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Morning Skate: The Blues

The Red Wings and St. Louis Blues meet for the fifth time this season. 

The big news right off the top: Johan Franzen is returning after missing the last 55 games with a torn left ACL. Expect to see him on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, if the practices leading up to game time are to be trusted.

Jimmy Howard is getting the start again, his sixth in a row and 24th in the last 26 games. Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock addressed the concerns regarding the possibility that he's overplaying Howard. Hint: he doesn't think so.

While it is exciting that The Mule is returning, there are some new injury woes facing the Red Wings:
Drew Miller (bruise ankle) is healthy enough to be in the lineup. 
Tomas Holmstrom (left knee) is a game-time decision.
Patrick Eaves (sprained ankle) is out.
Niklas Kronwall (knee, again) will sit out again. 
Andreas Lilja (post concussion symptoms) is still in Grand Rapids on his conditioning assignment. More on that in a minute...

If Tomas Holmstrom can't go, Brad May will be in the lineup. May has been practicing as if he'll be playing.

The Blues have won three of the four matchups this season, and have outscored the Red Wings 13-10. 

More news and tidbits after the jump...

Star-divide

St. Louis is batting .500 this season, coming into this game 25-25-9, good for fourth place in the Central Division and 13th place in the Western Conference.

No word on St. Louis' starting goaltender, but starting goalie database Left Wing Lock seems to think it'll be former Red Wing Ty Conklin

Henrik Zetterberg has three goals in his last three games - and leads the team with sixteen goals overall. 

Andy McDonald leads the Blues in goals, with 17, and he's tied with Brad Boyes for the lead in points (35). 

New acquisition Ole-Kristian Tollefsen successfully cleared waivers and was assigned to the Griffins of the AHL. In somewhat related, yet not at all surprising news, Ville Leino was a healthy scratch for his first game with the Flyers.  

 

This is the final week of NHL play before the Olympic Games begin in Vancouver. They are very important games, as the Wings still find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. 

The Red Wings have been granted a conditioning stint extension for Lilja -- meaning he's allowed to stay in the AHL for two more games. His stint will expire after the Griffins and Aeros game on Friday. That will make for some tough decisions, as the Red Wings will have to clear a body and approximately $2 million from their salary to allow Lilja to fit (assuming none of the current injured players are placed on LTIR). Long story short: this may be the last couple of games for Brett Lebda, Derek Meech, and/or Brad May. Stay tuned.

 

Detroit Red Wings Expected Lineup
Datsyuk - Zetterberg - Franzen
Bertuzzi - Filppula - Cleary
Draper - Helm - May [ouch]
Maltby - Williams - Miller

 

 

Lidstrom - Rafalski
Stuart - Ericsson
Lebda - Meech

 

Howard (starting)

Join us in the game thread tonight -- guaranteed good times!*

*not a guarantee (I had to get ONE Simpsons reference in)

 

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The terrible 1/3 Tuesday (away) performance indicates the Red Wings will lose in overtime (5/16). Hopefully, the worst home team in the league will help make it 3/7.

by bleep bloop on Feb 9, 2010 7:16 AM CST reply actions  

Trends

Three weeks ago when the Red Wings visited the Blackhawks, they were
16th on the road—unchanged (but the point average has gone down)
16th at home—improved to 14th (15th average)
2.80 goals for—worsened to 2.59
2.15 goals against—worsened to 2.69

by bleep bloop on Feb 9, 2010 7:53 AM CST up reply actions  

Johan's career numbers against STL

29 GP, 8 Goals, 6 assists

including this year.

I like the combo of Ericsson/Stuart. Think they could work well with each other. Same with Meech/Lebda since they’re both fairly mobile defensemen

by Casey Richey on Feb 9, 2010 7:53 AM CST reply actions  

Cross your fingers...

Maybe that pairing was done to get Ericsson some time with another big body. That pairing last spring of Stuart with Kronwall was a terror on the ice when they were both in the groove.

by 42jeff on Feb 9, 2010 9:29 AM CST up reply actions  

Also, had to reference this

Thought this was hilarious

Since Backes has already fought Nash, Toews, and Corey Perry of Team Canada, does that mean he’ll take on Babcock and Yzerman tonight?

by Casey Richey on Feb 9, 2010 7:55 AM CST reply actions  

I was expecting Conklin tonight...

but Mason did get pulled halfway through last night’s game in Colorado. So either way, we will face a goalie that played half a game last night.

by jennbikegirl on Feb 9, 2010 10:42 AM CST reply actions  

we HAVE to win tonight

come on guys put a damn win streak together for once

TULO = 2010 MVP!

Troy Tulowitzki: "When people think of the Rockies, I want them to think of a winning organization."

LETS GO WINGS!

by TuLoRocks2008 on Feb 9, 2010 1:09 PM CST reply actions  

Frazen+Zetterberg+Datsyuk+same line=

Scary.

Back off man, I'm a scientist

Hockeytown USA has moved!
Hockeytown USA

by Ryan Weiss on Feb 9, 2010 1:18 PM CST reply actions  

25-25-9 is not .500...

…it’s .424 (25-34). Overtime losses are losses, not ties.

by Ed Buskirk on Feb 9, 2010 1:33 PM CST reply actions  

Overtime losses count for half the points of a win so 25-25-9 is .500 point percentage.

by bleep bloop on Feb 9, 2010 6:19 PM CST up reply actions  

Thank you.

Didn’t want to have the same conversation again.

by Michael Petrella on Feb 10, 2010 12:17 AM CST up reply actions  

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