Such A Beautiful Day!

So. A pretty good game: Detroit wins, 4-1. The Dominator just missed getting his eighth shut-out on the year by letting in a goal with less than two minutes left in the game. Oh, well.

Detroit looks to be playing well, but all is not well with the team. Specifically: injuries. Nick Lidstrom sat out today’s game with lower back problems, but he’s expected to return shortly. Much more worrisome is the loss of defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who will probably be out for the rest of the season. Detroit is struggling with these injuries:

The Wings also will be missing defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom for today's game against the Blue Jackets. Lidstrom has a lower back strain, but isn't expected to miss an extended amount of games.

Defenseman Brett Lebda has missed the past three games with a concussion, but will return to face the Blue Jackets today. Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg has been out with an inflamed disk, though general manager Ken Holland expected him to play in a couple of games before the playoffs start.

Forward Tomas Kopecky, out since Dec. 14 with a broken collarbone, learned earlier this week that his injury hasn't completely healed. The Wings decided not to chance further injury and decided Kopecky would not return to the lineup.

[…]

"The playoffs are about adversity," Holland said. "We obviously have gone through some bad luck here recently."

Injuries, and dealing with them, test the mettle of any sports team. It’s particularly heartbreaking for the Wings to see so many injuries, so close to the play-offs. But the good news is the Wings are stepping up and playing well through the adversity. The fact the Wings are the beneficiaries of a “favorable” schedule (read that as: weak…one more game against Columbus, two against Chicago) for their remaining games helps a lot, too. The odds are pretty good the Wings will win the West, if not the President’s Trophy.

The play-offs begin next week. I am SO stoked!

My ‘net connection has gone wonky on me this afternoon. So this is all ya get, as surfing is painfully slow at the moment. I may or may not be back today. The weather is just so danged good at the moment (71 degrees, bright sunshine, and light winds) that I’m gonna get out in it… Later for the ‘net!