The Detroit Red Wings can’t seem to figure out how to play with the same confidence and effectiveness they showed in January. They have now lost seven games in a row and don’t seem any closer to figuring out how to solve their issues.

The problem: it’s not one thing. It’s everything.

It’s the team’s defensive play, the inability to generate scoring, lack of jump, slow starts, leaky goaltending, untimely mistakes, loss of confidence, lack of resilience, Dylan Larkin’s absence and pressure forcing the players to press. This is a Detroit squad that has scored 12 goals in their seven losses.

“In your career you go through some things like this,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “It’s just trying to find some answers throughout the lineup. It’s reality. We have not handled our group very well with Dylan out. There’s no reason for that. He’s a special, special player. He’s our engine a lot of nights but we have very capable group, very capable lineup. I think it’s got to be a little more emphasis on those defensive mistakes.”

Mickey’s Moments 3.14.24: In tonight's Mickey's Moments, we hear from the man himself on what the Red Wings must do to bolster their confidence amidst their most challenging adversity of the season.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/edoQkmOmm8

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 15, 2024

Not one aspect of Detroit’s game deserved a better grade than D or D+. The offense couldn’t generate 30 shots against a team that has only won six of its last 26 games. Defensive lapses came at the wrong time.

Defensive lapses

“It could be a number of different factors,” Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “But we need to get this thing going in the right direction. We have to be better defensively. I think you see the chances that we give up. There ones that shouldn’t happen, especially at this time of year, when everything should be rolling in the same direction. It should be like a machine at this point. Just everyone knows exactly where they’re supposed to be and being there at the right time. We’re not there yet and we need to get there in a hurry.”

The Red Wings didn’t have the necessary jump to win a game with playoff implications.

“No doubt it felt like (the Coyotes) had a little better legs,” Lalonde said. “It’s probably a little bit of us pressing. I think our guys want it so much, you saw the effort in practice. We’re trying to press a little bit. We’re getting some of our offensive guys back out there a little more. Probably draining them a little bit. But again, we’re not going to generate a ton five-on-five, we got to be in these low-scoring games and give ourselves a chance.

Running Out of Runway

The Red Wings fell behind 1-0 at 5:10 into the first period by giving up a shorthanded goal. Goalie Alex Lyon shouldn’t have to stop a breakaway in that situation. But Lyon couldn’t make the save and the Red Wings were again in trouble early. That’s been a problem during the losing skid. The odds are with the goalie on a breakaway, but Lyon isn’t playing as sharply as he did when the team was winning.

“I see recently that we get down one and we kinda get . . . it’s a little bit deflating for the group,” Chiarot said. “It was happening earlier in the year, too, I remember. The same kind of thing. We’d give up the first goal, kind of get on our heels a little bit. But when we’re playing well and things are going well for us, it doesn’t really bother us. We know we’re gonna get the next goal. Right now we’ve just kind of lost that confidence that we can do it. Fighting to get that back is what we need.”

Time is running out for the Red Wings who only have 16 games remaining.

“It’s as tough as it gets in the room right now.” Detroit forward David Perron said. “We gotta find a way to bounce back. We gotta find a way to get up, put our pride on the line and be better.”

The post Red Wings Have Too Many Problems, Not Enough Answers appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

In the latter stages of the third period, evidently oblivious to the debacle unfolding right before their very eyes, Detroit Red Wings fans crowded into Little Caesars Arena were belting out a rendition of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Player.

There’s just one problem with that selection.

Currently, the Red Wings are living like they don’t have a prayer. And the club’s playoff chances are moving toward being put on life suport.

That L must’ve tasted like Mom’s Spaghetti. https://t.co/24voed6UwW pic.twitter.com/9eSHIwMKuC

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 15, 2024

A 4-1 home-ice loss to the Arizona Coyotes should be a tipping point for a team that has now lost seven games in a row, all in regulation.

“It’s unacceptable,” Red Wings forward David Perron said.

More like inexcuasble.

Red Wings Are Coyotes Ugly

In the span of a week, Detroit lost twice to Arizona, the 24th-best team in the 32-team NHL. In those two games, the Red Wings were outscored 8-1.

The Coyotes are 4-16-2 over their past 22 games. Fifty percent of those victories came at the expense of a Detroit squad in a battle for an Eastern Conference wild card spot.

The New York Islanders remain percentage points ahead of the Red Wings for that eighth and final postseason placing. Beating the Isles 4-0 on Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres were moving to within three points of Detroit.

The Sabres and Red Wings battle on Saturday afternoon at LCA. Just three days ago, Buffalo was throttling Detroit 7-3. But if you were thinking things couldn’t get much worse for the Wings, boy were you wrong.

Embarrassing Loss For Red Wings

Should you have been unlucky enough to witness Thursday’s contest, you saw a dreadful exhibition of hockey. The Coyotes were desperately seeking a way to find a defeat. This is a team that struggles to complete a tape-to-tape pass of more than 10 feet. They commit enough turnovers to stock a bakery’s inventory for many a day.

Yet as much as they sought to hand the game to the Red Wings, Detroit was unwilling to accept this charity.

The Red Wings are currently a team playing without composure, lacking fire and displaying an utter inability to either generate offense or make a reliable commitment to defense.

“We have to be better defensively,” Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “I think you see the chances that we give up.”

Picture perfect deflection by Carcone https://t.co/cP1UdvLEtC pic.twitter.com/o5KraMjYjY

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 15, 2024

A Jonatan Berggren turnover, compounded by the fact that Moritz Seider blew a tire, led to the first Coyotes goal. Olli Maatta was caught out of position on the seecond. Neither Chiarot or Jake Walman picked up a wide-open Nick Bjugstad in the slot on the third Coyotes tally.

Continuing, Chiarot uttered some words that should send chills of fear down the spines all every member of the Red Wings faithful.

Costly Defensive Miscues

“They’re ones that shouldn’t happen, especially at this time of year, when everything should be rolling in the same direction,” Chiarot explained of the defensive miscues. “It should be like a machine at this point. Just everyone knows exactly where they’re supposed to be and being there at the right time.

“We’re not there yet and we need to get there in a hurry.”

Is that on the coaches, or the players? Yes and yes.

It’s also, as noted earlier and emphasized by Chiarot, inexcusable at this juncture of the season.

“It’s as tough as it gets in the room right now,” Perron said. “We gotta find a way to bounce back.

“We gotta find a way to get up, put our pride on the line and be better.”

The post No Excuse For Latest Red Wings Setback appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When the Detroit Tigers were struggling to stay in the pennant race in 1972, losing 10 of their last 14 because of anemic offense, then-Tigers manager Billy Martin decided to bring levity to the situation and relax his team. He announced he was going to change his batting order by drawing names out of a hat.

Home run hitter Norm Cash batted leadoff. Light-hitting shortstop Eddie Brinkman was in the cleanup spot. The Tigers won that game 3-2 and ended up qualifying for the American League championship series.

Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde isn’t following Martin’s 52-year-old plan.  But the idea is similar. No hats were involved in the reshuffling of his lines and defensive pairings. But Lalonde has given his team a put-names-in-a-blender look for tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes (7 p.m., Bally Sports). Lalonde is trying to put a charge into his offense in the name of halting a six-game losing streak.

“Some different looks,” Lalonde said. “Maybe giving a little different feel to some different lines. Maybe a little more grittier, something a little different. A situation like this is an opportunity to blend it up a little bit and that’s what we did.”

#RedWings practice before hosting Arizona tomorrow at 7 on ⁦@BallySportsDET⁩
Perron-Compher-Raymond
Fabbri-Copp-DeBrincat
Rasmussen-Veleno-Kane
Berggren-Fischer-Sprong
Chiarot-Seider
Walman-Gostisbehere
Maatta-Petry
Holl (extra)
Lyon has one net. Reimer/Husso sharing other pic.twitter.com/geUV9tkJc4

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) March 13, 2024

Kane, DeBrincat Break-up

The biggest moves made in Wednesday’s practice: Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat are not together, and Moritz Seider is now with Ben Chiarot. Petry is now playing alongside Olli Maatta. Joe Veleno is centering Michael Rasmussen and Kane, while J.T. Compher will be between David Perron and Lucas Raymond. DeBrincat is on the third line with Andrew Copp as his center.  DeBrincat has no goals and one assist during the losing skid.

Detroit has owned one of the NHL’s top offensive teams this season. Just recently, the Red Wings ranked as high as fourth in goals per game. Now they are sixth (3.40 goals per game). But Detroit has only managed 11 goals in the losing streak. That’s an average of 1.83 goals per game. The Red Wings have been shut out twice, including once by tonight’s opponent. The Coyotes beat them 4-0 last Friday.

This is a Coyotes team that ranks 24th in team goals-against average this season (3.36). The win over Detroit is Arizona’s only victory in the past five games. The Coyotes are 3-16-2 in their last 21 games.

The Red Wings aren’t just looking to play better: this is very much a must-win game if they are serious about making the playoffs. The New York Islanders are at Buffalo today and Tampa Bay are home to face the New York Rangers.

The post Detroit Coach Lalonde Shuffles Lines To Find Missing Offense appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When the Detroit Red Wings were in Arizona to play the Coyotes on Friday, the organization’s X account (formerly Twitter) thanked Patrick Kane for the minute he was in their organization.

You have to love a team that has a sense of humor.

Just before the 2023 NHL trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks sent Kane to the New York Rangers. In order to make Kane fit under the Rangers’ salary cap, the Blackhawks retained half of Kane’s $10.5 million salary and then traded him to the Coyotes. Arizona kept another 25% of the salary and moved him along to the Rangers.

His time in the desert didn't last long.

But during Patrick Kane's return to Mullett Arena tonight, we pause to recognize the Yotes legend. pic.twitter.com/zOQDl0qFuI

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 9, 2024

Hence, Kane spent time on the Coyotes’ books, but no time on their bench. As the Coyotes Twitter might say, “Patrick we hardly knew you.”

The Kane situation isn’t anything new for the Coyotes. Sometimes looking for a way to reach the floor of the salary cap, they have carried the contracts of retired players or players that are long-term injured reserve. You may remember that former Detroit star Pavel Datsyuk ended his career technically with the Arizona organization.

Today, the Coyotes have Shea Weber, Bryan Little and Jakub Voracek on their long-term injured reserve (LTIR). None of them have actually played for the team.

There was no tribute video for Kane, but there was one for Christian Fischer who was a popular player during his seven years with the Coyotes.

Christian Fischer.

Forever an Arizonan pic.twitter.com/QG5NZLgDPB

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 9, 2024

Fischer played long enough in Arizona that he now considered it home. He is a Chicago native who played for the U.S. National Team Development Program and the Windsor Spitfires before signing with the team in the desert.

The post Coyotes Thank Patrick Kane For his Time In the Desert appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Arizona Coyotes rank 27th out of 32 teams. They are 2-7-1 in their last 10.  The Coyotes recently went more than a month, 36 days to be exact, without winning a game. They were 0-14 in that stretch. Arizona gave up four or more goals in 11 of those losses.

This team has been a case study in ineffectiveness in the second half of the season. But today a Friday game against the Coyotes probably looks like a scary proposition to the Red Wings.

Eight days ago, the Red Wings were riding a wave of optimism over a six-game winning streak. This morning, they have to worry about slipping into a losing streak that could undermine their playoff hopes.

“There’s no shame in losing to Florida and this Colorado team back to back,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde after the Red Wings lost 7-2 to Colorado Wednesday. “But to do it back to back, now we’re looking at three straight losses. Bottom line is if we’re going to stay in this battle, we got to stop the bleeding when you have these runs. Right now, we’re in a run. ”

The run of losing includes being outscored 16-5 in the  losses.  Another bothersome aspect of the loss in Denver is that the Red Wings beat the Avalanche 2-1 in overtime in Detroit 13 days ago.

Red Wings loss to Avs was rather predictable but they better win Friday at that glorified beer league rink in Arizona. As for dogging Moritz Seider for one bad game, it should be noted he is by far the world’s best defenseman his age group. Don’t be stupid. He’s a genuine star. pic.twitter.com/QqodXO216j

— Pat Caputo (@patcaputo98) March 7, 2024

Lost Their Desperation

Brands like FanDuel favor the Red Wings. But Detroit players know they have to play sharper than they did against the Avalanche.

“That’s a Colorado team that can expose you defensively, obviously, and they did.” Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “So a lot to work on, a lot to correct. We got to get that desperation back that we had. It’s obviously not there right now and we better get it back in a hurry.”

After three consecutive losses, the Red Wings’ lead in the wild card is now just four points ahead of the New York Islanders, who have won four in a row.

If they lose to Arizona, they would take a four-game losing streak into Las Vegas the next night for a game against the defending champion Golden Knights. They don’t finish the road trip until they play in Buffalo Tuesday night. The Sabres are well down in the wild-card race, but are 6-3-1 in their last 10.

“Just little things we’re going to sort out and hopefully we can end that streak with the next game,” said Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider, “and finish with a positive road trip.”

The post Red Wings Cannot Afford Slip Up Against Coyotes appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The NHL trade market remains hamstrung by the salary cap, but there has still been plenty of chatter across the league and as teams figure out exactly what they are.

Will the Columbus Blue Jackets finally unload a defenseman on the NHL trade market?

Did the Canucks play a bigger role in the Connor Garland trade chatter?

Also, the NHL and ESPN held the first ‘NHL Frenzy’ on Tuesday night, with all 32 NHL teams playing in a staggered schedule that had games starting up every 15 minutes. Will the frenzies become more frequent?

The post Off The Record: Blue Jackets; Garland; NHL Frenzy (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo is still trying to find a way to keep its team in the state. According to Arizona Sports, he has submitted a letter of intent to purchase 41 acres for a new arena in Mesa.

The report says the Coyotes are looking at other potential locations, including Phoenix and Scottsdale. The target date for a new arena is the start of the 2026-27 season.

The Coyotes are looking for an NHL-sized arena after losing a vote in spring to build a new facility in Tempe.

Breaking Coyotes news from @Gambo987 on the latest attempt at a new arena: https://t.co/o8CN46k0k0

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) August 9, 2023

Red Wings Offseason

The Athletic’s Corey Proudman projects that Red Wings prospects Nate Danielson (Canada), Trey Augustine (USA) and Axel Sandin Pellikka (Sweden) will play for the country at the next World Junior Championships.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Bob Duff looks at why Moritz Seider and Jake Walman worked well together last season.
• Robert Mastrosimone, a 2019 Red Wings draft pick, could land with another NHL organization after Aug. 15.
• Griffins player Joel L’Esperance thankful to be thankful to playing so close to his hometown.
• Red Wings prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov is on loan to the KHL team in Sochi.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Retired goalie Tim Thomas looks forward to being part of the Boston Bruins‘ Centennial Celebration.

Buffalo: Mike Augello looks at Buffalo’s No. 35 prospect Jakub Konecny. Buffalo Sabres.

Carolina: Hurricanes management has questions to answer after missing out on Erik Karlsson. Bryant Baucom takes the Hurricanes to task. Carolina Hurricanes.

Chicago: Expect defenseman Ethan Del Mastro playing full-time with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2024-25.

Nashville: Nick Kieser revisits David Poile’s top five trades in his tenure with the Nashville Predators.   Filip Forberg’s acquisition was No. 1.

Pittsburgh: Mikael Granlund admits it didn’t work with the Pittsburgh Penguins because of his role and ice time.

The post The Daily: New Coyotes Arena Plan; Poile’s Top Preds Trades appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The NHL days of former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Patrik Nemeth appear to be at an end. After 10 seasons and 504 NHL games, Nemeth is in agreement on terms of a contract to play next season for SC Bern of the Swiss Hockey League.

Nemeth, 31, spent last season with the Arizona Coyotes. He was skating for the Red Wings from 2019-21, playing 103 games and producing 3-18-21 totals. Nemeth also suited up for the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Red Wings draftee Anton Johansson is off to a solid start at the World Junior Summer Showcase
• Back in the day, Detroit owner Bruce Norris has a phone in his office with a direct line to the team’s bench
• This behind the paywall story looks at Red Wings players like Andrew Copp who were two-sport stars
• Six Detroit players, inculding captain Dylan Larkin, will be skating in a charity event in nearby Windsor, Ontario
• The Detroit brass should get a better read on the potential of D Antti Tuomisto as he plays this season with AHL Grand Rapids

Red Wings Offseason

Regular-season single-game tickets for the Red Wings 2023-24 NHL campaign go on sale to the general public on Friday. Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham certainly doesn’t qualify for general public status.

Cade Cunningham if had to choose to go see a Lions, Tigers or Red Wings game #LGRW #OnePride #RepDetroit

“If I had tickets to all three I would pick the @DetroitRedWings right now because I haven’t been to one”

via @HallFinancial pic.twitter.com/VBTAH2NhP6

— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) July 22, 2023

However, he knows where he’d be going were he given the chance to get tickets to see any other Detroit sports team. Cunningam chose the Red Wings for the simple fact that he’s never seen them play in person.

Hockey Now Network

Vegas: What is the sustainability level of the Stanley cup champion Vegas Golden Knights?

San Jose: Did the San Jose Sharks offer UFA forward Vladimir Tarasenko $6 million for one season?

Los Angeles: These are the most moveable pieces on the roster of the Los Angeles Kings.

Colorado: Where do the Colorado Avalanche fit in the latest NHL Central Division power rankings?

Chicago: Could Nick Lardis emulate his idol Patrick Kane with the Chicago Blackhawks?

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Pittsburgh: Five Pittsburgh Penguins who’ve never looked right in another NHL team’s jersey.

Carolina: Potential trade targets for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Philadelphia: Last year’s top draft pick Cutter Gauthier offers an explanation why he opted to skip Philadelphia Flyers development camp.

Montreal: Lane Hutson and Jacob Fowler, top draftees of the Montreal Canadiens, are participating in the World Junior Summer Showcase.

Florida: Will the Florida Panthers be issuing a commemorative 30th anniversary jersey?

Buffalo: Looking back at the first-round draft failures of the Buffalo Sabres.

Boston: Forward Trent Frederic and the Boston Bruins are reportedly $1.5 million apart in contract negotiations as Tuesday’s arbitration hearing looms.

The post The Daily: Former Red Wings D Nemeth Returning to Europe; Top Pick Gauthier Skips Flyers Development Camp appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Based on the noise level surrounding Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, it seems likely he will be dealt sooner rather than later.

The Coyotes sat him out of their last game Saturday because they believed a trade was imminent. The Los Angeles Kings were identified as the likely new team for Chychrun. But no transaction occurred Sunday. Presumably, the Kings will try to close the Chychrun deal today. Based on various reports it seems as if the Kings are refusing to part with prospect defenseman Brandt Clarke (drafted No. 8, 2021).

Could the Boston Bruins still be in the Chychrun hunt?

Meanwhile, Erik Karlsson  picked up three more points in a 4-1 win against the Washington Capitals. He’s had a dominating, Norris Trophy-caliber season. He has 73 points in 54 games, which puts him on pace for a 100-point season. Here’s the latest from 32 Thoughts:

Last season, Karlsson seemed untradeable because of his $11.5 million contract. He has four years remaining on his deal after this season. Now there seems to be interest, including from the Edmonton Oilers. Can you imagine how he would look with Edmonton’s high octane offense? The Sharks will have to retain half of his salary to make any deal happen.

The Red Wings have also started to be mentioned in trade rumors about Tyler Bertuzzi. Like Dylan Larkin, he can be an unrestricted free agent. It was anticipated that negotiations for a new deal would be challenging. Not much has leaked out, but nothing appears imminent.

Bertuzzi Speculation

It is presumed that GM Steve Yzerman will trade Bertuzzi rather than let him go through free agency.  Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek recently linked the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and Edmonton Oilers to exploring the possibility of acquiring the spunky Bertuzzi. Detroit Hockey Now had those three teams on its list of potential suitors in January.

The Red Wings will be looking for a combination of draft pick and player or players for Bertuzzi. His style seems like a good fit for a contender looking for more grit for the postseason.

If you wonder who might replace Bertuzzi, think about Denver standout Carter Mazur who is tied for third in NCAA Division 1 scoring with 19 goals. He plays a feisty style like Bertuzzi. It seems likely the Red Wings would sign him after his sophomore season is completed.

What a move & shot by Carter Mazur, as he scores his 19th of the season in impressive fashion. pic.twitter.com/qgD2CgmVkg

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) February 11, 2023

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

With 10 goals, Jonatan Berggren has already established himself as a key performer in the Detroit Red Wings offense.

The Red Wings, seven points out of a playoff spot, only have a long-shot hope of making up that ground. They start a crucial five-game road trip tonight that will likely fuel or destroy their postseason ambition.

The 6-foot-8 Elmer Soderblom is starting to explore how to use his size effectively with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Red Wings’ Next Game

The Red Wings (23-20-8) play the Vancouver Canucks (21-28-4) in Vancouver tonight. Lucas Raymond and Jake Walman, both with undisclosed injuries, are day-to-day.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Bruins show some rust in loss to the Washington Capitals. Boston Bruins. 

Colorado: Penguins center Jeff Carter finally speaks about his hit on Cale Makar. Colorado Avalanche

Florida: Panthers embark on critical road trip. The Panthers are still three points out of a playoff spot. Florida Panthers. 

Los Angeles Kings: Goalie Pheonix Copley received a one-year, one-way contract extension, carrying an AAV of $1.5 million. Los Angeles Kings

Montreal:  Canadiens’ young talent rises up in triumph over hot Edmonton Oilers team. Montreal Canadiens. 

New York:  Stefen Rosner says now is not the time to fire coach Lane Lambert. New York Islanders. 

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Philadelphia: Flyers look like a tired team in a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken. Philadelphia Flyers. 

Vegas:  The Golden Knights have won three in a row, but goalie Logan Thompson was injured on Thursday night. He’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Vegas Golden Knights

Washington: The Caps “gotta look in the mirror and say we’ve got to be better.” Washington Capitals.

The post The Daily: Chychrun Trade Rumors; Bertuzzi’s Name Starts to Pop Up appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Don’t expect the St. Louis Blues to go into sell mode ahead of the NHL trade deadline, and Jakob Chychrun could get moved sooner rather than later.

That and some insight on the Los Angeles Kings in the latest Off The Record:

The post OTR: Will Blues Be Sellers? Chychrun May Be Moved Soon (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.