This one had all the makings of a trap game.
Here were the Detroit Red Wings, winners of two straight, impressive victories at that, coming against the NHL’s No. 1 team (the Washington Capitals) and the defending Stanley Cup champions (the Pittsburgh Penguins).
In came the New York Islanders, twice losers to the Wings this season and authors of an NHL-low seven road triumphs.
Oh, and did we mention this was Detroit’s last game before the Wings took off on their seven-day bye week?
Evidently, mentally, they checked out a day earlier than scheduled.
The Wings fell 3-1 to the Islanders Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena and all that good karma from a weekend of winning went right down the drain.
Detroit coach Jeff Blashill wondered aloud whether some of his team already had their minds on that cruise ship in the Caribbean, or sunning themselves somewhere on a sandy beach.
“We didn’t have enough guys with great jump,” Blashill said. “We had some guys, maybe a couple that weren’t there at all, but enough guys that just didn’t seem to have enough jump.
“I’m not sure why. I don’t have that answer but I’d say we had too many guys without enough jump.”
It wasn’t that the Wings were invisible, it was just the way it’s gone for them so many nights this season. They did just enough to lose.
“We ended up with 27 shots, it’s not like we didn’t have any chances but I thought especially in the third I would have liked to seen us push more,” Blashill said. “Where does the push come from? The push comes from getting turnovers as the result of your forecheck. In the end, especially in the third, I thought that cost us.”
The Islanders came with an intense forecheck and the Wings folded under the weight of that scrutiny.
“I think everybody in this league forechecks hard, so lots of times you’re under lots of pressure and I didn’t think we handled the pressure well enough at times,” Blashill said. “You talk about 100 percent poise at each blue line and we had way too many turnovers in those areas, so we’ve got to do a better job than that.”
Cutting It Close
Detroit’s lone goal couldn’t have come any later into a period, Henrik Zetterberg tallying with 0.1 seconds to play in the opening period.
Frans Nielsen won a draw in the Isles’ end with 3.2 seconds to go, Thomas Vanek zipped it across ice to Zetterberg and his rapid wrist shot got under the arm of New York goalie Thomas Greiss.
“It was actually Vanek that made that play,” Zetterberg insisted. “It was kind of like a broken play. Vanek made a nice pass and I was just lucky there was enough time.”
Howard Update
Speaking of byes, it might be time to say goodbye to Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard for the season.
Howard, out since Dec. 20 with a knee injury, won’t be testing his injury on a rehab assignment with AHL Grand Rapids during Detroit’s down time.
“Jimmy right now will go on break,” Blashill said. “He hasn’t made as much progress as we wanted him to. He still can’t do certain things in the butterfly position.”
Then Blashill revealed some news that seemed to pull a curtain down on Howard’s season.
“It’s a tough injury for a goalie,” Blashill said. “It’s obviously the same injury, to a large degree a similar injury that kept Carey Price out most of last year.”
Hurt in November 2015, Montreal Canadiens goalie Price missed the remainder of the 2015-16 season with a strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
“Jimmy is trying to get back but we’re going to have to take it day by day,” Blashill said.
Howard admitted there were still lingering pain issues when he tried to make specific movements in the net.
“It’s getting better but it’s still there,” Howard said. “It’s frustrating but sometimes you’re just going to have to continue to work through it.
“It’s tough but it’s part of dealing with an injury sometimes. Sometimes they can linger. We’re doing everything that’s possible. We’re doing everything as far as the training staff, skating, working on things, we’re really trying to push it. It’s just one of those things.”
The Wings did confirm that they expect goalie Jared Coreau to see some action in Grand Rapids during their bye week.
“We’re anticipating sending Coreau down for a conditioning stint to be able to play,” Blashill said. “We anticipate because we haven’t done anything yet.”
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