{"id":113090,"date":"2024-10-11T23:45:03","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T16:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113090"},"modified":"2024-10-11T23:45:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T16:45:03","slug":"red-wings-defense-goaltending-falter-in-season-opening-loss-3-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113090","title":{"rendered":"Red Wings\u2019 defense, goaltending falter in season-opening loss: 3 takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>DETROIT \u2014 A home opener is not supposed to end with boos. But that\u2019s what happened as the buzzer sounded Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena, following the Red Wings\u2019 6-3 loss to the <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/team\/penguins\/\">Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> \u2014 a defeat that enflamed many of the concerns fans and observers had about <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/team\/redwings\/\">Detroit<\/a> coming into the season.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s early, of course. But for a team that came into the season with expectations of taking another step toward (or into) the playoffs, Thursday\u2019s loss brought some lingering questions right back to the forefront.<\/p>\n<p>Three takeaways from the game:<\/p>\n<h2>Goaltending is still a question<\/h2>\n<p>Husso, who was perhaps the biggest mystery entering Red Wings training camp because of his injury-plagued 2023-24 season, earned the first start on the strength of his preseason, highlighted by a 43-save showing against the Penguins in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n<p>But after a fine enough first period, his outing came undone quickly in the second period Thursday, when Pittsburgh tagged him for three goals in the first six minutes. They weren\u2019t all Husso\u2019s fault, per se, but none of the three looked good for him.<\/p>\n<p>There was a juicy rebound he kicked out front, which <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"zYLT8HcJq5ANwDre\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/anthony-beauvillier-zYLT8HcJq5ANwDre\/\">Anthony Beauvillier<\/a> put home with ease. There was a gorgeous play by <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"TYdfcevPtXlaQ4xO\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/evgeni-malkin-TYdfcevPtXlaQ4xO\/\">Evgeni Malkin<\/a> to beat <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"rvKLV7y9qO0rUK0y\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/erik-gustafsson-rvKLV7y9qO0rUK0y\/\">Erik Gustafsson<\/a>, but Husso didn\u2019t help himself by over-committing and leaving <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"7SZwGR6RfIjVxVIj\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/drew-oconnor-7SZwGR6RfIjVxVIj\/\">Drew O\u2019Connor<\/a> with a wide-open net. And the final goal was the most egregious: a soft floater from <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"CIB5bsDO9SheNqT6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/marcus-pettersson-CIB5bsDO9SheNqT6\/\">Marcus Pettersson<\/a> at the point.<\/p>\n<p>There were clear defensive issues on the Beauvillier and O\u2019Connor goals \u2014 Detroit failing to clear the net on Beauvillier\u2019s and Gustafsson getting burned on O\u2019Connor\u2019s \u2014 and that\u2019s a problem in its own right.<\/p>\n<p>But Husso giving up four goals on 14 shots (the Penguins\u2019 first goal was Beauvillier from below the goal line, banked in off <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"rydr2US39hj9IjAk\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/ben-chiarot-rydr2US39hj9IjAk\/\">Ben Chiarot<\/a>\u2019s leg) did nothing to quell the general uncertainty around the Red Wings\u2019 crease.<\/p>\n<p>Talbot relieved Husso after the second-period flurry and stopped 12 of the 14 shots he faced, but also saw another goal called back due to a hand pass.<\/p>\n<p>So what happens from here, in a three-headed goalie situation that has always been fluid? Don\u2019t expect Husso to lose his spot in whatever the rotation ends up being just yet, but head coach Derek Lalonde did confirm there will be a different starter Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>While Husso\u2019s preseason might have temporarily helped to reduce anxiety about his readiness for a meaningful workload, the lack of sharpness Thursday has those questions right back in the spotlight.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5835992\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"wp-caption-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-5835992 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/11002831\/GettyImages-2177880807-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/11002831\/GettyImages-2177880807-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/11002831\/GettyImages-2177880807-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/11002831\/GettyImages-2177880807-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/11002831\/GettyImages-2177880807-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2024\/10\/11002831\/GettyImages-2177880807-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-credits\">\n<div class=\"inline-credits-container\">\n      <span class=\"table-cell-span\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"credits-text\">Simon Edvinsson, like most of Detroit\u2019s defensemen, struggled analytically against the Penguins. (Mike Mulholland \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Defense not sharp to start<\/h2>\n<p>The emphasis for the Red Wings since day one of camp has been on tightening their defense, and for good reason. Detroit gave up way too much easy offense last season, and after losing a significant chunk of scoring from their 2023-24 roster, keeping pucks out of their own net was the most obvious remedy.<\/p>\n<p>But while the goaltending did them few favors \u2014 particularly with rebounds \u2014 the Red Wings defense did little to meet that defensive challenge for far too much of the game Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Their lone free-agent acquisition on defense, Gustafsson, finished with a 22.3 percent on-ice expected goals share, according to Natural Stat Trick. <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"4lxcEshhIcZyaQlI\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/simon-edvinsson-4lxcEshhIcZyaQlI\/\">Simon Edvinsson<\/a>, Detroit\u2019s top prospect who opened the season in the top four, wasn\u2019t much higher. And while an upper-body injury to <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"NZdcLKgQBSA1qqkc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/jeff-petry-NZdcLKgQBSA1qqkc\/\">Jeff Petry<\/a> forced the Red Wings to play with five defensemen for much of the night, that injury happened deep enough into the game that it can explain only so much.<\/p>\n<p>Clearing the net, in particular, stood out as an area of concern with multiple Grade-A looks right around the crease.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably a little bit on the arrivals, a little bit on the box-outs,\u201d Lalonde said. \u201cProbably a little bit on rebound control, too. Obviously it puts it tough on our guys when they pop out like that. But \u2026 definitely a work in progress with some of those areas: box-outs, gaps, some D-zone coverage. It\u2019s a little frustrating because there were some signs of it looking really good tonight, and how you want it to look to be successful in this league. But we couldn\u2019t sustain it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Detroit certainly is not the only team to give up a big number early in the season, as scores have been high for most of the week around the league. But considering the emphasis on that side of the game through camp \u2014 and the necessity of it being a strength for this group to succeed \u2014 it was not an inspiring showing.<\/p>\n<h2>Seider, DeBrincat bright spots<\/h2>\n<p>The game was not without positives for the Red Wings, who actually came out quite sharp. They dominated the early run of play, scored the game\u2019s first goal just 3:46 in and had a ton of pressure on an early power play that could have put them in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, the turn the game took in the second period will render most of that easily forgotten, but there were a couple of key performances worth noting even in the loss.<\/p>\n<p>First: <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"lmdIN7kRMWrnuv3t\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/moritz-seider-lmdIN7kRMWrnuv3t\/\">Moritz Seider<\/a>, who despite the tough defensive game for Detroit on the whole graded out with strong underlying numbers. He was on the ice for only one of Detroit\u2019s goals against, and it was the Pettersson floater that had no business going past Husso. His five-on-five on-ice expected goals share, according to Natural Stat Trick, was a very strong 62.88 percent. He was a wrecking ball, racking up six credited hits and setting a physical tone. And he had an assist on a <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"UhHYWCIZbGHmPNGt\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/vladimir-tarasenko-UhHYWCIZbGHmPNGt\/\">Vladimir Tarasenko<\/a> goal in the second period, just as a power play had expired.<\/p>\n<p>It might ring hollow in a loss, but considering Seider\u2019s importance to the Red Wings as the centerpiece of the blue line, his performance was worth noting.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile up front, <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"xUOmp8WbHv0THZFX\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/alex-debrincat-xUOmp8WbHv0THZFX\/\">Alex DeBrincat<\/a>\u2019s underlying numbers weren\u2019t nearly as sterling at a five-on-five on-ice xGF% of 26, but he nonetheless finished with a pair of goals (and 3 points) and was consistently noticeable, with the puck and when trying to get it back.<\/p>\n<p>For all the emphasis on defense to make up for the lost offense, DeBrincat is uniquely suited to help Detroit replace some scoring. And he did it in multiple ways Thursday, scoring on the rush off a great feed from Raymond early and adding one on the power play late on a rebound. Getting him going could pay dividends in a tough early schedule, during which the Red Wings are going to need some goals.<\/p>\n<p>But still: The Red Wings need their top line of DeBrincat, Raymond and <a class=\"ath_autolink\" data-id=\"VS5UlUC3VQufesIB\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nhl\/player\/dylan-larkin-VS5UlUC3VQufesIB\/\">Dylan Larkin<\/a> to win its matchups \u2014 on the scoreboard and by the quality of chances. They did neither Thursday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>(Top photo: Mike Mulholland \/ Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5835590\/2024\/10\/11\/red-wings-season-opener-defense-goaltending\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DETROIT \u2014 A home opener is not supposed to end with boos. But that\u2019s what happened as the buzzer sounded Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena, following the Red Wings\u2019 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=113090\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=113090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113090\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=113090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=113090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=113090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}