from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
There’s no player on the roster of the Detroit Red Wings who can match the winning resume of three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane. So when he speaks about what it takes to succeed in the NHL, you’d best listen up.
Just the other day, Kane was assessing the club’s performance during their current six-game losing skid. He’s not at all impressed with what he sees going on with the team.
“Just the details of our game, effort level, compete,” Kane said. “I think when you outwork, when out out-compete your opponent, you increase your chance of winning that game. It just hasn’t been there for us.”
It’s somewhat startling to hear the effort of the Red Wings being questioned. Even during the dark days of the rebuild under GM Steve Yzerman, rarely has the team’s work ethic been seen as an issue.
I think he forgot some punctuation
Breaking down: the Detroit Red Wings defensive play
That pretty much sums up our "experienced" defense we spend $21M on. This video is also a comedy of errors by multiple Red Wings. Yikes!
via Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
Coach Derek Lalonde said he didnt think his captain Dylan Larkin would play this weekend. He thought Larkin would be in the day-to-day range starting Monday, the day after Detroit plays Pittsburgh. But he added, That could change.
It could change because everyone understands the importance of Larkin returning to the lineup. It was as if they were jetting along, and an engine fell off. The Red Wings are 2-8 without him this season, and the team has three games before Monday.
The Red Wings were 0-2 without him last season. In 2021-22, Detroit was 5-5-1 without him. Bottom line: The Red Wings cant get their ahead above water when hes absent.
With 17 games remaining this season, his return is vital to the teams hope of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. The Detroit players seem to be feeling the weight of their six-game losing streak, evidenced by the scuffle in practice Wednesday.
If Larkin isnt ready, he isnt ready. Medical opinions rule. But how Larkin feels when he skates will certainly influence medical opinion. You know he wants to play.
They will snap out of it. It is more of a matter of when. I would like to think all of us as fans looked at this season and even the next few as passers. In other words, trying to build confidence with winning and yet waiting for the next wave of players once they develop. No doubt, Steve Yzerman has work to do over the summer. I hope he does not just fill the roster with FA's and Edvinsson is found in the AHL again as an example. We all know decisions will need to be made on Berggren, Albert Johansson, and Edvinsson. And then he has to decide on other forwards; get them from the outside or within? I hope he can trade for a younger player... we'll see.
I think if you asked before the season, the Wings (and most of the Eastern Conference) are just where we expected them to be. The unforeseen part is the way it has played out the last couple of weeks where effort and consistency have become major question marks.
I was reasonably confident that one of the wildcard spots would go to non-Red Wings Atlantic team. It's played out that Tampa is likely that team. That would leave the Red Wings, Islanders, Washington, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Buffalo fighting for the last spot. The only surprise is the swap of Philly and New Jersey and how Buffalo and Ottawa failed to build on last season's success.
Over the last 2 weeks we've seen the Wings blow a nice cushion and the Islanders make the most of it. Jersey and Pittsburgh have just about played themselves out of it while Washington and a surging Buffalo team still hang around.
I've been thinking it from about January 1 that it will probably come down to which team performs best in the last 5 games of the season. Fortunately the Wings are still in the hunt but it is maddening to watch the gap slip away. I was really looking forward to watching some Wings playoff hockey and that is getting less likely with each L.
The remaining schedule is pretty friendly to the Wings but they have to take advantage of it better than they did against Arizona and Buffalo. It's pretty embarrassing what the remaining leaders have done in Larkin's absence. I didn't expect a cup contender but I did expect more.
Changes still need to be made regardless. This season and them making the playoffs or not has not been a high consideration for me. However, the roster itself is revealing and thus, requires needing change.
Even during the dark days of the rebuild under GM Steve Yzerman, rarely has the teams work ethic been seen as an issue.
I'm not sure what team Duff has been watching, but this definitely isn't the first time the Wings have shown a lack of "work ethic." The seemingly endless string of "late starts" in games this year (and in the past) is a sign of that. Or maybe a lack of "work ethic" isn't the right description. Maybe it's more a lack of "self-motivation."
Whatever you want to call it, it's not the culture that Yzerman is trying to build. And if they miss the playoffs this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see some significant changes this summer, maybe even behind the bench.
I would be surprised because it's only year two for Newsy. Stevie will give him one more season unless the Wings completely collapse (which is a possibility). There's enough blame for everybody (players, coaches, management) to go around.
I'd be surprised too. But then you can never count anything out with Yzerman.
Late starts, getting pushed around, and the opponents hard forecheck adds up to 6 losses in a row.
Exactly.
Why does nobody bring up the Wings sub 500 record with Kane in the lineup? Is it showing disrespect for a journeyman hall of fame player?
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