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!

HSJ on the Wings’ playoff push

From the Free Press’s Helene St. James’ practice report:

Entering Wednesday, the Wings were also 15 points out of third place in the Atlantic Division. And this even as the Wings have played well through the first half but haven’t once won more than four games in a row. Now comes a schedule that shows 20 games on the road, including two five-game trips.

Hence the Wings look for inspiration from the 2015-16 Philadelphia Flyers, who went on an 18-7-5 run and made the playoffs; to the 2014-15 Minnesota Wild, which went on a 28-9-3 run and reached the playoffs; to the 2014-15 Ottawa Senators, who went on a 23-4-4 run and made the playoffs.

“The past hasn’t predicted a run, that’s why all of you and pretty much everybody in the hockey world would bet against us right now,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I get that. I understand the past says that we haven’t gone on a run. Where do you get confidence from that? One would be history – I don’t know where Ottawa’s run came from that year, I don’t know where Philly’s run came from a couple years ago, but all of a sudden they got hot and they couldn’t lose.

“I know we have the players to do it. I know that we’ve built as a team. I think we play good hockey almost every single night. We just need to get that little fraction better on a night-by-night basis, gain that confidence and go. I understand why people wouldn’t believe me. I have no problem with that. I don’t care what anybody else thinks. I care what the group in this room thinks.  And in the end it doesn’t really matter what any of think, it matters what we do.”

Continued

Saginaw Spirit to host ‘Shocks and Saves’ game on Saturday, February 3rd

From MLive’s Saginaw Spirit blog:

The Saginaw Spirit, in partnership with Pulse3 Foundation and Mobile Medical Response, are proud to announce the Detroit Red Wings Alumni taking part in the 11th annual Shocks and Saves Charity Game held at The Dow Event Center Saturday, February 3rd at 4:30 p.m.

The Spirit are proud to welcome back Jiri Fischer, who’s cardiac arrest during an NHL game on November, 21 2005 cut his promising playing career short at just 25 years old. Since then, Fischer, with the help of Pulse3 Foundation, local sponsor, Mobile Medical Response, and the Saginaw Spirit, has teamed up with the rest of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association to put on the Shocks and Saves Charity Game in hopes of raising funds to make sure public facilities in the Great Lakes Bay Region are equipped with AED’s (Automated External Defibrillator).

Since the inception of the Shocks and Saves Charity Game, the event has raised more than $592,000 and has placed 188 AED’s in the Great Lakes Bay Region. With those AED’s in place, a total of 11 lives have been saved.

Continued

Articles (and video) from practice: the 34-game push

Updated substantially with text at 6:07 PM:

The Red Wings practiced at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, returning from the All-Star Break to prepare for the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

After practice, coach Jeff Blashill suggested that all of Trevor Daley, Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm may return against the Sharks, and that Petr Mrazek would start for the Wings. If Daley, Abdelkader and Helm return, Dominic Turgeon and/or David Booth may be heading to Grand Rapids.

We begin our survey of the post-practice articles with a Twitter video, posted by the Red Wings, of Jimmy Howard speaking with the media:

Continue reading Articles (and video) from practice: the 34-game push

Sportsnet analyzes Mike Green’s trade value

Sportsnet’s Andrew Berkshire took a look at Mike Green’s trade value from an analytical standpoint:

At even strength, Green is still better than average in generating scoring chances for his teammates, though he’s not as slick of a passer under pressure as he used to be. His main contributions to offence at 5-on-5 are his ability to enter the zone cleanly with the puck, and improve shot quality by completing offensive zone dekes that open up lanes for better passes and shots.

Where Green truly separates himself, though, is on the power play. He is about 80th among defencemen in creating scoring chances at even strength, but on the power play he’s first in the NHL at his position, and sixth overall including forwards. He’s an absolute force on the man advantage.

Continue reading Sportsnet analyzes Mike Green’s trade value

‘After practice’: Daley to return, Mrazek to start vs. San Jose

The Detroit Red Wings practiced on Tuesday ahead of their Wednesday game against the San Jose Sharks.

After practice concluded, the beat writers headed into the locker room, and the Free Press’s Helene St. James reported the following:

Trevor Daley says he’s good to play Wednesday

Continue reading ‘After practice’: Daley to return, Mrazek to start vs. San Jose

Red Wings practice on Tuesday ahead of SJ game: Mrazek in ‘starter’s’ net, ‘everyone’ skating

Updated 4x at 2:38 PM:

The Detroit Red Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena just before 1 PM on Tuesday, preparing for Wednesday’s home game against the San Jose Sharks (8:00 PM EST on FSD/NBCSNSA/97.1 FM).

Our friends from San Jose will be busy playing against the Pittsburgh Penguins this evening, so they probably won’t hold a morning skate tomorrow; the Red Wings are opening a stretch of 3 games to be played over the course of 4 nights (Detroit plays on Carolina on Friday and Florida on Saturday).

Here are the Tweets of note from today’s practice, starting with MLive’s Ansar Khan’s, “Hello”:

Continue reading Red Wings practice on Tuesday ahead of SJ game: Mrazek in ‘starter’s’ net, ‘everyone’ skating

ESPN’s Wyshynski profiles Mike Green

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski penned a lengthy article about Mike Green, a player who Wyshynski suggests is “at a career crossroads“:

Green’s points this season are split evenly between even strength and the power play (13 each).

“The key is finding that balance. The offense and defense. Playing in Detroit, they really focus on the defensive side of the puck, and it’s really helped my game. I’m grateful for that,” he said.

He’s also grateful for having spent these last three seasons with a storied Original Six franchise.

Continue reading ESPN’s Wyshynski profiles Mike Green

USA Hockey Arena to host Under-18 Five Nations Cup in February

USA Hockey Arena will be hosting the Under-18 Five Nations Cup from February 13th to 17th , and the event tends to be loaded with players who are eligible for the year’s upcoming draft.

The U.S., Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Russia will be taking part in the tournament, and the U.S. team will be largely made up of USA Hockey’s anchor tenant, the National Team Development Program.

Here’s an FYI from USA Hockey Arena:

A different take on video replay

As the NHL discusses the role of video replay in determining offside and goaltender interference calls, the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe asked the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye to weigh in on playing in a league where there is no video review:

In two games over a span of five days, the Walleye were involved in controversial situations that could have easily been rectified if video replay had been available. Both occurred when the goal judge turned the red light on when he believed a goal had been scored, but play continued anyway. In one case, Toledo was awarded the goal. In the other, they were not. Again both decisions were based on real-time situations.

Walleye coach Dan Watson did not mince words when he took to Twitter to express his disappointment.

“Video Replay is a must in 2018,” Watson wrote in a post a day after his team was affected by a questionable non-goal call that may have cost Toledo a point. “Plays are happening too fast with one ref on the ice. Help these guys make the right calls. Some will go against you, some will go for you. At the end of the day, the right call should be made.”

Continued