Detroit makes another splash, inks Richards to one-year, $3M deal

By Mike HalfordJul 1, 2015, 5:34 PM EDT
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Shortly after landing one of the biggest UFA prizes in Mike Green, the Red Wings made another big move by signing Brad Richards to a one-year deal worth $3 million.

For Richards, 35, it’s his second straight one-year pact. Last year he inked with Chicago and enjoyed a good bounce-back campaign after getting bought out by the Rangers.

Richards’ regular season was solid — 12 goals and 37 points in 76 games — and he stepped up in the playoffs, emerging as a solid contributor in Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup run by scoring 14 points in 23 games, averaging close to 17 minutes a night.

In Detroit, he’ll look to fill the second-line center void that Stephen Weiss was never able to fill.

The Red Wings bought out the former Panthers pivot yesterday, putting Richards in a group of centers that includes youngsters Riley Sheahan and Luke Glendening. Should Richards emerge as Detroit’s 2C, it’ll allow new head coach Jeff Blashill to keep Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg together on the club’s top line.

As for the team Richards left, there was some thought Chicago would have interest in retaining his services. But that possibility was ruled out yesterday when the team acquired center Artem Anisimov in the Brandon Saad trade, then inked Anisimov to a long-term extension.

Related: As Weiss struggles, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are split up

Wings confirm ‘extremely important’ Glendening (hand) will play Game 5

By Mike HalfordApr 24, 2015, 5:28 PM EDT
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After getting knocked out of Game 4 with a hand laceration — a moment cited as a significant turning point — Detroit forward Luke Glendening will be back in the lineup for Game 5 in Tampa Bay on Saturday, the Red Wings confirmed.

Glendening, 25, has been an instrumental figure this series, scoring two goals in four games while averaging nearly 16 minutes per night. How important has he been? Well, several people said his departure on Thursday — he left with the Wings leading 2-0 — essentially turned the game on its head.

Just ask Wings head coach Mike Babcock (courtesy the Free Press):

Glendening went out of the game and everything unraveled. All three of Tampa Bay’s goals were scored by Tyler Johnson’s line, which Glendening’s line had shut out in Joe Louis Arena until that point.

“Obviously, it was the big play in the game,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said of losing Glendening. “I really felt we should be going on the power play there, but I can’t control those things. Obviously, getting his hand cut and missing the rest of the game, matchupwise, Johnson’s line got the next three goals.”

And if that doesn’t do it for you, ask Tampa Bay bench boss Jon Cooper:

Glendening has played fantastic in this series, which came as no surprise to Cooper.

“I’ve watched him in the minors,” Cooper said. “I’ve watched him play when they unfortunately beat us in the Calder Cup and he’s – I don’t know how to describe him. He’s an extremely responsible player, and there’s not a lot of guys out there like the Glendenings. He’s done a heck of a job on our guys.”

Cooper wasn’t done with his praise there, either.

“They lost a player that plays an extremely important role for them,” he explained. “You look back now and we came back to win the game, so it was potentially a huge factor.

“He’s a good player for them, so there’s no question that it had an effect.”

Blashill: No conversations about inheriting Detroit gig from Babcock

By Mike HalfordApr 21, 2015, 3:55 PM EDT
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Jeff Blashill, head coach of Detroit’s AHL affiliate and rumored to be Mike Babcock’s heir apparent, said he’s had zero talks with GM Ken Holland about going behind the Wings’ bench.

“We have not had one conversation about it since Ken and I sat down last spring to talk about doing a new contract and me being the head coach of the Griffins,” Blashill said, per MLive. “That’s the only conversation we’ve had.”

Babcock, in the final year of his contract with Detroit, is believed to be highly sought-after by a number of clubs. Toronto, Philadelphia, Buffalo and San Jose all currently have coaching vacancies.

Detroit inked Blashill to a three-year extension last June, which many saw as a precursor to him eventually taking the head gig at the NHL level. Blashill, 41, has been with Detroit since the 2011-12 season, first spending a year behind the Red Wings bench as Babcock’s assistant before taking the head coaching gig with the Griffins.

In Grand Rapids, he’s enjoyed tremendous success. The Griffins won the Calder Cup two years ago and advanced to the Western Conference semis last year; this season, they’ll open the playoffs as the West’s No. 2 seed.

Blashill is thought of very highly within the Detroit organization. He’s overseen the development and promotion of Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Riley Sheahan, Tomas Jurco, Joakim Andersson, Luke Glendening and Brendan Smith and, shortly prior to signing Blashill to the aforementioned extension, Holland called him “an NHL coach in the making.”

But it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to make the leap just yet.

“As in the past, I honestly don’t even think about it,” Blashill explained. “I have never been in a job and thought about what’s next. I’ve always thought about right now, and that’s a series with Toronto [Marlies, Grand Rapids’ Round 1 opponent], and that’s my sole focus.

“I signed a contract last year because I really enjoy my job and I really enjoy working for the Red Wings.”

While Mrazek shone, Bishop had a tough night

By Jason BroughApr 17, 2015, 1:47 PM EDT
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Funny how we went into the Tampa Bay-Detroit series with all eyes on the Red Wings’ goaltending situation. After Petr Mrazek starred in Game 1, those eyes have suddenly turned their focus to the man in the Lightning net.

Suffice to say, Thursday was not a banner night for Ben Bishop. The 28-year-old — the same one who’s been called the Lightning’s “rock” — stopped just 11 of 14 shots in his NHL playoff debut, as the Bolts fell by a score of 3-2 despite outshooting the Wings 46-14.

“The first one, I didn’t see,” explained Bishop, per the Tampa Tribune. “The second one, I didn’t see. The third one, I take a step out to cut down the angle, and he cuts back to the middle and I’m trying to get back in the net.”

It was that third one, by Detroit’s Luke Glendening, that Bishop probably wanted back the most…

But hey, it was only one game.

“I thought the guys did a great job,” said Bishop. “Their goalie played well. We just didn’t get the bounces tonight. … If we play like that, we’ll win more games than we’ll lose.”

Datsyuk, Mrazek powers Red Wings past Lightning in Game 1

By Ryan DadounApr 16, 2015, 10:28 PM EDT
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There wasn’t a ton of outside optimism regarding Detroit’s chances going into the first round series. We are talking about a team that asked a 23-year-old goaltender with no playoff experience to face the best offensive team in the league. Playing netminder Petr Mrazek tonight was a reflection of starting goaltender Jimmy Howard’s recent fall from grace more than anything else, but it worked out as Detroit earned a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 1.

Mrazek, who had a career .891 save percentage against Tampa Bay in three contests going into this game, managed to save 44 of 46 shots for the Red Wings. Tampa Bay dominated from a shots perspective from start to finish and were particularly aggressive in the third, firing 19 shots. Without Mrazek’s strong performance, Detroit would not have won tonight.

He didn’t capture this one alone though. Pavel Datsyuk, who was by contrast playing in his 146th career postseason contest, made up for Detroit’s lack of shots on goal by beating Lightning netminder Ben Bishop twice. His second marker was scored just eight seconds into the second frame to give Detroit a 2-1 lead:

However it was ultimately 25-year-old Luke Glendening’s shorthanded spin-o-rama that resulted in the winner tonight:

Tampa Bay has now conceded the home ice advantage in this series to the Red Wings. That puts the pressure on the Lightning to respond on Saturday before this series returns to Detroit.