Author: George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

Regrouping and resetting ahead of a 3-games-in-4-nights slate this week

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted an off-day notebook which reflects upon the Stadium Series’ unpleasant ending, and the second part of Kulfan’s article doesn’t discuss the Justin Danforth penalty-turned-game-winning-goal, with Kulfan looking forward to this week–a week where the Red Wings host the Hurricanes and Utah HC before on Tuesday and Thursday, before battling the Washington Capitals on Trade Deadline Friday:

For many fans on social media, these two losses to Columbus bore a painful resemblance to last season, when the Wings suffered a brutal seven-game losing streak which stung the Wings in the standings and played a part in them missing the playoffs on the final game of the season by a tiebreaker. Captain Dylan Larkin, who rebounded from a subpar game Thursday, believes the Wings learned from last season’s late-season slide.

“We’ve been there before, and there’s experience we gained through that,” Larkin said. “We control our own destiny. We played well (Saturday); we deserved better.”

If the Wings are to end an eight-year playoff drought, it won’t be easy. They have the toughest remaining schedule in the NHL in terms of win percentage, and 13 of the final 22 games (including five of the final six) are on the road.

[Coach Todd] McLellan doesn’t want the Wings to be focusing on any of that right now, but rather how to better manage games. It’s a characteristic the Wings haven’t yet mastered.

“We’ve gone on two, seven-game winning streaks, kind of seen it all in 26, 27 games,” said McLellan, of the span since he took over Dec. 26. “But I do believe we have work to do in understanding the ebbs and flows of a game, the ups and downs, the situations of when we should swing for the fences and sometimes we should just punt and defend a little bit. We’re caught in between a few times. There’s a huge difference between playing on your toes and being aggressive and being impatient. We got a little impatient at times (Saturday).”

As Kulfan notes, the Red Wings play the Hurricanes three times down the stretch, and that’s scary, but the Red Wings seem to understand that they’ve got to take the two losses to Columbus over the past three days and learn from them:

“Everyone wanted it (victory) on the bench for each other; the vibes are great,” forward Patrick Kane said of Saturday’s near comeback. “But we just didn’t get it done. Obviously we need to be better in those game-winning type situations to make a play here or there, play it safe and make sure we’re at least getting a point in those situations. Especially when you come back, it’s almost even more disheartening to lose that way.”

Continued; if I may be honest, I wanted more impatience in the offensive zone on Saturday night. The Red Wings were far too comfortable sending perimeter shots into an unscreened Elvis Merzlikins, and not pursuing rebounds when the Blue Jackets’ physical defensemen put up a fight, and that’s not good enough for me. 84 shot attempts included.

I’m with Clark here (and some random post-Stadium Series of my own)

DetroitHockey.net’s Clark Rasmussen wrote a thoughtful set of opinions and observations regarding yesterday’s Stadium Series game, and his first thought kept bouncing around my head throughout last night–until the end of the game, anyway:

One of the things that I kept thinking is that I really wish the Red Wings could host an outdoor game that actually celebrates their team and their city.

The Winter Classic in 2014 was incredible and I’m pretty sure that experience will never be matched but my gripe then was that it felt like a neutral site game. Chicago in 2009 felt like a Blackhawks’ home game. Denver in 2016 and Toronto in 2017 felt like home games for the Avs and Leafs and this game felt like a home game for the Blue Jackets.

I want the Red Wings to get an outdoor home game. I want it at Comerica Park, which was a fantastic venue for the Hockeytown Winter Festival in the lead up to that Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. The team’s 100th season would have been a great opportunity for that but the NHL is going to Florida instead. I’ll have to keep waiting.

Continued; as Clark says, the fact that the NHL keeps on using NHL teams as proxies for college football teams, baseball teams, etc. etc. is pretty boring at this point…

And Gary Bettman’s interview with WXYZ’s Brad Galli was like watching a worm try to squirm out of a crevice in the sidewalk when he was asked about another outdoor game or major event in the unfinished District Detroit (unless you consider parking lots delivering on the promise of distinct neighborhoods), so we get the feeling that we’re not going to have an outdoor game or any sort of special event in Detroit for a while, not when Florida and Utah beckon…

But, yes. The Stadium Series was a celebration of the hockey traditions of Southeastern Michigan, where most of us live in the Detroit Metropolitan Area and not Detroit itself, but for f***’s sake, our Red Wings have been in FIVE outdoor games already, and only ONE of them was at the host.

No, a Comerica Park game wouldn’t set any attendance records, nor a Ford Field indoor-outdoor spectacle, but we haven’t had a real celebration of Detroit hockey yet, the black kids who skate at Clark Park under Jason McCrimmon’s supervision, the gritty history of my birthplace as an underdog city or its resilience…

And that’s not really fair to the Red Wings. If our team is a marquee franchise, and the NHL can go to Wrigley Field twice, then they should be able to give a franchise in the middle of its rebuild/renaissance its own spotlight instead of simply referring to the Wings as a complimentary part.

While we’re at it, ESPN’s coverage was terrible. I’m not gonna bag on the broadcasters themselves–I know that the Ray Ferraros and Emily Kaplans and Greg Wyshynskis and Steve Levys of the world are doing their best to maximize what they’ve got…

But the sound was glitchy as per usual, worse, the start of the game was preempted for regular-season basketball, the ending went right to more basketball instead of any sort of post-game show (Wyshynski and Arda Ocal did do “The Drop” on YouTube at least, but the NHL Network kind of half-assed its post-game coverage, too), and at every chance they could get, the screen was split so that they could talk to Kirk Herbstreit’s dog or the Ohio State football players or anybody who was more famous than those nameless hockey players.

That really felt petty and as if ESPN wasn’t taking the hockey spectacle on the ice seriously–instead, it felt like the game was something they had to cover despite Ohio State’s national championship and despite better alternatives being on the broadcast schedule before and after the outdoor spectacle.

All in all, that’s a lot of complaining, and you guys know that I’m not one just to complain for no reason–and, frankly, I try to keep a level head, so my blow-up about the game was unusual…

But I still feel that I had every right to feel the way that I did, and as hockey is a subjectively-viewed sport that is a very emotional game:

  1. I’m always going to tell you what I think and how I feel, honestly, about what I see;
  2. But I’m never going to tell you how you’re “allowed” to feel, think or believe.

I read a couple of columns from the Detroit media that have suggested that it’s just not appropriate for fans to dare to be upset about Justin Danforth’s high stick/MMA takedown of Simon Edvinsson being a legal play, and I’ve read a couple of comments on Twitter from people who are pissed off at me for daring to “whine” about it…

But it’s an emotional game, and I’m a passionate partisan, and nobody is going to tell you “how to fan” on this blog, so I don’t expect anything less than a two-way street.

Yeah, the Wings had all sorts of reasons why they should have won the game, from their 84 shot attempts on Elvis Merzlikins to that glitchy PK to Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson’s surprisingly difficult night on the blueline–and they were really victimized for their youth and lack of experience by the hard-hitting Blue Jackets…

But the game hinged upon a penalty that wasn’t called with the referees staring at it, and everybody has the right to feel how they feel about that.

A little more Dylan Cozens talk

Sportsnet’s Ally Chesham discusses the potential landing spots for one Dylan Cozens of the Buffalo Sabres, and of course the Red Wings are on her list:

To not only secure a post-season berth but also make a push once there, Detroit will likely be looking to upgrade their roster where possible. That makes Cozens a logical target, as he would fill the void left by second-line centre Andrew Copp, who is out for the season with an injury. Once Copp returns, Cozens could also allow him to shift back to the wing.

If the Red Wings were to acquire him, Cozens would rank second on the team in hits with 139, trailing only Moritz Seider (162). He would also be among their top faceoff performers, with a 50.6 per cent win rate — just behind Dylan Larkin (55.5) and Andrew Copp (50.7).

According to Friedman, a trade between the two teams involving Cozens nearly happened leading up to the NHL’s holiday roster freeze back in December.

“There’s definitely not a lot that gets out of Detroit, and there’s not very much that gets out of Buffalo,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast in January. “But finally, it got coughed up to me that they believe that the Red Wings were looking at Cozens. … And I will say this, there was a time that a couple people said to me they thought it was close.”

Detroit’s continued interest in Cozens was confirmed earlier this month by ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

Who could go the other way in this hypothetical in-division trade? One name to consider is Vladimir Tarasenko. The 34-year-old veteran would need to waive his no-trade clause for the third straight year to facilitate a move. While he’s no longer the offensive threat he once was, his experience could provide value for the Sabres, who currently have the youngest roster in the NHL, with an average age of 25.38.

Other potential trade pieces include defenceman Justin Holl and forwards Joe Veleno or Michael Rasmussen. Detroit also has significant cap space ahead of the deadline to help make a deal work, though their main priority may be upgrading their blue line. While the Red Wings have an abundance of picks and prospects to sweeten an offer, Buffalo, as noted, isn’t necessarily focused on futures in exchange for one of their top skaters — understandably so.

Continued; I can’t imagine that the Sabres want anything other than the usual productive roster player + good prospect + 1st round pick, so if the Wings could flip Tarasenko’s salary or move a complementary piece (not Rasmussen, his mere presence in the lineup seems to give the Wings backbone) for that fat $7.1 million salary, and the Wings don’t have to give up a 1st rounder or an elite prospect…

That’s when I’d make the deal. At this point, Cozens is somebody who has all the intangibles, but has only put them together for the one season where he got paid for them, and as much potential as Cozens may have, there’s a sense that he’s “damaged goods” to some extent, at least in my book, given that albatross of a contract.

Who knows? We’ll see what happens over the next five-and-a-half days.

Going ‘all in’ at the deadline just doesn’t sound like the best idea

Between the Red Wings losing Andrew Copp (pectoral muscle tendon) and Jeff Petry (???) to surgeries that have ended their respective regular seasons, the Free Press’s Helene St. James believes that the Red Wings have every reason to make some trades with their $12.2 million in salary cap space (per PuckPedia) before Friday’s 3 PM EST trade deadline…

But St. James and I aren’t certain whether the Red Wings’ GMSY and management group are going to go “all in”:

Are they far enough ahead in the rebuild to start peddling first-round picks? Because that’s what it would take to pry away a player who could come in and make an immediate impact. The Buffalo Sabres project to miss the playoffs for a 14th straight season, which could put some of their players in play — such as center Dylan Cozens (he’s 24 and in the second season of a seven-year deal averaging $7.1 million a season) or defenseman Bowen Byram (he’s 23 and a pending restricted free agent). But the Sabres are a divisional opponent, and that always makes for a trickier trade.

Yzerman could look to add older players with less term, such as Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn (he’s 35, shoots right, and in the second year of a three-year deal averaging $2.75 million a season). There’s also Radko Gudas (he’s 34 and in the second year of a three-year deal averaging $4 million) with the Anaheim Ducks. Yzerman and Ducks GM Pat Verbeek go way back and have made multiple trades with each other; the most recent one had the Ducks acquiring goaltender Ville Husso. Schenn and Gudas are both solid third-pairing D-men who would add physicality to the back end.

Continue reading Going ‘all in’ at the deadline just doesn’t sound like the best idea

Morning recaps: Danforth’s controversial goal against the Red Wings still stings

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted a morning-after-the-game recap of the Detroit Red Wings’ 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night’s Stadium Series game, and we’re not going to ignore the obvious here:

The Red Wings felt they deserved a better fate with a 46-21 edge in shots and a dominant third period that included goals by Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat (his second of the game with 3:24 to play) to erase a 3-1 deficit.

“I thought we played a hell of a game,” [Red Wings coach Todd] McLellan said. “When you think of the type of game we played two nights ago in Detroit (5-2 loss) and the response that we got … we were aggressive. But at the end of the day, we have to learn how to win those games and not lose them.”

[Blue Jackets forward Justin] Danforth’s goal was a bit controversial as he high-sticked Simon Edvinsson while entering the zone, taking the defenseman out of the play. Officials discussed the play but opted not to call a penalty which would have negated the goal.

“I got a stick up in my face. I won’t comment anything more on that,” Edvinsson told reporters. “To lose on that, it sucks. It’s very frustrating.”

Dylan Larkin said of the explanation from officials: “They said Simon was falling down and going into the stick. It’s a stick in the face and we still have two guys who’d like to make the play, but we didn’t, and they scored, so we didn’t even get a point. That’s a tough one, especially clawing our way back in that game.”

McLellan did not harp on it.

“We should never be in that situation, not with the two D-men back there,” McLellan said.

Continued; I’ve been watching hockey for 34 years now, and last night’s goal by Danforth was the first goal I’ve ever seen that included a combination high-stick-and-take-down-trip ahead of the player scoring the actual goal.

I’m starting to wonder whether the NHL is so hellbent upon making sure that the call of “goal” on the ice stands that almost nothing can overturn said call, even if it’s common sense to take the cautious route.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James’ customary 6 AM recap discusses the goal against as well…

Continue reading Morning recaps: Danforth’s controversial goal against the Red Wings still stings

Red Wings-Blue Jackets wrap-up: despite an unfair Stadium Series ending, Detroit still has the chance to write its own storybook tale

The Detroit Red Wings dropped a 5-3 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Stadium Series on Saturday night, and this is the biggest reason why Columbus swept the home-and-home series:

No, the Red Wings weren’t good enough to win. When you out-shot-attempt an opponent 84-45 and you’re the one that gives up 5 goals, you got out-goaltended by Elvis Merzlikins.

When you blow a 1-1 tie by giving up 2 2nd period goals in 32 seconds, you’re not on your game defensively.

And when you get beaten twice by the same opponent, that stings, especially when the latter game is on an international stage.

But when the game-winner is Justin Danforth giving Simon Edvinsson a high-stick shave and skating in to score the gamer, and the referees actually consult each other after the goal, and decide that the high-stick never happened en route to the goal, and ESPN’s Dave Jackson says it was fine, and ESPN spends the entire f***ing night talking about the Blue Jackets as the TEAM OF DESTINY, with this goal to punctuate it all…

The Red Wings play 3 games in 4 nights starting on Tuesday, hosting Carolina, then Utah Hockey Club on Thursday, and then flying to Washington to battle the Capitals on Trade Deadline Friday…And I sure hope that they can move on, because I’m not moving on any time soon.

Coach McLellan is of course moving on…

But the players aren’t yet:

It was gush, gush, gush for the Blue Jackets from the media all weekend long, and gush, gush, gush after the game, predictably so. You’d think that the Blue Jackets and the city of Columbus walk on water and turn that water into wine:

And the Red Wings’ captain…Is a captain. Per the Free Press’s Helene St. James, Larkin kept the Gaudreau family close by, even after the Red Wings honored Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau prior to the game:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets wrap-up: despite an unfair Stadium Series ending, Detroit still has the chance to write its own storybook tale

Tweet of note: Gracious in defeat

Dylan Larkin’s team got hosed by the referees in the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 5-3 Stadium Series win, but Dylan Larkin was gracious in defeat:

Red Wings-Blue Jackets Stadium Series quick take: Columbus steals a BS win, sweeps home-and-home series

The Detroit Red Wings ventured into the unfriendly confines of Ohio Stadium to play the back half of a home-and-home series with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, taking part in this year’s Stadium Series game.

As hockey was played on ice built upon stadium grass, the Red Wings certainly didn’t deserve to earn two regulation points, with Cam Talbot giving up 4 goals on 20 shots against, but the way all of this unraveled, with Mateychuk opening the scoring only 5:31 in, then DeBrincat tying the game on the power play, Voronkov and Olivier cracking open the 2nd period, and Kane and DeBrincat making it close…

Only to see Justin Danforth high-stick Simon Edvinsson, and in one motion, skate in and get the rebound goal on Talbot to make it 4-3…

Ultimately, Columbus would win 5-3, take the Stadium Series at the Smelly Shoe, and earn 4 points to push past the Wings in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings…

But this is just despicable, and I may be biased, but if Dylan Larkin did this to a Blue Jacket, I would not be laughing and cheering:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets Stadium Series quick take: Columbus steals a BS win, sweeps home-and-home series