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Wings get healthy, open playoffs
against Flames
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / AMERICAJR.com
From
left to right: Christopher Illitch (President and CEO of Illitch
Holdings, Inc.), Mike Babcock (Detroit Red Wings Head Coach), Ken
Holland (Detroit Red Wings GM) and announcer / former Red Wing Mickey
Redmond at the Detroit Economic Club last month.
The Red
Wings are set to try to make another deep postseason run and win
an eleventh Stanley Cup as they open the first round of the Western
Conference playoffs Thursday against the Calgary Flames.
Detroit
has dealt with health issues late in the season but seems to be
in good shape heading into playoff time.
Wings’
center Henrik Zetterberg, who has been out with an inflamed disk
since late February, was back in practice this week and is expected
to return to his line with Pavel Datsyuk against the Flames.
Zetterberg’s
return should provide an immediate offensive impact for Detroit.
He led the team in regular season scoring with 33 goals and had
35 assists.
Datsyuk
is the only Red Wing that had more points this season than Zetterberg,
with 87.
Goaltender
Dominik Hasek sat out the last two games of the season with a leg
injury, but it is reported that he is 100 percent healthy and will
start game one.
New comer
Todd Bertuzzi has been out of practice this week with a neck injury,
but Detroit coach Mike Babcock said Bertuzzi is expected to be on
the ice for the Wings in game two of the series at the latest.
A healthy
roster should put the Red Wings in position to take the opening
series against Calgary – a team that stumbled late in the
season into the playoffs barely securing the final eight seed.
Detroit
finished the regular season tied with the Buffalo Sabres for an
NHL high 113 points. The Wings are the top seed in the Western Conference
and will have home ice advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
The series
with Calgary begins Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena with another
home game Sunday afternoon. The Wings then head to Calgary next
week for games three and four on Tuesday and Thursday.
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