Detroit Red Wings
Can Red Wings Become a Top 10 Defensive Team? They Almost Have To
Coach Derek Lalonde’s message for Jonatan Berggren this summer was about being an improved all-around hockey player. It’s about a commitment to helping the Detroit Red Wings keep opposition scoring to two or fewer goals per game. Not giving up easy offense. Not cheating to create offense.
“We were very clear in our messaging this summer,” Lalonde said. “He understood it. But this can be the whole team.”
That last sentence couldn’t be more true.
The Red Wings are a team that probably won’t be able to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016 unless they dramatically improve their goals-against total. They ranked 24th last season with a GAA of 3.33 goals-per-game. They gave up 276 goals in 82 games.
To understand how important GAA is in the NHL, know that the top 10 teams in that category all qualified for the playoffs last season. The Edmonton Oilers ranked 10th at 236 goals goals against. That’s 2.88 goals per game. ( The Red Wings gave up 219 goals the last time they made playoffs in 2016. But that ranked them in the middle of the pack).
That means that the Red Wings probably need to give up 40 fewer goals — roughly a half of a goal per game — to have confidence in their ability about earning a postseason berth.
“I just like the two way approach a little bit, be a little more conscious,” Lalonde said. “Appreciated the goals last year. We’ll need those goals again this year. You need goals to be successful in this league. But again, I just think an emphasis, we want to keep pushing this forward. We need to do a better job, obviously. Finishing in the bottom half of the league with goals against is not a recipe for success.”
Play Defense or Else
There’s greater urgency to embrace a more defensive game because there is a chance they won’t score as many goals this season.
They were ninth in the NHL in scoring (3.35 goals per game) last season, but lost 75 goals in trades and free agency.
“That’s obviously been a focus (since Day 1) of camp — the defensive side and some key adjustments, minor adjustments,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “But I think they’re going to be really key.”
It’s the small things that matter. Coaches always preach that, but it’s particularly true when you are trying to improve defensively.
“We can be better boxing out in front of our net and make quicker stops and exit quicker so then we can play more offense,” Larkin said. “I think that’s what all the best teams, best defensive teams in the league do. The hard nights, they’re big, strong defensemen in the corner that cross check and make it hard on the forwards. I think we’re trying to adopt that and trying to build that into our game throughout camp. It’s something I’m really excited for.”
The Red Wings are hoping that a full-season of Simon Edvinsson adds size and toughness. Then there is the promotion of defensive-minded defenseman Albert Johansson. More consistent goaltending would also help.
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Berggren is Bad New’s black sheep. He has no chance here.
He might have to give him more of a chance than u think because they need goals desperately anywhere they can get them. Beggars cant be choosers.
It is somewhat chasing the wind. Yes, Kane can get away with it. But now add in Tarasenko, Holl, and Petry. How much D can they get from DeBrincat. Thus, the reason that Yzerman must move along Mazur, Kasper, and Danielson… I think sooner. What do I mean? Steve Yzerman should not wait until they are no longer able to pass through waivers. Yes, they have some time, but he should not wait until the end.
I have bad memories from classic Kenny Holland soundbites…
Tie goes to the veteran.
Vets have earned stock in this league.
You can’t teach experience.
I can’t build a team based on what a players birth certificate says.
I’ll stop there. 🙄
I am with ya. I like Yzerman, but I really do not get it. The league is moving their draft picks along a bit quicker. Time to change the philosophy.
In a Cap world a GM needs to take advantage of cheap entry level contracts so you can pay your star players.
Give yourself a 3-4 year window to compete for a Cup.
While other prospects are getting vital experience playing in the NHL, our top prospects are buried in Grand Rapids.
Generally speaking.
Not all prospects are created equal.
Some prospects do need more time.
But in Detroit it’s like you don’t really have a chance of making the NHL jump unless you’re out of waiver options.
I feel like Yzerman is limiting the potential for this team.
But he’s been adamant.
“This is the only way to do it” he says.
Ok Steve.
It’s Year 6 now and no playoffs.
Just saying. 🙄
Totally agree.
It’s hard to teach seasoned vets how to play D.
The old saying being “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”
Possible solution?
Get some new dogs?
Insert Use Krupp joke here. ðŸ¤
We don’t really have many players who excel at playing good D.
How many times have we seen Larkin lose his man in OT which leads to the GW goal?
We love Cat but he cheats for offense.
Same as Showtime.
I’m not expecting miracles but one thing we CAN eliminate (mostly) are the giveaways in our own end.
We gave up so many goals last season with our D making errant passes.
And a lot of them didn’t go in the net because Lyon made 10 bell saves earlier in the season.
I don’t know if it’s coaching (a lack thereof?) or the players but there seems to be a disconnected between them.
Seasoned NHL vets shouldn’t be making this many foolish mistakes whether they’re good defensively or not.
Love the “Get some new dogs?” That made me laugh. I wonder about always mentioning playing D. If Yzerman and Lalonde are so concerned, start moving your players along. Well, you said it above and I am just repeating it.
What confuses me is when Yzerman sees a weakness he usually tries to fill it in UFA.
It’s a double edged sword.
You get the player for free but not really.
Because you usually have to overpay a UFA and 90% of the time he doesn’t fill that hole.
See Compher and Copp.
We’re still searching for a legitimate 2C.
Speaking of young legit 2Cs…
If Yzerman didn’t make the trade with Dallas to acquire the pick which gave us Cossa and cost us drafting Wyatt Johnston, would he still be playing in Grand Rapids?
Assuming of course Yzerman would’ve drafted Johnston.
Yzerman overpaid Holl and he doesn’t even have a starting roster spot.
He gave big money to unproven starter Husso and now we’re counting the days until he’s gone.
Most of our D consist of 3rd pair guys with their best days behind them.
Are the Red Wings trying to win with placeholders?
When does Yzerman take the training wheels off?
I think u both make points but u need a mix. U cant have all kids but cant have all vets too. Need a mix
Nobody said the Red Wings need all vets or all kids. 🤔
True, there are enough vets for one or two youth.
If the Wings start slow, any small bruise should be reason for a call-up. I agree with the vibes everyone has here. Change is in the wind.
True.
Agree with all of that about last season. “I want to believe” as the saying goes but my gut it telling me otherwise. I’m really gonna be ticked if they start out lousy and don’t make changes. “YOUTH MOVEMENT” comes to mind.
I think Lalonde’s future with the Red Wings hinges on whether he can get his players to buy into his system. How many times last season did LaLonde publically call for his team to start on time, take better care of the puck, play within their defensive system? He definitely wasn’t running a tight ship, and at times it looked rudderless. Too much talk of the process and not enough accountability. This wasn’t about skill level. Just look at how Tortorella had the Flyers playing. Do you think anyone on that team was going to ignore his instructions? If the Red Wings start displaying the same issues, I believe Yzerman will have a quick hook.
This occurred to me as well.
How can Torts get so much out of so little?
At least in his first couple years until his players tune him out.
Losey doesn’t have enough of a track record to really know.
He seems like a player’s coach. A nice guy. Is that a good thing?🤔
Yzerman hired him because he knew him from Tampa.
But is Losey getting the most out of this team?
Would a different head coach bring improvement?
I’m not sure.
I look at our D and think a head coach can only do so much.
Are Tanguay and Boughner doing their jobs properly?
I look at how this team tries to defend on the PK and I wonder.
Often it seems too passive and predictable.
Often we don’t get the puck until it’s in the net.
Or the goalie does a prime Hasek impersonation.
I watch the PP and if I know where the puck is going then the other team certainly does as well. 🙄
We lost 75 goals but gained 10 from Kane playing 30 extra games, 20 from Tarasanko, 15-20 from Berggren, so that’s 45-50 replacement goals. In addition, we picked up some better defensive stock which should help reduce our goals against by 20-30.
In the 1992-1994 seasons we were scoring 350-360 goals per year, giving up 275-280 goals per year. By 1996-1998 we were scoring 250 goals and giving up 195 goals per. There was no effective lament of our reduction in scoring because our defense was giving up 50 less goals per season (even though our scoring was down about 100 goals per season). Even in 2001-2002 season we scored 269 goals and gave up 203 goals.