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Twitter video: ‘The Forecheck’ previews tonight’s game vs. Montreal

DetroitRedWings.com’s Daniella Bruce and play-by-play man Ken Kal discuss the Red Wings’ impending match-up with the Montreal Canadiens tonight, over the course of the latest episode of “The Forecheck”:

Update: DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a game preview as well:

Puck drop between the Red Wings (13-14-4; 30 points) and Canadiens (12-16-3; 27 points) is set for 7 p.m., with TV broadcast coverage on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and the Red Wings Radio Network (97.1 The Ticket in Detroit).

ā€œItā€™s always neat playing Montreal,ā€ Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde said. ā€œAn Original Six matchup, you get a home and away [game]. For me personally, I grew up 90 minutes from my doorstep to Montreal. Obviously, itā€™s bigger than life sometimesā€¦For us, itā€™s an opportunity to try to keep our game in order.ā€’

Riding two-point nights from Lucas Raymond (one goal, one assist), J.T. Compher (one goal, one assist), captain Dylan Larkin (two assists) and Patrick Kane (one goal, one assist), the Red Wings defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 6-4, on Wednesday. It was Detroitā€™s second straight win, and third in its last four games.

ā€œThe attitude in the room has been really good,ā€ Ben Chiarot said. ā€œI think weā€™ve been playing good for a while, honestly.ā€

Missing Mazur, among other Griffins things

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a subscriber-only article discussing the not-so-great aspects of the Grand Rapids Griffins thus far, including the absence of Carter Mazur, Elmer Soderblom and Amadeus Lombardi’s scoring funks and the Griffins’ attempts to deal with a very crowded roster. The biggest issue for the Red Wings, most likely, is Mazur’s status as injured again:

Carter Mazurā€™s Absence

You are not alone if you are among those who hoped Mazur might have had a shot to play for the Red Wings this season. Heā€™s a scrappy player with scoring instincts.  The Michigan native always seems to be where the action is around the net. Mazur netted 17 goals last season in 60 games.

But Mazur, 22, continues to have bad luck with injuries.  The Griffins donā€™t provide much information about injuries, but Mazur has missed 24 of the teamā€™s 27 games with an injury.

Mazur also missed a chunk of time last season because of injury. He has lost a considerable amount of valuable development time. Counting both injuries, he has lost more than half of a season.

Continued (paywall)

Trey Augustine’s preparing for his third World Junior Championship

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis posted an interview with Red Wings prospect and Team USA goaltender Trey Augustine ahead of the 2025 World Junior Championship:

ā€œI just feel old now,ā€ said a smiling [19-year-old] Augustine during Day 1 of USAā€™s camp in Plymouth, Michigan. ā€œI kind of felt young at the start, like I was a little above my level, but now I just feel comfortable, feel like Iā€™m one of the old guys on the team.ā€

Few NHL goalie prospects have been as dominant as Augustine the past few years. He went 29-1-2 with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in 2022-23, often shining against NCAA talent. The Red Wings took him 41st overall in 2023, and then he embarked on a 23-9-2 record as a freshman at Michigan State University. That was the most games he has lost since the start of COVID-19 back in 2020.

Internationally, Augustine has won gold and bronze at the World Juniors, gold and silver at the U-18s and was the nationā€™s top goalie at the menā€™s senior IIHF World Championship last May ā€“ edging out NHLers Charlie Lindgren, Alex Lyon and Alex Nedeljkovic.

Nothing will beat his play during the 2024 World Juniors, though. He was dialed in all tournament long, posting a 4-0-0 record with a .936 save percentage ā€“ the best in the tournament. It was just the start of big things to come for him last season, with Augustine earning Big 10 tournament MVP titles after leading MSU to the league championship. Now back for a second year, Augustine is 11-2-1 with two shutouts and a .930 save percentage ā€“ putting him back near the top of every notable category in the country.

ā€œI always say Iā€™m a competitive, athletic goalie,ā€ Augustine said. ā€œI just kind of use my skating to kind of put myself in position to make saves. That pretty much describes my game.ā€

Continued; great interview here.

Chiarot, Johansson embracing opportunities in Edvinsson’s absence

MLive’s Ansar Khan filed a game-day notebook which discusses the Red Wings’ defensemen who will have to step up in the absence of Simon Edvinsson:

ā€œGreat opportunity for our other D to step up,ā€ [coach Derek] Lalonde said. ā€œWhen we had lost Simon on the West Coast trip in Anaheim (Nov. 15) we didnā€™t handle it very well. We didnā€™t perform great from the back end, and even the other night when he was out some things found us. So, more minutes for our other D. Theyā€™ll step up and looking forward for the opportunity for the other guys.ā€

[Ben] Chiarot will remain paired with Moritz Seider. Justin Holl takes Chiarotā€™s former spot alongside Jeff Petry and [Albert] Johansson is paired with Erik Gustafsson.

ā€œItā€™s never ideal losing a defenseman that early in the game, but I thought the guys did a great job,ā€ Chiarot said. ā€œI thought (assistant coach Bob Boughner) did a great job keeping everybody rolling through, keeping guys fresh every once in a while.ā€

Chiarot logged more than 29 minutes for the first time in three years.

ā€œFelt good. Honestly, I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun,ā€ Chiarot said. ā€œAnd we were saying after the game, we felt like we could have kept on going. Another period even so. Tells you that the boys are in shape.ā€

Continued (paywall)

Stockton on the Edvinsson-less Wings

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton filed a game-day notebook which discusses Simon Edvinsson’s absence from the Wings’ blueline for the weekend:

Detroit was forced to finish Wednesday night’s win over the FlyersĀ without defenseman Simon Edvinsson, and the Red Wings will have to make due without him again this evening.Ā  After morning skate, coach Derek Lalonde ruled Edvinsson out for tonight’s game and tomorrow’s (the second leg of a home-and-home against Montreal at the Belle Centre), saying the 21-year-old Swede could be available for Monday’s game but adding “that would be a tall ask too.”Ā  Lalonde did express a general optimism that Edvinsson wouldn’t be out long after the three-day holiday break in the middle of next week.

Of Edvinsson’s absence, Lalonde also said, “Great opportunity for our other D to step up. When we had lost Simon on the West Coast trip in Anaheim there, we didn’t handle it very well. We didn’t perform great on the back end. And even the other night when he was out, some things found us.”

…

Albert Johansson (a healthy scratch the Red Wings’ last two times out) will fold back into the lineup. When asked what he’s looking for from the rookie, Lalonde said, “Consistency in his game. I had liked Albert his last couple games out. He had a stretch of hockey there where some things were finding him. That was a tough West Coast trip for him, but he’s bounced back from that and was good, so I’m fully confident he’ll have some more consistency in the game. Things we saw in camp, things we saw last year, his ability to move the puck, just some confidence and some assertiveness in his game. And some consistency with it.”

Stockton also adds the following:

Continue reading Stockton on the Edvinsson-less Wings

Video: Albert Johansson and coach Lalonde ahead of the Wings-Habs game

The Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens tonight (7 PM EST start on FanDuel Sportsnet/TSN2/RDS/97.1 FM), and they’ll have to play both of their back-to-backs vs. the Habs without the services of Simon Edvinsson, who is probably out until after the Christmas break.

The Red Wings posted a video of defenseman Albert Johansson and coach Derek Lalonde speaking with the media:

Meanwhile, the Canadiens took to the ice at Little Caesars Arena for their morning skate, new defenseman Alexandre Carrier included…

Post-morning skate Tweets: Edvinsson out ‘for the weekend’ with upper-body injury

The Detroit Red Wings prepared to take on the Montreal Canadiens (7 PM tonight on FanDuel Sportsnet/TSN2/RDS/97.1 FM) without the services of one Simon Edvinsson on Friday morning, and after the morning skate, coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the assembled media:

Continue reading Post-morning skate Tweets: Edvinsson out ‘for the weekend’ with upper-body injury

Red Wings-Canadiens morning skate Tweets: Edvinsson absent, Talbot starting vs. Montembeault

The Detroit Red Wings host the Montreal Canadiens this evening (7 PM EST start on FanDuel Sportsnet Detroit/TSN2/RDS/97.1 FM) in the first half of a home-and-home series between teams that are separated by only 3 points in the Atlantic Division standings.

We all waited with bated breath regarding the status of one Simon Edvinsson, who suffered an “upper-body injury” during Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia, and the Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena just before 10:30 AM. MLive’s Ansar Khan offered not-so-great news on the “is he taking part in the morning skate?” front:

The Habs are starting Samuel Montembeault tonight, so there’s that.

Anyway, The Athletic’s Max Bultman confirmed…

Khan posted the lines…

I don’t speak French, but this is a compliment toward Little Caesars Arena from TVA Sports’ Anthony Martineau…

Also of Red Wings-related note:

  1. The Canadiens’ website posted a game preview, and its picture of the Wings as a team is not flattering…
Continue reading Red Wings-Canadiens morning skate Tweets: Edvinsson absent, Talbot starting vs. Montembeault

A bit of praise for Trey Augustine

It’s always nice when someone “talks up” a Wings prospect, so here’s Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis discussing Team USA goaltender Trey Augustine as part of his Team USA World Junior Championship team preview:

After being the United Statesā€™ starter the past two years ā€“ and his continued play as one of the top goalies in the NCAA this year ā€“Ā Trey AugustineĀ (Detroit Red Wings) has the crease on lockdown this year. Heā€™s the top goaltender in the tournament, and is one of the best goalie prospects across the NHL, period. Augustine is putting up some outstanding numbers as a college sophomore, registering an 11-2-1 record with two shutouts and a .930 save percentage. He has a great team in front of him, sure, but Augustine has managed to be an absolute star at every level he has ever played in and has a near perfect record at the World Juniors, too.

Continued