The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Free Agency Period Highlights Across the League
FA Signings & News Releases from 1st July – 31st August:
1st July -
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5th July -
6th July -
14th July –
15th July –
Detroit Signs 2023 1st round choice, Ashton to Entry Level Contract
C Abraham Ashton Signs Entry Level Contract - 3yrs @ $0.95M per season.
20th July -
Larsson, who begins his final year of his Entry Level Contract this season, will commence an 8 year contract worth a total of $76 Million USD at the start of the 2024/25 season. If Larsson see's out the entirely of the new contract, it will take the star winger through to the end of season 2031/32.
“He is worth every cent of this deal & I am thrilled for our organisation to have locked down our cornerstone player, before this season has even commenced.” Said Red Wings General Manager, Steve Yzerman.
21st July -
3rd August -
Calgary Flames Acquire D Dennis Cholowski (25yrs 80ovr Med Top4D) in exchange for 2024 CAL Rd 2 Draft Pick & 2024 CAL Rd 5 Draft Pick
Whilst I really like Cholowski, his ice-time & ability to get a top 4 role on the roster with the current list is restricted, so before his value dropped further, I decided to test the water for any interest at the beginning of August. It took 3 days & Calgary put the above offer in, which I believe is great value for us, as we didn’t have a 2nd or a 5th in the next draft. It is also great for Calgary as they get a great young potential Top 4 defenseman that has a bright future with less players blocking his path for ice-time.
4th August -
Detroit Signs Free Agent - D Matthew Spencer - 26yrs 77ovr DFD to 2way Contract - 2 yrs @ $0.825 per season
10th August -
Detroit Signs Free Agent D Nickolas Wotton - 22yrs to Entry Level Contract - 3 yrs @ $0.875 per season
13th August –
15th August -
Detroit - G Dylan Wells - 25yrs 76ovr accepts tendered RFA offer (tendered back in June 25th) - 1 yr @
Notable Free Agent Signings Around The League:
Arizona
D Nick Leddy Signed 1yr @ $4.005M
RW Richard Panik Signed 2way 1yr @ $0.910M
Buffalo
RW Tom Kuhnhackl Signed 2way 1 yr @ $0.84M
Calgary
LW Max Pacioretty Signed 1 yr @ $2.545M
G Tristan Jarry Signed 1 yr @ $1.4M
D Carl Alzner Signed 1 yr @ $3.575M
Carolina
G Alexandar Georgiev Signed 2yrs @ $1.785M
G Antti Raanta Signed 2yrs @ $2.095M
C Bryan Rust Signed 1 yr @ $1.92M
Chicago
LW Kyle Connor Signed 5yrs @ $7.165M per season
LW Max Domi Signed 6yrs @ $7.32M per season
Colorado
RW Kasperi Kapanen Signed 1 yr @ $1.705M
C Matt Duchene Signed 1 yr @ $4.55M
(Yes that’s right, Matt Duchene has rejoined the Av’s!)
Dallas
LW Tomas Tatar Signed 1 yr @ $2.345M
LW Alex Killorn Signed 3 yrs @ $2.545M per season
Detroit
D Matthew Spencer Signed 2yr 2way Contract @ $0.925M per season
D Nickolas Wotton Signed 3yr ELC @ $0.875M per season
Edmonton
G Semyon Varlamov Signed 1 yr @ $3.305M
D Christian Djoos Signed 1 yr @ $1.235M
Florida
C Nick Bjugstad Signed 1 yr @ $1.3M
Bjugstad returns to Florida
Los Angeles
G Eric Comrie Signed 3 yrs @ $3.275M per season
Minnesota
LW Milan Lucic Signed 1yr @ $1.755M
D Erik Johnson Signed 2yrs @ $2.62M per season
LW Conor Sheary Signed 1 yr @ $1.94M
D Brett Kulak Signed 1 yr @ $1.32M
Nashville
D Madison Bowey Signed 5yrs @ $5.25M per season
LW Boris Sbruev* Signed ELC - 3yrs @ $0.95M per season
G Eddie Lack Signed 2 yrs @ $1.235M per season
*Shoddy game mechanics - Edmonton chased & chased to obtain Sbruev from me & gave up picks for him 1 or 2 seasons ago, yet they just let him go to free Agency.
New York Islanders
C Markus Granlund Signed 2 yrs @ $1.08M per season
New York Rangers
D Adam Larsson Signed 4 yrs @ $4.795M per season
D Luke Snuggerud Signed 3 yrs @ $1.57M per season
Ottawa
LW Patrick Maroon Signed 1 yrs @ $1.27M per season
RW Andre Burakovsky Signed 6yrs @ $4.45M per season
LW Givani Smith Signed 1 yr @ $1.86M
RW James Neal Signed 1 yr @ $1.22M
RW Kyle Okposo Signed 1yr @ $2.075M per season
The Senators look to improve, signing depth veteran forwards, as well as signing Burakovsky to a 6 year deal
Pittsburgh
C Sammy Blais Signed for 6yrs @ $5.355M per season
G Petr Mrazek Signed for 2yrs @ $3.635M per season
RW Nick Foligno Signed for 2 yrs @ $1.36M per season
G Devan Dubnyk Signed for 1yr @ $0.935M per season
Philadelphia
C Eric Staal Signed 2 yrs @ $1M per season
San Jose
D Xavier Ouellet Signed 2yrs @ $2.3M per season
* Traded to Nashville
St Louis
C Ryan Dzingel Signed 2 yrs @ $1.035M per season
LW Marcus Johansson Signed 3 yrs @ $2.85M per season
Toronto
C Lars Eller Signed 1 yr @ $1.31M
G Johnathan Quick Signed 1 yr @ $2.35M per season
Vancouver
LW Brandon Tanev Signed 1 yr @ $1.04M
Vegas
G Tukka Rask Signed 1 yr @ $3.01M
LW Justin Abdelkader Signed 1yr @ $1.195M
G Corey Crawford Signed 1yr @ $1.31M
D Alec Martinez Signed 1yr @ $3.4M
Washington
C Johnathan Drouin Signed 6yrs @ $12.27M per season
RW Jesper Fast Signed 1 yr @$1.575M
G Jacob Markstrom Signed 1 yr @ $1.365M
League Trade Activity During Free Agency:
Owner Goals for next Season:
No biggie…..
Wrap up:
As I mentioned previously, as far as signings go, it turned out to be a very quiet Free Agency Period for the Red Wings, albeit a couple minor signings to bolster our defenseman ranks in the AHL.
The big movers were the Chicago Blackhawks. Their signing of Domi & Connor to 5 & 6 years respectively, plus the windfall of the century when they picked Franchise Prospect Right Winger Voutilainen @ no.3 in the Draft will all but ensure they are parked near the top of the standings for some years to come. Add them to 35 year old franchise forwards, Patrick Kane & Johnathan Toews, plus star defenseman Adam Boqvist, with Malcolm Subban in net & you have an extremely good line up.
The big news for us was Larsson’s 8 year, $9.5M per season extension contract which will commence at the beginning of the 2024/25 season. Orginally Larsson asked for 6 years @ $8.9M, per season, however we want him here as a career Red Wing, so I added 2 years & agreed to add $600k per season to make this a great lucrative deal that (a) looks after Larsson & (b) doesn’t majorly blow out our cap in the long run.
Speaking of our Salary Cap, it is starting to fill. This season we have around $8M free, however I am keen to keep it at that level in order to keep enough room for the years ahead. As well as Larsson’s new contract commencing in 24/25, Viktor Chistov, requires his 1st extension contract, which we will work on coming to an agreement on this year. Although he is almost completely unproven to date, Chistov’s 1st extension should be in the vicinity of $7M - $8M. By the time we lock away Chistov, our Salary Cap should be screaming out in pain!
It’s now time to focus on the pre-season ahead.Last edited by SeattleBattleCat; 02-28-2019, 07:06 PM.Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Pre-season Press Releases:
Larsson looking ahead
With 2 Stanley Cups in 1st 2 seasons, Larsson doesn’t want to stop there
5th September 2023,
On the 20th July, Fredrik Larsson & the Detroit Red Wings concreted their relationship, agreeing to & signing an 8 year, $76 Million Dollar extension contract, that will see the expressive left winger through the 2031/32 season.
When we caught up with Detroit’s soon-to-be highest paid skater - who wants to be a Red Wing for life - he wasn’t at the gym pushing weights, but rather we found him on his couch playing his favourite computer game, FIFA soccer.
Between plays & a few exclamations after missing a goal, or a kick here or there, Larsson gave us some insight to his thoughts.
Hailing from Sweden, Larsson played with the Frolunda Indian’s where he fast became noticed by NHL scouts for his natural skating ability & ability to score both via his shot selection & deking talent.
“I had all these scouts come to watch me & want to talk to me after games. They were telling my parents that there could be big things ahead for me in the United States. I just kept that outside of my head & kept playing my natural game & left that to my Mom & Dad.”
“Then I was drafted by the Red Wings, I had to leave my parents behind which was a huge adjustment, but I settled in quick in my new family who looked after me here”.
Upon moving to the US, Larsson moved in with Wings skating coach Matthias Johnsson & his family, until just recently moving into a new apartment with teammates Kirby Dach & Filip Zadina.
“This has all been a little too unreal, I signed with a great team & the success has been instant. I’ve been brought straight into a winning culture & I want to do everything I can to make sure we keep this culture.”
In just the first 2 seasons of Larsson’s NHL career, the talented winger has scored 50+ goals (104 in total to date) & led the team in point scoring, he was named the 2021/22 Calder Trophy winner, being the league’s best rookie, plus has been twice awarded the Ted Lindsay Award. With such an impressive bio sheet at only the age of 21 it is no wonder the Red Wings put such a lucrative offer on the table for the Swedish native.
Larsson did not find the initial taste of success quite as he thought he would either.
“Since our win back in June, I did party a bit, I made sure this time around I enjoyed myself. In my rookie year, I was still a little bedazzled by all of this attention & I don’t think I handled it real well. I kind of went back into my shell a bit & went back to training early to try & keep the spotlight off me. This year, I’ve only just picked up a stick for the 1st time about 2 weeks ago which is probably the longest I can ever remember not training or working out or doing anything. It was great to finally have a break, but I’m back to work now”. Said Larsson, still idly playing away on a FA Cup match between Manchester City & Arsenal.
“I am looking forward to camp & I’m looking forward to getting back to business with my teammates.”
When asked about his thoughts on the season ahead, Larsson was cautious but seemed confident in saying –
“We still have room to improve, but I think we have a team that can go 3 in a row. We’re are still yet to get close to being the best in the regular season, so that is what I hope we can begin with. Then win the Cup again. Yes, that will be nice.” Said Larsson, agreeing with himself.
“I hope I get more time with Kirby (Dach) & Z (Zadina) this season, I think we would make a good line together. They are pretty messy guys to live with, but on the ice they are not all that bad.” Larsson quipped, whilst pushing an empty Coca-Cola can off the couch to allow the video game controller to sit by his side.
Love him or hate him, Fredrik Larsson will once again be a force to be reckoned with on game day & throughout the season. Can he help the Red Wings to a Three-peat? Only time will tell.
Training Camp Commences
This year’s Training Camp commences with opportunities for several players to make the roster
12th September 2023,
Players & Coaches will finally be back on the ice this morning with the commencement for this year’s training camp, held annually at Traverse City, Mich. The 2 week training camp also coincides with the commencement of the pre-season schedule, which is set to kick off in 5 days when the Florida Panthers make their way to Little Caesars Arena.
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions are not about to let themselves get complacent either according to Red Wings long-time coach, Jeff Blashill.
“Some of the guys did have a longer break between the end of the season to now, but we’ve whipped them into shape already in preparation for this week’s training camp & pre-season. I only have to remind them once that there are other players – other teams – that are really hungry to knock us off the top.” Said Blashill.
“We have a few young players coming up from Grand Rapids & around this season, that will be hungry for ice-time & will be eager to impress us, so it puts our seasoned players on notice too which keeps them motivated to do their best to keep their minutes & roster spot.”
Where are the opportunities? -
Forward’s:
With Givani Smith & Nick Cousins leaving for free agency there is definite room within the 23 man roster for some new faces, with at least one bottom 6 spot up for grabs, with some time on the Penalty Kill.
Rookie left wing, Vitali Goldobin is a sure fire prospect to build on his limited time on the roster last season after an impressive year with Grand Rapids.
Another promising upcoming skater, who cannot be missed is Center, Emmanuel Comrie, who captained the Griffins to the team’s best all-time regular season record & got them through them to the Conference Final before eventually bowing out. Comrie, who was drafted in 2019, shows great initiative on the ice & is able to make positive snap decisions on offense, which helps sets his teammates up for scoring opportunities.
Possibly a long shot for making the roster this season will be pick number #26 in this year’s rookie draft, 19 year old Center, Abraham Ashton who has emerged from the US Collegiate hockey system. Scouts have promoted Ashton’s ability to Detroit’s management as being unique & given the right guidance, could potentially pan out to be an elite player in the years to come. It may not quite be his time just yet, however we will be keeping an eye on the young Center during the Pre-season.
As well as emerging players taking up empty slots, certain forwards on last season’s Red Wings roster will be wanting to train & play exceptionally well during pre-season to ensure they stay with the team. Players that could very well be on this bubble are Martin Frk & Tyler Bertuzzi.
Defense:
This off-season saw the departure of Jake Muzzin & Dennis Cholowski through trades. There are 2 spots in the Red Wings top 6 up for grabs & with no recent acquisitions, this means the Wings intend to fill those spots from within its existing pool of defensemen.
Players looking to cement themselves within Detroit’s 23 man roster will be Amrit Shaw, who sat largely as the team’s 7th d-man last season, veteran Michael Stone, rookie Brandon Mestre & Jaylon Legace.
Jaylon Legace, Detroit’s #10 pick in the 2021 Draft & a Michigan native, is almost a certainty to be given ice-time this season. Legace is another of Detroit’s success stories (following Zachery Spezza) coming out of the US University Hockey System with the Michigan Wolverines. Legace, who was an Alternate Captain, led the team’s blue line as a Top 2 defenseman & led the team in minutes played.
“We very nearly gave Legace a shot with us last year after a solid training camp & pre-season, however there were a few pieces to his game, mainly to do with spacing both on offense & defense that I wanted him to work on. From what I’ve seen on tapes and a couple of games I went to during the season, he has really improved there, so I am excited to see what he can bring here. If he doesn’t quite make the grade, he’ll spend some time at Grand Rapids, but he should be a big component of our blue line in the future.” Said Blashill.
Goalie:
This season, whilst opportunities for NHL time for other goalies past Husso & Chistov will be extremely limited. The interesting battle for game time will be between the team’s regular goalie rotation.
“Chistov has trained excessively hard during this off-season. He is perhaps the one guy on last season’s team that did not take a break at all. He wants to be noticed & he wants to be a starter. Huss will have some work on his hands this year to stay number 1, that’s for sure” Said Blashill of Chistov.
After a career best season with Grand Rapids, Marcus Hogberg is a definite 3rd, emergency option for the Red Wings. Should either Husso or Chistov get injured, it is undeniable, the Wings would look to the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award (League Best Goaltender) winner to fill the gap.
Skinner asks Red Wings GM for trade
Reports indicate Jeff Skinner also asked to be traded earlier during off-season however options limited
13th September 2023,
For the 2nd time in 3 months , 31 year old Left Wing skater, Jeff Skinner has asked to be traded. It is believed Skinner is chasing more ice-time after a dramatic reduction in minutes & production last season, playing predominantly on the team’s 3rd line with Captain Dylan Larkin.
“He wants more ice-time, I get that & I don’t think less of Jeff for wanting more minutes & the opportunity to seek that role elsewhere” said Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman during day 1 of Training Camp.
“He had to play to a lesser role last season, with such a promising younger core of players that we are in the process of building here. He is a great mentor to guys like Svech & Larsson, I have to really applaud his patience & understanding. We’ve won 2 Cups & Jeff has been instrumental in both of them.”
“Jeff came to me during the off-season & asked if this was an option I’d consider, he’s been quite open about this. I made some phone calls but unfortunately there just weren’t any viable trade partners out there. Some wanted too much in return & some wanted to give too little. I hope if we can’t find a suitable solution, Jeff will want to push on with us, despite his limited role, he is truly respected here. But we are still considering our options.” Said Yzerman.
Skinner avoided speaking with the press as much as possible yesterday, however when asked the question as he headed for the locker room at the end of practice, Skinner stated -
“We’re in the middle of working on something. Right now, here’s my home, I’ll focus on this camp & pushing through to the season until I get a tap on the shoulder – if I get a tap on the shoulder” Said Skinner. & with that he headed for the shower.
With the season looming, time is running out for the Red Wings to find a viable option before the first puck drops. There are a number of possible avenues for the Red Wings to consider, however most options would require further asset movement to make certain key trades available.
Around the league currently, other names being shopped around on respective trade blocks are Center Nico Hischier (Devils), Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Coyotes), Dougie Hamilton (Hurricanes), Johnathan Toewes (Blackhawks).Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Glad to see you're back. Looks like another winning season ahead. Hopefully you find a good value for skinner. Either of those dmen on the block would be a good get.(even though I'm not a big fan of ole dougie after his stay in Bos)
Sent from my SM-G955U using Operation Sports mobile appComment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Glad to see you're back. Looks like another winning season ahead. Hopefully you find a good value for skinner. Either of those dmen on the block would be a good get.(even though I'm not a big fan of ole dougie after his stay in Bos)
Sent from my SM-G955U using Operation Sports mobile app
Just finished the pre-season & should have it up in a day or so.Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
It will be interesting to see where you go with him. It's sorta realistic cause if everyone in the league knew he wanted out you wouldn't be getting market value offers. He should watch out before he ends up in OTT
Sent from my SM-G955U using Operation Sports mobile appComment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
Pre Season Report
Pre-Season Schedule:
Overall Record: 6-1-0
Home Record: 3-1-0
Away Record: 3-0-0
Atlantic Division Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Guy Castonguay & Vitali Goldobin - 8
Leading Goals: Guy Castonguay - 4
Leading Assists: Vitali Goldobin - 6
GM's Most Impressed Award: Guy Castonguay & Vitali Goldobin - both played exceptionally well during the pre-season
Player Stats:
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
17th September, Florida @ Detroit
Pre-season is finally upon us & Florida roll in, then take away the 1st win of the season, with a 4-2 victory over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
Fielding plenty of inexperienced prospect players, the Wings still found themselves taking plenty of shots on net, however failed to convert on crucial opportunities.
Anthony Mantha & rookie skater, Vitali Goldobin both scored for Detroit. Hunwick, Spooner & Kiprusoff tallied the Panthers Goals, with Kiprusoff scoring twice including an empty net goal.
3 Stars of the Game:
19th September, Detroit @ Boston
The Red Wings get a close 2-1 victory over the bruins at TD Garden. Callan Foote led the way for the Wings with a goal and an assist.
Viktor Chistov was also impressive, making 21 saves.
Filip Zadina scored the Wings 2nd goal, whilst James Debrusk tallied the Bruins’ lone major.
There are injury concerns coming out of tonight’s game for both the Red Wings & Bruins, with Spezza sustaining a knee injury early & David Pastrnak sustaining a minor concussion. Both players did not return to the game after their respective injuries.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
Breaking News...
22nd September, Toronto @ Detroit
The Red Wings churn out a near perfect performance at home, defeating the Maple Leafs 4-1.
Tonight saw some of the Wings big names return such as Larsson, Dach, Larkin, Svechnikov & Husso. However it was the rookies who put the show on for the fans, recording all of the goals on the board.
Castonguay, Comrie, Goldobin & Ashton each put one in the net, showing up their more experienced teammates.
Castonguay’s performance was truly brilliant, with the young winger also tallying 2 assists on his way to being named the game’s 1st star.
Husso made 23 saves in his return, a solid performance.
William Nylander scored the Leafs lone goal, whilst goalie Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves in the loss.
3 Stars of the Game:
24th September, Detroit @ Tampa Bay
Detroit gets a 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay tonight on the road.
Fredrik Larsson opened his pre-season scoring account, tallying the Wings 1st 2 goals of the game. However the star forward was unable to add to his tally, when in the 2nd period, he was helped from the ice, somewhat dazed after a heavy check from Victor Hedman.
This did not stop the visitors from adding to their score. During the 3rd period, 2 goals from Castonguay & Comrie put the Wings ahead of the host team. Both rookies have each scored in consecutive games.
Marcus Hogberg started in net & whilst he allowed 2 early goals, last season’s best AHL goalie finished the game out with a respectable 33 saves & .917 save percentage.
Tonight was Defenseman Roman Josi’s 1st game back since his fateful early injury during last season’s playoffs series. Josi finished having played a solid 22:15 & tallied one assist.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
The Red Wings sweep their road double header with a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
The Wings started slow with Charlie Hudon putting the Sabres in front early with an impressive back hander from out near the boards on the right.
The Red Wings slowly found momentum & levelled the ledger later in the 1st with a goal from Colton Parayko.
Jeff Skinner, in his 1st pre-season game, then scored the go-ahead goal late in the 2nd period to put the Wings in front.
Husso was impressive again in his 2nd pre-season game, making 30 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
28th September, Montreal @ Detroit
Detroit survives a last minute scare to beat the Canadiens 2-1 at home.
In another low scoring affair, the Red Wings were nearly able to shutout the Habs until the last minute of the game, when with 17 seconds remaining, Pekka Lappalainen scored at close range, sneaking the puck through Husso’s 5-hole to give the visitors albeit a faint hope.
The Wings were able to tie up the puck in the Habs defensive end for the final seconds, walking away with their 5th win in a row.
Callan Foote & Filip Zadina were the Wings scorers. Ville Husso earned the 2nd star of the game in his performance in net, stopping 19 shots on goal.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
30th September, Ottawa @ Detroit
The Red Wings cap off their pre-season with a commanding 5-3 victory over the Senators, giving the back-to-back champs their 6th straight win.
Rookie wing man Guy Castonguay led the way for the Wings, scoring twice.
Mantha, Skinner & Giroux were the other scorers for the Red Wings, a great way to round out their last game before the season proper commences.
Viktor Chistov only faced 18 shots on net tonight & is perhaps lucky he didn’t face any more, allowing 3 goals, including 2 in the final minutes of the 3rd period.
For the Senators, their goals tonight came from Drake, Hertl & Tierney.
3 Stars of the Game:
Injuries:
19th September - D Zachery Spezza - Knee Injury
24th September - LW Fredrik Larsson - Mild Concussion
Wrap up:
After losing the 1st game of the pre-season to the Panthers, our team strung together 6 great wins. Now we all know pre-season doesn’t usually stand for much, but I have been exceptionally happy with how the team played throughout. Hopefully the good performance now isn’t a bad omen for later.
Guy Castonguay has been the real surprise package. Initially we had only pencilled him in to play the first 2-3 games, however he left us wanting to see more after each game, so we kept him in the line-up to keep assessing him. He, along with Goldobin, have made a really big case for us to select them.
I was also really happy with how other rookies, such as Jaylon Legace, Emanuel Comrie & Vitali Goldobin, performed during this time. They definitely have given us a challenge when it comes to selecting a team.
We did have some injury woes to Spezza & Larsson who both had their pre-season’s cut short, however it’s hoped they will both be ready in time for the 1st game of the season on the 5th October when St Louis make the trip to Little Caesars Arena.
It should be an exciting season ahead.
So, without further ado, here is the roster for the start of season 2023/24.
Final Roster Announced 2nd October 2023:
Rookie skaters - Guy Castonguay, Vitali Goldobin, Emanuel Comrie & Jaylon Legace make the 23 man roster. Castonguay makes the cut after an extraordinary pre-season, making it impossible for us to look him over for selection.
Goldobin will play in his 6th career NHL game when the Wings take on the Blues at home.
Castonguay & Legace will both debut in their 1st career games.
Projected Lines – 5th October 2023 – Detroit Red Wings vs St Louis Blues @ Little Caesars Arena
Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
October Report
October Schedule:
Overall Record: 9-2-0
Month Record: 9-2-0
Home Record: 5-1-0
Away Record: 4-1-0
Last 10 Games: 8-2-0
Current Streak: 1L
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Anthony Mantha - 17
Leading Goals: Anthony Mantha & Fredrik Larsson - 8
Leading Assists: Kirby Dach - 11
GM's Most Impressed Award: Anthony Mantha - 8G,9A 17points, in the 1st 11 games of the season.
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
Rookie Watch:
League Leaders:
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
5th October, St Louis @ Detroit
The Red Wings start the season in style with a big 6-1 victory at home against the St Louis Blues.
The Red Wings skaters hardly put a foot wrong during tonight’s proceedings, with all 6 goals being shared out amongst individual skaters.
Anthony Mantha led the way with a goal, plus 2 assists, whilst the great run from rookie skater, Guy Castonguay continues, when in his 1st NHL game, he scored the 1st goal of his career mid-way through the 1st period.
Andreas Athanasiou also started his season in the best way, scoring his 100th career goal.
Detroit’s other scorers were Zadina, Giroux & Svechnikov.
The Blues didn’t have much going for them in tonight’s game. Jordan Kyrou scoring the Blues lone goal during the 2nd period.
With the 1st game at home now out of the way, Red Wings hit the road for the next two games against Montreal & Ottawa.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
7th October, Detroit @ Montreal
The Red Wings leave the Bell Center with a 2-1 victory over Montreal.
Larkin scored in the 1st period, followed by Mantha in the 2nd.
The Habs fought back with their lone goal coming late from Kaliyev duringin the 2nd period, however Husso was too good in his 2nd straight game, preventing the home team from scoring any further.
3 Stars of the Game:
9th October, Detroit @ Ottawa
The Red Wings have won 3 in a row after another big win. Tonight’s final result at the Canadian Tyre Center, 5-1 over the Ottawa Senators.
The Red Wings had run away with the game by the end of the 2nd period, holding a 5-0 lead.
Viktor Chistov started his 1st game in net & was almost perfect, until letting in a 3rd period goal, the Estonian net minder finished his night with 33 saves & a save pct of .970%
Anthony Mantha’s great start to the season continues with 2 goals tonight, hoisting his season total to 7 points in 3 games.
Fredrik Larsson also opened his goal scoring account tonight with a slick wrist shot during the 2nd period.
Rookie winger Vitali Goldobin finally broke through to score his 1st career NHL goal & Filip Zadina tallied his 2nd for the season.
The Sens found their feet in the final period, dominating most of the play & were finally rewarded a goal with Chris Tierney Scoring off a rebounded puck.
There was slight cause for concern late in the game for Roman Josi when he left the ice gripping his lower abdomen.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
11th October, New Jersey @ Detroit
Challenged early, the Red Wings rallied, scoring the last 3 goals of the game to round out as 4-2 victors over the New Jersey Devils at home.
The Red Wings claim their 4th straight win at the start of the season with goals coming from Mantha, who scored his 5th, Athanasiou, Castonguay & Larsson.
The Devils played a better brand of hockey than what they have been previously known to have, taking the lead twice during the 1st & 2nd periods, however they just couldn’t hang on to the lead with reigning Stanley Cup champs running them down.
Viktor Chistov got his 2nd win in 2 starts, it appears the young goalie is certainly pushing his case for more game time.
3 Stars of the Game:
14th October, Calgary @ Detroit
The Calgary Flames push the Red Wings to Overtime, however Colton Parayko scores only 18 seconds into extra time to take a 6-5 victory at home.
Both team’s goalies, Husso & Jarry, had their jobs cut out for them in net with 11 goals lighting the lamp.
The Wings were the 1st to strike with 2 goals coming quickly from Giroux & Larsson, however by the end of the 2nd period, Calgary held a 4-3 lead.
It was in the 3rd period that Filip Zadina spring into action, scoring twice to put the Wings in front 5-4, however Flames Captain, Sean Monahan scored with 7:58 remaining to tie the game, which would eventually force overtime.
Kirby Dach put in a perfect passing game tonight, the Wings 1st line Center earning the game’s 1st star award with 4 assists.
Tonight’s game breaks Mantha’s streak of points scored. Mantha finished having played 14:37 & was -1.
3 Stars of the Game:
16th October, Chicago @ Detroit
The Red Wings keep the streak rolling at 6, with a 5-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at home.
Viktor Chistov was again impressive, making 27 saves & recording his 1st shutout of the season.
The Red Wings didn’t ever look to be in trouble, with some great plays on offense & defense. Chicago on the other hand, put up some good shots, however Chistov was too efficient.
The Wings had 5 seperate goal scorers from Larkin, Svechnikov Athanasiou, Goldobin & Spezza.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
21st October, Buffalo @ Detroit
The Red Wings are handed their 1st loss of the season by the Buffalo Sabres, going down at home 5-3.
The scores were locked at 2-2 going into the final period, after goals from Detroit’s Mantha & Skinner, & Sabres’ Eichel & Mittelstadt.
Dimitri Jaskin put the visitors in front with an early 3rd period goal, however was negated by Skinner, scoring his 2nd major for the game.
With 8:38 Joakim Nurminen scored for the Sabres & the Red Wings had no response, until eventually Sabres D-man Yury Zyuzin found an empty net with 42 seconds remaining to seal the outcome.
Viktor Chistov is handed his 1st defeat, making 27 saves in the process, whilst Sabres Goalie Jusse Saros made 32 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
24th October, Ottawa @ Detroit
The Red Wings get back to the winning formula, tonight beating Ottawa 4-3 at Little Caesars Arena.
Ville Husso makes it 4 wins from 4 starts, however that was almost put in jeopardy with 2 Senators goals in the 2nd period, including a Vladislav Namestikov power-play goal scored with 39 seconds remaining putting the visitors within 1.
The Wings spread out their scorers again tonight as they have almost every game since the start of the season, with Castonguay, Larsson, Mantha & Zadina all netting one each.
Tonight Fredrik Larsson earns tonight’s 1st star award with his goal plus an assist.
Kirby Dach finished with tonight’s 3rd star, tallying two assists, raising his season tally to 10 from 8 games.
3 Stars of the Game:
27th October, Detroit @ Winnipeg
Dylan Larkin Scores with :29 seconds remaining in the 3rd period, followed by a Zach Spezza empty netter, boosting the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Jets on the road.
It was a close game all round, with Larsson scoring mid-way through the 1st period, followed not long after by a goal from former Red Wing of last season, Nick Cousins to tie the game.
Guy Castonguay continues to impress his team, scoring his 4th for the season & sending the Red Wings into the lead during the 2nd period, which remained through to the 2nd intermission.
Jets forward, Patrick Laine scored his 6th goal for the season, early in the 3rd to tie the game & it appeared certain that overtime would ensue until Dylan Larkin deflected an Anthony Mantha wrist shot into the net, effectively handing the Wings the win.
Zach Spezza had a notable game out there tonight, scoring a goal plus tallying an assist, earning the 1st star of the game award.
Mantha & Svechnikov maintain their healthy starts to the season, both tallying 2 assists in the win.
3 Stars of the Game:
29th October, Detroit @ Arizona
The Red Wings remain undefeated on the road with tonight’s 4-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.
In his 1st game for the season, Tyler Bertuzzi scored the game’s 1st goal during the 1st period. His goal was then followed by 3 more Red Wings players during the 2nd period, with majors coming from Goldobin, Larsson & Mantha.
The Coyotes rallied a little during the 3rd period scoring 2 quick goals, however Viktor Chistov put on another big effort, stopping the Yotes from scoring any further goals and recording win number #4 for the season.
Mantha’s great season start continues, finishing with a 3 point night, after tallying 2 assists to go with his all-important goal.
3 Stars of the Game:
31st October, Detroit @ San Jose
The Red Wings close out October with their 1st road loss of the season, going down 4-3 to the San Jose Sharks.
Devin Shore led the way for the Sharks with 2 goals, whilst Fredrik Larsson was the leader for the Red Wings with 2 goals of his own.
The Sharks played the game on their terms, controlling the lion share of the puck, limiting the Red Wings opportunities in front of net, where they have been very strong to this point. However the Wings were able to stay within striking range of their hosts through some great offense, including a very late 2nd period goal from Captain Dylan Larkin to make the score 4-3, which it would stay at that mark for the rest of the game with no further score.
Chistov is handed his 2nd loss in 6 games, rather unlucky tonight, making 32 saves.
Mantha’s run of points continues as the Wings star forward tallies another 2 assists in the loss.
3 Stars of the Game:
Wrap up:
Overall a very solid start to the season, currently sitting at the top of the league, tied on points with the Hurricanes & Vegas, who have found another gear this season, it appears.
Anthony Mantha has been a machine in his 1st 11 games, with 17 points (8G,9A), all whilst sitting on the 2nd line!
The 1st line of Larsson, Dach & Zadina seems to be working out well also. I believe it to be quite crucial to the future of the team in the years ahead that these 3 players get plenty of time together & gel as linemates.
I haven’t really been too worried about any of our skaters performances currently & I don’t think I have ever seen the team gel so well in the ice.
Perhaps the greatest challenge this season will be as to who gets the lion share of the starts in net with both Husso & Chistov playing very well. Although Chistov has played 1 more game than Husso at the moment, I would possibly expect Husso to play a slight amount more games as Chistov continues to get used to the pace of NHL.
Our Terrible Power Play Record:
I am not happy with our boys for this at all. Our Power Play is currently at a league worst 6.9% (only 2 goals from 29 attempts) which is just unacceptable & quite both amazing & unique at the same time. This is considering we are currently ranked 1st in the league for goals scored (46) & 1st in the league for Goals-for-per-game (GFPG) at 4.18. SO I guess it’s lucky we can get it done when we play at even strength.
There has been a major shake up to both power play lines going into November.
Injuries:
9th November - D Roman Josi - Bruised Stomach - Missed 2 games - Returned
Contract Extensions:
Discussions have commenced with Goalie Viktor Chistov.
With Chistov’s expected signing, the Salary Cap will bulge next season where we will not be able to sustain the current roster. Meaning 1-2 high paid players may be squeezed out come Free Agency - it will finally catch up with us.
Call Ups/ Assignments:
Nil
Projected Lines - 2nd November, Tampa Bay Lightning @ Detroit Red Wings
Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
November Report
November’s Schedule:
Overall Record: 20-6-0
Month Record: 11-4-0
Home Record: 12-2-0
Away Record: 8-4-0
Last 10 Games: 8-2-0
Current Streak: 2W
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Fredrik Larsson - 29
Leading Goals: Fredrik Larsson - 17
Leading Assists: Filip Zadina - 19
GM's Most Impressed Award: Filip Zadina – in career best form - 26 points in 26 games. Only had 32 points in 67 games last season.
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
Rookie Watch:
League Leaders:
Spoiler
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
2nd November, Tampa Bay @. Detroit
Jeff Skinner has put in a brilliant performance, putting together a hat-trick in front of a packed Little Caesars Arena, helping the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a scoreless 1st period, the Bolts were the 1st team to put a score on the board with Nikita Kucherov tallying early.
Jeff Skinner then went on to score twice for the Wings in the dying stages of the 2nd. This was then followed by a goal from Dylan Larkin early in the 3rd giving the Wings a 3-1 lead.
With 8:16 remaining, Brayden Point scored the Bolts 2nd to close the gap & give the visitors a real shot, however only just under 2 minutes later, Skinner scored his 3rd & the home crowd showed their appreciation.
Kappo Kahkonen finished a busy night in net making 38 saves, whilst Ville Husso had it slightly easier making 25.
The Red Wings now head to Tampa for the next game in 2 days against Lightning.
3 Stars of the Game:
4th November, Detroit @ Tampa Bay
The Red Wings succumb to their biggest loss this season, with a 6-1 defeat to the Lighting.
The Bolts were just too good as they made short work of Husso’s net minding tonight, with 5 seperate goal scorers - Raddysh, Joseph, Elie, Roche & Kucherov all lighting the lamp.
Fredrik Larsson scored the Wings only goal during the 2nd period.
For Bolts Goalie Kasperi Kahkonen it was a big response after Thursday night’s game, making 32 saves, from some very good Red Wings offense.
3 Stars of the Game:
Returning home after last night’s loss in Tampa, the Red Wings turn it around tonight against the Florida Panthers with a 4-1 victory.
The Wings were back at their best, even with current team points leader, Anthony Mantha on the sidelines with an elbow injury, enjoying goals from Larkin, Spezza, Skinner & Larsson. However the victory did come at another cost, with Claude Giroux going down with a hamstring injury during the 2nd period
The Panthers managed to claw the gap back to 1 goal during the 1st period, thanks to a Corey Perry goal, however the visitors could not capitalise from there.
Chistov snatches tonight’s win and makes a modest 24 saves.
Skinner put together another great game with a goal & an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
7th November, Washington @ Detroit
The Red Wings suffer a big defeat at home, going down 4-1 to the Washington Capitals.
The Caps were led by none other than team Captain & ageless wonder, Alex Ovechkin, who scored for his team on a breakaway.
The Wings could only manage one goal in the net, a wrist shot from Larsson, all game, whilst Caps goalie, Robin Lehner put in a brilliant net minding performance, making 37 saves.
Injury woes continue for the Red Wings with Bertuzzi going down from a big hit served late in the game.
Bertuzzi’s night was busy, earlier stepping into a fight when standing up for 1st career gamer, Emanuel Comrie.
It was a disappointing night for Viktor Chistov, who was riding on a high after recently signing his juicy 2 year $15M contract, allowing 4 goals & making 23 saves in the loss.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
Breaking News...
The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Arizona Coyotes 5-3 at Little Caesars Arena.
The Wings strung together a great game with 5 separate scorers affecting the scoreboard, including 1st career gamer, Stelio Mattheos who scored the final goal of the game during the 3rd period.
Wings goalie, Chistov put the Washington game behind him, making 37 saves in a much better effort for the up & coming star.
Tonight was certainly Mattheos’ night, also tallying an assist, to earn the 2nd star of the game alongside fellow rookie Guy Castonguay, who also finished with a goal & an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:
Griffins News....
The Red Wings drop the 1st game of their road double header weekend, going down 4-3 to the Florida Panthers.
The lead changed 3 times through the course of the game, with the Panthers taking early charge, thanks to 2 goals from Right Winger George Matheson, however the Red Wings surged, with 3 goals to take a 3-2 lead, including 2 goals from Kirby Dach, & Emanuel Comrie scoring the 1st goal of his NHL career.
Corey Perry & Aleksander Barkov then scored 2 straight for the Panthers late in the 2nd period, which gave the home team back the lead & ultimately the win.
Both goalies, Reimer & Chistov faced 31 shots each during the course of the game with Reimer coming out on top with the victory.
The Red Wings now head for Boston to play the Bruins tomorrow night.
3 Stars of the Game:
12th November, Detroit @ Boston
Fredrik Larsson has pulled a rabbit out of his magicians hat, scoring the game-tying goal with 44 seconds remaining in the 3rd period, that would eventually see the Red Wings & Larsson be triumphant in the shootout, defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1.
Tonight’s game went scoreless for the 1st 2 periods until Bruins Defenseman Ryan Donato scored with 12:27 remaining, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.
It almost appeared that would be enough for the Bruins to take victory, until Larsson shot a laser precision wrist shot that beat Kuemper low beneath his glove to tie the game.
Overtime ensued, however neither team could gain an advantage, which forced the shootout & it was there that Jeff Skinner & Fredrik Larsson scored to give the Wings the win.
Both goalies should be commended in tonight’s performances. Husso finished making 26 saves, whilst Darcy Kuemper made 32 for the game, however the Bruins goalie just couldn’t contain Skinner & Larsson during the shootout.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
The Red Wings have defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
Husso takes his 2nd win in a row in consecutive starts in another solid performance, making 27 saves. For Leafs’ Johnathan Quick, it was a much busier night, facing 41 shots & making 37 saves.
Austin Matthews scored the Leafs lone goal, whilst the Red Wings split their scores amongst Dach, Larkin, Skinner & Zadina.
The Red Wings were able to reinforce their lines tonight with the return of Bertuzzi & Mantha. Mantha got straight back to being at his productive best, tallying 2 assists.
3 Stars of the Game:
18th November, NY Islanders @ Detroit
The Red Wings take the sting out of the Islanders game by the end of the 2nd period, finishing with a 4-1 victory at Little Caesars Arena.
Kirby Dach shifted the Wings’ attack into gear when he scored his 4th goal in 3 games, mid-way through the 1st period.
This was followed by 3 more goals from Zadina, Larkin & Goldobin, giving the home team an all but unassailable 4-0 lead by the end of the 2nd period.
The Islanders curtailed the Wings attack during the final period, preventing any further score & Josh Ho-Sang was able to tally one for his team. However the Wings take home a good win against a worthy opponent.
Husso puts together yet another solid performance with 29 saves in his 3rd straight win.
3 Stars of the Game:
20th November, Boston @ Detroit
For the 2nd time this month, the Bruins & the Red Wings have had an amazing close result with the Wings yet again winning 2-1 after a shootout.
The game went scoreless for the 1st 2 periods, until finally with only 48 seconds expired in the 3rd period, rookie Vitali Goldobin scored for the Wings to put them in front.
The lead was short lived when with 10:54 remaining, Bruins’ Filip Forsberg scored from out deep to tie the game.
Overtime saw no one take any advantage, moving proceedings to the shootout. Fredrik Larsson scored the only goal in the session to once again hand the Bruins a Shootout loss.
Ville Husso & Bruins back up Goalie Michal Neuvirth were fantastic for their respective sides, with Husso making 31 saves & Neuvirth making 32 saves.
Impressively Husso has 10 wins from 11 starts this season.
3 Stars of the Game:
22nd November, Detroit @ Colorado
The Red Wings win the 1st of their 4-game road stand, defeating Colorado 2-0, extending their current win streak to 5 games.
Ville Husso recorded his 1st shutout of the season & 11th win from 12 starts, a monster effort from the Finn.
Fredrik Larsson scored his 13th for the season during the 1st period, whilst Vitali Goldobin scored his 6th for the season & 2nd in consecutive games helping the Wings along their way to victory.
Av’s Goalie Phillippe Grubauer put in as good an effort as anybody could expect tonight however he did not receive the backup he should have had from his d-men, coupling that with a poor offense.
3 Stars of the Game:
24th November, Detroit @ Chicago
It was top of the West plays top of the East & it was the East that came out on top as the Red Wings push to 6 straight wins, with a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on the road.
Blackhawks Goalie Malcolm Subban did not start well at all, allowing 3 Red Wings goals in the net before his teammates had even fired a shot at the other end. A goalie change came about with Jake Campbell replacing Subban & the Blackhawks got down to business.
The home team did recover, Patrick Kane & Adam Boqvist tallying 2 in a row to close the deficit to 1. However it was not long after that rookie winger, Vitali Goldobin broke through to score his 3rd goal in as many games & finally Colton Parayko scored on the empty net in the last minute of the game to give the visitors a 3 goal win.
Husso’s blinding run continues, now with 12 wins from 13 starts.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
27th November, Detroit @ Columbus
Alex Wennberg has scored a hat-trick in just 26 seconds during the 3rd period to send the Blue Jackets screaming past the Red Wings, playing the key role in a 5-2 victory at Nationwide Arena.
The uncanny hat-trick occurred when at 12:17 remaining in the 3rd period, with the Wings leading 2-1, Wennberg scored the equaliser. 17 seconds later, Wennberg had his 2nd to push the Jackets in front 3-2. Then the very next play & with only a further 9 seconds expired from the clock, Wennberg tallied his hat-trick goal, sending Nationwide Arena into hysterics.
Walter Wise then added the finishing touch, when he scored the Jackets 5th goal & the team’s 4 in the 3rd period, to boost the home side to a big win over the current league leaders.
Things were looking much better during the 2nd period for the Red Wings when Fredrik Larsson scored 2 straight, giving the visitors a commanding lead at the time.
Tonight’s loss breaks the Red Wings & Ville Husso’s 6 game win streak.
3 Stars of the Game:
This was too significant to ignore.
28th November, Detroit @ New Jersey
The Red Wings round out the 4-game road trip with a big 6-0 win over last placed New Jersey Devils.
The Wings put on a clinic during the 1st period with 4 pucks finding the net past veteran Carey Price in very quick fashion, followed by 2 more goals during the final period.
Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin put in a big 1st star performance, scoring twice, plus tallying an assist.
The Red Wings other goals came from Mantha, Dach, Larsson & Spezza.
Viktor Chistov earns his 2nd shutout of the season, although the Red Wings goalie had it very easy in net, only facing 16 shots, understandably the leagues worse team were having trouble finding open shots.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
30th November, Columbus @ Detroit
A pair of goals from Anthony Mantha & Skinner play a big part in tonight’s 6-1 defeat of the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena.
The Red Wings took control early during the 1st period, scoring 3 goals. Jackets Center, Pierre-Luc Dubois got one back for the visitors early during the 2nd period, however that jubilation did not last long when Skinner scored the 1st of his 2 goals to keep the Red Wings juggernaut going.
Viktor Chistov started his 2nd straight game after a lengthy spate on the bench & picked up another win, making 30 saves.
Dylan Larkin was instrumental in tonight’s win, although failing to make the game’s top 3, he tallied 3 assists.
3 Stars of the Game:
Wrap up:
2 months in & the team is off to its best start since I came on board as Red Wings GM.
When you have 8 forwards that could all easily fit into our top 6, 3 pairs of defensemen that could all easily be regarded as top 4’s & 2 goalies who are both unquestionably elite starters, it is easy to see why we are at the pointy end of the ladder right now. But I won’t get too far ahead of myself - at the end of the day, you can have the best roster on paper & on-ice, but all it takes is a few bad games in the post-season & everything is completely unravelled – I seen & dealt with it at Tampa, & we have seen great teams like Washington (2015/16, 2016/17) & St Louis (2019/20, 2022/23) bow out before even getting to the Stanley Cup Final.
If anything this will be our last season with such a deep list. With Larsson’s ($9.5M) & Chistov’s ($7.5M) contracts taking effect next season, we definitely cannot afford to keep everyone come next year’s re-signing period. Currently we have Claude Giroux & Callan Foote unsigned with very little to no room left in the Cap.
Up forward – Filip Zadina has been very impressive on the 1st line to date, he is in career best form, his minutes have increased considerably & is averaging a point per game. His partnership with Dach & Larsson on the 1st line has paid off better than I expected & given their similar ages, 21,22 & 23, they should make a formidable trio in a number of seasons to come. Larsson once again leads the team in goal scoring & it goes without saying, he remains our centre-piece on offense.
Similarly going well is the re-formed partnership of Mantha, Larkin & Svechnikov on the 2nd line. Mantha is a genuine 1st line forward playing on the 2nd & his dominance has been nothing short of outstanding. If it wasn’t for his elbow injury near the beginning of the month, Mantha could very well be leading the league in point scoring. Mantha, Larkin & Svechnikov were all part of the original foundation of this team’s rebuild, so with a number of seasons under their belts & all 3 around similar ages (29, 27 & 26), it is little wonder they gel so well.
On the Blue Line – With solid veterans Colton Parayko & Roman Josi leading a talented pool of the likes of Zachery Spezza, Callan Foote, Amrit Shaw & rookie Jaylon Legace, the Wings are killing it on the blue line on offense & keeping pucks out of the net at the other end in support of Husso & Chistov. Very happy with Spezza’s development to date & in the years to come, I am sure he will form a vital relationship with Jaylon Legace, to become the team’s top 2 d-men. Currently we are still developing Legace’s skill sets & are monitoring his ice time on the 3rd pairing, however he has already shown he has the talent to be one of the league’s elite d-men.
Minding the net – Despite the surging prominence of Viktor Chistov, Ville Husso again proves his greatness & importance to this team, currently outclassing his protégé with his skill & experience as a 2-time Stanley Cup Champion goaltender probably should.
I had words with Ville prior to the start of the season about Chistov’s likely rise to the number 1 starting goalie slot on the team this season. Rather than just letting go & taking a back seat, Husso has made us take notice with his performance on the ice & has backed it up with an impressive 12-2-0 record from 14 starts - much better than that of Chistov’s record of 8-5-0.
Given we want to win hockey games, we have had no problems in giving Husso the ice-time he deserves. We are extremely lucky to have both of these guys on our team.
Chistov’s recent signing of 2 years @ $7.5M is a definite statement about where we think this young player is headed in his career & I am sure he can fulfil his potential, which should keep us extremely relevant & competitive for a number of seasons to come.
Jeff Skinner – Playing well, seemingly happier – trade-talk in question:
We’re in a weird place right now with Jeff Skinner. Sitting on the 3rd Line with fellow veteran, Claude Giroux, Skinner is playing extremely well & is 3rd on our roster’s goal scoring count, with 11 goals from 26 games – a brilliant effort to date.
One thing is for certain, if I was going to trade Skinner, I should have made it happen before the pre-season started. The only issue was, there wasn’t much interest out there for his services & the value in return was quite underwhelming.
Now however, Skinner’s trade value has plummeted, losing about 75% of his overall value between the off-season & now. As it stands today, if we were to try & trade Skinner now, any forthcoming offer would even more underwhelming than before & because he is playing so well, which includes an instrumental role on our Penalty Kill, I believe we would be only creating a hole in the roster rather than making it better.
Power Play Much better:
After a disastrous power play in October & a big shake up, the Red Wings scored 12 goals from 35 attempts in November to push up their PP% from 6.9% to 21.9%.
Much happier with the team's output.
We have advanced from the worst PP% record in the league (31st), up to 13th in 15 games, which is a great positive sign.
With much of the season ahead, let’s see if the Red Wings can maintain this solid start.
Injuries:
4th November - Anthony Mantha - Elbow – Missed 5 games
5th November - Claude Giroux - Hamstring – Missed 5 games
7th November – Tyler Bertuzzi - Strained Ankle - Missed 3 games (benched for a number also)
Contract Extensions:
6th November - G Viktor Chistov (22yrs 86ovr Med Franchise Hybrid) - Signed 2yr Extension - 2 years @ $7.5M per season.
Call Ups/ Assignments:
7th November - C Stelio Mattheos - Called up to Red Wings
15th November - RW Guy Castonguay - Assigned to Grand Rapids
24th November - C Stelio Mattheos - Assigned to Grand Rapids (Cleared Waivers)
Projected Lines – 2nd December, Detroit Red Wings VS Edmonton Oilers
Last edited by SeattleBattleCat; 03-11-2019, 02:48 AM.Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Finally got November up, life's been pretty hectic on the personal & work front over the last week or so. Hoping to get back underway this week & move deeper into the season - thanks for being patientComment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
In the same boat. I'll keep watching and keep up the good work!Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
December Report
December’s Schedule:
Overall Record: 25-13-1
Month Record: 5-7-1
Home Record: 16-4-1
Away Record: 9-9-0
Last 10 Games: 3-6-1
Current Streak: 2L
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Filip Zadina - 37
Leading Goals: Fredrik Larsson - 21
Leading Assists: Filip Zadina - 26
GM's Most Impressed Award: Jeff Skinner - 16 pts (9G,7A) in 13 games, hands down best player this month.
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
Rookie Watch:
League Leaders:
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
2nd December, Edmonton @ Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings open December with an emphatic 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Little Caesars Arena.
The Oilers kept the contest tight & even looked to be the better team in portions of the game, eventually outshooting their hosts 27 to 23. With the scores tied at 2-2 moving into the final period, the Red Wings finally broke away, scoring twice, with goals from D-man Callan Foote & winger Tyler Bertuzzi.
Moving into the final minute of the game, Jeff Skinner scored on an empty net to put the Wings up 5-2, however Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins managed to tally a late goal on Ville Husso with 18 seconds remaining.
Husso finished with his 13th win this season & Oilers’ Semyon Varlamov’s game is one he’d rather forget, managing 19 saves from 23 shots faced.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
5th December, Detroit @ Buffalo
The Red Wings can’t get it done on the road tonight, going down 3-1 to the Buffalo Sabres.
Sabres star forward Andy Winther scored twice & Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin scored during the final period to put the Sabres victory beyond doubt.
Jeff Skinner was the Wings lone scorer in a game that head-coach Jeff Blashill should be disappointed with.
Ville Husso’s game was average at best, facing 21 shots for the 3 goals he allowed.
Sabres Goalie Jusse Saros finished making 25 saves.
The Red Wings play the Sabres 3 times in December, with the 2nd game being played in two night’s time in Detroit.
3 Stars of the Game:
7th December, Buffalo @ Detroit
The Red Wings even the ledger with the Buffalo Sabres this month with a 2-1 victory.
Jeff Skinner scored his 3rd goal in as many games to give the Wings an early lead. Sabres’ Tristan Thompson tied the game in the 2nd period, until finally during the 3rd period, Filip Zadina netted the game winning goal.
The Wings & the Sabres meet one more time this month & after 2 close results it will be anybody’s guess as to who the victor in that game might be.
Viktor Chistov took the starting role in net for tonight’s game & the move paid off, putting in a 1st star effort, making 30 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
9th December, New York Islanders
The Red Wings hand their guests, the New York Islanders, a 4-2 defeat in tonight’s game.
A 3 goal run during the 2nd period set up the home team’s victory & although the Islanders mounted a mini comeback in the 3rd with a goal from Matthew Barzal, it was not enough to close the gap.
Larsson breaks a small scoring drought, the other scorers for the Wings included Bertuzzi, Dach &,Athanasiou.
Chistov takes his 2nd straight win and a solid performance, making 33 saves.
There is worry in the Red Wings Camp after tonight’s victory with Fredrik Larsson taking an errant elbow to the jaw during the 2nd period. Larsson left the ice with the aid of a trainer using a towel to stem the bloodflowfrom his mouth. He did not return for the rest of the game
3 Stars of the Game:
10th December, Ottawa @ Detroit
The Ottawa Senators score 4 straight to upset the Red Wings 5-4 in overtime at home.
After appearing seemingly in control of the game once Vitali Goldobin had scored the Wings 4th goal, during the 3rd period, the Senators found a way to fight back, piling on 3 goals in quick succession to then tie the game & force overtime.
Thomas Chabot then found the back of the net during the 3-on-3 overtime period to cause the upset.
This is the Red Wings 1st overtime loss this season.
Chistov, played his 2nd straight game, although did not have a good night, allowing 5 goals, making 22 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
12th December, Detroit @ Dallas
Jeff Skinner scores a natural hat-trick during the 2nd period to help boost the Red Wings to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on the road.
After a scoreless 1st period, Dallas forward Valteri Nichushkin put his team in front in the 2nd, but only temporarily, as Skinner hit his straps, scoring 3 times in the space of nearly 6 minutes of play.
Claude Giroux then scored on an empty net to give the Wings the 4-1 lead.
Although a quiet night, Chistov recovers well after the Senators game, making 22 saves.
More injury woes for the Red Wings coming out of tonight’s game. Evgeny Svechnikov left the game late in the 1st period with a knee issue and did not take any further part in the game.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
The Leafs score twice in the final 6 minutes of regulation to steal the game away from the defending Stanley Cup Champs 3-2.
It was close all game with the scores tied 1-1 after 2 periods. Rookie Center Emanuel Comrie scored 5:48 into the 3rd to give the Wings a 2-1 lead. However Leafs’ Austin Matthews led the rally when with 6 minutes remaining, he scored to tie the game 2-2.
The scene was set for a close finish & Nikolai Zaitsev pleased the home crowd when he shot a scorcher at Wings Goalie Viktor Chistov, beating him under the glove to give the Leafs the 3-2 victory.
Chistov’s night was a busy one, particularly in the final period, facing 40 shots & making 37 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
16th December, Detroit @ Buffalo
The Sabres make the league leaders look very average tonight, defeating the Red Wings 5-2 at Keybank Center.
The Wings weekend road trip was not a good one, losing their 2nd game in succession.
With Larsson & Svechnikov missing from the lineup, the cracks are starting to show at Detroit.
The Sabres tallied 4 goals straight during the 1st & 2nd periods. The Wings were able to curtail that trend in the 3rd, finally scoring two of their own from Goldobin & Zadina, to give the Wings something to be positive about, however Sabre’s 1st liner, Joakim Nurminen topped off a great night for his team when he tallied an empty net goal with 1:05 remaining.
Ville Husso started in net for the Wings & succumbs to his biggest defeat of the season, having let in 4 goals early. Husso finished the game with 27 saves from 31 shots on net (.871)
3 Stars of the Game:
18th December, Dallas @ Detroit
The Red Wings drop their 3rd game in succession with a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
The game went goal for goal & was tied going into the 3rd period, with goals from Stars players, Nichushkin & Hintz, whilst the Red Wings had scored one each from Skinner & Giroux.
It was then Alex Killorn who would score to put the visitors up 3-2 with 15:33 remaining in the final period. Detroit had no answers & lose their 3rd straight.
Chistov loses another. Tonight he made 34 saves, whilst Stars Goalie Anton Forsberg finishes with 28 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
22nd December, Detroit @ Washington
Larsson scores twice on his return to the ice, however it is nowhere near good enough as the Red Wings lose their 4th straight game, going down on the road 5-2 to the Washington Capitals.
Alex Ovechkin showed his ageless talent, scoring twice in the Caps big win.
In all 4 losses to date, the Red Wings have been severely outshot, with tonight being no different, with the Caps putting on 36 shots to the Wings 22.
Ville Husso had little help from his Defensemen, the Finnish netminder dropping his 2nd consecutive game, making 31 saves from 36 shots.
3 Stars of the Game:
23rd December, NY Rangers @ Detroit
The Red Wings have snapped their 4 game slide with a resounding 6-0 victory at home against the New York Rangers, giving the defending champs some positive vibes going into the Christmas break.
The 1st period saw no scorers, however the Red Wings then piled on 3 goals during the 2nd period & 3 then more in the final period, to stamp down their authority as top team in the East.
Jeff Skinner’s great season continues to flourish, the 31year old winger, scoring twice, shifting his season tally to 20 & tallying an assist.
Mantha, Zadina, Spezza & Bertuzzi were the Wings’ other scorers.
Viktor Chistov gets the monkey of his back with a shutout victory. It was a quiet night but a great performance, making 23 saves.
The Red Wings now take a 6 day break through the Xmas period & will get back to action on the 29th & 30th December when they play a road / home double header against the Hurricanes & then the Rangers.
3 Stars of the Game:
29th December, Detroit @ Carolina
The Red Wings inability to hold a 3rd period lead this month continues, allowing the Hurricanes to score 3 times unanswered, resulting in a 4-3 loss on the road.
Victor Rask scored the game winning goal with 3:14 remaining in the final period to give the home side victory over the Red Wings, whose great start to the season seems to have unravelled, with a record of 2-5-1 over their last 8 games.
Earlier in the game, Detroit had rolled out to a 3-1 lead, with goals from Larsson, Zadina & Josi. However by the time the 2nd period came to a close, the Canes had the game tied at 3-3, with goals coming from veterans Ilya Kovalchuk & Martin Necas. The Red Wings offensive effort in the final period was found lacking & Rask was able to nail that resulting game winning goal.
The Wings head back to Motor City tomorrow morning, where they will take on the New York Rangers tomorrow night at Little Caesars Arena.
3 Stars of the Game:
30th December, NY Rangers @ Detroit
Detroit finish the year 2023 scratching their heads as to where & how the season is suddenly going wrong. Tonight, again the Red Wings go down at home 4-1 to the New York Rangers.
Only one week ago, handing the Rangers a 6-0 pounding, the tide was turned & it was a lacklustre performance right around the ice by the Red Wings.
The home team seemingly put little effort into offense & were too easily outgunned out on defense, allowing Johnny Gaudreau to score in the 1st period & Kris Kreider adding 2 goals during the 2nd period, to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.
Claude Giroux scored late in the 3rd period,, however the Rangers already had their foot off the gas pedal by that stage, giving the Wings Little hope of getting out of trouble.
Husso adds another loss, making 29 saves, whilst Rangers star goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy finishes a superb night with 26 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
Wrap up:
Despite a relatively good start to the month, the Red Wings capitulated in the face of a couple of key injuries & some sloppy gameplay.
After winning 3 out of the 1st 4 games in December, disaster struck when Fredrik Larsson took an elbow to the jaw & then days later, Svechnikov went down with a knee injury. In the 9 games to follow, the Red Wings went on a below par run with a record of 2-6-1.
The one player who really did stand up for the team this month, was the guy who was asking to be traded. Jeff Skinner had a great month, adding 16 points over the 13 game span, which included a hat-trick. After the recent losses to the Cane’s & Rangers, Skinner is likely get an increase in ice time whilst players like Svechnikov & Mantha try to find consistency.
Speaking of Anthony Mantha, after career best start to the season, December saw his excellent run come to a grinding halt. In 13 games, the experienced winger was only able to score 3 goals & did not contribute any assists, sending his season record back to less than a point per game.
Defensively we weren’t good enough either, at times completely capitulating, letting go of solid leads & cracking under pressure. Next month I want to see big improvement from not only our defensemen, but our forwards who have been falling asleep on the job.
December was a bad month, however the wheels haven’t fallen off by any means – thanks to a lager buffer at the beginning of the month, we still sit 1st by a point over Buffalo on the Atlantic Division Ladder. The coaching staff will get our boys back to basics & all going well, we’ll be back into positive winning territory in January.
Injuries:
9th December - LW Fredrik Larsson - Fractured Jaw - Missed 5 games
12th December - LW Andre Svechnikov - knee injury - Missed 5 games
Contract Extensions:
Call Ups/ Assignments:
14th December – RW Guy Castonguay – Called up to Red Wings
Projected Lines – 1st January 2024 – Detroit Red Wings @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Last edited by SeattleBattleCat; 03-25-2019, 02:07 AM.Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
Grand Rapids Griffins
Mid Season Report
Feature Game:
6th January 2024,
Grand Rapids @ Lehigh Valley
It has been a much tougher season at Grand Rapids. The Griffins currently sit on the fringe of a playoffs qualifying spot (5th) & we pick them up on the road as they face Lehigh Valley, led by former NHL great, Dustin Byfuglien.
Projected Lines:
GAME RESULT & RECAP- See Pictures InsideSpoilerThe Griffins are given a resounding hiding tonight on the road against Lehigh Valley.
After a scoreless 1st period, the Phantoms piled on 3 goals to 1 in the 2nd period. Then after adding another 2 goals in the final period to make the score 5-1, all patience with Marcus Hogberg, last season’s best goalie had run out & the Griffins put in Dylan Wells.
Cole Stewart was the Griffins lone goal scorer, Whilst the Phantons enjoyed goals from Zubov, Domingue, Marcotty, Martinook & Byfuglien.
Game Pics - See Inside:
Overall Record: 18-16-2
Home Record: 7-7-2
Away Record: 11-9-0
Last 10 Games: 5-4-1
Current Streak: 1L
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Martin Frk - 25
Leading Goals: Matt Puempel - 12
Leading Assists: Martin Frk - 16
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
League Leaders:
Wrap up:
The Griffins sit 5th in the Central Division with a record barely over .500 at 18-16-2.
With players such as Comrie, Stone & Shaw having moved up to the NHL this season, plus a number of others moving on during the off-season, it has been tough going. Couple that with Marcus Hogberg having a terrible season in goal, right after having his best season of his career.
Martin Frk has been a good leader with his NHL experience. Frk didn’t quite make the NHL roster this season, however depending on what might occur in the next month or 2, he may just get a call up.
In all, the expectations on the team aren’t as high as they were last season. If they can scrape into the playoffs I will be happy with that.
Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
January Report
January’s Schedule:
Overall Record: 32-15-3
Month Record: 7-2-2
Home Record: 19-5-2
Away Record: 13-10-1
Last 10 Games: 6-2-2
Current Streak: 1SOL
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Filip Zadina - 43
Leading Goals: Jeff Skinner - 24
Leading Assists: Filip Zadina – 29
GM's Most Impressed Award: Viktor Chistov
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
Rookie Watch:
League Leaders:
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
1st January, Pittsburgh @ Detroit
Detroit have started 2024 with a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, which after 3 periods, plus overtime, was won in a shootout, with Anthony Mantha scoring the only goal all night to win the game.
It wasn’t great hockey to watch tonight as the puck spent much of the game trapped between the blue lines.
However much should be said for both goalies tonight with Chistov earning a shutout win & Matt Murray earning an extremely rare shutout loss.
Murray was perfect having faced 33 shots in regulation & overtime, whilst Chistov was quieter at his end, however also stopped all 25 shots on net.
The shootout would see 4 skaters from each side attempt to find the back of the net, until finally Anthony Mantha broke through to win the game.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
3rd January, Vegas @ Detroit
For the 2nd consecutive game the Red Wings have won in a shootout, tonight they are victorious over Vegas 3-2.
Viktor Chistov put in another brilliant effort, making 30 saves & a save percentage of .938 for the game.
Vegas were led well league leading scorer Sergey Malkin, who scored twice during the 1st period. Malkin’s 2nd goal was credited to him when Roman Josi tipped the puck into his own net.
Zach Spezza scored late in the 2nd period to give the Wings & home fans some hope, then late in the 3rd period, Dylan Larkin scored to tie the game.
Overtime went without score, however the Wings were able to score in the shootout on their 1st 2 attempts from Larsson & Larkin to seal the victory.
Neither win has been convincing, however the Wings will take what they can get whilst a number of players continue to find some form.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
6th January, Colorado @ Detroit
Jeff Skinner’s great run this season continues, scoring twice to help the Red Wings on their way to defeating the Avalanche 3-1 at home.
The Av’s put the 1st score on the board early in the 1st period, however Viktor Chistov then found his groove, stopping the Av’s from scoring again.
Jeff Skinner levelled the score late in the 1st period, then the Wings moved ahead with Mantha scoring with a shot from out deep. Skinner then found the back of the net once more to seal the game. Dylan Larkin was passing the puck perfectly, earning 3 assists.
Skinner now leads the team in goal scoring with 22.
3 Stars of the Game:
7th January, Philadelphia @ Detroit
The Red Wings have stolen a 5-4 win from the Philadelphia Flyers in the shootout tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
Fredrik Larsson & Claude Giroux scored a goal each in the final 5 minutes of regulation to tie the game & send to overtime. When no result came, the shootout commenced & it was then when for the 2nd time this month, Anthony Mantha scored the lone goal in the session, to boost the Red Wings to victory.
Tonight’s game makes 3 of the last 4 that have gone to the shootout & Detroit have won all 3.
Zadina continues a great season, the yound winger scored the 1st goal of the game, however the Flyers then added 3 of their own unanswered, Dadonov, Van Riemsdyk & Simmonds, giving the Flyers commanding lead until late in the final period when Giroux & Larsson scored.
Viktor Chistov now has a 4 game win streak going, a very welcome sign after the struggles last month.
3 Stars of the Game:
10th January, Detroit @ Los Angeles
Detroit get their road double-header underway in perfect fashion with a 3-0 shutout victory over the LA Kings.
Ville Husso breaks his win drought with an impressive shutout victory, making 30 saves.
Joe Veleno scored during the 1st period, however a well structured Kings defense helped keep the puck out of the net up until the final period, when a number of penalties saw the Red Wings score twice on the power play. Jeff Skinner netted his 23rd for the season, whilst Roman Josi made good with his 4th.
There was concern however for young Red Wings Defenseman, Zach Spezza who was on the wrong end of a physical Drew Doughty check during the 3rd period. Spezza had to be helped from the ice to the locker room & did not return to the ice.
The Wings are back on the road & will play the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome tomorrow night.
3 Stars of the Game:
11th January, Detroit @ Calgary
The Red Wings keep their streak going with a 6th consecutive victory, sweeping their road double-header weekend, with a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Tristan Jarry & Viktor Chistov kept the nets empty in their respective halves during the 1st period, however Fredrik Larsson finally broke through during the 2nd period with his 23rd goal for the season to put the visitors in front. The lead was short lived & only 50 seconds later, Max Pacioretty tied the game at 1-1 for the Flames.
During the 2nd period, Filip Zadina turned the tables again to put the Wings in front 2-1 going into the final period.
The 3rd period became scrappy, however Evgeny Svechnikov ended his drought to score his 5th for the season & put the Red Wings in front 3-1, which would prove to be the final score.
Chistov earns his 5th consecutive win after resting in last night’s game against the Kings. It was a solid effort from the young Estonian who made 37 saves in the win.
Just as good tonight were Detroit’s 1st line wingmen. Larsson & Zadina both competed the game with a goal & an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
The Red Wings streak is put to an end, however they still pick up a point in tonight’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Tonight is the 4th game in 7 that the Red Wings have gone to a shootout & they are finally knocked off their perch with Connor McDavid scoring the lone shootout goal.
Earlier on it was a busy affair in the 1st period after both teams scored two goals each during the 1st 10 minutes of play.
The game finally settled with Boone Jenner scoring early in the 2nd to put the Oilers in front, until finally Anthony Mantha scored 5 minutes into the 3rd period to tie the game.
As well as Detroit’s streak coming to an end, so did Chistov’s streak. Chistov finished with 32 saves whilst Stuart Skinner made 29 for the Oilers.
3 Stars of the Game:
17th January, Winnipeg @ Detroit
The Red Wings are trumped at home with a 3-0 shutout loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
Detroit’s offense was flat & struggled all night only putting 24 shots on net, handing Calle Hellebuyck his 3rd shutout for the season.
Andrew Copp, Nathan Ehlers & Nic Petan each found the net during the game for the Jets.
Ville Husso’s season continues to go from great to ho-hum, dropping another loss.
3 Stars of the Game:
19th January, Detroit @ Philadelphia
The Red Wings drop their 3rd straight with a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.
Zadina is Detroit’s lone scorer, with a goal during the 2nd period, which at the time tied the game 1-1. However goals from James Van Riemsdyk & Michal Boedker soon have the Flyers victory.
Chistov’s game was ordinary with 25 saves, whilst at the other end for Philly, Carter Hart was phenomenal, making 38 saves in the win for the home team.
3 Stars of the Game:
20th January, Detroit @ Minnesota
A much better effort put in tonight by the Red Wings, taking a big 5-0 victory over Minnesota Wild on night 2 of their road double header.
The Red Wings clearly dominated & young forward Vitali Goldobin led the way scoring twice during the 1st period, followed by two goals from Anthony Mantha, plus a goal from defenseman Colton Parayko.
Viktor Chistov makes good with another shutout victory, tonight the Estonian net minder made a modest 23 saves.
Wild’s Fredrik Andersen was unimpressive, allowing 5 goals & making 18 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
23rd January, San Jose @ Detroit
The Red Wings go down 2-1, in a tough shootout result, at home against the San Jose Sharks.
For the 5th time this month the Red Wings went to a shootout and for the 2nd time they go down after Ryan Merkley scored the Sharks lone shootout goal to win.
Jeff Skinner netted his 24th for the season during the 1st period to give the Wings an early 1-0 lead, however that lead was erased during the 2nd period with a goal from Brian Burmistrov.
Chistov faced 21 shots during regulation and overtime, making 20 saves, whilst at the other end Scott Darling played great, making 29 saves for the win.
3 Stars of the Game:
26th - 28th January 2024 - NHL All-Star Weekend
Wrap up:
A much better month put together overall than the previous, however we did have our fair share of luck. As such we have retained top spot in the Central Division & we press on to February.
What is clearly visible this month was the lack of production from our core forwards. Since losing Larsson & Svechnikov for a number of games last month, the team is having real issues gelling with each other since their return. In the 11 games played in January, our top 6 forward group has only averaged 1 goal per game.
For example:
1st Line:
RW Filip Zadina – 11 games 3G,3A – 6 Pts
C Kirby Dach – 11 games 0G,8A – 8 Pts
LW Fredrik Larsson – 11 games 2G,4A – 6 Pts
2nd Line:
RW Anthony Mantha – 11 games 4G,3A – 7 Pts
C Dylan Larkin – 11 Games 1G,6A – 7 Pts
LW Evgeny Svechnikov – 11 games 1G, 3A – 4 Pts
Total = 11 goals
One such player that has struggled since returning from injury back in December is Fredrik Larsson. In 11 games played in January, Larsson has scored just 2 goals & tallied 4 assists. We can see since the jaw injury that he hasn’t been playing his natural game & going in hard at the puck when contested. I will be pushing with our conditioning coaches to work on him & rebuild that inner confidence.
The big loss this month was Zachery Spezza who has been playing extremely well as a top 2 defenseman in the lineup this season. We expect to see him back around mid-February. Currently we have Michael Stone & Brandon Mestre sharing a 3rd pairing role & both seem to be working out just fine for now.
Trade deadline looms next month, which gives some fuel for thought, especially if the team is having trouble gelling. It might be worth a look to see if any other teams out there might be keen in a star swap or two. I will be keeping an open mind with that.
Fresh from a 9 day break, the Red Wings hit the road to line up against an impressive New York Islanders, led by Matthew Barzal & Taylor Hall, who are travelling comfortable with a record of 26-20-2.
Injuries:
10th January - D Zachery Spezza - Concussion - Missed 6 games. (Returning Mid-February)
Contract Extensions:
Nil
Call Ups/ Assignments:
13th January – C Emanuel Comrie – Assigned to Grand Rapids
13th January – D Brandon Mestre – Called up to Detroit
Projected Lines – 2nd February, Detroit Red Wings @ New York Islanders
Last edited by SeattleBattleCat; 03-25-2019, 02:12 AM.Comment
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Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings
Season 2023/24
February Report
February’s Schedule:
Overall Record: 41-19-4
Month Record: 9-4-1
Home Record: 25-6-2
Away Record: 16-13-2
Last 10 Games: 6-3-1
Current Streak: 1W
League Standings:
The Players:
Leading Points: Fredrik Larsson & Filip Zadina - 53
Leading Goals: Fredrik Larsson - 29
Leading Assists: Kirby Dach - 39
GM's Most Impressed Award: Viktor Chistov & Ville Husso. Our offensive output has been patchy at best, however both Chistov & Husso have predominantly kept the opposition at bay, a major factor towards the team’s 9 wins this month.
Player Stats:
Goalie Stats:
Rookie Watch:
League Leaders:
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
2nd February, Detroit @ NY Islanders
Despite scoring the 1st 2 goals of the game, plus outshooting their opponents 39 to 26, the Red Wings go down 4-2 to the New York Islanders at Barclays Center.
The game had all the signs of going well for the Red Wings with 2 goals on the board before the Islanders even had their 2nd shot on net.
However Soderstrom in the Islanders net, found something extra, as the Red Wings piled on the shots, but could not break trough. At the other end however, Viktor Chistov could not contain the pressure applied, allowing 4 straight goals, putting any chance of winning out of the window.
The Wings will head home & tomorrow night will face the Toronto Maple Leafs.
3 Stars of the Game:
3rd February, Toronto @ Detroit
The Red Wings dominate in the 2nd period, scoring 4 goals to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs at home, the final score 4-1.
Technically the Red Wings had 5 goals,, when defenseman Callan Foote accidentally deflected the puck off Viktor Chistov’s pads & into the net to give the Leafs their only goal. This was at the stage when the Wings had only just secured a 1-0 lead, which meant the game was then tied. The subsequent goal was awarded to Mitchell Marner.
The Wings were mightily impressive during the 2nd period, killing a big chunk of penalties & scoring 4 goals which included 2 short-handed goals in quick succession from Andreas Athanasiou & Claude Giroux.
Viktor Chistov turned his misfortune from last night around, making an impressive 34 saves & finishing the night with a .971 save percentage.
3 Stars of the Game:
Game Pics - See Inside:
7th February, Detroit @ Montreal
The Red Wings have come away from the Bell Center with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Viktor Chistov collects his 6th shutout for the season, making 30 saves in the process.
Anthony Mantha scored during the 1st period, which was followed up by a goal from Kirby Dach, then Jaylon Legace during the 2nd period.
3 Stars of the Game:
8th February, Los Angeles @ Detroit
The Red Wings are put to the test, surviving a 3rd period surge, however are victorious 3-2 over the LA Kings at Little Caesars Arena.
After a scoreless 1st period, Joe Veleno & Dylan Larkin found the back of the net, however the Wings found their lead erased early in the 3rd when the Kings hit back with 2 of their own.
Svechnikov then broke through with 7:59 remaining that would eventually seal the win.
Ville Husso gets a win in what has been a tough season to date for the dual Stanley Cup Goalie.
3 Stars of the Game:
10th February, Nashville @ Detroit
The Red Wings best the Nashville Predators 2-1 at home in a game that was made interesting in the final minutes.
After going scoreless in the 1st period & half of the 2nd, Fredrik Larsson finally broke a long standing drought to put the Red Wings in front. The score remained at 1-0 until with 5:54, Dylan Larkin scored to put the Wings up by 2, however 57 seconds later Viktor Arvidsson stole the puck & slotted a wrist shot to bring the lead back to 1 once more.
Nashville couldn’t keep going & the Wings walk away with the points.
Husso started his 2nd straight & collects another win with 34 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
13th February, Philadelphia @ Detroit
The Flyers score 4 straight to push themselves ahead of the Red Wings, the final score 5-3.
Roman Josi had the Red Wings in a great position early as the veteran Defenseman scored twice during the 1st period. However the Flyers had answers of their own with Zach Smith scoring twice as well as Nolan Patrick & Wayne Simmonds to blow the game out.
Viktor Chistov started & probably wished he was the one holding the clipboard on the bench instead, allowing 4 goals before being exchanged for Ville Husso.
3 Stars of the Game:
15th February, Detroit @ Toronto
The Detroit Red Wings have defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1 on the road.
Fredrik Larsson & Jeff Skinner scored during the 1st period, whilst Colton Parayko found the back of the net in the 2nd period to give the Red Wings a 3-0 lead by the 2nd intermission.
Connor Brown got one back for the home side during the 3rd period however the Leafs were very lacking on offense, only managing 21 shots compared to the Wings 36.
Ville Husso gets his 3rd start in 4 games & takes home another win.
Leafs veteran goalie, Johnathan Quick made 33 saves in the loss.
Bad news for Roman Josi tonight. Only 38 seconds into his 1st shift, Josi hyper-flexed his knee & he left the game not to return.
3 Stars of the Game:
17th February, Detroit @ Nashville
The Red Wings allow 3 goals in the 1st 5 minutes of the game which sees them lose 3-2 to the Nashville Predators.
Ville Husso allowed the 3 goals in just 5 minutes & after only facing 5 shots on net, he was replaced by Viktor Chistov who stopped the other 17 shots on net.
The Predators goals came from Mamin, Cummins & Tolvanen. The Wings mounted a comeback but it wasn’t enough. Fredrik Larsson scored a goal plus an assist, whilst Anthony Mantha was the last player to score.
3 Stars of the Game:
19th February, Detroit @ St Louis
Filip Zadina leads the charge, scoring 2 goals in the final period to help the Red Wings defeat the St Louis Blues 5-3 on the road.
Trailing 3-1 going into the final period, Zadina scored twice to tie the game. Anthony Mantha then scored to put the Wings in front & eventually the Wings close out as 5-3 victors as Goldolbin scored an empty net goal with 40 seconds remaining.
3 Stars of the Game:
22nd February, Detroit @ Washington
The Red Wings go down 4-3 tonight on the road against the Washington Capitals.
It was a goal-for-goal match that saw the Caps get the 1st score of the game & the final score of the game, led by Shane Gersich, who scored twice in the home side’s victory.
The Red Wings remained competitive all game however could not bounce back after Gersich’s 2nd midway through the final period.
Jeff Skinner, Tyler Bertuzzi & Vitali Goldobin each scored for the Red Wings in tonight’s loss.
Viktor Chistov picks up the loss. Tonight Chistov finished with 25 saves.
Capitals’ Robyn Lehner gets the win having made 28 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
23rd February, Pittsburgh @ Detroit
The Red Wings get it done tonight with a tight 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Colton Parayko scored the game’s only goal during the early stages of the 2nd period.
Ville Husso takes the shutout victory making 31 saves in a perfect performance.
Matt Murray was near perfect for the Penguins making 25 saves.
This is the 2nd meeting in a row where the Red Wings have won a 1-0 decision.
3 Stars of the Game:
Breaking News...
25th February, Vancouver @ Detroit
Ville Husso gets his 2nd consecutive shutout to help the Red Wings cruise to a 3-0 win over the Canucks at home.
Husso stopped a modest 25 shots on net to make it 6 straight periods since any player has scored a goal against him.
Zach Spezza opened the scoring for the Wings in the 1st period, followed by 2 goals from Claude Giroux.
3 Stars of the Game:
27th February, Detroit @ NY Rangers
Mika Zibanejad scores with 1:22 remaining in overtime to push the New York Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
During the 2nd period Fredrik Larsson scored twice during a 3 goal run by the Red Wings to temporarily steal the lead. However within 45 seconds of the start of the 3rd, Brandon Saad scored the game-tying goal which would eventually force overtime, finally resulting in the Rangers win.
Ville Husso’s good run comes to an end allowing 5 goals from 28 shots faced, Whilst Andrei Vasilevskiy put in a great effort with 35 saves.
Tonight’s pair of goals from Larsson is a welcome sign for Detroit fans who have been wondering when the star winger’s goalless streak was going to come to an end.
3 Stars of the Game:
28th February - Trade Deadline
*See the following post for all the moves made during the lead up to this season’s Trade Deadline
29th February, Anaheim @ Detroit
Colton Parayko scores 38 seconds into overtime to boost the Red Wings to a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at home.
It was a huge effort put in tonight by Ducks Goalie Calvin Pickard, making 42 saves for the night, & he was also agonisingly close to finishing the game with a shutout win, until in the dying minutes of the third period, Fredrik Larsson scored to tie the game, force overtime & ultimately steal the win from the luckless Ducks who have not had a great year.
It was a lucky escape for the Red Wings who dominated the play, outshooting their opponents 42 to 26, yet trailed at the 2nd intermission, after Sam Steel slotted a goal from out deep to put the Ducks in front.
3 Stars of the Game:
Wrap up:
A great month with a record of 9-4-1 & sitting comfortably in 2nd place in the Atlantic, only 3 points behind Buffalo.
Offensive production has been relatively low & normally I would go on a little with how certain players in our top 6 need to pick up, however I’m not going to do that this time.
Where we have been strong is in net. Having 2 exceptionally good goalies in Chistov & Husso is a massive key to that success. Combined, both goalies have 10 shutout victories (Chistov 6, Husso 4) to this point in the season. Husso did struggle through December & January, however has really picked up again to the point where I am really confident with either player minding our net.
Trade Deadline – No moves made
This year’s Trade Deadline came & passed. This season, for the 1st time since I have been at the helm of the franchise, the decision was to hold fast on the lineup & made no changes or attempted to improve it.
One player who we did dangle out there toward the end of Trade Deadline was Callan Foote – although no offers came. Foote is out of contract at the end of the season & is still yet to commit to signing on for next season. He is an integral part of our top 4 on the blue line, however with such a crammed talented pool of d-men, I believe Callan feels he is not getting the ice-time he deserves, which I understand. At the end of the season Callan is a Restricted Free Agent, which puts us in a position of power as we can qualify a tender on his contract, sealing his services for at least another season if we have the salary cap room.
The negative on that is possibly having a player that no longer wishes to play with us, so I have a bit to consider coming up.
Talk of trading Jeff Skinner faded away when he started to have a really good year on productivity. Up until the last 2 games of this month, Skinner was the leading goal scorer on the team, showing up players like Larsson & Mantha who have been exceptionally quiet.
Injuries:
10th January - D Zachery Spezza - Concussion - Missed 12 games - returned 13th February.
23rd February - LW Evgeny Svechnikov - Abdominal Strain – Missed 4 games
Contract Extensions:
Nil – We don’t have enough extension dollars to even buy someone a hotdog.
Call Ups/ Assignments:
24th February - D Michael Stone Assigned to Grand Rapids
Projected Lines - 3rd March, Detroit @ Florida
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