DETROIT – As the Detroit Red Wings begin a four-game trip tonight in Chicago, they are seeking to stop several trends:
- They have yet to win back-to-back games.
- They played 11 sets of games against the same opponent and lost the first game 10 times.
- They have dropped all four games against the Blackhawks.
- They have failed to convert on 39 consecutive power play opportunities, going 14 games without a goal on the man-advantage.
The Red Wings (6-13-3) hope to carry over momentum from Thursday’s 5-2 victory over Nashville. Coach Jeff Blashill called it a game in which players competed hard for each other and played with structure, which has been good the past three games after a 7-2 loss to Florida one week ago.
“For the most part, especially five-on-five, I’ve really liked our game for good stretches of the year,” Sam Gagner, who notched a hat trick Thursday, said. “Obviously, special teams are going to be real important. We have to find a way to break through on the power play and create some chances, create some momentum even if we don’t score.”
The Blackhawks (11-6-4) are 8-2 in their past 10.
The Red Wings scored some dirty goals against Pekka Rinne Thursday. On Gagner’s first goal, the puck managed to get between Rinne and the post. His second goal went five-hole. Luke Glendening scored by flipping in a backhand shot while on his knees. Adam Erne’s goal deflected in off Rinne’s glove.
The lesson? Get the puck on net and good things can happen.
“Without a doubt, scoring dirty is one of the ways that you can break out of slumps,” Blashill said. “They can’t all be pretty. If you look at the goals in the league, a lot of them are off chaos and are dirty-type goals. By dirty, I mean putting pucks to the cage, finding bounces.”
Bobby Ryan said: “A lot of times mentally you’re telling yourself to put more pucks there but internally you’re passing shots up. I know I’m guilty of that. Sometimes it’s about simplifying, putting pucks on net. Gags found a simple way to get the puck to the net. It creates traffic and mayhem around the goalie. Those are things you got to get back to as your staples when you’re not scoring. You almost get too fancy and you’re passing up chances to score the ugly goals. We simplified and it got us five and now you can watch that and reiterate that and hopefully that becomes a little more of a trend for us.”
The Red Wings also passed up several shots on odd-man rushes Thursday, looking for the ideal set-up that did not materialize.
“I think on two-on-ones, lots of times the best play is a shot, and the best pass is a shot,” Blashill said. “Shoot it and get the rebound and score. Goalies are really good moving laterally, and if you make that pass, lots of times it’s going to be saved. Understanding the chaos that shooting creates is important. We’ll keep working at it.”
Five of Detroit’s six victories have come in the second game of back-to-back sets the NHL implemented to reduce travel during this COVID-shortened season.
Whether they have played with more urgency in the second game or made the right adjustments, or maybe it’s just a coincidence, the Red Wings need better starts in these mini-series.
More: Bobby Ryan sees potential future in Detroit beyond this season
The Link LonkFebruary 28, 2021 at 01:14AM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/02/red-wings-took-to-end-some-trends-in-chicago.html
Red Wings look to end some trends in Chicago - MLive.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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