When the 2014-15 NHL schedule was released this summer, the Detroit Red Wings had an October slate that could be described as daunting. Two games each against the Bruins and Leafs. Hosting the California hotbeds of Anaheim and Los Angeles. Taking on the Flyers in Philly and hosting the Penguins. Two big road games against Montreal and Washington. For a team that has just made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth the last two seasons, many in Hockeytown were concerned with how the Wings would stack up.
However, they’ve exceeded many expectations.
Detroit Red Wings Finish October Strong
Compiling a 6-2-2 record through the first month, they more than stacked up against some of the league’s best. These ten games brought many great moments, outstanding plays, and storylines that affected the team positively and negatively.
The Defense Has Held Up
A huge question mark coming into the new season was an old problem in an area that the Wings finished 16th in the previous season: defense. Giving up a below-average 2.70 goals against with a relatively young blueline, the Wings failed to address a gaping hole in that defense, the need for an experienced, right-handed blueliner.
After striking out there, GM Ken Holland took his lumps and signed fan scapegoat Kyle Quincey for two years. So, the Wings took that same blueline into 2014-15 and have gotten a totally different result. Through ten games, the Wings have allowed 20 goals, ranking 5th in the league at an even 2.00 goals against clip.
A huge part of this change is the improved play of younger defensemen, such as 25-year old Brendan Smith (0-1, +3). Instead of forcing a lot of plays like he did last season, the poise that the Wings were looking for when they took him in the first round at 27th overall in 2007 is starting to kick in.
24-year old Danny Dekeyser continues to show poise beyond his years as well, as he continues to grow into one of the best defensive defensemen the Wings can boast (0-3,+4).
Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall have continued to hold the fort at the top, with Kronwall potting two goals and eight points and Ericsson continuing to power through an injury to his finger. Quincey has continued his strong second-half play from last season, becoming less and less a glaring issue. Jakub Kindl (0-1, +4) has had his share of struggles but with Xavier Ouellet waiting in the wings, he has held his own for the most part, as he is 2nd on the team in 5-on-5 Corsi-for at 62.9%.
It will be interesting to see how the blueline holds up for the remaining 72 games with plenty of hockey to be played, but so far, they’ve been an important part of Detroit’s great start.
Jimmy Howard Looks Healthy, and Good
It was very important for the 30-year-old Syracuse native to get off to a strong start between the pipes.
So far, he has.
Last season, Howard finished with a 2.66 GAA and .910 save percentage. Winning only 21 games and losing 11 in overtime and the shootout (although the Wings rarely helped him out in the latter situation), Howard knew that things had to change fast after just signing his 6-year $31.75 million contract in 2013.
Howard did not look all that healthy last season, as was the case for many Red Wings, but it has been drastically different this season. Howard, playing as well as his defense, has been aggressive out of the paint, flexible with his pads, and the glove has never looked so flashy. All of this has helped towards a 5-1-2 start, a .929 save percentage, and 1.97 GAA.
Howard has just seemed to feed off of how his defense is playing and his play has been integral to the blueline’s success as well as his team’s success. He looks poised to get back into his 35-win form with his strong play early on.
The Eurotwins Are Healthy, and Scary
Last season marked the first time in the Datsyuk-Zetterberg era that Pavel and Henrik did not play more than 45 games each. With those two out of the lineup, the Wings relied on their young stars, a situation that would get them barely into the playoffs. Zetterberg was shutdown after the Olympic Break and Datsyuk only played here and there after the Winter Classic and until the playoffs.
This season, Datsyukl had to wait five games before getting into action on account of a separated shoulder. He’s netted a point in every game he’s played since making his debut in Montreal (4-4,+1). Zetterberg, coming off of back surgery to repair a herniated disk and a summer of max conditioning, has 3 goals and 14 points in the first ten games.
There have been many who have questioned how much hockey is left in either Datsyuk (36) or Zetterberg (34), especially after injury-riddled seasons as those two had. So far however, they look as good as ever mixed in with the next generation of Red Wing stars. If those two stay healthy, the Wings will continue their strong play in the coming months.
Gustav Nyquist Is (Still) Good
Goose status: still loose.
After a breakout season in 2013-14 which saw Nyquist pot 28 goals and become the hottest shooter in the league after January 20th, the “Goose” hasn’t lost a step. He scored a goal in each of the team’s first four games and has seven in the first ten games, including five powerplay goals. The 25-year old Maine Blackbear alum has cemented himself as a bonified leader of the new generation of Red Wings which includes Tomas Jurco, Riley Sheahan, and Tomas Tatar.
With wicked chemistry with his countryman Zetterberg, the speed factor he brings to the table each and every night, along with a natural scoring ability that hasn’t even hit its ceiling yet, Nyquist is off to a great start in what could be his best season yet. It’s only been ten games, but with a full season of opportunity this time around, it could be a memorable year.
Tony Granato’s Penalty Kill is Grade A
With a penalty kill ranking 12th overall in the league last season at 83%, the Red Wings wanted to make it even better. They went out and got assistant coach Tony Granato from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who posted a penalty kill that had consistently been in the top five during his five-year tenure there.
The result has been immediate and fantastic. Through ten games, the Wings have the best penalty kill in the league, including starting off 25-for-25 on kills. Currrently at 94.1%, the penalty kill is picking up the power play, which is currently ranked 24th at a 12.8% clip. Granato was a big-time penalty killer in his time in the NHL and has rubbed his experience off on a very aggressive PK so far.
The Wings have not been without their hardships and struggles however.
As mentioned before, the power play has been offensively challenged, scoring only five goals in 39 opportunities. They scored twice with the extra man against the Kings on Friday and looked very strong doing it, but to be consistent, having all left-handed shots will not do the trick. This will be an interesting storyline for the rest of the way in seeing if Holland will pull the trigger on a trade or bring up Ryan Sproul from Grand Rapids.
Depth scoring has also been an issue during the first ten games as well. The Wings rank 15th in the league in goals for per game at 2.70. Much of that production has come from the top six. It’s good to see the big guns producing as they should be with Zetterberg, Nyquist, Kronwall, Datsyuk, and even Abdelkader getting in on the fun, but there are some players that have gotten off to slow starts that need to contribute even more.
Sheahan has a goal and two assists. Tatar has two goals. Helm has four assists. Jurco has two assists. The whole fourth line of Luke Glendening, Drew Miller, and Joakim Andersson, pesky as they have been, have combined for one goal. Outside of Kronwall, the entire defensive core has combined for seven points. While it’s good for the scorers to score, the young guns and checkers must get in on the act if the team wants to succeed longterm in the regular season and in the spring.
Lastly, the Stephen Weiss situation has not gotten any better early on. He’s played one game and has been a constant healthy scratch. He was sent down to Grand Rapids early in the week for conditioning to play in the weekend games and on the road trip, but things did not go according to plan. He injured his groin down there, forcing the Wings to put him on IR and bring Johan Franzen back on Sunday against Buffalo.
The Wings have fared well without Weiss through the first ten, but through the grind of an 82 game season the depth scoring he was signed to provide will be needed. For Weiss and for the team, his situation must improve as his $4.9 million cap hit just seems to be more of an eyesore by the day.
All struggles aside, there is plenty to be happy about through the first month of the season for the Detroit Red Wings. They skated into opening night facing a daunting schedule against top teams and skated out of the Joe Friday with a 5-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings and 6-2-2 record to close out the month. It’s an 82 game season, but it is encouraging to see the Red Wings back on track, healthy, and playing high-caliber Detroit Red Wings hockey that Hockeytown knows and loves.
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