The Detroit Red Wings are coming up on an historic and unique anniversary in the history of the franchise under the ownership of the Ilitch family.
It was on Dec. 30, 1985 that the Wings, off to a horrible 8-23-4 start, opted to fire coach Harry Neale. It remains the only time the Ilitches have fired a coach of the Wings in mid-season.
Might No. 2 be on the horizon? Is current coach Jeff Blashill’s job in jeopardy?
On the surface, and based on historical precedence, you’d have to lean toward no, but the team is now on Chris Ilitch’s watch, and is the son going to be like his father Mike, and practice patience? Detroit’s current five-game homestand, which begins Tuesday playing host to the red-hot Winnipeg Jets, could be the litmus test of Blashill’s future.
Wings GM Ken Holland would not comment about Blashill’s future in an interview with MLive.com. While it’s not advisable to read too much into Holland’s silence, you should read plenty into Detroit’s latest game results.
Saturday’s 10-1 drubbing in Montreal certainly set off alarms. Captain Henrik Zetterberg described it as an insult to every player who’s ever worn the winged wheel, and that right there is the point.
It’s one thing to lose games. After all, no one in their right mind cast this Red Wings team as a contender. On the other hand, no one in the organization is going to tolerate the team continuing to get handled like they have in their last three losses, in which the Wings were outscored 20-5. They’ve been outscored 16-2 in the last five periods.
Those are the sorts of numbers that if they continue to add up, will get a coach fired.
“We’ve just gotta play better as a whole,” Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard said. “Every single one of us.”
If the Wings want to keep their coach around, they need to step up their game immediately.
“That’s how good teams show their character,” Detroit left-winger Tomas Tatar said. “When things go wrong, they can step up and do the things right.
“We have a big challenge tomorrow and we have to show up.”
As much as he appreciates his players saying all the right things, Blashill recognizes it only matters that they do the right things.
“Talk can be cheap,” Blashill said.
Results speak volumes. And if the Wings don’t start delivering some results and soon - like in the next five games - they might be getting a new coach for Christmas.
Wilson Cast Adrift With zero points in 20 games this season, a cynic could argue that Scott Wilson, the left-winger the Wings acquired last month from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Riley Sheahan, was filling Sheahan’s role capably.
Sheahan didn’t score a goal last season for Detroit until Game No. 82 of the regular season.
Monday, the Wings decided they’d seen enough of Wilson and opted to move on from him after he’d played just 17 games in a Detroit uniform. Wilson was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2019 fifth round draft pick.
David Booth will take Wilson’s place in the lineup Tuesday against the Jets, and Wednesday, the Wings will reassess and decide whether to call up someone from AHL Grand Rapids.
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