Author: George Malik

The latest episode of the Flying Octopus podcast is out this morning…

And the Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak discusses the keys to the Red Wings’ playoff push this morning…

Red Wings’ Focus Areas 

Part of a strong finish is addressing organizational weaknesses. And for the Red Wings, there are three that stand out: 

1. Five-on-five offense
2. Penalty kill
3. Defensive depth

You can make the case that others should be included here, but, in my opinion, these are the three main deficiencies at the moment. 

Despite a general resurgence under McLellan, Detroit’s five-on-five offense is still a work in progress. At even-strength, their 2.14 goals-for per 60 (GF/60), 24.46 scoring chances-for per 60 (SCF/60), and 10.18 high-danger chances-for per 60 (HDCF/60) since the coaching change all sit in the bottom-half of the league. 

Likewise, their penalty kill has been better, but not by much. Detroit’s 71.8 kill percentage under McLellan ranks 26th in the NHL. That said, if you only focus on the last 10 games, their 80 percent kill rate is respectable. Still, you can’t assume that the issue is resolved completely.

And finally, the Red Wings don’t have much depth beyond their top two defensive pairs. Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl have been fine on the third pairing. But beyond them, there’s only William Lagesson, at least until Jeff Petry returns in April. An injury to the top four could be devastating.

It’s absolutely critical that the Red Wings address these three problem areas down the stretch. Doing so will make the race to 92 points that much easier.

Wolak continues…

And the Hockey Writers’ Devin Little shared his impressions of the Four Nations Face-Off:

NHL.com’s Jon Lane looks ahead to the resumption of the NHL’s 2024-2025 schedule, which begins on Saturday with the Red Wings’ home game against the Minnesota Wild:

Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings (12:30 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+)

The Red Wings (28-22-5) hold the second wild card in the East, one point behind the Ottawa Senators and one ahead of the Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. They won seven in a row before losing 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 8, are 15-5-1 since coach Todd McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26 and will face the Blue Jackets in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on March 1. The Wild (33-19-4) are third in the Central Division after not qualifying for the playoffs last season. Goalie Filip Gustavsson returns from the 4 Nations, where he made two starts for Sweden. His 37 saves in a 2-1 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 6 was his 63rd with Minnesota, passing Dwayne Roloson (62) for fourth in Wild history.

Continued; the Red Wings then host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, and head to Minnesota on Tuesday to wrap up their home-and-home series.

After that, next Thursday, the Wings host the Blue Jackets, and the Stadium Series beckons on Saturday, March 1st.

That’s 5 games in 8 days, and after a 2-day break, the Wings will play 3 games in 4 nights. The stretch run isn’t just brutal in terms of quality of competition; it’s also very condensed over the course of the last 27 games.

Team USA lost the Four Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night, dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to Team Canada, but The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was among several American players who chose to look forward to the next big match-up between the U.S. and Canada:

The players Bill Guerin assembled to don Team USA sweaters for the grand success that was the 4 Nations Face-Off were only together for 12 days, but they bonded and invested much into trying to win a tournament that will never happen again. And even though they fell to the archrival Canadians, 3-2 in overtime, they cannot wait to regather in less than a year in Milan, Italy, for the 2026 Olympics.

“There is something to look forward to with this group, which is great,” said Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who was great in all four games for the Americans. “That’s the big one. And I know that it’s a little bit of a different tournament, different rules, but we really feel like we can play any kind of game on any kind of surface and anywhere against anyone.

“Billy built the team that can do that, and we’re confident about that. Would have loved to have this thing keep going and play some more hockey against those guys.”

Larkin also told Russo that the Americans experienced tremendous cohesion on and off the ice, starting with a team-building dinner in Montreal last Monday night:

“This has been a first-class experience, and something that I’ll always remember,” Larkin said. “I’ll always be proud that I was just a part of it, and that I can say right now that I gave it my all for this team and the guys in this room. That dinner we had in Montreal, when Bill brought back the legends from the ’80 team and Mike Modano and (Gaudreau’s dad, Guy), like, that was the coolest night of all of this. And then we just continued to make great memories. It was a tremendous group to be around.”

Larkin and the rest of the Americans can’t wait to put on that dark blue USA Hockey sweater again at the 2026 Olympics for their next chance to slay the dragon that always seems to get the best of them: Canada.

Update: For what it’s worth, Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler gave Larkin a strong grade for his Four Nations Final performance:

Dylan Larkin: 8/10
Larkin’s ascension from the fourth line to the first is now complete, with the Red Wings captain capping what’s been a really solid tournament with one of his best efforts. While he was held off the scoresheet Thursday night, his speed up and down the wing to generate scoring chances — and a close call in the first, that almost saw him tie things up after breaking free and picking up his own rebound — helped the U.S. match Canada’s pace, and his penalty kill prowess came up clutch, too. 

As the Red Wings prepare for their 27-game stretch run schedule, the Free Press’s Helene St. James took note of the Red Wings’ emphasis on establishing “good habits” over the course of the team’s 4-day “mini camp”:

Todd McLellan gathered his players and ended practice with an expletive and a plea: Don’t let your habits slip.

It was a reminder to the Detroit Red Wings as they emerge from the 4 Nations Face-Off break that every game matters. Not that players who were around last season should need a reminder: They occupied the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot on Feb. 28, 2024, only to stumble through a seven-game losing streak and eventually miss the playoffs by a tiebreaker. This season’s team has banked 31 points since Christmas to sit in the second wild-card spot as they resume play Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, two weeks after losing at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the last game before the break.

“The value of two points is no different on any game day 82 times a year,” McLellan said Thursday. “And I don’t think players think like that all the time. They can give themselves permission, and then they regret it. I don’t like talking about last year, I wasn’t here — but I know what happened. And yeah — empty net, pull the goalie, not in. But that wasn’t what prevented them from getting in the playoffs. There was a game during the year where they gave themselves permission — you know what, it’s not that important tonight. They played poorly, and it cost them.

“Let’s hope that Tampa game the other night wasn’t our night. And we talk about that a little bit — this could be the night that it really matters.”

Coach McLellan also said that between the Red Wings’ condensed schedule and the NHLPA’s requirement that every team has four days off per month, he’s not certain whether the Wings will have a whole lot of practices left with which to rectify their errors:

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiled Red Wings assistant coach Trent Yawney this morning, noting that Yawney is an integral part of coach Todd McLellan’s staff:

A former NHL defenseman who logged 593 games along big-league bluelines, Yawney as a coach is credited with being a sensei for young defensemen. Already, there’s evidence of that in Detroit. Simon Edvinsson, 22, is playing his best hockey the season since McLellan and Yawney arrived in town. Rookie Albert Johansson, 24, is performing with the poise of a veteran since his insertion into the second pairing alongside Edvinsson.

“Obviously I wanted him here, I felt like I needed him here,” McLellan said of Yawney. “It just hasn’t been here, but the young defensemen in Edmonton and Anaheim and Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook (in Chicago) would tell you that.

“The development he’s done in the American League as well as all the other organizations in and around the NHL would give you the best answer to how important he is, but we’re lucky to have him.”

…

With Yawney, it’s not all hugs and positive reinforcement. He’ll swing a few brickbats, as well as delivering bouquets. But every defenseman he coaches knows when times are tough, Yawney has got their back.

“I think Yawns’ biggest strength is his support for the back end,” McLellan said. “It’s not always kumbaya and everything’s fine. He treats them like a father would and holds them accountable, but also has a lot of support for them. When we get into the coaches room and we start bitching about a defenseman, there is support there and I think the D feel that.”

Continued

From the Associated Press:

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild visit the Detroit Red Wings after Matthew Boldy scored two goals in the Wild’s 6-3 win over the New York Islanders.

Detroit has a 28-22-5 record overall and a 15-12-2 record on its home ice. The Red Wings have gone 22-7-2 when scoring at least three goals.

Minnesota is 33-19-4 overall and 20-7-3 in road games. The Wild have a 30-3-2 record when scoring three or more goals.

The matchup Saturday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Lucas Raymond has 21 goals and 38 assists for the Red Wings. Alex DeBrincat has five goals and four assists over the past 10 games.

Marco Rossi has 19 goals and 28 assists for the Wild. Jonas Brodin has five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Wings: 7-2-1, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.6 assists, 1.8 penalties and 4.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Wild: 6-4-0, averaging 2.6 goals, 4.4 assists, 3.5 penalties and 7.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest was tasked with listing the top storylines for the NHL’s 2024-2025 season’s stretch run, and this topic already increased my anxiety level…

Playoff races heat up

The Detroit Red Wings (28-22-5) are in position to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16, currently the second wild card from the Eastern Conference with 61 points. The Ottawa Senators (63 points) hold the first wild card from the Eastern Conference and are looking to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. Detroit and Ottawa will try to fend off the Columbus Blue Jackets (60 points), Boston Bruins (60), New York Rangers (58) and New York Islanders (57), Montreal Canadiens (55), Pittsburgh Penguins (55) and Philadelphia Flyers (55). In the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks (63 points) and Calgary Flames (60) are set up for an epic race for the second wild card, with the St. Louis Blues (55), Anaheim Ducks (54) and Seattle Kraken (52) having work to do to get back in the running.

While we’re only 8 days away from this one:

Heading back outdoors

The final outdoor game of the season will take place March 1 when the Red Wings face the Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium as part of the NHL Stadium Series. It is the first time Columbus will play an outdoor game and the fifth time for Detroit. It will be the 43rd outdoor game in League history and second this season. The Blues won 6-2 against the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Dec. 31.

Continued; let’s hope things go well…

Via Paul Kukla of Abel to Yzerman comes this great quote from Dylan Larkin, discussing whether the U.S. national team needs to see more participation from its top players:

Red Wings captain and Team USA forward Dylan Larkin was passionate about how he hopes the 4 Nations makes Americans who have skipped the World Championships reconsider.

“That’s where it starts. Pride for your country. Pride for your flag. Putting that crest on.” pic.twitter.com/qK8ykIHzAn

— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) February 21, 2025

Also:

Larkin on the Olympics: "There is something to look forward to with this group, which is great. That's the big one. And I know that it's a little bit of a different tournament, different rules, but we really feel like we can play any kind of game on any kind of surface and…

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 21, 2025

Here’s a wee bit more from Larkin from ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark at 3:35 AM:

Larkin, who has represented the U.S. at five men’s worlds, said USA Hockey has “had a tough time” getting players to participate at the tournament. He said his hope is that Team USA’s 4 Nations run will make more Americans want to play.

“I think guys are at home watching this and I hope they are wanting a piece of this,” Larkin said. “They got to go to the world championships and prove themselves and play for their country. We got to start winning that tournament. I think that’s where Canada, those guys go and they play. That’s where it starts. Pride for your country. Pride for your flag. Putting that crest on and going out for games is an unbelievable feeling.”

Team Canada won the Four Nations Face-Off 3-2 in overtime, earning the Four Nations Face-Off trophy, medals, and a cash prize.

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin started on the Americans’ 3rd line, with J.T. Miller and Matt Boldy, but he was promoted to the Americans’ first line with Auston Matthews and Brady Tkachuk after Matthew Tkachuk aggravated his groin injury.

Proud of you, Cap. pic.twitter.com/TnToGfhjZZ

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 21, 2025

Larkin ended up playing 20:20, finishing at +1 over the course of 33 shifts. He took 3 shots and had 5 total shot attempts, he registered 4 hits, 2 giveaways, and a 4-and-3 (57%) faceoff rating.

Larkin started the play that resulted in Jake Sanderson’s 2-1 goal, despite not registering an assist…

The Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran discusses Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin’s complicated family history, which began in Ireland and made stops in Scarborough, Ontario and the University of Southern Indiana before coming to Metro Detroit:

Dylan’s father, Kevin, is from Scarborough, but moved to the States to play soccer at the University of Southern Indiana, eventually settling in Michigan where Dylan was born.

His grandmother still lives in the east Toronto neighbourhood. She was converted to a Detroit Red Wings fan after a lifetime of cheering for the Maple Leafs.

His uncle Jimmy represented Canada internationally in soccer as a goalie.

“My uncle Jimmy wanted to play for Ireland, because my grandfather was from Ireland,” said Larkin. “But my (grandfather, also named Jim) told him: No, you’re playing in the country you were born in. And that’s how it was for us. My dad was stern on that. I’m so happy that was the case.”

Larkin started with the U.S. national development program in 2012, first representing his country in an under-17 tournament.

The Red Wings captain has emerged as a difference maker for an American side that should be the favourite over Canada in the final on Thursday night at TD Garden.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won something,” said Larkin. “There’s some guys in here that are in the same boat. Especially after how Saturday unfolded, there’s a lot on the line, and I expect it to be a great hockey game.”

Continued; good luck tonight, captain Larkin…