Detroit Red Wings Weekly Recap; Wrapping Up Week 23
Welcome to my 23rd regular-season Red Wings weekly review. The Detroit Red Wings played three games this past week, posting a record of 1-2.
The Red Wings lost to the Boston Bruins 3-2 in Boston, then turned around and beat those same Bruins in Detroit 5-3. The Detroit Red Wings closed out the week with a 2-1 loss in Nashville against the Predators.
The Detroit Red Wings are looking for answers.
Positives
The goaltending and defense were much better this week, allowing a total of eight goals in three games. This is a good sign, especially against the best team in the NHL, the Boston Bruins.
If the Red Wings can lock things up defensively, then they can end the season on a high note. The offense is still a bit questionable, but they did score five against the Bruins.
Winger Alex Chiasson continues his hot streak since his recall from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. He had three goals last week and now has three goals and two assists for five points in six games.
If Chiasson continues to play on a level that is this consistent, he could very well earn a full-time spot on the Red Wings roster for next season. He fits well in the middle six and could be the secondary scoring the Red Wings need.
Captain Dylan Larkin continued his hot play, leading the Detroit Red Wings in scoring last week with four points on one goal and three assists. Larkin has been on fire since the all-star break and is showing the Red Wings management why he deserved a new contract.
He is one of the Detroit Red Wings forwards that continues to play with determination, even at the end of the season.
Negatives
The Red Wings need to have better shooting options. Oftentimes, they make bad choices when taking a shot, resulting in an easy save for the opposing goaltender.
The Detroit Red Wings do have shooters like Dominik Kubalik, David Perron, and Filip Zadina, but the team as a whole is shooting at a 10.3% clip. If they want to make the playoffs, this is one thing that has to change.
The offense as a whole needs some work. Larkin leads the team with 64 points, then Perron with 41 points, then it drops off to the thirties. Larkin is doing all he can and has been a machine for the Detroit Red Wings all season, pushing the team in the right direction but he needs help offensively.
The arrival of Chiasson has helped, but this needs to be more of a group effort. The team is talented enough to be scoring more than the three-goals-per-game average they currently have.
The losses of Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana to trades and Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen to injury have hurt the team’s depth.
Next. Breaking down NHL playoff matchups if season ended today. dark
These are four quality NHL forwards who are not easy to replace in the lineup. They all bring different qualities that make them perfect for this team. Fabbri and Rasmussen may be back before the end of the regular season, which would help the offense.
Weekly Record: 1-2
Season Record: 30-28-9