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New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Red Wings offseason survey results: Fans split on direction under Steve Yzerman
As the Detroit Red Wings get set for what could be their most anticipated offseason yet under general manager Steve Yzerman, the fan base is split right down the middle when it comes to confidence in the team's direction. That's the big takeaway from our offseason fan survey, with nearly 3,000 of you weighing in on Detroit's front office, the team's trajectory and the level of urgency to get back into the playoffs, among other topics. Thanks to everyone who participated — and especially to those who left comments explaining their votes. There's a lot to get to, so let's dive right in. How's this for a split? The optimists have a slight lean here, with 31.2 percent rating their confidence at a 4 or 5. But 29.5 percent of fans gave it a 1 or 2, meaning there are more or less just as many who are worried about the team's trajectory after yet another year outside the playoffs but without an especially high draft pick. Advertisement The plurality of the fan base, though, is right in the middle — perhaps not knowing exactly what to think at this stage, or wanting to withhold judgment. As one respondent noted, 'I voted 3, as they seem to be destined for a long-term stay in the middle of the pack. Hard to feel too excited, but I'm not slamming the panic button, and there's still plenty of youth on the way.' That note on the rising prospects was a theme, with many voters still feeling confident in the 'draft and develop' side of Detroit's approach. That's well-founded, as the Red Wings' Yzerman-era first-round picks who have reached the NHL have been highly successful. That starts with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, of course, but Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper have now also established themselves as top-half-of-the-lineup players who have shown signs they can drive play. That's a great start. Now, the key will be whether Nate Danielson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Sebastian Cossa can continue that trend. It's not clear whether any of those four will see time with the Red Wings this season, but it's at least possible in each case. None would be expected to be impact players right away, as rookies, but all four have the potential to move the needle as they develop. That's certainly one source of hope. 'Still 4 first-round picks in the system that haven't made the jump (another 1 if you include 2025 draft),' one voter noted. 'Plenty of cap flexibility moving forward. If those picks largely flop and the cap space is used poorly, then I'll lose confidence.' Some fans, though, were not as sold on the prospects as being enough to feel confident. 'The pipeline seems to be filled with lots of depth, but few high-end prospects,' one reader said. 'The team is currently one of the oldest in the league with multiple contracts weighing us down. While the cupboards are full, it feels like we're stuck in the mushy middle.' This question dovetails with the last one, so it's no surprise to see a similar distribution of results. Once again, the most votes were in the middle, with 3 getting a majority of the answers. But interestingly, among those who picked a side, Yzerman's job performance scored a bit more favorably than fans' confidence in the overall direction, with 31.7 percent of voters giving him a 4 or 5 compared to 22.6 percent rating him a 1 or 2. Advertisement That may speak to some fans feeling that Yzerman isn't the main reason for the Red Wings' predicament. 'I think it's always hard to judge a GM performance, especially when (there) are so many impacting situations,' one voter said. 'A GM can only be as good as the the market and the position of the draft; it's the hand you are dealt.' 'People forget how bad the team was and how bare the prospect cupboards were when he started,' another wrote. Still, one of the themes among those who chose to comment was a clear delineation between Detroit's drafting and other means of player acquisition under Yzerman. 'Good drafting, poor signings and trades,' one voter wrote. 'Patience has been an asset for Yzerman in the past, but has his patience allowed other clubs in our division to catch up to us?' another wondered. It won't surprise anyone to hear that the Jake Walman trade got plenty of mentions, but Yzerman's handling of free agency was an especially common point of dissatisfaction. Yzerman and the Red Wings have had some hits in that market over the years, but many of those were on shorter-term deals for players who have already left for elsewhere. Meanwhile, many of the longer-term free agents Detroit has signed have been inconsistent, and in some cases have felt redundant to each other. In Yzerman's defense, some of this is the nature of free agency: the player pool is, by definition, older players who can pick their own destination. Non-playoff teams usually have to overextend themselves (on either dollars or term) to land those players, who also happen to be at risk of decline as they age. If you want to improve via that avenue, those big contracts are the cost of doing business. But part of being a general manager is also knowing when to walk away from such negotiations. And going into an offseason where the Red Wings are expected to be aggressive, it's going to be fascinating to see how Yzerman handles that side of things. Fans still seem to have sympathy for Yzerman's predicament on the whole, but it's fair to say some of their confidence has waned in recent years. No surprise here that McLellan, who turned the Red Wings around after coming in at the end of December last year, gets high marks. There were some who responded with some variation of 'too early to tell,' but nearly 85 percent of voters rated McLellan either a 4 or 5, and when you consider Detroit went 26-18-4 after his arrival (a 95-point pace over a full season), that makes sense. Advertisement Players clearly responded to him — and quickly — which is a great sign. He should have a nice blend of familiarity and fresh-start energy when he gets to training camp this fall. That could be a very good recipe. But we've also seen that NHL teams have become quite fickle with their head coaches in recent years, and winning seems to be the only real antidote. There's no true runaway winner here, and maybe that has to do with the relative similarity of some of the answers. But it certainly feels notable that the 'long-term sustainability' answer got the most votes — and would have still been competitive if you combined the '2026 playoffs at all costs' votes with the 'one more year outside is OK' crowd. 'I care about deep playoff runs more than simply making them,' one voter said. And while the 'at all costs' line probably turned some voters off that option, that shouldn't be mistaken for no sense of urgency, or a lack of frustration with how things have gone recently. That shows up in the lack of support for taking a short-term step back to retool for the longer term, which polled at under 5 percent. 'No reason to ruin the young core to chase the playoffs this year as a non-contender,' one voter said. 'But feels like we're getting passed by other rebuilding teams, so there needs to be a hard assessment of where we really are.' There are certainly some hard-liners — 'Enough is enough,' one fan wrote — but these results indicate this isn't necessarily a make-or-break year for most fans … assuming there is at least progress to point to. 'But just one more year, assuming we have some clear forward momentum,' one voter wrote. 'No more March 15-game losing streaks, no more botching big important late season series against division rivals.' Again, the most common answer was to straddle the line, but there's a clear pull toward the negative side here, outpolling the optimists by a resounding margin of 49 percent to 12 percent. That may be instructive as it pertains to the previous question: if fans don't expect the Red Wings to make the playoffs next year, it makes sense they aren't ready to call it make-or-break. Advertisement The one big caveat here is we're doing this poll before free agency or the bulk of any trade dealings. So what this really tells us is fans' confidence in the roster as currently constructed. That means it's liable to change — and perhaps change significantly — after July 1. Speaking of which … Hardly a shocker that Red Wings fans want their team to be in on the summer's top free agent prize, Mitch Marner. He'd be another smaller winger in a top-six that's already filled with that, but for a 100-point player who also kills penalties, that's a secondary issue. Marner would bring star power and significant playmaking, and do so while also potentially helping the league's worst penalty kill from a year ago. It's not a preference that needs much explaining — though it of course hinges on Marner's interest in coming to Detroit, which is far from a given. And while he would clearly move the needle, it's also fair to point out he doesn't necessarily address the team's stated needs this summer. 'I know Marner will be the sexy pick, but the Wings need to be harder to play against, and (Vladislav) Gavrikov fits the bill,' one voter said. At 27.3 percent of the vote, the Los Angeles Kings defenseman was actually closer to catching Marner in our poll than he was to the third-place finisher, Sam Bennett. That speaks to fans' recognition of the blue line as an area for improvement. 'There are a lot of defenseman prospects coming, but none are ready for this kind of role,' another fan said. And that's true. Top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka has a lot of potential, but his stint in Grand Rapids at the end of the season was a reminder he'll likely need time before being a significant contributor. Other prospects William Wallinder, Shai Buium and Anton Johansson have potential, but are most likely to be solid third-pairing types than top-four staples. Advertisement That leaves room for a big-ticket top-four 'D' addition, whether it's a free agent like Gavrikov or Aaron Ekblad, or a trade target such as the Rangers' K'Andre Miller. I was a little surprised there wasn't more support for Bennett, who plays with an edge and has shown he can score tough goals in big games. But perhaps the cost — after another loud postseason for Bennett — was a factor there. The harsh reality, though, is that Detroit won't get to just pick and choose from this bunch, which represents the top of the free-agent market. Those players are going to have a lot of interest from all over the league. So while the 'other' option in this poll represented less than 4 percent of the vote, it may actually be the most likely outcome. Based on the feedback earlier in the survey, this one was no surprise, with fans most confident in Detroit's drafting. There were some fans, however, who made note that 'Most confident doesn't mean confident,' or put simply, 'Not confident in any.' That surely reflects the frustrations of a fan base that has gone so long without tangible on-ice success to point to. There were also some who drew a distinction between the first-round drafting and in rounds 2-7. But while there have been some players picked in the second round who Detroit is probably kicking itself over (JJ Peterka, Logan Stankoven and Brock Faber top that list), the trend fans are observing is more par for the course. Once you get past round 1, making the NHL at all is generally considered a win, and it can take a long time for those players to develop to that point. Consider that two Red Wings rookies in 2024-25, Albert Johansson (2019 second round) and Elmer Söderblom (2019 sixth round), were part of Yzerman's first draft class and only just now reached the NHL. So while the later-round picks haven't arrived yet, that doesn't mean they won't, with Trey Augustine (2023 second round), Max Plante (2024 second round), Dmitri Buchelnikov (2022 second round) and Anton Johansson (2022 fourth round) among the most intriguing names. That being said, Detroit likely does need one of those players (or a future later-round pick) to really hit it big at some point, even with how well it has done in the first round. Being just 'par for the course' in rounds 2-7 could easily add up to a similar result in the standings. The majority of the fan base (nearly 70 percent) expects Detroit to compete for a championship in the next five years, which would seem to indicate more faith in the team's direction than fans proclaimed earlier in the poll. There's a higher bar to competing for the Stanley Cup than just making the playoffs, and while there could be some difference in definition of what 'contention' actually looks like, this is a fairly high number for a team in the Red Wings' position. Advertisement One reader said that as Detroit's young players and prospects continue to develop and the team rounds out around them, 'they will be a team with enviable depth (without superstar talent), like Carolina.' 'There are key foundational pieces in place,' another added. 'Seider and Edvinsson are going to be the high-end D-men so important to being a contender. I'm hopeful that one of the young goalie prospects will blossom into an elite player, and I'm confident that guys like Kasper and Danielson are built for the playoffs.' But while outvoted, the 30 percent who felt Detroit was five-plus years away was adamant. '5 years is underselling it,' one said. 'Without doing something dramatic in free agency we don't have the stars in our system to win the Cup,' another added. 'Typically the core of the prospects will need at least 2-4 years of experience before they fully understand that the playoff run is a totally different task,' one more reader noted. Obviously, this is the ultimate 'time will tell.' But the bulk of fans still believe Cup contention is on the horizon for this group. These two questions were meant to be analyzed together, partly as an indicator of how much the playoff drought could be sapping enthusiasm (and willingness to shell out for tickets, parking and the other costs associated with going to a game). It's admittedly only one measure, but it appears most fans expect to maintain their current attendance level next year, with more fans wanting to move up rather than down. 'Games are expensive,' one fan noted. 'Don't want to shell out the money for a family of four if I feel like we're going to see a loss. Kids are 8 and 10. Prime years for becoming fans for them. Would love to see a turnaround and winning season like the Tigers, Lions and Pistons are doing.' (Photo of Steve Yzerman: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Chicago Tribune
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Will Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill make the most of his second chance? ‘He's way farther ahead now'
Jeff Blashill didn't make the kind of history he was looking for in Detroit. His seven-year run as a first-time NHL head coach from 2015-22 included presiding over the Red Wings' third-worst finish by points percentage (.275). But Chicago Blackhawks great and TNT analyst Eddie Olczyk believes the second time can be the charm for a lot of coaches. Blashill, hired Thursday as the 42nd head coach in Hawks history, has a chance to join them. Olczyk noted several who 'really did a heck of a job after so-called 'struggling' the first time around and then going in (improved) the second time,' he said. 'Mike Sullivan is a perfect example, going from Boston and then being assistant for almost 10 years and then getting the job (again) finally in Pittsburgh.' The Bruins fired Sullivan in 2006 after two seasons, but a decade later he led the Penguins to Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and '17. 'Craig Berube, no different,' Olczyk continued. 'Second job, he's become one of the top coaches and wins. After being in Philadelphia, he goes and he becomes a Stanley Cup champion in St Louis (in 2019). 'Bruce Cassidy in Washington — rebuild, young team — whatever didn't have the success, went down and was (out as a head coach for) 12 years, and all of a sudden he gets a chance in Boston. … He gets them to a Cup Final (in 2019). And here he is on his next job and he's a Stanley Cup champion (with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023).' Of course, it's not always a comeback story. Over the last 20 years, more coaches (16) have finished with worse records (excluding active coaches) than with improved records (13) in their second-chance campaigns, according to NHL Stats. And the difference in average winning percentage between first (.529) and second (.517) campaigns has been marginal. During Blashill's first go-round — he went 204-261-72 with one playoff appearance — there were the added burdens of a Red Wings team falling out of its prime into a rebuild, missing on high draft picks and changing directions at general manager from Ken Holland to Steve Yzerman. 'I think for Blas, it'll be the confidence of going back in there and having seen this before, whether it's practice, schedule, handling players a certain way in game — you know, adjustments,' Olczyk said. Blashill, 51, also has had the benefit of being an assistant on Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper's staff and learning from his mannerisms on the bench and tendencies as a tactician. 'So he's way farther ahead now than he was when he went in there as a head coach in Detroit the first time,' Olczyk said. 'I just think the experience of having done it, going back and being an assistant and working with somebody like John Cooper will only help his bench skills and the handling of the staff and inside that locker room.' The reality of it is the Hawks could have a second coming of Scotty Bowman in the building and still face an uphill climb. The Hawks are still very young and play in a brutal Central Division that sent five teams to the playoffs. Summer jobs: Chicago Blackhawks' offseason plans, from Connor Bedard's speed to Kevin Korchinski's blade curveBlashill's top priority will come down to how he helps the likes of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and Artyom Levshunov move past promise and develop into difference-makers. Tyler Bertuzzi believes Blashill's suited to that task. The Hawks forward played under Blashill with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins (partial season) and Red Wings (six seasons) and will be reunited with him this fall. 'I had him coming right out of junior. He was my first coach,' Bertuzzi, 30, said. 'He helped me learn a lot from my first year pro all the way up into Detroit … and we've been through a lot together on-ice-wise and just going through the kind of rebuild process in Detroit. … 'I think he's a great coach. I think he's the right guy for this job with the experience he has, the amount of years he's coached and all the different leagues, and I'm looking forward to it.' Both Bertuzzi and Olczyk said Blashill is a likeable person who's easy to talk to. Olczyk said that through their 20-year friendship, Blashill has been fun to be around but also conscientious enough to occasionally check in with him about his fight with colon cancer. 'He's got a quick sense of humor,' Olczyk said. 'I told him because he was a goalie back in the day … he obviously thinks he's the smartest guy in the room.' Chicago Blackhawks unveil plans for a new Hall of Fame as part of their centennial seasonBertuzzi also has kept in touch with Blashill. 'He's a very personal guy,' Bertuzzi said. 'He wants to know how your family's doing, he wants to know all the info he can. And sometimes it's not even talking about hockey, it's just talking about life stuff, so I think that's very important. 'That's what I liked about him the most.' That's not to say Blashill won't hold players accountable or adjust to what his roster needs. 'I think he's very adaptable (to) the type of team that he has and how he wants to play,' Olczyk said. 'He has a great feel for who is playing well in a game.' He added, having talked to several of Blashill's former players, 'he gives them the information' they need before games. 'It's very quick. It's very to the point, and then you have to carry out your responsibility,' Olczyk said. Bertuzzi seconded that assessment. 'Yeah, that's what he's very good at,' he said. 'He's very detailed. He's very structured in his approach to the game. 'In the quick moments on the ice, when he sees something, he needs to shift something or someone needs to start playing better or play a different way, he catches onto that quickly and he's good at making those in-game changes.' While this is a big opportunity for Blashill, 'it's a fresh start for everyone,' Bertuzzi said. 'We're not going to look at last season,' he said of the Hawks' second-to-last-place finish. 'We're moving forward and whoever was going to be behind the bench, it's still a fresh start. 'As a team and as an organization, we need to look ahead and just focus on training camp, then preseason, and then for Game 1, and just forget about what happened (last season) and just move on. 'We need to start getting better and start working.'
Reuters
14-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Kings name Ken Holland general manager
May 14 - The Los Angeles Kings named Ken Holland their new general manager on Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed. Holland replaces Rob Blake, fired by the club last week after eight seasons. "As we did our due diligence, we identified Ken as the absolute best option and acted decisively to make him our General Manager," Kings President Luc Robitaille said in a release. "His track record of success is undeniable and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time. He has the experience to lead us on the proper path that will help us win now and compete for the Stanley Cup." Holland, 69, was the Red Wings' GM from 1997-98 to 2018-19, during which time Detroit captured the Stanley Cup in 1998, 2002 and 2008. He also was the team's assistant GM during a Stanley Cup run in 1997. Most recently, Holland was the GM of the Oilers from 2019-20 to 2023-24. Last season, Edmonton lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, after which Holland left the team by mutual agreement. Holland was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 as a "builder." He had a brief playing career as a goalie: one game with the Hartford Whalers in 1980-81 and three with the Red Wings in 1983-84. Holland went 0-2-1 with a 4.96 goals-against average and an .825 save percentage. Los Angeles went 48-25-9 (105 points) while finishing second in the Pacific Division this season. Coach Jim Hiller, in a season and a half on the job, has a 69-37-10 record. --Field Level Media
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Wings draft targets: Who could Detroit pick at No. 13?
The Athletic has live coverage of the NHL Draft Lottery. Another NHL Draft Lottery, another day where the balls just didn't bounce the Red Wings' way. Detroit entered the lottery with just a 2.5 percent chance of winning, so moving up was always a long shot. But yet again, despite having only four teams behind them in the order coming in, they actually dropped a spot. They will pick at No. 13. By this point, the Red Wings' needs are no secret. Detroit's pipeline needs more dynamic talent in the top six, a top-four left-shot defenseman, and, as general manager Steve Yzerman recently noted, a harder element throughout its lineup. The 2025 draft class thins out fairly quickly, and for that reason, we won't spend time on the prospects who are highly unlikely to make it to Detroit's spot on the board. But there should still be a handful of good fits available to the Red Wings, even at 13. So, with the draft order now set, let's take a look at who those fits might be, as well as a few higher-ranked names who could fall, and some others to know. Brady Martin, C, Soo (OHL) If you're looking for forwards who fit the Red Wings 'prototype' in recent years, Martin's at the top of that list. He's a competitive, physical forward who can be trusted in all situations but also has real puck skills and put up 72 points (including 33 goals) in 57 OHL games this season. He's not the tallest at 6 feet, but he's sturdily built, and it shows in the punishing hits he delivers. He was a force in the U18 World Championship gold-medal game, scoring two goals and making a major impact on the game. Yzerman has said the Red Wings want to be harder, and Martin would add to that in a big way. The only issue now, especially after the Red Wings dropped a spot: was Martin too good at the U18s to still be on the board at 13? Advertisement Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD, Barrie (OHL) Aitcheson would check just about every box for the Red Wings' big-picture needs. He looks like a top-four defenseman on the left side, with the kind of toughness and edge the Red Wings are trying to cultivate in their team. He has shown legit offense at the junior level, with 26 goals in 64 games this season for Barrie — third among all OHL defenseman, trailing only top-11 picks Zayne Parekh (33) and Sam Dickinson (29). And he has some clutch to him, with six game-winning goals and a three-point showing in Game 7 of his second-round playoff series. It's very easy to envision him as a long-term partner for either Moritz Seider or Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Carter Bear, LW, Everett (WHL) Bear also feels like a Red Wings pick, with good competitiveness, a willingness to get to the hard areas of the ice, but also — crucially — a little more skill to his game. He had 40 goals and 82 points in just 56 games this season for Everett, and his fluid offensive game in the middle of the ice would make him an outstanding complement to what the Red Wings already have in place. The only issue: a reported Achilles injury that ended his season early. If Detroit feels comfortable with the medical, though, he might be the best fit on the board. Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) Carbonneau was second in the QMJHL in scoring this season with 46 goals and 89 points. Red Wings fans have been burned before by stat lines from the Q, but in Carbonneau's case, the tools backing up that production are pretty impressive. He has good skating and size at 6-1, nice hands, gets to the middle and has a big-time shot. That's a nice tool kit for a scoring winger. Victor Eklund, LW, Djurgårdens (Allsvenskan) Eklund is a great skater, plays hard and can really rip it, but there's at least a chance he slips into the Red Wings' range because of his size, as a skinny 5-11 winger. His 19 goals playing against men in the Allsvenskan (Sweden's second division) should be enough to overcome the anxieties that come with drafting a small winger in the top 10, but if he does slip, he'd bring top-six (and maybe top-line) potential to Detroit's system. Advertisement Roger McQueen, C/W, Brandon (WHL) McQueen was once in the top-five conversation for this class as a skilled 6-5 center who moves well for his size, but a back injury shortened his season and makes his range harder to pin down. That injury has to be a source of caution, but if it means McQueen floats on the board a little longer than expected, he could have the highest pure upside on this list. The medical will, of course, be the key, but it's a highly intriguing skill set. Radim Mrtka, RHD, Seattle (WHL) Mrtka is in the conversation for the second-best defenseman in this draft, and as a 6-6 right-shot, it feels unlikely he'll last too long on draft day. But stranger things have happened, and Mrtka's length, skill and skating for his size make for a compelling package. Detroit's long-term top-four probably needs a lefty more than another righty, but the value of right-hand shots is always at a premium, and Mrtka is such a different profile than smaller puck-mover Sandin-Pellikka that the Red Wings could easily justify it if Mrtka is still around. A future right side of Seider, Mrtka and Sandin-Pellikka would be loaded. Cameron Reid, LHD, Kitchener (OHL) Reid is an excellent skater and was an absolute horse for Kitchener in the OHL playoffs, regularly playing close to 30 minutes a night. In a perfect world, you might want a bit more offense from a 6-foot defenseman to pick him at 13, but he plays hard and has skill in his game, and his feet give him a high floor and a way to impact the game at both ends. Detroit's comfort level with the smaller size (particularly with Sandin-Pellikka already in the fold) is the key factor here, but there's a lot to like in Reid's game. Jackson Smith, LHD, Tri-City (WHL) Smith is coming off a rocky showing at the U18 World Championship, but there is a boom-bust element to his projection. The boom potential is easy: He's a smooth-skating 6-3 defenseman with nice puck skills and a good defensive stick. That sounds like a top-four defenseman. The flip side is that he can have some frustrating turnovers, and despite his size, the physical side of his game still leaves something to be desired. Cole Reschny, C/W, Victoria (WHL) Reschny is an undersized forward, listed at 5-10, but he's coming off an outstanding playoffs in Victoria, where he put up 25 points in 11 games, and was a big part of Canada's gold-medal team at the U18 World Championship. He had five goals in five games at that tournament, including an OT winner to push Canada past Czechia in the quarterfinal, and has shown impressive skill and playmaking ability. The size is the question — particularly for Detroit, which is already on the lighter side in its top six — but Reschny has a lot of likeable elements to his game. Advertisement Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (OHL) Nesbitt is a big body at 6-4, with the physicality you'd expect, plus nice hands for his size and the poise to make plays with the puck. The question is his skating, which looks heavy right now. If adding more muscle turns that into a more explosive, powerful stride, then it's not hard to imagine Nesbitt as a versatile piece of a lineup, bringing hard elements and skill to a top-six line, or as a menace on a third line. It takes some projection, but there are some intriguing tools here. (Photo of Brady Martin: Kevin Sousa / Getty Images)
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Wings Captain Calls Himself Out In Big Loss
Dylan Larkin (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) 'We had a good first ten minutes and then didn't figure the rest out.' That is how Dylan Larkin would summarize his team's latest loss. The Detroit Red Wings came out with a good start against the Florida Panthers, but it wasn't enough to seal the deal. They limp away into Friday night's game having suffered a 4-1 loss to the Panthers. Advertisement Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 'It's a really hard building to play in,' Larkin revealed to the media present in the away team's dressing room. 'They're a really good team at home.' 'Todd talks about making a good ten-minute game and then figuring the rest of the 50 out.' The Red Wings opened the scoring in Thursday night's contest. Alex DeBrincat continued his solid season by registering his 36th goal just 6:13 into the opening frame. Trending Red Wings Stories 5 Red Wings Who Must Be Traded Before New Season 5 Red Wings Who Must Be Traded Before New Season This season is all but lost. Advertisement The Truth About The Red Wings' Playoff Hopes 2 Former Red Wings Nominated For Masterton Current Red Wings' You Didn't Know Played For The Canadiens Painful 4–1 Loss in Montreal Costs Red Wings Their Playoff Hopes Every Expiring Detroit Red Wings Contract Every Expiring Detroit Red Wings Contract All good things come to an end. Dylan Larkin Calls Himself Out In talking about the loss Larkin called himself out, citing a lack of details as one of the major reasons for the disappointing loss. 'Lack of details on all of us,' Larkin stated. 'Like myself, I lose my man and Marchand goes in and scores.' 'It's just unacceptable at this time of year.' Advertisement His criticism didn't end there. Larkin wasn't happy with how the powerplay operated and took ownership over that. 'We had looks, we had chances, we created chances,' Larkin said, 'the powerpkay didn't show up again. And again, that's on me.' Larkin didn't like the goals that his team gave up. However, in true captain fashion, he didn't point the finger at any specific player – just himself. Dylan Larkin Wears His Emotions On His Sleeve 'Our penalty kill has been good and we give up a penalty kill goal,' Larkin revealed. 'At this time of year it's hard to even stand in front of you guys and say that.' Advertisement Hearing Larkin say that, the emotion seeping out of them lets you know how invested in this team he is. The Red Wings look for an answer Friday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Larkin offered some thoughts on what it's going to take to win the game. 'We're going to have to play with some emotion,' Larkin reasoned. 'We're going to have to win battles. When we do that, we're a good team and we can play with anyone and that's what it's going to take the rest of the way." Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites.
