It’s no secret that the Detroit Red Wings’ ability to score has been a struggle all season. It has been especially hard to watch in the Wings last two matchups, as the team failed to get on the scoreboard even once. They have a chance to get some revenge against one of those teams tonight.
Detroit Red Wings Offensive Woes
It’s now been six straight periods of hockey without a goal for the Red Wings. They failed to register one against both the Stars and the Predators in consecutive games.
Averaging 2.15 goals for per game, the Wings rank 30th in the league (just above the all but equally awful Buffalo Sabres). Despite some decent opportunities, it’s a common theme that the team can’t seem to cash in on the chances they get. As we saw on Tuesday night, once a team gets any sort of lead on the Wings, they can just put all the pressure on Detroit to score. And time and time again, the Red Wings come up short.
Scouting the Preds
The Predators are a team in limbo. Nearing the deadline, Nashville is going to have to decide if they are going to start a painful rebuild, or make one last push. Although the former is likely, they can kickstart the latter with a series win over the lowly Red Wings.
It sounds obvious, but if Detroit wants to win, they have to score. The style of hockey Jeff Blashill coaches calls for low scoring, gritty wins, but it’s hard to eke out a win in that style when you let the other team score first. The Wings need to take advantage of the Predators terrible penalty kill (30th in the league) to score early and often. If they get down early, it’s going to be nearly impossible to claw their way back into the game.
Detroit Red Wings Players to Watch:
Although the losses were tough to watch, Filip Zadina remained one of the more entertaining aspects of the Wings to watch. His clean zone entries and aggressive shots make for a really, really fun player to watch. If Detroit wants to drum up the scoring, it wouldn’t hurt to start with Zadina.
Michael Rasmussen has not looked out of place in a long stretch of games. Especially in the last two matchups, Ras seems to finally be utilizing his massive frame to set screens and fight off defenders to get Detroit the small victories they need. If he continues this solid play, it’s only a matter of time before he gets on the scoresheet.
Red Wings Other News and Notes
Detroit agreed to terms with Seth Barton, a third round choice in 2018. MLive’s Ansar Khan writes that the deal is a two-year deal and the defenseman will compete for a job in Grand Rapids next season.