Jeff Blashill says Detroit Red Wings’ defensive identity ‘not good enough all season’

As the Detroit Red Wings try to stop sliding down the standings, their focus is on two areas in particular.

“We have to be way more committed defensively and get a higher compete level,” rookie Lucas Raymond said Monday. “We definitely have the capacity to do it, so I think it’s all up to ourselves.”

The next test comes Tuesday when the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes are at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings (23-24-3) have managed to stay at or near .500 as games have intensified with the playoffs nearing, but that’s been built on an improved offense, while the defense has sputtered.

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“We haven’t been a good enough defensive team really all season,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “It’s something that we continue to work on and continue to want to get better at. Some of that is confidence defensively. But it’s certainly something that we still need to get better at.

“I don’t think that’s been enough of our identity. I do think our identity at times this year has been an extraordinary high compete level, an extraordinary high sacrifice level, and I don’t think that’s been to the degree that’s it needs to be. Certainly not Saturday but probably not against Colorado, either.”

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The Wings’ goals-allowed average after 53 games is 3.58; last season it was 3.00 after 56 games. The Wings are scoring more (2.89 goals-for average this season; 2.23 last season) but the imbalance in the numbers show that while adding skilled new players in Raymond and Moritz Seider, the Wings have regressed in their own zone.

“I think part of it is as you move guys in and out, you have a different look to your team,” Blashill said. “I’d make an argument we probably have some naturally better offensive players this year and maybe not as naturally good defensive players. Sometimes it’s partly that. If you can get your offensive guys to learn how to be great defensively, or even young players to learn how to be in those roles and be great defensively, then you’re going to get a lot better.”

The Wings have lost two in a row after leaving the New York Rangers with a 3-2 shootout victory Feb. 17. Blashill said that, “I don’t think we played super smart against the Rangers, but I did think there was a lot of compete and sacrifice, and that’s an area of our game that we have to make sure that we’re great at.”

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The Wings have just learned four points worth of lessons in how they fare when they don’t compete from the opening draw. Alex Nedeljkovic (six goals allowed on 25 shots) and Thomas Greiss (8 goals, 44 shots) bear a chunk of blame for the losses to the Avalanche and the Maple Leafs, and they need to bear down just like the skaters do.

“I hold our goalies to a high standard,” Blashill said. “When I think they need to be better and execute at a higher level, I make sure and let them know. But I also am cognizant of the fact good defense can really help breed good goaltending. So it kind of goes hand in hand, and we probably need better of both. If you look at the last couple games, we need better from everybody, but throughout the course of the year, we need to be better defensively from everybody.”

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.