Detroit Red Wings week 1 review

FINALLY!

The Detroit Red Wings are finally playing regular season games. We waited six long months to watch the Red Wings play again and with how their season ended in the 2023-24 season, we all expected them to come out with a chip on their shoulder.

The Red Wings were one point out of the playoffs and forced a regulation wins tiebreaker with the Washington Capitals who ultimately had Detroit beat and then went on to get swept by the New York Rangers in the 1st round.

Obviously, I'm still not over it but that's not the point.

The point is that the Red Wings were closer to making the playoffs than they have been in nearly a decade, got the taste of meaningful April hockey, and likely want to taste it again. So it was expected that the team would be firing on all cylinders to start the season.

Red Wings week finished with a 50/50 week

Oct. 10, 2024
Game 1: Red Wings v Penguins: 6-3 Penguins Win

Starting Goaltenders: Ville Husso vs Joel Blomqvist

In the official home and season opener the Red Wings took on early 2000s rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sid the kid and his team were looking to get redemption from their 6-0 loss against the New York Rangers the night before. With the Tigers playing in game five of the American League Division Series (ALDS) just across the street, the energy in Detroit was palpable. Thus, there was a lot of hype at Little Caesars Arena.

The game started with both teams looking sloppy and disheveled. Just under three minutes into the first period, DeBrincat would open the scoring with the first of the season assisted by Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. Unfortunately, Jeff Petry suffered an injury halfway through the same period and would miss the rest of the game. Neither team had many good opportunities in the first 15 minutes of play. Then, the Penguins scored to tie the game and ruin Red Wings fans' first-period enjoyment, which sent the game into the second period tied at one.

Things turned into a big "ope fest" for the Red Wings in the second period as a series of horrible offensive breakdowns by every defenseman not named Moritz Seider would allow the Penguins to score three straight in less than five minutes extending their lead to 4-1.

Husso would get pulled after letting in a "softie" on the fourth goal, being replaced by Cam Talbot making his Red Wings debut. The middle of this period was more or less forgettable aside from a few powerplays until Vladimir Tarasenko took matters into his own hands and scored his first goal as a Red Wing assisted by Seider and DeBrincat. The period would end with the Penguins up 4-2.

The third period wasn't much better for the boys in the Winged Wheel as the Penguins would score less than two minutes into the 2nd period making it 5-2. We get to watch the rearrival of the penalty box train when Debrincat would give fans a glimmer of hope scoring his second of the game assisted by Erik Gustafsson and Raymond. We would be graced with another three minutes of mostly nothing when the Penguins would snuff out any dash of hope Red Wing fans had when they would score to make it 6-3, which would end up being the final score with the final shots on goal being 32-28 in favor of the Red Wings.

Not a good showing by the Red Wings as a whole and left a lot of questions to be answered when it comes to the defense. The good news is that the forward group seems to be picking up where they left off last season and Seider seems to be playing at a higher level than last season.

Oct. 12, 2024
Game 2: Red Wings v Predators: 3-0 Red Wings

Staring Goaltenders: Talbot vs Juuse Saros

The Red Wings would finish week one with a game against the new and improved Nashville Predators, who come in also having lost their season opener. Both teams had a chip on their shoulders, and they both played like it. Due to the injury to Jeff Petry, Justin Holl returned to the Red Wings lineup, Cam Talbot's first start as a Red Wing, and Erik Gustafsson would be a healthy scratch, allowing for Albert Johansson's NHL debut.

The game started with a good back-and-forth flow between the teams, which continued for most of the period. While the Predators were getting a good amount of shots most of them were either blocked or low-danger shots. The period ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

The second period held a bit more excitement. Just over two minutes into the period, J.T. Compher scored his first of the season assisted by Ben Chiarot and Seider. This was also the first of what was what became the theme of the night's goal-scoring. Dirty, net-front goals. The rest of the second period played out like the first. While the Predators took a lot of shots, the Red Wings blocked just as many and both teams just played good defense. The Red Wings were able to hold on to take a 1-0 lead into the third period. Unfortunately, Christian Fischer suffered a lower boy injury on his first shift this period and would not return to the game.

The third period was almost a combination of the 1st and 2nd periods of the game. The Predators were shooting every chance they could and the Red Wings were blocking them. Andrew Copp would score his first of the season, extending the Red Wing lead six minutes into the third assisted by Raymond and Simon Edvinsson. Pulling the goalie with a bit more than three minutes left in the game the Predators would try and get anything past Talbot. While they made a good push, the final nail in the game coffin would be Larkin stipping former teammate Gustav Nyquist at center ice. Then, Larkin buried the empty net goal to make it 3-0 with 20 seconds left in the third period. The Red Wings held on and got a 3-0 shutout win with the final shot count being 42-22 in favor of the Predators.

This was a much better showing by the Red Wings against a team predicted to make some waves this season in the Predators. The top six seem to be clicking and the defense had a much better showcase in this game. Talbot made some incredible saves this game and is the primary reason for this win but it would be disingenuous to ignore just how improved the defense was in comparison to game one. Albert Johansson looked good in his debut Holl made a good case for him to not be sent back to Grand Rapids.