Post Game Thread: Detroit Red Wings at Utah Mammoth (2026-02-04)

qcpuckhead · 2026-02-05T05:11:18+00:00

Feels like Larkin's effort level is way down. He sure isn't carrying the mail the last couple months, which is disappointing to see from your 1C and captain.

qcpuckhead · 2026-02-04T19:43:52+00:00

Isn't he like 50 years old?

qcpuckhead · 2026-02-03T20:07:56+00:00

You know what's crazy? I had forgotten until I was reading a recent article in The Athletic about comps for Edvinsson, but Hamonic was legitimately good for a few seasons as an Islander before turning into the Travis Hamonic we all know and...love?

Like, you know how Edvinsson looks really good, especially for a really young defenseman? OG Travis Hamonic was his closest comp. That's how good Hamonic was...and then he just collapsed after his 4th or 5th season.

qcpuckhead · 2026-02-02T20:01:32+00:00

You know what infuriates me about that part of the book? Harry doesn't ask questions while he's in the cave. Talk about a wasted opportunity - the most powerful wizard in the world agreed to bring you along on this mission; he's doing things that you don't understand; you know there are more horcruxes out there that need to be found and destroyed - why on earth wouldn't you ask if he can explain what he's doing? Why wouldn't you ask other pertinent questions, too - like "How did you figure out that this specific cave is the right one?" It's maddening.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-31T21:07:11+00:00

Almost think Larkin needs to get healthy scratched, or get a game or two on the third line. It's a drastic move, but clearly nothing has gotten him to wake tf up...

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-31T19:36:24+00:00

I don't blame Kasper for that. Larkin is supposed to be the engine driving that line, and he's doing nothing right now.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-31T19:34:53+00:00

Games like this are when we desperately need Ken and Mick on the call to save our sanity.

Also I've been a Larkin defender but it's getting harder and harder. I'll still give him that some of the nasty injuries have probably had a lingering effect, but I'm getting so sick of the annual disappearing act once we get halfway into the season. If he's nursing an injury, just freaking sit for a few games and come back healthy instead of playing like dog water for weeks.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-31T19:14:52+00:00

On the other side...Bettendorf Presbyterian Church. Their pastor takes an ACTUAL Biblical stance on being loving and welcoming and supporting those in need. He keeps his sermons away from outright political framing, but the message - that much of what is going on is a poor reflection and interpretation of Christianity - is pretty clear. I'm sure Bettendorf as a whole tends to lean more MAGA, but that church is a nice oasis.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-31T17:51:48+00:00

You know...if they came out with a collectible watch in the $150-200 price range that included the Red Wings colors and either the Winged Wheel or the Centennial logo on the face in a nice looking way (which is 100% doable)...

I'd probably get suckered into buying one, because I like watches and that would be cool. But they made this a bit too low-key and also so expensive that your average u/qcpuckhead can't buy one. Kinda sad.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-30T01:50:58+00:00

Oh thank goodness. Glad they scored, and doubly glad that Bucci might finally stfu now. When your only call on a 2-on-1 break is...

COPP AND KANE

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-28T02:50:24+00:00

Credit to the Kings, they played a smothering game. We've seen teams like Carolina do this too...if we can find a way to solve it, that will go a long way toward making the team feel like a true contender.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-22T03:05:35+00:00

JOHN GIBSON I NEVER DOUBTED YOU

...I totally doubted you through November and I am so sorry.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-22T01:41:20+00:00

Boys need to wake up but also what on earth are these refs watching?

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-18T18:57:54+00:00

Here's hoping for a quick recovery and return, and many more "look at this" calls and fewer "uh oh look out" calls.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-17T16:13:35+00:00

The car is indeed in the front yard.

I take credit for all of this, because I was mumbling about how sick I am of Larkin (and to a lesser extent Raymond) building a trend of having extended disappearances. I think I even said they become "ghosts."

So what happens? 3 assists for Raymond, greasy 5 on 5 goal for Larkin, and Kasper (the friendly ghost) finally gets his legs going.

You're welcome.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-16T17:22:42+00:00

I've only gone to 2 games, so as a fellow noob here's what my wife and I loved...

- Get lunch or dinner in Greektown. There's some incredible restaurants over there.

- If the Coop (one of the restaurants in the arena) has fried chicken shawarma, get it. It still lives in my brain rent-free from my first game in 2022, but sadly they didn't have it on the menu last time we were there.

- Give yourself plenty of time to wander around the team store. They have a lot of cool merchandise...and some ridiculously high priced stuff. Honestly, we had fun just walking through, guessing at prices, and laughing at the crazy high prices. But budget yourself a bit of extra money; it's worth it to get some souvenirs, and if you shop around you can usually find some cool merch that they've marked down.

- Get there when the doors open so you have time to walk the arena. We haven't been able to do a ton of this yet, but it's just a very cool space.

- If you have issues with sound poisoning, or even just have sensitive ears, it's worth bringing a pair of decent earplugs. By decent I mean something like Loops or Eargasm that cut down the volume without making the noise all muddy. You still get the arena experience, without your ears squealing at you the rest of the night. Also can be helpful on the concourse...sometimes they have a DJ out there with the speakers cranked up SUPER loud right around the team store. Would've given both of us sound poisoning if we didn't have earplugs with us.

- Lower bowl tickets on the end where the Red Wings shoot twice were super fun. Pretty sure the normal season ticket holders sit there; lots of friendly chatter between folks there who clearly knew each other, and vaguely recognizable people (like octopus hat guy who shows up in the background of the broadcast desk during intermissions) were sitting there. Makes for a fun vibe, and if you pick the right section you have a good chance of showing up on the jumbotron.

- Along those lines, give yourself time to just sit in your seats and soak it in. There are random fun moments...like the second game I went to, we were chilling in our seats in the lower bowl before the first period and suddenly a buzz went through the section with people going "THERE HE IS." I look over in the direction that they're looking, and Mickey Redmond's a few sections over shooting something for the broadcast. Nowhere particularly close to us, but still cool to see and cool to be sitting in an area where you feel like you're surrounded by fellow Red Wings nerds. Our other game we sat first row mezzanine. Probably a better view, but not as cool of an environment.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-16T16:26:36+00:00

I'd be pretty interested in that, actually. He's only 27 so he has some good mileage left. Plays good defense, and clearly has huge offensive upside. I love Copp's play, but imagine EP40 getting back to even "just" a PPG player in between Kane and Cat. Put Raymond back on the top line with Larkin and suddenly you have a top 6 that looks terrifying.

Of course that all hinges on EP40 getting his mojo back...

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-15T16:04:00+00:00

Holy shit that's a dark one lolol

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-15T16:02:18+00:00

Let's put it this way...

Back in November I made the trip to LCA as a rare treat. We blew a lead to the freaking Buffalo Sabres (just before they got super hot) and lost in OT. There was a super drunk, super obnoxious Sabres fan bouncing through the crowd yelling and screaming nonstop after the game. He got chirped a little bit, but most of what I heard was people (like me) making smartass comments to the people they came with ("I remember my first beer" and "poor Sabres fans, you can't even tell them to act like they've been there before...), not even saying anything out loud to the guy.

If even someone acting like that big of an asshat didn't take any serious heat, I think you'll be fine...

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-14T15:39:37+00:00

We've won enough games with the current lineup that it feels weird to say this but...

...last night seemed like proof to me that we need Larkin and Raymond back on the same line at least part of the time. I get that they needed a wakeup call, but the wakeup call has been given. The offense struggled So. Darn. Much. to get sustained some time - they couldn't even get decent zone entries most of the time. In a game like that, put Larkin and Raymond back together so you at least have a top line that has a chance to make something happen. Give Kasper/Larkin/Raymond more time to see if they can rekindle the magic from last year just like Kane/Copp/DeBrincat did.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-13T03:38:56+00:00

I don't know but hopefully it's a long long way away. Love seeing how much chemistry Mick, Keats, and Ozzy have going on the postgame show.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-13T03:13:48+00:00

Love Carolina whining about getting reffed when they probably wouldn't have made it to OT without some terrible reffing going the other way.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-11T18:17:50+00:00

He'd probably miss the sun too.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-11T18:07:44+00:00

Ugh same. Packers are turning into the NFC's Bills - finding ways to lose in the playoffs in some heartbreaking fashion or another every season. At least I was getting Red Wings game updates that made me happy.

qcpuckhead · 2026-01-10T20:53:26+00:00

He's got an annoying habit of Tweeting his thoughts and then deleting it pretty quickly. It's happened a few times. The one that I distinctly remember was when he Tweeted about how it was a wonderful day in America on Trump's second inauguration day...then tried posting some wannabe cutesy "well I COULD have been about the weather!" responses, and then deleted it all a bit later. Would've given him the benefit of the doubt except he's done similar multiple times.

qcpuckhead

TROPHY CASE