The Detroit Red Wings will opt to roll with rookie goalie Petr Mrazek when they start the Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday with Game 1 of their opening-round series against the Lightning at Tampa Bay.
“I’m excited,… Mrazek said. “My first playoff game in the NHL so I can’t wait for Thursday.…
Mrazek simply played better than veteran Jimmy Howard down the stretch and Detroit coach Mike Babcock admitted that the 23-year-old’s 35-save shutout performance in the season finale against the Carolina Hurricanes clinched the verdict in his favor.
“This is what I try to do,… Babcock explained. “(New Jersey Devils GM) Lou Lamoriello has an unbelievable rule and that’s called don’t confuse the player and the person.
“What I do is try and take all the emotion out of it and I try to take the information I have by watching games and by talking to our staff and then I make the decision that’s best for the team.
“I decided who was going to play. I think Mrazek has done a real nice job for us. He’s playing.…
Among Mrazek’s late-season wins was a 4-0 shutout of the Lightning, Detroit’s only victory this season in four meetings with Tampa Bay.
Mrazek downplayed any notion of a goaltending controversy and instead suggested that this is just a natural part of the playoff procedure.
“I think in every team is talking about goaltenders and who’s going to play,… Mrazek said. “It’s the coach’s decision and more important is who’s going to win the game, so that’s all that matters.…
Rookies Rock Mrazek won’t be the only Detroit rookie making his Stanley Cup debut on Thursday. Babcock confirmed that defenseman Alexey Marchenko and forward Landon Ferraro, both of who were with AHL Grand Rapids at the beginning of last week, would be part of his Game 1 lineup.
“To be here, to play in the playoffs, it’s probably one of the best moments in hockey to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs,… Marchenko said. “I’m really excited to get started.…
Marchenko collected 1-1-2 numbers in 13 games with Detroit this season and was recalled for Detroit’s final regular-season game at Carolina. Ferraro, who scored his first NHL goal against the Hurricanes in that game, played Detroit’s last three regular-season games.
“He can help us for sure,… Babcock said of Ferraro. “That’s good.
“Lando’s put in his time, he’s been an honest player. He’s gotten better and better and as he gets stronger he’ll continue to get better.…
While Babcock indicated he hadn’t determined who would be scratched to make room for the two first-year players, but based on defense pairings and forward lines at Monday’s practice, it would appear that Brendan Smith will be the odd man out on defense and Stephen Weiss at forward.
Abdelkader Status The only injured Wing who might be available for Game 1 is left-winger Justin Abdelkader (hand). At practice Monday, Weiss took turns in Abdelkader’s spot with captain Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist in case Abdelkader is unable to suit up.
“It’s been pretty good, but with any kind of injury it’s not going to go from one to 10 right away,… said Abdelkader, who hurt his right hand when it was hit with a shot taken by Minnesota defenseman Marco Scandella. “There’s numbers in between.
“It feels better so we’ll see how it progresses. We have three more days which is nice since we don’t start till Thursday.…
Streak Stats Detroit’s 24-season playoff streak isn’t the NHL record, but when you stack it up alongside those of greater or equal length in Stanley Cup history, it’s delivered plenty of bang for its buck
“I think it is (impressive),… Babcock said. “For me, everyone says 24 years (playoff streak), but I’ve been in Detroit 10 years and since the lockout you never knew what was going to happen and the parity in the league is unbelievable.
“We’ve made the playoffs all 10 years and we’re the only team in the National Hockey League to do that and I’m proud of (Wings owner) Mr. (Mike) Ilitch and (GM) Ken Holland and the staff there and players in what they’ve been able to do.
“It’s hard. All you have to do is look around at the quality teams that don’t make the playoffs. It’s hard to make the playoffs, so our guys did a nice job. All in all we’re going in the right direction and now we got to get ourselves prepared for the playoffs.…
Here’s a look at how Detroit’s playoff run stacks up on the all-time list:
Boston Bruins 29 seasons (1967-68 to 1995-96) Stanley Cup wins: 2 Stanley Cup final appearances: 7 *Presidents’ Trophy wins: 5 100-point seasons: 15
Chicago Blackhawks 28 seasons (1969-70 to 1996-97) Stanley Cup wins: 0 Stanley Cup final appearances: 3 *Presidents’ Trophy wins: 1 100-point seasons: 5
St. Louis Blues 25 seasons (1979-80 to 2003-04) Stanley Cup wins: 0 Stanley Cup final appearances: 0 *Presidents’Trophy wins: 0 100-point seasons: 4
Montreal Canadiens 24 seasons (1970-71 to 1993-94) Stanley Cup wins: 8 Stanley Cup final appearances: 9 *Presidents’ Trophy wins: 5 100-point seasons: 13
Detroit Red Wings 24 seasons (1990-91 to 2014-15) Stanley Cup wins: 4 Stanley Cup final appearances: 6 *Presidents’ Trophy wins: 6 100-point seasons: 17
*Includes first overall finishes prior to introduction of Presidents’ Trophy in 1985-86
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