from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
The challenge for the Detroit Red Wings is to restore confidence and show they are headed in the right direction.
They head to Montreal after being routed for the second time in two weeks, tarnished by a stretch of poor play that can’t be pinned entirely on a lack of personnel. As it turned out, the Wings did a better job taking on the best team in the NHL in Tampa Bay Saturday than they did Sunday when they were shelled by the Florida Panthers. The 6-1 final at BB&T Center was as ugly as the score, as the Wings lacked emotion and execution. They are headed for a third straight draft lottery, but it’s vital to their future success they don’t get there by being blown out.
“We’re already out of it, so there’s no time to pout and sit around and feel bad,” veteran Thomas Vanek said. “There’s a lot of guys here who still have a lot to play for, not just for this year but for the rest of their career, and they better realize it quickly because there are a lot of good players coming up.”
The Wings fell to 1-6-1 since Feb. 22, a stretch that’s seen them trade top-four defenseman Nick Jensen and top-line winger Gustav Nyquist. Top offensive defenseman Mike Green (virus) was out for the season March 5. The team’s best player, Dylan Larkin, missed the weekend games because of a strained neck. He’s to see a specialist Monday in New York, and if he’s cleared to play, he’ll join the Wings in Montreal.
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