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An inordinate amount of time was spent before tonight’s game describing how sick some of the Red Wings players were. It was made clear that several were receiving fluids through an IV and the guys were trying to gut out another one. The opening period served to reaffirm the warning. Detroit just didn’t have anything to start the game.
The Kings have been critiqued as being “slow… and lacking effort. Neither of those applied to the players that took the ice. Jeff Carter looked to be in excellent form as he relentlessly forechecked, even short handed, and was rewarded for his efforts. Anze Kopitar, criticized for a down season, scored twice in the middle frame (including the game winner). Tyler Taffoli put the game at 4-0 with his 9th of the season. The Kings are finding their game amid trade rumors (Taffoli) and moving on from Ilya Kovalchuk. Jack Campbell put in a solid performance, though he didn’t officially face any shots on net for nearly the first half of the first period.
It may be unfair to judge Comrie to harshly on his first 2 starts. It probably would have benefitted Detroit to give Bernier a second start. The Red Wings needed someone to save them from themselves and Comrie is still finding his game in the NHL. From the opening faceoff, Detroit seemed slow and disjointed. The polar opposite of the team that came out against Winnipeg for it’s first win in 13 games. Bernier’s stellar performance in Montreal became more apparent as Detroit seemed completely unprepared to face the Kings, who had also played the night before. The team looked as sick as the commentators were saying they were.
The third period saw a promising, but far too late, spark. Zadina scored his second goal in three games, and was stymied on another good look. Madison Bowey had a goal and an assist. Neither of these players is in a hurry to return to Grand Rapids. Too little too late, but a good sign for the development of these players.
Most of the game was forgettable. The Kings looked like the hungrier team, and are in a place where the post season is still in reach. Detroit looked the part of the 31st place team. Unable to dig down and find the level of compete that they needed tonight. A sad end to a potential winning streak.
Detroit has 2 days to figure out how to get back on track against Columbus. The Blue Jackets have a fairly sizable chip on their shoulders from an unceremonious ending to their playoff run and losing free agents to other markets. Columbus is a team that knows how to outwork their opponents, and Detroit will have their hands full.
Tonight’s contest was certainly a bit of a cold cup of coffee. The final score doesn’t really do justice to the poor effort Detroit came out with. If, indeed, the team is in sick bay, tomorrow will probably be a recovery day. The effort, not the final score, is the greater disappointment. This team needs to start on time to have a chance on any given night. Tuesday will be an opportunity for them to redeem themselves.
Unless there are trades or significant moves, there won’t be an entry tomorrow. Please take some time to comment, I would like to hear your thoughts on tonight’s contest. Perhaps I’m being a bit too hard on the team. Let me know either way!
Thanks to everyone who stops by to read and comment, keep it coming!