Christian Fischer will add fuel to the lower lines
Nobody will help the Red Wings return to and stay in the playoffs quite like the lower-liners, and Christian Fischer is just one name in that group who has been responsible for this team’s step forward. He only has a little over 11 minutes of ice time this season, but his hard-hitting mindset and ability to occasionally pitch into the scoring realm continue to make him a valuable player.
Like Perron, Fischer has also given relief to Detroit’s goaltenders at 5-on-5 with a 92.4 on-ice save percentage. He’s also been on the ice in that same situation with 30 goals for and 30 allowed, which is not bad for a player with limited ice time and subpar goaltenders behind him.
He’s seen over 55 minutes on Detroit’s penalty kill this year and has put up a respectable performance, as the team has allowed just six goals when he’s out there on the short-handed unit. It’s also worth discussing Fischer’s even strength numbers, where he’s been on the ice for 32 goals and just 31 against.
Compare those numbers to his current xGF of 26.8 and xGA of 32.9 at even strength, and it strongly indicates his actual productivity paints a more accurate picture than his possession quality.