Month: November 2020

Sportsnet’s ‘The Greatest: Goal of the 21st Century’ pits Rick Nash vs. the Datsyukian Deke

Sportsnet’s latest “The Greatest: Goal of the 21st Century” match-up pitches Rick Nash’s magnificent goal against the Arizona Coyotes vs. Pavel Datsyuk’s signature move vs. Marty Turco:

Three things: Mastrosimone makes US WJC team; Blashill on a WMU podcast; praise for Yzerman’s GM pedigree

Of Red Wings-related note this evening:

  1. Red Wings prospect Robert Mastrosimone was named to the 2021 U.S. World Junior Championship team’s roster as one of 29 players selected to play or participate in the tournament in Edmonton starting on Christmas Day of this year;
  2. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the Western Michigan University Leadership Center’s podcast, “The Jungle,” speaking with Dr. Doug Lepisto and Dr. Derrick McIver for 35 minutes regarding an assortment of topics:
Listen to “Jeff Blashill – Head Coach of the Detroit Red Wings” on Spreaker.

3. And Pro Hockey Talk’s Adam Gretz posted a list of “power rankings” for the NHL’s 31 teams’ general managers, listing Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman as the second-best GM in the NHL:

2. Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings. His Detroit track record is obviously incomplete, but he was the main architect of a Tampa Bay Lightning team that has been the NHL’s most successful team over the past six years. That counts. A lot. That is also why he gets such a high mark.

Update: Make it four things as NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman gave Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren a plug as a “prospect to watch” in Europe:

Jonatan Berggren (Detroit Red Wings), F, Skelleftea: Berggren (5-10, 181) is third in the Swedish Hockey League with 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 18 games. The 20-year-old right wing was chosen by the Red Wings in the second round (No. 33) of the 2018 NHL Draft.

HSJ: The ice is in at LCA

According to reports from the players and The Word on Woodward, the Red Wings’ players have been training and skating at the BELFOR Training Center adjacent to Little Caesars Arena on an informal basis for over a month now. Today, the Free Press’s Helene St. James reported that the Wings took things onto the big ice next door:

There’s on-ice activity at Little Caesars Arena for the first time in nearly nine months.

The facility has largely stood empty since the NHL and NBA shut down in mid-March because of COVID-19, but with an NHL season on the horizon — maybe — ice was put in at the practice rink over the weekend.

Detroit Red Wings players who are in the area — a group that includes Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha — took to the ice there Monday for the first time since March 11. The next day, the NHL paused the 2019-20 season, and in May announced the remaining roughly three weeks would not be played.

Continued

Red Wings participating in ‘Giving Tuesday’ via Autographs for a Cause

FYI:

ESPN’s Wyshynski posts a list of the best representatives of 8 hockey nations for all NHL teams, including the Red Wings

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski posted a list of the best representatives from 8 hockey nations for each and every one of the NHL’s 31 teams today, and here are his picks for the Red Wings:

Continue reading ESPN’s Wyshynski posts a list of the best representatives of 8 hockey nations for all NHL teams, including the Red Wings

Two brief The Athletic things: DGB’s trade quiz and ‘alternate’ jersey rankings

Of very brief note this morning from The Athletic:

1. Down Goes Brown, a.k.a. Sean McIndoe, posted a set of 20 trade-related questions, and several of them involve Red Wings players or alumni;

2. And Chris Burke and Max Bultman posted a pair of lists encompassing their top 5 best and bottom 5 worst “alternate” jerseys worn by Detroit sports teams, and their lists mysteriously omit this jersey:

Khan: No possible divisional realignment for 20-21 would help the Wings make the playoffs

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses possible divisional realignments for the 2020-2021 season as they might affect the Red Wings this morning, and Khan’s bottom line as to what the divisional scenarios might involve is blunt:

One proposed playoff format would see the top four teams in each division qualify and play each other in the first two rounds, which would reduce travel and result in no border crossing until the conference finals.

But reality for the Red Wings is it doesn’t matter what the divisions look like, they are not going to compete for a playoff spot in 2021. They figure to be better, following a slew of offseason changes that should improve them in all areas and some internal growth. But they were 42 points out of the final playoff spot when the season paused on March 11 and that margin probably would have widened had the schedule been completed.

They can’t possibly erase that deficit in one season, regardless of the format that is implemented.

The hope for the Red Wings is they show significant progress from their 17-49-5 record and are competitive in more games. Most of all, it is vital for their young players to continue showing progress. That would be a big boost for the rebuild.

Continued

Roughly Translated: Filip Zadina discusses winning the ‘Battle of the Filips’

In the “Battle of the Filips,” Filip Zadina out-dueled Filip Hronek literally and figuratively, scoring the game-winning goal as the two players battled for the puck in HC Ocelari Trinec’s 2-1 victory over Hronek’s HK Mountfield:

After the game, Zadina’s post-game comments were noted by no less than six Czech websites, and I’m going to stick with attempting to translate the Q and A that Zadina gave to HC Ocelari Trinec’s David Jezek as it’s the most faithful to his commentary:

Continue reading Roughly Translated: Filip Zadina discusses winning the ‘Battle of the Filips’

Prospect Round-up: Zadina wins battle of the Filips; Lindstrom’s ice time increases

Of prospect-related note on Sunday, November 30th:

In the ICE Hockey League, Jesper Eliasson served as the back-up in the Red Bulls Salzburg’s 10-2 win over the Graz99ers. Michael Rasmussen finished at -2 with 4 shots and 3 penalties taken;

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Gustav Lindstrom played a massive 28:23, finishing at +1 with 3 shots in Almtuna IS’s 4-3 loss to BIK Karlskoga. Filip Larsson served as the back-up for Almtuna;

William Wallinder played 17:13, finishing at +1 with 1 shot in MODO Hockey’s 4-1 win over Vasteras IK. Gustav Berglund finished at -2 with 1 shot in 16:42 for Vasteras;

In the Belarusian League, Kirill Tyutyayev had an assist and finished at +1 in Yunost Minsk’s 4-2 win over Gomel;

In the Czech Extraliga, Jan Bednar served as the back-up in HC Energie Karlovy Vary’s 5-4 win over PSG Berani Zlin;

Filip Zadina scored a goal in 16:57 played, finishing at +1 with 5 shots in HC Ocelari Trinec’s 2-1 win over Filip Hronek and Mountfield HK. Hronek played 25:25, finishing at -1 with 5 shots for Mountfield HK.

Here’s Zadina’s goal, scored as Zadina beat Hronek to the net:

Hokej.cz posted a 1-minute clip of Zadina beating Hronek to the puck;

In NCAA Hockey, Sam Stange scored the University of Wisconsin Badgers’ only goal on their 3-1 loss to the University of Arizona Sun Devils. Stange finished even with 6 shots, going 8-for-14 on faceoffs and taking 2 penalties; Ryan O’Reilly finished even with 5 shots for Arizona.

Stange got some help on his goal:

‘The Big 50: Detroit Red Wings’ excerpt: 1997

The Free Press posted an excerpt from Helene St. James’ book, “Big 50: Detroit Red Wings” this morning, chronicling the Red Wings’ journey toward their first Stanley Cup in 1997:

Yzerman hoisted the Cup above his head, his gap-toothed smile a mix of relief and joy. He skated to the Wings bench so that owners Mike and Marian Ilitch could touch the Cup, then took his victory lap around the ice.

“I would have preferred to go with everybody in the beginning,” Yzerman said. “I wanted to go as one big group.”

Yzerman passed the Cup to Slava Fetisov, who held it up with Larionov. It was a very conscious, very telling choice on Yzerman’s part. It revealed the respect he felt was due to the two men who had done so much to liberate Russian hockey players from Soviet red tape.

“The last couple of days I thought who I wanted to give the Cup to,” Yzerman said. “I thought about Slava. He and Igor, what they stand for, are good examples for younger players…. All five Russian players were significant players and great guys.” Players took turns taking laps with the Cup. Bowman put on skates and took a lap too. “That was great,” Yzerman said. “I’ve seen it all. He doesn’t show emotion. He doesn’t let us get too close to him. For a few minutes there, he was one of us.”

In 1993, after the Toronto Maple Leafs eliminated the Wings in the first round, Yzerman cried in a back room at the Joe until 4:00 am. The next spring, when his season ended with a stunning first-round upset by the San Jose Sharks, Yzerman cried until 3:00 am. Finally, the Joe was a place for celebration. “He tried to get it for 14 years, and now he gets it,” teammate Tomas Holmstrom said. “I almost started crying.”

Continued