P.K. Subban unleashes 5 brutally honest words the Red Wings needed to hear

The best feedback is honest feedback, plain and simple. And the Red Wings need it more than any other NHL team. Having done a lot of losing over the past month and a half as the final lap of the season begins, the Red Wings, alongside their good friends, the Buffalo Sabres, have taken a step back. 

And there are many, many reasons why the Red Wings went from a playoff contender to a team that’s barely relevant since the 4 Nations Face-Off. But one respected hockey analyst has the answer, and he wasn’t shy about holding back. 

Now, P.K. Subban knows a thing or two about what makes great hockey, so when he speaks up, the Red Wings would do well to listen. And no, he didn’t go off on some rant about how bad those wearing the winged wheel are, kind of, anyway, even if they deserve for someone to let them know it these days. 

P.K. Subban gave the Red Wings some brutal and well-deserved feedback

Instead, as the headline implied, Subban needed just five words and five words only to get his point across. Over at X, Subban shared his thoughts about the Red Wings in what was yet another embarrassing loss, this time to the Vegas Golden Knights: “Can’t be soft on D.”

Now, he did attach a video to that caption and went out of his way to single out Justin Holl, something I’m sure every Wings fan out there would be perfectly fine with. I mean, has Holl even once lived up to expectations since he came to Hockeytown? If he has, then enlighten me, because I don’t remember him doing much in a red and white sweater. 

Anyway, whether you read what Subban said or watched the subsequent video, if you’re a true, realist kind of fan, then you’re probably nodding in agreement. The Red Wings have let this season slip away, and you can thank their repeated poor performances on defense for letting their fans down once again. 

The Red Wings must respond to Subban’s message

Hey, Subban knows what it’s like to win the Norris Trophy, so every blueliner needs to take those five words to heart. Really, if they just started playing a more physical brand of hockey that involved denying opponents more sequences, and if a few players step up, maybe they’ll end the season with a respectable record. 

But right now, the Wings will find themselves picking in the top 10 because they can’t get their act together. The Wings, who are 2-9-0 in their last 11 contests, have allowed 40 goals in that stretch, or 3.63 goals per game. So, once again, Subban’s words need to be a real eye-opener. And if they’re not, then this team is no longer interested in playing good hockey. 

Now, it’s up to the Wings. Will they respond with some dynamic defensive performances, or will they keep playing bad hockey and allowing four or more goals per game, or close to? It’s up to them, but if they decide on the latter, it wouldn’t surprise me if fans lost interest in this team so much that another bad October or November will result in scores of fans wearing opposing team colors entering the building at every home game.