Detroit Red Wings Road Trip Thoughts

In the first game of their road trip, the Red Wings fought back from a 3-1 deficit to the Columbus Blue Jackets and were lucky to get a point, ultimately losing in a shootout. Two days later, the Red Wings were able to bounce back after Patrick Kane scored a goal with two and a half minutes left in the third period to give the Red Wings a 4-3 lead. This was the 497 ^th goal of Kane’s illustrious career. For Kane to crack the 500-point total in his illustrious career in a Red Wings uniform is one of the more unexpected developments, the rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and Red Wings.

Kane is not the only top-six Red Wing to perform well as of late. The team’s top forward line of rookie Emmitt Finnie, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond has each recorded 30 or more points. Cane would be on this list if not for an upper-body injury. Only one Red Wings player on the rest of the roster has totaled more than 20 points, defenseman Moritz Seider, who has 22 points in 29 games played.

Seider is having a breakout season and is one of the candidates for the Norris Trophy. This trophy goes to the “defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position”. The last Red Wings defenseman to win the Norris Trophy was Nicklas Lidström for the 2010-11 season. The struggle for the Red Wings has been finding a suitable defensive partner for Seider. I previously wrote that the Red Wings are one team that has been linked to Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The Red Wings played their best game of the three games on the road trip against the Canucks. Goaltender John Gibson played his best game as a Red Wing, shutting the Canucks out by making 39 saves. This was the type of start that the Red Wings had in mind when they acquired the 32-year-old goaltender. In 16 games started for the Red Wings so far this season, Gibson has a record of 7-7-1. Gibson has a 3.35 goals-against average and a 0.881 save percentage.

Captain of the Red Wings, Dylan Larkin, has played the best hockey of his career this year. Larkin has 15 goals and 16 assists in 29 games for the Red Wings this season. This comes after Larkin represented Team USA at the 4 Nations Faceoff last season. Larkin had one goal and one assist against the best competition in the world in this tournament. Larkin missed most of the second period during the Canucks game. After being hit with a puck in the face, Larkin required stitches for the first time in his career.

The Red Wings will begin the second half of the six-game road swing against the Calgary Flames. The Flames are playing well right now, winning three of their last five games. Despite this winning streak, the Flames are in sixth place in the Pacific Division.