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Wings focus on having lead, not blowing leads

December 17, 2015, 5:33 PM ET [0 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
You can focus on the Detroit Red Wings’ inability to maintain third-period leads as a complete negative, but according to Detroit assistant coach Tony Granato, if you do so, then you are allowing your clouded vision to cause you to miss the silver lining.

“Obviously you don’t like to be at the end of the game saying ‘Oh geez we had a lead and we didn’t hold it,’” Granato admitted. “But the other side of it is we’ve had a lot of leads.

“I’d much rather be the top team in the league for having the lead for the most time after 30 games. If we have that same statistic after 80 we’re going to be in great shape.

“There’s some games that you’re not going to be happy with the end result because they were able to score late, but for the most part, we’ve been in positions where we’ve had leads longer than any other team. We want to get better, we want to make sure we’re improving as the game goes on when we’re in that position.”

Granato has noted a subtle difference with the team when they are leading games as opposed to when they are tied in games. For some reason, though a similar amount of scoring chances appear to arrive in either scenario, they simply aren’t going in the net when the Wings are ahead in the count.

“If we look at those situations, there’s been a lot of opportunities where we’ve had the same scoring chances with a one-goal lead,” Granato said. “When the game was even we were able to capitalize more frequently.

“I think bearing down, making sure we do take advantage of our offensive opportunities, making sure our power play executes, making sure our penalty killing does the job when they’re out there with leads, those are certainly areas that we want to keep improving in.”

Granato also admitted that part of the dilemma might be that the Wings are suiting up several young players who are still learning how to win as a group.

“It’s possible,” Granato said. “I think as the season goes on our focus is making sure we’re getting better. And that is certainly an area of the game or games that have been played so far that we think we can improve on.

“Like I said, we’ve positioned ourselves really well. The bottom line is finding ways to win as many games as we can and through 31 games we’ve put ourselves in a pretty good position. Now it’s making sure we’re finding ways to continue to get better.”

Ringing Endowment
Detroit Red Wings senior vice-president Jimmy Devellano has donated the 14 championship rings he’s earned in the game to the Hockey Hall of Fame, including all seven of his Stanley Cup rings – the four he’s won with the Wings and three he got as a scout with the New York Islanders.

“It’s a lot of jewellery,” Devellano said. “That’s what happens when you’re been around the league for 49 years.

“I’ve been lucky to be in some good spots.”

Devellano described the decision as the beginning of his estate planning.

“I’m 73 years old (next month),” Devellano explained. “I have no heirs, I have no family. What happens when I go? Who gets the rings?

“I thought it would be nice to donate them to the Hall of Fame to display them. I kept the Hockey Hall of Fame ring – that’s the reason I have the other rings.

“I’m not planning to die anytime soon but I felt that I should be prepared.”

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