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Valtteri Filppula News & Rumors

Wings' Pavel Datsyuk, Valtteri Filppula to face off in semifinal of world hockey championship
May 18
Detroit Free Press
 
"Red Wings Valtteri Filppula and Pavel Datsyuk will face off for a shot at gold at the world championship. Filppula and Datsyuk had assists Thursday in the quarterfinals of the tournament, which runs through Sunday in Helsinki, Finland. Team USA, Canada and Sweden were bounced Thursday, setting up Saturday semifinals between Finland and Russia, and Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Winners will play for gold and silver, and losers for bronze, on Sunday. The only Wings remaining in the tournament are Filppula (Finland), Datsyuk (Russia) and prospect Tomas Tatar (Slovakia)."
Jimmy Howard, U.S. to face Red Wings teammate Valtteri Filppula, Finland in elimination game
May 16
Detroit Free Press
 
"Next up for Jimmy Howard and his U.S. team at the world championship: Facing Red Wings teammate Valtteri Filppula and Finland for the second time in five days. Howard made 25 saves and Justin Abdelkader had an assist Tuesday to lead the U.S. past Switzerland, 5-2, at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, in the last day of preliminary action. Team Canada, which includes Kyle Quincey, beat Belarus, 5-1. Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and two assists, and Johan Franzen contributed a goal and an assist as Sweden beat Latvia, 4-0, at Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Defenseman Niklas Kronwall used his particular skill and delivered a crushing hit on Kaspars Saulietis, who was busy looking at the"
Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula scores 2 goals, 2 assists in Finland win
May 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula finished his preliminary preparation for the world championship in fine fashion Monday, using four points to lead his Finns to victory. The Swedes, meanwhile, look like they will regain the services of defenseman Jonathan Ericsson. Last week, after Ericsson suffered a back injury in the first game of the tournament, the Wings were under the impression Ericsson wouldn't play again. But he has apparently improved enough that he went on the ice Monday, and he told Sweden's Aftonbladet that he hopes to play in the quarterfinals, which begin Thursday."
Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula scores two goals in Finland win over Switzerland
May 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"Red Wing Valtteri Filppula celebrates after one of his two goals for Finland in a 5-2 victory over Switzerland at the IIHF world championships in Helsinki, Finland. Filppula's third-period goals came on his only two shots of the game. He played 17:50 on Tuesday."
Filppula: Maybe Red Wings can do last year's comeback one better
April 20
Detroit Free Press
 
"Valtteri Filppula learned one thing last year about being in a three-game playoff hole. "It's not that fun to be down," he said. "It's better to be up." But the Red Wings are down, 3-1, in their best-of-seven first-round series against Nashville and won't win unless they rattle off three straight victories, which they nearly did in last year's conference semifinals against San Jose. "Last year, I think we fought back pretty well," Filppula said. "It wasn't enough, so hopefully this year, it's going to be enough. But a lot of guys have played a lot of playoff games, so I think that will be a help for us.""
Red Wings don't know severity of Valtteri Filppula's leg injury
December 5
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Red Wings had to make do without one of their top scorers Sunday after Valtteri Filppula left in the first period of the 4-2 loss to Colorado at Pepsi Center. Coach Mike Babcock said Filppula got a cut on his leg above his skate, and "we sent him to have a look at. We don't know if it's serious or not serious." Even before the injury, the Wings already had opted to spend the night in Denver and fly this morning to St. Louis, where they play Tuesday. Filppula played just 4:51. He was third on the team with 21 points coming into the game, was a key part of the second line's success, and was missed both on power plays and penalty kills."
Babcock: Valtteri Filppula has the inside track
November 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"Mike Babcock's message to Valtteri Filppula has been relentless: Go to the inside, and watch what happens. The Red Wings hold Filppula in high regard because he's about as all-around utilitarian as they come: penalty killer, power-play guy, speedy, great vision, outstanding passes. Could stand to shoot more, but overall, a very good and very efficient player. Also a player that this season, finally, is poised to reach closer to 60 points than the 40 points he has maxed out at since entering the NHL in 2006-07. Filppula scored by going to the net and tapping in Henrik Zetterberg's shot at 14:52 of the third period, scoring the final goal as the Wings beat Edmonton, 3-0, Friday at Joe Louis"
Valtteri Filppula puts it on line
September 28
Detroit News
 
"The questions seem to be same every year. Is this the season Valtteri Filppula breaks out? Can he finally score more than 20 goals, account for more than 40 points, and become one of the best two-way forwards? Filppula thinks so. And, the Red Wings certainly hope so. "You always want to do better and definitely last year had a lot of ups and downs," Filppula said. "I want a more steady season and do more to help the team.""
Valterri Filppula putting up playoff points
April 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"Valtteri Filppula carries a five-game scoring streak into the next round of the NHL playoffs. Filppula scored the game-winning goal in Game 3 and chipped in four assists in the Red Wings' sweep of the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round. His scoring streak began with an assist in the Wings' 4-3 victory over the Blackhawks in the regular-season finale April 10. "It was good that first series, as a line and as a team, to capitalize on those chances," said Filppula on Friday, attempting to deflect attention about his performance. The Wings took Saturday and Sunday off and return to practice today. Asked what he did well against the Coyotes, Filppula again preferred to talk about the play of"
Mike Modano, Valtteri Filppula glad to be back for Wings
February 27
Detroit Free Press
 
"Forwards Mike Modano and Valtteri Filppula were both happy to be back in action Saturday night. Neither player had a point in the Wings' 3-2 shoot-out win over the Sabres. Both players said there were moments they felt the pace of the game was ahead of them. That was to be expected, though, since Modano had missed 41 straight games with a lacerated wrist and Filppula had missed the last eight games with a sprained knee. When a reporter asked Modano how he felt in his first game back, Johan Franzen answered "powerful." "I don't know if that's the word," Modano said. "What's the opposite of that?" Modano lost his first seven face-offs, before winning one in the third period to finish"
Expectations mount as Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula hits milestone
November 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"His wingers think Valtteri Filppula is all right, though he could be better and he could be Swedish. Now in his fifth season with the Red Wings, Filppula has emerged as a bona fide two-way star, a guy whose offense at last has caught up to his defense. Wednesday's 2-1 victory against the Flames was the 300th game of Filppula's career, one which has seen him grow from grinder to second liner. "He's been good ever since he got here," winger Johan Franzen said. "I remember my first training camp, he was a really good player, but I think he's gotten stronger with the puck, and he's started shooting, too. He's got all the parts of the game. He works really hard on the ice, and off the ice, and"
Pressure to shoot increases for Red Wings center Valtteri Filppula
October 9
Michigan Live
 
"Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock refers to Valtteri Filppula, his second-line center, as an elite skater and an elite defender. He wants Filppula to be an elite scorer, too. Filppula has the ability, and the solution to scoring more seems simple enough. "He's got to shoot the puck, it's real simple,'' Babcock said. "If you don't shoot it, you don't get to the net, you don't get on the inside, you're not going to score. There's five guys back, standing on the inside. With his skating, his ability, his size, he shouldn't have any trouble getting on the inside.'' This is not a new point of emphasis for Filppula, 26, who enters his fifth NHL season. Shooting more is something teammates"
Mike Babcock expects more from Valtteri Filppula next season
May 17
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Red Wings expect to remain a competitive team next season because of the continued development of players, including Valtteri Filppula, who is entering the prime of his career. "You improve your team by Filppula taking a big step," said Wings coach Mike Babcock. "He's at that point in his career when he has to take a step." Filppula, 26, scored a career-high 19 goals in 2007-08. He followed up with career highs in assists (28) and points (40) in 2008-09. He missed 26 games this past season with a broken wrist and finished with 11 goals, 24 assists and 35 points in 55 regular-season games. Filppula finished the regular season strong, with five goals, eight assists and 13 points over his"