Each and every one of the Red Wings’ beat writers filed notebook articles discussing Tyler Bertuzzi’s return to the Red Wings’ lineup this evening vs. Pittsburgh (7:30 PM EDT start on Bally Sports Detroit/NHL Network/97.1 FM):
- The Free Press’s Helene St. James leads off our Bertuzzi round-up with the following:
Tyler Bertuzzi is one of the Detroit Red Wings’ most important players, and getting him back before the start of the season is important.
Bertuzzi was on the roster for Thursday night’s exhibition lineup, his first appearance since leaving Jan. 30 with a sore back. Bertuzzi tried for months to return to the lineup, but the pain never receded and he wound up undergoing back surgery in April. He was cleared to play in training camp, but didn’t make it onto the roster until the penultimate exhibition game.
“There’s going to be some frustration and a whole bunch of emotions going through my head, but I’m happy to be out there and take it game by game and eventually I’ll be back to where I was,” Bertuzzi said after Thursday’s morning skate.
Bertuzzi thrives on playing an abrasive style; he’s at his best buzzing around the opponent’s net and grinding foes into the boards. He already had five goals among seven points when he was lost for the season; that was just in seven games.
“Bert wins stick battles, Bert has the puck in the O-zone, has the puck around the net, is real smart defensively,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He just has to do what he does to get himself back into it.”
2. The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan continues the narrative…
Being physical is a huge part of Bertuzzi’s playing style, so there will be a transition period to feeling confident consistently hitting opposing players again. But Bertuzzi wasn’t going to go out of his way Thursday to look for contact.
“It’s going to come throughout the game; I’m definitely not going to be going around looking for it,” Bertuzzi said. “It’s hockey. It’ll happen, stuff around the net, and I’m looking forward to it happening, getting bumped and getting my timing back.”
Bertuzzi feels having two preseason games and a week’s worth of practices should put him in good shape heading into the Oct. 14 regular-season opener against Tampa.
“It’s going to have to be,” Bertuzzi said. “It’s going to take a little more than these two games, but these games will be very helpful. Having a week of practices will be good with the team; I know we’ll be battling and working hard and getting ready for Game 1.”
3. As does MLive’s Ansar Khan…
Blashill said Bertuzzi’s surgery wasn’t exactly the same procedure Danny DeKeyser had. It took DeKeyser 15 months to get comfortable after being scratched for a couple of weeks early last season due to strength issues.
“(DeKeyser’s) strength in his legs was affected more than Tyler’s is,” Blashill said. “Danny’s (return) didn’t have to do as much with rust as in strength and power with his legs. It took some time once we sat him out to build that back up. He worked hard at it and is closer to where he used to be.
“I don’t think Bert has had nearly the same effect from it. It’s more rust. Certainly, you have to manage expectations for guys who haven’t played in a while. There’s also a psychological effect. You go out and play and you worry a little bit about getting hurt. It’s hard to get past that psychological part, but in order to be effective you have to play a certain way.”
4. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen also reported about Bertuzzi’s return…
He’s going to play on a line with Pius Suter and rookie standout Lucas Raymond.
This is an important game for Raymond. Blashill hopes to have his roster set going into the weekend. Raymond, with six points, has a good chance to earn a spot on the roster.
Blashill said he will wait and see what happens tonight before making any decision about whether Bertuzzi will play one more preseason game before the opener.
“He just needs to do what he does and get himself back into it,” Blashill said.
Tyler Bertuzzi, 26, started strong last season with five goals in his first nine games before the injury sidelined him.
“There is a lot of pieces of your body that are connected to your back,” Blashill said. “There is a confidence level…that you have to get to and it doesn’t come easy.”
5. And DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears wraps up our round-up:
In hockey, and with Bertuzzi specifically, physicality is a big part of the game. And that first hit will come and go.
“I think (contact’s) gonna come throughout the game,” Bertuzzi said. “I’m definitely not gonna be running around looking for it, but it’s hockey. It’s gonna happen around the net and stuff like that.”
He ended that answer by repeating that he was looking forward to playing – a phrase with which he ended four of his answers during a six-minute session with media after the Red Wings’ morning skate, but not his last.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “Little bit nervous, haven’t been nervous for a game in a long time. I’m excited to be out there with the guys, get back into it.
“Just kinda ease back into it and have fun playing.”
Hi George, as I understand it, Bert won’t be able to travel to Canada to play since he isn’t vaccinated. I saw today that Kyrie Irving won’t be able to play in NY since he isn’t vaccinated. If it is the city that prevents it, it seems that Bert might not also be allowed to play in NY or LA (who I heard also passed a similar rule). Have you heard anything about this? If true, Bert might not be playing even more than we thought. Thanks for your insight and all your hard work.
Hi, David,
The NBA has applied for a national interest exemption in Canada, affording their unvaccinated players an opportunity to play in Canada, but the NHL did not apply for such an exemption. So Bertuzzi will not be able to play in Canada, and possibly New York as well. I’ll look into the situation!
Actually it looks like a negative test is all that is needed to play in LA. Not sure about NY yet