The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed a subscriber-only article discussing the Red Wings “at the quarter pole” as the 8-9-and-3 Wings hit the 20-game mark in Saturday’s 2-1 OT loss to the Arizona Coyotes.
There are many positives for the Red Wings ahead of a more favorable practice and game schedule in December, after playing 11 games in 17 nights this past month, but the Wings’ good habits have fallen on hard times as the games piled up and the lack of practice time hurt their structure:
The way the Wings played when starting the season 4-2-1, then winning four of five games after losing four consecutive games to open November, was encouraging for a team that was learning how to win.
“(The) swagger starting the season, we played hard and confident,” Larkin said.
But on this recent four-game trip, issues on team defense, inconsistent offense, and signs the Wings hadn’t completely learned how to put teams away all surfaced.
“This past road trip we haven’t been as confident,” Larkin said. “With a one-goal lead (such as Saturday), we have to be a way more confident hockey team. We haven’t been able to practice much. But we’re going back home, have a couple of hard practices and start figuring things out and get back to what it takes for us to be successful. Playing hard, together and playing fast.”
Saturday’s gut-wrenching loss was a sign this particular Wings’ roster still is grasping for contender’s status. The Wings held that 1-0 lead on the Coyotes for much of the game, and yet, weren’t able to snare that second goal, which could have been the difference in the game.
The Wings played too much in the defensive end as the game progressed, and ultimately, it cost them.
“We didn’t have enough push, maybe not push, but sustained pressure and it’s a balancing act,” Blashill said. “We have to keep working and figuring it out. We haven’t won enough as a group here over the last number of years to say that we know how to do that. We’re still working to do that, and we’ve made progress at times, but it’s something we have to keep getting better at. This is the area, probably the biggest area, when you have leads, and you’re not able to build on that lead, finding a way to win. And I do think it’s a big area we have to keep growing as a group.”
Continued (paywall)
