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!

Alex DeBrincat has a ‘certain knack’ for scoring goals

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an evening notebook article which discusses Alex DeBrincat’s goal-scoring aplomb, noting that DeBrincat’s overtime winner against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday was historic in nature:

DeBrincat reached the 50-goal mark as a Wings’ player in his 135th game. DeBrincat is the fastest to reach 50 goals with the Wings since Brett Hull did it in 130 games from 2001-03.

The winning goal was one DeBrincat has scored often in his career. On a rush, able to unleash an accurate and effective one-timer, and finding the right places on the ice to get prime scoring opportunities.

“Their guy got lost in our zone when we picked it up,” DeBrincat said of the game-winning goal in Vancouver. “I saw it was going to be a long 3-on-2 (rush), and Raymond was the late guy. I gave it to him and he made a great play back to me.”

Since becoming Wings’ coach, Todd McLellan has spoken glowingly about DeBrincat’s ability and instincts for the game. DeBrincat’s ability to be so effective net-front, making life difficult for opposing goalies, despite DeBrincat’s smaller size, was one area McLellan has been impressed with.

“You almost appreciate him more when you’re around him more,” McLellan said. “You see him shift after shift and there is more to his game than his shot and goals, which we all know him for. But the work he does in and around the blue paint, screens, his thought process on the power play, how he gets open, his shooting and competitiveness … I’m glad he’s on our team.

“It’s a skill (playing net-front) and he (DeBrincat) has been taught, somebody taught him how to move through the eyes and not just stand there, and we’re reaping the benefit of it now.”

Continued (paywall)

Coach McLellan wants the Red Wings to give full effort vs. Seattle; Petry surgery confirmed

Red Wings coach Dan Watson and defenseman Moritz Seider spoke with DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills about the expectations for the team heading into tonight’s game with the Seattle Kraken (10 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KONG/KHN/97.1 FM):

“We can be full right now if we want to be, but in late March or April when we’re not full, we’ll regret it if we don’t come and compete tonight,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said after Tuesday’s morning skate at Climate Pledge Arena. “That will be the message tonight. This group has never given us any indication that they’re not ready to go. Expect the same effort, the same grind and the same type of input into the game for most of the nights that we’ve been here.”

In the second half of its weekend back-to-back set, Detroit grinded its way to a 3-2 overtime victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Alex DeBrincat scored twice, including the game-winning goal in the extra frame, and goalie Alex Lyon made 25 saves to help the Red Wings improve to 12-10-3 on the road this season.

Moritz Seider, who is set to play in his 300th career NHL game on Tuesday, said he believes a huge part of the club’s current win streak has been its defensive structure.

“We try to play really hard in front of our own net,” Seider said. “Obviously, [opponents] are going to get chances, but we try to eliminate second and third opportunities, sweep the crease, make it easier for goaltenders — to let them see the puck as often as we can — and capitalize on our chances. On [Sunday] we didn’t even play our best, but we found a way to capitalize on the limited chances we had and got away with a win.”

Speaking of Detroit’s defense, McLellan confirmed that Jeff Petry (undisclosed) recently underwent surgery and will be “out for about 6-8 weeks, depending on healing time.”

“It’s unfortunate for him as an individual and certainly for our team,” McLellan said about Petry, who has six points (one goal, five assists) in 34 games this season. “But we’re going to work hard with him to get him back.”

Continued

Griffins coach Dan Watson praises Sebastian Cossa’s development

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen spoke with Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson regarding Red Wings prospect goaltender Sebastian Cossa:

“Every day before practice, he’s prepared for practice,” Watson said. “And that’s a growth that I’ve seen from when I first saw him in Toledo all the way till now. And it’s translating into wins, form, and good performances on the ice.”

His focus and preparation has helped Cossa, 22, post a 14-8-3 record with a 2.20 GAA and .920 save percentage. His focus and competitiveness even extended to the AHL All-Star game where he helped the Watson-coached Central Division team beat the Atlantic Division 2-1 in the shootout to win the AHL All-Star Challenge. Cossa and Milwaukee Admirals goalie Mike Murray combined to give up only seven goals in four games for the Central Division.

…

Cossa faced obstacles this season, like the fact that the Red Wings have three goalies playing in Grand Rapids. Ville Husso and Jack Campbell both have considerable NHL experience.

“The three goalies probably right now was throwing him off a little bit,” Watson said. “But to spin that to a positive, he’s had more time in the gym to get stronger. He’s had more time off the ice, do other cognitive learning things that resources that we have here. And then in that it’s. For him, it’s all about his daily habits and what he does, his routine.”

Even with three goalies sharing time, Cossa will still get close to 40 games this season.

“His development,” Watson said,”I think is on the right track and the right path.”

Continued

Ugh

I don’t want to post this story, but I would be remiss if I did not share it with you. The Free Press’s Violet Ikonomova reports that Red Wings/Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch is divorcing his wife, Kelle, and there are some concerns among the public that the Red Wings or Tigers’ ownership may be affected by said divorce:

Whether the Ilitch couple’s separation will have bearing on the hockey club or the baseball operation will largely depend on Chris’ ownership stake and whether legal documents are in place to prevent their being considered marital assets, such as a pre- or post-nuptial agreement, experts said.

The Red Wings are owned by Ilitch Holdings and the Tigers – according to Forbes and Crain’s Detroit Business – are in a family trust. Chris Ilitch is listed as Tigers CEO and chair and Red Wings governor, president and CEO.

Experts said a family with the wealth and business savvy of the Ilitches would likely have protections in place preventing their teams and other major assets from being subject to split.

“Could (Chris Ilitch) be forced to sell his interest if he needed cash in the event of a huge divorce settlement or obligation? Could it strip the franchises of their cash flow and prevent them from signing players? It could, but not likely,” said James Quigley of Chicago-based Beermann LLP, a firm handling high-asset divorces. “These franchises are so valuable and the ownership or transfer of them in the family is going to be so closely guarded that even a loving spouse of 20-something years is going to be kept out of that.”

The Red Wings are valued at $2.1 billion and the Tigers at $1.45 billion, according to the latest calculations by Forbes.

Lowell Friedman, a family lawyer and founding member of Friedman Law Firm in Royal Oak, agreed it’s unlikely either team would be affected, but said it’s possible Kelle Ilitch was given a stake.

“Should anyone be concerned about how the company or teams are going to be run? The answer is sure,” said Friedman. “In a long-term marriage, everything is going to generally be considered as marital property … until and unless a party can demonstrate why a particular asset should not be considered a marital asset.”

Continued; long story long, there is nothing to worry about, Red Wings or Tigers fans. I just hope that their divorce is relatively amicable, and that the two parties continue on their respective ways.

Update: From MLive’s Evan Woodbury:

Attorney David Mendelson issued a joint statement from the couple that said the divorce would not impact any of the businesses.

“After thoughtful consideration, we will be transitioning into separate lives and do so with love, friendship, and a commitment to our children,” the statement read. “We have settled this matter and it will have no impact on the ownership or operation of the Ilitch businesses.”

Times two from the Detroit News’s Kara Berg and Breana Noble:

Continue reading Ugh

Video: Raymond, Seider and coach McLellan speak with the media ahead of Red Wings-Kraken game

The Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken held their respective morning skates at Climate Pledge Arena ahead of tonight’s game between the two teams (10 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KHN/KONG/97.1 FM), and it appears that Cam Talbot will oppose Joey Daccord in goal this evening.

After the teams’ skates, the Red Wings’ players and coaches spoke with the media:

Red Wings-Kraken morning skate Tweets: Talbot vs. Daccord in goal as Wings aim for 7th straight win

The Detroit Red Wings battle the Seattle Kraken this evening (10 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KHN/KONG/97.1 FM), with the Red Wings looking to extend their winning streak to 7 games.

The “Sound of Hockey” followed the Kraken’s morning skate, which started at 10 AM local time…

Again, it doesn’t look like Eberle will play tonight…

Continue reading Red Wings-Kraken morning skate Tweets: Talbot vs. Daccord in goal as Wings aim for 7th straight win

Praise for the Red Wings’ goaltending

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the Red Wings’ goaltending in terms of earning victories in the “race to three goals” over the course of Detroit’s 6-game winning streak:

“I’ve said it probably for the last six games — you don’t go on a winning streak without outstanding goaltending,” [Red Wings coach Todd] McLellan told FanDuel Sports Network after a 3-2 overtime victory at Vancouver Sunday. “We’ve been lucky enough to get it from two goaltenders, which is a real good thing.”

Cam Talbot is 9-1-0 in his past 10 starts, posting a 2.46 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. Alex Lyon is 5-1-1 over his past nine appearances, with a 2.03 GAA and .926 save percentage.

“In my opinion, you need to have two (good goalies) in the NHL to win,” McLellan told media after a 3-1 win at Calgary Saturday. “You can’t just ride one guy anymore. The game is too intense. There’s volume shooting, so the numbers are going up in the 30s and 40s. The travel, as you can see what we’re going through, is too hard on a single goaltender.

“To have both of them playing the way they are is a good sign but often that’s a reflection of the group around them, too, doing some of the things they need to, whether they’re sacrificing around the net or blocked shots or whatever it might be. It’s usually a group effort. Every now and then the goalie just completely steals you one, but I like the way the group is committing to each other.”

Continued

Talking Red Wings trade turkey

Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco suggests that the Red Wings should “become buyers” as far as trade acquisitions are concerned:

Detroit’s offense has improved quite a bit under McLellan, so I look at the defense as a point of concern. Especially in light of the Jeff Petry injury, the Red Wings could use some help on the back end; an addition back there may help contribute to the offense, as well. Aside from Simon Edvinsson (20) and Moritz Seider (32), no Detroit defenseman has reached the 20 point plateau this season.

As Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin wrote about a few weeks back, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen could make sense for the Red Wings. The 30 year old does have two years remaining on his contract at an AAV of $5.1 million, so the Red Wings would have to be prepared to absorb a non-rental; I also have no indication that the Flyers would entertain retaining salary on Ristolainen, either. Ristolainen isn’t exactly an offensive dynamo – though he has gotten power play time as of late – so I’m not sure if he is exactly what the Red Wings need, but his uptick in defensive play would help them on that end of the ice. His recent injury will also surely play a factor.

Up front, the proof is in the pudding: the Red Wings need an offensive jolt. Beyond Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond, there are no Detroit forwards who are on pace to crack 40 points. In a league that is as offensive as ever, that is something that absolutely needs to be addressed if Yzerman hopes his group can be competitive in the playoff race until the end of the regular season. The power play has drastically improved since McLellan arrived, but the 5-on-5 scoring needs work.

I do think an addition down the middle of the ice would be optimal for the Red Wings. Larkin aside, there is not a lot of offense coming from that area of the ice. Problem is, most of the league is looking for a center help, and most of the pickings are slim.

Does Brock Nelson make sense? Perhaps, but as a rental and the top trade target on Frank Seravalli’s board, I don’t think he fits the portfolio for what the Red Wings are looking for. Buffalo Sabres pivot Dylan Cozens would make a lot of sense with significant term left on his deal, but it still sounds like GM Kevyn Adams is reluctant to move on from the workhorse from Whitehorse. 

The next few weeks will determine if the Red Wings can keep pace in the ever crowded Eastern Conference playoff race, but Yzerman would be best served looking to bring in reinforcements should he actually have playoff aspirations for his group.

Continued; meh. The Red Wings aren’t going to spend assets for rental players, and teams like the Flyers and Islanders are still within Wild Card rival territory, so I don’t see them doing business with the Red Wings unless Detroit is willing to add a premium prospect to the mix.

I hope that Yzerman is conservative as we head toward March 7th.

Fundraising for the pixels

Why fundraise? It’s pretty simple. I operate a blog with Red Wings coverage that has no advertisements. And you, the reader, are asked to–only if you are able and willing–provide funds to ensure that this blog and blogger can continue providing this service.

Most of the money will go toward paying the hockey subscription bills, which are substantial these days, and some of the money will go to paying the bills that my aunt and I face every month.

So, now that you know:

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.

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