Of Red Wings-related note the morning after Detroit’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames:
- MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the fact that the Red Wings have only given up 6 goals over the course of the past 4 games:
“I think that we’ve shown that we can play these games,” [Cam] Talbot said. “We knew that coming into this game, Calgary, they’re an aggressive team. They forecheck hard. They tend to try to just outwork their opponents and grind them down. And we bent, but we didn’t break for the most part all night. I thought if anything, we kind of took it to them for most of the game. And then we give up that late one and you can do one of two things. You can either fold and give the game back to them, or you can come out in overtime and get the game-winner. So, we did a good job mentally of not letting that one get to us and finishing the win.”
Talbot is 6-4-2 and his .921 save percentage is tied for sixth in the league among goalies with 10 or more games.
“He’s been huge for us,” [Coach Derek] Lalonde said. “He’s brought a lot to our room, too. We’ve lost some important pieces to our leadership group which a lot of teams experience just to turn over. If we play a complete game in front of him, we don’t give up easy offense, we don’t give up rushes, we don’t give up east-west stuff … it’s been pretty consistent what he’s given us.”
2. Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a post-game notebook which includes this regarding Lucas Raymond’s status as “heating up” after an incredibly slow goal-scoring start:
“Obviously it’s always fun to score, right?” Raymond was asking rhetorically. “Everyone wants to score. I’m no different. But at the same time it’s just about doing the right things and good things happen. And I think that’s kind of my mentality. Goals go up and down, whatever. But I think if you stick to doing the right things and playing your game the right way, I think, yeah, good things happen.”
The Swede has now scored in four straight games. He’s also counted goals in five of Detroit’s last seven games.
“I felt like it was a matter of time because of the caliber of player, how he’s elevated his game into last year and even this year,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “So, yeah, good sign and not surprised.”
Duff posted the following clip from Sportsnet, too…
Sportsnet's own @ryanlesliemedia caught up with Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot after a thrilling OT win over the Flames. pic.twitter.com/txQPa9qXcX
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 28, 2024
I love Sportsnet’s Flames crew’s take on the Raymond OT winner…The whining and complaining about the too many men penalty that cost Calgary the game is classic…
RAYMOND ENDS IT! 🙅♂️
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 28, 2024
The young Red Wings forward scores to secure the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner! pic.twitter.com/qP48ZtY964
3. And the Free Press’s Helene St. James asked the Red Wings about the team’s status as out of the playoffs at American Thanksgiving:
“You hear it all the time, but I think it’s not what I really pay attention to — that’s what’s happening in this locker room,” defenseman Moritz Seider said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “Last game was a good example of going in the right direction. We want to get on a little bit of a roll here.”
…
“I think the biggest thing about U.S. Thanksgiving is, what’s the number — it’s like 78% make the playoffs, and usually that’s the top end of it,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “It’s usually that 20% that’s battling throughout and hopefully we’ll stay in that mix and that battle.”
Veteran defenseman Jeff Petry doesn’t put much stock in this week’s standings. “I think everyone kind of knows where you sit, where you are,” he said. “The whole American Thanksgiving timeline — I’ve been on teams that have been in and not made it, and I’ve been on teams that were not there and got in and not only got in, but not a wild-card spot. I’m not one that looks into it too much.”
Forward Dylan Larkin said the key is, “you just don’t want to be too far behind this time of year. I don’t think there’s much to it – if you’re in first place, you’re going to finish in first place. They’re not handing trophies at U.S. Thanksgiving. Our division is clumped up. We’re right there. We just need to get on a run and we’ll be back in the place we want to be.”
St. James also posted a video of Larkin, Seider, Petry and Lalonde discussing the topic:
Update: Here’s more on the American Thanksgiving mile marker from Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff:
“Twenty games in and our division’s clumped up,” Larkin said. “We’re right there. We just need to get on a run and we’ll be back in the place we want to be.”
Their focus is on controlling what they can control going forward.
“It’s about what’s happening in this locker room,” Seider said. “We want to get a little bit on a roll here. We have a couple games this week, so hopefully we can do a little bit of catch up.”
At 10-10-2, the Red Wings are showing the record at home (5-5-1) and on the road (5-5-1). Overall, they are also 5-5-1 through their past 11 games.
“I honestly think we’re playing better defensively,” Seider said. “We’re not giving up a lot of dangerous chances and we found a way to at least create a little bit more shots, especially from up top.
“There’s a little more presence at the net, and hopefully we kind of detailed our penalty kill in a little bit. Now it’s just about taking everything as a pack and try to move on here.”
