Are lineup changes in store for the Detroit Red Wings as they prepare for Thursday’s game at Joe Louis Arena against the Dallas Stars?
Possibly.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock played it coy when asked whether he was thinking about switching things up following Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The only healthy body he has at his disposal who didn’t play Tuesday is forward Daniel Cleary, and both Cleary and forward Joakim Andersson, who’d likely come out were Cleary to be inserted, were among the last players off the ice from Thursday’s morning skate.
“We’ll make that a game-time decision,… Babcock said about any changes, “but right now I don’t think so.…
Abdelkader Update Babcock also didn’t have much to offer about the status of left-winger Justin Abdelkader, who suffered a shoulder injury Sunday against Vancouver, other than to acknowledge that he’d be missing his second game. Abdelkader is also fighting off a bout of flu. “I saw him today,… Babcock said. “He was sick the other day. He looks fine walking around, but he’s not playing hockey.…
Taking The Blame Detroit got off to a slow start again in the last game, falling behind 4-1 to the Panthers, and that concerns Babcock, who believes he and his staff didn’t have the team ready to go.
“I don’t know, I just watch the game and we weren’t any good,… Babcock said. “What’s different today? We’re going to watch at game time.
There’s no guarantees, but the reality is we weren’t prepared. So what we did before last game wasn’t good enough for whatever reason. I have to take responsibility and so do the players. It wasn’t good.
“We were no good, so we didn’t work, we didn’t execute. The other team worked harder than us, they were on top. We didn’t execute, we turned over pucks, we weren’t good.
Hockey is a real fair game, so if you work hard and focus on the details and you play well without the puck, you have the puck all of the time. That didn’t happen for us. So two of the last three games we’ve been down. I thought it was just 3-1 in one, but actually it was 4-1 in both and catch up hockey is doesn’t work.
“You can do it once in a while, but it doesn’t work. Suddenly because we’re scoring more doesn’t mean we should be giving up more. That makes no sense.…
Tipping Their Caps The Wings sent their best wishes to Ottawa, where former teammate Daniel Alfredsson announced his retirement Thursday.
“When I was growing up he was a really established NHL player,… Detroit defenceman Jonathan Ericsson said. “He’s just one of the idols back home for all the kids.
“For him to actually to come over and play for Detroit (last season) was really special for the Swedes here. We were fortunate to have him for a year. We had hoped to have him another year, but I guess his back said no.…
Detroit forward Johan Franzen remembered as a young player getting to suit up next to Alfredsson for Sweden at the 2005 world championship.
“He came in and it was just like greatness,… Franzen said. “I was a young kid and you have so much respect watching those guys and he came in and was just so humble.
“He’s such a great guy, real easy to be around. He really builds you up. He was a really good leader.…
Alfredsson signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Senators where he played the first 17 of his 18 NHL seasons and will skate with the team in the pre-game warm-up prior to Ottawa’s game against the New York Islanders.
“For the Ottawa Senators to let him do what he’s doing today and retire a Senator the way he should I think is a real, real special thing,… Babcock said.
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