The Red Wings get another shot at St. Louis tonight, and this one comes with a little extra edge.
Less than two weeks ago, Detroit had the Blues where it wanted them, up 4-2 in the third period after controlling most of the first 40 minutes. Then everything unraveled in a hurry.
St. Louis scored three times in 4:38, the tying and winning goals came 18 seconds apart, and what looked like a comfortable win turned into one of Detroit’s uglier losses of the season.
That collapse still hangs over this matchup, but the bigger picture is what makes tonight matter. Detroit is 7-8-3 and sitting last in the Atlantic, yet the gap to the second wild card in the East is only three points. The standings are tight enough that one decent stretch can change the mood fast.
The Wings are also getting a little healthier. Kasper and Appleton are back in the mix, which gives HCTM more options up front.
That matters, because the offense has gone completely quiet. Detroit has scored just three goals during this three-game losing streak.
There were at least some encouraging signs in the loss to Colorado. The Wings outshot the Avalanche 13-5 in the opening period and won the high-danger chance battle 7-3 in that frame.
But the second period turned into a penalty-filled mess, Colorado cashed in twice on the power play, and the game slipped away. Finnie had enough chances to change the whole night if he buries one or two of those half dozen golden looks.
The first meeting with St. Louis followed a familiar script.
Detroit was the better team for long stretches, then got loose enough for it all to stop mattering. I’m fine laying that loss on Gibson, and on McLellan for leaving Gibson in net, but this group has to stay connected for 60 minutes, not 38.
The projected lineups for tonight:
Red Wings: DeBrincat-Finnie-Arvidsson; Brandsegg-Nygard-Copp-Raymond; Mazur-Kasper-Kolesar; Rasmussen-Compher-Appleton. Chiarot-Seider; Wallinder-Faulk; Englund-An.
Johansson. Tarasov and Gibson.
Blues: Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud; McMichael-McTavish-Kaskimaki; Neighbours-Dvorsky-Buchnevich; Toropchenko-Suter-Johnston. Broberg-Carlo; Parayko-Barron; Fowler-Mailloux. Hofer and Binnington.
Detroit is still closer to the playoff line than it feels. Now comes the part where it has to start acting like it. Bank the points.
In Other News...
Red Wings Still Have One Roster Problem They Need To Solve
The Red Wings keep running into the same issue in the lower half of their forward group: the bottom-six has not given them enough scoring punch, and that has shown up in the teams overall offensive consistency. Over the past few seasons, Detroit has cycled through different players in those spots, but the production has lagged well behind what the club gets from its top scorers, leaving a roster hole that has lingered longer than the front office would like.
There are a few ways the Wings could address it, starting with a call-up from the AHL if they want to inject some energy and skill into the lineup. The return of injured forwards Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton should help, and the trade market remains another avenue if Detroit decides the answer has to come from outside the organization. For now, the question is less about whether the problem exists and more about which fix the team chooses first. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Get A Key Piece Back And Still Can't Stop Sliding
John Gibson was back in net for Detroit on Monday night after missing time with a lower-body injury, and the veteran goalie gave the Red Wings a chance with 30 saves in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider scored for Detroit, but the result still extended the slide to four straight defeats and five losses in six games, a stretch that has made every small positive feel a little harder to hold onto.
The timing only adds to the pressure, because the road trip rolls on with games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning still ahead. Detroit has been looking for a way to steady itself, and getting Gibson back was part of that equation, but the latest result showed there is still plenty more to sort out before the trip turns around. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings And Dylan Larkin Are Now Locked In An Ugly Standoff
Dylan Larkins standoff with the Red Wings has moved well beyond a routine trade request. After asking out of Detroit and then refusing to play, the captain has been suspended without pay, while the organization has responded by taking down his banners and pulling his merchandise from circulation. For a franchise that has spent years trying to build around Larkin, the split is now public, messy and unmistakably personal.
The part that makes this situation especially tense is how little movement there has been on either side. Larkin has held firm on the destinations he would accept, even as interest around the league has started to surface, with the Blues among the teams reportedly keeping tabs. Detroit appears ready to move on, but until the trade list changes or another team meets the price, the Red Wings are stuck in a standoff that shows no sign of easing. [Read more 🡒]