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!

HSJ in the morning: Alex Lyon’s quietly confident in himself

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a profile of Alex Lyon this morning, discussing the goaltender’s level of self-confidence as he attempts to earn the #1 or #2 job in Detroit’s crowded crease:

Alex Lyon knows what to do: Always be ready.

The thoughtful, well-spoken Minnesotan is in a familiar position for this time of year, having to fight for a role amid a crowded field. But the goalie’s résumé is padded by the performance he delivered last season for the Detroit Red Wings, when he rose from little used third-stringer to the top of the goaltending depth chart.’

“For sure there’s more confidence,” Lyon said this week. “Also, I’ve been on one-year deals for a long time so being back in a place where there’s a little bit of comfortability is something that I haven’t really experienced for a while. I’m happy to be here and am just really looking forward to the season and trying to vindicate what happened last year.”

…

Lyon didn’t even play the first five weeks of the season, until he was cast into the fray during the Global Series games in Stockholm when Husso returned to Detroit to be with his wife after she gave birth to their first child. That was in November. By the end of December, Lyon was starting the majority of games, reinforcing the mantra he adopted during a decade spent mostly in the minor leagues: Always be ready.

“It’s been my whole career,” Lyon said. “I’ve had to work for every inch that I’ve gotten. My approach remains the same. Coming off last year, I feel a bit more comfortable in the NHL and I’m just trying to build on that confidence.  Being calm is really important. I’m approaching this to really hit the ground running when the season starts.”

Continued (paywall)

Closing the playoff gap won’t be easy…But the Red Wings can do it

NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman ponders how the 8 Eastern Conference teams which did not make the playoff cut last season might change that equation this upcoming season, and here’s what he has to say about the Detroit Red Wings:

DETROIT RED WINGS

Last season: 41-32-9, tied for second wild card, missed on regulation wins tiebreaker

How it ended: The Red Wings won their final three games, but each came after regulation, leaving them tied in points with the Washington Capitals for the second wild card, but with five fewer regulation wins (32-27). It was the eighth straight season the Red Wings missed the playoffs, the longest drought in team history.

Biggest offseason change: Cam Talbot signed a two-year contract July 1 to provide more consistent goaltending than what Detroit got last season, including a .907 5-on-5 save percentage that was 26th in the NHL. The 37-year-old ranked in the top 10 in the NHL last season in goals-against average (2.50, sixth) and save percentage (.913, eighth) in 54 games with the Los Angeles Kings, and played in the NHL All-Star Game. He also was 12-9-4 in games when he faced at least 30 shots; last season Detroit allowed 32.4 shots on goal per game, seventh most in the NHL.

Why they could get in: A Red Wings offense that averaged 3.35 goals per game, the most among any team not to make the postseason, added forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored 23 goals in 76 games with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers last season, and had nine points (five goals, four assists) in 24 games to help the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. Combine that with a returning Patrick Kane, a healthy Dylan Larkin, a more mature Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, and scoring shouldn’t be an issue. Talbot and Alex Lyon should provide a more reliable combination in goal; Lyon had a stretch of 14 wins in 21 games between Dec. 29 and Feb. 27, but playing an NHL career-high 44 games seemed to wear on him later in the season. If the Red Wings can cut down on the shots allowed per game, the more dependable goaltending combined with their high-end offensive attack could be enough to earn a wild card spot.

Continued; the Wings are going to have to “walk and chew gum at the same time” here, because the team needs to both overcome the losses of David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere and Daniel Sprong, and it needs to significantly stem the tide of goals against which doomed the team last season despite its prolific offensive output.

Detroit will need a full-ice commitment to excellence to close the gap between itself and the rest of the NHL’s playoff teams.

Prospect round-up: Miller backs up as Soo drops 2nd straight to Sudbury; Baker, Sioux Falls lose to Sioux City

Of Red Wings prospect-related note this evening:

In the OHL, Landon Miller served as the back-up goaltender in the Soo Greyhounds’ 6-3 loss to the Sudbury Wolves;

And in the USHL, Austin Baker finished at -1 with 3 shots as his Sioux Falls Stampede lost 6-3 to the Sioux City Musketeers.

Red Wings-Penguins game rescheduled for Monday, September 30th

Per the Red Wings:

RED WINGS PRESEASON GAME VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS RESCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, SEPT. 30

  … Preseason Matchup Will Take Place at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced that tonight’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. as part of a split-squad game. The Red Wings will also play a preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday, Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for tonight’s scheduled game will be valid for Monday’s contest. All pre-purchased parking passes are valid for Monday’s game. Fans who paid at an Olympia Parking facility by credit card can call (313) 725-3848 for a refund.

Doors to Little Caesars Arena will open at 6:00 p.m. for Monday’s game.

Evening news: on the Wings’ checking line, and Lalonde on the Tigers’ playoff push

Of Red Wings-related note this evening:

  1. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offered an assortment of notes and quotes this evening…

What’s the value of having a consistent line like the Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp-Christian Fischer trio?

Lalonde: “I’ve been a little more comfortable of keeping some guys together, that project as a line and that’s certainly one of them. And I think there’s a comfort level with that group and I think there’s an identity that they formed towards the end of last year. So I think not only a comfort from me with them, I think there’s a comfort between the three of them.”

Do they have another level they can reach?

Lalonde: “I hope so. We’ll see going forward. Certainly hope so. I think their offense is going to be honest offense, which I like, but I think you can create offense by playing the right way. When they’re out there they do a lot of the right things, manage pucks, forecheck properly, get on top, create turnovers. They can create some offense.”

2. And, from the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

If there’s anything the Tigers’ unexpected season-ending surge has taught the sports world it’s “believability,” according to Lalonde.

Lalonde remembered watching the Tigers in August playing the Yankees in the annual Little League event in Williamsport, Pa.

“At the time I heard the announcer say the Tigers had a 5 percent chance to make the playoffs,” Lalonde said. “This wasn’t six or four months ago. This was midseason, and it’s amazing. The lesson on believability is pretty neat.”

Lalonde took a nap Thursday in his office at Little Caesars Arena with the Tigers trailing Tampa 3-0. When he awoke, the Tigers were 4-3 winners. They won again on Friday night against the White Sox and clinched a playoff berth.

“Pretty inspiring for anyone, pretty cool to see,” Lalonde said. “Just the lesson in believability by that group.”

Lalonde compared where the Tigers and Red Wings are in their progression.

“The Tigers might be a year ahead of schedule,” Lalonde said. “We may have been probably a year ahead of schedule last year but unfortunately we didn’t finish the job. The difference is they did that. Our guys know where we are. We’ve taken natural progressions over the last two years and we want to keep pushing that forward.”

Press release: Red Wings-Penguins game will start at 8:30 PM

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS PRESEASON GAME VS. PITTSBURGH DELAYED DUE TO PENGUINS EXPERIENCING TRAVEL ISSUES

  … Preseason Matchup is Estimated to Begin at 8:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced that their preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena has been delayed due to Pittsburgh experiencing travel issues.

The game, originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, is now estimated to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Doors to Little Caesars Arena will open at 5:30 p.m. as originally scheduled.

Video: Derek Lalonde speaks with the media ahead of Wings-Penguins game

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the Wings’ media corps regarding the statuses of Lucas Raymond (maintenance day) and Erik Gustafsson (out tonight) ahead of this evening’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 PM start on DetroitRedWings.com/PittsburghPenguins.com)). Here’s the video of Lalonde’s remarks:

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton took note of Lalonde’s remarks regarding Raymond and Gustafsson:

Lucas Raymond was the only Red Wing who did not take part in either the morning skate or the subsequent practice for today’s non-game group.  However, per Derek Lalonde, his absence is no cause for concern, referring to the absence as “A maintenance day, typical of camp.”  “Sometimes lower body needs a little rest, so made sense to keep him out today,” Lalonde added.  “He’ll be back in the mix on Monday” after the team takes an off day on Sunday.

Lalonde also noted that Gustafsson will not play this evening despite taking morning skate out of an abundance caution: “Gustafsson had a little upper body issue.  Very similar to Lucas where we’ll be cautious and give him the day too for maintenance, so he’ll be out until Monday also.”

On the whole, Detroit is fortunate to be, to this point in camp, as close as possible to full health all around.

Prospect round-up: ASP 1 assist, NDL 1 goal, Forslund 1 assist on a busy Swedish Saturday

Of Red Wings prospect-related note:

In the SHL, Axel Sandin Pellikka finished with an assist, 3 shots and an even plus-minus rating in 19:43 played as Skelleftea AIK won 4-2 over Orebro:

Anton Johansson finished even with 2 shots and a minor penalty while playing 15:59 in Leksands IF’s 5-4 OT loss to MoDo Hockey;

And Noah Dower Nilsson scored a goal on 4 shots, finishing even in 14:00 played as Frolunda HC lost 5-3 to Brynas IF;

In the Swedish J20 league, Charlie Forslund registered an assist but finished at -1 with 2 shots on goal in Mora IK’s 3-1 loss to Leksands IF;

In the Finnish Liiga, Jesse Kiiskinen took 3 shots in 14:33 of ice time as HPK Hameenlinna lost 2-1 to JYP;

And in the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov finished even with 1 shot, 3 hits and 17:16 played as Vityaz Moscow Region won 2-0 over Barys Astana.