Abel to Yzerman

Abel to Yzerman

A New Year And Game Notes

12/31/2014 at 10:01am EST

Well we made it through another year here at Abel to Yzerman and although we all miss IwoCPO we continue to carry on.

Personally I want to thank all of you for your comments, suggestions and input and a big time thank you to Kate for taking over the live blogs.

Looking forward to 2015, we all want to see the Wings pick up their play and I am sure many are looking at to Ken Holland to improve the team.

Will it happen? Who knows but the trade talk should pick up soon.

Now a question for you. We all know the possible players the Wings have been interested in so what one of those players would you want? Be reasonable in your trade proposals and stay away from the type of trade we know just can't happen.

Have a great time tonight, be safe and remember to pass the keys to the car if need be.

Below are the game notes for tonight.

DETROIT RED WINGS

THE MATCHUP

- Tonight is the 93rd all-time meeting between DET and NJ
- Tonight marks the 3rd of 3 meetings this season between DET and NJ, 2nd of 2 in DET
- DET’s all-time record vs. NJ: 44-36-11-1
- DET’s all-time home record vs. NJ: 30-14-2-0
- DET won the 1st meeting of the season 4-2 at JLA on 11/7. Kindl, Smith, Franzen and Kronwall scored for DET; Bernier and Tootoo scored for NJ
- DET won its only shootout of the season on 11/28 at NJ by a 5-4 score. Sheahan, Ouellet, Abdelkader and Miller scored in regulation for DET; Jagr, Harrold and Cammalleri (2) scored for NJ
- DET is 11-2-1 in its last 14 meetings vs. NJ, dating back to the 2002-03 season
- Brendan Smith has 3 goals in 4 games vs. NJ
- Gustav Nyquist has 6 points (1-5-6) in 6 games vs. NJ
- Henrik Zetterberg has 9 points (1-7-9) in 12 games vs. NJ
- Johan Franzen has 10 points (6-4-10) in 10 games vs. NJ; 7 points (4-3-7) came during last season’s 3 games
- New Jersey’s top career scorers vs. DET: Jaromir Jagr (10-21-31 in 34 GP), Mike Cammalleri (11-16-27 in 25 GP) and Marek Zidlicky (2-21-23 in 46 GP)
- NJ F Jordin Tootoo had 9 points (3-6-9) and 83 PIM in 53 games with DET from 2012-14
- NJ F Mike Cammalleri had 131 points (65-66-131) in 110 GP with the Michigan Wolverines from 1999-02
- NJ F Tim Sestito has 101 points (45-56-101) in 236 games with the Plymouth Whalers from 2001-05
- NJ F Stefan Matteau played for the US NTDP in Ann Arbor from 2010-12
- NJ D Jon Merrill had 47 points (11-36-47) in 82 games with the Michigan Wolverines from 2010-13
- NJ D Andy Greene hails from Trenton, MI
- NJ coach Adam Oates skated in 246 games with DET from 1985-89, recording 199 points (54-145-199)
- NJ coach Mike Foligno was drafted 3rd overall by DET in 1979 and had 160 points (77-83-160) in 186 games with DET from 1979-82

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Detroit will play the last of 10 games at Joe Louis Arena in December tonight – marking the 2nd time in team history the team plays as many as 10 home games in one month. They also did so in March 2007 (5-1-4 home record). Detroit has earned 28 points at home this season (12-4-6), trailing only Tampa Bay (31, 15-4-1) and Los Angeles (30, 14-4-2) in that category.

Last season, the team did not win its 10th home game until 1/31/14 (4-3 SOW vs. WSH), its 29th home game of the season (10-11-8). The Red Wings won 11 of their last 16 home contests last season and have points in 33 of 39 games (23-6-9) at JLA since 1/22/14.

THIS DATE IN RED WINGS HISTORY

December 31 – The Red Wings are 34-22-8-1 all-time on this date at home, and will host their first New Year’s Eve Game since 2011 tonight. Detroit has won eight of its last 10 NYE games (8-2-0) dating back to 2000-01, and have hosted the Devils once before on this date, defeating them 6-4 in 1989. Detroit has rarely lacked offense on New Year’s Eve, scoring four or more goals on 34 occasions.

ON THE FARM

The Grand Rapids Griffins improved to 7-2-1-0 in their last 10 games and 16-11-3-0 this season with a 2-1 overtime win last night on the road against the Chicago Wolves. Teemu Pulkkinen scored his AHL-leading 17th goal of the season and improved his goal streak to five games, while Ryan Sproul added his 3rd of the year in overtime to seal the win. Sproul has 10 points (2-8-10) in his last 9 games after just 2 points in his first 18. Next Game: 12/31 vs. Rockford IceHogs.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Injuries

Stephen Gionta (I.R., broken hand) is out.
Jacob Josefson (I.R., ill, one game missed) is out.
Michael Ryder (I.R., mumps, two games missed) is out.
Patrik Elias (I.R., mumps, three games missed) is out.
Martin Havlat (I.R., virus, three games missed) made the trip.
Damon Severson (I.R., left ankle, six games missed) is out.
Bryce Salvador (I.R., lower body, 23 games missed) is out.
Ryane Clowe (I.R., hit to head, 25 games missed) is out.
Total man-games lost to injury/illness: 150

Coming Into Tonight

New Jersey is 31-31-17=79pts (.500) in 2014 entering the final game of the calendar year tonight; the club was 36-35-18=90pts (.506) in 2013.
The Devils are playing their NHL-leading 23rd game on the road tonight (8-12-2). Beginning Friday vs. Montreal, four of their next five games will be played at Prudential Center.
New Jersey was 3/3 on the penalty-kill on Monday vs. Pittsburgh and is 32/35 (91.4%) over the past 11 games.

Devils vs. Red Wings

Tonight's game is the third/final game between the Eastern Conference rivals this season and the second contest to be played at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit leads the series 2-0-0 following a 5-4 shootout win on Nov. 28 at Prudential Center. The Red Wings have outscored the Devils, 9-6, and hold a 63-42 advantage in shots on goal through the first two games overall.
Five players have 2pts each, including Mike Cammalleri with 2g, to lead the Devils through two games, while Niklas Kronwall has totaled 1g-3a-4pts to lead the Wings. Cory Schneider (0-1-1, 4.58 goals-against average & .857 save-percentage) has started both games for New Jersey but was relieved by Keith Kinkaid (ND, 16:50, 0 GA/7 SA) at the start of the third period in the first meeting on Nov. 7. Jimmy Howard (1-0-0, 2.00 GAA & .882 save %) and Petr Mrazek (1-0-0, 3.69 GAA & .840 save %) have each made a start for Detroit.
Cammalleri now has 11g-16a-27pts in 25 games all-time vs. the Red Wings. Schneider is now 1-4-1, with a 3.50 GAA & a .887 save % in seven career appearances vs. Detroit.
The Devils are 26-26-9 vs. the Wings all-time and are 11-18-2 in the previous 31 games played in Detroit.

Detroit Connections

Jordin Tootoo played 53 games for Detroit over the previous two seasons 2012-14.
Andy Greene hails from Trenton, MI. Jon Merrill was born in Oklahoma City, OK but grew up in Brighton, MI.
Merrill and Mike Cammalleri both attended the University of Michigan. Merrill and Detroit's Luke Glendening were teammates at UM for two seasons 2010-12.
Red Wings' forward Drew Miller was born in Dover, NJ.

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About Abel to Yzerman

Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that.

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