In Red Wings Land

Final weeks of Red Wings’ schedule are important for young players – Detroit News

But Blashill was also quick to add it’s just not young players who are under the microscope these final weeks.

“Guys have contracts up, they’re playing for their livelihoods, and as a team we want to grow as a group,” Blashill said. “There’s a whole bunch of stuff on the line for all of our guys.”

You think he’s talking about himself too?

Around the League

Patrick Marleau’s journey from Canadian farmboy to NHL’s 1,768-game recordbreaker – The Guardian

Working on the farm forged Marleau’s durability.

I wasn’t going to get a good encapsulation of Marleau’s career so I picked a sentence that’s at least fun to mull.

Howe’s WHA games not counting is fine It’s not like #9 is getting forgotten in the history books. Marleau always struck me as interesting.  I still think he’s the smallest “big forward” in the league. Every time I look at his listed height/weight, I’m surprised for a moment and then not surprised. It fits with him having been callled soft a bunch throughout his career, but I don’t think he’s been soft either. I also like that he’s basically the most-boring guy ever. Patrick Marleau is bleached mayonnaise and he’s played more NHL games than anybody ever.