Western Conference Finals Game 4: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings

Pre-game News:  Huet is likely to start game 4.

Update: Agent Allan Walsh is reporting, via Twitter, that Nicklas Lidstrom is out of the lineup for today’s game with a lower-body injury.  Its the first time Lidstrom has missed a playoff game since 1991/92.  Chris Chelios is in.  Havlat is also playing game 4. 

Game Notes:

• 1st Period:  Detroit without Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Draper yet playing a pretty good 1st period.  Hossa finally shows up and scores a shorthanded goal.  Franzen scores with 20 seconds to go. 
  
• 1st Period Stats:
  Shots: Detroit 14, Chicago 9
  Hits: Detroit 15, Chicago 8
  Giveaways: Detroit 3, Chicago 5
  Faceoffs: Detroit 12, Chicago 12
• 2nd Period:  Wings start on the powerplay and Hossa takes a Filppula pass, shoots on net and Filppula puts home the rebound.  With Detroit up 3-0, Chicago goes to powerplay, Toews puts it in after a big Stuart hit on Havlat and Hossa roars back to give the Wings a 3 goal lead and knocks Huet from the game.  In comes Crawford whose welcome to the post season is a Zetterberg roofer on a 5 on 3.
  
• And Havlat hasn’t returned since 3:33 of the 2nd as a result of this Stuart hit.
  
• 2nd Period Stats:
  Shots: Detroit 10, Chicago 10
  Hits: Detroit 5, Chicago 9
  Giveaways: Detroit 2, Chicago 2
  Faceoffs: Detroit 12, Chicago 14
• 3rd Period:  Huet is back in net for the Hawks and Conklin is in for Detroit as Babcock doesn’t want his goalie to get run over.  Pierre McGuire is reporting that Havlat is not back on the bench for the 3rd.  Eager gets tossed with his 2nd 10 minute misconduct of the game.  And with under 5 to go Versteeg gets tossed while chirping from the bench.  Zetterberg scores another on the powerplay.
  
• 3rd Period Stats:
  Shots: Detroit 9, Chicago 9
  Hits: Detroit 4, Chicago 11
  Giveaways: Detroit 0, Chicago 4
  Faceoffs: Detroit 8, Chicago 10
• Final Stats for Game 4:
  Shots: Detroit 33, Chicago 28
  Hits: Detroit 24, Chicago 28
  Giveaways: Detroit 5, Chicago 11
  Faceoffs: Detroit 32, Chicago 36

Three Stars:

• 1st Star: Marian Hossa was a beast tonight for the Wings.  He stepped up in the absence of Datsyuk and Lidstrom and led Detroit to victory.  Finished the game with 2 goals and 1 assist, none bigger than his shorthanded goal which really set the tempo for the game.  Interesting stat for Hossa; it seems like he only scores during Game 4’s.  He’s scored 2 goals in every game 4 of these 3 rounds.
• 2nd Star: Valtteri Filppula was a great compliment to Hossa.  Finished the game with a goal and 2 assists.  Played a really good two way game. 
• 3rd Star(s):  Kronwall and Stuart.  Kronwall didn’t get rattled by the crowd, played a ton of minutes (23+) and finished with 2 assists.  Stuart had a massive hit on Havlat and played big minutes against the Hawks top line.

Mike Babcock’s Post Game Press Conference:
(courtesy of Joe from Winging it in Mowtown)

On Nick Lidstrom Status:
“was in the cab on the way over here. without pav and drapes and kope, you start to say to yourself, oh boy.”

On Wing’s keeping composure:
“Kronwell in my opinion had a really nice finished check, and they were too busy making amends to that, which put us on the power play a lot.”

On Patrick Kane:
“till today, we played nick against him. we just try to play a good five-man unit. thought we had some good penalty kill time. you’re never going to slow him down totally. Game 3: i thought that line dominated a few shifts territorially despite not getting on the scoresheet.

On Osgood’s status:
“I’d never give him time off. He was dehydrated, they put him onto the IV, didn’t work, he’ll get the fluids back.”

Joel Quennville’s Post Game Press Conference:
(courtesy of Joe from Winging it in Mowtown)

On penalty called at the end of the 1st:
“We witnessed the worst call in the history of sports at the end of the second period.”  “They destroyed whatever was happening on the ice.”  “I’ve never seen anything like it.”  “I couldn’t find the penalties. You could argue along the way. They ruined the whole game. That’s the gist of what I’m trying to say.”

On giving up the shorthanded goal in the 1st:
“Shorties are tough ones to give up. Both teams had a few chances, but we had momentum, we lose it on the shorty. We come out to start the third and find out you’re short-handed.”

On Havlat’s status:
“Marty was fine was ready to go…had a good start. he really progressed the last two days. We did what we could…we’ll see how he is going into wednesday.”

On Khabibulin’s status:
“Habi is day-to-day, off tomorrow, we practice tuesday, we’ll see how it is”

Ongoing Phoenix Saga Daily Tidbit:

From CBC.ca – Winnipeg building a case for NHL consideration:

By the end of June, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz might be ready to have another conversation with National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman.

On June 22, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Redfield T. Baum will preside over a hearing in Phoenix to decide whether the Coyotes can be relocated.

“If there’s an opportunity [to secure an NHL franchise] … at that point in time, we would definitely have some conversation with Gary Bettman,” Katz told CBCSports.ca over the phone from Winnipeg.

Ever since the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix following the 1995-96 season, there has been plenty of talk of a team returning to the city.

For complete story, click here.