Red Wings Preview: Filip Zadina Returns

This is a great thing to see: The Detroit Red Wings helping themselves.

There is no coincidence in that when Filip Zadina went on Covid Protocol, the team lost a chunk of their offense and then seven straight. It’s still curious that Matthias Brome remains with the taxi squad while presumably either Frans Nielsen or Valtteri Filppula will be in the lineup. But let’s focus on the short term victory: Zadina is back.

Please move around on the power play

Remaining bolted in place and firing from one spot is not the way to succeed. Let’s go back in time when Nielsen scored goals:

Movement, crisp passes, and converging low. Everything this team isn’t doing right now. It’s long shots, long passes, and firing into opposing players. Only Larkin and Zadina can carry the puck into the zone without it being deposited as quickly as it crossed the blue line so hopefully, they’re split on lines.

Trying to avoid that ugly 8th loss

It was that eighth consecutive loss last year where I realized just how bad it would get. There were stretches of horrible games that made them virtually unwatchable. With Zadina back, and several other regulars in, this is a chance for them to get some momentum and play competitive hockey. I honestly don’t think they pull out a win–Tampa put on a clinic Wednesday from the opening face off and didn’t look back. I’m seeking improvement on special teams, and for players others than Mantha, Larkin, or Ryan to be putting pucks in the net.

Keep an eye on Grand Rapids

The Griffins season begins tonight and now we keep a watch on Michael Rasmussen, Dennis Cholowski, and Evgeny Svechnikov to see if that escape prospect purgatory and supplant one of the veterans not producing with the Wings. Jeff Blashill said that Cholowski has to be “elite” on the power play in order to be considered for the big club.

I hope he scores five goals tonight.