Quick Hits: The Heater Edition

Jeff Hancock

• 1 min read Front Page

In Red Wings Land

Red Wings head to West Coast with optimism, confidence | Detroit News

So, timing might be everything for the Wings.

“Completely agree on that one,” said Anthony Mantha, whose late goal Sunday downed Vegas. “It’s going to be three hard games, every other night on this trip, but we need to focus on Anaheim (Tuesday).

“Hopefully we can win that first one, and get on a heater for the rest of this trip.”

The Wings face Anaheim, Los Angeles (Thursday) and San Jose (Saturday) — three of the bottom six teams in the Western Conference.

I’m not sure the Red Wings are good enough to go on a “heater” and string together some wins, but I’m glad they believe in their ability to do so. Plus, if it’s going to happen, why not now against some of the worst teams out west?

A Fabulous Trade

The NHL’s best and worst this week: Why the Red Wings’ trade for Robby Fabbri is a win-win move | ESPN

“It was tough, because I didn’t know when it was going to happen, or where I was going to go,” Fabbri said in a phone interview this week. “But I knew it was probably going it happen.”

On Wednesday night in Edmonton, Fabbri was sitting in the press box yet again, his fifth-straight game as a healthy scratch. That’s when Armstrong delivered the news. Fabbri was heading from the defending Stanley Cup champs to the Detroit Red Wings ... the worst team in the league (the Red Wings had lost 12 of 13 games, and had been outscored 57-12 in that span).

”I was just really excited for the opportunity to prove myself,” Fabbri said.

And we’re excited to have Robby Fabbri here in Detroit.

Around the League

Don Cherry no longer on Hockey Night In Canada | TSN

Good riddance.