Red Wings Can Count on Consistent DeBrincat

A season ago, Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat will be the first to admit that it was an off-year for him in terms of consistently finding the back of the other team’s net. He would endure a series of lengthy goalless droughts.

There were stretches of 11 and 10 games without a goal, along with a trio of seven-game droughts. Most significantly, as Detroit was waging a futile battle for an NHL playoff spot, DeBrincat would score once during a 20-game stretch from Feb. 29 through April 11.

That he still wound up the season with 27 goals displays exactly what a talented finisher DeBrincat is when he’s on top of his game.

Like he’s been this season, for instance.

Alex DeBrincat goes top-shelf to start the scoring. 🚨

Watch Red Wings vs. Hurricanes on Sportsnet. 📺 pic.twitter.com/06VIs21IWe

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 14, 2025

DeBrincat’s team-leading 31st goal of the season briefly gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead during Friday’s 4-2 loss at Carolina. It was his 10th goal over the past 14 games.

“He seems to be a guy we can count on every night,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said of DeBrincat. “He’s usually not at the scene of the crime defensively and offensively he’s got some pop.

“He battles well and loosens up pucks for his teammates and makes plays when they’re there and obviously his shot is very dynamic, surprises a lot of goaltenders.”

Others Need To Step Up For Red Wings

Over the course of the season, DeBrincat has never gone beyond five games between goals. He’s endured two five-game goalless droughts and one of four games in length.

“His game has been pretty solid win or lose,” McLellan said. “We’re happy for that.

“We just got to find a few more.”

That they do.

That's a 30-goal season for Alex DeBrincat! 😼 #NHLStats: https://t.co/LzYD9aedWN

📺: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax ➡️ https://t.co/4TuyIATi3T pic.twitter.com/FmUir2xors

— NHL (@NHL) March 13, 2025

DeBrincat is one of three Red Wings over the 20-goal plateau so far this season. The other two are captain Dylan Larkin (27) and winger Lucas Raymond (22).

Both of them are suffering through inconsistencies at lighting the lamp like the kind that plagued DeBrincat last season.

Larkin has gone 15 games without a goal at one point during the 2024-25 campaign. He tallied once during a nine-game span from Feb. 2 – March 4.

As for Raymond, he opened the season with one goal in 15 games, enduring a pair of seven-game skids. Currently, he’s 10 games without a goal.

In last season’s playoff drive, you’ll remember it was Raymond driving Detroit’s bus. He netted 15 goals over the final 18 games of the regular season.

If the Red Wings want to take part in this spring’s NHL postseason, they could use a return of that Raymond pronto.