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Wings bounce back vs Isles and some catching up

December 15, 2021, 7:10 PM ET [24 Comments]
Jeremy Laura
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
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Previous post: AHL journeyman embarrasses Wings

Greetings, and thanks to everyone for the prayers and well wishes. I’m still in much the same situation, but while Hockeybuzz works hard to find their next Wings blogger, I want to try and help keep things somewhat relevant and up to date.

I was able to see some highlights and read a bit about Detroit’s bounce back performance against the Islanders. The 5 game win streak came to a brutal end that saw 3 straight losses where Detroit allowed 18 goals against 7 scored. The Isles were the last win of that streak, and the first win to break the skid.



The goals that were scored stood tall for a couple of reasons. Larkin/Seider/Raymond combine for another tally on the power play. Raymond now has 25 points in 29 games (leads the team in points). Larkin tallied his 11th goal (12 assists) and his faceoffs have come a long way. The continual call that Larkin isn’t a “true #1 center” is, in my opinion (only) overstated. He’s tried to carry this team through a talentless vacuum, including last season where he could have sat out and gotten a much needed surgery. As we see more “participants” on the roster, Larkin looks like a strong leader. You still need another center of at least near-equal talent and commitment. But, I feel more strongly than ever that Yzerman’s confidence in Larkin (and commitment) could well see Larkin be the top center as this team continues to develop.

Seider has 20 points in 29 games and is averaging over 22 minutes per night. That is beyond impressive. He and Raymond just continue to push ahead, and look like fantastic picks. The “untouchables” (you can find the story in some older posts) as listed by Yzerman have absolutely made an impact this season.



Rasmussen’s goal was a nicely executed 2 on 1. Zadina kept a defender having to play the duo “honestly”. In a 2 on 1, if the pass is executed, you expect a short side tap in by the recipient. If you can catch the goalie cheating toward pass, the other forward can find a spot on the short side. Rasmussen went far side with the shot and successfully froze the goalie. It looked like a confident shot from a depth player that has worked hard to find his spot.

A final note, and that is on Fabbri’s extension. For most of you, Fabbri serves as trade bait in about 1/3 of the scenarios that hit the comments. I’d insisted (and was scorned for it) that Yzerman sees his contributions on and off ice as an important part of moving the club forward. He was in that group of a few players that really wanted to be part of the rebuild, and when he’s available, he’s contributing. In the final version of this team as a “contender”, he’s probably a third line player. But, he’s a player that won’t complain and will hit the ice hard. He’s available to move up in case of injury and just keeps going.

We’ve seen rebuilds struggle with a lack of “internal excitement”. Top players threaten to leave if the team doesn’t get more competitive. That screws up the entire locker room. Getting a room full of players that want to be the answer and put the team ahead of themselves is nearly impossible in sports today. At about 12 years old kids start getting attention from agents and scouts (illegally but it happens) and told how “important and special” they are. By the time you get to draft day, almost every player drafted has been told that. Some never learn to filter out the hype. Fabbri came in, didn’t live up to his “booking”, and worked his way into the role that presented itself. I respect that, and think it’s what Yzerman wants kids to see as an example. It doesn’t mean he’ll be around for the next 10 years, but that at this point what he brings is what the organization values.

Wrapping up, the team is still (barely) in a wildcard spot just 10 days out from Christmas. That’s impressive. I still don’t think this is a playoff team, but they are causing fits for teams that find themselves at the bottom. The fight and increase in scoring is an encouraging sign (finally) for this rebuild. The left side defense will get better, but some nights it’s very painful to watch. Having Seider and Hronek on the right side just feels like a huge step forward this year.

I am still down and out. You all deserve a blogger who can watch the games and give a minute by minute accounting (when appropriate). I’m disgusted with myself for not being able to be that any more. I hate it. I’ve offered to do my best to keep this relevant while the search continues. That may mean me sucking out up once a week and just dealing with the fallout in terms of pain. But I love this game. I love the team. I love all of you that stop by. Losing the ability to watch these games has been like having part of my heart ripped out. Seeing each of you in the comments gives me a little bit of that back.

I fully accept that i am in a minority in terms of Larkin’s value at center (I’ve heard it a lot). What I hope for today, as with every time, is that i can respect your opinions and we can agree to disagree. I’ve seen people with Larkin’s talents walk away from situations that weren’t nearly this taxing (previous seasons). His desire to allow his own play to diminish while trying to lift the team is just outstanding.

As always, if this is my final sign off, God bless all of you. Thanks for loving this game enough to take a look at the blog. Be good to yourselves and each other.




Some of my previous posts:

AHL journeyman embarrasses Wings

streak stopped by Preds

The Winged Wheel season 3 ep 5

5 wins straight and looking great

Wings win 4th straight via shootout
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