Copyright M Live Michigan
DETROIT – The power play was one facet of the game the Detroit Red Wings could count on to be consistently good last season. That hasn’t been the case lately. They’ve scored just three goals in three games and are 0 for 8 on the power play during this stretch. They had ample opportunity on Friday but went 0 for 4 in a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena. “My biggest concern offensively is the power play, and that’s unacceptable, what we’ve been watching,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Put some really good players on the ice, and they’ve got to get it done, whether it’s the first unit or the second unit, and we’re not getting it done right now.” The Red Wings (9-6-0) have dropped back-to-back games and are 1-3-0 in their past four. McLellan described the power play, which ranked ninth in the league entering the game at 22.7 percent, as being upside down. “I think we start from all around the net and then get there,” he said. “I believe we should be going to the net first with the puck, and we want to make all these plays. Sometimes it’s great and the goalie makes a save and you feel good about your power play. “The simplicity of creating a shooting opportunity, taking advantage of it, and then jumping on them right after. We do it differently. We want to make eight passes and spring somebody open for a Grade A chance, and if it works, great. If not, well, then we got to go do it all over again. We’re upside down a little bit. We’ll fix it.” The Red Wings expect more from a top power-play unit featuring Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane – who returned after missing nine games with an injury – and Moritz Seider. “We were didn’t play with enough speed, sloppy through the zone and a lot of other things as well,” Raymond said. “You’re not always going to score, but you have to gain momentum and come out of there with a bit of push for the team.” The Red Wings couldn’t capitalize on the momentum they gained from J.T. Compher’s tying goal at 11:06 of the first period. Noah Laba snapped the tie at 4:52 of the second, before Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere scored 58 seconds apart midway through the third to put it away. “Todd talks all about getting pucks to the net and bodies to the net,” Compher said. “We’re doing a better job on the rush of doing that sometimes. But in-zone, I think there’s more there. Even on the rush, there’s more there. Being a little more simple and continuing to get pucks and bodies there.” Said Raymond: “I think we’re a little bit too much on the outside, looking for that perfect opportunity. Guys not getting to the net. We’re not getting to those dirty areas where a lot of the goals are scored. It’s about keeping it simple. We got a lot of guys in this room that can score goals.” The Red Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday (1 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network) continuing a key stretch of 10 out of 13 games at home, and they need to be more engaged mentally. “Sometimes you’re there physically, which tonight I thought we were for the most part,” McLellan said. “I’m not sure we were there between the ears again, and that includes offensively. We had some pretty good opportunities, and Jonathan Quick made some great saves, but when you’re sharp and you’re alert and you’re attentive, some of those go in for you. Power play is a prime example.”
