The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton filed a game-day notebook which discusses Simon Edvinsson’s absence from the Wings’ blueline for the weekend:
Detroit was forced to finish Wednesday night’s win over the Flyers without defenseman Simon Edvinsson, and the Red Wings will have to make due without him again this evening. After morning skate, coach Derek Lalonde ruled Edvinsson out for tonight’s game and tomorrow’s (the second leg of a home-and-home against Montreal at the Belle Centre), saying the 21-year-old Swede could be available for Monday’s game but adding “that would be a tall ask too.” Lalonde did express a general optimism that Edvinsson wouldn’t be out long after the three-day holiday break in the middle of next week.
Of Edvinsson’s absence, Lalonde also said, “Great opportunity for our other D to step up. When we had lost Simon on the West Coast trip in Anaheim there, we didn’t handle it very well. We didn’t perform great on the back end. And even the other night when he was out, some things found us.”
…
Albert Johansson (a healthy scratch the Red Wings’ last two times out) will fold back into the lineup. When asked what he’s looking for from the rookie, Lalonde said, “Consistency in his game. I had liked Albert his last couple games out. He had a stretch of hockey there where some things were finding him. That was a tough West Coast trip for him, but he’s bounced back from that and was good, so I’m fully confident he’ll have some more consistency in the game. Things we saw in camp, things we saw last year, his ability to move the puck, just some confidence and some assertiveness in his game. And some consistency with it.”
Stockton also adds the following:
As Detroit looks to build on its first real momentum of the season, Lalonde is emphasizing defense and puck management. “We’ve won three of our last four,” he pointed out. “The one loss in there was a game in which we gave up a lot of easy offense, and that was in Philly. So I just think it’s us managing it. For the most part this year, we’ve been responsible in that area—not giving up easy offense, not giving easy rush, not getting into that track meet type of game. But I just think it’s us managing the game through the puck, through our play of being above.”
