Detroit Red Wings offensive struggles continue in week 11

Welcome to my 11th Detroit Red Wings weekly review. The Red Wings played three games this week and unfortunately came away with zero points. They were shut out 1-0 against the Philadelphia Flyers, lost 4-3 against the Anaheim Ducks, and finished the week with a loss against the Winnipeg Jets.

Positives

Newcomer Patrick Kane led the way offensively, popping for four points on one goal and three assists for the week. He is contributing the way Detroit thought he would and now has two goals and four assists for six points in eight games.

His experience is shown with the puck patience and his ability to find an open teammate. He is coming around to the player that was dominant early in his career and the signing be General Manager Steve Yzerman is paying off in a big way.

Captain Dylan Larkin looked good this week, returning from an injury that left him motionless on the ice in Detroit's last game against the Ottawa Senators.

He had two assists and led the power play in going 2-for-9 over the past week and the overall movement looked more crisp than the previous week.

He was able to get the offense back on track this week, creating chances like he did not miss a week of action. Going forward, Larkin will be expected to produce offensively and lead this team back to some wins, especially against the Atlantic Division.

The defensemen of the Detroit Red Wings accounted for some offense this week, producing two goals and three assists for five points, Shayne Gostisbehere and Moritz Seider collected assists, while Olli Maatta and Jeff Petry put two pucks in the net combined.

The defense may be counted on more than ever to provide offense and jump in the play whenever they see fit to.

The Detroit Red Wings are looking for answers after another bad week

Negatives

With the addition of Kane and the return of Larkin, Detroit still only managed five goals in three games. The team has been in a funk offensively and that would be hard to imagine considering the offensive punch they had in the early going of the 2023-24 season.

This team is not the Toronto Maple Leafs as far as offensive weapons but they do have more firepower than last season. Maybe switching lines again would fire the team up but something needs to change to get this team going again because five goals in three games will not lead them to a playoff birth.

The defensive mistakes have to be corrected. Too many players standing around, waiting for the puck to come to them and turn the puck up the ice. Missed opportunities and not enough pressure in the defensive zone are costing them valuable points in the standings.

Physical play in their defensive zone is also a concern because teams know this and are using their physical play to dominate the Red Wings. With Kim Klostin out of the lineup, someone needs to step up and fill that void.

The goaltending needs a shakeup. With Ville Husso and Alex Lyon out for some time, the duo is now James Reimer and Michael Hutchinson. The Red Wings may need to make a move to acquire a number-one caliber goaltender as they do have pieces to move.

Reimer could be dealt as he only signed a one-year deal and he would be a free agent after this season. One name that would make sense is Karel Vejmelka of the Arizona Coyotes.

It is the same situation as he does not have a Hall of Fame defense in front of him either but he has proven he can handle the workload and provide some solid numbers between the pipes.

A combination of Hutchinson and Vejmelka or Vejmelka and Lyon may give the Red Wings the stable goaltending duo they need to make a playoff push. It is something to keep an eye on.

Weekly record: 0-3

Season record: 15-13-4, 34 points, 5th in Atlantic Division