Detroit Red Wings Clips February 22-24, 2014

Transcription

1 Detroit Red Wings Clips February 22-24, 2014 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Red Wings' Riley Sheahan brims with pride over Canada's Olympic win PAGE 3 With Sochi Olympics over, Detroit Red Wings now shift focus to playoff push PAGE 5 Jeff Seidel: Detroit Red Wings' Mike Babcock adds another line to amazing résumé with second gold medal for Team Canada PAGE 8 Sochi Olympics: Sweden hockey lashes out at IOC over loss of Nicklas Backstrom PAGE 9 Kronwall: Swedish Red Wings' loss to Babcock's Canada 'doesn't feel great' PAGE 11 Niklas Kronwall: Swedish Detroit Red Wings' loss to Mike Babcock's Canada 'doesn't feel great' PAGE 13 Red Wings players want to go to 2018 Olympics in South Korea PAGE 15 Red Wings prepared for tough post-olympic playoff push without leader and catalyst Henrik Zetterberg PAGE 17 Winter Olympics: Canada defeats Sweden 3-0 to earn its second gold medal in a row PAGE 18 Regner: Olympics make no dollars or sense for NHL PAGE 20 Babcock s boys win gold again PAGE 23 Griffins win shootout to hold onto first place in Midwest Division PAGE 25 Detroit Red Wings' Stephen Weiss 'looked good' in practice, hopes to soon fill gap left by Henrik Zetterberg PAGE 27 Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco disappointed in Sochi Olympics outcome PAGE 28 Swedish Olympic Red Wings know Mike Babcock will have Canada ready for golden opportunity PAGE 30 Stephen Weiss might skip trip to Grand Rapids, stick with Red Wings PAGE 32 Red Wings' Stephen Weiss opts for practice over Grand Rapids game; Tomas Tatar disappointed in Olympic showing PAGE 34 Griffins snap 6-game home losing streak with 4-3 win PAGE 36 Niklas Kronwall praised as Sweden's fill-in captain PAGE 38 Henrik Zetterberg has back surgery; no guarantee that he returns to Detroit Red Wings this season PAGE 39 Jonathan Ericsson assists as Sweden edges past Finland, achieves 'unbelievable feeling' PAGE 41 Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg has back surgery, out up to two months PAGE 43 Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has back surgery; he still might return this season PAGE 45 Season could be over for Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg PAGE 47 Red Wings Zetterberg out about 8 weeks after back surgery PAGE 48 Zetterberg undergoes back surgery PAGE 49 Grand Rapids Griffins get home cooked again, and it is proving costly in standings, not attendance

2 Red Wings' Riley Sheahan brims with pride over Canada's Olympic win February 24, 2014 By George Sipple Detroit Free Press Sports Writer Red Wings forward Riley Sheahan woke up in time to watch the third period of the Olympic gold-medal game Sunday morning. Sheahan, born in St. Catharines, Ontario, was proud of Canada s 3-0 win over Sweden in Sochi, Russia. Why didn t he watch the first two periods? I couldn t get up that early, Sheahan said with a grin. Not by myself. Maybe if I had some friends to watch the game with. I just watched the third and watched them celebrate. Pretty cool. Obviously, there s so much support in Canada for their hockey. Being a hockey player, being around all these guys, you can sort of share it with them. Sheahan said he also felt a personal connection when Canada s women s hockey team won gold because he grew up playing on a youth team with forward Brianne Jenner. Wings associate coach Tom Renney said he was up early to watch. He was beaming about the win. Canada was just too good, he said. Too organized, too well prepared, too dialed in. Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock guided Canada to its second straight gold. NOTEBOOK: The Wings practiced again on Sunday and will take today off. Johan Frazen (concussion) is expecting to be cleared today. He said he hopes to return to action on Wednesday when the Wings visit Montreal.... Renney said the Wings worked on specialty teams on Sunday. We had kind of a power-play line and a half that was here, that we tried to do some things with, Renney said. Any time you go to the rink, it s fun. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 With Sochi Olympics over, Detroit Red Wings now shift focus to playoff push 8:28 PM, February 23, 2014 By Helene St. James Detroit Free Press Sports Writer SOCHI, RUSSIA The men flagged across the last teams standing at the Sochi Olympics were scheduled to fly home together, some delirious from winning gold, others disappointed with settling for silver. The group included the five Red Wings representing Sweden, which couldn t overcome devastating injuries when it came to taking on Canada in today s gold-medal game. Canada, with Wings coach Mike Babcock behind the bench and Wings general manager Ken Holland on its advisory committee, claimed gold with a 3-0 victory at Bolshoy Ice Dome that Babcock called dominant. Goalie Jimmy Howard and trainer Inar Treiguts, members of the U.S. team that fell apart in Saturday s bronze-medal game against Finland, were also to be passengers on the NHL red-eye charters scheduled to arrive in the U.S. some time Monday. Holland said center Pavel Datsyuk, who went home to Yekaterinburg after Russia s defeat in the quarterfinals, was flying commercially. We expect him to be at practice Tuesday, and play Wednesday, Holland said. We might give the Swedes Tuesday off. The Wings exit the Olympic break Wednesday at Montreal, desperate to create a little separation and climb higher up the Eastern Conference standings than the last wildcard playoff spot. It s the message Babcock said he had deliver to his Swedish players. I m going to tell them let s get ready to play, he said at a news conference seated next to Steve Yzerman, the former Wings great who assembled the Canadian roster. Congratulations on a silver medal and we ve got lot of business to do in Detroit, Babcock said. We ve got to get ready for the playoffs. I don t quite know how we re going to do it, but we re going to do it. Today s game is an example of why it will be hard to do so: Sweden had no really skilled centers left after being informed Nicklas Backstrom would not be allowed to play because of substance violation relating to an allergy medication. Sweden already was without Henrik Zetterberg and Henrik Sedin that s three great centers down. The Wings aren t likely to have Zetterberg again this season; he underwent back surgery Friday and is out at least seven weeks. Holland said he hadn t been told whether there were any dings on any of his other Olympic Swedes that might affect their immediate return to the NHL. Datsyuk, battling a knee injury, is supposed to OK to play but Babcock sounded like there was some uncertainty. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall spoke to Zetterberg before the game, saying he wished the team good luck. But luck didn t happen: Gustav Nyquist had a great chance early 3

4 in the first period, sending a puck off the post and sliding through the paint only to see Carey Price collect the puck inches from the goal line. Then Canada s Jonathan Toews scored, then Sidney Crosby further cemented his status as folk hero, and then Chris Kunitz ended any chance of a rally in the third period. Jonathan Ericsson had a poor game with turnovers, but Sweden as a whole couldn t overcome being so short on stars. It doesn t feel great, Kronwall said. We didn t give ourselves an honest chance. Daniel Alfredsson, at 41 playing in his fifth and last Olympics, spoke as a silver medal rubbed against his yellow and blue sweater. It doesn t feel like it s worth a whole lot right now, he said, but I know in a few weeks time it s going to be something I m extremely proud of. But right now, it doesn t feel great. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 Jeff Seidel: Detroit Red Wings' Mike Babcock adds another line to amazing résumé with second gold medal for Team Canada 5:39 PM, February 23, 2014 By Jeff Seidel Detroit Free Press Columnist SOCHI, RUSSIA As the final seconds ticked off the clock, and the Canadian fans were singing, Hey, hey, hey good-bye! and the players started to spill across the ice after Canada won the men s hockey gold medal Sunday, Mike Babcock turned and hugged his coaching staff. He did it again. Babcock led Canada to a second-straight gold medal at the Winter Olympics, adding another line to his ever-expanding résumé. The final score: Babcock s Canadians 3, Swedish Red Wings 0. Babcock walked onto the ice and stood at the end of the line, as the two teams prepared to shake hands. The first player to come through that line? It was Niklas Kronwall. Babcock shook his hand and slapped him on the back. One by one, Babcock greeted the Swedish players, five of whom play for him on the Wings. The handshakes were quick and businesslike. This was not the time for sentiment. This was not the time to say: Hey, see you back in Detroit. Steve Yzerman, the Canadian general manager who picked this team, looked down and watched the scene unfold from up high in the arena, something he had been envisioning for two years. Yzerman tried to get down to the ice for a team picture. But he was stuck in an elevator. Which might be the only thing that went wrong for Canada in this tournament. Sure, Canada didn t score as many goals as some might have wanted. Which caused half of Canada to hyperventilate with worry. But Babcock wasn t concerned. He saw a team that was dominant and getting chances, even if the puck wasn t going into the net. The interesting thing for me, when I look at this whole scenario, does anybody know who won the scoring race? Babcock asked. Does anybody care? Does anybody know who won the gold medal? See you, guys. 5

6 And with that final comment, he left a news conference and went to the Closing Ceremony of the Sochi Games. A team of Yzermans This Canadian team was fashioned in Yzerman s image. Just like the team he built for the 2010 Vancouver Games. He found a bunch of highly skilled, unselfish, two-way players who were willing to put the team first. Which sounds like a description of Yzerman, the Wings Hall of Fame center and now GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning. It s an incredibly talented group of players who said, You know what, I ll do whatever you guys ask, Yzerman said. Clearly, Babcock and Yzerman work well together. They ve won two Olympics together. What makes Steve a good leader? No. 1, he is a good person and he understands what is right and what is wrong, Babcock said. Even though the hard decisions are hard, he s not scared to make them. And he knows to work with the right people. Besides picking Babcock as his coach, he again used Wings GM Ken Holland as an adviser. After the game, Yzerman said he would not be Canada s GM for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Now, a word here about Sweden. Canada beat a team that was riddled with injuries and left even more shorthanded after Nicklas Backstrom was banned for taking allergy medicine. A medicine that he has taken for years. Now, maybe I m biased. Because I have allergies and I ve been popping allergy pills like crazy here in the land of pollen. But it seems crazy to ban somebody because he took a pill to stop sneezing. That amazing résumé Before this game, Babcock told his players to relax. To have fun. And to play to win. Even though the world would have ended for our friends to the north if Canada had lost this game. No pressure there. But this team didn t feel as much pressure because Babcock never looks worried. He has the same demeanor at all times. And he got this team to play loose and confident. And then, Canada came out and shut out Sweden. Since I ve been around, it s the most impressive, the greatest display of defensive hockey, Yzerman said. 6

7 While Canada gave up only three goals in its six games, Babcock bristled at the notion that this team was defensive-minded. He saw an offensive team that had the puck so much the other teams couldn t get it back. We wanted to score 10 each night, he said. That s the way we played. For you to think we tried to play a defensive scheme, we didn t do that. We went after it. We spent the whole time on the offensive zone. We rolled around on the offensive zone. By doing that, we played good defense. We spent very little time in our offensive zone. And Canada became the first team to go undefeated at the Olympics since the Soviets in Canada won back-to-back golds for the first time since 1948 and Yzerman called this the best defense that Canada has ever put on the ice. I believe so, he said. The coaching staff did such a good job with it. It wasn t strictly playing defense. We weren t sitting in a shell. Part of our defense was being aggressive, forechecking and pressuring and closing gaps. Now, think about Babcock s résumé at age 50: two Olympic golds, a world championship title, a world junior championship title and a Stanley Cup. The Canadian players talked about Babcock s preparation and his ability to say the right thing, at the right time. I ve watched him work for a long time, said Yzerman, who played for Babcock for one season and spent four years in the front office in Detroit, working with Babcock. He s a strong leader. He s an incredibly hard worker. He s willing to make difficult decisions. Look at his résumé. There is a reason he has won at every single level. I have really enjoyed working with him. And now, Babcock has his gold, Canada can breathe again, and this tournament is over. Which means Babcock will shift his focus back on the Red Wings. Can they make the playoffs for the 23rd straight season? We ve got to get ready to get ready to get into the playoffs, he said. I just know we are finding a way. Finding a way. Babcock has a pretty strong history of showing teams how to do that. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

8 Sochi Olympics: Sweden hockey lashes out at IOC over loss of Nicklas Backstrom 12:10 PM, February 23, 2014 By Helene St. James Detroit Free Press Sports Writer SOCHI, RUSSIA Team Sweden eviscerated the International Olympic Committee after claiming the silver medal game today at the Sochi Games. Sweden lost, 3-0, to Canada at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Sweden found out two hours before the game that Nicklas Backstrom, the most creative forward on the team, could not play because of a drug violation over an allergy medication Backstrom has taken for seven years. The IOC has destroyed one of the great days in Swedish hockey history, Sweden general manager Tommy Boustedt said. Backstrom, who looked near tears, said, It was shocking to me I have absolutely nothing to hide. I ve had allergy problems for several years. I was ready to play probably the biggest game of my career, and 2½ hrs before game I got pulled aside. It s sad. IIHF doctor Mark Aubry called Backstrom an innocent victim of circumstances. Sweden coach Par Marts said, the IOC has made things up here. Sweden was furious that although Backstrom was tested Wednesday, the news was delivered four days later. Marts claimed teams are supposed to get an answer sooner. The news struck hard at the Swedes, who already were without star playmakers Henrik Zetterberg and Henrik Sedin. Marts and his staff had to scramble to sort out new lines because of the lateness of the news. There are rules they are going to follow and they didn t, Marts said. There are certain rules how things should go, and they didn t. And it s the final. They have to follow the procedures, but they didn t. Sweden defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said the news stunned players. I heard he got called out for something and we didn t know what it was and then all of a sudden we hear that we don t know if he can play, Ericsson said. We talked about it just briefly, like for 20 seconds, nothing we can control if he comes back, he comes back, otherwise we have to deal with it the best we can. But for us to lose him was pretty bad. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

9 Kronwall: Swedish Red Wings' loss to Babcock's Canada 'doesn't feel great' 10:56 AM, February 23, 2014 By Helene St. James Detroit Free Press sports writer SOCHI, RUSSIA Canada cruised to a second straight Olympic gold medal, shutting down a Sweden team heavy on Detroit Red Wings and low on stars. Canada won, 3-0 Sunday at Bolshoy Ice Dome, closing out the Sochi Games men's hockey tournament. Sweden took silver, and Finland had already claimed bronze in a Saturday game over the USA. "Right now, it doesn't feel great," Sweden and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "I didn't feel like we gave ourselves an honest chance." Canada, coached by Detroit's Mike Babcock, looked unshakeable after Sidney Crosby secured folk-hero status with a breakaway goal in the second period. Jonathan Toews and Chris Kunitz also scored. "I thought we were fine after the first," Kronwall said. "Second period, we didn't win enough battles." The game pitted the 2006 Olympic champion, Sweden, against the 2010 champion, and marked the first time the two hockey superpowers battled for gold since Sweden beat Canada in a shootout at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Canada was favored to win Sunday on the strength of a roster full of superstars. Sweden's chances appeared weakened after Detroit Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg pulled out of the tournament after one game because of a herniated disk in his lower back. Sweden already was without the injured Henrik Sedin, leaving them without two highly skilled forwards. It grew to three shortly before Sunday's game began, as Nicklas Backstrom was scratched because of what the team said was a violation of banned substances. That forced Sweden to used Jimmie Ericsson as a top-line center - and to finally use Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist, who had been benched earlier. Nyquist almost made a difference minutes into the game, when he sent the puck off a post and sliding into the crease before Carey Price turned around and swiped the puck. As good as a start as Sweden had, it was Canada that scored, with Jonathan Toews sending the puck five-hole on Henrik Lundqvist with seven minutes to go in the first period. Sweden threatened Price during a nearly two-minute power play at the start of the second period, but Canada had the better puck possession for long stretches of the second period. Crosby made it 2-0 on a breakaway late in the second period, burning Jonathan Ericsson for a turnover by slipping behind Canada's defense and striking fear into Sweden. 9

10 "Everyone is trying, but we're not coming together as a team," Jonathan Ericsson said. "I don't know how many turnovers we had in our own zone, and me on the blueline, too. "The only thing that describes it best is disappointment." Any chance of a blue-and-yellow rally died midway through the third period, when Chris Kunitz made Sweden pay for another turnover. Almost a quarter of Sweden's roster was imported from Detroit, with Zetterberg as the first captain. Niklas Kronwall was named as replacement after Zetterberg left to undergo surgery. Fellow Wings numbered Nyquist, and Daniel Alfredsson, Jonathan Ericsson and Jonas Gustavsson. Nyquist replaced Johan Franzen, who was left in Detroit because of concussion issues. Sweden's chances at the tournament were questioned because of all the injuries, but they took advantage of being in a soft group, and then withstood Finland in a semifinal to guarantee at least one color of medal. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

11 Niklas Kronwall: Swedish Detroit Red Wings' loss to Mike Babcock's Canada 'doesn't feel great' 11:09 AM, February 23, 2014 By Helene St. James Detroit Free Press sports writer SOCHI, RUSSIA Canada cruised to a second straight Olympic gold medal, shutting down a Sweden team heavy on Detroit Red Wings and low on stars. Canada won, 3-0 Sunday at Bolshoy Ice Dome, closing out the Sochi Games men's hockey tournament. Sweden took silver, and Finland had already claimed bronze in a Saturday game over the USA. "Right now, it doesn't feel great," Sweden and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "I didn't feel like we gave ourselves an honest chance. I thought we were fine after the first. Second period, we didn't win enough battles." Canada, coached by Detroit's Mike Babcock, looked unshakeable after Sidney Crosby secured folk-hero status with a breakaway goal in the second period. Jonathan Toews and Chris Kunitz also scored. "We were organized," Babcock said. "We were dominant." Asked what he'd tell his contingent of Swedish players, Babcock said he'd emphasize getting back to work and working their way up the NHL standings, where right now the Wings clin to the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Babcock vowed the Wings will extend their 22-season streak of making the playoffs. "I don't quite know how how we're going to do it," he said, "but we're going to do it. The game pitted the 2006 Olympic champion, Sweden, against the 2010 champion, and marked the first time the two hockey superpowers battled for gold since Sweden beat Canada in a shootout at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Canada was favored to win Sunday on the strength of a roster full of superstars. Sweden's chances appeared weakened after Detroit Red Wings star Henrik Zetterberg pulled out of the tournament after one game because of a herniated disk in his lower back. Sweden already was without the injured Henrik Sedin, leaving them without two highly skilled forwards. It grew to three shortly before Sunday's game began, as Nicklas Backstrom was scratched because of what the team said was a violation of banned substances. That forced Sweden to used Jimmie Ericsson as a top-line center - and to finally use Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist, who had been benched earlier. Nyquist almost made a difference minutes into the game, when he sent the puck off a post and sliding into the crease before Carey Price turned around and swiped the puck. As good as a start as Sweden had, it was Canada that scored, with Jonathan Toews sending the puck five-hole on Henrik Lundqvist with seven minutes to go in the first period. Sweden threatened Price during a nearly two-minute power play at the start of 11

12 the second period, but Canada had the better puck possession for long stretches of the second period. Crosby made it 2-0 on a breakaway late in the second period, burning Jonathan Ericsson for a turnover by slipping behind Canada's defense and striking fear into Sweden. "Everyone is trying, but we're not coming together as a team," Jonathan Ericsson said. "I don't know how many turnovers we had in our own zone, and me on the blueline, too. "The only thing that describes it best is disappointment." Any chance of a blue-and-yellow rally died midway through the third period, when Chris Kunitz made Sweden pay for another turnover. Almost a quarter of Sweden's roster was imported from Detroit, with Zetterberg as the first captain. Niklas Kronwall was named as replacement after Zetterberg left to undergo surgery. Fellow Wings numbered Nyquist, and Daniel Alfredsson, Jonathan Ericsson and Jonas Gustavsson. Nyquist replaced Johan Franzen, who was left in Detroit because of concussion issues. Sweden's chances at the tournament were questioned because of all the injuries, but they took advantage of being in a soft group, and then withstood Finland in a semifinal to guarantee at least one color of medal. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

13 Red Wings players want to go to 2018 Olympics in South Korea Ted Kulfan The Detroit News Detroit With the Winter Olympics over, it's time for the speculation to begin on Will the NHL send its players to South Korea for those Olympics? The travel is even further, the time change worse than Russia, and it's a market that isn't a traditional hockey hotbed. But ask NHL players, and they want to continue the league's association with the Olympics. "I don't think the Olympics would be the same (without NHL players)," said Tomas Tatar, who represented Slovakia in these Olympics. "You want the Olympics to have the best athletes. I know for owners and (general) managers the injuries aren't the best (News). "But it's just part of hockey. The injuries can happen here, too." Commissioner Gary Bettman has indicated the league will examine the positives and negatives of the Sochi Olympics as they move forward and make a decision regarding 2018 in conjuction with the NHL Players Association. Injuries to Henrik Zetterberg (herniated disk) and the Islanders' John Tavares (knee) point to the negatives, along with the necessity of shutting down for for nearly three weeks. "You see players sustain injuries that'll keep them out the rest of the year (and) it's tough to travel as far and miss as much of the regular season," Justin Abdelkader said. "It's going to be a hot topic. "(But) at the same time the Olympics are special, as is playing for your country." Said Johan Franzen: "All the players want to go there. It's a little bit of a break for the league, but we have a break every year with the all-star break. This is longer, but it's something we should continue. It's a big deal. It's a big deal to win that gold." Franzen ready Franzen(concussion) continues to skate daily and is banking on returning Wednesday in Montreal with the regular season schedule resumes. Franzen has played one game since Dec. 15, returning Jan. 26 to play against Florida, but waking up two days later with reoccurring concussion symptoms. "It's been pretty good," said Franzen of his practicing last week. "I am optimistic (about returning Wednesday)." Franzen will see a doctor Monday, at which point he could be cleared to play. 13

14 Franzen watched with disappointment Sunday as Sweden lost to Canada in the gold medal final, knowing he had to withdraw from the Swedish roster in January because of the concussion. "Very disappointing because of the team we had, and the team we should have had," said Franzen, noting centers Zetterberg, Henrik Sedin (ribs) and Nicklas Backstrom (suspension) didn't play Sunday. Dominant performance Red Wings players and coaches were impressed with Canada's dominating performance Sunday over Sweden, and its dominance throughout the tournament. Mike Babcock coached Canada to back-to-back gold medals. "It was absolutely air tight," associate coach Tom Renney said of Canada's performance. "Canada was just too good, too organized, too well prepared, too dialed in. Too, too, too." Said Franzen: "Canada played good. Sweden didn't get much. You need a little bit of a luck to be able to stay in a game like that, you need a break, and we didn't get that fortunate bounce." Detroit News LOADED:

15 Red Wings prepared for tough post-olympic playoff push without leader and catalyst Henrik Zetterberg Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan on February 23, 2014 at 6:01 PM, updated February 23, 2014 at 6:10 PM DETROIT Henrik Zetterberg leads the Detroit Red Wings in goals, assists, points, plus-minus rating and shots on goals. He s their best defensive forward, matched-up against opponents top threat. On top of that, he brings many elements as captain and emotional leader. He can t be replaced. But everyone can do a little more to help compensate for his loss. Having a healthy Pavel Datsyuk would help. So would getting contributions from Johan Franzen and Stephen Weiss, who ve been out with injuries. The Red Wings post-olympic playoff push begins Wednesday at Montreal. With 24 games remaining and 11 teams competing for the final six playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, the Red Wings must overcome the absence of their indisputable MVP. It s a substantial loss, let s not kid ourselves, assistant coach Bill Peters said. It s your captain, it s your leading scorer; he s a point-a-game player. His leadership in the room as much as anything is going to be a loss. But now we ll get our head wrapped around it and move on and find a way that we re going to have to play to be successful. We ll do that as a group. Zetterberg had surgery Friday to remove part of a disc which was rubbing against a nerve, causing severe back pain. The club said his status will be evaluated after eight weeks, so he s likely done for the regular season. Zetterberg (16 goals, 48 points in 45 games) had formed good chemistry with Gustav Nyquist (nine goals in his past 10 games) and Justin Abdelkader. We re just going to have to rally with the group within, Abdelkader said. I think we ve had a really good push with the young guys of late. Hopefully, Pav comes back and he s close to healthy; he d be a big lift. Franzen would be another lift. Datsyuk played well for a disappointing Russian team at the Olympics (six points in five games), after missing 14 of the final 16 games before the break due to a knee injury. Franzen has missed 22 of the past 23 games with a concussion, but after practicing four times during the break he believes he ll be ready to play Wednesday. He s a hungry player and I think we re going to have a real good player down the stretch with Johan, Peters said. Physically, he s worked hard and looks real good, and I know he wants to get back in the lineup sooner rather than later. Franzen was playing his best hockey of the season, with 17 points in 17 games, before getting injured on Dec

16 Everyone s got to chip in, Franzen said. I think we have a good system. When we buy into that we re a hard team to beat. We got to treat every game like it s a playoff game, pretty much the rest of the way. Weiss, the Red Wings second-line center at the start of the season, might return Wednesday, or shortly thereafter, following surgery on Dec. 23 for a sports hernia. Weiss has had a miserable start (two goals, four points in 26 games) but was productive the past six seasons in Florida. The Red Wings need that player to resurface. Obviously, Z is a huge loss, Weiss said. I m not thinking about coming in and replacing him. I got to do my own thing and play my game, but we re going to need guys to step up and fill that void. I definitely put some of that onus on myself. He s looking at the final seven weeks as a fresh start. Absolutely, I hope so, Weiss said. I haven t been able to show my best yet so I m looking forward to hopefully getting back and having a strong push at the end. A strong push at the end last year extended the franchise s playoff streak to 22 seasons. The catalyst for that push, Zetterberg, is gone. But it s an opportunity for others to seize the moment. We have to embrace this as an opportunity, continue to prove we can win under any circumstance, assistant coach Tom Renney said. What that requires is extraordinary effort by everybody. I don t think it s anything that s beyond them. But every single day we have to make sure we re dialed in and prepared to do whatever it takes to get wins. If it s trying to win 1-0, then so be it. I don t think we re as decimated as some would like to believe. Michigan Live LOADED:

17 Winter Olympics: Canada defeats Sweden 3-0 to earn its second gold medal in a row Ansar Khan akhan1@mlive.com By Ansar Khan akhan1@mlive.com on February 23, 2014 at 9:49 AM, updated February 23, 2014 at 10:14 AM Carey Price made 24 saves Sunday to lead Canada to a 3-0 victory over Sweden and its second consecutive Olympic gold medal -- its third in the past four Olympics -- in Sochi, Russia. Canada, with Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock behind the bench, is the first repeat gold-medal winner since the Soviet Union/Unified team won three in a row from The Canadians have a record nine Olympic gold medals since 1920, despite not winning one for 50 years ( ). Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby each scored his first goal of the tournament and Chris Kunitz also scored. Toews and Crosby also scored in Canada s 2010 gold-medal winning game. It was Price s second shutout in a row. Canada allowed only three goals in six games and never trailed in the tournament. Toews redirected a pass from Jeff Carter past Henrik Lundqvist to open the scoring at 12:55 of the first period. Crosby converted on a breakaway 15:43 into the second period to make it 2-0. He stole the puck from Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson at the far blue line and went in alone on Lundqvist and beat him on the backhand. Kunitz's added an insurance goal in the third. Sweden didn t have many quality scoring chances. One of its best came in the first period when Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist rattled a shot off the goal post. The puck trickled behind Price near the goal line before the goaltender was able to cover it with his glove. Nicklas Backstrom was a late scratch for Sweden, forcing the Swedes to play without their top three centers. Henrik Sedin missed the Olympics due to a rib injury and Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg withdrew after one game because of back pain. Michigan Live LOADED:

18 Regner: Olympics make no dollars or sense for NHL By Art Regner, FoxSportsDetroit.com February 23, 2014 It doesn't take a hockey sage to figure out what occurred on the ice at the Sochi Games. The best team won the gold, and the best game was played between two teams that didn't even medal. But what happens in 2018, when the Games will be played in PyeongChang, South Korea, is anybody's guess. Forget about the 14-hour time difference between Detroit and PyeongChang. Serious hockey fans will tune in because Olympic hockey has become must-see every four years. Where else can you watch the best players in the world compete? Oh yeah, the NHL. That's why I'm convinced that NHL owners are at the end of the Olympic experiment. As great as the Olympic tournament has been, it hasn't significantly increased the owners' revenue or improved the league's TV ratings. There's not much of an incentive to close your business for 2 1/2 weeks and allow your best players to participate in an intense 12-day tournament, with a challenging schedule, and receive nothing or very little in return -- except for an injured player or two. That's the bottom line: The Olympics just don't make dollars and sense anymore. If you examine Sochi tournament, the Canadian onslaught, though impressive, wasn't the flash-and-dash dominance that attracts new fans. While our neighbors to the north swell with pride that their hockey heroes brought home the gold, Team Canada scored only 17 goals in six games, and seven of them were by two defensemen. The United States had 20 goals in four games heading into the medal round, and despite being shut out for two straight games, was the most entertaining team and the talk of the tournament before its meltdown. This isn't sour grapes because I wanted the USA to win the whole thing. I applaud Canada for their flawless execution. 18

19 Giving up only three total goals is an incredible accomplishment. However, Canada's impressive gold run wasn't memorable. The lasting image of the Sochi Games will be the shootout between the United States and Russia. That game had everything that mattered: scoring, controversy and a dramatic ending. There are 24 NHL teams in the United States. How many Americans got up early on Sunday to watch the gold-medal game between Sweden and Canada? The answer is easy -- not very many. Honestly, the Sochi Games did little to enhance the game of hockey, unless you were already a fan. NHL owners are astute, and the "high risk and no reward" of Olympic hockey defies their hardcore business principles. Once the owners get their way and Olympic hockey and the NHL relationship is severed, players will be outraged and cite national pride, blaming the owners of being greedy and unpatriotic. Owners will remind the players that they pay them millions of dollars and that loyalty is a two-way street. Once you bring money into the conversation, it's a language that everybody understands. Goodbye, Olympic hockey with NHL involvement. It was fun, but not profitable. 19

20 Babcock's boys win gold again By Greg Beacham, Associated Press February 23, 2014 SOCHI, Russia (AP) -- Sidney Crosby skated in alone on Henrik Lundqvist, faking Sweden's goalie to the ice with a textbook-quality deke and sliding a perfect backhand into the net. Canada did everything by the book at the Sochi Olympics, winning all six games with a ferocious commitment to defense and discipline. When Canada's captain finally got his first goal of the games Sunday, it had none of the dramatics of Crosby's last Olympic goal four years ago in Vancouver. But it was every bit as golden. Jonathan Toews scored in the first period, Carey Price made 24 saves in his second consecutive shutout, and Canada defended its Olympic men's hockey title with a 3-0 victory over Sweden. "We're just an amazing team to watch, the way we work together," Toews said. "We were just all over them. It's fun to be a part of." Chris Kunitz also scored as the Canadians confirmed their worldwide dominance in their national game by winning the gold for the third time in the last four Olympics. No team in the NHL era has controlled a tournament like this group, which allowed just three goals in six games and never trailed at any point in the 12-day tournament on the shores of the Black Sea. "Not quite as dramatic as the other one," Crosby said. "Just real solid all the way through. We knew the way we wanted to play, and the last couple of games, we were solid. With each game, we seemed to build more and more confidence." By the final event of the Sochi Olympics, that confidence was unshakable. Canada became the only repeat Olympic champ in the NHL era and the first team to go unbeaten through the Olympic tournament since the Soviet Union in Sarajevo in Canada won its record ninth Olympic hockey gold medal -- its first outside North America since and joined the women's team to complete Canada's second straight Olympic hockey sweep. 20

21 The Canadians didn't allow a goal in their final 164-plus minutes at the Bolshoy Ice Dome after the first period of the quarterfinals against Latvia, shutting out the U.S. and Sweden. Steve Yzerman, the architect of this roster for Hockey Canada, called it the greatest display of defensive hockey by any Canadian national team. Yzerman also said he's stepping down as Canada's Olympic executive director. The Swedes also were unbeaten until the final, but they couldn't compete with Canada's formidable defense and Price, a first-time gold medalist who played splendidly in Sochi, allowing three goals in five games. "That was the hardest-working team I've ever seen," Price said. "I really can't say enough about that group of defensemen and that overall team in front of me. Our work ethic was what won us this championship." The Canadians exchanged hugs and leaped over the boards at the final horn, gathering at Price's net for a celebration that had seemed inevitable since Crosby scored in the second period. Toews, who scored on a first-period tip-in, and Crosby are among Canada's 11 returning players from the 2010 championship team. Kunitz, widely criticized for failing to finish chances earlier in Sochi, capped the scoring with a vicious wrist shot in the third. If these games were the last with NHL players joining their national teams, Canada's pros put on a landmark show. The NHL won't decide for several months whether to allow its players to go to Pyeongchang. "It is amazing to see the guys that have the raw talent and ability commit themselves to doing all the little things right," said Toews, who has two Stanley Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals at 25. "We knew that's what it was going to take in this tournament to win the championship, and guys were willing to do that." Lundqvist stopped 33 shots, but the depleted Swedes couldn't keep pace with the new Big Red Machine in Russia. While Canada got goals from its two best centers, Sweden had to play without its top three centers. With Henrik Sedin and Henrik Zetterberg already out for the tournament, Nicklas Backstrom was scratched shortly before game time. Swedish Olympic officials said Backstrom had a positive drug test because of an allergy medicine. "With all the turnovers, Hank could only do so much for us," Sweden captain Niklas Kronwall said. "We thought that if we played a perfect game, we'd have a chance.... It doesn't feel great. I didn't feel like we gave ourselves an honest chance." 21

22 After both teams hit a post in the opening minutes to put a little buzz into the quiet Russian crowd, Canada went ahead nearly 13 minutes in when Jeff Carter threw a quick pass in front to Toews, who deflected it underneath Lundqvist for his first goal in Sochi. Toews also scored Canada's first goal in the gold-medal game in Vancouver. Late in the second period, Crosby scored after forcing a turnover at the Canada blue line. Loui Eriksson couldn't catch him, and Lundqvist couldn't stop the backhand with his sprawled toe. When Backstrom was ruled out shortly before game time, Sweden was left without its top three pivots. Jimmie Ericsson attempted to fill in between Daniel Sedin and Eriksson, but he's not a natural center, and he lost all six of his faceoffs in the first period. "They had a good game plan against us, and they stuck to it," Sweden defenseman Erik Karlsson said. "We couldn't really break through a brick wall." 22

23 Griffins win in shootout to hold onto first place in Midwest Division MLive.com February 23, 2014 GRAND RAPIDS, MI After Petr Mrazek and Milwaukee s Scott Darling posted identical 29-save shutouts through the conclusion of overtime, the Grand Rapids Griffins used an unconventional shootout lineup to clinch an important 1-0 win in a thriller on Sunday at Van Andel Arena. Rookie Martin Frk converted his first pro shootout attempt to kick off the Griffins 4-for-5 performance in the skills competition, and defenseman Brennan Evans closed things out in round five on the first shootout try of his 11-year career, deking Darling and putting a forehand shot just inside the post to hand Grand Rapids its second straight win. Although each team was playing its third game in less than three days, the action was spirited from beginning to end. Energized by a boisterous crowd of 8,451 which brought the total attendance for the Griffins rare three-in-three at home to a robust 27,539 Grand Rapids maintained its one-point lead in the Midwest Division race over Chicago, which beat conference-leading Abbotsford 2-0. The Griffins ( ), who will play 14 of their final 22 regular season games on the road, will commence a three-game swing with a rematch against the Admirals ( ) at 8 p.m. EST Wednesday in Milwaukee. Grand Rapids penalty killers stood strong in the opening period to ensure a scoreless game at intermission, denying three Admirals power plays, including 1:17 of a 5-on-3. Grand Rapids didn t allow a shot during the first advantage and Mrazek came up big on several occasions over Milwaukee s extended chance, stopping a total of 11 shots during the frame. The Griffins penalty killers reprised their act during the second period, stifling another two Milwaukee power plays that surrounded a 14-second, two-man advantage, while the Admirals were similarly tested in the third by a pair of Grand Rapids power plays, including 24 seconds of a 5-on-3. However, Milwaukee enjoyed the best scoring chance of that third period. After exiting from the penalty box with just over 12 minutes remaining, Austin Watson was left alone in front of Mrazek, who made a brilliant save on the shorthanded blast to keep the game scoreless. 23

24 In the shootout, Frk and Adam Almquist converted in the first two rounds along with Cory Emmerton in round four, while Mathieu Tousignant, Filip Forsberg and Taylor Beck beat Mrazek in succession in rounds two through four. Mrazek recovered to turn back Simon Moser in the fifth stanza, setting the stage for Evans heroics. Notes: The 1-0 shootout win was the first for Grand Rapids since Jan. 24, 2009 against Quad City It marked just the ninth game in franchise history that was scoreless at the end of overtime. The Griffins now own five shootout wins, three shootout losses and one tie in those contests AHL all-star defenseman Alexey Marchenko was lost to an undisclosed lower-body injury late in the second period and did not return after being helped to the locker room Each team finished 0-for-5 on the power play. Milwaukee Admirals 0 at Grand Rapids Griffins 1 (SO) - Status: Final SO Sunday, February 23, Van Andel Arena Milwaukee Grand Rapids st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Parkes Gr (slashing), 5:37; Ferraro Gr (slashing), 10:39; Paetsch Gr (cross-checking), 11:22; Cehlin Mil (tripping), 18:29. 2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-McIntyre Gr (hooking), 4:17; Almquist Gr (holding), 6:04; Tousignant Mil (instigating, fighting, misconduct - instigating), 8:31; Evans Gr (fighting), 8:31; Liambas Mil (hooking), 15:09. 3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Watson Mil (tripping), 5:54; Valentine Mil (boarding), 7:30. OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties Shootout - Milwaukee 3 (Saponari NG, Tousignant G, Forsberg G, Beck G, Moser NG), Grand Rapids 4 (Frk G, Almquist G, Aubry NG, Emmerton G, Evans G). Shots on Goal-Milwaukee Grand Rapids Power Play Opportunities-Milwaukee 0 / 5; Grand Rapids 0 / 5. Goalies-Milwaukee, Darling (29 shots-29 saves). Grand Rapids, Mrazek (29 shots-29 saves). A-8,451 Referees-Jon McIsaac (45), Tim Mayer (19). Linesmen-Jared Hoffmeyer (91), Jim Scarpace (75). 24

25 Detroit Red Wings' Stephen Weiss 'looked good' in practice, hopes to soon fill gap left by Henrik Zetterberg February 23, 2014 By George Sipple Stephen Weiss was originally slated to play in two of three games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this weekend on a conditioning stint, but now he won t play in any. Weiss had sports-hernia surgery in December. He hasn t played for the Red Wings since Dec. 10. He scored two goals and two assists in 26 games. A flu bug limited him last week. He was supposed to get in a couple of skates with the rest of the Wings returning from the Olympic break this week and then play for the Griffins today. After practice on Saturday, Weiss and the trainers decided he needed to get more physical contact in practices with the Wings before returning to action in a game. I m starting to feel really good, but there hasn t been that much practice time, Weiss said. First day with some contact today. So, start ramping that up again tomorrow and Monday and see what happens next week. He will practice with the Red Wings today, rather than report to Grand Rapids. Weiss could still play in a game or two with the Griffins in the coming week, if it is decided he needs a conditioning stint before playing in an NHL game. Weiss and the trainers could also decide after a few more skates that he s ready to play without the need for a game or two in Grand Rapids. He said it s still possible he could be in the lineup on Wednesday when the Red Wings visit Montreal in the first game back from the break. He s looked good, assistant coach Bill Peters said after Saturday s practice. I thought things have progressed real well. I know he got sick there early in the Olympic break, but his last two skates have been excellent. Asked whether there was a chance Weiss could return for the first game back, Peters said he wasn t sure. Slow and steady wins the race in his situation, coming off that surgery that he had, Peters said. He s getting real close. With Henrik Zetterberg out for the remainder of the regular season after having back surgery, the Wings are going to need contributions from everyone in order to make the playoffs. Obviously losing Z is a huge loss for us, Weiss said. I m not thinking about coming in trying to replace him. I ve got to come and do my own thing and play my game, but certainly we re going to need guys to step up and fill that void. I definitely put some of that onus on me coming back, for sure. 25

26 After a tough start to the season, Weiss is looking at the rest of the season as a fresh start. I hope so, he said. No fun playing when you re not at your best. Certainly, I haven t been able to show my best yet. Looking forward to hopefully getting back and having a strong push at the end. Contact George Sipple Detroit Free Press LOADED:

27 Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco disappointed in Sochi Olympics outcome February 23, 2014 By George Sipple Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco were glad to have the opportunity to represent their country in the Winter Olympics, but both said they wished the results had been better. Tatar, 23, and Jurco, 21, returned from Sochi, Russia, and practiced with the Red Wings on Saturday. We didn t play really good, Tatar said of Slovakia s performance. We kind of let down our people back home, so I feel bad. We were expected to be at least in the quarterfinals. We just couldn t time it well. We didn t really score a goal. We have lots of trouble. Slovakia didn t win a game. It lost 7-1 to the U.S., 3-1 to Slovenia, 1-0 in a shoot-out to Russia and 5-3 to the Czech Republic. It was awesome just to be there, Jurco said. We didn t play that good. Jurco said he didn t know what to expect about his first Olympic experience. He s also not sure what to expect over the next few days, whether he ll continue to be with the Wings or whether he ll return to Grand Rapids to play in the American Hockey League. Hopefully I m staying here, Jurco said. MISSING THE CAPTAIN:Henrik Zetterberg s loss will be felt on and off the ice. He had back surgery Friday and will miss at least the remainder of the regular season. It s a substantial loss, let s not kid ourselves, said assistant coach Bill Peters said. It s your captain, it s your leading scorer. He s a point-a-game player. Leadership in the room, as much as anything, in my opinion, is going to be an important loss. Now we ll get our head wrapped around it. Once we do that, move on and find a way that we re going to play to be successful down the stretch, and we ll do that as a group. Contact George Sipple: Detroit Free Press LOADED:

28 Swedish Olympic Red Wings know Mike Babcock will have Canada ready for golden opportunity 11:40 AM, February 22, 2014 By Helene St. James SOCHI, RUSSIA Mike Babcock had a message for Jonathan Ericsson: Great job. The two came across one another Saturday at the Sochi Games, where Babcock will coach Canada Sunday in the hockey gold-medal game against Ericsson's Sweden. Diplomatic relations between teams are the norm at the Olympic complex, but the Canada-Sweden matchup is so heavily tilted geographically towards Detroit that Babcock really did mean what he said. He's like, Hey big E, you've been playing great, I'm going to be all over you when we come home'," Ericsson said. Home for Babcock is Detroit, where he's the head coach of the Red Wings. Home for Ericsson and Sweden's Daniel Alfredsson, Niklas Kronwall, Gustav Nyquist and Jonas Gustavsson is also Detroit, where they play for Babcock. They'll do so in days, as the Wings come out of the Olympic break Wednesday at Montreal. Sunday's game will be the 17th time the two hockey superpowers have met at the Olympic Games, but just the second time in the gold-medal game: 1928 at St. Moritz, and 1994, at the Lillehammer Games, when Peter Forsberg earned a postage stamp in his honor for taking down Canada in a shootout. The large contingent of Wings populating Team Sweden made sure teammates knew how well Canada would be prepared Sunday because of Babcock, who coached Canada to the gold four years ago in Vancouver. "He really spends a lot of time working to be a good coach," Ericsson said. "He's always really early at the rink and he's always analyzing everything and he brings his other coaches with him to have their opinion about everything. He's a coach in search of perfection, I think. Very dedicated, I can say that." Babcock enters the game scrutinized by Canadian media because Canada hasn't looked as dominant as expected through the five games it took to reach Sunday. Sweden enters the game knowing Canada was favored, and not caring. Babcock has pushed Canada to win since last summer but Sweden coach Par Marts has been just as singular in his approach with his players. Marts is Babcock without the intensity: demanding, but calm. "He lets the players be a lot more involved in everything, pretty much," Kronwall said. "It's a different kind of leadership." Marts wants his players "to take responsibility for their actions, for their performance, he said. We give them steps so they can perform well, that's what this is all about. That's my style. I can't act in another way. 28