It has been another couple of slow days off in between games but it now looks like we’ve got something to talk about at least? Some good, some bad, some depends on your viewpoint.
Jimmy’s back in net
Jimmy Howard will return to the Detroit net against Calgary. Howard missed time with back spasms but he is apparently feeling well enough to get back in net. So Osgood will be his backup on Wednesday night, right? Wrong.
Ozzie out
Chris Osgood injured his groin in practice and will be day-to-day. Ansar Khan of mlive.com says that it appears to be more of a inflammation than anything. When I read this it was at first kind of a “Oh, here we go again” thing but it seems to be a minor and more or less precautionary measure. Osgood struggled against Phoenix but played very well in the 5-2 Detroit win over Nashville. Joey MacDonald will back up Howard while Osgood sits with the sore groin.
Please, do NOT teach me how to Dougie
Doug Janik‘s time with the Wings while Ericsson was out was a bit of an adventure. Some nights, you didn’t notice him (which is good for a defenseman) while others he’s ALL that you noticed. I think this is probably a microcosm of his career, he’s had good nights and he’s had bad–the good just haven’t outnumbered the bad often enough. Janik was a -2 with 0 points in the 7 games. His fight with Cody McLeod was very forgettable and he registered only 2 hits paired with 5 turnovers.
Jonathan Ericsson gets a lot of heat for his play on the ice sometimes but I think a good portion of Wings fans will welcome him back to the ice over Janik. Oh, and that’s why Janik’s back in Grand Rapids as Jonny E’s feeling better with his back problems and
What does it all mean?
As far as Howard/Osgood goes, Howard’s going to have to be on top of his game while Osgood is out. MacDonald is not exactly the best option to come in for Howard off the bench. However, I think it’s unlikely that Joey Mac will need to step in. Janik going back to Grand Rapids is another sign that the Wings are stepping towards full health again.
On another note of returns, finally I have a working computer again and am back with a consistent source to post. JJ and Graham did an EXCELLENT job while I was out of commission and I can’t thank them enough.
