Tuesday-Wednesday catch-up post of doom

I apologize for the lack of content on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday: Aunt Annie and I both contracted a very bad flu bug, and both of us spent both days in bed due to nasty fatigue, body aches, fever and chills and the usual flu-related symptoms.

I’m still sick, honestly, but I can sit up, and Tylenol Cold helps me feel at least somewhat human, so here we are.

As a result of my illness, I was unable to cover the vast majority of the Red Wings season previews, and we have an extra hour before the Red Wings play tonight, so:

Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings successfully waived and then sent Austin Watson to Grand Rapids for the present moment;

MLive: Ansar Khan wrote a season preview article which discussed the Red Wings’ desire to make the playoffs this season;

Khan discussed the Red Wings’ three-goaltender system;

Khan offered a take as to how the Red Wings can overcome both the goals-for they lost during free agency and the goals against which they suffered last season by committing to team defense;

Khan reported that the Red Wings’ power play is still being tweaked;

He confirmed that Austin Watson was sent to Grand Rapids, and that tonight’s game starts at 8 PM, not 7 PM;

And Tyler Kuehl wrote a Grand Rapids Griffins season preview;

Detroit Free Press: The Free Press’s Helene St. James discussed the Red Wings’ in-flux power play units;

St. James discussed the Red Wings’ belief that, this season, they can prove that “this is their time” to make the playoff cut;

St. James asked every Red Wings player what their “cheat day” food is;

And Eric Guzman confirmed the time for tonight’s game;

Detroit News: Ted Kulfan confirmed the time change for tonight’s game;

Coach Derek Lalonde explained to Kulfan why the team is going with a 22-man roster;

Kulfan posted a lengthy NHL preview;

Meet the Red Wings!

Kulfan confirmed that Husso starts tonight;

Kulfan offered keys to a fast start and a sustainable pace of play;

And Penguins color commentator Phil Bourque appears on the latest OctoPulse podcast;

Detroit Hockey Now: In tangential Red Wings news, James Reimer was claimed from the Buffalo Sabres by the Anaheim Ducks on waivers;

Jakub Vrana also signed with the Washington Capitals;

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard confirmed that he wanted to play in Sweden over the AHL, as Kevin Allen noted, and Bob Duff reported that MBN will start his SHL campaign on Saturday;

Duff discussed Ville Husso’s status as the #1 goaltender…to start…

Duff reported that the Red Wings are ready for their challenging early-season schedule;

Kevin Allen discussed what the Wings must do to prove predictions of their imminent demise wrong;

And Allen noted that Husso’s starting for now;

The Athletic: Max Bultman discussed the Red Wings’ difficult road toward making the playoffs;

And Dom Luszczyszyn and Scott Wheeler offer “contention windows” for each team;

The Hockey News: Connor Eargood wonders what might be next for one Marco Kasper;

Sam Stockton reported that Brandsegg-Nygard insisted on playing in Sweden this upcoming season (which he did);

Eargood reports that there are 34 former Red Wings picks or free agent signings on NHL rosters not named Detroit;

Stockton spoke with Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond about their decisions to re-sign with the team as restricted free agents, and the processes which they went through along the way;

Stockton confirmed that Husso starts tonight;

Stockton and I have both reported that Max Plante of the University of Minnesota-Duluth is out for 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury;

And Eargood posted a Wings-Penguins game-day notebook.