When you listen to GM Steve Yzerman discuss Jonatan Berggren, it’s clear that the Swedish forward’s lack of time in with the Detroit Red Wings last season didn’t reflect a lack of faith in his ability.

“We’re really  pleased with how he played down the stretch,” Yzerman said. “It was a tough year for him. He was up and down a little bit and probably more than he preferred. But he worked hard every time he went back to GR.”

Berggren, 24, generated 24 goals and 56 points in 53 games for the Griffins. That included seven goals and 14 points in his final 13 games of the season. He also totaled five goals and 10 points in nine playoff games.

Last season, the Red Wings took advantage of the fact that Berggren was waiver-exempt. They could send him back and forth to the minors without fear of losing him. They also had enough scoring last season. That’s changes this season.

“Feeling like this is a year for me to prove I belong in this league,” Berggren said. “So yeah, my focus on training camp is just coming with a great attitude and show them what player I am and how big of summer I had.”

It was emotionally challenging for Berggren to stay positive when he couldn’t stick with Detroit.

“It been a little bit tough. I will not lie,” Berggren said on the opening day of training camp in Traverse City.  Going up and down. Basically living in my car, me and my girlfriend. So it was. I think looking back at it, it was a grow a lot and mentally strong and stuff. …But I think it will help me in the long (run).”

The Red Wings aren’t just hoping Berggren will produce this season — they need him to produce, to be a significant offensive contributor. Daniel Sprong (18 goals), Robby Fabbri (18) and David Perron (17) were Detroit’s fifth-, sixth- and seventh-highest scoring  forwards last season. All three are gone through either a trade or free agency.

Vladimir Tarasenko will replace one of those forwards and Berggren needs to replace another.

Berggren’s career NHL numbers say he can certainly accomplish that. Over two seasons, Berggren has played 79 games (the equivalent of close to a full NHL season) and has netted 17 goals.

“He’s a smart hockey player,” Yzerman said. “He’s got good skills and it’s just the ability to do it at the NHL level. And he’s shown in some of the his call ups, brief periods that he’s called up that he has the ability and the hockey sense to play in the NHL.”

Pivotal Season

Yzerman recently reached an agreement with Berggren on a one-year contract for $825,000. Both the team and players were fine with that.

“We talked about one or two years,” Yzerman said. “Ultimately, with one player remaining unsigned, knowing what the salary cap is, probably weren’t in a position at this time to do a two-year deal… And if Jonathan goes out and has a solid season, he’s in a very good spot to renegotiate after one year. So you know what he needs to do? Just be a good hockey player in all areas of the aspects of the game, offensively, defensively.”

Berggren has been working out in Detroit lately.

 “He looks like he’s worked really hard this summer,” Yzerman said. “He’s in good shape… He’s worked hard, he’s been patient and get a good opportunity this year. Pretty confident that he’ll be a positive influence on our team.”

The post Why Berggren is More Important to the Red Wings This Season appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

To no one’s surprise, forward Jonatan Berggren is the first of the three Detroit Red Wings restricted free agents to reach agreement on a new contract.

Also not surprising is the AAV – $825,000. It always figured that Berggren’s pact would come in around the neighborhood of $800,000.

It’s a one-year deal and again, that’s not at all surprising. Berggren is getting a prove it contract, much like the deal Joe Veleno was agreeing to a year ago.

Berggren has to play in the NHL this season. He can’t be sent back to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins without first clearing NHL waivers, and that’s not going to happen.

BERGY IS BACK!

The #RedWings have signed forward Jonatan Berggren to a one-year contract with an AAV of $825,000. pic.twitter.com/bxGkWx8FEF

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 16, 2024

The 24-year-old Swedish right-winger has taken on every challenge the Red Wings have been asking of him. He spent the majority of last season in the AHL following an NHL campaign in which he’d scored 15 goals in 67 games. Berggren would lead the Griffins in scoring with 24-32-56 totals in 53 games.

“He did a really good job in a really tough situation last year,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “I’ll never say anyone’s played themselves out of the American Hockey League. It’s just too good of a league. But he’s proven, or maybe more it’s he’s earned this opportunity.”

Money Slots In Nicely For Red Wings

Of course, Detroit must still get key RFAs defenseman Moritz Seider and left-winger Lucas Raymond to agree to new contracts. The Berggren pact is leaving the club with exactly $16,823,194 in available salary cap space.

Dividing up that remaining money into the contracts for these two players is the next task awaiting Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman. Seider, the club’s best defenseman, will get the higher stipend. Figure around an AAV of $8.1-$8.3 million range.

The Detroit Red Wings still have a pair of big RFAs remaining in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.

What will their next contracts look like? @JamisonCoyle | @asgrimson | #LGRW | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/OOBZyWN5rp

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 15, 2024

Finishing as Detroit’s leading scorer last season, Raymond will be getting what’s left. That will be somewhere between $7.5-$7.7 million per season.

Everyone in the game has been expecting the money to land somewhere in these ranges. At this juncture, the sticking point is more likely term than it is cash.

The clock is ticking, though. The Red Wings open training camp Thursday in Traverse City.

The post Berggren Gets What Was Expected in Red Wings Pact appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Watching Detroit Red Wings hopeful Jonatan Berggren during last spring’s Calder Cup playoff run with the Grand Rapids Griffins, he was doing everything right.

On the ice, he was a sensation. Off the ice, he was biting his tongue and biding his time.

Watching his body language as he did interviews, it was evident that Berggren knew he shouldn’t be playing in the AHL. You only needed to look at his NHL numbers to recognize that fact.

In 79 NHL games, he’s scored 17 goals.

Even Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde came close to admitting that the club probably probably kept Berggren down too long.

“He did a really good job in a really tough situation last year,” Lalonde said. “I’ll never say anyone’s played themselves out of the American Hockey League. It’s just too good of a league. But he’s proven, or maybe more it’s he’s earned this opportunity (to be in the NHL).”

Jonatan Berggren opens up about last season and current statushttps://t.co/sV9AaRNbVF

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) August 12, 2024

During an interview with writer Uffe Bodin of Hockeynews.se, Berggren as much was confirming that was his feeling as he waited for his time in Detroit to become a permanent arrangement.

“It was a bit of a messy season, I won’t lie,” Berggren told Bodin. “A lot of up and down, living in a hotel, living in my car almost and going back and forth.

“It was both educational and tough.”

Red Wings Berggren Talks Contract, Trade Rumors

The mantra to professional athletes is to control what they can control, and that’s the approach Berggren was doing his best to take last season. But he admits, it was a bumpy ride at times.

“Of course [I’m disappointed],” he said. “That’s the thing, everyone wants to play in the NHL. I think I contributed when I was up there and got my minutes. I did what I could.

“Outside of that it’s not in my own hands. It’s business.”

While no player strives to make a career of it in the AHL, Berggren spoke with nothing but praise of his time in Grand Rapids.

Jonatan Berggren makes it 2-1 pic.twitter.com/6Mgn2yQw21

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) April 2, 2023

“I guess it’s a strength to not just lie down and die, kind of,” Berggren said. “That’s easy to do. It was hard, but the guys we had, we had an incredibly fun team. A lot of Swedes and many I’ve played with for almost two seasons.

“The city’s awesome, too. On the ice it’s been a really fun season. Now the goal is to take the next step and stay in the NHL.”

NHL Awaits Berggren

Since he’s out of options and can’t be sent to the minors without first passing through NHL waivers, Berggren will be playing for the Red Wings this season on a full-time basis. For that to happen, though, he must first sign a contract.

A restricted free agent, Berggren’s agent is negotiating a new deal with the Red Wings. He isn’t showing any signs of worry about this situation playing out successfully.

“Contractually it’s pretty clear what makes sense,” Berggren said. “It just takes some time. I’m not thinking too much about that, that’s what you have an agent for and they handle it.

“They get in touch every now and then when something new develops. For me it’s just about waiting. I feel like Detroit wants me, so hopefully we sort out a contract before training camp.”

Berggren believes that his NHL chance will be coming in Detroit. But yes, he’s heard his name bandying about in trade rumors.

“You never want to say for certain, but I’ve only talked to Detroit and they have my rights,” Berggren said. “I’ve had talks with them and the coach and everyone.

“The feeling is positive.”

The post Red Wings Berggren Opens up in Swedish Interview appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Every NHL team would love to have a collection of talented young players and yet teams with plenty of top prospects are usually not in a hurry to play them. That’s certainly the case with the Red Wings.

GM Steve Yzerman prefers to make sure prospects are ready. He wants them to have considerable AHL experience, before promoting them for good. The logic for that approach is reasonable: younger players are prone to mistakes. Young forwards are usually short on defensive instincts and young defensemen take too many chances.

That’s why Simon Edvinsson didn’t get sustained playing time until the end of the season and Jonatan Berggren primarily stayed in Grand Rapids, even though he was playing at a high level there. Well-liked Albert Johansson played two seasons at Grand Rapids without seeing Detroit.

But it’s different this season with Edvinsson, Berggren and Johansson expected to make the team. Berggren and Johansson are no longer waiver exempt, meaning the Red Wings risk losing them on waivers if they attempt to send them to the minors.

Youth Infusion

“I think you need some of that competition — that push from the younger guys,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said.

Berggren is still an unsigned restricted free agent, but the Red Wings do seem to need him to replace some of goals lost through forwards David Perron, Robby Fabbri and Daniel Sprong leaving through free agency or a trade. Berggren has 17 goals in 79 NHL games, and last season he tallied 24 goals and 56 points in 52 regular-season games for the Griffins. He managed five goals in nine AHL playoffs.

“He’s shown the ability to create offense,” Lalonde said. “When he’s been with us, he’s created offense. But again, we have a lot of guys with a similar DNA. We need him to be responsible.”

The reason why Berggren didn’t stick in Detroit is that coaches didn’t trust his play without the puck. Reducing goals against will be an emphasis in 2024-25.

“We’re gonna ask the whole team to be conscious of a two-way game, without taking away from some of his offense,” Lalonde said. “It’s a credit to him. He did a really good job in a really tough situation last year. I’ll never say anyone’s played themselves out of the American Hockey League. It’s just too good of a league. But he’s proven, or maybe more it’s he’s earned this opportunity… He’ll have to do it in camp but I believe in my conversations with him this summer.”

Edvinsson should play regularly this season. The Red Wings have nine defensemen, counting Johansson and Edvinsson. Presumably, William Lagesson goes to Grand Rapids if Johansson makes the roster.

Improved Depth

“I like the depth. I think we got really fortunate last year in staying healthy on the back end,” Lalonde said. “But we’ll need that depth. I think all eight are very capable. I’m very excited about Simon. I think his play towards the end of last year was exciting. But I’m very excited about Albert, too. I was able to see him towards the end of the year and into the playoffs. I think he’s ready for the National Hockey League. He’ll have to show us that in camp. ”

Other youngsters, such as Marco Kasper, Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur, could also force their way onto the roster by playing well during their eight-game preseason schedule.

“I think the eight games will be beneficial,” Lalonde said. “Not only for the fluid situation with some lines and special teams, getting looks for everyone and getting looks for our young guys, too. Very excited about some of our young guys in Grand Rapids that will be pushing.”

The post Why This Season is Different For Red Wings’ Berggren appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings restricted free agents Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren have until today at 5 p.m. to decide whether to opt for arbitration to determine their next contract.

Often, opting for arbitration brings the two sides together on a new contract. Only occasionally do players actually go through the arbitration process.

A source knowledgable about comparables and the arbitration process projected that Veleno (12 goals in 2023-24) would be in the $2 million range. AFP Analytics projects Veleno with a two-year deal at $1.98 million per season. AFP forecasts Berggren on a one-year deal worth $874,000. Young defenseman Albert Johansson, likely to make the Red Wings roster this season, recently signed for $775,000, but does not have the NHL experience that Berggren has.

Every dollar for these two contracts matters for the Red Wings, who want to lock No. 1 defenseman Moritz Seider and 30-goal scorer Lucas Raymond into longer-term deals. Those two deals could cost $17 million or more, leaving Detroit with just over $3 million for Veleno and Berggren.

Arbitration decisions are based heavily on statistics and comparables. Berggren has 17 goals and 34 points in 76 career games. If a team “walks away” — in other words they reject it — the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.

the nhlpa will announce the players who filed for arbitration on july 5th, a little after the 5pm est deadline.

there are currently 47 players eligible to file for arbitration. the arbitration hearings will be scheduled between july 20th & august 4th pic.twitter.com/snt6GHTdq7

— hope (@mikazibanejads) July 5, 2024

The NHLPA will issue a press release later today about everyone who has filled for arbitration.  Once an arbitration date is set for each case, the two sides usually start becoming serious about negotiating a new deal.  Once an arbitration is finished, the arbitrator will render a decision in 48 hours.

Some interesting potential arbitration cases include Boston’s goalie Jeremy Swayman, Carolina’s Martin Necas and Columbus’s Kiril Marchenko.

Former Detroit Red Wings’ defenseman Dennis Cholowski also has the right to take the New York Islanders to arbitration.

The post Veleno, Berggren Can Take Red Wings to Arbitration appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One more point and the Detroit Red Wings would’ve been a participant in the NHL playoffs this season. It was that close.

Will it be that close a call again next season?

Perhaps not.

Every season is different and change figures to be a major player in Detroit’s offseason plans. Some new players are guaranteed to be inserted into the lineup, while there’s also a strong chance that some key performers from last season won’t be wearing the winged wheel during the 2024-25 NHL season.

Here’s five reasons why next season could see regression by the Red Wings in the NHL standings

Red Wings Rookies Not Ready For Prime Time

It’s known that three players who spent the majority of the past season toiling for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins are virtually guaranteed spots with the big club next season. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson likely was earning his place in Detroit via his steller play during a late-season recall.

JONATAN BERGGREN DOES IT AGAIN IN OVERTIME@griffinshockey | #GRvsRFD | #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/IvxI7FwG6B

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) May 4, 2024

On the other hand, forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson are out of options and would need to clear NHL waivers go back down to the Griffins. That isn’t going to happen, so they’ll almost certainly be staying in Detroit.

If any or all of the three of them show growing pains, or struggle with the transition to the show, things could go badly for the Red Wings.

Power Play Power Outage

One of the key elements in Detroit’s uptick in the standings was that the team was icing a much more efficient and effective power-play unit. Clicking at 23.1% with the man advantage, the Red Wings would rank ninth in the league. Just five teams potted more power-play goals than the 63 netted by the Wings.

Detroit goal!

Scored by Lucas Raymond with 01:17 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Detroit: 4
Montreal: 4#MTLvsDET #LGRW #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/n6I6280jQ6

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) April 16, 2024

Two key elements in this improvement were defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and forward Patrick Kane. Gostisbehere would account for a team-leading 29 power-play points. Meanwhile, following his late-November arrival, Kane’s inate ability to gain the zone really got the power play rolling. He was good for 15 power-play points.

Both players, though, are unrestricted free agents. If both sign elsewhere, how will their absence impact the potency of the Detroit power play?

Erratic Red Wings Netminding

The fighting spirit of the Detroit goaltending crew last season was certainly to be admired. However, on too many nights they were also fighting the puck.

Alex Lyon and James Reimer were both tied for 28th in the NHL in save percentage at .904. Ville Husso (.892) wound up much further down the list.

Similar to Husso the season prior, Lyon was struggling down the stretch, perhaps to do with the fact that he was reaching a career high in games played.

Lack Of Commitment To Defense

One alarming factor that’s been a steady presence during the two seasons with Derek Lalonde as head coach of the Red Wings is an alarming number of goals keep ending up in their net. This is not a path toward long-term success.

Even as they battled for their playoff lives down the stretch, the Red Wings were giving up at least four goals in 15 of their final 22 regular-season games. And that can’t all be hung on the shoulders of the goaltenders.

The Red Wings need to become a more consistent defensive team in order to be taken seriously as a legitimate playoff contender.

Other Teams Will Be Getting Better

You know that the New Jersey Devils aren’t going to be as bad of a team next season. That will be especially true if they shore up their goaltending. Likewise, it’s only logical that Atlantic Division teams such as the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens are going to be improving next season.

If the Red Wings fall off even a little bit, any or all of these teams might offer the potential to pass Detroit by.

The post Five Reasons Why Red Wings Could Regress Next Season appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Like swallows returning to Capistrano in March and college students heading to Florida on spring break, the Detroit Red Wings are drawn to Swedish League players every June at the NHL draft.

The Red Wings have drafted one or more Swedes for each of the past eight years, and have drafted at least one in 30 of the past 31 NHL drafts. In 2015, they took Russian Evgeni Svechnikov with their first pick at No. 19 and stayed clear of Sweden. But since then, the draft has been like an annual shopping trip to Ikea.

GM Steve Yzerman has tapped into the Swedish pipeline since he came became Detroit general manager. He has drafted 13 Swedes in his tenure.

He has drafted a Swede in the first round — Axel Sandin Pellikka (2023), Simon Edvinsson (2021) and Lucas Raymond  (2020) — in three of the last four drafts. It’s four years in a row if you count Marco Kasper (2022). He is Austrian, but was playing in the Swedish Hockey League when Detroit claimed him.

Austrian Playing in Sweden

When you count Kasper, the Red Wings have taken an SHL player in the first- or second round every year since 2017. But that may change this month because there is no consensus Swedish-born first-round candidate.

There is one SHL player projected to go in the first round, and Detroit has been linked to him at No. 15. But he is a forward from Norway who went to Sweden for better competition.

That would be Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, whose numbers this season (eight goals in 41 games) aren’t eye-catching at first glance. However, scouts love his overall game. He’s considered first-round talent and in time could be the best player to ever come out of Norway. That’s a nation known for producing cross-country skiers and standouts in the biathlon. That’s the sport that combines cross country skiing and target shooting.

It does seem likely the Red Wings will grab a Swedish player at some point, even if it is not in the first two rounds.

Duty Bound to Take Swede?

The connection between the Detroit Red Wings and Sweden remains strong. Swedes such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom and Niklas Kronwall fueled Detroit for years. Now, Raymond is blossoming into a star.

Detroit Director of European scouting Hakan Andersson, a Swede, has been guiding players from Sweden and other countries to the Red Wings for years.

The Swedish talent pool isn’t entirely dry, of course. The Red Wings believe Sandin-Pellikka has a bright future. Swedes Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, Jonatan Berggren and maybe Kasper could be on the Red Wings roster next season.

Also keep in mind that there are some Swedes projected in the second round who could jump in the first. Plus, the Red Wings own the 47th pick overall.  Defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius has been rising throughout the season. TSN analyst Craig Button rates him 29th on his list. MoDo center Lucas Pettersson is projected to land near the 47th pick. Djurgarden center Linus Eriksson is a possible second-round pick.

A potential first-round sleeper could be defenseman Dominik Badinka, a Czech player who is drawing attention playing for Malmo in Sweden. He’s 6-foot-3.

Red Wings fans partial to Swedes should be optimistic about next year’s Swedish prospects pool, which is said to be well-stocked.

The post How Swede It’s Not — Red Wings May Go Elsewhere on First Pick appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Jonatan Berggren registered the Grand Rapids Griffins’ first playoff hat trick in seven years on Friday. On Saturday, it was taken away from him by an American Hockey League official scoring change. A review showed teammate Marco Kasper tipped in Berggren’s shot on Grand Rapids’ first goal. Berggren received an assist.

Whether he had three goals or two goals, Berggren was the offensive driver in a 4-2 win that tied the Grand Rapids-Milwaukee playoff series. The deciding Game 5 will be played today at 6 p.m. ET in Milwaukee.

Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman was in Grand Rapids to witness Berggren stepping up in a critical game. That’s important because Yzerman must decide next fall where Berggren fits in the Red Wings’ plans moving forward.  He’s no longer waiver exempt, meaning he has to go through waivers to be sent to the AHL.

As the recent Berggren story points out, the Red Wings know Berggren can create offense. The question is whether he can contribute enough in other areas.

**KASPER!!!The AHL has now credited the Griffins first goal to Marco Kasper meaning Berggren did not have a Hatty

That Berggren Hatty will have to wait until game 5 tomorrow #GoGRG #LGRW #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/t2hqBz2yLh

— X – Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) May 26, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Former Detroit Red Wings player Jakob Vrana is talking openly about his addiction and the end of his career in Detroit.

Paywall story: Nate Danielson didn’t play in Game 4 of the Grand Rapids-Milwaukee series. He has been tested by playing his first pro games in a physical AHL playoff series.

Defenseman Simon Edvinsson missed the last seven minutes of Game 4  of the Grand Rapids-Milwaukee series with an unspecified injury. After the game, coach Dan Watson said only that he hoped it was minor.

Red Wings Offseason

Lucas Raymond’s team will play against Canada for the bronze medal at the World Championships today. Sweden fell to Czechia 7-5 in the semifinal. Czechia will play Switzerland for the gold. No one saw that coming.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: The Bruins are interested in making a trade pitch to Carolina for Martin Necas. Linus Ullmark’s name has been mentioned. Boston Bruins.

Colorado: The Avalanche may be forced to let Valeri Nichushkin back on the team when his suspension is over. Colorado Avalanche. 

Florida: The Panthers are in good spirits after splitting the first two games with the New York Rangers. Florida Panthers. 

New Jersey: Report says Ullmark vetoed a trade to the New Jersey Devils. 

The post The Daily: Berggren Loses Hat Trick Next Day; Trade Rumors appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

This story was updated to reflect an AHL official scoring change. Detroit Red Wings prospect Berggren was originally credited with three goals. However, an AHL review the next day showed one of his shots was tipped in by Marco Kasper. Simon Edvinsson also lost an assist on a goal and Elmer Soderblom gained an assist.

GRAND RAPIDS–The Griffins got the dominant scorer they needed and Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman saw a performance he wanted to see when Jonatan Berggren turned an AHL playoff game into his show.

Berggren produced two impressive goals and an assist in a span of 3:30 minutes to lift the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-2 come-from-behind win against the Milwaukee Admirals in Game 4 of their playoff series.  That sets up a Game 5 Sunday in Milwaukee (6 p.m.) to decide who advances to the next round of the AHL playoffs.

“He wants the big stage and he’s ready for it,” Griffins coach Dan Watson said. “He thrives in those situations. You can see how he engages more when stuff is on the line.”

Griffins Top Line

Linemates Berggren, Marco Kasper and Carter Mazur combined for 14 shots on goal. Berggren generated six of them.

Berggren’s goals were highlight-reel quality “He’s an unbelievable  player,” Mazur said. “He knows where to be in the right situations and knows how to put the puck in the net. He’s just a high level player who always knows to do the right things.”

Ready or not, Berggren will be a Red Wings player at the start of the 2024-25 season. He is no longer be waiver exempt, meaning he would have to be put through the waivers to be returned to the AHL. Yzerman says he believes Berggren would be claimed by another NHL team. Clearly, scouts are intrigued by his ability to find the net.

To see what odds makers think about next season’s Red Wings, Sports betting in Canada is available for Canadian readers.

These three goals give him six goals and 10 points in eight playoff games. Four of his goals have been game-winners. Berggren put up 24 goals and 57 points in 54 regular-season games for the Griffins. In 79 career games with the Red Wings, Berggren boasts 17 goals.

Berggren has proven he can score. But there is far more to hockey than scoring goals, and Berggren’s overall game has sometimes not been to coach Derek Lalonde’s liking. Berggren has taken some poor-decision penalties and not been as attentive to his defensive responsibilities as he needs to be.

Act of Redemption

“He showed up in that third period, after (taking) a tough penalty, a bad penalty in the second period, a selfish one (for roughing),” Watson said after Berggren put on his late show. “We talked about it. But he showed up in the third period and responded and helped our team win.”

Berggren was focused in that third period. He hardly celebrated his goals. “I was pretty dialed in. Pretty mad,” Berggren said. “It was a  tough game. I am more happy now that I know we have won the game.”

Both the Rockford IceHogs last series, and the Admirals in this series, have targeted Berggren because he is the Griffins’ top scorer, but Berggren has delivered in both series.

“It’s been a little tough in both series for body and mind,” Berggren said. “But that’s playoff hockey. This is my first time playoff hockey in North America, but I’m just happy we have won some games and are still in it.”

One thing is for sure: the Griffins count on Berggren raising his level in important games. Plus, Watson has said that Berggren has worked on the areas of his game that the Red Wings have asked him to improve. He’s a better all-around player than he was at the start of this season.

The post Berggren Trying To Be The Player Red Wings Want Him to Be appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

GRAND RAPIDS — When Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson was pondering his lineup for a must-win Game 4, he settled on a sports strategy that has been around since time immemorial.

“We went with the lineup that got us here,” Watson said.

Watson wanted the players who had turned their season around after Christmas with relentless play and a penchant for pulling out games when they looked to be a lost cause. He wanted the group that created a 19-game points streak at Van Andel Arena. He wanted as many players as possible who have proven they don’t know when to quit.

“That’s why (Amadeus) Lombardi was back here and (Taro) Hirose was back in,” Watson said. “We decided to put the lineup with the guys who got us right, where we are, where we are standing right now. That was a message to them: Go do this. Don’t end it right now. Let’s live to see another day.”

That strategy paid off as the Griffins mounted a furious third period comeback, erasing a 2-0 deficit, by scoring four rapid-fire goals, three by Jonatan Berggren, to down the Milwaukee Admirals 4-2 to force a Game 5 Sunday in Milwaukee to decide the Central Division Final.

Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson also returned to the lineup after missing two games because of an undisclosed injury. However, he left the game late in the third period because of an injury. It’s not known whether it is the same injury or a different injury. His status for Game 5 is unclear.

The Griffins scored their four goals, two coming on the power play, in a span of three minutes and 30 seconds. Berggren, projected to be in Detroit’s lineup next season, now has six goals and 10 points in eight playoff games. Carter Mazur set up Berggren’s first two goals with slick, pinpoint passes.

“You can get a lot of momentum (from this game), especially with that crowd,” Mazur said. “We have the best fans in the league,  to see them throw an octopus on the ice, waving it around, and all that, especially growing up in Detroit…Seeing that — it is pretty awesome and it’s going to bring us a lot of momentum for sure.”

Marco Kasper set up the third Berggren tally. Kasper centered Mazur and Berggren in this game.

PK Saves Griffins

As Watson knew they would, the Griffins didn’t lose sight of the objective, even when trailing.

“We’ve been in that situation a lot of time this season,” Mazur said. “So we are pretty comfortable in those situations. We know we have the team in that room to win. And when Bergie scores three goals it’s pretty simple.”

To be in position to win the game, the Griffins needed to kill off two five-on-three power plays, one for 1:11 and the other for a full two minutes.

“That’s the game right there,” Watson said. “If they score on those two five-on-threes, it’s a different story, we would be talking about something different.”

Six-foot-six goalie Sebastian Cossa stood tall on those kills. “Give a ton of credit to the killers and a ton of credit to Cossa,” Watson said. “And everyone has been talking about our power play, and it came through huge in the third period with two goals.”

Cossa stopped 31 of 33 shots in the game. That’s a .939 save percentage. Cossa has been at .900 or better for five of his last six playoff starts. He has a 2.80 GAA in this postseason.

The Griffins scored all of their goals against Nashville Predators prize goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov. He seemed to injure himself on the last goal. He left the game late in the third and was replaced by veteran Troy Grosenick.

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