Detroit Red Wings turned into a pumpkin, lost their prince

Marco Kasper led the way for his Detroit Red Wings as they faced off against Trevor Zegras and his Anaheim Ducks. 

Kasper and his line of skilled players had itched for a goal all season long. Chances passed flew by in more ways than one. 

They brought hope, as did the top defensive pair in Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson. 

Much like the rest of the season, the Detroit Red Wings looked promising crumbled before our eyes

As difficult as the play on the ice was to watch, I think nothing was worse than the unseen. Edvinsson tried skating in the third. However, he immediately left the game. 

Losing Edvinsson wasn’t the only reason the Detroit Red Wings lost. 

There were plenty of penalties and poor play to go around. 

Was Alex Lyon at his best? Absolutely not. I didn’t expect him to be. No matter who he played against in his return, it will take time for his game to return to form. Give him time and he will be fine. 

I agree with not pulling Lyon, as there wasn’t a point. Too many games in too few nights could spell too high of a workload for their number-one goaltender. Cam Talbot should have started the game, but he didn’t. There wasn’t any point in overplaying him.

At age 37, he can handle a decent workload, but I would much rather not find his limits (especially this early in the season with the lack of depth in goal in the organization).

In the new year, we may see Sebastian Cossa sooner than later. However, if we can keep him in the American Hockey League (AHL) as long as possible this season, it might be best for his confidence and success. 

He’s doing fine in the AHL, but I’m hoping he finds a better rhythm. Also, the Detroit Red Wings need to get their stuff together before throwing a rookie goaltender of any caliber into the fire. 

Aside from goaltending, penalties were shots in the foot. 

It’s a common, unaddressed issue with the coaching staff and team. I’m not sure why it’s so difficult for veteran players, who are meant to be leaders on this team, can’t be corrected with something so simple. Instead, veterans get free passes to make poor decisions constantly that negatively impact the team. Whether it’s emotions running high, lack of discipline, not moving one’s feet, or something else, the team needs to fix their penalties for everyone rampage they’re on. Or, they need to find someone else who will if this coaching staff cannot. 

Along with the penalties, fundamentals are still missing. 

Making crisp tape-to-tape passes, effectively positioning in any given zone, winning individual battles against the opposition, and dedicated back-checking seem to be foreign concepts to the team. At times they don’t seem to want to play. Maybe it’s the coaching staff, systems, problems with fellow teammates, or exhaustion, the Detroit Red Wings tend to sputter along instead of playing to the best of their abilities. 

The lack of ice time for Albert Johansson is a problem. It’s great that he is playing again. 

I get that he had a poor gap/box out on one of the goals against. Something wonderful about Johansson? He grows from his mistakes. Something that certain veteran defensemen aren’t interested in doing. Whenever I see Johansson make an ineffective play, it’s usually a teachable moment and boy is he competitive. Much like Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Dylan Larkin, Johansson wants to push himself to be the best player that he can be. 

It’s going to take time for Johansson to scale up his game for the National Hockey League (NHL) level, but the more time on ice he gets, the better of the team will be in the long run as he adjusts. He should, and needs to, be on the second pairing if the Detroit Red Wings want to turn this season around. Especially with Edvinsson out for an unknown amount of time, he’s the best option we have.

I get the NHL is not the AHL, he’s had an up-and-down start to his career. However, the more time he gets he’ll convince you he’s worth the investment.

In about three games I’m hoping he can see a decent number of shifts with Seider. They’ve always intrigued me, as Johansson loves supporting his defensive partner. Yet, he has the skills to be more than a stable, stay-at-home partner. He can help a guy like Seide create magic on the ice. 

Johansson is consistent, determined, and can read plays in the defensive zone pretty well. Sometimes he can have trouble getting the puck out of the zone, which is something that Seider can help with. Johansson is an effective puck career and point man. His shot is surprisingly effective as well. As opposed to just ripping pucks, he likes to be precise with the lanes he uses as he attempts to get pucks through to the net.

Whether head coach Derek Lalonde likes it or not, he’s stuck with Johansson. It’s time to let Johansson loose for everyone’s sake.

On a positive note, the supposed third line is having fun out there. While I would love to see Patrick Kane play with Kasper and Berggren, Vladimir Tarasenko is a blast to watch. I’m hoping they see more ice time as they have demanded so. Increasing ice time for a line like Kasper’s doesn’t always lead to more scoring chances, but it’s worth a shot. 

The Detroit Red Wings need to take as many shots as possible with this concept. As young players are given the roles and ice time they demand, the on-ice success will reflect those choices that Lalonde seems so scared to make.