Blues Sign Ty Conklin to 2-Year, $2.6 Million Contract posted by Jeff Ponder

Blues fans have been asking about a back-up goalie for starter Chris Mason.  Ask and ye shall receive.

The Blues got a fantastic run out of starter Chris Mason last season, as he was the driving force for the Blues' run to the playoffs.  The Blues sent former starter Manny Legace to Peoria of the AHL in February, which left the back-up role a question mark.  Until now.

Ty Conklin, a 33-year old out of Alaska, was back-up to the Detroit Red Wings last season.  He witnessed his starter Chris Osgood have an up and down season, seeing many spot starts and extended starts.  His final record on the season was 25-11-2 with a .910 save percentage.  Conklin has seen time with Edmonton, Columbus, Buffalo Pittsburgh and Detroit.

While the Blues did answer their question of who will back-up Mason, this was not the best back-up available in the free-agency market.  Scott Clemmensen, a very capable NHL goaltender who stood in for Martin Brodeur last season, was available.  He is coming off of a 25-13-1 season, accompanied with a .917 save percentage. 

Clemmensen might have been a nice addition, but he might have been asking for too much or was yielding for more offers.  Conklin may pan out, considering he did have a strong season in Detroit.Continue reading "Blues Sign Ty Conklin to 2-Year, ..."

Detroit Red Wings say Bye bye to Chris Chelios posted by Dan Vado

The Detroit Red Wings announced that they would not be offering 47 year old D-Man Chris Chelios a new contract, ending his run with that team.

Watching Chelios in the last couple of years was amazing, here is a guy, virtually my age, banging away with the best and the youngest of them in the NHL. I am sure that, if he wanted to, he could find a slot on another team, but should he? I think no.

Chelios has a chance to go out virtually on top. While the Wings did not win the Stanley Cup this year, he still played a decent number of minutes and proved what a person could do when motivated and driven to stay in shape. He is an inspiration  to not just athletes, but to anyone approaching or just past middle-age who thinks getting out of the bed in the morning counts as a sit-up.

 He truly has nothing left to prove, so winding up playing on the third line in Tampa or Los Angeles would just put a black mark on his illustrious career. Chelios has a lot to offer hockey and he should find a way to stick around, but not as a player.

 But, who am I to say. 

NHL Finals Recap and Award Predictions posted by Ryan Turner

The NHL season hasn’t even been over for a week and I already miss it. I have a fever and the only cure is more blaring goal horns. This season left a much better taste in my mouth than the previous one because not only did the Blues make it back to the postseason, their biggest rival didn’t win the postseason. The Red Wings had everything going their way. There hadn’t been a home team that had lost a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 38 years. The road team hasn’t won a championship in a Game 7 in any professional sport since the Pirates did it back in 1979. So Detroit took that fact and dominated the first period. Pittsburgh outshot the Wings 10-6 in the first, but it didn’t feel that way watching it. But then Detroit let them off the hook.

With no score after one frame, Pittsburgh had taken hold of the momentum. They got a turnover deep in the Wings’ zone in the first and a helpful bounce to take a 1-0 lead. Maxime Talbot was the culprit picking up his third goal of the finals. Just under nine minutes later, the Pens got an odd-man rush and Talbot struck again, firing a laser past Chris Osgood. It was a nice shot, but Osgood could’ve had it. If he stops that, it’s a completely different game. The Wings’ fans were still in the game after getting down 2-0, so staying within one likely would’ve allowed them to come back and win it. After all, they did manage to beat Marc-Andre Fleury once. Speaking of Fleury, he was a superhero for the Penguins in the third period, especially over the last two minutes. The diving save he made with about four seconds left was nearly as miraculous as Santonio Holmes’ catch to win Super Bowl XLIII. What a way to win the Stanley Cup. The Steelers got their rings last week, by the way. They weigh nearly a quarter of a pound. Now that’s some bling!

Wings Suffer Crushing Blow in Game Seven posted by Jimi Begin

The agony of defeat!

After a serious battle in which the home team dominated play in every game but the last in the series, the Detroit Red Wings fell to the Pittsburg Penguins 2-1 in the final NHL game of the year.  Pittsburgh was obviously hungry for the Cup, and they played a great game and a great series to win it!

Suffering from a number of injuries,  the Wings just couldn't pull it off - although it actually came down to the last few seconds of the game, as Detroit continued to put pressure on Fleury right up until the end.  Detroit was exhausted by the end of the series and was running on fumes.  A lack of goals from a number of key offensive players, combined with Pittsburgh's stifling defense sealed their fate as the final seconds ticked off the timeclock. It's amazing that after well over 100 games, it can all come down to a few seconds in time.

The Wings had a great season and deserve our respect for making it as far as they did.  Although few would have predicted this crushing defeat on home ice at the Joe, we should be thankful that we have such a world-class team.  I think in Detroit, we have gotten spoiled.  We are too used to having a winning team and we sometimes get down on them when they suffer defeats.  Ultimately, this may make the Wings realize that they are human, and that they can never let up for a second if they want to keep the Cup in their sites.

Thank you Red Wings for an awsome season and a great team here in Hockeytown.  We'll look forward to going for it again next season!

Hossa Perfect Fit for Islanders posted by Jeff Ponder

"It was a really tough decision for me to make," forward Marian Hossa stated last July. "When I compared the two teams, I felt like I would have a little better of a chance to win the Cup in Detroit."

How wrong he was.

Marian Hossa watched as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed the Stanley Cup off to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sydney Crosby Friday night from the Detroit locker room.  Just one year ago, Hossa watched from the Pittsburgh locker room as Bettman handed the Cup to Red Wings' captain Nicklas Lidstrom.  To Pittsburgh fans, this was the sweet irony that they had wanted since Hossa rejected an offer from Penguins' management last summer to play with the Red Wings.  To Red Wings fans, it was all about the anger of Hossa's poor effort and lack of goal scoring in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.

“Really wouldn't have been fair anyway to put his name on the Cup when he generated nothing,” claims ShanahanMan of LetsGoWings.com. 

Hossa registered 0 goals and just two assists in all seven games of the Stanley Cup Finals.  His 6 goals and 9 assists throughout the playoffs were nothing special either, considering he was a 40-goal scorer and a 71-point getter in the regular season.  Hossa was strong for the most part in Detroit, but never really took hold of a game this playoff year.  Hossa tried to shrug off the loss to the media when asked about his decision to change teams.

"That's life," Hossa told NHL.com. “I still had a great year in this organization with great guys, great people around. It could go both ways, one goal could've made a difference. Sometimes that's life.”
Continue reading "Hossa Perfect Fit for Islanders"

Penguins win at home to force Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 posted by Jimi Begin

The Pittsburgh Penguins squeaked by the Detroit Red Wings by a single goal to take Game 6 by a score of 2-1 on their home ice.  As has been the precedent, the team having home ice advantage has taken every game so far in this too-close-to-call series.  The Red Wings will be glad to come back to play Game 7 at Joe Louis arena where they rarely lose.  They have an 11-1 record so far this year on home ice in the playoffs - and have outscored Pittsburgh 11-2 so far at home in this series.

After suffering a devastating 5-0 loss at the Joe in Game 5, Marc-Andre Fleury rebounded in typical fashion, playing some stellar hockey.  He stopped 26 shots in the game and fought off some quality scoring chances late in the  third period.  The only goal he let in was that of Kris Draper in the second period, after Detroit had gone down by a two goal deficit.  Chris Osgood was also excellent on the other end of the ice,  stopping some key shots by Pittsburgh's dangerous offensive machine and finishing with 31 saves overall.

It seems rare that we see this beast that we call "Stanley Cup Finals Game 7", but every hockey player aspires to get to this point.  It is the moment at which great players are defined and great teams make history.

Detroit has an incredible opportunity to grasp yet another Stanley Cup Title on their home ice this Friday evening.  God knows this Hockeytown could use a little good news in these tough times!

GO WINGS!!!!! 

Red Wings Seek to Clinch Another Back-to-Back Stanley Cup Title in Game 6 posted by Jimi Begin

All eyes will be on the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday as they seek to keep the Cup in Hockeytown for yet another year.  Although the Penguins have played well on their home ice in this series, it is clear that the Red Wings are on a mission after last week's 5-0 blowout in Game 5.  The Penguins were clearly frustrated and showed a lack of class in Game 5, taking several unnecessary penalties and game misconducts.

Datsuyk's return seemed to be a great catalyst for the team, and despite Pittsburgh's attempts to take him out, constantly hacking at his injured foot, he managed to come back with two assists and some really great plays around the net.  Osgood put on a stellar show in Game 5, and truly deserved the shutout.  No doubt Pittsburgh fans will complain about the officiating (as we have here in Detroit for many years), but their team was clearly outmatched and outclassed in Game 5.

Tomorrow night at 8:00 (NBC/CBC) the Wings have a chance to wrap it up and take the Cup back home with them again.  Detroiters are all hopeful for a steadfast victory and look forward to a chance to celebrate some good news.  God knows our city can use it in these tough times!

GO WINGS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sboI7oS9iZg

http://redwings.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-6&id=39975

2009 Stanley Cup Finals Game 4: Pens Down Wings to tie series 2-2 posted by Dexter Jones

I went over to Patti and Jeff's last night to watch Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, with the Detroit Red Wings up 2 games to 1 in the series.  We all know that when a home team is down 2-1, Game 4 is a must-win.  This was no exception.  Detroit came out strong in the first period, dominating play for nearly the entire 20 minutes.  The lone Penguins goal came on a power play, but early on it seemed like the Wings were going to do what they always do, which is control the puck, maintain the offensive zone, send forwards down low, take big shots from the point, and pounce on rebounds for goals.  The first two games were clinical in their approach.  Once the Wings get a lead, it's all about clogging the neutral zone and slowing down the opposing team's forwards.  This is nothing new.  It's not exciting, but it works. 

Game 4, however, saw the Penguins pull away in the second period.  Suddenly, Detroit was turning the puck over in all 3 zones.  Their skaters seemed slow to the puck and reluctant to play the body.  The overwhelming opinion in this series is that the Wings are considerably older than the Penguins, but in terms of ice time, both teams are playing a mix of older and younger players.  Bill Guerin and Sergei Gonchar are no spring chickens for Pitt, while Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader have made their presence felt for the veteran Wings. 

More than age, turnovers were the story of Game 4.  Defenseman Rob Scuderi, normally very solid in his own end for the Penguins, made a horrible attempt at an outlet pass that ended up right on Helm's blade and seconds later was deposited in the net past Marc-Andre Fleury.  What a shame.  The crowd got very nervous at this point, and the general sense was "here we go again."  Any goals scored in the last two minutes of a period worry me because that's when fatigue and mental mistakes are most common.  The Pens limped to the first intermission, and I fully expected the Wings to take control of the game to start the second period.

PENGUINS GET EVEN posted by Andy Natalie

Shots On Goal

TEAM

1st

2nd

3rd

T

Detroit

19

9

11

39

Pittsburgh

11

11

9

31

The tale of the tape gives you an overview of how Game 4 played out. It was important that Pittsburgh pick up the offensive chances and they did. However they are fortunate that their netminder Marc-Andre Fleury was up to the challenge as he was tested with 39 shots on goal.

For the Penguins Crosby and Malkin were the catalysts as they should be. Malkin got off 6 shots on goal and Crosby 3. Both had a goal and an assist.

The big blow for Pittsburgh was Jordan Staal's beautiful shorthanded goal. The Penguins scored 3 times in the 2nd in under 6 minutes.

All in all without oversimplifying I think the Red Wings showed signs of fatigue again. Yes they got some shots off but they seemed sluggish at times. And to be fair the Penguins stepped it up a notch.

Game 5 should prove very interesting. For Pittsburgh they need to be aggressive early to test the conditioning of the Red Wings and put pressure on them at home right away. And once again they need to cut down the chances that Detroit is getting. They are not going to be off forever nor is Fleury likely to save a barrage of shots every night. Although that could be a key factor.

THE VALIANT PENGUINS ARE HANGING ON posted by Andy Natalie

Last night Pittsburgh authorities put out an APB for Sidney Crosby who has been missing since the series verses the Hurricanes.

Hey Sid the Kid is a great player and he has a great team around him. But they are not the Detroit Red Wings. But the Penguins made the most of their 20 shots on Chris Osgood netting 3 of them. They added an empty net goal to close the deal 4 - 2 over the powerful Red Wings.

Evegni Malkin played a very good game with 3 assists on the night. Pittsburgh's Maxime Talbot had a great game scoring 2 of the Penguins goals. Sergei Gonchar scored on of Pittsburgh's 2 power play goals.

Over Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury saved 27 of 29 shots and Chris Osgood kicked back 17 of 20 Pittsburgh shots.

Crosby was somewhat quiet again, but he did manage 3 shots on goal and 1 assist nonetheless.

For Detroit, they are a bit miffed as they managed 29 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Making matters worse, Detroit took only 3 shots in the 3rd and final period. The Penguins in contrast took 10 of their 21 shots in the final stanza and scored twice. That is quite a turn around.

Was this a case of Detroit running out of gas? Only time will tell, but they did have a beef with the NHL for scheduling back to back games with games 1 and 2. I think the NHL needs to do things like that.

As the series stands with Detroit holding a 2 to 1 series lead, Thursday night will be pivotal for Pittsburgh. They need to tie the series before they go back to Motor City. IS it still Motor City with all the auto manufacturers going belly up?

Ex-Penguins D Scuderi signs with Kings (AP)

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'Hawks sign F Hossa for 12 years, $62.8M (AP)

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From Yahoo! Sports

'Hawks ink ex-Wing Hossa to 12-year deal (AP)

The Chicago Blackhawks dipped deep into the NHL free-agent market by signing star forward Marian Hossa away from the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday with a 12-year contract. Hossa, who surprisingly took a one-year deal with the defending champion Red Wings last summer, cashed in this time. The four-time All-Star and 11-year NHL veteran has played on the Stanley Cup runner-up the last two seasons. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Red Wings want new arena lease from city

The Detroit Red Wings want a new deal to play at Joe Louis Arena.The team says it will not exercise an option to renew its lease at the arena, but wants to continue talks with the city on a new deal. Ilitch Holdings Inc. President and Chief Executive Christopher Ilitch said Friday that the current lease is 30 years old and not competitive to other arena leases in the NHL or professional sports.He says the team is looking for a new lease that is "fair and equitable for all parties. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NHL

Claude Lemieux becomes American citizen (AP)

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