Something is deeply, fundamentally wrong with the Detroit Red Wings.
There's no reason a team with a Norris-caliber defenseman, an elite scorer in Alex DeBrincat and a fantastic goaltender in John Gibson should be in this position. On paper, this team has a 30-goal center, a 40-goal forward, a top-tier defenseman and a high-end playmaking forward. What, then, is holding this team back? Is it the roster construction? A lack of identity?
Or is it the sign of a larger cultural rot?
Why the Red Wings crash at the end of every season
It seems like an annual tradition at this point. The Red Wings, no matter how hot they get, always find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in March. They collapse in meaningful moments. They fall apart when they're expected to step up. It's actually impressive how many times they've crashed and burned. This season stings a little worse than the others. Four straight years of March Sadness wears down on a fanbase after a while.
To make matters worse, players who left the Red Wings are thriving now. Anthony Mantha just celebrated a 30-goal campaign. Shayne Gostisbehere is scoring at nearly a point-per-game. Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored just 11 goals with the Red Wings last season, scored his 22nd on Cam Talbot when the Minnesota Wild came to town. Even Elmer Soderblom, who the Red Wings traded away in March, has tripled his season's point totals in just a handful of games with the Penguins.
On one hand, this can be chalked up to Detroit's roster construction. On the other, it's a sign of a fundamentally flawed culture. Why do the Red Wings so frequently collapse when they're behind? While the loss to Minnesota came off a Patrick Kane penalty, there are several other losses that aren't solely on him. The collapse against the Florida Panthers earlier in March is a microcosm of the issues plaguing this team.
Call it what you want: a lack of grit, a lack of heart, you name it. It's a sign of a squad in desperate need of a culture change.
All is not lost
The season isn't over yet. There are still a handful of games left on the docket. While the Red Wings aren't in complete control of their destiny, they still have a chance to right the ship and make the playoffs. If they can pull that off, it'll mean huge leaps and bounds for their culture. But whether or not they make the playoffs won't fix their culture.
There has to be a serious overhaul on how this team handles setbacks. During a post-game press conference, Andrew Copp mentioned that the locker room is trying to avoid "outside noise" and focus on finishing up the season.
But maybe a little "outside noise" is what the team needs.