Tonight's Lineup vs. The Blue Shirts

Khan(!) has your lineup here at mlive.com along with some discussions about the nagging groin epidemic that seems to be going around...

Here's how they'll start tonight:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Leino-Filppula-Ritola

Ryno-Emmerton-Maltby

Newbury-Abdelkader-Tatar

Kronwall-Stuart

Meech-Ericsson

Kindl-Delmore

Larsson

Cloutier

Yeah, it's big bad Dan Cloutier getting his first pre-season action tonight. Hopefully, Larsson stands tall in the first part of the game.

Four Wings are down with groin injuries. Zetterberg, Cleary, Bertuzzi, and Jason Williams are all sitting out because of "non-serious" groin problems. Let's here from some of them..

Zetterberg...how's the groin?

“Maybe it’s 2-3 percent better today than Friday, so it’s going the right way. Going to have a new evaluation tomorrow and we’ll see what that will bring.’’

Zata's gunning for Friday's game against the Leafs. Let's hope his injury keeps "going the right way". We need our future captain healthy for a full season.

How about you, Dan?

"I think we caught it at a good time. Get some games in this weekend and be ready to go.’’

Um...did you notice that your entire line is out, Dan?

"Yeah, I know Babs said it’s embarrassing.’’

Don't read too much into that quote, outsiders...Babcock was just being Babcock. He does joke around...sometimes. Just look at this:

“The Bertuzzi-Cleary-Zetterberg line hasn’t played together once in exhibition; eventually you’d like that to happen. Should be getting frustrating for them, it’s time to start playing. You can’t give guys days off. I don’t know what happens around here. Golf course wears them down. Datsyuk came in here all cheery, but he didn’t know he had to go to New York until he got here so I might have wrecked his day."--Mike Babcock

Funny guy.