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!

Red Wings-Flyers wrap-up: on the Wings’ fight and the fans’ fight

The Detroit Red Wings won a slightly unorthodox 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena, but they also lost Simon Edvinsson to an upper-body injury in the process thereof.

For the Red Wings, winning a game as they prepare to play in 3 more games over the course of 4 pre-holiday-break nights (starting Friday evening vs. Montreal); for the Flyers, their second loss in a row can be assuaged tomorrow night when they host Los Angeles.

Coach John Tortorella told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall that it was to the Flyers’ detriment to perhaps overlook the result of Wednesday night’s game:

“These times before holidays, the five, six, seven games, I think they’re really important points for the end of the year,” Tortorella said Tuesday. “Because I think sometimes players are packed and ready to go somewhere and they forget. We can’t forget. We’re not good enough. We need to grab as many points as we can before we have that Christmas break. We’ve got four games in six nights here, it’s a tough schedule. I’m just hoping we can get some points here, that you go home and you put them in the bank for March and April.”

The Flyers are 1-1-0 against the Red Wings (13-14-4). They beat Detroit, 4-1, six days ago. The clubs meet once more Jan. 21 in Philadelphia.

Tortorella continued while speaking with NHL.com’s Dave Hogg…

Continue reading Red Wings-Flyers wrap-up: on the Wings’ fight and the fans’ fight

Wings lose Simon Edvinsson to an upper-body injury

With the holiday roster freeze in effect, but Ville Husso still on the roster as Cam Talbot is still on the IR, it will be interesting to see whether the Wings call anyone up.

Anyway, per the Free Press’s Helene St. James, the Red Wings suffered an injury of significance during the 6-4 win over Philadelphia:

Simon Edvinsson did not return after the first period because of what the team called an upper-body injury. The Red Wings announced the move on social media after the first period.

Edvinsson only played 5:36 in the first period. That forced the coaching to scramble the other pairings, and Ben Chiarot instead was out on the ice with Edvinsson’s usual partner, Moritz Seider.

Edvinsson, 21, is in his first full season with the Wings, although having played 25 games over the previous two seasons, he is not considered a rookie. The 6-foot-6 Swede quickly worked his way up to the top pairing, where he and Seider (6 feet 3) give the Wings a formidable pairing with enormous reach.

Edvinsson has also helped contribute offensively, with three goals and 10 assists, in 30 games.

Also of note from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:

Continue reading Wings lose Simon Edvinsson to an upper-body injury

Red Wings-Flyers quick take: Wings win a wild one, but lose Edvinsson

The Detroit Red Wings hoped to avenge a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers last week as the Wings hosted the 14-13-and-4 Flyers at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday evening.

Detroit hoped to build upon Saturday’s win against Toronto as it kick-started a slate of 4 games to be played over the course of the next 6 nights.

On Wednesday night, the Red Wings won a weird one. Detroit surrendered a breakaway goal to Travis Konecny only 1:06 in. Detroit rallied to take a 2-1 lead, surrendered a 2-2 goal, rallied for a 4-2 lead coming out of the 2nd period, surrendered 2 goals over the course of the early 3rd period to tie the game 4-4, and Patrick Kane scored the gamer at 7:22 of the 3rd, with Lucas Raymond’s empty-netter sealing a 6-4 victory.

Alex Lyon gave up 4 goals on only 19 shots against, and the Wings lost Simon Edvinsson to an upper-body injury only 5:36 into the 1st, so Detroit was a little hamstrung defensively…

But Raymond, Compher and Kane all had a goal and an assist, Larkin had 2 assists, birthday boy Alex DeBrincat scored a goal, and Moritz Seider and Ben Chiarot played 27:04 and 28:16, respectively.

Continue reading Red Wings-Flyers quick take: Wings win a wild one, but lose Edvinsson

Tweets of note: Archie DeBrincat says, ‘Happy Birthday’ to dad

Via NHL.com’s Anna Kulesa come the following Birthday Tweets for Alex DeBrincat, starring Archie DeBrincat:

A bit about Trey Augustine and Max Plante at the U.S. World Junior selection camp

The Detroit News’s Connor Eargood spoke with Team USA World Junior team coach David Carle and Team USA GM John Vanbiesbrouck regarding the outlook for the U.S. 2026 World Junior Championship team.

Both Carle and Vanbiesbrouck spoke about Red Wings prospects, with Carle weighing in regarding MSU goaltender Trey Augustine…

Any team with Augustine in net has a shot at a gold medal. His technical excellence has made him one of the best junior goaltenders in the sport, and a top prospect of the Detroit Red Wings that picked him in the second round of the 2023 draft. Already backstopping Team USA to bronze and gold the past two seasons, Augustine wants to add one more medal in his World Junior swan song.

“You look at him in goal and I just see a stronger, more mature body,” Carle said Monday. “Allows his movement to be even cleaner and crisper than it was even a year ago. So it’s impressive that he’s continuing to even improve upon his strengths.”

And there’s this from Vanbiesbrouck regarding University of Minnesota-Duluth forward and 2024 Wings draft pick Max Plante:

Finally, Team USA has decisions to make about rostering some power-play role players, including Austin Burnevik, Trevor Connelly and Red Wings second-round pick Max Plante, who was a late add to camp after returning to action from a wrist injury.

“He was just too good to leave out of our group,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “… When somebody’s wearing a splint, it’s kind of hard, but he’s just playing too good so we got to give him that shot. And he deserves to be here.”

Continued (paywall)

Prospect round-up: LDN’s at least playing a lot of hockey

Of Red Wings prospect-related note in Europe today:

In the Finnish Liiga, Jesse Kiiskinen missed HPK Hameenlinna’s 3-0 win over Assat Pori due to being with the Finnish World Junior Championship team;

And in the Swedish Allsvenskan, Maximilian Kilpinen didn’t play in Ostersunds IK’s 3-2 loss to Sodertalje SK;

And Liam Dower Nilsson finished even with a shot on goal and a minor penalty taken in 19:18 of ice time as IF Bjorkloven lost 4-1 to Mora IK.

Tweet of note: ‘The Forecheck’ previews tonight’s Wings-Flyers game

From DetroitRedWings.com’s Daniella Bruce:

Red Wings look to Kasper to spark power play

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an afternoon notebook article which discusses the Red Wings’ currently-sputtering power play:

What for many years was a unit that broke Wings’ fans hearts with their inability to score goals, has been productive this season. Going into Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Wings ranked eighth (out of 32 teams) at 24.4%.

Still, the power play has gone “stale,” in the estimation of coach Derek Lalonde. And it’s an accurate description. It had basically lost its confidence and wasn’t producing a big goal when it would have been handy.

Going into Wednesday, the Wings hadn’t scored in four games, covering eight power-play opportunities. It only had one goal in the last six games.

“The positive is we had some good looks (Saturday’s 4-2 win over Toronto), that’s the positive,” Lalonde said. “We went through a stretch for three or four games, when I made the comment of stale, we weren’t getting looks, we weren’t getting entries (into the zone). The other night (Saturday), we lost the special-teams battle 1-0, but we literally had the looks and we out-chanced them 6-1 and it (the puck) just didn’t go in. If we can continue to get those looks it’ll come around.”

One key change on the units was the insertion of rookie Marco Kasper onto the group with Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, J.T. Compher and Moritz Seider. Kasper and Raymond are on the flanks, Larkin in the bumper, Compher net-front, and Seider at the point.

Lalonde feels Kasper is made for his position.

Continued (paywall)

HSJ on Copp and Lalonde

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article which discusses the recent reunion of Andrew Copp and Patrick Kane:

Thirty games, it’s been Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat who have done the bulk it. In an effort to get more out of the second line, and especially Patrick Kane, the coaching staff has of late looked to Andrew Copp to center the second line, between Kane and DeBrincat.

It’s Copp’s hockey IQ that got him the promotion.

“Andrew is consistently making a lot of plays for us,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “He’s given us really good play this year. He’s been a fairly consistent player in my three years here. Very valuable player.

“I think there’s something with him and Patrick and even Cat with some IQ – you can see they make plays. There’s some really high IQ there.”

Entering Wednesday’s game, Copp had seven goals among 13 points, and Kane had three goals among 11 points (he missed five games because of injury). DeBrincat, Larkin and Raymond each had 12 goals. Being on the second line means more playing time – Copp topped 17 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs last weekend – than the circa 14 minutes Copp usually averages.

It also places Copp with highly skilled wingers.

“You have to be ready for the puck at all times,” Copp said. “(Kane) is going to find a lot of lanes and a lot of holes. So you have to be ready for the puck and go to places you he’s going to look.”

St. James also posted a video of Copp and Lalonde’s remarks: