Red Wings: 8 Observations From Detroit’s 4-2 Preseason Win

The Detroit Red Wings secured a victory in their second-to-last game of the preseason. With the regular season right around the corner and roster spots being a hot commodity, there were plenty of storylines to watch unfold.

#1: Joe Veleno should make this team. Veleno was the best player on the ice Thursday night. The young center earned a point and an assist in the victory, powering the offense in multiple offensive possessions. Although he didn’t appear on the stat sheet in the first period, Veleno had a handful of excellent plays; singlehandedly keeping offensive series going and creating chances for himself.

#2: Moritz Seider was fine without Nick Leddy. Tonight was Seider’s first preseason game without Nick Leddy as his partner and he looked good. He took on a ton of minutes, put out on the ice in all sorts of situations. Seider has looked very strong throughout the preseason – so much for tempering expectations before the regular season.

#3: Bobby Ryan is still a good option. After dropping a slew of pto’s Thursday, Ryan is one of the few still fighting for a spot. He didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but he fights hard every shift and wins individual battles. If the organization ends up sending the prospects to Grand Rapids, Ryan is probably the best option to fill gaps in the roster.

#4: Tyler Bertuzzi looks recovered. Although Bertuzzi’s only goal of the night was an empty nettter, he had a pretty solid game on Detroit’s top line. Despite missing a majority of the season due to back injury, Bert didn’t seem noticeably slower or seriously affected by any lasting effects.

#5: Jonatan Berggren is steadily becoming more noticeable. Berggren wasn’t a big part of the team’s victory Thursday night, but he had some good flashes of play. Offensively, he made a few good passes and smart decisions. Berggren started to show off some of his puck possession skills, fending off opposing forwards while entering the offensive zone or keeping the puck away for pursuing defenders.

#6: Lucas Raymond had a quiet night. Raymond has been perhaps the best player of the entire preseason for Detroit, so it was a bit surprising that he wasn’t too active in the Red Wings win against the Penguins. He didn’t look bad by any means, it just wasn’t quite the performance Detroit fans had become accustomed to. The game against the Sabres may decide whether or not Raymond ends up on the main roster day one.

#7: The team looked complete. This was one of the team’s most complete performances of the season. The defense, especially in the first two periods, stifled the Penguin’s offense, while the offense maintained heavy possession throughout. Detroit outshot their opponents 37 to 24. Thomas Greiss also had a good night, stopping 22 of the 24 shots thrown his way.

#8: The special teams wasn’t great. The Red Wings power play has been fantastic throughout the preseason, but they struggled a bit tonight. The unit went 0-for-4, including a 5-on-3 opportunity for just under a minute. The penalty kill looked very good at times, but they ended up giving up a goal on three power plays.