40#1Fan

here's the link: http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/

Nicklas Lidstrom will miss three weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee. In addition, he has taken one test that has shown no signs of a concussion and he will be taking another to verify that. Niklas Kronwall (shoulder) is a possibility for playing Friday night, but he still has to compete in more battle drills at practice tomorrow. Brian Rafalski (groin) is definitely out of the lineup for this weekend. In case Kronwall isn't able to make it back, the Red Wings will recall Jonathan Ericsson from Grand Rapids for their trip to Western Canada. If Kronwall is still shelved, then Ericsson will make his NHL debut Friday. from Red Wing Corner

The Wings have recalled goaltender Jimmy Howard from Grand Rapids because Dominik Hasek is day-to-day with minor inflammation of his hip flexor. They placed Niklas Kronwall on injured reserve, retroactive to Jan. 30, when he suffered a sprained clavicle, to make room for Howard. Chris Osood will start Tuesday in Nashville with Howard dressing as the backup. Howard has appeared in 39 games this year for the Griffins, compiling a 17-19-2 record with a 2.61 GAA and .914 save percentage. He was named the AHL Goaltender of the Month for December when he posted a 1.72 GAA, .939 save percentage, two shutouts and allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of 13 games played. http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...m_griffins.html

from the Detroit News: Just talked to Ken Holland and it doesn't sound there's anything major concerning Hasek at all. The team isn't practicing today so we can't talk to Hasek. Here's the story I filed for the web just moments ago. DETROIT - Relax Red Wings fans, there isn't any serious problem concerning Dominik Hasek. The Red Wings brought up Jimmy Howard from Grand Rapids to back up Chris Osgood in Nashville, because of minor inflammation in Hasek's left hip. But general manager Ken Holland is hopeful Hasek could be back this weekend. The fact we didn't put Dom on injured reserve shows it's not that serious, Holland said. It's something that''s been bothering Dom for a week, or two, and we felt with three days off here, it was a good opportunity to get him healthy. Holland met with Hasek and trainer Piet Van Zandt, and coach Mike Babcock after Sunday's game and a decision to keep Hasek home from the Nashville trip (Hasek was expected to start) was the best decision. This is the second time Hasek will miss a game because of the irritated hip. If this were a playoff game, Dom would be starting, Holland said. Rather than risk anything further, we felt it was best at this time to rest him and get him back to 100 percent. Hasek missed three games (Oct. 28-Nov. 1) earlier this season because of a sore hip. Hasek played Saturday when the Wings lost 3-2 in overtime to Toronto and made no mention of discomfort. Howard had played in 39 games for the Griffins with a 17-19-2 record, 2.61 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Howard was the American League's Goaltender of the Month for December when he had a 1.72 GAA and .939 save percentage, along with two shutouts. The Wings also put Niklas Kronwall (clavicle) on injured reserve in order to bring up Howard.

Nice to see the following comments from an "outsider". from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star http://thestar.blogs.com/thespin/ The NHL is very good at disciplining and suspending its players. Someday, it would be nice to see them apply some performance standards to their on-ice officials outside of firing the ones they don't like at the end of the season. Yesterday afternoon, the Red Wings and Ducks went at it in an humdinger of a hockey game, won 3-2 by Anaheim. The crime, however, was that the Wings clearly scored in the final minute of play on a Nicklas Lidstrom shot from the point that beat J.S. Giguere but had it incorrectly waved off by veteran official Dan O'Halloran. O'Halloran thought he saw Tomas Holmstrom interfering with Giguere, and whistled incidental contact, with no penalty. Holmstrom, however, was clearly outside the blue paint with his back to the Anaheim goalie, setting up a perfect screen, and Giguere moved out and bumped the Detroit player as the puck went by him. Now, it's not as if the Wings need the point, although they've now lost three straight. But it was still their point, and O'Halloran was dead wrong. Even worse, he was clearly calling what he thought he saw, rather than what he actually saw. It was particularly strange given that Anaheim, not Detroit, is one of the most notorious crease-crashing teams in the NHL, and that there was an extraordinary amount of obvious interference by defencemen on forecheckers let go in the game, the same kind of interfererence that the league is permitting to increase in virtually every game these days. If O'Halloran had wanted to call interference, he had a dozen incidents during the contest for which he could have raised his arm rather than on a play on which interference actually didn't occur. Detroit made a great play to set up the game-tying shot, and Holmstrom did a great job NOT to interfere with Giguere. But O'Halloran took it away. Totally blew the call. The NBA has allowed several games to be replayed, including one this year. Wouldn't you love to see the NHL, in this case, rule the goal should have stood and force the two teams to finish the game at a later date? Or to suspend O'Halloran for making such a grievous error? Don't bet on either scenario unfolding, and no one's going to lose sleep because the mighty Red Wings didn't get a point yesterday. But make no mistake about it - they got screwed.

from MLIVE McCarty smiles his way through first practice as a Griffin--a bag skate Posted by George James Malik February 05, 2008 10:38AM Categories: Darren McCarty's come-back attempt, Griffins Darren McCarty was all smiles despite the fact that his first practice with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins was a "bag skate": February 5, Grand Rapids Press: Darren McCarty picked a tough day to join the Grand Rapids Griffins. McCarty officially signed with the team Monday and his first practice at Griff's IceHouse was a grueling 90-minute affair that left many players doubled over, gasping for air at the end of skating drills. "I knew it was going to be a tough day. (Coach Mike Stothers) warned me about it, but I can't think of a better way to come in here," McCarty said with a laugh. "As much as it sucked, I enjoyed it." McCarty figures that the occasional "bag skate" (think "motion discomfort bag") is just part of the process of reclaiming his hockey career and reorganizing his life, and after a solid performance in the IHL, he feels that he's ready to graduate to the next level of professional hockey: "Hopefully I can come in here and bring some experience, do what I do and sort of get my feet back under me," McCarty said. "Get my game back to where I know I can be effective." McCarty said the biggest challenge he still faces is getting back into game shape and bringing his speed back up to the NHL level. "Obviously I'm not where I want to be, but I think being here, practicing, is a perfect fit for me," he said. "It's not the most glamorous or enjoyable part of the game, but being away from it for a year and missing it, the masochist in me will enjoy being around it and doing all the hard stuff." McCarty told the Grand Rapids Press's Michael Zuidema that he wants to help the Red Wings out, and if that means being a good Griffin, it sounds like McCarty would understand if he spends the rest of the 07-08 season in the AHL: "The way I went out in Calgary and really the last few years in Detroit, it really wasn't me, so hopefully I can bring something back that will help bring success to this organization," McCarty said. "I think there's still a little bit of gas in the tank and any way that I can help at any level is what I'm looking forward to doing."

Here's the article from today's Detroit Free Press about Dan: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...384/1053/SPORTS Dan Cleary is about to decide just how much he loves being a Red Wing. Few players have developed chemistry as instantly with a new team as Cleary did. He joined the Wings as an unrestricted free agent in October 2005 after an impressive training camp, and immediately found an easy rapport with teammates that usually takes months to develop. On the ice, he dedicated himself to playing well in his own zone while demonstrating a proven offensive instinct, enough to earn him a two-year extension in summer 2006. That deal was worth $1.325 million, or an average of $662,500. He's approaching free agency again, and the Wings would like to lock him up long term. "We want to find people that fit into our program, at a price that makes sense for the player and the club," general manager Ken Holland said. "We're hoping Dan wants to stay here. We're willing to pay, but if we can't get something done, we'll look at options." That might be necessary. Chicago recently signed Patrick Sharp, a player comparable to Cleary, to a four-year extension worth $15.6 million, or an average of $3.9 million. The Wings aren't going to give Cleary that amount. Not even close. "In a salary-cap world, you have to attach a fair value to a player, and also be prepared to lose players," said Holland, who has backed that up by halting his pursuit, over the years, of Martin Lapointe and Todd Bertuzzi. Holland would like to know where he stands with Cleary before the Feb. 26 trade deadline, because that will help shape what the Wings do. Would the Wings trade Cleary if it appears certain no deal is reachable? Possibly, if the return is another top-six winger with more term on his contract. Cleary admitted it is a subject he thinks about, even though he is trying to leave it to his agent. "I think everyone knows how much I like it here, how much of a fit it is for me," he said. "I really want to be here for a long time, and I believe things will get done." That confidence may ebb as the numbers are laid out before him. The Wings want to get Cleary done at around $2.5 million a season, and in return will offer plenty of term. But do the math in the Sharp deal, and that adds up to Cleary's camp knowing he might make $1.4 million more on the open market this summer. "That's a lot of money," Cleary said. "That's something I would have to talk with my family about and make a decision about. It'd be a tough spot." Others on the team have done so. Nicklas Lidstrom has, for several years, taken $1 million to $2 million less to play in Detroit, because the Wings give him something else he wants. "I've had some discussions with Kenny over the years even before I've signed contracts," Lidstrom said, "and one of the things I've always asked him is, are we going to be competitive? He's always told me they're going to do whatever they can to win here, and that's the main reason why I've wanted to stay. Maybe I could have gone somewhere else and made more money, but this is where I want to play and this is where I have a chance to win." Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Tomas Holmstrom all have made the same decision, but Cleary's situation is different. Lidstrom has made tens of millions during his career. Draper, Maltby and Holmstrom all have had lucrative contracts, too. That isn't the case for Cleary. "Now he's in a situation where this is probably the biggest contract that he is going to sign," Draper said, "so you can understand where he's coming from. But you don't have to tell him. He's been in different organizations, he knows how this organization is run and he loves it here and he is hopeful that something gets worked out." Cleary has established himself as a top-six forward who will play in front of the net on power plays and kill penalties. This season he has shown the one thing lacking last season: consistency. "You kind of saw last year what kind of player he could be," Henrik Zetterberg said. "But this year he's been steady all through the year and really become a good, all-around player for us. Hopefully we can lock him up for many years." That Cleary loves being in Detroit is certain. But at what price?

NEW YORK - Detroit Red Wings centre Pavel Datsyuk was named the NHL's first star of the week on Monday. He led all scorers with seven points (1-6) during three Red Wings victories. Datsyuk was in on all but one of Detroit's goals over that time. Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco was the league's second star of the week while Chris Drury of the New York Rangers was named the third star. Turco helped the Stars complete a three-game sweep of Western Canada. He had a 1.67 goals-against average and .948 save percentage during those games. Drury had six points (4-2) in four games as the Rangers posted a 3-1-0 record. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=228866&hubname=nhl

from the Macomb Daily The good news is that defenseman Niklas Kronwall skated today for the first time since spraining his shoulder last week. And Kronwall will travel with the team to Minnesota to skate some more. The bad news is that after looking at new MRIs yesterday, team doctors have told Kronwall he'll be out longer than the original prediction of 10 days. "It'll probably be a little bit longer than 10 days," said Kronwall. "We'll just have to go from how the rehab goes and how it feels on the ice, try to think positive and go from there. ... Obviously you don't want to do anything stupid to re-injure it and miss more games."

from the Detroit News: DETROIT -- Defenseman Niklas Kronwall will miss about two weeks with a collarbone injury suffered in Wednesday's game against Phoenix. Kronwall was hit into the boards by Phoenix forward Craig Weller in the third period and missed the rest of the game. Tests after the game revealed no fractures, but Kronwall said there was an area that was sprained. "There's no separation and nothing is broken, which is good news," Kronwall said. "The way it felt right away, I felt it could be a lot worse. But it's obviously not a big deal and we have to deal with it and move on." Kronwall was working out Thursday while the Wings practiced and said he'll know more about the timeline to getting back on the ice this weekend. "We'll see how it feels the next couple of days," Kronwall said. The Wings received positive news on defenseman Brett Lebda, who missed Wednesday's game with a sore left wrist. Tests revealed no problems, and Lebda said the wrist gave him no pain during Thursday's practice. With Lebda healthy, and Derek Meech replacing Kronwall in the lineup, coach Mike Babcock said the Wings will not add any player from Grand Rapids.

Report from practice today is that defenseman Niklas Kronwall will be out a week to 10 days with his shoulder injury. There will be no callup from Grand Rapids. Instead, Brett Lebda (wrist) will return to the lineup Friday after a one-game absence. Derek Meech will remain in the lineup for his 12th game of the season. http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20..._hopes_for.html Update from practice: Henrik Zetterberg (back spasms) returned to practice Monday and skated hard, even participating in the sprints at the end of the session. It appears he'll be ready to play Wednesday at home against Phoenix. "It felt all right today. I skated pretty good. It's definitelty going the right way,'' Zetterberg said. "Still have a day tomorrow before we have to make a decision. If it keeps going the way it's going, I'm real positive I'll play on Wednesday.'' Dan Cleary was sporting a black eye from his fight with Chris Pronger last Wednesday but said the swelling subsided in one day and he's ready to play Wednesday. Chris Osgood returned from the All-Star Game and practiced because he hadn't had a good on-ice workout since last Tuesday. He'll start against the Coyotes. The other All-Stars, Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, were given the day off.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...r_zetterbe.html Update from Monday's practice: Henrik Zetterberg's back has flared up on him again, forcing him to miss practice. He's listed as a questionable for Tuesday's game in Los Angeles, and his status for Sunday's All-Star Game is also up in the air. Zetterberg said it was caused by a hit -- he's not sure by who -- late in Saturday's game in San Jose. But he also said it's not as bad the previous flare-up last month, which caused him to miss five games. Mikael Samuelsson also missed practice because of the flu.

some good news on Zetty's back (also posted on the original "back" thread): The Detroit News's Ted Kulfan says that Zetterberg's back issue is neither related to the herniated disc he battled through last season, nor the spasms he suffered in December. It sounds like (and your humble blogger is no doctor) Zetterberg simply got cross-checked and suffered bruising to his lower back: January 22, Detroit News:Zetterberg missed 5 games around the Christmas break because of an aching back after reaching down to pick up his laundry bag. He missed the final 19 games last season with an inflamed disc. Zetterberg said this injury occurred while getting hit late in the third period Saturday in San Jose. He said the pain is in the lower back, but is not related to the disc. This is the second consecutive year Zetterberg will miss the All-Star game. He missed last year's game due to a wrist injury. "Of course I'm disappointed," said Zetterberg after the Wings completed their morning skate. Zetterberg had treatment on his back but hasn't been on the ice since playing Saturday.

The Detroit News's Ted Kulfan says that Zetterberg's back issue is neither related to the herniated disc he battled through last season, nor the spasms he suffered in December. It sounds like (and your humble blogger is no doctor) Zetterberg simply got cross-checked and suffered bruising to his lower back: January 22, Detroit News:Zetterberg missed 5 games around the Christmas break because of an aching back after reaching down to pick up his laundry bag. He missed the final 19 games last season with an inflamed disc. Zetterberg said this injury occurred while getting hit late in the third period Saturday in San Jose. He said the pain is in the lower back, but is not related to the disc. This is the second consecutive year Zetterberg will miss the All-Star game. He missed last year's game due to a wrist injury. "Of course I'm disappointed," said Zetterberg after the Wings completed their morning skate. Zetterberg had treatment on his back but hasn't been on the ice since playing Saturday.

(also posted this in today's GDT due to the Drake update) Henrik Zetterberg said today that he will not play the next two games and has withdrawn from Sunday's All-Star Game because of his sore lower back. Zetterberg also pulled out of the All-Star Game last year due to tendinitis in his wrist. He said he's going to rest during the break and hopes to return to the lineup next week. "I'm disappointed, especially this year after I was voted in (as a starter) by the fans,'' Zetterberg said. "We decided it's best not to go and get this squared away and be healthy for the rest of the year.'' He said his back didn't improve from the day before but that it's not as serious as the flare-up from last month, which forced him to sit out five games. He also said the issue is with his muscle, not a disc. Last year he missed the last 19 games of the season with an inflamed disc. "I'm still positive,'' Zetterberg said. "It's not that I'm really worried that it's going to go as it did last year but you never know.'' Dallas Drake (sore knee) will also miss the next two games as the team has opted to give him more time to heal. Matt Ellis will be inserted into the lineup.

Henrik Zetterberg said today that he will not play the next two games and has withdrawn from Sunday's All-Star Game because of his sore lower back. Zetterberg also pulled out of the All-Star Game last year due to tendinitis in his wrist. He said he's going to rest during the break and hopes to return to the lineup next week. "I'm disappointed, especially this year after I was voted in (as a starter) by the fans,'' Zetterberg said. "We decided it's best not to go and get this squared away and be healthy for the rest of the year.'' He said his back didn't improve from the day before but that it's not as serious as the flare-up from last month, which forced him to sit out five games. He also said the issue is with his muscle, not a disc. Last year he missed the last 19 games of the season with an inflamed disc. "I'm still positive,'' Zetterberg said. "It's not that I'm really worried that it's going to go as it did last year but you never know.'' Dallas Drake (sore knee) will also miss the next two games as the team has opted to give him more time to heal. Matt Ellis will be inserted into the lineup.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/ NEW YORK (January 22, 2008)â€â€Two members of the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducksâ€â€defenseman Scott Niedermayer and forward Corey Perryâ€â€are among five players added to the Western and Eastern Conference rosters for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, Sunday, Jan. 27 at Philips Arena in Atlanta (6 p.m., ET, VERSUS, CBC, RDS, NHL Radio), the National Hockey League announced today. Niedermayer and Perry join their Anaheim teammates, defenseman Chris Pronger and forward Ryan Getzlaf, and the give the Ducks a League-high four representatives on the Western Conference team. Also added to the Western Conference roster is Dallas Stars forward Mike Ribeiro. Named to the Eastern Conference roster are Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas. The players named today replace Colorado Avalanche forward Paul Stastny, Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, Stars defenseman Sergei Zubov, New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur and Penguins forward Sidney Crosby.

Zetterberg officially out vs. LA Posted by George James Malik January 22, 2008 13:31PM The Red Wings' website is reporting that Henrik Zetterberg will miss tonight's tilt vs. the LA Kings: January 22, DetroitRedWings.com: According to Ken Kal, the Wings' radio play-by-play man, Henrik Zetterberg will miss tonight's game against the Kings due to recurring back spasms. His condition will be re-evaluated sometime tomorrow. Zetterberg currently leads the team in scoring with 61 points.

A great place to go downtown is One Fifty (313.964.0150). They have excellent food (burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads) and a great bar. They serve homemade potato chips during happy hour. It's in the John Madden Office Building (150 W. Jefferson), which has a People Mover Stop. It's across from the Hotel Ponchartrain and is within walking distance of The Joe.

From MLIVE (this is just a portion of the actual article): http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2008/01/mu..._potpourri.html Detroit Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios gave his weekly Chelios report to WCSX's JJ and Lynne this morning, and in the 7:18 clip, Chelios hopes that the Red Wings might be in a spell where they're simply tired thanks to the regular-season grind, but he's not pleased with the Wings' PK, and he feels that the only solution is working harder. Regarding Hasek coming in, Chelios says that the Wings gave up a "home run" to Hossa, they turned the puck over, and they tried to do too much individually, so they need to re-focus upon doing things as a team. He says there's no excuse to come back at home and get beat 5-1, but the points are at least going to the other conference. Regarding Marian Hossa, Chelios says that he's almost positive that the Wings' front office is looking at Hossa, among others, as a deadline acquisition. He's a finisher, he's big and strong, and many Wings had a good first half, but if he can fit in and not cost too many prospects/picks/players, he'd be a tremendous acquisition. Chelios doesn't believe that Hossa attempted to audition for a spot with the Wings on Tuesday--he's just a tremendous player;

from the Detroit Free Press: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...6018/&imw=Y DETROIT -- When Atlanta Thrashers Marian Hossa scored three goals in the first 22 minutes against the Detroit Red Wings, he might have been making a sales pitch to Detroit general manager Ken Holland as well as helping his team. Although the Thrashers would still like to re-sign Hossa, the consensus around the NHL is that Hossa wants a change of venue. Maybe he wants to come to Detroit. It sure looked that way to me as I watched Hossa play his best game of the season. The Red Wings would certainly be interested in Hossa, but they might not be first in line because they might not have the assets necessary to get a deal done. My guess for the early favorite for the Hossa sweepstakes would be Anaheim as No. 1 because they have Edmonton's first-round pick this season, plus prospects they can afford to move. There might also be a good fit with Pittsburgh, particularly if Atlanta GM Don Waddell is willing to give Ray Shero the opportunity to negotiate an extension with Hossa, who might be the winger that Sidney Crosby needs to carry the Penguins far in the playoffs. If Shero could be given permission to talk to Hossa, perhaps there could be a way the deal could be expanded to include Jordan Staal, who could be the young star that Atlanta needs. Also don't count out the Ottawa Senators, who understand Hossa's value because he used to play for them, or the Vancouver Canucks, who need scoring. The Boston Bruins are also a possibility. You also can't count out the Red Wings, who wouldn't want to see Anaheim land Hossa. Truthfully, Hossa hasn't played as well as the Thrashers would have liked this season. But he looked dangerous against the Red Wings, who are one of the NHL's best defensive teams. As fun as the Hossa situation is for fans, this is a messy, agonizing dilemma for Waddell. With their win over Detroit, the Thrashers truly can think about winning the Southeast Division. Waddell can't allow Hossa to get away for nothing, but he also has to keep this team in the hunt for a playoff spot. He's going to have to be creative, maybe making multiple deals -- one bringing in prospects and draft picks for Hossa and another bringing in a veteran forward to take his place in the top six or a steady defenseman to solidify the defense.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227284&hubname= Looking to take the work load off Miikka Kirpusoff for the stretch run, the Calgary Flames have signed goaltender Curtis Joseph to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. With half of the season gone, he'll earn about $650,000 for the rest of the year. Joseph, who led Canada to a Spengler Cup victory last month, chose the Flames over the New York Rangers on Monday afternoon and will report to the team on Wednesday. The Flames and Rangers were the frontrunners for Joseph's services over the past week, while the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs also expressed interest. The signing also reunites Joseph with head coach Mike Keenan from their brief campaign with the St. Louis Blues. The 40-year-old appeared in 58 games last season with the Phoenix Coyotes and posted a 18-31-2 record with a 3.19 goals against average, .893 save percentage and four shutouts. He joined the Coyotes in August of 2005 as a free agent. Joseph has played in the NHL for 16 seasons and has a 446-341-95 career record, 2.78 GAA and .907 save percentage with five different teams (St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto, Detroit and Phoenix). He has also appeared in 131 playoff games and has a 62-66 record with a 2.44 GAA and a .916 save percentage. The Keswick, Ontario native recorded his 400th career victory in October of 2005 and trails Terry Sawchuk by one win for fourth place on the all-time list. Joseph entered the NHL in 1989 when he signed with the Blues as a free agent. He played six seasons with the Blues and was later traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He played three seasons with the Oilers before signing as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1998. After four seasons in Toronto, Joseph hit the free agent market again and signed with Detroit, where he played two seasons with the Red Wings. Joesph also was a member of the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympic teams. It is technically Joseph's second stint with the Flames. In June of 2002, the Maple Leafs traded Joseph's rights to Calgary for an eighth round pick in 2004 and future considerations. He hit the free agent market the following week and signed with Detroit.

It took a little longer than he may have hoped, but Curtis Joseph is heading back to the NHL. Sources told ESPN The Magazine's E.J. Hradek that the veteran goaltender has signed a deal with the Calgary Flames. Details surrounding the deal were not disclosed. Joseph became an unrestricted free agent this summer after the Phoenix Coyotes decided not to re-sign him. Joseph continued to work out in the Toronto area before Joseph helped Team Canada win the Spengler Cup in Switzerland last month. TSN of Canada reported Sunday that Joseph narrowed his list of teams to the Maple Leafs, Flames, Rangers and Sharks, but San Jose was no longer interested, according to The San Jose Mercury News. Flames starting netminder Miikka Kiprusoff (22-14-8) has started all but one game (rookie Curtis McElhinney filled in on the other), and signing Joseph gives the Flames an insurance policy in net. Joseph, 40, will be reunited with coach Mike Keenan, who was bench boss and GM of the goalie in St. Louis during the 1994-95 season. Keenan later traded Joseph to the Edmonton Oilers in 1995. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3196152

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...BLOG11/80114045 Red Wings forward Dallas Drake misses practice, expected to be OK January 14, 2008 Wings forward Dallas Drake missed Monday's practice at Joe Louis Arena with a knee injury. The injury occured on the same play that left Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley with a seperated shoulder. Heatley will miss the next 4-6 weeks. "Him and Heatley went flying into the boards and (Drake) smacked up his knee and Heatley smacked up his shoulder," Wings coach Mike Babcock said on Monday. "I think (Drake will) be available for tomorrow but I'm not certain." Wings forward Aaron Downey collided with Kirk Maltby during Monday's practice. He hurt his right knee but said he'd be fine. Babcock agreed: " I noticed he had the trainer out there but it didn't stop activity very long so he's fine."