Preseason wrap-up: Red Wings rally in dramatic fashion, but drop 6-4 decision to Chicago

The Detroit Red Wings dropped a 6-4 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night, wrapping up their stretch of 3 games played over the course of 3 days with a 1-and-2 record.

Detroit is now 3-and-2 in the preseason, with three more games remaining (Wednesday @ Columbus, Thursday vs. Pittsburgh and Saturday @ Buffalo).

Monday’s effort was a wild and woolly game, in which Detroit rallied from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits, in no small part thanks to a 4-for-5 power play, but the Wings couldn’t solve Marc-Andre Fleury for the winner in an up-and-down third period, and, ultimately, the Wings’ mistakes against the high-flying Hawks came back to bite them in their collective hockey pants.

NHL.com posted a concise recap…

Jonathan Toews had three assists for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 6-4 preseason win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday.
MacKenzie Entwistle‘s second goal of the game broke a tie at 10:20 of the third period.
Tyler Johnson and Jake McCabe each scored his first goal for Chicago. Johnson was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 27, and McCabe signed a four-year contract July 28.
Brandon Hagel had three assists, Philipp Kurashev scored, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 36 saves for the Blackhawks.
Bobby Ryan, Moritz Seider, Robby Fabbri and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who were 4-for-5 on the power play. Thomas Greiss made 28 saves.

MLive’s Ansar Khan took note of the Red Wings’ power play prowess in his recap…

The Red Wings scored four power-play goals Monday in a 6-4 exhibition loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena.
Bobby Ryan, Moritz Seider, Robby Fabbri and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for Detroit (3-2-0)
The rookie Raymond also registered an assist and leads the team with six points (two goals, four assists), making a strong impression in an effort to earn a season-opening roster spot, or at worst be one of the first recalls from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.
The club hired Alex Tanguay as an assistant coach in the offseason specifically to work with the forwards and find solutions for a power play that ranked second-to-last in the NHL last season.
Detroit is 8 for 19 on the power play in five preseason games.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan focused on Lucas Raymond’s performance, as it applies to his attempts to earn a roster spot…

It was Raymond’s exciting ability that will make the Wings’ decision so difficult in the days ahead — whether to keep him on the NHL roster, or send him to Grand Rapids for more seasoning.
“We don’t have to make that decision yet,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He did a good job tonight. He’s played good in the games so far, and that’s all he can do, play good hockey. He has a mature game for a young guy. Obviously he has talent. Let’s keep evaluating.”
Raymond has two goals and four assists (six points) in three games, and Monday may have been his best all-around game. He made several passes that nearly resulted in goals, and was continuously dangerous with the puck.
“Maybe,” said Raymond, on whether Monday’s game may have been his best. “It’s always tough to say after a game right away. You always have a picture of how it looks like when you’re playing, but I felt good. I felt good in the previous games as well.”
Raymond’s objective heading into this camp was to make the Wings’ decision difficult, whether to keep him to send him to Grand Rapids, and he’s making it tough.
“(I wanted) to do whatever I could to make the team and do the things I can control and impact,” Raymond said. “Then it’ sup to the staff to decide but I’m just trying to play my game and do the best I can. I feel real comfortable. I feel good out there.”

While DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears discussed the power play in his “Three Takeaways“…

The Red Wings scored three power play goals in the second period, and all three could end up on a highlight tape. Bobby Ryan scored the first, tipping the puck into an open net after a quick passing move from Nick Leddy and Lucas Raymond turned Marc-Andre Fleury around. Moritz Seider converted the second on a one-timer from the high slot and Robby Fabbri the third on a similar sequence as the first – this one from Seider to Filip Hronek to Fabbri.
They added a fourth in the third, with Raymond tying the game on a wrist shot at 3:06. That made the Red Wings 4-for-5 on the power play – a number that almost makes you laugh after last season.
“Certainly our puck movement’s been good,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think we’ve moved it quick. That’s been a big piece of what Alex has been trying to get them to do is just take what’s given and move it quick. And then eventually, you’ll find a seam but don’t force pucks, take what’s given.”
Tanguay earned praise for what he was bringing to the power play during training camp, but it’s always hard to know until you see it in a game. With the caveat that we’ve only seen preseason games so far, it’s inarguable that the power play looks significantly improved.
“When we have that speed on top, with both me and Dylan (Larkin) coming with speed on both sides, and then we could find passes from there,” Raymond said. “But I think that the style that we’re playing right now, it opens up a lot when you get that puck down the wing. You can have (it go) back to the top, seam, down the middle, a shot, you have a lot of options.”

And, among the Free Press’s Helene St. James’ observations are the following:

Seider, Raymond impress: Seider’s poise was noticeable on his goal; he got the puck and timed his shot perfectly. He’s only 20 but it’s easy to tell he’s used to playing against men, having done so the past three seasons (in his native Germany, the AHL and Sweden). He has some defensive lapses here and there, but he looks like he’ll be a force on the back end. Raymond, drafted No. 4 in 2020, earned his second point when he snapped the puck from the right circle early in the third period. Raymond leads the Wings in exhibition scoring with two goals and four assists in three games.
Still no Bertuzzi: Jeff Blashill said Tyler Bertuzzi, who underwent neck surgery in April and hasn’t played since January, is cleared to play, but he’s running out of warm-up games. He was scratched again Monday.
“He’s returning to play coming off major back surgery, there’s lots that go into that,” Blashill said. “Part of that is just getting your body ready. He hasn’t skated this hard in months. We’ll keep taking our time. Ultimately our goal is to have him ready for Game 1 against Tampa. He is cleared, but when you haven’t played in a long time, your hips feel different; when you have played in a long time, your groins feel different.”

Update: Among Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff’s “Five Takeaways“:

Robbie Fabbri had two more points to give him five in three preseason games. He was also robbed of a goal by a brilliant save by Chicago’s Marc-Andre Fleury with 2:40 remaining in regulation.
It is clear he and Pius Suter have chemistry. Larkin will likely be back with Tyler Bertuzzi. Raymond has played well with Larkin, but it’s too early to know who will be the third player on either of those lines. Bobby Ryan will be in that mix if the Red Wings sign him.
But no matter how the lines shake out, the Red Wings could end up with an A and B line, meaning it is not unthinkable that Suter-Fabbri could match the production of Larkin-Bertuzzi.
“Robbie Fabbri has played his ass off so far, in the preseason games and in practice,” Blashill said. “He’s a great example of the competitiveness we are going to have to have if we are going to be successful.

Multimedia:

Highlights: Sportsnet posted an 8:37 highlight clip: