Predators Vs. Red Wings, 2012 NHL Playoffs Game 5: Nashville Wins 2-1, Clinches Series

For the first time since 2006, the Detroit Red Wings lost in the opening round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. A third period goal from the Nashville Predators broke a tie, and held up as the game-winner in a 2-1 victory on Friday night.

Detroit struggled to create scoring chances throughout the game and went 0-2 on the power play. When the Wings did manage to get a shot on goal, they found it incredibly difficult to beat Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne, who turned away 22 shots and allowed just one goal.

David Legwand broke the tie just 13 seconds in the third period. Alexander Radulov fed the puck into Detroit's zone, and Gabriel Borque skated in on Jimmy Howard. The puck bounced backward where Legwand found it and flicked it in with the slightest wrist shot.

From there, Rinne took over.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. For more on the Nashville Predators, head over to On The Forecheck. More on the NHL in general as the playoffs continue can be found over at the SB Nation dedicated NHL hub.

Red Wings Vs. Predators: Detroit Faces Elimination In Game 5

The Detroit Red Wings head into Game 5 of their series with the Nashville Predators down 3-1 and facing an early elimination from the playoffs.

Red Wings Vs. Predators Game 4 Final Score: Detroit On Brink Of Elimination After 3-1 Loss

The Detroit Red Wings lost a very frustrating Game 4, 3-1, and have fallen behind in the first-round series 3-1 with Game 5 returning to Nashville on Friday.

The Red Wings dominated the first two periods, outshooting the Predators 28-10, but had absolutely nothing to show for it. In the third period, the Predators took advantage of their opportunities, while the Red Wings continued to come up empty on the majority of theirs.

Gabriel Bourque scored the game's first goal less than two minutes into the third, taking advantage of a lucky bounce off a Wings defender. Here it is:

The Wings finally turned on that light behind the goal, answering Bourque's goal with a power-play goal from Jiri Hudler moments later to tie the game at 1-1:

The game-winning goal by the Predators' Kevin Klein came a little over three minutes later, though -- after Hudler hit the post -- on a play that's pretty hard to put into words... Watch:

David Legwand added the cherry on top at 19:21 when he simply slapped at Dan Cleary's stick as he was trying to escape from behind the Wings' net and the puck slipped through Jimmy Howard's legs. We have video of that disappointment, too:

Game 5 is on Friday with the puck dropping at 8 p.m.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Hal Gill Injury: Predators Defenseman Out For Game 4

Once again the Nashville Predators will be without defenseman Hal Gill. He has yet to play a game since inuring his lower body while blocking a shot on April 5 and will miss Game 4, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

Trotz says Hal Gill (lower body) is improving, but is not in tonight for Game 4.

— Helene St. James (@freepwings) April 17, 2012

The veteran Gill played in 23 games for the Predators after starting the season with the Montreal Canadiens. He had 13 points this season.

Without Gill, Nashville will look to get a road win to push the series score to 3-1 against the Detroit Red Wings. The Predators won Game 3 on Sunday by a score of 3-2.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Red Wings Vs. Predators: Detroit Looks To Even Series In Game 4

Trailing 2-1 in the series, the Detroit Red Wings are in need of a victory over the Nashville Predators in Game 4 on Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.

Detroit Red Wings Call Up 11 Grand Rapids Griffins For Remainder Of Playoffs

The Detroit Red Wings called up 11 players from the Grand Rapids Griffins Monday to join the team for the remainder of the playoffs, according to Peter Wallner of MLive.com.

The players will practice with the team and, although eligible to play, they likely will just absorb the playoff experience... They trail the series 2-1. The Griffins’ regular-season ended Sunday without a playoff berth.

The 11 players are Tom McCollum, Travis Ehrhardt, Garnet Exelby, Doug Janik, Brian Lashoff and Brendan Smith, Joakim Andersson, Louis-Marc Aubry, Fabian Brunnstrom, Francis Pare and Tomas Tatar.

The Red Wings host the Nashville Predators in game four of the Western Conference quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. EST Tuesday. Detroit lost on its home ice, 3-2, in the game three.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Hal Gill Injury: Predators Defenseman Questionable For Game 4

The Detroit Red Wings are down 2-1 in their opening playoff series against the Nashville Predators, and things aren't likely to get any easier. Not only are they down Darren Helm for the remainder of the playoffs, but the Predators' Hal Gill could be returning soon. He's officially questionable for the fourth game of the series, according to the Detroit Free Press:

Trotz on Hal Gill: "He skated today, is day-to-day. Stayed out for quite a while." Questionable for Game 4 (lower body)

— Helene St. James (@freepwings) April 16, 2012

Gill was injured in the final game of the regular season, when he blocked a shot from Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray (who is no slouch at hitting the puck very, very hard) and hasn't played at all in the playoffs. Gill is a very good defenseman, and his absence has hurt the Predators, so if he's set to return, that could be bad news for the Red Wings.

That being said, if he misses more time, that's more opportunities for the Red Wings to take advantage of a Predators defense that is stretched thin. As it stands, Gill is day-to-day and when game four comes along, he'll likely be a game-time decision for Nashville.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

2012 NHL Playoffs, Predators Vs. Red Wings Final Score: Detroit Downed By Nashville In Game 3, 3-2

The Detroit Red Wings couldn't overcome a poor start on Sunday and fell 3-2 to the Nashville Predators in Game 3 of the first round. A Henrik Zetterberg goal with just 53.1 seconds remaining offered hope for a late Red Wings comeback, but it was not to be.

Detroit, trailing 2-1 after two periods, actually outshot the Predators 12-0 during a 12-minute stretch to open the final period, but they could not beat goaltender Pekka Rinne during that stretch. Rinne finished the day with 41 saves on 43 shots and continued his rock-solid series between the pipes.

The game-winner was sent in by Sergei Kostitsyn, who scored his fourth career playoff goal, and his first of 2012, on a wrist shot that beat goalie Jimmy Howard high (video below) on a broken defensive play by the Wings.

Despite the home loss and unfortunate sting of going down 2-1 in the series, the Red Wings played a strong game down the stretch and controlled the puck arguably as well as they have all season. Detroit nearly doubled Nashville's shot attempts, 43-22, and will need to keep peppering shots at the net in order to get the best of Rinne in the next couple games.

The two teams will suit up for Game 4 of the series on Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.

For more on the Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. For more on the Predators, check out On The Forecheck. For more coverage of the 2012 NHL Playoffs, head over to SB Nation's NHL hub.

2012 NHL Playoffs, Red Wings Vs. Predators Game 3: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Red Wings exacted the best kind of revenge on Friday night in Nashville, taking back to Detroit an even series and home-ice advantage going into the third and fourth gamest. Todd Bertuzzi and Shea Weber dropped the gloves in the first period, in which Ian White and Cory Emmerton scored goals to give the Red Wings a two-goal lead going into the second period. Johan Franzen, as he's done all season, then scored the game-winner in the second period. The Red Wings were able to hang on in the third, 3-2, despite several opportunities for the Predators.

Here's how you can catch Game 3:

Matchup: No. 4 Nashville Predators at No. 5 Detroit Red Wings

Location: Detroit, Michigan, Joe Louis Arena

TV: NBC

Game Time: 12 p.m. ET

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. For more on the Nashville Predators, check out On The Forecheck. For more on the NHL as the playoffs continue, check the SB Nation NHL hub.

Red Wings Vs. Predators, 2012 NHL Playoffs Game 2: Detroit Exacts Revenge In 3-2 Win

The Detroit Red Wings had a singular purpose on Friday: get even. After losing Wednesday's opener of their first-round playoff series with the Nashville Predators, the Red Wings needed a win, lest they return to Detroit down by two games. A win is exactly what Detroit got, beating the Predators by a final score of 3-2 and tying up the series at 1-1.

Getting even started with an opening bout between Todd Bertuzzi and Shea Weber. Bertuzzi found Weber in the corner and dropped the gloves less than two minutes into the game. Weber entered the night with a target on his back after an ugly incident in which he punched Henrik Zetterberg in the back of the head and then rammed his melon into the glass. In an indictment of the NHL's player discipline system, Weber received only a $2,500 fine.

Detroit took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Ian White and Cory Emmerton. In the second period, they added another one, as Johan Franzen answered for the Predators' first goal of the game.

The only goal in the third period came from Weber, of all players, when he backhanded the puck into the net with five minutes left to play.

The real star of the night was goalie Jimmy Howard, who helped the Red Wings kill off six Nashville power plays. Howard turned away 24 of 26 shots, including 21 over the final two periods.

On Sunday, the best-of-seven series returns to the Motor City for Game 3.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. For more on the Nashville Predators, check out On The Forecheck. For more on the NHL as the playoffs continue, check the SB Nation NHL hub.

2012 NHL Playoffs: Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist Will Make Playoff Debut In Game 2; Hal Gill Out Again For Predators

Red Wings rookie Gustav Nyquist will make his NHL playoff debut in place of injured forward Darren Helm, who underwent season-ending surgery to repair torn tendons in his right forearm, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com.

Nyquist had a goal and six assists in 18 games during the regular season.

"Helm's out and you can't really replace a guy like him,'' Nyquist said. "I just got to play my game, get in on the forecheck, get some speed and bring some energy.''

Predators defenseman Hal Gill tested his lower-body injury in a skate-around Friday morning but will not return for Game 2. Via the Associated Press:

"I’m going to give it some more time," Gill said. "I don’t think at this point I can help the team. We have some good players that could play so I’ll let them go."

Nashville coach Barry Trotz said he would warm up seven defensemen again before deciding on a replacement for Gill. Ryan Ellis could be a possibility to make his postseason debut to help a power play that went 0 of 6 in Nashville’s opening win.

Gill has played the second-most postseason games of any active NHL defenseman.

Nashville won Game 1, 3-2.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. For more on the Nashville Predators, check out On The Forecheck. For more on the NHL as the playoffs continue, check the SB Nation NHL hub.

Red Wings Vs. Predators: Detroit Looks To Hit Back After Game 1 Loss To Nashville

The Red Wings will face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoff series on Friday. Detroit lost the first game 3-2 in Nashville.

NHL Playoffs 2012: Henrik Zetterberg Thought Hit By Shea Weber Was Dirty

Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber received a meager fine Thursday for an unsuccessful sucker punch and grabbing Henrik Zetterberg's head and throwing it into the boards. Given all the concerns with head injuries in sports today, he probably should have been punished more severely, but alas, he was not.

Thankfully, Zetterberg was not hurt, despite his helmet being cracked, and he will be fine for Game 2 on Friday night. Zetterberg won't speak to whether or not Weber should have been suspended, but he made it abundantly clear that what Weber did was bush-league:

"I thought it was dirty,'' Zetterberg said. "I think it was directed toward my head and if you look at what’s happened over the last few years with all of the head injuries I think that should not belong in the game." [...]

When he saw it on tape Weber grabbing the back of head and driving it into the glass, Zetterberg said, "I thought it looked bad, but I guess it wasn’t bad enough."

Former Red Wing and now NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan suggested that Zetterberg's health was a factor in deciding whether or not to come down with a stiffer penalty.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Darren Helm Injury: Gustav Nyquist To Fill In For Injured Forward

Now that Darren Helm will miss the rest of the playoffs due to a sliced forearm suffered minutes into Game 1, which required surgery, the Red Wings will be recalling 22-year-old Gustav Nyquist from their farm club in Grand Rapids [via MLIVE]:

Nyquist will make his NHL playoff debut Friday night at Bridgestone Arena, where he'll play on the Red Wings' third line in the spot vacated by Darren Helm, who was lost for the season in Game 1 after suffering a cut on his left forearm that required surgery. [...]

Nyquist played most of the season with the Red Wings' top farm club in Grand Rapids, where he set the Griffins' all-time rookie scoring record with 22 goals and 36 assists in 56 games.

Drew Miller will move to the fourth line to make room for Nyquist. Nyquist was called up earlier this season a couple times and finished the season with the team. He had a goal and six assists in 18 games.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NHL Playoffs 2012: Predators' Shea Weber Fined $2,500 For Henrik Zetterberg Hit, No Suspension

It looks like Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators will have to pay for his actions on Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings. Weber has been fined by the NHL $2,500 for grabbing Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg and slamming his head into the glass. The $2,500 is the maximum allowed as per the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, but at the same time, it does seem a little low given the fact that intent is unquestionable here.

Rather, the lack of a suspension of any sort is the curious part. A total of 46 games were missed due to players suspended during the regular season and preseason for "illegal hits to the head." That's not including 71 games missed for things like boarding, charging and checking from behind - which can often result in hitting one's head. Another note: it also doesn't include multiple games missed due to players suspended for head-butting.

Then you have the fact that the hit to the head fines are much lower than, say, fines you can get for questioning the NHL, yelling at officials or being "insensitive." At any rate, Weber has been fined and Zetterberg is likely good-to-go for game two, so in the end, minimal harm was actually done.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Darren Helm Injury: Red Wings Center To Miss Remainder Of NHL Playoffs

The Detroit Red Wings announced on Thursday that center Darren Helm had successful surgery to repair lacerated tendons in his right forearm, following a nasty cut from a skate in the first period against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. Helm was cut was cut badly in a collision and immediate skated quickly to the bench, tossing off his glove, and did not return to the game, which ended in a 3-2 loss for Detroit.

You can see how it happened here, courtesy of Travis Hughes of SB Nation.

Helm is expected to make a full recovery, but the team also announced that he would be out for the remainder of the playoffs, regardless of how far the team happens to make it. The injury is worse for Helm as it was his first game back since suffering an MCL sprain against the San Jose Sharks in the regular season that made him miss a handful of games. He was only on the ice for 3:08 against the Predators on Wednesday night.

It's going to hurt the Red Wings, who are now behind in the series and without the solid depth that Helm provided. Still, they've got back to being healthy in most areas, which is a relief given how injury plagued they were over the second half of the regular season.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

VIDEO: Shea Weber Goes All WWE On Henrik Zetterberg

NHL Playoffs 2012, Red Wings Vs. Predators Final: Detroit Thwarted By Nashville In Game 1

After decades of dominance that afforded them a primrose path through the postseason, the Detroit Red Wings found out how exceedingly difficult it is to open a playoff series away from home on Wednesday and fell to the Nashville Predators 3-2 in a tight game.

The night marked the return of Red Wings forward Darren Helm, who was expected to provide a major boost to both Detroit's power play and penalty killing units after missing time with a knee injury. But a freak injury that saw an errant skate slash Helm's wrist ended his evening after just 3:08 on the ice, and he was immediately transported to a nearby medical center for tests. He might miss a significant amount of time.

A Tomas Holmstrom goal with 2:07 remaining in the final period gave the Red Wings plenty of hope by making it a one-goal game, but Detroit could not beat a top-form Pekka Rinne despite having the puck in the zone with a man advantage for essentially the entire final minute.

The two least penalized teams in the NHL during the regular season combined to commit a whopping 15 penalties throughout this game and routinely allowed their opponent a man advantage.

The series will pick back up again on Friday at Bridgestone Arena for Game 2, a game that Detroit will desperately need to win to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole.

For more on the Red Wings, head over to Winging It In Motown. For more on the Predators, check out On The Forecheck. And for more 2012 NHL Playoffs coverage, be sure to check out SB Nation's NHL hub.

Darren Helm Injury: Red Wings Forward Leaves Game 1 Against Predators

For as hard as he worked to ensure that he was back on the ice for the postseason, Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm had a scary moment before he could even get situated, and left Wednesday's game with Nashville in the first period with an apparent arm injury. The Detroit Free Press' Helen St. James tweeted the official report that Helm would not be coming back, playing just 3:08 of ice time before the injury bug big again.

Announcer Ken Daniels revealed that Helm was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center immediately for tests, as it appeared that he was sliced on the wrist by an errant skate in a collision along the boards. Helm reached for his hand and wrist area right away after the contact, and went directly into the locker room. Stay tuned with SB Nation Detroit as we await word on Helm's condition.

For more on the Red Wings, head over to Winging It In Motown. For more on the 2012 NHL Playoffs, check out SB Nation's NHL hub.

NHL Playoffs 2012: Darren Helm, Dan Cleary To Play For Red Wings In Game 1

The Detroit Red Wings are getting set to kick off their playoff series against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, and there's some interesting and pertinent injury news prior to game one. According to a Tweet from John Niyo, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said that Darren Helm will be playing in the game.

That's a contrast to what's been said for the last week or so, with all indications being that Helm wouldn't be ready for game one, but possibly good-to-go for game two. His presence will be good for the Red Wings, who struggled mightily with injuries over the second half of the season.

It also looks like Dan Cleary is good for game one, according to another Tweet from Niyo. Recent reports suggested that Cleary would be ready in game one, but the conformation is now there. With Cleary in, and Riley Sheahan, Jan Mursak and Chris Conner out for sure as healthy scratches, that means the last forward spot is down to Gustav Nyquist and Cory Emmerton.

As far as injury news on the flip-side is concerned, there is one significant mention for the Predators: defenseman Hal Gill. He's got a lower-body injury and missed team drills on Tuesday, and was apparently injured when he blocked a shot from Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray in a game on Thursday.

The Detroit Free Press had the news that Gill will be a game-time decision. It'd be a significant loss for the Predators if he's unable to go, even if it's just one game. Either way, we'll know the status of him shortly before the game at 8:00 p.m. eastern on Wednesday.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Red Wings Vs. Predators: NHL Playoffs Begin As Detroit Visits Nashville

The Nashville Predators will host the Detroit Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena in the first game of their 2012 NHL Playoff series on Wednesday.

2012 NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings Open Playoffs Against Nashville Predators Wednesday

The fifth-seeded Detroit Red Wings head to Nashville Wednesday night to take on the fourth-seeded Predators in the opening round of the NHL playoffs.

Detroit coach Mark Babcock believes the key will be the play of goaltender Jimmy Howard. Via the Associated Press:

"Our goaltender was outstanding for us for a long time and then hurt for a long time. It looks like he's on his way back," Babcock said. "He's going to have to look at the guy across in net and outplay him."

Predators goalie Pekke Rinne led the NHL with 43 wins in the net, while facing more shots than any other goaltender in the league. Howard, meanwhile, won 35 games with a 2.13 goals against average and a save percentage of 0.92. He missed time due to injury, but if Howard is healthy he is a very good goaltender.

The Red Wings and the Predators split the season series 3-3, but the Predators will have home ice advantage after securing the four seed. Detroit has lost 10 of its last 14 games, while Nashville has won six of its last eight games.

For more on the National Hockey League playoffs, head over to the SB Nation NHL hub.

NHL Playoffs 2012: Dan Cleary Expected Back Wednesday, Darren Helm For Game 2

The Detroit Red Wings just got their first skate in since finding out their schedule for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They've got a tough first-round matchup in the Nashville Predators, and need to get all hands on deck to make it out of said first round. Well, the good news is that the Red Wings made it through another practice without any other players getting hurt. The bad news is that Darren Helm is officially out for game one, according to Ansar Khan on Twitter:

Helm said he's not playing Game 1 but hopeful for Game 2.

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) April 9, 2012

Helm has been skating since Thursday, and is dealing with a sprained knee. In slightly better news, the Red Wings will likely have Dan Cleary back in action on Wednesday for game one, as Tweeted by the official Red Wings account. Cleary was held out of a recent game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

That appeared to be more of a maintenance day, as Cleary likely could have played. The 33-year-old right winger definitely needs his rest though, as he's suffered multiple nagging injuries throughout the season. Still, to hear he's likely ready to go for game one can only be a good thing for Detroit.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Race To The Cup Begins Wednesday

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin on Wednesday, April 11. There's plenty of story lines to go around -- aren't there always in the Cup playoffs? -- as a couple of big underdogs going into the season have picked up high seeds including the Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes. Neither of those teams have ever won a Stanley Cup but with home ice they could get their first big shots.

Of course, the old powers are still sticking around like the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. As we all know, anything can happen in the Stanley Cup playoffs so you never know who will emerge from the scrap to make the second round. The race to the Cup begins begins on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET when the Flyers and Penguins face off in Pittsburgh.

Here's all of the match ups for the first round of the playoffs:

Western Conference

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings
The Canucks won the Western Conference after destroying for most of the year, had a bit of a lackadaisical spell for a while and then promptly turned the heat back on before the playoffs began. The Kings barely scraped into the playoffs in a multi-team race that included the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.

No. 2 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 San Jose Sharks
Very few people expected the Blues to explode to the top spot in the Central division, but they did it and did it with style. Brian Elliot finally seems to have evolved into the goaltender that Ottawa thought he had the potential to and their offense and defense look great.

No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks
This is probably the most likely upset special in the first round for the West. After their cup win in 2010, the Blackhawks lost some key players but still have their solid and talented core. Phoenix are getting hot at the right time though.

No. 4 Nashville Predators vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings
Detroit should probably be much higher in the standings after setting the NHL record for most home wins in a row this season, but had an awful March filled with injury that doomed them to the fifth seed. With a pretty bad road record recently, they could have trouble with Nashville getting home ice.

Eastern Conference

No. 1 New York Rangers vs. No. 8 Ottawa Senators
The Rangers surprised a lot of people by getting 109 points in the regular season, but did lose two straight going into the playoffs. Ottawa has gotten decent goaltending from Craig Anderson en route to their playoff berth along with a very spread out team game otherwise.

No. 2 Boston Bruins vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals
The defending cup champs still have one of the best goalies in the league in Tim Thomas along with their stifling defense and efficient offense. Washington have something to prove after a disappointing year, but they'll need to be at their best if they want to show the world they're better than they showed in the regular season.

No. 3 Florida Panthers vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils
Florida came very close to suffering a late season collapse and missing their division title, but managed to hang on and should be a team to watch out for in the playoffs with their underrated offense. Of course, New Jersey is full of guys who have been here before.

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers
The Penguins may be a four seed, but they got Sidney Crosby back and that can't be understated. Crosby helped lead the Pens to a cup a few years ago and he can do it again if he gets hot at the right time. The Flyers are one of the most complete teams in the league but need Ilya Bryzgalov to look like the Bryz of old if they want to make a run.

For more on the National Hockey League playoffs, head over to the SB Nation NHL hub.

NHL Playoff Schedule 2012: Detroit Red Wings Vs. Nashville Predators

The 2012 NHL playoff schedule was just announced by the league. We now know that the first-round series in the Western Conference between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators will start on Wednesday, as rumors previously suggested. Game 2 of the series will take place on Friday before the series shifts to Detroit for the third and fourth games on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. If necessary, Game 5 will be held on April 20, while Game 6 will be on April 22 and Game 7 is scheduled for April 24.

Here's a look at the full schedule (all times Eastern):

Game 1: Red Wings at Predators - Wednesday, April 11, 8 p.m. (FS Detroit, CNBC, CBC)

Game 2: Red Wings at Predators - Friday, April 13, 7:30 p.m. (FS Detroit, CNBC, CBC)

Game 3: Predators at Red Wings - Sunday, April 15, 12 p.m. (NBC, CBC)

Game 4: Predators at Red Wings - Tuesday, April 17, 7:30 p.m. (FS Detroit, NBC Sports Network, CBC)

*Game 5: Red Wings at Predators - Friday, April 20, 8 p.m. (FS Detroit, CNBC, CBC)

*Game 6: Predators at Red Wings - Sunday, April 22, TBD

*Game 7: Red Wings at Predators - Tuesday, April 24, TBD

*If necessary

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

2012 NHL Playoffs: Bracket, Matchups Set For 1st Round

The regular season is officially in the books and the matchups are officially set for the 2012 NHL playoffs. The first round begins on Wednesday, and over the course of the next couple months, one of the best events in sports will take place as 16 teams try to capture the Stanley Cup.

Here's a breakdown of the first-round matchups in each conference:

Western Conference

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings

No. 2 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 7 San Jose Sharks

No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 6 Chicago Blackhawks

No. 4 Nashville Predators vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings

Eastern Conference

No. 1 New York Rangers vs. No. 8 Ottawa Senators

No. 2 Boston Bruins vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals

No. 3 Florida Panthers vs. No. 6 New Jersey Devils

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Philadelphia Flyers

The NHL playoff bracket is reseeded after each round. If the Red Wings win and the top three seeds in the Western Conference advance, for example, Detroit would take on the Canucks in round two.

The 2012 NHL playoff schedule will be announced on Sunday afternoon.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

2012 NHL Playoff Schedule To Be Announced Sunday Afternoon

The NHL has sent out a release announcing that the 2012 playoff schedule will be made public on Sunday afternoon. Specifically, the schedule will be announced on NHL Network and NHL.com at 1 p.m. ET. The announcement will let fans know the dates, start times and TV schedule for the first round of the playoffs.

For the Detroit Red Wings' series against the Nashville Predators, there are rumors that it could start on Wednesday.

This is pure rumor but hearing that the Wings will play Wednesday/Friday.The WED game will make Bruce fans in DET happy as he plays Thurs!

— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) April 7, 2012

If the first two games of the series are indeed on Wednesday and Friday, then Game 3 -- the first game in Detroit -- would likely be set for Sunday or Monday.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NHL Playoffs 2012: Dan Cleary Expected Back For Game One, Darren Helm For Game Two

The Detroit Red Wings know that they're going to play the Nashville Predators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, now they just need to get healthy. The last couple months of the season was exceptionally rough for them, with injuries to Joey MacDonald and Darren Helm among others - not to mention Jimmy Howard's broken finger and subsequent groin injuries.

Well, they are getting healthier as the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach. The official Twitter account mentioned both Dan Cleary and Darren Helm in an injury update:

Babcock said he expects Dan Cleary back for Game 1 and Darren Helm, perhaps, for Game 2.

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 7, 2012

Cleary was held out of the team's game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, but it appears that it was more of a "maintenance" day for the 33-year-old right winger. He's been injured off and on throughout the season, with lingering rib and knee injuries. Helm is dealing with a sprained knee, and was skating as early as Thursday.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

NHL Playoffs 2012: Red Wings Will Meet Predators In Round 1

The Detroit Red Wings came back from a 2-0 deficit on Saturday afternoon against the Chicago Blackhawks to force overtime. The Red Wings went on to lose in a shootout, meaning they finished the regular season with 102 points. The shootout loss also means that the Red Wings clinched the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, matching them up with the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2012 NHL playoffs.

Had the Red Wings won Saturday's game against the Blackhawks, they would have needed a loss later in the day by the Predators to clinch home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Had Detroit simply lost in regulation, the Red Wings would be heading west to take on the champion of the Pacific Division. That would have provided a better matchup, but at least this way the Red Wings don't have to travel quite as much.

Here's a look at the top eight of the current NHL standings (only the Red Wings and Blackhawks have completed the regular season):

1. Vancouver Canucks (109 points)
2. St. Louis Blues (107)
3. Phoenix Coyotes (95)
4. Nashville Predators (102)
5. Detroit Red Wings (102)
6. Chicago Blackhawks (101)
7. Los Angeles Kings (94)
8. San Jose Sharks (94)

The Red Wings will play in Nashville for the first two games of the playoffs. The series will then shift to Detroit for Game 3 and Game 4. If necessary, Game 6 will be played in Detroit and Game 5 and Game 7 will be in Nashville.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. For more on the NHL's playoff race and more, head over to the SB Nation NHL hub.

NHL Standings 2012: Red Wings Need To Win To Get Home Ice

The Detroit Red Wings are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference with a game to play and need both a win and a Nashville loss to improve to fourth.