note 9:20am, Not much of a learning curve with the new software so I am blaming exhaustion for not posting this in Abel to Yzerman.
from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
Friday's game against the Maple Leafs — more like their minor-league team, the Marlies, given the lineup — was one of the final chances, and forward Elmer Soderblom and Joe Veleno certainly left another positive impression to think about in the Wings' 4-2 victory....
"That's the goal," said Veleno, of whether he's forcing the Wings to think about keeping him. "With all the new coaches and everything, you want to show your best hockey. Everyone in the room is trying to do that. I want to play with an edge and chip on my shoulder for sure and give them no reason to send me back down.
"I want to stay up here."...
"I just want to play hockey, work hard and have fun with the guys," Veleno said. "The mood in the room is real good. The veteran guys teaching the younger guys the ropes, it's always nice and it helps your confidence level and allows you to play a lot looser on the ice. We're just soaking it in and it's allowed me to play with confidence."...
It was the 6-foot-8 Soderblom's second goal of the exhibition season and again, seemingly, gives the front office and coach Derek Lalonde some cause for deep thinking heading into Monday's 5 p.m. roster submission.
"It's (confidence) getting better every single game," Soderblom said. "I have to keep building on that.
"Everything is faster (in the NHL) and every player is smart as well. You have to be smart, and your hands, and make smart decisions. I'm getting the hang of it single game and it feels better."...
Lalonde liked what he saw Friday from Veleno and Soderblom.
"Both had good games," Lalonde said. "Both of those guys reflected our first 30 minutes, slow, everyone was in a similar boat. But both of those guys had an impact on the game and it's a good sign, a good credit to them."
The way Soderblom navigated to the net, and the nifty shot, was a good sign.
"It is impressive that he has hands in those tight areas, and what was more exciting was it came off a forecheck," Lalonde said.
Below watch post game talk from Joe Veleno, Elmer Soderblom and Derek Lalonde.
Having lost a little weight while adding some muscle seems to have given Veleno a little extra jump. And he's definitely playing with more of an edge.
As for Soderblom, it's crazy how smooth a skater he is and how soft his hands are when he's handling the puck. He just needs to think a littler quicker and play a little meaner to make a real impact at the NHL level.
Same could be said for Edvinsson. He's a joy to watch when he's carrying the puck. He even jumped up into the play a few times when it was appropriate to do that. It shows he has great instincts and hockey sense. He just needs to be more assertive in puck battles.
Personally, I hope all three go to GR to start the season. A line of Veleno, Soderblom and Berggren would be a big plus for the Griffins, especially with Edvinsson playing in the top pairing with someone like Sebrango. Call them up when injuries happen, but let them spend most of the year getting lots of ice time and dominating in the AHL for now.
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