The Detroit Red Wings emerged from their first 10 games of the season with a win rate that would put them on track to make the playoffs.
They take a 6-3-1 record into Thursday’s game against the Florida Panthers, returning home from a two-game trip with two points thanks to a late rally. When Lucas Raymond scored in overtime Monday against the Islanders in Elmont, New York, it completed a comeback in which they trailed by two goals in the third period.
The victory was needed all the more after the dud of a performance the Wings put on Saturdy in a 4-1 loss in Boston. (There’s another game against the Bruins this Saturday, this time at Little Caesars Arena.)
Monday’s victory ended a three-game winless skid and gave the Wings 13 points, which puts them on pace to top 100 points. There’s still a long way to go — and the next stretch includes going to Sweden for a pair of games — but it’s a good start, and with that in mind, here are five observations on the Wings’ first 10 games.
They can score
The most noticeable area of improvement is the scoring. The Wings’ goals-per-game average of 4.00 entered Wednesday tied for third in the league, and against the Islanders, they just showed how quickly they can turn on the offense, with three goals less than four minutes apart. It’s the area general manager Steve Yzerman most wanted to address last offseason, and his additions have paid off: Trade pickup Alex DeBrincat has nine goals, while free-agent signees Daniel Sprong and Shayne Gostisbehere have three each.
It’s not one line, or one defensive pairing: 14 of the 21 skaters who have suited up have a goal. The Wings have 26 goals at even strength, good for second entering Wednesday, and 10 goals when playing five-on-four (also good for second entering Wednesday). It’s a huge source of confidence in the locker room, knowing that a goal can come from anyone, at any time.
Net gains
Ville Husso’s 3.28 goals-against average and .900 save percentage don’t look great on their own, and reflect Husso giving up some soft goals in early games. But he’s coming off two excellent starts — he kept it 2-0 into the third period in Boston, with only the third goal coming when a teammate provided David Pastrnak a penalty shot. Husso was outstanding on Long Island, making 26 saves through two periods. He and new teammate James Reimer (1.68 GAA, .939 save percentage in three starts) have provided a stable tandem in goal, with the luxury of having a third-stringer, Alex Lyon, ready if needed.
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Soon after he scored his fifth goal of the season, as the only Wing to find the back of Boston’s net, Joe Veleno laid bare his thoughts on how poorly he believed the Wings had played, ripping their lack of competitiveness and effort. Not all players are willing to be so honest, and Veleno included himself in that, saying he wasn’t happy with his own game even though his goal sparked the only decent stretch the Wings played at TD Garden. The 2018 first-round pick (No. 30 overall) was signed in the offseason to a one-year deal, $825,000 deal; he has laid the groundwork for a nice raise, and more term.
Watch the transgressions
The Wings’ 103 penalty minutes were ninth in the league entering Wednesday’s games. Penalties happen, but they’ve taken some costly ones, sich in the third period of the season opener at New Jersey; Jeff Petry’s second stint in the box came shortly after the Devils had taken a 3-2 lead in the third period and limited the Wings’ chance to build momentum. Petry took two holding penalties that game; David Perron took two for slashing. On Monday, Perron was in the box again when Bo Horvat scored to pull the Islanders even in the third period, forcing the game past regulation.
In Boston, Michael Rasmussen, Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin took first-period penalties, disrupting flow. The worst game was against Seattle on Oct. 24, when the Wings put themselves shorthanded twice in the final four minutes of regulation while trying to close out the Kraken at Little Caesars Arena. It’s hard enough to win games without handing the opponent man advantages at critical times.
The ice general
Good news for head coach Derek Lalonde: Sportsbetting.ag has him in a safer spot to keep his job than when the season began. According to the sportsbook: “The coaches (and teams) who’ve outperformed expectations so far are André Tourigny (Arizona Coyotes) and Derek Lalonde. … Detroit’s ice general has seen his odds jump from 14-to-1 to 25-to-1.”
Here’s hoping Lalonde starts making his staff call him “the ice general.”
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.
Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings’ first 10 games: Nice start sustainable this year?
