Detroit Red Wings Clips September 27-28, 2015

Detroit Red Wings Clips September 27-28, 2015 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Boston 4, Detroit 3 (OT): Red Wings bumped by Bruins PAGE 4 Wings' Ouellet day-to-day with upper-body injury PAGE 6 Daniel Cleary makes return in Red Wings' exhibition loss PAGE 8 Wings keep an eye on assorted injuries PAGE 10 Bruins edge Wings on Krug s overtime goal PAGE 12 Krupa: Cleary faces veterans cold reality PAGE 15 Penalty-prone Detroit Red Wings drop overtime decision to Boston Bruins in preseason PAGE 17 Second-period analysis: Bruins 3, Red Wings 2 PAGE 18 First-period analysis: Bruins 2, Red Wings 1 PAGE 19 Daniel Cleary ready for uphill battle to earn roster spot with Detroit Red Wings PAGE 21 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Bruins in town for fourth game in five days PAGE 22 Red Wings lineup for preseason game vs. Bruins: Petr Mrazek playing the entire game PAGE 23 Mike Babcock on quest to get Maple Leafs back to 'rightful place' PAGE 25 Cleary knows nothing's given for free' PAGE 27 Mule calls more physical second game 'a lot of fun' PAGE 28 Detroit Red Wings look to be more disciplined this season after taking too many penalties in 2014-15 PAGE 30 Red Wings' Johan Franzen was focused on physical play, getting 'a little dirtier' in second game

Boston 4, Detroit 3 (OT): Red Wings bumped by Bruins George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 11:17 p.m. EDT September 26, 2015 Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl played well enough to have a hat trick. He had to settle for one goal, which tied the exhibition game 1:35 into the third period. The Red Wings went on to lose, 4-3, in overtime to the Bruins on Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena. The Wings were penalized for too many men at 1:14 of overtime and former Michigan State star Torey Krug scored at 1:58. "We're changing and our guy jumped and they declared that it was before our guy got to the bench," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. Blashill said he didn't like the way his team played in the first two periods. "We didn't play well enough and then I thought in the third period we came out and played really, really well," Blashill said. "I thought it was the best jump that this group that's played together for two games has had. I thought it was actually great. "Disappointed that we didn't come out and play better in the first two, but I was very happy with the response." The Wings struggled to win face-offs over the first two periods (14 of 37, 38%). But after winning a draw early in the third, Kindl finished off a pass from Alexey Marchenko with a shot from the blue line that tied the game, 3-3. Kindl had a goal waved off midway through the first period. Kindl had another scoring chance late in the period but was denied by Bruins goaltender Malcolm Subban. "We'd like to get more offensive production from our D-men," Blashill said. "We think we have the ability to, but the reverse of that is you don't want to give up more chances. We'll try to increase our reward without taking any added risk." Kindl finished with 22:30 of ice time with three shots, three hits and one blocked shot. "I thought he played well, I thought he did a real good job," Blashill said. "Obviously, the one shot was real good from the point. To beat a guy clean from the blue line is not easy to do. But I thought his overall game was real good." The Wings struggled against a Bruins squad that only featured a few bonafide NHL players. One of them, forward David Krejci, scored a pair of first-period goals for the Bruins. The Bruins took a 3-2 lead on an unassisted goal by forward Brian Ferlin at 15:11, knocking a backhand past Petr Mrazek. Ferlin capitalized after an errant pass by Brad Richards. 2

The Wings tied the game, 2-2, 43 seconds into the second period. Kyle Quincey's shot from the point was deflected in by Tomas Tatar. It was Tatar's fourth goal of the preseason. Anthony Camara's shot went off the post at 7:42 for the Bruins before Mrazek covered the puck. The Wings killed off two penalties by Jonathan Ericsson in the second period. Ericsson went off for tripping Chris Kelly at 9:21 and was called for interference against Noel Acciari at 13:02. But shortly after the Wings killed off the interference penalty, Ferlin broke the tie. Wings defenseman Kindl had a power play goal waived off at 9:08 of the first period that would have tied the game, 1-1. Justin Abdelkader went to the penalty box instead for goaltender interference. The Bruins opened the scoring at 8:20 on a goal by Krejci. The puck went off a stanchion. Mrazek was out of position and Krejci backhanded the puck into an open net. Krejci added his second goal of the period, this time on a power play, to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead at 8:20. Niklas Kronwall assisted on Henrik Zetterberg's power play goal at 13:13, cutting the deficit to 2-1 for the Wings. Subban turned away another scoring chance by Kindl during a power play late in the period, after Brett Connolly hooked Johan Franzen at 16:43. Mrazek played the entire game and finished with 37 saves for the Wings. Subban finished with 18 saves for the Bruins. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.27.2015 3

Wings' Ouellet day-to-day with upper-body injury George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 8:39 p.m. EDT September 26, 2015 Red Wings defenseman Xavier Ouellet remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, although he participated in a full practice for the second straight day Saturday morning at Joe Louis Arena. He says that he feels good, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said before Saturday s exhibition game against Boston. He won t play tonight and then we ll make a decision Monday. The Wings visit the Bruins at 7 p.m. Monday. Blashill said there was no update on defenseman Mike Green, who is dealing with a tender groin. See how he feels Monday, Blashill said. Blashill said he doesn t anticipate forward Teemu Pulkkinen (upper-body injury) being available to skate Monday. Blashill did say he still considers Green and Pulkkinen to be day-to-day. Line Shifting: Blashill putjohan Franzen on a line with Brad Richards and Tomas Tatar on Saturday morning, bumping Tomas Jurco down to the third line with Andy Miele and Daniel Cleary. Blashill said he wanted to get Franzen back in that offensive role. We re still trying to figure out, with (Darren) Helm out, who would be the best fit on that line, Blashill said. If Helm was skating right now, he d be with that line to see how it jelled. We re still trying to figure our lines out and this gives us a chance to see a different combination. Helm suffered a separated left shoulder a week ago during a collision with prospect Jerome Verrier. Asked when Helm might begin skating, Blashill said: I do not have that answer. Capt. Turgeon: Wings prospect Dominic Turgeon was named the captain of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. The Wings drafted Turgeon, a 6- foot-2, 190-pound forward, in the third round of the 2014 NHL draft. Turgeon set career highs last season with the Winterhawks, scoring 18 goals with 25 assists for 43 points in 67 regular-season games with 36 penalty minutes. He added eight goals and one assist for nine points in 17 playoff games. Trimming the Roster: The Red Wings sliced their roster to 46 on Saturday. The following players were released from tryout agreements: forwards Kurt Etchegary, Jeff Hoggan and Joel Rechlicz; defensemen Jared Nightengale and Nathan Paetch; and defenseman Andrew Prochno. 4

The Wings also assigned forwards Martin Frk and Marek Tvrdon, defenseman Richard Nedomiel and goaltender Jake Paterson to Grand Rapids (AHL). We re basically down to two teams now, Wings general manager Ken Holland said, adding that the Griffins open camp on Monday. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.27.2015 5

Daniel Cleary makes return in Red Wings' exhibition loss George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 11:09 p.m. EDT September 26, 2015 Daniel Cleary played 11:48 in his first game of the preseason for the Detroit Red Wings, in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena. Cleary, who didn't skate during training camp in Traverse City due to a leg injury, took a tripping penalty 1:51 into the game. He didn't have a shot on net or any hits but won the only draw he took. Cleary, 36, is a longshot to make the Red Wings' roster. He'll likely end up playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League, so his contract won't count against the Wings' salary cap. "I had a tear in my left quad," Cleary said Saturday morning of the injury that kept him out of camp. "I've had it for about a month. I didn't realize it. Just thought it was a charley horse and then got some imaging up in Traverse City and it was a tear, so just stayed off it. It's feeling better." Asked what he's looking to see from Cleary, Wings coach Jeff Blashill said the veteran forward "has to be what he's been at times with the Red Wings. "When I first got the job here as an assistant, I'd watched a bunch of game film from the previous season and he was arguably one of the best forwards on the team," Blashill said. "Obviously that's a number of years ago. But he's been that at different times." Cleary had three seasons where he scored at least 20 goals for the Red Wings. He scored a career-high 26 goals and 46 points in 2010-11. "He's going to have to be a guy who is on the forecheck creating some turnovers," Blashill said. "He's going to have to be a guy who is a net-front presence. He's going to have to be a guy who is real accountable defensively. If he gets a chance to kill, do a good job of killing penalties. "Ultimately we'll make a decision on the roster come next week and the best players will make the team." Blashill said he originally planned to play Cleary in four preseason games. Blashill said Cleary will "hopefully play in at least two more" after Saturday's game against the Bruins. Cleary has dealt with injuries to his left knee over the past couple seasons, but wasn't ready to hang up his skates, despite playing in his fewest games as Wing last season. "No, no," Cleary asked if he'd considered retirement. "God no. I love it. "If you don't have the burning desire, you fade away." He said he loves everything about playing the game. "Preparation, game day, training, I love all of it," he said. 6

Cleary understands the situation he's in with the Red Wings, who had an abundance of depth of forwards and defensemen. He said he hasn't given much thought to what will happen if he doesn't make the Wings' roster. "Nothing's given for free," Cleary said. "You've got a battle. You've gotta be a pro about. But it's also a great thing too. We've got great young players...future looks great in Detroit. It's awesome. It's great to see." Cleary said he won't have any regrets when he's done playing. "I feel I've given my entire body to this game, so I feel proud of that, that's for sure," Cleary said. "You want to play as long as you can man. This game has given me everything I've ever had." Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.27.2015 7

Wings keep an eye on assorted injuries Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 12:17 a.m. EDT September 27, 2015 Detroit Midway through the exhibition season, injuries are a bit of an issue already for the Red Wings, and the list is already worth updating. Xavier Ouellet (upper body) returned to practice for what Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said was a second consecutive day. He says that he feels good, but he won t play tonight, Blashill said of the young defenseman who appeared ready for the NHL last season, despite spending much of the year in Grand Rapids. We ll make a decision on Monday. A big free-agent acquisition, defenseman Mike Green, is sidelined with a sore groin. Green, I m not sure on, Blashill said. We ll wait and see how he feels on Monday. Teemu Pulkkinen (upper body) appeared to suffer an injury on a heavy body check Thursday against the Penguins, when he was outstanding offensively, with two goals and two assists. Pulkkinen s injury does not appear to be serious. Blashill said he remains day-to-day, and no tests are slated for the young, potential sniper. Pulky, I do not expect him to skate on Monday, he said. As for when Darren Helm can begin skating, Blashill said, I do not have that answer. Helm suffered a concussion and shoulder separation in a collision in training camp, Friday, September 18. Quincey, Franzen updates Kyle Quincey and Johan Franzen continue to recover from injuries suffered last season. Quincey is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. I m struggling with some stuff right now, Quincey said. Hopefully, things get better. Quincey said the course of his recovery suggests the pain he is feeling is about to go away. I m not going to get into it, but hopefully the day off tomorrow should help, and hopefully the pain goes away by the first game of the year, he said. Franzen, who is recovering from a concussion and a more minor ankle surgery to clear out debris, said he purposefully played a physical game against the Bruins, as he continues to test his head and the rest of his body after having not played in nine monthsbefore Thursday. Today I was trying it out with more physical play, he said. I tried to hit as much as possible. Franzen said he felt just fine. 8

It was fun, he said of his prickly play, which the Bruins certainly noticed. I didn t care too much about the puck today. But that was just part of my training camp, I think. The right time Count Daniel Cleary among those Red Wings who believe Mike Babcock made the right move to leave, for the team and for himself. Cleary, who is among the Wings with the best relationship with the former coach, said it was simply time. I thought it was great, he said. I mean, listen, I ve got a lot of respect for Babs. If there s anyone in this room who got along with Babs, it was probably me, in terms of our relationship. It was a great move for the organization, a great move for Babs. You look around sports, especially hockey, you don t see many coaches lasting 10-11 years. And the thing is, he still had the room. It s a testament to him and he was a great coach for our team. Asked about the biggest difference between Babcock and Blashill, Cleary joked. Oh God, we don t have all day, do we! Detroit News LOADED: 09.27.2015 9

Bruins edge Wings on Krug s overtime goal Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 11:23 p.m. EDT September 26, 2015 Detroit They took a lot of penalties last season in a fashion most unlike the usually disciplined Red Wings team. They did it again against the Boston Bruins Saturday, collecting 11 penalties. And it cost them, dearly. The Wings lost 4-3 in overtime, on a power play goal by the former Spartan, Torey Krug, of Livonia, who seven years ago helped Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill win a junior title in the United States Hockey League for the Indiana Ice. A power play was created when the Red Wings took a bench penalty for too many men on the ice, which some of the Wings disputed. One thing that we haven t talked lots about yet that we are going to address: We took too many penalties, and this team took too many penalties last year, Blashill said. You can t take this many penalties for sure. We ve got to be near the lowest in penalties, not near the highest. A bright spot was considerable offense from the defense, something for which the Red Wings have searched since the retirements of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski. All three goals were assisted by defensemen Niklas Kronwall, Kyle Quincey, Danny Dekeyser and Alexey Marchenko with forward Andy Miele garnering the only one from the front lines. Jakub Kindl stood out, especially offensively, with one goal that counted, another that was called off because of goalie interference assessed to Justin Abdelkader, and two scoring chances on which he was thwarted mightily by Bruins goalie Malcolm Subban. Blashill like Kindl s performance. I thought his overall game was real good, the coach said. He did a good job. We d like to get more offensive production from our D-men. We think we have the ability, too. Despite the seven-goal total, Subban, the younger brother of the Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban, had a fine game, as did Petr Mrazek in net for the Red Wings. Mrazek forced overtime with two big stops toward the end of the third period, on Alex Khokhlachev from 13 feet at 15:54 and a 30-foot wrist shot from Brett Connolly at 17:26. Before the game, Blashill said he was looking for a better effort and more energy from the squad that played Thursday and on Wednesday. He thought they were less than effective on Wednesday. He was disappointed again for two periods, but liked the third. 10

I thought the first two periods we didn t play well enough. And then in the third period we came out and played really, really well. I think it was the best jump that this group that s played together for two games has had. The Wings disputed the too many men call to no avail. Asked about it, Blashill responded with a diplomat s parlance. We re changing and our guy jumped and they declared it was before our guy got to the bench, he said. The Wings got off to a rough start in the first period, with thee penalties in the first 10 minutes, including Abdelkader for goaltender interference, erasing a power-play goal. David Krejci, the Bruins' often-injured scoring star opened the scoring at 8:20 when a puck shot around the glass in the Red Wings zone struck a stanchion and bounced at 90-degree angle towards the center of the ice. Mrazek, attentive to playing the puck, had already left the crease in anticipation of a more customary carom, leaving the net wide open for Krejci. Krejci scored again 2:18 later on the power play, with Abdelkader off. Krug assisted. Henrik Zetterberg scored on the power play at 13:13. His crisp wrist shot went cleanly by Subban, with Abdelkader providing a screen that, this time, was deemed clean by the referees. Tomas Tatar scored his fourth goal of the preseason, on a deflection of Quincey s onetimer from the right point, at 43 seconds of the second period, to tie the score at two. Dekeyser assisted on the play. But at 15:11, the Bruins regained the lead when a bad connection between Brad Richards and Dekeyser ended up on Brian Ferlin s stick. Ferlin made no mistake for an unassisted goal. Then, at 1:35 of the third period, the hockey gods smiled on Kindl, whose cannonading shot from the right point beat Subban to tie the score at three. At 10:14, Mrazek robbed Kevan Miller with a glove save on a quick 23-foot shot from the slot, keeping the score even. Both teams had a lot of penalties, said Johan Franzen, who played a highly physical game and avoided a fight with Tommy Cross by essentially horse-collaring the Bruins' 6-feet-3, 206-pound defenseman and immobilizing him in what became a wrestling match. It wasn t great. It wasn t a great effort. We came out a little stronger in the third. We weren t sharp enough or didn t have the energy we needed to win games. So, even though it s preseason game, we ve got to get used to good habits and play a little better than this. We need a little more focus, and a little better attitude and get ready for the regular season. Detroit News LOADED: 09.27.2015 11

Krupa: Cleary faces veterans cold reality Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News 7:19 p.m. EDT September 26, 2015 Detroit In the NHL there used to be a place on the roster for the veteran who could still perform well enough to get the job done at times, and whose experience made him an example to those still early in their careers and wise enough to help win some games. But that was in the days before all of the big money, the salary cap and work rules obtained by the blunt force of lockout or strike, when the world seemed a gentler place. The aging player would sometimes play every other game or so, while the young were eased into the lineup. Often enough in a bygone era coaches could use extra slots on the roster to carry older players mostly for playoff duties, getting them in enough games to keep them in playing shape and exploiting their experience when it mattered most. Five or six years ago Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper ran smack dab into the new reality, when their careers ended before they probably would have liked under the old personnel rules and they were offered a home in management with the franchise the loved. Daniel Cleary is at about that point. Under the old rules, if his balky knee and 36 years afford him some quality playing time there could have been a place for him. Now, with a waiting line of young forwards in Grand Rapids challenging Cleary, Joakim Andersson and perhaps others for spots on the roster, the odds might be longer than at any time for him as a Red Wing. Even longer than when he arrived in 2005, eight years into a disappointing, injuryriddled NHL career, and scored three goals and assisted on 12 in 77 games. The testament to the man is that he scored 95 and assisted on 107 over the next five seasons. In the three playoff years surrounding the Stanley Cup win in 2008, Cleary had 15 goals and 15 assists in 63 games. Deserving a better fate It is a rebound in a difficult career so honored in Newfoundland and much of Canada that a bursting-at-the-seams crowd gathered on June 30, 2008, at St. John s International Airport to greet him and the Stanley Cup. The next day, 27,000 including 103 credentialed members of the media assembled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, Cleary s hometown, when he arrived for a celebration of the Cup and Canada Day. But that was a long time ago. And the trouble with the new rules is, as an older player dangles, he becomes a piñata. It is not a pretty way to end things, and Cleary deserves better. 12

His career earned him that. The only way to avoid the slings and arrows of the critics and in Cleary s case these days, there are many on social media and among the fans is to call it a day, or play on and redeem the intention. Cleary is not ready to stop, at least not on Sept. 26, 2015. No, no. God no, he said, when asked if he considered retiring in the offseason. I love it. I love it. If you don t have it, the burning desire, then, you know, you fade away. But, of course, everyone who plays as they get older loves it. They love the preparation, game day, the training. I love all of it. Listen, I definitely I feel like I have given my entire body to this game, so I feel proud of that, that s for sure. I don t look back with any regret. I mean, you want to play as long as you can. It s the best game. This game has given me everything. Like so often in his trying career, Cleary encountered a setback immediately this year when what he thought was a charley horse turned out to be a tear in his left quad. Now, he talks about familiarizing himself quickly with some of coach Jeff Blashill s new drilling techniques, and playing catch-up to his classmates. The knee is fine His chronically problematic knee that nearly cost him his career almost a decade ago and sometimes kept him out in other years? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the knee, yeah, he said, bowing to the frustration of the past seasons of pain and rehabilitation. I can t even give you a good-enough, articulate answer. The knee is, the knee is it s fine. It s fine. I do what I can. What must he do? Ultimately, Clears has to be what he has been at times as a Red Wing, Blashill said. When I first got the job here as an assistant, I watched a bunch of games from the previous season and he was arguably one of the best forwards on the team. Obviously, that s a number of years ago. But he s been that, at times. He s going to have to be a guy who is on the forecheck, creating turnovers. He s going to have to be a guy who is a net-front presence. He s going to have to be a guy who is real accountable defensively and, if he gets a chance to kill, do a good job of killing penalties. Ultimately, we ll make a decision on the roster come next week, and the best players will make the team. Blashill said Cleary will likely play two or three more games in the preseason. 13

Many Red Wings fans are impatient to get younger players more playing time to they believe hasten the day when the Red Wings rebuild on the fly is complete. They think Cleary is an obstruction. I do not begrudge Cleary s intention, and if he does not match Blashill s mark and is sent to Grand Rapids, his salary is off the cap. That is not to argue that Cleary should make the roster. He says if he does not, he will have a decision to make then, not now. And, I do not argue whether Babcock s desire to see a tough-as-nails Canadian player as one of the leaders on the Red Wings roster, setting an example of how to become a daily contributor and providing some toughness should or should not have trumped other roster considerations. I only say Cleary is greatly respected in the dressing room. And there was a time when there was a place in the NHL for a guy like him. That was honorable, just like Cleary s career. I owe a lot to the city, the fans. It s great. I love being a Red Wing, he said. Everybody has doubters and people like that, even as you re proven. You try and not let that bother you and just go out and do your thing and believe in yourself. Detroit News LOADED: 09.27.2015 14

Penalty-prone Detroit Red Wings drop overtime decision to Boston Bruins in preseason By Ansar Khan on September 26, 2015 at 9:43 PM, updated September 26, 2015 at 9:45 PM DETROIT Torey Krug scored a power-play goal at 1:58 of overtime Saturday to lift the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 preseason victory over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The penalty-prone Red Wings were called for too many men on the ice in overtime, leading to a four-on-three advantage for the Bruins. Detroit, playing its fourth game in five nights, is 2-0-2 in the preseason. The Bruins controlled the latter half of the second period and took a 3-2 lead at 15:11 when Brian Ferlin fired in a backhand shot from the slot. A giveaway by Brad Richards led to the goal, as his pass from the corner was just out of Kyle Quincey's reach. Tatar had tied it for the Red Wings 43 seconds into the period with his fourth goal in two preseason games. He redirected a blast from the point by Quincey past Malcom Subban. David Krejci scored a pair of goals to skate the Bruins to a 2-1 lead after one period. Krejci opened the scoring at 8:20, depositing a backhand shot into an open net. Mrazek had come out of the net to play the puck, which took a bad bounce off the boards, catching the goalie out of position. Krejci scored on the power play at 10:38, on a shot from the high slot. Zetterberg cut Boston's lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 13:13. He took a pass from Niklas Kronwall and snapped a wrist shot from near the top of the faceoff circle past Subban. Mrazek played the entire game, making 27 saves. He stopped all 16 shots he faced in 29 minutes Wednesday in his first preseason game. "We wanted to get to the full games as quick as possible for both guys (Mrazek and Jimmy Howard)," coach Jeff Blashill said before the game. "Jimmy did it last game and did a real good job. "I just think as a goalie you don't want to start the year (playing a full game), that's why I gave them a half-game each (in their first starts). But then you really want to get going full games because it's a different level of concentration and conditioning. I think the quicker we get them into full-season mode the better." It was Johan Franzen's second game in a row, after he'd been out since Jan. 6 with a concussion. Franzen played on a line with Richards and Tatar as Blashill wanted to get him back into an offensive role. 15

"We're still trying to figure out with (Darren) Helm out who would be the best fit on that line," Blashill said. "If Helm (out with a separated shoulder and concussion) was skating right now he'd be with that line to see how it gelled, but we didn't get a chance to see that unfortunately. We're still trying to figure out our lines. This just gives us to see a different combination." Injury update Defenseman Xavier Ouellet practiced full-out the past two days and feels good, Blashill said. He might be ready for Monday's game. Blashill said it's uncertain if Mike Green (groin) will skate Monday and it's unlikely that Teemu Pulkkinen (upper body) will be on the ice. Both are day-to-day. General manager Ken Holland said if Pulkkinen doesn't feel better by Monday, he might be sent for tests, but they don't think it's anything significant. Camp roster trimmed to 46 The Red Wings assigned forwards Martin Frk and Marek Tvrdon, defenseman Richard Nedomlel and goaltender Jake Paterson to the Grand Rapids Griffins. They released forwards Kurt Etchegary, Jeff Hoggan and Joel Rechlicz and defensemen Jared Nightingale, Nathan Paetsch and Andrew Prochno from their tryout agreements. Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 16

Second-period analysis: Bruins 3, Red Wings 2 By Ansar Khan on September 26, 2015 at 8:40 PM, updated September 26, 2015 at 9:27 PM DETROIT -- The Boston Bruins controlled the latter half of the second period Saturday in a preseason game at Joe Louis Arena and took a 3-2 lead over the Detroit Red Wings into the intermission. Brian Ferlin snapped a 2-2 tie at 15:11, scoring on a backhand shot from the slot. A giveaway by Brad Richards led to the goal, as his pass from the corner was just out of Kyle Quincey's reach. Tomas Tatar had tied it for the Red Wings 43 seconds into the period with his fourth goal in two preseason games. he redirected a blast from the point by Quincey past Malcom Subban. The Bruins are outshooting the Red Wings 22-13. Sat, Sep 26 Boston4Final-OT Detroit3 Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 17

First-period analysis: Bruins 2, Red Wings 1 By Ansar Khan on September 26, 2015 at 7:43 PM, updated September 26, 2015 at 9:24 PM DETROIT -- David Krejci scored a pair of goals Saturday to stake the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 lead over the Detroit Red Wings after one period of a preseason game at Joe Louis Arena. Henrik Zetterberg cut Boston's lead to 2-1 with a power-play goal at 13:13. He took a pass from Niklas Kronwall and snapped a wrist shot from near the top of the faceoff circle past Malcom Subban. Krejci opened the scoring at 8:20, depositing a backhand shot into an open net. Petr Mrazek had come out of the net to play the puck, which took a bad bounce off the boards, catching the goalie out of position. Krejci scored on the power play at 10:38, on a shot from the high slot. The Bruins held a 6-1 lead in shots at one point and finished the period with a 9-8 advantage. Sat, Sep 26 Boston4Final-OT Detroit3 Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 18

Daniel Cleary ready for uphill battle to earn roster spot with Detroit Red Wings Ansar Khan on September 26, 2015 at 4:03 PM, updated September 26, 2015 at 4:49 PM DETROIT In one sense, it's like 2005 all over again for Daniel Cleary. He has a guaranteed contract, but no assurance of a roster spot for the first time in his 11-year career as a Detroit Red Wing. "Kind of, but different back then, (when) you're fighting for your livelihood," Cleary said. "Still, you got to battle. You got to come in and compete, play well and see how things unfold." Cleary makes his preseason debut tonight against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena (7 p.m., no TV or radio), after missing four days of practices and scrimmages in training camp due to a torn left quad muscle that he had for a month. It will be an uphill battle for the 36-year-old forward who came to Detroit 10 years ago on a training camp tryout. The Red Wings are deep up front, even with Pavel Datsyuk slated to start the season on long-term injured reserve (ankle surgery). When general manager Ken Holland signed Cleary to a one-year, one-way deal for $950,000 earlier this month he made it clear that Cleary wouldn't be taking a roster spot from someone who ordinarily would be on the club and he wouldn't force the club to waive or trade anyone it ordinarily would not. "Nothing's given for free, you got to battle, you got to be a pro about it," Cleary said. "We got a lot of great, young players. The future looks bright in Detroit. It's awesome. I've been a Red Wing for 11 years; you want to keep this great tradition going." The Red Wings would have no issue keeping Cleary as an extra forward ahead of a younger player who could be playing regularly with the Grand Rapids Griffins. If there is no roster spot, Cleary likely will be waived and assigned to Grand Rapids, in which case his entire salary will be off the cap. Cleary said he hasn't given that any thought right now. "I haven't crossed that yet. We'll play it by ear," Cleary said. Cleary will skating on a line with Andy Miele and Tomas Jurco. Coach Jeff Blashill said Cleary will play in two or three of the final four preseason games after tonight. "He's going to have to be on the forecheck creating some turnovers," Blashill said. "He's going to have to be a net-front presence. He's going to have to be real accountable defensively, and if he gets a chance to kill do a real good job killing penalties. Ultimately, we'll make a decision on the roster next week and the best players will make the team." Cleary appeared in 17 games last season, picking up a goal and an assist. He said never pondered retiring. 19

"I love it," Cleary said. "If you don't have it, the burning desire, you fade away. I love everything about preparation, game day, training, I love all of it. "I feel that I've given my entire body to this game, so I'm proud of that. I definitely don't look back and regret it. You want to play as long as you can. This is the best game; game has given me everything I have. "I owe a lot to the city, the fans. It's great. I love being a Red Wing." Cleary's signing in each of the past two seasons has led to much criticism from the fan base. "Everybody has doubters and people like that, even as you're proven," Cleary said. "You try and not let that bother you and just go out and do your thing and believe in yourself." Former coach Mike Babcock pushed hard for the club to re-sign Cleary in 2013, when Cleary received an offer of a training camp tryout from the Philadelphia Flyers, which he said came with no guarantee of a contract. "I have a lot of respect for Babs," Cleary said. "If there was anyone in this room who got along with Babs, it was probably me, in terms of our relationship. (The coaching change) was a great move for the organization, a great move for Babs. "Everyone here respects and likes Blash. The transition hasn't been hard at all." Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 20

Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Bruins in town for fourth game in five days By Brendan Savage on September 26, 2015 at 3:03 PM, updated September 26, 2015 at 3:05 PM GAME INFORMATION Who: Detroit Red Wings (2-0-1) vs. Boston Bruins (3-0) When: 7 p.m. Where: Joe Louis Arena TV: None Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1), WXYT-AM (1270) and Red Wings radio network Social media: Follow MLive Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Twitter: Follow Ansar Khan and Brendan Savage Live coverage: Join the MLive open thread at 6 p.m. ET. GAME NOTES If the Red Wings were eager to play some real games after a summer of inactivity, they might rethink that after they play the Bruins. Tonight marks their fourth game in five days, a schedule that is unheard of in the NHL but is common in the lower minor leagues when teams have to utilize weekend dates to help boost their gate. Things won't get much easier after an off-day Sunday as the Red Wings final four exhibitions will be played in a six-day span beginning Monday in Boston. After three preseason games, Teemu Pulkkinen and Tomas Tatar lead the Red Wings with three goals apiece.... Pulkkinen is also among the NHL's leaders in points with five.... Detroit's team goals-against average is 2.31.... Nick Jensen leads the Red Wings with a plus-4 rating. He was plus-30 in Grand Rapids last season to share the team lead. David Pastrnak and Matt Irwin lead the Bruins with two goals in three preseason games.... Former Red Wings goalie Jonas Gustavsson is 1-0 with a 0.00 GAA and 1.000 save percentage in 30 minutes for Boston.... The Bruins have a 1.30 team GAA after allowing just four goals. Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 21

Red Wings lineup for preseason game vs. Bruins: Petr Mrazek playing the entire game By Ansar Khan on September 26, 2015 at 11:43 AM, updated September 26, 2015 at 6:32 PM DETROIT -- Petr Mrazek is scheduled to play the entire game in goal tonight for the Detroit Red Wings as they face the Boston Bruins in a preseason game at Joe Louis Arena (7 p.m., no local TV or radio). Mrazek, who is competing with Jimmy Howard for the starting job, stopped all 16 shots he faced during 29 minutes of Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings (2-0-1) are playing their fourth game in five nights. "I think this group that's in tonight I don't think they skated their best the last game they played (Wednesday), so I think this is a group that wants to go out and do a real good job of being on their 'A' game tonight and starting the process making sure we're ready for Oct. 9 (season opener)," Blashill said. "I would say as a group we need to be sharper than we were Wednesday night." Here are tonight's lines and defense pairs for Detroit: Justin Abdelkader-Henrik Zetterberg-Gustav Nyquist Johan Franzen-Brad Richards-Tomas Tatar Tomas Jurco-Andy Miele-Daniel Cleary Eric Tangradi-Tomas Nosek-Mitch Callahan Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser Jakub Kindl-Alexey Marchenko Petr Mrazek (playing full game) Jared Coreau Injury update Defenseman Xavier Ouellet practiced full-out the past two days and feels good, Blashill said. He might be ready for Monday's game. Blashill said it's uncertain if Mike Green (groin) will skate Monday and it's unlikely that Teemu Pulkkinen (upper body) will be on the ice. Both are day-to-day. General manager Ken Holland said if Pulkkinen doesn't feel better by Monday, he might be sent for tests, but they don't think it's anything significant. Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 22

Mike Babcock on quest to get Maple Leafs back to 'rightful place' By The Associated Press Wire reports on September 26, 2015 at 7:00 AM, updated September 26, 2015 at 10:24 AM TORONTO Mike Babcock slid a yellow legal pad to the right side of the desk in his modest, windowless office, put his head down and wrote down a phrase he had just heard without saying a word. The Toronto Maple Leafs coach, who is as much of a teacher as he is a student of leadership, later scrolled through a series of notes on his cellphone, a blurring look at his cache of catchphrases, thoughts and reminders. "Once I write it down or type it, it's locked in and I don't forget it," Babcock told The Associated Press. Babcock left his cottage in Saskatchewan earlier than he ever had last summer, putting water skis away and packing his bags because he faces the toughest task of his NHL coaching career. And the Toronto Maple Leafs are paying him well to get to work. The Original Six franchise, seeking its first Stanley Cup in nearly a half-century and its second playoff appearance since 2004, lured Babcock away from Detroit with a $50 million, eight-year deal. Babcock's average compensation over the term of the contract more than doubles what any other coach in the league will make this season. "Clubs can do whatever they think is in their own self-interest," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in Toronto at the league's office, which is just steps away from the Maple Leafs' home arena. After seeing the cost of coveted coaches go from about $3 million up to as much as $6- plus million per season, how did other NHL owners react? "It raised some eyebrows," Bettman acknowledged. "But I'm not sure it rose to a grumble." Babcock began raising his voice when he started leading the Maple Leafs during training camp and can be heard barking instructions behind the bench in preseason games. "I don't think he has been hard on the guys," Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf said. "But he is stern." He was the same way in Detroit, where he screamed at players to skate faster during some of their first morning skates with him. His demanding style helped the Red Wings win the 2008 Stanley Cup and come a victory short of repeating. Babcock broke into the league in 2002 after paying his dues, leading teams such as the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. 23

As a rookie NHL coach, he helped Anaheim come within a win of hoisting the Cup in 2003. When he became available, the Red Wings jumped at the chance to hire him. And after becoming the storied franchise's all-time winningest coach was a free agent, a desperate team with a ton of money gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. "I was already making a fortune and now I'm making more. I don't know what I'm going to do with it," Babcock said. "To say money doesn't matter isn't true. It does. There are points in your life when a raise really affects your life, but c'mon. It doesn't matter that much for me anymore. I'm still driving a Ford F-150." It's easy to understand why the Maple Leafs were driven to beat out Detroit, the Buffalo Sabres and other suitors to land Babcock. The 52-year-old Canadian is the only coach who has won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold two, in fact and a world championship. "He was the most sought-after coach because his record speaks for itself and we were lucky to get him," Phaneuf said. "Now that he's here, the most impressive thing is the energy he has a daily basis. He really brings it every day." Babcock has been trying to burn off some of his energy more than ever. None of his three children are living with him for the first time since he became a father because his youngest kid graduated from high school last spring in suburban Detroit. Instead of going to his relatively empty house in Toronto after a workout recently, he joined his coaching staff for a second workout because he wasn't in a rush to leave the rink. He has a commanding presence in any space whether it's on the ice, in the dressing room or an international news conference. He has piercing eyes that don't appear to ever blink and a crystal-clear message whenever he speaks, and people pay attention to what he says. In Detroit, Babcock's players didn't stop listening, but he was ready to move on. "Would it have been safer to stay? Sure," he said leaning out of his chair, elbows on desk and clasped hands under chin. "But this was exciting. There's something about the appeal of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the opportunity to fix it." The Maple Leafs were among the NHL's worst teams last year again. Since coach Pat Quinn led Toronto to the playoffs for the sixth straight year in 2004, the only year it has made it back to the postseason was two years ago. The last time the Maple Leafs hoisted the Cup in 1967, Babcock was 4. "The Maple Leafs are an Original Six franchise that don't hold their rightful place," he said. "It's our job to get it back." Michigan Live LOADED: 09.27.2015 24

Cleary knows nothing's given for free' By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily POSTED: 09/26/15, 2:41 PM EDT UPDATED: 13 SECS AGO 0 COMMENTS DETROIT >> Dan Cleary needed everything to go right to help increase his chances of making the Wings roster out of training camp. They did not. Cleary suffered a tear in his left quad, which he originally thought was a charley horse, that sidelined him all of training camp. Nothing s given for free, you ve got to battle, you ve got to be a pro about it, Cleary told the media that gathered prior to Detroit s preseason game Saturday against the Boston Bruins that he was scheduled to play in. And with the influx of young talent, Cleary, who had a goal and an assist in 17 games last season and was a minus-4, knows he s got to battle his way onto the team. We ve got a lot of great, young players, said Cleary, who didn t appear in the sevengame playoff series with Tampa Bay last season. The future looks bright in Detroit. It s awesome, great to see. I ve been a Red Wing for 11 years. You want to keep this great tradition going. The Wings signed Cleary to a one-year, one-way deal worth $950,000 prior to the start of training camp. He had a base salary of $1.5 million last season and received a $1 million bonus for playing 10 games. If he s assigned to Grand Rapids his salary won t count towards the salary cap. No, I haven t crossed that yet, Cleary said when asked if he had put any thought into what he d do if he didn t make the roster. We ll play it by ear. I ve certainly faced adversity for sure and came through the other end, Cleary continued. It s been fantastic for me. Detroit has been a huge part of my growing up process, being a professional, NHL player. I owe a lot to the city, the fans. It s great I love being a Red Wing. The Wings already had 24 players that were projected to make the team out of training camp, which was already one over the 23-player roster limit. Ultimately Clears has to be what he s been at time as a Red Wing, Wings first-year coach Jeff Blashill said. When I first got the job here as an assistant I watched a lot of game film from the previous season and he was arguably one of the best forwards on the team. Obviously that s a number of years ago, but he s been that at different times. He s going to have to be a guy who s on the forecheck creating some turnovers, Blashill added. He s going to have to be a guy with net-front presence. He s going to have to be a guy who s real accountable defensively and if he gets a chance to kill do a 25

real good job killing penalties. Ultimately we ll make a decision on the roster come next week and the best players will make the team. Cleary s numbers have been on the decline dramatically since registering 12 goals and 21 assists in the 2011-12 season in 75 games. He followed that with 15 points (nine goals), eight points (four goals) and two a year ago. Cleary caused quite a stir prior to the 2012-13 season as he tried to decide on his future. He spurned a professional tryout from the Philadelphia Flyers and wound up signing a one-year deal to return to the Wings for $1.75 million on the eve of training camp. In the process, Cleary shot down a report that he was offered a three-year deal worth $2.75 million a season to join the Flyers. Cleary, 36, had rejected a pair of offers (two- and three-year) from the Wings prior to the opening of free agency that year and they moved on and signed Daniel Alfredsson (one year, $5.5 million) and Stephen Weiss (five years, $24.5 million). His signing also that year forced Detroit to assign Gustav Nyquist to Grand Rapids which didn t sit well with Wings fans. It s always part of it, Cleary said when asked if he s out to prove doubters wrong. Everybody has doubters and people like that, even as you re proven. Listen, you try and not let that bother you and you just go out and do your thing and believe in yourself. If you don t believe in yourself then who else will? Cleary scored a career-high 26 goals and totaled a career-high 46 points during the 2010-11 season. Macomb Daily LOADED: 09.27.2015 26

Mule calls more physical second game 'a lot of fun' George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 10:18 p.m. EDT September 27, 2015 Johan Franzen led the Red Wings with four hits on Saturday night, all part of his plan to play more physical in his second consecutive preseason game. Franzen played 15:59 in the 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins at Joe Louis Arena. He had played in his first game in eight months in Thursday s 6-1 win over the Penguins, after suffering a head injury mid-january. I tried to hit as much as possible and didn t care too much about the puck today, Franzen said after Saturday s game. It s just part of my training camp I would say. Franzen and Bruins defenseman Tommy Cross took off-setting roughing penalties at 4:49 of the third period. This is his second game now, so I think it s just a process to get back by to a point where he feels great, said Wings coach Jeff Blashill. Two good steps in the right direction. Franzen said his first game back was just more about feeling things out. Took the next step, in Saturday s game, he said. Tried to be a little more physical and get in there, get a little dirtier and see how that felt, Franzen said. And how did that feel? A lot of fun, Franzen said. Quincey 'struggling': Defenseman Kyle Quincey had an assist in 18:19 on Saturday night. I m struggling with some stuff right now, Quincey said, referring to the ankle surgery he had in the off-season he had to remove bone chips. Hopefully things get better. Playing pretty good and kind of grinding every day, getting better. I m not going to get into it, but hopefully the day off (Sunday) should help and hopefully the pain goes away by the first (regular-season) game. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.28.2015 27

Detroit Red Wings look to be more disciplined this season after taking too many penalties in 2014-15 Ansar Khan akhan1@mlive.com By Ansar Khan akhan1@mlive.com on September 27, 2015 at 4:04 PM, updated September 27, 2015 at 4:05 PM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings rarely fight, but they spent too much time in the penalty box last season. The Red Wings were shorthanded 288 times, third-most in the NHL behind Winnipeg (308) and Columbus (303). If the preseason is any indication, that lack of discipline has carried over. The Red Wings have been shorthanded 22 times in four exhibition games, including eight times in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins. "One thing we haven't talked a lot about yet but we're going to address is taking too many penalties," coach Jeff Blashill said. "This team took too many penalties last year and you can't take this many penalties. So that's something we're going to address and we got to make sure we're near the lowest and not near the highest penalized teams." The Red Wings had the fourth-most minor penalties in the league (324) in 2014-15, averaging a shade over four per game. Not a great effort The Red Wings weren't happy with their performance on Saturday. "It wasn't great, not a great effort," Johan Franzen said. "We came out a little bit stronger in the third. We weren't sharp enough, we didn't have the energy that we needed to win games. Even though it was a preseason game, we got to get used to good habits and play a little bit better than this. "A little bit more focus and a little bit better attitude, even though it's a preseason game. We need to get ready for the regular season." Kyle Quincey called it a "sloppy, choppy game." "We didn't execute as well as we should have," he said. Said Blashill: "I thought in the first two periods we didn't play well enough and then I thought in the third period we came out and played really really well. I thought it was the best jump that this group that's played together for two games has had. I thought it was actually great. Disappointed we didn't come out and play better in the first two, but I was very happy with the response." Defensive notes Jakub Kindl had a good game. He scored a goal and had another one waived off because Justin Abdelkader was in the crease. 28