Month: February 2025

Talking about the Red Wings’ ‘playoff bubble’ status

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski posted a subscriber-only article which discusses the playoff steads of the NHL’s “Bubble Watch” teams, and Wyshynski deems the Red Wings to “have work to do”:

Detroit Red Wings

Record: 29-22-6, 64 points
Playoff chances: 64.4%

Is the playoff drought finally over? The Red Wings last made the playoffs in 2016. Stathletes has them projected for around 90 points, which would earn them the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

GM Steve Yzerman bet big on his coaching change, and it has worked in the standings: Todd McLellan has a 16-5-2 record since taking over from Derek Lalonde, buoyed by a seven-game winning streak before the 4 Nations break.

The Red Wings aren’t dominant by any stretch — underwater in both goals for percentage and expected goals percentage under McLellan — but they’re finding ways to win.

Player who must step up: The answer would logically be Vladimir Tarasenko, but there’s a better chance of him stepping out to another NHL team before the trade deadline than stepping up in Detroit.

So we’ll go with Erik Gustafsson, whose assist against Anaheim on Sunday ended a 12-game point drought — the second 10-plus game scoreless streak the defenseman’s had this season, which is not what you want to see from a free agent ostensibly brought in for his offense.

Continued (paywall); at this point, I’m satisfied with Gustafsson’s competent play. I’d love to see more offense from him, but he and Justin Holl have steadied themselves, and for now, that’s important.

As for the rest of it, I don’t know whether the Red Wings are going to make the playoffs given how incredibly stacked the Eastern Conference is, but they appear to be going down the stretch run as a playoff-relevant team, and that’s everything I hoped for after the rough start under coach Lalonde.

Red Wings-Wild set-up, rematch version: Detroit aims for a split in the season series

The 29-22-and-6 Detroit Red Wings complete a home-and-home series with the 34-19-and-4 Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center this evening (8 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/FanDuel SportsNet North/FanDuel SportsNet Wisconsin/97.1 FM).

Minnesota has been off since their 4-3 overtime victory over Detroit at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday; the Red Wings defeated the Anaheim Ducks in a 5-4 OT decision at LCA on Sunday, but the Red Wings headed to Minnesota without both Andrew Copp (upper-body, placed on IR) and Michael Rasmussen (upper-body, day-to-day).

Detroit recalled Sheldon Dries from Grand Rapids to help assuage the losses of Copp and Rasmussen, but the Wings’ roster is somewhat nebulous at present; after Monday’s practice, Red Wings coach Todd McLellan told the media that he’s considering splitting Marco Kasper off from the the Raymond-Larkin pairing (both Raymond and Larkin took “maintenance days” on Monday) to bulk up the Wings’ center corps, and we’ll find out more as to how Detroit’s lineup looks at today’s morning skate.

As far as the Wild are concerned, they practiced on Monday, and afterward, coach John Hynes stated that Filip Gustavsson will start in goal vs. Detroit, with center Jakub Lauko returning to the Wild lineup from injury.

The Wild have won 3 straight games, Saturday’s OT victory over the Red Wings included, and they’ve been on quite a roll of late, winning 6 of their past 8 games.

Field Level Media posted a game preview from the Wild’s perspective, noting that both Brock Faber and Matt Boldy elevated their respective statuses with strong Four Nations Face-Off performances…

Continue reading Red Wings-Wild set-up, rematch version: Detroit aims for a split in the season series

Red Wings to trade Ville Husso to Anaheim for future considerations

Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:

Continue reading Red Wings to trade Ville Husso to Anaheim for future considerations

Working hard

I’m battling through a bug, but every day that I can sit up at the computer, I work as hard as I can to both take care of my aunt and to provide you with as much hockey information as I am able to provide.

As such, I fundraise, and fundraising has gone shittily this month, but it never hurts to ask for assistance.

Right now, Aunt Annie and I need help paying the hockey bills–I did some calculations, and I spend over $50 a month to make sure that you get your peeks behind the paywalls–and if you’re willing to lend a hand for hockey, or just utilities and groceries, it would be incredibly greatly appreciated.

The Malik Report needs your support to function. You receive quite a bit of information “for free,” but providing that information is not done for free. As such, we would like to ask that you kindly contribute to our monthly expenses.

If you’re willing to lend a hand, we have a PayPal option at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport; there’s Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2; if you’re into the, “I don’t want to use any of those pages” option, here’s always the Giftly option by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com…

And in the banking options, you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check, or “Zelle” me via my email, rtxg@yahoo.com.

It’s my pleasure to provide you with as much information as I can give, but this is also a job, and it requires money, time, energy and effort (a.k.a. work). If you are willing or able to support this endeavor, it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

First Stadium Series forecast: 45 and partly sunny this Saturday at Ohio Stadium

The Columbus Dispatch’s Nathan Hart and Brian Hedger have an initial forecast for Saturday’s Stadium Series game in Columbus:

Hockey fans wary of attending a game outside, where water, ice and lightning can descend from the sky, should have nothing to fear Saturday in the Blue Jackets’ first outdoor game experience at Ohio Stadium, according an early forecast from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

The Blue Jackets will face the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium, which is home to Ohio State’s national championship football team and more commonly known around Columbus as simply “The Shoe.”

While temperatures are expected to get into the 50s this week, the forecast for Saturday’s game dips down a bit despite partly sunny skies. Expect high temperatures near 45, according to a seven-day forecast from the NWS.

The NHL’s ice rink can be maintained in temperatures up to 70 degrees, so do not expect any melting ice from it being above freezing.

Red Wings head to Minnesota without Copp and Rasmussen. Kasper, Compher, Dries may have to step up

The Red Wings practiced at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center today, and then they hopped aboard the new team plane ahead of tomorrow night’s game against the Minnesota Wild (8 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/FanDuel SportsNet North/FanDuel SportsNet Wisconsin/97.1 FM).

The Red Wings left for “MSP” without Andrew Copp or Michael Rasmussen, who have “upper-body” injuries (a right arm injury and a head injury, respectively), and as such, coach Todd McLellan discussed the team’s depth at center when he spoke with the media on Monday.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James took note of McLellan’s remarks…

They have Dylan Larkin, J.T. Compher and Joe Veleno, and Monday recalled Sheldon Dries from Grand Rapids.

Another option is Marco Kasper, who is a natural center and played there earlier in the season until McLellan took over as coach and moved Kasper onto the top line with Larkin and Lucas Raymond, where Kasper has thrived. But might it be time to see if Kasper can drive a line of his own again?

“There is that curiosity if he can drive his own line through the middle,” McLellan said. “But we also have to take into consideration where we are and what we’re chasing and what we’re doing, and his effect on two other players who play a ton of minutes and are real good hockey players.”

Kasper has 15 points (eight goals) in his last 17 games, and has added a dimension on the Larkin line with his speed, grit and instincts.

“I really like where he is and what he’s doing right now,” McLellan said. “Larks and Razor, their gas tanks were empty (after the 4 Nations tournament), but that’s not now. They’ve had their rest, they’ll be comfortable. But Kasper has given them some good legs on that line, and we’d like to keep him there.”

So if Kasper remains on the Larkin-Raymond line, that means more ice time for J.T. Compher, as McLellan told MLive’s Ansar Khan:

Continue reading Red Wings head to Minnesota without Copp and Rasmussen. Kasper, Compher, Dries may have to step up

NHL’s DOPS suspends Trevor Zegras for 3 games

Per the NHL:

Ducks’ Zegras Suspended Three Games for Interference

NEW YORK (Feb. 24, 2025) – Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras has been suspended for three games, without pay, for interference against Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen during NHL Game No. 908 in Detroit on Sunday, Feb. 23, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 17:17 of the second period.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Zegras will forfeit $89,843.76. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

For a full explanation of the decision, complete with video, please click on the following link: https://www.nhl.com/video/topic/player-safety/zegras-suspended-three-games-6369275462112.

Allen on the McLellan effect; Raymond, Larkin still surging

Of note from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen’s “The Daily”:

Detroit is now 16-5-2 under Todd McLellan. Since he took over on Dec. 26, the team is 12-0-1 if it scores first.

McLellan thought both Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin looked a bit weary in Sunday’s game, as a result of their participation in the 4 Nations Face-off.

Raymond is the first Red Wings player to record back-to-back 40-assist seasons since Larkin (from 2017-18-2018-19). Larkin tallied an assist on Alex DeBrincat’s power play goal Sunday, giving him 27 points (12-15-27) in 23 games since McLellan took over.

Larkin (323 career assists) is one assist away from tying Brendan Shanahan (324) for 12th place on Detroit’s all-time list.

Continued; good to know!

Video: coach Todd McLellan speaks with the Wings’ media corps after Monday’s practice

The Red Wings practiced at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center ahead of tomorrow night’s game vs. Minnesota (8 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/FanDuel SportsNet North/FanDuel SportsNet Wisconsin/97.1 FM), and they did so without Andrew Copp, Michael Rasmussen, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

Larkin and Raymond took “maintenance days” after exhausting their reserves on Saturday and Sunday; coach Todd McLellan told The Athletic’s Max Bultman that Michael Rasmussen was “day-to-day” with his head injury, but Andrew Copp’s shoulder-or-arm-or-wrist injury will require “longer-term” healing.

Here’s coach Todd McLellan’s post-practice presser: