Some of the big guns for the Detroit Red Wings were firing in Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The trio of captain Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Patrick Kane all would score goals in the victory. Together, they were combining to put 10 shots on goal.
One key component for the Red Wings was again missing in action as far as putting the puck in the next was concerned. Alex DeBrincat failed to score. His account is showing one tally over 18 games since Feb. 29.
“I’ve definitely got to bear down more and put some pucks in the net and work on that,” DeBrincat was acknowledging.
He’s certainly right about that. When the Red Wings were trading a first-round pick, prospect Donovan Sebrango and 20-goal scorer Dominik Kubalik to the Ottawa Senators for DeBrincat last summer, they were doing so with the expectation that he’d be filling the opposition net with pucks.
It’s also why they were inking the native Michigander to a four-year, $31.5 million contract. The Red Wings aren’t paying DeBrincat nearly $8 million per season to create chances. A provision of that stipend is that he be finishing chances.
At the start of the season, he was doing exactly that. Through his first nine games with Detroit, DeBrincat was good for eight goals.
Now, no one was expecting him to maintain a 73-goal pace. Then again, nobody was thinking he’d be falling off to a Michael Rasmussen scoring pace.
Arrival Of Kane Not Sparking DeBrincat
Over his past 68 games, DeBrincat has scored 15 goals. That would work out to an 18-goal campaign over 82 games for the two-time 41-goal scorer.
“We need more looks,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said of DeBrincat. “Keep him around the looks. You got to keep getting those looks and I think they’ll go in and for the most part he has.
“You can tell there’s probably some frustration in his game. Of course, a guy like that wants to score, but just keep getting looks.”
The expectation was that the early-December of Kane, his old Chicago linemate during those 40-goal seasons, would ignite DeBrincat’s finishing touch. Instead, he’s gone further south in his goal production.
In 50 games as Kane’s teammate, DeBrincat is netting pucks at a 17-goal pace.
“It’s not always gonna go in the net for you,” DeBrincat said. “At this point of the season you gotta focus a lot of defense as well. Not gonna get too much. Overall, I feel good about my game. I feel good overall.
“Honestly, I think I’ve played some good hockey.”
Honestly? If the Red Wings want to secure a playoff spot, DeBrincat needs to start scoring again.
It’s as simple as that.
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