The Detroit Red Wings still can't gain any consistency on the road, despite winning two straight against the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings. While the Wings handled the Blues, it took a shootout to beat the Kings, but that should have been enough to carry the momentum into Anaheim on Friday night.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and the Ducks spoiled former goaltender John Gibson's homecoming with a 5-2 win over the Wings. Detroit converted just once on seven power play chances, while winning the face-off battle and getting 30 shots off.
Once again, the three-goal loss showed that the Wings still aren't the same team on the road, and they need to figure out how to play consistent hockey outside of Detroit as the season ages into November. Playing decent hockey on the road while maintaining momentum at home will make breaking this nine-year playoff drought more manageable.
Todd McLellan's insight on the Red Wings' road struggles
As usual, Todd McLellan offered words of wisdom following the loss to the Ducks, saying, "At the end of the night, that probably cost us. Some of our problems in the past reared their heads again in the first period – a few outnumbered rushes on real poor decisions, including the power play. Then suddenly, you’re chasing the game. That’s tough to do when you’re on the road and you’re playing back-to-back, but I still think we gave ourselves a chance."
The takeaway? Go out there and play better hockey from the moment the puck drops. While the Wings allowed the opening goal now in three straight games, climbing out of deficits while in the opposing team's arena and putting yourself behind the eight-ball early isn't a sustainable strategy, especially when you don't play well on the road.
Detroit Red Wings still up there in several power rankings
Notable power rankings all over the NHL universe have the Red Wings in the top 10. Arda Ocal of ESPN has the Wings ranked No. 8, while NHL.com clocks them in at No. 10. For the most part, the Wings have looked like a top 10 team, but those three losses by two or more goals on the road, plus the most so-so performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs, keep this team from breaking into the top five.
Still, with the media having so much faith in the Red Wings, they will be a shoo-in for the top five should they stay hot at home and fix their issues on the road. It will be the most fun fans will have following this team for a while, and with the centennial season in full force, they couldn't have asked for better timing.
If the Wings want to keep playing like a top-10 hockey team, they'll get their chance on Nov. 2 when they skate into San Jose. The Sharks are still entrenched in rebuilding mode, so the Wings should see this matchup as an opportunity to put up a convincing win and play 60 solid minutes of hockey.