The Free Press’s Helene St. James checks in with her usual morning column the day after the Detroit Red Wings dropped a 5-2 decision to the Washington Capitals:
Desperately searching for victory and wellness, the Detroit Red Wings turn their hopes to a couple trade deadline acquisitions.
Pinning a turnaround from what has become a five-game losing streak on a 33-year-old goaltender who had dropped down the depth chart on his former team and a 35-year-old forward is only part of it, though. For the Wings (30-27-6) to give themselves a chance at getting back inside the playoff picture after being stuck on 66 points for more than 10 days now, it’ll take accepting just how much effort that takes.
“It’s hard at this time of year,” coach Todd McLellan said after Friday’s 5-2 loss at the Washington Capitals. “Our guys are learning that. I’m not sure everybody quite understands that. But clearly we have a lot to work on and a lot to learn.”
The Wings flew home after the game, taking advantage of having two days before they next play, Monday at the Ottawa Senators. That’s just one of the Atlantic Division rivals that got stronger before Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, adding key players, as did the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Wings added goaltender Petr Mrázek and forward Craig Smith.
“We didn’t do a whole lot, but it’s honestly been hard to follow because of our game and back-to-back, the turnaround,” Dylan Larkin said. “You look at what’s going on around the league and it’s pretty wild, all the big teams loading up. It is what it is right now. We have a group in here that we believe can win and we just have to start doing it.”
Frustration was all over Larkin’s face as he stood in the visiting locker room at Capital One Arena — frustration and acknowledgement that the first shorthanded goal the Capitals scored, the one that began a barrage of four unanswered goals in the third period, was Larkin’s turnover; “it’s unacceptable by me,” he said.
Continued with more from coach McLellan, Larkin and Patrick Kane…
