After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, the Detroit Red Wings were supposed to come back with a vengeance and continue to improve. Here we are, 24 games in, and the Wings sit at a disappointing 10-11-3. So, what’s going on?
A team that was good – albeit inconsistently – last year and bolstered their roster with solid players in free agency amongst other roster moves should have a better record than the Wings have now.
It’s still early, so I’m not hitting the panic button just yet, and admittedly I haven’t watched enough games for me to say fans should be worried about much. However, based on last year’s late playoff push, I expected a little more out of the Red Wings.
On Wednesday, though, the Wings won against the Calgary Flames in flashy fashion in overtime.
While this win was big for their confidence after dropping three straight in a trip to California, the Wings still sit at the 14 seed out of 16 in the Eastern Conference.
Struggles on Both Ends
Offensively, the Wings have had their struggles this season. Up to this point, they’ve been shut out thrice and only put up one goal in four games so far. While they did win a one-goal game against the Islanders in October, scoring with this roster should come a little easier, I think.
The addition of right-winger Vladimir Tarasenko, along with established stars like center captain Dylan Larkin and right-winger Alex DeBrincat who produced a lot of offense last season, should make for more goals scored, right?
Well, not really. The Wings currently sit in the bottom 10 of goals per game at 2.57. Goaltending hasn’t been too hot either, with Detroit ranked at 19 with 3.09 goals against them on average.
Both of these rankings are obviously disappointing, but it’s really early in the season and things can still turn around. I do think something needs to be done, though.
With the young roster the Wings have been developing over the years combined with veteran additions like Tarasenko and right-winger Patrick Kane, there is no reason they shouldn’t be winning games – besides coaching.
Time to Move on From Lalonde?
Current Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde has honestly been a disappointment so far for Detroit. With the team finishing seventh and fifth in the Atlantic Division over his previous two seasons and missing the playoffs both times, it may be time for a change – especially when it comes to motivating the team.
According to freelance Red Wings journalist Sean Shapiro, the Wings are “a very quiet team, effectively a team of introverts and business-like professionals.” This is a huge issue if it isn’t fixed. Without a vocal leader on the team, the Wings have to rely on coaching to get them motivated.
If Lalonde isn’t the guy for that, Red Wings general manager and former player Steve Yzerman has a decision to make. Firing a head coach midseason may make things worse, but at this point, I don’t see many other options.
In all fairness, I don’t know enough about hockey to know who would replace Lalonde, but there has to be someone with more of a voice that can motivate these guys. Fortunately for me, I was able to find a list of possible candidates.
My favorite candidate on this list is probably the current University of Denver’s hockey head coach David Carle. While this choice is a stretch, as Carle has seen nothing but success in his time as the Pioneers’ head coach, I can see him shifting his coaching style to the pros and wanting to return glory to a storied franchise like the Red Wings.
Score More, Win More
The rest of the Wings’ struggles fall on the players. If what Shapiro said about the Red Wings’ leadership situation is true, someone needs to step into more of a leadership role on the team. Games won’t be won until there is at least one player the younger guys can look up to and lean on when things get tough on the ice.
One player I’m surprised isn’t more of a leader, as far as I’ve read, is Larkin. Wearing the “C” on your jersey doesn’t mean just being one of the team’s best players, but also being a player fit to lead said team. Larkin has been captain of the Wings since the 2020-2021 campaign, so he should be getting used to being that player for the team. I am in no way bashing Larkin – he’s been a fun player to watch on the team since he first stepped on the ice for the Wings – but he may need to step it up a little and take charge of a struggling team. Other than the leadership problem, it seems to me that the Wings just need to figure out a way to score goals.
Their scoring stats have improved in the past week, so some things are starting to change, but the Wings still aren’t winning games.
Another highlight of the team is their power play offense. The Wings possess a top-five power play offense, sitting at 27.9%. This means that every time an opposing player is sent to the penalty box and the Wings have an extra man on the ice, they are scoring nearly 30% of the time.
With this in mind, it really isn’t all bad for the Wings, and it is still early in an 82-game season.
If a decision about Lalonde is made soon, I feel good things are coming for Detroit on the ice.
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