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Red Wings' mission: Stop Ovechkin |
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The Detroit Red Wings recognize the key to the mission whenever the opponent is the Washington Capitals, as it will be Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.
If you contain Alexander Ovechkin, then you more than likely will be able to overcome the Caps, but it’s a task that is easier said than done.
“It’s funny,” Detroit forward Joakim Andersson said, though he wasn’t laughing about it at all. “We talked about that, how he always gets the shot from the same position not just on the power play, but five-on-five too. He always seems to find himself there.
“Everybody knows about it but he’ll still get those chances to score.”
So how do you stop him then?
“Just be close to him I think,” Detroit defenseman Alexey Marchenko said. “Don’t give him any space. Don’t let him shoot too much.”
One of the bigger dilemmas when dealing with Ovechkin is that he’s not the only Washington player capable of punishing the Wings when the Capitals go to the power play.
“He’s got a dangerous shot obviously,” Andersson said of Ovechkin. “We know where he’s at but they have other dangerous players.
“(Nicklas) Backstrom is probably one of the best passers in the league. We’ve got to cover a couple of things but he’s for sure the biggest threat on the power play.”
Detroit coach Jeff Blashill marvels at Ovechkin’s ability to find an opening even when it seems that there’s no room for him at all.
“They get it off quick, so they don’t need much of a lane,” Blashill said of snipers like Ovechkin, who seem to have a knack for disappearing and reappearing in the offensive zone, as if they were equipped with a Romulan cloaking device. “They’re real good at adjusting their feet and finding little lanes.
“You can do different things. Listening to talk radio, I hear somebody should just go stand on him but then it’s a four-on-three and we don’t like killing four-on-threes either.
“There’s a reason why they have other really good players on that power play, too. It’s a talented group. Obviously, Ovechkin’s been one of the best ever at finding the spot and hitting it.”
Sergei’s Night
The team will honor legendary Red Wing Sergei Fedorov prior to the game, and then they will look to defend his title.
Fedorov, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday and will drop the ceremonial first puck before Tuesday’s game, and Ovechkin both have 483 NHL goals, the league record for a Russian-born NHL player.
“The game for sure is a special night,” Marchenko said. “I think (Ovechkin) doesn’t need to score against Detroit while Fedorov is here where he made his best career.
“We just need to help Sergei to stay on top.”
Old Friends
Defenseman Mike Green, who signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Wings in the summer, will see his first action against his old team.
“Yeah, it’ll be strange, but I’ve moved forward now,” Green said. “I think it’s more exciting than anything. I know the personality in the dressing room and how most of these guys play, so it will be fun.
“But it will be fun because we’re competing.”
TGIF?
The Wings have set Friday’s game at the JLA against the San Jose Sharks as the target date for the return of center Pavel Datsyuk from off-season ankle surgery.
“We’re hoping for Pav on Friday, but we’ll see,” Blashill said. “I think it’s still one of those things you take day to day.”
The ever-playful Datsyuk poked fun when asked about playing Friday.
“Which one Friday?” he asked “Friday the 27th …”
Then he took on a more serious tone.
“Oh yeah, I’m looking like forward,” Datsyuk said. “Now I skate with team and I need maybe more practice, make sure it’s hundred, not hundred but it’s some of the percentage up, and I feel more confidence and at least I can keep up pace with the teammates, who took care of me and maybe somebody can pull piano for me.”
Among Detroit’s other injured players, there were some updates. Center Brad Richards (back) is back on the ice and forward Landon Ferraro (lower body) has resumed physical activity.
“Richards was skating today,” Blashill said. “I don’t want to say day to day because it’s probably further than that, but it’s a step forward that he was able to skate today.
“Landon is coming. He had a good workout yesterday off the ice.”
There’s also a new casualty. Defenseman Brendan Smith (illness) won’t play Tuesday and Jakub Kindl draws back into the lineup.
“He was ill, missed yesterday, so he’s not going to play tonight,” Blashill said of Smith. “He’s starting to feel a little better though. He was out there for the skate.”
The only other change from the team that lost 4-1 Sunday to Dallas sees Petr Mrazek start in goal. After some line experimentation in practice Monday, Blashill has opted to stick with the units that played against the Stars.
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