Month: October 2024

Red Wings-Jets quick take: Deviled Egg-laying made easy

The 4-4-and-1 Detroit Red Wings hoped to wrap up the first 10 games of their schedule on a high note, while facing an 8-and-1 Winnipeg Jets team which wanted to rebound from its only loss of the regular season.

Detroit came into the game on an 0-1-and-1 winless streak, and the team had to recall Austin Watson due to a “roster emergency” (Vladimir Tarasenko was ill).

On Wednesday evening, Detroit laid an egg, plain and simple. The Wings surrendered a 3-0 lead to Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor, who registered a goal and 2 assists against his hometown team in the 1st period alone, Detroit rallied thanks to a 2-for-2 power play to make it 3-2 going into the 3rd…

And the Wings got run over, losing 6-2 to Winnipeg, ending their first 10 games at 4-5-and-1.

That’s not a terrible record, but it’s not sterling, either, and not acceptable. Detroit’s going to have to get up for Buffalo and run them over this Saturday night, and lean into their 13-game November schedule.

Continue reading Red Wings-Jets quick take: Deviled Egg-laying made easy

Press release: Maatta on the move to Utah

The Red Wings probably maximized their return for Olli Maatta last night, sending the defensive defenseman to an undermanned Utah team for a third-round pick, clearing $3 million off the cap:

RED WINGS ACQUIRE THIRD-ROUND PICK IN 2025 NHL ENTRY DRAFT FROM UTAH HOCKEY CLUB IN EXCHANGE FOR OLLI MÄÄTTÄ

  … Määttä Has Skated in 691 NHL Games with Penguins, Blackhawks, Kings and Red Wings Since 2013-14 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today acquired a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft from the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for defenseman Olli Määttä.

Määttä, 30, has skated in seven games with the Red Wings during the 2024-25 season, recording three shots, seven blocks and three hits in 15:52 average time on ice. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound defenseman tallied 18 points (4-14-18), a team-high plus-14 rating and 14 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Red Wings during the 2023-24 campaign. Originally selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Määttä has totaled 177 points (40-137-177), a plus-75 rating and 162 penalty minutes in 691 games with the Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Red Wings, helping the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. He placed fifth in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as a 19-year-old after picking up 29 points (9-20-29), a plus-eight rating and 14 penalty minutes in 78 games with the Penguins in 2013-14.

Prior to turning professional, Määttä spent two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights from 2011-13, helping the team earn two-consecutive OHL titles. During his major junior career, Määttä logged 70 points (13-57-70), a plus-34 rating and 55 penalty minutes in 115 regular-season games, in addition to 37 points (10-27-37) in 40 postseason contests. A native of Jyväskylä, Finland, Määttä has represented his country at three IIHF World Championships (2021, 2023, 2024), winning a silver medal at the 2021 tournament. He also made three appearances with Finland at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Additionally, Määttä captured a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he logged five points (3-2-5) in six games. Määttä competed in three-straight IIHF World Junior Championships from 2011-13 and served as an alternate captain at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, where he collected four points (1-3-4) in six games.

Health update: flu is heck

Okay, I have been at least posting game recaps over the past week, but not much else.

Here’s what’s going on:

Aunt Annie and I are still sick, bluntly. I’ve spent more days in bed than not, and I’ve been trying to give you everything I can over the last week.

I’ve only started to feel better over the last two days, and I have a complicating factor in terms of “getting back to normal”–tomorrow we have to take Aunt Annie to Dr. Korotkin, her cardiologist, and her health will come first.

We’ll see whether it’s Tuesday or Wednesday before I’m “really back,” but it’s going to be soon.

I’ve missed doing this and I want to get back to health and get back to work ASAP. This has just been a miserable flu virus, affecting both my aunt and myself significantly, so we’re doing our best (both of us) to get better and get back to “our” normal lives.

Red Wings-Oilers quick take: lessons learned in an OT loss to Draisaitl and Edmonton

The 4-and-4 Detroit Red Wings hoped to snap a 1-game losing streak as they faced the 3-4-and-1 Edmonton Oilers on Sunday evening.

Detroit had most recently lost a 5-3 loss against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon; Edmonton most recently snapped a 2-game losing streak via a 4-0 win over Pittsburgh on Friday night.

On Sunday evening, the Red Wings had a spectacular first period, an OK second period, a good third period, and a rough overtime as Edmonton walked out of Detroit with birthday boy Leon Draisaitl scoring 2 goals en route to a 3-2 overtime win.

Detroit got goals from Compher and Copp, two assists from Patrick Kane, an assist from Copp, a 29-save performance from a superb Cam Talbot, and 24:56 from Seider and 24:40 from Edvinsson, who were both on the ice for the game-winning OT goal against.

This was a hell of a learning experience for a team that played half of the damn third period against Hyman, McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard and Ekholm, and I am proud of the point that the Wings earned.

Continue reading Red Wings-Oilers quick take: lessons learned in an OT loss to Draisaitl and Edmonton

Today’s Wings-Oilers game is an NHL Network exclusive out-of-market

Just an FYI this morning: the Detroit Red Wings’ game vs. the Edmonton Oilers this evening (6 PM EDT start) will air on FanDuel Sports Network in Michigan, and Sportsnet in Canada, but the game was picked up by the NHL Network, so if you don’t live in the FDSNDET broadcast area in the U.S., you’re not going to be able to stream the game.

Red Wings-Sabres quick take: Unsustainable trends yield a 5-3 ‘learning experience’ loss

The 4-and-3 Detroit Red Wings headed to Buffalo for a one-game road trip against the 3-4-and-1 Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon, smack dab in the middle of a slate of 3 games to be played over the course of 4 days.

Detroit hoped to build upon a 3-game winning streak; Buffalo aimed to win a 3rd straight game after defeating the Blackhawks and Stars.

On Saturday afternoon, the Red Wings surrendered 2-0 and 3-1 leads to the Buffalo Sabres, but rallied to tie the game 3-3…And the Wings ultimately lost to the plucky Sabres, who won their 3rd straight 5-3.

Tage Thompson was excellent for the Sabres, with 2 goals and an assist; Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen stopped 22 of 25 shots against, and for Detroit, Raymond (1G, 1A), Rasmussen (1G), DeBrincat (1G) and Seider (2A) all had big games, while Alex Lyon stopped 34 of 38 shots.

This was the kind of “learning experience” game where the Red Wings both a) gave up too many shots and b) gave up a crucial early PPG that put them behind the eight-ball early, while going 0-for-2 on their own power play.

There were bounces that went against the Wings for sure, and some calls that went against them, but you earn your luck, and the big, physical Sabres out-competed Detroit today.

These teams will meet again next Saturday, and the Wings will have to be sharper, more physical, and better.

Detroit has been able to play “Big and Heavy” like Buffalo at times, but they’ve got to be able to defend “Big and Heavy” against, too, and they need to generate more zone time in the offensive end of the ice here.

Continue reading Red Wings-Sabres quick take: Unsustainable trends yield a 5-3 ‘learning experience’ loss

Red Wings-Devils quick take: Out-shot, out-special-teamed, but Detroit defeated the Devils anyway

The Detroit Red Wings tried to sustain a 3-game winning streak on Thursday night, hosting the 5-3-and-1 New Jersey Devils as Detroit kicked off a slate of 3 games to be played over the course of 4 days and nights.

The Devils were slated to employ the services of both Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce as injury returnees on Thursday night, and they hoped to rebound from an 8-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday;

The Red Wings had defeated the Predators and Islanders over the past week, so while the team’s 3-and-3 opening start wasn’t overwhelming, the Wings were hoping to hit their stride they closed out their October schedule with 3 of their 4 remaining games at home.

On Thursday night, the Red Wings may not have deserved to win, but they won nonetheless.

The Devils went 3-for-5 on their power play, scoring the game’s first goal and tying the game 2-2 and 3-3, but Detroit went 2-for-4 on its power play, Christian Fischer, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen (ENG) scored and Cam Talbot stopped 38 of 41 shots en route to a rousing 5-3 victory where the process mattered a little less than the result.

Continue reading Red Wings-Devils quick take: Out-shot, out-special-teamed, but Detroit defeated the Devils anyway

Red Wings-Islanders quick take: Wings put the Islanders (and the rest of us) to sleep with a 1-0 victory

The Detroit Red Wings kicked off a slate of 4 games to be played over the course of 6 nights against the New York Islanders.

For the 2-and-3 Red Wings, the next 6 days are particularly consequential as the Islanders, Devils and Sabres all stand as potential Wild Card rivals; earning points against teams that may battle the Wings for playoff spots is an essential task.

On Tuesday night, the Red Wings won a particularly ugly 1-0 decision over the New York Islanders thanks to a 29-save shutout for Alex Lyon, Patrick Kane’s first goal of the season on only 10 shots for Detroit, and a 3-for-3 PK by a sleepy Red Wings team that played a sleep-inducing effort in front of an Islanders team that was booed out of its own rink.

It was ugly as hell, but an ugly win at that. Detroit’s now 3-and-3, including 2-and-1 on the road.

Continue reading Red Wings-Islanders quick take: Wings put the Islanders (and the rest of us) to sleep with a 1-0 victory