Per WXYZ’s Brad Galli, Dylan Larkin helped out the Red Wings Foundation by working at Tim Horton’s yesterday morning, selling the Red Wings’ charitable donut, and Galli and WXYZ “mic’ed up” Larkin during his shift:
.@DylanLarkin39 was up early serving @DetroitRedWings donuts and surprising customers at @TimHortons.
We had him mic’d up throughout the morning. pic.twitter.com/GJodSiSZ1f
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) March 22, 2018
From WZZM 13’s “One Good Thing” segment’s Nichoulas Lafave:
Do you like hockey? Do you like supporting law enforcement? Specifically K9 officers? Well, you can do both for a little while.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that the Grand Rapids Griffins have offered to donate a portion of certain ticket sales to benefit their K9 unit. You’ve got to go to GriffinsHockey.com/promocode and punch in KCSD-K9. You can get up to five dollars off your ticket and they will donating two to three dollars back to the Kent County unit every time that code is used.
Kent County points out that a lot of K9 operations are run through donations. Including the dogs themselves, patrol cars, training, gear and a lot of other things.
For helping out the Kent County K9 officers, the Grand Rapids Griffins get today’s One Good Thing. And, there are three Griffins regular season home games left. So, there’s still time to take part.
If you have a One Good Thing you’d like to submit – someone or something that makes West Michigan a good place to live – email me at OneGoodThing@WZZM13.com.
The Detroit Red Wings hope to win their second game in a row as they host the Washington Capitals this evening (7:30 PM on NBCSN/97.1 FM).
The 42-24-and-7 Capitals are sitting atop the Metropolitan Division, and they’ve won 5 of their past 6 games, with their most recent win coming in the form of a 4-3 decision over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
The Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan attended Wednesday’s Capitals practice, and she reports that the Caps’ biggest roster question going into tonight’s game is the status of Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has an upper-body injury:
In the SHL playoffs, Christoffer Ehn’s Frolunda Indians tied their first-round series against the Malmo Redhawks by winning a wild 5-4 game on Wednesday (highlights are available by clicking the link and scrolling down to the bottom of the article). Ehn had 3 shots but finished at -2, winning 25% of his faceoffs over the course of 15:45 played;
And in the Swedish J20 league playoffs, Alfons Malmstrom didn’t register a point in HV71 Jonkoping’s 6-4 win over Frolunda’s J20 team.
Also of note in terms of articles penned by the Red Wings’ beat writers after today’s practice at Little Caesars Arena:
“He’s played better every game he’s been up here, kind of adjusted to how he needs to play,” Detroit left-winger Justin Abdelkader said of Svechnikov. “He’s a big strong player that goes hard to the net, has some good skill and a good shot.”
In his seventh game since his recall from AHL Grand Rapids, Svechnikov scored his first NHL goal, but just as significantly, displayed that he is beginning to succinctly comprehend the type of game he must play in order to be a successful NHLer.
“I thought that was Svech’s best game since he’s been up,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “I’ve talked lots about the chicken or the egg. Do you get ice time and produce, or do you earn the ice time? I thought he took a step in the right direction in terms of earning more ice time.”
Averaging 7:45 per game coming into Tuesday’s contest, Svechnikov played 8:38 against the Flyers.
“He needs to outplay other players, but I thought he was heavy on the puck and he got rewarded with a goal,” Blashill said.
2. The Free Press’s Helene St. James reports that coach Blashill wants Svechnikov to emulate Tyler Bertuzzi’s high-energy game…
Continue reading Articles from practice II: All about Svechnikov making the most of his chance(s)
Red Wings prospects on Twitter noted that NHL.cz journalist Jakub Prchal stated that Libor Sulak was heading over to Detroit to join the Red Wings. MLive’s Ansar Khan clarified the situation:
Sulak update: Defense prospect Libor Sulak is coming to Detroit to have a medical issue checked, not to play for the Red Wings. If he’s cleared, he might join the Griffins. Sulak, 24, a free agent from the Czech Republic, had nine goals and 23 points for Pelicans of the Finnish League.
The Plymouth Observer’s Tim Smith wrote a superb article discussing the roles that billet families play in the lives of Team USA’s National Team Development Program players:
The long journey for National Hockey League players such as Detroit Red Wings star forward Dylan Larkin involves plenty of God-given talent and a non-stop desire to excel.
But that quest often requires a necessary pit stop for players in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, where Larkin cut his teeth before moving on to the University of Michigan and the NHL.
We’re talking about unsung heroes — billet families who provide stability, friendship and a calm-before-the-storm environment for the teenagers who spend two years hundreds and even thousands of miles from their actual homes.
The next Larkin, Patrick Kane or Auston Mathews goes through their paces on the ice in hopes of hearing their name called someday by an NHL general manager. Off the ice, they can’t get to that destination without down-to-earth people such as the Birchlers, McKendrys and Wrights, among many others.
They give unconditional love and friendship — and no matter where a player winds up, it’s as valuable to success as skating, stickhandling and sniping top shelf.
“My host family is a special group,” said Luke Martin, a defenseman in the NTDP from 2014-16 currently at the University of Michigan and drafted in 2017 by the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. “They made it (transition to U-M) incredibly easy on me. You have bad days while at the NTDP, but my host family understood that and made it easy to just come home and be myself around them.”
Smith continues at significant length…
Updated at 2:54 PM: The Detroit Red Wings practiced in front of season ticket-holders on Wednesday, and while the Wings skated without Henrik Zetterberg, Trevor Daley, Mike Green and Luke Glendening, all four players will be available when the Wings host the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Thus far, we have videos to examine, with articles from practice to come:
From the Red Wings’ Twitter account:
“It was special,” Svechnikov, coming off his first NHL goal, speaks with the media following today’s practice. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/FYvoTHoo4S
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 21, 2018
“Obviously we’re prideful each time we can put on the winged wheel. Means a lot to every single person in this room.” | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/u0rvxgM6Ce
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 21, 2018
“I think he was plus-four in our chance plus-minus that we keep. That was his best game for sure. I think it was a good step,” Blashill on Svech. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/bTBZW2ffPT
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 21, 2018
The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a clip of Svechnikov and coach Jeff Blashill speaking with the media as well:
Continue reading Articles (and videos) from practice: On Svechnikov and snapping the winless streak
Of prospect-related note:
1. Via Red Wings prospects on Twitter, it’s possible that Libor Sulak is going to join the Red Wings or Grand Rapids Griffins for a couple of games…
Looks like Libor Sulak is heading to Detroit. 24 year old d-man scored 9 goals, 32 points in 45 games in Finland. #RedWings https://t.co/3Mn6uVyjeP
— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) March 21, 2018
As NHL.cz’s Jakub Prchal reports that Sulak will be joining the Wings:
Libor Šulák je na cestě do USA a připojí se k organizaci @DetroitRedWings. Zbytek sezóny odehraje v NHL. #NHLcz
— Jakub Prchal (@jakubprchal) March 21, 2018
2. And the Toledo Walleye said they would acquire a big NCAA free agent defenseman after their trade with Brampton fell through, and the Walleye signed defenseman Kevin Lohan today:
WALLEYE ADD BIG COLLEGE DEFENSEMAN
(Toledo, OH) – Former University of Michigan defenseman Kevin Lohan has signed with the Toledo Walleye.
Lohan spent four years with the Wolverines until playing as a grad student this year for Boston College. The 6’5”, 220 pound defenseman completed this season with two goals, six assists and 10 penalty minutes with an impressive plus 14 in 22 games for the Eagles. Prior to that, the Cold Spring Harbor, New York native, spent four years at the University of Michigan, appearing in 64 games with a pair of goals, nine assists and 34 penalty minutes. He finished his college career with a total of 86 games with 19 points (4G, 15A), 44 penalty minutes and plus 31.
The 24 year old received a medical redshirt for the 2015-16 season when he skated in just two games for Michigan allowing to play a grad year at Boston College. Prior to his collegiate career, Lohan appeared in 54 games with the Merritt Centennials of the BCHL. In that one season, he scored five goals with 18 assists with 26 penalty minutes.
The Red Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena for practice just before noon on Wednesday, hoping to follow up their shootout win over Philadelphia with a strong performance against the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Practice is underway with #RedWings season ticket holders in attendance. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/mzMGsUWV1h
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 21, 2018
Meanwhile, in Washington, per the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan (Washington won a 4-3 decision over Dallas last night):
