sensed an accelerating force behind him. "In hockey, you can always tell when someone is coming from your backside," he said. But Smaza dismissed the feeling. After all, he was 36, a former pro, and the kids he was coaching were only 13. There wasn't any way one was going to catch him. Until Larkin did, and swiped the puck, jetting off as if it were no big thing. "That's when I knew," Smaza said. "He had an NHL stride then." He also had NHL maturity; at least it seemed like it to Smaza and so many other adults who spent time around him. When Larkin made the U.S. National Development Program, a club that brings together the top 16- and 17-year-olds in the country, he didn't immediately tell his Belle Tire teammates. They had a big tournament coming up. He worried the news might distract them. "He did the same thing when he accepted an offer to play at Michigan," Smaza said. "He called me and told me about it, then said, 'Coach, I've told my parents and U-M, and I wanted to tell you. But don't tell the guys.' Do you realize how unusual that is? Most kids who get a scholarship to a program like that would show up the next day decked in that school's gear from head to toe." Not Larkin. Again, his team had important games coming up. He didn't want to take away from the preparation. Youth hockey gets a bum rap at times for its cost and travel demands. Yet life on the road can foster a strong communal sense. Smaza is convinced this explains in part why professional hockey players are so often mindful of their place. When Larkin made the national development team, he had to leave home and move to Ann Arbor. That may not sound like a big leap Waterford is only 45 miles away but it means leaving your mom and dad and siblings and everything that can go with that. "It was hard on me," Larkin said. "It was hard on my mom, too. But you get used to it. Besides, any young player who plays hockey in the country knows what it can mean." Larkin spent two years in Ann Arbor with the team. He attended Pioneer High during the day and spent the rest of the time with the team, whether at practice, on the road at games, or at the local Chipotle near the high school. "Even when we didn't eat, we just liked hanging out there and talking," he said. Curfew was at 9 p.m. That didn't leave much time for life beyond books and ice. The chats were crucial. Things loosened up a bit when he graduated and enrolled at Michigan to play for Red Berenson. He had more free time because he could stay up later. "I was only 5 minutes from where I'd gone to high school, but it was a whole different life," he said. "I didn't sleep as much as I did in high school. I hung out in dorms." 5

6 He made friends he still sees regularly. He also began to realize he might be pretty good at hockey. Between his dominance as a freshman for the Wolverines and his performance at last year's world juniors, he knew he was ready to take the leap. He and his parents and Holland met to discuss the possibility. "And I told Dylan that he had to be prepared to be on a bus riding to minor league towns in December," Holland said. Holland knew Larkin was good enough for the NHL after he'd watched him play in the world juniors. Still, he didn't want him riding the bench. He told the team's coach, Jeff Blashill, that if they decided to take him, he'd have to be one of the top-six forwards. Otherwise, Holland wanted him in Grand Rapids, where he knew Larkin would get all the ice time he could handle. It didn't take long for Blashill to see what he had. It had nothing to do with his time on he ice. Staying humble The Wings gathered on a bus at 6 a.m. to head to training camp in Traverse City. "From the moment he stepped on that bus, he acted like he belonged," Blashill said. He wasn't cocky, necessarily, but he was confident deferential, too. That last trait has particularly endeared him to the club's veterans. All pro sports have their own internal hierarchies and protocols that come out of those structures. Larkin seemed to understand this intuitively. Before training camp, Holland had suggested to Larkin that he affix himself to Luke Glendening, a U-M alum who clawed his way into the NHL with grit and will. Holland wanted Larkin to see how a pro operated in the off-season. "Look, Dylan is a much better hockey player than I am, and he didn't have to come work out with me in Detroit," Glendening said, "but he did. That shows you something." The morning after Larkin assisted on the goal to help beat the Coyotes, the Wings were back at the Joe, finishing up a light practice. When Blashill called it, most of the vets quickly moved toward the tunnel to get back to the locker room. One by one, the younger guys followed, a few hanging back on the ice to take a few more shots and help scoop up the pucks for the equipment guys. Larkin worked out by the net closest to the Zamboni entrance, firing shot after shot, racing in from the left, sprinting in from the right, picking different spots on the ice that might open up in a game. For more than 15 minutes, he danced between the circles and attacked the empty net, until finally, no one else was left, just him and an endless sheet of ice, a ruddy-cheeked 19-year-old fine-tuning his game in one of the sport's iconic venues. Finally, after a couple of trips around its edges, Larkin glided toward the door. "Sometimes I have to tell an assistant coach to go get him off the ice," Blashill said. 6

7 Larkin grew up a Maple Leafs fan thanks to his dad and his uncle, both of whom were raised in Toronto. The brothers moved to the U.S. to play college soccer Kevin at Southern Indiana then settled in metro Detroit. "I brainwashed Dylan," Kevin jokes. It didn't hold. By the time Larkin hit his teens, he had fallen in love with the Wings, too. That he is now in their locker room, sitting on a stool peeling off their uniform, unwrapping the layers of tape and protective gear provided by their attendants, well, on some days it doesn't seem real. "But I can't think that way," he said. Larkin had agreed to meet after his extra-ice session to talk about bursting on the scene. He had to push back the interview a few minutes because it took awhile to unsheathe the cocoon of protection hockey players rely on. "Sorry about that," he said. Such self-awareness helps explain why he's the first teenager on the Wings roster in more than a decade. This is an organization that likes to take its time. As it happens, so does Larkin, off the ice, at least. On it? Few players in the league combine his speed and vision. His eyes always are looking forward. He is forever ready to pass or shoot. Wings fans sense it already. It's why they rise when he makes a run and why they roar when they hear his name and why they chase his jersey at the apparel booths lining the concourse. Larking, not surprisingly, isn't sure what to make of this. "I was one of those fans in that concourse just a year ago," he said. And in some ways, he is still not all that different from them. When he leaves the arena, he drives to a condo he shares with a couple of buddies Glendening and Riley Sheahan. When he isn't at his condo or with the team, he drives to Ann Arbor a lot. "Like to see my friends there," he said. And when he's not back in Ann Arbor or at his condo or with the Wings he's probably back with his parents, who now live in Clarkston, eating his mom's lasagna, messing around in the basement by firing shots on his old net, just as he always has. He left Waterford for Ann Arbor and left Ann Arbor for the world. Now he's back in Detroit, and back home. "Pretty cool," he said. He isn't worried about expectation, and he understands he's just a few steps into a long, long journey. As Holland said, "None of us know what his ceiling is, but we're all going to enjoy watching him get there." 7

8 Meanwhile, the next great Red Wing is living out a dream by playing alongside his idols and spending the time at home he missed out on when he was younger. "He's with us 2-3 times a week now," said his dad, Kevin. "But the coolest thing is that when he comes home, he (gets) to be a kid again. He is a teenager still." Meet Dylan Larkin Who:Red Wings forward. Vitals: 6-1, 190 pounds. Age: 19. From: Waterford. College: Michigan. Drafted:First round in 2014 (No. 15 overall). In college: Had 15 goals, 32 assists in 35 games on his way to winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award. In the NHL: His plus-20 rating leads the NHL, and his 11 goals are tied for the Red Wings lead. Did you know:his 47 points at Michigan were the most by a freshman since Brendan Morrison in American dream It's early, but at 22 points in 30 games, Dylan Larkin is averaging 0.73 point per game and on pace for 60 points. If he keeps it up, it'll be just the 11th time a U.S.-born teen scored that often while playing in at least 30 games. The 10 others: :Jimmy Carson*, Kings 1.34 Games: 80. Points: : Phil Housley, Sabres 1.03 Games: 75. Points: : Ed Olczyk, Blackhawks 1.00 Games: 79. Points: : Jimmy Carson*, Kings

9 Games: 80. Points: : Mike Modano*, Stars 0.94 Games: 80. Points: : Patrick Kane, Blackhawks 0.88 Games: 82. Points: : Bob Carpenter, Capitals 0.86 Games: 80. Points: : Phil Housley, Sabres 0.86 Games: 77. Points: : Bob Carpenter, Capitals 0.84 Games: 80. Points: : Pat LaFontaine*, Islanders 0.81 Games: 67. Points: 54. *Raised in Michigan. Good company Dylan Larkin has 22 points in 30 games this season. It's just the ninth time in Red Wings history that a teen has put up at least 20 points: : Steve Yzerman : Steve Yzerman 9

10 : Gordie Howe : Alex Delvecchio : Lane Lambert : Harry Watson : Ted Lindsay : Gordie Howe : Dylan Larkin 22 A big plus Rookie forward Dylan Larkin has taken the Wings and the NHL by storm at age 19, entering Saturday ranking among the leaders in... Plus-minus Larkin would be the first rookie ever to lead the league in plus-minus; he's got a healthy lead so far. The leaders: Dylan Larkin, Red Wings +20 Taylor Hall, Oilers +15 Jeff Carter, Kings +15 Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals +14 Tyler Toffoli, Kings +14 Anze Kopitar, Kings +14 Rookie goals Three of the top five rookies Larkin, Panarin and Eichel didn't play in the minors during the regular season in : Dylan Larkin, Red Wings 11 Max Domi, Coyotes 10 Oscar Lindberg, Rangers 10 10

11 Artemi Panarin, Blackhawks 9 Jack Eichel, Sabres 9 Anthony Duclair, Coyotes, and Sam Reinhart, Sabres 8 Wings goals Larkin would be the first rookie to lead the Red Wings in goals since Mike Foligno did so in The top six: Dylan Larkin 11 Tomas Tatar 11 Gustav Nyquist 11 Justin Abdelkader 10 Teemu Pulkkinen 6 Henrik Zetterberg 5 Detroit Free Press LOADED:

12 Blashill will stick with Mrazek-Howard goalie rotation Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 10:31 p.m. EST December 12, 2015 Thirty games into the season, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is sticking with his goaltending plan. With rare exception, he has alternated between Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek since opening night. He indicated after the most recent game that is going to hold up. "I'm 100% comfortable with putting both guys in position to feel confident, which I think they have been," Blashill said after Friday's 3-2 shoot-out loss at New Jersey, in which Howard made 35 saves. Howard has not made consecutive starts since one stint in mid-october. Mrazek has done so four times, the most recent time at the start of December. Their stats reveal why Blashill is comfortable with the plan. Howard has started 14 games, going with a 2.29 goals-against average and.921 save percentage. Mrazek has started 16 games (and played in 17, as he subbed into Nov. 8 Dallas game when Howard had an injury scare), going with a 2.38 GAA and.924 save percentage. "They haven't done much looking over their shoulders," Blashill said. "There's been enough competition to spur good play, but with that said, I do think they are in confident situations." Howard looked shaky on Kyle Palmieri's breakaway overtime goal, but Howard said the bouncing puck made him think Palmieri wasn't going to shoot. Howard made plenty of good saves during regulation, as he did when he played Tuesday at Washington, where he faced 40 shots. "I thought Jimmy was very good," Blashill said. "Our goaltending has been real good all year." Saturday was a scheduled day off, with the next game Monday against Buffalo. The Wings are on a 13-game point streak, which has included 10 trips into overtime and two to a shoot-out. The Devils game saw a two-goal erased in the third period, which several players said left them ruing that they came away with only one point. Blashill has a broader perspective. "I'm glad we've had lots of leads," he said. "I don't really look back a lot. We found a way to be up in a lot of those games. We are scoring more, which has put us in a good spot. "We've come back in a few; we've given up some leads. At the end of the game, what's the score? Can we get better? Absolutely, and we better." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

13 Overtimes often mean 'frustration' for Red Wings Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 6:08 p.m. EST December 12, 2015 A reporter asked coach Jeff Blashill about his opinion on the 3-on-3 overtime format. Blashill is a good person to ask. "We've had lots of it," said Blashill. The Red Wings have gone into overtime 13 games this season, with a 7-6 record. A staggering 10 of their last 13 games overall have gone into overtime. "It's been a little weird, actually," said forward Gustav Nyquist of the many overtime games. "I haven't been part of anything like this before. It feels like we've been playing 65 minutes every game. "But it just shows you again how tight this league is and how good every team is." The frequent overtimes mean the Red Wings have been good enough to be in position to earn an extra point, but it also means they've not been able to close the deal often in regulation. What does Blashill take from the many OT games? "Well, there's frustration," Blashill said. "It depends on which way you look at it. I'm glad we've had lots of leads. I don't really look back a lot. We just have to keep getting better. "We found a way to be up in a lot of those games. We're scoring more, which has put us in a good spot. We just have to find a way to minimize our mistakes." One interesting topic brewing around the NHL as teams get accustomed to 3-on-3 coaches are learning how to defend against it. Goaltender Jimmy Howard noticed in the overtimes against Washington Tuesday and New Jersey Friday that skaters weren't racing up and down the ice as they were in the opening weeks. "More and more coaches are getting used to 3-on-3 and it's starting to slow down," Howard said. "It's all about having puck possession and just holding on to it, waiting for your chance and capitalizing on it." Blashill had history with the 3-on-3 format last season in the American Hockey League and enjoys the format. As for defending it? "I've heard a lot of ideas and they all sound great, but in the end, when you have less guys, it becomes more of a man-on-man," Blashill said. "The more it becomes man-onman, you can structure (against it) but you're never going to score. "If you put your talented players on the ice, they're going to take risks, and that's what we've decided to do." 13

14 Challenge time The Red Wings challenged Friday's game-tying goal by New Jersey forward Sergey Kalinin, feeling Kalinin interfered with Howard. Video officials ruled Kalinin touched the puck before he made any contact with Howard. "The goalie interference is up for interpretation and we've seen some interesting ones," Blashill said. "I can't get inside the refs' heads, and we thought it was close enough (to challenge). "We certainly didn't think it was a done deal but we thought it was close enough to challenge." Detroit News LOADED:

15 Having goalies Jimmy Howard, Petr Mrazek is 'luxury' for Red Wings, says coach Jeff Blashill Brendan Savage on December 12, 2015 at 3:03 PM, updated December 12, 2015 at 3:05 PM NEWARK, N.J. One of the things that has made Jeff Blashill's job a bit easier in his first season as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings it not having to make any big decisions as to who starts in goal. With Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek having similarly solid seasons, Blashill has been able to stick to the rotation he used at the beginning of the season. That keeps both goalies fresh when the Red Wings play on back-to-back nights, something they did for the seventh time when they faced the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils the past two nights. The Red Wings are this season when they play on back-to-back nights and have yet to start the same goalie in those situations. "I think it's a big luxury and obviously the key to them both playing the same is they're both playing at a real high level and the statistics show that," Blashill said. "So it's been a strength of ours so far. "We want to continue that and we think both of them are quality, quality goalies who can be elite in this league and we'll keep both of them going." Howard and Mrazek have helped the Red Wings earn at least one point in 13 straight games, their longest such streak since Howard has a record he's in his last five games to go with a 2.29 GAA and.921 save percentage after losing 3-2 in overtime to the Devils Friday. "I thought Jimmy was very good," Blashill said. "Our goaltending's been real good all year. I thought Jimmy was real good again tonight." Mrazek is with a 2.38 GAA and.924 save percentage after backstopping Thursday's 3-2 victory over the Canadiens at Joe Louis Arena. "If you look at numbers and their play, they both have been real equal and continue to be real equal," said Blashill, a former college goalie at Ferris State. "There doesn't seem to be lots of separation. "I thought Jimmy really probably stole us a point in Washington (Tuesday in a 3-2 OT loss). Petr certainly played well (Thursday) night but we felt going with Jimmy was the right move" against New Jersey. Blashill started the season alternating the goalies after Mrazek replaced Howard as the No. 1 netminder heading into the playoffs last season under former coach Mike Babcock. 15

16 Blashill wanted to give each a chance to show they deserved the No. 1 job but so far neither had done that. But it's not because both have struggled. Instead, both have played so well that Blashill sees no reason to discontinue his platoon system. "We went into the year with about a three-week plan to alternate them and see if there was separation," Blashill said. "We felt like that was enough time to give them a chance to have separation, hoping that there wasn't going to be any, that they both played great, and so far they both have." Michigan Live LOADED:

17 Jimmy Howard: 'We let it slip away' after Red Wings blow another third-period lead, lose in OT Brendan Savage on December 12, 2015 at 6:06 AM, updated December 12, 2015 at 6:09 AM NEWARK, N.J. The Detroit Red Wings picked up another point Friday, hiking their streak with at least one to 13 games, the most since they did it in 20 straight games back in But blowing third-period leads and watching points slip away in overtime is starting to get frustrating. The Red Wings blew a third-period lead for the eighth time in 13 games and 10th time this season when they let the New Jersey Devils rally from a two-goal deficit in the final 18 minutes of regulation before losing 3-2 on Kyle Palmieri's OT goal. "We were playing well," said goaltender Jimmy Howard, who finished with 35 saves. "We were doing a lot of god things out there. We were playing a good, solid road game and we let it slip away. "We still got the point tonight but it's tough being on the road and having a two-goal lead and not coming out on top. It's tough to swallow but on the bright side we did get a point here. When we continue to keep getting points it's a good thing." Overtime is getting to be a regular thing for the Red Wings (16-8-6). The game against the Devils marked the 1th time in their last 13 games and 13th overall they've went to OT this season. They came out on the wrong end of the score six times in those 13 games. Had they won just three of those games, they'd be tied for first place with Montreal in the Atlantic Division. Instead, they're three points behind the Canadiens. Coach Jeff Blashill sees good and bad aspects in playing so many OT games. "Well, there's frustration," he admitted. "I guess it depends which way you look at it. As I said in the room, I'm glad we've had lots of leads. I don't really look back a lot. We just got to keep getting better as a team. We found a way to be up in a lot of those games. "I think we're scoring more, which has put us in a good spot. We got to find a way to continue to minimize our mistakes. We made too many mistakes in the last little bit and we got to get as many points as we can. "It's the National Hockey League. They're trying real hard, too, and we've got to continue to get better." After a scoreless first period, the Red Wings took a 2-0 lead after Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar both scored second-period power-play goals to grab a piece of the team lead with Dylan Larkin. All there have 11 goals. 17

18 Howard was outstanding in the first 40 minutes, stopping 27 shots and helping blank the Devils during three power-play opportunities. But New Jersey ( ) cut the deficit in half 2:40 into the third, when Damon Severson scored his first of the season, before tying it with 5:20 left on a deflection in front by Sergey Kalinin. The Red Wings challenged the play, claiming goaltender interference, but after a review it was determined that Kalinin touched the puck before making contact with Howard. "The goalie interference is up for interpretation and we've seen some interesting ones," said Blashill, a former goalie. "I can't get inside the refs' heads so if I don't challenge it, I don't know what he's going to determine once he looks at it. We thought it was close enough to challenge. "We certainly didn't think it was a done deal but we thought it was close enough to challenge." The Devils snapped a four-game losing streak against the Red Wings with 39.3 seconds left in OT, when Palmieri went in alone on Howard and beat him with a backhand after taking a pass from Lee Stempniak. "This is one of the games again we kind of let it happen, let them come back," Tatar said. "We just have to play a little tight there. It's just another point that found its way through our fingers. To be honest, I'm a little upset about it. "It's just going to be another day, another game so we have to talk about it and become better." The Red Wings were playing for the second straight night they beat Montreal 3-2 Thursday night at home and third time in four days. They earned four of a possible six points in that stretch but it didn't ease the sting of blowing another third-period lead and letting a point slip away. "We want to come out of this with two points and feel good about ourselves," Nyquist said. "This points streak has been good to us but it's not like we're really running away with it in the standings. "It's still tight so it just goes to show how important it is to take a point every night. We've got three out of four in the last two days so that's alright." The 13-game streak is the longest since the Red Wings got at least one point in 20 straight games near the end of the season. Michigan Live LOADED:

19 Wings' goalie tandem working out as planned By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily POSTED: 12/12/15, 3:13 PM EST UPDATED: 11 SECS AGO DETROIT >> This is probably exactly how Detroit Red Wings Jeff Blashill had imagined it. Heading into the season the rookie coach thought he had two viable No. 1 goalies on his squad and that s exactly how they re playing. They both if you look at numbers and their play, they both have been real equal and continue to be real equal, Blashill said. There doesn t seem to be lots of separation. I think it s a big luxury and obviously the key to them both playing the same is they re both playing at a real high level and the statistics show that, Blashill added. So it s been a strength of ours so far. We want to continue that and we think both of them are quality, quality goalies who can be elite in this league and we ll keep both of them going. They ve been a true tandem in every sense during the Wings 13-game points streak. Mrazek is during this current run, allowing 12 goals, while Howard is and has given up 11 goals. We went into the year with about a three-week plan to alternate them and see if there was separation, Blashill said. We felt like that was enough time to give them a chance to have separation, hoping that there wasn t going to be any, that they both played great, and so far they both have. And there s been no separation between the two 30 games into season. Mrazek has started 16 games, compiling a record with a 2.38 goals-against average and a.924 save percentage. Howard has 14 starts, going with a 2.29 GAA and a.921 save percentage. Both have one shutout. I m 100 percent comfortable with putting both guys in position to feel confident, which I think they have been, Blashill said. They haven t done much looking over their shoulders. There s been enough competition to spur good play. But with that said, I do think they re in confident situations, we just got to continue to get real good goaltending. GIVING UP LEADS Despite earning at least a point in 13 consecutive games, the Wings continue to blow leads in the third period. Well, there s frustration, Blashill said. I m glad we ve had lots of leads. I don t really look back a lot. We ve just got to keep getting better as a team. 19

20 We ve found a way to be up in a lot of those games, Blashill added. I think we re scoring more, which has put us in a good spot. We ve got to find a way to continue to minimize our mistakes. We ve made too many mistakes in the last little bit and we ve got to get as many points as we can. On Friday, Detroit blew a third-period lead for the eighth time during this current points streak and for the 10th time this season. New Jersey rallied from a two-goal deficit and went on to win in overtime. You always want to come out of there with two points, Gustav Nyquist said. It s bad when you re up 2-0 going into the third. We should be good enough to shut them down and not let them tie it up. We ve got to do a better job. This points streak has been good to us, but it s not like we re really running away with it in the standings, Nyquist added. It s still tight so it just goes to show how important it is to take a point every night. We ve got three out of four in the last two days so that s alright. Ten of the Wings last 13 games have gone past regulation. It s been a little weird actually, Nyquist said. I haven t been a part of this before, that many games in a row going into overtime. It seems like we re playing almost 65 minutes every game. But again it shows you how tight this league is and how tight every team is. There s not much difference between the teams. The 13 game points streak is the longest since they went 20 straight games with earning at least one point in Macomb Daily LOADED:

21 Grand Rapids Griffins run win streak to 10 games By MLive.com ROCKFORD, Ill. The Grand Rapids Griffins used three third period goals and 36 saves from Jared Coreau to extend their winning streak to 10 games, defeating the Rockford IceHogs 4-1 on Saturday at BMO Harris Bank Center. The Griffins ( ) are one win away from matching a franchise record 11-game winning streak, which lasted from March 5-31, 2006 under Greg Ireland. Grand Rapids can equal the streak when they travel to face the Iowa Wild at Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday. Grand Rapids controlled the play early on and nearly scored shorthanded two minutes into the opening period. An errant pass from Marko Dano went off the skate of Jeremy Morin and onto the stick of Xavier Ouellet near the Griffins' blue line. Colin Campbell took Ouellet's pass off the boards and went on a breakaway, but was unable to open Michael Leighton's five-hole. Andreas Athanasiou opened the scoring for Grand Rapids at the 7:59 mark. On a 2-on- 1, Anthony Mantha gained the zone and sent a cross-ice pass from the top of the left circle to Athanasiou, who fired a one-timer from the right circle past Leighton's glove side. Jeremy Morin tied the score shorthanded for Rockford ( ) with 4:27 remaining. After Nathan Paetsch blocked Morin's initial effort, Morin got his own rebound and fired a wrist shot from the left circle inside the far post. Jake Dowell was credited with an assist to extend his point streak to six games. The IceHogs had the best scoring chance of the second period came on the power play, when Coreau stopped Tanner Kero's backhanded effort with his left pad. The Griffins outshot Rockford in the middle frame. The Griffins scored what proved to be the game winning goal 4:19 into the final frame. Robbie Russo's sharp-angle shot was stopped by Leighton's right pad, but the rebound ended up on the stick of an uncovered Tyler Bertuzzi in front, who scored his first of the season. Eric Tangradi provided an insurance tally with 8:03 remaining. After Tangradi's initial effort from the bottom of the right circle was stopped by Leighton's right pad, Andy Miele's behind the back pass found Tangradi in front, sneaking a shot under Leighton's left pad. Mantha added an empty netter with 2:09 left. The Griffins went 0-for-3 on the power play, while Rockford failed to score on five opportunities. Leighton stopped 32 of 35 shots in a losing effort as the IceHogs' fivegame winning streak was snapped. 21

22 Notes The Griffins have scored the game's first goal 26 times in their last 33 meetings with the Rockford IceHogs...Tonight marks the third time this season an AHL franchise has gone on a winning streak of 10 or more games: (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 11 games, Oct. 17- Nov. 15; Milwaukee, 10 games, Nov. 5-24; Grand Rapids, 10 games, Nov. 18-Dec. 12). Grand Rapids Griffins 4 at Rockford IceHogs 1 - Status: Final Saturday, December 12, BMO Harris Bank Center Grand Rapids Rockford st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Athanasiou 7 (Mantha, Tangradi), 7:59. 2, Rockford, Morin 6 (Dowell), 15:33 (SH). Penalties-Bertuzzi Gr (tripping), 1:54; Callahan Gr (interference), 5:09; Svedberg Rfd (interference), 11:31; Hartman Rfd (hooking), 13:42; Zengerle Gr (slashing), 14:40; Danault Rfd (slashing), 14:40; Cleary Gr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:36; Aubry Gr (roughing), 18:28; Ross Rfd (roughing), 18:28. 2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-served by Miele Gr (bench minor - too many men), 9:51; Labrie Rfd (holding), 12:19. 3rd Period-3, Grand Rapids, Bertuzzi 1 (Russo, Nosek), 4:19. 4, Grand Rapids, Tangradi 12 (Miele, Mantha), 11:57. 5, Grand Rapids, Mantha 3 (Jensen), 17:51 (EN). Penalties-Campbell Gr (closing hand on puck), 12:48. Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids Rockford Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 0 / 3; Rockford 0 / 5. Goalies-Grand Rapids, Coreau (39 shots-38 saves). Rockford, Leighton (35 shots-32 saves). A-6,104 Referees-Jarrod Ragusin (2). Linesmen-Peter Cichy (4), Ryan Daisy (90). 22

23 Red Wings a confident bunch as they face Devils Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 11:10 a.m. EST December 11, 2015 NEWARK, N.J. -- Over the past dozen games, the Detroit Red Wings have kept building their confidence. That will help as they face a back-to-back situation toinght, playing the New Jersey Devils (7 p.m., FSD) at Prudential Center less than 24 hours after rallying to beat Montreal, 3-2, at home. "Confidence is certainly growing," coach Jeff Blashill said. "Playing well and winning breeds confidence, but we have to be careful." Jimmy Howard is starting in goal, and everyone who played Thursday is available tonight, general manager Ken Holland told the Free Press. The Wings have points in 12 straight games (8-0-4), even as neither of their last two outings were very strong. They committed a rash of turnovers in the Montreal game and gave up a lot of shots (39 through regulation) in Tuesday's shoot-out loss at Washington. The biggest red flag from the Habs game, though, was the ineffectiveness of the power play until its fifth attempt, when Justin Abdelkader converted. On the man advantage right before that, the Wings didn't even get set up. "We have to be better with execution and getting up ice," Abdelkader said. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

24 Red Wings vs. Devils game day: Time, TV, radio, etc. Kirkland Crawford, Detroit Free Press 3:19 a.m. EST December 11, 2015 Detroit Red Wings (16-8-5, 37 points) at New Jersey Devils ( , 32 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: So can they make it a lucky 13? The Red Wings are fresh off of a 3-2 win over the Canadiens Thursday night at the Joe, 3-2. They have recorded at least one point in each of their last 12 games. Petr Mrazek got the win in goal for the Wings, and even though there's been consistent alternating between he and Jimmy Howard in goal, coach Jeff Blashill was noncommittal on who would get the start tonight against the Devils. New Jersey will be without top forwards Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique due to injuries. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

25 Red Wings' Helm works back on Datsyuk line, all over ice Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 2:51 a.m. EST December 12, 2015 NEWARK, N.J. Compliments don't get much better. It speaks to Darren Helm's assets that he is a chosen comrade on ice for Red Wings superstar Pavel Datsyuk. It is a position Helm has worked his way into, and one he is steadily maximizing again this season. A night before Friday's 3-2 overtime loss at Prudential Center to the New Jersey Devils, Helm delivered his first two-goal game of the season. For a guy who missed all of camp and the first handful of games because of injury, signs that Helm is back to being himself was a relief. "I knew things were coming," Helm said. "Hopefully this will give me more confidence and keep things rolling." Coach Jeff Blashill has used Helm, 28, in a variety of roles with Datsyuk and Brad Richards, on the fourth line, on both special teams. With his fleet feet and work ethic, Helm is versatile. "Pavel really likes him because he provides that speed, he can transport the puck, and he can go get the puck and then get back in front of the net," Blashill said. "He is a selfcreator, and there's very few self-creators in this league you've either got to be really, really strong on your skates or you've got to be really, really fast and he is obviously real fast and he is strong for his size." Helm's path mirrors that of Justin Abdelkader, who likewise worked his way up from the bottom six to the top six mix. So close, in fact, were the two that five years ago former teammates Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper, now part of the front office, dubbed them Lloyd Christmas (Helm) and Harry Dunne, the irrepressible lead characters from the movie "Dumb and Dumber." Seeing one another establish himself (Abdelkader was recently signed to a big extension; Helm is also due to be re-signed) has been a fun part of growing up. "Him and I have come up together, and it feels like it was just yesterday we were coming in as rookies," Abdelkader said. "Now we are considered veterans on the team. He has worked really hard, he has had to battle through some tough injuries, but he is finding his step here. He does terrific playing with Pav and getting pucks back and being on the forecheck." Helm's speed enables him to regularly get solid scoring chances, but converting them has been something of a thorn. Experience has taught him to just keep trying. "I think it is a confidence thing for me," Helm said. "Definitely now, I know that it is going to go in, I just have to keep taking my cracks at it." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

26 Pair of goals spell relief for struggling Helm Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 1:20 p.m. EST December 11, 2015 Newark, N.J. There was an extra little emotion, a vigorous fist pump, after Darren Helm scored his first of two goals Thursday against Montreal. Helm had a sound explanation for it, even though it s not like it was his first goal of the season. It was actually his second. But That was my first goal that I scored against a goalie in net this year, Helm said. So, I was pretty happy about it. That first goal this season was against Arizona Dec. 3 when goalie Anders Lindback ventured out of his net too far. Helm had reason to be pleased with that goal, too, as it ended a season opening 21- game stretch without a goal. Thursday, Helm opened the Red Wings scoring, then netted the game-winner in the third period, capping what was one of his best all-around games of the season. It just seems like things haven t been going quite the way I wanted them to go this year, Helm said. To get that one (Thursday) felt a little bit more relief than the first one (against Arizona). Playing on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Brad Richards, Helm was using his speed to create offensive chances and giving Montreal fits from a defensive standpoint. Darren was the best player on the ice, coach Jeff Blashill said. He was great from the drop of the puck. He s got such good get-up-and-go and he was impactful. He s played real well here the last eight or nine games. He s been good overall. It s good for him to get rewarded and it looks like he s really coming. There are likely reasons for Helm s slow start. He collided with a Red Wings prospect the first 10 minutes of training camp, suffered a concussion and shoulder injury, and didn t return to game action until the fifth game of the season Oct. 17. Getting his timing and conditioning took a while, and Helm s game suffered. In early November, Helm expressed disappointment with his own skating and work ethic. But with those aspects returning, the offense in Helm s game has come around as well. It s a confidence thing for me, Helm said. Chances are going to happen. Now, I know that it s going to go in. I just have to keep taking my cracks at it, get some shots on net, and the pucks will find its way in. 26

27 Teammates are happy for Helm, who is among the most versatile players on the team, capable of playing either special team and can provide the needed secondary scoring the Red Wings will need as the season progresses. He s really coming into his own lately here and getting more confidence, forward Justin Abdelkader said. Getting that first goal was big for him. You can see he has more confidence when he has the puck on his stick. We know what he s capable of. He doesn t need to score to have a positive impact on the game. Helm s ability to play on a scoring line with Datsyuk or play on a checking line gives Blashill plenty of options. Pavel likes playing with him because he can provide speed and can transport the puck, Blashill said. He can go get the puck and get back in front of the net. He s a self-creator and there s very few self-creators in this league. You either have to be really strong on your skates or be really fast and he s obviously real fast and he s strong for his size. Detroit News LOADED:

28 Red Wings squander lead, settle for one point Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 11:57 p.m. EST December 11, 2015 Newark, New Jersey The Red Wings extended their points streak Friday but they weren t feeling entirely great about the outcome. This one felt like the loss it was, 3-2 in overtime to the New Jersey Devils, never mind the one point they earned for the regulation tie. Kyle Palmieri s overtime goal with 39.3 seconds left won it for the Devils, who rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, Wings goalie Jimmy Howard said of the overtime loss. Having a two-goal lead in the third period, on the road, and we were doing a lot of great things out there. Having it spoiled, it s tough. Palmieri got behind Tomas Tatar Devils forward Lee Stempniak made a nice chip pass to set Palmieri free and beat Howard with a fake and backhand. The puck was bouncing and rolling and I didn t think he d make a move, Howard said. The puck wasn t sitting still. I thought he was going to shoot. Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar scored second-period, power-play goals as the Red Wings with the regulation tie extended their point streak to 13 games (8-0-5). Damon Severson and Sergey Kalinin (power play) scored third-period Devils goals. The Red Wings haven t lost a game in regulation time since Nov. 14 in Boston, when the Bruins defeated the Red Wings 3-1. The Red Wings (16-8-6) have earned 21 of a possible 26 points since that game, and suddenly have moved to within three points of Atlantic Division-leading Montreal. How impressive is this Red Wings streak? It s the longest since they had a 20-game points streak in 2006 (from March 9-April 17), in which they went But losing the way they did Friday was difficult to stomach. We wanted to come out of here with two points and feel good about ourselves, Nyquist said. This point streak has been good for us but it s not like we re running away in the standings. It s still tight. It just shows you how important it is to take a point. Another strange fact of this streak. Ten of the 13 games have gone to overtime, as the Red Wings have really gotten used to the new 3-on-3 format. 28