The Malik Report

Red Wings legend Alex Delvecchio turns 90 today, and the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an excerpt from her book: Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the Detroit Red Wings to celebrate the occasion:

Against the New York Rangers on February 20, 1965, Alex Delvecchio scored a goal to help the Red Wings win 3-2. He scored another goal the next day to help the Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Thus began a record that would stand for 23 years, as Delvecchio produced points in 17 consecutive games, his streak ending March 28 when he went scoreless in the last game of the 1964-65 season, a 4-0 Toronto shutout. Delvecchio scored 12 goals and recorded 19 assists, his 31 points tying Norm Ullman by a Wings player in that span.

Delvecchio’s record stood until Steve Yzerman obliterated it between November 25 and January 10 of the 1987-88 season, when he went on a 22-game tear that produced 20 goals and 30 assists. Delvecchio was a durable, skilled forward who served as center on the second iteration of the Production Line, taking over Sid Abel’s spot between Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay after Abel departed for Chicago in 1952.

Delvecchio spent his entire 24-year NHL career with the Wings, playing on three Stanley Cup winners. Alexander Peter Delvecchio was born December 4, 1931, in Fort William, Ontario. He made his debut with the Wings on March 25, 1951, suiting up in their last game of the regular season. When he retired in 1973, at 41, Delvecchio had logged 1,550 games; only Howe (1,687) and Nicklas Lidstrom (1,564) played more games with one franchise. At the time of his retirement, Delvecchio ranked second in the NHL with 1,281 points, trailing only Howe’s 1,809 points. Delvecchio’s sportsmanlike play won him the Lady Byng Trophy in 1959, 1966, and 1969. (Delvecchio tallied only 383 penalty minutes in his career. By comparison, Lindsay tallied 1,808.) He played in the All-Star Game 13 times.

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The Detroit Red Wings held a morning skate ahead of tonight’s game vs. the New York Islanders (7 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG+/97.1 FM), and Alex Nedeljkovic will start for the Red Wings tonight vs. the winless-in-8 Islanders.

After the morning skate, Nick Leddy spoke with the media…

Nick Leddy says he met up with some of his “good buddies” on #Isles last night. “That’s a good group there. They know how to win.” Said it was a “bit of a scare” watching ex-teammates go through COVID-19 outbreak.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Red Wings D Nick Leddy on facing #Isles tonight: “A lot of excitement…All those memories and bonds are huge…I’ll probably have a little bit of nerves out there.”— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

FYI:

Danny DeKeyser was getting a lot of extra work in after morning skate which would point toward him being out tonight against the Islanders— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) December 4, 2021

Also FYI, from the Islanders’ side:

Austin Czarnik up, Andy Andreoff down to Bridgeport for #Isles per AHL transactions.— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) December 4, 2021

Zdeno Chara first #Isles player on ice for morning skate here in Detroit.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Kieffer Bellows, like Chara one of the #Isles who had been on COVID protocol, also skating. Austin Czarnik (No. 10) on the ice. Andy Andreoff back to Bridgeport (AHL).— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Don’t see #Isles Casey Cizikas, who has been in COVID protocol.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Big Z a full participant in #Isles morning skate. Good sign Chara might be ready to return tonight.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Ilya Sorokin appears to be occupying the starter’s net for #Isles.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Casey Cizikas the lone #Isles player remaining in COVID-19 protocol— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Trotz: Anticipating more of a goalie rotation coming up between Sorokin and Varlamov because of upcoming condensed schedule.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) December 4, 2021

Here are videos of Nick Leddy and coach Blashill speaking with the media, [edit: with Blashill’s availability being from Friday]:

Continue reading Red Wings-Islanders post-morning skate Tweets and videos: Leddy chats about Islanders reunion; Blashill chats with the media

FYI:

Good news for Canadian followers of Jamie Daniels Foundation! The Celebrity Roast of Brett Hull will be airing in Canada on @Sportsnet on Tuesday December 7 at 9 pm and then again on December 11 at 3 pm. Make sure to tune in! pic.twitter.com/xVGG7N0ggB— Jamie Daniels Foundation (@JDanielsFund) December 4, 2021

The Detroit Red Wings will attempt to push their winning streak to 5 games as they face the struggling New York Islanders tonight (7 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG+/97.1 FM).

The Red Wings said, “Hello” from today’s morning skate first…

Mornin’ ? #LGRW

?: https://t.co/a1ZFiGyALB pic.twitter.com/1A6Zt8nQYc— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 4, 2021

And it appears that Alex Nedeljkovic will start for the Wings tonight:

Alex Nedeljkovic is the first goalie off the ice this morning for the Red Wings— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) December 4, 2021

Alex Nedeljkovic off the ice first this morning. #LGRW— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) December 4, 2021

Via former DetroiRedWings.com Editor Bill Roose comes this video from the NHL’s “NHL Now” program, in which Wings defenseman Moritz Seider conducts an 8-minute-long interview:

This is an interesting note from Rakapuckar’s Henrik Lehman regarding the futures of Elmer Soderblom and Theodor Niederbach, who are currently playing for Frolunda HC of the SHL, and what follows is roughly translated from Swedish:

Elmer Soderblom and Theodor Niederbach: The contracts expire after the season for the two Detroit draftees, and here is their situation:

Frolunda and the Detroit Red Wings have a fairly close relationship, thanks very much for the many players that the Red Wings have found to draft in Gothenburg.

[Frolunda GM Fredrik] Sjostrom and the Frolunda management would like to extend both Soderblom and Niederbach, but it depends quite a lot on what Detroit wants, and what the NHL team has plans for. No sense in telling you now–I don’t want to ruin the surprise.

There’s no indication that either Soderblom or Niederbach will play for another SHL team other than Frolunda in the near future; instead, it’s about when Detroit wants to bring them over, and unlike in Sweden, the decisions regarding the next season aren’t made for an eternity in advance [thereof]. That’s why Frolunda is sitting quite calmly here, trusting in their good relationship with the Red Wings.

Not good news from the QMJHL: Red Wings prospect Oscar Plandowski was suspended for 4 games by the QMJHL for a check from behind on the Gatineau Olympiques’ Nicholas Kingsbury-Fournier.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan’s Friday notebook focuses on Joe Veleno’s promotion to the Wings’ second line, but Kulfan also discusses Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill’s first-quarter impressions of Nick Leddy’s on and off-ice performances:

Defenseman Nick Leddy played the last seven seasons with the Islanders, helping New York to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances the last two seasons.

Acquired by the Wings in July for forward Richard Panik and a 2021 second-round pick, Leddy has seven points (all assists) in 24 games, with a minus-8 rating.

Blashill likes what Leddy has brought to the locker room.

“He’s got a really good veteran presence to him,” Blashill said. “He’s really good with our younger players, or even our middle-aged players, so to speak. He has a good way about him, calm, he helps talk through situations with his partner, whoever he’s playing with. He’s a dynamic skater.”

Blashill feels there’s another level with Leddy.

“We’re in a spot where we need him to be on top of his game every single night and he’s getting there,” Blashill said. “That consistency is critical. In our defense corps, you’re not going to hide necessarily if you’re not having a good night. You got to make sure you’re on top of your game every night. That’s an area he can continue to improve, but he’s done a good job for us.”

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Of prospect-related note in Europe today:

In the Finnish Liiga, Otto Kivenmaki finished even with 2 shots in 16:01 played as the Lahti Pelicans lost 2-1 in a shootout to KooKoo;

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Filip Larsson stopped 16 of 19 shots in mop-up duty, replacing starter Jonas Gunnarsson in HV71 Jonkoping’s 7-2 loss to Vasteras IK;

Albin Grewe didn’t play in Mora IK’s 3-1 win over Troja-Ljungby as Grewe is nursing a concussion;

And in the Swedish J20 league, Liam Dower Nilsson didn’t play in Frolunda HC’s 7-5 loss to Orebro.

Red Wings forward Joe Veleno practiced with Pius Suter and Filip Zadina this morning, and, after practice, he spoke with MLive’s Ansar Khan regarding his promotion:

“This is a big opportunity,” Veleno said. “I’ve had some chances in the past and this year to kind of showcase what I can do.I think I’ve built that confidence in some of the games. I’ve shown myself that I’m able to play at this level. I think it’s just bringing it every day and every single game, not taking any days off. I just got to prove it every single night.”

Veleno, the 30th pick in 2018, skated at wing on the second line, with Pius Suter and Zadina in practice.

Veleno has had three stints in Detroit but hasn’t played more than five consecutive games before being sent back to Grand Rapids or, in the latest case, getting injured. Now, with center Mitchell Stephens (lower-body injury) out until at least February, Veleno can gain traction.

“He’s got better hockey in him than what he’s played so far,” Blashill said. “He had the really good period against Toronto (Oct. 30) where he controlled the puck. I think he’s done a good job at times. When he has the puck on his stick, he can transport from one end to the other and control it. But I think there’s more there and I’m hoping we see that tomorrow night.”

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