Month: January 2022

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an evening notebook article on Wednesday, discussing the Red Wings’ need to build upon Tuesday’s win vs. the Sharks as the team embarks upon a 3-game California road trip with a game in Anaheim tonight:

Coming off a convincing 6-2 victory Tuesday at home against San Jose — where the Wings will end the California roadie — the Wings are heading into this trip with new-found confidence.

“We want to get as many points as we can down the stretch,” said forward Pius Suter, who sparked Tuesday’s win, both Suter and Tyler Bertuzzi getting two goals in the victory. “Road trips haven’t been as good as we’d like (this season), so we need to get off to a good start the next game and perform like (Tuesday) and that’ll help us moving forward.”

The Wings are 4-10-1 away from Little Caesars Arena and have lost their last three consecutive games. The Wings’ last road victory was Nov. 30 in Boston. Due to COVID postponements, the Wings only played three road games in December — but all were decided losses to St. Louis, Colorado and Carolina, three of the NHL’s best teams.

After losses to Washington and Boston at LCA last weekend — each gut-wrenching in the manner they unfolded — the way the Wings rebounded and took the game to San Jose was a step forward.

“We have to play as good as possible defensively,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We played pretty good against Washington and didn’t think good enough against Boston. (Tuesday) we did some good things that will help us be good on the road. We played a fairly smothering style from a defensive standpoint, not giving them space. That’s an important thing if you’re going to win on the road.

“Hopefully we’ll continue to grow and learn as a hockey team for us to be successful home and away, but especially on the road.”

Continued (paywall) with 5 points of emphasis….

In a subscriber-only article, the Detroit News’s John Niyo ponders Filip Zadina’s future with the Red Wings after coach Jeff Blashill scratched the promising young 22-year-old in Tuesday’s win over San Jose:

He ranks second among Wings forwards (behind Bertuzzi) in 5-on-5 expected goals for percentage, per Evolving Hockey, yet the scoresheet most nights leaves everyone wanting. One reason: Zadina’s subpar shooting percentage (5.6) is the same as it was during that nine-game audition in 2018-19, and not far off last season’s mark (6.3), which is hardly what anybody expected when then-Wings GM Ken Holland touted his scoring ability after that 2018 draft. Holland preached patience then, but also said he hoped Zadina would be “a big part” of a budding Cup contender “hopefully when he’s 21 or 22.”

Obviously, the past two seasons have been hard on player development for everyone in the NHL, but Zadina’s own frustration with his lack of production — and likely his role as well — has been evident.  

It also partly explains why Blashill was talking at Thanksgiving, right around Zadina’s 22nd birthday, about the young forward needing a different perspective — “He can’t put all his self-worth as a player into scoring,” the coach noted — and understanding all the other things that go into “playing winning hockey.”

That talk draws eye-rolls from frustrated fans, I know, after five straight losing seasons on Blashill’s watch. And it probably grates on young players as well. But Zadina has to know the GM he plays for now believes those same things about “winning” hockey players.

And one thing we know about Steve Yzerman, both from his tenure in Tampa and his first two seasons back in charge in Detroit, is he’s not afraid to make a move, even if it involves a young player some might view as part of his team’s core. Like the Anthony Mantha trade last April, for instance.

So while it’s too soon to say something similar will happen here with Zadina — a hockey deal for another player looking for a fresh start — it’s hardly out of the question. There are only two or three untouchables on the Wings’ current roster, and a pending RFA with 47 points in 118 career games can’t be one of them, no matter where he was drafted. No, for Zadina, the best way to make good on his promise here in Detroit would be to take the decision out of his coach’s hands, before it’s too late. 

Continued (paywall)

The Toledo Walleye have signed a member of the Larkin family, according to the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:

The Toledo Walleye have signed defenseman Adam Larkin, the cousin of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin.

Larkin, 26, last competed during the 2019-20 season when he played in Slovakia and the ECHL with Greenville. Larkin posted 16 points with six goals and 10 assists in 35 games for Greenville. He also played in 20 games for HL Poprad in Slovakia and had nine points (3 G, 6 A).

The native of Clarkson, Mich. turned pro in 2017-18 after completing a four-year college career at Yale University.

Larkin has appeared in 102 ECHL games, playing for Adirondack, Reading, and Greenville. The 6-foot and 190-pound defenseman has produced 45 points (13 G, 32 A) in the ECHL.

In 126 college games at Yale, Larkin had 31 points (5 G, 26 A). Larkin only missed three games in four college seasons and was the Bulldogs’ top-scoring defenseman in his junior year.

Larkin’s cousin Dylan Larkin is an NHL star with the Detroit Red Wings. His cousin Colin Larkin also played in the ECHL.  His brother, Ryan Larkin, played four seasons at Miami University.

Continued

WXYZ’s Brad Galli reported on Filip Zadina’s status as a healthy scratch in the Red Wings’ 6-2 win over San Jose on Tuesday:

Of Red Wings prospect-related note in Europe:

In the Swedish HockeyEttan, Jesper Eliasson stopped 36 of 39 shots as Vasby IK won 5-3 over Kalmar HC.

It’s no fun that Eliasson is playing in the Swedish version of the ECHL, but at least he’s playing regularly–and winning–while on loan from Farjestads BK.

Sports Illustrated’s Kate Yanchulis posted a set of power rankings today, offering New Year’s resolutions for each team, and I believe the Wings’ resolution is achievable:

26. Detroit Red Wings

Last week: 21
Record: 16-15-3

Win the Calder Trophy. Detroit’s Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are favorites to take home the prize for top rookie, but they’ll have to hold off Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras and New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer, among others.

Continued; it won’t be easy, but Seider and Raymond are more substantive than Zegras in my opinion.

The Griffins open a 3-game home stand by hosting the Milwaukee Admirals tonight, and here’s the Griffins’ Game-Day Preview video ahead of tonight’s game:

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

DETROIT REASSIGNS THREE TO TAXI SQUAD  … 

Barber, Witkowski and Fulcher Added from Grand Rapids …  

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today reassigned left wing Riley Barber, defenseman Luke Witkowski and goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the team’s taxi squad from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings recall Barber, Witkowski, Fulcher to Taxi Squad

The Hockey News’s Jason Chen posted a set of power rankings today, and I think he’s a little harsh on Alex Nedeljkovic (but that’s just me):

20. Detroit Red Wings (16-15-3, -18. CF%: 30th, xGF%: 22nd. PR: 21)

When it comes to goaltending, Alex Nedeljkovic is either really good or really bad, and it’s tough to say which one will show up most nights. The Wings are a bubble playoff team and that’s more than what most expected. Don’t expect this to change much all season.

Continued; I’ve got no complaints with Nedeljkovic. Greiss has been more inconsistent in my eyes, and the truth of the matter is that the Red Wings’ defense and penalty-killing are the real culprits in my opinion.

Per the ECHL:

Billy Christopoulos of the Toledo Walleye has been named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for December.

Christopoulos went 5-0-2 with a 1.79 goals-against average and a save percentage of .946 in seven appearances during the month.

The 27-year-old allowed two goals or less in six of his appearances while making at least 30 saves in each contest. He was named Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Dec. 19 after going 3-0-0 with a 1.32 goals-against average and a save percentage of .959.

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Christopoulos is 11-2-2 in 15 appearances this season with a 2.51 goals-against average and a save percentage of .919.

Christopoulos, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team in 2019-20, has appeared in 63 career ECHL games with Toledo, Indy and South Carolina posting an overall record of 46-10-6 with three shutouts, a 2.34 goals-against average and a save percentage of .925.

Prior to turning pro, Christopoulos saw action in 93 career games at the Air Force Academy where he went 42-35-11 with eight shutouts, a 2.29 goals-against average and a save percentage of .913.