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Red Wings match up favorably against Kings team in transition - pregame

November 14, 2019, 9:05 AM ET [4 Comments]
Jeremy Laura
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Detroit is in their first winning streak since the opening week of the season. Wins over Boston, Las Vegas and Anaheim have the team clicking in a positive direction. The addition of Robby Fabbri directly coincides with the latest string of successes, and Detroit’s special teams are starting to find their way. With 5 power play goals in those 3 wins, the Wings only let in one goal on the PK. The momentum finds the Wings matching up favorably to a Kings team that is struggling.

L.A.’s power play sits at 30th with a 10.8% effective rating. The PK for the Kings sits at 30th at 71.9%. The total special teams number comes in at 82.7%. The surprise being that L.A. still has some incredibly talented players. Doughty and Kopitar both have the ability to break out in any given game. Part of the struggle L.A. is facing is poor goaltending numbers. Quick is struggling at 3-8-0 with a .874 save percentage and 3.96 GAA. Campbell is also struggling at 3-3-1 with a .886 save percentage and 3.11 goals against.

Detroit’s goaltending hasn’t fared much better with Howard at 2-8-0 and .887 and Bernier at 5-4-1 with 3.18 and .891 save percentage. Of the 4 goalies, only Bernier has more than 3 wins and has the highest save percentage at .891. Originally drafted by LA, Bernier is on an upward trend right now and helping the team stay in the games. Detroit’s Penalty kill still sits at 31 69.3% with a power play that’s ranked 23rd at 16.7%. The special teams number sits at 86%. Not ideal, but a favorable matchup on special teams for a change.

In the past, the games Detroit was “supposed” to win were many times the toughest losses. The Red Wings seem to be ready to roll against teams like Boston, but lose a step when the matchup seems more even on paper. The possible difference lies in this young group’s mentality. Larkin and co are hungry in a way that hasn’t been evident in several seasons. Jobs are no longer guaranteed, the players with the biggest contracts have been relegated to 3rd and 4th line duty, and in some cases are on IR. The kids want to take jobs.

Of note in the “blast from the past” column is the return of Jonathan Ericsson. He was recalled from Grand Rapids due to an injury for Patrick Nemeth. Big E was lauded by Griffins coaches for digging in and taking on a leadership role. It will be interesting to see him back in action.

Robby Fabbri and Andreas Athanasiou are both in the midst of productive stretches. A.A. has 3 goals and 1 assist in his past 5 and Fabbri has 2 goals and 2 assists in his first 3 as a Red Wing. Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi are all contributing and Hronek is looking more and more like Detroit’s top offensive D. Perlini is still yet to get on the board, but continues to find his way and is making plays in the O zone. Filppula has been more impressive and his chemistry with Athanasiou seems to be clicking. The second line is finding more ways to sustain pressure and get opportunities. Givani Smith is certainly the physical presence that can help wear down opposing defense and create space for other teammates.

Detroit will look to continue their winning ways. It would be best for them to prepare as they did for Boston and Las Vegas and treat each game as a clear underdog. The young future stars of this club seem to perform better when they are out to prove something. L.A. is transitioning as Ilya Kovalchuk has found himself on the outside of the roster. Things have not gone as either player or team had hoped. L.A. is in a very similar boat to Detroit, and are looking to make a statement. This game could be much more difficult than the stats would indicate.

Thanks to everyone who stops by to read and comment. Keep them coming!

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