Wings and Datsyuk notes for tonight's game.

Bushay · Jun 6, 2009

I like to follow a particular RW beat writer on Twitter for updates. He's put these out in the last hour or so.

Both Rafalski and Cleary were absent this morning but Babcock said both will be available tonight.
17 minutes ago from web
Abdelkader has the flu, but will be available if needed tonight. Not likely he'll be needed though.
17 minutes ago from web
Babcock said the player to be scratched for Datsyuk will be a game-time decision.
18 minutes ago from web
Babcock said that Datsyuk will start on wing tonight. "If he looks like himself, we'll move him to the middle."
18 minutes ago from web
Datsyuk could play wing. It worked last spring with Pav and Z together. Or it could just be for show and Pav at center tonight. We'll see.
about 1 hour ago from web

No Rafalski and no Cleary on the ice. I assume both are resting small injuries and will play tonight.
about 1 hour ago from web
Datsyuk is practicing on the left wing of Zetterberg's line with Franzen on teh right side. Filppula centering second line.
about 1 hour ago from web
Datsyuk just took the ice for the morning skate. All is well in the world.
about 1 hour ago from web

Bushay · Jun 6, 2009

Cleary questionable

Babcock downplayed Cleary’s morning absence from the ice. Defenceman Brian Rafalski and centre Justin Abdelkader also didn’t take the ice.

“Cleary and Raf both didn't skate,” Babcock said. “Both are supposed to play. Abby had a bit of the flu. I think these guys are all available for tonight, so we'll just make decisions at game time.”

Cleary was more cautious about his status, admitting he suffered an injury in Game 4, expressing concern that he might not be able to go in Game 5.

“We’ll see,” said Cleary, who indicated he’d take the pre-game warm-up before making the final call. “You want to be playing in the finals.”

Cleary indicated his ailment was partially due to the lower-body injury he suffered in practice just prior to the playoffs and partially a new aggravation. “It’s a little bit of both,” he said.

Minus Cleary, the lines were as follows:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Franzen
Tomas Holmstrom-Valtteri Fippula-Marian Hossa
Jiri Hudler-Darren Helm-Mikael Samuelsson
Ville Leino-Kris Draper-Kirk Maltby

Special status

The Wings were confident that the return of Datsyuk and his one-of-a-kind puck skills would give their ailing special teams a boost.

Detroit is one-for-nine with the man advantage against Pittsburgh and allowed Jordan Staal’s shorthanded goal in Game 4, but Datsyuk’s puck retrieval abilities should help there.

“Especially on shots when we’re looking to retrieve a rebound,” Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “He’s good at sniffing out where the puck is going to go.

“That’s where his takeaway skills come in, too. He’s able to read where the puck is going to go, or to strip a defenceman off of the puck.”

The Wings’ penalty kill is a dismal 71.2 per cent, 14th-best in the playoffs. The Penguins are three-for-six overall with the man advantage in the series, with three goals in their last four opportunities.

On this unit, Lidstrom felt Datsyuk’s hard work would prove more valuable than his talent. “If you watch him play, you see all his skill and what he can do with the puck, how he can dangle,” Lidstrom said. “But how hard he works every shift, how hard he works backchecking, that’s also huge. You look at his takeaways and that’s just work ethic. He’s good at doing it, but a lot of it comes from how hard he works without the puck.”

Still baffled

The Wings were as amazed as most of the hockey world by their defensive breakdowns in their 4-2 Game 4 loss that left this series deadlocked at 2-2.

“We had a little turnover clinic there for a few minutes,” Zetterberg said.

Detroit defenceman Niklas Kronwall was equally baffled.

“I don’t think anybody knows what happened, really,” Kronwall said. “We just got rattled for some reason. We had two power-plays in a row and a chance to go up 3-1. Then all of a sudden, we start doing things that we never do and we shouldn’t do.

“They’ve got some really good players over there. We can’t play that way if we’re going to win the series.”

Game-time decision

There will be a strong presence of McGill alumni at Joe Louis Arena for Game 5, but Babcock, a former defenceman at the Montreal university, was uncertain as to whether he’d don his traditional lucky McGill tie.

“I’m getting a lot of pressure to do that, I can tell you,” Babcock said. “There’s like 34 (McGill alumni) coming. I’ve already talked to security. I told security that I didn’t want them to do anything that could be embarrassing. I want them to have as much fun as they want, but keep them confined to a reasonable amount of consumption and carrying on.”

As to the tie, Babcock was non-committal. “I actually bought a new tie to wear today,” he said, calling his neckwear a game-time decision.

“There’s a lot of that going on,” Babcock said.

Bushay · Jun 6, 2009

More good stuff about tonight's game.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/06/pregame_5_red_wings_odds_and_e_1.html

krh7 · Jun 6, 2009

if you have to bet, i'm thinking pens +150 tonight. it wouldn't surprise me to see the wings lose the next 2. i think the pens have finally figured them out.

bushay, you gonna take this one off too or what?

sumday · Jun 6, 2009

I'm on the Wings. I'm keeping faith in them as I have all season. I think they come out blazing at home and win it. Noway Pens win 3 straight against this team.

Bushay · Jun 6, 2009

krh7 said:
if you have to bet, i'm thinking pens +150 tonight. it wouldn't surprise me to see the wings lose the next 2. i think the pens have finally figured them out.

bushay, you gonna take this one off too or what?

5 Dimes is offering Det. -.5 [reg] +100
at the same time their also offering the game to go OT at +320

I think I'm going to play those 2.

2 units on Det -.5 +$100 and 1 unit on the OT at +$320.

I like Detroit but better than the -$149 being offered at matchbook.
This way I make money if they win either way.

MSUSpartans · Jun 7, 2009

The return of Datsyuk has taken a lot of pressure off of Zetterberg, and forces Penguins to match up lines.

I said Wings in 6 at the beginning, and I'm sticking to it. While this series has been so much closer, the Pens dominated a couple games, the Wings have shown how well they can play when everything is clicking. Even though both teams have held serve and won at home, frustration set in for the Pens last night. Mellon is a tough place to play, but 3-1 Wings on Tuesday is my prediction.

Bushay · Jun 7, 2009

Not even in my wildest dreams could I imagine he'd have that kind of impact in his 1st game back in close to 3 weeks with a still unhealed broken foot. He really helped supply a calmness and breathe of fresh air the team was really lacking of late. Good luck with your prediction of Wings in 6. That crowd was a bitch during games 3 and 4. And they'll be back stronger than ever Tuesday. I'm convinced the Wings will win this, but the Pens will regroup and be very tough in these next 1 or 2.
That's 4th one is always a bitch to put away.