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!

Praise for Sandin Pellikka and Augustine

FloHockey’s Chris Peters posted an article which discusses 10 players who “defined the 2025 World Junior Championship 2025,” and two of Peters’ picks are Red Wings prospects:

Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, Sweden (DET)

Sweden left empty-handed, but Sandin Pellikka was named defenseman of the tournament for the second straight year. He also made the media all-star team and was utilized five times in the bronze-medal game shootout. There’s no question that he is among the more intriguing offensive talents on the back end. But this tournament will also be remembered for the disappointment for Sweden, which maybe had its best path to a gold medal in recent memory, went undefeated in the prelims once again but failed to win the biggest games. 

Trey Augustine, G, USA (DET)

Now USA’s all-time wins leader at the World Junior Championship with 12 career wins, Augustine is also now the only goalie to win back-to-back gold medals at this tournament for Team USA. He has had a historic run and will go down as one of USA’s most successful international goalies ever on the men’s side. What made this run a bit more unique is I don’t think we saw Augustine play his best games in this tournament, but he was good enough. His ability to win the big games for his team and make key saves in big moments is such a factor. He still has more development time ahead and will need some refining before he’s ready for the big time, but when the lights shine brightest, he wins.

Continued; Sandin Pellikka wore the captain’s “C” for Sweden, and he showed up after their Semifinal and Bronze Medal game losses to speak with the media bluntly and honestly, and yes, Augustine was not super-dominant, but he fought through any difficulties in his game to win and win some more.

Tweets from Monday’s Red Wings practice: Petry, Holl absent ahead of Wings-Sens game on Tuesday

The Detroit Red Wings find themselves on a 4-game winning streak heading into tomorrow’s game with the 19-17-and-2 Ottawa Senators, who sit two points ahead of the Red Wings in the Atlantic Division standings.

The Senators are trying to make due without Linus Ullmark, who is week-to-week with back spasms, and Ottawa has lost 2 straight and 4 of their past 5 games.

Ottawa always shows up for Red Wings games, however, so Tuesday’s affair (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/TSN5/RDS/97.1 FM) should be a spirited battle.

The Red Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center around 11:15 AM:

Meanwhile, in Ottawa:

Continue reading Tweets from Monday’s Red Wings practice: Petry, Holl absent ahead of Wings-Sens game on Tuesday

Daily Faceoff’s Ellis assesses every World Junior Championship participant

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis joins The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in reviewing the performances of each and every one of the World Junior Championship’s participants, including the Red Wings’ four representatives in Ottawa:

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D (Sweden): At his best, ASP was a star at this tournament once again. It all started with a four-point effort against Slovakia and another three points against the Swiss. He generated a lot of shots, and when Sweden needed him to perform, he often did. The one knock against him was some of the mistakes he made in transition. But on the flip side, he was always one of Sweden’s best shot-creators and was rarely not one of Sweden’s best individual players every single night. So even if scouts wanted to see a bit more from him, they still had a lot to like. It’s hard to truly explain, but basically: he was good, but I – and many others – wanted to see him dominate more than he did.

I guess the “recency bias” of watching Sandin Pellikka play so well in the SHL made scouts and others expect ASP to absolutely dominate among younger players, ignoring the fact that Sandin Pellikka is in fact a young player himself at 19, prone to ups and downs in performance.

I’m really disappointed in the fact that he finished second in tournament scoring, while clearly weighed down by wearing the captain’s “C” for Sweden, but nobody seems to recognize his status as the tournament’s best defenseman for a second year. Nothing’s enough.

Trey Augustine, G (USA): Augustine struggled after allowing eight goals over his first two games but quickly turned the tide. But after that, Augustine was rock solid, stealing the show in the games against Canada and Czechia. He’s now the winningest American goaltender in tournament history, and it’s easy to tell why. Sure, it’s his third tournament, but he covers the bottom of the net so well and remains so relaxed and focused in the crease.

As I said earlier this morning, Augustine’s “glove problems” involve the fact that he’s not wearing the catch glove which he prefers due to sponsorship issues. He’s still adjusting to the new catch glove.

Jesse Kiiskinen, RW (Finland): Kiiskinen started the tournament with a quiet showing against Canada before registering goals in each of the next three round-robin games. He had his best game against Slovakia in the quarters when he had two points, but he also had his best backchecking game that day, too. Kiiskinen was noticeably vibrant in the final, too. I really liked Kiiskinen’s play away from the puck – I thought he was always moving and making something happen. Overall, he got better with every passing game.

Kiiskinen is a spunky fellow who likes to score goals and go to the front of the net. He was impressive there. His defense needs work, though.

Max Plante, LW (USA): Plante had a solid showing with three points, but he also rarely lost a battle on a shift. That’s because he’s always moving and forcing you to make quick decisions on the fly. He’s a high-end playmaker who should play serious minutes next year – his ability to play with anyone and generate opportunities makes him solid.

Plante’s still only 18 and stands around 5’10” and 170-ish pounds, but he’s a plucky fellow who makes strong plays.

Lalonde’s future

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton wonders aloud where Derek Lalonde will end up next, noting that the former Red Wings coach may have to take a step back to take a step forward:

By far the likeliest option seems to be returning to an NHL assistant role.  He was Jon Cooper’s top lieutenant in Tampa Bay during the Lightning’s run to three straight Stanley Cup Finals (winning the first two), so perhaps a return to Tampa could be his first option.  While that could very well prove successful, I suspect going back to the Lightning would make it more difficult to eventually return to a head coaching gig, as it would be difficult for him to demonstrate growth and new understanding out of a familiar environment.

If Lalonde doesn’t want another NHL head coaching job down the line, that doesn’t matter, but if he does, I imagine he would be better served finding a new current coach to learn and work under.  He has a good relationship with Blues head coach Jim Montgomery, so perhaps that could be an option.  Heading farther south in Florida to work under Paul Maurice with the Panthers could offer a different variation on the education in winning he earned under Cooper with the Bolts.

As a more off-the-board option, I’d also be intrigued by the possibility of Lalonde taking an NCAA coaching gig.  He has experience at Denver University, and I think his skillset—as a communicator, in particular—would be well suited to a collegiate role.  It wouldn’t be as lucrative as the NHL, but he would have more job security, and if he can abide the turbulent bureaucratic landscape around the NCAA, it might be more rewarding.

Continued; as Stockton says, Lalonde “worked” for the Red Wings far more often than he didn’t, and the end of his tenure with the team doesn’t mean that he can’t coach.

Roughly translated: Axel Sandin Pellikka earns an honor he shares with Slava Fetisov

Aftonbladet’s Hans Abrahamsson posted an article noting that Axel Sandin Pellikka’s status as being named the best defenseman at the 2025 World Junior Championship gives the Swedish team captain status as a member of an exclusive company. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:

The Swede earns a place with the icon

Ottawa. Axel Sandin Pellikka didn’t earn a medal at the WJC–but he will be comforted because he became part of a unique collection.

After the icon Vyacheslav Fetisov, he is the first to be named the tournament’s best defenseman two years in a row.

“I just want to make sure to keep up with all the nice guys on the team this last night [in Ottawa],” he said after the loss to the Czechs.

Last year, Axel Sandin Pellikka earned a silver medal after the final loss against the United States. In Gothenburg he was named the tournament’s best defenseman, and now it’s happened again.

After the U.S. final victory against Finland, it was revealed who won the title. And again, it was the Swedish defenseman who earned the prize.

As such, “ASP” is the first player after Russian icon Vyacheslav Fetisov to earn the award two years in a row. Fetisov first earned the award almost 50 years ago in 1977 and 1978.

After his [hat trick] start of the tournament, the Skelleftea AIK defenseman was likely to step onto the unique team early on, but he chose to pay his attention to his team [instead]:

“I don’t put any focus on it. I’m here to win a championship with the boys and not to earn any personal achievements,” he told Sportbladet.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Axel Sandin Pellikka earns an honor he shares with Slava Fetisov

Wheeler assesses every World Junior Championship participant, including the Wings’ 4 players

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler attempted to assess every prospect who participated in the World Junior Championship in Ottawa over the past two weeks. His gargantuan set of assessments included takes on the Red Wings’ four WJC-participating prospects:

Trey Augustine (G, Detroit Red Wings): His low glove and high glove were both targeted at times. He looked out of sorts against the Germans, which is very rare for Augustine. He dropped some routine glove saves too and gave out big rebounds when he usually swallows them. Rebound control early in the tournament was a bit of an issue as well. He settled in and played really well against Canada and in the semifinal against Czechia as well, though. His athleticism popped a couple of times. The control and stoicism came back for the games that mattered most (though the glove did show up a couple more times as a bit of an issue). I hadn’t identified it as an issue in previous viewings but I’ll keep an eye on it now.

I thought that Augustine did struggle at times, but his status as average in some games may have to do with a bit of fatigue as much as anything else. I also know that his sponsorship with True Hockey means that he’s not using his preferred Vaughn catching glove, so he’s still adjusting to the different dimensions of the True Catalyst glove with a 590 break.

It would not surprise me if he goes back to using Vaughn-made gloves and blockers and True leg pads again, because he was far more comfortable in terms of his glove and blocker saves when he was using split equipment. An endorsement deal is great and all, but comfort yielding better performance is far more important.

Max Plante (F, Detroit Red Wings): Puts pucks into areas so well for his linemates. Small area skill. One scratch against Finland and then back in against Canada but on the fourth line (after I thought he played well on the third line early in the tournament). Played well in his minutes, for me.

Plane’s never going to be a large man, but the 5’10” forward is a smart passer and play-maker on the wing, and he was evident to me as good within his role.

Jesse Kiiskinen (F, Detroit Red Wings): Always seems to be lurking around the net but can make a play up high in the zone too and has a good shot/one-timer. Six goals and there was a little bit of everything in them. Calm in big moments. A very likeable player at this level.

Fans may still lament the Gibson-for-Kiiskinen trade, but Kiiskinen is the kind of net-front-driving forward who seems to love going to the front of the net and staying there to jab at passes and rebounds. I thought that he needed some refinement in terms of his defensive game, but his ability to snipe from short distances was good to see.

And finally…

Axel Sandin Pellikka (D, Detroit Red Wings): ASP was one of the top players in the tournament and had more of an impact than he did when he won the top D award a year ago for my money, though he wasn’t as impactful in the semi or bronze medal game. He did a really nice job getting shots through, walking the line, finding open teammates cross-ice or in the slot. Defended hard. Looked to make plays and activate but chose his spots well. His shot and skill are evident when he gets open. He’s seeing the ice better and better without sacrificing his shot creation (led all D in shots). Can lose some races in straight lines, skating isn’t explosive from a standstill. One of the top D prospects in hockey.

Axel Sandin Pellikka wore a heavy captain’s “C” on his shoulder, and that was evident in his play to me. No, he wasn’t sterling silver defensively, but the battles he lost and races he was over-skated in seemed to have to do as much with nerves and the fact that he was playing 26-29 minutes a night as anything else.

There will definitely be an adjustment process for him when he comes over to North America in terms of both his straight-line speed and his physical strength, but the wait will be worth it.

Wheeler continues at extended length (paywall), and he earns big kudos from me for attempting to assess so many players at the same time. That’s incredibly difficult.

AP posts Red Wings-Senators preview

The Associated Press has posted a preview of Tuesday’s Red Wings-Senators game:

BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Red Wings are looking to extend a four-game win streak with a victory against the Ottawa Senators.

Detroit has a 17-18-4 record overall and a 3-7-1 record in Atlantic Division play. The Red Wings have a 3-6-2 record in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.

Ottawa has a 5-2-0 record in Atlantic Division games and a 19-17-2 record overall. The Senators have gone 9-4-1 in games decided by a goal.

The teams meet Tuesday for the second time this season. The Senators won 2-1 in the last matchup. Joshua Norris led the Senators with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: Alex DeBrincat has 17 goals and 15 assists for the Red Wings. Patrick Kane has five goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Tim Stutzle has 12 goals and 28 assists for the Senators. Shane Pinto has scored five goals with two assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Wings: 6-4-0, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.6 assists, 2.5 penalties and 5.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Senators: 6-4-0, averaging 2.5 goals, 3.8 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.

Hall of Hank

The Athletic’s Chris Johnston posted a mailbag feature this morning, and Johnston makes what I know some of you think is a controversial suggestion:

Who comes to mind (beyond Alex Mogilny) as someone who should be in the Hall of Fame? — Mike C.

Beyond Mogilny, who absolutely, unequivocally should already be in the Hall, the guy that stands out to me is Henrik Zetterberg. At first glance, his counting stats probably won’t wow you, but adjusted for era he was basically an 80-point player across his career who gained entry to the Triple Gold Club and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008. Those are pretty strong credentials.

Continued; I know that some of you feel that Zetterberg is more a “Hall of Very Good” player, but I’m going to stick to my guns and suggest that he’s a Hall-of-Famer in the making. We’ll see what the next couple of years bring.

Morning Khan: Red Wings rediscover their fundamentals

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the “nuts and bolts” behind the Red Wings‘ mid-season renaissance this morning:

The Detroit Red Wings’ power play has reached a higher level, and they’re no longer being outshot on a nightly basis.

Todd McLellan has tapped into the team’s offensive ability. That’s one reason the Red Wings are riding a season-long four-game winning streak and are 4-1-0 under their new coach.

“It’s not about me,” McLellan told FanDuel Sports Network following Saturday’s 4-2 win at league-leading Winnipeg. “We have jobs to do as a coaching staff and that’s to provide guidance and hold players accountable. And then we get out of the way. They play hockey. I tip my hat to the players for wanting to get better.”

The Red Wings are 8 for 16 on the power play in the past five games and suddenly rank third in the NHL (26.3 percent). They have not been outshot during that span, after being outshot in 24 of their first 34 games.

“We’re getting higher shot volume and just realizing what that creates,” Lucas Raymond told FanDuel. “Loose pucks off shots and getting the D and forwards to turn, I think that creates a lot. And to retrieve pucks and get it to the net.”

Said McLellan: “Obviously, you got to play percentages a little bit in the league and when you look at save percentage, one out of every 10 goes in, so when you’re giving up 40 (shots) a night you’re not giving yourselves a true opportunity to win.”

Continued (paywall)

Prospect roundup: Buchelnikov 1A, Liam Dower Nilsson 1G, 1A, Finnie 2A in Sunday action

Of Red Wings prospect-related note on Sunday:

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov had an assist and 3 shots on goal in 16:19 of ice time as Vityaz Moscow Region lost 5-2 to SKA St. Petersburg:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Liam Dower Nilsson had a goal and an assist, finishing at +2 with 3 shots in 17:16 played as IF Bjorkloven won 4-2 over Ostersunds IK. Maximilian Kilpinen finished at -2 in 13:01 played for Ostersunds;

In the Swedish J20 league, Charlie Forslund was held off the scoresheet in Mora IK’s 5-2 win over HV71;

In the QMJHL, Rudy Guimond stopped 24 of 25 shots in the Moncton Wildcats’ 5-1 win over Halifax;

In the WHL, Emmitt Finnie had 2 assists, finishing at -1 with 2 shots and an 11-for-25 faceoff record in the Kamloops Blazers’ 5-2 loss to Spokane;

In the ECHL, Jan Bednar pitched a 28-save shutout as the Toledo Walleye won 3-0 over the Kalamazoo K-Wings;

In NCAA Hockey, Brennan Ali finished at -1 with 2 shots in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s 3-0 loss to Penn State;

And Kienan Draper finished even with 1 shot and an 8-and-6 faceoff record as the University of Michigan Wolverines won 3-2 in overtime over Ohio State.