Month: September 2024

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. As the Free Press’s Helene St. James notes, this week is a particularly busy one for the Red Wings, in which the team will play six games over the course of six nights–including tonight’s pair of “split squad” games against Pittsburgh at home and at Buffalo, respectively:

Even before doubling up Monday, the Wings also had on their slate games Tuesday at Pittsburgh, Thursday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Friday at home against the Ottawa Senators, and Saturday at Toronto.

Playing six times in six days will make it harder for coach Derek Lalonde to follow through on what he expressed at the start of camp, when he said he didn’t want to play veterans in back-to-back games. And Wednesday — the only non-game day this week — might see an adjusted practice schedule in order to keep players fresh.

At least there are plenty of youngsters — including Marco Kasper, Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, Elmer Söderblom, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Cross Hanas — among the 57 players who emerged from the Traverse City part of camp. And there are veterans on tryouts, too — such as Alex Chiasson and Austin Watson — who could use as many looks as possible to make their cases for contracts.

The Wings don’t lack for goalies, either: In addition to the four who split the first two games — Alex Lyon, Ville Husso, Cam Talbot and Sebastian Cossa — there’s also Jack Campbell, Jan Bednar, Carter Gylander and Gage Alexander.

There are plenty of coaches, too: Lalonde and his staff, as well as Grand Rapids head coach Dan Watson and his staff, too, to handle Monday’s double duty.

The Wings will be playing a Sabres team that’s split into squads, too — trans-Atlantic squads, no less: One group of Sabres, which includes Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, are in Europe for the Global Series, while another squad stayed behind in Buffalo.

2. Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff suggests that the Red Wings will have to sort out their three-headed goaltending monster this upcoming week:

Continue reading Three things: A busy week ahead, sorting out goaltending and taking heed of the Tigers’ playoff run

It’s uncertain as to whether any of Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper or Carter Mazur will earn a spot on the Red Wings’ roster. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen discusses Danielson’s uphill climb this evening, noting that every player on Detroit’s roster faces increased pressure this season:

“Coming into this camp you can tell it’s a different feeling around the room,” Danielson said. “Expectations are a lot higher this year. I think everyone from Newsie … Newsie’s starting it out for us, everyone, all the staff, it’s just been higher expectations. The intensity is a lot higher this year. It just a different feel to it.”

Also, sometimes players come in their first year and play on instincts and confidence. They don’t know what they don’t know. In the second year, they know what they need to do to improve and sometimes they second guess themselves.

Finally, Danielson went deep into the WHL playoffs last season, meaning he didn’t get as many AHL games as the Red Wings would have liked for him to have. He played two playoff games. Kasper has played a full AHL season and that experience could also benefit Danielson’s growth.

“Still understanding some things in the game,” Lalonde said of Danielson. “He seems to have a little more puck play issues in camp this year than he did last year. I just think that’s part of the natural development. But obviously there’s a lot of upside. Seems to be a gamer.”

Continued (paywall)

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a profile of Alex Lyon this evening, discussing Lyon’s attempts to earn the #1 goaltender’s spot on the Red Wings team:

“I put in a lot of work this summer and just excited and optimistic to get going,” Lyon said. “My whole career I’ve had to kind of work for every inch that I’ve gotten, so my approach remains the same. Coming off last year I feel a bit more comfortable playing in the NHL and just trying to build on that confidence.”

Lyon, 31, signed a two-year contract with the Wings in July 2023, so simply being in the same town, the same organization for two consecutive season is a nice change of pace. The Wings are his fourth NHL organization.

“I’ve been on one-year deals for a long time, and so just being back in a place and to have a little bit of comfortability is something that I haven’t really experienced for a while,” Lyon said. “It feels good and I’m happy to be here and really looking forward to the season. I’m trying to kind of vindicate what happened last year.”

…

For the Wings, that’s doubly good news in that elite goaltending can lift a team. And given what happened late last season, that’s another important ingredient that could push the Wings into a playoff berth.

“Everybody in the locker room feels like we’re on a mission,” Lyon said.

Continued (paywall)

Of Red Wings prospect-related note today:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Liam Dower Nilsson scored a goal, finishing with 3 shots and a +1 in 14:50 played as IF Bjorkloven won 5-1 over AIK;

And in the DEL, Kevin Bicker finished at +2 with 2 shots and 9 penalty minutes–so he fought–in 16:44 played as the Frankfurt Lowen won 4-3 over the Grizzlys Wolfsburg.

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted an article which discusses the state of one Patrick Kane, who was finally able to train “normally” this summer after spending several seasons dealing with his chronic hip issue.

According to Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde, Kane is in excellent shape, though he’s found this particular camp challenging…

“He’s had a great energy,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “We’ve had two very productive camps the last two years, hence our really good starts, but this one was designed to be a little bit harder, asking the group for a little more than last year. Probably a little concerned about some of our older guys, and he’s pushed it. It’s a credit to having a full summer where his conditioning is.”

Kane, 35, didn’t take part in a training camp last year following offseason hip resurfacing surgery. He signed with the Red Wings on Nov. 28 and was an integral part of a playoff push that fell just short. He re-signed for one year on June 30 and is eager to play a full season after producing 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games.

“He just told me this has been the hardest camp he’s ever been in, and he said he feels great,” Lalonde said. “A little earlier to the rink, a little later leaving the rink. Some warmup and some cooldown but I’m taken aback by where his conditioning is at. Good on him and a good sign.”

And Kane himself told Khan that he’s finally feeling like himself again:

“The few summers before, you were doing a lot of rehab or just trying to look for any type of relief in the hip area, just to feel as good as you can,” Kane said. “This year was more about, actually similar to the summer before. more resistance, more weight behind the exercises. More full-body stuff, not just necessarily focused on the hip. It was nice to be able to just kind of go into the gym feeling good and get ready for the workout and be able to train as hard as you can, like an athlete.”

Kane cited his comfort level and familiarity with the organization for re-signing a team-friendly cap hit of $4 million, with an additional $2.5 million attainable through bonuses, which would be applied to next season’s cap.

“Being familiar with the coaching staff, the way we want to play, the guys on the team, chemistry on and off the ice,” Kane said. “When you’re thinking about, making a decision and if you want to go to a new team or potentially stay in Detroit, I was looking back on it and I was really happy with the way last year went.”

Continued (paywall)

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings will try to be in two places at the same time on Monday evening, and as such, the Wings are going to play 6 exhibition games over the course of 6 nights this upcoming week:

It’s fortunate the Detroit Red Wings still have eight goaltenders on their training camp roster. They made need every one them.

The Red Wings are about to play six NHL preseason games in six days.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ had mechanical problems with their plane, preventing them from coming to Detroit for Saturday’s scheduled game at Little Caesars Arena. The Red Wings have agreed to play that game Monday. If you are telling yourself, “Wait, the Red Wings already have a road game against Buffalo that night,” you are not suffering from a faulty memory.

The Red Wings will split their squad and play two NHL preseason games on Monday, when every Detroit sports fan will be paying attention to the Lions playing the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.

1. I’m not certain whether an NHL team has tried to play games in 2 places at the same time as of yet. Somebody smarter than me in the world of hockey statistics will figure that one out.
2. I must be a terrible Detroit sports fan, because I could give a flibbertigibbet as to whether the Lions are playing on Monday. I want the Lions to win like any Detroit-born sports fan–they’ve been great, and I want fans to experience good things–but I’m far more interested in trying to watch the Wings play. I guess I just don’t bleed Honolulu Blue. I’m glad if you do, and I wish you and the Lions lots of luck, but I’ve never spoken football.

They also have another game with the Penguins on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. They are off Wednesday and then play preseason games on Thursday (vs. Toronto), Friday (vs. Ottawa) and Saturday (at Toronto).

All we know for sure about lineups is that Husso is going to play two periods of one of those games. We won’t find out today about lineups because this is a scheduled day off for the Red Wings. There is no scheduled media availability.

Continued; the Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins are still camping together, so it’s not going to be that difficult to split up the coaching staffs for Monday’s games, but I’m very curious as to how the team’s going to split their equipment crews, medical workers and other support staff for Monday night’s game. I’d imagine that the team will split its scouts to watch both games as well.

As for the wear and tear on the players, I am a little concerned because one of those split squads will play on Monday in Buffalo, and then on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. That’s wear-and-tear that you don’t want your “split squad” to undergo if at all possible.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a profile of Alex Lyon this morning, discussing the goaltender’s level of self-confidence as he attempts to earn the #1 or #2 job in Detroit’s crowded crease:

Alex Lyon knows what to do: Always be ready.

The thoughtful, well-spoken Minnesotan is in a familiar position for this time of year, having to fight for a role amid a crowded field. But the goalie’s résumé is padded by the performance he delivered last season for the Detroit Red Wings, when he rose from little used third-stringer to the top of the goaltending depth chart.’

“For sure there’s more confidence,” Lyon said this week. “Also, I’ve been on one-year deals for a long time so being back in a place where there’s a little bit of comfortability is something that I haven’t really experienced for a while. I’m happy to be here and am just really looking forward to the season and trying to vindicate what happened last year.”

…

Lyon didn’t even play the first five weeks of the season, until he was cast into the fray during the Global Series games in Stockholm when Husso returned to Detroit to be with his wife after she gave birth to their first child. That was in November. By the end of December, Lyon was starting the majority of games, reinforcing the mantra he adopted during a decade spent mostly in the minor leagues: Always be ready.

“It’s been my whole career,” Lyon said. “I’ve had to work for every inch that I’ve gotten. My approach remains the same. Coming off last year, I feel a bit more comfortable in the NHL and I’m just trying to build on that confidence.  Being calm is really important. I’m approaching this to really hit the ground running when the season starts.”

Continued (paywall)

NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman ponders how the 8 Eastern Conference teams which did not make the playoff cut last season might change that equation this upcoming season, and here’s what he has to say about the Detroit Red Wings:

DETROIT RED WINGS

Last season: 41-32-9, tied for second wild card, missed on regulation wins tiebreaker

How it ended: The Red Wings won their final three games, but each came after regulation, leaving them tied in points with the Washington Capitals for the second wild card, but with five fewer regulation wins (32-27). It was the eighth straight season the Red Wings missed the playoffs, the longest drought in team history.

Biggest offseason change: Cam Talbot signed a two-year contract July 1 to provide more consistent goaltending than what Detroit got last season, including a .907 5-on-5 save percentage that was 26th in the NHL. The 37-year-old ranked in the top 10 in the NHL last season in goals-against average (2.50, sixth) and save percentage (.913, eighth) in 54 games with the Los Angeles Kings, and played in the NHL All-Star Game. He also was 12-9-4 in games when he faced at least 30 shots; last season Detroit allowed 32.4 shots on goal per game, seventh most in the NHL.

Why they could get in: A Red Wings offense that averaged 3.35 goals per game, the most among any team not to make the postseason, added forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored 23 goals in 76 games with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers last season, and had nine points (five goals, four assists) in 24 games to help the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. Combine that with a returning Patrick Kane, a healthy Dylan Larkin, a more mature Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, and scoring shouldn’t be an issue. Talbot and Alex Lyon should provide a more reliable combination in goal; Lyon had a stretch of 14 wins in 21 games between Dec. 29 and Feb. 27, but playing an NHL career-high 44 games seemed to wear on him later in the season. If the Red Wings can cut down on the shots allowed per game, the more dependable goaltending combined with their high-end offensive attack could be enough to earn a wild card spot.

Continued; the Wings are going to have to “walk and chew gum at the same time” here, because the team needs to both overcome the losses of David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere and Daniel Sprong, and it needs to significantly stem the tide of goals against which doomed the team last season despite its prolific offensive output.

Detroit will need a full-ice commitment to excellence to close the gap between itself and the rest of the NHL’s playoff teams.

Of Red Wings prospect-related note this evening:

In the OHL, Landon Miller served as the back-up goaltender in the Soo Greyhounds’ 6-3 loss to the Sudbury Wolves;

And in the USHL, Austin Baker finished at -1 with 3 shots as his Sioux Falls Stampede lost 6-3 to the Sioux City Musketeers.

Per the Red Wings:

RED WINGS PRESEASON GAME VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS RESCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, SEPT. 30

  … Preseason Matchup Will Take Place at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced that tonight’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. as part of a split-squad game. The Red Wings will also play a preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for tonight’s scheduled game will be valid for Monday’s contest. All pre-purchased parking passes are valid for Monday’s game. Fans who paid at an Olympia Parking facility by credit card can call (313) 725-3848 for a refund.

Doors to Little Caesars Arena will open at 6:00 p.m. for Monday’s game.