The Free Press’s Shawn Windsor posted a fine subscriber-only article which discusses the Red Wings’ new-found ability to stick with teams like the Washington Capitals, who defeated Detroit 2-0 last night:
Already this team has shown it can come back; it did against these same Capitals a couple weeks ago in Washington. Mostly because the Wings don’t just fight, they bring some juice, if not always precision.
To truly contend for a playoff spot, the precision will have to be there more consistently, mixing with the effort and the speed and the skill. The Capitals may have held the tactical advantage after the two goals in 10 seconds, forcing the Wings to the perimeter and then meeting them there. But the Wings didn’t help themselves, either.
Too many giveaways killed their best scoring chances, though calling them giveaways is understating it.
There were mishandled passes that crept away from the stick, breaking momentum or forcing a restart in the neutral zone. There were hesitations on one-timer possibilities, especially on the power play, and most egregiously during a 5-on-3 advantage.
There were mistimed passes across the top of the zone and pucks that just seemed to float in the creases. The Capitals got to most of them a tick or two faster. Not because of a speed advantage as much as an experience advantage.
Sometimes the fear of a mistake causes a moment of indecision, and those moments of stasis are the difference in hockey. And yet, the Wings continue to do things they wouldn’t — or couldn’t — a year ago. (Heck, dating back over the last several seasons.)
Continued (paywall)
