The Daily: Former Red Wing Enraged by Zegras; Do Penguins Need a Goalie?

The NHL’s social media world was fired up Sunday by Arizona defenseman Troy Stecher’s fiery reaction to something Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras said to him during a game between the Coyotes and Ducks on Saturday.

There has been no confirmation about what Zegras said to the former Red Wings defenseman But that didn’t stop Twitter speculation about what occurred. Amateur lip readers were out in force.

Based on Stecher’s reaction, we can assume only that it was considered by him to be inappropriate.

Zegras told the Orange County Register that he wasn’t sure what he said.

“It was pretty standard trash talk,” Zegras told the Register. “If he wants to act like that, it’s totally fine.”

Zegras went on to score the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win, but the Twitter world wasn’t speaking highly of him. We probably haven’t heard the last of this story. Too many details are unknown.

A very common chirp that gets you a 10 and has your teammates asking the guy what you said? You can very clearly see Stecher point to the sky when he was telling the Ducks bench what happened. You're play defense for a guy who used a deceased parent as a chirp. pic.twitter.com/8c3cRF5xRR

— LoyalSif (@LoyalSif) January 29, 2023

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

What the Red Wings need to get done after their NHL All-Star break is finished, including finalizing a new contract for Dylan Larkin and making a final push for a playoff spot.

Analytics show that Lucas Raymond needs to improve defensively to help the Red Wings even more than he is.

Coach Derek Lalonde wants to be sure Ville Husso has the proper number of starts this season in the Detroit net.

The Red Wings‘ break came at the right time for a team that needs to regroup a bit for the final push.

Red Wings’ Next Game

The Red Wings (21-19-8) are on their winter break. They don’t play again until Feb. 7 when they are home to play the Edmonton Oilers. With 34 games left to play, the Red Wings are seven points out of a wildcard playoff spot. The Pittsburgh Penguins (24-16-9) hold the last wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings have a game in hand on the Penguins.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Can we call them the slumping Bruins? They have lost three in a row and coach Jim Montgomery is displeased to say the least. Boston Bruins

Colorado:  It’s not difficult to understand how Alexandar Georgiev has instantly become a fan favorite in Denver. Colorado Avalanche

Florida: The Panthers retired their reverse retro jerseys in style Saturday night by beating the Boston Bruins. Florida Panthers

Montreal: Canadiens prospect Joel Teasdale is on fire playing for Laval in the American Hockey League. He boasts 13 goals and seven assists for 20 points over an 18-game period. Montreal Canadiens

New York: A Mathew Barzal overtime tally gave the Islanders a triumph over the Vegas Golden Knights. More importantly, the Islanders are now only two points behind Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot. New York Islanders

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Philadelphia: PHN’s Sam Carchidi believes the Flyers are impressive heading into the All-Star game, especially given the circumstances of this season. Tough new coach, plenty of injuries. Philadelphia Flyers

Pittsburgh: Do the Penguins need a backup goalie? PHN’s Dan Kingerski details backup Casey DeSmith’s up-and-down season and looks the various trade options available to the Penguins. Pittsburgh Penguins

Vegas: Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon needs to find some scoring help for Jack Eichel. Vegas Golden Knights

San Jose:  Captain Logan Couture may be joining teammates Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier on the NHL trade market?  San Jose Sharks

Washington: Nicklas Backstrom scored his first goal since coming back from offseason hip surgery. Washington Capitals