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After the overtime loss in Philly The Red Wings will look to avoid a fourth against a Montreal team that seems to have a very positive vibe as they move forward. Laine seems to have found a place that works for him and the Habs look reinvigorated.

Detroit seems to be off the initial “bump” but McLellan is an excellent communicator. Of the past 5 games, 3 were against top teams. The losses to San Jose and Philadelphia are the stingers. The team needs to find a way. Beyond any playoff contention, there needs to be a sign of an internal desire to reset and get back to work during a brutal stretch.

One issue that seems to beguile is the dispatch of Chiarot. On the PK, at the bottom of the diamond, players are getting between the dman and the goalie. That crease has to be protected and cleared out as much as possible. Long gone are the days of a goalie taking lumber jack swings on a Holmstrom type (not that there will be a carbon copy of Homer) but a battle for open ice has to get forwards out of the crease on the PK. This is the clear downside of the diamond. On the rectangle, you have a player that can move toward the net on both side. In this formation it’s down to one defender to clear out the front.

The power play will, hopefully, get some looks and in victories that seems to be Detroit’s bread and butter. The goalie will have to be sharp to make up for the defensive lapses and the passing needs to be crisp throughout the contest. In the last game it looked like the players were fighting the biscuit. Those days happen, but hopefully the crew will reset. There was a return to some over passing, especially with Kane and Debrincat. When they’re going those plays usually result in a decent attempt. In the past few it seems like the defense was more than ready and both players passed on the chance to shoot.

Let me know your thoughts on what you hope to see in the game against Montreal. The past few contests may have cooled trade talks in terms of bringing someone in, and it’s not clear who if anyone teams may be looking at. Lyon, at a low cap hit and no term, may be an attractive backup option for a team looking at a deep run. We’ll see how it all plays out.

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