Posted by Pierre LeBrun
CHICAGO -- As we told you earlier today, Hart Trophy nominee Pavel Datsyuk didn't skate this morning.
"He's going to be a game-time decision," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We'll decide here tonight."
If Datsyuk is out, Ville Leino will enter the lineup on the fourth line, while Valtteri Filppula will move up to the second line between Marian Hossa and Tomas Holmstrom.
"For Filppula, it's prime time," Babcock said. "I think it's a great opportunity in a good building against a good team. It should be a lot of fun for him."
More Chelly
As the media horde surrounded Chris Chelios after this morning's pregame skate, Red Wings teammate Kris Draper couldn't resist.
"Chelly, sing 'O Canada,'" Draper said.
Chelios, 47, was in high demand today after the Jeremy Roenick-fueled controversy yesterday, in which the San Jose Sharks veteran went on Chicago radio and said Babcock wasn't playing Chelios because the coach didn't like Americans and certainly didn't like Chelios.
"J.R. is J.R.," Chelios said. "The NHL would be boring without J.R. There's nothing to it. ... I'm very happy in Detroit, always have been. J.R. says stuff -- what are you going to do?"
Chelios heard from Roenick yesterday.
"He called me. He said he was sorry," Chelios said with a laugh.
Babcock and Chelios spoke about it this morning.
"I was sitting at the pancake place with the coaches this morning, and Chelly walked over and said, 'I think I should bring you an apple,''' Babcock said. "First thing I did was phone my kids, because I got a couple of American kids, and tried to give them a hug over the phone because you don't want them to think their dad doesn't like them.''
All joking aside, Babcock didn't hide his feelings when asked whether Roenick's comments bothered him.
"Yeah, it bothered me, because it's a blatant lie."
Chelios denied any kind of rift exists with Babcock.
"Never had an issue or problem with him in four years he's been here," Chelios said. "I think the only coach I ever had an issue with was Mike Keenan, but he liked the confrontation. It's been a great relationship here. No complaints."
OK, then. Can we all move on now?
Malts in, Abby out
Keeping with the Babcock-Chelios theme, I nearly rendered Kirk Maltby speechless this morning when I asked him whether there was any truth to the rumor he was being inserted into the lineup for Game 3 because he's Canadian.
"If that's not stirring the pot, I don't know what is," Maltby said with a laugh. "Ah, I'll plead the fifth. I don't know how to answer that."
Maltby is replacing U.S.-born Justin Abdelkader in the lineup.
Conklin the key
Four years, four conference finals, four teams for backup goalie Ty Conklin: Edmonton in 2006, Buffalo in 2007, Pittsburgh in 2008 and now Detroit. If the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks in this series, that'll be three Cup finals trips in four seasons for him.
"It's been in a supporting role obviously, but it's still exciting to be around that," Conklin said today.
Long rookie year
The last Calder trophy nominee standing is Chicago's Kris Versteeg. Columbus' Steve Mason was knocked out in the first round and Anaheim's Bobby Ryan in the second. Some rookies hit the wall in their first NHL season, the long grind something they've never faced before. But Versteeg has hung in there.
"I've been playing a lot of games ever since I was 16," Versteeg said this morning. "I've played around 70 games every season, so I think the WHL kind of prepares you for that. But obviously the Stanley Cup playoffs are a whole different level. Going through the whole year and being through a lot of emotional things, with the rookie race ...
"I didn't get caught up in it at the start of the year, but near the end of the year, it was kind of tough not to look at times. Maybe that's what led to a couple of my slumps. But this entire season has been just amazing."
What's his secret to staying fresh and energized in the longest season of his young life?
"I just drink a lot of water," he said. "I watch other teams' games, keeps my mind off our team for a bit. And I watch other TV shows. 'Seinfeld' and 'House.' Can't get enough of those two shows."
ESPN.com Stanley Cup playoffs blog
