Detroit Red Wings Weekly Recap: Wrapping Up Week 26

Welcome to my 26th regular season Detroit Red Wings weekly review. The Red Wings played four games this week, going 2-1-1.

Detroit kicked off the week with a 6-2 loss in Winnipeg against the Jets. The Red Wings then picked up two straight wins, a 5-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs and a 5-0 shutout against the Montreal Canadians, both on the road.

The final game this week was a 7-6 shootout loss against the Buffalo Sabres, but the Red Wings made a game of it in the third period.

The Detroit Red Wings’ offensive output was impressive last week.

Positives

This Detroit Red Wings group has not quit this season. Unlike years past, this version of the Red Wings will not quit until they hear the whistle. Many nights the team is fighting back from a deficit, and they keep pushing and grinding.

Games in which they were down by more than two goals seemed to be when they put in the most pressure on the offensive end. This team is different, and it shows that they are headed in the right direction.

The top offensive producer this week was again captain Dylan Larkin as he had six points on four goals and two assists. Of his points this week, Larkin had a hat-trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5-2 win in Toronto.

In his last five games, he has five goals and two assists for seven points. Larkin now has a career-high 78 points in 77 games. He is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues to be the best player for the Detroit Red Wings this season.

The offense came through once again this past week, scoring a total of 18 goals. This team has the potential to be a playoff team in the future if they get the defensive side of the puck in order.

The Red Wings are showing that hard work leads to goals and their work ethic in the offensive zone was top-notch this past week.

Negatives

The whole goaltending position needs some attention this off-season. Ville Husso was hot, then cold, then hot, then he got injured. Magnus Hellberg has been solid, but the Detroit Red Wings need better insurance coming off the bench for the odd start.

Alex Nedeljkovic was solid when he was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, but he might not be in the Red Wings’ fold next season.

Detroit Red Wings promising rookie, Marco Kasper, will miss the rest of the 2022/23 NHL season. He played only one NHL game, but it was later revealed that he played that game with a broken kneecap.

That in itself took guts and determination. Kasper will likely be with the Detroit Red Wings at some point next season, but he should take this time to heal and focus on next season. Kasper will be looked at as an important piece to the Red Wings’ success as they go forward.

Defenseman Ben Chiarot needs to work on his defensive game this off-season. He has not been the player that general manager Steve Yzerman signed as a free agent in the off-season, and he does not look comfortable.

Chiarot is a team-worst minus-23 and has been switched in the lineup from first-pairing defenseman to bottom-pairing defenseman. His physical play is what has saved him from having a horrendous season. Here is to an improvement in the 2023/24 NHL season.

Weekly record 2-1-1

Season record 35-33-10