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Pre-game Blash, pre-game Babs and Game Day Preview videos

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock spoke with the media ahead of tonight’s game between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs.

First up, Blashill:

Then Babcock:

Continue reading Pre-game Blash, pre-game Babs and Game Day Preview videos

Red Wings-Maple Leafs no-morning-skate news round-up

The Detroit Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening (7:00 PM EST on FSD/Sportsnet/97.1 FM).

Toronto has won 9 of its past 11 games, but the Leafs dropped a 5-3 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday; the Red Wings defeated the Nashville Predators on Saturday night, but the Wings need to be aware of Auston Matthews (who Terry Koshan reports has a 40% shooting percentage against Detroit) and company as the Leafs will bring their speed game to Detroit.

Neither team held a morning skate (Toronto got into town around 1 AM and Detroit didn’t return home until 2 AM) so, to tide you over:

AWood40 posted a 10-minute, annotated clip of last night’s Wings-Preds game…

Continue reading Red Wings-Maple Leafs no-morning-skate news round-up

Prospect round-up: Turgeon scores hat trick in Griffins’ win; Walleye double up K-Zoo; Sulak 1+1+shootout winner, Larsson stops 41

In the AHL, Dominic Turgeon scored his first hat trick as the Grand Rapids Griffins swept the Manitoba Moose, winning 5-0.

Turgeon scored a “natural” hat trick (consecutive goals), Eric Tangradi had a goal and an assist and Jared Coreau pitched a 38-save shutout.

The Griffins’ website posted a recap:

Continue reading Prospect round-up: Turgeon scores hat trick in Griffins’ win; Walleye double up K-Zoo; Sulak 1+1+shootout winner, Larsson stops 41

Red Wings-Maple Leafs set-up: Wings hope to ding streaking Leafs

The Detroit Red Wings will attempt to build upon Saturday night’s win over Nashville when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening (7:00 PM EST on FSD/Sportsnet/97.1 FM).

The 35-20-and-5 Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division standings. Toronto’s 6-game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, but the Leafs’ 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh was Toronto’s second regulation loss over the course of 11 games.

STATS’ game preview helps set up tonight’s game:

Continue reading Red Wings-Maple Leafs set-up: Wings hope to ding streaking Leafs

Red Wings-Predators wrap-up: Wings beat an elite team, led by…Witkowski!

The Detroit Red Wings did a very good job of out-working the Nashville Predators en route to a 3-1 victory on Saturday night, and the Wings’ weekend gets harder as the team hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday evening (7:00 PM EST on FSD/Sportsnet/97.1 FM).

As posted by AWood40 on YouTube, the Red Wings’ first goal on Saturday came from an unlikely source in Luke Witkowski:

Gustav Nyquist ultimately scored the game-winner as Detroit took a 2-0 lead that the Wings held until 5:25 remained in the 3rd period, when Craig Smith scored on a power play breakaway; Petr Mrazek stopped 31 shots, and the Wings blocked another 26 Predators attempts as Detroit out-worked and out-ground the Preds over the course of one of Detroit’s rare 60-minute efforts this season.

Our friends from Nashville were still relatively satisfied with their effort, as they told NashvillePredators.com’s Brooks Bratten:

Continue reading Red Wings-Predators wrap-up: Wings beat an elite team, led by…Witkowski!

Red Wings-Predators quick take: Wings out-work, out-Wit the Preds

The Detroit Red Wings headed into Bridgestone Arena to tangle with the Nashville Predators on Saturday, with the Wings hoping to earn a rare win against the powerhouse Predators.

The Wings played an excellent 60 minutes’ worth of hockey, out-working, out-hustling and out-scoring the Predators, with Luke Witkowski scoring his first NHL goal, Gustav Nyquist scoring his 16th and Darren Helm scoring an empty-netter as Detroit emerged with a 3-1 victory.

Petr Mrazek stopped 31 of 32 shots and the Wings blocked a staggering 26 shot attempts in a superb effort.

Now the Wings head home to host the Maple Leafs, who lost 5-3 on the road to Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

Continue reading Red Wings-Predators quick take: Wings out-work, out-Wit the Preds

Kypreos suggests that Ken Holland may be interested in Seattle’s GM job

Via “The Vyrus” on Twitter, Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines video included a discussion of Seattle’s GM search…which Nick Kypreos says may involve Ken Holland? Check out the 5:50 mark. Kypreos says that Ken Holland hasn’t had talks with the Wings yet regarding his expiring contract, and his contract may not be addressed until the end of the regular season:

Update: Via Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston:

If and when Seattle gets a franchise, there’s likely to be a number of high-profile candidates to be GM and Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland appears to be “at the top of the list,” according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos.

“Let’s make no mistake about it, Kenny Holland is out there,” Kypreos said during the Headlines segment Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. “His contract is going to expire at the end of the year. No talks at all scheduled. It appears it might go all the way to the end of the season before it gets addressed. You’ve got to put him at the top of the list.”

Glendening talk from Toronto

Via KK, the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby wondered aloud whether the Maple Leafs really want to acquire Luke Glendening:

Preceding the Maple Leafs’ arrival in Detroit on Sunday are recurring reports Toronto is pressing the Red Wings to acquire Luke Glendening.

Head coach Mike Babcock likely is applying the most pressure, having been a strong supporter of the big checking centre going back to their time together in Detroit. Glendening’s best season, 12 goals and a plus five, was Babcock’s last season with the Wings. The undrafted University of Michigan star signed a four-year deal with Detroit last summer, but at $1.8 million US a season, it’s not a cap-breaker.

The Wings, who are not likely in the playoffs again this year, have a good relationship with the Leafs through Babcock’s former boss Ken Holland. But that doesn’t mean Glendening would be acquired for nothing. Like many teams ahead of the Feb. 26 NHL trade deadline, the Wings would like to pry away some of Toronto’s prospects or draft picks. As for an assertion that idled winger Matt Martin would go to Detroit because of his Windsor roots, he has neither a desirable contract, nor the inclination to make such a move go smoothly.

The Leafs are also trying to add depth on defence. While Toronto was in Pittsburgh the past two days, rumours resumed about defenceman IanCole, who was linked to the Leafs earlier this year, or Matt Hunwick, a Babcock favourite who is not being utilized at present. The  rumour that never goes away is the Pens might approach the Leafs about centre Tyler Bozak, now on an expiring deal, based on his previous success with Phil Kessel.

I can assure you that the Red Wings want nothing to do with Martin’s $2.5 million cap hit for the next two years…

On the Fathers/Mentors Trip

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji spoke with Wings players and their fathers/mentors regarding the Dads’ Trip:

There’s something special when the Red Wings get to take their dads with them on the road.

These are the people that helped them reach the NHL and now they get to show them what their lives are truly like when they take a trip.

For David Booth, who grew up in Detroit but spent most of his NHL career with other organizations, it’s an incredible opportunity to share this experience with his dad, Michael.

“This is something I know he’s probably extremely excited for,” Booth said. “I don’t know how to describe it for him. To see what I’ve done my whole career, just traveling and going on the road, it’s just as much a part of our daily job as being here at home, so it’s going to be fun for him to kind of see the ins and outs, the part that most people don’t see. The part that people don’t really know about.

“It’s great that the organization is doing this. I’ve only done it once in my 10-11-12 years and that was in Toronto, and it was just a one-day trip to Pittsburgh and back. To be on the Red Wings plane, staying the cities we are, it’s just awesome that the management decides to do this for the families. I think that speaks volumes for this organization.”

Continued

Krupa marvels as Datsyuk’s play

The Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa suggests that Pavel Datsyuk still looks superb as he plays for Team Olympic Athletes from Russia at the 2018 Olympics:

He played so well! Watching Pavel Datsyuk lead his team of Russian players against the United States Saturday, bright and early TV, tested resolve.

Red Wings fans had to let him go. In the case of one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise, with his enthralling talent and beguiling, impish humor, it dumped a heap of separation anxiety.

To break the habit after 2016, and Datsyuk’s departure to his homeland, nearly required a 12-step program. Make it 13, in his honor.

And so, a preliminary-round Olympic game, played halfway around the globe at a most un-hockey-like hour, arrived as grotesque temptation for the dependent.

What, of comfort? Maybe, at 39, the oldest player in the men’s ice hockey tournament in the Pyeongchang games would not be quite so alluring, especially after plying his trade for a couple of years in the KHL.

Yeah, well, forget about that. Datsyuk looked like he was 26, again, except for two things: he is even smarter a third of a lifetime later, which is noteworthy given his big head start in the cunning department, and way more physical.

Krupa continues at considerable length, and his article is worth your time: I will say that Datsyuk looks like he’s finally recovered from the ankle surgery that hobbled him during his final campaign with the Wings…