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!

Anxiety sucks

My apologies for the lack of posting this afternoon/evening. I’ve been undergoing a severe anxiety attack.

I’ve maxed out my medication for the day and tried to fight through the discomfort, but I’m unable to penetrate the funk.

It sucks. Not being able to function is painful and frustrating, and it just plain physically hurts.

Mental illnesses aren’t pleasant and, at times, my anxiety and depression get the better of me. It’s a daily struggle, just as all chronic illnesses are a daily battle.

I will do my best to restore functioning and will do my best to return to work in the morning.

Prospect round-up: Buchelnikov scores shootout goal, 1A in Vityaz win

Of Red Wings prospect-related note:

In the KHL, Red Wings prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov scored a shootout goal and registered an assist, taking 3 shots and blocking a shot in 17:56 played as Vityaz Moscow Region won a 5-4 shootout decision over Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Per Red Wings Prospects on Twitter:

Video: Cossa, Lalonde speak with the media after Monday’s practice

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde offered a slew of injury updates after Monday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena.

To wit: Cam Talbot will be examined by a doctor today, with his status uncertain for the Wings’ two-game road trip; Ville Husso will start in goal tomorrow vs. Boston, with Sebastian Cossa backing him up; Jeff Petry is questionable tomorrow with a lower-body injury, so he took a “maintenance day”; and Patrick Kane is “hopeful” to play Thursday vs. Ottawa.

Post-practice Tweets: Cam Talbot to be examined today, Husso starts Tues vs. Boston, Kane hopeful for Thurs., Petry questionable

The Detroit Red Wings practiced at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center on Monday, after having recalled Sebastian Cossa from Grand Rapids and having placed Alex Lyon on IR.

The Red Wings head to Boston tomorrow (7 PM EST on ESPN+/Hulu) and Ottawa on Thursday (7 PM on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit) hoping to rebound from consecutive 5-4 losses to Vancouver and New Jersey.

During Monday’s practice, neither Cam Talbot nor Alex Lyon practiced with the team, Patrick Kane did not take line rushes, and Jeff Petry was absent from practice.

After the Wings skated, coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the media…

Continue reading Post-practice Tweets: Cam Talbot to be examined today, Husso starts Tues vs. Boston, Kane hopeful for Thurs., Petry questionable

Monday funday fundraising

The blog’s owner is still in need of funds, so he’s asked me to make another fundraising post (ha). Just trying to pay the bills here, folks.

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.

If you’re willing to lend a hand, we have a PayPal option at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport; there’s Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2; if you’re into the, “I don’t want to use any of those pages” option, here’s always the Giftly option by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com…

And in the banking options, you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check, or “Zelle” me via my email, rtxg@yahoo.com.

It’s my pleasure to provide you with as much information as I can give, but this is also a job, and it requires money, time, energy and effort (a.k.a. work). If you are willing or able to support this endeavor, it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Tweets from Monday’s practice: Cossa arriveth, Talbot and Lyon absent

Updated 3x at 12:31 PM: After recalling Sebastian Cossa from Grand Rapids and placing Alex Lyon on injured reserve, retroactive to November 27th, the Red Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center, ahead of a two-game road trip to Boston (on Tuesday) and Ottawa (on Thursday).

The Red Wings have lost two straight 5-4 decisions, their last in overtime against Vancouver yesterday, and, last Thursday, a regulation loss to New Jersey.

The Red Wings’ most recent recall was on the ice early on Monday, as reported by EP Rinkside’s Sean Shapiro…

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton…

MLive’s Ansar Khan…

Etc. etc.:

Continue reading Tweets from Monday’s practice: Cossa arriveth, Talbot and Lyon absent

Trey Augustine named to U.S. preliminary World Junior Championship roster

Today, Red Wings prospect and Michigan State University goaltender Trey Augustine was named to the preliminary roster of the United States’ World Junior Championship team. He will participate in the training camp to be held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth from December 16th to 17th.

An AP Wings-Bruins mini preview

The Red Wings will head to Boston to play the Bruins tomorrow evening (7 PM EST on ESPN+/Hulu), and ahead of Tuesday’s game, the Associated Press posted a short game preview:

Boston has gone 12-11-3 overall with a 4-3-1 record against the Atlantic Division. The Bruins have an 8-2-0 record in games they score at least three goals.

Detroit is 10-11-3 overall with a 1-3-0 record in Atlantic Division games. The Red Wings have a 3-3-2 record when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent.

The teams meet Tuesday for the second time this season. The Bruins won 2-1 in the last meeting. Coyle led the Bruins with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: David Pastrnak has nine goals and 14 assists for the Bruins. Coyle has five goals over the past 10 games.

Lucas Raymond has seven goals and 18 assists for the Red Wings. Alex DeBrincat has scored four goals with five assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 5-4-1, averaging 2.4 goals, 3.9 assists, 3.4 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.

Red Wings: 4-4-2, averaging 2.9 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.1 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Pot shots

The Red Wings are ranked 28th overall in TSN’s latest “Power Rankings,” and at this point, it feels like pundits are just using the Power Rankings format to send pot shots the Red Wings’ way instead of simply offering valid criticism of the team’s disappointing start. That’s certainly the case for Daily Faceoff’s “Power Rankings” this week:

26. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 10-11-3, -13
Last Week: 26th (0)
Hunter’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 27th

Scott [Maxwell]: So what exactly is the next move for this Red Wings team going forward? I think the easiest decision comes with a change behind the bench, but it feels like they need to do way more than that to turn around this team. I mean, how bad does it need to get before Steve Yzerman’s seat gets warm? It really is an awkward position for Detroit to be in because firing one of your franchise greats feels like an easy way to skewer his reputation.

Hunter [Crowther]: Yzerman’s seat should be a lot warmer. J.T. Compher was a bad contract, bringing Patrick Kane back was a mistake, and you have a bottom-tier offense, averaging just 2.63 goals per game. Somehow, bringing in a 37-year-old Cam Talbot was one of the better offseason moves he made. Just fire Derek Lalonde and bring in one of Jay Woodcroft or Todd McLellan, or they can bite their knuckles and bring on Joel Quenneville and the s–t storm that will come with it. You may have your personal feelings about Quenneville and his inaction after learning one of his players was allegedly sexually assaulted, but now that he’s been reinstated into the league, eventually one of these team executives is going to be desperate enough to hold onto their own job to bring him behind their bench in an effort to win.

There is nothing awkward going on with Steve Yzerman. His seat is not “hot,” it’s insulated. He is the GM for life, and I do not believe that he’s going to be desperate enough to turn to Quenneville. I’m certain that he’s uncomfortable right now, but as long as the Ilitches own the team, he has job security.

It’s up to him to act in the team’s best interests when he feels the time is right to act deliberately and decisively, and that is that.

Press release: Red Wings recall Cossa under emergency conditions

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS RECALL SEBASTIAN COSSA FROM GRAND RAPIDS UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS

  … Detroit Places Alex Lyon on Injured Reserve Retroactive to Nov. 27 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled goaltender Sebastian Cossa from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Additionally, the Red Wings have placed goaltender Alex Lyon on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 27.

Cossa, 22, has posted a 9-4-1 record with a 2.21 goals-against average, a 0.925 save percentage and one shutout in 14 appearances with the Griffins to begin the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-6, 222-pound goaltender spent the entire 2023-24 campaign with the Griffins, logging a 22-9-9 record with a 2.41 goals-against average, a 0.913 save percentage and two shutouts in 40 regular-season games. Cossa also finished 5-4 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a 0.900 save percentage in nine Calder Cup Playoff games, helping the Griffins reach the Central Division Finals. Selected by the Red Wings in the first round (15th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Cossa has compiled a 32-14-10 record with a 2.49 goals-against average, a 0.911 save percentage and three shutouts in 57 AHL games with the Griffins. He also showed a 26-16-4 record with a 2.56 goals-against average, a 0.913 save percentage and four shutouts in 46 appearances with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye in 2022-23, representing the Western Conference at the 2023 ECHL All-Star Game. 

Prior to turning professional, Cossa spent three seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2019-22, posting a 71-16-7 record with a 2.12 goals-against average, a 0.921 save percentage and 14 shutouts in 98 appearances. Cossa backstopped the Oil Kings to a WHL championship in 2022, earning a place on the Central Division’s First All-Star Team. During the 2020-21 season, Cossa authored a 17-1-1 record and led the WHL in goals-against average (1.57) and save percentage (0.941), while tying for the league lead with four shutouts. Cossa also played three seasons with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers in the Alberta minor hockey ranks from 2016-19, earning a league championship in addition to Top Goaltender and Most Valuable Player honors in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League in 2016-17. On the international stage, Cossa won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, recording a victory in his only appearance at the tournament. The Hamilton, Ont., native also played in two games with Canada White at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.