How 'Bout Those Red Wings!
Last year they went into Ottawa down the stretch and lost back-to-back games 6-1 and 6-2. But the worst part was how they lost as they were pushed around by the bigger Senators and taunted by their captain Brady Tkachuk. Stevie Y immediately shut down the season and started trading assets for picks, knowing that the Wings were not playoff-ready and had to retool.
Over the summer he picked up a lot of solid talent with size. No one that flashy, but big, solid experienced hockey players with more offensive potential than what we had.
Fast forward to today's game in Ottawa where we returned to the scene of the crime tied with the Senators for 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. The Wings weathered some early pressure by the Sens and were outshot by a large margin in the first. After giving up a goal the Wings rallied back with 5 of their own, finally winning 5-2.
Right now the Wings are in 1st place in the Atlantic with 8 points, although the Bruins have 2 games in hand. Their power play is tops in the NHL, humming along at 50%! Alex DeBrincat is tied for second in scoring league-wide with 8 points.
It's great to be a sports fan in Michigan right now!
October 21st, 2023 at 5:54 PM ^
Pretty early yet.
But it's better to win early than lose early.
October 21st, 2023 at 5:57 PM ^
Always better to win! Always. Lets go Red Wings and Lets go BLUE!
October 21st, 2023 at 6:01 PM ^
I keep waiting for it to stop but they just keep trucking teams
October 21st, 2023 at 6:10 PM ^
Right? 24 goals in 5 games!
October 21st, 2023 at 6:02 PM ^
50% powerplay isn't exactly sustainable. It's really just a hot streak to start the season. They'll be middle of the pack in the end.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:06 PM ^
You're fun at parties.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:24 PM ^
Realism has never hurt anyone.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:50 PM ^
It’s fucking sports assmunch, we watch this to get away from reality.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:58 PM ^
oh you’re one of THOSE guys …….
October 21st, 2023 at 6:25 PM ^
Detroit hasn't had a start like this in a long time. It being sustainable or not isn't the point. What they're doing, and who they're doing it to is absolutely a good sign.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:52 PM ^
"35-5 is not sustainable."
-1984 BlueMk1690
(You were right then too)
October 22nd, 2023 at 9:32 AM ^
Imagine a combination of the folowing:
October 21st, 2023 at 6:22 PM ^
DeBrincat (my favorite off-season signing) is on pace to score 65 goals this year
wings in 1st
lions in 1st
M in 1st
pinch me I’m dreaming
October 21st, 2023 at 6:26 PM ^
If the Tigers were in the playoffs I'd be convinced I had shaken off the mortal coil.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:25 PM ^
DeBrincat has been a fun addition, but uh, how could you fail to mention our very own Dylan Larkin is alone in 2nd place for scoring with 9 pts!
Jack hughes is currently 1st...
October 21st, 2023 at 6:34 PM ^
Great catch Mike! I checked the CBS Sports page which is showing Dylan with only 6 points. You're right though, NHL Stats is showing 9 for Larkin.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:39 PM ^
Ha, we'll see where they end up but between the wings and lions its so nice to have a pro team in Detroit get off to a GOOD start. Seems like it's been forever. Even the pistons are looking pretty OK in the preseason.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:36 PM ^
It's very early but so far so good!! Power play is clicking!!
October 21st, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
The Wings aren’t just winning, they are dominating.
October 21st, 2023 at 7:08 PM ^
Yes, it appears Stevie Y took a page from the Vegas Knights playbook - basically looking for good to great talent top to bottom, not necessarily elite. When you sign stars with their expensive contracts to your top 3 or 6, it doesn't leave you much to pay your bottom 6. Look at Edmonton with McDavid and Draisaitl. They score a bunch, but not enough to overcome what their bottom 6 gives up. Also Toronto with Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares. The more you pay those guys the less you have to pay your bottom 6.
It's hard to believe the Wings are playing this well with so much cap space to spare.
Stevie Y! Yzerplan!
October 22nd, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
I think good to very-good talent top to bottom is the best way forward in today's salary cap era.
The cap and easy free agency make it a huge mistake to build a team that largely relies on 2 or 3 key players to put the team on their back for long stretches, both in terms of the season and their careers with a particular team.
It's great if a guy on the roster does start breaking out, but any professional management team needs to immediately start modeling the trades, draft picks, or other considerations they could get for that player, maybe even making a few very discreet inquiries around the league.
The challenge with this team-building approach is gelling a locker room quickly since guys can and do move around much more frequently.
October 21st, 2023 at 7:02 PM ^
LGRW!
October 21st, 2023 at 7:04 PM ^
I think Scotty Bowman said something to the effect of, "give me 20 games and I'll tell you what we've got."
The power play is absolutely insane, but they take too many bad penalties and those will end up finding their level and negatively effect them.
They're fun AF to watch. Relentless attack from every line. So much more size and speed than past teams.
I don't know if they'll make the playoffs this year, but I thoroughly trust the Yzerplan.
October 21st, 2023 at 7:06 PM ^
Yes on DeBrincat. Hell yes on Larkin.
but can we just take a sec to appreciate the second best (and might end up being the best) off-season signing Gostisbehere?
+4 and 6 points (2G/4A) in only 18 and a half mins a game. zero penalty minutes, and is playing phenomenal defense.
Seider has 4A as well and I’m pleased with his development but he needs to remember he’s a defender. -4 is not a good look
October 21st, 2023 at 7:10 PM ^
Pre-Debrincat deal, Gostisbehere was my favorite move this off-season.
October 21st, 2023 at 7:54 PM ^
I'm not surprised. It's the deepest forward group in the league. Hell, they only just called up Berggren because of Fabbri's injury. They're tough to play against both up front and on defense.
If you put Edvinsson on the back end, this team looks really fast and really good.
I've said it elsewhere, and I'll say it here. Backup goaltending has been holding this team back. They were giving away 10-15 points a year the past couple seasons. If Reimer rediscovers his old form, this is a 100- point roster.
October 21st, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
The Red Wings commentators were saying the 4 lines they have are so good they wear other teams down.
October 22nd, 2023 at 10:46 AM ^
Just like the Wings of the late 90s and early 00s. So deep they could just roll 4 lines. Hell, Scotty typically started the Grind Line.
October 22nd, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^
As I said above, I think good to very good players on a depth-based roster approach are the way to go in today's league.
Paying top dollar to a superstar #1 center seems like a great way to cripple a hockey team for years under the current cap rules.
October 21st, 2023 at 10:10 PM ^
Nice to see Veleno have an impact this game. That was one player I was hoping starts to breakout this year
October 21st, 2023 at 11:38 PM ^
Hey OP, I'd say DeBrincat was a pretty flashy acquisition. ;-)
October 21st, 2023 at 11:40 PM ^
Love the Wings and love Stevie Y.
October 22nd, 2023 at 6:14 PM ^
Hopefully won't jinx it, but...
Second game of a back-to-back and we currently lead 3-0. While we're at home, Vegas closed with CGY being -130 favorites so with 30 minutes to play it's off to a good start.
EDIT: It's now 6-2 and DeBrincat has a hat trick.