Abel to Yzerman

Below, Anthony Mantha himself.

per Ansar Khan tweet, the Wings have an optional practice today, Howard in starter's net.

I will update if needed, otherwise enjoy the ball game.

from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

A couple days ago, Dylan Larkin was talking to his dad when a teammate’s name came up.

As Larkin builds his resume with the Detroit Red Wings, he does so emulating the work put in over the years by Henrik Zetterberg.

“We were talking about the way he plays the game and the way he is so patient in a full 60-minute game,” Larkin said after contributing a goal and an assist in Thursday’s 6-3 victory over the Sabres. “He understands that a lot of nights, nothing is going to go on, if you play 20 minutes, for 19 minutes and 59 seconds. It’s that one second you get where he makes it count.

“My dad and I were talking about it. We admire how he plays the right way, he waits for his opportunity and then when he gets his opportunity, he makes the most of it.”

continued

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

The Red Wings quickly trailed in this game, 2-0, but instead of quitting, they did just the opposite and won impressively.

“We got great character,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “I’ve talked about it a lot during the year. It’s easy when things are going well and people talk about character, but that’s not really when character shows.

“Character is when it’s been tough, like it’s been tough here, but we’ve had character and we’ve been competitive and we should have a better record than we have, but it is what is is, and our guys have continued to work.”

more

Below, watch extended game highlights of Detroit's win over Buffalo.

Anthony Mantha below...

added 11:17pm, More post game talk added below.

Wings had 4 unanswered goals in their last game and did it again tonight.

Final score Detroit 6 Buffalo 3

Watching this game you got the distinct feeling the end of season is close for both of these teams.

Goals and Detroit stats are below and FYI, Saturdays' game in Detroit vs. Ottawa is a 2pm start.

4 more games left after tonight.

I wonder if both teams tonight will play like it is game 82, no hitting, fast game and get it over with.

The Sabres trail the Wings by 7 points with one less game played.

Other than that, not much to say except thanks to those who have donated to the KK Donation Drive.

I will have one more update in the morning but as of now, 51 people have donated.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

“Last year he had a similar type of approach, and it’s even increased,” Blashill said. “He and I talked about it the beginning of last season, about the importance of being totally relentless in his approach, and on a lot of nights he’s done that.

“He’s been one of our hardest workers on a consistent basis and one of our biggest battlers.”...

“If he gets some of those chances a year from now, we’re sitting at 25 or 26 goals...

name that player...

from Dana Wakiji of DetroitRedWings.com,

"Just being around the team, around the guys, around the system, learning so much," Svechnikov said. "It just feels like I'm in my place. It feels way more comfortable.

"Every game is better and better and every shift, I try to do my best. Try making plays, be responsible. Obviously I'm going to make mistakes. I'm here to make it and I'm learning. I'm still young and it's only been 10 games. I'm more calm and trying to make plays."

Svechnikov is gradually getting a little more ice time, with a season-high 10:42 in the team's 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday.

"I think we're getting a better feel," Blashill said. "Getting to 10 minutes gives him a better feel. I think the biggest thing though is you still want to make sure you learn the lesson that you got to beat other guys out. That's what Tyler Bertuzzi ultimately did. He didn't have lots of minutes, but he showed enough in those minutes that now he's on the first line.

more

added 3:30pm, projected lineup is below...

added 4:04pm, Game day preview below too...

Let's look ahead.

Who won't be back for opening night from the Wings' current roster?

Of course you can comment on who you don't want back but make sure to include who you think won't be on the roster.

The current roster is below if you need help.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

A little bit of the old and new combined to make the present a little more enjoyable Tuesday around the Red Wings.

On a night veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall notched his 400th point and young defenseman Joe Hicketts earned the first two points of his career, the Red Wings earned a rare win, a 5-2 victory over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

The victory was only the second in the last 14 games (2-11-1) for the Red Wings, and it certainly will not help their odds of getting a higher draft pick.

But forget all that. The Red Wings needed a victory badly, and to do it against Pittsburgh made it that much special.

continued

Below, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press on Joe Hicketts and the extended game highlights.

Zetterberg, Hicketts, Kronwall and Blashill.

Four unanswered goals by the Wings and they defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2.

Wings looked good, Penguins looked tired.

Goals and Detroit team stats are below.

No reason to hope for a victory tonight.

In fact, no real reason to watch...but I know you will.

What you need to do is keep this place going. Go here to see how.

It's a Live Blog...

via the Wings' YouTube page,

Featuring Carley Johnston, Ken Kal, Henrik Zetterberg, and Jeff Blashill

from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Ken Holland will return as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings next season, with or without a contact, a source told MLive.

Holland's future has been in question from the start of the season because, unlike previous years, he wasn't extended prior to the final year of his contract.

But ownership has decided Holland, the GM since 1997, should head the rebuilding job the franchise faces after missing the postseason two years in a row, following a 25-season playoff streak.

It is unclear whether an official announcement will be made before the end of the season, but some clarity was expected before the team gathers for photo and locker cleanout day, shortly after the season finale on April 7.

continued

added 4:16pm, George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press,

Ken Holland is expected return as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings next season, the Free Press has learned. It's unclear how the contract will be structured.

"He's going to be back as the GM," a person familiar with the situation told the Free Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Wings, who will miss the playoffs for the second straight season, have not addressed Holland's future..

continued

Puck drops just after 7:30pm ET and is on the NHL Network and FoxSports Detroit.

No reports today on a morning skate for the Wings and the Penguins did with Matt Murray first off the ice.

If you missed it last night, Joe Hicketts is back with the Wings and I would imagine will play tonight.

Other than that, carry on.

Six more games, then who knows? Remember, Eilliotte Friedman mentioned on Saturday the future of Ken Holland may come out this week.

added 12:05pm, Below, a snapshot of the bottom 6 teams in the NHL.

added 2:40pm, projected lineup is below, Hicketts not listed.

from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,

As bad as the results have been for the Red Wings lately, they’ve maintained a positive work ethic. Not the case Monday, though, according to coach Jeff Blashill.

“Way too many passengers,” Blashill said. “We need way more, that’s not even close to good enough.

“We’ve been real good through this stretch, we’ve played real good hockey and deserved better results. No chance there tonight. No chance is that good enough. We have to be way better.”

In too many facets, Blashill wasn’t satisfied.

“Our attention to detail wasn’t good enough, our intensity wasn’t good enough, winning puck battles,”

Blashill said. “Doing all the little things. Just too many guys not going.”

read on

Below, watch the post-game interviews.

Game highlights were posted last night.

Tyler Bertuzzi is below...

added 11:11pm, Game highlights are below too.

The Wings played just good enough to lose.

Montreal 4 Detroit 2

Scoring an issue once again.

Goals, low hit on Zetterberg and Detroit team stats are below.

If Ken Holland had a single nut, he'd go to this PayPal (preferred and note account name Shalen Franchini) or GoFundMe page and drop about 10K to support Kukla's Korner. We may not agree with him, but even he has to appreciate the passion of the Wing fans who frequent this place.

If I was a hockey columnist, I'd visit that site and I'd donate, because Paul Kukla has pushed my stories here and around the world for more than a decade. He's given every single hockey writer exposure they never would have gained.

If I was a member of the NHLPA, I'd be donating. And I'd be donating a whole lot. Why? Because hockey players are supposed to be "those guys", the one group of pro athletes who truly appreciate the passion of their fans.

If I was Gary Bettman, I'd keep my hands in my pockets because that's what shrews do.

You? You're a hockey fan who loves this site. To you, I say please donate so we can keep this place going. Paul does too much and works too damn hard for far too little.

from Dana Wakiji of DetroitRedWings.com,

Dylan Larkin has impressed many people around the league since he joined the Detroit Red Wings as a 19-year-old with one year of college hockey at Michigan under his belt.

But some of the people who are the most impressed by Larkin are the ones who play with him and see his admirable work ethic behind the scenes.

"Larkin, I have nothing but good things to say about that kid," veteran defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said Sunday. "He wants to become a great player and he's going to do what it takes to become it. He already is a very good player. He wants to be better defensively, he wants to be better offensively, he wants to be a better teammate, he wants to make the team better, not just himself. He's a young kid.

"Two years ago I wouldn't have thought that he would develop as much as a person as he has, on and off the ice. I say to myself or someone else, I would really want to have Larkin on my team. I think he's been really consistent and he goes hard every single night. He wants to win for his team."

Larkin just turned 21 this past summer yet he has already played in 235 career NHL games.

continued plus more topics...

added 2:56pm, Game Day preview is beloe...

from Keith Gave at the Detroit Free Press,

This excerpt of the new book, released March 20, is the third installment in a five-part series leading up to the Freep Film Festival, which opens with the world premiere of the "Russian Five" documentary on April 11 at Fillmore Detroit.

Jim Devellano reached down on either side of his chair and grabbed two heavy duffel bags, tossing them onto the desk that separated him from his visitors — an anxious young Russian hockey player and an interpreter commissioned by the club. Devellano, the senior vice president of the Detroit Red Wings, had arranged for a clandestine meeting in the early hours of Christmas Eve, 1990, in his office in the bowels of Joe Louis Arena.

He was prepared to do anything he could to get Vladimir Konstantinov to walk away from his Russian teammates to join the Wings. If Devellano was successful, it would be the second defection of a prominent Soviet-born hockey player to Detroit.

read on

Dana Wakiji reports it is an optional skate (Zetterberg and Kronwall skating) and Coreau is in the starters net.

Will update as need be.

added 1:07pm, Projected lineup is below...

Detroit Red Wings fans know what that date means.

Videos via awood40,

Game highlights are below.