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!

Red Wings-Blue Jackets morning skate Tweets: Talbot vs. Merzlikins in goal; Blue Jackets to go 11-and-7

The Detroit Red Wings face the Columbus Blue Jackets this evening (7 PM EST on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/FanDuel SportsNet Columbus/97.1 FM), and the Blue Jackets kicked off their morning skate at 10 AM:

The Hockey News’s Jason Newland posted the Blue Jackets’ lines:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets morning skate Tweets: Talbot vs. Merzlikins in goal; Blue Jackets to go 11-and-7

A bit about Joe Veleno, first line forward

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton wrote a brief article about Joe Veleno’s status as skating on the Red Wings’ top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond:

When asked after the Red Wings’ Sunday win over the Capitals what Veleno needs to provide offensively to remain on that line, McLellan said he would need more time to determine that, explaining, “I can’t fairly answer that question right now. I don’t know Joe well enough yet. I don’t know what’s in his toolbox. He seems to be a real honest player, he seems to have some pace to his game and some skill. His ability right now to go all over the lineup—down, up, penalty kill, hasn’t had any power play time—sometimes lines need balance too. And maybe he can provide that.”

When asked Monday about the same topic, Veleno himself spoke to the importance of keeping up his present form and habits.  “I think just continue what I’ve been doing: Using my speed, forechecking well, having good sticks on the forecheck, protect the puck down low, and obviously retrieve pucks for those guys,” the Quebecois forward said.  “They like to make plays, and they’re gonna find each other, but just try to be at the right spot, go to the net, use my speed, and try to complement those guys.”

He continued by saying that success for him would be “retrieving pucks, being hard on the forecheck, winning battles, and obviously I think plays will start to open up.  I think we’ve got a lot of speed on that line,…so could be dangerous.”

Tweet of note: It’s Quarterfinals day at the World Junior Championship

From TSN (and every game will air on the NHL Network in the U.S.):

Sandin Pellikka, Swedes not taking Latvians lightly

Team Sweden battles Latvia in the World Junior Championship quarterfinal today at 12 PM today (on the NHL Network and TSN), and Axel Sandin Pellikka told IIHF.com’s Lukas Aykroyd that the Swedes won’t take the Latvians lightly:

On paper, it’s impossible not to pick Sweden in this TD Place Arena matchup. The well-structured Juniorkronorna, who won last year’s silver medal, amassed a perfect group-stage record with an impressive 24-10 goal difference. They have the tournament’s best power play (7-for-20, 35 percent) and three of the tournament’s top 10 scorers. The list goes on.

That doesn’t mean coach Magnus Havelid’s boys will take the Latvians lightly, even though the small Baltic nation has never finished higher than seventh at a World Juniors (2022). Latvia’s 3-2 shootout upset over host Canada put everyone on notice.

“Of course, we’re going to be favourites, but still, we need to play our best at all times,” said Swedish captain Axel Sandin Pellikka, who leads the tournament scoring race (4+4=8). “They’re a really good team, so we’d better start preparing as soon as possible.”

The Latvians also managed to stay within one goal of the Americans in their 5-1 loss for more than 25 minutes, and they will look to do the same against the Swedes, trying to engender a sense of doubt. Power forward Eriks Mateiko has been clutch with a team-leading three goals so far.

Latvian captain Peteris Bulans said: “We need to play simple: send bodies to the net and pucks to the net and get the rebounds and deflections, simple hockey in the O-zone.”

Did the 2014 Winter Classic ‘set the standard?’

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski argues that the Red Wings-Maple Leafs Winter Classic in 2014 was the game which set the standard for every other outdoor game:

1. 2014: Michigan Stadium
Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 2 (37 points)

Environment: 10
Hype: 10
Game: 8
Style: 9

This was a special kind of cold. The seat cushions handed to the 105,491 hockey fans at the Big House — an NHL record — could barely protect their posteriors from the numbing metal benches. The balls inside the linesmen’s whistles froze in place during the game. Snow fell, winds whipped. It was truly hockey vs. the elements that day in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

All of it helped create a legendary environment for the outdoor game. So did the split loyalties in the crowd, which was dotted with blue Maple Leafs jerseys and contrasting with Red Wings jerseys. On the ice, the teams’ throwback jerseys — both wore full-color uniforms — were among the best looking in the event’s history.

Impossible as it might seem, the game was actually good! Jonathan Bernier saw 43 Red Wings shots sail his way, and Detroit needed a late third-period goal to force overtime. Toronto won in a shootout on a Tyler Bozak tally, sending tens of thousands back over the border happy.

An entertaining game, in many ways, is the cherry on top for a Winter Classic. There are other aspects more central to the event’s success. Like having a compelling matchup, challenging winter conditions and a memorable venue with a personality of its own. But a great Winter Classic should also be a celebration of hockey: To that end, the Leafs and Wings played an alumni game doubleheader at Comerica Park in Detroit because they had so many darn great players who wanted in, and so many fans who wanted to watch them.

The Winter Classic at the Big House satisfied all these obligations. Which is why it’s the classic among Classics.

Continued

Tweet of note: Old man Augustine

Per Red Wings Prospects on Twitter:

Red Wings-Blue Jackets preview

The Detroit Red Wings head to Ohio’s capital city to battle the Columbus Blue Jackets this evening (7 PM EST start on FanDuel Sportsnet Detroit/FanDuel Sportsnet Columbus/97.1 FM), and there are several Wings-Blue Jackets previews of note this morning.

NHL.com summarizes the storylines heading into tonight’s game most succinctly:

Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, FDSNDET)

The Red Wings (15-18-4) are 2-1-0 since hiring coach Todd McLellan. The Blue Jackets (16-16-6) have won three of four games. Zach Werenski has a home point streak of 13 games as the Blue Jackets have moved within two points of the final Wild Card spot in the East. Werenski has 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in the streak.

The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger also notes that the Blue Jackets are in the thick of the playoff hunt…

Going into the game, the Blue Jackets are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers at 38 points after outlasting the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout Tuesday to ring in the new year at Nationwide Arena. They’re just two points behind the Ottawa Senators for the Eastern Conference’s second wildcard spot and one back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division.

For the Red Wings, tonight’s game is something of an acid test, as DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills notes:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets preview

Duff debunks the rumors of a Wings-Sabres trade

I’ve seen the chatter online about the Red Wings and Sabres making a trade for Dylan Cozens, Bowen Byram or half a dozen other players, but I don’t believe the hype, and neither does Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff:

Sabres center Dylan Cozens is the player the Hockeytown faithful certainly covet. He could be that second-line center the team’s been seeking out forever. One rumor even went as far as to suggest the reason why the Red Wings were moving Joe Veleno to the top line is because they are showcasing him in a one-for-one deal for Cozens.

News flash – that deal is about as likely to happen as Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is likely to punt on fourth and one.

Does mean Detroit GM Steve Yzerman definitely hasn’t talked to the Sabres regarding Cozens? Absolutely not.

“You talk to every team in the league,” Yzerman said. “Okay, like, we want this player from your team, okay, we want that player. He may or may not be available. And well, to get those players, we gotta give up our good players. It’s as simple as that. It’s not like, ‘hey, I’m gonna give you my bad players for your good players, okay? Like, I’ll give you two bad ones for one good one.’ It doesn’t work that way.”

A possible Cozens scenario would likely involve Marco Kasper moving to Buffalo. Would you do that deal? In a heartbeat. However, there are extenuating circumstances. The Sabres are going to want more than just Kasper. That might even mean giving up a first-round pick.

From Detroit’s perspective, Cozens has an AAV of $7.1 million. The Red Wings can’t fit that number under the cap. They’ll need the Sabres to also take a contract, someone like JT Compher, Andrew Copp, or Vladimir Tarasenko. Why would Buffalo want to do that?

Continued

HSJ in the morning: McLellan’s teaching the Red Wings to have fun again

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article this morning which discusses the Red Wings’ attempts to learn Todd McLellan’s systems of play while learning to enjoy playing the game again:

The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up their last practice before their first road game under their new coach with an intense, fun exercise contained to the center circle of the ice.

Two players were pitted against one another, fighting for positioning in a tight space in an effort to score into one of the nets that had been dragged to the circle. It looked fun and intense – and, of course, purposeful.

“It has a fun element to it, but the battle in the middle for body positioning, the quick hands and quick vision that comes into play – that’s all about what happens in and around the blue paint,” coach Todd McLellan said Wednesday. “And if we want to score goals, we have to go there and makes those types of plays. It also forces the goaltenders to really move quickly. So for as much as they’re having fun, we’re kind of tricking them into doing some skill work and battle work that’s necessary for game playing.”

The Wings (15-18-4) head on the road to play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday and the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, their first excursion since McLellan was named coach Dec. 26. The Blue Jackets are 12-4-3 at home, and the Jets are perched atop the NHL standings, so it presents a good test for a team that shows signs of revitalization.

“I just think the energy in general – he has a lot of energy himself, but just like getting the best out of the team, especially to start games and be ready for the start of periods,” Patrick Kane said. “It’s a work in progress every day and he’s only been here a few days, but I think the energy in general – even in practices, maybe we’re not going as long, but the pace is really high. It helps you get ready for the game, helps you get in better shape, helps conditioning wise, helps you stay at a certain level so you’re ready to play at that pace when the game begins.”

Continued (paywall)