Author: George Malik

Red Wings forward prospects Carter Mazur and Red Savage were named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. World Junior Championship team today.

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday released left wing Max Humitz from his professional tryout.

The second-year pro skated in four games for the Griffins from Nov. 17-28, logging a plus-two rating. This was Humitz’s second stint with Grand Rapids this season, as he appeared in two outings from Nov. 5-6 and bagged an assist during his AHL season debut on Nov. 5 at Iowa. Humitz has registered six points (3-3—6) and two penalty minutes in 14 AHL contests, all coming with Grand Rapids.

The 26-year-old will return to the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings, where he has amassed six points (1-5—6) and a plus-four rating through six games.

Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the media this morning regarding the Red Wings’ very real concerns of a COVID outbreak, as noted by MLive’s Ansar Khan…

“It’s something we had hoped we wouldn’t have to be in these spots as a league,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think we have to balance as a group staying as vigilant as possible while also living. So, we’ll keep making those decisions as we move forward, how to best approach it. It does seem, obviously, like the virus, can hit people and groups at any time. I think it’s something that even when you take great precaution you can still get struck with it, whether it be individually or as a group. If that happens, we’ll have to deal with it at that moment.”

Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been in COVID protocol since Wednesday and will miss his third consecutive game tonight. Dylan Larkin sat out the third period of the Nov. 16 game in Dallas due to a false positive test.

Tyler Bertuzzi is the only NHL player not vaccinated for COVID-19. It is up to each individual whether to receive the booster shot.

Blashill said there have been conversations about sequestering in the hotel on the road like last season.

“I know certain teams have done stuff like that and have actually gotten hit with COVID hard. So, it’s really hard to predict,” he said. “There’s so much of your life that if you don’t shut down or don’t end up living in a bubble then what you have to do is take the best precaution you can. You have to mask whenever possible; you have to wash your hands. You have to do those things that have been proven effective in helping combat it.

“Coming into the season we didn’t want to get to where we were last year. I don’t think anybody was interested in doing that for a full season again. But if that’s what it takes, then we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. It might be sooner than later, I don’t know that, but those talks have happened.”

And the Free Press’s Helene St. James:

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a Red Wings-Bruins game preview this afternoon, and he noted that Ye Olde Measuring Stick is out tonight:

The Bruins are 11-7-0 (22 points) on the season under coach Bruce Cassidy. On Tuesday morning, the Bruins announced Cassidy was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. 

Boston currently ranks fifth in power-play percentage (25.5%) and on their home ice, the Bruins have the sixth-best record in the NHL at 7-3-0. Detroit (10-9-3; 23 points) leads Boston by one point for fourth-place in the Atlantic.

While Tuesday’s game has implications in the standings, Detroit is much more focused on the long game, and developing the consistency to play well on a nightly basis, particularly away from home.

“Every night in this league is a litmus test in where you stand,” Blashill said. “We’re going to a play a real good team in their building, and we want to find a way to win. If we do find a way to win, it says you beat a good team on the road. But we’ll have another game the next night and we’ll have to find a way to do that.”

Continued

The Detroit Red Wings had a quiet morning skate in Boston ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Bruins (7 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/NESN/Sportsnet West/Sportsnet Pacific/97.1 FM), but the Bruins are a mess.

No Brad Marchand (suspension), no coach Bruce Cassidy (COVID protocol), Jake DeBrusk wants out, Tuukka Rask wants back in…eventually, and the AHL’s Providence Bruins have “double digit” COVID cases.

The news from the Wings’ morning skate was simple: No Danny DeKeyser due to COVID protocol, per DetroitRedWings.com’s Daniella Bruce.

Coach Blashill spoke with the media after the Wings’ skate:

Meanwhile, on the Bruins’ side of the ice, GM Don Sweeney spoke with the media…

Joe Sacco takes over primary coaching duties with Bruce Cassidy out. https://t.co/8wfNkP4fml— Logan Mullen (@ByLoganMullen) November 30, 2021

Sweeney says calling up players from Providence is not an option right now due to their COVID outbreak.— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) November 30, 2021

Sweeney confirms DeBrusk asked for a trade. Has to play with Marchand, Blidh out. Also, Providence is on COVID lockdown, so now callups available.— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 30, 2021

Every day is somewhere between “Small Business Saturday” and “Giving Tuesday” here at TMR.

I’m admittedly having an incredibly difficult time raising funds for what are still essentially non-profit tasks in helping Aunt Annie pay off the property taxes ($748) and trying to purchase a new cell phone as my old one is about to become obsolete (and is broken; $500 for a replacement).

I know that these aren’t extremely exciting causes to donate toward, but TMR is in survival mode right now. I’ve got to try to keep the roof over my head, and I’ve got to be able to communicate when the laptop lid is closed. Both of those issues affect the blog.

I’ve raised all of $25 over the past week, which isn’t optimal, and I’m coming to terms with this, “We will always be small” concept…

Though I know that there are ways in which I can help grow the blog, and I do hope that suggestions regarding stuff like mailbags, podcasts, trips out west to GR (their schedule has been very tight to the Wings’ sked of late) and the like will be well-received.

It’s just been a rough go health-wise, physically and mentally, and AA has been in a deep depression, so the family has been struggling. I’m looking at another Christmas away from the family party as that’s part of what living with an immune-compromised person entails, and that’s bringing me down. But that’s just “stuff.”

So:

If you’re willing to lend a hand, you can use PayPal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport, Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2, Giftly by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com. And you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check.

Thank you for your readership and your time.

The 9-8-and-3 Detroit Red Wings face the 11-and-7 Boston Bruins this evening (7 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/NESN/Sportsnet West/Sportsnet Pacific/97.1 FM).

Detroit is looking to both snap a 4-game road losing streak and attempting to win in a TD Garden where the team is, per Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff, 1-11-and-2 since Game 2 of the first round of the 2014 playoffs.

Boston will be kind of busy this morning as the Bruins won’t have the suspended Brad Marchand for the next 3 games, and Jake DeBrusk has asked for a trade. There’s also this sticky wicket as Linus Ullmark’s scheduled to start tonight:

Tuukka Rask is back on the ice at Warrior again this morning.— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) November 30, 2021

Rask is unsigned, but it’s assumed that he’ll sign with the Bruins around the Olympic Break, when his hip fully recovers from surgery.

There were a bunch of storylines regarding Monday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena, too, but we never got an answer as to why Kyle Criscuolo was recalled from Grand Rapids, and hopefully we’ll find out why during the Wings’ morning skate.

The Wings do host Seattle tomorrow night at home (7:30 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/ROOT Northwest/97.1 FM), so Criscuolo could be needed in case there are some players who are banged up.

97.1 the Ticket’s Ken Kal was actually the first person to say, “Hello” from the TD Garden…

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted “Six Facts You May Have Missed” about the Red Wings. Among them:

Tyler Bertuzzi Slumping: Detroit fans were over the moon about Bertuzzi’s start. It was memorable. But he hasn’t been the same player lately. He has gone nine games without a goal. He has three points in those nine games. By  comparison,  Bertuzzi’s center, Dylan Larkin, has points in eight of his past nine games. Larkin has accumulated 11 points in those nine games. His other wing, Lucas Raymond, has three goals and seven points in that span. In those nine games, Raymond has 14 shots on goal. Bertuzzi has 22, but eight of those came in the last game against Buffalo

Too Many Shots on Goal: Only four teams are giving up more shots on goal than the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings are giving up an average of 33.7 shots per game. The Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets,  Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers are the only teams giving up more.

…

Don’t Forget Johansson: While Seider and Raymond have been sitting the NHL ablaze with their strong play, defenseman Albert Johansson has quietly, yet effectively, been developing in the Swedish League.

Now in his third season as a regular, Johansson, 20, has put up 12 points in 22 games for Farjestads BK Karlstad. The 2019 second-round pick has now played 111 games in Sweden’s top league. He is expected to become a dependable NHL defenseman.

Continued

Per the Boston Bruins, ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Red Wings:

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins announced today, November 30, that head coach Bruce Cassidy has been placed in the NHL’s Covid-19 protocol.

The Score’s Sean O’Leary posted a set of “Calder Trophy Power Rankings,” and the second-leading rookie scorer finishes third…

3. Moritz Seider, Red Wings

Previous rank: 2

Seider‘s offensive production has slowed down a touch since our last rankings, but he’s still contributing in every facet of the game on the Red Wings‘ top defensive pair. The German stalwart leads all rookies in average ice time by a significant margin and ranks second among Detroit’s rearguards in even-strength minutes.

Additionally, Seider is still tied for second in rookie scoring despite the relative dry patch, and the majority of his production is coming at even strength. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Seider’s debut campaign to date is his play in the defensive zone. He’s provided a ton value in shot and scoring chance suppression, leading Detroit’s regular defensemen in goals against per-60, Corsi against per-60, and expected goals against per-60.

And #1 remains #1:

1. Lucas Raymond, Red Wings

Previous rank: 1

Through two months, the Calder is Raymond‘s to lose. He leads all rookies in goals, points, and shots while routinely showcasing electrifying game-breaking talent for a Red Wings team that wouldn’t be anywhere near a wild-card position without him in the lineup.

Raymond is a weapon at even strength and on the power play thanks to a lethal release that can beat any goaltender clean. Combine his shot with elite hockey IQ and deft playmaking, and it’s clear Raymond is bound to become a special player.

Continued