Daniel Cleary managed to return in Game 5 after he was slammed into the boards by Anaheim forward Daniel Winnik late in the second period. "I'm sore," Cleary said after the game. "My whole left side was sore - shoulder, hand, ribs, neck, head." However, he added that he expects to play Friday when the Wings face elimination from the playoffs in Game 6. Cleary has a goal and two assists in five games in the series.

Although the Red Wings are frustrated with their Game 1 loss to Anahim, they know they'll still be in a good position if they win Game 2. "We understand the importance of Game 2," said forward Daniel Cleary. "The key for any team on the road is to get a split. . We feel if we play the way we know we can, things will work out for itself." The two teams will play Thursday today before the series heads to Detroit.

Daniel Cleary scored Detroit's only goal on Tuesday night in a 3-1 Game 1 loss to Anaheim. Cleary's goal came on the powerplay after a point shot from Jakub Kindl deflected off his body past Jonas Hiller. The 34-year-old winger had a quiet regular season for the Red Wings, but he will be relied upon for secondary scoring and some veteran leadership if Detroit wants to slow down the Ducks. In general, the Wings struggled to generate consistent offense in the loss.

Daniel Cleary scored his ninth goal of the season on a Detroit power play in the Red Wings' 4-2 loss in Phoenix Thursday night. The only other Detroit goal against Coyotes goalie Chad Johnson also came on a power play. Valtteri Filppula was the scorer. It was his seventh goal of the season.

Detroit seems to be getting better as the season goes on. The Red Wings looked shaky at first without veterans Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, and Brad Stuart, but they seem to have improved as the season's gone on. They've won five of their last six contests with all of those victories being on the road. "As the season goes you're getting more games under your belt and experience," said forward Daniel Cleary. "Guys are more comfortable, and that leads to us not panicking or any frustration on the bench, not letting a bad play or goal get us down." Detroit is now in a good position to keep their playoff streak alive.

Daniel Cleary scored a goal for Detroit in a 2-1 road win over Anaheim on Sunday night. The Red Wings' top two lines were held off the scoresheet as Cleary and Drew Miller were the team's only goal scorers in the contest. The power play marker for Cleary was his seventh tally of the campaign.

Daniel Cleary notched a goal and an assist in Detroit's 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville on Tuesday night. His two-point outburst ended a five-game pointless drought. Points have been hard to come by for Cleary this year, as he has scored just two goals and one assist in 16 games. Pavel Datsyuk also had a goal and a helper in the match.

Daniel Cleary ended his nine game pointless slump on Thursday. Cleary scored his first goal of the season at 5:14 of the first period. He broke out in 2010-11 with 26 goals and 46 points in 68, but you're better off forgetting that. The 34-year-old forward is a marginal option in standard fantasy leagues at very best.

Many NHL players are ramping up their workouts with the hope that a 48-game schedule will start on January 19th. Daniel Cleary and a number of Detroit players will intensify their workouts this week and will play in five-on-five games with some Phoenix players. "Our goal is to get a good week of five-on-five games, with maybe a referee, focusing on the little things: stopping and starting, the attention to detail, the defensive side of the game, a little bit. And, if things go well, it'll make sure you're ready", said Cleary. Many NHL players have either started or will start the same process, including the Penguins under the leadership of Sidney Crosby. Let's hope these scrimmages are not in vain.

As the CBA negotiations drag on, Daniel Cleary knows that time is running out. "There's a window of opportunity here that we all know is getting smaller and smaller," Cleary said. "The bottom line is they're talking and that's all we can hope for as a fan or a player, they're talking." The talks are expected to resume on Thursday with mediators present. It's believed that the two sides have roughly a week left to save the NHL season before we pass the point of no return.