Shutout for the second time in three games, winless in three and 2-7-1 in their last 10 games, is it time to suggest that the current skid of the Detroit Red Wings isn’t as much a slump as it is a definition of who they really are?
A 1-0 loss Friday at Washington to the Capitals left the Wings questioning both themselves and their fates.
“We have to be strong,… Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “We know that we’re doing a lot of good things but we’re not getting points. You have to get points in this league.
“These sort of ones you want to win, or least get to overtime and get a point and have a chance for the two. Leaving here with nothing is hard but we’ve got to try to see the positive in what we did good and what we did better than before and keep going from there.
“It’s hard to lose like this but it’s something positive at least with it. We’re playing better. We’ve just got to stick with it.…
At one point a solid 6-2 on the season, everything has been steadily slip sliding away from the Wings ever since.
During this 2-7-1 skid, the Wings have been outscored 30-18. They've been shutout three times. They've been outshot six times. The power play is 5-35 (14.2 per cent). The penalty kill is 18-24 (75 per cent).
As much as they felt they were better structurally, the Wings were again left with nothing to show for it and there are no points for moral victories in the NHL.
“The biggest thing is we’ve got to keep looking forward,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “You learn from the past. We’ll learn from tonight and then we’ve got to continue to look forward.
“You can’t worry about what’s happened. It’s done. It doesn’t matter. What matters is what we’re going to go on Sunday (at home against Calgary), so on Sunday we’ve got to find a way to come out and play great hockey and give ourselves the best chance to win.…
Hungry Howie For the third time this season, the Wings suffered a shutout loss. For the third time this season, Jimmy Howard was the Detroit goalie left without any offensive support.
Then again, Howard is probably getting used to that.
Friday was the second consecutive start made by Howard in which the Wings failed to score a goal. They were blanked 5-0 by Montreal in Howard’s previous appearance and he was also in goal Oct. 29 when the Boston Bruins blanked the Wings 1-0.
“It would be nice to see a puck go in,… Zetterberg said. “I thought we had some good chances but we need goals in those situations.…
Overall in Howard’s eight starts, Detroit has scored 12 goals, an average of 1.5 goals per game. During Petr Mrazek’s 10 starts, Detroit has deposited 32 goals in enemy nets, an average of 3.2 goals per game.
Howard’s only concern was that the players in front of him not allow their scoring slump to become mentally overwhelming.
“We can’t squeeze the sticks out there,… Howard said. “You’ve got to stay relaxed. When you start squeezing, that’s when the pucks either miss the net or skip over your stick, so we’ve got to stay relaxed, stay composed and dig our way out of this.…
Vanek Back It might help light some red lamps when left-winger Thomas Vanek returns to action Sunday against Calgary after missing 10 games with a hip injury.
“I think a lot of the guys will feel some of the weight come off their shoulders with him back in the lineup,… Howard said. “He’s really good around the net, he’s really good at deflections, little bump plays, little redirections, stuff like that.…
Vanek scored four times in seven games before he was hurt and still remains tied for second on the team in goals.
“Vanny was really good for us all the way until he got injured so it’s going to be nice to have him back here on Sunday,… Zetterberg said.
Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer