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Red Wings: Detroit’s Top Line Continues Recent Success

By John Manzo

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 06: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his game winning and fourth goal of the game with Dylan Larkin #71, Tyler Bertuzzi #59 and Danny DeKeyser #65 while playing the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena on October 06, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 4-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 06: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates his game winning and fourth goal of the game with Dylan Larkin #71, Tyler Bertuzzi #59 and Danny DeKeyser #65 while playing the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena on October 06, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 4-3. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Despite the 5-2 loss Tuesday night to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Detroit Red Wings’ first line continues to produce.

And so it continues.

The Detroit Red Wings’ first line continued its recent strong play despite losing 5-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena.

Forward Tyler Bertuzzi was the catalyst, scoring the team’s first goal on a tip in off a quick flip from Anthony Mantha that came from defenseman Filip Hronek.

Win or lose the remainder of this season is a moot point. Well, unless the team gets clobbered night in and night out, but that hasn’t been the case since the first line’s resurgence the past few games.

In the team’s 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks Friday, Bertuzzi found the back of the net and forward Dylan Larkin had an assist.

The next game Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the first line went off, scoring 11 points with Bertuzzi once again finding the back of the net. He, along with Mantha, each had a goal and three assists, while Larkin added a goal and two assists.

No matter how you slice it, this is a good sign for the future Detroit Red Wings.

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In a recent MLive article, head coach Jeff Blashill said this about the first line: “They get lots of opportunity, so they need to play like a top line, and they did that. When we’ve had success over the last couple of years that line has been a big part of it. Two games in a row they’ve played pretty good. I think there’s still growth there, but they’ve done a good job and they’re going to have to the rest of the way for us to be a good team.”

In recent days, I’ve come across fans saying they’ve seen this before and that guys like Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi aren’t the core.

Keep in perspective this is a select few fans who don’t buy the Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi combo, but none-the-less, there are people out there with this opinion.

For them, I say to re-look at the last line of Blashill’s quote…whether he stays or goes, this will remain true.

“They’ve done a good job and they’re going to have to the rest of the way for us to be a good team.”

If Detroit returns to respectability in the coming years, it’ll be in large part because of Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi. So whether you believe it or not, Tuesday was another step in the right direction for the rebuild.

And so it continues.

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