Training Camp Wrap up — Detroit Red Wings

Following is a quick look at the 2014-15 Pre-Season Training camp for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. It is my goal to provide more in depth daily information, but at this point I am playing catch up.

Here’s how things went leading up to the start of the 2014-15 NHL Season:

Sept. 18 

The Wings opened camp at Center ICE Arena in Traverse City with 66 players — 39 forwards, 20 defensemen and seven goaltenders split into three training camp teams — Team Delvecchio; Team Howe and Team Lindsay.

Bad news on the eve of camp as forward Anthony Mantha, the team’s top pick in the 2013 Entry Draft was sent to the sidelines after fracturing his right tibia during the Prospects Tournament, also played at Traverse City.

Many gave him a good shot at cracking the team’s opening day roster, but he will be sidelined well into the 2014-15 season.

Sept. 22

The Wings made its first roster moves, returning five players to their respective junior clubs. Forward Tyler Bertuzzi returned to the Sudbury Wolves (OHL); forward Zach Nastasiuk to the Barrie Colts (OHL) and forward Dominic Turgeon to Portland Winter Hawks (WHL). Also, defenseman Marc McNulty was returned to the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) and defenseman Mitchell Wheaton to Kelowna Rockets (WHL).

With the roster moves 36 forwards, 18 defensemen and seven goaltenders remain in camp.

On the same day, the Wings released forwards Hayden Hodgson, Jerome Verrier, Brandon Robinson, Darby Llewellyn and Blake Clarke along with defensenab Tyl Stanton and goaltender Lucas Peressini.

This brings the roster total fo 31 forwards, 17 defensemen and six goaltenders — 54 players.

Detroit 2 at Pittsburgh 1

The Wings opened the pre-season with a hard fought victory in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

Both teams scored once in the opening period, Tomas Tatar getting the Wings on the board with his powerplay goal from Pavel Datsyuk just before the halfway mark and Beau Bennett responding for the host Penguins about three minutes later from Taylor Chorney and Brandon Sutter.

Datsyuk added another powerplay goal 3:55 from the end of the second period from Niklas Kronwall and Darren Helm and that was the game’s final goal.

Petr Mrazek (20:00 10/10) and Jimmy Howard (40:00 25/26) split the work in goal for the Wings while Marc-Andre Fleury (40:00 18/20) and Matthew Murray (18:50 7/7) each had a turn for the Penguins.

Sept. 23

Pavel Datsyuk suffered a shoulder injury in the first game and estimated he would be out of the lineup for a week or so. He was scheduled to have an MRI to make sure.

Detroit 1 at Chicago 2 

The second game was similar to the first although this time the Wings were on the opposite side of a 2-1 decision in Chicago and this time it also went to overtime.

Luke Glendenning scored what would be the lone Wings’ goal with a tip in 5:59 into the game with assists for Danny DeKeyser and Jakub Kindl.

Patrick Kane tied the score from Brad Richards and Duncan Keith 2:37 from the end of the second period and that was all of the scoring until Jonathan Toews ended the game 3:01 into overtime with his overtime tally, tipping in a shot by defenseman Duncan Keith.

Scott Darling (31:14 8/8) and Corey Crawford (31:47 13/14) split the work in goal for the Hawks while Jonas Gustavsson (40:00 11/12) and Petr Mrazek (23:01 6/7) both had a stint between the pipes for the Red Wings.

Sept. 24

The MRI for Datsyuk showed a more serious injury that should sideline the playmaker for four-five weeks.

Sept. 25

The Wings had its official groundbreaking ceremony on the new $450 million arena.

“It’s going to be incredible for the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan and for the Detroit Red Wings and our fans,” said Wings General Manager Ken Holland.

The target for opening is July 2017.

Chicago 2 at Detroit 3

The Wings broke into the pre-season win column on home ice and never trailed in the game.

Tomas Tatar deflected the lone first period goal home with help from Jonathan Ericsson and Riley Sheahan and that lead stood up all of the way to the third period.

Tomas Nosek doubled the Wings’ margin with his backhand goal from Justin Abdeklkader and Andrej Nestrasil in the first minute of the third and the Hawks finally got on the board with a Bryan Bickell wrister about six minutes later.

Nestrasil restored the two goal margin with 8:08 to play with assists to Nosek and Abdekader. The hawks rounded out the scoring as Garret Ross put in a backhand shot with just 50 seconds to play in the contest.

Jimmy Howard picked up the win in goal with 26 saves and Black Hawks got a split effort from Antii Raanta (31:23 21/22) and Michael Leighton (27:47 17/19).

Sept. 27 

The Wings assigned forward Matek Tvrdon along with goaltenders Jared Coreau and Jake Paterson to Grand Rapids while also releasing forward Tyler Barnes and defensemen Nathan Paetsch and Brennan Evans.

That cuts the Wings’ roster to 29 forwards, 15 defense and four goaltenders — 48 players in total still in camp.

Boston 3 at Detroit 1

The Wings fell short in a rematch with last season’s opening round playoff opponent, the Boston Bruins.

After a scoreless first period, the Bruins opened the scoring with a goal from Dougie Hamilton early in the second.

Landon Ferraro tied it up just past the halfway mark of the period with a snapshot, assisted by Brendan Smith and teams were even at 1-1 heading to the third.

Former Wings player Ville Leino scored the game winner with a snapshot 4:40 from the final buzzer and Brad Marchand sank a wrist shot into an empty goal with 20 seconds remaining.

Jeremy Smith (20:00 8/8) and Tukka Rask (40:00 14/15) split the work in goal for the Bruins while Jonas Gustavsson went the distance for the Wings, handling 20 of 22.

Sept. 29

Toronto 0 at Detroit 3

A 27-save shutout effort from Petr Mrazek helped the Wings boost its pre-season record to 2-3 on home ice.

After a scoreless first period, Nick Jensen’s slapshot on a Wings’ powerplay from Kevin Porter and Andrej Nestrasil 8:58 into the middle frame stood up as he ultimate game winner.

The Wings carried the 1-0 cushion into the final period then got goals from Riley Sheahan on a powerplay and Tomas Jurco into an empty Leafs’ goal to clinch the win. Assists went to Ryan Sproul, Xavier Ouellet, Sheahan and Alexey Marchenko.

James Reimer handled the goaltending work for the Leafs who outshot the Wings 27-16.

Oct. 1

Pittsburgh 2 Detroit 0

The Wings found themselves on the other side of a shutout on home ice to open the month of October, Marc-Andre Fleury backstopping his team with 25 saves to pick up the win.

Blake Comeau scored the game’s first goal 7:04 into the middle frame and Oskar Sundqvist had the other in the sixth minute of the third.

Jimmy Howard went into the crease for the Wings, stopping 31 of 33 Penguins shots.

Oct. 2 

Wings assign forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Colin Campbell and Martin Frk along with defensemen Mattias Backman, Richard Nedomoiel adn Richard Sproul to Grand Rapids. Also, the Wings returned defenseman Joe Hickets to Victoria Royals of the WHL and released forwards Shane Berschbach, Aiden Hirschfield and Mark Zengerle.

With these moves, the training camp roster now stands at 39 players.

Oct. 3

Wings assign forward Louis-Marc Aubry and goaltender Tom McCollum to Grand Rapids and place Pavel Datstyyuk on seen-day IR retroactive to Sept,. 22 and Andy Miele on the non-roster IR. These moves leaf the Wings Training Camp roster at 34 players.

Detroit 1 at Toronto 5

The Leafs made up for the Wings’ earlier win with a lopsided victory on home ice.

Jake Gardiner opened the scoring for the Leafs 9:19 into the contest but Xavuer Ouellet evened the score with his wrist shot goal with 3:48 to play, from Daniel Cleary and Stephen Weiss.

The Leafs moved into the league again just 14 seconds laster with t agoal from Brandon Kozun then got second period goals from Dion Phaneuf and James van-Reimsdyk in the second and one more from Phaneuf in the final period.

Jonathan Bernier picked up the win in goal handling 20 of 21 shots and Jonas Gustavsson went in for the Wings, stopping 31 of 36.