Hi everybody and welcome to Episode 13 of Season 2 of Red Wings Rant hosted by the Brothers of Discussion and brought to you by the Hockey Podcast Network.  Where tirades and impassioned pleas about your Detroit Red Wings, finally, have a home.

The Red Wings are headed to Chicago for a TWO GAME SERIES. With Chicago struggling to find its footing, the Red Wings are looking to get an early-season streak going, while they try to keep the Hawks looking for their first win.

We talk the series with Grant from Hungry for Hawks Talk Podcast and discuss how the Blackhawks turned into this year’s 2019 Detroit Red Wings. 

We’re also going to recap the series with the Columbus Blue Jackets and how we got away with a series split.

Let’s do a new Be The GM! ‘Paul Woods’ returns to play Who is That Pokemon!

And So much more!

Series Split with the Columbus Blue Jackets

Game One

Trying to piece together a game with a disappointing outcome, but for the most part, was a pretty good performance from the Red Wings

• Red Wings win possession Game and Scoring Chances

  • CF% 52.87

  • HDCF% 63.16

  • xGF% 59.78

• Marc Staal 

  • has an ixG of .68 to lead the team

    • This includes the missed open net he rang off the post

  • Leaves Ice on Pierre Luc Dubois goal, leaving Stetcher to fend for himself

While it’s silly to say that with teams 18, plus a goalie, that one guy would be responsible for a loss, it may in fact be the case with the loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Red Wings are coached to limit opportunities and to find a victory in the third. Goals, much like Bobby Ryan’s second of the game, are how the Red Wings will stay competitive in a league dominated by skill and speed. 

With a gritty style, the Red Wings need to limit easy scoring chances and take advantage of the few High Danger Chances they’ll amass. Staal was the victim or failure in both of these elements.

On the Pierre Luc Dubois goal, Staal left the ice early, after helping turn the puck over, leaving Stetcher to fend for himself with one of the best players on the Blue Jackets barreling down the ice. Stetcher is a big boy, and some blame needs to fall on his efforts, but in a team game, you can’t leave your brother out to dry like that.

Then there’s the missed opportunity with an empty net. 

As I mentioned, the Red Wings are going to limit ALL chances with their strategy, which means their chances at an open and empty net will be few and far between. So every player on the team needs to know that these scoring chances can’t be squandered, no matter which sticks they land on. It’ll be tougher to say, “we just need to make sure we get the next one” because with this strategy it will be very hard to get as juicy of an opportunity.

Long story short, this truly is not only Marc Staal’s fault, but he’s easily number one on the list.

Game Two

It was a mixed bag in terms of possession and scoring. The Red Wings had the better possession numbers, but the Blue Jackets walked away with the better chances and the higher expected goals numbers.

Of course, the Red Wings got 100% of the percentage of the expected goal in Overtime, and once you get to that point, that’s all that matters.

Before that, the Red Wings got Anthony Mantha off the schnide. Not only netting one to get the good guys on the board, but also putting a positive number on the power play.

And of course, we got to see Bobby Ryan score his 4th goal of the season.

As the Red Wings continue to play a game that limits scoring chances (for either side), it’s goals like Mantha’s (that seem to fall in our lap) that we’ll need to take full advantage of. But the goals like Bertuzzi, where he uses his lap to get the marker, are where the Red Wings will live and die in the standings. Crash the net, muck it up, and use every inch of your body.

Red Wings Series vs the Chicago Blackhawks

We wrap up the episode getting to know Grant from the Hungry for Halks Talk podcast. Grant is nice enough to divulge his true feelings on the Blackhawks management as well as give us some insight into how the Red Wings could walk away with a weekend sweep of the Lake Michigan rivals.

Red Wings Rant

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