Wow, that was a tough one to watch. But haven’t they all been tough lately? And didn’t it seem like just a few days ago that I’d written something similar about the Red Wings? I’d say to correct me if I’m wrong, but I have the link to prove it.
Overall, there aren’t enough words in the English dictionary to describe just how poorly the Wings have been playing. And whatever they tried last night against the Florida Panthers was about the most uninspiring hockey I’d seen anyone play in a while. At least among teams that were supposed to contend until the final matchup of the season.
That most likely won’t be the Red Wings, who are now just a Montreal Canadiens win from elimination. Or better yet, falling out of contention. And I don’t want to make any assumptions, but it looked like the Wings didn’t even try in this latest matchup. They would claim otherwise, but let’s look at a few important statistics.
Red Wings didn’t even look like they cared in loss to Florida
For one, the Wings logged just 23 shots on goal compared to the Panthers 31. Their usually strong power play finished 0 for 2, and the Wings penalty kill gave up a power play goal on its only chance. No, the PK unit hasn’t been good all season, but you’d at least have thought a sense of urgency would’ve been a prerequisite on Thursday.
I guess the Wings forgot to pick up the memo. Oh, and once again, they let another opponent outmuscle them. Florida logged twice as many hits on Detroit, and by far looked like the more physical team. In that regard, it wasn’t even a game. If there was ever one takeaway from the contest, it was this: Florida looked like a true playoff team, while the Wings still resembled a dysfunctional group that was, once again, a work in progress.
Want more fun? It’s not like the Red Wings let the Panthers dominate them this season. They won 5-2 back in January, if you remember correctly. And just a few days before, they edged out the Panthers 2-1. So much for snagging a season sweep over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
What do you say to a team that just gave up on their season?
Regardless of what head coach Todd McLellan said postgame, it doesn’t matter. Honestly, if I were the coach of this team, I’d have told the media, “I have no comments. Go back and watch the game and you’ll see what happened.” Even saying that might be a little much.
So, as early as tonight, Red Wings fans could be saying, “Goodbye, playoffs, hello offseason,” for the ninth year running. They should also start saying hello to a lot of new faces, because that’s the only way they’re getting past the 82-game mark in 2025-26. Getting more physical would be a great place to begin.
I can’t stress more about how much I like the youngsters on this team, but without complementary veterans, the Red Wings will keep seeing the same old results for another half-decade. So, general manager Steve Yzerman should already have a game plan of how he’s going to improve this roster. Let’s see if he gets it right for once.