So it's after 2:30 PM out here on the East Side and we haven't heard one bit of news in regards to the Detroit Red Wings from the Free Press, the Detroit News, or even our friend Khan(!) from mLive. 

This is absolutely pathetic.

There isn't anything you can tell me about what's going on out there in or near Anaheim, CA?  Honestly, I wouldn't care if you only had what the players ate for breakfast.  When you're a beat writer or claim to be a Red Wings "insider", wouldn't you think that just because it's not even noon where you're working, that people might still want to know what is going on?

That is what you get paid for isn't it?  Yes, we beat the Sharks last night.  Yes, Kronwall tweaked something on Cleary's goal.  Yes, we're playing another game in less than 8 hours.  I'm sick of seeing the same links to the same stories all day.  The links have gone blue to purple and they've been that way all damn day.  Do your jobs or give them to someone who will do it better than you.  We deserve better than what we have.

I'm sorry if this is coming off as petulant b!tchfest, but I try to be patient with these people, especially on road trips to the West Coast, but enough is enough.

Am I out of line here?

That's right...I've discovered the secret to the recent success in the Ducks' organ-i-zation.  Once mired at the very bottom of the the Western Conference Standings, Anaheim now finds itself only five points out of a play-off spot.  And they owe it all to the pre-game "pep talk" they receive from the boss before every home game...

You want access?  I got you right into the locker room...

From the Detroit News this morning...

"He got slew-footed early in the game.  He left the game (in the third period) and that's not a good sign. He won't play (tonight against Anaheim)."--Mike Babcock

So it's looking like the Big Rig will be suiting up again.  It would have been hard to take Meech out anyway, based on the fact that he scored the game-winning-goal last night. 

But the main reason (we think) that Ericsson was a scratch last night was due to his turnovers in the defensive zone.  Kronwall is extremely careful with the critical first pass, so we're essentially taking out a player who's good at it, and replacing him with someone who's good at screwing it up.

We'll need all of the 6'5 defender tonight, as the Ducks always play a rough and tumble game.  Though their average team size did decrease a little when they brought Jason Blake into the fold from Toronto.

After a bad start, the Wings gave us back that filet-o-fish.  Jimmy gave up two softies (he needs to work on that rebound control) before finally settling in.  Even Big Joe T steam-rolling him at the end wasn't going to stop him from showing up his Russian adversary...still tied in save percentage?  Not anymore.

And who the hell decided to put Meech back on the 2nd PP unit?  Because they deserve a pat on the back.  I know we've been hating on the guy and it was a garbage goal...but that's why we pay the coaching staff the big bucks, so they can play hunches like that.

The Flying Circus was a force on the PP.  Welcome back Holmstrom.

Sign Eaves to a 5-year extension.  We'll make Draper stay in shape all five of those years to keep the Little Red Corvette line together.  What a pass by Rafalski.

That was a huge win.  Because we weren't getting any help around the league.  Nashville and Phoenix had a 3 point game (of course), the Rangers floundered against LA, Dallas took out Pinky's team, and Colorado beat up on the Blue Jackets.

So yeah...we needed those two points.  Guess what?  We got them.  If the play-offs started today, that's your first round matchup.  Think San Jose would like that?  I didn't think so either.

Surprising news from Khan(!)...and no the the surprise isn't that he finally posted some news.

Here are tonight's lines/pairings (probably):

Holmstrom-Zetterberg-Datsyuk
Cleary-Filppula-Bertuzzi
Draper-Helm-Eaves
Maltby-Miller-Williams

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Lebda-Meech

Howard (starting)
Osgood

Notice someone 6'5 out of the lineup?  Yeah, the Big Rig is a healthy scratch.  Apparently it wasn't just me noticing that he's been a turnover-that-always-seem-to-turn-into-goals-for-the-opposition machine this year.  We all thought that he'd be an All-Star by this time next season, but instead, the big Swede has taken a giant step back.

Ugh, and you thought we were done with having Lebda and Meech in the same lineup, didn't you?

Okay, well since Chris, Helene, and yes, even Ansar aren't giving us any new news today, I leave you with this image...

Let's go fishing tonight, boys.  Twig, Eats, here's where you put your game notes unless I post otherwise later tonight.  Don't let me down.

From John Keating's entry on foxsportsdetroit.com...

Everybody knows hockey is a business in the same way we know that Charlie Sheen is not exactly happy-ending marriage material. But like the next Mrs. Charlie Sheen, we still hold out hope that somehow things will change.

It's not happening.

Oh John, even on the Internet, you can't help with the bad puns, can you?  Pop-culture humor aside, the media in Detroit all seem to be pointing to three guys that are probably on their way out once Franzen and now maybe even Lilja make their return.

Someone has to go.  We can only have a 23 man roster and with #93 and #3 returning (maybe), we'll have to trim about two million of Gary's Salary Cap space.  Three guys are probably not feeling to comfortable with their job situation.  Here's what Keating had to say about them...

Bubble Boy #1: Ville Leino ($800,000)

Leino had all this upside after having been signed as a somewhat coveted free agent and began to show flashes of great skill last year in the playoff push. This year has been a head-scratcher. He just hasn't been able to find any degree of consistency in winning battles and scoring goals that would make him an absolute keeper. He'll be moved, and the Wings realize there's a good chance that he'll flourish somewhere else. But it just wasn't happening here.

Well, for $800,000 against Gary's Cap, I think the only reason we'd hang on to him is the fear of him going somewhere else and lighting it up...hello, Eastern Conference?  I wish we had more time to let the kid grow into the system, but it just doesn't look like we can.

Bubble Boy #2: Brad May ($482,000)

May has been a great fit on the Wings, a consummate teammate whose role has been very clear and embraced. But his tough-guy presence is a luxury that a team on a Tupperware-tight budget just can't afford.

Also, his fights have really been no-value-added.  He'll have a good shift every once in a while, but most of the time he doesn't do anything but fill holes.  I'd hate to see our one, true enforcer go, but again, we may not have much of a choice.

Bubble Boy: #3 (483,000)

Meech was the "winner" when the Red Wings last had a roster decision this painful. They moved Kyle Quincey, who flourished in Los Angeles almost immediately. Meech, meanwhile, has shown only flashes of flourish but will likely be the odd man out, if they need his cap room.

We let Quincey walk and kept Meech.  Ouch.  For all the reasons for letting Meech go or moving him if we can get ANYTHING for him, simply read Chris's last few posts...remember Chris?

It's still quarter to 9 out in sunny So Cal, thus not expecting much out of the diggers until after the usual lunch-time period.  So I thought I would do yet another pre-emptive strike against Lauren H's complaints about how nobody ever tells her what's going on with the injuries...

And technically, there should be an update coming on the subject on Andreas Lilja...

Via detroitredwings.com:

The Red Wings have assigned defenseman Andreas Lilja to the Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning.

Lilja will participate in the Griffins’ practice Tuesday at Van Andel Arena and make his Grand Rapids debut on Wednesday, when the Griffins visit the Rockford IceHogs at 8:05 p.m. EST. He is also expected to play in the Griffins’ two home games this weekend: Friday against Toronto and Saturday against Houston. 

Good for you, Andreas...so long as the next blow to the head doesn't kill you.  It's almost been a year for the big defenseman.  He was a big reason that Anaheim ousted us in 2007 and had become somewhat of a heel amongst the fans.  Last year, he was winning back our hearts with strong defensive play (especially on the PK) and took more of the enforcer role.  Until Shea Weber bruised his brain, that is.

Good luck, #3.

Big Bert turns 35 today.

"Every year you have lulls, you have stretches where emotionally you just aren't there.  But we have to understand, we can't afford a lull. We have six games left before the Olympic break, and they are huge for us. We need points."--Mike Babcock

That's what he told the Detroit News after a hard-skating practice right now.  Apparently, now that most of the physical woes are starting to subside, it's the mental side of things that need to heal for the Wings.

The bench boss went on...

"We have to skate better.  That's not a physical thing, that's a mental thing. Our engagement and our execution have to be better if we are going to play at a high level.  It's great that all this skill is back, don't get me wrong.  But we've got to get them skating. It's great to come back but you've got to play at an NHL pace. That takes time and the way this schedule is, the inability to practice doesn't help them.  We're not only giving up a lot of shots, but we have no rhythm to our game.  By that I mean, when you are turning the puck over, you never get skating and you look slow. It's execution. When all of a sudden we don't know how to pass a puck or be in the right spots -- that's mental."

So they skated yesterday.  They'll take a nice long break once the Olympics start...some of them anyway.  A good, crisp, practice does wonders for those who are trying to get back into the rhythm.  Don't get me wrong, Babcock didn't bag-skate them for an hour plus.  Short, hard working practices could be just what the doctor ordered.  Especially for trips all the way across the country.  Trips that guys like Rosby and Ryan Miller make but about once a year.

Holmstrom returns tonight.  And as such, we're getting ready to start icing two legitimate scoring threats out there on the PP...which is nice.

On the menu tonight: sushi.