This is what has started to happen in Detroit

For a coach, having a depth of talent on your roster is sometimes a curse.Trying to preach attention to detail and defensive awareness to a team that knows, on most nights, they're going to bury the opposition in goals is a tough task.Your words often fall on deaf ears.Last season, the Red Wings knew their firepower was unmatched in the league.Boasting Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, Johan Franzen, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Brian Rafalski; last year's team new they were going to outscore their opponents almost every night, it was just a matter of who and how many.This year, however, head coach Mike Babcock knew that, for now, those days were over.With the loss of several offensive weapons over the summer, Babcock told the media and the team that, winning this year was only going to happen if the team committed to playing a defensive game and dedicated themselves to "grinding out" wins.This was true to be sure, but, Detroit still had three world-class offensive players in Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Franzen and solid secondary forwards such as Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi and Jason Williams.Surely, they wouldn't score as much but they still had enough guys who could put the puck in the net.How quickly this changed.Nearly two months into the season, Franzen, Filppula, and Williams are sidelined with serious injuries and with them, a heafty amount of offensive potential.However, after a pedestrian start to the season (5-4-3), the Red Wings have won five of their last six games and have done it by playing the game Mike Babcock said they needed to at the start of the season.During this stretch, the Red Wings have limited their goals against to nine and have scored 20.By playing a strong, defensively sound, team-game, the Wings have found success, just like Mike Babcock said they would.Getting back to the numbers, it is important to note that five of those nine goals against came in the Wingsembarrassingly disastrous loss to the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday.The Red Wings came out flat, disinterested and unorganized and the game was over almost before it began.Last season, the Wings might very well have won under those circumstances.Several oftheir wins were of the 5-4, 7-6 variety.But this season, and especially with their current roster losses, the Wings don't have the offensive depth to recover from a bad start.Nothing succeeds like success, and with the Wings' current run of it, they're realizing that the best offense is a good defense.Mike Babcock's message to his team that playing a sound, simple, defensive game is the only way to win has been well received.This is evidenced by defense men getting the puck up and out, rather than going for the high-risk pass in the defensive zone.Forwards, to a man,back-checking hard and finishing checks.Most importantly, the goaltending has improved tremendously since the start of the season.The fact that, allowing just three goals will likely lose the game for your team is beginning to sink in.What's more, Mike Babcock has called out some of the younger players on the team and they've responded well.At various points, Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader and Ville Leino have been healthy scratches and Babcock has made no equivocation as to why; they weren't playing well enough defensively.As a result, these three have all improved their defensive and offensive games and have made the most of the ice-time they've been given since.This isn't always the case.Getting called out by your coach doesn't always result in improved play, unless you agree with his assessment and buy into his system.This is what has started to happen in Detroit.Most coaches talk a good game, few get their players to listen.As evidenced by their play over the past few weeks, Mike Babcock's team is all ears.. WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Sen Carl Levin said onSunday he plans to subpoena the U.S. Treasury Department to seeits agreement with Citigroup (C.N) and determine whatcommitments the financial institution made in exchange forgovernment aid. Stocks Citigroup received a $25 billion injection from the U.S.government in October as part of the $700 billion financialbailout that was aimed at thawing the credit markets, butconcerns have emerged about how the money has been used. Levin, who heads a Senate subcommittee on investigations,said he wanted to see whether the agreement included anycommitments to help borrowers stay in their homes despitehaving trouble paying their mortgages. "It's a simple request they so far have stiffed us," Levin,a Michigan Democrat, told reporters before closed-door meetingswith incoming Obama administration officials on the financialbailout and an economic stimulus package. "They promised us repeatedly we'd get the document so Iintend to issue a subpoena this week to get that," he said,adding that he wanted to see it before determining whether tovote to release the second $350 billion of the bailout money.

President-elect Barack Obama's aides have been indiscussions with the White House over whether President GeorgeW. Bush should ask Congress for permission to use the remaining$350 billion of the funds, which are aimed at stabilizing thefinancial system. A Treasury spokeswoman said the loan agreement Citigroupsigned for the $25 billion was identical to the language postedon the department's website. Are theygoing to use this to pay dividends to stockholders, which theyshouldn't" "How are they going to handle executive compensation ...What are they going to do about the money being used to buyother banks" he said. Levin said he has also requested Treasury's agreement withthe troubled insurer American International Group Inc (AIG.N)but was unsure whether the department had said it would givethe panel a copy. In November, the Treasury Department agreed to investanother $20 billion in Citigroup preferred stock and helpguarantee up to $306 billion in risky assets.

ATLANTA (Reuters) - The Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement to sign Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami subject to a medical, Major League Baseball said on its website () on Sunday. According to the Toronto Star , Toronto Blue Jays OF Vernon Wells had surgery on Thursday to repair cartilage damage in his left wrist.The surgery was a success and Wells is expected to be ready by spring training.Wells, who played with pain in his wrist all season hit a disappointing .250 with 15 home runs with a .711 OPS. Really not what the Blue Jays were hoping for when they signed him to that enormous contract.That’s the type of contract that will get a GM fired–oh wait, it did.Ever since Wells signed his seven-year, $126 million contract after the 2006 season, he has had nothing but bad luck.In 2007, Wells hurt his shoulder and broke his wristIn 2008, Wells had a groin injuryIn 2009, Wells was playing with a left wrist injury.If I was a GM who was interesting and could afford Roy Halladay–which eliminates two-thirds of teams in baseball–here is what I would do.I would call up the Blue Jays and say I want to trade for Halladay and I will also take half of Wells’ contract off your hands. And we all know that as soon as Wells leaves Toronto, he probably is going to have a great year.That’s just the way sports work A guy gets a change of scenery and becomes rejuvenated.