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.