Mid-Season Temperature check- By: Tyler Borchers
Photo Creds- Complete Hockey News Facebook
As we approach the halfway point in the season, the Detroit Red Wings are currently 3 points out of the last wild card spot, with a 16-16-5 record and a -24 goal differential. Although this might have been right where most fans thought the team would be at this point, we should look into what the expectations might be for the second half. One question that still remains to be unanswered: why can't they win on the road? The Wings carry an embarrassing 4-11-3 record away from LCA - the only team with a worse road record is the Montreal Canadiens, the skid mark on the underpants of the NHL.
Some bright notes thus far on the year:
- Dylan Larkin: playing at a point-per-game pace - 32GP, 16G, 16A - his best start to a season as a pro
- Tyler Bertuzzi: on track to score 30+ goals for the first time in his NHL career
- Lucas Raymond: leads rookies in goals and points - 37GP, 10G, 20A (Calder Trophy favorite currently)
- Moritz Seider: currently third in Calder Trophy voting and leads all rookie defensemen with 24 points
Players that need to step up their game:
- Filip Zadina: the 2018 6th overall pick is struggling to find the score sheet with only 10 points in 35GP
- Filip Hronek: strictly defensively speaking, this guy is a liability with man coverage and 1-on-1
- Nick Leddy: the 30-year-old veteran currently is in the lead to take the green jacket carrying a -16
- Michael Rasmussen: similar to the Zadina situation - only 12 points in 35GP
- Robby Fabbri: when he's hot, he's HOT - but the consistency has been lacking of late
Expectations for the second half of the season:
1) Get to .500 on the road - I don't think that's asking too much. This team is capable of beating good teams, but we have to be able to beat them in their own barn. Simple as that.
2) Establish a much stronger power play - With Jakub Vrana coming back in February (hopefully), we should have some offensive power with a few different options as the trigger. Currently, the wings have a 14.7% power play efficiency - ranking them 29th in the league. I would say that the talent this team has for the PP is much better than the numbers show.
3) Tighten up defensively - The Red Wings have allowed a total of 1,236 shots so far - second most in the NHL. Ned and Greiss are good, but they cannot bail the team out every single night. Block some shots, fellas!
-Tyler Borchers- Wing Sauce/ Olde City Sports Network