An Observation Following the Red Wings 2-1 Loss To Arizona

Normally it’s eight observations following a Detroit Red Wings game. Instead, I’m going to just go for one.

Lucas Raymond two handed his stick on the net following Detroit’s 2-1 loss Saturday evening. And that, right there, underscored the feeling of many in the fan base. And then there was this:

The Red Wings outshot the Coyotes and outplayed them for most of the game, but when it came down to it, they couldn’t get the win. And this, of all the things that have dogged Jeff Blashill with a vocal contingency of the fanbase, was very present tonight.

Last season, sure, it’s a bizarre year, whatever. Two years ago was a gong show. But there were two incidents during this game that showed frustration might be brewing. First, Filip Zadina slammed his stick down on the ice late in the third, beyond aggravated that yet another thing didn’t go the Red Wings way.

The second–Raymond’s two hander to the net following the winning goal. Here’s the thing: when playing hockey,  I slammed my stick over the net when I was beyond exasperated, angry about the performance of our team or losing a stupid game that we should have won. It was rare but when it happened, it garnered attention. This caught mine last night.

Raymond’s reaction was many. This is NOT a game they should have lost. Arizona is not very good. There’s no doubt they are tanking hard between their lousy record and the deals they’ve made to bring first round picks into the fold for a very stacked 2022 draft. This was a layup. Detroit could only muster one goal and worse, ended up dropping it in overtime.

Should Red Wings fans be worried?

No. Is it frustrating? Yes. And now it becomes an interesting note as the Wings are off until Wednesday. A strong win then–well then it resets things. Another loss–worse–one that results in a blowout against the Blues–who are a decent team–and the losing streak hits five.

The Wings have played a lot of games in a short time so there’s no doubt that they’re certainly tired. But similar problems continue to crop up. And after a winless road trip and losing to the lowly Coyotes–eyebrows may be rising a bit as whether old frustrations will continue to hamper this team.

Here’s hoping it’s a bump in the road. But if the losing continues, some very interesting questions will arise and the insistence for a change on the bench will only continue to grow louder.