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!

Tweet of note: Motte might be out for a bit

The Free Press’s Helene St. James reports worrisome news about Tyler Motte, who toe-picked off the goalpost to the right of Alexandar Georgiev and fell face-first into the boards during the second period of the Wings’ 6-3 loss to San Jose:

Red Wings-Sharks quick take: a streak of a different kind dooms Wings

The Detroit Red Wings attempted to stretch their winning streak to eight games while facing off against a young San Jose Sharks team on Tuesday evening.

The Red Wings earned a 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday evening, thanks in no small part to bad goaltending by Ville Husso, terrible defensive play by the Wings’ blueline, and all sorts of bad special teams play as the Wings surrendered 2 shorties and a power play goal against.

The good news was that Vladimir Tarasenko scored 2 goals, Lucas Raymond scored a beauty from Dylan Larkin’s smart faceoff play on Macklin Celebrini, and that Todd McLellan has the Red Wings’ full attention as the 7-game streak is gone.

Detroit will head to Sunrise, Florida to take on the Panthers on Thursday, they then head to Tampa Bay and Dallas on Saturday and Sunday, and end their road trip with 4 games in 6 nights in Philly next Tuesday.

Much is to be expected of this team now that the ship has been turned around, and one shitty outing won’t end everything that’s good about this revived team…But it will require some course corrections now.

Continue reading Red Wings-Sharks quick take: a streak of a different kind dooms Wings

Tweet of note: No jinx

Per TSN’s “Statscentre”:

Sharks coach Warsofsky: Red Wings playing ‘connected’ hockey

San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky was asked to weigh in on the Red Wings’ resurgent play under coach Todd McLellan, and he told the San Jose Mercury News’s Curtis Pashelka that Detroit’s power play stands out:

Since former Sharks head coach Todd McLellan took over as Detroit’s bench boss on Dec. 26, the Red Wings are 7-1-0 and entered Tuesday on a seven-game streak and two points out of a playoff spot. A major reason for the Wings’ success has been their power play, which is 14-for-28 during the team’s streak.

“I just notice how connected they are,” Warsofsky said of Detroit’s power play. “They read off each other extremely well. They’re dangerous off the rush; they’re dangerous off of faceoffs. They have one of the best in Patrick Kane on one flank, that, if you give him time and space, he’ll make a play. If you pressure him, he’ll make a play.”

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

Daniella Bruce and Ken Kal preview tonight’s game on “The Forecheck”:

A bit more about Ville Husso’s start tonight vs. San Jose

MLive’s Ansar Khan offers more context regarding Ville Husso’s status as tonight’s starting goaltender against the San Jose Sharks:

“It’s our first opportunity to watch him play, and from what I heard from people around the team, players included, that he played really well when he was here,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He didn’t get a lot of run support, and sometimes good goaltending needs help, and I’m hoping that he can provide that first part and the rest of the crew can help him with everything else.”

This is Husso’s fourth stint in Detroit this season. He was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Jan. 9 due to Alex Lyon’s upper-body injury. Lyon participated in Tuesday’s morning skate and is getting closer to returning.

This isn’t how Husso or the team pictured it would be after he won the No. 1 job in training camp and the preseason and started the season-opener, but he’s making the best of it.

“I’d love to be in the NHL full-time, but the situation being what it is just going day by day and trying to get good days on top of each other and enjoying it,” Husso said. “It’s been a lot of fun in GR playing games and winning games. Confidence is high. Just try to do my best.”

Husso, 29, is thriving in Grand Rapids (6-1-0, 1.86 goals-against average, .935 save percentage).

“It’s been good playing games there, being around (Sebastian Cossa) and (Jack) Campbell, great guys,” Husso said. “Good goalie coach there, Finnish guy, Roope (Koistinen), working on some stuff with him.”

Continued (paywall)

Walman weighs in

The Hockey News’s Max Miller discussed tonight’s Wings-Sharks game with Sharks defenseman Jake Walman…

San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman isn’t treating tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings any differently. 

“No chip on my shoulder. [I’m] just happy to be back here,” Walman said. “[I’m] happy to have a new page to kind of start, and new chapter. I’m just an ultra-competitive person, so every game is a new challenge. It’s just another game, but I’m sure there’ll be a lot more smiles on the ice tonight.”

Walman played 145 games for the Red Wings from 2021-2024. He had 21 goals and 22 assists and was a fan favorite for his competitiveness and iconic Griddy celebration.

…Although the defenseman says he’s treating the game like any other, Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky understands the human nature involved. 

“Just simplify your game early, [and] not try to do too much and let the game spiral out of control. But at the same time, he’s a human being. He’s not a robot,” Warsofsky said. “There’s emotion that comes with this sport. There’s emotion and feelings that go into playing your former team, living here, growing up here, whatever the it might be, you have to live through those feelings and try to mask them as best as you can, but you can’t cover up everything. So I think the biggest thing for him is keeping his game simple, getting his legs into it, [and] not trying to do too much.”

As did San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng:

“I’ve always believed that I could be that type of player and kind of grow into that type of player and person, on and off the ice,” Walman said in Detroit today, before the San Jose Sharks take on the Red Wings. “I was given an opportunity in Detroit to play, more so than the year before in St. Louis.”

With the Winged Wheel, Walman started playing about 20 minutes a night and receiving regular power play time.

In particular, Walman thanked ex-teammates David Perron and Moritz Seider for their roles in his development. Detroit signed Walman to a three-year, $10.2 million contract in 2023.

But more than anything, Walman leaned on his roots.

“Goes back to all the adversity early on in the career, just kind of building my way up, and learning to do things the right way. And that’s kind of what I can attest that to,” Walman said. “The people around me the closest, my family and best friends back home know what we’ve gone through. We’re just waiting to put it all together. Given that opportunity, I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Coach McLellan praises Lucas Raymond’s tenacity

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan asked Red Wings coach Todd McLellan to weigh in on Lucas Raymond’s talents now that the coach sees #23 on a nightly basis, and here’s what McLellan said:

“From afar we hear about this Raymond kid and see him in the highlights, but do we focus on his development and what he’s done real well to improve and all that stuff? Not really,” McLellan said. “Now that I’m here, you see the tenacity he plays with. He’s got an abrasiveness to him that I wasn’t aware of. He’s got all the skills.”

At that point, McLellan reached back to his past life as an assistant coach with the Wings from 2005-08 and came up with a player that Raymond has similarities with. Now, McLellan was quick to point out Raymond isn’t that player, but simply has similar characteristics.

Yes, Henrik Zetterberg, a Wings’ legend from back in that era and possible Hall of Famer some day.

“For me, he’s got some of, and I’m going to use his name and he’s not that player, but he has a little bit of Zetterberg in him,” McLellan said. “That determination and little bit of abrasiveness, the fire kind of. So, throw in all the other skills and that’s what I see in Lucas.”

Continued