Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of Nov. 4)
Welcome to another season of MiHockey’s Michi-gamer!
We take great pride in our homegrown talent. Whether they grew up in the Mitten or we welcomed them here for college or juniors, they are our own. They represent the best place in the world for hockey.
Every day, we’ll keep an eye on those players, and every morning, we will pick one Michi-gamer of the night – one Michigan player who stood out above the rest.
NOVEMBER 7 – CAM FOWLER
With one slap shot, Cam Fowler cemented a win for his Anaheim Ducks. Fowler, a native of Farmington Hills, blasted a shot past Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith at the 10:08 mark of the third period last night, giving his team a 4-2 lead. It was the Honeybaked and NTDP alum’s first goal of the season, and it was a big one for the Ducks, as they cruised to a 5-2 win. Fowler, who played one season with the Windsor Spitfires before making the jump to the NHL, now has seven points in 17 games, with an even plus/minus. In 212 NHL games, he has 17 goals and 70 goals for 87 points.
More MiHockey articles on Fowler:
U.S. Olympic camp: Players, management talk about hockey in Michigan
Team USA Olympic camp roster announced
NOVEMBER 6 – RYAN MILLER
Normally, if a goalie lets in four goals, he’s not going to be up for Michi-gamer status the next morning. However, when you stop 47 other shots, we look at the bigger picture. Last night, Ryan Miller turned aside 47 of the 51 shots he faced against the San Jose Sharks, and he stopped three of the four shooters he had to face in the shootout to lead his Buffalo Sabres to a rare win. It was Miller’s second win of the season, but he’s certainly not the one to blame for the lack of ink in the win column. The East Lansing native holds the top spot in the entire NHL for shots against and saves, and he’s third in the league in goals-against (37). When he’s getting bombarded with shots every time he tends to the pipes, a .919 save percentage and 3.09 goals-against are numbers that should keep him in contention to be on Team USA’s roster at the Olympics.
More MiHockey articles on Miller:
Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of Oct. 28)
Photos: Red Wings open 2013-14 season with win over Sabres
Ryan Miller talks about Sochi, playing against little brother Drew and the Wings
Kip and Ryan Miller return to East Lansing for MSU hall of fame induction ceremony
U.S. Olympic camp: Players, management talk about hockey in Michigan
NOVEMBER 5 – DANNY DEKEYSER
The Red Wings couldn’t pull out a win in Winnipeg, but it wasn’t because of a lack of effort from Danny DeKeyser. The Clay Township native scored his first NHL goal in the contest, and it was one any defenseman would be proud of. Right off a face-off during a shorthanded situation for Detroit, DeKeyser sent a rocket of a one-timer past former Wolverines goaltender Al Montoya to give the Wings a 2-1 lead. It was the first NHL goal and first NHL shorthanded point for DeKeyser, who was playing in his 27th NHL game yesterday. The undrafted defenseman, who made a name for himself while patrolling the blue line for the Western Michigan Broncos, now has six points in his pro career, and he’s a +9. Not bad for the 23-year-old, who still isn’t a year removed from college hockey. See DeKeyser’s goal right here:
More MiHockey articles on DeKeyser:
DeKeyser’s first NHL goal not enough; Red Wings fall to Jets in Winnipeg
U.S. Olympic camp: Players, management talk about hockey in Michigan
Our top 10 moments from the Red Wings’ 2013 season
Danny DeKeyser still has to clean out his apartment at Western
NOVEMBER 4 – JEFF ZATKOFF
It was a big weekend for many Michigan natives and connections, but it would be hard to top Jeff Zatkoff’s Saturday night. Zatkoff, a Chesterfield native, recorded his first win as an NHL goaltender during the weekend, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old netminder – who played college hockey for the Miami RedHawks – stopped all 19 shots he faced, crossing ‘first NHL shutout’ off his hockey bucket list the same night he crossed off ‘first NHL win’. It was a night of redemption for Zatkoff, who had made two NHL appearances before Saturday night, with drastically different outcomes. After allowing six and four goals in his previous two starts for the Penguins, he proved that another chance between the pipes would benefit his NHL club. Here’s to hoping the former Honeybaked standout can stick around the top league for a while; Zatkoff turned pro for the 2008-09 season, but the Kings’ 2006 draft pick was buried in a depth chart that featured Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier.
More MiHockey articles on Zatkoff: