Belated: Red Wings-Islanders game postponed

As you already know by now:

NHL POSTPONES ONE GAME DUE TO COVID-RELATED ISSUES AND NINE GAMES DUE TO CANADIAN ATTENDANCE RESTRICTIONS

NEW YORK (Dec. 28, 2021) – The National Hockey League announced today that due to COVID-related issues affecting both Clubs, tomorrow’s Detroit Red Wings at New York Islanders game has been postponed:

Wednesday, Dec. 29 Detroit @ New York Islanders

In addition, the NHL announced that due to current attendance restrictions in certain Canadian cities, nine additional games will be rescheduled for dates later in the season when such restrictions may be eased or lifted:

Friday, Dec. 31 Pittsburgh @ Ottawa Winnipeg @ Calgary

Monday, Jan. 3 Carolina @ Toronto

Tuesday, Jan. 4 Washington @ Montreal

Thursday, Jan. 6 Toronto @ Montreal

Saturday, Jan. 8 Buffalo @ Montreal Seattle @ Winnipeg

Monday, Jan. 10 Columbus @ Montreal Minnesota @ Winnipeg

Make-up dates for the games have yet to be established.

As well, the Boston-Montreal game on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at Bell Centre will now be played at TD Garden in Boston, MA. A make-up date for the Montreal Canadiens’ home game against the Boston Bruins will be announced at a later date. 

Tweet of note: Walleye release rosters for Red Wings Alumni vs. Toledo Hockey game on December 30th

Per the Toledo Walleye on Twitter comes the Red Wings Alumni’s team roster for Thursday’s game vs. a team of Toledo Walleye and Goaldiggers alums, representing Toledo Hockey:

JUST ANNOUNCED: We’ve released the entire @DetroitRedWings alumni team roster ahead of Thursday’s game. ?

? https://t.co/AOu31vz1gL pic.twitter.com/uh8pNmsRA1— Toledo Walleye (@ToledoWalleye) December 28, 2021

The Hockey News’s Larkin lists the Nedeljkovic trade as the 8th-best swap of 2021

The Hockey News’s Matt Larkin posted a list of the best trades made over the course of the past calendar year, and the Red Wings made the list thanks to the Alex Nedeljkovic deal:

8. Detroit Red Wings acquire goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the Carolina Hurricanes for goaltender Jonathan Bernier and a 2021 third-round pick (Aidan Hreschuk)

Why did the Hurricanes gift the Red Wings a Calder Trophy finalist? Reportedly, Carolina felt his ask of $3.5 million was too high and dealt him because he was arbitration eligible. The Wings swooped in and got ‘Ned,’ who had a .932 save percentage last season and ranked second among all qualified goalies in 5-on-5 goals saved above average per 60, for just $3 million a year. Anyone predicting he’d get a reality check playing on a rebuilding team is digesting crow. He held a .918 SP into mid-December despite getting significantly less defensive support than he had in Carolina.

All the Hurricanes ended up with was the third-rounder, as they couldn’t work out a deal with Bernier.

“We tried to make something work, the terms, and it just didn’t work,” Bernier told me in the off-season. “Especially for a goalie, it’s a great system, they have a great team, good defensive team and it would’ve been a big change from (Detroit) to there. But it’s a business, and they have a competitive team, so they had an amount and terms in their head they didn’t want to go over, so it just didn’t work out for both of us.”

Continued; cap space makes the world go round…

Duff’s morning notebook: on Sebastian Cossa and managing expectations

We’re going with “I’m not surprised” regarding this news from Team Canada’s World Junior team, per Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff.

I had a feeling that Sebastian Cossa would wind up as the backup for the Canadian World Junior team, despite his excellent pedigree, because Dylan Garand and Brett Brochu had both given a year of service to a team that tends to defer to veterans.

That seems to be what’s happening thus far–though the Canadians have only played one game out of four preliminary round games…

So:

TSN.ca reported undrafted London Knights goalie Brett Brochu will start for Canada tonight at 7 p.m. against Austria (NHL Network). Canada defeated Czechia 6-3 in its opener with New York Rangers prospect Dylan Gerand in net.

Austria is one of the weaker teams in the tournament. Finland defeated Austria 7-1 in its opener. This should not be a challenging game for Canada. Red Wings prospect defenseman Donovan Sebrango is playing for Canada. He scored in Canada’s opener.

The Red Wings drafted Sebastian Cossa 15th overall last summer.  He is 53-10-7 during his Western Hockey League career.

Continued; again, I just feel that, absent a dominant performance in the pre-tournament half-game that he got behind Garand, which he did not deliver, Cossa was gonna have to “put in a year,” and that’s where we are.

An early Wings-Islanders preview from the Associated Press

The Associated Press has posted a very early Red Wings-Islanders preview ahead of Wednesday’s game between the two teams (7:30 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/MSG+/97.1 FM):

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Islanders host Detroit after Dylan Larkin scored three goals in the Red Wings’ 5-2 victory over the Devils.

The Islanders are 4-9-2 against conference opponents. New York is last in the league averaging just 5.6 points per game. Mathew Barzal leads them with 17 total points.

The Red Wings are 9-7-2 against conference opponents. Detroit ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference recording 7.7 points per game, averaging 2.8 goals and 4.9 assists.

In their last meeting on Dec. 14, Detroit won 2-1.

TOP PERFORMERS: Barzal has 17 total points for the Islanders, five goals and 12 assists. Anders Lee has four goals and two assists over the last 10 games for New York.

Larkin leads the Red Wings with 29 points, scoring 15 goals and adding 14 assists. Lucas Raymond has two goals and six assists over the last 10 games for Detroit.

LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 3-3-4, averaging 2.5 goals, 4.4 assists, 3.7 penalties and 10.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game with a .927 save percentage.

Red Wings: 6-4-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.8 assists, 2.8 penalties and 6.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game with a .903 save percentage.

HSJ in the morning: Wings concerned about testing positive for COVID

The Free Press’s Helene St. James filed her morning article today, discussing Dylan Larkin and coach Jeff Blashill’s takes on the ways in which COVID-19 is affecting the Red Wings, who have 8 players currently unavailable due to COVID protocols:

“You’re thinking about it constantly,” [Larkin] said. “There is a little bit of anxiousness with testing every day, showing up to the rink, wondering if you’re going to be done for 10 days or you’re going to be able to play.

“You have to be a good pro. You have to be ready for whatever comes at you. But it is very difficult and it can be frustrating at times, I’m sure, for the guys that test positive and don’t have any symptoms, but there are protocols and we just try to follow them. But it is a very tough situation showing up and not knowing if you’re going to be positive or negative.”

General manager Steve Yzerman said Dec. 18 that everyone in the organization was being encouraged to get the booster shot, and not being able to practice for one week facilitated that step. 

“Some guys did and certainly it was offered,” Blashill said. “If the booster can help us keep people on the ice, players have been encouraged to do that, with the end goal of trying to stay eligible to play and not contract the virus.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt there’s an anxiety around guys who haven’t tested positive of almost waiting to feel like you are going to test positive, as transmissible as this has been. You are nervous and you feel every little thing with your body that isn’t 100% perfect and you wonder if you’re going to test positive. That’s not an easy thing, but it’s not unique to us, nor is the challenge of being off for a number of days unique to us. Both of those things, we are going to have to make sure we handle and that we have that mental toughness.”

Continued

Prospect round-up, North America: Cotton posts 1A in WHL

Of prospect-related note in North America:

In the WHL, Sebastian Cossa’s Edmonton Oil Kings lost 6-5 to the Regina Pats;

And Alex Cotton had an assist, finishing at +1 with 5 shots–but he also took 9 minutes in penalties (which means he got in a fight)–during the Vancouver Giants’ 3-1 loss to Victoria.

Red Wings at the WJC: Viro’s Finns thump Austria; Bednar’s Czechs lose in OT to Germans; Niederbach scores, Edvinsson plays 20 minutes in Swedish win

Of Red Wings-related note from the World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta on Monday, December 27th:

Eemil Viro finished at +1 with 3 shots in 17:21 played as Finland won 7-1 over Austria;

Jan Bednar stopped 30 of 32 shots as the Czechs lost 2-1 in overtime to Germany;

And Theodor Niederbach scored the 1-0 goal, finishing at +1 with 2 shots in 12:39 played, and Simon Edvinsson finished even with 2 minor penalties taken in 20:24 played as Sweden won 3-0 over Slovakia.

Bad news, good news from Team Canada’s camp: Cossa passed over for #2 spot? ; more with Mrs. Sebrango

So there’s mixed news from Hockey Canada’s camp today. First, Brett Brochu will start vs. Austria on Tuesday, essentially relegating Sebastian Cossa to the 3rd goaltender’s role–for now…

And second, we get more of Donovan Sebrango’s mom’s discussion with TSN’s Mark Masters after he scored his goal on Sunday:

A third-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2020 draft, Sebrango has played 51 AHL games over the last two seasons picking up seven assists. Among the final cuts by Hockey Canada last year, Sebrango earned his way onto the World Junior squad this year. 

“Donovan’s always been pretty determined,” Kim said. “I called it stubborn. We’ll say it’s determination now and it’s served him well. He’s been a hard worker since Day 1. He was always the kid who was at the rink two or three hours early because he had to tape his sticks. He was pretty focused from an early age. He’s had a lot of help along the way and I just can’t believe we’re here.”

Even before scoring on Sunday, Donovan had delivered a special experience for his mom. 

“I can’t even explain it,” Kim said. “Trish Power came up to me and was like, ‘Oh, I want to introduce myself,’ and I’m like, ‘Holy cow!’ I’m in awe of her. And then I see her son play. And the Perfettis. I just can’t believe. I can’t believe I’m here. We started out in a small town in Gananoque, population 5,200, so to be here is something special.” 

Continued