Holmstrom receives gift for 1,000th game
--Teammates surprised Tomas Holmstrom with a new snowmobile during Saturday's practice, as Henrik Zetterberg rode it onto the ice. It was a gift for Holmstrom's 1,000th game, which he recorded on Friday. Holmstrom is an avid outdoorsman who usually spends the All-Star break snowmobiling in northern Michigan. It might also be a retirement gift, as the 39-year-old net-front dynamo might hang up his skates after the season.
--Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl was excited to play against the Flyers' Jaromir Jagr, his boyhood idol, for the first time. Kindl remembers playing hooky as an 11-year-old in the Czech Republic in 1998 so he could watch Jagr help his country win hockey gold at the Olympics. Kindl cherished his autographed copy of Jagr's autobiographical book that was released around that time. And he was hoping to get one of the future Hall of Fame forward's sticks after Sunday's game.
--The Wings are keeping a loose atmosphere in the dressing room these days. Johan Franzen was in for a surprise when he finished skating Sunday morning and returned to his stall, only to find someone had blocked it off with dozens of strips of red and white tape. Asked who he suspects is the culprit, Franzen said, "One of the fastest guys, youngest guys," which immediately centered suspicion on Darren Helm, who pleaded innocence.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We've had some great teams over the years, but we haven't been close to this record (20 consecutive home wins), so I think we should be proud of it. But it's something we haven't talked much about when this has been going on. Every day just getting ready for the next game." -- Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom.
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