Can’t see the photos? Click here to view them through our Flickr account. (All photos by Ellina Stein/MiHockey)

By Michael Caples –

In the third period of Game 1, the Red Wings fell apart.

In the third period of Game 2, the Red Wings seized control.

Goals from Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula in the final 20 minutes of play helped the Red Wings pick up a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks in Game 2 at the United Center in Chicago Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Red Wings even the series at 1-1, with Games 3 and 4 taking place at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Damien Brunner and Brendan Smith (credited with the game-winning goal) also scored for Detroit, who out-shot the opposition 30-20 in the Saturday afternoon contest.

Jimmy Howard stopped 19 of 20 shots for his fifth win of the 2013 postseason.

Patrick Kane had the lone goal for the Blackhawks, which gave the home team the first lead of Game 2. On an odd-man rush that saw Kyle Quincey knock down the initial pass, a bouncing puck still landed on Patrick Sharp’s stick, and a tic-tac-toe passing play that involved Michal Handzus ended with a one-timer goal for Kane.

The Red Wings weren’t able to tie the game until the 2:40 mark of the second period, when a point shot by Jakub Kindl was redirected by Brunner and past Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford for the Wings’ first goal. Joakim Andersson also picked up an assist on the play.

About 14 minutes later, Smith jumped into a rush up ice, and captain Henrik Zetterberg found the Red Wings’ defenseman open just below the slot. A one-timer from Smith beat Crawford, giving Detroit a lead they wouldn’t ever relinquish.

Franzen increased the Wings’ lead to 3-1 seven minutes into the third period, taking a Jonathan Ericsson behind the Chicago defense, and firing a shot past Crawford to the top shelf short-side. Niklas Kronwall also picked up an assist on the play.

Filppula scored a highlight-reel goal five minutes later – an exclamation point on a dominating third period for the Red Wings. Right off a face-off in the Red Wings’ zone, Zetterberg rushed the puck up ice, and got the puck to Filppula. The Wings’ No. 51 scored on a backhand while he was flying through the air in the slot for the final goal of the afternoon.

Notes: Drew Miller returned to the Red Wings’ line-up for his first game since breaking his hand on April 20. The Lansing native had one shot and two hits in 12:07 worth of ice-time – 02:28 of which was spent on the penalty kill…the Red Wings were out-hit 36-26, according to the official stats sheet…Filppula was a perfect five-for-five on face-offs…Detroit blocked 15 shots, while Chicago blocked 11.

Forty-two schools will compete in the 2014 MIHL Prep Hockey Showcase from Thursday, Feb. 6 to Saturday, Feb. 8. The MIHL, the city of Trenton and Trenton Public Schools co-host the showcase at the Kennedy Ice Arena in Trenton.

Three Michigan schools will make their debut at the 2014 showcase – Hartland (2013 MHSAA Division II State Finalist), Houghton (2012 MHSAA Division III State Finalist) and Grand Rapids Christian. For the first time, the state of Ohio will be represented, as well, as St. John Jesuit will participate.

Brighton High School (MHSAA D-1 state champs in 2006, 2012, and 2013) will return to the MIHL Prep Hockey Showcase, as well.

Happy Friday, everyone.

What a night for Torey Krug. The Livonia native and former captain of the Spartans scored his first NHL goal…in his first NHL playoff game. A blast from the left face-off circle managed to find its way past Henrik Lundqvist, tying the game for the Bruins – a game they would eventually win in overtime.

Here’s the goal:

And here is Krug talking to the media after the game:

And now, in other news…

We have compiled a list of all the Michigan natives drafted by USHL clubs last week – check it out right here.

The Red Wings get back at it tomorrow afternoon in Chicago. Helene St. James of the Free Press says the club’s working on improving their special teams – the Wings need to capitalize on power-play opportunities whenever they can get them against the Blackhawks.

Here’s a fun look back at the Red Wings/Blackhawks rivalry in the ’60s, courtesy of the Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa.

The Griffins return to action tonight for Game 4 of their series with the Toronto Marlies. A win would give Grand Rapids a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Speaking of the Griffins…

So we already talked about the Bruins’ game…but did we mention that they won 3-2 in OT thanks to Brad Marchand?

Two power-play goals in the final two minutes of regulation helped the Kings shock the Sharks, and take a 2-0 series lead. Check out the highlights:

Bruce Boudreau, Paul MacLean and Joel Quenneville were named the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award today.

Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 2, is the only NHL game on the docket tonight. Here’s the game preview.

Highlights from Team USA’s big win over Russia yesterday – the first time they’ve scored more than five against that country in international play.

We’ll be back for more later.

Welcome to another season of MiHockey’s Michi-gamer, now powered by Bauer Hockey.

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 night, 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. 

MAY 17 – TOREY KRUG

Livonia native Torey Krug has played in three NHL regular-season games over the last two seasons – two in 2011-12, and one this season. In those three contests, he picked up two assists, but no goals. Apparently he was just waiting for a bigger stage to score his first NHL goal. Last night, in his playoff debut for the Bruins, the former Michigan State captain fired a shot from the left face-off circle at the 2:55 mark of the third period that got through a crowd and through New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The goal tied the game for the Bruins, helping them force overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There, Brad Marchand scored the winner, giving Boston the early lead in the series. Krug, fresh off his first full AHL season, played for16:41, recorded three hits, blocked one shot, and scored a huge power-play goal for his Original Six squad. We can’t wait to see what he will do next.

More MiHockey articles on Krug:

Krug named CCM/AHL Player of the Week

Torey Krug named AHL rookie of the month for February

MSU captain Torey Krug announces deal with Bruins

MAY 16 – LUKE GLENDENING

It wasn’t one for the record books, but it was another solid outing from Luke Glendening. The Grand Rapids native and former University of Michigan star continues to progress with the Griffins, and he’s becoming an integral part of their AHL playoff run. Last night, the former UM captain recorded an assist and a +1 rating against a skilled Marlies squad. Glendening’s two-way game helped the Griffins to a 5-4 win, and a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. After starting the season with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, Glendening just keeps moving up the depth chart. At the rate he’s going, we could be seeing him on the east side of the state, not the west, sometime soon. Glendening now has three goals and four assists, along with a +5 rating, in eight playoff games this spring.

More MiHockey articles on Glendening:

Griffins beat Aeros in first home playoff game since 2009

Billins, Glendening and the rest of the Griffins ready for the Calder Cup Playoffs

Luke Glendening proves high school hockey works

MAY 15 – CHRIS KUNITZ

The Penguins seized an early lead in their second-round series with the Senators, and a lot of it had to do with Chris Kunitz. The former Ferris State star had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh Tuesday night, in the first game of the conference semifinals schedule. With some quick hands, Kunitz was able to dig the puck out of his skates and fire it in for a rebound goal in the second period, increasing his team’s lead to 3-1. It was Kunitz’s third goal of the postseason, and it was a big one for Pittsburgh. The former Bulldog also picked up the primary assist on Evgeni Malkin’s first-period goal – his fourth helper of the 2013 playoffs. If Kunitz keeps rolling, the Penguins will be that much more difficult to stop in the next few months.

More MiHockey articles on Kunitz:

Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of May 6)

Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of March 11)

MAY 14 – TYLER SEGUIN

It was an unusually-quiet first-round series for Tyler Seguin, who has emerged as one of the top threats on the Boston Bruins’ line-up over the past few seasons. In fact, the former Plymouth Whalers star hadn’t found the scoresheet in the first six games of the Bruins’ series with the Maple Leafs. Yet when the series was on the line, Seguin found a way to make his presence felt. Six minutes into Game 7’s overtime period, Seguin crashed the Leafs’ crease after Patrice Bergeron’s initial shot was stopped. The chaos he was able to cause with his 6-foot-1, 182-pound frame led to the puck popping back out to Bergeron, who buried his second attempt, clinching a series victory for Boston in the process. For Seguin, it now means a fresh start to the playoffs, after struggling against the team he grew up half an hour away from. It’s not hard to expect more offensive production; after all, Seguin had 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points in 48 games during the regular season.

More MiHockey articles on Seguin:

NHL ’14 potential cover athletes announced

Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of March 11)

MAY 13 – JUSTIN ABDELKADER

Talk about a triumphant return for No. 8. After missing two games for a questionable suspension, Justin Abdelkader returned for the two biggest games of the season for the Red Wings, and made an impact in both contests. In Friday night’s Game 6 – his first game back in the line-up – Abdelkader ‘scored’ the Detroit’s third goal; his centering attempt hit Daniel Cleary and bounced past Jonas Hiller at the 11:30 mark of the third period. He also led all players in hits, recording six collisions in Game 6, despite just serving a suspension. His play in Game 7 out-shined Game 6, however. With his team shorthanded and fresh off giving up a goal, Abdelkader knocked down the “D-to-D” pass at his own blue line, sending the puck towards center ice. The Muskegon native beat the Ducks in the ensuing footrace, and headed in on a shorthanded breakaway. With a quick move, Abdelkader was able to slide the puck between Hiller’s legs, regaining the lead for the Wings. The former Michigan State Spartan played 19:17 in Game 7, and finished +1, with five hits, one takeaway and one huge goal for Hockeytown.

More MiHockey articles on Abdelkader:

Red Wings beat Ducks in Game 7; Blackhawks up next

Photo gallery: Red Wings beat Ducks to force Game 7

Red Wings fall to Ducks in Game 3 after Abdelkader ejected for questionable hit

To see last week’s Michi-gamer nominations, click here.

This week’s Michi-gamer list assembled by MiHockey’s Michael Caples.

The USHL Draft is split into two ‘phases’ – during Phase 1, the clubs selected the top 1997 birth-year players, while in Phase 2, they selected any players who are eligible for junior hockey.

Here is a look at all of the Michigan natives selected in the USHL Draft’s Phase 1 (May 6) and Phase 2 (May 7):

USHL Draft – Phase 1

1^st Round

No. 6 – Zach Osburn – Plymouth (Honeybaked) – Indiana Ice

No. 8 – Chaz Switzer – Muskegon (Compuware) – Muskegon Lumberjacks (used tender)

No. 10 – Brent Gates Jr. – Grand Rapids (Compuware) – Green Bay Gamblers

No. 15 – Gordon Green – Ann Arbor (Compuware) – Dubuque Fighting Saints

2^nd Round

No. 5 – Austin Alger – Livonia (Cranbrook) – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

No. 12 – Alexander Debrincat – Farmington Hills (Victory Honda) – Waterloo Blackhawks

3^rd Round

No. 13 – Brody Stevens – Ann Arbor (Compuware) – Fargo Force

4^th Round

No. 4 – David Ovsjannikov – Oakland Township (Oakland Jr. Grizzlies) – Sioux City Musketeers

5^th Round

No. 7 – Jake Gingell – Chelsea (Compuware) – Omaha Lancers

No. 13 – Gregory Aliotta – Macomb (Honeybaked) – Fargo Force

6^th Round

No. 7 – Grant Gabriele – Brighton (Compuware) – Omaha Lancers

No. 11 – Keegan Ward – Galesburg (West Michigan Hounds) – Lincoln Stars

No. 13 – Evan Bell – Livonia (Little Caesars) – Fargo Force

No. 15 – Colin Theisen – Monroe (Compuware) – Dubuque Fighting Saints

7^th Round

No. 12 – Conner Jean – Oakland Township (Brother Rice) – Waterloo Blackhawks

No. 14 – Brandon Scheiman – St. Clair (Honeybaked) – Sioux Falls Stampede

USHL Draft – Phase 2

1st Round

No. 1 – Aidan Muir – Ann Arbor (Victory Honda) – Indiana Ice

No. 4 – Brandon Hawkins – Shelby Township (Texas Tornado, NAHL) – Sioux City Musketeers

No. 9 – Blake Christensen – Rochester Hills (U.S. NTDP U-17 team) – Youngstown Phantoms

2nd Round

No. 23 – Matheson Iacopelli – Brownstown (Belle Tire) – Muskegon Lumberjacks

3^rd Round

No. 31 – Jacob Pritchard – Macomb (Victory Honda) – Indiana Ice

No. 36 – Niko Coffman – Chelsea (Little Caesars) – Chicago Steel

4^th Round

No. 55 – Christopher Brown – Bloomfield Hills (Cranbrook) – Green Bay Gamblers

5^th Round

No. 62 – Robbie Payne – Gaylord (Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings, NAHL) – Tri-City Storm

No. 68 – Matt Seidel – Troy (Kenai River, NAHL) – Chicago Steel

6^th Round

No. 78 – Samuel Rennaker – Grand Rapids (Forest Hills) – Des Moines Buccaneers

No. 83 – Carson Gatt – Farmington Hills (Detroit Catholic Central) – Muskegon Lumberjacks

No. 86 – Tom Marchin – Algonac (Honeybaked) – Lincoln Stars

7^th Round

No. 98 – Cameron Cooper – Fraser (Belle Tire) – Muskegon Lumberjacks

8^th Round

None

9^th Round

No. 130 – Cooper Marody – Brighton (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) – Green Bay Gamblers

10^th Round

No. 137 – Steven Haydon – Plymouth (Odessa Jackalopes, NAHL) – Try-City Storm

No. 144 – Jakob Chychrun – Boca Raton, Florida (Little Caesars) – Youngstown Phantoms

11^th Round

No. 161 – Joshua Owings – Saline (Little Caesars) – Lincoln Stars

12^th Round

No. 166 – Alex Alger – Livonia (Cranbrook) – Indiana Ice

No. 172 – Robert Rowe – Lansing (Texas Tornado, NAHL) – Omaha Lancers

13^th Round

No. 181 – Nick Azar – Grosse Pointe Park (Belle Tire) – Indiana Ice

No. 190 – Michael Houle – Macomb (Honeybaked)

14^th Round

No. 204 – Tyler Spezia – Clinton Township (Port Huron Fighting Falcons, NAHL) – Youngstown Phantoms

15^th Round

No. 219 – Craig Pefley – Columbus (U of D Jesuit) – Youngstown Phantoms

No. 223 – Niko Porikos – Ann Arbor (Hamilton Red Wings, OJHL) – Fargo Force

16^th Round

No. 232 – Keenan Sabatini – Armada (Little Caesars) – Omaha Lancers

17^th Round

No. 243 – Torrin Grange – Marquette (Marquette Electricians) – Des Moines Buccaneers

No. 248 – Ryan Larkin – Clarkston (Honeybaked) – Muskegon Lumberjacks

18^th Round

No. 258 – Nick Borellis – Rochester (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) – Des Moines Buccaneers

No. 264 – Tyger Howat – Brighton (Victory Honda) – Youngstown Phantoms

19^th Round

No. 273 – Matthew Goeree – Ada (Michigan Nationals) – Des Moines Buccaneers

20^th Round

No. 286 – Andrew DeBrincat – Farmington Hills (Cumberland, CJHL) – Indiana Ice

21^st Round

No. 304 – Max Rasberg – Columbus, Ohio (Belle Tire) – Sioux City Musketeers

No. 306 – Brendon Kearney – Northville (Honeybaked) – Chicago Steel

No. 313 – Zachary Vitkuske – Brighton (Little Caesars) – Fargo Force

22^nd Round

No. 316 – Drew Best – Plymouth (South Surrey, BCHL) – Indiana Ice

No. 323 – Bryce VanHorn – Port Huron (Port Huron Northern) – Muskegon Lumberjacks

No. 328 – Garison Sanipass – Northbrook, Ill. (Little Caesars) – Fargo Force

23^rd Round

No. 334 – Steve Merl – Coral Springs, Fl. (Belle Tire) – Sioux City Musketeers

No. 338 – Josh Lammon – Jackson (Victory Honda) – Muskegon Lumberjacks

24^th Round

None

25^th Round

None

26^th Round

No. 389 – Griffen Molino – Trenton (Brockville, CCHL) – Sioux Falls Stampede

No. 399 – Garrett Jenkins – Milan (Compuware) – Youngstown Phantoms

Rough night for the Wings.

Detroit and Chicago started their Western Conference Semifinal series yesterday, and it went a whole lot better for the home team than it did for the away team. The Blackhawks scored three goals in the third period, and cruised to a 4-1 win to take the early series lead.

Check out a few of our photos from the game right here:

Things went better for the Wings’ AHL affiliate last night – the Griffins picked up a 5-4 win over the Toronto Marlies to take a 2-1 series lead. We’re putting those highlights below, because, you know, they’re more fun to watch.

There are some rumors floating around that Lake Superior State coach Jim Roque is leaving for an assistant coach position with the Buffalo Sabres. According to multiple reports, that news is at least premature, and has not been confirmed.

Also, Saginaw Spirit coach Greg Gilbert has signed an extension with the OHL club.

Big night for the Griffins.

Team USA had some fun this morning (not morning for them, but you know what we mean). The Americans beat up on the Russians, posting an 8-3 win in the quarterfinals of the 2013 IIHF World Championship. Rochester native Jacob Trouba and Livonia native David Moss – both products of the University of Michigan – scored in the big win. Team USA will now play in the semifinals for the first time since 2009.

Boston and New York start their second round series tonight – who’s going to win that Original Six showdown?

Meanwhile, the Sharks and the Kings will square off for Game 2 tonight. Los Angeles shut out their in-state rival by a score of 2-0 on Tuesday.

Patrick Kane, Marty St. Louis and Matt Moulson are this year’s finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy. Yeah, surprised about one guy on that list.

Last night’s Hockey Night in Canada intro for the Red Wings and Blackhawks.

We’ll be back for more later.

Can’t see the photo gallery? Click here to view the pictures through our Flickr account. (All photos by Ellina Stein/MiHockey)

By Nick Barnowski -

The Chicago Blackhawks won’t have much to complain about from Game 1. The Red Wings, well, that’s a different story.

It was a near-textbook Game 1 performance for the Chicago Blackhawks in their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Detroit Red Wings, as Chicago cruised to a 4-1 victory Wednesday night at the United Center.

The Blackhawks out-shot the Wings 42-21, while also forcing Detroit to turn the puck over numerous times en route to their 1-0 series lead.

Johnny Oduya scored the game winning goal for Chicago, firing the puck past Jimmy Howard midway through the third period after being left wide-open in the slot, and the Hawks never looked back.

Howard made 38 saves in the loss, while Crawford stopped 20 for his tenth career postseason win.

Marian Hossa, Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp also scored for the Blackhawks, who had almost a week off after beating the Minnesota Wild in five games during the first round.

It didn’t take long for the rested Blackhawks to find their scoring touch, either.

After a Gustav Nyquist penalty eight minutes into Game 1, the Blackhawks capitalized on the game’s first power play. A turnover by Brendan Smith led to a Marian Hossa goal – the former Red Wing rocketed a slapshot past Howard to help set the tone early.

Shortly after, the tandem of Nyquist and Damien Brunner tied the game at one for the Red Wings. Breaking in on the right side, Brunner ripped a shot on goal that was saved by Corey Crawford, but Nyquist put a shot on net after and then Brunner followed up on the rebound for his third goal of the postseason.

The score remained deadlocked at one through the second period, where Chicago controlled most of the possession. The Blackhawks fired 17 shots towards Jimmy Howard’s goal, but the Detroit netminder was there to turn away them all.

The Wings were only able to muster five shots on goal in the second, and failed to convert on a power-play chance.

Oduya’s strike came at the 8:02 mark of the third, and was one of three third-period goals for the Blackhawks.

Chicago tallied another goal at the 11:23 mark of the final frame. After the puck rested on the back of the Detroit net, it was eventually poked free. Marcus Kruger put the loose puck past Howard, giving the Blackhawks a two goal advantage.

With 48.8 seconds left, Sharp scored an empty-net goal to seal the victory.

The Red Wings will return home before Saturday’s Game 2 rematch. Opening face-off for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and will be on NBC and CBC.

Game 1 tonight.

The Red Wings are in Chicago for Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals date with the Blackhawks tonight. Don’t worry, MiHockey representatives will be in Chi-Town. Get ready for the game with this article, and get ready for the game by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, because we’ve only just begun with the motivational material.

The Red Wings announced earlier today that Cory Emmerton is in the line-up tonight, and Mikael Samuelsson is out.

Cory Emmerton is in the line-up against the Blackhawks tonight. (Michael Caples/MiHockey)

In other Red Wings news, the NHL announced today that Pavel Datsyuk is a Selke Trophy finalist – again. A fourth Selke Trophy would tie Datsyuk for the all-time lead with Bob Gainey. Not bad company. Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews are the other two finalists for the award.

Rochester native Sean Day – the fourth overall pick in this year’s OHL Draft – has officially signed with the Mississauga Steelheads.

Sean Day has officially signed with the Mississauga Steelheads. (Photo courtesy of the OHL's official site)

There are also some rumors floating around that Lake Superior State coach Jim Roque is leaving for an assistant coach position with the Buffalo Sabres. According to multiple reports, that news is at least premature, and has not been confirmed.

Also, Saginaw Spirit coach Greg Gilbert has signed an extension with the OHL club.

Ahh, the memories.

Round 2 kicked off last night, with the Penguins topping the Senators 4-1, and the Kings shutting out the Sharks 2-0.

Chris Kunitz is our Michi-gamer of the night for a goal and an assist in the Pens’ win.

The NHL has made it official that there will be two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium next season, with the Rangers, Islanders and Devils all partaking – Rangers/Devils at 12:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 26, 2014, and Rangers/Islanders at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2014. Yes, two Rangers games.

Raffi Torres got himself into trouble again, for a hit he distributed last night. Phone calls with Shanny can’t be fun for him.

Teemu Selanne has yet to make a decision on if he’s coming back next year or not.

Jeremy Piven talking trash about the Winged Wheel. Get fired up for tonight, everybody.

Game 1 tonight. We’re on it.

Muskegon Lumberjacks goaltender Kevin Lindskoug has been named USHL Goaltender of the Year. (Photo courtesy of the Muskegon Lumberjacks)

By Michael Caples –

The USHL announced today that Muskegon Lumberjacks goaltender Kevin Lindskoug has been named the 2012-13 goaltender of the year for the junior league.

Lindskoug, a native of Trelleborg, Sweden, was selected in a vote conducted by USHL coaches and general managers.

The 20-year-old goaltender played in 47 contests this year, and recorded a 23-18-6 record throughout. He posted a 2.49 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage, and a USHL Tier 1 era (2002-present) record of eight shutouts.

Lindskoug will return to Sweden to play professionally next season.

“Kevin’s arrival in Muskegon from Sweden transformed a young Lumberjacks team into a contender this season,” said USHL President and Commissioner Skip Prince in a press release.  ”His pedigree, from a country that has produced outstanding goaltenders for the last twenty years, was certainly on display all season.  To hold a USHL team scoreless eight times, with this League’s fast-paced play and talented goal scorers, was as impressive a performance as any single player turned in all year.  We’ll continue to be fans, and wish Kevin the best as he launches his professional career back home.”

Tomorrow, everything starts all over.

After picking up a big Game 7 win out in Anaheim, the Red Wings kept their season alive. That means that they advance to the second round of the playoffs, for a date with Central Division foe and Original Six rival Chicago.

We caught up with the Red Wings when the plane landed yesterday, and the theme around the airport hanger was that this isn’t the same Detroit squad as the one that took on Chicago during the regular season. That’s a good thing, because here’s what happened in the four regular season contests between the Red Wings and Blackhawks:

• Sunday, January 27 – Chicago 2, Detroit 1 (overtime) – United Center
• Sunday, March 3 – Chicago 2, Detroit 1 (shootout) – Joe Louis Arena
• Sunday, March 31 – Chicago 7, Detroit 1 – Joe Louis Arena
• Friday, April 12 – Chicago 3, Detroit 2 (shootout) – United Center

We also spent some time chatting with Justin Abdelkader – here’s a separate feature on No. 8.

Apparently the TV viewership went pretty well around Hockeytown, too – Fox Sports Detroit announced yesterday that their channel was the most-watched station in Detroit over the weekend. A lot of that had to do with Game 6 and Game 7, with some Tigers baseball mixed in, too.

Now, in non-Red Wings news – the Griffins are all tied up at one game apiece in their second-round series with the Toronto Marlies. That series shifts back to Grand Rapids tomorrow – here’s to hoping the Griffins can take control of the series once again.

 Here’s some motivational material for the Hockeytown faithful, as if you needed any. We present to you…Jeremy Piven talking trash about the Winged Wheel.

What a night for the NHL. Two Game 7s took place last night, and while the Rangers/Capitals finale was a dud (New York blew ‘em out by a score of 5-0), the Bruins/Leafs showdown was one for the ages. After falling behind 4-1 in the third period, the Bruins scored three times in the final 11 minutes of regulation – two in the final minute and a half – to force overtime. There, Patrice Bergeron saved the day for Boston.

With the jaw-dropping Game 7 in the books, the second-round match-ups are finally decided. Here’s a look at the conference semifinal situations:

• Detroit vs. Chicago – starts tomorrow
• San Jose vs. Los Angeles – starts today
• Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh – starts today
• New York vs. Boston – starts Thursday

Check out the latest edition of MiHockeyMag right here:

See you later today.