Of Red Wings-related note after I took a very long pre-game nap on Tuesday afternoon:
- MLive’s Ansar Khan noted that Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde’s family has evacuated from the Tampa Bay area, which is about to get hit by Hurricane Ian…
Lalonde was relived his family landed in Detroit Tuesday morning after being evacuated from their home in Tampa due to Hurricane Ian.
“This time of year, it’s a reality living in Tampa,” Lalonde said. “We get these all the time and everyone always calls me ‘are you OK?’ and the worst we get is a broken branch up front. But to evacuate, this is real. This is kind of the way of life for them. My family is up north now, which I’m excited about but obviously very scary.”
After Lalonde was hired on July 1, his family decided it would be best to remain in the Tampa area for the season with his kids in school.
2. Khan also posted an article about Jonatan Berggren’s attempts to make the Red Wings’ roster…
Berggren, selected 33rd overall in 2018, led the Griffins with 64 points in 70 games (21 goals, team-leading 43 assists), setting the franchise rookie scoring record and finishing second among AHL rookies. Coach Derek Lalonde said Berggren had a good training camp.
“Continue to play at the level he has, and he has played very well,” Lalonde said. “Now we want it consistently. We want an every-day-type mentality. He got a great opportunity with a couple guys who are going to be in our top six this year (Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond). Now you’re doing it against live bullets, top NHL competition. He’ll be in our top six tonight, going against their top six. It’s going to be a real good test for him. Excited to see how he does.”
Berggren said it took him about 6-7 games last season in Grand Rapids to get accustomed to the North American game, with its physicality and smaller rink.
“It’s a little tougher,” he said. “You have a little less space and time, but I think I can play that at NHL level. I hope I can show that.”
The Penguins will dress a formidable lineup including superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
“That’s the hardest test you can get,” Berggren said. “They’re fantastic players. They were my favorite players growing up, so it will be a dream come true to be on the same ice with them.”
3. The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan also filed a practice report about Berggren…
Lalonde has stressed better defensive work, and good decisions with and without the puck when asked what he’s looking for from most of his forwards. Berggren is no different.
“Just managing the puck, not having those risky turnovers where’s risk in his game and where we’re spending time in our zone or odd-mans (rushes) the other way,” Lalonde said. “Continue being who he is. He’s an offensive guy. He makes little plays in tight areas. He creates offense but a little more commitment the other way too, which we’re going to ask of our whole team.”
And Kulfan noted the following:
Tyler Bertuzzi, who hasn’t practiced since late last week, skated with Wings’ skill coaches for 40 minutes Tuesday, Lalonde said.
“He’s coming along nicely,” Lalonde said.
4. The Free Press’s Helene St. James confirmed the news regarding coach Lalonde’s family…
General manager Steve Yzerman hired Lalonde July 1, after four years as an assistant coach in Tampa. While Lalonde has relocated, he said he and his wife decided it was easier to keep their kids in the Tampa schools for this year. The family grew used to hurricane warnings, but never experienced an evacuation until now.
“The first time we had the prepare, we went straight to a bunker, and our neighbors laughed at us,” Lalonde said. “But the fact this, this is real. It’s scary. Luckily my family got out yesterday.”
The Lalonde family flew out of Orlando on Monday. Their arrival in Detroit means they can watch Lalonde coach his first game at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, when the Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks in an exhibition match.
5. And you can take this from St. James for what you will:
Derek Lalonde saw a text congratulating him, but didn’t have time to read the body of the message. When he found out, he had a good laugh.
A press release made the rounds Tuesday morning, declaring Lalonde was named “the third-most handsome NHL coach of 2022, according to beauty-technology analysis.” He ranked behind Edmonton’s Jay Woodcroft (who was a video coach under Mike Babcock in Detroit) and Calgary’s Darryl Sutter.
“Someone is getting fired for that,” Lalonde said, laughing. “Those are two really good coaches but I’d put them towards the bottom with me also in that category. “
Lalonde was even more incredulous when told the rankings, released by gambling.com, had David Quinn of the San Jose Sharks at No. 29.
“If David Quinn is at the bottom and I’m at the top, that’s a bad, bad list,” Lalonde said.
6. St. James also posted a trio of short videos:
7. And Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen discussed the Red Wings’ goaltending competition between Alex Nedeljkovic and Ville Husso:
Detroit Red Wings’ Alex Nedeljkovic has a goaltending competitive philosophy that involves a mixture of optimism and pragmatism.
“Just do your job. Come in and get better every day,” Nedeljkovic said. “If it was a bad day, shake it off. There’s always tomorrow. Come in tomorrow and you get a chance to do it over again. But understanding right now there’s somebody behind you that is ready to go, kind of nipping at your heels to take your spot.”
Nedeljkovic, 26, believes you never want to become too comfortable as a pro athlete. And it’s particularly true this season for Nedeljkovic and Detroit teammates because Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman added considerable depth this season.
“We have a lot of guys at every position up and down the lineup that can come in and step in and have an impact every day,” Nedeljkovic said.
