The Detroit Red Wings didn't enjoy a stellar road trip, but considering how bad they played on the road against teams like the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders, it also could have been way, way worse.
And the Wings acknowledged their improved play on the road, even if there was still a lot to be desired. Star defenseman Moritz Seider was one of them, and Dylan Larkin had a few words to say, too.
Regarding the first road trip of the year, Larkin said, "We showed we can play on the road and in this building (T-Mobile Arena) especially. I thought that was a winnable game. We just didn’t get the offense, the bounces or the puck going into the net that we needed. Gibby played unbelievable, which is a positive sign. The PK was good again, but it’s a good learning lesson. We got to execute better and when we get our chances, we got to bury down.”
Returning home and keeping up the high-octane game that was responsible for the Red Wings jumping out to a 9-5 record is paramount. But considering their up-and-down track record so far on the road this season, any "winnable game" must be won for the Wings to keep pace with teams like the Montreal Canadiens, who look like they're on a mission to take the Atlantic this season.
Former Red Wings rival ends up on the wrong side of history
Alex Ovechkin notched his 900th goal on Wednesday night, becoming the first player in league history to take the honor. The opposing team? None other than the St. Louis Blues, whom the Wings were more than familiar with throughout their time in the Western Conference.
The kicker was that goaltender Jordan Binnington appeared to try to hide the puck in his pants following the goal. What made Binnington try to hide the puck as opposed to simply handing it to the linesman is anyone's guess, and the Blues didn't appear interested in discussing the situation following the contest.
Maybe in the coming days, we'll figure out Binnington's logic. But if he thought a packed arena wasn't going to see him try to hide the puck, he was sorely mistaken.
What's next for the Red Wings?
The Red Wings return to the ice on Friday night vs. the New York Rangers, who are looking to bounce back from a shutout loss of their own from Tuesday night vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers are one of the league's hottest road teams, clocking in at 6-1-1 in opposing arenas this season, so this will by no means be an easy game.
Their goaltending and defense are as hot as ever, ranking sixth out of 32 teams as of Wednesday night with 34 goals allowed, so the Wings need to get the sticks going again if they plan on winning this one.
They also can't let the Rangers suddenly get hot when the Blueshirts have the puck. New York has just 31 goals this season, putting them at 30th in the league. That means the Wings' goaltending must put on a stellar performance like it did in that Vegas game.