RALEIGH, N.C. — Believe it or not, it could have been worse for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

The bad news began before the game, when Patrick Kane and Austin Czarnik were pregame scratches due to illness.

Then, the Carolina Hurricanes scored four goals in the second period and beat the Red Wings 4-0.

But the Washington Capitals, two points ahead of Detroit in the chase for the last playoff spot in the  Eastern Conference, fell to Toronto, 5-1, while Philadelphia, three points ahead of the Red Wings in vying for third place in the Metropolitan Division, lost to Montreal 4-1.

“Obviously, the second period was not our best,” Christian Fischer said. “Obviously there were some big breakdowns there and any time you go down 4-0, it’s gonna be really tough to climb back.”

Carolina clinched a playoff spot with the victory, their sixth in a row.

“Give them a little bit of credit with everything up against us,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “We probably needed their ‘B’ game there. Unfortunately, through 40 minutes they had their ‘A’ game.”

Second Period Crucial In Loss

The Red Wings had only three shots in the first period, but held Carolina scoreless.

The roof caved in for the Red Wings in the second period. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each had a goat and  two assists in the period. Aho, Carolina’s leading scorer, recorded his 300th career assist. Martin Necas and Brady Skjei also scored for the Hurricanes.

“Yeah, two games which we got shut out.,” Lalonde said of the past week. “Good goalie performance in Nashville, good goalie performance tonight. But when you’re not scoring, you just you need to get harder around the nets and I would like more volume (with shots).”

The chase for the final playoff spots tightened when the New York Islanders beat Florida 3-2. The Islanders are now two points behind the Red Wings.

The loss was the third in three games on the current five-game road trip. It began with a 1-0 loss to the red-hot Nashville Predators before Tuesday’s overtime loss at Washington. Two more challenges await, at Florida Saturday and at Tampa Bay on Monday.

“Tampa and Florida coming up are two really good teams, playoff teams,” Fischer said. “It’s gonna be a  fun two games. Our backs against the wall here and we’ve gotta find a way to win  by any means. Doesn’t really matter how; we’ve got to win some games here.”

The post Red Wings’ Playoff Hopes On The Line Heading Into Weekend appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

GRAND RAPIDS — Jonatan Berggren is playing a waiting game this season.

He’s only played nine games in the NHL this season after spending most of last season in Detroit.

Disappointment naturally sets in after being set down, but if Berggren is bothered by it, he hasn’t shown in his play.The Swedish standout had a goal and two assists to help the Griffins down the Belleville Senators 6-4 Saturday for their fifth consecutive win. Berggren had six points in two weekend wins against the Senators.

The post Berggren Six-Point Weekend Keeps Griffins on Roll (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It’s still going to be another two years before there’s any chance that Detroit Red Wings fans will be seeing forward Dmitry Buchelnikov on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Back home in Russia, though, there’s big buzz about Buchelnikov. It centers around how his game is continuing to grow by leaps and bounds.

The Russian website Sport-Express.ru recently ranked the top-30 junior aged players from the country. Buchelnikov, Detroit’s 52nd overall selection in the 2022 NHL entry draft, was earning the No. 3 rating on this list.

Here was #LGRW prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov's shootout attempt. Stopped by Ozolin. #SKANeva #VHL pic.twitter.com/UJ0tz2kSfQ

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) January 7, 2023

“Dmitry Buchelnikov as a child was never considered a talent of the first magnitude,” writes Ivan Bohun, noting that Buchelnikov was actually dropped from the Traktor Chelyabinsk U16 squad during the 2018-19 season.

“Fortunately, a nimble player with excellent speed and excellent stickhandling was soon seen in the St. Petersburg Bulldogs, and a little later in the SKA system.”

Buchelnikov Blossoms in World U18 Tourney

It was while playing for Russia in Texas at the IIF World U18 Championship in 2021 that Buchelnikov was first gaining any sort of international attention. He would score for the Russians in the game against Canada.

“(Buchelnikov) managed to stay in the spotlight, even as a player of the lower links,” Bohun notes.

Last season, playing for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg in the MHL, the Russian U20 league, Buchelnikov was No. 2 in the scoring race. In 56 games, he was producing 41-34-75 totals. At the urging of Detroit’s Russian-based European scout Nikolai Vakourov, the Red Wings took a reach by grabbing Buchelnikov well ahead of where he was listing on the NHL Central Scouting charts.

The early returns are indicating this could be a roll of the dice that comes up a winner. Playing for SKA in the preseason Sochi Tournament, Buchelnikov was earning honors as the top forward in the event.

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When regular season play began, Buchelnikov, 19, was starting out back in the MHL. However, after collecting 4-5-9 numbers in three games, SKA official were reaching a decision to promote the 5-foot-9, 150-pound left-winger to SKA-Neva St. Petersburg of the VHL, Russia’s Second Division. SKA also was signing him to a contract extension through 2025.

In the Russian second tier, he’s showing 14-11-25 numbers through 24 games. That’s good for second on the team. It’s also leading all U20 players in the VHL.

As well, he was getting his first taste of the KHL with SKA this season. So far, he’s been good for 1-1-2 totals in 10 games.

The post Red Wings pick Buchelnikov named No. 3 Russian junior prospect appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

If you want to get a visceral reaction from a Detroit Red Wings fan, just mention Luke Glendening’s name. When it comes to Detroit’s checking center, there are two distinctive camps. Either they love Glendening, or they hate him. No one is sitting on the fence in this debate.

The naysayers cite Glendening’s lack of offense. Evidently, they are forgetting that the majority of NHL fourth-line players aren’t on the roster because they graduated finishing shool. The analytics crowd point to his middling puck-possession numbers.

Alternate captain Luke Glendening steps up with this nifty deflection of Marc Staal's shot. Glendening has three goals against the #Stars this week and the #RedWings lead 2-0! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/lQApjpn3N2

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 23, 2021

However, there’s other stats that exemplify the value that Glendening brings to the ice. It’s also why NHL teams will pursue getting his name on a contract shortly as he enters unrestricted free agency. Glendening is among the NHL best at the faceoff dot. He was 10th in the league last season in faceoff winning percentage. Glendening won 60.9 percent of his draws.

Defensively and while his team was shorthanded, Glendening was the NHL’s quickest on the draw. He was first in the NHL at winning defensive-zone draws (305-of-490, 62.2 percent). He also finished No. 1 in the league in shorthanded faceoffs won (99-of-182, 54.3 percent). Those are two of the most important times to be gaining control of the puck. When Glendening was on the ice, he assured that the Wings would be controling possession more often than not.

This is not news to Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill. Nor is Glendening’s value to his team.

Working His Way Into A Position Of Value

“Whenever I talk to really any group but specifically younger people, I talk about the two biggest qualities I think are the biggest impact on individual success in anything in life – sports, anything you do in life,” Blashill said. “That’s inner drive and perseverance. Luke probably manifests those attributes better than anybody else.

“His inner drive is off the charts. He gets up every day and he wants to be better than the next person every single day, he doesn’t need a coach to tell him to work. Luke doesn’t need a coach to tell him to get better at this or better at that. He just works at it, works at it, works at it.

I was at the gym, thinking I was doing well getting a tough workout in.

Luke Glendening was there – two days before training camp even starts – working with the trainer.

That is why that man plays such a strong game. His work ethic and dedication are admirable. #LGRW #RedWings

— Access Hockey MI – Rachel (@accesshockeymi) September 11, 2019

“Because of that, and because he’s a good athlete, he’s gotten so much better at so many things over the years, whether it be a long time ago with faceoffs, or whether it be his puck skills. He works at it all summer long.”

Glendening didn’t take the traditional path to hockey success. He was a walk on at Michigan and originally signed a pro contract with Detroit’s AHL farm club in Grand Rapids before ultimately proving his worth as an NHL player.

Working To Be Better

“He’s just got that elite, elite inner drive,” Blashill said. “Everybody in the NHL works hard. To separate yourself, you have to be elite and he’s elite in his inner drive.

“Then perseverance, he’s been kicked a lot. I think success isn’t about how many times you get knocked down, it’s do you keep getting back up, do you keep getting back up, do you keep getting back up? That’s all he did.

“His road to the NHL was not easy and a lot of people would have complained and whined and said, ‘Woe is me,’ and he never did that once. All he did was just keep working.”

Glendening worked his way into a place of value on the Detroit roster.

Some Wings fans may not like hearing it, but those are the facts.

The post Like It Or Not, Glendening Is A Valuable Red Wing appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Rumors are continuing to link Toronto Maple Leafs forward and soon to be UFA Zach Hyman to plenty of NHL teams in rumors, including the Detroit Red Wings. And now talk is adding the Pittsburgh Penguins to the list.

Pittsburgh’s plan saw the team trading Jared McCann to Toronto. Trade winds are swirling suggesting the Penguins are in on Hyman. Is Hyman going to be part of GM Ron Hextall’s plan to remake the Penguins?

The Washington Capitals unprotected list included Alex Ovechkin. Montreal exposed Carey Price and Shea Weber. New Jersey left P.K. Subban out there. The New York Islanders left forwards Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle out there.

The Philadelphia Flyers are offering up James van Riemsdyk after multiple reports that he would be protected following the trade of Nolan Patrick to Vegas.

Bruins’ List Enticing

Boston: Nick Ritchie and Jeremy Lauzon will be tempting takes for Seattle. The Boston Bruins unprotected list is one of the best.

Florida: Rumors are speculating that Seattle has a deal in place for Panthers goalie Chris Dredger.

Detroit: Defenseman and 2016 first-rounder Dennis Cholowski was exposed by the Red Wings, one of three first-round draft picks available on the team’s expansion draft list.

San Jose: Exclusive – This was the last thing Sharks prospect goalie Josef Korenar, was thinking after just signing a new contract. He was considering that he was going to be packing his bags and moving. By trading Korenar, and a draft pick to Arizona for goalie Adin Hill, the result was San Jose landing goalie Adin Hill. Yes, Korenar was quite surprised by the move.

The post Plenty Of Meat On The Expansion Draft Bone For Kraken To Pick; Hyman Headed To Penguins? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

On podcasts and radio shows, I am on the record saying that I don’t believe the timing is right for the Detroit Red Wings to enter the Jack Eichel Sweepstakes. The “Yzerplan” seems to be working effectively. Look at the number of intriguing players he has added since the rebuild started. Why disrupt what seems to be working?

But personal feelings aside, I offer a 10-point case  for why the Red Wings should call the Sabres to see if they can negotiate a deal to bringing Eichel to Detroit. 

The post Allen: The Case for the Detroit Red Wings Acquiring Jack Eichel | DHN+ appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It was the stretch drive of the 1972-73 NHL season. The Detroit Red Wings found themselves in a dogfight for the fourth and final East Division playoff spot with the Buffalo Sabres. Wings coach Johnny Wilson had a notion of a move the team could make that would give Detroit a leg up on Buffalo.

Wilson wanted to bring Wings legend Gordie Howe out of retirement to finish the season with the team. Wilson had won four Stanley Cups in Detroit as Howe’s teammate. He figured even at the age of 44 and after a year-and-a-half out of the game, Mr. Hockey could give the Wings enough to push them past the Sabres and into the playoffs.

“I knew doggone well that if we’d have had Gordie, he would’ve been the best player on the team,” Wilson said in a 2001 interview.

The concept was not without precedent. During the 1956-57 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs convinced former captain Teeder Kennedy, the 1954-55 Hart Trophy winner, to come back. Kennedy ended a season-and-a-half retirement and help the club make a playoff push.

Wilson approached Detroit GM New Harkness regarding this idea of bringing back Howe. Harkness flat out rejected it.

Houston Gives Red Wings A Problem

Detroit finished two points behind the Sabres and missed the playoffs. Wilson was replaced as coach after the season and in June of 1973, Howe did come back. He signed to join his sons Mark and Marty with the WHA Houston Aeros.

Gordie, Mark and Marty Howe.

The Wings continued their downward spiral, missing the playoffs for a club-record seven straight seasons from 1970-71 through 1976-77. Meanwhile, Howe led the Aeros to back-to-back Avco Cup titles in 1973-74 and 1974-75. He was named WHA MVP in his comeback campaign.

Had Harkness listened to Wilson, perhaps Howe never goes to the WHA. Even better, maybe the NHL would have seen the wisdom of combining the Howes on the Red Wings roster and found a way to make it happen.

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The post Howe History Would Have Differed If Wings Listened To Wilson appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

As soon as news leaked out that Columbus Blue Jackets No. 1 defenseman Seth Jones is likely to be traded, teams started lining up as if Jones had become the hottest ticket in town.

The Hockey News, which has been around since Harry Truman was president, listed the top contenders and called the Detroit Red Wings  a “sleeper.”

Is it realistic to believe general manager Steve Yzerman would swing a deal to land a 6-foot-3 two-way defenseman? Jones is 26 and becomes an unrestricted free agent after next season.

The post Could the Red Wings be a sleeper in the Seth Jones sweepstakes? | DHN+ appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.