The last pregame post when Detroit played Ottawa saw the 29th place Wings take on the 31st place senators. This time around, Detroit sits at 30th and Ottawa has climbed to 28th. The most disturbing difference between the two in the standings is the Goals For/Goals Against differential. Ottawa is a -11, Detroit is a -31. Ottawa has scored 55 goals in 2 fewer games compared to Detroit’s 51. Detroit has had 82 goals against. If that projected out to 82 games Detroit is letting in almost 4 goals per game.
The bright side, things have been better for the Red Wings. The team has gone 3-0-2 in its last 5 and Bernier has helped keep things under control. Newcomer Robby Fabbri has 2 goals and 4 assists since his arrival. Athanasiou seems to have found his scoring touch. Of Detroit’s 51 goals, Larkin, Bertuzzi and Mantha account for 25. Taro Hirose found his first of the year and it looks like Detroit has 2 lines able to contribute with a third that could find its way.
The one category where Detroit has the clear advantage is the power play. Detroit’s 15.7% PP is significantly better than Ottawa’s 8.8%, which is ranked 31st. However, Ottawa’s PK is an impressive 82% (16th) compared to Detroit’s 70.6% (31st). The total special teams numbers come in at 86.3% for Detroit and 90.8% for Ottawa. The senators are on their way to the 100% special teams total.
Detroit still ranks 31st in goals for (2.32) and against (3.68) but improvements are being made. The Red Wings feel like a very different team right now. A 10 of 11 game losing streak is difficult to overcome in the standings. The eye test in the past 5 (since Fabbri’s acquisition) seems to tell a different story. Whether team chemistry has improved, or simply confidence, Detroit has already had a bit of a metamorphosis this year.
The warning is this. In games where Detroit is ranked closely with an opponent, there seems to be a greater struggle getting up to speed. The last contest saw Ottawa beat Detroit handily. Pageau seems to get up for this came. Borowiecki can throw players off of their game. Tkachuk is always worth keeping an eye on.
In some ways, Ottawa and Detroit are mirror images. Both are younger teams trying to get a foothold on how to become a contender. That may be why these games are more critical than the standings would suggest. No team wants to lose to the 31st ranked opponent. It happened to Detroit last time, and it would seem they are hoping to return the favor.
With points in their past 5 games, it will be interesting to see if Detroit can find their first win in 3, or at least find another overtime contest. The Wings young core need to find consistency in their compete levels, and tonight will be a good test.
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