The Detroit Red Wings have juggled the lines for their first game back in the United States after an unsuccessful trip to Sweden. Every line has been shaken up in the hopes of regaining the success they had early in the season.
The top line now involves Joe Veleno, a center, playing the wing. Well deserved for Veleno as he has been consistent and his two-way play has greatly improved, Head coach Derek Lalonde is not wasting time to try and turn their misfortunes around.
The line shuffling is not a first for Detroit as it was common during the Jeff Blashill days. However, Lalonde has been hesitant to do this as he feels more comfortable letting the players work it out.
Those days are now here as the Red Wings have been inconsistent for weeks now after a hot start. The offense has gone cold for the most part, the defense has been lackluster, and the goaltending is hit or miss.
The Detroit Red Wings are making some changes ahead of their game vs NJD
The defense was shuffled last game and did not work as the team’s struggles continued. The defense for the game tonight, November 22, against the New Jersey Devils will not see change and goaltender Alex Lyon gets his second straight start. The offense will have a different look and we would not be surprised if those line changes occur during this game if the coach does not see a sense of urgency.
The lines consist of four solid lines instead of an overpowering first line. This should help spread out the offense and give the four lines some support on the defensive end. The lines now look like this for the game against the Devils, as the roster now consists of 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Joe Veleno-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond
Michael Rasmussen-J.T. Compher- Alex DeBrincat
Robby Fabbri-Andrew Copp- David Perron
Christian Fischer- Daniel Sprong
This will likely be temporary but the only one to now for sure is coach Lalonde based on the play of the forwards.
The lineup may go through more changes if the slide continues for the Red Wings. This massive shuffling of the lines may take some time for the players to get used to but in the long run should benefit everyone involved.
This is about consistency and generating a spark for the defense and offense. This team is capable of winning if we look back on the first three weeks.
They have the talent to once again be a force in the Eastern Conference but it is a matter of everything clicking. The conference is tough and filled with teams that are loaded. The Detroit Red Wings cannot afford these slides and need to get back on track, even if this takes time.