AGRI Biz

Heading into Game One in Glendale, Ariz., there were plenty of questions begging to be answered. When Thursday morning broke, many of them were addressed and the favored, albeit lower-seeded, Red Wings are facing a 1-0 deficit. How could this be? The hottest team in the NHL was handed its first opening game loss in nine straight playoff series. And losing to a team from Phoenix?! Has the world gone mad? ...

Hear those sighs of relief? That’s all of Hockeytown exhaling after the most stressful regular season in over a decade.   Detroit players spent most of the first half of the season on the IR and, subsequently, the team dropped as far down as 11th in the conference. Not exactly familiar territory for the back-to-back Western Conference Champs.   Credit the players that were healthy enough to suit up to at least pick up ...

After finally securing a playoff berth in their most chaotic regular season in over a decade, could the Wings actually consider dropping games for a more favorable playoff matchup?   For the first time all season, the Wings finally have a fully healthy roster, and they’ve been on a roll since coming back from the Olympics.   Having all their regulars back, including game-changers Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg at full strength, the team ...

The NHL’s regular season fires back up tonight. With anywhere from 19 to 22 games to go, many teams have the opportunity to play their way in, or out, of the postseason. The biggest team on that precipice is the Detroit Red Wings.   The Wings currently stand tied with Dallas for ninth in the Western Conference. With 21 games to play, they need a supreme effort from everyone on their roster, ...

The NHL trade deadline is March 3, shortly after the Winter Olympics end. That leaves the Wings a little under two months to evaluate the team, pinpoint needs and identify which players they can acquire to fill those needs. I highly suspect the Red Wings will be buyers come the deadline, and will need bargaining chips in order to do so. Players like Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm and Drew Miller ...

They say old dogs canÆt learn new tricks. If the Wings want to make the most of this season, theyÆre going to have to. á For all intents and purposes, the Kings dominated Thursday nightÆs game. They fired 52 shots at Jimmy Howard, but were only capable of putting one past him. In the second period alone, they peppered Howard with 27 shots. If it werenÆt for last minute goals in the ...

With new-found health, come roster decisions. á Before the news of Tomas Holmstrom fracturing his foot Wednesday night, the Red Wings seemed to have weathered the injury storm. With the return of Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary, players need to be sent back down in order to make room on the roster. á Mattias Ritola has already been sent back to Grand Rapids. The question now becomes who will join him? á Holmstrom, Jason Williams, and ...

It seems Chris Osgood has come down with bitter old man syndrome.   Being displaced as starting goaltender by Jimmy Howard has definitely rubbed Ozzy the wrong way. In a recent article by Chris McCosky, he voiced his displeasure with how coach Mike Babcock has handled the situation.   “You have to get into some games and get into a groove and then I can play like I can. It’s not that I don’t ...

National pride or Stanley Cup glory? á This question may haunt some of the Red Wings in the next couple months. á The Red Wings will have nine potential Olympians, four of whom are currently injured, and all could be playing for the Swedish National Team.áShould the players risk further injury and defend their gold medals, or stay at home and heal for the upcoming playoff run? á There are three possible scenarios: á Players recover well before ...