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For the fourth straight game, one goal made the difference in the game for the Detroit Red Wings.
For the second straight game, Detroit came up one goal short, and when a team is trying to climb a mountain to get into a playoff position, that simply won’t get the job done.
The Wings are 3-0-2 during a current five-game point streak that has garnered them eight of a possible 10 points but every time they come close but don’t the cigar is one less chance for them to climb back into the race.
“We’re getting a little more results in terms of points but we still got to take that next step and play the same level to find ways to more two points and not just one here,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We’ve got to keep grinding.”
Sunday marked the fifth time this season that the Wings have been shutout and the third time this season that they’ve lost 1-0.
“I thought we defended real well,” Blashill said. “I thought our first period we were actually real good, we were borderline excellent in a a lot of ways.
“We didn’t hit the net enough. I guess we had a decent amount of shot attempts. I don’t know what we walked out of there with for shots (21) but our effort was real good in the first. We put ourselves in position.
“In the second and third I thought we defended well. We didn’t give up a whole bunch. They didn’t give up a whole bunch either. It was a pretty tight game.”
Kronwall Back
Defenseman Niklas Kronwall returned to the lineup after missing eight games due to a groin injury.
“I felt decent out there,” Kronwall said. “There’s still some timing issues when you’ve been out for a bit but overall I felt OK.”
With Kronwall back, veteran Alexey Marchenko was a surprise scratch by Blashill from the defense over rookies Nick Jensen and Xavier Ouellet.
“He’s got some more options, I guess,” Kronwall said. “I think anytime guys are coming back, you’ve got completion for spots in the lineup. I think that only creates good problems.”
Vanek Down
One came back and another went down. Left-winger Thomas Vanek, who leads the Wings with 12 goals, struggling to get to his feet after falling to the ice during a goalmouth scramble in the dying seconds of the opening period. Vanek did not return with what the Wings termed a lower-body injury and his status going forward was uncertain.
“I’ll know more tomorrow,” Blashill said. “I don’t have an update. I don’t think it’s anything long, long term but I’ll know his availability tomorrow.”
Certainly, the loss of their top goal scorer didn’t help Detroit’s efforts to get the puck past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
“I thought he started the game great,” Blashill said of Vanek. “I thought he had a great first period. He’s one of our real dynamic offensive guys. You lose a little bit of offensive punch.
“With that said, we’ve got enough other guys in the room with lots of offense. I thought we were close on lots of plays offensively but we’ve just got to find a way to get it off really quick or find a way to get through those lanes.”
Miller Time Up?
The Red Wings placed veteran forward Drew Miller on waivers in order to open up a spot on the 23-player roster for Kronwall to be activated from injured reserve.
“Drew wants to play so here’s an opportunity potentially if there’s another suitor out there, where he could play,” Blashill said. “There are some young assets that we have here that I think there’s still potential.
“Now with that said, if for whatever reason as things happened, I’ve got tons of confidence in Drew Miller as a hockey player. I’d play him any day. I’d play him tomorrow and I’d feel real confident with him in the lineup.
“We’ve got lots of good players here and we’ve got too many players to go around, so we’re going to make some decisions.”
Miller posted 5-1-6 numbers in 34 games this season and was minus-10.
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