Game 2: Wings vs Ducks Game Day Updates

HULKTUZZI RETURNS!

The Dirt:

BERTUZZI IS BACK BITCHES! Bert is in and Tootoo is sitting. Tootoo sitting for Bert was my second choice (sitting Cleary was my first). This...is...exciting. In honor of his return, I give you The Todd Bertuzzi Song. Also this....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Todd Bertuzzi on nearly going to Wed. Killers concert at Honda Center: "Good thing I didn't, or I'd have been 15 beers deep."</p>&mdash; Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeleneStJames/status/330040359595945987">May 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Just so there's no confusion: Todd Bertuzzi was joking about the beer. No drinking during playoffs.</p>&mdash; Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeleneStJames/status/330048599452958721">May 2, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Bertuzzi said:

I don’t really care where I’m playing(3^’d or 4^th line) , I’m in the lineup and putting on the jersey and I’ll do everything I can to help these guys out. If that entails 6 minutes, 10 minutes, whatever it is I’ll try to be the best that I can. …. It’s been a long time coming, a lot of things I thought were getting better kept getting worse, but I’m at a point now where I’m comfortable with everything and I’m excited to play.

It probably won't be an easy transition for Bert, who hasn't played since February 7th, but he he looks healthier, fresher, and quite frankly younger than he has in a long time and I believe he's ready to go.

Samuelsson may also play tonight, but that's not exciting. He'll take pregame warmups and be a game time decision because someone (probably a top player) is hurting and may or may not be able to play tonight. I have suspicions in my head who it might be, but I'm too terrified to say or write them. I really hope we don't need to play Sammy. I don't think Samuelsson will actually play, and it would have to be pretty serious for someone else to sit. Babcock agrees...

"On every team there's guys who got a shot in the foot or things going on,'' Babcock said. "Samuelsson's our next guy on deck. I'm real cautious to bring two guys who haven't played into the lineup, never mind one, so unless we need him, he won't go, but he's ready to go. I told him to get prepared to play.''

Just a quick side note, the Wings signed St. Cloud College Defenseman Nick Jensen. I like what I've seen from Jensen and the progress he's made in the last couple years (this last season especially) and he doesn't get as much credit as he deserves from many writers.

Selanne said today:

"They're (Red Wings) way easier to play now that Lidstrom is not in the lineup"... "Zetterberg is so smart, he has done a great job"

We're easier to play against without Lidstrom (true) and we STILL make Selanne cry. It's nice to know we haven't lost our touch.

Lineup Notes:

The Ducks lineup notes list Ryan - Getzlaf - Perry as their top line, but they faced the Franzen - Filppula - Cleary line last game, so I'm going to slot them in the 2nd line spot. Winnik - Koivu - Cogliano go in the 1st line spot (though they're "officially" the 3'd line) because they played against the Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Abdelkader line. Lines are going to be a big deal in this series. In game 1, our #2 line shut down the Ducks #1, but their 3'd line essentially shut down our #1. Their 2nd line faced our 3'd and the 4th lines went head to head. I made changes to the Ducks lineup to reflect the actual line match ups.

Wings Lineup:

Forwards
Henrik Zetterberg	Pavel Datsyuk	Justin Abdelkader
Johan Franzen	Valtteri Filppula	Daniel Cleary
Gustav Nyquist	Joakim Andersson	Damien Brunner
Patrick Eaves	Cory Emmerton	Todd Bertuzzi

Defense
Niklas Kronwall	Jonathan Ericsson
Kyle Quincey	Brendan Smith
Jakub Kindl	Danny DeKeyser

Goalies

Jimmy Howard

Jonas Gustavsson

Healthy Scratches

Carlo Colaiacovo

Brian Lashoff

Mikael Samuelsson (Hopefully)

Jordin Tootoo

Ian White

Injured

Darren Helm (Back)

Drew Miller (Broken Hand)

PP Lines: (please put DeKeyser on the point instead of Brunner and Give Eaves some PP time.) I also think we'll see Bertuzzi on the PP (probably) I hope it's in place of Cleary.

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Franzen

Kronwall - Brunner

Nyquist - Filppula - Cleary

Kindl - Quincey

Ducks Lineup: No changes

Forwards
Daniel Winnik	Saku Koivu	Andrew Cogliano
Bobby Ryan	Ryan Getzlaf	Corey Perry
Kyle Palmieri	Nick Bonino	Teemu Selanne
Matt Beleskey	David Steckel	Emerson Etem

Defense
Cam Fowler	Francois Beauchemin
Bryan Allen	Toni Lydman
Sheldon Souray	Ben Lovejoy

Goalies

Jonas Hiller

Viktor Fasth