Month: November 2021

Of prospect-related note from Europe today:

In the Finnish Liiga, Otto Kivenmaki scored a goal, finishing at +1 with 2 shots in 14:51 played as the Lahti Pelicans won 3-0 over Vassan Sport;

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Jesper Eliasson stopped 23 of 28 shots in Almtuna IS’s 5-4 loss to Tingsryds IF;

Neither Gustav Berglund nor Albin Grewe played in Mora IK’s 3-2 win over Vasteras;

Filip Larsson was the back-up in HV71 Jonkoping’s 6-4 win over Vita Hasten;

And in the Swedish J20 league, Liam Dower Nilsson didn’t play in Frolunda HC’s 5-1 loss to Vaxjo.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article discussing the highs and lows of the Red Wings’ traditional Thanksgiving Eve game tradition:

Sweet taste of revenge: Fedorov was the prime dish when the Wings took on the San Jose Sharks at the Joe on Nov. 22, 1995. He scored twice in the 5-2 victory, extending his seven-game point streak to five goals and eight assists. The most satisfying performance though, belonged to Igor Larionov, who had been acquired from the Sharks a month earlier. Larionov scored on a penalty shot in the third period.

Thanks, Shanny: Brendan Shanahan had joined the Wings with minutes to spare before the 1996-97 season opener, part of a blockbuster trade made to strengthen the Wings’ Stanley Cup hopes. He showed off just what a spectacularly good trade it was with a natural hat trick during a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 27. It was the Wings’ first hat trick since Slava Kozlov netted three in Patrick Roy’s infamous final game in Montreal.

Glistening goodies: Never mind the game (it was a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Nov. 27, 2002); on Thanksgiving Day, players were treated to a team dinner at the Fox Theatre, with the Rockettes serving the main course. They set out a silver platter as the centerpiece of a round table — but when the lid was lifted, there glistened the 2002 Stanley Cup rings. The rings were made of gold and featured a Cup made of diamonds, overlaid with a winged wheel made of rubies, with a diamond as the axle.

Continued (paywall)

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills previews tonight’s game between the Red Wings and St. Louis Blues (7:30 PM EST on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/Bally Sports Midwest/97.1 FM):

“We got to get back to it,” [Lucas] Raymond said on Wednesday. “I think we had some good moments in some periods on the road trip. But overall, it was not good enough. We got to find ways to win games and stick with it, and I felt some of the games we had really good periods, then we fell off.”

Last week, Detroit was far from perfect on the road. The team went 0-3-1 and were outscored, 17-8. Overall, it was a tough stretch for a team that hardly had a moment to sit down, as the Red Wings played four games in less than a week.

“I think one of the most important things you have to do in the NHL is learn how to play when you’re tired, when you don’t have your legs and how to play smart,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday. “I think that helps some of our young players, certainly a guy like [Moritz] Seider and a guy like Raymond who are both smart players so they can help manage it.”

On Wednesday, the Red Wings look to reverse their fortunes and secure two points against the St. Louis Blues (10-6-2). The game marks the 287th meeting between these two teams and the first since Oct. 27, 2019. Puck drop from Little Caesars Arena is set for 7:30 p.m., with broadcast coverage on Bally Sports Detroit Plus and the Red Wings Radio Network.

Although the Blues enter Wednesday’s matchup in a second-place tie in the Western Conference’s Central Division, the team has recently struggled with consistency. On Monday, the Blues defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2. The game before, St. Louis fell to the Dallas Stars, 4-1, a follow-up to a 4-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Prior to that victory, the Blues fell, 3-2, to the Arizona Coyotes.

Under coach Craig Berube, the Blues rank fourth in the Western Conference, averaging 3.3 goals per game. On offense, St. Louis center Jordan Kyrou leads the team with 18 points, on eight goals and 10 assists. Winger Brandon Saad has seven goals over the last 10 games. In goal, Jordan Binnington has been a steady presence for the Blues, and holds a 7-5-0 record across 14 games with a .914 save percentage.

The Blues have won two consecutive meetings against the Red Wings and five of the last six matchups.

Continued

Grand Rapids Griffins announcer Bob Kaser previews tonight’s game between the Grand Rapids Griffins and the host Milwaukee Admirals (8 PM EST on AHL.tv/WOOD Radio):

DetroitRedWings.com’s Daniella Bruce and Ken Kal preview tonight’s game between the Red Wings and St. Louis Blues (7:30 PM EST on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/Bally Sports Midwest/97.1 FM):

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed a game-day notebook this afternoon, discussing the Red Wings’ need to find some secondary scoring from the second line of Robby Fabbri, Pius Suter and Filip Zadina:

“The top line has done a great job for us, keeping us in and winning games,” [Robby] Fabbri said. “It’s up to the other nine or 10 forwards that get in to help out. It starts with burying your chances.”

Fabbri, now in his third season with the Wings, was expected to be a major contributor this season. But with three goals and five assists (eight points), Fabbri has been off his expected pace.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to be part of that secondary scoring,” Fabbri said. “It hasn’t been going in right now, but the line has been confident with the chances we’ve been getting, with what we’ve been creating. We just got to stick with it and eventually it will go in.”

The positive is, the Suter line has been getting chances with a good number of shots on net, and quality scoring opportunities, at that. But it still hasn’t resulted in enough offense.

“As a line we’re getting about 10 shots a game; you’re pretty happy with that to start,” Fabbri said. “What we’re creating from our D-zone to the offensive zone, it’s been great. Just working on getting the puck over the (goal) line.”

Continued

StLouisBlues.com’s Chris Pinkert posted a game-day notebook article ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Detroit Red Wings, and it’s worth your time to give Pinkert’s work a look as he sets up tonight’s game from the Blues’ perspective–and the Blues are absolutely delighted to have Brayden Schenn returning to the lineup this evening:

Now everyone is healthy, and that includes Brayden Schenn, who will return to the lineup Wednesday after missing nine games with an upper-body injury.

“It’s really good to see (Schenn) back,” said Blues Head Coach Craig Berube. “He pushed (to come back) even last game, but we held him out. He’s good to go. He’s a very good player for us, two-way player, we know that. He can provide offense for us, but he plays a hard game. He does a lot of things for us.

“His play on the ice, he leads by example,” Berube added. “He’s been a guy that’s been around for a long time now, he’s played a lot of good hockey in his career. He demands things, represents our team a certain way. From hard work, the way he plays the game, it rubs off on the rest of our team.”

On Wednesday morning, Schenn was centering a line with Brandon Saad and Jordan Kyrou, and that’s where he’s likely to play when the Blues meet the Detroit Red Wings at 7:30 p.m. (BSMW, 101 ESPN). With a full roster, Berube has some flexibility in deciding his lineup.

“We moved some guys around because we had to with Schenn back,” Berube said. “It’s good to be healthy and have moving parts in your lineup. It doesn’t get stale that way. It’s just more balance with Schenner back, down the middle of the ice, we’re pretty strong in my opinion. We have other guys that are playing wing that can play center. That’s a good position to be deep in.”

With Schenn back, James Neal looks to be sitting out on Wednesday.

Ville Husso is likely to start in goal. Husso is 2-0-0 this season with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .984 save-percentage. He has given up just one goal on 61 shots this season.

The Blues are dressing the following lineup, per 101 ESPN…

#stlblues projected lineup vs. #LGRW:

Forwards
Barbashev – O’Reilly – Perron
Buchnevich – Thomas – Tarasenko
Saad – Schenn – Kyrou
Kostin – Bozak – Sundqvist

Defense
Scandella – Parayko
Krug – Faulk
Mikkola – Perunovich

Goalie
Husso

? Puck Drop at 6:30pm on 101 ESPN ? pic.twitter.com/ppGh2ts43X— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) November 24, 2021

And there is some good news from DetroitHockey.net’s Clark Rasmussen:

Stupid Stat of the Day: The Red Wings are unbeaten all-time in games played against the St. Louis Blues on the Wednesday before American Thanksgiving. pic.twitter.com/rQpvAcq658— DetroitHockey.Net (@detroithockey96) November 24, 2021

4-and-0…

MLive’s Ansar Khan has already filed his game-day notebook article, discussing the fact that Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider have risen to face and conquer the challenges with which the 82-game NHL schedule presents them:

The Red Wings (8-9-3) face the St. Louis Blues (10-6-2) tonight at Little Caesars Arena (7:30, Bally Sports Detroit Plus). Detroit is winless in four (0-3-1) but hopes a three-day break after playing 20 games in 38 days will re-energize the team.

“I thought our whole team kind of petered out a little bit as (the trip) went along,” [Red Wings coach Jeff] Blashill said. “Certainly, our young players would have been in that mix. I think one of the most important things you have to do in the NHL is learning how to play when you’re tired and you don’t have your legs and how to play smart. I think that helps some of our young players, certainly Seider and Raymond are both smart players, so they can help manage it. But it’s hard to be dynamic when you don’t have your legs. You’re kind of finding ways to equal shifts instead of really attacking. It’s part of the learning process.”

Raymond (seven goals, 12 assist) leads the Red Wings and all NHL rookies with 19 points. Seider (two goals, 11 assists) is second among league rookies with 13 points. Raymond, 19, played only 44 games last season in Sweden, between league play and tournaments, in a season cut short due to elbow surgery. Seider appeared in 61 games between his season in Sweden and international events with Germany.

“Of course, it’s a lot of games (this season), but it’s fun as well,” Raymond said. “Everyone wants to play games. But of course, it’s an intense schedule and especially we have had a lot of games compared to other teams, but I think we just got to accept it, stick with and make the best of the situation.”

Taking care of yourself off the ice is vital.

“You got to get the right sleep, eat a lot, and eat good and just stay focused, not let up on your details,” Raymond said.

Continued; the fact that Raymond’s mom is a fitness coach doesn’t hurt.

The St. Louis Blues are currently holding their morning skate ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Red Wings (7:30 PM EST on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/Bally Sports Midwest/97.1 FM), and Robby Fabbri poked his head out of the locker room to say “hi” to his former teammates:

Good seeing an old friend.

Tonight’s game will be the first time we’ve played against Robby Fabbri since the trade with Detroit in Nov. 8, 2019. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/NAo1WqXCM2— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 24, 2021

I’ll try to update this post with anything of note from the Blues’ side of the ice.

Update: Per the St. Louis Post-Distpach’s Jim Thomas:

Looks like Schenn’s in:
Barbashev-O’Reilly-Perron
Saad-Schenn-Kyrou
Buchnevich-Thomas-Tarasenko
Kostin-Bozak-Sundqvist— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) November 24, 2021

Scandella-Parayko
Krug-Faulk
Mikkola-Perunovich— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) November 24, 2021

Husso first off the ice.— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) November 24, 2021

We also knew this was happening:

From Craig Berube: Brayden Schenn (upper body injury) will return tonight against the #RedWings. Missed the past nine games. Said Schenn pushed to play the last game. #stlblues— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) November 24, 2021

Neal came out on the ice for the start of practice, but then left. Berube said he tweaked something that had been bothering him previously, so it was kind of a maintenance day. He’s not in the lineup tonight.— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) November 24, 2021

Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler posted an article handicapping the NHL’s major award races at the NHL’s “quarter pole,” and she notes that both Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are in the running for the Calder Trophy:

CALDER TROPHY

Quarter-season winner: Lucas Raymond, F, Red Wings
In 34 Swedish Hockey League games last year after being drafted fourth overall by Detroit in 2020, Raymond registered six goals and 18 points. Now 20 games into his NHL career, the 19-year-old Swede already has seven goals and a team-leading 19 points and is playing like a veteran on the Red Wings’ top line. He sits atop the rookie stat sheet across all categories, and is on pace for greatness.

More rookies making their mark:

• Moritz Seider, D, Red Wings: The surprise sixth-overall selection of the 2019 draft is making plenty of plays from Detroit’s blue line… and this time, no one’s surprised.
• Dawson Mercer, F, Devils: Six goals and 12 points through 16 games so far has the rookie forward leading his team on the stat sheet.
• Trevor Zegras, F, Ducks: With the Ducks’ youth movement well underway, there’s a lot to be excited about in Anaheim (see: Terry, Troy). We saw flashes of brilliance during Zegras’ 24-game stint last season and this year it’s clear he’s here to stay.

Continued; don’t count Cole Caufield out yet…