ESPN.com IllustrationTBD by editor
25. "Bases Loaded"
System: NES
Year Released: 1988
Superstar Status: First time I saw a batter charge the mound after getting beaned in "Bases Loaded," I was hooked. Sure, the game was the most realistic brand of baseball released to consoles at the time, but it was figuring out the specific events needed in order to charge the mound that kept me glued to my Nintendo for hours. "You knew that 'Bases Loaded' was well received by Nintendo owners because it generated plenty of phone calls and letters -- and this was back before the Internet, so you really had to be interested in a game to try and contact the company that made it," Mike Meyers, who was Jaleco USA's product and public relations manager at the time, says. "Our No. 1 question was 'How do I start the bean-ball brawl?' That was one of the hidden little tricks in 'Bases Loaded' -- you could bean the opposing cleanup hitter a couple times in a game. By the third time, the hitter got so angry he'd storm the mound and start a fight -- and then get thrown out of the game."
In addition to the flying fists, "Bases Loaded" was also the first sports video game to use in-game advertising. Jaleco president Howie Rubin says: "We put the Wilson glove and logo in the game and on the game box. We got paid in Michael Jordan and Walter Payton sports posters that we gave away to customers who completed a survey. I think we gave away 50,000 posters & 45,000 more than Wilson expected to give away."
5. "WWF No Mercy"
Systems: N64
Year Released: 2000
Superstar Status: If jumping off ladders and smashing opponents through the announcers table wasn't enough, "No Mercy" introduced backstage brawls that let The Rock smash jabronis with pool sticks. Oh, you didn't know? It still hails as the greatest multiplayer wrestling game ever created.
"The game obviously came out back when WWE was at one of its most popular times, and I think that really helps this game grow in legendary status, because when you look at the roster, it's stacked," said WWE Games creative director, Cory Ledesma. "It's one of those games that had a lot of depth to it, so you can spend a lot of time learning to master, but it catered really to the casual audience. I knew a lot of people who played the game back then, and they weren't even wrestling fans, but they had an N64 and 'No Mercy' was one of the most fun games available for the system. Whether you liked wrestling or not, this game bridged the gap.
"The game did a lot of new things that other wrestling games just didn't do at the time. It had a lot more match types. You were able to grab weapons from the ringside barricade. It had a create-a-superstar mode that featured just a phenomenal amount of moves. AKI at the time was really great about having not just the moves from the WWE roster but some really cool moves from Japan and other federations that really added a lot to your created characters."
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HOWARD, ZETTERBERG AND YAKUPOV NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ OF THE WEEK
NEW YORK (April 29, 2013) – Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard , Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg and Edmonton Oilers right wing Nail Yakupov have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending April 28.
FIRST STAR – JIMMY HOWARD, G, DETROIT RED WINGS
Howard posted a 4-0-0 record, 0.75 goals-against average, .969 save percentage and two shutouts in four starts to backstop the Red Wings to their 22nd consecutive postseason berth, the longest active streak in all of North American major professional sports. He opened the week by stopping all 34 shots he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes April 22.
Howard then made 23 saves in a 3-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Kings April
24 and 20 stops in a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators April 25. He closed the season by recording 17 saves for his League-leading fifth shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars April 27. The 29-year-old Syracuse, N.Y., native played in 42 games this season, compiling a 21-13-7 record with a 2.13 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
SECOND STAR – HENRIK ZETTERBERG, C, DETROIT RED WINGS
Zetterberg led all skaters with 10 points and eight assists in four games, guiding the Red Wings to the seventh seed in the Western Conference in his first season as the team’s captain. He also paced the League with five power-play points (0-5—5) and ranked second with a +6 rating.
Zetterberg collected a season-high three assists in a 4-0 win over the Phoenix Coyotes April 22. He then posted a pair of helpers against both the Los Angeles Kings April 24 and Nashville Predators April 25. Zetterberg finished the week by totaling three points (2-1—3), including the game-winning goal, in Detroit’s playoff-clinching 3-0 triumph over the Dallas Stars April 27. The 32-year-old Njurunda, Sweden, native played in
46 games this season and led the Red Wings with 37 assists while ranking second on the team in points (48) and game-winning goals (5).
THIRD STAR – NAIL YAKUPOV, RW, EDMONTON OILERS
Yakupov scored an NHL-best six goals in four games to help the Oilers finish the season with a pair of victories. He was held off the scoresheet in a 3-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks April 22, but bounced back with his 12th goal of the season in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks April 24.
Yakupov then totaled five goals in the final two games of the season, scoring a pair in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild April 26 and recording his first career hat trick in a 7-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks April 27. The 19-year-old Nizhnekamsk, Russia, native played in 48 games this season and led all rookies with 17 goals and 31 points.
The sting of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs is never sweet, but for the 14 teams that missed the cut in 2013, there is some solace to be found in one of the deepest and most talent-rich draft classes in the past 10 years. And the spoils could be particularly sensational for the Colorado Avalanche, who earned the No. 1 overall pick following the NHL Draft Lottery on Monday night.
This marked the first year under the new CBA that all 14 non-playoff teams were eligible to win the No. 1 overall pick via the draft lottery. The Avs jumped over the Florida Panthers for the top pick despite the Panthers having the best odds (25 percent) of selecting first. In my opinion, the swap at the top makes little difference, as both the Avs and the Panthers will get their first choice among these prospects. Of course, it makes it easy to say that since this year's class is loaded.
My peers in the scouting business have been buzzing about this draft class since they started viewing these prospects as underagers. There is enough talent -- not only at the top, but throughout the class -- that the 2013 draft could directly change the face of one or two franchises and turn poor or average teams into contenders in a short period of time. The player pool is that deep and that good.
Based on my knowledge of team needs, their prospect pipelines and my evaluations of this year's prospects, here is a look at how I see the draft potentially unfolding. Keep in mind this is an art more than a science, especially since there are major debates still within scouting rooms that will be sorted out with final meetings scheduled. And let's not forget there are three new general managers whose draft preferences we've yet to learn about ... and that number of new GMs might yet grow before draft day. This is a projection based on the best available information I have. And -- as I often remind people -- Rule No. 1 for most draft rooms is "Take the best player on the board." Rule No. 2 for most draft rooms is "Take the best player on the board." Teams will not overreach to accommodate a need -- particularly a need on the current NHL roster.
That said, let's take a look at where the Avalanche and the rest of the teams in the lottery might turn their attention.
MORE NHL DRAFT CONTENT:
NHL Draft Blog | Top 50 Prospects | Top 5 Gs
Pick analysis: It's pretty likely that Jones will either go No. 1 or No. 2, but I don't see him slipping by the Avs. There's an obvious lack of depth at the position in this organization, coupled with the fact that Jones could easily be a No. 1-overall pick in many draft classes. Colorado has plenty of young bright stars at the forward position, with Gabriel Landeskog (1st round, 2011), Matt Duchene (1st round, 2009) and Ryan O'Reilly (2nd round, 2009). Jones could play this fall based on his physical skills and size, but they might want to look at their current roster and remember how forcing a young D-man into the league can work against a prospect's development. Erik Johnson (the Blues' No. 1 overall pick in 2006) has never lived up to his billing. That said, Johnson could certainly help guide Jones through the pressures of being a top pick and could end up being very important to Jones and his development. I believe Jones has the ability to rise above adversity he encounters, though.
The selection of Jones would be too perfect. Back when the Avs won the Cup in 2001, Seth was at the game with his father, Popeye, then playing with the NBA's Denver Nuggets. It was Avalanche legend Joe Sakic who recommended to Popeye that Seth start taking skating lessons. As Sakic's name continues to be mentioned in connection with a front-office position in Colorado, wouldn't it be something if his first notable move was to reap the benefits of the advice he gave Popeye nearly 12 years ago?
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DALLAS -- New Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill talked a lot about culture change Monday. He wasn't ready to discuss a coaching change.
Nill was formally introduced by the team after spending the past 15 years as an assistant GM with the Detroit Red Wings, who just extended the longest playoff streak in North American pro sports to 22 seasons.
Glen Gulutzan has coached the last two of five straight years without a trip to the postseason in Dallas. The Stars hold the option on the only remaining year in his contract.
Nill, who signed a five-year deal, says he wants to meet with everyone in the organization, Gulutzan included, before addressing a possible change.
"Right now, we've got a head coach," said Nill, who was in Detroit's front office for nearly 20 years. "I need to sit down with him."
When Stars owner Tom Gaglardi announced the firing of Joe Nieuwendyk on Sunday, he had already hired the 55-year-old Nill. A journeyman player for nine seasons in the NHL, Nill built his reputation in scouting and managing the minor league teams.
The top four scorers for the Red Wings, led by Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, were drafted and developed under Detroit general manager Ken Holland and Nill. The fifth -- Damien Brunner -- was signed as a free agent out of Switzerland.
Once Gaglardi decided to make a move, the search got real short when he found out Nill was interested after turning down numerous opportunities in previous years.
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The Dallas Stars have fired Joe Nieuwendyk as general manager, the team said Sunday.
Two sources told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun the Stars have hired Detroit assistant GM Jim Nill to replace Nieuwendyk.
"I believe it is time to take this organization in a different direction with our intentions set on returning to the elite of the National Hockey League," Stars owner Tom Gaglardi said in a statement.
TSN earlier reported the move Saturday before the Stars hosted Nill's Red Wings to wrap up their regular season.
Gaglardi said in the news release that a news conference would be held Monday at noon ET to introduce the new hire, though it wasn't revealed who that would be.
"My commitment to the Dallas Stars is unwavering," Gaglardi said. "And I am confident we have found the right general manager to return us to the pathway of success."
The Stars (22-22-4) missed the playoffs this season for a fifth consecutive year. Nieuwendyk, a Hockey Hall of Fame player inductee, was named the Stars GM in May 2009.
Nill has been one of the NHL's most respected assistant GMs for a long time. He's spent 15 years as the assistant GM in Detroit and 19 years overall with the front office.
The future of coach Glen Gulutzan wasn't addressed by the team in its statement. Dallas holds an option for a third season for Gulutzan, who is 64-57-9 in his two seasons after ending the lockout-shortened season with a 3-0 home loss to Detroit. The Stars dropped their last five games and won only once in their last seven after a five-game winning streak.
When asked about his job after Saturday night's game, Gulutzan said that wasn't under his control. He did praise Nieuwendyk.
"...the place where Nieuwendyk might feel the most heat is in hiring coaches. He fired Dave Tippett when he took over the Stars, and Tippett went on to be named Coach of the Year and take Phoenix to the 2012 Western Conference finals. Nieuwendyk hired Marc Crawford to a three-year deal but fired him after two. When looking for Crawford's replacement, Nieuwendyk passed on Ken Hitchcock, who went on to be named Coach of the Year with St. Louis ..."
Nieuwendyk has one year remaining on his current contract. Ahead of the Saturday's season finale, Stars owner Tom Gaglardi wouldn't offer any hints as to potential changes in store for his club.
"When you miss by just a few points, you're going to look at a lot of areas and say, 'If we just could have gotten those points,'" Gaglardi said. "But the bottom line is we weren't a good enough team, and we didn’t do enough. So now we all need to get together and figure out what went wrong and address it."
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Imagine that: Jackets, Stars still in mix
Johnson was taking time before the Blue Jackets boarded their flight to Dallas, where they will play one of the most important games in the 13-year history of the franchise.
Did the defenseman stay up late the previous night to watch the Stars and Sharks play in San Jose?
Nope, Johnson said, explaining that because of the time change, he was in bed and waited until the morning to find out that the Stars had allowed two goals in a 30-second span in the third period en route to a 3-2 loss.
Surely the Blue Jackets were planning to gather en masse to root for the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night when they visited the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena?
Well, Johnson said, he supposed if the game was on in the restaurant where they went for dinner, they'd keep an eye on the score. And of course guys would be keeping up to date on the game with their smartphones.
But as for gathering in one giant circle of nail-biting hockey players sticking pins in their Red Wings voodoo dolls ... uh, no.
That game, won impressively by the Red Wings 3-1, was beyond the control of the Blue Jackets.
Thursday's game in Dallas? That's something they can control.
"We're all very aware of what needs to happen for us and what's going on," Johnson said.
But, he added, "we have to win our last two games. At the end of the day, that's all we can control."
Detroit's win moved the Red Wings ahead of Columbus into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 52 points, one more than the Blue Jackets. The Minnesota Wild are still in the mix, one point ahead of Detroit, while Dallas (48 points) has the biggest challenge of those still in the hunt for a postseason berth.
All four teams have two games remaining, including Thursday's now-monster clash between Columbus and Dallas in Big D. The fact that both the Stars and Blue Jackets can still discuss the postseason at this late date is something of a minor miracle and adds an upbeat backdrop to the game.
The Stars have missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, and when general manager Joe Nieuwendyk dealt veterans Derek Roy, Jaromir Jagr and Brenden Morrow during the trade deadline period -- all of whom were set to become unrestricted free agents this summer -- it appeared the team was conceding that this would mark five in a row without a postseason game.
But role players such as Vernon Fiddler and Cody Eakin, who came to Dallas in the Mike Ribeiro trade last summer, have provided key production, while veteran Ray Whitney, back from injury, has rewarded the Stars' faith (they signed the soon-to-be 41-year-old to a two-year deal last summer) with much-needed leadership. Goalie Kari Lehtonen, also just back from an injury, has been solid as the Stars have kept a playoff drive alive far longer than expected.
Going 0-2-1 on their current road trip means the Stars' margin for error is zero, but they play at home Saturday night against the Red Wings, and if they can beat Columbus and get some help from the Nashville Predators, who play both Detroit and Columbus, perhaps it will mean something -- indeed, everything.
Columbus, on the other hand, was again trending toward a top draft pick in another desultory season that included the introduction of new team president John Davidson and the midseason firing of GM Scott Howson, who was replaced by Jarmo Kekalainen.
Suddenly the culture around the team shifted and coach Todd Richards began to receive consistent, hardworking performances from a hard-skating, forechecking team that might be short on flash but is long on grit. That, coupled with all-world goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, now a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy and a dark horse to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP, has seen the Blue Jackets go 17-5-4 since the beginning of March.
"We've got a lot of new faces here, and we really wanted to make sure the mindset and the goals of the team changed," said Johnson, who became a Blue Jacket at last year's trade deadline, when he was acquired from Los Angeles in a deal that saw Jeff Carter go to the Kings.
In the past, the goal seemed to be about getting into the playoffs, but that seemed shortsighted, Johnson said.
"Your goal should be to win the Stanley Cup because, truthfully, if you don't win the Cup, you haven't won anything," he said.
So the Blue Jackets, who have qualified for the playoffs just once in franchise history and were swept in that appearance, started thinking big, not letting a big deficit in the standings affect their level of play.
"I'm sure some teams didn't take us seriously that should have," Johnson said. "I wouldn't trade this group of guys in our room for anything."
After Thursday's game, the Blue Jackets close out their season Saturday at home against Nashville. If they don't beat Dallas, that game may become meaningless vis à vis the playoffs, but that's something to think about after Thursday.
For a team used to slinking out of regular seasons and trying to sell fans on the promise of something better down the road, there is a new excitement surrounding this late-season push.
"There's a buzz around the city," Johnson said. "It's been a long time since they've had these kinds of meaningful games."
As the lockout-shortened 2013 NHL season comes to a close, it is once again time to decide who should get recognized for their individual achievements. Professional Hockey Writers' Association members, like myself, get to vote for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Byng and Selke awards.
When it comes to judging candidates for the Hart Trophy -- awarded to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team -- voters have historically placed a huge emphasis on selecting players who score lots of points for a team that reaches the postseason. Since the lockout season of 1994-95, every forward who won the Hart has ranked in the top three in terms of points scored. Of those 13 forwards, 10 have won the Art Ross Trophy for the most points in the league, two have come in second and one -- Corey Perry, who won the Rocket Richard Award for most goals in 2010-11 -- came in third in the scoring race.
The challenge with this method for voting for the Hart Trophy is that it doesn't fully illustrate how much a player impacts his team's success, which is why I go beyond traditional statistics like goals and assists and take into consideration advanced metrics such as GVT (a player total value stat similar to baseball's WAR), Fenwick percentage (a proxy for puck possession) and how a player's linemates fare with the candidate on and off the ice.
For example, Sidney Crosby currently leads the league in points with 56 despite playing only 36 games. However, since he underwent surgery to repair a broken jaw, the Penguins have gone 8-3. Alex Ovechkin, meanwhile, had just nine goals in 25 games before being reunited with Nicklas Backstrom and scoring 22 goals in the 21 games after. Is the sum greater than the individual parts in Washington? Even in Chicago, there could be a debate as to who is more valuable to the Blackhawks' success: Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane?
That's not the case on Long Island, where clearly the team's most valuable player is John Tavares, who is the top choice on my ballot for the Hart Trophy.
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Morning jam: Sharks extend playoff streak
Three NHL teams clinched playoff berths on Tuesday, leaving four spots to be claimed in the season’s final five days. San Jose clinched its ninth straight playoff berth, the second-longest active streak. The Islanders ended a five-year playoff drought, and the Blues made the postseason for the second straight year.
Sharks 3, Stars 2
* Sharks: clinch 9th straight playoff berth, 2nd-longest active streak (Red Wings have 21 straight entering this season)
* Stars: winless in last 3 games (0-2-1); remain 3 points out of final playoff spot in Western Conference with 2 games left on their schedule
* Joe Pavelski & Logan Couture (SJ): score tying and game-winning goals 30 seconds apart in 3rd period (Couture's game-winning goal is scored with 5:07 left)
* Sharks: 4-1-0 in last 5 games
Longest Active Postseason Streaks
Last Missed
Red Wings 21 1989-90
Sharks 9<< 2002-03
Penguins 7<< 2005-06
Bruins 6<< 2006-07
Capitals 6<< 2006-07
>>Includes this season
Hurricanes 4, Islanders 3 (SO) (CAR wins shootout, 2-0)
* Islanders: clinch playoff berth with overtime point and Jets regulation loss at Capitals (1st playoff berth since 2006-07 season)
* Islanders: have earned at least 1 point in 11 straight games (8 wins, 3 OT/SO losses)
* Islanders: 2-0-1 so far on season-ending 5-game road trip; 14-5-3 on road this season
* Hurricanes: only 2nd win in last 11 HOME games (2-9-0)
Blues 3, Avalanche 1
* Blues: clinch playoff berth for second consecutive season
* Blues: 4-1-0 in last 5 games
* Patrik Berglund (STL): Goal (16), 1st goal in last 10 games
* Avalanche: 1-12-4 in last 17 road games
Panthers 3, Rangers 2
* Rangers: remain tied with Senators at 52 points, currently hold final playoff spot in Eastern Conference (1 point ahead of Jets)
* Jacob Markstrom (FLA): 36 saves
* Panthers: snap 6-game losing streak
* Rangers: 3-game win streak ends
Flyers 5, Bruins 2
* Bruins: remain tied with Canadiens for lead in Northeast Division (Bruins own tiebreaker)
* Bruins: 2-5-0 in last 7 ROAD games
* Flyers: score 2 goals 7 seconds apart in 2nd period (ties franchise record for fastest 2 goals)
* Flyers: 4-1-0 in last 5 games
Devils 3, Canadiens 2
* Canadiens: fail to gain ground, remain tied with Bruins atop Northeast Division (Bruins own tiebreaker)
* Canadiens: 1-5-0 in last 6 games, outscored 28-14 in those games
* Patrick Elias (NJ): 375th career goal, extends lead as Devils franchise leader
Capitals 5, Jets 3
* Capitals: clinch Southeast Division title and 3 seed in Eastern Conference with win (5th division title in last 6 seasons); 10-1-0 in last 11 games
* Alex Ovechkin (WSH): empty-net goal in 3rd period; 31st goal of season (leads NHL), also has assist
* Jason Chimera (shih-MAIR-uh) & Mathieu Perreault (pari-OH) (WSH): goal & assist each
* Jets: 1-5-0 in last 6 ROAD games; remain 1 point out of final playoff spot in East with 1 game left to play (vs Canadiens Thursday)
FROM ELIAS: Alex Ovechkin set an NHL record for April goals in one season with 13. Besides being a new league record, Ovechkin’s 13 goals in April this year (in 11 games) are the most he’s recorded in one calendar month since October 2009 (14 goals in 13 games).
Wild 2, Kings 1
* Wild: now 7th in Western Conference with 53 points (2 points ahead of 8th-place Blue Jackets)
* Wild: 1st win in last 6 HOME games (1-4-1)
* Charlie Coyle & Cal Clutterbuck (MIN): score goals 16 seconds apart in 1st period
* Kings: 1st regulation loss in last 6 games (4-1-1)
Sabres 4, Penguins 2
* Penguins: remain 3 points behind Blackhawks for best record in NHL (Penguins have 2 games left to play)
* Sabres: snap 2-game losing streak
* Penguins: 7-game winning streak ends
Need to know: Time short for bubble teams
For a host of playoff bubble teams facing dire situations, Tuesday was not a good night.
With the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets all scrambling to secure tickets to the postseason dance, those four teams somehow managed to go a combined 0-3-1. Two of those teams, the Rangers and the Islanders, could not take advantage of weak opponents in the form of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively.
The Isles did pick up the lone point among the four teams in a shootout loss to the Canes, and it was enough to propel them into the postseason for the first time since 2007. While his name rarely comes up in discussions as a possible Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year, is it not time to at least give Jack Capuano a little love given how low the expectations were for the Isles this season? (And, as if you needed to check, the Isles were able to avoid a regulation loss Wednesday with 1:01 left in the third period on John Tavares' 27th goal of the season.)
Of the losses that were most painful among this gang of four, Dallas' 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks was a killer. The Stars gave up two goals in a 30-second span in the second half of the third period and couldn't get the equalizer to at least push the game to extra time.
The Stars are in 10th place in the Western Conference, three points out of eighth with two games to play. They must beat the eighth-place Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday and then hope that Saturday's season finale against the ninth-place Detroit Red Wings has meaning.
Like Dallas, Columbus has two games remaining on its schedule, whereas Detroit has three. The Jets, meanwhile, saw any hopes of a Southeast title go up in smoke Tuesday when they were beaten 5-3 by the surging Washington Capitals, who secured the top spot in the division with the win. The injury-plagued Jets battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to make it 2-2 in the second period, only to give up two more goals in less than three minutes late in the middle frame.
The Jets are almost out of time as they trail the Ottawa Senators and the Rangers, who lost 3-2 to the Panthers on Tuesday, by one point. But the Jets have only one game remaining, while the Senators have three left and the Rangers two.
Wings far from ready to sit out playoffs
Not on Z's watch.
Those were Dan Cleary's words Tuesday when discussing how badly the Detroit Red Wings want to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in 22 seasons.
It just can't happen in Henrik Zetterberg's first tour of duty wearing the C.
"It's his first year as captain, he's such a great captain, we respect him so much as a player and love him so much as a guy, we just don't want to see it happen on his watch," Cleary told ESPN.com. "And all of us have a lot of pride -- 21 years and counting in the playoffs for this organization, no one wants to be on the team that ends it."
The Red Wings enter Wednesday night's big tilt with the visiting Los Angeles Kings one point out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference (held by the Columbus Blue Jackets), but with one game in hand.
The Wings hear the talk that after 20-plus years near the top of the hockey world, four Stanley Cups and easily the model organization in the game during that span, their time has come to find out how the regular folk live.
Talk of Detroit's demise also fuels the veterans in that dressing room who have Cup rings.
"It's a huge part, to be honest," said Cleary, a Cup champion in 2008 with the Wings. "We know. Every hockey player knows what's being said about their team."
Truth is, battling for their playoff lives in the home stretch of the regular season is simply an uncommon feeling for the veteran core of this team.
"It is, there's no other way to put it; we've never been in this position, quite frankly," Cleary said. "If anything, we're usually battling for first place or home ice in the playoffs. It's been different."
Also different is the team's offensive struggles. The Wings sit 21st overall in goals per game (2.47), nearly half a goal down from last season (2.92), when they were seventh in the league.
"When you're struggling offensively and losing, it falls on the guys that are counted on to score, and it hurts. Guys take it personally. Obviously I'm one of those guys," said Cleary, who has nine goals in 45 games.
Monday night's 4-0 win over the visiting Phoenix Coyotes, only the fourth time in a dozen games the Wings scored three or more goals, was a welcome sight.
"Monday night was good, [Valtteri] Filppula scored, [Johan] Franzen scored," Cleary said. "Once Franzen scores, next thing you know he reels off six or seven goals in a few games.
"We also scored three on the power play, which was really huge, to be honest."
Filppula had only one goal and one assist in his past 15 games before Monday's tally, so the Wings hope he's ready to turn it around. The center plays nearly 18 minutes a game, and the Wings need consistent offensive production from him.
A tough test awaits Wednesday night in the reigning Cup champs from L.A.
"L.A. is a great team," Cleary said. "They started the season with a bit of a lull, which happens. But they're firing on all cylinders now.
"That team is rolling now. L.A. can't win the division but they're still jockeying for home ice. It's a big game."
The Kings' 2-1 road loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, coupled with the San Jose Sharks' 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars, has L.A. and the Sharks tied at 57 points in the 4-5 battle in the West; the Kings own the tiebreaker, with more regulation/overtime wins. To Cleary's point, the Kings still have plenty to play for in terms of wanting to nail down the No. 4 spot.
After Wednesday's game, the Wings host the Nashville Predators the next night before closing out the regular season Saturday at Dallas.
Just get in. That's all Detroit wants. Because after that, who knows in this parity-filled league?
"Obviously you have Chicago and Anaheim playing really well [in the West], and Pittsburgh in the East, but other than that, everybody is so tight," Cleary said. "If you don't think that all you need to do is get in and that you have a legitimate chance to move on, then you're crazy; because you really do. We have a great goalie [Jimmy Howard], and a great goalie can bring you a long way."
UPCOMING GAMES
| W-L | PF | PA | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLA | 0-0 | .0 | .0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | W0 | |
| DAL | 0-0 | .0 | .0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | W0 |
| W-L | PF | PA | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAS | 0-1 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | L1 | |
| DAL | 0-0 | .0 | .0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | W0 |
| W-L | PF | PA | HM | AW | STK | L10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL | 0-0 | .0 | .0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | W0 | |
| WPG | 1-0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | W1 |
DALLAS CALENDAR: Sep 28
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Final 11 Oklahoma St 21 West Virginia 30 
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Final 14 Oklahoma 35 22 Notre Dame 21