What's your take on the injury factor? The first game is on Saturday right?
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2009/05/red_wings_nicklas_lidstrom_exp_1.html
Red Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom expected to play in Game 1 of finals; Pavel Datsyuk game-day decision
by Ansar Khan
Thursday May 28, 2009, 1:11 PM
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Thursday that defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom should be ready to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals on Saturday. He said the status of Pavel Datsyuk, Jonathan Ericsson and Kris Draper will be determined on game day. Of the three, Draper seems the least likely to be ready for Game 1.
Lidstrom, who has missed two games with a lower-body injury, skated on his own the last two days. Datsyuk (bruised foot) skated again on Thursday. Ericsson, who had an appendectomy on Wednesday, might skate Friday.
"I certainly expect Lidstrom to play,'' Holland said. "He hold me he's planning on playing Saturday.''
Holland said Datsyuk, who missed the last three games of the Chicago series, is getting better every day.
"He wants to know when he makes that push that he has that explosiveness,'' Holland said.
Lidstrom and Datsyuk are expected to practice on Friday. Holland isn't sure if Draper will practice. He has missed the last two games with a strained groin, which Holland said is not significant.
Holland said they won't know Ericsson's status until Saturday. He noted that defenseman Andreas Lilja had the same operation on a Wednesday in October and played on Saturday, after missing only two games.
