The Detroit Red Wings may kick off preseason this week, but we don't need any 'end of week blues' if things don't go according to plan for a few games that don't count. While we'll see some of what the lines will look like when the Wings start playing for real, we also need to remember that all 32 teams are trying and experimenting from now until early-to-mid October.
Sure, Elmer Soderblom, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond should look good, especially if they're on the ice together against a B-squad. But that B-squad gives them a chance to try some new strategies that may not make it into actual games.
It's also why I wouldn't be concerned if players like John Gibson allowed seven goals in a game, or if the blue line looked like a carbon copy of what it was last season. How do we know Gibson's not trying something new, or just getting used to playing behind a team not named the Anaheim Ducks?
Detroit Red Wings aren't looking to win a preseason championship
If preseason meant anything, their games wouldn't vanish into history. You can't go onto Hockey-Reference and look up preseason numbers like you can in the regular and postseason. So what does matter before the Red Wings start playing for real?
Player evaluation's bigger than anything else, especially if got a prospects pool that might boast a few NHL-ready talents and only 23 spots up for grabs in the lineup. So regardless of what the scoreboard says, look at how each player's doing individually, especially if a youngster's enjoying a memorable outing.
That's what counts in the preseason. Players who make you say, "Man, I hope they end up with the big club." So when you check out the games starting this week and the score's not going the Red Wings way should that be the case, don't jump to any conclusions.
Not that it needs to be doom and gloom for the Red Wings
And likewise, optimistism's a great trait to have. But you need to be realistic if the Wings are going in there and clobbering opponents. That's always nice to see, but it won't affect the team's points total.
Instead, look at how each player, especially those younger ones, progresses, what the Wings do in any given situation, and how different linemates build chemistry, or lack thereof. That's where the stakes raise before we start seeing things reflect in the standings.