Red Wings: DeKeyser suffers injury to lower left leg

Tonight, the Wings play their third game in three nights as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

DeKeyser underwent further testing at the Detroit Medical Center today to determine the extent of the injury.

Mike Babcock refused to get in a war of words Thursday when it was mentioned that his former boss, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, had thrown down a friendly gauntlet for the Maple Leafs head coach on his return to Detroit.

He guided Detroit to winning the Stanley Cup in 2008 and then reached Game 7 of the Cup finals the following year. “It definitely shows in myself that hard work pays off. I’ve been fortunate that the team’s been patient with me to kind of give me the opportunity to be in that role”. Petr Mrazek played the entire 60 minutes for the Red Wings and turned aside 36 shots on goal. The team got just 24 shots on net being outscored by the Blackhawks who had 31 total. “Obviously I’m seven years older than when I first started all this. It will really only be four [games] at max really for most of the guys, maybe five, sometimes three so we’ll manage that part of it. I think guys have been around and know what they need to do to be ready so I’ll lean on them a little bit on how many they want to play so we’re sure that they can come into game one ready to go”, said Blashill.

“I think both of them have played really, really well”, Blashill said. I dont know if thats good or bad.

McCollum admitted there were times during his years of struggle when he wondered whether he’d ever get things straightened out and put himself back on the path that made the Wings believe he was worth the 30th overall pick in his draft year. Blashill, who played goalie for Ferris State from 1994-98 and coached for the Bulldogs shortly thereafter, is finishing up coaching the last games of the preseason for the winged wheel before the team’s season opener on October. 9 at Joe Louis Arena.

Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen (upper-body injury) has been skating lightly the past few days and is listed as day-to-day.

Forward Darren Helm, who suffered a concussion and slightly dislocated shoulder on the first day of training camp on September 18, is expected to resume stating this weekend or early next week. “Helmer will not get a game before the regular season”. “I think the year that we spent together I learned a lot, an expediential amount, whether it was from Mike or just being around this organization. Hes tried to help players become better players and thats his way of doing.