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The Daily: Red Wings Trailing is Bad, But Rallying is Fun; NHL Rumors

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2 months ago

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Jake Walman, Red Wings

One secret of the Detroit Red Wings‘ success this season is that they can get their engine restarted even when they look like they need a tow truck. Bob Duff wrote about this week pointing out that their 7-13-2 record when trailing after two periods leads the NHL this season.

Those 16 points gained on third period rallies are a primary reason why they sit in a playoff position on Feb. 12. These players seem to feel like they always have a chance.

“It always comes from the room,” Coach Derek Lalonde said, following Saturday afternoon’s comeback from a 3-1 third-period deficit for a 4-3 overtime decision against the Vancouver Canucks.

Optimism. Self-confidence. Those are good traits to have for professional sports teams. But rally skills are a luxury, and falling behind on a regular basis is not a usual path to winning hockey. Lalonde undoubtedly addressed that in anticipation of an important four-game road trip starting Tuesday in Edmonton. He has already talked about it with the media.

“It’s good on the group (to rally against Vancouver) but not a recipe for success,” Lalonde said Saturday. “You don’t want to continue to put yourself in those situations, especially against elite teams like this.”

But knowing you have the skill to get going again after you break down gives teams confidence on the drive.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

  • Marco Kasper‘s offensive production has grown over the past couple of months with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
  • Vancouver defenseman Nikita Zadorov was suspended for two games for his head shot to Lucas Raymond. He has previous history involving a big hit against a Detroit player.
  • Eastern Conference, including the Red Wings, want to see if the New Jersey Devils land a goalie in the trade market. The Devils could climb back in the wild card race if they can land a quality goalie.

Red Wings Next Game

Detroit’s four-game road trip starts Tuesday with a game against the Edmonton Oilers. The Red Wings then play Vancouver, Calgary and Seattle before coming home. What’s a successful trip? Given how well they have performed in January, a 3-1 record would probably please coach Derek Lalonde.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Columnist Jimmy Murphy writes that Brad Marchand is wrong about whether Boston Bruins fans have long memories.

Colorado: The Ryan Johansen experiment has failed in Colorado. He has 13 points in his past 47 games. Now what? Evan Rawal weighs in about the Colorado Avalanche No. 2 center problem.

Florida: Ryan Lomberg means more to the Florida Panthers than just goals.

New Jersey: James Nichols writes that the New Jersey Devils need to be aggressive shoppers in this NHL trade market.

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins self-destructive tendencies demand Kyle Dubas make some changes.

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