Red Wings Are Broken at The Break

Much like Mariah Carey, Detroit Red Wings fans don’t want a lot for Christmas.

Maybe a new coach. Perhaps a new GM.

Bottom line, they’d just like to find some reason, any reason, for optimism. A glimmer of hope would suffice.

Those gathered at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night sent the Red Wings off to their Christmas break by serenading them with a carol of boos, and deservedly so.

I mean, they’re frustrated, we’re frustrated,” said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, seeming to comphrehend the frustration of the faithful. “They’re rightfully frustrated.

Whoever asked for a shutout and hat trick combo this year, Santa dropped your gift off in Detroit. #stlblues | @STLChildrens pic.twitter.com/2P8emOhm78

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 24, 2024

“When you play at home on a big night like tonight with the holiday coming up, it’s usually a great crowd, and we didn’t give them any reason to cheer and have a good night.”

On a three-game losing skid heading into the NHL’s Christmas break, Detroit is 13-17-4 and second-last in the Eastern Conference. A year ago at the holiday break, the Red Wings were 16-14-4.

Making matters worse, they are a dismal 6-9-2 on home ice.

Red Wings Offering Little Cause For Optimism

Detroit could muster up only nine shots on goal through the first two periods on Monday. While a confident St. Louis team was winning shift after shift, driving forcefully to the net to create scoring chances, the Red Wings were playing that cutesy passing game they appear to be so fond of, consistently moving the puck away from scoring areas in search of a perfect play that would never materialize.

“There’s . . . a lot of skating, a lot of hard work, but we’re not getting anything accomplished,” Larkin said. “We’re working hard and not accomplishing anything.

“I think when you show up to play, you got to show up to play, and we just don’t have enough guys doing that right now, myself included. So you gotta be committed to compete, and we’re just not doing that.

“We’re very disconnected.”

Don’t Blame Injuries

It would be easy to use the absence of injured defensemen Simon Edvinsson and Ben Chiarot as a crutch, an excuse for failure. The Wings are now 0-4 without Edvinsson this season. But the bottom line is Detroit held St. Louis to 21 shots.

It was at the other end of the ice where the Red Wings did virtually nothing to trouble Blues goalie Jordan Binnington.

“Our last probably two-and-a-half games, we’re definitely searching,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “A little fragile. Maybe that’s frustrating the way this home stand started.

“So we need the break, the break’s coming at a really good time.”

18 seconds into the period, Alexandre Texier went and did this. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/nK2JCu4Yhl

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 24, 2024

Eight points out of a playoff spot at Christmas, the big picture for the Red Wings looks much like Monday’s weather forecast did – bleak and dreary.

“It’s not a very good spot to be in,” Lalonde admitted. “As far as losing the season, I don’t think you look at that.

“I think you kind of live in the moment. And our moment is break, recharge and try to get our game back in order against Toronto.”

The Red Wings have been waiting on the that recharge, refire, reset – whatever you want to call it – all season long. It hasn’t happened yet.

Christmas is coming. And only the most Pollyaanna of optimists would suggest that so is a Red Wings turnaround to this moribund season.