DET vs PIT

PITTSBURGH - When hockey personnel speak about injuries in the playoffs, the temperature around them often gets a lot warmer. What comes out of the mouth is usually a lot of hot air.

In the 1999 playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche said Ray Bourque had a foot injury. It was really to the knee, and the Avs flipped out when the correct injury was reported in the press.

In the '96 playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks memorably said Chris Chelios had an "equipment problem" in a Western semifinal game against the Avalanche, when really Chelios had a numbed leg from an over-injection of Novocain.

In 1982, New York Islanders personnel went to great lengths to keep Mike Bossy's injured knee a secret. Bossy wore a brace, but nobody outside of the Isles' dressing room knew it at the time.

The Detroit Red Wings said Friday valuable winger Tomas Holmstrom has a hamstring injury. Of course, the former Iraqi Minister of Information said the Baghdad airport was safely in Iraqi control hours after the Americans had seized it a few years ago.

Reveal at discretion

In other words, you take the word of hockey people about injuries at your peril this time of year.

What is indisputably clear is that "Homer" has something not quite right with one of his legs. He did not practice Friday here at Mellon Arena, but took treatment somewhere in the ancient bowels of the building by the Wings locker-room. (That visiting locker-room is unquestionably the worst in the NHL. There are nothing but a few
skinny benches and some old-school coat hooks in the room, which isn't much bigger in diameter than a pizza box).

"Homer's just got - Homer's got the back of his leg, the hamstring. He's got a little problem there. We think he'll be fine. He's a tough guy," said Wings coach Mike Babcock, who first asked NHL spokesman Frank Brown what the rules were about injury disclosure before answering the question.

Holmstrom seemed to be favouring his right knee more than anything after losing a tussle in front of the net with Pittsburgh's Hal Gill in Game 3.

Underrated player

Although Babcock later said he expected Holmstrom to play, he did allow that Daniel Cleary take his line spot and get his power-play time if he can't play, and would also probably put Darren McCarty back into the lineup.

Holmstrom arguably is the NHL's most underrated player. He can be a tremendously disruptive influence in front of the net, and drives defencemen crazy with his ability to take physical punishment.

"He's big and has a really wide stance, so he screens you real effectively," said Wings goalie Chris Osgood. "I remember, when I played on different teams, it was no fun playing against him. I'm glad he's back on my side."

But Holmstrom might have met his match in the 6-foot-7 Gill. Babcock probably was just like any other person not on Holmstrom's team prior to coming to Detroit, in his despise of the man. Now that he's his coach, he's come to appreciate the unconventional Swede.

"I think he's got great passion and great courage. And I think he's an unbelievable teammate. I like him a lot. I like having him in practice. He's good to yell at practice. The guys like when he messes up the odd drills so everyone can have some fun with that. We missed him out there today," Babcock said.

"He's a great person. I think he's taught Cleary and he's taught the Mule [Johan Franzen] a lot just by watching. And
he's made us a better hockey club. And the other thing that Tommy doesn't get the kind of credit he deserves for the plays he makes on the half wall coming out of his own on the breakout and his puck retrieval skills, and that little six-foot pass to get the puck back for good players. And he does an excellent job of that. And the other thing is most guys wouldn't go there and draw the number of penalties he takes or draws without taking them."

No Chelios

Babcock surprised the pundits today by saying he wouldn't make any changes to his defence for Game 4. Most expected that Chris Chelios might see his first action of the series, after Andreas Lilja's poor showing, but it won't happen, Babcock said.

"It's not my thought process, no," he said.

Sadness over Bourdon

The NHL will observe a moment of silence prior to Game 4, in memory of Luc Bourdon, who was killed Thursday in a motorcycle accident.

Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby knew Bourdon a little, being drafted in the same year.

"It's tough. The hockey world is a small community. And I think a lot of guys probably crossed paths with him at some point. Personally, I was drafted with him in junior and the NHL draft, I saw him there," Crosby said. "It's sad to see someone that young have something happen like that.

"It certainly makes you realize how valuable life is and how lucky we are. But it's an unfortunate incident for sure."

Keep it going

Crosby indicated he'll be on the lookout for teammates who might have gotten a little too happy over finally getting a win in the Finals.

Young teams often have trouble with the swinging emotions of the playoffs, either getting too high or low after games.

He's only 20 himself, but Crosby is far from satisfied over one win.

"We just need to make sure that our focus is on being strong here. Up to this point, we've played well and we want to make sure we maintain that," said Crosby, whose team has won 17 straight games at home.

What did Sid the Kid do on his day off Thursday?

"Nothing exciting, trust me. I laid around. When you get a chance to relax, you gotta take it. And for me, I just spent a lot of time in bed," he said.