from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
On a special dad’s trip, the Rangers scored seven unanswered goals, four in a span of 2:57 in the third period, to pin an 8-2 home loss on the Red Wings. Their worst previous loss this season was an 8-3 road loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
This was the first time since 1993 that an NHL team was tied going into the third period and won by six goals. The last time it happened it was Los Angeles Kings over the Red Wings 9-3 at Joe Louis Arena.
“In the course of seven unanswered goals, I think everything changed,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “It’s 2-2, we’re feeling good. They get one and it’s the same story as Buffalo. It kept going in.”
Husso’s goals-against average went from 1.86 to 2.54
“It’s not fair to our goalies that we just let it keep going like that,” Larkin said....
“Fifteen minutes left in the game, it’s 2-2 against one of the best teams in the East,” Larkin said. “A lot of those, we got the puck on our stick. We gotta manage the puck. We can’t lose guys, can’t give their top players too much time. It’s a 2-2 game and it felt like the past four or five games where we’ve been playing well really well, we’re right in it and I just keep saying it, but we just shot ourselves in the foot too many times.”
These kind of games remind everyone how challenging it is to find the level of consistency necessary to be a contender. The Red Wings gave up eight or more goals four times last season, and they have already given up eight goals twice this season.
“I just think it proves if we are not exact, if we are not at the top of our game, we’re just not good enough,” Lalonde said. “I don’t say that in a bad way, and I think our guys know that.”
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
"The sour taste in your mouth youve got to feel that," captain Dylan Larkin said minutes after Thursday's game at Little Caesars Arena ended. He was the only player to speak to reporters afterward. "We have to be ready for L.A. and thats a tough place to play, but we have to come out with a gutsy effort, similar to how we responded after the Buffalo game."
The Buffalo game was an 8-3 loss on OCt. 31, which came the week after a 5-1 loss at the Boston Bruins. In all three games, the Wings were in it until they melted down in the third periods. They stopped managing the puck, and when they let in one, another and another and another soon followed.
It's those performances coach Derek Lalonde has had in mind when he has cautioned against reading too much into the Wings' 7-4-3 start.
"This has been a will group I wouldnt go as far as an overachieving group with the start weve had, but were not there with our team," Lalonde said. "Which is fine, I think the guys accept it, they know it. We have to be exact at our very best to be successful and when were not, theres nights youre going to look like that.
"Theres a reason we were projected to be a non-playoff team. But with that said, when this team plays the right way, were fine. We know how to play the right way, its just we take it off just the slightest, it can pile up. Another lesson going forward."
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Nate Brown of Detroit Hockey Now,
With Berggren now in Detroit, Red Wings fans attention shifts to Edvinsson, who has eight points (1-7) in nine games. The 2021 sixth overall draft pick has been adjusting to the American Hockey League which includes games in consecutive nights. It also includes a lot of travel.
With a younger kid, hes learning the league, Simon said. I dont think kids in Sweden are playing back to back games, let alone three games in three nights with travel. With that said, a lot of it is mental.
Simon explains that the coaching staff is encouraging Edvinsson to keep pushing his offensive instincts while also taking more calculated risks.
Weve talked to him about joining the rush as opposed to leading the rush, Simon said. Its okay to be involved offensively. But you want to make sure youre managing and picking your spots.
If youre up by a goal with two minutes to go, it might be a safe bet to make the simple play. Its okay sometimes not to have an impact on the game.
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Givani Smith back to Grand Rapids this morning.
Fire Blashill!
I would not panic after this game or will be this sarcastic. Were you also at the arena sarcastically cheering Husso when the puck came to him in the last minute and he made a "save"?
This is not your typical 2;8 loss. It was a good even game for 48 minutes, then Husso allows a terrible goal, minute after total defensive collapse and we basically left the building. OK, maybe we should not have stopped and lose 2:5, not 2:8, but it really does not matter much. Again, the fundamentals were there for most of the game except for 12 minute collapse. Rangers is a top 5 contender for the cup imo no matter how they started.
Last year when we were losing by 5-7 goals, we were usually down by 3 in the first 10 minutes and by 5 after two.
Our roster even with Bert and Vrana is not a playoff roster in the East, so we are overachieving big time so far.
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