After a 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, Detroit’s ninth in their last ten games, head coach Jeff Blashill remarked on the team’s power play, which had gone 0-3 that night, “We had chances on the power play, but we have to find ways to score.”
Captain Dylan Larkin and the lone goal scorer Filip Zadina echoed their coach’s sentiments, both stating the need to score on the power play and put the puck in the back of the net. Unfortunately for Detroit, special team scoring hasn’t come easy. Their power play is second to last in the league, at just 9.3%. Only the Minnesota Wild, who’ve played just five games, are below them. They also rank third to last in power play goals per 60 minutes with 3.13 and haven’t scored a power play goal since January 28 against Dallas. Outside of that game, the Red Wings have just three power play goals this season.
The lack of special teams scoring is part of a larger offensive issue for Detroit. They’re scoring at a clip of just 1.93 goals per game, last in the league and worse than last year’s number of 2.00. Their 5v5 scoring rate is also last in the league at 1.59 goals per 60.
In the midst of losing 9 out of the last ten games, it’s clear the Red Wings need more scoring, especially from their top players. Tyler Bertuzzi, who leads the team with three power play goals, has been out with an injury but expects to be back on the ice after the Nashville series. Anthony Mantha, who was a healthy scratch for the first game of the Florida series and has the lone non-Bertuzzi power play goal, was inserted back into the lineup. A big shot and go-to guy on the man advantage, Detroit needs Mantha to find his goal-scoring touch once again.
Already down at the bottom of the Central Division standings, the Red Wings could soon find themselves out of the playoff race if they don’t figure out their power play and offensive issues. A new series against Nashville, who ranks last in the league in penalty kill with a 62.8% clip, could be just the medicine Detroit’s man-advantage needed.
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