Detroit – Good hockey teams will get offensive contributions from their defensemen, complementing the offense created from the forwards up front.
The Red Wings only got 20 goals from defensemen last season. In another sign of this season’s improved roster, the blue line has already contributed 10 goals along with creating a large number of other scoring opportunities because of getting pucks to the net.
“That offense is us being simple in our five-on-five play,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “Again, those (defensemen) goals are quiet goals, it’s not a player cutting through, knifing through three guys or having a world class 200-foot play. They’re joining the rush properly, getting pucks to the net in the offensive zone, and credit to our forwards the last two games, our five-on-five offense was struggling and we were getting (last couple games) to those hard areas, (generating) traffic, rebounds, (getting into) goalies’ eyes, deflections, all that resulted in offense from our defense.”
Teams want to have as much sustained offensive zone time as possible, which normally wear opponents down and create offensive opportunities and goals.
The Wings had several examples of that the past few games, but defenseman Ben Chiarot’s innocent enough goal on a shot from the point was a goal Lalonde highlighted.
“Perfect timing, the goalie gets screened by his own defenseman, but we had three point shots prior to that,” Lalonde said. “We retrieved it, so it was extended zone time and it ended up in the net with Ben’s goal. But that mentality of getting the puck to the net and retrieving it gave us and extended offensive zone shift, which led to that goal.
“To me, people think of offense defensemen guys on the rush, (San Jose’s) Erik Karlsson, but to me part of that is being able to create from the offensive blue line as simple as getting puck through traffic. It may not go in at the time, but it creates a scramble, creates pressure on their defense, and you might be scoring 25 seconds later because of that skill play.”
Defenseman Olli Maatta feels it’s been all five guys on the ice that has improved the offensive contributions from the defense.
“Every team wants to do that,” Maatta said. “It’s tough to score, so if there’s somebody net-front doing the dirty work, that kind of gets unnoticed, how much that helps us. If we’re joining the rush, that’s all how we all come out of our own zone, all give guys.
“Every team wants to do that, having four men in a rush. We have responsible forwards who are getting better with covering when the (defenseman) goes in. We have somebody going back (to cover), and it’s not a risky play, and it’s tough to defend.”
Defenseman Jake Walman, who scored a key goal in the San Jose comeback victory, isn’t surprised by the blue line contributions.
“We have to defense core to do that,” Walman said. “A lot of guys have produced in the past at different levels, whether it’s before coming here, or here, and I see it in practice. Guys have that offensive instinct.”
Berggren contributing
Forward Jonatan Berggren has sparked the Wings with his offensive skills since being promoted from Grand Rapids five games ago.
But Lalonde feels that skill has benefitted the Wings in various ways.
“Adding a skilled guy in your lineup shows up in many different ways,” Lalonde said. “It shows up with a play out of the defensive zone, or a skilled play in the neutral zone that keeps the play moving north. It’s not necessarily that world class skilled play ends up in the back of the net. Some of that skill helps our lineup, it’s a little different being in the bottom-six (fowards) and we’ve given him looks in the top-six when warranted and it’s helped our lineup, but a little different look in the bottom-six that has helped us.”
Ice chips
Lalonde was able to catch his beloved Buffalo Bills Sunday at Ford Field for the game against Cleveland that was moved from Buffalo because of the massive snowstorm.
Lalonde is planning on attending Thursday’s game against the Lions, too, for his third Bills game this season.
“Maybe my junior year in college,” said Lalonde, of when the last time he’s been able to attend so many Buffalo games. “One of my teammates in college, his father was Marv Levy’s game day security guard, so we’d play Saturday might and we’d all get in the car and go the game Sunday morning.”
Lalonde brought his coaching staff to Sunday’s game “and we had some fun with it”, adding the infamous “Bills Mafia” was in full force but the Browns were well represented as well.
… An old NHL adage about a team being in a playoff spot on American Thanksgiving usually staying in that spot all season does hold some stock. Twelve of the 16 teams that made the playoffs last season were in a playoff spot on Thanksgiving.
The Wings will likely be in a wild-card spot Thursday given the schedule. But Lalonde isn’t putting much stock in that axiom right now.
“I did with a couple of the teams in Tampa (where Lalonde was an assistant coach) because how talented they were and that was probably real,” Lalonde said. “No, not with this team. We’ve got a long way to go. We’re there now through sheer will and commitment and it’s a huge credit to our guys. But, no, those underlying numbers (which show the Wings’ problem areas), there’s some truth to them, too. We’re willing our way to where we are right now, but how sustainable that is, we’ll find out from this group.”
… Elmer Soderblom (lower-body) and Gustav Lindstrom (lower-body) both didn’t practice Monday. Lindstrom is day to day, while Soderblom, who has missed the last five games, could miss several more given he was expected to return to the ice Monday but didn’t.
“He hasn’t played in a couple of weeks, so it’ll take him some time (to recover),” Lalonde said.
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan