Other than the final outcome, there was plenty to like about the performance of the Detroit Red Wings in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the Nashville Predators.

“You want to win every game but ultimately what you’re looking for is to play the game the right way and to just bring your best and have a good effort,” Detroit goalie Alex Lyon told Bally Sports Detroit.

“It felt like we had that tonight, in a hostile building against a good team that’s obviously playing really well right now.”

On the one hand, he’s right, but here’s the thing – during a late-season playoff race, the bottom line is that the outcome is all that matters. A team isn’t looking to make a point with their play. They’re looking to gain two points in any manner possible.

The Red Wings needs wins. Instead, they are starting a rugged five-game road swing with their sixth successive loss away from the friendly confines of Little Caesars Arena, where they’ve won three in a row.

Detroit is going into Washington for a massive Tuesday showdown clinging to a one-point lead over the Capitals for the NHL’s second Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. And that could evaporate prior to game time. The Capitals are playing host to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.

Much Improvement In Red Wings Performance

There were indded some positive developments for the Red Wings in defeat. It was the first time in six road games that that margin of defeat wasn’t by multiple goals. Detroit held a road opponent under two goals for the first time in seven contests.

“I think we just played a real solid 60 minutes,” Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider said. “I think we deserved a little more tonight but we’ll definitely recover from that, come back stronger.

“We’ll be prepared for the next couple of games.”

That being said, Detroit’s sudden lack of offense is a major concern. Play as well as you want. If you don’t illuminate the red light behind the other team’s net, you’ll never win. And this was the third time in 11 games that Detroit has been shutout. Over the last eight road games the Red Wings are averaging 1.75 goals per game.

JUICE

Juuse Saros helps the @PredsNHL pick up their 17th straight game with a point with his third @pepsi shutout of the season! pic.twitter.com/oyp4uHsLc9

— NHL (@NHL) March 23, 2024

The latest goose brought to a halt point streaks for defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (seven games) and forwards Lucas Raymond and Patrick Kane (six games each). Meanwhile, 23-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat was failing to dent the twine for the 12th successive game.

Dylan Larkin (first period) and Joe Veleno (second period) were robbed on point-blank chances by Predatords goalie Juuse Saros.

Forsberg The Decider

It was a third-period goal by Filip Forsberg that would extend Nashville’s team point streak to 17 games (15-0-2). The goal came from a tire fire of a shift by the Red Wings in their own zone.

SCORESBERG pic.twitter.com/xejrm31Lby

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) March 23, 2024

Somehow, Lyon kept the puck from crossing the goal line during a wild goalmouth scramble. Following up, the stickless Detroit netminder was making a desperation blocker save on a Roman Josi shot. Recycling that rebound to Forsberg, his high wrist shot finally would beat Lyon on the glove side.

“I think we lost a little bit of our composure and then, it’s on a stick, it’s off a stick and it’s in the back of the net,” Seider said.

The post Red Wings Got Everything They Need . . . Almost appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Shayne Gostisbehere has nine goals as a defenseman and ranks 13th in scoring on the Red Wings. That’s what strong depth looks like at the NHL level.

“We probably have 15 guys who could be on the power play,”  Gostisbehere said.

Gostisbehere scored a pair of even-strength goals Tuesday to help his Detroit Red Wings earn an important two points with an 8-3 win against the Washington Capitals who are chasing them in the Eastern Conference wild card race. The Capitals are now nine points behind Detroit.

Shayne Gostisbehere improved his goal total to nine in 2023-24. The last @DetroitRedWings defenseman with more in their first season with the club was Brian Rafalski (13 in 2007-08).#NHLStats: https://t.co/HRiCZxGnzw pic.twitter.com/ggS1JJYYC2

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 28, 2024

Playing 20:09 in the game, Gostisbehere had a shot at his first professional hat trick.

“Had one in high school,” Gostisbehere said. “If it happens, it happens. I wasn’t thinking too much. We’re up big and the maturity of our team, play the right way for a full 60 and onto the next game.”

With nine goals now, Gostisbehere has a chance to become the 13th Red Wings player with 10 or more.

“He competes well on the defensive side, too,” Coach Derek Lalonde said. “He finds himself in trouble at some times. He’s had some tough matchups. We’ve played him in our top pair at times, especially when Wally’s been out. He helps our transition, he moves the puck. A really valuable player for us.

Rivalry With Roots

Lalonde’s rivalry with Washington coach Spencer Carbery pre-dates their NHL arrival. Lalonde’s Toledo Walleye team lost a triple overtime Game 7 to Carbery’s South Carolina team in the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals

“That one hurt a lot,” Lalonde said “… To this day – and I’m sitting here with two Stanley Cup rings – it was one of the most memorable series I’ve ever been in. We got down 3-0, came back to 3-3.”

He said he doesn’t hold it against Spencer.

“He’s been a good friend of mine for a long time,” Lalonde said. “It’s just pretty cool. Not many people go through that path and we’re two of them. We both played Division III ice hockey. Both were head coaches at every level on the way up. Now we’re both here in the National Hockey League. I think that’s pretty cool.”

Seider’s Wall

Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider went for x-rays after blocking five shots against Washington

“I think he’s gonna be fine,”  Lalonde said. “Obviously he went out and got an x-ray of it. Haven’t heard yet but so far it sounded positive.

Detroit posted 22 blocked shots in the game. “Those guys eating those shots, you hope it becomes a culture, a habit,” Lalonde said. “Good on Mo. We were talking in the middle of the period about how many pucks he was eating.”

Ice Chips

Detroit scored eight goals in a game for the first time since an 8-2 victory on Nov. 15, 2017 vs. Calgary. “They can cause issues with their speed and skating,” Carbery said. … Lucas Raymond finished with a goal and two assists for his team-leading 15th multi-point game of the season. … Patrick Kane put up two assists to extend his point streak to nine consecutive games (5-9-14 in 9 GP). Kane has racked up 30 points (12-18-30) in 28 games with the Red Wings. He has 10 multi-point games.

The post Red Wings Game Day: ‘Ghost’ Scores Twice, ‘Mo’ Eats Shots to Key Win appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

A year ago Tuesday, the team from Canada’s capital city let the Detroit Red Wings know that they weren’t a playoff team.

Tuesday, it was the Red Wings who were letting the team from America’s capital city know that they weren’t a playoff team.

Are the Red Wings a playoff team? No, not officially. Not yet.

It sure does seem much closer to being a reality today, though, doesn’t it?

8 goals, 2 points!#EasyToCelebrate | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/BFxkaPuNWW

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 28, 2024

Starting what is arguably the biggest week of hockey the franchise has played over the past seven years, the Red Wings completely doused the Washington Capitals 8-3.

It was Feb. 27 last year when Detroit went into Ottawa still holding realistic hopes of chasing down a place in the postseason. After a 6-2 whipping, those dreams were put on the skids. That setback was the second of what would become a six-game slide, ending all of the playoff dreams the Red Wings held.

Tuesday’s drubbing of the Capitals was extending Detroit’s current winning streak to six games. Holding down the first Eastern Conference Wild Card position with 72 points, the Red Wings are three ahead of Tampa Bay with two games in hand. They’re now nine in front of the Capitals, and leading New Jersey and the New York Islanders by a massive 10-point margin.

Dare they dream even bigger? Detroit is only two back of Toronto for third in the Atlantic Division. And the Red Wings are holding a game in hand on the Maple Leafs.

“These four-point games are new for us,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “This late in the season, there’s a little extra urgency to them. But that team that’s chasing, they’re literally playing for their season.”

Red Wings Displaying Killer Instinct

The Islanders come to Little Caesars Arena on Thursday. Will they be Detroit’s next victim? The Red Wings are 8-1-2 at home in the New Year.

Tuesday, Washington was never given a chance to really get into the game. The Red Wings would net a season-high for goals. In fact, it’s the first time Detroit potted eight goals in a game since an 8-2 victory over Calgary on Nov. 15, 2017. This is the club’s first six-game win streak since 2019. The Red Wings haven’t won seven in a row since 2011.

Make it 8. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/y8xmZcPMZU

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 28, 2024

Yet it all seems possible for this club. The balance in attack was evidenced in the fact that 13 of 18 skaters would collect a point. Seven of them would enjoy multi-point games. Detroit has accounted for 5+ goals in 33.9% of the club’s games this season.

“For the most part we’ve been playing really good, been really consistent in our game,” Detroit forward Joe Veleno said. “Even when they have these little sparks in the offensive zone and they’re humming around, we do a good job of staying composed, playing really well structurally and defensively.

“We’re a skilled team. We know we can score goals. We just got to stay patient with that and we have been.”

Detroit Flexing On Rest Of NHL

The Red Wings are flexing their muscles. They’ve outscored the opposition 28-10 during this six-game run of success. They’re informing the rest of the NHL that yes, they are indeed the real deal.

“I know it definitely feels a lot better when you’re in this position,” Veleno said. “I love playing hockey and love being a part of winning teams and always have been for the most part of my childhood.

“For me, I love playing in these kind of games. I love playing in big moments. A whole lot of fun. I think anyone can tell you that on our team, when we’re in this position we’re hot, we’re climbing and it’s really fun to be a part of.”

The post Red Wings Displaying Killer Instinct as Playoff Spot Draws Nearer appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The only thing plummeting further than the mercury during the month of January has been the plus-minus of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

Now, to be fair, plus-minus isn’t an exact science. A player can get a minus on a play in which they do nothing wrong, while a teammate is committing an egregious error.

Certainly, Gostisbehere had plenty of company in the minus column during Tuesday’s 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars. He was among 11 Detroit players registering a minus number on the night.

That's a 9-game point streak for the Captain, @Dylanlarkin39!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/1amHCuYFpy

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) January 24, 2024

At the same time, Gostisbehere’s trend of late can’t be ignored. In 15 games since Dec. 22, he’s gone minus-15. The Red Wings as a team are 9-5-1 over that 15-game span.

For the season, he’s a team-worst minus-20. Of the 32 points collected this season by Gostisbehere, 20 have come on the power play. He does lead the team in that category, as well as with 25 assists. However, he’s tied for 11th on the Red Wings with 12 even-strength points.

Reimer To Start Thursday?

Detroit coach Derek Lalonde wasn’t tipping his hand as to his starting goalie for Thursday’s home date with the Philadelphia Flyers. However, considering the way things were playing out on Tuesday, you’d have to think it will be James Reimer getting the nod.

Reimer took over for Alex Lyon to start the third period with Detroit trailing 5-2. Reimer would stop all six shots he faced, while the Red Wings scored twice.

“A little breather for Alex,” Lalonde said as to the reason for the switch. “We’ve asked a ton of him, a lot of him. Unfortunately, we left him out to dry in the second.

“And yes, I thought it would give a little spark to the group to give Reimer some looks. That checked off 2-3 boxes for us and obviously it worked. We had a chance at the end.”

Ice Chips

Tuesday was the anniversary of Detroit’s most lopsided victory. On Jan. 23, 1944, the Red Wings blanked the New York Rangers 15-0.

On this day in 1944, the @DetroitRedWings trounced the Rangers 15-0 #Hockey365 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/qgPDT5Kx4A

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) January 23, 2024

That’s also the largest shutout victory in NHL history . . . Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat was ending an 11-game goalless drought with a first-period power-play goal on Thursday . . . Captain Dylan Larkin recorded a power play goal and an assist for his team-leading 11th multi-point game of the season . . . Larkin extended his point streak to nine games (6-6-12) . . . The Red Wings recalled defenseman Brogan Rafferty from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

The post Red Wings Notebook: Gostisbehere Slips to Minus-20 appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron got off the snide in Tuesday’s win over the San Jose Sharks. His two-goal performance marked the first time that Perron was denting twine sinice a similar two-goal outburst Nov. 26 against the Minnesota Wild.

Now that he’s going ahead, here’s a look at five other Red Wings players who need to shake the doldrums and get back to doing what they do best in order to help the club move back into the NHL playoff picture.

Red Wings Copp Goalless For 25 Games

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s have come and gone since Detroit forward Andrew Copp last scored a goal. For that matter, so have Veterans Day, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

It was Nov. 7 at Madison Square Garden when Copp scored for the second game in a row against his old club the New York Rangers. That was 25 games ago.

After Copp was posting a career-high 21-goal season in a campaign split between the Winnipeg Jets and Rangers, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was opting to sign Copp to a five-year, $28,125,000 UFA contract.

FIRST SHARKS GOAL OF 2024@FabianZetterlun | #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/1YqdjsOCwA

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 3, 2024

It’s not looking like money well spent. Last season, his first in Detroit, Copp was limited to nine goals. Part of the reason for his decline in production was chalked up to offseason core surgery.

There’s been no such health issues this season, yet Copp is on pace to score just 11 goals. He was minus-three in Tuesday’s 5-3 win at San Jose. Copp diod manage to accidentally push the puck into the Red Wings net for what the soccer folk call an own goal.

A lower-body injury is leaving Copp as questionable for Thursday’s game at Los Angeles, which at this point, could be looked upon as a blessing in disguise.

Fabbri Fading Fast

There was a buzz of excitement when forward Robby Fabbri netted seven goals in his first 11 games coming back from his latest injury. Lately, he’s dried up like skin in winter.

Fabbri has gone 10 games without a goal. He’s dished out one assist in that span and is minus five.

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde played Fabbri as his fourth-line center against the Sharks.

Gostisbehere A 5-on-5 Nightmare

Here are two stats that will give you pause. Over his past eight games, Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has accounted for 2-3-5 totals. Through his last six games, Gostisbehere is also minus-11.

Advanced stats and eye test confirming how I’ve felt about Gostisbehere lately https://t.co/SjMvThrBk8

— Buschy – Red Wings Report (@buschyRWR) January 3, 2024

When it comes to being a reliable 5-on-5 performer, the Ghost is ghosting Detroit. He was a minus-three at San Jose, dropping him to a team-worst minus-17. He’s proving to be what Gostisbehere’s reputation says he is – a guy who will make your power play click, but can’t be trusted defensively at even strength.

Veleno Has Vanished

Like Fabbri, Veleno was turning heads early on when he scored five goals during a five-game span in October. The 2018 first-round pick was even earning minutes skating on Detroit’s top forward line.

Tuesday, Veleno found himself skating alongside Fabbri on the fourth line. He’s tallied twice over the past 27 games. Veleno is minus-11 in his past 12 games.

Red Wings Need More From Moritz

It would be wrong to suggest that Moritz Seider’s overall game has been poor. However, what’s been entirely noticeable lately is that Detroit’s No. 1 defenseman is making some very un-Seider-like errors.

In the New Year’s Eve loss to Boston, Seider sought to skate the puck out of the Detroit zone past two defenders when he was literally the only Red Wings player on the ice who was involved in the play. There have been ill-advised pinches leading to odd-man rushes the opposite way, and soft clearance attempts that were easily intercepted. He endured a run from Dec. 7-27 in which he was minus-eight.

No one expects Seider to be perfect. However, with Detroit’s lack of depth of quality defenders, the Red Wings need to be able to count on him to be making wise decisions with the puck.

The post Five Red Wings Who Need to Get Going appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One notable stat from Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins was that two-thirds of the goals scored by the Detroit Red Wings came from defensemen.

Jake Walman scored first for Detroit. It was his third goal in two games and ninth of the season. That leaves him a tie for second in the NHL for goals from a rearguard. He also was equaling his career high for goals in season.

Ben Chiarot also scored, briefly moving the Red Wings into a 2-2 before the Bruins would pull back in front.

“It’s great anytime you can get offense from the back end,” Chiarot said. “That will help you win a game but wasn’t enough tonight obviously. As defensemen, we’re always looking to jump in and contribute.”

Wally nets his 9th. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Kvfibb5eDd

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 31, 2023

This season, Detroit defenders are contributing at a pace not seen in over 20 seasons. Walman, Shayne Gostisbehere (seven goals) and Moritz Seider (five) are on track to collect double digits in the goals column.

The Red Wings have 26 goals from defensemen this season, trailing only Colorado (28) and Montréal (27) for the NHL lead.

The last time the Red Wings saw three defensemen score 10+ goals in the same season was in 1999-2000. Steve Duchesne (10), Nicklas Lidstrom (20) and Larry Murphy (10) all did it that season.

The club single-season record is four defenseman wth 10+ goals. That was in 1993-94. Paul Coffey (14), Steve Chiasson (13), Vladimir Konstantinov (12) and Lidstrom (10) formed this quartet.

Compher Finding His Game

Scoring for Detroit during a late third-period power play, center J.T. Compher was extending his point-scoring streak to three games. It was his eighth game back from injury, yet Compher was feeling that he still is seeking to get back to where he was at prior to the injury.

Count it! pic.twitter.com/0Cj6vhrgsP

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 31, 2023

“I think that I still can play better,” Compher said. “I feel like sometimes when you come back, it takes you a couple of games. I still think there’s more to my game.”

Ice Chips

Boston halted the point streak of Red Wings left-winger Patrick Kane at six games . . . With an assist, Red wings forward Alex DeBrincat extended his scoring streak to five games.

The post Red Wings Notebook: Defense Contributing to Offense in a Big Way appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

There was a new look to the Detroit Red Wings top power-play unit at practice on Monday. Lucas Raymond was working the net front. Captain Dylan Larkin was at the bumper, while Shayne Gostisbehere manned the point. On the flanks were David Perron and Patrick Kane.

Adding the new guy (Kane) to this group certainly figures to make it a more dangerous outfit. Yet, the thing is, they’re already looking quite dominant.

Detroit has gone 5-1 since returning from a 0-1-1 Global Series disappointment in Sweden. In those six games, the Red Wings have registered a power-play marker in every one of them. Overall, they are 9-for-28 (32.1%) with the man advantage.

Dylan Larkin scores six seconds into the power-play, restoring the Red Wings' goal lead #LGRW pic.twitter.com/nlQB2f22cw

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) November 24, 2023

Detroit also opened the NHL season 5-1. At that time, the power play was clicking at 39.1% (9-for-23). While that number is statistically better, the Wings only scored with the man advantage in four of those six games.

The Red Wings were stuck in a 2-for-41 power-play skid prior to the most recent outburst. Coach Derek Lalonde is giving the credit for the uptick to changes the were implemented by assistant coaches Alex Tanguay and Jay Varady.

Red Wings Simplify Power Play

“This is a look on the power play we’ve been talking about for a while but we kind of wanted it to play out a little bit longer,” Lalonde explained.

Amazingly, the explosion was ignited after the Red Wings were removing Alex DeBrincat, the club’s top goal scorer, and Moritz Seider, the team’s best all-around defenseman, from the top power-play unit.

There was a sense that within the original top group perhaps Larkin and DeBrincat were trying too hard to make high-end skill plays. They were making one too many passes in search of the perfect play.

“This group, they’re probably a little more simple,” Lalonde said. “They’re very good at retrieving pucks, keeping some plays alive on the power play.”

One of the changes made to the group was to drop Gostisbehere from the flank back into what was Seider’s role as the QB of the unit.

“He’s been great for us all year,” Lalonde said. “Obviously, a little different for him running the power play on top. But Shayne’s been a big part of it.”

At the point, Gostisbehere is just as likely to let rip with a shot on goal as he is to dish the puck off to others.

Another move was slotting in J.T. Compher at the net front. He was taking a maintenance day Monday, the reason why Raymond was filling in at the net front.

“Some puck retrievals, he won some face-offs, made some plays,” Lalonde assessed of Compher’s contributions. “It’s amazing, the lift you can get from a power play that’s on point.”

Perron Deadly Finisher With One Timer

Taking over for DeBrincat on one flank, Perron has tallied twice with the man advantage. Both goals were the end result of his patented one timer from the left faceoff circle.

“Since David Perron has been on the half-wall, they’re a little more comfortable, they’ve taken off,” Lalonde said. “Just a small little tweak there. We’re trying to simplify it.”

Detroit's power play improved to 17th from 26th overall under Head Coach Derek Lalonde last season, and the Red Wings are currently 8th overall this season. Learn how to keep your PP simple and effective in this #TCSLive presentation! #LGRW https://t.co/DhOzXwG22V

— The Coaches Site (@TheCoachesSite) December 4, 2023

There’s that word again, but it certainly rings true. An effective power play does tend to make life a lot simpler for a hockey team.

“I think that’s definitely part of it,” Compher said. “When you’re fighting it on the power play, it feels like you’re not getting the bounces. You may be still making nice plays but it was kind of a rough stretch for us special-teams wise.

“When the power play’s buzzing and playing well, it kind of feeds the rest of the team and the game.”

The post Red Wings Power Play Electrifying Again appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

David Perron got a text Sunday morning from Detroit Red Wings director of media relations Todd Beam with some news he would’ve preferred not to hear.

“This guy Beamer texted me in the afternoon that I was two away from 300 (NHL goals),” Perron was explaining as he was gesturing toward Beam. “I don’t usually like hearing about it but he will text me about all the milestones usually.

Perron wound up getting both goals in a 4-1 victory on Sunday over the Minnesota Wild. Both were arriving in similar fashion – one timers on the power play from the left faceoff circle.

Congrats on 3⃣0⃣0⃣, @DP_57! pic.twitter.com/R2BqSGQk9k

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 26, 2023

“It’s one that I’m glad it’s over now and we can move forward and keep adding hopefully,” Perron said.

Detroit coach Derek Lalonde is glad that during the summer of 2022, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was opting to sign veteran Stanley Cup winner Perron as a UFA.

“He drives us in that he has such a passion to win,” Lalonde said of Perron. “I don’t know if I’ve dealt with a more competitive player.

“It’s something where we are as an organization and how we’re trying to take some steps, he was someone we really, really needed. And he’s still pushing himself in the group. A huge positive.”

Red Wings Gostisbehere Goes For Four

With an empty-net goal and three assists, Detroit defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was figuring in all four goals during Detroit’s win. In doing so, he was equaling his career highs for both assists and points. He’s gathered 1-5-6 totals through the past two games and now has 18 points in 19 games this season.

Gostisbehere is the first Red Wings defenseman to post a four-point game since Moritz Seider did it Jan. 10 against the Winnipeg Jets.

“His overall five on five game, I’ve been so impressed with him,” Lalonde said of Gostisbehere. “When you finally get a player day in and day out you really appreciate what he brings.”

Ice Chips

Alex Lyon stopped 37-of-38 shots to earn his second consecutive victory. Lyon is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 goals-against average, a .952 save percentage and one shutout in three starts to begin his Red Wings tenure . . . Detroit is 9-1-0 when leading after two periods, and 6-1-0 when doing so on home ice.

#StatSunday 24 years ago today ON THIS DAY in hockey history (November 26, 1999):

In the @DetroitRedWings 4-2 win over the Oilers:

-Steve Yzerman becomes the 11th player in NHL history to reach 600 career goals

-Larry Murphy becomes the first defenseman to play 1500 NHL games pic.twitter.com/7dFMsKWA0T

— Vintage Hockey Showcase (@hockey_vintage) November 26, 2023

Perron’s 300th goal came on the 24th anniversary of Yzerman becoming the 11th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals. Sunday was also the anniversary of the birth of the NHL in 1917. Reg Noble, the last original NHLer to be an active player in the league, served as Detroit captain from 1927-30.

The post Red Wings Notebook: Milestone for Perron; Four Points for Gostisbehere appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Peeling off their gear in Stockholm after blowing a 2-0 third-period lead in a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a question from captain Dylan Larkin wound up stopping the Detroit Red Wings in their tracks.

“We need to figure out what type of team we’re gonna be,” defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere remembered Larkin asking of the team.

Since that day, the Red Wings have been the kind of team they were at the outset of the 2023-24 NHL season – impressive, explosive and unbeatable.

Shayne Gostisbehere caps a 4-point afternoon with an empty-net goal!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/RbMbM2oG6j

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) November 26, 2023

Sunday afternoon’s 4-1 home-ice verdict over the Minnesota Wild was Detroit’s third successive win. The Red Wings also blanked New Jersey 4-0 at home and won 5-2 at Boston. That’s a 13-3 goal differential during this three-game streak of success.

“I think guys looked at ourselves in the mirror and realized if we do it the right way, we’re gonna get the results,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s really been working.”

Red Wings Developing Winning Traits

Winning isn’t merely measured on the scoreboard. While that’s certainly where the ultimate passing of judgement is taking place, the fact of the matter is all teams must be building a core principle of winning habits in order to get to the top of that mountain of success.

This is what coaches mean when they speak of the process.

It's a beautiful thing! Captain @Dylanlarkin39 gets his 8th of the season!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/DJZsVjpdbs

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) November 26, 2023

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde cited their unsuccessful 0-1-1 Sweden trip as the type of impact that could’ve derailed a lesser club.

“The Europe one point in two games was a very emotional low,” Lalonde said. “We had to sit on it for a long time. I give our guys credit for handling it well.

“I just think our guys matured a little bit to judge themselves on performance over outcome. That was an example where our performance was not bad, but not good enough. We didn’t get the outcome. I think it’s a step for the group and a little maturity of handling that disappointment in Europe the right way.”

Perron Sees Detroit Growing As A Group

David Perron was a two-goal scorer in Sunday’s win, giving him 300 NHL goals. Rather than boasting of his milestone, he was taking more pride in what he’s seeing developing around him inside the Red Wings locker room.

“I go back to the way we play,” said Perron, a Stanley Cup winner with St. Louis in 2018-19. “We take care of each other. It’s what it’s supposed to feel like.

“We play for each other right now. The winning habits, a lot of good changes, things like that, the things that winning teams do. That’s the process that we have to keep doing.”

The post Red Wings Response to Larkin’s Question the Right Answer appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri is once more coming back strongly from an injury-enforced absence. Then again, he’s well-versed at doing it.

Fabbri was scoring a goal in Detroit’s 5-4 win over Columbus on Saturday. It was his second game back following a month-long absence due to a lower-body injury. His tally this season is two goals in three games.

FIRST STAR FABS! pic.twitter.com/kHK613yLn5

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 11, 2023

Four times during his NHL career he’s been required to rebound from knee surgery.

“Yeah, it’s not something I’m proud of, to say I’ve got the experience in that,” Fabbri said of coming back from injury. “It’s just a mental battle more than physical.

“I’ve done it a few times, so I kind of know where to keep my mind at and then that helps me get my body ready.”

Fabbri in front. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/L9tSDyaREm

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 11, 2023

Skating on the third line with Joe Veleno and Christian Fischer, Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was appreciative of the performance his team got from that entire unit.

“That line was excellent,” Lalonde said. “All three just hunt the puck, get above it, creating turnovers, zone time.”

Red Wings Power Play Still Not Delivering

It was close at times, but there were still no cigars being handed out as far as the Detroit power-play unit was concerned. The Red Wings were 0-3 with the man advantage.

“I think we worked the puck well the first couple we had some opportunities,” Detroit defenseman Jeff Petry said. “Ghost (Shayne Gostisbehere) had one off a seam pass hit the goalie’s shoulder.

A unit that was clicking as the No. 2 power play in the NHL through the first six games of the season is operating as the 27th-best in the league ever since.

“We had an opportunity there to start the third period and we weren’t able to get into the zone,” Petry said. “That was a little frustrating.”

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