Wings add McCrimmon to coaching staff

DETROIT — The Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings are bringing in former defenceman Brad McCrimmon as an assistant coach.

The team announced Monday it had signed McCrimmon to a three-year contract.

Wings ink Filppula to new five-year deal

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland announced today that the club has re-signed center Valtteri Filppula to a five-year contract. In keeping with team policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Kelley: Oh, so close for Wings

DETROIT — This must be what it feels like when the air tank runs dry just metres from the top of Mt. Everest.

It must be what the dirt tastes like when the Triple Crown is lost on some longshot?s improbable last leap to the wire.

Wings one win away from another Cup

PITTSBURGH — The Detroit Red Wings are one win away from the Stanley Cup.

Fourth-liner Jiri Hudler got the game-winning goal 2:26 into the third period and Red Wings veterans Nicklas Lidstrom and Henrik Zetterberg shone in a 2-1 victory on Saturday night that pushed the gifted young Pittsburgh Penguins to the brink of elimination.

Wings headed back to Stanley Cup final

DALLAS — So much for the demise of the Detroit Red Wings. Not only are they headed back to the Stanley Cup final, they’re again looking like the club that dominated the regular season and most of the playoffs.

After consecutive losses hinted at vulnerability, the Red Wings bounced back strong in Game 6 of the Western Conference final, getting first-period goals from Kris Draper, Pavel Datsyuk and Dallas Drake on their way to knocking out the Dallas Stars 4-1 on Monday night.

Wings try to close out Stars again

Just a few days ago, the Red Wings were still in a span of being undefeated for almost a month, owning the NHL’s longest postseason winning streak in 15 years and doing it with flair. Three games into the Western Conference finals, they hadn’t even trailed the Dallas Stars for a single second. All they had to do was win once more to seal a spot in the Stanley Cup finals.

Wings one win away from trip to final

DALLAS — This is how ridiculously good the Detroit Red Wings are playing: They lose the NHL’s top scorer this post-season and their regular-season scoring leader steps up with the first hat trick of his entire career while one of his linemates scores a demoralizing short-handed goal.

Pavel Datsyuk scored twice in the first period and again with 2:41 left, and Henrik Zetterberg added two assists and the short-hander, sending Detroit past the Dallas Stars 5-2 Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Franzen tops Howe in Wings sweep

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings lack the household names they had the last time they hoisted the Stanley Cup.

The way they’re playing, though, anybody remotely interested in hockey knows — or will find out soon — who’s on the team.

Johan Franzen already has 11 goals through two rounds, surpassing the post-season total Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull or any player on the 2002 team that looked like a future wing of the Hall of Fame.

Wings light up Avs, Theodore again

DETROIT — The Mule-led Detroit Red Wings are kicking the Colorado Avalanche when they’re down.

Johan Franzen scored three times to lift Detroit to a 5-1 victory Saturday over the banged-up Avs, giving the NHL’s top-seeded team a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal.