Detroit Red Wings vs Florida Panthers

Game One, Panthers vs Red Wings

Game 9 of 56

Result: FLA 3 @ DET 2

DET Record: 2-5-2

Season Series Against FLA: 0-0-1

The losing streak continued last night as the Wings managed a single point in their first contest against the Panthers, bringing the Wings losing streak to a total of 5 consecutive games (0-3-2). It was certainly a much better effort than the 7-3 loss on the 28th against Dallas with a fair amount of positive takeaways to be had.

The Good:

Although I was screaming at my TV because of him in the first period, Anthony Mantha scored his second goal of the season.

Despite allegedly being Detroit's "reliable goal scorer", Mantha currently ranks fourth on the team with only two goals through 9 games, behind Bertuzzi (5), Ryan (4), and Larkin (3). Mantha had the goal scoring wits to drive the net and beat Bobrovsky in close on the rebound. Mantha's play throughout the game, despite the goal, still left a lot to be desired, but getting on the board for the first time since game 4 (against CBJ) is a step in the right direction.

There were flashes throughout the game that could lead you to believe the two teams were true equals. Detroit actually out-shooting a team is still a sight to behold.

There were a few good sequences of puck control and zone time, not including the shift in overtime when Namestnikov and Mantha circle the zone for an entire shift and a half. Detroit's second goal of the game came from such a sequence.

This game is precisely what fans wanted out of Detroit this season. The team had improvements over the off-season but not in such a way that would make them a sudden contender. Actually competing in games and not being blown away is the bar that most Wings' fans have set for the team.

Detroit definitely accomplished that last night, gaining a point from extra time and looking like they could legitimately beat Florida for a good portion of the night.

Greiss is still winless through 6 games played but had another solid outing last night despite the sub .900% save percentage.

The Bad:

Anthony Mantha gets a double feature here under both good and bad. Mantha scored, which is fantastic, but he should still be performing at a much higher level than he currently is. Given the extremely long layoff for Detroit and Mantha missing a sizeable portion of the 2019/2020 season, the excuse of "rust" was relevant and acceptable at the beginning of the season.

9 games in, however, that excuse should no longer fly. With Rasmussen visually busting his hump every shift, Mantha can no longer slide by on the "he's big so it only looks like he's lazy" excuse. Anthony just signed a fairly lucrative contract extension and needs to start performing to earn his pay. It's out of love, not hate, that we truly expect more out of Mantha.

The defense is still pretty bad. Merrill's absence is surprisingly noticeable. Stecher is a very good puck mover and skater but is knocked off the puck fairly easily and can't seem to find any success playing the body. Staal was a bit more consistent in his efforts than earlier in the season but is still noticeable in mostly bad ways.

I'm still not a fan of this lineup with the options Blashill has through the taxi squad. I'm happy about Erne's long absence but there's still too much dead (veteran) weight that I'd rather see ice time go to youngsters who are hungry for success. I'm still trying to hold off from joining the " #FireBlashill " campaign but I'm inching ever closer.

The Ugly:

Danny DeKeyser. Yikes. He was noticeable in all the wrong ways last night, including putting Florida's first goal in the net himself. Poor communication, bad passing, and poor coverage were the nightly theme for DeKeyser. He tends to take bad nights in stride so watch for much better performance in round 2.

The poor communication extends to the entire team. At the beginning of the season, I wrote that it was to be expected. A high amount of roster turnover combined with an extremely long layoff could and almost should lead to a lack of cohesion.

Detroit has now played 9 games in the span of just over 2 weeks. The lack of cohesion should be gone and this team should be able to perform simple plays through communication. I'm sure the Blashill Blender™ has a fair amount of responsibility in the lack of chemistry but these guys should know each other well enough to be able to pass tape to tape and know where their teammates are going to be.

Summary:

The time for the early season excuses has come to a close. The players who are counted upon to perform, i.e. Mantha and DeKeyser, need to perform. The players who are not counted on to perform, i.e. Nielsen and Staal, need to find their way out of the lineup in favor of youngsters on the taxi squad who could have more success if given the same opportunities.

The team was entertaining and competitive last night which is what we want as Detroit fans this season. But that entertainment and competitiveness only succeeded in making the loss that much more frustrating. Imagine if the team had the right personnel and the cohesion, chemistry, and communication to convert on more opportunities.

Imagine if Mantha was performing to the level we expect of him from the start. The most entertaining thing a hockey club can do is win.

It's time for Detroit to get it in gear and start playing a full 60 minutes as a team. If they do that, win or lose, I could probably drop the "Ugly" category altogether.

Keep an eye on Anthony Mantha to get a hot streak going. The quiet as-of-late Bobby Ryan had a few good looks yesterday and is a good bet to get on the board tonight. Danny DeKeyser, while he might not register a point, needs a bounce-back performance after a bad night against Florida in the first round.

Game Two, Panthers vs Red Wings

Onto round 2 this afternoon against the Panthers;

Tonight's Venue: Little Caesars Arena

All-Time DET Record vs FLA at Venue: 1-2-3

Season Series vs FLA: 0-0-1

Goaltender DET: (Projected) T. Greiss, .897 SV%, 3.01 GAA

Goaltender FLA: C. Driedger, .934 SV%, 1.92 GAA

DraftKings Odds:

DET: Puckline +1.5 , Moneyline +155

FLA: Puckline -1.5 , Moneyline -182

Over/Under 5.5

Players to watch (DET): A. Mantha, B. Ryan, D. DeKeyser

Players to watch (FLA): K. Yandle, A. Barkov, J. Huberdeau

Jesse's Prediction: 4-2 Detroit

Matt's Prediction: 2-1 Detroit

Mike's Prediction:

#LGRW