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Avs, Wings say goodbye to Joe |
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The final Detroit Red Wings-Colorado Avalanche game at Joe Louis Arena finished with a resounding 5-1 victory for the Wings.
Had it included a visit from Sherman and Mr. Peabody, who knows how much better things might have turned out.
As the game clock wound down late in the third period, the video board above center ice was turned into the wayback machine, offering up highlights from the March 26, 1997 game in which the Avs and Wings brawled and an already-heated rivalry reached its boiling point.
“It’s awesome,” Detroit center said of the history between the two teams. “That video they played at the end during the last TV timeout, it was really cool. It got the fans fired up.
“I wished they played it a little earlier in the game, maybe in the first but I definitely got the chills watching it. Just to be a part of the rivalry is pretty cool and to play here in their last game at the Joe and get a convincing win, it feels good.”
Detroit coach Jeff Blashill remembered what it was like to grow up in Michigan during the heyday of the Wings-Avs rivalry.
“I lived on this rivalry,” Blashill said. “It was unreal. It was great for the NHL, as good for the NHL as any rivalry as we’ve had here in the last 30 years. It was incredible.
“The emotions involved, the emotions are still like that. We played an alumni game last year and there was probably still some emotion involved in that.”
Powering Up
As the season winds down, Detroit’s power play, ranked 29th in the 30-team NHL, is finally beginning to heat up.
The Wings scored twice on the power play in Saturday’s win, after also netting two goals with the man advantage in Thursday’s win at Arizona.
That’s the first time all season that Detroit has scored multiple power-play goals in successive games.
I thought it has been a lot better the last month,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “I would say even though we haven’t gotten results, I think we’ve created a lot of good things and our consistency is better so it’s nice to see us get some goals.”
Helm Injured
Detroit forward Darren Helm’s injury-plagued career took another twist Saturday - literally. Helm appeared to injure his left knee when checked hard by Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson during the second period.
Helm came back to the ice briefly during a stoppage later in the period and gingerly tested the leg, taking a few strides and then leaving the ice and returning directly to the dressing room.
“It’s a lower-body injury, day to day,” Blashill said. “I don’t know more than that. I can’t necessarily say whether to expect him on Monday (against Buffalo).
“I just don’t know.”
Up, Down
For the second straight game, the Wings recalled a player who didn’t play.
Thursday in Arizona, it was defenseman Brian Lashoff. Saturday, it was forward Tomas Nosek who was hailed from AHL Grand Rapids on an emergency recall.
Blashill would only say that a couple of unnamed forwards were feeling under the weather but were able to answer the bell, so Nosek wasn’t needed and was returned to Grand Rapids.
With Helm’s injury, it’s possible he could turned around and on his way back to Detroit in time for Monday’s game, and if that turns out to be the case, Blashill won’t hesitate to insert Nosek.
“First of all, to me Nosie is a guy who can play in the NHL 100 per cent,” Blashill said. “I thought when he played last year he did very well. He’s a guy who can be a good penalty killer, he’s got skill level but he plays a two-way game, he’s strong on the puck, just a guy who can manage his minutes real well and still produce offensively
“He’s certainly somebody who I know is fighting for a spot to be here next year. There’s no question in my mind he can play in the NHL. Does he make you better to a degree better than other guys? That’s the question that remains to be seen.”
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