GAME OF THE NIGHT: Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets, April 21, 2009, 7pm ET

Detroit at Columbus

GAME THREE, STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF WEST QUARTERFINALS
DETROIT LEADS THE SERIES 2-0

7:00 PM ET, April 21, 2009
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio

Red Wings-Blue Jackets Preview

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A raucous capacity crowd is expected to energize the Columbus Blue Jackets in their first home playoff game ever on Tuesday night.
Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchc0ck said it's the other way around.

"It's our job to energize them," Hitchc0ck said Monday of the 19,000-plus expected to raise the roof at Nationwide Arena.

The Detroit Red Wings hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round Western Conference series. They've won twice by playing well, certainly, but also by pouncing on every little mistake the neophyte Blue Jackets have made. Half of the Wings' eight goals in the two games have gone in off a Columbus player.
The Blue Jackets feel it's time they earn the support they'll get from their fans.

"A big reason we didn't do anything in those first two games is not because we're being outworked," Columbus forward Raffi Torres said. "We're working hard, we're just not working smart. A lot of times when they're creating stuff, it's off of our mistakes, which is not us. We know what we have to do."

The crowd Tuesday night figures to be very different from the first eight seasons when the Red Wings visited Ohio's capital city. For years, Wings fans have flooded south to watch their team. There were so many Yzerman, Zetterberg and even Gordie Howe jerseys around the arena, and the Detroit fans were so loud, often it was hard to tell who the home team was.

Those days may be over.

"It's a loud arena in the regular season, too. The crowd will really get into it and (the Blue Jackets) will certainly come out desperate," the Wings' Tomas Holmstrom said Monday. "We just have to play our game and be prepared for the first five or 10 minutes and try to turn the momentum our way."

At the same time, the Blue Jackets aren't misled into thinking that their fans will leave the mighty Wings quaking in their skates.

"You're not going to intimidate the Detroit Red Wings," Hitchc0ck said.

The reigning Stanley Cup champions have made the playoffs the last 18 seasons.

They've been shouted down, antagonized and reviled by some of the most belligerent throngs from Tampa Bay to Denver to Anaheim. What they'll get from the Columbus crowd won't be anything new.

"A road team isn't as affected by the crowd. They're used to hostile environments," veteran Columbus center Michael Peca said. "The detriment you get with the crowd is if the road team has the ability to silence the crowd and quiet them out, then it really drops the energy level of everybody (with the home team). As the home team, you want to do whatever you can -- do big penalty kills, effective power plays, strong five-on-five and puck control -- to keep the crowd on their toes and keep them in the game."

The biggest concern for the Blue Jackets is what takes place on the ice. If they continue to lose faceoffs and take needless penalties they'll make things far more difficult for rookie goaltender Steve Mason, who has played much better than the 8-1 goal differential would indicate.

"We're going to be better at all areas of our game, from the goaltender on out," Mason said. "Coming back with an 0-2 series situation isn't the greatest, but we're looking for the home support and hopefully win Game 3 and go on from there."

With the games shifting to Columbus, Hitchc0ck, as the home coach, gets to see who the Wings put on the ice before sending out his matchups. As a result, he might be able to free up leading scorer Rick Nash, who doesn't have a goal or assist in the first two games.

Hitchc0ck is toying with one line change. He had Antoine Vermette center the first line with Nash and Kristian Huselius during Monday's practice. Manny Malhotra, frequently centering the top line, was on the third line between Fredrik Modin and Jason Chimera.

The Red Wings plan no lineup changes. They don't need to change anything.

"We have enough people to match up. We're not very concerned," coach Mike Babc0ck said. "They've got to play against our good players too."

Hitchc0ck draws some solace from the fact that the Blue Jackets have rebounded for surprise wins all season during their darkest hours, even when they've had injuries and were playing the hottest teams.

"We've kind of prepared for this type of game since September," he said. "All the barking and scratching and complaining and demanding things that have gone on, is for this time. (The Red Wings) are not going away from this level. This is the level they're going to play at for the rest of the playoffs. They're dialed in. And it's our turn to answer the bell."

Can't wait to see the crowd.

If Detroit can weather the inevitable early storm, though, they'll do alright.

Happy Hudler keeps Wings laughing off ice, scores goals on it

The Detroit NewsTuesday, April 21, 2009 by Bob Wojnowski


Jiri Hudler is happy, almost always. Well, except when he's rushing to get ready for practice and pops on his helmet without noticing someone loaded it with shaving cream. Or when he sticks his hands in his gloves and is greeted by a poof of baby powder. Or when his dress pants go missing and he has to leave the arena in his hockey Under Armours.

"There's a couple guys, I won't mention their names, but they got me really good the last few months," Hudler said, smiling. "But this is the playoffs now. No more pranks."

He said it like he meant it, sort of, with a tell-tale grin, not a tattle-tale grin. And then he laughed, which is something Hudler does often, which is why some call him "Happy Hudler," which doesn't make him particularly happy.

"Why not something tougher?" he said. "You should call me the Rock or something."

He laughed again, and when the Red Wings hear that, they know Hudler is in his happy place, in the middle of everything. As the Detroit defense was smothering Columbus to take a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 tonight, Hudler semi-quietly was scoring a team-high two goals on the dangerous third line, which shouldn't surprise anyone.

Perfect complement

In a breakout third full season with the Wings, Hudler, 25, is more than just a fun and funny guy, the one who grabbed the Stanley Cup on stage at the parade last June, hoisted it merrily and led the crowd in various chants in his clipped Czech accent.

Hudler is 5-foot-9, which makes him an easy target off the ice, and a hard target on the ice. He's the perfect complementary player, a clever passer with a quick shot and a sniper's mentality (verbally, too). And don't let his good humor fool you -- he's feisty and ultra-competitive, fifth on the team with 23 goals during the regular season.

"He plays big in the big games, and he brings passion all the time," coach Mike Babc0ck said. "And he's a really likeable kid. I think he's a favorite with the guys."
Of course, that all depends on how you define "favorite." Kirk Maltby chuckled as he described Hudler as "carefree, no worries, and he also talks a lot of gibberish."

Kris Draper has seen all sorts of characters in his 15 seasons in Detroit, but he's not sure he has seen many like Hudler. And he means that in a positive way.

That helps explain why, before one practice this season, Happy Hudler was Harried Hudler, running late again. So naturally, as he quickly tried to put on his skates, he found the laces cut. And when he yelled for help, teammates threw him the wrong laces, or shredded laces, or just yelled back.

"I would say, if there are 10 pranks being done on our team, Huds is probably going to see seven of them," Draper said. "He can't get guys as good as we get him, so don't let him tell you otherwise. He's a good guy, and those are the ones you target because he can take it. You know how it is -- you're toughest on the ones you love, right?"

Keeping things loose

The truth is, this long has been an underrated element of the Wings' championship atmosphere. For a team that plays so tight defensively, that demands so much, it's a loose bunch.

After practice the other day, a shout came from the training room and out sprinted Maltby with the remote control, followed by Draper and Chris Osgood, hollering for its immediate return. Draper grabbed a stick and chased down Maltby, who ultimately surrendered.

Few teams are as comfortable with each other as the Wings, which makes sense because they've played together so long. Mikael Samuelsson, who joins Valtteri Filppula and Hudler on the third line, admitted it was a difficult adjustment when he arrived four years ago and discovered how relaxed the Wings were.

That was before he discovered how loud Hudler was.

"I wouldn't say it was a problem for me, but I couldn't believe what the guys were like, joking around before games," Samuelsson said. "Now I love it. And Huds, he's a special kid. He talks a lot, right from the get-go, from the moment he walks in the locker room."

Hudler, or Huds, or Huggy Bear as some teammates call him, greeted Channel 7's Tom Leyden the other day with a cheery, "Hey Ron Burgundy!" Sure, Leyden might bear a slight resemblance to Will Ferrell's character in "Anchorman," and that's all Hudler needed to bring up his favorite actor.

"I like the comedies," Hudler said, before sheepishly confirming he watched "Caddyshack" three times during a two-day period recently. "I just like to laugh -- it keeps me loose, keeps me happy. I don't see any reason why I gotta be grumpy or miserable, you know? I wake up every morning and can't wait to get in the room, go on the ice, work hard, talk to the guys. When I first got here I was surprised, no superstars, they're nice, it was just amazing to me."

Best time of the season

It didn't take Hudler, drafted in the second round in 2002, long to fit in. Now he fits so well, it's hard to imagine him leaving, although he's a pending restricted free agent. He'd love to stay but would rather not discuss it during the playoffs, when the talking and pranks go down, and his productivity goes up.

He has 127 points in 255 regular-season games -- and 19 in 30 playoff games.

General manager Ken Holland would like to sign him but acknowledges it'll be difficult to keep everyone. Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen landed long-term deals and Marian Hossa could be next.

That's the business for later.

The business for now is half-serious, half-fun and all-consuming.

"I love this part of the season," Hudler said. "You just feel the energy, the crowd is going crazy, all this makes you a better player. You're proving something everyday in your life. I'm not the biggest guy but I want to go into the tough part of the ice and show the courage, you know?"

This time he was smiling but he wasn't laughing, and the point was subtle. For unsuspecting teammates or unsuspecting opponents, watch out -- Hudler is lurking, and he'd be more than happy to disrupt, or enliven, your day.

He and Filppula are future stars for the Wings.

I'm excited to watch Rick Nash play with that extra hop in his step in front of the hometown guys...this is going to be a special game.

Here's why The Nasher will have that extra hop...The Power Patrol...

First ever post season game in Columbus.

Wow, early lead for the Wings. Holy Dung...not what you want in your first home playoff game ever.

Pretty fast pace early on in this one...but, Columbus isn't playing like they need to be playing.

The Red Wings are just phenomenal to watch.

Masters of the game.

HOly shizz Detroit is probably the calmest team in the league. They get penalties, the players don't even look surprised

marakh wrote:HOly shizz Detroit is probably the calmest team in the league. They get penalties, the players don't even look surprised

That's one of their key skills... never panic, just keep playing with the system and never relent. The system will come through and produce chances and goals.

It's also the experience factor IMO.

columbus needs another scoring threat nash has been stifled and there is no one else that is a huge threat out there