The Detroit Red Wings have made progress roughly one quarter of the way through the season, though it might not seem like it on the heels of a four-game skid.
At 8-9-3 after the 20-game mark, the Red Wings’ points percentage (.475) is appreciably better than it was at the end of last season (.429), despite missing Jakub Vrana, one of their key offensive players due to preseason shoulder surgery.
It would have been better if not for an 0-3-1 trip that included a 5-3 loss in Columbus and 2-1 overtime defeat in Arizona, games the Red Wings led in the latter stage of the third period.
“I liked our start to the season,” Dylan Larkin said. “We played hard, we played confident. This past road trip we haven’t been confident. You saw that with the one-goal lead (in Columbus and Arizona).
“We have to be a more confident hockey team. We haven’t been able to practice much but we’re going to get back home and have a couple of hard practices and start figuring some things out and get back to what makes us successful, just playing hard, playing together, and playing fast.”
A compressed schedule saw the Red Wings play 20 games in 38 days, limiting practice time. After a three-day break, they host St. Louis on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit Plus).
“We can write whatever story we want to write,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We got to decide what we want to be. It won’t be easy for sure. It’s a lot of games and not very much time, especially for young players where this league’s really hard every single night. We just got to keep building and keep progressing as a group.”
Here are three positives through 20 games:
Dynamic duo of rookies: It has been 20 years since teammates finished 1-2 in Calder Trophy balloting (Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers). It could happen this season with Lucas Raymond (team-leading 19 points) and Moritz Seider (13 points), who rank 1-2 in the rookie scoring race. Raymond, the fourth overall pick in 2020, has fit in seamlessly on the top line with Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi due to his passing ability, dangerous shot, and hockey sense. Seider, the sixth selection in 2019, has been their best and most consistent defenseman, playing all situations and logging more than 22 minutes a game.
Captain regains form: Larkin’s first season as captain was disappointing (nine goals and 23 points in 44 games). He has equaled that goal total in just 16 games and is averaging a point a game (16 points) despite some unusual circumstances. He was suspended for one game (punching Tampa Bay’s Mathieu Joseph in retaliation for a hit from behind), missed three games due to a family emergency, and was forced to sit out the third period in Dallas last Tuesday because of what turned out to a false positive COVID-19 test.
Penalty kill improvement: The team has taken significant strides in this specialty since allowing three power-play goals in a season-opening 7-6 overtime loss to Tampa Bay. They are 19 for 19 on the penalty kill over the past eight games and have not allowed a power-play goal at home since Oct. 19 vs. Columbus, their third game of the season.
Here are three negatives through 20 games:
Defensive struggles: Defense was the Red Wings’ biggest area of improvement last season. This year, it’s their biggest concern. They have allowed 3.35 goals per game (27th in the league), up from 3.00 last season. It’s not because of the goaltending, as Thomas Greiss and Alex Nedeljkovic have played well for the most part. Defensive-zone coverage – from defensemen and forwards -- particularly in the slot area, has been an issue. Blashill has stated the need to regain their structure.
Record without Tyler Bertuzzi: Bertuzzi hasn’t needed an adjustment period following back surgery on April 30. He scored four goals in the season-opener and has nine goals and 17 points in 17 games. But he has missed three games in Canada due to his inability to cross the border after choosing to be the lone NHL player not to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The team lost all three games and will have six more games in Canada following the February Olympic break.
Power play not potent enough: Sure, it was the preseason, but the Red Wings showed positive signs on the power play under new assistant coach Alex Tanguay. And while they have improved slightly, from 11.4 percent last season to 15.8 percent currently, it’s still not good enough. Despite having more depth and options with the additions of Raymond, Seider, Nick Leddy and Pius Suter and a healthy Bertuzzi, some of the same issues persist. They’re not getting enough shots on net and have been one shot and done too often.
Ad Choices