Red Wings and Flames game-day notebooks: Wings hope to buck Thanksgiving playoff trend; Calgary hopes to keep PP humming

Updated at 3:21 PM: The Detroit Red Wings are aware of the fact that most teams which are in the playoff mix at American Thanksgiving make the playoffs. As such, Detroit’s players told MLive’s Ansar Khan and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan that they know they have to buck a traditional trend:

“I think the biggest thing about U.S. Thanksgiving – what’s the numbers? It’s like 70-80 percent make the playoffs – and usually that’s the top end of it,” [coach Derek] Lalonde said. “It’s usually that 20 percent that’s battling throughout. Hopefully, we’ll stay in that mix and that battle.”

Last season, 13 of the 16 teams in a playoff position on this holiday qualified. The Red Wings were among the three that didn’t (St. Louis and Seattle the others), and the only one in the Eastern Conference that missed.

“You look at the standings and you don’t want to be too far behind at this time of the year,” Dylan Larkin said. “I don’t think there’s much to if you’re in first place right now, you’re going to finish in first place. They’re not handing out trophies at U.S. Thanksgiving. Twenty games in and our division’s clumped up. We just need to get on a run and we’ll be back in the place we want to be.”

They’ll need to play more like they have the past three games (2-1-0, five goals against) than the three before that in California (0-2-1, 15 goals against).

“I know much of it is goaltending, but as far as the way the team’s playing, our goalies have been really good and we’re still giving up a lot of chances,” Larkin said. “Not a lot off the rush and not much in the slot. But when it has been there, our goalies have answered it. And I think that’s key to playing defense — they can’t be taking slot shots every shift, four, five, six times a period. So, we minimize them and really try and focus on keeping them to the outside. And if they want to float pucks in, we’re going to box out and make a clear lane for our goalie.”

Lalonde and Larkin continued while speaking with the Detroit News’s Kulfan…

Continue reading Red Wings and Flames game-day notebooks: Wings hope to buck Thanksgiving playoff trend; Calgary hopes to keep PP humming

Videos: Larkin and Lalonde speak with the media, and HSJ talks Thanksgiving standings with Larkin, Seider and Petry

The Red Wings face the Calgary Flames this evening (7:30 PM on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Sportsnet 360/97.1 FM), and Cam Talbot will be starting opposite Dan Vladar (Ville Husso will be backing up Talbot due to an injury suffered in the morning skate by Alex Lyon), but Patrick Kane remains sidelined with an upper-body injury.

After the morning skate, Dylan Larkin and coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the Wings’ media corps…

And the Free Press’s Helene St. James also posted a video in which the Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Jeff Petry and coach Lalonde discuss their place in the NHL standings at American Thanksgiving:

Flames morning skate Tweets + video: Vladar vs. Talbot, roster in flux

The Detroit Red Wings face off against the Calgary Flames this evening (7:30 PM on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit Extra/Sportsnet 360/97.1 FM).

Detroit’s morning skate revealed that Cam Talbot would start for the Red Wings tonight, but that Patrick Kane was not quite ready to return from his upper-body injury. Alex Lyon also sustained an injury during the morning skate, so Ville Husso will be recalled from Grand Rapids for tonight’s game.

The Flames then took to the ice at Little Caesars Arena around 11:30 AM for their morning skate, and it appears that they’re starting their back-up goaltender this evening…

But their lineup will remain a mystery until the pregame warmups…

And here’s the Flames’ game-day preview video:

Red Wings-Flames post-morning skate Tweets: Talbot starts, Husso to back up, Kane still out

The Detroit Red Wings face a stern test in battling the Calgary Flames this evening (7:30 PM EST on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit Plus/Sportsnet 360/97.1 FM), and the Red Wings’ morning skate included Patrick Kane (upper-body), but it didn’t appear that Kane was ready to return from his injury just yet.

As of right now, Cam Talbot is also slated to start, most likely opposite Dustin Wolf.

After the morning skate, the Red Wings’ coach and players spoke with the media…

Continue reading Red Wings-Flames post-morning skate Tweets: Talbot starts, Husso to back up, Kane still out

Griffins on a roll

TheAHL.com’s Patrick Williams posted a story about the Grand Rapids Griffins’ developmental machine this morning, discussing the resurgent Griffins’ winning streak of late:

The defensive foundation took hold early for the Grand Rapids Griffins, so the wins quickly followed – even if the goals did not.

Now the offense has arrived as well, and the Griffins are positioned to take a run at first overall in the AHL as this season’s first quarter reaches its conclusion. The Griffins are 12-4-1-0, including two separate five-game winning streaks, and have shown that they know how to avoid having one bad night turn into multiple bad nights.

Grand Rapids won four of its first five games despite managing only nine goals for. Thanks to a recent run of offense, the Griffins have risen to the middle of the pack, tied for 15th in the AHL at 3.06 goals per game, but fortunately it has not come at the expense of their defensive play. Along with a league-low 2.18 goals-against per game, Grand Rapids ranks second on the penalty kill at 89.7 percent, and their goaltenders’ combined .933 save percentage is tops in the AHL.

As always, Detroit Red Wings management has made sure to plant a deep group of veterans in Grand Rapids, players who are able to push prospects on and off the ice, but also be willing to take a back-seat role if needed in order to allow those young players key opportunities. But what is most encouraging for the Detroit front office is that it’s the drafted talent, amassed over several years since executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman’s return to the organization, who are driving much of this season’s success. Much like Yzerman did in helping to set up the Lightning to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles, AHL development is paramount with his Detroit posting as well. Yzerman wants his draft picks to develop, and he wants them to do so in a winning, competitive environment, something that he made quite clear in publicly expressing his unhappiness with the Griffins missing the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2022-23.

Good teams have a knack for not letting one loss grow into two, three, or more. After a rare slip-up on Friday night – a 5-2 loss at home against Iowa – the Griffins made sure not to let that performance become something more concerning in a Sunday rematch. They built a 4-1 lead by the seven-minute mark of the second period and eventually took a 5-2 win.

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Press release: Griffins to hold ‘Red Kettle Game’ on Friday, December 6th

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS TO HOST NINTH ANNUAL RED KETTLE GAME

Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 vs. Chicago Wolves
Red Kettle Game presented by The Salvation Army

Time: 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena (doors open at 6 p.m. for the general public, 5:45 p.m. for season-ticket holders). 

Ninth Annual Red Kettle Game presented by The Salvation Army: Help raise awareness of The Salvation Army’s mission to provide programs and services to our West Michigan neighbors during the holidays and throughout the year by wearing red to the game. Several red kettles will be stationed throughout the lobby and concourse, some staffed by the wives and girlfriends of Griffins players (aka the Better Halves). The Salvation Army’s brass band will perform the national anthem and play a selection of holiday favorites on the concourse during intermissions.

Post-Game Jersey Auction: The Griffins will wear special Red Kettle jerseys for this game, a select number of which will be autographed and available for auction following the game in Sections 121 and 122. A select number of game-worn jerseys will also be available via the DASH Auction app, a digital auction platform. Fans can download the DASH Auction app via iOS or Android devices in the app store and select Grand Rapids Griffins as their favorite team. Fans can also text DASH to 66866 to download the app. All proceeds raised via the auction will benefit The Salvation Army. 

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