The Detroit Red Wings attempted to sustain their winning streak as they hosted the Ottawa Senators for a matinee game on Saturday afternoon.
In a somewhat sleepy game, the Red Wings won 2-0 thanks to goals from Larkin and Athanasiou, superb positional and systems play by the Red Wings, a 31-save shutout by Howard and…lackadaisical, un-energetic play by the Senators.
Continue reading Red Wings-Senators quick take: Wings take their 3rd straight over sleepy Sens
Here’s the Red Wings’ Game Day Preview video ahead of today’s match-up vs. Ottawa…
I’m a little late with this one, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman posted the following in his “31 Thoughts” column:
Detroit’s Ken Holland is in the cone of silence, not revealing much about his future. I’m loathe to say he’s 100 per cent coming back, because nothing is done until it is done, but all indications are pointing in that direction. The Athletic’s Craig Custance quoted sources as expecting a three-year extension; I heard rumblings about a two-year move. Whatever the case, the organization is working through the process.
Owner Marian Ilitch has a place near the site of last week’s GM meetings and it is believed they met. There are some GMs who know the end is coming and give off a “Dead Man Walking” impression, but Holland isn’t acting that way. He’s spent much less time around the team than normal, throwing on his scouting beret for a hugely important draft.
Continued, and, not surprisingly, Friedman states that Pavel Datsyuk is not contemplating a return to the NHL…
My apologies for the absence of posts of late. I’m very ill and have been unable to do much of anything but rest. I will return as soon as I can sit up.
As MLive’s Ansar Khan notes, Joe Hicketts made a very positive impression during the Red Wings’ 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, registering 2 assists…
But Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill used his post-game remarks to challenge Hicketts to continue improving his skill sets:
“Joe has got lots of swagger, lots of confidence,” Red Wing coach Jeff Blashill said. “With that kind of swagger, he’ll have to manage his turnovers, he’ll have to manage certain mistakes, but he plays to win hockey games. That’s why he’s had success at the Canadian world junior level, that’s why he had success in the WHL, that’s why he had success in the American League.
“He doesn’t look like a normal NHL defenseman with his size, skating combo. He’s been able to defy odds. Can he keep defying odds? We’ll see. Careers certainly aren’t defined in one game or two games. They’re defined time after time after time.”
Some of the Red Wings’ more prominent players are pulling for Hicketts.
“Hicketts comes in and plays really good again,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “I thought he was one of the best defenseman the last time we played him (his NHL debut Jan. 22 at New Jersey) and he got sent him down. I told him hopefully he’ll stick around this time.”
Niklas Kronwall, who recorded his 400th point (a goal) on the night Hicketts got his first, said: “He’s just a big smile that comes in, brings a lot of energy. That stuff’s contagious. That’s something we definitely need right now.”
Khan continues, and here’s Hicketts’ on-the-bench interview with Fox Sports Detroit’s Trevor Thompson:
The Detroit Red Wings managed to get the Pittsburgh Penguins on an “off” night, and the result of a superb effort by the Wings and a not-so-superb effort by the Penguins was a 4-1 win for Detroit.
I’m quite ill, so I tried to watch the game as as spectator, and I can’t say that it made me any smarter or wiser to the means by which the game’s result is authored than I am when I’m nervously typing instead. Long story short, I think the rambly game recaps are coming back when my health does.
Here are the game’s goals…
The Free Press’s George Sipple reports that the Red Wings have met with NCAA unrestricted free agent Daniel Brickley, a 22-year-old defenseman who played for the University of Minnesota-Mankato this past season:
“We spent the day with him and his agent,” [Red Wings GM] Holland said, declining to give any other specifics about the visit.
Brickley scored 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 40 games as a junior at Minnesota State this season. Brickley ranks 10th nationally among defensemen in points per game (0.88).
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill coached Brickley at the International Ice Hockey Federation 2017 Men’s World Championship last year in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark.
“I’ve got no comment on him right now,” Blashill said Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena when asked about Brickely. “I know him, but I know he’s going through a process.
“I thought he played good at the Worlds, in the sense that he was able to learn things quickly, some different concepts that he hadn’t done and he learned some things differently. I think he’s an excellent person. I think he’s a big body with good hands. Didn’t play tons though. Again, I’d like to allow him to respect his process.”
Here’s more from the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:
The Red Wings will probably find out this week if they’ll be able to sign undrafted college free agent Daniel Brickley, a defenseman from Minnesota State.
According to TSN analyst Bob McKenzie, the Red Wings, Los Angeles and San Jose are expected to visit with Brickley, 22, with two other teams also being considered.
Brickley (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) had 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 40 games this past season.
Considered to be an elite offensive defenseman, Brickley, 22, is projected to walk onto an NHL roster immediately, and could eventually become a top-four defenseman.
The National Hockey League’s last overall team will have better odds of winning the draft lottery next month and selecting consensus No. 1 prospect Rasmus Dahlin in June.
According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the team with the worst point total this season will have an 18.5 per cent chance of winning the annual draw, which will take place on Saturday, April 28.
Last year, the worst team in the final standings – the Colorado Avalanche – had a 17.9 per cent chance to win the lottery and secure the first overall pick. The draw ended up favouring the New Jersey Devils, who took top spot with an 8.5 per cent chance as the league’s fifth-worst team and selected Nico Hischier with the No. 1 overall selection.
The second-worst team will have a 13.5 per cent chance to land the No. 1 pick, up from 12.1 per cent last year. The third-worst team will have an 11.5 per cent shot at the first overall selection up from 10.3 in 2017 when the the Arizona Coyotes shared that percentage with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.
Continued with ranking-by-ranking #1 overall pick odds…
Here’s the Red Wings’ Wings-Penguins Game Day Preview video…
From the Grand Rapids Griffins comes their weekly press release:
Continue reading Here’s the Grand Rapids Griffins’ weekly press release
