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!
From the Zoom media call after the Red Wings’ first scrimmage:
Jeff Blashill says he’s still waiting on update on Evgeny Svechnikov. Left game appearing to favor right arm.— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) January 5, 2021
Jeff Blashill said the Red Wings wanted more depth and “that’s what it looks like after a few days.”— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) January 5, 2021
Jeff Blashill reiterates on Darren Helm: “Unfit to play.”— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) January 5, 2021
The Red Wings held their first of three scrimmages today (hopefully, the Red Wings said they’ll try to upload it later this evening). The good news? The pace of play, level of execution and even, to some extent, anyway, a level of spit and vinegar slowly rose upward over ten months’ worth of rust.
The bad news? Turner Elson (knee) and Evgeny Svechnikov (arm) got hurt, and Luke Glendening took a puck to the face that required one of those lovely sinus tampons to stem the bleeding.
The score doesn’t really matter, but Team White defeated Team Red 6-4, a full 5-minute 3-on-3 OT and several rounds of shootout shooters for both teams included.
Overall, the white team was more solid, but the Mantha-Larkin-Bertuzzi line took control of the game over in the latter stages of the 3rd period. Players like Cholowski and a lot of the Griffins’ guys working their way toward jobs on the taxi squad played superbly well, and Danny DeKeyser looked no worse for wear after back surgery. Thomas Greiss and Jonathan Bernier also played the entire game, and played well.
The ECHL organization had twice delayed the start of its 2020-21 season due to the on-going ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic in the hopes of playing a partial season.
But according to a post on Twitter by national hockey television and radio broadcaster Jeff Marek, the team will opt out this season.
The Walleye players also were informed of the organization’s decision on Tuesday morning.
89. Dylan Larkin, C, Red Wings: Too low for a No. 1 center? Maybe, but he’s only had one A-grade season of fantasy production. That might remain the case until Detroit’s prospects stick with the big club for good.
…
111. Anthony Mantha, RW, Red Wings: There’s a 30-goal season coming if he can play anything close to a full year. He’s scored 30.5 per 82 games over past two seasons, but he’s missed 43 games over that stretch.
…
149. Tyler Bertuzzi, LW, Red Wings: Eventually might get passed on depth chart by higher-pedigree prospects, but he’s Detroit’s best option alongside Larkin and Mantha for now. Back-to-back 20-goal efforts.
…
174. Filip Hronek, D, Red Wings: Less valuable in plus-minus leagues but is an underrated point-producer as the primary power-play conductor in Motown.
…
226. Filip Zadina, RW, Red Wings: Showed flashes in an injury-shortened year. Hoping he gets a full season in and breaks out this time. Still oozes potential to become a Marian Hossa type of player someday.
Pavel Datsyuk doing Pavel Datsyuk things from afair, via Here’s Your Replay:
The Magic Man with the magic backhand. No one’s stopping that. Absolutely filthy. ? pic.twitter.com/cDK2edTciR— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 5, 2021
Pavel Datsyuk now has 9-19–28 in 34 GP 42 years young.— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 5, 2021
Red Wings to play in a division where that one store you shop at doesn’t take your credit card. https://t.co/9a8wE2xQQh— George Malik (@georgemalik) January 5, 2021
On the one hand, desperate financial times call for desperate financial measures like selling title sponsorship to your divisions. On the other hand, I’m now at 90% that we’re a few months away from the New Amsterdam Vodka Hart Trophy. pic.twitter.com/uBtfrOXF5r— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 5, 2021
I also don’t envy play by play announcers this season:
“The Penguins are now just two points out of first place in the MassMutual NHL East Division, presented by MassMutual!”— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 5, 2021
“Discover NHL Central Division” is also the title of the DVD that Central Division teams use for free-agent recruitment.— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) January 5, 2021
The Detroit Red Wings’ training camp participants will engage in their first of three scheduled scrimmages later this morning (DetroitRedWings.com will probably stream the scrimmage, starting at 10:20 AM), with scrimmages set to follow on Friday and Sunday.
“These scrimmages will be nothing like normal scrimmages in training camp,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “This is going to be as real as it gets without playing against another team.”
There won’t be any exhibition games before the Wings open a 56-game slate on Jan. 14, so these three scrimmages will serve as the best chance to impress the coaching staff.
“We’ll use it as a good evaluation,” Blashill said. “Guys understand that — whether you’re trying out for penalty killing spots, for power play spots, for spots on the team. They understand what’s at stake.”
Camp started with 40 players split into two groups, of which the Red team was made up of the front runners to be in the lineup on opening night. Darren Helm has been unfit to practice — with either an injury or illness — the past two days, so his spot on the fourth line will go to someone else.
Red Wings prospect Eemil Viro had a solid, if unspectacular night playing heads-up, never-chase-the-puck defense for Team Finland at the World Junior Championship, but the Finns lost 4-3 to Team USA in the second semifinal of the night in Edmonton.
As such, Viro’s Finns will battle Russia for the bronze medal at 5:30 PM EST Tuesday on TSN and the NHL Network; the Americans and Canadians (who took out Russia 5-0) will tangle for gold at 9:30 PM EST Tuesday night on TSN and the NHL Network.
