The Red Wings hope that Darren Helm will be able to take part in the team's development camp in mid-July.
Detroit wants to see how his ailing back has come along after a few setbacks during the lockout-shortened season. If he doesn't show improvement over the summer then he could be a candidate to start the 2013-14 campaign on injured reserve.

Pavel Datsyuk tweeted Tuesday morning that he signed a three-year contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings.
FOX Sports Detroit reported Monday night the two sides were close to an agreement and it appears Datsyuk's agent sealed the deal -- so to speak -- in his meeting with GM Ken Holland on Tuesday. The contract is expected to start after his current one ends next summer, which will carry him until he is 39 years old and essentially means Datsyuk will retire as a Red Wing. There were no financial terms announced, but his last contract averaged a $6.7 million cap hit per season. We'll update as soon as we know the numbers.

Damien Brunner admitted he tired after playing in Sweden during the lockout and then joining the NHL's Red Wings for his rookie season.
Brunner said he played in a total of 91 games between Sweden and the NHL, which is pretty close to the amount he'd have played in if the NHL season hadn't been cut short by the lockout. "At some point there's going to be games I'd be hitting the wall but only because it was tough to adjust for me the travel and the time difference," Brunner said. "The good thing is I came back after that 15- or 20-game slump and played better hockey in the postseason." Brunner is scheduled to be a UFA and says he'd like to return, but the two sides are reportedly having difficulty agreeing on his value after just one season.

Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings are close to a multi-year contract extension, according to FOX Sports Detroit.
Datsyuk's agent is scheduled to fly to Detroit on Tuesday to talk with Wings GM Ken Holland and Datsyuk tweeted late Monday night, "big day tomorrow. ." A source told FOX Sports Detroit that negotiations have gone very well and the two sides are extremely close to a deal that would keep Datsyuk is Detroit well beyond next season, when his current contract is set to expire. There had been talk after the lockout that Datsyuk would return to Russia after his contract expired, but it looks now like that was nothing more than leverage for contract talks.

Riley Sheahan has made some significant strides forward in his first full season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.
"He's put himself in a position, in the future, to become a Red Wing," Griffins coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's impossible to say (when), but it has to do with opportunity and how he continues to improve." Sheahan has been maturing since his drunk driving incident in October. He ended up with 16 goals and 36 points in 72 AHL games. He'll work on his strength and skating over the summer and likely start the 2013-14 campaign in the minors.

Riley Sheahan has made some significant strides forward in his first full season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.
"He's put himself in a position, in the future, to become a Red Wing," Griffins coach Jeff Blashill said. "It's impossible to say (when), but it has to do with opportunity and how he continues to improve." Sheahan has been maturing since his drunk driving incident in October. He ended up with 16 goals and 36 points in 72 AHL games. He'll work on his strength and skating over the summer and likely start the 2013-14 campaign in the minors.

Niklas Kronwall hopes the Red Wings re-sign soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Valtteri Filppula.
"Fil's one of those guys that you don't want to lose," Kronwall said. "He's a puck possession guy, a real good player and a great person, really good in the room, works hard. He has all the tools. Hopefully we'll be able to keep him." Filppula struggled in 2013 with just nine goals and 17 points in 41 games. Given that he reportedly wants about $5 million annually, Detroit might end up letting him go.

Niklas Kronwall saw a little bit of Nicklas Lidstrom in Danny DeKeyser.
Dekeyser made the transition from the NCAA to NHL this season. He had an assist in 11 games with Detroit. "He never puts himself in trouble," Kronwall said. "It kind of felt like he played a little bit like Nick Lidstrom that way. He's just very smart and just read the situations."

Niklas Kronwall is optimistic about the future of the Detroit Red Wings.
"Absolutely, just over the course of the year we had a lot of injuries this year and the younger guys that came up were given a chance and they really made the most of it," Kronwall said. "You look at it, just (Tomas) Tatar, (Joakim) Andersson, (Gustav) Nyquist, (Brian) Lashoff and (Danny) DeKeyser when he came in, even (Petr) Mrazek did a great job when he came in so we know there's more to come in the minors, and the younger guys have really proven they can play at the top level, and just the experience they get alone in the playoffs have been great." This was definitely a bit of a transitional season for Detroit and the fact that they did as good as they did under those circumstances is impressive. However, Detroit's ability to become a serious Cup contender again will depend on large part on how Detroit's younger players develop as they've been unable to get significant help via traders and the free agent markets lately.

Daniel Cleary could become an unrestricted free agent on July 5.
While the Red Wings would like to re-sign Cleary and Cleary clearly wants to return to Detroit, he could decide to see what is available to him as an unrestricted free agent. Cleary had only nine goals and 15 points during the regular season but was outstanding in the playoffs with four goals and 10 points, second on the team to Henrik Zetterberg who had 12 points. Stay tuned.

Henrik Zetterberg has been selected as the 2013 winner of the NHL Foundation Player Award.
Zetterberg will receive a $25,000 grant to help a cause he believes in. The award goes to the player "who applies the core values of (ice) hockey-commitment, perseverance and teamwork-to enrich the lives of people in his community." This is the first time Zetterberg has won this award.

Drew Miller's recently signed three-year extension with the Detroit Red Wings is worth $4.05 million.
Miller will come with a $1.35 million cap hit after earning an average of $837,500 annually with his old deal. "It feels great," Miller said about re-signing with Detroit. "I'm excited, my wife is excited, my family is excited. This is where I wanted to be. It's a great organization, great coaching staff, great bunch of guys. We have a lot of talent in the locker room, and I believe we'll be a very good team next year." He doesn't have any fantasy value in standard leagues, but he's a solid bottom-six forward.

Drew Miller has reportedly inked a three-year extension with the Detroit Red Wings.
Miller was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing his two-year, $1,675,000 contract. He had four goals and eight points in 44 games this season.

Jan Mursak has excelled in the Calder Cup finals.
Mursak has two goals and four points to help lead the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins to a 3-0 series lead. Overall, Mursak has 16 points in 20 playoff contests. The Griffins will try to secure the AHL championship Friday night.

Retired Detroit Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood has been mentoring prospect Petr Mrazek.
Mrazek has led the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins to the Calder Cup finals. He has a 2.20 GAA and .922 save percentage in the playoffs. "He's got all the attributes, he just needs to add a few things and grow before he'll be in Detroit," Osgood said. "I work with him on foot speed, on getting him to come out of the blue paint and challenge more. But he's good. And he corrects himself. You don't have to tell him over and over." Mrazek will likely stay in the AHL for the start of the 2013-14 campaign.

The Philadelphia Flyers decision to acquire the rights to defenseman Mark Streit hurts the Detroit Red Wings.
Streit was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but will now probably be inked by the Flyers. The other would-be big name blueliner in this year's free agent market, Sergei Gonchar, has already been inked by the Dallas Stars after they acquired his rights from Ottawa. After those two, the pickings are slim for the Red Wings, who were looking to sign a top blueliner. Ryan Whitney, Marek Zidlicky, and Joe Corvo are among the best of what's left.

The Red Wings and Damien Brunner are "trying" to work out a deal.
MLive's Ansar Khan says the two sides are having difficulty figuring out his value based on one season that had its fair share of ups and downs. The 27-year-old who is an unrestricted free agent had 12 goals and 14 assists this season.

The Red Wings have begun preliminary talks to re-sign Daniel Cleary and Drew Miller this offseason.
According to MLive's Ansar Khan, Detroit "will make room" for both hard-working forwards. Cleary, who had nine goals and 15 points in the regular season and four goals and 10 points in the playoffs, made $3 million this year. Miller earned $850,000, and he recorded eight points on the season.

Francis Pare scored the winner as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Syracuse Crunch 6-4 in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Final.
The Griffins are up 2-0 in the series. Tomas Tatar, Triston Grant, Landon Ferraro, Tomas Jurco, and Jan Mursak also found the back of the net for Grand Rapids.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN is reporting that Mike Babcock will coach Team Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Babcock coached Canada to the Gold Medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games and with former Detroit star player and current Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman in charge of Team Canada for the Olympics, Babcock seemed like a no-brainer to return.

Dan DeKeyser (broken thumb) was cleared to play in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final Saturday.
DeKeyser was minus-one in Game 1 Saturday as his Griffins defeated the Syracuse Crunch 3-1. DeKeyser was a very good player for the Red Wings after signing out of college as an unrestricted, undrafted player in March and making his NHL debut in April. DeKeyser should be a top-four defenseman with Detroit next season and should be drafted in the middle rounds in deep pools.

Dan DeKeyser (broken thumb) should be ready for the start of the Calder Cup finals.
DeKeyser suffered the injury in Game 2 of Detroit's first-round series. He had an assist in 11 regular season games with the Red Wings.

Valtteri Filppula isn't likely to play for the Detroit Red Wings next season.
Detroit, which tends to take a conservative approach to managing their salary cap, aren't likely to meet his reported demands of around $5 million annually. That's not unreasonable given that Filppula had just 17 points in 41 games in 2013, but he might still command that much on the open market where the talent pool is thin.

Tomas Tatar leads AHL Grand Rapids in playoff scoring with 10 goals and 15 points in 17 games.
The Griffins and Oklahoma City will play in Game 7 on Wednesday night and a spot in the Calder Cup Finals is on the line. Tatar, who skated in 18 games with Detroit this season, has appreciated the arrival of Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson following the Wings' elimination from the postseason. "The big difference is that (other teams) have to be careful about those two," Tatar said.

Dan DeKeyser isn't expected to play in Games 6 and 7 of the AHL playoffs for Grand Rapids.
The Griffins lead Oklahoma City 3-2 in the series and can advance to the Calder Cup Finals with another win. Should they make to the finals against Syracuse, DeKeyser may be available to play. Red Wings forwards Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist are already making a positive impact on the Grand Rapids' roster.

Jordin Tootoo's value in the 2013-14 season should increase.
The Red Wings are moving over to the tougher and more physical Eastern Conference for the 2013-14 season and Tootoo's style of play will be a better match for more ice time. Tootoo is going into the second year of a three-year deal that is worth $1.9 million a season. He is worth grabbing late in deep pools that use penalty minutes as a category.

Darren Helm (back) is no closer to being ready to play now than he was at the start during the Red Wings' training camp, according to coach Mike Babcock.
Helm only played in one game in 2013, but Helm remains optimistic that he'll be able to recover. "It has gotten better, slower," Helm said. "Talking with people with back pain and back issues, it just takes time." We'll have to wait and see if he's fine in time for the 2013-14 campaign.

Star center Pavel Datsyuk, 34, would dearly like to work out a contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings this summer.
Datsyuk can become an unrestricted free agent next summer but he said: "I would love to stay. He can sign an extension with Detroit beginning July 5. "Yeah, I hope we agree and we sign a new deal," he said. "I hope we agree and I sign for more (years)." Datsyuk, who played in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League during the lockout and enjoyed the experience, has said he'd like to conclude his playing career in the KHL. "This is my goal (to finish in the KHL), but you never know how it goes," Datsyuk said. "I would love to finish (in the KHL), give back to my friends and fans in Russia (while) I hope I'll be in good shape." But it sounds as if Datsyuk would like to play for few more years in the NHL. "My time frame (is probably) too long, but you never know," Datsyuk said. "You never know. Hockey is so competitive, so aggressive, you never know about that."

Rookie defenseman Dan DeKeyser, called up by the Red Wings for help in the playoffs, will be rejoining join Grand Rapids for the rest of the AHL playoffs now that his broken thumb has healed.
DeKeyser appeared in two playoff games for the Wings before getting injured.

There's no doubt the Red Wings are keeping forward Johan Franzen and not using an amnesty buyout.
Franzen had 14 goals in 41 regular-season games, but it's his contract through 2019-20 at a cap hit of $3.95 million that infuriates many Detroit fans. "It's crazy for me," Wings general manager Ken Holland said of the talk of buying out Franzen, who projected to 28 goals over a full season. "I don't know where you find 30-goal scorers. There's no hockey store." Holland wasn't sure if he'd use the buyout on anyone. From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130601/SPORTS0103/306010302#ixzz2UwvZaFei

Valtteri Filppula doesn't know if he'll end up signing elsewhere over the summer.
"I don't know, it's too early to say right now," said Filppula. "It's been the only team I've played with. There's nothing but positive things to say (about the organization), and it's a great place to be. We'll see what happens this summer. I haven't thought too much about it. Possibly it (leaving the Red Wings) could happen. It would be tough." How much he demands will be a factor. Earlier reports suggested he was looking for more than $5 million per season, but the cap conscious Red Wings might bulk at that price after he recorded just 17 points in 41 games this season.

Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland acknowledged that re-signing Pavel Datsyuk is "very important," but he cautioned that the negotiations might not be swift.
Although Datsyuk isn't scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2014, he wants to re-sign an extension in the near future. That would end the rumors that he will leave Detroit for the KHL once his current contract is done. "I'm going to make a call to his agent," Holland said. "I'd like to have a conversation. We know he's on the team next year. Negotiations are tough, because the player is trying to find out what's fair for him, and the team is trying to find out, competitively, what makes sense. Just because somebody says they want to stay doesn't mean you're going to have a contract done in a month." Even accounting for that, it would be surprising if Detroit and Datsyuk fail to agree to terms this summer.

Pavel Datsyuk is hoping to sign a contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings over the summer.
Datsyuk, 34, won't be an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2014, but there were already reports that he was interested in playing in the KHL after his current contract expired. Obviously signing a new deal with the Detroit Red Wings will end those kind of rumors for the time being. Datsyuk is hoping to spend several more years with Detroit and the two sides shouldn't run into any serious problems in their negotiations.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Alexei Marchenko to a three-year entry level contract.
The blueliner was the Red Wings seventh round pick in the 2011 Draft and has played in the KHL for the last four seasons. He had four goals and nine points in 44 games with CKSA Moscow in the 2012-13 season. Look for Marchenko to start off in Grand Rapids next season.

Damien Brunner is eligible for unrestricted free agency this off-season.
Look for the Red Wings to re-sign Brunner who was terrific for Detroit in his first season with the club after playing in Europe previously in his career. He was part of the Red Wings great third line in the playoffs alongside Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist after playing on the first line most of the regular season. He had five goals and nine points in 14 playoff games after scoring 12 goals and adding 14 assists in 44 regular season games. Look for Brunner to get to the 50 point mark if he remains healthy in 2013-14, with 25 goals.

Valtteri Filppula will need four-eight weeks to recover from his high-ankle sprain suffered in Game 7 Wednesday.
The Red Wings were eliminated so Filppula will be ready for the start of training camp in September. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5 and while the Red Wings would like to re-sign him, his value could skyrocket as there are not a lot of good free agents available this off-season. Filppula struggled this season with nine goals and 17 points in 41 games but did have 23 goals and 66 points in 2011-12 so he is capable of plenty of offense.

Look for Ian White to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5.
White was thought to be a vital member of the Red Wings defensive corps going into the 2013 season but was a healthy scratch the last nine games of the regular season and did not play in any of Detroit's 14 playoff games. The defenseman is only 28, so he should find employment somewhere in the NHL as he does have offensive skills that are good enough for regular employment in the league.

Dan DeKeyser (broken thumb) would have been cleared to return next Tuesday had the Red Wings advanced into Round 3 of the playoffs.
He had a plate and screws permanently inserted into his broken thumb just four weeks ago. DeKeyser appeared in two playoff games before getting injured and it was originally thought that he would miss the rest of the postseason.

Daniel Cleary suffered a second-degree separated left shoulder and a fractured left finger in Game 5 against Anaheim when he was nailed into the boards by Daniel Winnik.
While it's not uncommon for players to play hurt during the playoffs, those are pretty substantial ailments and he had them fairly early. Although it isn't that surprising considering Cleary has made a name for himself as a player who can play through plenty of pain over the course of his career. He was great in the postseason with 10 points and 25 hits in 14 games.

Niklas Kronwall played with injuries to his head and shoulder during Detroit's playoff run.
He hurt his head against Anaheim in Round 1 and sustained an injured shoulder against Chicago on a hard check from Bryan Bickell. He will use the summer to recuperate now.

Jimmy Howard sustained a pulled hamstring at the end of the Anaheim series.
However, he played through any discomfort he had and was superb for the Red Wings throughout the postseason. Howard earned seven wins while posting a .924 save percentage and a 2.44 GAA in the playoffs. He had great numbers during the regular season too, which bodes well for for his fantasy status heading into next year.

Mikael Samuelsson might need off-season shoulder surgery.
The injury bothered him throughout the playoffs. Samuelsson finished the postseason with a sore pectoral muscle and he spent most the regular season on the sidelines as well.

According to Detroit GM Ken Holland, Joakim Andersson will join the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL to help Detroit's AHL affiliate in their playoff run.
He will be available to play Friday after the Red Wings were eliminated from postseason competition on Wednesday night. In 38 games with Detroit this campaign, he posted eight points and 43 shots while serving as a bottom-six forward. During the lockout, he skated with Gustav Nyquist, who will also head down to the minors, and Tomas Tatar on Grand Rapids' top line.

Gustav Nyquist will head to the AHL to play for Grand Rapids now that the Detroit Red Wings have been eliminated from the playoffs.
According to Detroit GM Ken Holland, Nyquist will join the Griffins in Oklahoma City Thursday night and he'll be available to play Friday. Grand Rapids trails their Western Conference final series 2-1 and they would benefit from Nyquist's skill. He registered 23 goals and 60 points in 58 games at the AHL level this year.

Daniel Cleary had an assist in Detroit's 2-1 overtime loss on Wednesday.
Cleary didn't live up to expectations in the regular season, but he was great in the playoffs with four goals and 10 points in 14 contests. Cleary is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing his five-year/$14 million contract. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising if Detroit managed to retain his services.

Justin Abdelkader took a big step forward in 2013.
Abdelkader ended up getting playing time with Pavel Datsyuk. "The biggest improvement out of anybody has been Justin Abdelkader," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "He was our fourth-line center (to start the season) and suddenly he's playing with Pavel and he's a dominant, physical guy for our team." He still isn't getting a ton of points despite his top-six role, but he's worth keeping a close eye on going into the 2013-14 campaign.

Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is proud of what his team accomplished this season.
They weren't seen as a safe bet to even make the playoffs this season, but Detroit ended up taking the Presidents' Trophy winners to seven games in the second round. "I thought our guys hung in there and battled hard, just like they have all year long," Mike Babcock said. "From the start to the end, I think we're a team that just got better and better and better. Obviously they're a real talented group and I thought we played them real hard and had a lot of fun doing it. But in those dreams you have as a kid, in Game 7, you always score - the other team doesn't score." This represented something of a transitional season for Detroit following several key departures and retirements over the past few years. The Red Wings are in a good position to make the playoffs yet again in 2013-14 and perhaps even go further in the postseason.

Niklas Kronwall was dejected after he unintentionally deflected the series-winning goal in Chicago's 2-1 overtime win against Detroit on Wednesday.
"I thought everyone laid everything on the line, and to go out like that, it's tough," Kronwall said. "Right now, it's just an empty feeling. I think the puck went off my shin, to be honest with you, not sure. But I knew right away it went off me, and I turned around and saw it in the net." This was Kronwall's first season as the defensive leader of this team. With Nicklas Lidstrom gone, Kronwall averaged a career-high 24:22 minutes per game in the regular season and 25:21 minutes per contest in the playoffs. He ended up with 29 points in 48 regular season matches, but just two assists in Detroit's postseason run.

Valtteri Filppula suffered a high-ankle sprain in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
The winger who looked to be slewfooted by Andrew Shaw prior to his exit, lasted 1:28 before leaving. He'll be re-examined once the swelling goes down. The 29-year-old amassed nine goals and eight assists in 41 games during the regular season and had six points in the playoffs. He's an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Jimmy Howard kicked away 33 of 35 shots in Detroit's 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7 of its second-round series against the Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
The game-winning goal from Brent Seabrook deflected off of Niklas Kronwall's leg. It's a tough way for the Wings' existence as a Western Conference team to end, but the Wings did win 11 Stanley Cups and advance to the playoffs 61 times in their 86 seasons. While there are some questions about the roster moving forward, Howard has really come into his own over the past two seasons, showing the consistency needed to be a bonafide number-one goaltender.

Henrik Zetterberg scored for the Red Wings, but it wasn't enough as they fell 2-1 in overtime to the Blackhawks in Game 7 of their second-round series Wednesday night.
Zetterberg was the Wings' top point-producer in the playoffs, scoring four times and adding eight assists. Daniel Cleary and Gustav Nyquist had the helpers on the goal. Justin Abelkader finished with a team-high five shots on goal, two penalty minutes and a game-high nine hits. With five unrestricted free agents and rumblings that Pavel Datsyuk may jet to play in Russia, it'll be an interesting offseason for the Red Wings.

Valtteri Filppula left Game 7 with an undisclosed injury.
He was involved in a scrum with the Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw. Filppula center played 1:28 before heading to the dressing room. He has two goals and six points in the playoffs.

The Detroit Red Wings auditioned a different power play look during Wednesday's morning skate.
It featured Niklas Kronwall as the lone point man, with forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen on the sides, Justin Abdelkader in front of the net and Henrik Zetterberg roaming. "Anytime somethings' not working you got to find different ways through it," Kronwall said. "We tried a different look, we'll see if that's going to happen in the game as well. But it felt pretty good in practice, we'll see where it leads." The Wings have scored one goal on 22 chances against Chicago in the series, so a new look for Game 7 may be in the cards.

The Chicago Blackhawks want to pepper Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard with shots in Game 7.
"He's been playing great," Chicago winger Patrick Kane said. "He makes a lot of big saves for them, hasn't given up any weak ones or anything like that. He's been tough to score on, that's for sure. We've got to keep getting chances, keep getting shots. If we have to throw 50 pucks at the net tonight, that's what it's got to be ... to go our way. He's playing great." Howard has been excellent in the postseason, but he's surrendered eight goals against in his last two games versus the Hawks.

Pavel Datsyuk has played in a team-high six Game 7s.
Datsyuk has four goals and five points in those contests. He failed to record a point in Detroit's Game 7 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, but Datsyuk is definitely one of the players to keep an eye on in the final game of the Red Wings-Blackhawks series.

The Detroit Red Wings are trying to stay upbeat after losing Games 5 and 6.
"Unfortunately, we've had two chances to win it, but by no means are we counting ourselves out," Carlo Colaiacovo said. "We have guys in this room who have won Stanley Cups, so we should feel good about our chances." Colaiacovo's attempt to stop Michael Frolik's breakaway in Game 6 led to a penalty shot and the game-winning goal for the Blackhawks. Colaiacovo was "surprised" by the call and it will likely be one that sits poorly with him for a long time to come if they don't win Game 7 on Wednesday.

Jimmy Howard will be looking for another strong Game 7 performance.
Howard turned aside 31 of 33 shots when the Red Wings defeated the Ducks in seven games in the first round. "These Game 7s are fun, and you definitely see what you're made of," Howard said. "Just relax and take a deep breath. You take a step back and get ready to play." If nothing else, this playoff run has been a great learning experience for the younger Red Wings players. However, if they're going to make it to the Western Conference finals, it will likely be thanks in large part to a great showing from Howard.

Mike Babcock thinks the Detroit Red Wings' youth played a part in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
"You can't give away gifts. We had frustration on the back end, some frustration from Howie, and that's just a waste of energy and time. Make a mistake and play. It's all part of having young guys," Babcock said. The Wings gave up three goals in the third and each score featured a tactical or mental error by a young Detroit player. Rookie defenseman Brendan Smith was at the forefront of two of the goals, leaving Michal Handzus alone in front on one and not getting position on Bryan Bickell in front of the net on another.

Joakim Andersson scored his first postseason goal in Monday's 4-3 Game 6 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Andersson was just throwing the puck at the net but caught a puck on edge, which fooled Corey Crawford. Even though he hasn't scored before tonight, Andersson has been a key part of Detroit's postseason success as a member of the third line. The Blackhawks have scored eight combined goals in the last two games and will need all the offense they can get in Wednesday's Game 7.

Jimmy Howard stopped 18 of 21 shots and allowed a penalty-shot goal in Monday's Game 6 loss.
Howard allowed three goals in the third period as the Red Wings blew a 2-1 third-period lead. He's given up four goals in each of the last two games and the Hawks clearly have a beat on him right now. Despite having a chance to eliminate the Hawks twice, Detroit has now lost two straight games and has to head back to Chicago for Game 7 on Wednesday night.

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock wants his team to have fun in Game 6 despite what's on the line.
If Detroit loses this contest, they'll have to play Game 7 in Chicago. "We talk about it all the time," Babcock said. "Do you want to be tight and tentative, or do you want to be loose and driving? Which one sounds like fun to you? Let's play. There's six teams left in hockey. Play. Let's have some fun. The better you play, the longer you get to play. If you don't play good, you get to go home." Babcock added that Detroit's effort has surprised him. They certainly have surpassed a lot of people's preseason predictions, regardless of the outcome of this series.

The Red Wings took too many penalties in their 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night and must both reduce them and kill them off better in Game 6 tonight in Detroit, according to defesneman Jonathan Ericsson.
"We took too many penalties," said Ericsson, the only active Wings' player not to take a penalty in the postseason. "We know they've got a good power play. That hurt us. We had chances to get the pucks out but couldn't execute. We've got to be more on our toes. . ." The Blackhawks took advantage of the Wings' penalties to score a pair of power-play goals 2:39 apart in the second period to break a 1‑1 tie in Game 5. The Red Wings are now 2-5 when allowing a power-play goal in the playoffs, including a 0-3 mark when yielding multiple scores. Detroit has allowed 10 power-play goals in the postseason, the most of any playoff team.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall insists he's OK after being shaken up by a Bryan Bickell hit in Game 5 on Saturday.
Kronwall's message was simple: "no worries." Of course, even if he's playing hurt instead of injured, that could slow him down considerably.

The Detroit Red Wings won't make lineup changes for Game 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, Mike Babcock admits.
The Red Wings surely want to avoid a Game 7. Having home ice advantage tomorrow could be the advantage the team needs to close out a series that has gotten serious all of a sudden.

The Red Wings were completely outplayed in their 4-1 loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago Saturday night and veteran forward Daniel Cleary thinks his team will require a more disciplined approach to prevent the Hawks from coming back and taking this Western playoff series.
The Wings were ahead 3-1 in the best-of-seven set and, after Saturday, remain ahead 3-2. "We gift-wrapped a couple goals," said Daniel Cleary, who scored the Wings' lone goal. "We gotta be more disciplined. Look, they played better than us, played harder, played more determined. It's hard to match that when their backs are against the wall. We have to be ready to go Monday night as if our backs are against the wall, which I like to think they are. As a young team, we just have to tell them to play loose, not tentative or scared," Cleary said. "You can't be afraid of success. You gotta go out and take it. The Blackhawks flat-out just wanted to win more than us, and we have to have the same mentality."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was not reluctant to knock his team after a 4-1 playoff loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago Saturday night.
It was all Blackhawks in this game and the Wings' lead in the series was cut to 3-2. "I thought we were tentative at the start, and I don't know if it was the situation or whatever," Babcock said. "You have an opportunity to close out, you should be comfortable. We're ahead, let's get out and play. I didn't think we were on our toes at all. We were on our heels for most of it."

The Chicago Blackhawks thoroughly outplayed the visiting Red Wings in Game 5 of their playoff series Saturday night, peppering 45 shots at Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard in a 4-1 victory.
"We're foolish to think that they were just going to give us that game," Wings defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo said. "They're a really good team. They deserved it more than we did."

Jimmy Howard stopped 41 of 45 in Detroit's 4-1 defeat on Saturday.
Howard allowed at least one goal in each period of Game 5. He allowed just two goals in his previous three starts. Howard has a 2.36 GAA and .927 save percentage in 12 playoff contests. Detroit missed their first opportunity to eliminate the Blackhawks, but they'll head back to the Joe Louis Arena for Game 6 on Monday. Detroit is 4-1 at home in the 2013 playoffs.

Daniel Cleary scored a goal in Detroit's 4-1 loss Saturday night.
Henrik Zetterberg assisted on Detroit's lone goal. Valtteri Filppula had a team-worst minus-two rating, dropping him to minus-three in the playoffs. Damien Brunner and Zetterberg tied for a team-high four shots on goal. Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson each recorded three blocked shots for the Red Wings. Justin Abdelkader was credited with five hits, giving him 47 in the postseason.

Kyle Quincey doesn't anticipate the Detroit Red Wings making significant defensive adjustments to counteract Chicago uniting Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Patrick Sharp on its top line.
"If we do anything different, [Marian] Hossa and the other guys will just burn us," Quincey said. "It's status quo for us. Obviously, they're all great players and we have to respect them and keep their time and space to a minimum." The Blackhawks have scored just two goals in their last three games, so they're hoping that stacking their first line will spark their offense. Chicago's a very deep team though, so as Quincey noted, Detroit can't focus its attention extensively on one line.

Neither the Detroit Red Wings nor Pavel Datsyuk's agent gave any credence or substance to a Russian report Friday saying the star forward had agreed to a three-year contract to play in Russia beginning in 2014-15.
Datsyuk, 34, will become an unrestricted free agent after next season. "All B.S. rumors," said Datsyuk's agent, Gary Greenstin , of the story in Sovetsky Sport. "Nothing is true." Greenstin said he will meet with Red Wings general manager Ken Holland after the season to discuss the future. Datsyuk enjoyed his time in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League during the NHL lockout this season, and he has said he would like to finish his career in Russia. But Datsyuk added recently that the competition level in the KHL isn't nearly the same as it is in the NHL.

Still without a goal in the postseason, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said he has been able to create scoring chances despite the strong defensive effort against him by Detroit Red Wings veteran Henrik Zetterberg.
"I'm not as worried about him as maybe you guys think I should be," Toews told the media. "He's a good player. I'm obviously trying to limit his scoring chances when he gets the puck, but I'm still getting chances. He's doing a great job of playing smart, defensive hockey, but it doesn't mean I'm not getting chances and not getting to the net. Those chances are coming, and at some point they have to go in."

The Red Wings have killed off nine straight Blackhawks' power plays heading into tonight's Game 5 at the United Center and helping to give Detroit a 3-1 series lead over the No. 1 seeded Chicago team.
The Blackhawks haven't converted on a man advantage since winning the opening game of the second-round series. "I think we've been able to do some good things, disrupt them up ice and make it hard for them," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We know that they're so talented, all they need is once chance and the puck's in. We've been able to do a good job there, I think." The hot streak on penalty kills coincided with the return of left winger Drew Miller (broken thumb). He entered the series for Game 2, giving the Wings three options on the fourth line to use as penalty killers, in Miller, Patrick Eaves and Cory Emmerton. As Kronwall put it, "Millsie getting back in the lineup's been huge for us."

Jimmy Howard has not a future Hall of Famer -- not yet, anyway -- but the Detroit Red Wings' 29-year-old netminder has been solid all season and in the playoffs, and his performance haven't gone unrecognized by his teammates.
Howard has allowed only two goal in his past three games against the Chicago Blackhawks, who were favored to win this second-round playoff series but are down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series and would be eliminated with a loss to Howard and mates tonight. There's talk that Howard is a strong candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the outstanding performer in the NHL's post-season. "I don't know if you can ask much more from Howie than what he's done for us since he's got here," veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall said of Howard, who has stopped 86 of 88 shots the last three games. "If you're not appreciating what he's doing right now, I don't know if you're a true fan, to be honest with you. That's how good he's been. He's been the backbone of our team."

Detroit has killed 11 of Chicago's 12 power-play opportunities in the second round.
Chicago was 0-for-3 with the man advantage in Detroit's 2-0 victory on Thursday. "It's gotten better and better and tonight it was huge for us," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. Getting Drew Miller back from a broken thumb has certainly helped. Detroit has done a superb job of silencing Chicago's offense in general and consequently have a 3-1 series lead.

Jimmy Howard has allowed just two goals in his last three games.
Howard stepped up when Detroit needed him the most at the end of the regular season and now he's rising to the occasion against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Chicago Blackhawks. Detroit has claimed a 3-1 series lead on Chicago in the second round. For a team that entered the season amid low expectations, being on the brink of the Western Conference finals is remarkable and Howard deserves a lot of credit for their accomplishments.

Henrik Zetterberg is getting a lot of credit for silencing Jonathan Toews.
Toews has no goals and one assists in four playoff games against Detroit. "Z's doing a great job on Toews," said goaltender Jimmy Howard. "He's all over him out there. . And when Z's working as hard as he is, it really sends a message to the rest of the team that they better do their part." Zetterberg hasn't done much offensively in the second round, but as long as Howard stays sharp and Zetterberg continues to contribute in other ways, good things should continue to happen for Detroit.

Jakub Kindl scored his first goal of the postseason Thursday as Detroit upended the Blackhawks by a score of 2-0 to take a 3-1 lead in their second round playoff series.
Kindl's goal midway through the second period was assisted by Carlo Colaiacovo and Johan Franzen and held up as the only tally of the contest until Dan Cleary's empty-net marker in the game's final minute iced the victory for Detroit.

Jimmy Howard stopped all 28 shots he faced in the Red Wings' 2-0 win over Chicago Thursday night.
Howard was excellent in this game and thanks to his strong play, the Wings now hold a 3-1 advantage in their second round playoff series. The series shifts back to Chicago for Game Five Saturday.

The Detroit Red Wings have won more faceoffs than the Chicago Blackhawks in every game of their second-round series.
That's certainly been a boost for Detroit and played a role in them taking a 2-1 series lead. "It's definitely a factor," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville admitted. "We've got to get better in that area. It's definitely an area that is a point of emphasis moving forward. All (zones are) critical, special teams, PK (penalty kill), offensive . We've given up a couple of goals the last two games (because of lost faceoffs)." Overall, the Red Wings have a 52.6% success rate on the draw in the playoffs, but they've won 54.6% of their faceoffs in the second round.

Jimmy Howard argued that people underestimating the Detroit Red Wings is nothing new.
"A lot of people have counted us out for many years, saying our leadership is getting too old," Howard said. "And those guys just go out and prove the naysayers wrong. A lot of people picked the 'Hawks to sweep us, and we're playing great hockey against them now. We just gotta keep it up." The Detroit Red Wings didn't make it past the second round in each of their previous three playoff runs, so they didn't exactly defy expectations. At the same time, the Red Wings were seen as a team in transition in 2013 and were expected to regress. They just barely made the playoffs, but the fact that they might even go further than any Detroit team since 2009 is impressive.

Dan DeKeyser said he expected to have his hard cast removed from his broken thumb after practice Wednesday and he hopes to return at some point if the Red Wings can advance deep into the postseason.
"As long as they keep winning here, that just gives me a better chance for a return with every win," DeKeyser said. "I'm just hoping that the guys in here can keep winning and keep improving along the way. Hopefully, I'll get a chance in a playoff game again." He might be available to return around mid-June if his six-week recovery projection holds true.

Darren Helm hasn't skated in two and a half weeks, but he's hoping that staying off the ice will help his ailing back finally get better.
"I feel pretty good and feel that I can go out onto the ice and get going," Helm said Wednesday. "But, we've proven three or four times already that that doesn't work. Just (taking) a different approach and hopefully this one works." He won't be back during Detroit's second-round series, but if the team advances further into the playoffs then he is hoping to be available. He isn't expected to need surgery despite all the setbacks he has suffered.

Mattias Backman has agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
He produced two goals and 24 assists in 52 games for Linkoping of the Swedish Elite League this past campaign. Backman is expected to spend another season in Sweden and former assistant GM Jim Nill said that he is probably two-to-three years away from playing at the NHL level if he continues to develop at his current pace. Backman was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.

Jonathan Ericsson stressed the value of getting under the Blackhawks' skin.
"If we can get them frustrated, that's almost 1-0 for us right away," Ericsson said. "So that's what we want to do." The Blackhawks are denying that the Red Wings have succeeded in frustrating them, but they have suffered back-to-back rough losses against Detroit. They'll enter Game 4 on Thursday with the goal of evening this series, but if the Red Wings get off to a strong sstart, it could be a big blow to Chicago's confidence.

Jakub Kindl is finally getting a chance to be a regular defenseman and has three assists and a plus-3 rating in 10 postseason games.
Kindl settled into his role midway through the regular season after spending the past two years as an extra defenseman. With Brad Stuart and Nicklas Lidstrom no longer in Detroit, the Red Wings needed the former first-round pick to step up. Kindl has been huge for us," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "He's found confidence." Kindl credits the new confidence to the lockout, when he played major minutes for a team in the Czech Republic. "Once the season started, I came here and was I ready," Kindl say.

The Detroit Red Wings had a familiar refrain after Monday's Game 3 win, telling reporters "we haven't done anything yet."
It's the sound of a team with veteran leadership and a weathered coach who's seen far too much to think anything is assured beyond Detroit's 2-1 series lead. Still, it's impressive that a Red Wings team that had to win out the last week of the season just to make the playoffs has put the rival Blackhawks on their heels for probably the first time all year. "Let's be honest, we haven't done anything yet," coach Mike Babcock said. "As the year has gone one we've gotten better. You have to play good enough and long enough to get some confidence."

Drew Miller's goal 8:20 into the second period turned out to be the game winner in Monday's 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Miller's goal wasn't nearly as pretty as some of the others scored Monday night, but that doesn't make it any less important. The gritty winger charged the net and swatted home the rebound of a Patrick Eaves shot only 30 seconds after Gustav Nyquist made it 1-0 for Detroit. Miller also logged a shift of 3:15 early in the second period, most of which was spent in the defensive zone and started with the tail end of a Blackhawks power play.

Pavel Datsyuk threaded a goal just under the crossbar at 6:46 of the third period in Monday's 3-1 Game 3 win.
Datsyuk's goal came just over 2 minutes after the Blackhawks had cut Detroit's lead to 2-1 and not long after the referees negated a Chicago's game-tying goal with an interference call. The goal itself was vintage Datsyuk and eerily similar to one he scored against Anaheim in the first round, with Datsyuk streaking into the zone and roofing the puck shortside just over Corey Crawford's shoulder. Datsyuk shot the puck so perfectly it rang in and out of the net fast enough for the TV announcers to think he hit the crossbar.

Jimmy Howard stopped 39 of 40 shots in Monday's 3-1 win to help the Detroit Red Wings take a 2-1 series lead over the Chicago Blackhawks.
After facing just 20 shots in Game 2, Howard was under constant threat Monday night. He also got the benefit of the crossbar stopping Viktor Stalberg and an interference call negating what would've been the game-tying goal in the third period. Still, it's hard to deny that Howard was one of the better Red Wings on the ice and one of the main reasons Detroit has a real change to upend the favored Blackhawks.

The Red Wings aren't expected to make any changes to their lineup entering Game 3 Monday night.
That means that Todd Bertuzzi and Mikael Samuelsson will probably remain as healthy scratches. The two teams have each won one game with the semifinal series shifting to Detroit. "Now it's a best-of-five," coach Mike Babcock said. "Not much to pick between the two teams the first two games. They were better than us in Game 1. We were better than them in Game 2. Series starts all over here today, and I imagine you'll have to up the ante to win here today. We're excited to play at home, as usual. We have good fan support."

Mikael Samuelsson is still day-to-day with a sore pectoral muscle.
Samuelsson originally sustained the injury on March 31 and returned to play in the first round against the Ducks, playing in the final five games of the series. He had a goal and an assist against Anaheim but has yet to play in round 2. Consider him questionable for Monday's contest.

Mike Babcock is having a great time coaching the Detroit Red Wings in the 2013 playoffs.
"It's fun, it's the most fun I've had coaching in a couple of years, by far," Babcock said. "Just because we've got an enthusiastic group. Not that we didn't before, but we've got a really enthusiastic group. We've got good leadership. At the start of the year, we weren't a good team, but we understand that. We buckled down and we got better. The coaching staff is fun, the players are fun, it's been a fun year for us." The Red Wings hope the fun continues tonight as they meet the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals.

Mike Babcock is a lot happier these days as he has three good offensive lines.
The third line of Joakim Andersson, Damien Brunner and Gustav Nyquist has been outstanding for the Detroit coach as he put the trio together late in the regular season when the Red Wings promoted Nyquist and Andersson from the minors and dropped Brunner from the top line. "The Andersson line has been a key for us because we got worked in the three line the first two or three months (of the regular season)," Babcock said. "We couldn't handle it."

Damien Brunner is excelling on the third line with fellow rookies Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist.
Brunner has four goals and seven points in nine playoff games to lead all first year players. Brunner is not actually considered a rookie because of his age but it is his first season in the NHL after a very good career in Europe. He played a lot of the regular season with Henrik Zetterberg but his play in the playoffs has been excellent as a third line player. "I really don't think (Brunner) has a clue what's going on," Jimmy Howard said with a chuckle. "I don't think he understands the realm of things and what can possibly happen as the playoffs unfold. He's in a good mood every single game. We got a lot of guys with a lot of energy, and you can just see the excitement on their faces."

Niklas Kronwall picked up his second point of the playoffs Saturday.
After a 29 point performance in 48 regular season games, Kronwall has struggled in the playoffs offensively as he has only two assists in nine games. He assisted on Johan Franzen's third period goal, along with Jonathan Ericsson. Kronwall needs to pick it up offensively for the Red Wings if Detroit has any hope in moving on to the Western Conference final.

Daniel Cleary had one assist on Saturday.
Cleary is having a good offensive playoff with two goals and four assists in nine games. Kudos if you picked him late in your playoff pool.

Coach Mike Babcock was very pleased to have Drew Miller back in the lineup.
Miller was out of the Detroit lineup since April 20 with a hand injury before returning Saturday. "I've got three penalty killers now on the fourth line," Babcock said. "Millsie knows how to play in all positions and he can really skate and get on the forecheck. He's not a big man but he's got a great stick and knows how to play, and so he makes us a much better team." Miller's return to the lineup bumped Todd Bertuzzi to the press box.

Henrik Zetterberg had two assists in the Red Wings 4-1 win Saturday.
The captain of the Red Wings moved into a tie for fourth place in NHL scoring as he now has 10 points in the playoffs, including three goals. He played 19:38 minutes Saturday and was the second star of the game.

Johan Franzen scored his fourth goal of the playoffs Saturday.
Franzen broke out of scoring slump with his third period goal as he had gone the previous six games without a goal and the last three games without a point. The Red Wings are looking for the talented Franzen to be a difference maker in their series against the Blackhawks and Saturday's game could be the starting point.