The Malik Report

According to the Free Press’s Carlos Monarrez, the Red Wings and Pistons are actually doing a very good job of drawing fans to Little Caesars Arena..

The Red Wings and Pistons have records below .500 and they are both either entirely out of the playoff race or on the outside looking in. But if you go by attendance figures, the Wings and Pistons are having great seasons.

The Pistons have sold out six games this season, compared with just two sellouts in their final season at the Palace. They have drawn 603,128 fans and are averaging 17,232  — 20,491 is a sellout. They are on track to draw 706,521 fans over 41 regular-season games, which would be the most since they drew 768,826 in 2009-10.

The Wings expect to sell out their 41 regular-season games, with 19,515 marking a sellout.

There’s optimism the success will continue.  Both teams expect little change in ticket prices for next season. The Wings said the vast majority of ticket prices will stay the same or decrease, though they did not provide details on pricing or season-ticket renewals.

But the biggest issue for fans isn’t the lacking atmosphere, the empty seats because “fans are enjoying the arena amenities” or the fact that some of LCA’s seats are actually more “squished” than the Joe: it’s parking, with $20 or $30 not unheard of to park a car anywhere near the facility.

The day of the Wings-Golden Knights game on March 8, the only Olympia Development lots open were at the Fox Garage on Montcalm and the D Garage on Fisher Service Drive. Both lots were charging $30 and were two-tenths of a mile away with snow and temperatures in the 20s in the forecast.

For the Pistons-Chicago Bulls game March 9, parking ranged from $30 to $40.

According to the Wings, every lot and garage Olympia Development operates is open for Wings and Pistons games and concerts with nearly 8,000 parking spots available for as low as $5, depending on the event and proximity to the arena. The Wings encourage fans to reserve parking early through ParkWhiz.com.

There are other parking areas and lots not affiliated with Olympia Development, which the Wings acknowledge and said afford “far more parking options compared to Joe Louis Arena.” But as more people discover these options, they’re filling up as well.

Monarrez continues…

Petr Mrazek appeared to bark at his coach as Mrazek was pulled from last night’s Wings-Flyers game, so 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burtchfield asked Mrazek about the exchange:

Mrazek was pulled about two minutes later after giving up a goal to Evgeny Svechnikov, the first of the rookie’s career, and the netminder appeared to have a few choice words for Hakstol when he arrived at the bench. After an animated back-and-forth, Mrazek stalked down the hallway toward the Flyers’ dressing room.

But Mrazek explained afterward he was merely asking Hakstol if the play was worth challenging for goalie interference. Mrazek had absorbed some contact from Dylan Larkin just prior to Svechnikov’s goal.

“It wasn’t anything like I was mad or something that I got pulled. I was just asking him if there was a goalie interference or not,” Mrazek said.

The 26-year-old Mrazek has been characteristically inconsistent in his time with the Flyers, who acquired him after their top two goalies went down with injuries. He won his first three starts while posting a save percentage of .947. Since then, he’s 2-5-1 with a .860 save percentage. Tuesday marked his second time being pulled for backup Alex Lyon.

Continued

NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika spoke with Red Wings VP Jimmy Devellano regarding the state of the Wings’ “rebuild on the fly”:

“Certainly I’m not in denial, and I would say to you Ken probably isn’t in denial either,” said senior vice president Jimmy Devellano, 75, part of the Red Wings’ front office since 1982. “We know where we’re at. We understand the state of our team. We are not surprised. We knew that it would eventually happen.”

The Red Wings made the playoffs for 25 straight seasons from 1990-91 to 2015-16. In that span, they won more games in the regular season (1,133) and playoffs (170) than anyone else. They won the Presidents’ Trophy six times, three times more than anyone else, and the Cup four times, tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for most. But thanks to success and trades, their average first pick in the NHL Draft was No. 38. That made it hard to restock elite talent.

They tried to keep the playoff streak going as long as possible. But when they saw it was about to end last season, Holland sold at the NHL Trade Deadline and collected picks. He did the same this season. They have 11 picks in the 2018 NHL Draft, including seven in the first three rounds and two in the first. The plan is to try to remain competitive, while playing out some contracts, working in some younger players, collecting more picks and finding the next generation of stars in the draft.

“For the Red Wings to rebuild, we need a lot of kicks at the can,” Devellano said. “They certainly all don’t come through, but if you have 10 or 11 picks, if three come through real good for you, that’s what counts.”

Devellano declined to comment on the futures of Holland and coach Jeff Blashill in a wide-ranging interview with NHL.com, but Holland and Blashill are expected to return.

Cotsonika continues…

MLive’s Ansar Khan spoke with Red Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff regarding the progress made by Michael Rasmussen and Dennis Cholowski this season, in which Rasmussen captained the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and Cholowski played for the Prince George Cougars and Portland Winterhawks:

“These guys are focused,” Horcoff said. “They want to make that jump to the NHL soon, and are willing to do anything it takes to speed up that process.”

The 6-foot-6, 221-pound Rasmussen will get a good opportunity to make the roster next season as a 19-year-old. The Red Wings plan to use him at left wing in the spot vacated by the traded Tomas Tatar and eventually groom him to be a center, like they have with Larkin.

Rasmussen missed six weeks due to mid-season wrist surgery but led Tri-City in points per game (1.26) and power-play goals (17). He had 31 goals and 59 points in 47 games.

Taken ninth overall in 2017, he is the Red Wings’ highest selection since 1990. The organization covets his size and hands, which contribute to his scoring instincts around the net, and is looking for him to increase his strength and quickness.

“We got to be able to get his first couple strides quicker, so when he tries to pull away from a checker he’s going to be able to separate a little more, which will allow him to buy more time,” Horcoff said. “He took another step forward this year. There were times in junior hockey that he looked like he didn’t belong. He’s a guy we expect to come to camp and vie for a spot.”

Khan continues….

 

The Oakland Press’s Pat Caputo penned a column about the possibility of the Red Wings landing Rasmus Dahlin via “tanking” to earn the best lottery odds in the NHL’s draft. Caputo pens a thorough column discussing Dahlin’s “scouting report,” what the experts are saying about Dahlin’s potential and what landing him could mean for the Red Wings, and my biggest problem with this theory is the concept that Dahlin alone could turn around the franchise:

Of course, it would be foolish for this town to get their hopes up too high that Dahlin is coming. Odds are against it. They just increase a bit if the Red Wings continue to lose. The good part is this is a very deep draft, and contains a number of potentially NHL high-caliber, puck-moving defensemen, such as the University of Michigan’s Quinn Hughes, Swede Adam Bovqist, Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson and Ty Smith. None of those names are as familiar as Shaquon Barkley or Baker Mayfield, I know, but there hasn’t been a deeper pool of defensemen prospects for eons, in part because size isn’t as relevant for the spot as it used to be in a less-gritty, more-skilled era of the NHL. Boqvist and Hughes are very skilled but much smaller than Dahlin, who presents all the essential food groups, regardless of era.

Oh, there are high-end forwards such Russian power winger Andrei Svechnikov (brother of Evengy, the first-rounder who plays for Red Wings) and Brady Tkachuk (big, nasty and talented like his father Keith and brother Matthew).

Also, there is Filip Zadina (sniper with similar skill-set as Winnipeg star Patrik Laine).

But Dahlin would be like winning the Power Ball.

Tank Town would become Hockeytown again overnight should the Red Wings be fortunate enough to land him.

That’s just not true. Even landing a superstar in his prime is not going to turn the entire franchise around.

Ken Holland, love him or loathe him, is right when he says that the Red Wings have to draft well and draft well for years to re-stock the franchise.

It’d be fantastic if the Red Wings did end up drafting Dahlin first overall, but there is no player transcendent enough to turn the Red Wings from so thoroughly mediocre to thoroughly elite all by himself, and if the Red Wings land one of the “consolation prizes,” they’re not going to suddenly be elite again, ether.

 

In the AHL, the Grand Rapids Griffins opened a crucial week of road games opposite the Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday, and the Griffins earned a 2-1 victory over the Admirals, getting goals from Matt Lorito and Corey Elkins, as well as a 21-save performance from Tom McCollum.

The Griffins’ website posted a recap:

Continue reading Prospect round-up: Griffins beat Admirals; Euro playoff round-up

The Detroit Red Wings snapped a 10-game winless streak over the course of a 5-4 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, but the Red Wings blew 3-1, 3-2 and 4-3 leads in frustrating fashion, flopping and flailing their way through a difficult 3rd period.

The shootout was fun, at least…

And Evgeny Svechnikov scored his first NHL goal…

Continue reading Red Wings-Flyers wrap-up: It wasn’t pretty, but the Wings’ first win in 11 games still counts

The Detroit Red Wings attempted to snap a 10-game losing streak while battling the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

Detroit beat the Flyers 5-4 in a shootout, ending their 10-game losing streak, but the Red Wings surrendered 2-1, 3-1 and 4-3 leads en route to a 4-4 tie in a terrible, horrible, no good very bad 3rd period.

Dylan Larkin scored 2 goals and had an assist, Evgeny Svechnikov scored his first NHL goal and the Wings chased Mrazek, but Alex Lyon was excellent in relief and Detroit just plain old got flattened in the 3rd period, reminding us that this team is mediocre at its very best.

9 more games of this.

Continue reading Red Wings-Flyers quick take: shootout win ends losing streak, but 3rd period faltering provides cold comfort

Per AWood40, here’s Evgeny Svechnikov’s first NHL goal:

 

The Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa spoke with Ted Lindsay regarding Henrik Zetterberg passing #7 on the Red Wings’ all-time goals list:

“I’m so happy about it,” Lindsay said, of Zetterberg’s feat. “He’s a great person and a great hockey player.

“Marks like that are meant to be passed,” the 92-year-old mused. “Records are meant to be broken.”

Zetterberg’s 336 career goals in 1,069 games played for the Red Wings compares to Lindsay’s 335 goals in 862, from 1944-57 and, in his comeback season, 1964-65. Only Gordie Howe (786), Steve Yzerman (692), Alex Delvecchio (456) and Sergei Fedorov (400) tallied more for the Wings.

“He’s maintained himself, heath wise,” Lindsay said. “He’s a physical specimen.

“He loves the game,” said Lindsay, who grew up in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, where he picked up the signal of Red Wings radio broadcasts as a boy and became a lifelong fan. “I think that that’s half the battle, if you love your game.”

Continued