Latest news with #Mrázek
New York Times
25-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Wings thoughts: What can an ‘ugly' win in Utah do for Detroit?
SALT LAKE CITY — The Detroit Red Wings can't afford to be picky right now. Not after losing nine games out of 11, and certainly not with their hopes of breaking an eight-year playoff drought hanging on by a thread. But on Monday, that certainly was put to the test. Detroit had only two shots on goal in the first period against the Utah Hockey Club. They finished the second with a mere five. And yet, by the end of the night, they were staring up at a 5-1 win in a game that was far from a pretty watch. Advertisement 'I thought it was ugly from both sides,' Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said afterward. 'The conditions were pretty rough — slushy, snowy, puck bouncing all over the place. There was times in the game where I thought that hurt us and times in the game where it helped us. They couldn't connect on some plays as well. But, found a way to stick with an ugly night, opportunistic scoring — maybe scoring on chances that aren't even chances. 'We've been on the other end of this a few times, so we'll take it, and we'll move on.' Indeed, the Red Wings' slide through late February and March has come with its share of games where Detroit was left feeling it deserved better. They lost at the Stadium Series in Columbus despite outshooting the Blue Jackets, 46-21. They lost in Ottawa, 2-1, despite peppering Linus Ullmark for 49 shots. So, no, the Red Wings aren't going to be picky about this win that saw them manage just 14 shots on goal but still pulled them back within three points of the Eastern Conference's final wild card — although with Columbus winning in overtime Monday, it didn't change their place in the standings. Still, it's not a game Detroit will be looking to remember, either. 'It's probably one we're going to throw out,' McLellan said. But that doesn't mean there aren't a couple of key takeaways from it — starting with a potentially interesting storyline in net. 1. The game got off to about the worst possible start for the Red Wings, when multiple Utah players collided with starting goaltender Petr Mrázek on the same play, just 90 seconds in. Mrázek immediately pulled himself, thrusting backup netminder Alex Lyon into the game. Lyon hadn't played since the last time Detroit played Utah on March 6. That's a tough spot to be in, having not played in nearly three weeks, and when Utah scored just two minutes later on a power-play blast from Dylan Guenther (one of the players who crashed into Mrázek), there was every opportunity for the game to get out of hand. Advertisement Instead, though, Lyon rallied quickly and was Detroit's best player the rest of the night. He stopped 16 of 17, including robbing Nick Schmaltz with his glove later in the first period and a blocker save to deny a Lawson Crouse breakaway in the second. He was the biggest reason Detroit managed to lead 2-1 after two periods, despite only five shots on goal in the first two periods combined. 'He was outstanding,' forward Austin Watson said. 'Especially early, coming in there. A couple power plays, dangerous power play, he made a couple really, really big saves early coming in there that kind of helped set the tone for us.' Lyon was asked after the game about the trade deadline when the Red Wings added Mrázek — who immediately jumped Lyon on the depth chart — and he answered graciously, saying, 'My mentality (is) I'm here to help the team win. It's my job. I take pride in being a professional. So, you just gotta get in the right frame of mind, and so that's just what I'm going to continue to do and take it day-by-day and just fight as hard as I can.' He certainly did that Monday, in the toughest of circumstances. McLellan ruled out Mrázek for at least Tuesday's game in Colorado. Cam Talbot is more likely to get the start Tuesday, on a back-to-back, but could Lyon get the net more consistently down the stretch? He's certainly gotten hot before. 2. Lyon was probably the biggest reason for this, at least early, but Detroit's much-maligned penalty kill came up pretty big on Monday, killing off four out of five opportunities. Coming off a game in which Vegas had gone 2-for-2 on the power play, the Red Wings needed a night like that — especially with Utah scoring on its first power play. 'Honestly that first one, I thought that was a hell of a pass, and they can really zip it around,' Lyon said. 'But I think we did a great job tightening up, and it's a very, very dangerous power play with a lot of skilled players, so yeah it's maybe just something to build on.' Advertisement 'Fixed some things after the Vegas (game), some pressure points,' McLellan added. 'We were obviously better tonight than we were in Vegas the other night.' Is that repeatable? We'll see. An 80 percent penalty kill should be plenty attainable (that would be good for 14th in the NHL), but Detroit is at just 69.3 percent for the season. That number is the worst in the league, and third worst on record since the stat began being tracked in 1977-78. It's hard not to wonder where the Red Wings would be right now with just that 80 percent figure for the year. 3. To me, the biggest question coming into the game was how Detroit would respond to a challenge from McLellan after the Vegas loss. 'We talk about wanting to be in the playoffs, but we're not sure we always want to be in shooting lanes, we're not sure we want to do some things,' McLellan told reporters Saturday night. 'And I'm not saying everybody, just picking and choosing. Do we really want to do it around the net? Do we really want to get hit by a puck? Do we want to do the board work when its hard? If the answer is yes to that, from everybody, then we have a chance. If the answer is yes to those questions from 85% of the players, we don't. And it's as simple as that.' McLellan brought that same theme up Monday morning. 'I'm not going in there and saying we need nine of the next 12 points to get in,' McLellan said. 'That's not how I'm going to approach it. I'm going to go in and say, 'Hey, we've got to win more board battles, we've got to get in shooting lanes, we've got to be better around our net, we've got to be sharper on our line changes. We need to win more of the face-offs than we lose. Simple stuff, that all leads in to a potential win.' McLellan also clarified that he feels those things are 'not necessarily effort-related, they're commitment related,' saying the team has had effort, but the commitment component — 'really selling out to get it done' is where he wanted to see more. Advertisement One game may or may not be enough to evaluate that — especially one played in the conditions Monday's was — but Utah only getting four shots on goal in the third period does seem to speak to a message received. 'Crazy commitment,' Lyon said. 'Crazy. Especially in the third period. I don't know that they had a real quality opportunity, and it just shows the commitment of this team.' The key, of course, will be carrying that over. Detroit is now going into a harder environment in Colorado, on the second night of a back-to-back — the kind of situation where they'll need that commitment more than ever. With only 12 games left, there's not much time for inconsistency. 4. The feel-good moment of the game came on Detroit's third goal, a Watson redirection in the high slot that fluttered over Karel Vejmelka for Watson's first goal as a Red Wing. Watson is a hometown kid, from Ypsilanti, whose last NHL goal came on New Year's Eve, 2023. Austin Watson with one of the wildest redirected goals you'll see 🫨 #LGRW — NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) March 25, 2025 He signed with Detroit after taking a professional tryout invitation to training camp, but has spent almost the entire season in the AHL. Like most of the game, it wasn't a Picasso — but it counted all the same. 'That feels really good,' Watson said. 'Obviously being a Michigan kid and scoring for the Red Wings is pretty special. But just this year in general, being down in Grand Rapids for the majority of the year and kind of grinding and waiting my turn, and to be here this time of year, battling with these guys and to get rewarded like that — it definitely feels good.' 5. The Red Wings' lone highlight-worthy goal of the night belonged to Elmer Söderblom, making his return to the Red Wings' lineup after missing the Vegas game due to injury. Advertisement The 6-foot-8 Swede had a perfect finish on a 2-on-1 pass from Vladimir Tarasenko, wiring it past Vejmelka to tie the game early, less than two minutes after Utah opened the scoring. That goal kept Detroit in it and was a good sign from the forward, who had gone through a quiet stretch even while playing on the Red Wings' top line. If he can bring some offense to the third line, where he was slotted Monday, it could go a long way toward deepening Detroit's lineup. At this point in the year, with only 12 games remaining and still four teams between the Red Wings and the final wild card, that still may not be enough to overcome Detroit's miserable March. In all likelihood, it won't be. But Söderblom emerging as a third-line scorer would nonetheless be important for the Red Wings in the bigger picture, so seeing him produce in these games — and in that manner — is notable. Now, as with the rest of the Red Wings, we'll see if he can keep it up against a gantlet of a closing schedule. (Top photo of Detroit goaltender Petr Mrázek after a collision in the first period in Utah: Rob Gray / Imagn Images)
New York Times
16-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Wings thoughts: Petr Mrázek's shutout, Lucas Raymond breaks scoring drought
DETROIT — Every game for the Detroit Red Wings right now feels bigger than the last. In a crowded Eastern Conference wild-card race, that would have been true even if the Red Wings hadn't squandered a lead by losing six straight — but it's especially true given they did. The margin for error is minimal, and the league's toughest remaining schedule only underscores that. Advertisement What a time, then, for what Detroit managed on Sunday — walking into a nationally-televised matinee matchup against the powerhouse Vegas Golden Knights and slamming the door with a 3-0 shutout victory to inch back within two points of the final wild-card spot. Vegas was coming in at a disadvantage, to be sure, on the second day of a back-to-back to close out a four-game road trip. The Golden Knights had tired legs and their backup netminder in goal. But don't expect a Detroit team that hasn't made anything look easy since the 4 Nations break to make any apologies for those circumstances. 'We took advantage of a team that got the crappy end of a schedule, and we know how that feels on the road,' Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. 'But good teams find a way to do that, and we did it tonight.' Five thoughts on how they did it, and the implications going forward: 1. You have to start in goal, where Petr Mrázek had a shutout in his third game since returning to the Red Wings at the trade deadline, turning aside all 18 shots he saw. It was far from the most active shutout you'll see, with that shot count, but Mrázek hung in there in what was a tie game until the middle of the second period — and still a one-goal game into the third. That ups the leverage on each individual save, even if the overall danger was pretty manageable. Perhaps most notable was McLellan going to Mrázek for the third straight game. It was unclear how the Red Wings would handle this new three-goalie rotation between Mrázek, Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon, but the new guy appears to be getting the chance to run with the crease. 'He's giving us some confidence,' McLellan said. 'This is not a swing at the other two goaltenders, but you just feel it on the bench: when a save is made, the energy that's on the bench right now with Petr in the pipes, and when the puck does hit him — even when it goes in, there's not a big sag. We sense that, we feel it, so we chose to go with him again.' Advertisement And after a shutout, it feels entirely possible the Red Wings go back to Mrázek again Tuesday in Washington, especially with three days between games following that one. Goaltending can be fickle, but Detroit looks willing to take a shot at Mrázek getting hot at the right time. There was a brief moment of alarm when the trainer had to come out to see Mrázek in the third period, but Mrázek eased any concerns after the game. 'I got hit in a spot you don't want to know where I got hit,' he said. 'I just couldn't breathe for a little bit.' 2. Give Mrázek full props on the shutout, but I also felt this was one of Detroit's most complete defensive efforts of the season. Again, some of that perhaps traces back to Vegas' energy level at the end of a long trip (and playing an early-afternoon game for a second consecutive day), but the 18 shots on goal Vegas generated were reflective of a low-danger day overall. Natural Stat Trick had Vegas with just four high-danger chances at five-on-five all game. 'We tried to just have a tight checking game,' Marco Kasper said. 'Just don't give them any space. They're a good skating team, big team — just get the pucks deep, keep it away from their guys and their sticks.' That tight-checking was especially noticeable in the neutral zone, as Vegas got few major transition looks. Detroit did well to limit clean entries. 'They're one of the top five teams in the league at entering, and they've got some skill, they've got 'D' that can really jump in and score from distance — guys that can fire pucks,' McLellan said. 'That was part of the pre-scout. I was happy the way we reloaded and came out of Vegas' end, provided some back pressure for our defensemen, but everything was a little bit tighter tonight through the neutral zone than it was against Carolina.' Advertisement I noticed that particularly with Simon Edvinsson, whose length is obviously a major asset at defending the defensive blue line, but the Red Wings as a whole can really benefit if they can play that way consistently. 3. Detroit's first goal, and the eventual game-winner, was an absolute beauty from Albert Johansson. It was only Johansson's second career NHL goal, but you'd never have known it from watching, as he made a great move to freeze Vegas netminder Ilya Samsonov at the top of the crease, then went around him and tucked the puck back inside the post. ALBERT JOHANSSON 🚨 Absolutely undresses Samsonov, what a goal. #LGRW — Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) March 16, 2025 Johansson hasn't been a major point-producer this season as a rookie, with eight points in 46 games, but he has had offense in his game at lower levels, and it showed on that one. That said, as happy as I'm sure McLellan was to get the goal from him, he sounded even happier with the rest of Johansson's game. 'His game tonight was outstanding,' McLellan said. 'There were so many little things that he did, when we didn't have the puck in our end, breaking up plays, good read-and-react type situations where there was something dangerous about to happen, and he was there to kill the play. Obviously his goal was a very nice goal, poised goal, so those are all good things. His overall play, I don't think there's anybody in the hockey world that would walk into the arena and go, 'That guy's a rookie.'' McLellan raved about Johansson's intangibles and consistency, which is not the kind of thing you usually hear about a defenseman with 46 career games played. Granted, Johansson is also 24 with several pro seasons under his belt in the SHL and AHL, so he's older than your typical rookie — but he nonetheless continues to impress in a big role for the Red Wings. He played 21:11 Sunday, all at even strength. 4. Johansson's goal was the top highlight of the game, but the most important goal in a big-picture sense was Lucas Raymond's early in the third period. Raymond hadn't scored since February 22, a 10-game drought that represented his longest of the season (though he did have just one goal in his first 15 games). Advertisement Raymond has still found ways to get on the scoresheet during that drought, with seven assists in that 10-game span, but the Red Wings need his scoring threat if they have any chance to overcome the long odds they face to get into the playoffs. He was perhaps their best offensive player down the stretch last season, consistently scoring big goals to help keep Detroit alive. 'You could feel a sense of relief for Lucas after he scored,' McLellan said. 'And when players that score often go in a dry spell, there's a lot of weight on their shoulders and they begin to focus on that instead of some other things they need to be doing. I'm not sure if Razor got to that point or not, but perhaps this will help him clear things up. 'I think when he's skating — he can shoot the puck, and he's a smart player, and he's gritty and all that type of stuff — but when he's skating, he's so much more effective. And maybe that goal tonight will free him up a little bit more and we'll get him back on a regular basis.' 5. That being said, even with the goal from Raymond, Detroit's top line still hasn't looked quite right to me recently. Evolving-Hockey had that line with only three shots on goal at five-on-five. They didn't give up a ton, either, but the Red Wings are going to need that line to consistently produce — and tilt the ice in their favor — if they're going to get hot. I haven't minded the look of Elmer Söderblom next to Raymond and Dylan Larkin, and his length definitely has benefits particularly on the forecheck. I don't think Detroit has a better option next to those two, either — not with Marco Kasper (who scored again Sunday) playing so well centering Detroit's second line. But I wonder what it will take to get that line going at full impact again. Perhaps Raymond's goal can be the spark. (Top photo of Petr Mrazek: Dave Reginek / NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Times
07-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL trade grades: Blackhawks resolve logjam by dealing Petr Mrázek to Red Wings
The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NHL trade deadline. Chicago Blackhawks get: Center Joe Veleno Detroit Red Wings get: Goaltender Petr Mrázek, center Craig Smith Mark Lazerus: Petr Mrázek was fabulous last season. Behind one of the worst defenses we've seen in the modern NHL, Mrázek kept the Blackhawks competitive more often than not and was far better than his pedestrian numbers would suggest. Combine that with his relentlessly sunny attitude, and it was an easy call for the Blackhawks to sign him to a two-year contract to hold down the net while the Blackhawks waited for either Arvid Söderblom or Drew Commesso to take it from him. GO DEEPER NHL trade deadline: Grading every deal completed this trade season But Mrázek crashed down to Earth this season. He's been the worst goalie in the league since Dec. 1, with an .866 save percentage and a minus-14.95 goals saved above expected, per Evolving Hockey. Söderblom had taken over as the Blackhawks' clear No. 1, so when they acquired Spencer Knight from Florida in the Seth Jones trade, Mrázek was the odd man out. He carries a $4.25 million cap hit, he's signed through next season, and Chicago was out of salary retention spots. A trade seemed like a long shot. So, to get out from underneath that contract less than a week after acquiring Knight — and to get a 25-year-old, controllable former first-rounder in Joe Veleno, to boot — is nifty work by Chicago GM Kyle Davidson. Advertisement Veleno will slot in as Smith's replacement in the bottom six. He was underwater in Detroit, with the Red Wings outscored 29-14 at five-on-five with him on the ice. But there's nothing NHL GMs love more than 'change of scenery' trades and reclamation projects with former first-round picks. Veleno has had quite a drop-off after a solid 28-point campaign last season, with his production and his minutes dropping quite a bit. He's got just five goals and five assists in 56 games this season, averaging a mere 11:57 per game. But he'll have a much greater opportunity in Chicago than he had in Detroit. He's worth the flier. Smith, meanwhile, is a solid depth scorer who's never shy about shooting. At 35, he wasn't in the Blackhawks' plans, but he can provide some depth scoring for a Red Wings team that's hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Mrázek part from Detroit's side is somewhat more confounding, considering he now joins a Red Wings squad that also has two goalies in place — Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon. Blackhawks grade: A+ Red Wings grade: B- (Photo of Petr Mrázek: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
