The Associated Press’s Stephen Whyno penned an article discussing the NHL’s rebuilding teams this morning, and his analysis of the Red Wings’ efforts in building a 4-4-and-2 record serve as the “lede” for the article:
Last week, Jeff Blashill tried to go to the same restaurant where he had dinner in March 2020, before the NHL season shut down. He found the windows to be boarded up.
The reminder of how many things have changed over the past 19 months was followed the next day by his Detroit Red Wings coming back to win a game they likely would have lost at any other time over the past two years. It showed their longtime coach how far the team has come.
“We’ve been in situations where we’ve found our way to wins and I think that breeds confidence,” Blashill said. “I think we have some guys that have matured over the years in terms of living through some of that. As hard as some of those moments are to live, you hope you grow, and a number of our guys have grown even through some of the difficulties we faced.”
Rebuilding is a difficult time in any professional sports league, and the opening weeks of the NHL season show just how different things can be. The Red Wings added talent and no longer look like the league’s doormat. The Buffalo Sabres are showing what good coaching can do for a young team, while the Ottawa Senators are a stride behind Detroit in hanging with better opponents.
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Detroit is a good blueprint. A few years removed from a roster purge, the Red Wings are showing the fruits of picking high in the draft with rookies like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider contributing to morale-building victories.
“You can see it with some of these young guys that they’re gaining a feel for the league,” veteran Red Wings forward Adam Erne said. “We’re confident in each other. We’ve had some young guys coming in, we still do, but every game and every season that goes by is huge for experience and confidence.”
Continued with a weekly notebook’s list of notes…
Detroit Red Wings ? rebuilding stage is way too slow
The Wings are in a good spot. Stanley, if they win it, will be at least 8 to 10 years out. That doesn’t mean the rebuild is too slow. It took Tampa Bay 10 years. In the meantime, we get to watch the team grow.