How the Red Wings can beat the Lightning

The Detroit Red Wings face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning this week in the NHL Divisional Semifinals and if the game results this season between these two teams have taught us anything it is that no one has an obvious advantage over the other. In the first game of the season, Tampa Beat Detroit in a shootout. The next two, Tampa Bay beat Detroit by 5-1 and 3-1 scores respectively. The last game saw Detroit win with a 4-0 result. While Tampa won the season series 3-1 the series nonetheless included two blowouts (one aside) and a shootout which portrays two teams evenly matched.

So far, not many commentators have given Detroit a chance to move on to the 2^nd round. Granted, Tampa Bay finished the season with 3 wins in their last 3 games and finished 2 points behind the division-leading Montreal Canadiens; the Red Wings were 4-4-2 in their last 10 games and plagued by injuries and questionable goaltending. However, as always the NHL playoffs are an opportunity to try and leave regular season issues behind and start anew in the quest for the Stanley Cup. For this reason, the Red Wings-Lightning series is still a question mark and a battle in the making that could go to 7 games. But what needs to happen for the Detroit Red Wings to beat the Lightning and move on to the semi-finals?

Courtesy of: Detroit Free Press

NHL Divisional Semifinals Round 1: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings - Game 1 Tickets Apr. 16
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Solid goaltendingThis seems like a no-brainer-every team needs their goalie to be dependable and stop pucks. But the lack of reliability between the pipes lately needs to end. Jimmy Howard has years of playoff experience under his belt but given his poor play as of late this does not guarantee that he will be the starter. It will be no surprise to the hockey world if rookie Petr Mrazek gets the nod for the kick-off against the Tampa Bay Lightning or if Howard is pulled early if he does start and lets in questionable goals.

Contain StamkosAnother one that could be viewed as a no-brainer. Captain Steven Stamkos is fast, smart, and dangerous with the puck. He placed 14^th in the NHL overall in points with 72 (43G, 29A) and his play in the playoffs has been solid with 17 points (8G, 9A) in 22 total playoff games. Stamkos is 8^th overall in the NHL for power play goals (13 this season) and with the Red Wings’ struggles while a man short already, work needs to be done in this area. His ability to shoot fast and take one-timers with ease makes him the threat that the Red Wings need to focus on limiting the most.

Capitalize on power playAt 24% for power play percentage and a league-leading 70 power play goals to finish the 2014-15 campaign, one would think that the Red Wings are primed to carry their puck luck on the power play into the playoffs. However, the team has struggled with a man advantage the last 5 games of the regular season, scoring 3 goals on 14 opportunities. While not horrible, the Red Wings need to play how they have all year on the power play, moving the puck fast and finding ways to get it to the net. Gustav Nyquist, who is tied for 3^rd overall in the NHL for power play goals with 14, needs to find ways to get open and get some shots on net. Marek Zidlicky with his powerful point shot needs to do the same. Coach Mike Babcock may want to consider putting Justin Abdelkader on a power play line when he is healthy given his ability to create some traffic in front of the net and bang in rebounds.

Shake BishopTampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop had a great year finishing at 40-13-5 and placing 4^th overall in wins. However, Bishop has no NHL experience and rattling him with lots of shots, Joe Louis Arena noise, and a crowded crease could prove to be the difference in this series. Petr Mrazek has no NHL playoff experience either so Tampa Bay will no doubt try to adopt the same strategy at the other end of the ice if he is named the starter.

Goaltending, special teams still concerning as Red Wings limp into playoffs

The Red Wings were bested in overtime 4-3 by the Montreal Canadiens last night but with the Boston Bruins’ regulation loss to the Florida Panthers, the one point earned clinched a playoff spot. While the Red Wings’ 24th playoff berth in a row should be reason to celebrate, there are still areas where improvement is crucial in order for the Red Wings to win games in the post-season.

Courtesy of: CBS Sports

In the game against the Canadiens, the tying and game-winning goals scored by Tomas Plekanec and Lars Eller respectively were the result of shots taken from horrible angles that somehow got by Jimmy Howard. To be fair though, last night Howard did show his ability to come up with big saves such as after the dead giveaway by Brendan Smith and the toe-save on Brian Flynn. But it is goals such as the ones by Plekanec and Eller that are representations of the turmoil the goaltending situation has been in since the beginning of March; Jimmy Howard seems to be unable to find the steady game he played pre-groin injury this year and Petr Mrazek can be described as lukewarm when it counts. No matter the big and timely saves a goalie can make in a game, if he cannot handle the rebounds or the shots from unlikely angles, winning will be very difficult.

Going into the game in Montreal, the Red Wings were 24% in power play percentage and lead the league with 70 power play goals. However, as of late the Red Wings have been unable to capitalize on the power play. Against the Canadiens they had 5 opportunities on the power play and failed to score once. In the 5 games before this game, the Red Wings have had 18 chances on the power play and have only scored 4 times. In the games last week against Ottawa, Boston, and Washington, the Red Wings had 5 power plays each game and scored one power play goal each game against the Bruins and the Capitals. It definitely could be worse-they could fail to exploit the power play at all- but the Red Wings have had the most opportunities on the power play (293 to date) out of any NHL team and imagine the possibilities if they could score more goals with the man advantage even more than they do.

It has been said time and time again that the post-season is a fresh start, a different kettle of fish. The Detroit Red Wings can play against and make it difficult for any team in the post-season but it is deciding factors such as goaltending and special teams that may cause a short post-season run if not rectified.

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens Thursday, April 9th @ 7:30pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings will look to close in on a berth in the post-season when they head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens. Montreal is without their leading scorer Max Pacioretty this game. Game time is 7:30pm ET.

Last 10 GamesDetroit: 4-4-2, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference & 3rd in the Atlantic Division with a 42-25-13 overall record.
Montreal:  5-2-3, currently in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference & 1st in the Atlantic Division with a 48-22-10 overall record.

This Season3-0 in favor of Montreal.

Last 5 Years
6-2-1-0 in favor of Montreal.

Courtesy of: National Post

Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets  Apr. 09
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 11

Expected GoaltendersDetroit: Jimmy Howard (23-13-10)
Montreal: Carey Price (42-16-6)

Players To WatchDetroit: After admitting his play has not been up to his standards, captain Henrik Zetterberg stepped up and earned 2 points (1G, 1A) last game against Carolina. He will be expected to build on this during this game especially when a win equals a playoff berth.
Montreal: Tomas Plekanec has 6 points (2G, 4A) in his past 5 including a 3-point (1G, 2A) game against the Florida Panthers on April 5th. He has 58 points (24G, 34A) this season and is 2nd team points.

Injuries*
Detroit:Justin Abdelkader (game-time decision, hand)
Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
Erik Cole (out, upper body injury)
Tomas Jurco (day-to-day, upper body injury)
Montreal:Max Pacioretty (out, concussion)

* As of April 9th

No time like the present for the Red Wings to clinch playoff spot

Tonight the capricious Detroit Red Wings (41-25-13) take on the dreary Carolina Hurricanes (29-38-11) in an effort to take another step towards to the post-season and can clinch a spot of the Ottawa Senators lose in regulation. While this game is considered a lock by many, these past few months have demonstrated what makes the NHL so dandy- no game is a sure thing.

Courtesy of: CBS Sports

Reviewing the Red Wings’ results since the beginning of March, it is easy to see why fans alike are frustrated with the team’s play. With losses to Columbus, Philadelphia, Florida, Arizona, and San Jose, it appears that the Red Wings have a tendency to lose to the teams they are fully expected to dominate. So with these results the question is: how can the Red Wings succeed against the best in the NHL in the playoffs when they have proven they cannot beat the worst?

SEE: 3 areas the Red Wings need to improve in now

The Red Wings remaining schedule consists of two games against the Hurricanes with one against the Montreal Canadiens sandwiched in between. Obviously, given the choice, the two most winnable (but not considered locked) games would be the ones against Carolina. As it stands now, potential first-round opponents for Detroit are the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Against Montreal this year they have only been able to squeak out one point in three games. Their play against Tampa Bay has been inconsistent this year with one shutout win and two losses all with more than a 2-goal differential in addition to a shootout loss. Playing their best game, the Red Wings can beat anyone, including the Canadiens and the Lightning. But they still face the same issues that have plagued them since the beginning of March: injuries, inconsistent goaltending, lack of scoring, and problems on the penalty kill. While injuries are out of the team’s hands and cannot be helped, the remaining three areas of concern need to be addressed in order to draw out a long playoff run and there is no time like the present.

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday, April 7th @ 7:30pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings will look to seal a spot in the post-season when they welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to the Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings need only one win in their three remaining games to clinch a playoff berth. Game time is 7:30pm ET.

Last 10 Games
Detroit: 3-5-2, currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference & 4th in the Atlantic Division with a 41-25-13 overall record.
Carolina:  3-4-3, currently in 14th place in the Eastern Conference & 8th in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-38-11 overall record.

This Season
1-0 in favor of Detroit.

Last 5 Years
4-2 in favor of Detroit.

                    Courtesy of: NHL.com

Detroit Red Wings vs. Carolina Hurricanes Tickets Apr. 07
Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 09
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 11

Expected Goaltenders
Detroit: Jimmy Howard (22-13-10)
Carolina: Anton Khudobin (8-16-6)

Players To Watch
Detroit: Jimmy Howard will seek to find his A-game before the post-season and re-establish himself as the starter after mediocre play in March.
Carolina: Captain Eric Staal has 4 points (2G, 2A) in his past 5. He has 51 points (22G, 29A) this season and is 1st team points.

Injuries*
Detroit:
Justin Abdelkader (out, hand)
Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
Erik Cole (day-to-day, upper body injury)
Tomas Jurco (day-to-day, upper body injury)

Carolina:
Riley Nash (day-to-day, concussion)
Rasmus Rissanen (day-to-day, knee)
Jack Hillen (day-to-day, concussion)

* As of April 6th

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tuesday, March 31st @ 7:30pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings will undoubtedly treat this game against the Ottawa Senators as a playoff game. The Red Wings are 3 points up on the Boston Bruins and the Senators are expected to come out hungry as they look to secure a wild card spot. Game time is 7:30pm ET.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 3-6-1, currently in 6^th place in the Eastern Conference & 3^rd in the Atlantic Division with a 40-23-12 overall record.

Ottawa:  7-2-1, currently in 9^th place in the Eastern Conference & 5^th in the Atlantic Division with a 37-26-12 overall record.

VS. This Season

2-1 in favor of Detroit.

VS. Last 5 Years

6-3 in favor of Detroit.

Courtesy of: Ottawa Citizen

Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tickets Mar. 31

Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Tickets Apr. 02

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 04

Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals Tickets Apr. 05
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Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Petr Mrazek (15-7-1)

Ottawa: Craig Anderson (14-13-8)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Justin Abdelkader continues to climb the team stat ladder and has 6 points (4G, 2 A) in his past 5 games.

Ottawa: Kyle Turris has 5 points (3G, 2A) in his past 5 games. He is 2^nd in team scoring behind defenseman Erik Karlsson with 55 points (22G, 33A).

Injuries*

Detroit: Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (out, upper body injury)
               
Ottawa: Milan Michalek (day-to-day, upper body injury)
               Matt Puempel (day-to-day, lower body injury)
               Robin Lehner (out, concussion)
               Chris Phillips (out, undisclosed)
               Chris Neil (out, thumb)       

* As of March 31st

3 areas the Red Wings need to improve in now

As the month of April approaches, some teams in the NHL are playing their best hockey of the season. Whether they play well to secure home-ice advantage in the postseason, secure a playoff spot in general, or play for pride, players are stepping up for their teams and relishing roles as heroes and spoilers, and sometimes both simultaneously.

Courtesy of: Detroit Free Press

Alternatively, in addition to teams that have struggled all season long, there are teams faltering at this crucial point in the season, either holding a playoff spot and unable to clinch it or currently on the fringe unable to find what it takes to get in. The Detroit Red Wings find themselves in the faltering category, surprisingly still in the top three in the Atlantic Division with mediocre play and the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators unable to catch up to date.

While it is obviously a good thing Detroit is still in the playoffs as it stands now, the bad news is unless they improve in the following areas, they could find themselves eliminated early in the playoffs or worse-out of playoff contention.

Goaltending

Jimmy Howard has been struggling and most people think he has not played as effectively since returning from a groin injury. This was most obvious when Howard was pulled against the San Jose Sharks last week in the first period after letting in the first shot on goal 19 seconds into the game and stopping 6 of 9 shots. Petr Mrazek got the start against the Tampa Bay Lightning and looked impressive however followed that game with a lackluster showing against the New York Islanders. Not every goal can be blamed on Mrazek- 3 were power play goals- however, one was scored off a generous rebound and another was off his own skate from the side of the net. Mrazek was pulled after this goal in favor of Howard.  It is this inconsistent goaltending and these bad goals that are allowed in that are sinking the Red Wings right now.

Special Teams

Currently the Red Wings are 2^nd in the NHL on the power play and a staggering 20^th overall in penalty killing. The penalty kill units, while used a lot less than other teams as Detroit is 22^nd overall in penalty minutes per game, has not been successful and this needs to be remedied in order to give the team any chance of post-season success. Last game alone the Red Wings allowed the Islanders 3 power play goals;  in the last 10 games, the Red Wings have allowed 10 power play goals (including 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 14^th). The Red Wings have been successful on the penalty play, scoring a league-leading 66 power play goals this season. However, they have also given up 8 short-handed goals which places them 3^rd overall this season including one against the Islanders where Tatar tripped over the blue line and two against the Boston Bruins on March 8^th where Stephen Weiss coughed up the puck twice.

Consistent Scoring

The Red Wings have had no problems scoring this season and even some games they have lost have been high-scoring affairs (eg. against San Jose, Arizona, and the New York Islanders in March alone). Nonetheless, it is the lack of consistency among players that continues to be in issue. It is a well-known fact that players go hot and cold in the NHL, however guys like Gustav Nyquist (3 goals in February, 3 so far in March) and Riley Sheahan (2 goals in February, 2 so far in March), and captain Henrik Zettterberg (2 goals since a 3-goal game on January 18^th against the Buffalo Sabres) seem to be going cold at a vital time of the season. Many players on the Red Wings team need to start finding the back of the net in order to be the offensive threat required in securing a playoff stretch and being dominant in the playoffs.

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Islanders Sunday, March 29th @ 5pm ET

The Detroit Red Wings plan on riding a strong effort in their 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning when they face the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum. The Red Wings kept pace with the Boston Bruins who won today against the New York Rangers and remain 5 points ahead. Game time is 5pm ET.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 4-5-1, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference & 3^rd in the Atlantic Division with a 40-22-12 overall record.

New York Islanders:  2-6-2, currently in 5th place in the Eastern Conference & 3^rd in the Metropolitan Division with a 44-27-5 overall record.

VS. This Season

1-1 tie.

VS. Last 5 Years

5-2 in favor of the New York Islanders.

Courtesy of: New York Post

New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Mar. 29
Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tickets Mar. 31

Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Tickets Apr. 02

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 04

Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals Tickets Apr. 05

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Petr Mrazek (15-7-1)

New York Islanders: Jaroslav Halak (35-16-2)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Petr Mrazek looks to build on his strong outing against Tampa Bay and was solid after replacing Jimmy Howard in the Red Wings’ 6-4 loss to San Jose this past week. It is anticipated that Coach Mike Babcock will keep Howard out a few more games and continue to play Mrazek who is the better goalie during this crucial stretch of the regular season. Justin Abdelkader continues to find the net and has 6 points (4G, 2 A) in his past 5 games.

New York Islanders: Ryan Strome has 4 points (1G, 3A) in his past 5 games. He is 2^nd in team scoring behind John Tavares with 47 points (15G, 32A).

Injuries*

Detroit: Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (day-to-day, upper body injury)
              Riley Sheahan (day-to-day, upper body injury)          
New York Islanders: Mikhail Grabovski (out, concussion)

* As of March 28th

PREVIEW: Detroit Red Wings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, March 28th @ 2pm ET

Coming off a loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Detroit Red Wings hope to break even in their four-game home stand when they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to town.  They are still 5 points ahead of Ottawa and Boston who are fighting over a wild card spot. The Red Wings hope to put some space between them and both teams. Game time is 2pm ET.

Last 10 Games

Detroit: 3-6-1, currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-22-12 overall record.

Tampa Bay:  7-2-1, currently in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference with a 46-22-7 overall record.

VS. This Season

3-0 in favor of Tampa Bay.

VS. Last 5 Years

7-3 in favor of Tampa Bay.

Courtesy of: Detroit Free Press

Detroit Red Wings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Tickets Mar. 28

New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Mar. 29

Detroit Red Wings vs. Ottawa Senators Tickets Mar. 31
Detroit Red Wings vs. Boston Bruins Tickets Apr. 02
Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings Tickets Apr. 04

Expected Goaltenders

Detroit: Petr Mrazek (14-7-1)

Tampa Bay: Ben Bishop (36-12-4)

Players To Watch

Detroit: Petr Mrazek hopes to step up and establish himself as the number one goaltender as Jimmy Howard continues to struggle between the pipes. If Mrazek can string a few wins together it will be no surprise if he gets the starts from here on in.

Tampa Bay: Captain Steven Stamkos has 5 points (3G, 2A) in his past 5 games. Stamkos' 67 points (40G, 27A) places him tied in Lightning scoring with Tyler Johnson and tied for 11th overall in NHL scoring.

Injuries*

Detroit: Johan Franzen (out, concussion)
              Pavel Datsyuk (game-time decision, lower body

              injury)   

              Jonas Gustavsson (out, concussion)
              Erik Cole (out, upper body injury)
              Riley Sheahan (day-to-day, upper body injury)              

Tampa Bay: Brendan Morrow (day-to-day, upper body injury)                                           Cedric Paquette (day-to-day, upper body injury)

* As of March 27