8 observations from the Red Wings 4-2 loss to Seattle

In one of the more frustrating losses of the season, the Detroit Red Wings gave up four straight goals to the Seattle Kraken after holding a 2-0 lead for the first two periods.

Let’s extract eight observations from yet another disappointing loss.

#1: Alex Nedeljkovic had a good night. For the first two periods, Nedeljkovic did all he could to keep the game in hand. For a while, it seemed as though it would work. However, he just had no support from the defense or the offense, and the Kraken finally started to find the back of the net. Nedeljkovic finished with a .927 save percentage.

#2: Offense still not good enough. The Red Wings put up just over 20 shots on goal. Fans are used to terrible showings from the defense, but it is extremely concerning that the offense has officially gone cold.

#3: Should Taro Hirose stay up? Hirose scored his first goal of the season Saturday night, knocking in the puck on the power play. He hasn’t played bad since his call up – should Hirose just finish up the season with the Wings? Considering the trade deadline is just around the corner, there’s a good chance he’ll become a mainstay (at least for the rest of the season).

#4: Red Wings exit the road trip with a 1-3 record. Well, the biggest positive for Detroit after Saturday night’s blown lead is that the road trip out west is finally over. The Wings come out of the trip with just one win, which was against the Canucks.

#5: The wheels continue to fall off. Fans and analysts said the wheels were falling off after the brutal loss to Arizona. Things have only gotten worse since then. The Red Wings are now five games under .500, and they are playing terrible hockey. The defense is bad and the offense is bad. Detroit looks like a bottom-ten team again.

#6: Special teams were good. Surprisingly, the Red Wings were actually quite good on special teams. The power play unit nabbed a goal, and the penalty kill stifled five attempts on the man advantage from the Kraken, which included some 5-on-3 action.

#7: Still brutal games ahead. The pain isn’t over for Detroit. In the next few weeks, they’ll have to face teams like Tampa Bay and the Rangers. The schedule is still brutal for the Wings.

#8: At least fans have the deadline. Well, fans can take solace in the fact that Monday is the trade deadline. Maybe Steve Yzerman will shake things up and give the fans something to cheer about.