Three areas the Detroit Red Wings need to improve during the second half of the season
If the Detroit Red Wings don't want to become playoff pretenders, they must clean up a few areas of their game.
Suppose the Detroit Red Wings hope to qualify for the postseason in 2024; they need to drastically improve in three areas, and fast. Before Thursday's late-night contest with the Los Angeles Kings, the Red Wings controlled the fifth spot in the Atlantic Division with 40 points in 38 games, one point behind the Lightning with a game in hand. The Red Wings are five points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have also played two fewer games to this point. The top two teams in the Atlantic are beginning to separate themselves. Boston controls the top spot with 52 points in just 36 games, while the Panthers are second with 48 points through 37 contests.
In comparison, the Penguins sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points through 36 games. The wild card race will be a wild ride down the stretch, leaving little to no room for error in the second half of the season. That 3-9-1 stretch to close December really put Detroit in a vulnerable position.
If the Detroit Red Wings hope to make a serious playoff push, three areas need improvement.
The addition of Patrick Kane has paid off exceptionally well for the Detroit Red Wings. Kane, 35, is producing at a point-per-game rate; his vision, creativity, and ability to create offense at a high-end level is something the Red Wings had been missing for quite some time. He and Alex DeBrincat give Detroit two real top-line players that can flank Dylan Larkin or J.T. Compher if Lalonde is trying to spread out some offense. Kane and DeBrincat have excelled together on the top power-play unit.
Kane's ability to enter the offensive zone, particularly while on the power play, has become a significant asset. Gaining the offensive zone with control is vital, and it allows the Red Wings to set up faster than the days of being forced to dump the puck in and retrieve it. After dumping the puck in, if they win the puck battle, they need to get set up. Time is of the essence while on the power play.
Detroit's power play is operating at 22.2%, which is above league average; plus, they've scored 137 goals, which ranks third in the league.
The top-end scoring is fine, but the Red Wings need more consistency among their depth scorers if they hope to make a real playoff push.
Andrew Copp is being paid like a second-line center but hasn't scored since November 7th. The 29-year-old has only notched five goals this year, which follows a nine-goal campaign a season ago. Woof. Yes, he's become a reliable defensive center, but at $5.7 million per season, Copp needs to be much more productive than a fourth-line center. His 17 points this season rank him eighth on the Red Wings with defenseman Jake Walman. In turn, Walman has recorded nine goals on the season and is on a 20-goal pace.
Copp isn't the only Red Wing forward who is underachieving. As Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now recently mentioned, Joe Veleno has recorded two goals over his past 27 games and is a minus-11 over his last 12 games. Robby Fabbri, who caught fire returning to the lineup following knee surgery, scored seven goals over his first 11 games. He has gone ten straight without a goal, and recorded just one assist over that span. In addition, Detroit has gotten eight goals and 16 points from Michael Rasmussen, plus nine goals and 16 points from David Perron. Reading this is sure to infuriate the Jonatan Berggren should-be-in-Detroit crowd. Berggren recorded two goals and five points in nine games this season, with the Detroit Red Wings playing just a hair over ten minutes per night. He is also a plus-4 during his limited action.
The Detroit Red Wings need to tighten things up defensively in the second half of the season.
Detroit's defensive woes this season have been both disheartening, catastrophic, and even monumental at times. There are plenty of examples, but the one that stands out in my mind is that catastrophe at home against the lousy Sharks. Detroit squandered a 4-0 second-period lead in the blink of an eye, allowing two short-handed goals on the same power play and then another one right as their power play opportunity expired. I don't want to center out Jake Walman, but let's say it wasn't his best night. Although this slide will mostly focus on the defensive pairings, Detroit's forwards could also focus on being more responsible in their own zone. Team defense needs to be addressed, even the simple stuff; when a defenseman pinches, he must be replaced by a forward. I know it's basic stuff, but it hasn't always happened. Detroit's wingers need to be stronger on the boards, winning puck battles, especially on their own end, and ensuring that the puck exits the zone. The centermen need to dive that middle lane and not mismanage their defensive zone coverage; far too many times, they've left an opponent alone in front of the goal.
Back to the defensemen; let's start with the first pairing. Walman has had an up-and-down year for Detroit and has even found himself as a healthy scratch, but he currently seems to be playing some of his better hockey again. Walman's play is critical to Detroit's success. He's paired with Moritz Seider, and the Red Wings count on his offensive contributions and shot-blocking ability at the other end. Walman needs to take a bit more of a calculated risk during the second half of the season, but it's a fine line between risk and reward. Walman's nine goals are impressive, but he needs to be more aware of the situation and know when it's right or wrong to push the envelope in the offensive zone.
That goes for Seider as well. Detroit has given up so many odd-man rushes this season, leading to whoever is in the net digging the puck out of the back of their net far too often. Walman and Seider have also turned the puck over in the defensive zone far too many times, trying to make more of a unique zone exit rather than making the simple play. The second pairing of Jeff Petry and Ben Chiarot have also struggled in this aspect, but it's usually after they've been hemmed in chasing for a minute or more. That second pairing, although nowhere near perfect, has performed much better of late, but there is a reason they're the second pairing. Watching Petry play on a nightly basis has undoubtedly led to me having an ulcer. Chiarot has performed much better in his second year with the organization than last year.
Like Petry, I have many of the same feelings when I watch Justin Holl. I never liked the signing, but I admit, I became impressed with Holl's play early on in the season. That notion has since faded. Holl used his size to be a physical contributor on the backend, but as the season has gone on, his three-year deal worth $10.2 million seems too rich for what he provides. Although the Detroit Red Wings continue to rotate Holl, Petry, and Olli Maatta, I feel it should be more of a Holl/Petry rotation moving forward. Ideally, general manager Steve Yzerman looks to upgrade the backend by making a trade ahead of the deadline, but before doing so, the Red Wings will need to show their boss that they will remain in the thick of the playoff hunt.
I appreciate Shayne Gostisbehere's offensive proficiency, but he's a liability during five-on-five play. The veteran defenseman is a team-worst minus-17 on the season. Again, 15 of his 27 points have come on the power play. Still, he needs to be paired with a very good defensive defender who can help cover up his lack of defensive zone coverage and overall defensive deficiencies. Rather than see this defenseman rotation continue, I'd prefer to see Maatta paired with Gostisbehere full-time. Remember how well Maatta and Filip Hronek performed last season? Perhaps Lalonde can find the same success with Maatta and Gostisbehere if they are given time to build up the continuity needed. to be an efficient third pairing.
The Detroit Red Wings need steady, above-average goaltending for the remainder of the season.
I fell short of saying elite goaltending simply because the Detroit Red Wings don't have an elite NHL-ready netminder on their roster.
Hockey can be such an odd sport sometimes. Veteran goaltender Alex Lyon was signed this past summer to be an insurance policy. You know, insurance is something we have but don't want to use, but if we need it, we're usually grateful to have bought it. Well, in Detroit's case, that's exactly the situation.
Lyon, 31, had been brought in on a two-year contract that averages just $900,000 per season. He was destined to be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he could mentor top prospect Sebastian Cossa and be a reliable option if injuries in Detroit were to occur. Well, Lyon never made it to Grand Rapids, and right before the start of the regular season, Yzerman called up veteran journeyman Michael Hutchinson to fill that void. Hutchinson was eager to leave his couch and split time in the AHL as the Red Wings elected to carry three goalies on their active roster. He's even been pressed into duty for Detroit as injuries continued to mount.
With plenty of questions in goal throughout the first half of the season, Detroit has needed Lyon of late to take the reins in goal like he did last season while with the Florida Panthers. Before Thursday's game in L.A. the Detroit Red Wings had allowed a whopping 131 goals on the season, which ranks 27th in the league. Part of this is noted in my previous slide: some ineffective and insufficient defensive play from the five skaters. Lyon (before Thursday) is 6-4-0 with a reliable .917 save percentage and 2.53 GAA. Goaltending at the NHL level is one area I'd like to see Yzerman improve, especially if the Detroit Red Wings find themselves in a playoff position ahead of the deadline. John Gibson is my first choice, but he's been linked to the New Jersey Devils quite often of late. But I refuse to discount Ducks GM Pat Verbeek and Yzerman's relationship. If there is a trade to be made, these two should be able to hammer out a deal that works for both clubs.
Before suffering a lower-body injury, Ville Husso seemed as if he was finally breaking out of a lengthy slump that dates back to last season. Despite posting a 9-5-2 record, Husso maintained a save percentage of just .893 and a goals-against average of 3.53. Those are not efficient enough stats to be a No. 1 netminder in the NHL, or at least on a team with playoff aspirations.
James Reimer, 35, was brought in as a stable No. 2 goaltender and started fine, but his play has fallen way off. He's posted a 3-6-2 record with an awful .889 save percentage and 3.41 GAA, or not good. Reimer is forced to be the primary backup for the time being while Husso continues to recover from his injury, but as soon as he returns, Reimer will find himself up in the press box. As I mentioned earlier this week, the Detroit Red Wings need to roll with Lyon in goal for the time being and play him as the No. 1 goaltender under proven otherwise, and that appears to be what Lalonde is doing. Lyon made his fourth straight start on Thursday night. If Detroit takes the first two of three on this west coast road trip, Lalonde may turn to Reimer on Sunday in Anaheim to give Lyon a rare night off.
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