The Detroit Red Wings started the season with a 3-0-2 record, and everything looked like it was going Detroit’s way. Fast forward four days, and it seems like the season is starting to spiral into an uncontrollable tailspin. Two miserable losses in three days can make a team feel inept. A team that has missed the playoffs for six consecutive seasons can feel like it is the end of the world.
Detroit looked terrific through the first five games of the season. On Tuesday, that all changed when New Jersey came to town and easily defeated the Red Wings 6-2. Two nights later, in Boston, the Red Wings took too many unnecessary penalties and handed the Bruins a 5-1 win.
What Going Wrong?
The penalty kill was flawless when the Red Wings were winning and feeling good about themselves. Against New Jersey, the Red Wings allowed one power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in the second period to give the Devils a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. On Thursday in Boston, the Red Wings gave Boston seven power play opportunities. The Bruins scored three goals with the man advantage, and the Red Wings could not respond.
On Tuesday, the Red Wings went 0/3 on the power play. In Boston, the Red Wings went 0/5 on the power play. The inability to shut down the Bruins’ power play and not score with the man advantage is the same problem that recent Red Wings teams have encountered for the last several years.
So far this season, the Red Wings are still a respectable 10th in the NHL on the penalty kill with an 83.3% success rate. This compares to the 74.7% success rate from one year ago. The Red Wings power play is 21st in the NHL, with a success rate of 17.2%. This compares to the success rate of 16.4% from one year ago.
Current Lineup
The current lineup is having a difficult time generating chances. The Red Wings have been outscored 11-3 this week, and something needs to be done to stop the bleeding.
Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Larkin, and David Perron scored 12 of the 23 goals by the Red Wings this year. Some players must step it up before the season runs out of control. Lucas Raymond and Andrew Copp are still without a goal. The duo is now on the same line and contributed four assists through the first seven games. Filip Zadina has played five games and is also still without a goal. With four forwards currently out of the lineup, these players are given a chance to prove that they belong in the everyday lineup. Copp can be excused because he is just getting back into game shape after missing the entire preseason. Raymond and Zadina need to prove that they deserve to be in the lineup or risk being healthy scratches once the injured players begin to return.
Forwards
Kubalik-Larkin-Perron
Veleno-Copp-Raymond
Soderblom-Rasmussen-Erne
Zadina-Suter-Luff
Defense
Chiarot-Seider
Maatta-Hronek
Hagg-Lindstrom
Goaltenders
Husso
Nedeljkovic
Not in the lineup: Oesterle (healthy), Sundqvist (upper body), Vrana (personal), Fabbri (knee), Bertuzzi (upper body), Walman (shoulder), Pysyk (Achilles)
A Look Ahead
The Red Wings have two games remaining in the October schedule. On Saturday, the Red Wings host Minnesota. The Wild are 3-3-1 to start the season and are coming into the game on a two-game winning streak. On Monday, the Red Wings will travel to Buffalo for a Halloween affair. The Sabres are 4-3-0 to start the season and have lost two in a row.
only one of the redwoods left in the line up for tonight