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Detroit’s biggest test of the season may well be tonight. A disappointing end, some internal conversations about goaltending, and a Winnipeg Team that is said to have “sold its top players” on wanting to win. Detroit is 5-1-1 with Winnipeg at 3-3-0. Early in the season, Detroit has the edge in every listed statistic. Power play at 41% compared to 17% for Winnipeg. PK at 82% compared to 72% for the Jets. Goals for 4.86 compared to 3.33, and goals against 2.86 compared to 3.83.
We all realize that the power play number is going to shift. Still, 3 power play goals in the last game was a surprise. Winnipeg is coming in looking for a 3rd straight win. Debrincat’s status yesterday was questionable as he’s dealing with some sort of ailment. That would certainly be a loss as he has 9 goals and 4 assists in his first 7 games. Impressive start to be sure.
Detroit will have to start on time and lock down defensively. That Lalonde is targeting the defense as an issue for goaltending is certainly something that won’t go unnoticed. Coaches will use those sound bites to either uplift or spread caution to different players. I’m not a fan of scrums being used (or most scrums in general) but if they ever let the referees be interviewed and don’t fine every player or coach that questions a call that would be worth the watch. Let me know how you think tonight will go for Detroit.
Mlive talked about the 3 goalie issue, and Reimer’s performance has put a bit of a roadblock in their plans. Lyon could easily be lost on waivers, and so Detroit may wait until they can send him on a conditioning stint. The numbers for Husso aren’t great (.893, 3.38 GAA) as Reimer has one shutout and a .963 and 1 GAA but has only played 2 games. It certainly begs the questions as to who will be in net tonight.
The Shane Pinto saga in Ottawa has taken an odd twist. The player is now serving a 41 game suspension for violating rules regarding league gambling. If anyone is surprised that taking betting partners on has caused issues, they didn’t pay much attention to FIFA or even Evander Kane’s lawsuits totaling 2.5 million in gambling debt (multiple suits, one was for .5 million). The league has made the suspension retroactive but Shane still needs to sign a contract. This may, ironically, give Ottawa just enough space in the player missing half the season to squeeze him in. The timing is suspicious, to be sure. In FIFA, referees were busted for gambling on games they officiated. I doubt this is the last incident, just the one that fixes an issue. I had wondered if Yzerman was kicking the tires but this issue may make the player feel forced just to sign his Qualifying Offer as he’ll only see half a season of work.
Draft to be decentralized. While Day one was the big “draw”, it is sad to think that next year it’s possible and definite in 2025 players won’t make that walk to the stage.
Announced yesterday, teams voted for a decentralized draft starting in 2025, but it was noted that the 2024 draft in Vegas doesn’t have a secured venue yet and could kick things off. We’ve talked a lot about finances and it sounds like viewership could be down again right now around the 600k mark per game. Regardless, finances are barely mentioned. Teams claim they are losing picks because other teams can hear them talking. From the article:
Friedman cited three primary reasons why support for a draft format that does not require in-person participation in a single venue had gained traction. The largest issue has arisen from a problem of the league’s own creation: the shortening distance between the draft and free agency, which decreased to just one day this past summer. Travel costs of teams’ front offices and scouting departments were another consideration. Friedman also added that “some teams felt their plans were being discovered because tables were too close and things were overheard.”
For as long as this format has been used, that being listed as a reason just pads the reality that teams are asking for ways to cut expenses. Flights, hotel rooms, meals etc for every person at the table adds up. I have to wonder if the All Star game will be looked at soon. For the city it is played in, there is an uptick in business but in general fans seem less enthusiastic about the event.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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