Detroit Red Wings Clips April 3, 2015

Transcription

1 Detroit Red Wings Clips April 3, 2015 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Game thread: Red Wings lead Bruins 1-0 PAGE 3 Drew Miller the latest example of Red Wings' toughness PAGE 4 He's a hockey player: Miller in as Wings host Bruins PAGE 6 Vote on zoning for Wings arena expected next week PAGE 7 Boston 3, Detroit 2: Why the Red Wings lost PAGE 8 Babcock appreciates Miller's courage, dedication PAGE 10 Red Wings arena rezoning plan headed to full council PAGE 12 Krupa: In loss,wings show their margin of error is slim PAGE 15 Red Wings cave late to Bruins; playoff race tightens PAGE 17 Krupa: Wings have critical to-do list before playoffs PAGE 19 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Looking to reverse the trend against Bruins in battle for third place PAGE 20 Red Wings' lineup vs. Bruins: Injuries result in a lot of shuffling of forward lines; Tomas Jurco is out PAGE 21 Red Wings' Drew Miller back in the lineup tonight despite swelling, scars, stitches from skate blade PAGE 22 Construction on new Red Wings arena could skate forward Thursday PAGE 24 Battle for playoff spots in East tightens up after Red Wings miss opportunities to pick up points PAGE 26 Bruins 3, Red Wings 2: Boston scores three in third period, ties Detroit for third place in division PAGE 28 Trotman's 1st NHL goal leads Bruins past Red Wings PAGE 30 After third-period collapse, Wings find themselves tied with Bruins PAGE 32 Despite nasty slash, Miller rejoins Wings for battle with Boston PAGE 34 Idle Griffins still clinch playoff berth

2 Game thread: Red Wings lead Bruins 1-0 By Detroit Free Press staff 8:51 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 The Detroit Red Wings sit just two points ahead of the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division as the two teams square off this evening at Joe Louis Arena (7:30 p.m., FSD, 97.1 FM). While the Wings would still be in third place despite a loss tonight, the game could have major implications in final playoff seeding with the season ending in just over a week. Detroit ( ) will once again be without Pavel Datsyuk, Erik Cole and Tomas Jurco, but Drew Miller will play two nights after taking a viscous cut to the face that nearly cost him an eye. Riley Sheehan has also gained clearance from doctors to play tonight. The Wings come into the game after a tough 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. Boston ( ) comes in having won three straight, including a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 Drew Miller the latest example of Red Wings' toughness By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 5:32 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 Mike Babcock called it the definition of team building. Brendan Smith suggested the other choice is to play tennis. Ted Lindsay cited love of the game. Drew Miller is the latest example of the toughness that is a hockey player, having declared himself ready to play for the Detroit Red Wings tonight, two days after a skate to his face made him fear he'd lost his right eye. Darren Helm also said he'd play, despite missing a few shifts the previous game because, he said, "my toe blew up. It was really kind of painful." The only thing more painful to a hockey player would be not playing. That's a message that takes root from the first pair of skates. "I'm not sure how to say this," Wings defenseman Brendan Smith said, "but no wusses play. It's a tough sport and I think that's why it's ingrained at a young age. If you don't want to play a tough game, you go play tennis or golf. "As long as you can skate and breathe, you go. Maybe you're afraid of the shame." Miller bears a deep scar from his right eyebrow across his cheekbone, but the eye itself is fine. He'll have to wear a protective cage for a bit, but he figures he can still perform his duties. Division standings on the line in Wings-Bruins "I just want to get back and help the team," he said. "I feel confident and the swelling is not too bad." Miller suffered the injury minutes after game began. Once he knew his vision was fine, he angled to return that night. As it should be, said his coach. "Lots of people talk about team building and they say 'let's go play laser tag or let's go bowling or do some ropes course.' " Babcock said. "How about block a shot? How about get your face cut and then play the next night? That's team building to me. That's putting it on the line for your buddies. I think Millsie feels good about himself for doing that, but also that's what you do." Pavel Datsyuk returned early from a lower-body ache only to end up being sidelined for a second straight game when the pain flared back up. He said he's hoping to play Saturday because "you want to help teammates whether it's tough time or fun time. I don't know how to explain." Lindsay, a Wings legend who regularly visits Joe Louis Arena, said it comes down to loving hockey. "That's key," he said. " And you're part of a team, and if you're not there, your teammates have extra loads put on them." He paused to deliver his last line with a laugh. "Maybe," he said, "we magnify a little bit the fact that we're more valuable than we think." Detroit Free Press LOADED:

4 He's a hockey player: Miller in as Wings host Bruins By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 1:26 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 As the Detroit Red Wings ache for points, they'll continue to be without several players. Drew Miller isn't letting a scar across his right cheekbone stop him from rejoining teammates, but fellow forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Erik Cole and Tomas Jurco are all out for tonight's game against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena (7:30 p.m., NBCSN, FSD). Forward Riley Sheahan, meanwhile, gained clearance from doctors this afternoon and will be in the lineup. Miller will be playing with a cage to protect his face. He needed more than 50 stitches to close deep lacerations around his right eye, suffered when he was struck in the face by a skate Tuesday against Ottawa. Miller said he was comfortable playing with a cage after wearing it for two practices. "I'm just going to play my game, do what I do," Miller said. "It would be a little different if (Henrik) Zetterberg wasn't able to see the puck, but for me, I'm blocking shots and chipping pucks out, so I think it will work out OK." (On the topic of Zetterberg, he could use some more looks at the puck; he has just two points, both assists, in his last eight games.) The Wings are against Boston this season, the only victory in the first game of the season. "We're real comfortable; we know who we're playing tonight, we know how they play," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We've had a day to understand what our lineup is, or two days. It was harder last game, and I'm not trying to make excuses for the guys, when you arrive at the rink and think there's a whole different lineup, that changes things. "We've won with lots of guys out of the lineup, but it usually takes us a day to get our brain right and figure out how we're going to have to play. We've got to play real well without the puck when you're a little short-staffed." The Bruins are just two points behind Detroit, which sits in third place in the Atlantic Division, a guaranteed playoff spot. Even if the Bruins win tonight, the Wings would remain in third because they have a game in hand over Boston. But there's so much more to this game. Babcock often talks about players earning the right to feel good about themselves, and there can't be much of that after going through March and not having had a winning streak since February. The Wings have looked lethargic entirely too many times over the past month, including during Tuesday's big game against Ottawa. That has left the Wings vulnerable to dropping down into fighting for a wild-card spot. 4

5 "We know teams behind us are coming," forward Tomas Tatar said. "It was a tough game against Ottawa, they play really well. Now this one might be even bigger challenge, so we've got to get ready." More players might be getting ready by the weekend. Datsyuk said he hopes to play Saturday, when the Wings are at Minnesota. Jurco skated but is sidelined by what Babcock said is an upper-body injury. Cole (upper body) has yet to resume skating. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 Vote on zoning for Wings arena expected next week By Joe Guillen, Detroit Free Press 1:07 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 A Detroit City Council committee today advanced a rezoning request required to build the new Red Wings arena, setting up a vote next week before the full council. The rezoning language includes plans to tear down the historic Hotel Park Avenue, also known as the Harbor Light building. An 1,100-space parking garage and public park also are included in the proposal to rezone about 12 acres along Woodward Avenue, north of I-75, to build the $450-million arena. Councilman Gabe Leland, chairman of the three-member planning and economic development committee, said he's ready to move along the arena project and put people to work building it. "Let's get some earth moved and some employees selected," Leland said. The council committee unanimously passed the rezoning request after adding several conditions to Olympia Development of Michigan's proposal. Olympia and the Red Wings are part of Ilitch Holdings. Significantly, one of the council committee's conditions ties renovation of the Hotel Eddystone to the arena plans. Renovation of the Eddystone was described last week as a sort of compromise for tearing down the Park Avenue, which raised objections from historic preservation advocates. DETROIT FREE PRESS Arena builder seeks to raze hotel, create bigger public park Under the conditions, Olympia must submit plans to the city to renovate the Eddystone before the city issues a permit to demolish the Park Avenue. The new language theoretically would prevent Olympia from getting a permit for demolition without formally submitting a plan to renovate the Eddystone. DETROIT FREE PRESS Red Wings arena developer to address parking concerns There are additional hurdles Olympia likely must clear before it can tear down the Park Avenue, including permission from the Detroit Historic District Commission. Olympia representatives declined to speak with reporters after the council committee vote today. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

7 Boston 3, Detroit 2: Why the Red Wings lost By Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 11:09 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 From Joe Louis Arena in Detroit First period: Henrik Zetterberg's line had several excellent opening shifts as the Wings ran up a 6-2 edge in shots. Justin Abdelkader drew a tripping penalty on Zdeno Chara at 11:12. The Wings got three shots on Tuukka Rask. Back at even strength, Gustav Nyquist took a good shot that Rask deflected with his glove. Darren Helm drew an interference penalty on Chara at 18:29. Zetterberg shot wide on a great chance. Second period: The Wings began the second period with 29 seconds left on a power play. Brendan Smith went for delay of game at 4:27. Loui Eriksson cut in and attempted a backhand that Petr Mrazek stopped. Nyquist drew a hooking penalty on Chris Kelly at 6:56. Luke Glendening scored at 9:19 when he backhanded a loose puck behind Rask after the puck had bounced off the end boards. Helm went for tripping at 18:42. Third period: The Bruins began the third period with 42 seconds left on a power play. Glendening drew a tripping penalty on Patrice Bergeron at :58. Stephen Weiss scored at 2:52, stuffing a pass from Riley Sheahan. Kyle Quincey went for holding at 3:28. Carl Soderberg scored at 5:05 when he fired Reilly Smith's rebound five-hole on Mrazek. Eriksson maneuvered the puck around Mrazek after he'd strayed from his net to score at 7:19. Jonathan Ericsson drew a slashing penalty on Brad Marchand at 8:39. Zach Trotman scored short side on Mrazek at 17:52. Game reaction: Mike Babcock said, "We skated good and forechecked good and had the Bruins in lots of trouble. In the end they were able to weather the storm and get the win, but I like what we did."... Henrik Zetterberg said, "First period was one of our best in a while. In the second, we kept going at them. Unfortunately they get that one on their power play, 2-1, and then they get it to 2-2 really quick. But we're doing a lot better things today. We keep playing like this, we're going to be fine." Niklas Kronwall said "I thought we came out pretty good. I thought we had a good game all the way through, really. We had a few mistakes that turned into some scoring chances for them, but all in all, it was a good game for us, lot of energy." Mrazek on the second goal, "he put it from behind and into an empty net." Special teams report: The power play was 1-for-5 and the penalty kill was 3-for-4. Shot report: The Wings had 37 ( ) and the Bruins had 25 (7-8-10). Next game: Saturday at Minnesota. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

8 Babcock appreciates Miller's courage, dedication Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 6:45 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 Detroit Never mind the swelling and scar, or the approximately 60 stitches to sew everything together. Drew Miller returned to the Red Wings lineup Thursday against the Boston Bruins "It's a big game for our team and I'm excited to come back and help the team out," Miller said. Miller suffered lacerations just missing his right eye after the skate blade of Ottawa's Mark Stone swiped him across the face, under his shield. Miller will be wearing a full face-shield for the forseeable future after the close call Tuesday, replacing the half-shield he'd been wearing. "It's different, but wearing it for two days, I feel comfortable and confident I can go out there and play my game," Miller said. "It would be one thing for (Henrik) Zetterberg not being able to see the puck, but it's different for me blocking shots and chipping the puck out. It'll work out." Thursday's game was the 159th consecutive game Miller had played, the longest on the Red Wings, but that was much less important than what Miller had gone through the past couple of days. "I feel good, the swelling is going down and I'm just trying to do what the doctor says to do," Miller said. "It was definitely very scary. I thought my eye was cut or gone or something was going on with it. I knew it wasn't good. "I got really lucky and I'm very thankful nothing happened to my actual eyeball." Miller wanted to return for the third period of Tuesday's game but was held back for precautionary reasons. Coach Mike Babcock said, "I like that," and wasn't surprised to see one of his players showing that that kind of dedication. "When your buddies are out there putting it on the line, you should be with them," Babcock said. "You hear about team building and let's go play laser tag or bowling or do the ropes course. "How about blocking a shot or getting your face cut and playing the game? That's team building and laying it on the line for your buddies. We're proud of Millsie and we need him." Datsyuk update Pavel Datsyuk has been out the past two games, including Thursday against the Bruins, but he's pointing to a return Saturday in Minnesota. 8

9 Datsyuk says he has aggravated a lower-body injury (speculation centers on a knee or ankle) that previously knocked him out of the lineup Datsyuk missed five games between March "It's an old injury," Datsyuk said. "I'll be OK. Feel much better. It would be fun to play on this homestand, the fans cheering, but I need to be safe." The Red Wings did get Riley Sheahan (upper body) back against the Bruins, but lost Tomas Jurco. Babcock said after the Thursday morning skate Jurco had an upper-body injury and was unavailable. Erik Cole (upper body) missed his fifth consecutive game. Detroit News LOADED:

10 Red Wings arena rezoning plan headed to full council Christine Ferretti and Louis Aguilar, The Detroit News 3:51 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 Detroit The City Council on Tuesday is slated to take up a long-debated rezoning plan for the district surrounding the new Red Wings arena. The plan, unanimously advanced Thursday by a council subcommittee, had been held up since last fall amid concerns over parking, traffic congestion and the fate of two historic hotels. The Iltich organization's Olympia Development of Michigan has since revamped its proposal to include more green space, a scaled-back parking plan and the revitalization of the vacant Eddystone Hotel to residential space with an affordable housing component. Another vacant building, the 90-year-old former Park Avenue Hotel, will be razed. Olympia is seeking the zoning change so construction can begin on the $450 million arena that's expected to open in the summer of "We've worked a lot toward compromise and I think that we've gotten there," said Councilman Gabe Leland, who chairs the Planning and Economic Development subcommittee. "I'd like to move forward on moving earth and getting some Detroit residents hired on these jobs." Support for the revised plan comes after the subcommittee last week cited lingering questions and declined to recommend it to the full council for a vote. Among the amended terms hammered out Thursday is a provision that says Olympia will not seek a permit to demolish the Park Avenue, now in the planned development area, without first securing necessary approvals to have the Eddystone restored and rezoned for planned development for retail and residential use. The development firm is also committing that there will be an affordable housing component of 20 percent, officials said. The Park Avenue, also known as the former Harbor Light, needs to be razed because it is in a high-security zone of the proposed arena. In its place, an underground loading dock should be built to ensure the multipurpose venue can accommodate major concerts and other events. Residents and preservationists, including Jeff Cowin, are advocating for both buildings to be spared. "It is the historic nature of our architecture that is bringing people back to the city," Cowin, of the Brush Park Preservation Society, told the committee on Thursday. "You cannot find buildings like these just anywhere and once gone, they will never be replicated." 10

11 Olympia consultant Richard Heapes told the committee Thursday that Olympia is cataloging the buildings it owns in and out of historic districts in the city and preparing a district-wide historical asset strategy. As Olympia comes before the planning subcommittee and full council in the coming months, Heapes says preservation will be a "key cornerstone" along with traffic, public open space and greenways. Olympia officials declined to comment after the meeting, but last week Heapes told reporters that the developer is confident in its plan and "anxious" to gain the council's approval. In the plan for the $650 million, 45-block district north of downtown, Olympia will also ensure that 20 percent of housing in the five new neighborhoods is affordable. It's unclear how the plan will be received by the full council. Last week, member Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, who does not sit on the subcommittee, remained worried about traffic having a negative impact on the Cass Corridor neighborhood. On Thursday, the developer noted it would bear all projected costs related to traffic signalization changes along Cass. Olympia is now proposing an 1,100-space parking structure on the site, down from its initial proposal for 1,200 spaces. Castaneda-Lopez had asked that the number of spaces be cut to 600. Leland said he's sensitive to concerns from the community, but overall is pleased with the terms and believes Olympia is making a "firm commitment" to take responsibility for a number of infrastructure improvements. "We had to make a tough decision today," he said. "There's no perfect deal." Detroit News LOADED:

12 Krupa: In loss, Wings show their margin of error is slim Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 12:23 a.m. EDT April 3, 2015 Detroit It was a game a bit like their season, so far. They were better than expected for the first two-thirds, and then disappointing. The Red Wings started a critical Eastern Conference game with the Bruins with a fairly long list of concerns: ineffective starts, too many giveaways, too many penalties, too much time spent in their own zone, not enough pace, a propensity to makes mistakes in deployment and rocky goaltending. For two periods, they played so much better in those areas. Was the remedy finally at hand, after a month of struggles? Not quite. Three unanswered goals in 12:47 of the third period landed with a huge thud, and the realization that one of the issues was not remedied. They still need to play consistently well for the complete 60 minutes. The Wings got off to an outstanding start, and kept at it for 40 minutes. They were stingy with the giveaways, coughing up the puck five times the whole game. Through two periods, they were whistled for only two penalties. With shot attempts at in their favor, through two periods, and shots on net at for the Red Wings, the ice seemed tilted in their favor. Again, and for the first time in a while, they looked like one of the fastest teams in the NHL. The structure of their game, offensively, defensively, on the power play, on the penalty kill, seemed excellent. Petr Mrazek was stalwart in net. After two, it was easy to look at the game and think that the Wings had turned an important page. It felt a lot more like October through February, than March. It all unravels Then, five minutes into the third, after the Wings narrowly failed to score on a power play, Kyle Quincey went off for holding. It was only their third penalty of the game, considerably fewer than in some recent contests when they seemed to parade to the sin bin. This one was costly. With 23 seconds left on the power play, the Bruins scored. 12

13 The lead the Wings built up through 45:05 of stellar play was suddenly halved. And then, they began spending a lot more time in their zone. The push they would have liked to see after Carl Soderberg scored the first Bruins goal never materialized. Just 2:14 later, Loui Eriksson scored his 21st of the season, off a rebound, after a nifty set up in front of Mrazek. Mrazek was little to blame. The Wings deployment could have been better, especially down low, directly in front of the 23-year-old goalie. But the real remedy would have been an offensive thrust into the Bruins zone, seeking to restore the two-goal lead. They had been there a lot, for two periods. But, suddenly, they were bottled up and amid the pressure, a goal scorer scored. The teams then played tied for 10 minutes until, amid a lot more time played almost entirely around Mrazek, a shot deflected off of Darren Helm's stick, breaking it, and the puck flew under Mrazek's arm on the short side, and into the net. To the naked eye, it looked like a bad goal. Some thought it was, even after seeing replays. But the deflection was devilish and sly. With 2:08 left, the Red Wings faced their first deficit of the night. Mrazek was pulled for an extra attacker, but the Wings took their fourth penalty of the night for too many men on the ice with 48 seconds left. Sloppiness had arrived, again, at the worst possible moment. Errors prove costly It all underlines that the Red Wings margin for error, at the end of a third season of a roster in transition, remains comparatively narrow. They often must perform at their best almost continuously, in order to prevail especially against the better teams in the NHL. When it was done, two of their key leaders thought it went mostly well. "We did a lot better things, today," Henrik Zetterberg said. "If we keep playing like this, we're going to be fine." "I thought we came out pretty good," Niklas Kronwall said. "I thought we had a good game all of the way through, to be honest with you. "We made a few mistakes that turned into some scoring chances for them." Their coach, subdued in defeat, nonetheless applauded the effort. "Well, I thought we played a good hockey game," Mike Babcock said. "We had a lot of opportunities. We had good pace, probably as good a pace as we've had in a long time, and did a lot of good things." 13

14 He credited Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask with keeping the Wings from winning, and said his young goalie was a victim of circumstances on a deflection on the third and winning Boston goal. "And so, that's the game-winner," Babcock said. "That's tough for us. "But, for me, it's the best we played in a while. I thought we skated good. I thought we fore-checked good. I thought we had the Bruins in lots of trouble. "But, in the end, they were able to weather the storm and get the win. But I like what we did." Regardless, the Bruins pulled even with the Red Wings at 93 points, while the Wings have a game in hand. And the Senators beat the Lightning, to pull within three. Detroit News LOADED:

15 Red Wings cave late to Bruins; playoff race tightens Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News 4:26 a.m. EDT April 3, 2015 Detroit Two-goal third-period lead, one of the bigger games this season, and the Red Wings still couldn't preserve the lead and victory. The question of who should be the Red Wings starting goaltender likely will keep being asked after Boston rallied with three third-period goals Thursday night to defeat the Red Wings, 3-2. Goaltender Petr Mrazek was cruising along until the Bruins began chipping away at the Red Wings lead, then allowed a gut-wrencher. Boston defenseman Zach Trotman scored his first NHL goal at 17 minutes, 52 seconds of the third period. Trotman got the puck at the point, took a few strides, and beat Mrazek short side under the goaltender's arm. "I would have liked to have gotten that last one back," said Mrazek, who stopped 22 shots. "It was on my pants and it went in. I thought I had it and it just went through."' Mrazek has started the last four games, replacing Jimmy Howard, and is in those four starts. And it appears Mrazek will be back in net Saturday in Minnesota, although coach Mike Babcock wasn't definitive. "That would be my plan at this time," Babcock said. "I'll sleep on it and decide (Friday)." Of the winning goal, Babcock said, "As a goalie you want to stop them all. It was a broken-stick wrister he'd like to stop, but I remember the kid made some nice saves, as well. It's all part and parcel." The Red Wings had stretched their lead to 2-0 early in the period on a power-play goal by Stephen Weiss, only to see Boston score three consecutive goals. The loss for Detroit ( ) enabled Boston ( ) to pull even in total points with 93. With Ottawa ( , 90 points) defeating Tampa Bay in overtime, the Senators moved with three points of the Red Wings. "We played a lot better game today than the last time in here (Tuesday against Ottawa)," Henrik Zetterberg said. "We're doing a lot of good things. We were playing and working really hard. "If we keep playing like this, we're going to be fine." Luke Glendening and Weiss supplied the offense for the Red Wings. Carl Soderberg (power play) and Loui Eriksson scored for the Bruins before Trotman's heroics. 15

16 Goalie Tuukka Rask made 35 saves and was Boston's best player. "We played a good hockey game, we had a lot of opportunities, we had as good a pace as we've had in a long time," Babcock said. "We did a lot of good things tonight. In the end Rask kept us from winning the game." Eriksson tied it at 2-2, just 2:14 after Soderberg had gotten the Bruins on the scoreboard. Soderberg found Reilly Smith open in the circle, and Smith took the puck nearly behind the net before centering it to Eriksson, who scored his 21st goal. Soderberg scored his 13th goal on a power play to cut the Red Wings lead to 2-1. Mrazek stopped Smith's shot, but the rebound went wide and Mrazek was too far away from the crease to stop Soderberg from flipping in the rebound at 5:05. The two goals came right after the Red Wings had taken a 2-0 lead and apparently grabbed control of the game. Weiss scored his ninth goal, giving the Red Wings a 2-0 lead at 2:52 of the third period. He went to the net and got little on the puck, but Rask was unable to react quickly enough to stop the fluttering puck. The power-play goal ended an 0-for-7 drought over two games, and was only the second in the last 15 power-play opportunities over the last five games. The Red Wings had a lot of fine chances against Rask, but were unable to get another crucial goal, or two. "We have to bear down when we have the chance," Zetterberg said. "This time of year, when you have them, you have to bear down and score. We're not doing that right now." Detroit News LOADED:

17 Krupa: Wings have critical to-do list before playoffs Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 6:49 p.m. EDT April 2, 2015 Detroit The fact is not overlooked in the dressing room. The Red Wings have gone quite a while, now, a good month, without the best performance. To play deep into the playoffs, they will have to play a lot more like they played through early March. The tasks required are not just a few. But, as Mike Babcock points out, some of them go hand-in-hand. To turn it around, they need better beginnings. First goals are important, and crucial in the playoffs. The Wings are scoring first and when they do not. And starting out right means less time spent correcting and more time asserting. They have to spend less time in their zone and more on the attack. That requires effective defensive deployment in front of their goalies, a quicker transition game and less "one-and-done" in the offensive zone. It means less generosity with giveaways, too. Spending less time in the penalty box is also a priority, along with killing more of them. The Wings entered play Thursday 18th on the penalty kill at 81 percent, after spending much of the early season in the top five closer to 87 percent. And, of course, the goaltending needs to solidify. They also need better health. A half-dozen games left in the regular season, including the game Thursday against the Bruins, adds a sense of urgency. It also provides time for Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Erik Cole, Riley Sheahan, Tomas Jurco and Jonas Gustavsson to heal. Given the state of the roster, they need to be a far more consistent hockey club, continually, if they are going to beat their possible first-round draws, the Lightning, Canadiens or Rangers. All three feature big, swift players of the sort that give the Wings difficulty even when their performance is elevated. It takes about their best game to beat teams that skate with them, especially when they are also aggressive physically. Little margin of error Near the end of three seasons in a transitional phase for the roster, the Red Wings' margin of error remains comparatively narrow. 17

18 In fact, they have lacked consistency since Jan. 28. In the 14 previous games, beginning Dec. 23, the Wings were And that was after going Since Jan. 28, they are , and since March 6. The playoffs and the preparation have a way of focusing efforts, and it is not entirely unusual for a team to suddenly perk up. Babcock defended his team, after the overtime loss to the Senators on Tuesday, saying their effort, especially with so many forwards unavailable, in earning a point, was worthy. He also thinks some of the things on their to-do list are inherently linked, and that solving some will remedy others. Why so many penalties, recently? "Well, we've spent too much time in our own zone," Babcock said. "When you spend time in your own zone, you're reaching in and you're taking penalties as you're getting worn out. "I thought last game, for sure, just because we had so many guys injured, and the three centers (Datsyuk, Sheahan and, at one juncture, Darren Helm), and then we took some penalties, it added one to another." The spate of injuries places greater demands on improving their execution, especially thinking and skating the game well enough to sustain proper deployment. "Obviously, you've got to play real well without the puck when you're a little shortstaffed," Babcock said. His defense of the team underlines what is true: It is generally not for lack of effort that the Red Wings have sagged. The deficiencies are a lot more about execution, and getting all facets of their performance going on the same night with some consistency. At this stage, one can understand that confidence is not brimming. 'We're tentative' "It always seems like we get off to bad starts," Justin Abdelkader said. "We're tentative. "We put pucks on the wall, and that's where they want them. We're not making plays. "You know, going into the playoffs we've still got to secure our spot but we've got to be playing a lot better." Around the room, there is plenty of talk about the obvious need to improve. "I think there's lots of things we can get better," Brendan Smith said. "We want to make sure we have a better start, right when the puck drops, win face-offs, get on their defense and establish our forecheck.... "Executing in the defensive zone... "Right now, it's playoff time. So, we've got to focus on that stuff and get through it." 18

19 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Looking to reverse the trend against Bruins in battle for third place Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan GAME INFORMATION Who: Detroit Red Wings ( ) vs. Boston Bruins ( ) When: 7:30 tonight. Where: Joe Louis Arena TV: Fox Sports Detroit Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1), WXYT-AM (1270) and Red Wings radio network Facebook: Like our Detroit Red Wings Facebook page Twitter: Follow Ansar Khan and Brendan Savage Live coverage: Join the MLive open thread/live updates at 6:30 p.m. ET. GAME NOTES The Red Wings will try to move a step closer to clinching third place in the Atlantic Division and a playoff spot. They lead fourth-place Boston by two points and have one game in hand. More importantly, the Red Wings are five points ahead of the Ottawa Senators, who would be the first team out if the postseason started today. Any combination of eight points earned by Detroit and lost by Ottawa clinches a playoff berth for the Red Wings. The Bruins have won seven of their past eight games against the Red Wings, dating back to Game 2 of their playoff series last year, outscoring them Boston has won three of four meetings this season. The Red Wings, typically one of the least-penalized teams in the league, have had trouble staying out of the penalty box lately. They've been shorthanded 15 times in the past three games and 25 times in the past six games, putting a strain on their penalty kill. Petr Mrazek (15-7-2) will make his fourth start in a row in net for Detroit. He has never faced the Bruins. The first period has been Boston's best; the Bruins have outscored opponents The first period has been Detroit's worst; the Red Wings have been outscored Marek Zidlicky has 399 career points, tying him with Petr Svoboda for third place among defensemen born in the Czech Republic. Roman Hamrlik (638 points) and Tomas Kaberle (563) head the list. Michigan Live LOADED:

20 Red Wings' lineup vs. Bruins: Injuries result in a lot of shuffling of forward lines; Tomas Jurco is out Ansar Khan akhan1@mlive.com By Ansar Khan akhan1@mlive.com DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings are doing a lot of mixing and matching with line combinations due to injuries. Several forwards are not available for tonight's game against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit). Pavel Datsyuk will sit out for the second game in a row and the seventh time in nine games due to an ankle issue. Erik Cole will miss his fifth game in a row due to an upperbody injury. Tomas Jurco is out tonight, too, with an upper-body injury. Riley Sheahan (upper-body injury) skated again this morning and was cleared to play this afternoon. He missed three games. Drew Miller (facial lacerations) will play. Joakim Andersson didn't skate this morning because his girlfriend delivered their first child, a girl, but he is expected to play tonight. Datsyuk said he feels better and hopes to return for Saturday's game in Minnesota. "I feel much better. It's not ready to go tonight," Datsyuk said. "It's kind of old injury. I'm looking forward to playing in Minnesota and we start from this (game)." Michigan Live LOADED:

21 Red Wings' Drew Miller back in the lineup tonight despite swelling, scars, stitches from skate blade Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan DETROIT - Swelling, scars and stitches aren't enough to keep Drew Miller out of the lineup. Two days after a suffered two deep facial lacerations from a skate blade that came dangerous closely to costing him his right eye, Miller will be back in uniform tonight for the Detroit Red Wings in a key game against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit). "Unless something changes between now and game time I plan on playing," Miller said. "Big game for our team, excited to get back out there and help our team." Miller will have extra protection to guard the cuts that required some 60 stitches to close after being clipped by Mark Stone's skate a minute into Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators at the Joe. "When you wear a half shield for so long and add a piece to the bottom it's a little bit different," Miller said. "Two days with it on I feel confident and comfortable playing with it. Just go out there and do what I do and play my game." The grinding Miller, one of the team's top penalty-killing forwards, doesn't plan on making many skilled plays with the puck, so the shield shouldn't affect his game. "It would be a little different if (Henrik) Zetterberg couldn't see the puck, but it's a little different for me; block shots and chip the puck out so it'll work our OK," Miller said. "The pucks down at your feet you can see, but it's definitely than something not being there." Miller said he feels good. "The swelling is going down a little bit, staying under control," Miller said. "That was the main concern. Just day-by-day now and do what the doctors say and hopefully it heals quickly." Tonight will be Miller's 159th consecutive regular season game, the longest current streak on the team. The last time he was out of the lineup was the final four games in 2013 and the first playoff game due to a broken hand. This latest injury was certainly a close call. "It was definitely very scary," Miller said. "I thought my eye was cut or gone. I knew something was going on with it. I knew it wasn't good. "I got really lucky and very thankful nothing bad actually happened to my eyeball. I can live with a scar and the stiches, but I don't want to have to live without my eye. I'm very happy and thankful nothing bad happened there." Michigan Live LOADED:

22 Construction on new Red Wings arena could skate forward Thursday Ian Thibodeau By Ian Thibodeau DETROIT, MI - The decision that would allow construction on the proposed $650 million Red Wings arena and entertainment district could come from a Detroit City Council subcommittee Thursday morning. Olympia Development of Michigan, the development arm of the Ilitch family, will again appear before Detroit City Council exactly a week after a discussion meeting was held in which the council asked multiple questions. During last week's talk, multiple members of the council questioned ODM's new plans for the district, raising concerns over parking, housing and plans to raze the Hotel Park Avenue, also known as the Harbor Lights. Thursday's 10 a.m. meeting would either approve or deny a request to approve zoning changes that will change part of the land ODM plans to redevelop into a Planned Development District. Last week, the council sent ODM away with a few things to tweak or become more specific on. Richard Heapes, a contractor for Olympia on the project, last week went through new renderings and plans. He said Olympia planned to move around some apartments, use the Hotel Eddystone as residential living while tearing down the Harbor Lights, put in a high-capacity loading dock and park area, as well as plans for parking. The City Council dinged ODM on almost every point. Council Chairperson Gabe Leland expressed concerns in regards to residential units. "I want to continually talk about how we maximize housing," he said. Council Member Raquel Castaneda-Lopez voiced traffic concerns, suggesting Olympia wasn't considering the already existing neighborhoods and people in the area. In a public comment portion of the meeting, which ODM was not present for, a few community members voiced opinions on the Harbor Lights decision. Emilie Evans, a preservation specialist representing Preservation Detroit at the meeting, said "I would challenge Olympia that one building is not enough. "This is a pair of buildings. They have stood across from each other for the last hundred years, and they both represent opportunities to preserve the authentic urban character of that area, as well as creating more opportunity for housing or offices..." Evans said the buildings would give residents and visitors alike the chance to experience the site's history. "I guarantee you (the history) will outlast any creative seating or skatepark that comes to the area," Evans said. 22

23 City Council also asked ODM to "square off" the boundaries outlined in their renderings before Thursday's meeting. Castaneda-Lopez said last week that she didn't want to rush the zoning vote just because ODM was running on a tight deadline. Heapes said after the meeting that ODM is "anxious to get this approved through Council so that we can get started out there. "Our timeline to open in 2017 is getting uncomfortably close." If the zoning changes and plans are approved Thursday, ODM could begin work on the massive project, which they're currently only allowed to do some site prep work on. The 785,000-square-foot, 20,000-seat arena will sit on a plot of land along Woodward Avenue just north of downtown Detroit. ODM wants it ready for the Red Wings' 2017 NHL season. The arena will be accompanied by a 45-block entertainment district, roughly bordered by Charlotte Street to the north, Grand River to the west, Grand Circus Park to the south and Woodward Avenue to east. The entertainment district will include four- and five-story mixed-use development properties, built at the same time as the 20,000 seat arena. The $650 million development is to be funded with a mix of $365.5 million in private investment and an estimated public investment of $284.5 million. The $450 million sports and entertainment center and accompanying $200 million residential, retail and office district is getting public money primarily through tax increment financing. According to Olympia, the project will have an economic impact of at least $1.8 billion, while creating 8,300 construction and related jobs, in addition to 1,100 permanent jobs. The new plans, Heapes said last week, add new open spaces, neighbors and green development to the district plans Michigan Live LOADED:

24 Battle for playoff spots in East tightens up after Red Wings miss opportunities to pick up points Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings had a chance to tighten their grip on a playoff spot this week with a pair of home games against teams on their tail. But they managed only one point. And now they're in a battle to get in, just like the past two seasons. Boston overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period Thursday and Zach Trotman scored his first career goal with 2:08 remaining in the third period to lift the Bruins to a 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena. Boston has tied Detroit ( ) for third place in the Atlantic Division. Each club has 93 points but the Red Wings have five games left and the Bruins four. The Ottawa Senators, who defeated the Red Wings 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday, are just three points back with five games to play. The Red Wings are winless in three (0-2-1) and in their past 15. "I think when things have been going the way they've been going for us lately you get a little apprehensive and a little tentative," Detroit's Stephen Weiss said. "Sometimes you just got to say 'screw it' and if they're going to beat us they're going to beat us by us playing our best. "When you sit back a little bit and are a little tentative that's when you get hurt. But we'll turn it around." This one stung because the Red Wings outplayed the Bruins most of the night and outshot them 37-25, but goaltender Tuukka Rask was tough. Petr Mrazek admitted he should have stopped Trotman's shot, which went under his left arm. "It just went off my pants and went in," Mrazek said. "I thought I had it but it just went through." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, despite the disappointment, praised his team's effort. "I thought we had lots of opportunity, probably as good a pace as we've had in a long time," Babcock said. "We did a lot of good things. In the end Rask kept us from winning the game. I didn't think we backed up or got on our heels in the third at all. They scored and it was unfortunate. They shot it, broke (Darren Helm's) stick and then wristed it in the net, and that's the game-winner. "So that's tough for us, but I think that's the best we've played in a while. I thought we skated good and I thought we forechecked good. I thought we had the Bruins in lots of trouble. In the end they were able to weather the storm and get the win. But I like what we did." 24

25 The Bruins won the final four games between the teams after the Red Wings took the season opener. Boston is 8-1 vs. Detroit dating back to Game 2 of last year's playoff series. "I thought we had good game all the way through," Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We made a few mistakes that turned into scoring chances for them, but I think that's the way it went both ways. Overall I thought it was a good game for us, a lot of energy." Luke Glendening (9:19 of the second period) and Weiss (2:52 of the third, on the power play) staked the Red Wings to a 2-0 lead. The Bruins tied it on goals by Carl Soderberg (5:05 on the power play) and Loui Eriksson (7:19) in the third. "We played a lot better game today than we did last time," Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said "We're doing a lot of good things. We're working really hard. If we keep playing like this we're going to be fine." Trailing 3-2, a penalty for too many men on the ice with 48 seconds remaining cost the Red Wings a chance to come back. "Well, it's just real simple," Babcock said. "You have a board and you write it down and you say 'This is who's got who' and I'll explain it and they know what number they've got. I guess they went out there for the wrong guy." Said Zetterberg: "It was a little miscommunication amongst the guys, but we didn't lose the game there." Michigan Live LOADED:

26 Bruins 3, Red Wings 2: Boston scores three in third period, ties Detroit for third place in division Ansar Khan By Ansar Khan DETROIT - The Boston Bruins continue to find ways to beat the Detroit Red Wings. Even on a night when the Red Wings outplayed them by a fair margin. The Bruins erased a two-goal deficit in the third period Thursday and Zach Trotman scored his first NHL goal with 2:08 to play to lift Boston to a 3-2 victory at Joe Louis Arena. The Bruins tied the Red Wings for third place in the Atlantic Division with 93 points. Detroit has five games remaining, Boston has four. Trotman scored on a shot that handcuffed goaltender Petr Mrazek; the puck went under his left arm. Luke Glendening and Stephen Weiss scored for the Red Wings, who were missing regular forwards Pavel Datsyuk (ankle), Erik Cole (upper-body injury) and Tomas Jurco (upper-body injury). The Bruins have won four consecutive games from the Red Wings after Detroit won the season opener between the clubs. Including last year's playoff series, the Bruins are 8-1 in their past nine games vs. the Red Wings. Tuukka Rask made 35 saves as Detroit outshot Boston Weiss gave the Red Wings a 2-0 lead at 2:52 of the third period. He banged in the puck from the net front with six seconds remaining on the power play for his ninth goal. But the Bruins fought back to tie it. Carl Soderberg responded with a power-play goal at 5:05, firing in a big rebound. Reilly Smith made a nice move to take the puck to the net and Loui Eriksson was swooped in to knock it home at 7:19. Glendening broke the ice at 9:19 of the second period, the only goal in the first 40 minutes. He lifted a backhand shot over Rask's pads from the doorstep for his 12th goal of the season. Glendening was in a good position to corral a rebound off the back boards following Danny DeKeyser's shot. Riley Sheahan, out the previous three games due to an upper-body injury, drew and assist on the play. Mrazek was particularly sharp in the second period. He denied Eriksson after he had broken in alone and got off a backhand shot from close range on the power play. He stopped Brad Marchand after he had nearly shook off a defender for a breakaway. 26

27 The Red Wings came out with a lot of energy from the drop of the puck. They were buzzing around the Bruins net and put pressure on the defense, generating several scoring chances in the first period. It was scoreless, but the Red Wings had a 14-7 edge in shots and carried over that momentum in the second period. Detroit's Drew Miller, who played two days after suffering two deep lacerations near his eye from a skate blade that required some 60 stitches, talked before the game about his team's urgency level. "We have to take care of business," Miller said. "We know we have to be better. We have to play our game. We're confident in our game. If we do that I think we give (ourselves) the best chance to win." Michigan Live LOADED: