<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings 5/27/2009</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:30:25 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:30:25 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Helm's OT goal puts Red Wings back in Cup finals]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT(AP) -- Darren Helm and Dan Cleary are far from marquee
players for the Detroit Red Wings.

The banged-up Red Wings, playing without stars Nicklas Lidstrom
and Pavel Datsyuk, needed Helm and Cleary to eliminate the
Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals
Wednesday night.

Helm scored 3:58 into overtime, and Cleary had a goal in the
third period in the defending champion Red Wings' 2-1 victory
over Chicago that set up a Stanley Cup finals rematch with
Pittsburgh.

"We lose guys and we keep getting the job done," defenseman
Brett Lebda said.

Detroit won 4-1 in a series that needed overtime in three of the
last four games.

"We blew them out one game, but by no means was it easy," said
goalie Chris Osgood, who made 30 saves.

The Red Wings and Penguins, coming off a four-game sweep over
Carolina in the East, will open the championship series Saturday
night in Detroit.

The series will start nearly a week ahead of schedule because
NBC and the NHL didn't want a long layoff to stunt the
excitement about the matchup.

One of the intriguing stories will be Detroit's Marian Hossa
playing against the team he left behind as a free agent. Hossa
turned down a long-term, lucrative deal from the Penguins last
summer for a one-year contract because he believed the Red Wings
had a better shot to win it all again.

"It's a unique situation right now, definitely this doesn't
happen often," Hossa said. "I try to make the best of the
situation for myself and try to help the team win a Cup."

The Red Wings are matching up with Pittsburgh in what is the
NHL's first Stanley Cup rematch since the Edmonton Oilers beat
the New York Islanders in 1984 after losing to them the previous
year.

"To have the opportunity against Pittsburgh should be a lot of
fun," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "There will be a lot of
hype."

The Red Wings, the first defending champion to get back to the
finals since New Jersey in 2001, are trying to become the first
team to repeat since they accomplished the feat in 1997 and '98.

In the Western Conference finale, both teams were missing key
players.

Detroit was without six-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman
Lidstrom; his replacement, Jonathan Ericsson; MVP finalist
Datsyuk; and four-time Cup-winning forward Kris Draper.

"Everybody picked up the slack," said 47-year-old defenseman
Chris Chelios, who played only because Detroit's blue line was
so thin.

In addition to Khabibulin, Chicago faced elimination - for the
first time this postseason - without star forward Martin Havlat.

Goalie Cristobal Huet kept the Blackhawks in the game, but a bad
bounce for them and a fortunate one for Detroit ended the game.

Detroit sent the puck behind Huet, Tomas Holmstrom got it across
the crease after the carom and, after fanning with a shot
attempt from the edge of the crease, Helm was credited with the
series-clinching goal after it went in off his skate.

"Those are the kind of goals you score in the later stages in
playoffs," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We got hemmed
in their end. It was a tough one."

Despite helping Chicago reach the playoffs for the first time
since 2002 and the conference finals for the first time since
1995, Jonathan Toews took the season-ending loss hard.

"It's pretty hard kick to the ribs," Toews said. "It stinks
quite a bit, but maybe it's the motivation and experience we
needed."

Cleary opened the scoring 6:08 into the third period, and
Chicago's Patrick Kane tied it with 7:07 left in regulation with
his first goal of the series.

Huet made 44 saves for the Blackhawks. He forced overtime with a
spectacular stop from his stomach, lifting his right leg to
knock away Johan Franzen's shot in the closing seconds.

"He played great," Quenneville said. "He is to be commended. The
game he played kept us in it."

Notes: Ericsson was a surprise scratch, needing surgery after
being diagnosed with acute appendicitis following the morning
skate. The Red Wings expect the rookie to return for Game 1
against Pittsburgh. ... Lidstrom was out with an undisclosed
injury, and Datsyuk missed his third straight game because of a
foot injury. ... Havlat was shook up in each of the last two
games by hard hits and Khabibulin left Game 3 with a lower body
injury. ... Quenneville fell to 0-5 against the Red Wings in the
playoffs and they hope a trend continues. After beating a
Quenneville-coached team, Detroit hoisted the Cup last year, in
2002, 1998 and 1997. ... The Red Wings are an NHL-best 8-1 in
the playoffs at home this year.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/99618-Helms-OT-goal-puts-Red-Wings-back-in-Cup-finals</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/99618-Helms-OT-goal-puts-Red-Wings-back-in-Cup-finals</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2009 11:02:49 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Blackhawks-Red Wings Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

DETROIT (AP) --  The Red Wings did just fine without Nicklas
Lidstrom. Now they don't want to push their luck.

Detroit routed the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1 Sunday and took a 3-1
lead in the Western Conference finals. It was the only playoff
game Lidstrom missed in his career.

Rookie Jonathan Ericsson filled in for the six-time Norris
Trophy-winning defenseman, and the defending champions didn't
miss a beat. Still, as well as Ericsson played, Detroit hopes it
won't have to replace Lidstrom again in Game 5 on Wednesday
night with a chance to reach the Stanley Cup finals.

"It's way easier to replace quality players in the short term
than it is in the long term because everyone can lift their
level for a period of time," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said
Tuesday. "But, how you gonna play like Nick every night? I
haven't seen anybody play like Nick every night, except Nick."

Babcock said Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk were feeling better, but
the team planned to wait until both got a chance to skate before
the game to decide whether they will play.

Lidstrom missed Game 4 with an undisclosed injury. Datsyuk, an
MVP finalist, has been out the past two games with an injured
foot.

Babcock cut off a question about resting the players with a 3-1
series lead.

"If they're ready, they're playing," Babcock insisted.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said his team would wait until
game day to determine if No. 1 goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and
leading scorer Martin Havlat will be on the ice to help avoid
elimination.

Havlat returned to the lineup Sunday, two days after a jarring
hit from Detroit Niklas Kronwall, but was limited to fewer than
eight minutes because he was checked hard by Brad Stuart.

Khabibulin has been out since playing the first two periods of
Game 3 because of a lower body injury. He was replaced by
Cristobal Huet, who allowed five of Detroit six goals in Game 5.

"We've found ways to play great without some of our best players
all year," Chicago star Jonathan Toews said. "We've missed guys
like Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp and we found ways to win
without those guys. We have to do the same thing (Wednesday)
night. There is no excuse."

If the Blackhawks did make excuses, the banged-up Red Wings
wouldn't want to hear them.

Detroit has played in this series without two of its best
players and four-time Cup-winning forward Kris Draper because of
injuries.

Brian Rafalski missed six games earlier in the playoffs, Tomas
Kopecky has been sidelined since the second round and Andreas
Lilja has been out the entire postseason because of various
ailments.

When the Red Wings found out they would be without Lidstrom and
Datsyuk in Game 4, they didn't flinch.

"I don't think there was any doubt we would win without those
two," Rafalski said.

Ericsson replaced Lidstrom, pairing him with Rafalski, and was
solid in place of a player with a franchise-record 228 games of
postseason experience.

"I wouldn't say I took his spot," Ericsson said. "Everybody is
just trying to fill in with Nick, Pavel and Drapes out."

Valtteri Filppula has four points in the past two games, filling
in for Datsyuk.

"Even though they might be missing some of their top players,
they have that depth and have that experience," Toews said. "We
definitely can't expect an easy game.

"They are going to be determined to close it out. But we're not
going anywhere. We're positive and optimistic about our
situation, although a lot of people may not be."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nhl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/99379-Blackhawks-Red-Wings-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nhl/news/99379-Blackhawks-Red-Wings-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2009 21:16:49 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
	
			
	</channel>
</rss>









