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It’s Simple: Red Wings DeBrincat Needs to Start Scoring Goals

DeBrincat scoring less since Kane arrived in Detroit

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Alex DeBrincat, detroit red wings
Since scoring 8 times in his first 9 games with the Red Wings, Alex DeBrincat is netting tallies at an 18-goal per season pace.

Some of the big guns for the Detroit Red Wings were firing in Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The trio of captain Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Patrick Kane all would score goals in the victory. Together, they were combining to put 10 shots on goal.

One key component for the Red Wings was again missing in action as far as putting the puck in the next was concerned. Alex DeBrincat failed to score. His account is showing one tally over 18 games since Feb. 29.

“I’ve definitely got to bear down more and put some pucks in the net and work on that,” DeBrincat was acknowledging.

He’s certainly right about that. When the Red Wings were trading first and fourth-round picks, prospect Donovan Sebrango and 20-goal scorer Dominik Kubalik to the Ottawa Senators for DeBrincat last summer, they were doing so with the expectation that he’d be filling the opposition net with pucks.

It’s also why they were inking the native Michigander to a four-year, $31.5 million contract. The Red Wings aren’t paying DeBrincat nearly $8 million per season to create chances. A provision of that stipend is that he be finishing chances.

At the start of the season, he was doing exactly that. Through his first nine games with Detroit, DeBrincat was good for eight goals.

Now, no one was expecting him to maintain a 73-goal pace. Then again, nobody was thinking he’d be falling off to a Michael Rasmussen scoring pace.

Arrival Of Kane Not Sparking DeBrincat

Over his past 68 games, DeBrincat has scored 15 goals. That would work out to an 18-goal campaign over 82 games for the two-time 41-goal scorer.

“We need more looks,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said of DeBrincat. “Keep him around the looks. You got to keep getting those looks and I think they’ll go in and for the most part he has.

“You can tell there’s probably some frustration in his game. Of course, a guy like that wants to score, but just keep getting looks.”

The expectation was that the early-December of Kane, his old Chicago linemate during those 40-goal seasons, would ignite DeBrincat’s finishing touch. Instead, he’s gone further south in his goal production.

In 50 games as Kane’s teammate, DeBrincat is netting pucks at a 17-goal pace.

“It’s not always gonna go in the net for you,” DeBrincat said. “At this point of the season you gotta focus a lot of defense as well. Not gonna get too much.  Overall, I feel good about my game. I feel good overall.

“Honestly, I think I’ve played some good hockey.”

Honestly? If the Red Wings want to secure a playoff spot, DeBrincat needs to start scoring again.

It’s as simple as that.

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Mark W

Over the years nearly all of the Wing’s big scorers have fallen off a bit when asked to play more D. They eventually adapt and regain most or all of their scoring touch. It may be the same with DeBrincat.

Is DeBrincat getting the same numbers of shots in recent games as he did early on ? Most likely not. The team generates an average of x shots per game. Kane’s addition means Kane now gets some of those shots. Raymond improved play gets him more bites at the apple.

Meanwhile Wing’s shots on goal per game remains about the same unless they change away from their more defensive style of play. So lack of opportunities may also factor in to the DeBrincat reduced scoring. As he says, overall he’s been happy with his game which I take to mean he feels he’s contributing if not scoring. There may be no real problem here.

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RWHockey13

Very true.

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Dinar

Yeah, but Detroit fw don’t really do defence and team defence overall is suspect at best

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Mike Babcock

Cat got off to a great start but then teams started to figure out the Red Wings offense.

He seems to get plenty of scoring chances but it’s always a missed net or a goal post.

Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.

Cat has to find a way to start scoring goals again because he’s being paid too much money to be a secondary assist player.

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tav

Have seen several very nice shots he had where the goalie made a great save. He scores those and would be no talk about a slump. Eventually some of those go in. Sometimes scorers just get in a funk and the good thing is it appears he is not getting totally in a funk with it and still happy to contribute however he can even if pucks are not going in. He will be fine.

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