The new face in the lineup for the Detroit Red Wings Friday is actually an old, familiar face.
The concern has to be whether Niklas Kronwall will look at all like the old, familiar player Wings fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years.
“I don’t know if I’m nervous, but I’m very excited,… said Kronwall, who will make his first appearance of the NHL season Friday at Joe Louis Arena against the Winnipeg Jets.
Kronwall, 35, has missed training camp, preseason play and the entire regular season to date with a knee ailment that cannot be surgically repaired.
“It’s been feeling good now for the past few weeks,… Kronwall said. “I’m skating harder and harder a little more and got to the point where it feels like it’s ready.…
The question being, how much will Kronwall be able to do in the short-term, considering he’s not been able to have a training camp and exhibition season in order to set a fitness base for his body, and how much punishment will his wonky knees be able to handle over the long haul?
“I don’t know,… Kronwall frankly admitted. “Everything comes down to conditioning and how well I play. It’s been a while. I’m excited to get back in there and I’ll take whatever they give me.…
As to the second part of the equation, Kronwall was equally uncertain.
“That’ll be something we’ll be monitoring moving forward, something we’ll have to manage,… he acknowledged. “But I don’t think that should be an issue.…
He’s the first to admit that what he provided last season wasn’t good enough.
“Definitely I want to get back to hopefully who I am,… Kronwall said. “Last year I didn’t feel like I had a very good season, so I’d like to get back to keeping it simple and making the right plays out there.
“That’s what I’m working towards.…
Ryan Sproul and Xavier Ouellet are scratched on defense, while forward Thomas Vanek (hip) remains out. Petr Mrazek gets the nod it goal.
Remembering Mr. Hockey It’s Gordie Howe night at the JLA as the team will recognize all that the man called Mr. Hockey, who died in the summer at the age of 88, gave the organization and the game itself in a lifetime of serving hockey.
The wonderful aspect of remembering Howe is that it seems everyone has a Howe memory.
“It just speaks to the person and the personality that he had,… Blashill said. “The stories are awesome. To hear the stories of the doctors that were here before are extremely funny.
“I’ve listened to lots of the stories and it was awesome to hear, just awesome to sit back and listen to them. It just speaks to him as a person.…
As unparalleled as Howe’s performance was on the ice in more than 30 years as a player, it’s his legacy off the ice, represented by his children – sons Marty, Mark and Murray and daughter Cathy – that Blashill believes is the ultimate testament to Howe’s legend.
“I think so, I don’t think there’s any doubt,… Blashill said. “Me personally, I’d rather be judged by the impact I have on people, specifically my family, than any accomplishments I have. I think that would be the same for him.
“I know Mark the best of his children and I don’t know a better man. He’s a great, great man. So you can just tell it’s a family where values were extremely high and I think that legacy is bigger than any other legacy he could leave.…
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