Pre-Game Skate: Normally I'd be writing this as the players were out on the ice for warm-ups but I've got a logistical issue tonight which will mean I'll be arriving at the rink only a few minutes before face-off and so for now, instead of the Press Box, we greet you from the (wi-fi enabled) Macdonald's in lovely Novi, MI. One of them, anyway. Novi's big enough for more than one McDonald's.
The Wings--after overcoming a rash of injuries in December and January--are hurting again tonight as they skate into this rematch of the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Final. In fact, Detroit may be down to 10 healthy forwards and could as a result be forced to put d-man Ruslan Salei up front in this one. The injuries? What can we say? We can only tell you what they tell us, and what they tell us these days isn't much. Pavel Datsyuk is out with the catch-all "lower body injury" suffered in the third period at Columbus last Thursday night when he went hard into the boards. The Wings--and Datsyuk himself--are keeping mum after Datsyuk was quoted after the Columbus game as saying he thought he'd be able to play in Nashville two nights later. He couldn't, though, and he's a scratch again tonight. Johan Franzen with a groin and Jiri Hudler with a sore neck and fever are also scratches. Todd Bertuzzi did not take the morning skate today due to an aching back. He told the Detroit Free Press he'd take warm-ups tonight and decide if he can go. Coach Mike Babcock meanwhile said this morning that he was "certain" Bertuzzi would be in the lineup.
Matt Cooke did not come with the Penguins from New York to Detroit, taking a side trip to Toronto to talk to NHL officials about his latest viscous hit: an elbow to the head of Ryan McDonagh of the Rangers Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Cooke has been suspended three times in the last three seasons for illegal hits. His fourth is expected to be announced prior to puck-drop here tonight.
This is the second and final meeting of these two teams this season. The Penguins beat Detroit 4-1 in Pittsburgh on January 18th. The Pens are 4th in the East with 90 points. Detroit is 2nd in the West with 94.
We gotta get to the rink. We'll talk to you from there in a little while....
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2 comments:
Richard:
Man, this never happens. I always wind up getting here AFTER the game.
Look, I would come here more often but hockey's only got two of the three "adult" features that I crave, foul language and violence. Nudity is required.
Go Redwings (until they play da Bruins)!
demo, for you I shall live-blog the post-game showering.
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