The Detroit Red Wings’ Confidence Is Certainly Growing

They’re not going to be a Stanley Cup Champion, and certainly the word contender can’t be used quite yet. But there has absolutely been a step forward in terms of the resolve shown after the first four games.

We all remember Detroit started the season 3-1 last season before losing eight in a row, which foreshadowed just how brutal of a season it would be. Looking back at that and then watching the first four contests this season, it’s evident that the Red Wings are mentally tougher than they were after giving up a goal. Often, it would snowball into a number of successive goals that would bury them without any chance of a rally. Looking at both victories, Detroit fought back after surrendering goals, and found ways to win. Yesterday’s game serves as an example: After Columbus scored the tying goal, Jeff Blashill challenged it, promptly lost the challenge, which gave Columbus a power play due to the bench minor. This felt like one of those “here we go again” moments where the team would wilt and ultimately lose the game.

Instead, Detroit held strong, killed the penalty, and made it to overtime where they would be victorious 3-2. The confidence is building. No other evidence speaks to that more than coach Jeff Blashill, who in an article from The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James was quoted as saying this:

“The fresh faces have helped calm our bench down a little bit,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We don’t seem to be nearly as excitable as we’ve been — is that growth in some of our guys that have returned? Probably. Is that having a lot of guys, new fresh faces, and not necessarily wearing the previous year’s losses or struggles? Probably. We just keep playing and that’s the approach I like. Nothing has bothered us.”

That is the key. They don’t seem bothered or too low when things don’t go their way. General Manager Steve Yzerman said at his introductory press conference that it would take time and he would spend time evaluating the team before making any moves. (MLive’s Ansar Khan wrote about this last year at this time).  True to his word, he let the team bottom out, dealt Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green at the deadline, and then let contracts expire before buying out Justin Abdelkader. He made short term, cheap deals with several free agents (Bobby Ryan being one of them), and just flushing out the old with the new has paid dividends. The Red Wings had become stale, a shell of the teams that dominated in the mid to late 90’s and then again the next decade. Change was needed and new faces, along with new perspectives were welcomed.

It remains to be seen how this team will finish by the end of the season. But if the early returns are any indication, Detroit should be much further ahead than where they were when the shutdown scuttled the remainder of a brutal 2019-2020 campaign.