In the AHL, the Grand Rapids Griffins were able to sweep their 2-game set against the Iowa Wild, winning 3-2 in a shootout. Axel Holmstrom and Filip Hronek had shootout markers, and Holmstrom and Matt Puempel scored in regulation.
Red Wings-Maple Leafs wrap-up: Wings’ youngsters are learning, but losses still feel like ‘Groundhog Day’ to the vets
The Detroit Red Wings dropped their 10th straight road game over the course of a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
The Red Wings did their best to out-hustle the Maple Leafs, but the Wings blew 2-1 and 3-2 leads en route to their defeat.
Things don’t get any easier as the Wings will complete a 3-games-in-4-nights slate by heading to Montreal to play the Canadiens on Monday and host the Penguins on Monday.
For our friends from Toronto, Saturday’s win was earned descriptions such as “ugly,” “scrappy,” “plucky” and “gritty.” Coach Mike Babcock told TSN’s Kristen Shilton that the Leafs managed to win against what turned out to be a more difficult opponent than his charges may have believed the Wings to be:
Red Wings-Maple Leafs quick take: another frustrating loss to Toronto
The Detroit Red Wings attempted to snap the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 12-game home winning streak on Saturday evening.
Detroit blew 3-1 and 3-2 leads en route to a 4-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday, affording Toronto its 13th straight home win while losing the Wings’ 10th straight road game.
Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Frans Nielsen all scored goals, Nielsen had 6 shots, Larkin 5, Jimmy Howard was pretty damn excellent for a goalie who gave up 4 goals, and the Wings just were unable to hold onto the leads they generated, which was incredibly frustrating.
Continue reading Red Wings-Maple Leafs quick take: another frustrating loss to Toronto
Friedman weighs in on KH’s future
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned Red Wings GM Ken Holland during Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, stating that Ken Holland was scouting as hard as ever, that the Red Wings were about to make a free agent pitch to college UFA Daniel Brickley, and Friedman believed that there would be clarification regarding Ken Holland’s status coming from ownership by the end of the season. According to Friedman, the scuttlebutt suggested that Holland was talking with ownership regarding the term and role he would play under his new contract, and “hockey people were not talking” like Holland would be out.
Check out the 1:50 mark of the following video.
FYI:
Top college UFA D Daniel Brickley of Minnesota State has narrowed his list of NHL possibilities to five and is likely to make a final decision on where to sign in the next day or two or three.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) March 25, 2018
Brickley is eligible to sign a two-year, entry-level contract, although if he plays an NHL regular season game this season, which is more likely than not, he would burn the first year of the contract. He would not be eligible to play in Stanley Cup playoffs this season.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) March 25, 2018
2/? @FriedgeHNIC on holland:
he’s not acting as a guys who’s leaving. people say he’s scouting as aggressively as any GM.
they’re going to have a high pick.
apparently, they made a big pitch to a free agent named daniel brickley whose going to be making a big choice…
— gregg krupa (@greggkrupa) March 25, 2018
3/3 in the next few days. detroit very much in there
i think there’s a lot of conversations going on between ken holland and the ownership of the #RedWings about term on a new deal, what the role will be, i think we’re going to get some clarity before the end of the season
— gregg krupa (@greggkrupa) March 25, 2018
daniel brickley, nephew of former bruins G, current broadcaster, andy.
minn st NCAA
topeka NAHL
hawkesbry CCHL
utah naphl 18Usix-feet-three, 205lb
2017-18 minn st u. 40GP 10G 25A 35Pts 53Plm +26#RedWings@DetroitRedWings@hockeynight says wings made offer.— gregg krupa (@greggkrupa) March 25, 2018
Here’s the Griffins’ Game Day Preview ahead of tonight’s rematch with Iowa
The Grand Rapids Griffins will battle the Iowa Wild this evening (at 7:00 PM EDT on WOOD Radio), and Griffins announcer Bob Kaser sets up tonight’s rematch between the teams, who played together on Friday:
Here’s the Red Wings’ Game Day Preview video ahead of tonight’s game vs. Toronto
Here’s the Red Wings’ Game Day Preview video, which sets up tonight’s Wings-Leafs game (7:00 PM EDT on FSD/CBC/97.1 FM):
On Mantha emulating van Riemsdyk, and Mantha and Larkin’s chemistry
The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan and the Free Press’s Helene St. James spoke with Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin and coach Jeff Blashill regarding a pair of topics…
First discussing the Wings’ hope that Mantha can emulate James van Riemsdyk’s net-front presence, as Kulfan noted…
Mantha (6-foot-5, 225) and van Riemsdyk (6-foot-3, 217) have the same body type – lanky and with a long reach – and with Mantha’s hand-eye coordination and knack with the puck, the potential is there to dominate around the net.
“He’s a good player in this league – I look at his game,” said Mantha, who has watched video with the coaching staff on JVR’s work. “Watch a lot of clips of him net-front, learn the details, and how to get into the right spot.”
Entering Saturday’s game, van Riemsdyk leads the Maple Leafs with 34 goals, while averaging 14:49 of ice time. Of the 34 goals, a team-leading 11 have come on the power play.
Over the last five games, van Riemsdyk had scored eight goals.
“James van Riemsdyk is a guy we’ve talked about with Anthony,” Blashill said. “JVR has as good a hands around the net for a big guy, and makes a lot of plays, makes their power play extremely dangerous. A lot of penalty kills want to leave the net-front guy to the goalie. He’s a tough guy to leave alone for a goalie because of how dangerous he is in that area.”
Kulfan continues, and the Free Press’s St. James both spoke of Mantha’s desire to emulate van Riemsdyk as well as the Wings’ decision to reunite #39 and #71:
Continue reading On Mantha emulating van Riemsdyk, and Mantha and Larkin’s chemistry
Wakiji on the brothers Svechnikov
DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji spoke to Evgeny Svechnikov about his brother Andrei, with whom “Geno” was able to catch up on Friday night:
Rookie Evgeny Svechnikov was in an especially good mood Saturday morning as he got a chance to spend time with his mom, Elena, and younger brother, Andrei, the night before.
“It’s a good feeling, seeing my mom and my brother last night,” Svechnikov said. “They came for dinner. We went to CN Tower. It was nice dinner. It was a great atmosphere. I haven’t seen my brother since the summer, so I was very happy. He’s bigger than me, so it was exciting to see.”
Andrei Svechnikov, who turns 18 in two days, plays for the OHL’s Barrie Colts and is listed at 6-foot-3, 184 pounds.
Evgeny Svechnikov, 21, is 6-foot-3, 212 pounds.
“He’s bigger in the shoulders and a little bit taller,” Svechnikov said. “It’s impressive. I’m really happy with what’s he got for the future.”
Red Wings-Maple Leafs game-day articles: Wings aim for better play opposite a Leaf team on cruise control
Updated 2x at 2:33 PM: The Red Wings and Maple Leafs engaged in their morning skates ahead of tonight’s game (7:00 PM EDT on FSD/CBC/97.1 FM), and at present, the post-skate media available comes from Leaf sources.
According to TSN’s Kristen Shilton, the Leafs do not plan on looking past the Wings…
Regardless of where they are in the standings, Detroit frequently plays the Leafs tough – The last time the two teams met on Feb. 18, the Leafs let their lead evaporate midway through the third period and it took a goal from Auston Matthews with 31 seconds left in regulation to put Toronto over the top.
“Absolutely, every time we play them it seems to be a close game and a good battle. We expect nothing less from them tonight,” said Matthews. “[But] knowing [Nashville] is one of the best teams in the league and at the top of their conference, to play as well as we did, it definitely gives us some confidence moving forward and into another game tonight.”
Quote of the day: Blashill on returning to ‘great’-ness
The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby landed quite the quote from Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill after the Wings’ morning skate in Toronto:
Jeff Blashill tells Det fans to hang in there: “Our team has competed hard, with structure. But thats not OK. We don’t want to be a team that plays pretty good and loses, we want to be a team that plays great and wins. Everytime you put on that jersey that has to be your mindset”
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) March 24, 2018